Posted on 09/03/2009 7:44:34 PM PDT by socialismisinsidious
Echoes of Clinton in 1993 Could Haunt Obama's Speech to Congress on Health Care
FOXNews.com ^ | September 02, 2009 | Major Garrett
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:11:33 AM by kingattax
WASHINGTON -- When President Obama addresses a joint session of Congress next Wednesday to push for health care reform, the speech will come nearly 16 years after President Bill Clinton delivered his own address to Congress on the very same topic.
Clinton's push for health care reform ultimately failed, but in the short term, his speech in September 1993 succeeded: Afterward, polling showed the country somewhat open to Clinton's call for mandatory insurance coverage purchased and supplied through tightly regulated Health Maintenance Organizations.
Obama's speech, however, will occur after a summer of discontent driven by raucous town hall events, resulting in deepening public opposition to Obama's health care plans and newfound skepticism about his ability to lead.
Medical Care is a Successful and Growing Industry, not a Liability
The American Thinker ^ | September 03, 2009 | Wesley Clark, MD
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:13:05 AM by Scanian
The people of the United States find themselves in the midst of a severe recession, with unemployment higher than it has been in many years, housing prices cratering, retirement plans collapsing, and their lifestyles constricting.
The financial industry collapsed. We had to come to the rescue, pouring our own futures into saving the banks, brokerages, and insurance companies from their own greedy foolishness. The stagnant American automobile industry was imploding, and the people had to bail them out too, further mortgaging the future of their children.
Sources: Obama, GOP's Snowe work on health care compromise (Here we go again!)
cnn ^ | 9/3/2009 | Ed Henry and Dana Bash
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 8:09:35 AM by tobyhill
President Obama and top aides have quietly stepped up talks with moderate Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine on a scaled-back health care bill, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations.
The compromise plan would lack a government-run public health insurance option favored by Obama, but would leave the door open to adding that provision down the road under an idea proposed by Snowe, the sources said.
Dems Target High Earners to Fund Health Plan
Fox News ^ | 09/03/2009 | Fox News
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 8:24:32 AM by fiscon1
WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats are revisiting proposals to raise taxes on high-income people to help pay for an overhaul of the health-care system.
The main proposal getting renewed attention is one by President Barack Obama that would limit the federal tax deductions for higher-income families for mortgage interest and other widely claimed purposes, said two senior Senate Democratic aides.
Man's Finger Bitten Off in Scuffle at Health Care Rally (moveon shows its teeth)
ktla ^ | September 2, 2009 | staff
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 3:49:54 AM by tlb
THOUSAND OAKS -- A 65 year old man had his finger bitten off Wednesday evening at a health care rally in Thousand Oaks, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.
Sheriff's investigators were called to Hillcrest and Lynn Road at 7:26 p.m.
About 100 protesters sponsored by MoveOn.org were having a rally supporting health care reform. A group of anti-health care reform protesters formed across the street.
When someone from the pro-reform side crossed over to the anti-reform side, a fist fight ensued, which resulted in the man's pinky finger getting bitten off.
It's believed the man was on the anti-health care reform side.
He took his finger and walked to Los Robles hospital for treatment.
Police don't know who bit the man's finger off, but they're investigating the incident.
Rangel: 'Prejudice' Toward Obama Halting Health Care Reform(Another racist throwing a tantrum)
foxnews.com ^ | 9/3/09
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 8:51:50 AM by bestintxas
First it was Gov. Paterson. Now the dean of New York's congressional delegation has played the race card -- and just as the governor did, he's using President Obama to do it, the New York Post reported.
Rep. Charles Rangel said Tuesday that "bias" and "prejudice" toward Obama are fueling opposition to health-care reform.
Health care reform means more power for the IRS
The Examiner ^ | 9/2/09
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 9:23:22 AM by FromLori
There's been a lot of discussion about the new and powerful federal agencies that would be created by the passage of a national health care bill. The Health Choices Administration, the Health Benefits Advisory Committee, the Health Insurance Exchange — there are dozens in all.
But if the plan envisioned by President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats is enacted, the primary federal bureaucracy responsible for implementing and enforcing national health care will be an old and familiar one: the Internal Revenue Service. Under the Democrats' health care proposals, the already powerful — and already feared — IRS would wield even more power and extend its reach even farther into the lives of ordinary Americans, and the presidentially-appointed head of the new health care bureaucracy would have access to confidential IRS information about millions of individual taxpayers.
Obamacare: PBS's Jim Lehrer suggests to Obama: "start cracking heads", CNN trots out communist
PBS and CNN | July and Aug, 2009
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 10:39:34 AM by ETL
From PBS.org, July 20, 2009...
"Communicating health reform goals"
JIM LEHRER: As you know a lot of the commentary over the weekend was that nothing’s going to happen getting from here to the final hurdle here unless you really start cracking some heads, and really say, “Hey, this is the Obama plan, this is what I want. So much for what this committee wants and what that committee wants. Here’s what I want. I’m going to push and go.” Are you ready to do that?
McCain addresses Palin, health care on Late Show [makes fun of Palin]
CNN - Political Ticker ^ | 2009-09-03
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 11:25:59 AM by rabscuttle385
Nearly a year after the presidential race came to an end, it's a subject Arizona Sen. John McCain still can't avoid: Sarah Palin.
Appearing on the Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien Wednesday, the former presidential candidate was asked, as he has been several times before, whether he was shocked Palin chose to resign her post as governor of Alaska two months ago.
"Yeah I was because she didn't call me ahead of time," McCain said to laughter in the audience. "We all have families, we all have challenges, we all have issues in our lives. She did have huge legal debts because of these [ethics] charges."
What if the Goal Isn't Health Care Reform...
American Issues Project ^ | 8-24-09 | Duane Lester
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 11:41:31 AM by Bodhi1
The national debt is already $11.7 trillion. Obama's budget deficit, according to the administration, is already $1.5 trillion. The health care overhaul would add another trillion to it. Because of the massive debt and the deficit, the Federal Reserve is having a hard time unloading the debt. Actually, they can't unload the debt, so they are printing money to buy it. And rather than looking for ways to lower the debt, the administration is looking to raise the debt limit.
It may be borderline conspiracy theory, but one has to wonder if the goal here isn't reforming health care but reforming America. Obama is already on record as advocating the redistribution of wealth, which was the ultimate goal of Cloward and Piven. How can increasing the national debt limit, $1.5 trillion dollar budget deficits, and another $9 trillion in debt do anything but strain the very foundation of our economic system?
Sweden’s Healthcare Failures: A Warning to U.S.
Publius Forum ^ | 09/03/09 | Warner Todd Huston
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 12:03:20 PM by Mobile Vulgus
David Hogberg of the National Policy Center has an interesting, in depth study of the mess that is Sweden’s single payer healthcare system from 2007 that is very relevant to today’s discussion of Obamacare because much of what Obama wants has already proving a failure in Sweden.
“The experience of Sweden demonstrates,” Hogberg says, “that when a nation adopts market-oriented reform for its health care system, the reforms will fail if the market is not permitted to work.”
Hogberg discusses some of the detailed changes that Sweden made to its system in the 1980s. These changes were made because costs were getting out of control and the government felt some market forces needed to be added to the system to help balance it. But the efforts were half measures that didn’t work.
Healthcare-reform opponent loses part of finger during fight at rally (what really happened)
ventura county star ^ | Today | By Adam Foxman
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 1:36:34 PM by jessduntno
Healthcare-reform opponent loses part of finger during fight at rally
A 65-year-old healthcare-reform opponent had part of a finger bitten off Wednesday night during a rally in Thousand Oaks, authorities said.
Crusaders Don Spandex in the Name of Healthcare (Newest Obamacare Strategy- Superheros)
NBC Miami ^ | Thu, Sep 3, 2009 | JESSICA SICK
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 2:07:38 PM by nickcarraway
The Community Avengers challenge "the villains of bad government" in two places today
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Healthcare Man!
Forget hand-made signs, one group of Miami residents is pulling on the Spandex in the name of universal health care.
Dressed in superhero costumes, the Community Avengers (or Justicieros Comunitarios), as they call themselves, will be in two places - not at once (they're not that good) - today to challenge, according to their press release, "the villains of bad government and greedy insurance companies."
Health Care That Works
NYT ^ | 9/3/2009 | Nicholas Kristoff
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 3:50:43 PM by Bobkk47
Health care reform may be defeated this year in part because so many Americans believe the government can’t do anything right and fear that a doctor will come to resemble an I.R.S. agent with a scalpel. Yet the part of America’s health care system that consumers like best is the government-run part.
Fifty-six to 60 percent of people in government-run Medicare rate it a 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale. In contrast, only 40 percent of those enrolled in private insurance rank their plans that high.
Health Care Bill Gives Obama Power to Appoint Government 'Commissioner' With Sweeping Power ...
cnsnews.com ^ | 9/3/09 | Fred Lucas
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:00:14 PM by Nachum
(CNSNews.com) – The health care bill under consideration in the House of Representatives would give President Obama the authority to name a new federal “Health Choices Commissioner” who would have sweeping power to govern the health insurance plans offered in a so-called "exchange" where millions of Americans would get their health insurance if the bill is enacted.
These powers would include deciding which treatments are covered, which companies can participate, which states can run their own exchange, and enrolling individuals into the public exchange.
Obama seems open on health - to liberals' dismay
Associated Press ^ | Sept. 3, 2009 | CHARLES BABINGTON and JENNIFER LOVEN
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:16:32 PM by Free ThinkerNY
WASHINGTON (AP) - Even as liberals urge President Barack Obama to demand bold, far-reaching changes to the nation's health care system, the White House signaled openness Thursday to compromises that might attract moderate congressional Democrats as well as some Republicans.
Obama believes in "fundamental principles" about overhauling health care, top presidential adviser David Axelrod told The Associated Press, but "he's not dogmatic about how we get there."
Barack Obama to ditch cornerstone in health care proposal in bid to re-launch key policy
Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | September 3, 2009 | Alex Spillius
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:21:25 PM by Schnucki
The West Wing was in turmoil on Thursday as it debated how best to resurrect President Barack Obama's stalled $1 trillion plans to overhaul the most expensive health care system in the world.
The President appears to be prepared to drop a key item on his wish-list: a government-run insurance body that would compete with private insurers and, in his words, "keep them honest".
Barackobama.com calls Obamacare opponents "the same as the 9-11 terrorists"
Fox News Channel | 9/3/09
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:21:35 PM by pabianice
Posting -- now scrubbed from site after uproar -- labeled conservatives and anti-Obama voters as "right wing domestic terrorists" and equated them with the 9-11 hijackers. Obama now saying he's not responsible for what's posted on his website.
Video: Canada’s health-care lottery
hotair.com ^ | Sept. 3, 2009 | Ed Morrissey
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:24:10 PM by Free ThinkerNY
Many people in the US dream of hitting the lottery, and of all the freedom the jackpot would allow.
In Canada, people dream of hitting the lottery too, but their aspirations are more down-to-earth … like finally getting a doctor.
Fox Business News highlights the monthly contest in Norwood that determines who gets to access a family-practice physician, which only is possible because of Norwood’s off-the-books deal to have the town’s doctor add people at all (via the Peoples Press Collective):
New CBO Blow to Obamacare-->Plan Will Increase Medicare Drug Costs 20%
CNSNEWS/CBO/the lid ^ | 9/3/09 | The Lid
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 7:56:44 PM by Shellybenoit
Douglas Elmendorf head of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) better watch out, if he keeps on giving honest analysis, Charlie Rangel may call him a racist, or maybe someone from MoveON will bite his finger off.
The CBO had already put three darts in the Bull called HR 3200 (AKA the Obamcare bill), when they first came up with the costs, and then when they said that holding down medicare costs would only save a total of $2 Billion of the plans estimated $1.6 Trillion costs, then there was the CBO revelation that preventative medicine would increase rather than reduce health care costs.
Last Friday, Elmendorf sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee in response to a question by the committee's ranking Republican Dave Camp (full letter at the end of this post). The question was about the change in Medicare Part D premiums that would result from certain provisions contained in title I in division B of the Obamacare bill.
The answer was not good for the bill's supporters. Enrollees in the Medicare prescription drug programme (known as Part D) would see their premiums rise about 5% in 2011 and this increase would reach about 20% by 2019, according director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
Obama Advocacy Site Pulls 9/11 Attacks Into Health Care Debate [right wing terrorists out there]
Fox News ^ | 9-3-09
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 8:30:22 PM by SJackson
The controversy stems from a notice on the Organizing for America Web site urging reform advocates to use the anniversary of the terror attacks to call on lawmakers to pass health care reform.
President Obama's grassroots advocacy group is coming under fire for a supporter who pulled the Sept. 11 attacks into the health care debate.
The controversy stems from a notice on the Organizing for America Web site urging reform advocates to use the anniversary of the terror attacks to call on lawmakers to pass health care reform.
"All 50 states are coordinating in this -- as we fight back against our own Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists who are subverting the American Democratic process, whipped to a frenzy by their Fox Propaganda Network ceaselessly re-seizing power for their treacherous leaders," the notice said in part. It has since been scrubbed from the Organizing for America site.
Following criticism from the conservative Heritage Foundation, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee told FOX News in a statement that anyone can post on the site and condemned the language.
"We certainly don't agree with these comments, nor do we condone them, just as I'm sure the Heritage Foundation or FOX don't agree or condone some of the things posted in sections of their Web site," the statement said.
But the Heritage Foundation's Rory Cooper said the call to action was actively distributed.
Reform's Dead End (IBD Exclusive Series: Government-Run Healthcare: A Prescription For Failure)
IBD Editorials ^ | September 3, 2009 | INVESTORS BUSINESS DAILY Staff
Posted on Thursday, September 03, 2009 8:35:58 PM by Kaslin
Health Care: Can a day go by without the British producing another story highlighting the disaster of their government-run system? In the latest installment, we find that care for the dying might be a cause of death.
Obama slashes Medicare in 2010 for Heart, Cancer Docs -- Media Silent
Doug Ross Journal ^ | September 1, 2009 | Doug Ross
Posted on Wednesday, September 02, 2009 12:08:22 PM by TenthAmendmentChampion
You didn't read this in your local paper, but 2010 could be a catastrophic year for elderly heart and cancer patients. Bloomberg News reports that President Obama has proposed cutting $1.4 billion in Medicare payments to heart and cancer specialists.
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