Free Republic

The problem with health care in the United States is that it does not cost enough. First, some relevant points of comparison. There are many ways to do government-supported health care, but, if you took the popular American political debate as your sole source of perspective, you’d think that there were only three: the British National Health Service, the Canadian single-payer system, and the wildly dysfunctional dog’s breakfast we have just created and nicknamed Obamacare. But there are other models that are useful to examine, not necessarily because we want to replicate them in the United States but because they...

Hong Kong (CNN) -- A connection to Xinjiang, a restive autonomous region in northwestern China, has emerged in the investigation into the jeep that plowed into crowds in Tiananmen Square on Monday, killing five and injuring at least 40. The incident, which has been identified as a terrorist attack, was "carefully planned, organized and premeditated," police said Wednesday on their official Weibo account online. Tuesday, police circulated a notice to hotels in Beijing related to a "major incident" listing names that suggested suspects belonged to the Uyghur ethnic group that comes from Xinjiang. The region has a long history of...

It’s Mary Landrieu, who, until recently, was known to say how proud she is to have voted for ObamaCare and is now reduced to floating bills in the Senate that attempt to hold the president to the most basic promises he made when selling the bill. She comes from solid-red Louisiana and is up for reelection next year, which is another way of saying that she too is deeply worried about losing something because of ObamaCare. Sen. Mary Landrieu said Wednesday she would propose legislation to ensure all Americans could keep their existing insurance coverage under Obamacare, a fresh sign...

A North Dakota woman will hand out “obese letters” to overweight children on Halloween – is she helping neighborhood kids or should she leave their eating habit She’s helping neighborhood kids She should leave the kids’ eating habits to their parents and butt out

(Vanity) I just heard at an intruiging conversation with a lawyer who works nearby Guomou Subway Station on Line 1 in Beijing. The attorney explained that their law firm is hired by the Chinese government to publish all economic statistics into the English language and make it available as press releases for the Western media, or so the lwayer claims. Apparently, the lawyer has described a culture of chaos as government officials try to figure out how to make fake economic statistics that look more believable. The source explained the routine. China has two sets of books: the real economic...

SANFORD -- More than a year and a half after Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, the city of Sanford is making major changes to its neighborhood watch program, including banning volunteers from carrying guns while on patrol, and forbidding them from pursuing anyone in their neighborhoods. Sanford's new police chief, Cecil Smith, said the neighborhood watch program as it was operated while Zimmerman was part of it was dysfunctional and had no accountability. "In this program, it is clearly stated that you will not pursue an individual," Smith explained. "In this new program, it clearly indicates...

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) refused to promise he would serve out another full term if he's re-elected next week. Christie was asked by George Stephanopoulos about his plans for his next term (likely, since he's polling far ahead of his Democratic rival, state Sen. Barbara Buono) during an appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday morning. "I'm committed to being the best governor New Jersey ca have for as long as I can possibly do it," Christie said. "But, you know George, neither one of us have a crystal ball and know what's going to happen in the...

US President Barack Obama has accepted "full responsibility" for ensuring the troubled healthcare website gets fixed. Speaking in Boston, he said he was "not happy" about the glitch-laden project, but made a full-throated defence of the broader 2010 healthcare law. Earlier, his embattled health secretary apologised to the American people over the botched website rollout. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the largest overhaul of the US healthcare system since the 1960s. Commonly known as Obamacare, it aims to extend health insurance coverage to the estimated 15% of the American population who lack it. But a key element...

The Catholic Church has been disparaged at times throughout its long history, and sometimes rightly. But while it has occasionally fallen short of its ideals, that does not overshadow the good it has accomplished — and can accomplish in the future. With the latest controversy in Germany and the ongoing scandal over priests charged with sexual abuse, it is clear that the Catholic Church, being a human enterprise, occasionally falls short, and its leaders sin greatly. But these lapses do not overshadow the good the church has accomplished in the past and — more to the point — can accomplish...

Rep. David Valadao (Calif.) on Wednesday became the third House Republican to back a Democratic-led immigration reform bill.

<p>I'm referring to that jerkoff(Pallone-New Jersey) that was just on Megan Kelly's show. Anyone catch the lies spewing from this liar's mouth? Also, he looked and sounded like he had tipped a few before he came on the air!</p>

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is headed to Virginia to campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli in the waning days of the campaign. Walker's campaign spokesman Jonathan Wetzel said Wednesday he is scheduled to be with Cuccinelli on Saturday, just three days before the election. Cuccinelli faces Democrat Terry McAuliffe in the hotly contested race. Most polls have showed McAuliffe with a comfortable lead over Cuccinelli. Walker is popular among conservatives after he became the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall election. The recall last year was spurred by anger over his 2011 proposal that effectively ended...

**SNIP** Health officials say the "ReThink Your Drink" campaign is aimed at reducing the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages that Alabamians have in their diets. They say a 20-ounce soda or sweetened tea can have 240 calories from sugar.

October 30, 2013 NBCUniversal’s Insurance Premiums to Rise Due to Obamacare Sean Long CNBC’s morning anchors were troubled by the news that their own insurance plans will become more costly under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). On Oct. 30’s “Squawk Box,” CNBC Senior Correspondent Scott Cohn revealed details of NBC’s open enrollment, brandishing an official fact book outlining the process. He quoted the document, revealing that the ACA would increase employee premiums. Cohn observed “Some of these costs, when you look at this, are way up -- double digits.” Aetna Chairman and CEO, Mark Bertolini explained that “Aetna alone will...

“To the best of your knowledge, has a man ever delivered a baby?” Representative Renee Ellmers (R., N.C.) jocularly asked Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius, as part of her line of questioning as to why maternity coverage will be required in all insurance plans, including for single men. Ellmers argued at Wednesday’s House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing that the requirement is one of the many provisions in the Affordable Care Act driving up health-care costs.

FULL TITLE: Good Grief!… Testimony Of Kathleen Sebelius Is Word-For-Word Identical To Testimony Of CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner Makes perfect sense that a one-size-fits-all government-run health care system also provides a one-size-fits-all testimony for government administration officials. House testimony of Kathleen Sebelius found here matches almost word-for-word the testimony given yesterday by CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner found here.

Former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, a tea party and libertarian hero, will campaign for Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II on Monday — a day before voters go to the polls to choose Virginia’s next governor. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, will also make appearances on behalf of Mr. Cuccinelli in the days leading up to Election Day. Mr. Walker is scheduled to campaign with Mr. Cuccinelli in Prince William and Spotsylvania counties Saturday, and Mr. Rubio is scheduled to appear in Warrenton and Culpeper Monday. News of the appearances was first reported by...

Hello! GOP! Anybody home? In case you guys in DC do not know, there’s a gubernatorial race happening in Virginia in a week. While our guy Conservative Republican Ken Cuccinelli is amazingly holding his own, in terms of campaign spending, the Democrats are kicking our butts. Meanwhile, We the People, grassroots across America are passionately engaged and have made the race tightly competitive. Remarkably, polls show the Virginia race down to 1%. Turnout will be the deciding factor. http://bit.ly/1eOj22I For those of you unaware, I am Chairman of Conservative Campaign Committee. Showing my age, do you remember the TV show,...

In a speech at Boston's Faneuil Hall on Wednesday afternoon, President Barack Obama discarded his now-infamous broken promise: "If you like your health insurance, you can keep your health insurance." Instead, he offered a new promise: "You will be getting a better deal," the president told health insurance consumers. He blamed insurance companies, not Obamacare, for the canceled policies: Now, if you had one of these substandard plans before the Affordable Care Act became law, and you really like that plan, you were able to keep it. That's what I said when I was running for office. That was part...

Obamacare: Day 30America Held HostageRoundup of News & ViewsNo. 2.  Oct 30, 2013Sebelius Testifies Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary, testified today before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “I was told we were ready to launch on October 1." Article at CBS Article at Washington Examiner   Month Before Launch Admin Warned: Site Not Ready The Obama administration was given stark warnings just one month before that the federal healthcare site was not ready to go live, according to a confidential report obtained by CNN. Article at CNN   Security Warning Sept. 27 memo to Medicare chief Marylin Tavenner...