Free Republic

http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/14/johanns-amendment-would-defund-acorn/

President Obama's approval rating on health care has dropped six points since July to 40 percent, and now more Americans, 47 percent, disapprove of his handling of health care, according to a new CBS News poll taken between Aug 27 - 31. As the president's poll numbers sink on the issue, two-thirds of Americans remain confused about the health reform proposals on the table. Meanwhile, Mr. Obama's overall approval (56 percent) and handling of the economy (53 percent) are not much changed from last month. (Read more here.) Americans are not only skeptical of Mr. Obama's handling of health care,...

The health-care debate was supposed to play out at rallies and inside gymnasiums when lawmakers headed home for the August recess. But after a series of contentious town-hall meetings, some Democratic lawmakers are thinking twice about holding large public gatherings. Instead, they are opting for smaller sessions, holding meetings by phone or inviting constituents for one-on-one office hours. Democrats have accused Republicans of manufacturing the opposition by organizing groups to attend the events and encouraging disruptive behavior. Republican organizers say the unrest reflects genuine anger about the proposed health-care changes. [Snip] Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D., Ariz.) on Thursday canceled...

After Michael Jackson, the most talked about news story at the corner coffee klatches in Newport-Mesa are the new universal health-care proposals. Although less frequently discussed than it should be, no new federal health-care plan will succeed and cut costs without some type of tort reform. President Obama has asked all Americans to “sacrifice” for their country in these troubled times. Yet for some reason (hard to believe) he hasn’t asked his brethren, the lawyers and trial lawyers, to make any sacrifices such as not suing the medical system to death. By some accounts lawsuits take hundreds of billions from...

Here’s another one of those wonderful examples of how the Old Media will use a headline that makes a stark claim about how rotten Republicans are for opposing a Democratic plan while at the same time conveniently ignoring the opposition to the same idea among Democrats. This time it is the “partisan divide” in the healthcare debate. The Times tsks Republicans for solidly lining up to oppose Obama’s wild grab for nearly 20 percent of the nation’s economy through his healthcare plans. Yet not once does the Times mention the many areas in which Democrats are disagreeing with Democrats on...

The healthcare overhaul proposal offered Tuesday by U.S. House of Representatives' Democrats will include an extra 5.4 percent tax on those earning more than $1 million. One congressional aide said that would bring the top tax rate for the wealthy to 45 percent. An additional tax of 1 percent would be levied on those couples earning more than $350,000. Those with $500,000 incomes would pay an extra 1.5 percent, according to the legislative documents. Increases could be triggered in 2013 to 2.0 percent and 3.0 percent, respectively. The millionaires' tax would remain at 5.4 percent, according to legislative documents.

On the one hand I'm glad to see the American Medical Association opposing the socialism plans of Obama when it comes to health care, but on the other hand they got what they asked for as Robert Pear notes in his new article today about the opposition from the AMA, a majority of them gave to Democrats last year: As the health care debate heats up, the American Medical Association is letting Congress know that it will oppose creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan, which President Obama and many other Democrats see as an essential element of legislation to remake...

The federal government has told New York State health officials that chemotherapy, which had been covered for illegal immigrants under a government-financed program for emergency medical care, does not qualify for coverage. The decision sets the stage for a battle between the state and federal governments over how medical emergencies are defined. The change comes amid a fierce national debate on providing medical care to immigrants, with New York State officials and critics saying this latest move is one more indication of the Bush administration’s efforts to exclude the uninsured from public health services. State officials in New York and...

Free is Not Always Better Todd A. Carges Here she goes again. Hillary Clinton announced yesterday her plan for mandatory health insurance which is just a clever nickname for her version of Nationalized Healthcare. She tried in 1994 to convert us to socialized medicine and failed miserably. Luckily, clearer heads prevailed. But now it is 2007, and Nationalized Healthcare is back on the table. You’d think that the troubles they’re having in Canada and Europe where “free” healthcare has cost them billions in taxes and quality of care would provide all the proof we need to reject this bad idea....