Wednesday August 19th 2009

debate-images

On Friday at 11am Thom will be "Live" from the Barrymore Theater in Madison, WI - Get tickets at www.barrymorelive.com
Hour One - Are the lies paid for by the drug and insurance companies creating so much fear and hate among white racists that we could see a repeat of the era of assassinations we saw in the 1960s? Lamar Waldron www.legacyofsecrecy.com

Hour Two - Is it possible that level heads in the conservative movement can now stop the crazies that their corporate-funded astroturf buddies like Dick Army have unleashed? David Frum www.aei.org

Plus - Gun toters showing up at townhall meetings...are we back in the wild, wild west?? Larry Pratt  www.gunowners.org

Hour Three - "Everything You Know is Wrong" Is modern science killing us, from our epidemics of cancer and autism to the death of the biosphere? If so, what can we do about it?  Nena Baker www.thebodytoxic.com

Comments

AZAFVET (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#1

An Email to Senator Conrad;

First I want to point out that me and my wife are partial owners of the XXX Farm in XXX N.D. We have extended Family throughout North Dakota, My wife and I were married in Bottineau and I was discharged from the USAF at Minot AFB 1968.

Healthcare has always been important to my wife and I. I am a disabled vet with a service connected disability. When my wife was just 30 years old, she had a cerebral hemorrhage that left her with seizures. There were several times during our marriage where I was between jobs or had taken a job. When I was between jobs we couldn't afford the medical insurance nor the medicine that my wife required. I once had to call the rescue squad due to her having a seizure and she was taken to a local hospital.

On one job, she was denied health care benefits for the first year of my employment because of a previously existing condition. Just a little over two years ago she became totally disabled because her seizures led her to putting her hand into a hot skillet burning it severely. She is still a month away from Medicare and has a low cost insurance plan that has terrible drug coverage. Just one of her medications costs $598/ mon even at WalMart.

I looked at the Medicare formulary and over the course of a year her out of pocket costs would be over $5000, you know because of the Drug Cartel that won't allow Medicare to bargain for the best price. When she was employed and had employer based insurance the same drug was $20 for 3 months. We now are forced to purchase her medication from overseas at a price of $175 for 100 days.

I am ashamed at the United States of America for the way our health care is handled. Why are we 37th in health care behind some very small and backwards countries? Why do I have pay the highest cost for prescription medications that are required to sustain life? This is especially true when government gives money to pharmaceutical companies and universities for research into new drugs that are then patented and taken to market with no benefit to the government. The real Drug Cartel is not in Columbia or Mexico but rather in the US Corporations that rake in billions of dollars per year while people are literally dying for lack of their product.

You have the ability to change the condition that our health care is in. But a Co op is not the answer. The Co op my work for farmers in collection of their grain or in the distribution of electricity. It is not the answer for Health Care. I as well as millions of other Americans can not put our trust and welfare in any Corporation be it for profit or not for profit corporation.

My personal choice to resolve the problem is a single payer system with a strong public option. Now I realize that some people claim that this would be socialism. My first response is, so what. There are many socialized programs that Americans don't complain about. Fire and Police Departments, the Military, public schools and Universities, the post office are just a few. These were formed this way because this is the most logical and cost effective way to run these programs. North Dakota has its own State Bank that makes loans to farmers and others. Is that not a Socialized banking system? Is it an uneven playing field for the private banks in North Dakota or just a good way to protect the Citizens of the State should their be a meltdown in the global economic system?

Why, I ask you, can't you support at least a public option in health care? Why should we have to worry about losing our health care if we lose our jobs? We are not asking for any more than the coverage that you and your family enjoy. We are not asking for free health care only a more trustworthy system of delivery.
We want a system that we have some control over. It would be accountable to us the citizens of this country not to some board of directors that may not have our best interests in mind when making decisions.

I asked the question but alas I already know the real answer and it is truly a sad comment on just how corrupt our political system has become. When the voices of corporations become stronger than real live people there is something very wrong. The very fact that person-hood has been granted to corporations and that has led to the practice of lobbying which has corrupted the political process in this country. In most every other country in the industrialized world our politicians would be jailed for accepting bribes from these corporations.

While I no longer live in North Dakota I have family throughout the State and we will be watching your voting record as well as your press releases. When next election comes around our support either monetarily or otherwise will be for either for you or a challenger depending solely on your vote.

AZAFVET (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#2

An Email to Senator Conrad;

First I want to point out that me and my wife are partial owners of the XXX Farm in XXX N.D. We have extended Family throughout North Dakota, My wife and I were married in Bottineau and I was discharged from the USAF at Minot AFB 1968.

Healthcare has always been important to my wife and I. I am a disabled vet with a service connected disability. When my wife was just 30 years old, she had a cerebral hemorrhage that left her with seizures. There were several times during our marriage where I was between jobs or had taken a job. When I was between jobs we couldn't afford the medical insurance nor the medicine that my wife required. I once had to call the rescue squad due to her having a seizure and she was taken to a local hospital.

On one job, she was denied health care benefits for the first year of my employment because of a previously existing condition. Just a little over two years ago she became totally disabled because her seizures led her to putting her hand into a hot skillet burning it severely. She is still a month away from Medicare and has a low cost insurance plan that has terrible drug coverage. Just one of her medications costs $598/ mon even at WalMart.

I looked at the Medicare formulary and over the course of a year her out of pocket costs would be over $5000, you know because of the Drug Cartel that won't allow Medicare to bargain for the best price. When she was employed and had employer based insurance the same drug was $20 for 3 months. We now are forced to purchase her medication from overseas at a price of $175 for 100 days.

I am ashamed at the United States of America for the way our health care is handled. Why are we 37th in health care behind some very small and backwards countries? Why do I have pay the highest cost for prescription medications that are required to sustain life? This is especially true when government gives money to pharmaceutical companies and universities for research into new drugs that are then patented and taken to market with no benefit to the government. The real Drug Cartel is not in Columbia or Mexico but rather in the US Corporations that rake in billions of dollars per year while people are literally dying for lack of their product.

You have the ability to change the condition that our health care is in. But a Co op is not the answer. The Co op may work for farmers in collection of their grain or in the distribution of electricity. It is not the answer for Health Care. I as well as millions of other Americans can not put our trust and welfare in any Corporation be it for profit or not for profit corporation.

My personal choice to resolve the problem is a single payer system with a strong public option. Now I realize that some people claim that this would be socialism. My first response is, so what. There are many socialized programs that Americans don't complain about. Fire and Police Departments, the Military, public schools and Universities, the post office are just a few. These were formed this way because this is the most logical and cost effective way to run these programs. North Dakota has its own State Bank that makes loans to farmers and others. Is that not a Socialized banking system? Is it an uneven playing field for the private banks in North Dakota or just a good way to protect the Citizens of the State should their be a meltdown in the global economic system?

Why, I ask you, can't you support at least a public option in health care? Why should we have to worry about losing our health care if we lose our jobs? We are not asking for any more than the coverage that you and your family enjoy. We are not asking for free health care only a more trustworthy system of delivery.
We want a system that we have some control over. It would be accountable to us, the citizens of this country not to some board of directors that may not have our best interests in mind when making decisions.

I asked the question but alas, I already know the real answer and it is truly a sad comment on just how corrupt our political system has become. When the voices of corporations become stronger than real live people there is something very wrong. The very fact that person-hood has been granted to corporations and that has led to the practice of lobbying which has corrupted the political process in this country. In most every other country in the industrialized world our politicians would be jailed for accepting bribes from these corporations.

While I no longer live in North Dakota I have family throughout the State and we will be watching your voting record as well as your press releases. When next election comes around our support either monetarily or otherwise will be for either for you or a challenger depending solely on your vote.

B Roll (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#3

Thom,

Everyone should be allowed to hold whatever religious/spiritual beliefs that makes sense to them or makes them feel good. You’ve said that the bottom line is that your spiritual beliefs make you feel good. What you believe doesn’t make sense to me.

Now you’re a person who says that atheism is a religion and if atheists dare to express or explain their beliefs, you call them evangelical atheists, the very works kind. It seems that when it comes to atheists, you think it’s best if they stay in the closet.

You on the other hand, feel free to express your spiritual beliefs whenever you want. On your Tuesday, August 18, program, you expressed your belief that the world benefits from monks sitting around meditating, because you believe that we’re all connected on some cosmic level, and that their meditation improves the world through what would appear (from my perspective) to be magic.

I guess you can claim that there are some female monasteries, though not as prominent as male monasteries and nonexistent in Tibetan Buddhism, a tradition that you seem to hold dear. After all, you refer to the Dalai Lama a His Holiness. I guess that gives you enough wiggle room to talk your way out of charges of being oblivious to the inherent sexism involved.

Fine, believe all the spiritual and pseudoscientific things you want. That’s your right. But you really should reconsider your proposal that MY tax dollars should be used to support YOUR religious/spiritual beliefs. It’s not only disrespectful of the feelings and finances of atheists like me, but since you want to eliminate tax exemptions from all other religious traditions, it’s more arrogant than I thought you’d be. Your superstitions are better than their superstitions! Nice.

mathboy (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#4

I had the most brilliant idea for the health care debate. INSURANCE IS PURE COMMUNISM, even when done by a private company. It's from each according to his abilities (i.e. paying your premiums) and to each according to his needs (i.e. making claims when tragedies strike). Anyone that has insurance but doesn't use it is giving their money to help other people. And anyone that does make claims is "mooching" off of the other people that pay premiums to the same insurance company.

People that don't even want socialism should therefore be against all forms of insurance.

Mark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#5

I got a bit sidetacked hearing the news that Brett Favre is back; being a long-time Packer fan, I appreciate what he did for the franchise, and my feeling is that no business has a right to keep a man from working if he's capable and somebody is willing to employ him.

Anyways, the discussion with Robert Peters of Morality in Media on Monday reminded me of when I was in the Army, I spent a few weeks at a small military compound on the island of Crete. Directly across the street was a Greek “gift shop” which sold, among other things, “classical” figurines of nude females, and males with jumbo-sized stiffies; the latter depictions can in fact be found on ancient Greek pottery. While local (European) tourists ignored this stuff, some American soldiers from the compound were quite fascinated by it, in a juvenile way; you don’t generally see this kind of thing in an American gift shop.

I wonder what accounts for this difference in reaction. It can’t simply be explained in congenital terms. Americans and Europeans reactions to this stuff should only be explained by an unhealthy and judgmental attitude toward sexuality in this country. Europeans have a decidedly healthier attitude toward sex—it is just part of everyday existence. You can see this in their cinema; in America movies, sex scenes often seem to be just thrown in there for no particular reason but the prurient, but in European movies, it just blends in with the course of a day’s activities—it’s what humans do. In Europe, even young kids are exposed to nude representations of the human body; over time it becomes meaningless.

According to a recent cover story in The Economist, Europeans also seem to believe that American sex offender laws are in many cases “unjust” and “ineffective.” The anecdotal evidence provided to justify this conclusion is typical of the worst case scenario examples used to support a particular view (a 17-year-old girl having oral sex with a boy shy of 16), but it does point out that there is very little done to differentiate degrees of offense in official registers. A report by Human Rights Watch found that sex offender lists included men who visited prostitutes, people who urinated in public, flashers and streakers, and consensual sex between teenagers. Sex offender registrations have exploded, but not because of an increase in sex crimes, but because it now has such a wide net.

Politicians pass harsher laws to satisfy the public fear, but now so many people are registered sex offenders that it is difficult to keep track of who and who isn’t dangerous, according to the article. It is admitted that it a certain percentage of incorrigibles—particularly men who target boys—will reoffend. But for most, the harsh laws are merely self-defeating, since they tend to prevent people from attaining any semblance of a normal life. The article also suggests that money wasted on monitoring the clearly not dangerous could be used to better monitor those who are. The bottom line: make punishment fit the crime.

But that won’t happen. The mainstream media feeds on the ratings potential of anything to do with sex, and TV shows like “Law and Order” refer to sex crimes as among the most “heinous” crimes known to humanity, right up there with mass murder, and more so than scam artists who take people’s live savings and force them live penniless on the streets.

Mugsy (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#6

Thom, a couple of weeks ago, I started an online petition to open up Medicare to the general public as the basis of heathcare reform, almost identical to the idea you proposed on your show Monday.

I ask everyone to please sign the petition here:
http://www.change.org/actions/view/framing_is_everything_call_healthcare...

DDay (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#7

It is tragic to witness the unprecedented rise in men over-compensating for their inadequacies, by strapping a gun to their thighs when attending public events. Now, that the whole world knows of their preexisting condition, we can all take solace in knowing that they will still be able to receive health care. Thanks to BIG PHARMA, Viagra, Cialis, and other remedies are readily available in massive, no wait...make that adequate quantities for these unfortunate little guys. What a country!

Rasta (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#8

Did I Call It? Or Did I Call It?

DR. MENGELE = THOM HARTMANN

I.S.R.A.E.L.I. .S.O.L.D.I.E.R.S. .S.L.A.U.G.H.T.E.R.I.N.G. .P.A.L.E.S.T.I.N.I.A.N. .C.H.I.L.D.R.E.N. .F.O.R. .O.R.G.A.N. .H.A.R.V.E.S.T.I.N.G.

LOOKS LIKE THOM HARTMANN IS FULLY ENGAGED IN THE KILLING OF "LESS DESIRABLES" FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SUPER RACE.......NO WONDER HE DID A SEGMENT DESPERATELY TRYING JUSTIFY CHINESE ORGAN HARVESTING

TELL US THOM.....JUST WHAT OTHER RACE SHOULDN'T BE GUARANTEED THEIR RIGHT TO LIFE SO THAT YOU AND THE REST OF YOUR SELF PROFESSED SUPER RACE CAN SQUEEZE A FEW YEARS MORE OUT OF YOUR SADISTIC PATHETIC EXISTENCE?

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/08/19/swedish-claim-of-palestinian-orga...

Food Fascist (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#9

Hip hip hooray for Jim Wallace and for Jesus!

Throw the money changers out of the temple!

Join the conference call today at 2pm PST with President Barack Obama and the Reverend

http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.display&item=HC09-main

DDay (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#10

Oh my Rasta,
May I refer you to the previous post? Big Pharma may be your salvation too. Check out Prozac! You righties need to get of the Nazi thing. After all, You are the ones always promoting the bonding of our government with corporate interests. Look up the meaning of FASCIST in a good dictionary (IF you have one). Then take your pill. Please

Food Fascist (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#11

RASTA- you eat too much PASTA man - you want the Rush Limbaugh Show or the Michael Savage show or dumb dumb FOX NEWS- your on the wrong board, man.

Food Fascist (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#12

A simple marketing tool to see the exchange would be to provide Americans- who read at a 5th grade level- a screen shot of exactly what the Congress has now. Photoshop a ‘public option for those refused by the private insurers or unemployed’ here-

The solution must be coloring book level.

mstaggerlee (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#13

@Food Fascist,DDay - Please don't feed the troll - I believe Rasta posts & runs anyway - he doesn't hang around looking for replies to his nutso posts.

BTW, he's no "righty" either - he is, in fact, SO far to the left that it may look, from where most progressives live, his position may APPEAR to be to the right of ours, assuming the spectrum of views to be circular.

Food Fascist (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#14

DDay right on- If I so much as wore a No Blood for Oil t shirt, i could have gotten thrown off a plane or put behind bars - Amy Goodman had her face smashed into asphalt just for having a camera on her. Yet- these a-holes with the tiniest of penises are out there while the President is within a football field - wearing an AK is just fine.

This is the thuggery of America. Hopefully, the other countries are standing by to help.

Quark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#15

B Roll,

I suspect both you and Thom have elements of "truth" in your religious or spiritual philosophy: it's a breath mint AND a candy mint!

That is, God may not be the"old man" cloud being. However, God may be what we could call energy or life force, which IS a reality. If you think you can "connect" with that energy or, by meditating as a group, somehow make that connection together, maybe that is possible. (I have had experiences of "connection" with others in my life that may be somehow related though, to day, haven't been explained.) There is so much at a subatomic level that is really amazing, and so much yet to explore. I wouldn't rule out experiences we can't explain yet.

DRichards (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#16

ED Notes for Wednesday August 19th, 2009!
If Obama can't draw a line in the sand, and stand up to Republican opposition... he doesn't deserve the support of the left... and he needs to realize it won't be there.

It is amazing that Obama can be so far off in judging his supporters after such an exhausting campaign. We already had a march on Washington... it was called "Inauguration Day."

We have been kicked in the teeth for the last 8 years by Republicans on health care and the middle class has taken the beating. We can't get beaten again.

Liberals will have no stomach for supporting Obama and Democratic candidates in the mid-term if they can't show a spine and demonstrate they support the very people who put them in office.

Chuck Grassley, John Kyl, James Coburn lost. They are never going to do the peoples work and they stand clearly with the corporations and are big business protectors... Max Backus and Kent Conrad drink out of the same mug.

The White House is living in a vacuum if they think liberals aren't serious about dropping support for Obama. How are liberals expected to support people in the Democratic Party that say one thing on the campaign trail and reverse course when they get to Washington?

Standing up to Republican obstruction, at this critical time, is far more important than being a connected to a watered down piece of garbage written on Republican toilet paper.

The White House says we are close... close to what? Close to caving in to Grassley? They are not for reform...The Republicans are Protectionists, not Progressives.

Draw your line in the sand Mr. President and you will see ground swell support for your administration, your agenda, your party... cave in and we are gone for another generation.

The Ed Schultz Show.
http://www.wegoted.com/

Martin (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#17

I think I heard that pastor before. he was viral (on some liberal sites as well as sites where the posters are mostly black) during Obama's campaign for presidency.

If that's who I think it is that guy is a complete nutter and is the head of church called the ATLAH. The guy is form Harlem and is running a program asking the members of his church to buy outside of their neighborhood to make their economy so bad that they would prevent gentrification.

Quark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#18

DRichards,

The whole healthcare debate has devolved into such crap, due to the right's lies, I think I will just have to sit pat for now. It's discouraging that Obama can't manage Congress and the debate better. (I'm saying this as someone who is an activist, too.)

Loretta (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#19

Mark,

Great post filled with so many ironies and absurdities. The young parents trying to figure what sort of freedoms to give their kids are constantly bombarded with exactly waht you speak of which adds to childhood obesity rates. Law and Order may be partly responsible for childhood obesity just as much as McD's.

Quark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#20

Food Fascist,

Re: "This is the thuggery of America. Hopefully, the other countries are standing by to help."

No one is going to help us, anymore than we helped Iranians who begged for our help when election dissenters were out in the streets.

We're all on our own...

Quark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#21

"Golden Age?" I think Ravi Batra may be dreaming in a parallel universe.

Food Fascist (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#22

Well- the real war is between the educated and the stupid - not even money is an indicator anymore - It would be cool if Jesus did come down and separate the wheat from the chaffe.

mstaggerlee (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#23

I think we, as Progressive,s should abandon terminology such as "our current health care system". The status quo has little to do with making Americans HEALTHY, and those who benefit most from the system sure as hell don't CARE about the nation's health.

No, my friends, the system currently in place is obviously NOT a health care system - it's a SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT system, and that's how we should refer to it. The system actually perpetuates illness, such that we all remain good consumers of procedures and pharmaceuticals.

We don't want to CHANGE the health care system, we want to CREATE a REAL health care system, and abandon the symptom management system that is currently in place.

mstaggerlee (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#24

Is this what America has become - a nation where someone who says "It's all the JEWS fault!" then calls SOMEONE ELSE a Nazi???!!!

Quark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#25

GUNS, GUNS, GUNS...

1) The Right is an incestuous, vile group. Open carry gun permits may allow for a more "efficient" way of doing away with the Right's apponents. Look at Grover Norquist's list of affiliations on his website:

http://www.atr.org/grover-norquist-a3016

2) At least Robert Novak isn't adding filth and lies to the dialogue anymore. The line of replacements doesn't seem to get any shorter, though.

EDWARD CAPO BEACH (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#26

Del Monte plots to mislead mothers & minorities about dangers of BPA
We're fighting back. Call now to demand an end to unethical marketing tactics and to the use of BPA in Del Monte's products.

In June, food and chemical lobbyists met in Washington, DC to save the toxic plastic chemical BPA - they're desperate to block state and federal efforts to regulate their $6 billion industry.

http://www.ewg.org/files/BPA-Joint-Trade-Association.pdf

We were shocked when we read their internal meeting memos, which revealed a dangerous and unethical strategy to keep your family eating and drinking from BPA-laden containers - despite the mounting scientific evidence that exposure to even extremely low levels of BPA can impact health, particularly during early infancy. Get the full story on Enviroblog.

Food Fascist (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#27

Well...always look on the bright side of life- its as though someone turned on the light in a dark room crawling with bugs. And now- we get to haul all these thugs into prisons and off the streets and from under the park benches- perhaps allowing the good marijuana smokers out due to over crowding - a double hit!

And actually, a triple hit, because the thug racists will get health care, experience love for the first time in their lives and perhaps find Jesus.

Food Fascist (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#28

David From -

do not come to my neighborhood - pansy

Food Fascist (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#29

oh- I meant patsy

DRichards (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#30

Quark,
We are told that Obama won by a landslide because people wanted change...
So what is the problem? All he has to do is rally the people who elected him!

Seems to me that the Democrats are quite adept at playing the role of the spineless wimp.

moonbat666 (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#31

B Roll, I joined late, and I agree with you as an atheist myself. Thom calls us evangelical for explaining to others the absolute folly of all religious beleif. I am quite sure that Thom refuses to accept the finality of death, so he' s holding on to some beleif in a beleif. We all would like to live longer or forever, but alas, it makes no sense that we will. Where do these god's live? They only live in our minds. Thom needs the crutch of faith in something. I prefer to live in a real world. I am a product of evolution, created by natural selection. Thom was raised as a believer because of his parents. So was I. Few escape!

Food Fascist (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#32

How condescending this little AHOLE is He is threatening you, Thom

Mark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#33

It is interesting to note that Davud Frum objects to the tone, not the message of right-wing "entertainers" like Hannnity, Savage and Beck. Frum has no actual moral or ethical standards, as shown by his casual dismissal of the "white power" speech Thom aired as irrelevant. He is, of course, more concerned with the troublesome possibility that a violent act at the president's person will have consequences for Republicans. It would force them either to denounce their core supporters (many of whom are racists), or confirm that they are the party of hate and regression.

Quark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#34

Food Fascist,

Jesus wouldn't even be recognized. (In fact, he probably would be eliminated, either figuratively or actually, by those whose power would be threatened if he came back.)

Take a look at a South Park episode with a similar theme. Silly, of course. But truth is swallowed more easily in a "sweetened" concoction:

"Fantastic Easter Special"

http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/103208

WeThePeople (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#35

Larry Pratt with his inept answers to Tom's question.
Carrying a gun, concealed or not in a densely populated city is NOT a good idea. I do understand that in rural areas of the US that it is. It is our Constitutional right to bear arms, but as Thom mentioned, what about the trigger happy, easily frightened,unreasonably angry people showing up to Town Hall meeting with guns? Not a good idea.
Having a gun is a huge responsibility it would be a shame that a few trigger happy crazies would threaten our Constitutional right to bear arms.

Quark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#36

Lawrence O'Donnell told Keith Olbermann last night that senate and house bills that go to a final conference DO NOT BECOME MORE LIBERAL:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/ns/msnbc_tv-countdown_with_keith_olb...

moonbat666 (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#37

Hey Food Fascist, I'm an atheist that believes in many of the lessons attributed to Jesus. You should read some them. Try and be a little nicer. You're acting like a republican.

AZAFVET (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#38

Let's offshore our Health Insurance

Someone should investigate the possibility of Americans buying into the Canadian Health Care System and have them network with Doctors and hospitals in the good old USA.

DDay (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#39

What a difference 5 years makes! In 2004, a couple from West Virginia was arrested on the State Capital grounds for wearing home-made "T" shirts with Vote Kerry magic-marker-ed on them at a 4th of July visit from Ol George W. Less than two months later in Minnesota, I was able to infiltrate an "unscheduled" lunch stop by "W" in my home town, with the help of Democratic operatives. I was "armed" with a Kerry shirt under my Republican-like costume. When I flashed Rove with the aforementioned illegal underwear, I was immediately surrounded and quarantined by the Secret Service. I asked one agent if he enjoyed protecting the Prez from Democrats. He whispered that he hated it. We have a concealed carry law here. Maybe I should have packed a little heat and they might have left me alone.? Ya think? Homey don't think so.

moonbat666 (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#40

This entire blog should move on to something positive;ie Sotomayor's first decision. Siding with the libs in a losing 5-4 vote on lethal injection as cruel to prolong the defendents rights. Forget about health care reform, it ain't goin now where.

mstaggerlee (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#41

@AZAFVET - Why would you want to be allowed to buy in to Canada's system, as opposed to being allowed to buy in to Medicare?

B Roll (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#42

moonbat666

My comment was related to something he said on yesterday’s show, so you didn’t miss anything about the topic from today.

Thom has said that his mother was religious but his father was an atheist (I think he hopes his father was an agnostic). I think Thom is a believer by nature. I think his mom’s beliefs were pretty mainstream, but he’s admitted to having been an evangelical Christian some time ago.

I agree with you that “Thom refuses to accept the finality of death”. One time, when he the end of his father’s life, he said he felt bad for his father (an atheist) because he had nothing to look forward to.

As we both know, most people hold religious or spiritual beliefs. I don’t hold any of those beliefs, but I don’t put people down too much for believing. What annoys me about Thom is that he criticizes atheists for representing their beliefs, but repeatedly expresses his.

Yesterday, he said (for the second time I can recall) that he’s in favor of people (monks essentially) being given tax exemptions for leading a monastic life and meditating. His reasoning is that he believes that their meditation helps make the world better. The point of my post was that I don’t want my tax money going to support his spiritual beliefs. In addition, he said that he used to be in favor of churches, etc, being tax exempt, but now he isn’t. In essence, he was saying that he wants his beliefs to be supported but not the beliefs of others. I don’t think he thought it through that far.

P.S.: I agree with your observation that Food Fascist is being very hostile and offensive today. We need more Food for thought and less Fascist. (The last sentence was only a pun, but over reactions are acceptable)

Quark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#43

moonbat666,

Moral teachings and ethics were part of ancient cultures long before Christ espoused them. Unfortunately, people who ask, "how can you live an ethical life if you're not a Christian?" aren't aware of that.

(Your comment didn't go in this direction, but I mention it because it is such a knowledge gap with so many in our culture.)

AZAFVET (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#44

mstaggerlee

"@AZAFVET - Why would you want to be allowed to buy in to Canada’s system, as opposed to being allowed to buy in to Medicare?"

I am assuming that the won't happen this year. And I'm also concerned that the Public Option won't pass either.

Quark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#45

B Roll,

My posts have been sour today, as well, contributing to a generally negative atmosphere, I'm afraid. It comes from being so pissed off at what's going on in our country. Yes, I know I'm not alone in that. (Maybe I feel more comfortable with pessimism, which allows for elation when things DO go right. I actively, consciously work to climb the mountain of optimism, just like everyone else, I guess.)

DDay (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#46

Hey! Food Fascist gave me a "right on", so I need to come to his defense. Not that Ol' F.F needs my help. Hey Moonbat666, you want F.F to be nicer and then you want the blog to turn more positive and in the same breath tell us there is no hope for health care. What gives? I am as cynical as the next guy, but the moment we give up we have lost. Liberals need to learn how to fight more effectively. Barack needs to receive to heat from his base. Without us he is toast. Raise hell!

P.S. Some food for thought: If a guy says something and his wife isn't there to hear him. Does that still mean he's wrong? Or Why is almost all belly button lint blue, even when wearing white? Neither of these eternal questions are answered in any bible or holy book that I've read. Just wondering. Finally, is Barack playing checkers or chess? I haven't heard that answered either. It is almost beer thirty, I need a drink.

Quark (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#47

DDay,

Thanks --- I needed that!

DDay (not verified) 13 years 32 weeks ago
#49

Thanks Quark,
BURRRRRRRRRP....AHHHHHHHHHH

excuse me.

Thom's Blog Is On the Move

Hello All

Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.

Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.

From Cracking the Code:
"Thom Hartmann ought to be bronzed. His new book sets off from the same high plane as the last and offers explicit tools and how-to advice that will allow you to see, hear, and feel propaganda when it's directed at you and use the same techniques to refute it. His book would make a deaf-mute a better communicator. I want him on my reading table every day, and if you try one of his books, so will you."
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From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
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