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Will somebody just tell the truth out here?
This plan for healthcare was hatched way back with Nixon, as I remeber a think tank came up with this plan. A republican plan, Nixon axed it. Now it resurfaces now with Obama. So the republicans scream. Oh sorry I thought it was their plan first. I am sure Thom knows this better than I do.
But this discusts me when nobody has the courage to speak the truth. Now who is Obama? I think not the peoples president. He has shown his colors many times and that he dances between the aisles making sure he keeps all his money men satisfied. This president dissapoints me so much. I sent him money and small nurses like me, we sent him money. Now he dances between the aisles. Keep the Keystone pipeland in little bits. We know who he is affiliated to and it is not us. Now what do we do? I guess not send him anymore money.
That is what Republicans and Insurance Companies are afraid of...we'll love Obamacare and want to take it further with Medicare for ALL...that's my hope for my granddaughter and daughter...single payer medicine for all.
Now has the US of A become so totally rediculous? We have compulsory insurance for our cars. Nobody objected to this.Now compulsory insurance for healthcare? Now the Supreme Court intervenes? We know what happened last time when this criminally appointed court made another decision. It placed us into a war and all the atrocities this now has brought upon us.
Switch it anyway you wish. American's you have a cabal of criminals making desicions that affect youre life. I came to America 20 years ago not for money but just because I was so captivated by youre country. It took my breath away and I wished to make this country my own. Now what have you done? Now we have totally descended into fascism.
I work as house manager in one of the poorest hospitals in LA. We have no money and neither do they. Our emergency room is a mash unit every night. Most of our patients have no money, neither do we, we just survived bancrupsy by the skin of our teeth. We dont know if we will be here next week.
It uspsets me when I hear people who have no experience of socialised medicine criticise it so much. You know over 90% of people living with socialised medicine would never switch. Wanna run for political office in England tell them youre objective is to do away with the national health service. Then see how long you will last. Se when the people experience it they like it.
Not having Plessy v. Ferguson wouldn't really change anything; that decision upheld existing law. Dred Scott was a case where I think you'd have to have judicial review, because it involved no statutes. It was a civil suit about whether you could have a civil suit.
I'm definitely going to have to examine the doctrine of judicial supremacy. Please make sure to mention the case name, Thom, I don't have it in my list of important cases yet.
THE HEALTHCARE MOVIE is about Canada's struggle to get a Single Payer system. It's narrated by Kiefer Sutherland, grandson of Tommy Douglas. See: http://healthcaremovie.net
I attended a screening couple of weeks ago. Thom should be promoting this film! I never realized the tough struggle Canadians went through to get it passed until I saw this film. It shows the stark contrast, in terms of how humane the Canadian system is, compared to the U.S. It also dispells the propaganda we hear so often to denigrate their system.
I generally am in the liberal/progressive camp. I thus find it odd to hear Thom and other liberals contending that it is an illegitimate use of the judicial power to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional. I believe that the "mandate" of the ACA is within Congress' power under the Commerce Clause, at least as it has been interpreted by the Supreme Court over the years. But I do not agree that it is outside the Court's power to pass on the ACA's constitutionality. Indeed, it has been the cry of political conservatives over the decades that the Court does not have the power to overturn majoritarian tyranny, and thus must leave oppressive and discriminatory laws in place, lest the Court be accused of "legislating from the bench." While Article III of the Constitution does not expressly vest in the Court the power to declare acts of Congress unconstitiutional, it does vest the Court with the power to hear all cases "arising under" the Constitution. Please explain to me how the Court could decide a case arising under the Constitution without interpreting the Constitution and without determining whether an act of the Executive or Legislative Branch violates the Constitution. How can there be any check on majoritarian tyranny if the the acts of the "democratic" branches cannot be reviewed by an institution that is not directly answerable to voting public?
The bumper music at 3:35 ET reminds me of the false opening of a Monty Python movie, The Meaning of Life, I think. It involves buildings moving like pirate ships, with corporate employees being the pirates.
Obamacare will only help the insurance industry by forcing us to by insurance. They'll get richer, we gain nothing.
What we really need to do is reduce the cost of medical care by lowing prices paid to doctors and hospitals. This can be done by increasing the supply of doctors and hospitals - simple suppy and demand - plus establishing price controls.
Why settle for half measures. Let's hope the court rejects Obamacare so we can start over and do it right. As it is, Obama just seems a patsy of the medical and insurance lobbies.
Thomas Jefferson indicated in a letter that he was upset about the decision in Marbury v. Madison. And yet, in a much earlier letter to James Madison (cited in a newsletter last week), Jefferson indicated that he wanted the Supreme Court to have the veto power, so how do you reconcile that?
The letter about Marbury is difficult to decipher in some places, and I think his objection was that the Supreme Court thought it had the power to tells the other branches to do something (as opposed to telling them they can't do something), in this case ordering a member of the executive branch to transmit Mr. Marbury's letter of commission. If the judicial branch could thus order the executive branch around, that would present a danger of turning the Constitution into "a thing of wax", allowing one branch not just a check, but actually a direct power over another.
I have been a billing manager for orthopedic surgeons for 16 years. It is criminal the way the insurance companies rape their insured. It is time that everyone has health insurance.
I believe the Supreme Court will favor the corporations and play politics with this and make their decision on the side of the Insurance companies. There seems to be no representation of justice for the American people in any branch of Government these days. They only represent the Banks and corporations. Time to start over.
A Single payer health care system is the Only answer. Nothing less should be accepted. I have no faith in the Supreme Court. I believe, in this climate they are totally political, bought and paid forl and will vote against the Affordable Care mandate. This is unfortunate and not in the best interest of America. Healthcare for ALL should be a right for all citizens. I am a retired Airline Pilot and have traveled the world using the healthcare services of many countries. the worst is the United States. If myself or any member of my family had a terminal illness, I would leave thecountry to find a cure or help. The FDA is also a problem that needs to be addressed. I 1982, I had to leave this country to have a kidney stone treated with being cut in half. The extracorporeal lithotripsure unit (stone smashed) was not available in the US. It had been used ambulatory in Europe since the 1950's, invented by Dornier. He also develope the Messerschmidt Aircraft. I sometimes do not believe we want to find a cure for major diseases, at least, not cheap cures.
I do not expect the Supreme Court to do the right thing for this country.
To frame this debate:
Until we are ready as a nation, to turn sick and injured people away at the emergency room door; we MUST have an insurance mandate (single payer would be better, but the mandate is a minimum). The reason is obvious: without effective risk sharing and cost averaging costs will continue to soar.
People will literally pay ANYTHING (or at least everything they have) to save thier own life or the life of a loved one. If a doctor told me it would cost $300,000 to save my childs life, I would sell everything to try and get that money. For this reason, it is immoral and should be criminal, to make a PROFIT as a result of this completely irrational (yet universally present) emotion based decision process. Further, imagine the immorality of making a profit on the risk sharing (insurance) mechanism ON TOP of the profit from the actual medical care! We as a country should feel collectively outraged at those that are manipulating our fears to enrich themselves.
I am afraid... afraid that the 5 republican justices are going to strike this down, and afraid that my current insurer (which I signed up for in February with a new job I landed, thank goodness) will be able to go "retro" and say that my son's Type 1 diabetes was pre-existing, and start denying payments.
free health care for all .....same as canada
Say, are you sitting on a bed of nails while typing all this?? I find all your ideas fairly entertaining, but what's all that got to do with the reality in our society? How would your philosophy for example match with questions like "Keystone Pipline or not"? As you perhaps have heard, some people just care for the money they can get out of that pipeline. Others just think of the rising gas prices and obviously feel like cars are more important than people. Others are just concerned or even afraid, because there obviously ARE risks.....
How would you respond to somebody who wants to abolish food stamps? Would you just say: "Well, we're all one, just have a hug"?
We have conflicts in our society, which to deny is really-really very much out of touch.
Well, the orchestra is still Congress -- and we ought to orchestrate it better in November.... ;o)
Koch-Glitsch is part of a global empire run by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, who have taken a small oil company they inherited from their father, Fred, after his death in 1967, and built it into a chemical, textile, trading and refining conglomerate spanning more than 50 countries.Koch Industries is obsessed with secrecy, to the point that it discloses only an approximation of its annual revenue -- $100 billion a year -- and says nothing about its profits.The most visible part of Koch Industries is its consumer brands, including Lycra fiber and Stainmaster carpet. Georgia- Pacific LLC, which Koch owns, makes Dixie cups, Brawny paper towels and Quilted Northern bath tissue.Charles, 75, and David, 71, each worth about $20 billion, are prominent financial backers of groups that believe that excessive regulation is sapping the competitiveness of American business. They inherited their anti-government leanings from their father.
duplicacion dvd
*DON'T cry over anyone who won't cry over you*
Hi Clarissa,
"Gimme just a scale : I add chords that make it sound lively and more interesting, I play and sing it and make something out of it. If you play the greatest composition in the world with very bad musicians, it's nothing but terrible. Whereas skilled musicians are able to arrange and play even trivial stuff in a way that would make me happy."
Spoken like a true Jazz musician. I have no doubt you are able to accomplish what you say. Change the word "musicians" in your statement, to "President" and you have an idea what a competent president can do.
Blue Skies
Frankly, I don't know everything. There's still a lot to learn.... At least I've learned a lot over the last month -- more than the average American knows about our Democracy.
President Obama is alright to win an election. He is very powerful, intelligent and convincing. And he would do anything to make his presidency turn out successfully in the end. Sadly he can't right now, but I hope conditions in Congress will be better from 2013 on. Right now I have no other dream I would wish as much to come true. For I love this country.
Congress is the heart of our Democracy and we've been overemphasizing the part of the President. I started as one of those Obama-campaigners last year. But I learned better. I have great respect for the President as democratic elected office, but Congress is the actual institution where Democracy is being celebrated. Every American should get involved, in order to influence political parties and vote for their Congressional candidates. If the average American understood, that a progressive dominated Congress would really be able to decapitate the corporate hydra, they'd vote accordingly.
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Gimme just a scale : I add chords that make it sound lively and more interesting, I play and sing it and make something out of it. If you play the greatest composition in the world with very bad musicians, it's nothing but terrible. Whereas skilled musicians are able to arrange and play even trivial stuff in a way that would make me happy.
since Petrabras, the national oil company has had three oil spills since, with little said, I suspect this has more to do with getting the foreign oil companies out after they provided the technology to do the job.Petrabras owns 30% stake in what Chevron is doing, but I'll bet Petrobras didn't have the expertise to set it up. It is like in Ecuador, Chevron had cleaned it up and left 20 years before, while the national oil company stayed and worked the field for 20 years. But it was chevron's fault, no fault of the national oil company.
What you call "facts" is nothing but verbal right-wing destruction. For example calling our government "foolish" and at the same time speaking for an international corporation, shows you're NOT really a patriot. Maybe you're not even an American....
Whatsoever, Republicans often don't really speak like Americans. Many of them have quite a bit of a British accent. Righties often loooove the royal gossip from England. Because they have no sense for Democracy.
You're despising democratic elected institutions, but speak for international intruders who are buying off America. If you're an American, you're harming your country, my friend!
Clarissa,
You can't possibly be so nieve. Blaming Obama's incompetence on a bad congress, is like saying a bad musician is bad because of bad song writers. Another way of saying what you're saying is Obama is not good because the Congress is better. I know congress controls the purse strings, but the President has the hammer. A good president knows how and when to use it. In the scenario you paint, The country would be better if we replace a few hundred congress people, because the are keeping Obama from being great. I believe the country would be better if we replaced Obama. What is more likely to happen? I hope you are a good musician and don't blame any lack of ability on bad song writers.
Dear Thom,
This is the e-mail I received from Rebuild the Dream. It includes information on a petition that homeowners and others can sign. Can you include this information on your program. The Big Picture?
We have big news. NPR is reporting that the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are on the verge of reversing their positions and coming out for principal reductions for homeowners, the number one solution for the mortgage crisis. [1]
But there's a problem: Ed DeMarco, head of the agency that oversees Fannie and Freddie, could squash this solution. He's been denying the proven financial benefits of principal reductions for homeowners, taxpayers, and the country. And until now, DeMarco claimed Fannie and Freddie agreed with him. But no more. According to the report, financial executives at Fannie and Freddie have now made presentations coming out in support of this important solution. [2]
Ed DeMarco's got nothing to stand on. This is the moment we've been waiting for. The question is: Will DeMarco get out of the way and let it happen? We're not waiting to find out. We're going to demand it.
We've started a petition on the White House website asking President Obama to take action now, and we need you to add your name.
Sign our 'We the People' petition and tell President Obama: It's time for principal reductions, with or without Ed DeMarco.
Signing a petition on the White House website is a special way to get President Obama's attention. In fact, if more than 25,000 people sign it, then the White House is obliged to make an official response.
DeMarco is a right-wing ideologue and the most powerful man you've never heard of. He's the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees the mortgage giants Fannie and Freddie. DeMarco has been peddling his denial of the effectiveness of principal reductions for way too long. But now that even Fannie and Freddie disagree with him, the case is closed and it's time for DeMarco to end his right-wing crusade.
We -- along with a broad range of economists, leaders, and government agencies -- have been saying it all along. Principal reductions allow homeowners whose homes are worth less than their mortgages to stay in their homes and keep paying their mortgages. It's a solution that could play a major role in pushing the housing market toward recovery, giving a big boost to our economy as a whole.
Fannie and Freddie's reversal is big news, but until we see it happen, we can't let up. It's time to let the White House know that with or without DeMarco, principal reductions need to happen right now. The president has the power to fire DeMarco and replace him via a recess appointment.
Sign the White House petition now and tell President Obama we won't wait any longer.
Note that you'll need to create an account on the WhiteHouse.gov website in order to sign. It's an extra step, but it's worth it.
We'll keep you updated on the story. In the meantime, we've got to keep the pressure on.
Thanks,
Ian and the Rebuild the Dream team
[1] Fannie, Freddie Consider Mortgage Write-Downs
[2] Fannie and Freddie: Slashing Mortgages Is Good Business
Rebuild the Dream is a platform for bottom-up, people-powered innovations to help fix the U.S. economy. You can follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.
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The blog post is notably deficient in facts.... but abundantly supplies hearsay and conjecture.
Also, we need not assume that because this case is happening it is any cause to believe that other states will follow suit or even that they should.
For those of you upset at the Gulf spill with BP... look at the facts. The US government was partially to blame for the spill and required oil companies to employ techniques (designed to protect the environment) which were ultimately flawed.
The USG instead should have required the most technically capable processes that offered the least risk of catostrophic failure... then they could have won a lot more damages out of pursuing BP.
Typical foolish gov.
V
I'm not just killing time here. LOL
If I wasn't concerned and this wasn't important to me, I wouldn't invest so much time here. Actually I always tend to tweet what I commentated here. So after all the impact is quite a bit wider which helps my motivation.
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Congress is the heart of democracy. Questioning Congress & overemphasizing the president's power aims at dictatorship thomhartmann.com/blog/2012/03/b…
— Clarissa Smith (@ClarissaSmith2) March 25, 2012
Although Congress drives us mad, nuts or to tears at times, this is Democracy, not a president deciding over war&peace thomhartmann.com/blog/2012/03/b…
— Clarissa Smith (@ClarissaSmith2) March 25, 2012