Our president, not many threads about him.

[Hoplite]

Isn't amazing how my "opinon" magically formed this video tape? Wow I can't believe it

http://vodpod.com/watch/3118143-obama-a ... -president

[Rogue]

Okay...it's gotta be Tinkerbell.

[Three]

He choses number three.

(double giggle)

Oh come now, conservative ramblings spotted with direct references to my own name? I'm offended. When you come across posts under Tankerbel's name with sensible ideas for picking up women, you can call me out. That's where my genius level begins, Cowboy. Political smattering over issues that none of you will ever do anything about? Sophomoric, and just a step above religious rants on the rungs of the excitement ladder.

[Hoplite]

There it goes again! Help me please!

What Rogue refers to as my "Opinions" Just keep showing up as facts!

Now my opinion actually caused the president to give an I-pod to the Queen of England!

Wow I must be God huh rogue....My opinions actually shape reality! Wicked cool!

Now my opinion is even forcing world events, the english press and it's people! It's just amazing! I form an opinion and magically it becomes fact!

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyh ... r_Majesty/

If only I could form the opinion that Obama was a good president! Now that would fabulous!

[Hoplite]

Isn't it cool, what Rogue calls my opinions, which are expressed today, go back in time an alter history and become facts!

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/200 ... ouse_.html

Will Rogue admit that he was wrong? It's hard to tell. He is a Blowhard Windbag, but it's possible that he's man enough to admit that he was thoroughly trounced. Don't know if he can though.

[44]

30 million without insurance. You can lose your coverage when you get sick or be denied it when you have a pre-existing condition. Insurance rates and medical costs going through the roof.

Democrats have tried repeteadly for decades to reform. Republicans try to block. That's how it goes.
If you're a republican saying we need to start over, or do this in a different way, you've got zero credibility here.

You can CLAIM to oppose because you think healthcare should be reformed in a different way. But that's BS. Your party opposed because this bill is fundamentally good for the poor and bad for the rich. And because they didn't want Obama to have a victory here. Period.

Everything else is spin. Everything else is designed to get bobbleheads fired up.

No complaints when prescription drugs for seniors passed under Bush...with no funding. Hypocrites.

I paid $74K in federal income taxes last year. If I have a similarly good year this year, I'll probably end up paying more.

And to me, that's OK. Because this bill does what is morally right...it takes care of those that need help in our society.

[Banshee]

I'm not diggin' this too much, selfishly. It is going to affect small business owners and will cause decisions to be made that will effect how much we can offer employees and terms of hire. I am directly impacted by this, I have a few full time guys that have coverage through spouses, etc. and a couple of part timers that work per diem. Most of my associates, and myself, are still unsure of the requirements for this, but I do know that health care will be mandated in some of the scenarios when someone is placed on for work. I will know more as this bill is placed and information is received. I will say though, it seems a step in the right direction. I doubt this will be perfect and will require modification as do many changes. We will adapt and hopefully the lives of fellow citizens will improve. If the costs of health care is so high, we should look into the ease that huge dollar lawsuits and comp. claims are settled with insurance companies paying the bill. This sets premiums so high that doctors and hospitals are forced to pass costs on, as are many other businesses.
It's not Obama, or this health care bill that are ruining this country, it's attorneys and the ridiculously large number of people ready to sue anyone at any time for anything. And CEOs making 40 times as much as ten years ago, even if they're running a co. into the ground. And attorneys, if I didn't mention that.
Just wanted to share my mostly-will-go-unread thoughts here.

[Mighty Mouse]

^ Just a thought Banshee as a future lawyer. Yes, tort reform should be part of any health care reform. However, those ridiculous suits you refer to, the judge has the discretion after the lawyers go at it to throw out the punitive damages which are those ridiculous sums you hear of. rarely do compensatory and restitution damages go that ridiculous. That's what summary judgment and trial discretion is supposed to handle.

The problem is that we in America live in a system where 2 sides claim truths and the third party determines who's right. As long as that is the basis for the society in which like 44 we divide into the rich and poor, we'll always have lawyers and people who are ready to sue at a moment's notice.

@Hoplite. . . I think you need to take a breather. Although you have good points, some of your facts are immersed in opinion so that it's hard to see the tree for the forest.

@44 . . . May I ask when you got done reading those 2,000 pages? You seem to have good grasp of the bill.
It'll always be morally right for someone to give to the poor. Charity is a wonderful thing. But this is a country based on the Constitution and the rule of law, which at first glance this bill seems to roughshod over. But it's OK because the end justifies the means and this is politics? Let me ask you then, feel free not to answer, how much of your 74k actually goes to those who need it? But it's better than nothing? how about we lower your taxes, let government only handle public goods, and you donate the savings to charity. Why is the government your only solution? One thing is certain. Government will grow as result of this, with insurance clearinghouses and oversight needed to monitor the changes. More expenses. I don't know how much 74k represents of your overall income, but say the government needs 70% of your income to finance this. Is that OK? 1 trillion has to come from somewhere. The true impact to the tax base won't be seen for a good decade.

BTW, there were Democrats who opposed this bill. What are they? Republicans in hiding? Here's the list of those in the House who claims opposition to their version of the bill.

The following Democratic lawmakers have indicated opposition to the healthcare plan moving through the House.

John Adler (N.J.)
Jason Altmire (Pa.)
John Barrow (Ga.)
Dan Boren (Okla.)
Rick Boucher (Va.)
Allen Boyd (Fla.)
Bobby Bright (Ala.)
Travis Childers (Miss.)
Jim Costa (Calif.)
Henry Cuellar (Texas)
Parker Griffith (Ala.)
Frank Kratovil (Md.)
Betsy Markey (Colo.)
Eric Massa (N.Y.)
Jim Matheson (Utah)
Charlie Melancon (La.)
Walt Minnick (Idaho)
Tom Perriello (Va.)
Earl Pomeroy (N.D.)
Heath Shuler (N.C.)
Bart Stupak (Mich.)
John Tanner (Tenn.)
Gene Taylor (Miss.)

And let's not forget the Cornhusker Kickback dude Ben Nelson. And Lincoln from Arkansas. So, the roughly 1/2 of the national poll in opposition (including some democrats apparently) must be ideologues, racists, fools, or Republicans (none being mutually exclusive).

[Banshee]

^ Your right, sort of. Here in NY, for example, we have a unique "scaffold law" that was enacted to protect workers and strictly enforce safety when working any kind of height, (6' or above). It boasts safety above any other state. What isn't mentioned as much is that even if prevention is given and enforced employers are always 100% liable, even if complete negligence on an employees part is proven. We are to a point that comp. hearings are no longer given, a person injured only has to report at the hospital that it was work related. You have no ideal how many times someone twisted an ankle at home, went to work the next day and claimed an injury at work. The hospitals don't question it, they immediately request an injury report and turn it over to comp. insurance. All a company like the NYS Insurance Fund does is raise the premiums. They will kill the case if they catch the person working during the claim, which they often do. Otherwise, the costs get passed on to the businesses, which in turn get passed on to the.... we know the drill.
It's much the same in medicine. Lawyers are a necessary evil, I truly wish you the best. The system isn't perfect and there are many legitimate causes for insurance claims. I can't support this, but from experience I would say maybe 40%. If I could offer a solution, I would, but those with bigger brains than mine can do that. In the meantime I will digress, pay the higher premiums as long as I can afford to, and hope lives will be better for more than not if the new plan does close to what it is supposed to.

[GRRReat]

Yes a copy paste.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Attorneys general from 13 states sued the federal government Tuesday, claiming the landmark health care overhaul bill is unconstitutional just seven minutes after President Obama signed it into law.

The lawsuit was filed in Pensacola after the Democratic president signed the bill the House passed Sunday night.

"The Constitution nowhere authorizes the United States to mandate, either directly or under threat of penalty, that all citizens and legal residents have qualifying health care coverage," the lawsuit says.

Legal experts say it has little chance of succeeding because, under the Constitution, federal laws trump state laws.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is taking the lead and is joined by attorneys general from South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Michigan, Utah, Pennsylvania, Alabama, South Dakota, Idaho, Washington, Colorado and Louisiana. All are Republicans except James "Buddy" Caldwell of Louisiana, who is a Democrat.

n Texas, where the state comptroller estimates illegal immigrants cost hospitals $1.3 billion in 2006

Data on health care costs for illegal immigrants are sketchy because hospitals and community health centers don't ask about patients' legal status. In California, a 2004 study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform put the state's annual cost at $1.4 billion. Similar studies in Colorado and Minnesota in 2005 came up with much smaller estimates: $31 million and $17 million, respectively.