Here's a list of possible campaign promises by Obama that might not be fulfilled. Perhaps if we get out of Iraq, and cut the military costs, we just might have some money for the 'promised' programs.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/04/obamas-long-list-of-promi_n_148598.html
Posted by Judith at December 5, 2008 03:41 AMExecutives of the Big Three have been on Capitol Hill asking for $34 billion in government aid, lamenting their financial straits and vowing their commitment to fuel-efficient cars. But during the hearings, not one of the Big Three mentioned the millions of dollars they've spent this year lobbying Congress to fight legislative proposals to boost fuel economy requirements.
You know, I have mixed feelings about the bailout of the Big Three, and were it not for the lives of the workers at risk, I would say fuck 'em.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/04/big-three-promise-green-f_n_148525.html
"But it pleases me even more to think that the conservatives' nightmare of permanent defeat might come true simply if Democrats do the right thing."
Well, first of all, wasn't Obama going to repeal the Bush tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans to help pay for this? That seems to be on the back burner for now. Second, the Democrats will need 60 votes to pass Universal Health Care, because no Republican will vote for it and therefore, it will never pass.
The thought of winning over that portion of the working class that supports the GOP through new public programs and improving the social safety net is tasty indeed. National health care would defintely bring reluctant voters into the Democratic Party. The Republicans will fight as they did in 1993 to see that this is never passed.
The sad part is that if not passed now, Universal Health Care is a dead issue for years, if not forever.
Posted by Judith at December 5, 2008 05:10 AMIf the people in this country can't afford healthcare when most of the country is working, now that this recession is expanding and even more people are going to be losing what healthcare they have, I see a groundswell of support for Universal Healthcare among the people. Especially when the gov is giving everything the rich seem to want in the way of bailouts. The Repugs may have no choice. It has been a long time since the masses have hit the streets. Its time the average person begins to get a piece of the pie.
Posted by Chris at December 5, 2008 05:56 AMWhile Cinton was in office, the economy was strong, we produced a surplus and record numbers of people moved from poverty to the middle class (7+ million).Funny how the left likes to ignore these facts. Democrats stood by while Republicans and the media trashed Clinton with phoney scandals (Whitewater, Vince Foster's murder). Imagine Republicans standing by while one of their guys was treated like that. And if the left had defended Gore when he was slandered and mocked by both the right and the mainstream media, Bush would never have been elected. (See the archives at dailyhowler.com)
Gore would have taken advantage of the surplus to improve conditions further, rather than squander it the way Bush has. He would almost certainly adjusted deregulation and trade agreements that were not working rather than turning a blind eye to abuses.
Everything Bush and the rest of the Repug congress have touched has turned to shit. What is the line that we heard from them after everyone of their fuck-ups- Why how could anyone have known? Well anyone who had any sense at all knew when Bush was "elected" that this was more than likely to happen. All you had to do was look at Bush's history and what you saw was Bush takes charge of something, turns it to shit , and then walks away. Why how could anyone had known?
Posted by Chris at December 5, 2008 06:52 AMIn my dreams, Bush is sent to hell where he has to live on a real ranch and shovel cow and horse shit forever and every meal is a crap sandwich.
Posted by Judith at December 5, 2008 07:51 AMReminder: Most everyone already has healthcare. The issue is coming up with money to pay for healthcare for those who can't afford or choose not to pay for healthcare. (The latter being the majority of those who don't have healthcare).
The costs for paying for those folks who do not have healthcare will fall on those who are responsible for paying for their own healthcare. They will have to pay more to cover others. Many think the costs will be covered by businesses, but businesses counter that by reducing salaries and raising the prices of their goods and services. You pay. You always pay.
Like we're seeing in Massachusetts, the costs of providing healthcare is exceeding the government estimates. There is a healthcare shortage in Massachusetts, and the waiting lines are long.
Posted by Muck at December 5, 2008 08:48 AMYes, Judith. Obama has said he will not raise taxes. He has also said that he will cut taxes. This week he said there will be no "windfall profits" tax on oil companies. He also said this week he will cut capital gains taxes on businesses.
Obama is to the right of Ronald Reagan. Thank God that liberal McCain didn't win.
Poor Fuck. Lost the election, lost his money, lost his dignity. All that's left is babbling lies and making a fool o' hissef. Our gain, though. We get our laughs every day at his expense.
Remember, Fuck, when bagging the groceries, the heavy stuff goes in first, then the light stuff.
Posted by iamcoyote at December 5, 2008 09:22 AMCoyote, you silly goose. Try doing a Google search.
Although advocates of the Massachusetts plan claimed that it would lower health care costs and achieve universal coverage, it has done neither. Instead, the plan has increased costs for individuals and the state, reduced revenues for doctors and hospitals...
Oopsie. Boy, those universal healthcare think tanks were wrong. Yikes. I guess that's what happens when you add folks who don't pay. Somebody else has to pick up the costs. That'd be YOU.
Across Mass. Wait to see doctors grows.
The wait to see primary care doctors in Massachusetts has grown to as long as 100 days, while the number of practices accepting new patients has dipped in the past four years, with care the scarcest in some rural areas.
Senate President Therese Murray, who championed the legislation, said that many of the roughly 439,000 people who obtained health coverage under the 2006 insurance law are struggling to find a doctor. "You can take a look at the whole state and you are not going to find a primary care physician anytime soon," she said in an interview.
It doesn't lower costs. The proof is in.
It doesn't cover everyone. The proof is in.
It lowers healthcare quality. The proof is in.
Universal Health Care gone wild!
And now Mass. government is intervening more trying to fix the Universal healthcare mess they created.
Brer Rabbit meets the tar baby (universal health care).
Posted by Muck at December 5, 2008 09:51 AM*yawn* Are you still trying, Fuck? Poor, poor Fuck.
Posted by iamcoyote at December 5, 2008 10:22 AMI guess it's true. You don't like THE TRUTH!
Posted by Muck at December 5, 2008 10:36 AMBush is sent to hell where he has to live on a real ranch and shovel cow and horse shit forever and every meal is a crap sandwich.
Judith, I'm hoping the neighbors get so sick of people flinging shit at Bush's house, they kick him out of the neighborhood. It'll be funny to watch him be hissed at for the rest of his life. I wish we could tar and feather the fucker, and maybe after his term's over, and his people start writing tell all books, we'll get the pleasure. Maybe we could get someone to introduce a bill that exiles him and his whole misbegotten family from the US as enemies of the state. If he or his family ever set foot in my state, people will be lining up to fling shit at him.
To the Pain!
Posted by iamcoyote at December 5, 2008 11:01 AMMuck, Who you calling silly!
Posted by goose1 at December 5, 2008 12:13 PMOops, sorry Goose. I like to look up the origin of phrases and cliches. This one is easy enough. But you may want to change your nick to Fox1...
GOOSE or GEESE - "A foolish or ignorant person is called a goose because of the alleged stupidity of this bird."
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable" revised by Adrian Room (HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, 1999, Sixteenth Edition).
Posted by Muck at December 5, 2008 02:06 PMMUCK or MUCKDAWG - "A foolish, ignorant, misguided, and delusional person is called a muckdawg because of the alleged stupidity of this turd."
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable" revised by Adrian Room (HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, 1999, Sixteenth Edition).
Posted by TIKI AL at December 5, 2008 04:55 PMThis hardly counts as serious resaearch, but I just looked up the ranking list of countries for life expectancy, and a list of which European countries have universal healthcare. 18 of those European countries (including of course the UK) have higher life expectancy than the USA. Not to mention the well-publicised fact that the Netherlands has now overtaken the USA as the tallest people in the world.
Personally, rather than worry and bitch about the possibility that someone, somewhere, was getting care he didn't deserve on the back of my taxes, I'd settle for a slightly longer life!
Personally, rather than worry and bitch about the possibility that someone, somewhere, was getting care he didn't deserve on the back of my taxes, I'd settle for a slightly longer life!
That's part of the great dilemma here... people here want their money and screw the rest. The old adage, "I got mine, fuck the poor". There are a lot doctors opposed also because it will cut into their profits.
Seven, where did you get your name from? It reminds me of the Geri Ryan character on "Star Trek", and then I come over all peculiar!
In the UK the tabloids love a story about some unworthy slob screwing the system, particularly if it's (shudder)an immigrant. You don't see a headline about the large sums of money which for whatever reason remain unclaimed in benefits every year.
Not long ago, there was an article on the website of a UK newspaper by an American woman who'd settled here,basically praising the National Health Service. In response a whole lot of other American living in the UK posted comments agreeing. The NHS is ramshackle and has many flaws, but it's one of the diminishing list of things that make me proud to be British.
I got my name as a joke with my fellow bloggers at Low and Left.
They all came sauntering in on a thread, "And I, 1 of 6... And I, 3 of 6... so I blurted out, and I, 7 of 6..." You probably had to be there but it was pretty funny among us. I've kept the name since.