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Comments Posted By AdLib

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You can gouge me with overdraft fees, but please don’t give me health insurance!

Nice article and a hearty welcome to The Planet!

I don’t know if the Repub constituents feel they don’t deserve better or any health care, I think the fact that they are more likely to be undereducated and over-religious means they are more prone to accepting what is told to them as the way things are then to use critical thinking.

Remember how outraged the poor Repubs living in trailer parks were at the “death tax” (Estate Tax, that is) for only exempting the first $3 million of their assets?

The ignorant and the hyper religious are as easy to manipulate as 3 year old children…and that’s an insult to 3 year old children.

They watch Beck or listen to Rush and it is no different than the words of their preacher telling them exactly what God thinks about them and wants them to do.

They vote against their own interests because they are scared into it or told to do so by the authority figures they have gorwn up to rely on.

This is why education reform is so important too. Properly educate the kids of these people and instead of believing that the government is planning to kill their grannies, they will use critical thinking and reasoning to discern for themselves that such a thing is preposterous.

With a well educated citizenry, there will be very few who will be so easily manipulated and very few who choose to be Republicans.

The best long term plan to get this country moving forward into the 21st Century at full alternative energy powered speed, is education.

And a pleasant byproduct will be the withering away of the GOP into cult status.

» Posted By AdLib On September 10, 2009 @ 8:30 pm

It’s time: I need YOU, WE need US

Thanks for the kind props!

I join you in your goals.

It would be great to have a huge and ongoing Obama-like internet-driven, grass roots fund that represented the people and only financed candidates who would see the citizens as their sole “special interest”.

Would dovetail nicely with what you propose.

Stranger things have happened…just ask our president.

» Posted By AdLib On September 10, 2009 @ 12:48 pm

Exactly my point, that is how you would talk to a dog or a slave, someone or thing that you felt was inferior to you.

Wilson’s from SC, a terribly racist white population marbled through the state. And as we’ve seen with Sanford there too, lying hypocrites (who are often racist) are the ideal Republican politicians there.

» Posted By AdLib On September 10, 2009 @ 12:45 pm

One more thing, a way to take action right now, MoveOn.org has a petition on their website which I recommend supporters of the Public Plan to sign. Here is a little bit of their email, click the link to sign the petition at their site:

We can’t afford to let right-wing extremists like Joe Wilson hold health care reform hostage. As Obama put it, “the time for games has passed. Now is the season for action.”

Let’s send a message to Congress, demanding swift action to pass real health care reform. Clicking here will add your name to the petition:

http://pol.moveon.org/passhealthcare/?rc=homepage

The petition says: “Don’t let right-wing extremists hold health care reform hostage. Pass President Obama’s plan, including a strong public health insurance option.”

» Posted By AdLib On September 10, 2009 @ 12:40 pm

Hmm…just one more question on the Joe Wilson outburst.

Has a white president ever been screamed at by a white southern Congressman during an address to Congress, “You lie!”?

» Posted By AdLib On September 10, 2009 @ 12:11 pm

As I’ve mentioned before, I think it is a brilliant idea and though I’ve got my hands full with this site, family and career, I would be happy to be a consultant for you on making this a reality.

As well, I would be pleased to cross promote such a site on PlanetPOV.

Keep me updated and don’t hesitate to ask me questions or for advice in setting up the site.

» Posted By AdLib On September 10, 2009 @ 12:09 pm

President Obama Hit the Reset Button on Healthcare Reform Like only He Could

KQ: So true. When the game is about being slimy, the Repubs usually win.

When it’s about Americans badly needing results, Dems win.

It’s not fair that fighting dirty wins but it does.

Though once you win, you have to govern…that’s when people remember why they don’t want Repubs to win.

» Posted By AdLib On September 11, 2009 @ 12:15 am

Shades of the race speech after the Rev. Wright stuff exploded, that speech was make or break for Obama according to the MSM and despite that bullshit (we should choose our president based on that?!) Obama slammed a homer.

But the truth is, he didn’t have to let the Repubs have all August to smear him and HC reform.

He makes mistakes…but man, can he recover.

» Posted By AdLib On September 11, 2009 @ 12:12 am

I agree, I too would prefer a better variety of parties and breaking up the corporate friendly two party system.

I do think it would take a long evolution to get there.

In the near term, I think it’s very viable to set up a grass roots, internet driven, citizen’s political financing entity, in the mold of what Obama did for his candidacy.

Just think if instead of being set up for one candidate, it was set up to finance candidates who subscribed to the progressive principles and issue the entity represented.

Such a financing entity could finance candidates who were Dems, Green Party, Independent, supporting the building and growth of other parties while committed not to any one party but to specific principles that donors share.

If any politician was elected by such an entity, they better follow through in supporting those progressive issues or not only would they not be funded for reelection but the entity could strongly finance another candidate to compete for the office.

This type of thing could happen relatively quickly and would bring a true sense of democracy back to politics.

Since we can’t keep the money out of politics, if you can’t beat ’em, join em…then beat ’em.

» Posted By AdLib On September 10, 2009 @ 11:04 pm

A very good point. There is a tentative nature to Dems (anyone remember the 2006 Dems, “Impeachment is off the table” and “We’re going to end the war in Iraq…not!”?)

I think it is a post traumatic Reagan presidency thing.

Reagan’s popularity and the loss of Congress that followed seemed to make the Dems shaky about calling themselves liberal and standing tough for liberal values.

Remember when “liberal” was an insult no Dem wanted to be called?

The reverse could indeed happen. If Obama has a successful presidency and helps advance liberal issues that help the majority of Americans, being and acting like a liberal will again be an enviable thing.

And the worst insult you could call someone would be “Republican” (interchangeable with “psycho”).

» Posted By AdLib On September 10, 2009 @ 10:28 pm

Agreed, I celebrate the continuing power shift away from the GOP towards the Dems because they most represent the interests of most sensible Americans at this point in history.

At the same time, the DLC, Blue Dogs and corporately owned members of the Dem party are not to be blindly supported and accepted.

Though I have kept a distance from the actual party, I think Pres. Obama and the citizens who helped put him in office can continue to steer the party to a more liberal and progressive place and attract most voters in the process.

We do live in a two party system, sometimes the difference between the two is not as great as it is in 2009. There is no other viable party yet so of course I am rooting for the Dems to be principled and progressive.

I remember the common phrase in 2000, “Republican, Democrat, what’s the difference?”

The triangulation mentality of the DLC and Bill Clinton smudged the dividing line between the parties and the corporate ownership of both parties made them hard to tell apart at times.

Of course, we now know what the difference is when you elect a George Bush instead of an Al Gore.

With all this in mind, I will remain on guard for a corruption of power to decay the principles of the Dem party.

One should be loyal to principle over party…a concept that would make Republicans cock their heads like confused dalmatians.

» Posted By AdLib On September 10, 2009 @ 8:18 pm

To make big steps forward in a society that is anchored to the status quo, a president must inspire and charge the people with a personal sense of responsibility.

By tying health care reform to the character of Americans and our heritage as Americans, Pres. Obama did just that.

It is now framed as it should have been from the start, as a moral responsibility that will be managed thoughtfully, economically and as a holistic program.

And all the GOP has left is yelling hatred.

The signing of health care reform by Pres. Obama will be great for America, strengthen the image of Dems as representing the people and the GOP as a hateful cult that couldn’t care less about the public’s welfare.

» Posted By AdLib On September 10, 2009 @ 7:13 pm

That was Sick!

I agree, the lunacy of August has been perfectly capped and put in perspective by last night though THAT was bipartisan.

Pres. Obama with his genuine concern and thoughtful discussion of a plan to make health care serve all Americans as its priority and Joe Wilson sealing the deal on the GOP being the party of mindless and dishonest hatred.

The GOP today looks like a cult, for wack, unintelligent white men.

The Dems may look a bit stubborn (as their mascot) for wanting to pull reform towards their insurance company contributors or the people but they look like they’re sane and adults.

Even though I have been playing the funeral march for the GOP since they ran McCain/Palin and became rabid racists, for the first time I can truly say that I think the GOP has really jumped the shark.

It will take decades for any moderate people to ever consider the GOP again in national elections and with the passage of health care reform, the Dems will gain as substantially as the GOP will fall.

I’m pleased that last night made the reality of politics in this nation pretty damn clear and confirmed that the 2012 GOP convention will need to be held in Crazytown.

» Posted By AdLib On September 10, 2009 @ 12:26 pm

Yep, when I said “sick” in the title, the play on words also meant “sick” as in “great!”.

I think he hit it out of the park and out of the town the park is in (namely DC).

Don’t know about Chris Matthews but I got goosebumps hearing him talk about and make the case for a liberal/progressive America.

If Pres. Obama has me and you off the fence, putting criticism aside and gearing up enthusiastically to help bring reform across the finish line, there have got to be many more like us who were disappointed with the way Pres. Obama handled this in August and are elated not to feel that way anymore.

We’re behind you, Mr. President! Let’s get this done!

» Posted By AdLib On September 9, 2009 @ 11:06 pm

Latest Shuttle Mission to Hubble Yields New Moments of Zen

KQuark, I don’t know what they’re paying you here but whatever it is, they should double it!

I LOVE THESE PHOTOS! Really astounding visions of the violent yet beautiful universe around us.

By the way, as you’re a scientist you can help me with this…what’s the number zero doubled?

You rock KQ!

» Posted By AdLib On September 9, 2009 @ 10:35 pm

Baucus Releases Private Healthcare Insurance Bill

This bill is DOA anyway. The Repubs aren’t on board even though it reflects what they want. Dems don’t like it…except the ones paid off by the industry…aka…Blue Dogs.

Who’s going to touch this drowned rat of a bill when there are four others that have a public plan and are far more mainstream Dem bills.

This was another waste of time Pres. Obama allowed to occur because of his admirable but unrealistic priority of bipartisanship and not having a bill presented to Congress at the start which clearly reflected what he wanted.

That said, with it now 100% clear the Repubs won’t be on board no matter how much they corrupt the bill, I think Pres. Obama will get behind the Dems passing the public plan through budget reconciliation and we can finally get health care reformed in this country…and move on to other pressing issues.

» Posted By AdLib On September 16, 2009 @ 5:37 pm

Kalima, try the new “Edit” icon on your comment to fix the spelling…

» Posted By AdLib On September 16, 2009 @ 5:27 pm

Hide the kids and double bolt all the doors

Very nice reply!

I think that children in particular but all people subjected to challenging situations go one way or the other…with shades of gray of course…either being corrupted by what they experience or becoming wiser.

As Nietzsche said, “What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.”

Not that I am happy about some of the unpleasant things that have happened to me in my life but I don’t sit around regretting or resenting them.

I teach my 6 year old daughter, when she falls she needs to get up. If she’s really hurt, crying is of course natural. But if she’s not, don’t cry just to get sympathy, continue with what you were doing before you tripped.

I look at life in the same way. If you get smacked down hard by something or someone, you have every right to holler or get upset. But if you’re not seriously hurt after you take stock of yourself, don’t dwell on what happened, continue moving your life forward.

Pres. Obama’s speech may not change any kid but his words may stick around in their heads at a fortuitous time.

Good words have a way of continuing to echo in people’s minds, this was very cool of our Pres. to do.

» Posted By AdLib On September 9, 2009 @ 10:59 pm

Heh! Really, this wanting to “help” children be educated and “help” people have affordable health care is so wrongheaded.e office.

Pres. Obama is neglecting the starting of unnecessary wars and deregulating the financial sector further.

If he doesn’t want to act like a president, he shouldn’t have run for the office.

» Posted By AdLib On September 9, 2009 @ 10:41 pm

Communist, socialist Kenyan, friend of a terrorist propaganda, just as I expected.

Keep the government out of our public schools!

And fluoride out of our water!!!

And tinfoil off of our leftovers and on our heads where it can do some good!

Nya!

» Posted By AdLib On September 8, 2009 @ 11:21 am

Sorry about that, Kalima. I’ve fixed the title and am working on resolving the issues you had!

Again, seems that Macs and Safari react differently to the site although Safari on my iPhone works fine.

Go figure…

» Posted By AdLib On September 8, 2009 @ 11:16 am

Keep Hope Alive and As a Public Plan

Depends on which Dems you’re talking about. The Senate Dems, yes but I doubt the House Dems will approve anything that doesn’t have a Public Option in it.

And the Dems who rallied behind Pres. Obama to put him in office to, among other things, effect change in Health Care with a Public Plan as he promised in his campaign, would be profoundly discouraged if he turned his back on them.

In the end, I don’t think he will sign a bill that doesn’t have a public plan. Health Care Reform will become a new Reconstruction without it, ineffective and a failure that falls apart.

It’s not better to pass any Health Care Bill if it self-destructs down the line, it would damage the Dem label severely. Unlike Corporate execs, Dems have to look down the road instead of just to the next quarter or election.

» Posted By AdLib On September 7, 2009 @ 8:41 pm

I had to look in my Whatsis to see exactly what kind of Thompson sprocket belonged in this conversation.

» Posted By AdLib On September 7, 2009 @ 8:36 pm

The main concern here is that the framastat may not be properly integrated with the Jenkins Coil.

» Posted By AdLib On September 7, 2009 @ 5:39 pm

Funny that you say that because 73% of people who represent the top 20% of those in a 35% bracket, typically respond 52% of the time by giving a 7-8 out of 10 rating to 6 out of 7 polls that ask whether there are too many numbers or statistics in blog articles.

And this is the case 99% of the time.

» Posted By AdLib On September 6, 2009 @ 8:01 pm

That still doesn’t address premiums or deductable. If it only addresses copay then only those with the most serious conditions would benefit.

For the typical family, whose annual income is in the ballpark of $45,000 (maybe a net of $35,000), an annual copay of $10,000 is huge.

Again, I have witnessed here in CA that reducing the cost of insurance for insurance companies doesn’t get passed along to consumers. They instead pay out bigger bonuses and benefit shareholders.

The corrupt in our society will always try to corrupt what does not chiefly benefit them. I am concerned that any reforms that are not attached to a public option will be easily undermined directly or in a roundabout way by the insurance industry.

» Posted By AdLib On September 6, 2009 @ 3:58 pm

Here’s my issue with relying on the subsidization as a complete solution:

1. There is no guarantee that just because the cost to Insurance companies declines that they will hand the savings to consumers instead of there shareholders.

We could all be paying higher premiums and bigger deductibles despite all of this. The Insurance companies here in CA all bragged that insurance rates would go down if lawsuits were slashed. They got their wish and only raised rates.

2. If costs continue to climb and the government is forced to basically hand over more and more taxpayer money to insurance companies with no end in sight, the whole program will be bankrupted and fall apart. Then Health Care Reform will be dead and such a failure would make it harder to ever pass it again in the future.

Am I missing something? How does the legislation mandate premium and deductible decreases by insurance companies?

» Posted By AdLib On September 6, 2009 @ 2:17 pm

My concern is that without a public option, premiums and deductibles will remain out of reach for many of the 40 million Americans who can’t afford it.

Can there truly be a legit Universal Plan without a public option?

If the end result is a mandate for all Americans to buy plans from insurance companies and costs just continue to rise while others “break” the law because they can’t afford insurance, only the insurance companies will benefit.

Since there is no legislation yet, who knows but I truly believe that without a public plan, health care reform that is passed will disintegrate.

» Posted By AdLib On September 6, 2009 @ 12:52 pm

I’m with you on that however, this is Gibbs who said this and as the full article says, both Pres. Obama and Sebellius have publicly expressed the same optional nature of the public plan.

My hope remains that this is a political maneuver to take some of the air out of the GOP fear machine and that the idea is to let it seem like Congress pushed this on him and in order to get an HC reform bill signed, he had to go along with it.

As you say, we will see…

» Posted By AdLib On September 6, 2009 @ 12:39 pm

What the president and congress have accomplished so far

Me too, however, I’m getting a bit seasick from the backlash (or whiplash) coming from the Obama Admin.

Check out my new post, even as of today, they announced publicly that they are not insisting on a public plan.

Is this just a clever chess move or is the one absolute that would provide true reform on the chopping block?

At this point, I just don’t know.

» Posted By AdLib On September 6, 2009 @ 12:17 pm