The American Spectator

Darin| 7.30.09 @ 6:58AM

Anyone who says there are big problems with medical care in our country need to indicate which other countries medical care they have used. Specifics are required. While what we have is not perfect, it's far better than anywhere else.

Robert Rosencrans| 7.30.09 @ 7:41AM

Yes, it's a tempest in an invisible teapot.

America has developed the best health care system in the world, in spite of not having nationalized health care.

Kiss it goodbye if this lunacy passes.

John Edwards| 7.30.09 @ 8:52AM

Our health care system is excellent for the most part. It is costly when people sue for malpractice and walk away with unconscionable amounts of money for an accidental injury. Medicines and surgery aren't exact sciences and will at times cause problems. There should be a cap on the amounts of monetary judgements. Excessive lawsuit payouts and the huge premiums for malpractice insurance cause costs to rise. Fraud in medical care for medicaid and medicare cause costs to rise. Let's take care of these problems and the costs will possibly come down. How about stopping the run on the emergency rooms by people who have non-emergency health needs and no health insurance? An ER visit is 3-4 times the cost of a doctors visit. How about stopping the run on our health care system by uninsured illegal aliens? There are a number of areas that can be fixed without the government taking over our health care system and destroying it. Government health care will be extremely costly to every American, not just the rich.

John Edwards| 7.30.09 @ 9:05AM

Our federal elected officials have a health care plan that is outlandishly fantastic compared to the average American. Their health care is completely paid for by the taxpayer and they are covered for life after only one term in office. Our elected officials should be covered under the Civil Service health plan, since they are Civil Servants and they should pay out-of-pocket for family coverage and co-pays, just like the average taxpayer with employee health coverage. They don't mind messing up our health care system, because they aren't a part of it. None of us taxpayers were ever given a chance to vote on our elected officials health care, they just made their own health care plan and charged us for the plan. Is that fair? I don't think so.

Appleby| 7.30.09 @ 9:31AM

Send the Committee in charge of this farce up here to Toronto to spend ten days (two weekends) in any ER of their choice, just sitting and observing, speaking to the people waiting, the doctors, the nurses and the EMTs.

Let them walk through the parking lot crammed with ambulances that are sitting there filled with patients that cannot be accommodated in the ER, while people telephone vainly for those ambulances to come and assist their suffering family members...and let them talk to those of us in Ontario who have been slammed with a $900 per year "health tax" that was supposed to improve the "wait times" (which is the time spent on a waiting list, as well as the time spent waiting for someone in the ER to take any notice of you -- generally three or four hours) and has in fact done nothing of the kind.

Even better, let them come into one of these ERs with a non life threatening problem, not as a Senator but as a private citizen, and experience socialist medicine for themselves. Or let them sit in the ER with a baby with a broken arm for fifteen hours.

It is easy to say that things work when you have never experienced those things or even observed them.

franklin| 7.30.09 @ 9:44AM

First President Crisis said it was the economy,then the environment,now health care. His biggest thing of all will be immigration "reform" which will be the complete destruction of immigration laws and our national borders. Crisis,crisis,crisis. And thank God only President Crisis,Chaos,and Catastrophe can fix it.

Barack Obama is one Marxist duck. He has the ideology,attitude,lingo,the Marxist strut and posturing,and he's completely quacked.

R Martin| 7.30.09 @ 9:53AM

"The Barack Obama who wants to upend the whole American order, who wants to change one-sixth of the economy at one fell swoop without even letting Congress read the final bill, is not the Obama that 53 percent of Americans voted for. "

Oh yes he is.

If you expect Americans to be persuaded by your logic, then you must give them some credit to be able to think and reason. Any thinking person could not have missed the clear signals Obama broadcast in his successful assult on the presidency.

The clearest among them may have been his offhand comment to Joe the Plumber about wealth redistribution. Redistribution is at the heart of everything Obama wants to do, because everything he wants to do involves huge expense and, therefore, related tax increases to fund those programs. Given the small proportion of the population who pay most of the personal income taxes, that is redistribution plain and simple. Obama does not trust economic capitalism to provide a fair and equitable living to the broad population; he thinks government should do that.

Most people now recognize that Obama shamelessly says one thing while doing the opposite. Who couldn't see that coming.? A guy who starts his professional career working for a blatantly corrupt entity like ACORN is not going to be unsettled by a little misdirection or racial hypocracy. A guy whose political ethics were honed in Chicago is not going to be bothered by business dealings with a Tony Rezko or a Bill Ayers. And a guy who listened to Rev. Wright for many years and even subjected his daughters to those vile preachings then claimed not to hear anything offensive is beyond trust. A guy with those ethics is now trying to control our health care, dictate our energy use and reshape our economy.

Yes, Mr. Hillyer, all the dots were there, plainly visible. That 53% of the voters chose not to connect them and, instead, buy the snake oil is to our national discredit. I think at some point, perhaps in the not too distant future, this country is going to be embarrassed by its choice for president. As it should be.

L. Ross| 7.30.09 @ 10:52AM

R. Martin.

Well put. Very well put. However, please keep in mind who BHO was running against. The totally unelectable John McCain. The fact that republitards gave that broken down loser the nomination speaks volumes about what is wrong with our side of the house. The fact that the blow out wasn't far bigger than the one we had, to me, shows how weak BHO's support really is. Put up someone who hasn't crashed 4 navy jets, and who's age doesn't begin with a 7 in the first digit, and we might have taken the last election.

Gill O’Teen ✝✡| 7.30.09 @ 11:07AM

I have been hollering that this sky is falling for almost a year now. All we need to know, all we ever had to know, about the liar-in-chief is that he voted twice while in the illinois senate to allow newborn abortion survivors to die because, as he rationalized his abhorrent action, their lives were inconvenient. This from a person who is supposedly qualified to teach constitutional law. THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION states specifically in its first paragraph “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” The very bills he opposed were titled something similar to ‘Born Alive Infant Protection Act’, the very name conceding the point that these children were in fact born. So to tie this thought into the discussion at hand, these babies are United States Citizens, obumah has determined that their lives are not worth living and should die, and now he has a mandate to “fix” health care. And we are surprised that his remoras are talking about euthanasia, assisted suicide, public funded abortions and other such bilge. Why he even has his own Josef Mengele, Zeke Emanuel, rahm-bo’s brother. Last Monday on CNN, uber-mensch Bill Maher called America a 'stupid country'. That we elected an acorn baby-killer to be president proves Maher correct about at least 53% of us.

Lisa| 7.30.09 @ 11:46AM

Let our elected representitives get the same care they are forcing on us.

These representatives were supposed to be like us, one of "the people". The elected aristocracy we have now is no more part of the people than Queen Elizabeth II is part of the people.

Mattled| 7.30.09 @ 12:03PM

L Ross,

Well put. Dole and McCain made sacrifices for this country that most of us couldn't imagine. I salute them and thank them for their service in the Armed Forces and the Senate protecting our interests.

That said, please no more seventy-plus candidates.

I can't recall where I saw a recent poll, but it goes along with what Karl Rove said shortly after the election.

6 Million Republicans (Conservatives) stayed home.
2 Million veterans stayed home.

In Ohio, just Ohio alone, 600,000 Evangelicals stayed home.

Couple that with the media-fed-idiots who took the Sarah Palin is stupid hook line and sinker, otherwise known as modddeerraaattttesssss, and there it is. Who looks stupid now?

Obama didn't win the election, McCain lost it.

BTW--Does anyone recall that poll? It came out last week and I didn't get a chance to read it except for a glance.

Stephanie| 7.30.09 @ 12:43PM

Sarah Palin for President~

Jay| 7.30.09 @ 12:52PM

If private insurance is such a mess and this Obamacare is so much better, why haven't we heard anything from the private medical insurace companies?

TRaskoon| 7.30.09 @ 1:28PM

Good mantras. I have another one: They're trying to kill us off!

Oldefarte| 7.30.09 @ 2:17PM

Great thoughts, Quin, especially the last paragraph! Americans [unfortionately] are politically ignorant, and now, are waking up to the reality of their BUYERS' REMORSE concerning Obama. Hating WAR, and wanting to message their guilt over slavery, they elected a possibly radical socialist or MARXIST; and hopefully will begin to undue their mistake in 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nancy Ahmadinejad | 7.30.09 @ 2:27PM

I wish Obama would stop "meddling" with health care. I hope not one republican votes for this; we don't want our hands on it.

Gill O’Teen ✝✡| 7.30.09 @ 3:31PM

Lisa, to mangle one of Sean Hannity’s lines, “Let not your heart be troubled.” If you reread the portion of the FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA I reprinted at 11:07 AM, you will note that we are all equally protected. Now, I’m not an attorney, but I once played a bit part in a college comedy which centered around a court case in which I got shot in the rump by the bailiff for a “Here come da” judge. Based on this legal background, which I submit is every bit as qualifying as organizing acorn thugs to march in the streets, I think that this means Congress may not pass two sets of laws, one for them, one for us, even if they attempt to exempt themselves from just one mandate. Furthermore, saint sonia seems to be a lock for a life-time appointment to be one of the supremes and I’m certain she’ll cover our backs. That bailiff certainly had mine.

Tim| 7.30.09 @ 4:06PM

Mantra?
"Hugs not drugs! (for granny that is)"

Klabautermann| 7.30.09 @ 4:42PM

I have a car for sale. It is better and cheaper to run than your car. Does it run well? Well I don't know. I have not had time to inspect it. I would need two mechanics to find out. Just trust me. If you are interested I also have a bridge I am trying to unload.

Jim O'Brien| 7.30.09 @ 6:12PM

All socialized medicine plans are in violation of my rights to life, liberty and property. I am opposed to ANY new federal legislation which expands the government's role. We already have the best medical care in the world. It would be better if it were left completely to free enterprise.

ONTIME| 7.30.09 @ 6:52PM

I suggest that the health bill congress wants for the public, be passed and first applied to them and the government exempts only for a period of ten years. After the test drive by these folks, the public be offered the opportunity to consider it and "think" about it.
I will bet you a beer it will be a lot better than what is now happening.

JimBeam| 7.30.09 @ 9:10PM

The American people need statins, a baby asprin, and perhaps a bit more exercise.

The Democrats are proposing open heart surgery, and the Republicans propose toughing it out and hoping for the best.

JimBeam| 7.30.09 @ 9:12PM

"Obama didn't win the election, McCain lost it. "

No, George W. Bush lost the election, even though his name wasn't on the ballot. Bush's approval rating was in the toilet and McCain couldn't escape from Bush's shadow.

Floyd R. Turbo| 7.30.09 @ 10:26PM

Obama-care will be the postal service in a lab coat.

But I'm actually starting to feel sorry for The Fresh Prince. The first thing that every grad of Matchbook School of Law learns is that when you don't know the facts, you SHUT UP! Instead, the man who's uniquely qualified to lecture this
"nation of cowards" on race turns out to be as savvy a lawyer as Ralph Cramden and opens his BIGGG MOUTHH! only to find out that he's just slurred an officer who tried to save Celtic Reggie Lewis with CPR. When are the MSM gonna admit that our summa cum dopey community organizer is about as substantial as his styro Greek columns and that hokey"presidential seal" his daughters must've drawn for him to use during his campaign. A long way to say he couldn't getcha out of a speeding ticket.

dprosenthal| 8.2.09 @ 10:48AM

OK 1-the election is over-stop wasting time on the hows and whys
2-Congress imposing this 'reform' bill on us while exempting themselves is unconstitutional-lets hear from our esteemed Supreme Court justices
3-these blogs are only read by a tiny % of Americans-pressure the biased media to begin reporting th truth
4-Dems-get over your 'yellar dawg' mentality-let your reps know that you will work to unseat anyone who votes for this bill
5-act now-flood the White House and Congress with letters, emails, even telegrams (do they still exist?) and phone calls
6-demand equality-if the government must do something-insist on the same coverage that is paying hundreds of thousands for Ted Kennedy's care--even though he is old and probably terminal
and the Obamaplan would NOT do the same for the rest of us
7-think-add your own insights to this list and be sure its gets widespread circulation

Bruce| 8.2.09 @ 11:46AM

Lots of good comments to this post! I somehow suspect Mr. Edwards above is somewhat bemused by his namesake. I never thought I would be in agreement with virtually everything John Edwards had to say. Perhaps a name change, sir?

Other than the fact that some people for whatever reason ELECT not to carry health insurance - exactly what is wrong with the present one? Nothing, in my book. I have had heart bypass surgery at a total cost of $160,000, of which I was responsible for $3000. I have just completed IGRT radiation treatments for prostate cancer at a total cost of $68,000, or which I was responsible for ... $200. Yes - two hundred dollars. Not bad in my book. The biggest problem for me is drug costs - which my "plan" allegedly covers, but costs me appx $5000 out of pocket each year. This, I find, is the biggest problem for most seniors.

Doctors are deserting some specialties solely due to the ridiculous cost of malpractice insurance, though the vast majority have never been sued. Thank you Trial Lawyers Association! Have you ever tried to find an Ob-Gyn these days? A heart surgeon? An anesthesiologist? At what cost if you do? Again - thank you Trial Lawyers Association, and the poster boy for nuisance malpractice suits, one John Edwards himself. It must be difficult for John to get through a day without all those fetuses voices in his head!

If we put a stop to this kind of nonsense, as well as stopping the drain on our health care system by illegal aliens who have brought the systems of border states to its knees - there would be no problems and the costs would drop immediately.

Scott A Joseph, MD| 8.3.09 @ 9:45PM

Unlike any Democrat I have debated this issue with, I am an MD who has worked in the VA system, in private practice, in US prisons, in County Mental Health systems, in state mental health sytems, in University Private hospitals, in University public hospitals, and in multiple US States (TX, CA, NM, AL, KY, MN).

I have also been a senior consultant in, and, as a permanent resident, a consumer within, the New Zealand NHS.

NHS is dangerous, provides poor care, and is always underfunded. It is dangerous. I'm back in the US in MN. I like the public/private balance here. I wish to change nothing.

All we need to do is fund the insurance for the folks with pre-existing conditions or the working poor. That is not 47 million. It is more like 10 million, or 3% of the US population. We do not need to find illegal alien care. People are also capble of choosing to have insurance or not---if they choose not, and are not the working poor or those with pre-existing conditions, then bankruptcy is what they deserve.

Scott A Joseph, MD| 8.3.09 @ 9:48PM

Corrections: "fund illegal alien care" and "capable."

Oh, and by the way, spot on, Bruce.

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Charles Hux MD| 4.7.10 @ 1:06AM

Obamacare will destroy American healthcare as you know it --forever. Far fewer doctors will remain in medicine. With malpractice continuing to rise and doctors having to pay more money monthly to remain in practice your doctor will be employed by the government in the future. Sorry America--REVERSE THIS OR YOUR CARE IS GUARENTEED TO CHANGE FOR THE WORSE!

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I’ll have a Poptropica full written walkthrough very soon, but in the meantime, here are some answers to some of the frequently asked questions about Mythology Island. Having trouble? Post a question in the comments and I’ll try to answer it!
Getting Hercules to Help You

Hercules won’t help you until you have all five items from Zeus’ quest. Once you have the five items, bring them to Athena. Zeus will appear and steal them. The big jerk! Once this happens, talk to Athena and she will tell you that Hercules will help you. You’ll need to have the magic mirror from Aphrodite because Hercules doesn’t want to have to walk. He’s so lazy!
Getting the Hydra Scale

You can see how to do this in the videos, but basically you need to jump up when the Hydra is about to strike. He will rear one of his heads back to attack and his eyes will bulge out. When this happens, jump up in the air and then try to land on top of his head. That head will get knocked out. When all five heads get knocked out, the Hydra will be asleep and you can click on him to get one of the scales. Poptropica I’ll have a full written walkthrough very soon, but in the meantime, here are some answers to some of the frequently asked questions about Mythology Island. PoptropicaHaving trouble? Post a question in the comments and I’ll try to answer it!
Getting Hercules to Help You Poptropica