White trash, Christianists and Tea Baggers, oh my!

When I hear people whine and complain about socialized medicine or health care reform, it always falls  into one (or more) of these three things.

1. I personally have plenty of money and tend to be a greedy and short sighted individual. Now that I am financially well off, I shouldn’t have to take care of those who are less fortunate than I am. In the end, if they really wanted help they would be like me and get off their butt, work hard and become equally as selfish. I also tend to be the individual who complains about business taxes and any other sort of state imposed fee, but have no problem using public schools, libraries, roads, services, utilities, parks and look to the military to protect me in times of war. I do, however, plan on complaining about these services and their short comings when they tell me they need more money, after I have decided I do not need to pay them.

2. I don’t know why I dislike this bill, I have never read a single piece of information about this bill, but I have heard from Fox News that it is socialized medicine. While  I am unable to explain what socialized medicine is, I am sure it is a bad thing because my single and only source of biased “news” tells me what to think. I refuse to follow Obama or his plan, because following a single leader blindly is a dictatorship. Glen Beck told me that. I love Glen Beck and believe his tears are real.

3. I don’t have health insurance myself and I am functioning poorly without it. I have been denied coverage before for several reasons and can not afford the coverage that is offered to me begrudgingly. I have, however, been so convinced of the perfection of the free market system and have such low confidence and self worth, that I believe that large corporations can not cover me because I am too expensive and probably not worth offering service to anyway. Jesus will take care of everything Blue Cross does not, and if he doesn’t, I will blame the devil.

Watch the clip below and you will not only see these three principles, but you will see why forced education is something I am a big supporter of.

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Daily Show: Laura Ingraham is hyperbolic spewing nut

I suppose the headline goes without saying, but it’s there never the less.

For those of you who do not have the pleasure of knowing the irony that is Laura Ingraham, please watch the video below. As you watch the small rally of, mainly middle class white people fight against an idea that would greatly benefit them, you can see the esteemed Mrs Ingraham compare Health Care reform with… you guessed it… The Holocaust.

Now, the extreme polar opposites of these two topics are not clearly visible to the ill informed and easily terrified, so you will have to forgive the ignorance of this woman. What makes the piece even more ironically hypocritical is that she is speaking of boogeyman coming for the rich and not stepping up to stop them, because she is not rich herself. While she is reciting a parable, she is lost and unaware of the fact that she is a very wealthy woman, one who came across her wealth by spewing lies and fearing the easily feared and stupid.

What would have really set this clip over the top is if the Earth split open beneath her feet and an army or Holocaust victims sprung from the ground and struck her down, while simultaneously berating her for her outfit and choices in life. Death by guilt, ridicule and Jewish zombies. Considering Mrs Ingraham is a Christian, I assume the idea of a Jewish zombie being slightly appealing to her… but multiply that by 1000 and she is screwed.

I must get violent in the morning.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Highway to Health – Last Tea Party Protest of the Year
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

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SEIU demands Health Care bill changes and calls Obama out.

This is a refreshing turn of events in my view.

For the past few days we have been learning of the massive concessions that the White House and the Senate are making to appease the slimy service of Joe Liberman. Not only has the Public Option been axed, but the Medicare Buy-In option has been removed as well. The same option that Lieberman himself supported a measly 3 months prior. It was said that Lieberman promised support of the current bill if the Medicare option had been removed and after it was, he has still refused to express his support. Which, may or may not be a blessing in disguise. Depending on which report you read, the current bill in the Senate is either a mediocre solution to a massive problem or nothing more than a boon to the insurance industry. While Nate Silver has expressed support for the current bill, based solely on the numbers, I am much less enthusiastic.

The president of one of the countries largest labor unions, Service Employees International Union, penned a rather stern letter to the White House and Obama in particular. Andy Stern, president of the SEIU, wrote Obama, politely demanding changes be made to the current bill and that Obama utilize the motto of his own campaign, namely bringing about the change he so often touted. Although he came just short of saying that SEIU would abandon support for the current bill as it stands now, it is widely assumed that they, along with other labor unions will undoubtedly do so.

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Obama gives himself “solid B+” I give myself “Most Attractive Person EVER” See, I can make up shit too.

Well Folks, President Obama was at it again this past weekend with another one his signature sit down interviews.

America’ own Media Queen, Oprah sat down for a warm and fuzzy, one-on-one interview with President Obama for her Christmas at the White House special which aired Sunday night on ABC.  Oprah, who fawns over Obama so much she looks like the sad, middle-aged white women who fawn over Oprah, asked President Obama what grade he would give himself for his first year in office and boy what an answer he gave her.  “A good, solid B-plus” he responded in his sophisticated yet chocolaty smooth manner.

(video after the jump)

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Senate may be gifting HealthCare Reform. America asks, “Did you happen to get a gift receipt?”.

Senate negotiators have ended the day announcing they are close to reaching a deal on a “progressive” set of Health Care Reform packages. While no one is giving any details on these compromises, they have been sent to the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) for further financial analysis. Once the CBO returns the numbers and they are found to be within the fiscal range of their goals, the legislation will go to the floor for a vote. While this entire parade has been back and forth, with many a moment of near death, it is expected that Health Care Reform will indeed pass the senate and become law.

Yet, for some reason, I do not find myself elated or excited.

While I think this country needs radical reform on many of its levels, both financially and socially, I have little hope that this bill will bring the reform we so badly need. The single payer plan was dead before it hit the tracks, but it still haunted reform with its possibilities. Many of us had hoped Obama would come to the table and revive it, bringing with it some of those terrifying socialist ideals (Ahh the horror!) that the right has been screaming about.

The plan as it stands now would allow people ages 55 – 64 to buy into Medicare, while expanding Medicaid availability to those within %150 of the federal poverty line. (Is it sad that I think I am one of those people?) A separate plan, offered up by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), would create a program available to those within %300 of the poverty line, modeled after her own states Basic Health system.

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Palin gets punk’d…. again.

Canadian comedy show, “This hour has 22 minutes” has punk’d the gullible former Governor. Shocker…

The talk show sent its star, Mary Walsh, in character as “Marg Delahunty” in the hopes of getting Sarah to say something about the Canadian system of Health Care or something generally stupid on any subject. Never one to disappoint, Palin had this to say.

“Keep the faith” Palin said, “because common sense conservatism can be plugged in there in Canada too. In fact, Canada needs to reform its health care system and let the private sector take over some of what the government has absorbed.”

According to Mary, no one was allowed to ask any questions of Palin, even when having their book signed by her. Which is rather odd, considering how much “common sense you betchas” the woman carries around.

Awkward.

According to a recent poll, 90% of Canadians approve of their Health Care system, with a large majority thinking theirs is better than the U.S. despite the constant groans about waiting times for non emergency surgery.

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If Democrats don’t do what they were elected to do, they risk re-election. In other news, water is wet.

A new survey from  Public Policy Poll has shown that, if Democrats do not pass health care reform with a public option, they risk losing reelection bids. I would consider this a “no duh” moment, but apparently pollsters found this surprising.

The survey asked registered voters whether they would choose a Democrat or a Republican next year, if a health care bill with a public option has been passed. Forty-six percent said they would vote for a Democrat, while only 41% said they would vote for a Republican. When asked the same question under the scenario that Congress fails to pass health care reform legislation, the parties tied on the generic ballot, 40%-40%.

While the numbers show that passing health care reform, does not advance their numbers, it also shows that failing to deliver on this will result in them being hurt. Nate Silver went on to say -

Both polling and common sense would seem to dictate that the best way for Democrats to cut their losses would be to pass a health care bill — particularly one with a public option — and then move on to debating financial regulation and a jobs program, where public sentiment should be more on their side. They should probably not expect to gain ground if they pass health care — but they’re likely to lose more if they don’t.

I know that many people I have spoken with have stated their plans to begin voting  independent if the Democrats fail to deliver on a multitude of promises and policy changes. I would consider myself one of those people as well.

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Sorry Benjamin, prosthetic arms are for socialists.

Compassion may be running short these days, but the same can’t be said about stunning acts of greed and short sided business selfishness.

Benjamin French (age 12) was born with an incomplete right arm as the appendage ends at the elbow. Aside from wowing the crowds with “Hey, where did my arm go” tricks at social gatherings, this has obviously made his life much more difficult. Benjamin has insurance, which has been paying for his prosthetic arms, but in the face of his insurances companies generosity he spit and went one step too far.

He grew.

Apparently “children” grow and during this process they get taller, wider and if they are gothic, they become paler and carry around an undeserved sense of mystery and general cockery. (Yes, it’s a word).

The problem with this act of expansion is that his insurance company will no longer pay for his prosthetic, alerting Benjamin to the fact that he has “used his maximum lifetime benefit amount.” Which, and I could be wrong about this, is another way of saying, “You cost us too much money and if you really cared about our feelings, you would have been born with two complete arms, like the rest of us.” Misplaced cynicism aside, not only is this uncommon, it’s perfectly legal in Benjamin’s home state.

In his 12 years, he has been fitted with seven prostheses. His most recent replacement will cost nearly $30,000 and his doctor says he will soon grow out of it.

But, according to his insurance company, the boy is ineligible for further coverage of prosthetic devices because he has already spent his lifetime maximum benefit.

Benjamin’s family happens to live in Michigan, one of 33 states where insurance companies are allowed to set annual and lifetime caps on prosthetic coverage. The family’s policy with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan covers a maximum of $30,000 per lifetime for prosthetics, plus $1,000 per year for repairs. In states such as Colorado and Maryland, the law says there can be no such cap on prosthetics.

“It seems really unfair,” said Benjamin’s mother, Kristen French. “The insurance company can do this in one state, but not in another? It’s ridiculous.”

The French family represents one small part of a for-profit health care system rife with inequities and inconsistencies: Some people have insurance, some do not. For those who are insured, individual policies operate under different rules than group policies. Each insurance company and every individual policy has different requirements, exclusions, and benefits.

And, as in the case of Benjamin French — people with nearly identical health problems may have vastly different experiences with their private health insurance companies depending on their state of residence. Another example of the inequity: If Benjamin’s family were poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, most if not all of the cost of his new arm would be covered.

His parents should have thought about that before they selfishly earned too much money to provide for their family. My suggestion? Quit your jobs. Prosthetic arms and the ability to wipe yourself are of small concern when you are starving to death.

So what does someone do in this situation? I would like to cite this as another reason for comprehensive health care reform, but that would be redundant. So, in place of a personal opinion about the seriously failing standards of our health care system I will simply say this.

Sorry kid, in America, money talks and you’ll have to learn to live without.

Read the entire article at The Huffington Post

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