Doctors Come Unhinged Over New Health Care Law

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The benefits of health care reform are already starting to surface by shining a light on the strange behavior of a few doctors. Last month a Florida urologist posted a sign on the front door of his office door saying:


"If you voted for Obama, seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your health care begin right now, not in four years."


It came as no surprise that Dr. Jack Cassell is a registered Republican, but it came as a surprise to Dr. Cassell that his irrational note did not garner the support that he expected. I'm not sure what kind of primary care providers the Tea Party people a drawn to, but the rational segment of the voting electorate in this country recognize that skill, compatence, professionalism, and integrity are key factors in selecting a physician. At some point Dr. Cassell realized the ethical tightrope his sign put him in and tried to downplay the event in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel.


"I'm not turning anybody away, that would be unethical," he told the Sentinel "But if they read the sign and turn the other way, so be it."


The fact that Dr. Cassell can't recognize that placing a note on his door telling certain patients to "look elswhere" for medical treatment is in fact turning people away and unethical. Could anyone imagine going to the hospital to find a note on the emergency room doors saying that if you George W. Bush, please try another hospital. What made Dr. Cassell's irrational note cross over into crazytown, was when he was asked specifics about the bill and admitted that he wasn't exactly sure what was or wasn't in the new law.


Now Arizona dermatologist Joseph Scherzer has put a sign in the front door of his office warning his patients that he will be closing his doors because of the new health care law.

"If you voted for Obamacare, be aware these doors will close before it goes into effect," the sign reads.


Scherzer, unsurprisingly another self-described conservative claims that the "stress" the new law will supposedly impose will cause him to shutdown his practice.


"I’m absolutely serious [about stopping practicing] and it’s not just because I’ll be nearing 65," Scherzer said. "The stress is what would push me out the door."


Scherzer said the new health care bill's emphasis on punitive measures for physicians not following government prescribed treatment methods under Medicare would increase his anxiety level to the point he would no longer be able to practice medicine.


"Doctors have actually committed suicide over these things," Scherzer said.


But it’s unclear what punitive measures he is referring to. One possibility is comparative effectiveness research (CER) into which treatments work most effectively. It is a provision in the bill that Republicans have been using to attack health care reform. They use it in lieu of some of the tired and wornout buzzwords such as "rationing" and "death panals" to claim it would impose standards and prevent certain kinds of treatment. But as pointed out by The Wonk Room’s Igor Volsky, "CER is a recommendation, not a mandate."



Scherzer may be referring to Medicare billing fraud. But presumably he had to provide proper documentation for Medicare services provided before the President signed the bill into law. The new law simply strengthens these accountability measures to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.


Not surprisingly, Dr. Schezer also identifies as a conservative. He says that he has avoided politics for the past decade and that he blames the current poor state of the health care system on Democrats and Republicans alike. However, the proof in the pudding as to Dr. Scherzer's nuttiness is by way of attending his first Tea Party in New York City on Thursday night.


I suppose the wise health care consumer going foward had better do a little background work determine the political leanings of potential physicians.The last thing we need are people wearing Medic-Alert bracelets that read:


"If I'm not conscious and you voted republican, leave me be. The outcome would most likely be the same either way."

Rush Limbaugh: Health Care "It has to be defeated"

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Throughout the course of the show, Rush would repeatedly say that the vote reportedly scheduled for this weekend is really about getting the Senate bill to Obama, that Democrats aren't really that concerned about passing fixes to that bill through reconciliation, and that Obama won't be concerned about the reconciliation package after he signs the Senate bill.

LISTEN HERE:

Rush brought up a provision in the reconciliation package that would have allowed the Bank of North Dakota to continue making student loans, even though North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad already said he plans to kill it.

Rush noted that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus put out a press release declaring its support for the health care bill. Rush said this didn't matter because members of that caucus were never really going to vote against the bill anyway.

After a break, Limbaugh mentioned that Mark Levin's legal foundation is planning to challenge the health care legislation on the grounds that the "deem and pass" procedure is unconstitutional, even though some experts say that it clearly passes muster and has been used many times in the past by both parties.

Limbaugh then played a clip of Obama speaking at George Mason University and said that health care reform actually is about getting undocumented immigrants "amnesty" and health care, because Obama needs their votes to get re-elected.

After a break, Rush talked a bit more about the Bank of North Dakota, calling it a "socialist bank" because it's owned by the state of North Dakota. Limbaugh then noted that Conrad opposes the provision.

Rush moved on to a report that Caterpillar said that its health care costs would increase by $100 million in the first year alone if health care reform passes. He tied this to a report that Caterpillar was laying off 121 workers -- a move that had already been announced.
Limbaugh then launched into a series of sports metaphors to describe the whip count on the bill. Scintillating stuff.

Rush returned to insisting that the Senate bill will be signed into law on Sunday and that the changes to it in the reconciliation package likely wouldn't go through until Congress' Easter break, if they ever act on it at all. Rush described the health care legislation as getting "the big shaft" and told his listeners that "this is tyranny."

Before the end of the first hour, Rush read from a blog post by CNBC's Larry Kudlow and told a caller that the Obama administration has said that 10 percent unemployment is the new norm and that Americans should get used to it. Furthermore, he said, "That's exactly what they want, too."

Limbaugh On Health Care Bill: "It Has To Be Defeated. It Has To Be Stopped"

"The American People" A Rant By Chico Brisbane

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"The American People"

I have forever been weary of people that preface a sentance with "the bible says" and I am now adding the preface "the American people want" or "the Amercian People believe" to that list or worrisome prefaces.

Tonight after listening to Sen. Blanche Lincoln give a well structured speech on the floor of the Senate about not caring about re-election or the legacy of a president, but rather her constituants. Arkansans who are without healthcare and those that do have healthcare, but are either in or on the verge of bankruptcy due to health care claims denied by their provider.

Sen. Lincoln's speech was followed by Sen. Mitch McConnell who decided to speak on behalf of "ALL AMERICANS" and like Sarah Palin, proceeded to mis-speak, mis-represent, distort facts and flat out lie.

The Republican Party, for the most part, has been a miserable failure during the Bush Years. It's like a brutal crime scene with DNA splattered all over the place.

They have expended so much time and effort systematically cleansing the military of gays that they never considered the potential threat of the alarming growth rate of muslims across all branches of the Armed Forces of The United States of America. Well...not until Ft. Hood turned into a midway shooting gallery.

I find that to be a stunning oversight for a party that was actively waging war on muslim extremist around the world. HELLOOOOOOOO! - You have to swear to God and your country to be a God Damn Cub Scout in the country, yet an edited oath to include the word "GOD" to also mean Allah for muslims was A-Okay to join the Army and be issues a uniform and a mother fucking rifle! - Are you shittin' me with this! -

UGH! - That's all I have to say about that! I'm very very disappointed in the Republican Party. You know what! - I can only think of a handful of people who were outspoken against these wars before they even got started and thank God that the loudest among them is now The President.

Chico Brisbane

Health Care Insurers See The Writing On The Wall.

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My health insurance climbed $47 per monthly premium back in April and just today I recieved notice that my $25 co-pay plan is no longer being offered. So I have to pay more on a monthly basis, and a higher co-pay for each doctor visit. I don't even call them "health care" companies anymore. They are medical insurance aggrigators and the fact that they rushing to rake their customers over the coals is because that know that the public option is going to do exactly what it was meant to do.

They're trying to pad their profit, not because there is a rise in the cost of doing business that is being passed onto the customer, but rather because they're just trying to get every penny that they can before the one of these bills makes it to the presidents desk. This little plan by insusers is going to backfire. The public option was already gaining support despite claims by conservatives that it would lead to a government takeover of health care.

Medicare Advantage plans -- those are private plans for people also enrolled in regular Medicare -- are going up 25 percent. With costs rising like this, it is remarkable how many supporters the insurers have in Congress. Even the best of the companies are a pain to deal with. The for-profit insurance companies are a unique feature of the U.S. health care system. No other developed country has them, and their existence is a key reason Americans spend the highest percenatge of their national income on health care -- while leaving many people uninsured.

Healthcare outcomes are better in other developed countries than in the United States, while the costs are lower. None is perfect. They all face the problem of rising costs. But all other developed countries essentially provide care for everyone. For most working people under 65, we're Germany or France or Japan, - For Native Americans, military personnel and veterans, we're Britain, or Cuba ... For those over 65, we're Canada ... For the 45 million uninsured Americans, we're Cambodia, or rural India."

People in the latter group get care if they can pay the bill out of pocket. The United States, however, is like no other country because it "maintains so many separate systems for separate classes of people, and because it relies so heavily on for-profit private insurance plans to pay the bills. Some opponents of healthcare reform complain that the focus is on extending coverage to the uninsured, which will be expensive, rather than on ways to control costs. There's some truth to that, but extending coverage is the far more critical step. Other changes to control costs can come in turn.

On average, U.S. health insurance companies pay out in claims only about 80 percent of what they collect in premiums. The rest goes for marketing, underwriting and administration, with what's left, for profit. In France, everyone has a carte vitale, a green plastic card with a small memory chip. The card carries the full health history of each person, who treated him for what and what he was charged. Every time a doctor treats someone, the details are entered on the card and the update is sent to the national non-profit insurance fund which pays the doctor's bill, generally within a week, without any additional claim being filed.

House Dems Unveil 2K Pg. $894 Bil Health Bill

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and fellow House Democrats touted their own $900 billion health care reform bill on Thursday in answer to the Senate’s version and as part of President Obama’s overall push for reform, a push that is getting closer to reality with each legislative tweak and congressional roll-out.

Pelosi took to the steps of the U.S. Capitol to introduce a nearly 2,000 page, $894 billion piece of legislation designed to go far enough to please House liberals but include enough goodies for moderates to make a deal with both chambers possible.

It would create a full public option plan for the uninsured and, according to fast-tracked CBO estimates, cut the deficit by $30 billion, savings generated by taxing wealthy Americans and following the president’s directive in finding savings in Medicare waste and fraud.

This would be on top of the consistent goals expressed by the president throughout the debate, like ending coverage denials based on preexisting conditions and covering up to 96 percent percent of America’s uninsured.

Healthcare Without A Public Option Is Not Reform

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If President Obama thinks for one second that the public option is an option, then he has greatly underestimated the core of the party that handed him the 2008 election. Healthcare reform with a mandate, but without a public option would force Americans to purchase medical insurance from the vary companies that have been fleecing America for decades.

I would hope that every democrat out there would send a clear message to the democratic majority, that any democrat who votes for a bill with out a public option is a democrats who is serving his or her last term in office. I would sooner take George W. Bush and Dick Cheney by the hand and march them right back into the White House before I would ever accept healthcare reform without
a public option.

If a public option is not viable at this time then this administration needs to come to terms with the fact that once again, the right has successfully killed health care reform. It is really that simple and should this be the case, the blame lay squarely at the feet of President Obama. For all of his oratorical ability, this President remained silent while the very industry we where fighting filled town hall meetings with staged outrage.

President Obama needs to understand that he has been handed the key to the city and to stop acting like he’s just passing through.

Nat'l Guard and Reserves Now Have $180 Per Month Gov't Healthcare

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So, Federal employees including members of congress are covered by a government sponsered heath care option, senior citizens are covered under MediCare, the poorest of the poor have basic health care options under MediCade, active members of the military have government run health care, retired members of the military have The Veterns Administration, and now members of the National Guard have a government option under (TRS) TRICARE Reserve Select which provides a health plan option to members of the Reserve and their families when they are not on active-duty status.

The health plan option delivers coverage similar to TRICARE Standard and Extra to eligible members and features continuously open enrollment.

The Army Reserve’s top general calls it a "steal." The National Guard’s Enlisted Association says "where can you get health care for your entire family for just ($180) a month?" An Ohio National Guard private calls it "untouchable." Another Soldier said it’s "one of the many often unmentioned benefits of Guard service." So it’s no surprise that increasing numbers of Guardmembers are purchasing TRS, especially in these tough economic times.

With President Obama and the democrats on the hill trying to provide for a public option for the segment of Americans left out of the health care picture, it is amazing how the medical insurance industry has managed to enlist hard working, middle class republicans into taking action against health care reform by painting it out to be a death blow to democracy and freedom.

They have funneled obscene amounts of money into "grassroots" organizations by playing upon the undisputed sense of patriotism that is at the core of the republican party. At the same time, they have encited and called to arms a racist segment of the far right based soley on the the Presidents mixed race.

Many of these townhall protestors are among the uninsured because their employers don't provide health care or because like many, they simply can't afford the monthly premiums imposed by the private medical insurance industry that operates unopposed by competition.

I doubt that any of these protestors would consider the elderly, the military, and memebrs of the National Guard and Army Reserve to be unpatriotic or socialist for taking advantage of affordable health care options for themselves and their families.

When townhall protestor Katy Abram appeared on MSNBC and described her famalies "health care savings account" which has a $5000.00 deductable, I was shocked that she somehow felt that that was something worthy of praise. Then she went on to say that "over the course of a year, we'll pay for all of our medical needs, doctor visits out-of pocket.

Abram has been led to beleive that a public option will take away her choice to maintain that $5000 dollar anual health care plan and I can assure her that it will not. Whomever is collecting over five thousand of the Abram famalies hard earned dollars each year before they even have to out one thin dime, will be more then happy to keep that arrangement going.

However, should the Abram family at some point see the benefit of taking advantage of a public option at $180 or $200 per month, or even $250 per month, that is still only $3000 per year and far below the $5000 dollar deductable that the Abram family has to meet before the insurance company starts paying out benefits.

Even if they can take that $5000 as a tax deduction, it's still real money that has to be paid out of pocket with each and every doctor visit until they have forked over five grand.

Now at this stage of the game, nobody knows what the average cost of a government sponsered public option will cost on a montly basis, but that fact of the matter is that if turns out to be more costly then private insurance, then the plan will die on the vine and that will be that last that anyone ever hears about a public health care option in this country.

What most of these public option protesters fail to realize is that they are unwhitting agents of the medical insurance industries plan to make sure that we've already heard the last about a public option before one can even be rolled out. But if the government cal roll out a very well recieved health care option at $180 per months for Reservist and their famalies, they can do somthing similar for the segment of America that drives our economy.

This isn't about socialism, or the systematic dismantling of our country. Those are just talking points written down on 3x5 cards by people who have been duped into believing that they are part of some patriotic call to duty against the liberal loonatics running amuck in Washington.

Government control has traided hands back and forth between political parties in this country for more than 250 years and we're still standing. And we'll continue doing just that because at the end of the day, we are all Americans, and we all love our country. However, we have arrived at a frightening crossroads where some people love the country so much that they have become willing to take it down rather then to surrender control. Some are either unable or unwilling to accept the fact that an overwhelming majority of Americans have chosen a Democrat to take control and lead the nation in a new direction.

A direction different from that in which we've been headed over the passed 8 years. I don't drink Kool-Aid, nor do I march in lock-step with the democratic party. Barack Obama is not the be-all, end -all that many of my liberal friends have painted him out to be. In fact, since January, he has systematically been downgraded, in my opinion from A+, to A around March, to B- around May, to C over the passed month and he's about to get a C- if he continues to prise republicans who go out the very next day and spread the same false information that has so many Americans mis-informed.

In the unlikely event that President Obama should happen to Google this blog post among the millions out there in the abyss of the world wide web, I would say this: ENOUGH! - I don't want to hear anymore Republican praise until an honest attempt to participate in government is shown. I don't care if some Republican pulled a dozen kids from a burning school bus! - Zip It! - Push the agenda G-Dubya style if need be. Hell....have some lawyers at the DOJ write legal opinions that mandate a public option if you have to. Just git er done!

Actor Jon Voight Joins Sean Hannity's Traveling Sideshow

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Craig T. Nelson, Chuck Norris, and Jon Voight are a trio of Hollywood has-beens who have been sent off to TV land in cable network shows like 24, and late night informercials. They're grasping onto The Fox News Channels Sean Hannity because he is officially the only person left that considers them celebrities. On the way to Cincinnati to participate in one of Sean Hannity's "Freedom Concerts" Voight paused long enough to offer up some heavy duty right wing rhetoric with a side of laborotory grade bullshit.

"There's a real question at stake now. Is President Obama creating a civil war in our own country?" Voight said in an interview with the paper.

"We are witnessing a slow, steady takeover of our true freedoms. We are becoming a socialist nation, and whoever can't see this is probably hoping it isn't true." Voight said.

Just like every other Fox News watching nit-wit, Voight speaks of a slow, steady takeover of our "true" freedoms, but never elaborates on exactly what those freedoms are, how they've been taken over, and by whom. It boggles the mind to contemplate just how slow and steady this takeover must be happening since Obama has only been in office seven months.

Of course to wrap it all up comes the use of words like 'probably' or 'maybe' for example when Voight says: "We are becoming a socilist nation, and whoever can't see this is probably hoping it isn't true.

Well, no not really. Those of us "who can't see this" are a vast majority of Americans who know that it isn't true. Voight goes on to say:

"Do not let the Obama administration fool you with all their cunning Alinsky methods. And if you don't know what that method is, I implore you to get the book "Rules for Radicals," by Saul Alinsky. Mr. Obama is very well trained in these methods."

Okay, Mr. Voight! - If you have to explain who in the fuck Saul Alinsky is, it's obvious that you're blowing your right-wing dog whistle to that segment of America that we've seen making a B-Line from the trailer park to the townhall meetings. They operate better with specific instruction as Voight illustrates by "imploring" them to get Alinsky's book - "Rules for Radicals."

"The real truth is that the Obama administration is professional at bullying, as we have witnessed with ACORN at work during the presidential campaign. It seems to me they are sending down their bullies to create fist fights among average American citizens who don't want a government-run health care plan forced upon them. So I ask again: Is President Obama creating a civil war in our own country?"

Okay, Mr. Voight! - I hate to keep interrupting, but you're so full of shit. "The real truth is..." - Opposed to what? the other truth, the make believe truth, the truth that only resides within what's left of your cocain saturated brain? - Voight says that "the Obama administration is professional at bullying, as we have witnessed with ACORN at work during the presidential campaign.

Hey shit head! - There was no Obama Administration during the presidential campaign. Voight continues with "It seems to me they are sending down their bullies to create fist fights among average American citizens who don't want a government-run health care plan forced upon them. So I ask again: Is President Obama creating a civil war in our own country?"

Okay, so we've got rightwing whack-jobs showing up at townhall meeting armed to the teeth with AK-47's and you're talking about bullies and fist fights! - Are you shittin' me with this? - "Average Americans who don't want a government-run health care plan forced upon them." - Jesus Fucking Christ! - What part of public option, thus the word "option" do you not understand? -

And to answer your question, Obama isn't trying to start a civil war, he's trying to prevent one. Let's not forget that it's the right that's locked and loaded. I suspect that you're just loaded. I'll just leave it at that before I say something rude or offensive.

Townhaller Katy Abram Writes 04' Review Of Sean Hannity Book

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Townhall protestor Katy Abram said to Pensylvania Sen. Arlan Spector "I'm 35 years old and I haven't been interested in politics until know.

You've awaken a sleeping giant!" - Once the news clip hit the airwaves, it went viral across YouTube. The same can be said about Abram's subsequent appearances on MSNBC's Hardball and Fox News Channels Hannity's America.

In a previous post at ChicoBrisbane.Com, we highlighted that Abram's disinterest in politics actually goes back to 2006 when we discovered her connection as an active organizer for Glenn Beck's 9/12 project. Recently a ChicoBrisbane commentor posted a link where Katy Abram offered up a glowing review of Sean Hannity's book Deliver Us From Evil on the Amazon website.

I suspect that it won't be long before we learn that Abram was a member of The Young Republicans. In that review, Abram said that she purchased Hannity's book over the weekend and that it "has stirred the fire in my belly." - Ironically this statement was made more then five years before Abram's claim of having an interested in politics.

I think that at this point in the "townhall" debate, it's safe to assume that the blatent dishonesty of Katy Abram and Heather Blish are indicative of the theatrics that surround the public discourse. Those who speak loudest, hurl the most bullshit. The bigger the sign, the less the sign holder actually beleives what the sign says. - The whole matter reaks of desparation. -

As a final thought, anyone interested picking up a copy of Sean Hannity's book that Abram praised like real Christians praise the Bible, they are widely available across the internet from $0.99 cents to $1.74 - I've posted links below for you shopping convenience.

Available from these sellers.
88new from $0.99 353 used from $0.01 37 collectible from $1.74

Samuel D. Abram Jr.'s profile
"katygo"

March 22, 2004
First and foremost I am a conservative who has seen the light after working a number of years in the liberal television media. While working in television I didn't see it. I didn't see the liberal workings because I was a part of it.

After leaving to become a stay at home mom I see time after time how much my former counterparts spin everything. As a result I have returned to my original God given roots of conservativism. (My parents are so proud). I digress. To the last individual who stated only the rich are conservative...well let me educate you.

I personally have NEVER made over $35,000. My husband is making in the mid $50's...well looky here someone who is a conservative whomakes less than your liberal paycheck. Amazing to think that someone so poor could be a conservative.

Anyhow, I bought Sean's book this weekend and it again has stirred the fire in my belly. I absolutely love this book. Sean doesn't skirt around the issues with a song and dance of rhetoric. He shows CLEARLY and DISTINCTLY how the left left their minds in the gutter.

Their minds are fogged with the rantings of lunatics. They have seen clear proof of the difference of good and evil in the world and are still either oblivious to it or truly choose to turn a blind eye in hopes for recovering the White House. Sean you have truly outdone yourself. Keep up the great work! This is truly a work of love and dedication.

From a poor conservative...
Link to KatyGo's Amazon.Con Review

.

Fox News Stirring The Pot Towards Civil Unrest

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Reports that some of the protests have been coordinated by FreedomWorks, the Washington lobbying group of Dick Armey, are not easily dismissed and perticularly with the trail of evidence that is being left behind. I have no doubt that some of these people are legitimately protesting to their elected officials within thier district, it's the bussing in of people and "protesters" on tour to create a public outcry that's I take issue with.



If shutting down public debate was the goal, then the organizers of these staged protest have been widely sucessful. However, if they are under the impression that no town hall mettings equals no public option when it comes to healfcare reform, then they are widely mistaken. In the end, it will have to come down to the emails, phone calls, and letters from verified constituents that lawmakers will have to rely on that will make or brake health the care reform issue.

Whenever I write to my representatives, I always adress the letter or email with my informal first name and no middle initial. When I get a response, it's always addressed with my formal name as listed in the voter registration rolls, so I know someone is checking to verify that I live in the district and what party I belong to. The question is is this: will those same people who stood in line to vote for Obama, take 10 minutes to contact thier representative in congress? - If they don't, then heath care reform is dead.

Giving the appearance of this circus being a "grassroots" will eventually be exposed as a fraud the same way that the Tea Party movement came apart at the seems. Many of the protestors catch phrases can easily be tracked back the the Fox News commentator that spewed it. It might be catchy and effective the first time it's said, but once it's played back against it's original source, it really exposes that protestor as a political parrot delivering a message, rather then speaking their mind.

The one about "If they can't run Cash for Clunkers" or "How can you reform healthcare in 4 weeks when it took Obama 6 months to pick out a dog" I thought these where cleaver comments myself the first time that I heard the "protestors" say them, but a quick reviewed my Fox News Tivo proved otherwise. It was life following a trail of bread crumbs from these protestors mouths, right back to the Fox News Room and directly to the mouths of Steve Doocey, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity.

Also, a Connecticut fellow named Bob MacGuffie and four friends who formed a political action committee last year have been distributing a memo instructing people how to infiltrate town hall gatherings and harass Democratic members of Congress. Just another trail of evidence to follow by unsophistocated wannabe activists.



– Artificially Inflate Your Numbers: “Spread out in the hall and try to be in the front half. The objective is to put the Rep on the defensive with your questions and follow-up. The Rep should be made to feel that a majority, and if not, a significant portion of at least the audience, opposes the socialist agenda of Washington.”
– Be Disruptive Early And Often: “You need to rock-the-boat early in the Rep’s presentation, Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the Rep’s statements early.”

– Try To “Rattle Him,” Not Have An Intelligent Debate: “The goal is to rattle him, get him off his prepared script and agenda. If he says something outrageous, stand up and shout out and sit right back down. Look for these opportunities before he even takes questions.”

The goal — recently outlined by an influential lobbyist as "delay" then "kill" — is apparent: Having successfully delayed a vote until after the August recess, lobbyists are seizing on town halls to ambush lawmakers in an attempt to fool them and the greater public into thinking there is wide opposition to health care reform.


However, I think the 2008 election has changed the rules forever and if you want to force change, you're going to have to do it the way that Barack Obama did. With a real grass-movements, and real outraged people in real numbers to effect the ellectorate. The days of make beleive narratives and wagging the dog for theatrical effect are alive and well at Fox News, but Fox News has lost it's ability to master the number of puppets needed to achieve it's purpose.

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Rep. Virginia Foxx : BITCH! Are You Trippin' Again?

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It appears that Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) is at it again. A few months back you may remember that Foxx said on the floor of the House that gay college student, Matthew Sheppard's murder was a "hate crime hoax" and that it he was actually killed in a robbery gone wrong. I'm not sure how many people are driven out into the middle of the Wyoming countryside, tied to a fence, and beaten to death strictly for the purpose of robbery. However, in Rep. Foxx alternate universe, that's the M.O. for robbery.

I thought that this cross-eyed crazy bitch had set the bar pretty high with that comment, but suprisingly she has outdone herself once again. In an effort to bad mouth health care reform, Foxx announced that "

there are no Americans who don’t have healthcare":

She disputes President Obama’s claim that 47 million Americans lack healthcare. "There are no Americans who don’t have healthcare. Everybody in this country has access to healthcare," she says. "We do have about 7.5 million Americans who want to purchase health insurance who can not afford it," she says, urging Congress to adopt a new plan for healthcare reform that wouldn’t "destroy what is good about healthcare in this country" and "give the government control of our lives."

Listen here:

Unfortunately, Foxx is not the first

conservative to push this argument. In July 2007, then-President Bush claimed that "people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room." Does Rep. Fox mean that you just go to an emergency room like the woman in the video below. Take a look at the outstanding health care that was provided to this woman. It might have gotten even better had she not died right there on the floor of the waiting room.

Watch Here:

In 2002, the Institute of Medicine estimated that there were

18,000 unnecessary adult deaths because of a lack of insurance while the Urban Institute estimated in 2006 that 22,000 died for the same reason. Finally, studies have found that the uninsured "are 30 to 50 percent more likely to be hospitalized for an avoidable condition" and if they do seek care in an emergency room, "they are usually sicker than patients who have health insurance."

Will the good citizens of North Carolina please vote this crazy bitch out of office once and for all. Her usefullness in government has run it's course.

Pelosi: "No Question" we have the votes to pass health care

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According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) there is "no question" that she has the votes to pass healthcare reform legislation even as key Democrats retreated from their predictions of progress.But Democratic opponents of the bill said Pelosi’s vote count was somewhere between wildly optimistic and dead wrong.

"I don’t know who’s doing her vote counting, but she doesn’t have the votes," said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), who has worked with the band of centrist Blue Dog Democrats blocking the bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

"They’re 100 votes away on a good day," said another Democratic member.Republicans mocked Pelosi’s assertion, sending out a list documenting 42 House Democrats who have said they oppose or have concerns about the bill. But the list includes some members who will almost certainly vote for the measure, such as House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.). Regardless, the stalled health bill is a major test of Pelosi’s leadership. And unless she gets it moving soon, Republicans will claim victory throughout August and into September.

Pelosi said if Democrats cannot reach agreement within their ranks by July 31, she thinks they should work into their planned August recess."I think 70 percent of the American people would want that," Pelosi said. "I want a bill."That stance contradicts House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who said Tuesday that he didn’t see any point in staying into August if Democrats haven’t reached consensus on a bill by then.

Leadership aides said that in their weekly Monday meeting, Pelosi and Hoyer never discussed what to do if they didn’t have the votes by the end of July.In an interview on Fox News on Wednesday, Hoyer said, "We’re very hopeful and we believe we’ll be able to pass a healthcare bill next week."With Senate Finance Committee leaders still ironing out their bill behind closed doors, the Senate will not be voting on healthcare reform before the August recess, as initially planned.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Wednesday told The Hill, "We’re going to take a little longer to get it right. Initially we had hoped for a full vote by [the recess], but I don’t think it’s going to be possible."Some Democrats are extremely frustrated that Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has not introduced a bill. Asked on Wednesday if he is feeling pressure from the White House, Baucus responded, "No, I’m not."With the GOP seizing political momentum, Obama administration officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, appeared on several cable news networks making the case for revamping the nation’s health system.

Meanwhile, House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) on Wednesday announced that he and the Obama administration have agreed to create an independent commission to set reimbursement rates for healthcare providers in the government-run "public plan." The seven Blue Dogs who have been holding up consideration of the bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee have said they support the idea of a commission as a way to rein in healthcare costs.

But that concession has not won over the Blue Dogs and Waxman’s negotiations with the group are ongoing. Waxman’s committee was initially scheduled to have a final vote on healthcare reform on Wednesday. Waxman said he hopes to resume his committee markup on Thursday. "We have not resolved our issues. But we’re going to get back together and continue discussions," Waxman said.Waxman had angered the seven Blue Dogs earlier in the day by announcing a deal on the independent commission.

They felt the announcement was premature."They felt he was trying to box them in," said a Blue Dog member.Waxman’s press release subsequently disappeared from his panel’s website. A committee spokesperson did not comment by press time. Leadership aides say that even if Waxman can resolve the concerns of the Blue Dogs, there are plenty more troubles awaiting him in committee and on the floor, including a tax on the wealthy to help pay for the $1 trillion cost of the bill."There’s so many problems beyond the Blue Dogs," said a leadership aide. "There’s regional disparity. The pay-for is a train wreck. The committee might want to blame the Blue Dogs. But the Blue Dogs have wanted to engage and they haven’t."

In more signs of trouble, a diverse group of Democrats, including Blue Dogs and progressives, sent Waxman a letter urging that the measure be re-written to include legislation by Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) that would provide incentives for quality care rather than volume of care."The focus should be on how far we’ve come.

We’ve come a lot further than anyone would have expected," said a Democratic aide. "The important thing is that members and the groups stay on offense in August. August is generally a time that legislation ends up dying."Meanwhile, Democratic liberals are getting worried by constant negotiation with Blue Dogs and Pelosi’s statements that what the more conservative Senate Finance Committee does could influence the bill.

"We have to stay on our toes," said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), co-chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

"We know what we want and we don’t want to get rolled."Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who leads the charge for the Progressive Caucus on healthcare, said liberals have been reminding their Blue Dog colleagues that they might be the ones stopping a bill if a public option is watered down.

"A number of us have conveyed to the Blue Dogs that there are 82 people who are insisting on a ‘robust’ public option," Schakowsky said.

Obama Addresses The Hype Over Health Care Reform

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This is the weekly address from President Obama at the White House, which was released early. In the video below, President Obama set out the parameters of the health care debate, explained what the opponents of health care reform were doing, and drew a line in the sand around the essential elements of health care reform. First, he explains the stories he's been hearing about why health care reform is so important to him:

Right now in Washington, our Senate and House of Representatives are both debating proposals for health insurance reform. Today, I want to speak with you about the stakes of this debate, for our people and for the future of our nation.
This is an issue that affects the health and financial well-being of every single American and the stability of our entire economy.

It’s about every family unable to keep up with soaring out of pocket costs and premiums rising three times faster than wages. Every worker afraid of losing health insurance if they lose their job, or change jobs. Everyone who’s worried that they may not be able to get insurance or change insurance if someone in their family has a pre-existing condition.

WATCH: