Cleo's Mom

News Flash: Death Panels are real!!! But they have nothing to do with the government, they are brought to you courtesy of the health insurance industry. A family discovered that their 2 year old son had cancer and he received treatment for which his health insurance company, Health America, paid for. He did well and it went into remission but returned. When it returned it was suggested by his doctor that he receive a certain medication. Health America refused. Other medical professionals provided evidence that this drug could help this little boy but the committee from Health America refused and said their decision was final and the only recourse was for the family to sue. So, they did. So now, in additonal to the stress and difficulties of taking care of a critically ill little boy, this family must now use their limited resources of both time and money and deal with a lawsuit. This is time & money they could be using for their family and son. So, the INSURANCE COMPANY CAME BETWEEN THE DOCTOR AND HIS PATIENT AND BECAME THE REAL DEATH PANEL IN DENYING WHAT COULD BE A LIFE SAVING DRUG. NOT THE GOVERNMENT - THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

Health care reform negotiations: Republican Senator Kyl* (Arizona) criticized democrats for negotiating for healthcare behind closed doors. But now that democrats and republicans are to be on tv for the negotiations he said: well, you know some of these negotiations need to take place behind closed doors. *You may recall that during the senate healthcare debates last year Sen. Kyl said he didn't know why maternity care was in the health bill because he didn't need it.

Thanks, BJean, it's almost a full-time job keeping up with the republican hypocrisy but someone's got to do it. :scared2:

I don't have any more room for bumper stickers on my car. I have the Obama/Biden one, the Dem one, the healthcare one and my personal favorite: A picture of a skull and crossbone with the words: Insurance CEO's get the treasure, the patients get buried.

I actually like Rachel Maddow and think she is very factual in her reporting. She is the only one who uncovered the "Family" of DC legislators and their connection to Uganda and it's anti-gay legislation, which at one time proposed death to any homosexual. I agree that the democrats in the senate, especially, are a huge disappointment. Reid is weak. But I blame Baucus for allowing the bill to go beyond August. It should have and could have been passed by then. The democrats need to just shove the agenda along and to hell with what the republicans say. That's what bush and the republicans did. No looking back, no apologies. Just start an unjust war with no way to pay for it. And if you criticize it, you are on the side of the terrorists. Just pass 2 huge tax cuts for the rich, adding to the deficit. No criticism there, either. Just pass a huge medicare drug plan with no bargaining for lower drug prices costing nearly a trillion dollars over ten years. This is what democrats need to do. JUST DO IT is my new motto. JUST DO IT. You're probably going to lose your next election anyway, you might as well go down fighting. The american people have apparently decided they like the republicans who block everything and do nothing, so let them have them. We know where that will lead the country.

Make sure you take someone with you to the appt. They can be your witness. Also, remember to get copies of your operative report. Removing this port should not cost you one cent. And I also would like to know why it took 3 hours to remove the band when it shouldn't take that long to place it, including the port. The fact that the doctor removed the band for free makes me suspicious that he might have done something wrong with the original placement. Get a copy of THAT operative report, too. You need to have copies of all your medical file. You will need it, because my guess is he will say he has no control over the hosptial fees or anesthesiologist fee. So, you will have to make you case either with the hospital or an attorney. Good luck and let us know what happens.

The deficit: Sen. Sanders (I-VT): "Let me begin by saying something to my friend Senator Gregg, through the chairman, through the chairman. I really don't like being lectured on deficits when you (Sen. Gregg) and many members of your party (Republicans) helped cause the situation we are in right now. " "People voted, Senator Gregg, I believe you are one of them, for a war in Iraq, which some people will think will cost two or three trillion dollars, but you forgot to pay for that war. You and other people voted for tax breaks for the wealthiest 1%, costs $600 billion dollars, forgot to pay for that. You voted for a prescription drug medicare bill which will cost $400 billion dollars but doesn't negotiate prices with the pharmaceutical industry, forgot to ask how that was going to be paid for, you voted for the bailout and I believe you want to repeal the inheritance tax, which will cost a trillion dollars over a ten year period, benefiting the top 3/10ths of 1%. I voted against all of those things, so please, please, spare the lectures on deficit reduction." But the first thing out of the mouths of the obstructionist republicans about health care reform was "how are you going to pay for it"? And even when the CBO showed it would reduce the deficit, they still voted against it.

BJean, could this be what you are looking for? (5)”And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (6)But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (7)And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. (8)Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. – Matthew 6.5-8 NASB

Very true, BJean. The republicans like to say the democrats had the 60 votes in the Senate, but they didn't get that 58th vote until Franken was seated this summer. And you can't count Lieberman as a democrat. So in reality, the democrats had 58 democrats, one independent and one republican. Then you have the ultra conservative democrats (DINOs), like Ben Nelson, who held their vote hostage. Now that there are "only" 57 democrats and 2 independents no one person's vote is that important, so they no longer can demand anything in exchange for their vote. So, let the republicans block, obstruct and filibuster. And let America see it. The majority (58%) of americans want congress to continue to work toward a healthcare bill. Let them see the republicans filibuster it. I don't know if it's racism, or just that Obama was so popular (he is still well liked) and he represented a total rejection of the bush policies, but I do know that their ONLY goal is to have Obama fail. They would interpret that as their success. Let the republicans take back the house, senate, and white house. Then they will own the problems. Been there, done that (with brainless bush) and we are currently living in and with the disastrous results of those failed policies. Our country cannot take another 4 or 8 years of those policies. :rolleyes2:

When Pres. Obama wanted to eliminate the waste in Medicare to help fund the healthcare bill, the hypocritical republicans latched onto that and used it as a fear tactic for seniors - saying he was going to cut their medicare benefits.

Lets not forget when bush was seen looking under that desk trying to find WMD's and laughing about it saying they were there somewhere. I guess it was amusing to him that our soldiers died trying to find those phantom weapons of mass destruction.

If you're getting a replacement band down the road it might make sense to leave it in, but she is not, so it should have come out with the band. Having that object inside you that serves no purpose is not a good idea.

The stimulus spending. Perhaps nothing that Pres. Obama has done has generated more criticism from the republicans and the right than the stimulus spending. Those who had the opportunity to vote for it voted against it. And then they went public with almost daily bashing of it. Other elected republican leaders (like governors) also went public with their criticisms. The following is a PARTIAL list of republicans who voted AGAINST the stimulus and/or publicly bashed it but then PRAISED the stimulus when their district or state received the funds, started projects and created jobs. Many of these HYPOCRITES then showed up at the ribbon cutting for the projects funded by the stimulus funds they voted against and had no shame standing there with the giant check their district/state received. Some names might be misspelled but ALL ARE REPUBLICANS AND HYPOCRITES: Bobby Jindal Phil Gingry John Mika Frank Wolf Bill Shuster Kay Bailey Hutchison Richard Burr Kitt Bond Joe Wilson Bob Bennett Pat Tebery Mary Mack Mike Johan Lemar Alexander John Linden Mike Castle Eric Cantor John Boehner Jim Imhoff Jack Kingston John Carter Glenn Thompson Keep in mind that all these people publicly criticized the stimulus then publicly praised it when THEY got the money and said great things about it when it started projects and created jobs in their district/state.

Words people use: Sarah Palin demanded that Rahm Emmanuel, Pres. Obama's chief of staff, be fired for using the word retarded in a private conversation. He has since apologized and it was accepted. She did not call for the firing of Glenn Beck on Fox, or rush limbaugh for using the word "retard" (more than once) in a very degrading way.

Don't ask, don't tell: In 2006, Republican John McCain told a public audience that regarding this, he would defer to the military leaders on their opinions. Well, fast-forward to 2010 and congressional hearings on this. At this hearing - the joint chief of staff and the secretary of defense both say that DADT should be repealed, but NOW McCain wants them to defer to him (congress).

Healthcare: Republican Boehner said the repubicans wanted several things in the healthcare bill. He said they were: 1) Being able to buy insurance across state lines: check ! Was put in the senate bill. 2) Tort reform. Check! Was put in the senate bill. 3) Let small businesses group together to buy insurance for less. Check! Was put in the senate bill. 4) States can opt out if they can show they have a better health care program. Check! That was put in the bill. Republicans say they were shut out of the process. NOT TRUE. However, despite their input into the bill, not one republican voted for it. In addition, Boehner says we should start over (that's republican speak for "kill it").

Republican voting: Republicans repeatedly voted to raise the debt ceiling under bush but refused to do so under Pres. Obama. A bi-partisan deficit reduction committee was sponsosed by 6 republicans, but when Pres. Obama said it was a good idea, these 6 voted against it. Republicans were for pay as you go under bush - against it under Pres. Obama. Republicans were for trying suspects in civil court under bush - then against it under Pres. Obama. Republicans were for cap & trade under bush - then against it under Pres. Obama.

Backroom deals: The republicans have been very vocal in their criticisms of the deals made with Ben Nelson and Mary Landreiu in the passage of the senate health bill. However: Republican Sen. Christopher Bond, R-MO, put a hold on the appointment of Martha Johnson to the General Service Administration (a non-political position) to pressure the government into approving a building project in Kansas City. Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. - has placed a hold on all outstanding Obama administration nominations- about 70 high level government positions - until his state gets a tanker contract and a counterterrorism center.

Republican hypocrisy - where to start? Let's start with the handling of terrorists: The republicans have been relentless in their criticism of Pres. Obama's handling of terrorists. - In 2009, we caught twice as many terrorists as did bush. - Only the terrorists released from Gitmo by bush have rejoined terrorists groups. - bush tried hundreds of terrorists in civilian courts while Pres. Obama is criticized by republicans for doing so. - bush took 10 days to respond to Richard Reed (the shoe bomber) but Pres. Obama was criticized for taking 3 days to speak about the Christmas day underwear bomber. - bush tried the shoe bomber in civilian court but Pres. Obama is criticized for wanting to try the underwear bomber in civilian court. - the republicans leaders criticized the underwear bomber being mirandized but were told on Christmas Day that the FBI had the underwear bomber in custody. They claim they didn't know the FBI would mirandize him!! The shoe bomber was mirandized within 5 minutes.

President Obama wouldn't have to spend as much as he has if he didn't have to clean up bush's economic messes, among others.

Patrick Mulligan Paul Krugman is partisan political hack with no credibility outside of his own far left socialist circles. He's an advocate of Keynesian economic ideas that have been abandoned even by modern neo-Keynesian economists (who are still wrong, but at least have the decency to try to repackage Keynesian ideas in light of modern economic reality). Had he been born 50 years earlier he could have been one of FDR's socialist Utopian "brain trust" lackeys, and he would have been considered a pretty hip, forward thinking dude. Unfortunately for him, he came on the scene a generation later when his beloved economic ideas had since led to stagflation and astronomical government debt, and weren't considered quite so fresh anymore. And who is Patrick Mulligan? Just some right wing poster who posted his opinion on the Intellectual Conservative website. A poster? :rolleyes2: How many nobel prizes in economics did HE receive? His opinions mean absolutely nothing!! Zero credibility. :thumbup: These last couple days the right wing has really been giving me something to laugh about. From Palin talking from the hand to the homeschoolers who can't spell to some dumb poster. Keep it coming.

Not true. You just think so because abortion and homosexuality are not on your list of sins (wrong doings). Murder, stealing, lying.... these are probably on your list, so they are okay with you to regulate with laws. Well, they are also biblical principles. Biblical principles like abortion and homosexuality. We need a guideline (the bible) to tell us what is right and what is wrong. Without it, there will be chaos. If a man feels that lying is okay, then when he gets on the witness stand in court, he can lie and whose to say he can't. If we can't make it a law, then anyone will be able to lie and suffer no consequence for it. It is the same with every issue out there. Sins and laws are two different things. Religious institutions have the right to tell their congregation what they believe to be sins. But that does not mean that there should be automatic laws against what religious institutions believe are sins. There are many religions practiced in this country. You cannot discriminate for or against any one of them with regard to what THEY believe are sins. Therefore, if we start allowing ANY religious institution to determine what sins should become laws, then we would have to allow ALL religious institutions to determine what sins should become laws. Despite the fact that you believe this nation was founded on christianity, any legal test of this would require that no religion be discriminated against with this regard, and think of how many different practices call themselves "religion" in this country.

You post bible quotes all the time when they suit you. While you want the government to be involved in certain parts of what the bible says (like homosexuality and abortion) but you don't want the government to be involved in what it says about helping the poor. LAWS are not in the same catagory as GIVING. Laws need to be made for the safety and social governing of mankind. Giving is required of each person as he or she seems fit. "God loves a cheerful giver." Government can not regulate what each individual desires to 'give' of their own heart. And government should not take what they feel is appropriate from the people and do our giving for us. And our laws are made and based on what people in our secular society deem appropriate for a civil society. You want the sins listed in the bible to automatically become law. That's not how our government works, nor should it. While there are some things in the bible, like murder and stealing, that have become laws, these would have become law without the bible because they are necessary to maintain order. And government taking (taxes) from people and then distributing them as necessary IS EXACTLY WHAT OUR COUNTRY, CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT IS ABOUT. For you to say otherwise is a very naive statement and shows a lack of understanding about how our government works and is supposed to work by law. But our government does not and cannot tell you what to give personally to charity.

More laughs for the snow weary :thumbup: GOP Ransom Note On Sunday, President Obama invited Republicans to a televised, open conversation on health care reform--just the type of conversation they've been demanding for weeks. How did the GOP respond? With something closer to a ransom note than an RSVP. We've got a copy of the "original" list of the GOP's demands to Obama—check it out. And if you like it, use the buttons below to share with your friends. Facebook Twitter Email from moveon.org

I thought everyone snowed in, digging themselves out and suffering from cabin fever could use a good laugh: Bryan Fotographer at Houston Press brings us the above awesomeness from Sarah Palin's rally for Rick Perry in Houston, along with the following caption: The "Get a brain, morans" sign guy must have been busy on Sunday. Way to go, "Homescholers".