New Divided We Fail Ads

It would be better for us if we tell them to follow the constitution and leave us alone. Liberty is more important than a hand out.

National Health care will mean waiting MONTHS to have some tests done and MONTHS to see doctors that we now see within a week or sometimes two weeks. Only those Senators like Obama and McCain will have special SEE NOW doctors not people like us under National Health CARE don't be fooled. DONT vote for National Health CARE. Listen to the people of Canada!!!

Did this work? Anyway, I'm worried that you'll sell my adress like all the rest. But, republicans have got to go. But their conservative fiscal mentality shouln't entirely! Some of it works.

A national healthcare system layered on-top of our current system would allow those that earn to continue to receive the care we get now, and make sure that the poor don't slip through the cracks: in creating such a system we also create jobs, and a choice for people that cannot get covered with private companies for money or other reasons. It makes sense: yes, it costs some money to us, but it also can save some of us.

Your advertising isn't relevant to the current campaign. McCain isn't "just talking" about the issues. He's talking about non-issues. The Republican smear machine is at it again. Distracting voters from the real issues. The media are at it again. Talking about the smears, not the issues. Get relevant. Demand the talking heads talk about the issues. Demand that McCain stay on the issues!

I would like to hear a discussion between the Controller General and AARP and the two candidates regarding medical care.

The C.G. has said that we can not afford Medicare as it is now known. That it well be come 30% plus of the GNP if we do not make changes.

I would like to know how we are then going to "nationalize" medical care and reduce the cost and maintain the quality that we now have.

If Congress wants to do something they should set it up so that all government employees (including Congress) have an insurance coverage that is no better than Medicare, at their retirement.

Also no federal employee (& Congress) should be able to receive a pension and health care before the age of 65.

As the years go by the cost to cover the retired government employees is escalatingh faster than the average wage of the working man. No wonder we have problems meeting our budget.

I like the idea behind this, which is (I think) to unite the nation's political parties before all the mud-slinging erupts into something that will make us crumble. The idea of some document (like the Constitution) with the ability to bring liberty and justice to a vast civil population is nothing but fantasy. It's up to the people to decide what they do. Not government officials.

Corporate Welfare Lobby Blood Money rules!

http://www.pssny.org/web/2008/05/pbms_make_millions_while_senior.aspx
- "allowing multi-million dollar pharmacy benefit managers to rake-in record profits."

Asclepios
How much for the middleman?
July 17, 2008 • Volume 8, Issue 29
"subsidies will cost taxpayers $150 billion over the next ten years, compared to the cost of providing coverage through Original Medicare."

US Government Immorality Will Lead to Bankruptcy "60 Minutes" David Walker, Former Comptroller GAO (min 5, Bush giving $$$ to Pharm industry)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS2fI2p9iVs

I don't care if someone makes money off movies, books, clothes, because I have a choice to purchase them. But I don't have a choice in getting sick. And I don't have a choice in Corporate Welfare Lobbyists bleeding the turnip that was once America dry.

I won't presume to predict what a National Health Care System would do for America's citizens, but I do know what our present system does not do for the poor and disenfranchised. We need to be more open to any changes that will help the least of us, for that is how we strengthen ourselves as a community, society and nation.
I would rather have seen untold billions of dollars go towards health care, education and the infrastructure over the past 8 years than towards the killing and maiming of our best and brightest.
Health care, centered on prevention, would be better than the Nixon styled HMO-for-maximum-profit system we are now using.

Financial advisors recommend that people should save up for their own health care because the universal health care will be rationed;
choices will have to be made as to whom will receive care. Younger, healthier people (even illegal aliens) will be chosen as it is felt they would be a better investment. In Oregon, 2 people were denied treatment for cancer but were offered prescriptions for death with dignity.

A national health care plan can work, but only if we transform what we have today. Of course, Medicare costs are exploding: why wouldn't they when Medicare is not allowed to negotiate prices with health care providers and pharmaceutical companies? And perhaps it would take longer to get an appointment, but isn't that better than the "no" appointment that millions live with everyday?

Of course there is the "medical savings plan" but how long would you have to save to pay for chemotherapy? How quickly can you save $100,000 to $300,00?

As far as the comment on 5 Aug, please understand that this proposal to not allow, "federal employee[s] (& Congress). . . to receive a pension and health care before the age of 65" would include the US military?

Perhaps I am biased but I have been on active duty 17 years and have been to war numerous times. I think that moving my family every two years and being in mortal danger for over 3 years (multiple tours to Iraq, I have EARNED my pension and health care upon my retirement at 45.

Finally, the comment on 19 Aug is right on--$341.4 million per day buys lots of health care. It all depends on priority.

Bottom line can anyone name just 1 thing that the government can do effectively and efficiently maybe we can look to Medicare, social security, or taxes. Ok, we used to be very good at blowing up things but can’t decide if it is ok to hurt the 3-toed tree frog. Bureaucracy creates problems because these people couldn’t run a lemonade stand without subsidies and charging $10 a glass. Can you imagine how many congress members and representatives would become even richer than they are right now if they had control over health care? Look to other countries that have tried this and see how many people are flocking there.

'Lifetime financial security' is not the job of a republic, it is the philosophy of socialism.

i'll be sure not to renew my AARP membership based on this radical agenda that you propose. Free markets are why the US remains the last best hope for mankind. Stop trying to speed its demise.

The people spreading fear of universal heath care are hilarious. Nearly every other developed country in the world has it already! The country IMMEDIATELY to the north of you, which has a higher standard of living for the average person (although FAR lower for the top 1%) has universal health care. Why not ask a Canadian how long they wait to see a doctor? Go watch Sicko and stop making stuff up.

Perosnally, I think all the ads are very liberal biased.

With all the respect, this country is the greatest, but we continue to discuss health care cost without mentioning tort law. National Health care is dangerous, this coming from a Norwegian, we need to focus on the reason why the greatest health care in the world is unaffordable, tort law. Insurance is a business, but so is the medical profession. Frivolous law suits drive up the cost for both, lets get to the heart of the problem tort law reform. We need less government involvement in this great nation, not more. The states with less restrictive rules on insurance have more affordable insurance. So if we could get to the heart of the problem, we may create a solution, therefore tort reform is the first step. Placing health care in the hands of the government will eventually leave us to go to India for specialized treatment, just as the rest of the world come to this country now.

Bob,Is it really a hand out when we take the responsibility to care for our fellow human beings? Granted the system needs to be worked over so that the people who need the care get it, and those who can afford the cost do not take advantage of the loop holes. I was a single mother, I worked 1 full time job (min. wage), and two part time jobs. My children's father was ordered to provide health care as long as it was affordable. He claimed it was not even though he made over $20.00 an hour at an out of state job. My full time job at that time, did not offer health care and was not required to carry it. I left that job for one that had health care, however the expense was too high for my $2.00 over min wage job. I also had kept my 2 part time jobs. Neither I nor my children qualified for medical assistance. As a result my children could not just go to the doctor when they were sick. Luck for me, none of my three children had a bad situation to put them in the hospital. I now donate all I can to food banks, as me and my children were hungry, and we did not qualify for food stamps either. I could have stopped working the part time jobs to qualify for these programs but, I didn't. My children went to work after school and helped with the bills and the food costs. Do you know what it is like to have your 15 and 17 year old children telling you to take their money, So that you can buy clothes for the 12 year old. Yes indeed the system needs fixed. In the mean time I donate every cent I can to food banks. Battered womens shelters, and to Children Hospitals. I do not feel that the current system is working. Affordable health care would help so many people in so many ways. Health care is important to all people. Let's figure out how to make health care affordable for everyone.

We keep increasing the handouts to the elderly who payed next to nothing into a system that has been known to be broken for decades. These are the same people who had a chance to fix the problem before it became a crisis and yet chose to ignore it and let future generations deal with it. Your social security and medicare tax dollars have NEVER gone into a "trust fund" and never will (and everyone has known that for decades). It is spent on whatever our glorious and grossly overpaid government officials deem of importance at that particular moment. Let's start by reducing government employee's salaries (including congress)to a level that is in line with what the average person is making for doing similar work in the private sector (including similar health care programs). Retirement age should also be minimum 65 for ALL federal employees (including military. Yes, I served in combat and don't believe that I deserve any special treatment. I knew what I was signing up for. So did you). I also agree with the comments on tort reform. I live in Illinois (one of the states that is hemorrhaging doctors because malpractice insurance is so astronomically high). I have seen first hand what kind of effect that has on health care. Lets also start focusing on well care. Our country is too damned fat and lazy! Lets follow the example of a few states and start charging smokers and the obese who refuse to change their habits more for insurance. They are costing the system more. Why shouldn't they pay more? Put down the cigarette and the chocolate cake! You all can't have a "thyroid condition" or some other excuse for being a blob! Why is it that our country was never this fat before?

I like to tell the following story when people get duped into being afraid of 'socialized' health care (as opposed to the 'socialized' police and fire departments we have all over America): I was a university teacher talking to the parents of a student of mine who was married. The parents expressed their concern about their son and his young wife, about matters financial and also the fact that they would not have health care when they graduated. They had NOTHING. No money, both of them starting out in careers in which health care would be hard to come by. I reiterate: these were good people, parents who loved their kids and who were afraid that they would end up helpless if something happened to them. After all of us discussed and agreed how perilous the current system is for so many, I was stunned by the mother's final comment: "We don't want SOCIALIZED health care, though". It was evident that even more than she feared some terrible thing befalling her son that he would never be able to handle financially, she feared the word 'socialized'. Not because she was a bad person, but because people who have money and health care and who will never have to worry about either keep scaring the public by pretending that 'socialized' anything is a danger to us, and even worse, a threat to our precious American 'freedom' (which only the rich enjoy, of course). As if what really counts - keeping our houses from burning down or our cars from being stolen - wasn't already socialized, as we happily pitch in to pay for fire and police departments. Imagine only having access to fire or police protection if you had an excellent job, and being unprotected if you don't work or have a mediocre job.

Signed: a 'scary liberal' for socialized health care.

@Dan:
And who is supposed to pay for your little utopia? Fire and police services only cost a fraction of what it would cost for a socialized health care system. I'm quite certain that, in public, you would tout your willingness to sacrifice the majority of your income to "make sure that everyone has the health care that they need". Very noble. But, when the reality of that sets in (massive deductions from your paycheck) you will rapidly change your tune.

Who's going to pay for the MASSIVE buy-out of the private health care sector as it stands now? I have never heard anyone comment on this before. Do people really think that the private investors in the hospitals and medical research companies are just going to accept whatever the government offers them for their services? If they are not bought out completely by the government, we will just create another huge lobbying group, this one with it's finger directly on the health of every single American. I, for one, don't want some huge pharmaceutical company making decisions, directly or indirectly, about my health.

So I ask again? Who is going to pay for this little utopia?

I enjoy my police being there when I call, without asking for my insurance. I enjoy my Firemen being there when I need them, without asking for my deductible before they put out my fire. Why does my nurse need money before they can take my temperature? Why is there no doctor that will even see my suffering without seeing my insurance card first?

What is the difference?

I am a Registered Nurse. Let me treat people, not insurance cards.

Call your elected officials and support HR-676. Get informed, then get mad.

How is this for simple, balanced and little government? All these private healthcare insurance companies set the price for full coverage and the differences of rate will be effected by how many people you want to include in your plan regardless of age. Government passes a law that mandates these companies to provide full coverage based on the rates these companies have set. Sounds great? Let the individual decide what company to go to based on the price and the only government involvement is that it enforces companies to uphold their part of the deal. My comments: Like it or not we do need some government regulation otherwise this healthcare system will stay as is or get even worse. This simple (maybe too simple) solution lets the market decide what companies succeed and fail, and giving government a minimal yet important role. What if you lost your job or you are homeless? Let the state and local city government deal with that one. AND PLEASE NO LOOP HOLES, OUR TAX SYSTEM IS BAD ENOUGH.

@Tired
'Buy' it from them? No thanks. How about 'You failed to perform your duty responsibly and instead chose to allow your greed to pull the American people into crisis. All hospitals are now property of the people of the U.S.A. I'm sure the billions in profits you've pulled from the cold, dead, pockets of Americans will keep your mansions heated well until you move on to a place with enough heat for eternity.'

Ever wonder why there is so much fear-mongering about 'SOCIALISM'? It's because it's a billionaire's worst nightmare. But, mark my words, they will do whatever it takes to convince you it's your nightmare as well. USA takes back it's health care, ALL that money becomes property of the citizens of the great country of the United States of America. Doesn't sound so Un-American now, does it?

For those of you who don't want to 'share' the costs of health care with your fellow citezens, I suppose you don't have insurance? Because insurance does EXACTLY that. Insurance is an amazingly evil blend of capitalism and socialism that forces the people to pay a tax, but that the few can still profit from. It is further bastardized by the fact that when you go to collect your insurance that was promised, they weasel out of it and leave you on your own. So guess what? You're already paying for socialized health care, but with a few billionaires at the top, stealing your money, and killing people who could have been saved.

Liberty: Freedom from captivity or bondage. Its Hard to pursue Happiness when you're ill but many still find ways to smile. But when The bills overwelm you and force you into bankruptcy you understand what bondage is and you want to be set at liberty. We Could have taken the Trillions of dollars we used to fight a foe we defeated 15years ago and helped Americans with heath care and social sec. issues. Let start fighting wars on the problems America is facing.
peace God Bless
Charles Spencer

Saving for retirement and health care begin at birth. We cannot rely on government to take care of us from the cradle to the grave. It is not my responsibility to pay the price for all those unfortunates who either squandered their life savings away living for the moment with no forethought to the future, or refused to live on less than they could earn. Socialism is not the answer.

Looking at all my medical bill debts, it's easy for me to think of Social health care as a boon. If it were not for my relatives who live in Canada I would think so. They have had to fly down to the States to get the care they needed any way, because the social health care does not work. Socialism doesn't work.
I know it is sad to see people "slip through the cracks" But *they* are responsible for climbing back out. Every socialized system I have seen punishes those who truly contribute to society in favor of those who don't.
Take social security or farmer subsidies for example. The country paid farmers to get rid of crops or cattle in the middle of the depression while people were starving. I currently pay for other peoples benefits, and because social security is failing, I will never see it again myself.
Let's be honest with ourselves, if you want things to go downhill, you give it to a government agency.

Many people that are posting comments on this site are opposed to what they call "socialized" medicine. Are those same people opposed to "socialized" Wall Street?

Our medical costs in the U.S. are outrageous. A bite by a rattlesnake almost cost a friend her life, but now the medical costs that soared above her insurance limits (Medicare) may cost her her property and home. So, have greedy doctors saved her to live a life of poverty? There has to be a better way than Canada does it. Lee is right. I have an email friend in Canada who says people often die waiting for health care. They have to wait years after the diagnosis to begin treatment. My parents meet Canadians while RV-ing who find doctors in the United States because they can't wait that long. They sell their homes or whatever to pay for the health care. We don't need the government telling us who is worthy and not worthy of getting care. Some already pay into the government's health care system, but can't afford insurance for themselves. Remember, our government made killing babies legal. Are you going to be next? Will they decide euthanasia is a good way to cut costs? After all – many of us are "baby" boomers. Let's put our government back under God's protection and quit trying to appease people who disrespect Him. WWJD? What would Jesus do?

I dont know about AARP

United we stand divided we fall, the united states is so divided from far left to far right with neither looking at the right direction. A we need to look long and hard on the values of our founding fathers why we fought to be free and remember these values. If we can't stand together at a government level where citizens look for direction how can we stand together in everyday life.