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DEL.ICIO.USGingrich has health care remedies ready
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, in the finest spirit of representative democracy, returned from his high station in government last week to sit before a committee of the state’s legislators and plead his case for revolution.
Newt Gingrich, who once was third in line to be president of the United States and who one day may occupy the Oval Office, sat before the Georgia Health Care Transformation Senate Study Committee to argue that the nation’s health care system is on an unsustainable course. “Health care consumes 26 percent of all federal spending and is growing, dwarfing every other priority,” he said.
In response to a question from state Sen. Judson Hill (R-Marietta), who chairs the study committee, Gingrich offered three immediate recommendations for the Georgia General Assembly — things that can be done next year. All are based on technology and information.
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who but for the fact that he’s the president’s brother would be a major presidential candidate himself in 2008, has sown the first seeds of health care revolution in Florida. “While the vast majority of states keep secret the cost and quality data they collect, Gov. Bush and former state Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Alan Levine have made Florida the first state in the country to openly report a wide range of cost and quality measures for hospitals and outpatient facilities,” said Gingrich.
Bush and Levine created two Web sites. “FloridaCompareCare.gov has a wealth of information on everything from hospital infection and mortality rates to the cost and frequency of surgical procedures performed,” Gingrich explained. “Knowing which hospitals have the highest and lowest death rates — and the highest and lowest prices — allows the consumer to choose the best-performing, highest-value hospital.” High quality and low prices often go together, he said.
The other site, MyFloridaRx.com, lists pricing information for the 50 most commonly prescribed drugs in Florida. In one Miami ZIP code, he said, 30 pills of one drug cost $91 at one store, $220 at another.
“Look at the two Florida sites and ask yourself why Georgians don’t get the same information,” Gingrich told the senators. “Georgians deserve to know price and quality for hospitals, drugstores, laboratories, doctors’ offices. Period.”
The information is or could be available. Compiling it so that Georgians can compare would cost about $1 million, Hill estimated later. “It’s the right thing to do,” said Hill. ” … We have to go to full transparency and accountability, and to lower costs, you have to go to transparency.”
That’s one Gingrich recommendation of what could be done next year. A second is to give consumers, physicians and pharmacists information and incentive to make responsible choices about prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Rather than co-pays, consumers would be reimbursed for the full cost of the least costly of the equally effective drugs. The result would be downward pressure on drug prices.
The third recommendation would be to build on a bill passed this year that allows electronic prescriptions. The aim is to push the paper out of the health care system. His recommendation is to provide a slightly higher reimbursement for electronic prescriptions and slightly less for paper to give doctors and pharmacists incentive to change.
Gingrich offered a host of other proposals as well as components of a revolution designed to promote wellness.Within a decade, he believes, 100 percent insurance coverage will be “achievable through market-based solutions, private and corporate efforts, tax incentives, direct public subsidies, strong community support and faith-based outreach programs. Personal responsibility, portability and health-care consumerism are the hallmarks of such a system.”
Georgia has actually already started the revolution. Efforts to manage diabetes, a project that includes 27 major employers, including the state, are one example. Others are in the works.
This is a perfect example of the difference that conservative governance makes. It’s not tinkering, though initial steps may seem small. But it’s small steps toward a revolution. It’s a prime example of the way conservatives should use government to change antiquated systems and undesirable behaviors, all toward improving the quality of our lives.
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By Right Thinking Conservative
September 23, 2006 04:15 PM | Link to this
I’m very interested in this issue, healthcare. In fact it is more an advocacy for me. Hope everyone else is ready to make a concerted effort in debating one of the top concerns we face as a nation. I’ll be back later of course and that is a threat. Take no prisoners be they liberals or conservatives. In my not so humble view, healthcare if not a human right, certainly should rank as the very birthright of every U.S. citizen in this country — not just as sympathetic obligation to the very young and the very old.
Leave no subsidies behind Mr. Wooten, it is time for Bedwetters and Mossbacks alike to reach out with both the left and the right hand to solve a crisis that is bankrupting the government, corporations and mom and pop alike.
We spend more money for healthcare than any other nation yet we have less to show for our money spent according to Faux News.Com
By RW-(the original)
September 23, 2006 04:21 PM | Link to this
That full reimbursement for the lower priced effective solution is brilliant. Hopefully he would include a way to get generics to the market as soon as a drug company has had reasonable time to recoup their R & D investment.
I think a good time for Newt to take office as President Gingrich would be January 20, 2009.
By getalife
September 23, 2006 04:39 PM | Link to this
Lets get real here.
The gop track record on managing anything is pathetic. It would be another disaster.
BTW, if the gop keeps the majority, they will steal Social Security like planned.
Just another reason to get a Dem majority .
By Barbara
September 23, 2006 04:56 PM | Link to this
Electronic prescriptions are a great idea, but I don’t know how much money they would save. Not sure about that one.
I’m all for the idea of publishing information on each hospital, and think info on each Dr. might also be a good idea. I myself will spend a great deal of time researching and pricing out anything that costs a considerable amount of money to me, and allowing folks to be aware, up front, of the differences in costs and success rates of providers is a fantastic idea.
Altogether I really like what you describe above. It sounds like some good suggestions that allow more consumer choice, but without taking more tax money to pay for it.
I have never been a big fan of Newt. I guess when I was younger he seemed like a “good ole boy” to me. I am interested in learning more about what he has to offer. I’ve recently been impressed with his positions and his speeches. Perhaps he will materialize as a good candidate for 2008. Lord knows the Republicans need one! I haven’t seen too many good choices so far, and I’m starting to get worried…….
By Sell Swedish
September 23, 2006 05:01 PM | Link to this
Newt is jockeying for position as a GOP front runner. Good thing he’s the Conservative Ted Kennedy with more skeletons in his closet than a gay anthropologist.
By @@
September 23, 2006 05:46 PM | Link to this
You’re right Jim. This is the kind of innovative thinking that has driven me to vote Republican. The democrats status-quo bureaucracy accomodates government and not the people.
Beautiful in it’s simplicity. Drive business to compete through transparency and the public will benefit.
The more the Democrats can complicate an issue, the more likely they are to fool their constituents into thinking that they can solve all their problems. Democrats promote quick fixes. They depend on the short attention span of their voters.
I’ve listened to Newt, and he is promoting new & innovative technology throughout all of government.
I keep waiting for him to announce his candidacy. I would have every confidence in voting him into the oval office in 2008.
He’s brilliant.
By Sell Swedish
September 24, 2006 09:02 AM | Link to this
VOWEL SOUNDS: The cadre of trolls who post 90% of the comments on Wooten’s blog rarely absorb Wooten’s blog. They either dont read his article, or they dont understand the nuances of his editorial content. (more likely).
These handful of missing links dont comprehend complex grammer. They never learned about how the structure of grammer enlists argument.
Mr. Wooten suffers these trolls gracefully, even though it’s so painfully obvious that they dont know their limitations when they formulate (being kind) their reply. That’s why their comments are all unopposable thumbs.
Real missing links, they seem addicted to the crude, crouched gestures of the tree challenged from which all of our inbreeding ordinances (and vowel sounds) have emerged.
Dont worry, I’m not in any danger, they dont understand a word of this blog. They only know primitive constructs like “cut and run”, or “stay the course”. (now they think I just wrote, “ditto”)
A good man’s got to know his own limitations.
Mr. Wooten is wasted on his constituency, or those pretending to be such, and I think it’s a damn shame that he has to dumb it down.
That brings up another point and a topic for Mr. Wooten: The “right bloggers” dont know where they fit in the spectrum. They cant enunciate their own conservative views beyond the platitudes memorized from Rush, Newt, or Hannity. “ditto” is too much for them, so they should just write the ditto punctuation mark, which I think is “
That’s all we need to hear from these trolls: once a day, it would be fair to allow them to post ”
(o) (dont reach for that one, trolls, that’s WAY over your head).
By Clay Willis
September 24, 2006 09:26 AM | Link to this
Healthcare costs will never be contained until government is removed from the equation and market forces are allowed to work. The most promising route from the present system to a sustainable one is through the use of Medical Savings Accounts. MSA’s give each individual an incentive to avoid visiting the doctor for every case of the sniffles and to shop for the best prices for medical goods and services. Most people with medical insurance have no clue as to the cost of the services they use or the medicine they buy — hence the high cost of health care. Furthermore, the government is heavily involved in setting these prices and all such government programs are subject to massive fraud with little chance for those who game the system to be caught. It’s typical of government programs — remember the $500.00 hammers in the government-paid defense programs?
By Sell Swedish
September 24, 2006 10:10 AM | Link to this
If Osama is indeed dead, then a statue monument to Typhoid Mary should be constructed. If only it were so, but this news seems 2 good 2B true. It’s too “War of the Worlds”, where the invincible enemy is downed by insidious microbes.
Willie Nelson was fingered by Toby Keith, who on “Colbert Report”, said over and over about how the Willie Nelson bus was loaded with pot smoke. I think those state troopers were waiting for poor Willie.
Because Willie’s a celebrity, and because the whole country is watching, and because Bush needs to look tough on the drug war, Willie Nelson might face jail time.
Doesn’t matter to him, there’s better pot behind bars, if you believe the blogs coming from the prisons. How do these guys get internet access? Is this were tftt, realisp, and @@ are blogging from? They seem not to have any restrictions on their time, but they do seem stoned and boned all the time, just like prisoners. I wonder.
Suddenly it all makes sense. Nothing wrong with paying your debt to society, trolls, but do you have to torture people with your fine bits-o-thinkin? It was your reckonin’ what gots you in prison in the first place. I reckon we wonts be respectin’ no mans what dont lives by the code…….(Outlaw Josie Smells).
By Markus
September 24, 2006 10:39 AM | Link to this
CLINTOON UNHINGED!!!
Holy COW I hope people got to watch the Fox Sunday interview with Wild Bill. It started out ok, but then Chris Matthews asked Slick a question about something Slickster said about dying and wanting to do more before he dies. Chris quoted V-E-R-B-A-T-I-M what Willie said, but Willie said in response to the question, “well I didn’t state that in the tone that you are.” Ah yes, the spin machine is still live and well in Clintonhood. That quickly set the tone of who was going to take over the interview.
Then Matthews offered up a question that VIEWERS wanted him to ask based upon email contacts, and it was essentially “why didn’t you do more to get Osama?”
Oh hell. All hell broke loose then. His Peckership sat up in his chair and I thought he was going to punch Matthews. He went on a tyrade for ten minutes and Chris tried to regain control, but it was a lost cause.
One question, and Willie goes on a tyrade for ten minutes. But the clincher of the moment was when Swift Willie spun the mood back at Matthews and said that he was brought into the right-wing Murdoch network show to talk about his philanthropy. Well NO S__T! Wild Bill took over the freaking interview when Chris asked ONE SIMPLE QUESTION yet it was the fault of FoxNews and the vast right-wing conspiracy. All Willie would say in his defense was, “Read Richard Clarke’s book.” Wild Bill even mentioned the 9/11 TV movie as a lie.
And he STILL wouldn’t SHUT UP about it after Chris FINALLY got him to talk about his overseas ventures. The man has issues. SERIOUS issues. Oh, and don’t forget to read Richard Clarke’s book. Hey BILL old pal, thanks for sending those cruise missiles into a camel tent to help fight terrorism.
Funny how Wild Bill never mentioned this man when talking about what all he did to get Osama:
http://www.infowars.com/saved%20pages/PriorKnowledge/Clintonletbinladen.htm
By Duty - Honor - Country
September 24, 2006 10:46 AM | Link to this
Markie Markus, Andi, Realisp
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 10:51 AM | Link to this
Markus,
It was Chris WALLACE, but you’re right about the insane book seller. How much is Bubba getting in royalties?
By Jerry Schull
September 24, 2006 10:52 AM | Link to this
Jim, All the plans mentioned seem like good second steps. But they are bandaids. The first step should be to take care of US Citizens ONLY. The Illegals issue has a profound effect on our health care costs. Federal mandates that insure healthcare assistance to illegals should be abolished. We have to deny American taxpayer sponsored FREE healtchcare to anyone who is NOT a US Citizen. AND the rule that if you are born in America, no mater how your parents got here, you are a US citizen, should be abolished. When the pregnant woman comes to the US to have her baby, we need to send her back. Period. Seems extreme, yes it is. But the problem is extreme. Healthcare cost is out of control.
By time for the truth
September 24, 2006 10:58 AM | Link to this
WE WON THE CUP
WE WON THE CUP
EE I ADDIIO WE WON THE CUP
Five out of six Ryder Cups we’ve won now!!
Walk on - Walk on - With Hope In Your Heart
And You’ll Never Walk Alone
You’ll Never Walk Alone!!
Victory yet again sure is sweet!!
Darren Clark who’s wife died just six weeks ago is one of Europe’s true heroes!!
By Markus
September 24, 2006 11:03 AM | Link to this
Chris Matthews? No, Chris Wallace. What was I thinking? Major disappointment with Wallace not asking Wild Bill what Sandy Burglar was doing lifting top secret 9/11 documents at the National Archives.
Best comment from Slickster Willie to Chris: “…that smirk on your face…”
Oh the rage of the horseass left.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 11:06 AM | Link to this
TFTT, that was a cool victory for Europe. What a story. That putt from hell Clark did an hour or so ago set the tone. It was a higher power.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 11:09 AM | Link to this
Told ya “lies” is a fake American.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 11:11 AM | Link to this
George Steponanoctupus, man, what an anti-climax after the FoxNews Chris Wallace-Willie interview. Just damn. I wanna see FoxNews get hold of Hitllary and ask some questions the limpwristed puff daddy liberal media like ABC, SeeBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, the New York Slimes and the Washington ComPost won’t ask of the King and Queen of America’s left.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 11:18 AM | Link to this
What a major smack down of the wingnuts on their very own channel.
The Dems should follow Bill’s lead and attack the gop like there is no tommorrow. Throw caution to the wing and attack the gop for all the failures and destruction of our country.
Hold them accountable.
By Queen of the Blog
September 24, 2006 11:22 AM | Link to this
That’d be Markie Markus.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 11:26 AM | Link to this
getalife,
When the US is in danger of being attacked by TV reporters we’ll consider electing your Democrats. They do seem to be the only people you are capable of standing up to.
By Pope rednecks - Amerikkka's Al Qaeda I
September 24, 2006 11:27 AM | Link to this
Big article today in the AJC about the 12th district - looks like a lot of rednecks in south Georgia are real skeered about the terrorists…
Did Osama issue some kind of fatwa about trailer parks?
And why does the AJC put a picture of that traitorous terrorist rebel rag on their front cover?
By Markus
September 24, 2006 11:35 AM | Link to this
Dunno what interview you watched, GITMOLIFE, but all I saw was your hero become unhinged and do nothing but mention a freaking BOOK to back up his administration. What a pompous arrogant COWARD.
But, that’s the Clintoon we all know best. What an Ahole.
By True American
September 24, 2006 11:36 AM | Link to this
Europe blows donkey D#@*K!
Keep your pathetic golf win, and sleep tight knowing our army tore through Europe once and we can do it again anytime we like!
Pathetic Liberal European Lovers this blog is called Thinking Right and it’s in America.
Delta is ready for you losers -takeo ff!
By Point to Ponder...
September 24, 2006 11:37 AM | Link to this
Clinton’s “little brain” - smarter than Dumbya’s “big brain”.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 11:39 AM | Link to this
Here we go. The resident Liberal anti-American al-Qaida shows up and talks about Americans being “scared” of islamofascists.
Yes, we know jackass. We know if we do nothing because we’re “scared” of islamofascism you bastards on the left will be the FIRST to say we didn’t do ENOUGH to thwart them.
Rumor has it Louis Calipsolip Fairykhan is not doing well. I wonder if NASA has his Mother Ship that’s orbiting the earth in view yet. Freak.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 11:47 AM | Link to this
At the UN, Chevez holds up an extreme left-wing anti-American pile of crap propoganda called a book written by a pile of dung extremist limpwristed liberal from the Left Coast, and it goes from ~20,000 to #1 in Amazon book sales.
Liberalism- indocrinating one unused mind at a time
By Pope rednecks - Amerikkka's Al Qaeda I
September 24, 2006 11:54 AM | Link to this
Sorry tftt, for the sore losers on the blog - but hey, that’s southern culture for you. Not-so-loveable losers they be.
Anyhow, congratulations from this great magnanimous Yankee-American to the people of Europe, including even you.
Although I must say I prefer the whole using a stick to put something in a hole thing indoors, preferably (but not always) in the bedroom rather than with a bunch of guys in plaid knickers and funny hats outdoors. And I’ve never played anyting put mixed pairs.
Last night I won my match, 12 up. The Dixie gal I played with was a sore too, but you should have seen the beeg smile on her face.
Anyhow, she’s bringing her sister by this afternoon, and we’ll do a threesome. I suspect I’ll win out today, game set match.
By retired.stat
September 24, 2006 12:00 PM | Link to this
I feel a need to comment on Mr. Gingrich’s proposals as described in Mr. Wooten’s column, becasue I have a professionsal interest. I worked in and consulted for the pharmaceutical industry for 30 years, all in the area of the various data they collect and use. The proposals are well intentioned and enthusiastically recommneded by Mr. Wooten but they are good examples of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing. First the drug pricing data. If you go to the Web site cited, the information is somewhat less than described. I chose to view the prices in a city where I have a family memeber who is a health care professional, becasue there I am somewhat familiar with the hospitals and pharmacies. For dozens of reasons the pricing data is virtually useless. The site does not describe the source of the data. Based on the looks of the list I would guess it comes from the last sale of the prescrition at the pharmacy. So in the whole city in which I searched I did not see a single listining of the price of a cholesterol lowering drug. Nor is there a Wal-Mart listed. This is becasue they do not release these data —- to anyone. The others who do release it, do it in a way that generates gargantuan errors. The variability in the data was not near so large as the one example cited in the column which was probably a misprint or unusual for some other reason.(e.g. The drug coverage given by pharmaceutical companies always pay premium price.) I could go on. The data on hospitals is worse. These procedures have been tried before —many times. As soon as the hospitals have to publish the data they adopt procedures to game the data not improve the care. A well known and studied example is hospitals tranferring patients to other care facilities when they are about to die. In the city I viewed on the hospital web page one of the two hospitals did not release the data so no comparison could be made. Finally there is no evidence that electronic scripts will decrease price or increase quality. It almost certainly will not decrease paper. The claim that this is a brillant idea that only our political movement could come up with becasue the others are intellectually or morally bankrupt is the usual political trash so prevalent in American politics these days. Sorry but that is the way it is. There are ways to reduce the cost of health care but these are not the ones.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 12:08 PM | Link to this
Macaca,
Take a good hard look in the mirror and you will see America’s problem.
Admit your party’s failures to achieve some form of credibility because it is your party in power.
Enough with the cowardice of blaming others. Blame yourself, admit your mistakes and learn from them.
Deal with reality.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 12:12 PM | Link to this
Is the 11:54 more of the substantive discussion we are to expect from the regulars here? It might be that this place needs some of us from the scribblers place to upgrade the discourse here.
Why do you suppose finchie hasn’t been here to trumpet the latest leak of classified documents to the New York Times? They are catching on that we don’t like their limited sourcing so this time they used 12 unnamed sources instead of the usual some unnamed sources. Is there a reason that rag calls itself a newspaper?
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 12:18 PM | Link to this
retired.stat,
That was an interesting breakdown of what you think is wrong with this plan. At the end you hint that there are ways to improve things. It would certainly be more helpful if you would also share those with us.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 12:19 PM | Link to this
Hey GITMOLIFE-
As soon as you asspirates on the left want to hold voters ACCOUNTABLE for their identity, I’ll hold my party accountable for their mistakes, and I’ve mentioned a lot of them. UNTIL THEN, shut your fat pie hole.
Besides bunghole liberal… it’s still better than the alternative of your neostalinists like Pelosi in charge. JACKASS.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 12:22 PM | Link to this
Yes, hold them accountable for their votes
By Sell Swedish
September 24, 2006 12:23 PM | Link to this
Good one, Takealife!!
Not bad. I’m a readin’, and I’m a likin’!
RW, you’re having a bad day. Simply post ’ which is half a ” because you’re a halfwit, and we’ll take it that you agree with whatever you think Wooten said, or what you think you heard on rush radio.
Retardo-rama.
By Right Thinking Conservative
September 24, 2006 12:23 PM | Link to this
I’m sure all of our cost cutting conservative politicians readily embrace free market competition? Then why is drug re-importation opposed by so many? I don’t buy the George Bush line that these drugs are not safe for the consumer. The only safety that concerns Mr. Bush is Big Pharma’s bottom line profits. If getting the best deal on the price of medical care is truly the object why limit this idea of transparency, think global, it’s a flat world after all.
Amazing how Mr. Big “Free-Trade” George Bush became an “Isolationist” when confronted with drug re-importation from Canada.
Healthcare item one on my Sonny Do list, make re-importation of prescription drugs legal in Georgia.
I agree with you Mr. Willis, MSA/HAS is the way to go. Not only do we want government out of our healthcare provision, we also want employers out of providing healthcare. If healthcare is ever to become truly “portable” (universally accessible and affordable) these two entities will have to lose control over an individual’s healthcare. MSA/HSA needs broadening to include family plans.
Healthcare item two on my Sonny Do list, give more incentives to employers who contribute to their employee’s MSA/HAS
Along with transparency (getting rid of waste fraud and abuse) funding will be the next greatest obstacle in overhauling our presently doomed healthcare system. I personally favor a national lottery (plus a few other things) to supplement the individual’s MSA/HSA. That should satisfy Newt’s “direct public subsidies” and also satisfy the liberals and the conservatives alike. Hopefully it will assure that every U.S. citizens has healthcare, which they will control.
Onward to some of the “plus other things”: It would be so non-conservative to leave out punishment for bad behavior. Mossbacks, correct me where I’m wrong Ms. Tucker, just love to beat- up on Gays, Fat people, Drunks, Smokers etc. for making bad choices in their life. Sin tax is an all time favorite with conservatives and so is eduuuuuuuuuucaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaation. Why not take a portion of all sin taxes(to include tax charged on fast-food) and return this money to the sinfully inclined to pay for behavior modification so they will no longer have risky sex, over eat consume junk food, over drink, puff-cough-cough-puff-puff ?
Hey, this is eduuuuuuuuuuuuuucaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaation!
One other sin tax redistribution to mention here, return a portion of tax charged on all soot/smog producing fuels.
Healthcare item three on my Sonny Do list, redeem the fallen angels Rev. Perdue, take some of this sin tax money to fund treatment programs.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 12:29 PM | Link to this
Somebody needs to restart Sell Swedish, I think it froze up somewhere in the middle if that 12:23.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 12:31 PM | Link to this
No voter ID accountability, NO vote machine accountability.
PERIOD.
Funny how limpwristed liberals only wet their pretty pink panties on election results when they lose.
By time for the truth
September 24, 2006 12:42 PM | Link to this
Markus
It was another fabulous, pretty easy win. In good part because of much better team spirit and the American refusal to play sufficient Foursomes/Fourball golf. Clarke’s 100’ putt was stunning - as was Monty’s “winning” putt although not quite as spectacular.
Apparently only 5 of the top 20 golf players are now American. And the US only won 6 out of 24 matches. But Monty and Clarke and Westwood and the other Euros - other than the two Irish micks playing literally on home turf did us proud. Nick Faldo is next up as the Euro skipper.
Even rednekkks was moderately gracious - unlike that pathetic arsewipe “true american”.
maggot brain I am “American” legally but when English/British sports is on I am English/British. Only a cowardly Bush hating far left appeaser like you wouldn’t understand that!! …smirk
Rather unsurprising NBC didn’t show Woosnam hoisting the cup - bet they would have stayed on air if the US had won!!
By RGrossman
September 24, 2006 12:47 PM | Link to this
Markus,
How about voter accountability in the absentee problem? Fraud in absentee voting has a documented history, unlike the allegations of fraud in in-person voting, but the rules on absentee voting were relaxed by the bill you support rather than tightened along side of the photo requirement.
I am all for the photo ID requirement on both the state and Federal level. I rather like the federal approach where the approach is phased in rather than the hard start of the GA bill, but it is an idea whose time has come.
But what I am pointing out to you is that the charges of hypocrisy in the GA bill seem valid when you look at the inequitable addressing of the absentee issue, where fraud is much easier to perpetrate.
It is ham-fisted approaches such as this that make Republicans look more interested in politics than addressing real issues.
See what I mean?
By time for the truth
September 24, 2006 12:55 PM | Link to this
lets hope the far leftist thug’s paranoia is not misplaced!!
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20467604-23109,00.html
By The AJC Is A Filthy Anti American Rag
September 24, 2006 01:02 PM | Link to this
By Al Qaeda’s Concubine September 24, 2006 11:54 AM Sorry tftt, for the sore losers on the blog - but hey, that’s southern culture for you. Not-so-loveable losers they be.
RW: Not only is this what passes for “substantive conversation” for the pinko liberal losers among us, what does it say about some wanker that has to brag about his “sexual prowess” on an anonymous political blog?
Is this just not so ridiculous?
What’s up ,AQ Concubine, you worried about what the “rednecks” think of your “sexual performance level?”
Having doubts about yourself?
Need some positive reinforcement?
By clarkslawga
September 24, 2006 01:05 PM | Link to this
TFTT,
Damn right you’re American.
You’re damn sure not a Brit.
Fake.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 01:10 PM | Link to this
RGrossman-
The reason false ID votes aren’t accounted for is because they CAN’T be accounted for. How the hell are you going to track down someone who used his neighbor’s utility bill? How many times have you heard about more votes coming in than registered voters?
I believe that absentee ballots need to be overhauled by each state as well. Yes, fraud has been proven in that realm… including during the Election of 2000 when absentee military ballots were thrown out in Florida.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 01:12 PM | Link to this
I think giving out free voter ID’s to the poor and handicapped is a good idea due to the large population of illegal immigrants like “lies”. She is definitely not American.
Electronic voting machines were implemented on the cheap and should have a paper trail like ATM machines. The machines should give a receipt after voting and that is used for the count.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 01:16 PM | Link to this
Good news for Democrats here. It seems Republicans have caught up in the latest Gallop poll, but Democrats still lead among people that aren’t going to bother to vote.
So if you libs stock up on cigarettes and lotto tickets maybe you can bribe these people to vote.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 01:19 PM | Link to this
Jackass neopink terrorist loving professors just can’t help themselves in this nation. A 9/11 monument in AZ has anti-Bush administration inscriptions that were not revealed to be a part of the monument originally. If I lived out there, I’d have a router on the site mopping up this liberal garbage like last night.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=74855
What is it with the Ward Churchills in colleges these days? The sickness of liberal inbreeding keeps on expanding.
By time for the truth
September 24, 2006 01:20 PM | Link to this
The President’s sister has some interesting insights
By The AJC Is A Filthy Anti American Rag
September 24, 2006 01:36 PM | Link to this
Tell me this guy isn’t all the way flipped out:
Clinton: “You have that smirk on your face”
Talking about the military wouldn’t do this and the FBI didn’t do that, putting the blame off on his people.
Who was the President and in charge of the FBI?
Who was the Commander In Chief and in charge of the military?
Didn’t Richard Clarke ever explain the responsibilities of that office to this Trailer Park Trash and his dy-ke “wife?”
He’s basically saying he played no part in the national security of the United States, it was up to “them.”
I wonder what the hell he was doing?
Oh, yeah, I forgot.
By I Hate the Truth
September 24, 2006 01:37 PM | Link to this
AND I HATE THE AJC AND MIKE LUCKOVICH
By time for the truth
September 24, 2006 01:39 PM | Link to this
A real reason at last to envy the Swiss
The UK and the US need to enact and enforce such visionary laws.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 01:41 PM | Link to this
Interesting link TFTT-
My favorite comment:
“He is not a guy who blows his own horn.”
Methinks we saw the “Me” former president Clitoon speak well of himself this morning with Chris Matthews.
Me me me, I I I, …
“I wanna talk about ME, number one me me me, my my my…”
What a pompous dolt. Well we all know Clintoon didn’t blow his own horn while Osama was walking amongst camel tents.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 01:42 PM | Link to this
The fact that the gop still wants to steal Social Security, the wars failing, and the rest of the failures should make this a landslide victory for the Dems.
Sadly, the blind hatred by the wingnuts will not allow this to happen for our country. Divided we fall.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 01:46 PM | Link to this
Yes Andy,
You flipped out a long time ago.
You will never hear w say,” I tried but failed”. Never, because he is not man enough to admit failure. Just like the rest of the wingnut cowards.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 01:53 PM | Link to this
Byron York took Clinton’s advice and read Clark’s book. It’s not as pretty as Clinton makes it out to be.
But the bottom line is that Bill Clinton, the commander-in-chief, could not find the will to order the military into action against al Qaeda, and Bill Clinton, the head of the executive branch, could not find the will to order the CIA and FBI to act. No matter what the former president says on Fox, or anywhere else, that is his legacy in the war on terror.
By welcome all wingnuts
September 24, 2006 01:54 PM | Link to this
My goodness, I thought I was in a blog on Newt’s health care proposals; but instead I believe I’ve accidentally stumbled into a potheads’ chatroom!
By welcome all wingnuts
September 24, 2006 01:55 PM | Link to this
My goodness, I thought I was in a blog on Newt’s health care proposals; but instead I believe I’ve accidentally stumbled into a potheads’ chatroom!
By welcome wingnuts
September 24, 2006 01:55 PM | Link to this
My goodness, I thought I was in a blog on Newt’s health care proposals; but instead I believe I’ve accidentally stumbled into a potheads’ chatroom!
By The AJC Is A Filthy Anti American Rag
September 24, 2006 01:57 PM | Link to this
By getalife September 24, 2006 01:46 Yes Andy, You flipped out a long time ago. You will never hear w say,” I tried but failed”.
That’s good enough for you, huh, gitmolife, 3000 people killed and an apology just clears it up, we can just forget all about it, eh?
I’d rather have Bush as president and kill the enemy.
No apologies neccessary.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 01:59 PM | Link to this
Newsflash to ignoramus liberals who claim Bush is stealing socialist security (and shoving old people in wheelchairs down stairs, burning black churches, dragging black men behind pickups, allowing children to starve to death in streets, allowing AIDS to expand globally, stealing from the poor and giving to the rich, blah blah blah…): it’s a non-partisan Washington problem that’s been LONG in the making.
I do know one thing. Only BUSH supported partial privatization where we robbed taxpayers for a socialist cause could actually CONTROL some of our future earnings. Liberals b!tch about that, and yet call US fascists. Hypocrites.
By time for the truth
September 24, 2006 02:01 PM | Link to this
Markus
as you said the predator sick Willie was as self absorbed as they get this morning. Solely concerned about his already disgraced and mostly shameful legacy. Still at least his criminal pardon selling, systematic sexual harassment of women, perjury, lies, nepotism, illegal fund raising, phoney tears at funerals, trashing of women who eventually told the truth about him, library slush fund etc wont be easily forgotten by clear thinking Americans.
Interesting also that Jeb feels that sick Willie is using Bush the elder - I thought that a long time ago.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 02:02 PM | Link to this
Because of the intensity of the political opposition
Yep, the hypocrites that are called wingnuts.
Wag the dog, accussed by Specter, who is now trashing our Constitution for w, shows how bad these failed Americans really are.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 02:03 PM | Link to this
You will never hear w say,” I tried but failed”
getalife,
That’s because the current President isn’t a failure like the last one.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 02:06 PM | Link to this
That is pathetic macaca.
The gop will steal any money they get their hands on. Their record proves this fact.
Get real.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 02:09 PM | Link to this
Really RW
Or you just do not admit failure because you are not man enough like w and the wingnuts.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 02:13 PM | Link to this
And you wingnuts want to add Social Security to this list
Get real, you can’t be that stupid.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 02:23 PM | Link to this
getalife,
These loony bin sites you get all your talking points from are rotting away your mind and your civility. Is the Superdome ready for tomorrow?
By RGrossman
September 24, 2006 02:23 PM | Link to this
Markus,
There are ways using electronic means (electronic fingerprinting, presentation of a photo ID to an official when requesting the ballot, etc) to tighten the reins as they relate to absentee ballots (“AB’s”). This bill simply chose to ignore those concerns.
The bill in fact loosened the rules as they relate to AB’s. This left the bill open to criticism of the left as a bill that was designed to suppress voting rather than to legitimize voting. It made us appear to be hypocrites playing political games. Whether we believe or deserve that label is unimportant. The point is that we opened ourselves up to that label.
This is the point that I was trying to make. We (Republicans) have taken the reigns of power but have not been willing to think many issues through to conclusion prior to acting. It’s almost as if we are so insecure and can’t believe we actually have the power that we feel as if we must pass all our ideas and bills as fast as we can.
As much as I believe in Voter ID, the bill as it is written is ill-conceived and leaves itself open to charges of political maneuvering. We fought for control for a long time and now that we have it we need to conduct ourselves as statesmen who look at all sides of a problem prior to acting. If our representatives refuse to act in such a circumspect manner then they should be replaced with those that will. (Sue Burmeister comes to mind)
Real Republicans have a better answer. We have an unbelievable opportunity to build a better future and need to do everything in our power to make good on that opportunity.
Ham-fisted efforts such as the current Voter ID law hinder that effort. It should be scrapped and should be reconceived with an eye toward a law that can stand.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 02:24 PM | Link to this
Just a few comments on Wooten’s post and the original content of today’s blog:
No, what Gingrich proposes is not some overnight mass instafix overhaul. That is what the liberals want. Liberals live their entire lives in the here and the now: it’s gotta be done now dammit. Iraq needs to be fixed now dammit. NO, liberals do not have the mental comprehension to understand long-term changes in small steps, like changing the direction of a massive cargo ship. After all, their vote consituency doesn’t have that kind of comprehension or patience either.
“…achievable through market-based solutions, private and corporate efforts, tax incentives, direct public subsidies, strong community support and faith-based outreach programs. Personal responsibility, portability and health-care consumerism are the hallmarks of such a system.”
Just about every word in the above comment from Gingrich goes AGAINST what liberals and democrats believe in. Therefore, its gotta work.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 02:32 PM | Link to this
Yeah we all saw your cute little Stalinist post yesterday, GITMOLIFE. I stopped reading that horsecrap at taxes. B!tching about tax breaks to those who PAID taxes, like the top 1% paying 33% of ALL federal income taxes, the top 10% of income earners paying 67% of all income taxes, YET the bottom 50% of tax payers now only pay about 3.5% of all income taxes, which is DOWN from 4.1% since W took office.
I know GITMOLIFE, you nice little Stalinist liberal, never let FACTS get in the way of a good LIE.
By Randy
September 24, 2006 02:44 PM | Link to this
Clinton reminded me of my wife in that interview. Suffering from IED of the brain. Irreversible Estrogen Depletion.
There are pills Bill. It’ll cure what ails ‘ya. Hillary’s into sharing, just ask her for a loan.
Let’s face it. Some things are best left to men like Bush.
By bon scott
September 24, 2006 02:46 PM | Link to this
The US has the most expensive health care system in the developed world. And the most inefficient. We pay 40% more, and what do we get? Higher infant mortality and shorter life spans, among other blessings.
Medicare Plan D is a financial bonanza for drug companies (no competitive bidding?) and an otherwise confusing mess. It’s not the free market when people are forced to choose from a really bad list.
Romney in Massechusetts might have an idea with his “get a health plan or we’ll make you get one” law. It’s a start.
Private insurance for individual families? That’s the only choice for the growing number of families that can’t get coverage at work. (Hellooooo WalMart!!) But be prepared for the “pre-existing condition” trap. Either no one will give you a policy, or claims you make will be denied because of (you guessed it) “pre-existing conditions” that appear out of nowhere. Insurance companies employ armies whose only job is to deny as many claims as possible.
California is charging that health insurers are routinely dumping sick policyholders to avoid paying claims. This is not isolated.
I’m tired of right wing idiots screaming “socialism” everytime somebody brings up government regulated health care. The present “free market” system is so screamingly expensive, inefficient and unfair that anything… ANYTHING is a better alternative than what we have now.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 02:49 PM | Link to this
RGrossman-
Thank you for your response. I just don’t agree. There is nothing complicated nor overtly expensive (like a mass fingerprint system with all infastructer needed) about having a simple voter ID. Other forms of ID have been falsified with ease: look how many illegal Mexicans are caught daily with forged social security cards and driver licenses (which is all you need to get registered to vote with the Motor-Voter law).
No, there are always better ways of doing things. However, at this poignant time in our nation’s history while fighting the war on islamofascism and mass illegal immigration, we don’t have time to waste pussyfooting around wondering on how to allow accountability for the legitimacy of a vote. Fix it NOW.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 02:54 PM | Link to this
Only a jackass bass ackwards confused Stalinist liberal could believe this line and post it here:
“The gop will steal any money they get their hands on. Their record proves this fact.”
Yet the commie liberals b!tch when Bush wants to give people their money back in tax breaks or attempt to let them CONTROL some of their own money in socialist security.
Liberalism really is a mental sickness.
By RGrossman
September 24, 2006 02:55 PM | Link to this
Markus,
The ability to disagree is what makes America great.
Time to watch football.
By bon scott
September 24, 2006 02:55 PM | Link to this
Gingrich is no dummy, but when he starts stringing together buzzwords he can scare me. Reminds me of a bad professor.
Personal responsibility, portability and consumerism in the health care coverage equation are great in theory, but when major insurers and providers game the system (We don’t cover that. Sorry, that hospital/doctor isn’t in our system. Sorry, per-existing condition!), reality sucks.
Barbara, considering your intense dislike for Clinton over his extramarital conduct, why not the same level of disgust for Gingrich?
By The AJC Is A Filthy Anti American Rag
September 24, 2006 03:02 PM | Link to this
Mark Steyn, on Canada’s “universal” health care system: As [Canada’s] chief justice, Beverley McLachlin, put it, “Access to a waiting list is not access to health care” — and in Canada you wait for everything. North of the 49th parallel, we accept that if you get something mildly semi-serious it drags on while you wait to be seen, wait to be diagnosed, wait to be treated. Meanwhile, you’re working under par, and I doubt any economic impact accrued thereby is factored into those global health-care-as-a-proportion-of-GDP tables. The default mode of any government system is to “control health-care costs” by providing less health care. Once it becomes natural to wait six months for an MRI, it’s not difficult to persuade you that it’s natural to wait ten months, or fifteen. Acceptance of the initial concept of “waiting” is what matters.
Socialism kills. You.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 03:03 PM | Link to this
Randy-
“Suffering from IED of the brain. Irreversible Estrogen Depletion.”
Thanks for the funniest comment of the day about the Slickmeister’s appearance on FoxNews.
If I were Chris Wallace, I’d have told that SOB to get his finger the hell out of my face.
By bon scott
September 24, 2006 03:16 PM | Link to this
If Canadian health care is as awful as Steyn says, then why aren’t Canadians storming across the border for better care here?
Because in case you haven’t noticed, they’re not.
Health care wasn’t even an issue in Canada’s January elections.
By Get That Finger Out of My Face
September 24, 2006 03:19 PM | Link to this
I’d rather have your zipper in my face.
I HATE THE AJC AND MIKE LUCKOVICH
By The AJC Is A Filthy Anti American Rag
September 24, 2006 03:28 PM | Link to this
The one common characteristic of all single-payer health-care systems is that they ration care. Sometimes they ration it explicitly, denying certain types of treatment altogether. More often, they ration it indirectly, imposing global budgets or other cost constraints that limit the availability of high-tech medical equipment or imposes long waits on patients seeking treatment. For example, at any given time, one million Britons are waiting for admission to National Health Service hospitals and shortages force the NHS to cancel as many as 100,000 operations each year. Roughly 90,000 New Zealanders are facing similar waits. In Sweden, the wait for heart surgery can be as long as 25 weeks, while the average wait for hip-replacement surgery is more than a year. In Canada more than 800,000 patients are currently on waiting lists for medical procedures. As the Canadian supreme court noted in striking down the part of Canada’s single-payer law that prohibited private payment for health care, “Access to a waiting list is not access to health care.” The court went on to note that “in some cases patients die as a result of waiting lists for public health care” and “many patients on non-urgent waiting lists are in pain and cannot fully enjoy any real quality of life.”
By Markus
September 24, 2006 03:29 PM | Link to this
As I re-watch the Clintoon FoxNews interview with Chris Wallace, thinks are becoming clearer. His Peckership is great at intimidating, but after researching some of what he said, here’s one Willie Whopper… I’m sure there will be others as I get the time.
“No one knew al-Qaeda existed then [during Solamia in 1993].”
Hey BILL old pal, that’s not what the BBC said.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 03:34 PM | Link to this
Andy,
If you don’t believe bonnie about health care not bring an issue in the Canadian elections, just look here
By Markus
September 24, 2006 03:40 PM | Link to this
bon scott-
If you think Canada’s socialized healthcare is equal to that of the US, you are an idiot. Tell that to heart patients up there on the waiting list to see a specialist.
By CJ
September 24, 2006 03:43 PM | Link to this
According to Jim’s article, Newt Gringrich is promoting a Georgia website with information on everything from hospital infection and mortality rates to the cost and frequency of surgical procedures performed. He added that high quality and low prices often go together.
With regard to providing data on mortality and infection rates, I think having such a site is a fantastic idea, and I’d love the opportunity to have access to a user-friendly site that provides current and accurate information that could help my wife and I to decide where to go to have our children, where my Dad should go for open-heart surgery or where to take my Mom for the treatment of skin cancer.
However, with regard to prices, this information is likely to have a less positive impact. For example, my father decided to have his heart surgery performed at St. Joseph’s Hospital because of the fact that they specialize in heart procedures. However, since St. Joseph’s wasn’t in his insurer’s provider network, Dad had to pay a larger percentage of the price than if he stayed with an insurer-approved provider (at St. Joseph’s, Dad’s insurer would only cover 70 percent after the deductible instead of 100 percent). If memory serves, going to the best hospital for his condition meant that my Dad had to pay approximately $10,000 more, out-of-pocket, than he would have paid if he had used a less reputable provider on the insurer’s provider list. Of course, most can’t afford such an expense.
As a result of this experience, I’m not clear how such information would help to lower the cost of health care. When possible, patients are likely to seek the highest-quality care they can afford, regardless of the fact that the cost may be higher than at competing facilities. For this reason, I suspect that the cost of quality health care is more likely to increase with such information since patients would be competing to visit the best facilities. Generally speaking, rising demand is followed by rising prices.
By The AJC Is A Filthy Anti American Rag
September 24, 2006 03:47 PM | Link to this
RW: Now that we’ve scored large in finch’s a-ss, he’ll change the subject now and then bring it back up 3 months from now like today was just a mirage and never happened.
Boring.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 03:49 PM | Link to this
Markus,
You’ll come to find out that “bon scott” aka “finch” aka “seeker” aka “mirror” (that one on this site when it first opened) is not just an idiot when it comes to health care.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 03:51 PM | Link to this
You are right RW.
I should be more civil.
Here you go:
Thanks Mr. President!
“Those lilly-livered left-wing, Liberal, pinko, Commie, cut’n’run, Democrat, Hezbollah and al Qaeda, Clinton, Kerry and Kennedy loving American Intelligence agencies, what do they know? Well, what? The Great Decider says, “We will stay in Iraq as long as I am President.”
I, for one and I’m sure there are many others, would like to thank the Bush administration for making the world a much more dangerous place for all Americans. I would like to thank his administration for making FEAR a national pastime. I would like to thank this administration for distracting our country with bogus and unnecessary but “righteous” wars on Islam. I wish to express my heartfelt gratification for the damage he has brought upon OUR Constitution and International Law. I would also express my appreciation for generating a brand new pastime for the upper echelons of our leadership - TORTURE! Wow, Mr, President, thanks! But most of all I would like to thank the Bush administration for dividing America against itself. NEVER in all of U.S. history has been such a truly dangerous and divisive leadership.
And now Director Jay Hein of the White House Office of Faith Based Initiatives will lead us in prayer before he steals all of the Social Security and MediCare funding that remains.”
Yes, the superdome is ready and has a nice white roof. Of course, I will be cheering for the Falcons.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 03:54 PM | Link to this
Andy,
What do you suppose Sybil’s name will be then?
By Pope rednecks - Amerikkka's Al Qaeda I
September 24, 2006 03:54 PM | Link to this
I have a much cheaper way to improve health care.
Buy every redneck in America a bar of soap, and show them how to use it. Send them a new bar every year.
By bon scott
September 24, 2006 03:55 PM | Link to this
Markus, I’ll certainly have more time to ask that Canadian heart patient “waiting for a specialist” about “rationing”.
Statistically, he’ll live longer than his American counterpart.
By Connie Mack
September 24, 2006 03:57 PM | Link to this
Jim, I applaud your willingness to put your columns up for debate by readers, while Cindy Tucker does not. And I agree with her far more than I agree with you.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 03:58 PM | Link to this
Here’s that freaks grand entrance into Wooten’s World
By Chickenhawks Love Newt
September 24, 2006 03:59 PM | Link to this
After all, he’s a Nam era dodger. Markie Mark and Andi love him to pieces.
By The AJC Is A Filthy Anti American Rag
September 24, 2006 04:03 PM | Link to this
Let me guess, Al Qaeda’s Concubine, did a “redneck” steal mommy away from you and daddy?
Is that what this is all about?
By bon scott
September 24, 2006 04:03 PM | Link to this
Rumor has it that the only reason RW and drunken Andy spend so much time thinking and writing about who I am is because they can’t refute anything I post.
A child’s way of changing the subject.
RW, why aren’t you on the case of the only real name-shifter here? He does it constantly and brags about it. Of course, I’m speaking of (drum roll…) drunken Andy.
Who brought up Canada in the first place.
Grow up.
By CJ
September 24, 2006 04:08 PM | Link to this
Kudos to retired.stat for his informative post @12:00 PM.
While the idea of providing information online about hospital/doctor quality and prescription prices is appealing — if the implementation of this idea is anything less than stellar (i.e. complete, accurate and current), then the promised benefits are just a bunch of hooey.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 04:12 PM | Link to this
bonnie-finch,
Andy already refuted your silly little liberal utopia of socialized medicine right up ^ ^ ^ there, I saw no need to pile on. Besides you can go read where you got your b-utt kicked on this subject back in January.
I’m not planning to have the same repetitive boring arguments every time you change your name, Sybil.
By The AJC Is A Filthy Anti American Rag
September 24, 2006 04:13 PM | Link to this
RW: There’s your changed subject with a great big fat infantile whine thrown in to distract attention.
Since he’s getting called, he’ll either change names or keep repeating the same thing over and over until the blog closes.
Then next month sometime, he’ll bring the same subject back up like today never happened.
By getalife
September 24, 2006 04:14 PM | Link to this
Lets get ready to rumble on the new report by the spy agencies stating the obvious.
Iraq is a disaster:
White House: “We Don’t Comment On Classified Documents”… Kennedy: “The Final Nail In The Coffin For…Bush’s Phony Argument About The War”…GOP Sen. Specter: War Has Intensified Islamic Fundamentalism…Rep. Emanuel: “Iraq Made War On Terror More Dangerous For Every American”… Sen. Reid: “No Election-Year White House PR Campaign Can Hide This Truth”…
Stay tuned.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 04:20 PM | Link to this
RW, why aren’t you on the case of the only real name-shifter here? He does it constantly and brags about it.
Does this moron even pay any attention to what he types? finchie, why would one track down the identity of a poster that changed their name and bragged about it?
By bon scott
September 24, 2006 04:31 PM | Link to this
RW, Andy… grow up.
Please show me a health care system in the developed world that costs more and whose patients die earlier than the one in the US.
You can’t. It’s inefficient and ineffective. You pay more (a LOT more) but die younger.
Those are the facts.
I know this’ll be hard, but could you please address subjects at least remotely related to Jim’s column??
And try not to be redundant.
By CJ
September 24, 2006 04:33 PM | Link to this
I’d also like to piggy back on RGrossman’s post @2:23 PM.
He was absolutely correct when he said that while extensive evidence of fraud has been found with absentee ballots, the legislature has loosened the rules on absentee ballots. For example, the law was changed so if person mails an absentee ballot prior to the election but dies between the time the ballot is mailed and the day of the election, then the ballot is still counted. In other words, the ballot of a person who was dead prior to the day of the election is still counted if he or she voted by absentee ballot. Of course, the rest of us must remain alive until Election Day in order to vote.
On the other hand, no evidence of fraud has been demonstrated to the courts deciding these issues that would be resolved by voter ID cards (which is why the Voter ID law keeps getting thrown out). In fact, the GOP is pushing a solution (voter ID cards) to a problem that doesn’t exist, while condoning fraud that does exist through absentee ballots. This approach indicates that the GOP doesn’t actually believe in the strength of their ideas, and therefore, must rig the system to win.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 04:37 PM | Link to this
bon-bon scott-
“*Markus, I’ll certainly have more time to ask that Canadian heart patient “waiting for a specialist” about “rationing”.
Statistically, he’ll live longer than his American counterpart.*”
Like a good little Stalinist liberal, you miss the point. Whether or not said patient decides to continue chowing down on Big Macs like that fatass Clintoon pre-heart attack is irrelevant.
The waiting time to see a “specialist” in Canada is MUCH longer than in the US. Period. Further, our personal decisions on how to live our lives or what we choose to shove down our gullets have NOTHING to do with the quality of healthcare AVAILABLE to us. We live shorter than Canadians because we work harder (which is why we have more money than them per capita) and we enjoy food and cooking more than them. Read any books titled “Great Chefs Of Canada” lately?
Try to stay on topic. I know it’s hard as hell for you liberals, but at LEAST try.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 04:43 PM | Link to this
bonnie blog nanny,
Nothing could be more redundant than your whining for socialized medicine under 4 or 5 names. When I need to see a doctor I want to be able to see a doctor and I want to know that doctor. Under our system I can do that. If you want to live under Canada’s system Delta’s ready when you are.
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 04:51 PM | Link to this
Does everybody come to Jim’s blog and rewrite Bookmans last rant here? Between bonnie yesterday and CJ today I believe Jay’s whole column has been reposted here and EVERY conservative that has commented has agreed we should tighten absentee voting, yet you libs just mindlessly parrot that we are against it.
How about that for an out of place and redundant comment from CJ, there finchie-blog-nanny?
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 04:59 PM | Link to this
Here’s an on topic blast from the past, I’m sure you can all guess by now who this was a response to:
By BigDaddy
I agree with those who have stated that administrative expense is one of the prime factors leading to increased medical costs. Third-party payers are not the most efficient method of containing costs as there exists a moral hazard between their enrollees and their costs.
However, a singly-payer system is the absolute worst way to provide healthcare. Quality is sacrificed for equality - so everyone gets horrible healthcare. Wait times for lithotripsy (kidney stone treatment) in Canada exceed 14 months; cancer treatment in Britain is nearly pre-historic; the German system is so driven by special interests that spa treatments are part of the “free” healthcare system.
Profit margins drive innovation - it is true in every sector of the economy, and it remains true in the healthcare industry. Profits are also why so many bright, intelligent people choose to become doctors. They get to help people, sure, but they are handsomely, and deservedly, rewarded for their services. If you were to arbitrarily (and unconstitutionally) remove the profit margin from healthcare, pharmaceutical and medical technology innovation would plummet precipitously.
Thanks, BigDaddy I couldn’t have said it better myself.
By Pope rednecks - Amerikkka's Al Qaeda I
September 24, 2006 05:02 PM | Link to this
The biggest problem with America’s healthcare system is this:
Garbage in, garbage out
Keep the trash out of America’s hospitals, and the numbers will improve dramatically.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 05:04 PM | Link to this
CJ-
Please ‘splain to me how anyone can PROVE that a voter used false identification, OR, voted more than once at different polls, with the current law on voter eligibility. Of COURSE there isn’t any court evidence! What, you think people are going to volunteer that they cheated if asked? Man, please.
With absentee ballots, at least there are paper trails.
By The AJC Is A Filthy Anti American Rag
September 24, 2006 05:09 PM | Link to this
I honestly wonder if finchie isn’t a DNC rowbutt server that just hasn’t been updated with the most recent pinko talking points yet.
Could somebody over at Howie’s office PLEASE REBOOT THE BLOG ROWBUTT COMPUTER and put in on auto update, thank you.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 05:11 PM | Link to this
RW-
“Does everybody come to Jim’s blog and rewrite Bookmans last rant here?”
You should have seen what happened a week or so ago. One asspirate Stalinist liberal had the gall to cut-n-paste a COMPLETE post from Jay Kookman. Those little pink pig liberals are something else.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 05:18 PM | Link to this
Rednex Liberal anti-American al Qaida:
“Keep the trash out of America’s hospitals, and the numbers will improve dramatically.”
You mean those who don’t contribute to society and don’t have jobs and who suck off the government teet at others’ expense? Damn, and all this time I thought you were a COMPLETE idiot. Now you’re just a HALF-ASSED idiot.
By This Justin
September 24, 2006 05:21 PM | Link to this
BUSH WAR FEEDS TERRORISM!!!!
By J Bookworm
September 24, 2006 05:28 PM | Link to this
Big deal, at least the libs aren’t parroting the child molesting drug addicted conservative talk show host like Dorkus does all day long. LMAO.
By The AJC Is A Filthy Anti American Rag
September 24, 2006 05:28 PM | Link to this
Al Qaeda’s Concubine, o.k. so the subject of your mom doing the wild thing with a gathering of good old boys is not something you want to discuss.
I understand.
Could it be a personal thing too?
Have you taken any canoe trips through Tennessee?
Does the sound of banjos cause you great discomfort and much consternation?
By Middle America
September 24, 2006 05:30 PM | Link to this
I’m all for Newt’s ideas. But the fact that he’s no longer in Congress speaks to the rise of the radical right. Newt is independent of them and so he’s on the outside looking in. But that’s usually where the best ideas come from anyways. I’d welcome a Presidential election that has Newt in it. Let’s get a full menu of centrist candidates involved in both party primaries and get the hell out of this neo-con/ultra christian conservative death spiral that we’re currently in.
By CJ
September 24, 2006 05:39 PM | Link to this
RW,
First, please note that the example I gave of the broadening of the absentee ballot law is a fact reported in the news, not only opinion columns. The fact that this information may have been reported elsewhere or posted on other days doesn’t mean that everybody reading today’s blog had previously read it somewhere else. I apologize to those of you who previously knew about this.
Second, SOME conservatives have agreed that we should tighten absentee voting, not, as you claim, every conservative — far from it. I’m glad we can count you in.
Third, the fact that Mr. Grossman, you and Markus agree that absentee ballots need to be tightened up is a good start. However, the Republican-run legislature’s actions on this matter seem disingenuous, and I don’t apologize for pointing that out. In fact, I might choose to repost this information again every day until this matter is resolved. I hope you’ll bear with me.
Have a great evening buddy!!!
By getalife
September 24, 2006 05:40 PM | Link to this
This Justin,
THOUGH SHALL NOT KILL!
By RW-(the original)
September 24, 2006 05:48 PM | Link to this
CJ,
I clearly said every conservative that has responded here has said that.
I apologize for using using your post mostly to take a shot at bonnie the blog nanny, but if you read up a bit he had started scolding us for straying off topic so you got caught in the cross fire.
You have a good evening as well.
By Markus
September 24, 2006 05:54 PM | Link to this
Hey resident neostalinist liberal ID hack (yes, YOU)-
“Big deal, at least the libs aren’t parroting the child molesting drug addicted conservative talk show host like Dorkus does all day long. LMAO.”
Tell me what I have said that’s been said even CLOSE to what a right-wing talk radio show has said, let alone word for word. I don’t listen to AM talk radio because I work for a living.
If anything, all you clowns on the left do is parrot the New York Slimes.
By Willx
September 25, 2006 08:08 AM | Link to this
If Hillary had proposed these health care “saves” (especially the electronic prescriptions) the right-wingers would have been throwing up. But hey, Newt, the wife-trading genius, can get away with anything since he’s viewed as a visionary instead of a witch.
Newt for Prez? Never.
By Redneck Convert
September 25, 2006 09:42 AM | Link to this
Well, I got a new job. I’m driving a beer truck. I got tired of getting beat out of jobs by the Mexicans. They got no drivers lisesnes, so I guess I’m safe in this one. When I toured the warehouse, I found that it was full of rotgut stuff like Heineken, Bass, and Sam Adams. There wasn’t a Pabst or Shlitz to be found, so I guess I won’t be supplying Billy Bob’s.
Anyway, old Newt had the best idea for lowering the cost of health care I ever heard. A few years ago, when one of his wives was in the hospital with cancer, he had her served with divorce papers. I bet that got her up and out of there fast and lowered the cost. I wish all the politicians was that creative.
Well, got to go. The boys will be thirsty up here later today, and I need to get the bars stocked up.
By Curious Observer
September 25, 2006 10:50 AM | Link to this
The notion that there are huge disparities in prescription drug costs and that mere comparison shopping will result in a great lowering of the cost is both fanciful and disingenuous. If I see a posting at Sam’s Club of $119 for a 30-day supply of 10 mg Lipitor, I’m pretty safe in assuming that it’s close to rock-bottom.
No, the problem is a pricing system that’s stacked against the consumer. The federal government provides long-term patents, renewable for another long term, for prescription drug makers. That keeps generic equivalents off the market. The drug makers are also allowed to alter the composition of an existing drug slightly to acquire yet another long-term patent. In essence, each drug maker has a monopoly on its brands.
Worse, the Congressional cronies of the drug makers prevent the federal government from negotiating a drug’s price for federal programs. The FDA and Congress also render it illegal to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada, thus putting the screws to the consumer and rewarding the pharmaceutical companies for their major campaign contributions.
No, the consumer isn’t going to get a price break on prescription drugs until this rotten administration and the Republican Congress are thrown out of office. People like the ethically challenged Newt Gingrich are putting up a smoke screen when they assert that dissemination of information is a principal means of lowering medical costs.