Public loses in Baucus health care plan; the only winner is the insurance lobby

So let me get this straight. President Barack Obama makes a clarion call to reform healthcare so that the 30 million Americans (not including the 12 million "non-Americans" living in America) can have affordable and fair health insurance, and what does the Democratic Party leadership in the Senate do?

They pass a "health care" plan that is touted for doing one major thing: require every American to purchase health care.

Thanks Senator Max Baucus. That's the problem. I've been hesitating to purchase healthcare insurance because I "can't afford it." I've paid into the healthcare insurance industry for 30 years and now that I am working as a freelance journalist with no permanent or fulltime employer, the reason I don't have health insurance is because I don't want to buy it?

Are you nuts?

Do you really think that the majority of the 30 million Americans who don't have insurance, don't have insurance because they can't afford to purchase it or because they don't want to purchase it?

Most Americans who don't have insurance, don't have insurance because the greedy robber barons in the insurance industry, who line the back pockets of most of our politicians in Washington DC with campaign cash payola, won't give us the insurance coverage we need. What they offer us to pay for is worthless. And ironically, thanks to you, the insurance industry is exactly the ones who will be benefiting from this stupid, worthless bill that is so far from reform it is pathetic.

This isn't reform. This is just another typically tepid Washington bureaucratic response to the real needs of Americans.

I can't get health care insurance because every time I try to purchase it, the health care insurance giants won't give it to me. They eliminate everything they can from the policy so what is left to purchase is not health care insurance but a profit machine for the insurance industry. I can't get insurance because the insurance industry has denied everything that I am likely to need in a policy. I don't have health care insurance because the policy I CAN afford doesn't include coverage for any ailment that is any way related to BREATHING!

And what's worse, the state laws which define the rules which prohibit an insurance carrier from denying coverage to someone who had fulltime healthcare with full coverage is NOT ENFORCED.

No coverage for anything related to breathing because of asthma care received eight years ago from a doctor; no coverage for anything related to heart related issues because I had a heart checkup (which everyone over 50 should get) five years ago.

I had fulltime coverage through a newspaper from Humana. Then, when I shifted to self-employment, Humana denied me coverage for everything they were covering me with. The options were: Pay three times my monthly insurance to COBRA (appropriate predator name by the way) for ONLY 16 months; take the worthless policy Humana did offer which eliminates almost everything; or don't waste my money on garbage!

What did they offer? An empty shell of coverage! It costs me $2,500 in deductibles (compared to $50o before) upfront, plus $700 a month ($8,400). That doesn't include the $500 deductible on prescription drugs which has a list a mile long of things they WON'T pay for even if I do pay the deductible. So add it up, Senator Baucus and the rest of you losers in Washington DC. I have to spend $11,400 before I get even one minute of major health care coverage. So what's the point?

Maybe you all can't add that up because you are busy adding up the cash you all expect from the health insurance lobby coming your way in gratitude because the ONLY winners in this lousy healthcare reform bill sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus is the health industry robber barons.

Then again, why would you all really care in Washington DC? You get a gold-plated, taxpayer funded PUBLIC OPTION-like health care plan that is better than anything anyone else gets in this country.

Thanks but no thanks. You are not forcing me to purchase junk. With no public option, I'd rather go down fighting!

-- Ray Hanania

www.RadioChicagoland.com

Some in Illinois Congress flip flop and supports continuation of Iraq War

Observations on the vote on the Continuation of the Iraq War bill supported by Bush

Two Illinois Democrats flip flopped on their votes: U.S. Rep. Daniel J. Lipinski voted in support for the war bill, continuing the Iraq War and ignoring the will of the American people, and Rahm Emanuel, the so-called powerhouse in the Democratic leadership credited with helping to takeover the House. What's the point of taking over the House, Rahm, if you are going to play personal cowardly politics and not stand by the will of the American people or support bringing our men and women of the Armed Services back home?

US Senator Barack Obama stuck to his guns and voted against the Iraq War while Senator Dick Durbin voted to continue the Iraq War. Durbin has been a long time visionary and while his vote is troubling, he deserves a closer look. Obama deserves praise for standing firm against the war as did Hillary Clinton.

That coward Mitt Romney and that hypocrite Senator John McCain who is exploiting his POW service during the Vietnam War to support the continuation of the Vietnam-Style Iraq War have attacked Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for heeding the voices of the American people when they voted against the War Funding Bill.

In truth, Obama and Clinton are more patriotic that Romney (Mr. Flip Flop) and Mr. McCain, who made that embarrassing trip to Baghdad wearing a flak jacket and protected by American soldiers. What a show of support for our troops!

Here is some vote history comparison to dshow you how Congressmen voted the first time on March 23, 2007 on the original War Funding vote that President Bush vetoed, and how they voted on May 24, 2007 on the watered-down surrender to President Bush War "mis-funding" bill.

Here is the Associated Press list of how everyone voted:

FIRST VOTE -----------------------------------------------
March 23, 2007
House Vote
The 218-212 roll call March 24, 2007 by which the House passed a war spending bill that would require President Bush to bring combat troops home from Iraq by Sept. 1, 2008. A "yes" vote is a vote to pass the bill. Voting yes were 216 Democrats and two Republicans. Voting no were 14 Democrats and 198 Republicans. X denotes those not voting. Present denotes those who voted they were "present" at the time of the vote but did not vote yes or no on the issue. There is one vacancy in the 435-member House.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/la-na-talley24mar24,1,4382057.htmlstory

And here is the outtake of how Illinois voted:

March 23, 2007
ILLINOIS
Democrats -- Bean, Y; Costello, Y; Davis, Y; Emanuel, Y; Gutierrez, Y; Hare, Y; Jackson, Y; Lipinski, Y; Rush, Y; Schakowsky, Y.
Republicans -- Biggert, N; Hastert, N; Johnson, N; Kirk, N; LaHood, N; Manzullo, N; Roskam, N; Shimkus, N; Weller, N.

SECOND VOTE ---------------------------------------
May 24, 2007 Vote
Here is the link to the the House Vote:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll425.xml

Here is the link to the Senate Vote:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00181

Here are how Illinois Congressional Members voted in support of the Iraq War and against the Iraq War:

Illinois Senators voting NO:
Clinton and Obama remained strong and voted AGAINST the continuation of the war

Illinois Senator voting YES:
Tragically, Senator Dick Durbin also voted for the the continuation of the Iraq War against the will of the American people.

Changed their vote in House:

Democrats: Voting YES May 24, 2007:

Daniel Lipinski buckled under pressure, and changed his view, voting YES for the watered down bill instead of standing up for the rights of the American People and calling an end to the Iraq War.

So did Rahm Emanuel, the guy who served in the Israeli Army in "civilian clothing." So did Bean,

Democrats Voting NO:
Sticking to their principles were: Davis, Costello, Gutierrez, Hare, Jackson, Rush, Schakowsky

Republicans voting NO:
Judy Biggert, Dennis Hastert, Johnson, Kirk, Ray LaHood, Manzullo, Roskam, Shimkus,

Republicans Not voting:
Weller.

Note the warmongering Republican blindfaith vote to stand for President Bush's lies and a war that continues to take the lives of three and four or more American soldiers every day. Pathetic!

END