Bastards . 

"50,000 paid lobbyists for the insurance industry that have been pushing congress and attending town hall meetings ... "

--virgil

Lets see beings how the house and senate are controlled by democrats. Who would they be influencing?

http://www.latimes.com/feat...

And what about Tom Daschle?

http://www.huffingtonpost.c...

Just remember PP2 Obama doesn't want a single payer option according to you. Oh wait now he does.

PP2: Funny, I've never heard him say he wanted single payer healthcare. Maybe because he doesn't. Nice of you to make stuff up.

PP2: Sure he's for single payer. It makes the most sense if you want an efficient system. Just look at the other countries that have implemented it successfully.

single payer option included in health insurance reform is essential.  It's not reform without it, everyone knows that.

--virgil

you got me rwestfall, before he ran for the senate Obama was indeed pushing for single payer (that's when that speech was from). Now he isn't. What was I thinking. I'm not really sure what you're getting at besides attempting a "gotcha" moment with me.

The insurance industry isn't just influencing democrats. Lots of Americans are falling for their deceit. Where do you think the whole "death panel" myth came from? I'd say most if not all the misconceptions about this debate are coming from the lobbyists. They even have influence over the media. I guess if you have millions a day to spend, and 50,000 people do do your bidding, you can buy a lot of influence and mislead a lot of gullible folks.

To be a lobbyist I believe you have to register as a lobbyist. And according to the lobbying database there are only 12,576 registered. So how can 50,000 lobbyist be lobbying congress?

http://www.opensecrets.org/...

Yup Pete.  Just keep telling yourself it is just the insurance companies and their paid "lobbyist".  Just keep telling yourself that...

typical commie antics....make poop up, then repeat it over and over until the stupid people believe it.

and yer boy, obama, has told so many lies since he started to campaign, he cannot keep them straight....if you dont admit to that, then i will also have to say that youre a communist on drugs

hey ron, you're the one siding with the insurance companies, not me.

rwestfall, do you really think every single lobbyist is actually registered? You don't have to be registered to lobby the media or go to a town hall though do you.

hey learnem, I thought you were a teacher. Shouldn't you be teaching today, since it's the first day of school? 

"typical commie antics....make poop up, then repeat it over and over until the stupid people believe it."

He's one of the ones they decided to keep this year too.

--virgil

on lunch right now

at least insurance companies run a profit...government runs everything it touches INTO THE GROUND..

i bet youre gonna bitch about your insurance premiums now too, aren't you?  typical, cant even be held accountable for your own health insurance.  next thing you know, youre gonna what the RESPONSIBLE citizens of this country to pay for your insurance too.

why dont you just move on to a nice little quaint country in south america, or cuba, where your type of government is already in full swing...that way, you dont have to effe everything else up here for 90% of the population

youre just bent virgil that you dont have a job, and live off the backs of the hard working americans....as i said, im on lunch right now.

with all the time both of you spend on the computer, you dont have jobs...no wonder you want everyone else to pay for your responsibilities

welfare whores

"welfare whores"

Oh, yeaah ?!

you, you, you wiennie ... !

--virgil

 Learnem,

you are the one who is living on the backs of others.

--virgil

Are you worth it, Learnem ?

--virgil

Who pays for your insurance learnem? Who pays your salary?  

Nearly everyone that has a job has to rely on others for that business to make a profit. That is unless you work for the government in some way (like teaching) then it's the taxpayers that foot the bill. Get over yourself.

"with all the time both of you spend on the computer, you dont have jobs"

Gosh, you don't think my job has to do with being on a computer all day do you?

In reality, Pete, the Republicans don't even need 50,000 parrots to convince them to rally against health care reform (and everything else Obama ever does.)  All they need is to lose an election.

And like I said before, no matter what you do, once you lose an election, it stays lost.  ; )

Virgil: You are funny..LOL LOL you weenie LOL

I am lucky about my insurance, but I want everyone to have insurance, why do you want to deny folks?

Well Cathy, its not just Republicans that are showing up at these town halls.  There are a LOT of independents and even conservative Dems who are pissed as hell at the tactics taken by Pelosi and Reid (leaders of the worst rated Congress in history).  After only 8 months in power, honest americans of all politcal stripes are sick and tired of the politicians in power TELLING us what we can and can't do.  They work for US...

rwestfall, do you really think every single lobbyist is actually registered? You don't have to be registered to lobby the media or go to a town hall though do you.

Insurers admit 50,000 employees lobbying Congress to claim profits fair.

The title of the blog was lobbying congress. What good does it do to lobby the media or townhall meetings? The democrats are excepting the lobbyist money too. Like I said the democrats have control of the house and senate so what should it matter what the good people attending the town meetings have to say. I guess the 2010 elections will tell the true story.

Make that 8 years and 8 months, Ron.  I have a sneaking suspicion that the Republicans are actually mad at Bush, but were too fearful to say so until he'd been out of office a good month or two for fear of being illegally wiretapped or waterboarded.  Now that they're feeling pretty safe under Obama they're flexing their first ammendment right to whine.  It's okay to come out of the bunker now--Obama won't send you off to Guantanamo.   

Mexico,

If You asked me if congress is handling the health care problem correctly. Of course I would say. No.

I feel it should have been passed 17 years ago. And they are still fooling around with lobbyist today.

But the fact is I still want reform and I want either a single payer system or a public option.

I am not on your side. And neither is 73% of Americans.

Well, Obama is sure comfortable whining.  What a pathetic loser.  He blames his plummenting poll numbers on a Facebook page of a former governor of a state with less people than Kern County.  That, my friends, is pathetic whining....

  And neither is 73% of Americans.

LOL....

Please Ron--my memory is at least longer than 8 months.  Some (not all!)  (but most!) Republicans were simply sore losers over losing the election and were complaining about Obama's presidency before it even began.  "What a terrible President Obama is!  When he becomes President next month!"

And these same Republicans have been trying to make their bitterness about something nobler ever since.  Well, I'm not buying it.  You people have no credibility with me. "It's not because I'm bitter, it's because X today, Y tomorrow and Z (which will be determined at a later date) the next day!" 

SOME Republicans have credibility, but you are not one of them.

So rant on in the cozy knowledge that your first ammendment rights are just a little stronger under Obama than they were a year ago.  And keep trying to convince yourself that it's not because your bitter.  If you say it long enough, it will start to seem true.

Posted this last night but it beats repeating~

Regarding Health Insurance profits: The top 5 companies averaged profits of $1.56 billion in 2008~low because of the stock market. The top 5 CEO's compensation,poor souls,ran from a low $5,030,00 to a paltry $30,016,00.

The industry is currently spending $1.4 million a day influencing the Health care reform debate currently moving through Congress.

Hey I just channeled Murphyslaw !

Hi there Murphy ;-)

again VAG and Commie Peter..you know not what you speak of...i pay for more than HALF of my insurance every month.  Most of my friends that have degrees and work in the private sector have health insurance through their employer that pays more than my district does for insurance, or pays it all.  It is in line with comprable jobs in the private sector, maybe a little worse for me

True, my job is a government job, but at least I offer a service that i get paid for, instead of sittin around doing nothing...and i can see into the future, so before you start bangin on how good teachers have it, i will extend to both of you the opportunity to step into my or a colleuges classroom and have at it....at least then your opinion of what I do would be experienced-based, instead of made up.

teaching has the highest drop out rate of any career....more than half the teachers that are employed last less than 4 years.  25 percent last less than 2 years. 

so, When can I expect you in my classroom?  I will pick you up from your house and bring you to my school also

more than likely though, you two would rather remain anonymous internet bad (_l_) s

"What good does it do to lobby the media or townhall meetings?"

Well, it enables the insurance companies to control the message that's getting out to people. The news would gladly cover someone shouting  at a town hall than to dispel the myths that are out there.

Good Lord, Learnem.  How long IS your lunch hour?

Haha. I was about to ask the same thing, Cat

I would like to know what your idea of affordable insurance is? What amount are you willing to pay to cover your family per month? Or do you expect others to cover your family for you? I've stated it before you are where you want to be in life. Or you would do something about it.

What I love about this country is you are able to be anything you want to be, hard work pays off. But why bother anymore when everyone wants others to take care of them. i'm for affordable insurance and reform but I'm not for government takeover. And that is what it will be. Bigger government and more welfare.

Hmmm.

I wonder why profits are so good for insurance companies.  Could it be all the regulations in effect that stiffle competition??  Just why did congress pass laws preventing people of one state from using health plans in other states??

Makes ya wonder doesn't it Catherine. 

ron,

I doubt deregulating the insurance industry would lower their profits. The reason they can rack up such obnoxiously high profits is because in general, they just drop anyone with a costly chronic medical problem. Either that or make the premiums so high, they drop themselves, or their employer drops them from the company plan or even fires them. If all you insure is healthy people, things become pretty lucrative because you don't have to pay out very much. That's what we have to deal with.

rwestfall, do you think that all British and French citizens are on welfare? They all receive healthcare either free or close to it because they demanded it of their government. They spend about half the amount of money per person that we do. That alone is the benefit of providing healthcare for everyone. 

Heard work pays off if you have a high paying career. There are plenty of careers that are not high paying and we depend on them as a society. Should we really measure hard work by how much you get paid? 

rwestfall, to address your first comment, people, even politicians, sometimes change their minds. People are not static, holding a certain opinion forever and always, but rather adaptable. They can change their mind in light of new ideas or new data. It is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of adaptation or willingness to compromise.

So PP2 the bottom line is you don't want affordable health care you want it for free. For some odd reason I'm willing to bet you pay very little in taxes if any.

Hmmm.

Why not some sensible regulations on on when you can drop the insured, and remove the restrictions on what plans people can sign up for.  Sounds to me like problem solved....

But that was never really the problem.  THe problem is how can the democrats get 50% of the people to pay for the other 50% healthcare...  It has never been about better healthcare.

rwestfall, I'm guessing you could care less if your neighbor was ruined financially because of a health issue. You're all set, so who cares what happens to anybody else, right?

It's pretty pointless to go back and forth like this. My whole point of this blog was to illustrate what a stranglehold the insurance company has over America. They're not serving us well. They're afraid if we get a public option, they won't be able to compete (aka, make their billions in profit). They plan on doing whatever it takes to stop it.

 They're afraid if we get a public option,...

No, a vast majority of people are afraid if we get a public option, we will get what we have with public schools.....

I'm not my neighbors keeper. I also don't have control over how many kids they have or continue to have. My problem is more taxing of the people who do work to cover the people who don't. Keep on taxing the people who create jobs because they are pretty much out numbered and won't have a say on how much they are taxed because the ones who get for free will out number them at election. I am sorry my views don't agree with yours. I'm a firm believer in taking responsibilty for my own actions and life. I'm for afforddable health care for everyone I just don't agree on free or me covering you for what you do in life. Why should I pay higher taxes to cover you when you might smoke or don't take care of yourself.

" I'm not my neighbors keeper."

Perhaps ... yet,  at the same time,  what is good for your neighbor is good for you , too.

--virgil

or,  if your neighbor is not starving, you don't have to worry about him stealing your cow .

--virgil

rwestfall, I don't smoke and my BMI is within the acceptable range. You seem to be under the impression that the public schools are a failure. While I agree it needs work and more funding, it's a heck of a lot better than nothing. Every child deserves an education. Do you think you shouldn't have to pay for public schools too? How about Police and Fire?

Why should I have to pay for the fire department to put out a fire on the other side of town, my house isn't burning? Is that the rwestfall way?

I've not said anything of public schools. Sorry but that has nothing to do with socialized health care. I have no problem in paying taxes that cover the police or fire. But me covering for you to have insurance is not even close to the same thing. You having no health care has nothing to do with public safety. I don't think I've ever had a job where I wasn't offered health insurance from my employer. But then again I chose a career where if I applied myself and worked hard I would advance and be offered benefits for my talent. Because I don't expect you or yours to pick up my tab like you seem to think you're owed or entitled too.

 You seem to be under the impression that the public schools are a failure. While I agree it needs work and more funding, it's a heck of a lot better than nothing.

Hmm... But this same attitude doesn't translate to the current health care system??  Why isn't the cure for health care more funding (increase in premiums)??  And isn't the current health care better than nothing??

You sure give government run programs a lot of slack...

Ron,  part of the cure for healthcare is more funding. It's also fixing some of the major problems. Incentive is one of them. Doctors shouldn't be paid more if you're sick. If you're sick, they aren't doing their job.

Is the current healthcare better than nothing? Well, if you mean no doctors or nurses or hospitals whatsoever, then I guess. If you mean not getting a $6,000 bill for a minor injury, and insurance companies profiting in the $billions then no it's not better than nothing. How can you guys really sit there and say that our healthcare system is great. It sucks from top to bottom. Doctors can't really do their jobs, because there's always some clown in a cubicle telling them their test isn't covered or the treatment their patient really needs is just too expensive for their bottom line.

I'm not saying govt programs are perfect, but if we can pay for decent healthcare for our veterans, why can't we expand that and get decent healthcare for everybody. It's the right thing to do. I would hate to see a nice neighbor lose their home because they got old or got sick or got injured while working a crappy job that didn't have insurance.

 Doctors can't really do their jobs, because there's always some clown in a cubicle telling them their test isn't covered or the treatment their patient really needs is just too expensive for their bottom line.

Oh really??  I thought Obama said Doctors were cutting people legs off and taking their tonsils out because they could make more money doing that? So what is it?  What lie are you going to tell now??

And speaking of profits, what profit margin do you think is acceptable for free market companies??  I know you liberals love when piss poor companies that are run into the ground by their unions go bankrupt so Obama can take them over.  But putting that aside, what do you consider to be a reasonable profit for a company??  Do you think 5 cents profit on every dollar of sales is unreasonable?? How about 25 cents profit on one dollar of sales?? Is that reasonable??  Just what do you liberals consider a reasonable profit margin??

Doctors shouldn't be paid more if you're sick. If you're sick, they aren't doing their job.

So it is now the doctors fault you are sick or get cancer or any number of other issues you can catch from lifestyle. How can you even type that crap PP2. You don't think doctors should get paid when your sick? I don't unddrstand your mindset dude. This country is not about control of others. Read the Constitution.

I'm not saying govt programs are perfect, but if we can pay for decent healthcare for our veterans

That statement right there tells me you've never had to deal with the long waits and schedules of treatment in a VA hospital. You are correct about one thing.

It's pretty pointless to go back and forth like this.

You also seem set in your mind you want handouts and something for nothing. You don't want affordable health insurance you want free benefits. I doubt you'll ever be happy when you expect everyone else to take care of you. I'm for some type of health care reform but what your asking for is freebees and totally socialist.