Political Punch

Why, when people talk about Universal Health care, do they speak as if everyone MUST get their health care through the government? Can't Universal Health care allow people who can afford it, pay for private health care insurance as they do now? Can't employers still provide health care? Isn't the purpose of Universal Health care to provide health care for those who do not have health care through their employer or are unemployed, and do not qualify for government programs in place now? If, not, why can't that be the Universal Health care plan. Let those who can pay for it, have that choice. Those who fall through the cracks but still have resources, such as home ownership will be covered without exhausting their savings or selling their home because they needed surgery, for example.

My father and mother lie at rest in Arlington National Cemetary. My husband lies at rest in Quantico National Cemetary at the Quantico Marine Base. My grandfather fought in WWI, my father in law in WWII (with a Navy Cross.) My cousin retired from the Air Force. My brother in law was Navy, my sister in law a Marine. I don't think the lapel pin is necessary.

umm, Sen. Inhofe ....Obama wore his flag pin when he gave his speech at the DNC, while McSame didn't....

Once again another Republican behaving as if they have a monopoly on Patriotism and Christianity.

You would think the only people fighting in these wars are Christian, White and Republican. It is sad that constant disdain the Republicans have for anyone who does not fit their definition of moral, patriotic or family value

How many Americans think we have 57 states? Raise your hands now.

Dr Parra : So having a woman with NO foreign relations experience a heartbeat from a 72 year old man doesn't scare you? Well how about having a 72 year old man voting against benefits for veterans. They are our most important priority. You claim that you are a Retired veteran yet you are not offended by McCains lack of care for the veterans...you sound pretty fishy to me.

What scare me is the Obama has over 305 advisors and still Obama makes one serious error after another. Either he is not smart enough to listen well or his advisors cannot make Obama listen to issues or initiatives that need to be made. Obama will get our troops into a third Iraqi war and worse an Iran war.

JASON:
GET REAL!!!!

" going to school, paying your bills, spenidng 20 years in poor neighborhoods trying to make things better for your fellow citizens and teach Constitutional law. It is a lapel pin. "

____________
It's not a matter of the lapel pin alone! That wouldn't even be an issue if he didn't surround himself with an army of unsavory characters, a large percentage of whom are anti-American.

And going to school and paying your bills are good goals for EVERYONE and special credit... (except in the way of scholarships and grants).... is not given to ANYONE for services rendered.

And I don't think Obama lived in poor neighborhoods to make things better for his neighbors. Once he could afford better, he was out of there like a hot potato out of a kid's hand.....

And teaching Constitutional Law.... was a J O B..... not a "calling".

But now that you bring it up......

It would have been politic if Obama,who is campaigning to be our next potus, had used a more dignified means of getting rid of over 12,000 miniature American Flags other than just having them thrown out with the garbage!

Why couldn't he have seen to it that they were burned?

After all, the American Flag I S the symbol of our beloved country!

yes, this is what it takes to PROVE that you love America, you have to wear a lapel pin. Not going to school, paying your bills, spenidng 20 years in poor neighborhoods trying to make things better for your fellow citizens and teach Constitutional law. It is a lapel pin.
Senator McArthy is alive and well and been reborn in Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.

Not for nothin, when you HAVE to wear a lapel pin to show your love for country, this is no longer the country I love.

This from a man who once compared the Environmental Protection Agency to the Gestapo.

wait till the berg injunction against the dnc and bho hits the fan(bho and the dnc were served friday). bho will be shown to be ineligible to be president vis-a-vis his citizenship!!!

McBush is a blundering IDIOT. Doesnt know where he stands from one day to the next. What a joke. If that MORON becomes the next Dictator, ahem I mean "president" I am getting the heck out of here and never looking back!

Jenn

Mariann Pepitone,
Oh, and Palin is real. She hides behind the men in the Republican party, dodges the press, then wants to be seen as a symbol of equality. Who is the fake? Palin is all imagery right now and a coward for not speaking with the press!

Typical Republican bs. Attack with divisive comments then deny the words meant exactly they were supposed to mean. How anybody can be proud to be a Republican is beyond me.

amrica*centric,

In case you have not noticed, America's greatest territorial threats are no longer the same as when our missile defense system was created or when the untested space based defense system -- star wars, was proposed. Perhaps you would like to keep spending money fighting the war from a couple decades ago, but I would prefer a commander-in-chief who looks at the present situation and focuses on where the actual threats are.

LINDA:

"We're taking it from the 2 war criminals Bush and Cheney. We're going to take it back to when the world looked to us as a beacon of hope and justice"

Everyone hates Bush and Cheney....even the Republicans!

But they're providintg the candidate who can most successfully get us to where you want us to be.

This is the first time I will have voted Republican; I hated the way the Dems dissed Hillary and Bill Clinton and accused them of being racists.

I hate the "get over it "sweetie" attitudc of B O and his bloggers.

But the one thing we share, you and I, is the same goal!

Let's hope that whoever wins this election will be the one who can achieve it!

We're taking it from the 2 war criminals Bush and Cheney. We're going to take it back to when the world looked to us as a beacon of hope and justice.We gave the repubs 8 years and look at us. Gestopo....anyone who disagrees must be unamerican is that it?

LINDA IN NC
"this is our country too and we're taking it back. "
______________
..... and where did you intend to take it?
Other people might feel that THEY have dibs on it, too.

You sound like the gestapo! ;-0

Mariann Pepitone - I already answered you. I said You're right! It has not been 4 years,it has been 3 years 9 months which makes his record even that more impressive.

Stupid liberals think the election is about issues. LOl. This election like every election since Washington will be based on the character of the person. why do you think we Americians expect the canidates to posture for us for 18 months. We do you think we expect our canidates to serve hot dogs, to meet and greet, to give stump speeches, to battle each other with TV ads, radio ads, debates, etc.

It is because thru this actions the Americian people can get a glimpse of the character of the person they are going to elect. We want to know how they will respond under pressure, how they respond when required to humble themselves, how they repsond in the limelight, how quick on their feet they are and yes how they respond to bullying, insults etc. All of these things we require our canidates to do so we can judge their character. the issues are always and will always be secondary. If it was a matter of issues we could knock out those in two weeks. It isn't we require our leaders to undergo test after test before we hand them the keys to the kingdom.

Barack has had 290 missed votes since 1991. That's 45.5 percent!

He has hit the yellow button 195 votes to enter "present" since 2005.

You can tell he is a strong leader by his inbility to decide what to do.

But he did have an opinion on some things:

"Obama voted to rid our country of DEFENSIVE missles. You know, those missles that would destroy incoming warheads from elsewhere?

In a day when every third world country is developing nuclear capabilities, we will now have to sit back and watch them come...because we can't defend ourselves against them any longer. "

Be careful when you vote!

You only get O N E chance!

MCCAIN AND PALIN

COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY

Yeah Bll...give it to em. You put out the lies and smears, we're going to be in your face till Nov. Never again will we let the lies go unanswered. Can't talk about the issues because McCain is another Bush. ...this is our country too and we're taking it back.

Bloggers, do not let the election be about personalities,as the republicans would like. The election is about the important issues facing the American people. Who has the solutions. Republicans want to talk about people. I want to talk about policy.

Just a reminder to readers, go get the facts from various sources. Fact check the rrepublicans. They have no problem with lies and mistatements.

McCain/Palin '08. All talk and no substance.

Only other thing I learned that night was republicans can't dance either.

To eyes wide open, you picked the wrong person. I'm not afraid of republican nonsense. You're a bully. I'll treat bullies accordingly.
Want to talk about the facts, great, I'll give you that, if not get back to the issues of the American people. That is what I'm about. I love my country. You love yourself.

the only reason McCain's speech was so highly watched was because we wanted to see how bad he was going to do . I wasn't disappointed. I like the Walter Reed school too...Ha Ha supposed to be Walter Reed Hospital.

ABC is owned by Walt Disney Company, to someones question. I'm trying to better understand their political leanings. Maybe someone else has facts, not supposition.

We did not trash any flags....they were stolen...lies and more lies. Hey if a repub's lips are moving their lieing.

Maryanne I don't believe you can "present" in the US Senate.

BLL:
"America, republicans are lauging at your concerns."

Obama's the one who's sneering... at the amount of money you gave him to show off his enormous ego and equally large ears in Denver a week ago!

He's laughing with delight at trashing enormous quantities of American flags!

He couldn't think to donate them to some inner city schools. Hed couldn't even see that they were destroyed in a dignified way.... by fire!

It was OK with him....... the one who intends to be the defender of this flag... to throw them out!

As for health care.... his plan was never the perfect one; it left too
many people uncovered!

Obama is words.. just words.... and most of them aren't even his!

McCain doesn't have B O's glitz, but he has substance and experience upon which we can depend.

And he has already proved himself to us by his years of service both in the navy, and in our Congress!

COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY!
McCain and Palin

You know they say 25% of americans are chronically stupid. Unemployment is what 6%? Not only are they gainfully employed but posting too. Is it any wonder we've had 8 years of Bush and Cheney.

linda n carolina: Of course the senate keeps records that's why they know how many times Obama missed the senate and how many times he voted present or didn't vote at all. If you listen to the news, the media made a remark that Obama is a sincere liar everytime he speaks. The good news is that Palin got 40 million viewer's, McCain 39 million and Obama 38 million. I don't believe he will win the election to be president.

Ignorance is bliss.

Concerned in Ohio: Obama words of audacity and hope are from his pastor Rev. Wright who was preaching those words in his sermon. Obama took those words and published himself a book making a few million dollars. Obama copies from everyone including JFK, MLK and RFK. He doesn't have the intelligence to write his own words. Biden is a good choice for him because Biden will be running the country and Obama will stand in the background if elected.

Maryanne: Well maybe the Senate keeps records.Do you think?

Maryanne: It was the STATE SENATE he voted present 130 times. Gees atleast get the story straight. This has been flying around the internet for months. If he was absent from the Us Senate 130 days....then McCain is about to catch him. He hasn't been there since April thats 120 days and counting

linda n carolina: How do you know when McCain voted were you there with him?

You know I never thought of it that way but yeah the Senator is right. Why would I want to vote for a wimp that degrades my country? I'm not a german nor am I English. I think I would rather have my interests at heart on the world stage instead of all the other "world citizen's" If I was voting for a world leader than I can see but I'm not I'm voting for the Americian President. The leader of MY nation. Not the leader of the world. I expect my President to put MY country first.

linda n carolina: He didn't vote present 130 times where have you been? He was absent 130 times and when he was in the senate he voted present because he didn't understand whether to vote yes or no.

Krista: Common sense doesn't vote for Obama nonsense does.

Anyone who knows(apparantly not you maryanne)the state senate in IL knows voting present only represents that you have a problem with a part of the bill. Very common there.130 present votes out of a total of over 4,000. See what a little fact check does.But hey never let the facts get in the way of posting lies and inuendo.

Awe. How cute. Paul Street's famous ‘Backroom Deal’ with Exelon is rearing it's head again. How predictable.

Has already been debunked. Factchecker says that Hillary's campaign could not provide any proof that there had been a ‘backroom deal’.
Exelon lobbied many senators over the nuclear notification bill. Had Obama not agreed to the drafting changes, the bill would have been blocked by the *Republican* majority on the Environment Committee.

NMP: Obama has not been a senator for four years and was absent over 130 times. Where was he at to co-sponsor these bills? At Ayers house or maybe Wright's. He is the poorest example of a senator in history.

Sorry Bill...my post was for jim

Willem van Oranje: I don't think so. He never was in the senate co-sponsor anything. He only voted present or was absent. He is the worst senator in history. He said he was against the war but wasn't there to vote. He is a joke.So where was he that he wasn't in his senate seat over 130 times.

Anyone one know the last time McCain voted? April 2008 thats when.Couldn't even go back for the new GI Bill.How's that for supporting the Vets. Go to war and die for us but we don't things too good for you, you might not want to re-enlist.

America, republicans are lauging at your concerns. They mock your hopes and dreams. They think health care reform, educating our kids, jobs, and security is funny. Republicans mock the truth, too.

Posted by: bll | Sep 7, 2008 10:01:41 PM

The problem is that a vote for Obama is more a vote for four more years of Bush than a vote for McCain would be!

Obama is a carbon copy of our current BOZO: equally inexperienced (except that Bush had at least managed a state),
both actually running on the same cheery platform of "CHANGE!, and both filled with charisma with nothing else to support voting for him!

COUNTRY BEFORE BROKEN DNC PARTY
MCCAIN AND PALIN

Bill: surely you don't still believe we went to Iraq to go after terrorists. HAHA I forgot you reps believed every thing Bush said. There were no terrorists in Iraq except Saddam and his henchmen ( that didn't stop us to us him in the precedeing years).It was all about the oil baby!! Who's got the oil contracts now...yep the same one's Saddam kicked out 30 years ago.Where's Bin Laden Bill? Same place Bush left him 6 years ago. What will we declare victory...oops Bush already did that on the air craft carrier. I quess we will win when? 2 years when another 4,000 are dead? When they agree to our style of democracy? The Iraqi's, Irani's , the palistine? They are not like us and never will be. Their religion is their life...it prevades in everything they do the cleric will always rule. Time to bring them home there is no "victory "

A Senator's job in the Senate is to introduce Bills and he needs to find other Senators who will support that Bill. Okay?

Let's do some numbers. Let's count who has a more impressive -bipartisan - record in the Senate. Shall we? Let's do some counting of McCain's record vs. Obama's for the currrent Congress, using the Thomas database (thanks to Paul Rosenberg for his work).

Bills Sponsored:
Obama: 129
McCain: 38

Total Co-Sponsors:
Obama: 547
McCain: 91

Maximum nr of Co-Sponsors for a Bill:
Obama: 36
McCain: 14

Number of Bills With 10 or More Co-Sponsors:
Obama: 14
McCain: 1

Finally, to test the bipartisanship claim.

Number of Co-Sponsors From Opposite Party on 7 Bills With Most Co-Sponsors:
Obama: 29
McCain: 16

Go tell this gentleman to fly a kite!! He just wants us to have another four years of same!! This guy - Republican is one who doesn't love America!!! Presently America is a disaster!! Another Bank closed today. Friday unemployment at worst level in five years. Worst national debt in whole history of America!! He just wants more of same so he can lie to Americans.

I don't fall prey to these scare tactics!! Obama loves America alot!!

This is as bad as the new out - Republican Southern "racial label" - Southern Republican legislator called Barack Obama "uppity". And yes this is an old label used for blacks. Disgusting!!

I am white woman college educated medical professional from midwest, now living in California. And I am registered Republican. I just retired so have been following presidential campaign. And old enough to know the racial label quite well. That southern gentleman is a jerk and yes, appears he is racial. Psychological suggestive and implied reference is sure there. So he denies. What does anyone one expect ??

This lady will be changing party affiliation soon!! And this is sad. I have been registered Republican my whole life!!

Obama/ Biden will have a difficult time because they will be responsible to the people. People are fickle, and you can't ever please everybody. An Obama administration however will be inclusive and open. Obama policies will be pro middle class, and pro family.

McCain will simply control your pocket book. You'll be glad if you have a job when they get through sucking the life out of your income with a surcharge for this that. McCain will be responsible to business America. Things like fewer sick days and vacation, or that you've got too much family leave, or tax your health insurance benefits. Hears one I heard recently, they plan to charge for for your health/vices. You could loose your job if you smoke, or they give you a year to get your weight down, and blood pressure under control or you pay extra money to keep your job...things like that. They'll continue trickle down economics.

Just came in over Fox news that McCain is leading Obama 48% to 45%. Since he chose Palin his polls increased and they will continue to increase. And if I was Palin I would close my ears to what I don't want to hear and close my eyes to what I don't want to see. I can't wait to see Pelosi's face should McCain win the election.

A despicable comment. He should apologize.

>>>>>Samantha | Sep 7, 2008 9:50:23 PM
-----------

Thank you, Samantha.

You presented an excellent, well cited post about just another one of Obama's lies.

Unfortunately, Obamaniacs cannot figure out how to extract the facts from the chaff..... or to accept the truth when it is not in keeping with your pre-judiced opinions.

Growing up is hard to do.

Obama felt that Gov Sarah Palin demeaned "Community Organizer". I think He and his hate brigade needs a course in English,.Unless they are trying to twist her speech or play the victim.
If you review her speech. I am sure, what she meant--compared to "community organizer" mayor job involves more decision making, She in no way ran down "community Organizer".Even the ladies at the VIEW think she ran down CO

and gary, what do prefer:

Your specialist deciding what care you need?
Or a bureaucrat for a private insurer who wants to make profit?
Or your wallet?

Mary get your facts straight. Senator Obama has co-sponsored legislation with Senator Coburn of Oklahoma who is far to the right.Get educated.

Mariann- You're right! It's been 3 years 9 months so that makes his record THAT much more impressive. Thank You!

NMP: Obama hasn't been a senator for four years yet. Don't you listen to the news? He never sponsored those bills he missed too many days in the senate to pass any bills and the whole congress has to pass bills Obama himself can't pass bills. There has to be a vote on it. You better start reading.

Maybe someone should ask Palin that questions since it is NOW on video where she WAS a member of the Alaskan group - FACT

Bloggers,
How do you stop a republican bully? You confront them. You let them know you are not afraid, that you won't intimidated. Just tell the truth. Republicans won't care about the truth, but undecided will. Let them know that republican are making up things, mistating facts, and trying to confuse them. Don't let people forget the facts of the last 8 years. Don't give them another 4 years. Republicans should justly not be allowed to lead this nation.

willem van oranje: Who are you trying to kid. Obama missed the senate about 130 or more days, what never there to vote on the war and always answered present. And I know you are aware of that. He did know how to answer like he didn't know how to answer the questions at he forum interview. He is a poor example of a senator and will be worse as a president. Of course we all know that Biden will be running the country not Obama.

Mary, I forgot to add.... In eight years in the IL. State Legislature, Obama sponsored 820 bills that became law. In 4 years as a US Senator he has sponsored 427 bills and authored 152 Bills.

Obama 08

the common sense choice.
___________________________

...For those with no common sense.

Mary - I'll help William-
Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
Honest Leadership and Open Gov. Act
Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimdation Prevention Act
Obama-McCain Climate Change Reduction Bill

There was a provision to his original legislation for which Obama also introduced the Obama0Lugar Threat Reduction. The provision came later and included Chuck Hagel, as well. I could go on and on, but I have stuff to do.

gary: "and who decides what health care is "needed""

Your doctor.

linda n carolina, Get real, Obama is the one that wants to turn Iraq back over to Al Qaeda and with access to all of Iraq's oil reserves Al Qaeda will have the means and opportunity to attack us again and attack us hard. So just pray that Obama does not get elected cause if he does, Al Qaeda will rise again all due to Obama's desire to hand Al Qaeda a victory in Iraq.

Seriously: Obama wears a flag pin because he was called on it. Now he wants people to think that he likes this country. Give me a break. Why don't you read more about this man and understand politics better. Obama is a fake and a sincere liar and its people like you that eat up this copied speeches that he can't write himself. When he is accusing McCain of using the word change, Obama copied it from Clinton's speech along from RFK's speech of hope and change.

Obama 08

the common sense choice.

mary -

well, that's mighty generous of you mary. Out of your own free will admitting that you were spreading a lie.
You DO know that Obama had crossed the aisle after all.

And no, that bill is not the only one. Obama has found at least 29 senators as co-sponsors from the other side of the aisle on the more importan legislation.
McCain only 16

Once again, uninformed republicans try to talk about povery in America. The poor could not leave New Orleans. The poor are not represented, are often unseen, and certainly people like you don't know the poor. But, that is an aside, go do your homework, readers. Don't let republicans snow you over with nonsense.

During the pivotal Iowa campaign, Obama sought to burnish his populist "tinge" by telling a misleading story about his response to an Exelon nuclear accident that outraged Illinois residents in late 2005 and early 2006. On December 1 of 2005, Exelon admitted that it had discovered radioactive by-products of nuclear power in monitoring wells at its Braidwood plant, located in central Illinois. Citizen concerns deepened when radioactive tritium was discovered in a home drinking well near the plant and Exelon revealed that this substance came from millions of gallons of water that had leaked from the plant over many years. Exelon had not been required to report the leaks since the radioactive discharges had not reached the level of what the Nuclear Regulatory Commission called "an emergency."

Last November, Obama told a campaign crowd in Iowa that he had introduced a U.S. Senate bill that required nuclear plant owners to notify local and state authorities immediately when even small leaks had occurred. The bill, he told Iowa voters, was "the only nuclear legislation that I've passed. I just did that last year," Obama claimed, eliciting "murmurs of approval" [3].

But, as the New York Times reported in a front-page story two days before Super Tuesday, the truth of what happened after the Braidwood leak was very different than Obama's self-serving version. "While he initially fought to advance" a bill very much like what he claimed to have "passed," Times reporter Mike McIntire noted, "Mr. Obama eventually rewrote it to reflect changes sought by Senate Republicans, Exelon, and nuclear regulators. Those revisions propelled the bill through a crucial committee. But contrary to Mr. Obama's comments in Iowa, it ultimately died amid parliamentary wrangling in the full Senate despite the removal of language mandating prompt reporting. Instead, the bill simply offered guidance to regulators, whom it charged with addressing the issue of unreported links." As McIntire suggested, this ignominious legislative aftermath contradicted Obama's campaign claim and followed in natural accord with the following facts [4]:

* Obama had received at least $227,000 in campaign cash from Exelon since 2003.

* "Exelon's support for Mr. Obama far exceeds its support for any other presidential candidate."

* Exelon executives met repeatedly with Obama's staff to discuss Obama's ultimately diluted and aborted bill.

* Obama's chief political strategist David Axlerod had worked as a consultant to Exelon since 2002.

Once again, uninformed republicans try to talk about health care. Please go read the actual proposals for healthcare. Don't take these republicans word, they make up things, misstate the facts, and sometimes out and out lie to confuse you. The only answer is to get the information for yourself.

Willem van Oranje , Notice you did not name even one example. So I'll name the one and ONLY bill that Obama co-sponsered A nuclear non proliferation treaty that was an update of another bill. That's it. Pretty thin don't you think? LOL

Do republicans plan to live in the world all by themselves. If so, how do you plan to accomplish that? What will you do with all the people you don't want to feed or educate, or provide health care to. will you build a green zone around your selves. I believe in France not so very long ago the people rose up against those who let them starve. What kind of world do republicans invision. Is that why republicans need so many guns. What is the republican vision for the world. Maybe the wild west, gun smoke, the sheriff, the saloon, and the grave yard. Maybe as I heard a republican say you intend to get rid of everyone who isn't a republican.

Who is unAmerican? I don't think it is progressives.

Mary, LOL Are these Obama supporters really that stupid? William de Orange actually admits that some government bureaucrat will have the power to decide what health care is "needed" and he calls you "silly" You couldn't make this stuff up.

mary: "Obama has never reached out to anyone in the GOP on any difficult issue."

Sigh. Obama's bipartisan record has been extensively discussed.

But keep on spreading lies and smears. It reflects the true values of the Republican Party and it is more proof that a McCain/Palin administration won't be any different than the Bush/Cheney adminstration.

It will be worse.

Who was President when 9/11 happened....that's what I thought. If we get attacked again it will be on Bush's head because of his asinine foreign policies.I know Clinton had his hand in the pot too.

Willem van Oranje, and who decides what health care is "needed" the government that's who. So you prove my point. So who is "silly" now.

mary,

Nobody in the UK is denied healthcare he or she *needs*, nobody.

But if you want a healthcare system where every DEMAND for a CAT-scan in case of a broken fingernail is honored?
Plus a Second Opinion, and a Third?
Be my guest.

Mary, The facts I provided are very accurate and you can look up the very real, very detailed information available to you through numerous public sources. I can not; however, continue to provide information to a person like you who has no interest in facts and only molds and adjust them to fit into your ill-conceived vision of what you want just to make your candidate look good. Good luck to you.

Under Universal Health Care, Government Bureaucrats ration health care. Probably to the people that are "ideologically pure".

To independents,

Remember 9/11 is approaching. The people who lost their lives we