I have decided that the Democrats should take the public option issue to the states for the 2010 races. If Congress would set up a strong public option (hopefully a Medicare+5), with a trigger that takes affect when certain events occur and then makes one of the events an opt-in by a state government then the debate in the 2010 races would center a lot more on health care then the economy. I don't know who would win this debate, but in my humble opinion it is a debate no Democrat should be afraid to have.
This is just my 2 cents on a very complicated issue.
- THE DEMOCRATS SHOULD TAKE THE HEALTH CARE DEBATE TO THE STATES IN 2010
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exhpfan- November 24th, 10:44
- PERCEPTION
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- exhpfan
- November 16th, 16:40
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace, stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. Several other children repeated this action. Every parent, without exception, forced his or her children to move on quickly.
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
Findings:
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro Station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and people's priorities. The questions raised: "In a common place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?"
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.... How many other things are we missing?
- McCAIN'S MONSTER-IT'S ALIVE
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- exhpfan
- November 16th, 13:28
Like Victor Frankenstein of Shelly's Novel ,John McCain has created a Monster in Sarah Palin. Like Victor Frankenstein, McCain and the GOP are running away from her in fear and disbelief. Just look at this Sunday appearance by David Brooks:
It is not up to the Democrats to destroy this monster, we didn't give her life. Unlike Victor Frankenstein you cannot go and hide and leave your monster to rant and rave and cause harm to us all. You gave her life. It is your responsibility to destroy her.
- LAUGHING AT THE BIGGOT
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- exhpfan
- November 13th, 14:40
It was the summer of 1952. I was 5yrs old and my brother was 9yrs old. My father was my brother's little league baseball coach. My father loaded my brother and I in the car and on the way to the ballpark for a game stopped and picked up two other players. He stopped at a convience store on the way to the game and gave us each a nickle to buy gum. We all bought a pack of baseball cards which also contained gum. I didn't get anyone special, but one of the kids who my dad had picked up said "damn N" and threw one of his cards on the backseat floorboard and rubbed it with his foot. After the kids on the team had ran to the baseball field, my dad took the card off the floorboard, looked at it, put it in my back pocket, and said "Hold on to this card son. He might very well be the best baseball player in the history of the game."
As I sit here in my office looking at my favorite cards displayed in one of my bookcases I am laughing. Proudly being displayed is my 1952 Willie Mays Rookie card. Tough luck biggot.
- OBAMA SHOULD GIVE SHEPPARD SMITH A 1 HOUR INTERVIEW
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- exhpfan
- October 28th, 16:53
My admiration of Sheppard Smith is growing. Watch this exchange that will air on his show tonight. This guy deserves the admiration of everyone, especially Democrats:
- MY FAVORITE HEALTH CARE VIDEO
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- exhpfan
- October 27th, 17:17
The top 20 health care videos are now ready to be voted on at http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/55c103fe/6c7f6367/d0049f6c/11886343/3271352483/V EsF/
I voted on this one as my favorite:
- OPT OUT PUBLIC OPTION GOING TO SENATE FLOOR
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- exhpfan
- October 26th, 15:20
According to Harry Reid, the Senate bill that will go to the Senate floor will have a Public Option with the rights of States to opt out of the bill.
I liked this compromise the moment I started hearing about it being offered as a compromise. Living in a Red State, however, I worry about the large campaign contributions about to began being funneled to the Republican Legislators in Texas. With the huge war chest they are about to get, our Democrats are going to have a hard time competing even though their war chest are starting to grow. At least they chose the "opt out" and not the "opt in" compromise.
I also noticed that at no time did Reid claim to have the 60 votes needed to break a Republican Filibuster. The House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday authorized the Health Bill to be considered as a Budget Item and considered under reconciliation if necessary. I wonder if Reid is now telling All Democrats and Lieberman to get on board and break the filibuster or he will push the bill through under reconciliation. Although there is clearly negotiations remaining, it is time to quit negotiating with threats and start admitting you will support a vote to close debate or just tell Reid to run the bill through using reconciliation. It's time for the Democrats to quit negotiating and time to vote. In other words, PUT UP OR SHUT UP.
For a good history lesson of the prior historical uses of the reconciliation option Look at this article.
- I AM CONFLICTED-I AM BOTH PROUD AND ASHAMED
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- exhpfan
- October 20th, 12:19
Earlier I posted a story about Mike and his brother Mitch. Today I got a very nice letter from Mike with a copy of his Doctorate Dissertation for fulfillment of his Doctor of Philosophy. His Dissertation studied the influence of the life experiences of middle school counselors in dealing with multiple heritage adolescents. He dedicated his paper to his grandparents who I called Rose and her husband in my story. He added my wife and I and my three sons to his list of Acknowlegments. I am so proud of this paragraph and with the exclusion of our names have reprinted it below:
"There were individuals who impressed upon me the importance of education and had a keen enough eye to see the talent I had to accomplish boundless feats. In my hometown filled with stifling racism, there was a family that had the courage to stand against the status quo. The _____family, consisting of (me), (my wife), (my oldest son who I called Steve),(my middle son), and (my youngest son) were like a second family to me. (Me) and (my wife) treated me like their own son, while implanting in me the hope to accomplish anything my heart desired. In spite of what the town may have encouraged the non-minority population to think, the ____family helped me see that I could rise above the oppressive strongholds within it."
I was of course very proud of this acknowledgement. In reading his paper, however, this paragraph made me very ashamed:
"At no point in my upbring was the fact that I was mulitple hertiage an acceptable reality. I can recall being asked on numerous occasions the question, 'What are you?' I can remember feeling dehumanized by such a question. In addition, I felt I was never fully accepted by either side of my ethnic make-up. I was never Black enough to be Black or White enough to be White. For the duration of my childhood and major part of my early adulthood, I felt as if I was trapped in an ethnic quagmire."
I never knew he was going through this feeling of non-acceptance of either race. I always assumed that since he was Black that he was totally accepted by the Black community and his biggest problem in life was going to be fighting racism from the Whites. This was what I was determined to prepare him for. I never even considered the conflict that this caused with his White heritage. I am So ashamed.
- PALIN TO CAMPAIGN FOR PERRY IN TEXAS
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- exhpfan
- October 16th, 13:19
According to this article at CCC.com, Palin has agreed to come to Texas and campaign for Perry against Hutchinson in the Texas Republican primary in Texas. Most experts believe that Texas will turn blue by 2020. I am starting to get my hopes up for the 2012 Governor's race and Hutchinson's Senate seat race. We have had several good candidates looking at both the Governor's race and Hutchinson's Senate seat. It is usually difficult for our Democratic candidates to raise enough money to be competitive and because we have been a solid red state for so long the DNC doesn't like to waste their money on our candidates. Who can blame them? Not me. This time things seem to be different. Our Van has been increased to unbelievable numbers because of the contested primary between Obama and Clinton and our candidates are raising more money then I ever thought possible. Having Palin visit our state will really fire up this van and the money will pour in to our Democratic candidate. I always start getting optimistic about this time of the election cycle (pre-polls) and in the past many years have usually been disappointed.
TURN TEXAS BLUE IN 2012. WHY WAIT?
- "Everything is changing. People are taking the comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke."
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- exhpfan
- October 12th, 14:57
The above quote was made by Will Rogers over 70 yrs ago, but never has it been truer then today. Just look at the following pictures:
Now look at the following Politicians:
Who do you trust more and who is funnier?
- GOVERNMENTS AND RELIGIONS
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- exhpfan
- October 9th, 14:56
President Obama's (I still get shivers when I type those words) recent receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize has caused me to again reflect on the main harm caused by the devotion of the followers of different religious beliefs, WARS. I have wasted a large portion of my life thinking in the abstract about many things, but this topic has probably caused me to waste the most of my time.
I went online and found a copy of the Treaty of Tripoli because it is so important in reflecting the desires of the founders of our Country to not let religion interfer with how we treated relationships with other Countries. Here is a picture of the treaty. Look at paragraph 11 which reads as follows:Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
- THE GAME IS ON AND I BET OBAMA WINS
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- exhpfan
- October 8th, 11:24
Michael Scherer has just posted an Article entitledCalling 'Em Out: The White House Takes on the Press
The general of this new policy is Anita Dunn and to get an insight of her mindset, just read this last paragrph of this article:
It is not hard to awaken her fiercer instincts. "Here in the White House, you are reluctant to feel like you have to go to that place," she says. "But we have to be more aggressive rather than just sit back and defend ourselves, because they will say anything. They will take any small thing and distort it." In other words, after eight months at the White House, the days of nonpartisan harmony are long gone — it's Us against Them. And the Obama Administration is playing to win.
- ANY BETS ON WHETHER OR NOT FOX WILL RENEW SHAPARD SMITH'S CONTRACT WHEN IT EXPIRES?
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- exhpfan
- October 7th, 11:09
SMITH: "Over the last ten years health care costs in America have skyrocketed. Regular folks cannot afford it. So, they tax the system by not getting preventative medicine. They go to the emergency room in the last case and we all wind up paying for it. As the costs have gone up, the insurance industry's profits, on average, have gone up more than 350%. And it is the insurance companies which have paid, and who have contributed to Senators and Congressmen on both sides of the aisle to the point where now we cannot get what all concerned on Capitol Hill seem to believe and more 60% of Americans say they would support, which is a public option. This has been an enormous win for the health-care industry, that is an unquestioned fact. But I wonder, what happens to the American people when we come out with legislation now which requires everyone to have health care insurance -- or many more people -- but does not give a public option? Therefore millions more people will have to buy insurance from the very corporations that are overcharging us, and whose profits have gone up 350 percent in the last ten years. It seems like we the people are the ones getting the shaft here."
- A RISING NEW STAR OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
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- exhpfan
- October 2nd, 17:00
Alan Grayson, the Freshman Representive from the 8th District of Florida is in my opinion a new rising star of the Democratic party. Although because of his recent speech on the house floor, Republicans have tried to paint him as some radical nut case, he is up to the battle. He graduated from Havard Law school with honors. As a trial lawyer, I would hate to have him on the opposite side of any case I ever try.
Here is the first of three videos I want to add to this post. This is his original speech that started all the recent attacks against him for which the Republicans demanded an apology:
Following this speech he gave this apology:
Following this speech he walked right into the stuation room and took on Wolf Blizer and the entire panel. Here is a video of this remarkable confrontation:
I love this guy. He is the type of straight talker that the Democratic party needs right now. This is the type of attacks that should have been coming from our Congressional leaders, not a freshman Representative.
- DON'T PANDER THEM! SHAME THEM!
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- exhpfan
- September 24th, 10:55
It appears that the over 65 age group in this county have now become the strongest opponent of Health Care reform. This makes me furious. The baby boomers have rightfully been referred to as the ME GENERATION. I am ashamed to have to call this generation my generation. I say that it is time to quit pandering to this generation and to start shaming them. It is not right that they care more about what programs they are going to get instead of the burdens they are placing on their own children and grand-children to pay for these programs. Not a single person over 65yrs of age ever paid in sufficient money to pay for the cost of their social security and medicare benefits they are now receiving. There is no way my children or grandchildren will ever see a dime in benefits from their large social security and medicare taxes they now pay unless something is done to made the funds solvent. SHAME FOR SHAME ON THE ME GENERATION.
I for one don't believe the elderly in this country are more important then the children. There is not a single person over 65yrs of age who shouldn't stand in front of a child to stop a bullet.
- I KNOW WHO THEY ARE
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- exhpfan
- September 21st, 15:03
President Carter's comment has received a lot of publicity lately. What is absent in his statement is a very simple statement that he knows who the racist are. I am a 61yr old white male who was born and raised in Texas and I know who the racist are in my community and they know I know. Some think it is for some reason important to try and convience me that they aren't racist, and some just don't care what I think and refer to me a N---- lover. I could list over and over again the things said at private partys or Masonic Lodge meetings that has allowed me to know these people and their beliefs, but it doesn't matter. This post is simply to back up President Carter's statements. He knows of what he speaks.
- THIS PICTURE HAS CAUSED ME TO THINK ABOUT AND TELL THIS STORY BEFORE I DIE
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- exhpfan
- September 11th, 11:02
My friend capthek posted this picture on his journal. Before I tell my story I want to give a little history by just posting the two post I made on capthek's journal. I posted these two responses:
( NOW THE STORY )
Post 1: Actually those people in that picture were probably Southern Democrats and not Republicans at the time that picture was taken. I am lucky that my parents belived in and got on board with the new young leaders that emerged in the Democratic Party in the 50's and 60's. LBJ had more problems with the members of his own party then he did with the Republicans in getting the Civil Rights Act passed. The Republican domination in the South was caused because the Republican's welcomed with open arms these people in that picture and although they gained Southern dominance they lost their soul while the Democrat's gained their soul. LBJ said that the Civil Rights
Act would give the South to the Republicans for the next 60 years if the Republicans welcomed those people shown in that picture into their party, but that at the end of that 60 years the Democratic Party would emerge stronger and better, and the Republicans would become weaker and weaker because rejection of any influence by those shown in your picture was the Right side of the issue. He recommended that neither party welcome those type of people into their party. The Republicans didn't listen to LBJ and his prediction is about to come true.
Post 2: The key is education. I don't know if you are aware that when FDR was trying to fully integrate the Military during the 30's and 40's that he commissioned a study to determine the strengths and weakness of doing so and the report came back directly opposite of what he expected. It determined that blacks were inferior to whites and did not have the mental capacity to perform normal military activities such as flying airplanes. This gave credence to these people's arguments against inter-racial marriage and they really did firmly believe that inter-racial marriage was a Communist plot to cause the intelligence of our country to go down and make us inferior to other white nations. As long as any party continues to embrace the people with outdated and totally absurd views, they will continue to lose support from the educated in this country.
My Dad, a totally good and honorable man agreed with the report during my younger years because during his life he was only subjected to uneducated blacks with the vocabulary of 10 yr. olds. He thought it was his duty as a Christen to help this unfortunate race from which God withheld the ability to learn. He didn't think he was a racist, because he didn't "hate blacks" and condemned such things as lynchings. It was only when television gave him the opportunity to see and hear intelligent blacks like Martin Luther King and others that caused him to change his opinion. Education is the key.
- MY GRANDDAUGHTER WON
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- exhpfan
- September 8th, 9:16
My 8 yr. old granddaughter finally won out with her pleading and I took her to see Half Blood Prince at the Saturday afternoon matinee. It was funny. The theater was empty except for 5 middle age women who came into the theater after us and proceeded to sit in the row right in front of us and immediately started talking. This was the fifth time all 5 women had seen the movie and it was clear they were Snape fans who spent all their free time discussing Harry Potter. During the previews they started discussing how they thought the scenes explaining why Snape would kill Dumbledore should have been included in Half Blood Prince since the mystery of Snape being good was already explained in Deathly Hallows and the movies should have just told the story instead of trying to maintain the mystery.
( Read more... )
- WHAT WOULD I ACCEPT IN PLACE OF A PUBLIC OPTION?
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- exhpfan
- September 4th, 17:20
I have been trying to decide what would possibly work in insurance reform without a public option.
I would accept each insurance company being allowed to only have 1 national pool with rates set based only on age. I would accept a requirement that with a simple application and initial premium a person is automatically accepted into the pool. I would accept that all insurance companies are all listed on one site with their rates posted. I would accept that no company or government employee be given a different rate or policy then what is offered to everyone. All insurance provided for any government employee must be provided from this pool.
I would accept a trigger to add the right of a person to choose a medicare option if the insurance companies don't spend at least 80% of premiums charged on actual medical cost or make more then a 5% profit from premiums collected or if no more then 5 companies agree to participate in this National Pool or if premiums increase more then 10% in any one year for any age group. I would want any price setting to be strickly prohibited.
Just some random thoughts before I sign off to be with my family for the Labor Day Weekend. Everyone have a good weekend.
- IT WON'T HAPPEN, BUT I CAN STILL DREAM
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- exhpfan
- September 2nd, 10:12
Obama is set to make a very important speech on September 15 in Pittsburg. He will at this time direct Congress on what he wants in the Health Care reform bill. This is my dream:
Obama concedes that any attempt at bi-partisanship is dead. He agrees with the Republicans that all the present bills are too complicated and it is impossible to determine their actual cost because of the complexity. He then ask that all bills be scraped and a very simple MEDICARE FOR ALL bill be passed. He throws his entire support behind the simple 30 page H. R. 676 and asks it to be passed by the end of the year.
