yeah, I'm tired of people restraining their communication. Can't we show some emotion and passion? Do we have to be SOOO NICE to these knuckle-dragging thugs?

I'm tired of the "tisk tisk, let's be nice" mantra. The time for being nice has long past.

Move over Democracy

Here are 16 Principles for the Lobbyists of America.


1. Lobbyists destined to fill a void left by democracy's failings. Voters are irrational, cannot be trusted to act without guidance from lobbyists.

2. Lobbyists are the new behavioral nudgers guiding America. Forget behavioral scientists, special interest lobbyists will do the real nudging.

3. Lobbyists must nudge voters to elect "friendly" politicians. Lobbyists must invest millions to elect officials favorable to special interests.

4. Lobbyists are the new "unseen hand" of American Capitalism. Capitalism's new "unseen hand" is the enlightened deals of 261,000 lobbyists

5. Lobbyists will guide economic recovery for special interests. Congress, the president and regulators all have a price, find it and pay it.

6. Lobbyists protect special interests using taxpayer money. The wealthy will have ready access to the assets and credits of the Treasury.

7. Lobbyists amass extra capital anticipating a new meltdown. Plan ahead for the next recession by stockpiling benefits for your clients.

8. Lobbyists hire new blood directly from inside government. The contacts of senators and congressmen are worth millions to clients.

9. Lobbyists reward politicians, treat them like co-lobbyists. Everyone in Washington wants to get rich off big government, help them

10. Lobbyists must defeat programs unfavorable to clients. Programs that weaken the power of the rich must be aggressively defeated.

11. Lobbyist clients' interests come before public interest. Principles of fiduciary duty mean clients take precedence over public needs.

12. Lobbyists must defeat or gut financial literacy programs. Intelligent, informed investors undercut special interests; Kill the CFPA.

13. Lobbyists give traders access to commercial bank assets. Investment banks switched to get access to deposits for high-risk trading.

14. Lobbyists never help mortgagees and credit-card holders. Helping failing homeowners and card holders means less for bank insiders.

15. Lobbyists want cap-and-trade derivatives for a new bull market. America needs a new bubble, new bull -- global warming trades will do trick.

16. Lobbyists must reward the rich, eliminate the "death tax." Eliminating inheritance taxes assures continuity of wealthy gene pools.

Apparently, the men who framed our Constitution were not careful enough to protect The Untied States from its own worst enemy.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/story/print?guid=288399EA-22AE-488D-B106-4CB6DAA8D1FC

so true. there's just one thing they aren't factoring in:

THEIR VERY SOULS

Senator Rockefeller on Keith Olbermann and Senator Franken's Fairness in Health Insurance Act.

Health insurance companies should, by law, pay out 90 cents on every dollar in premiums they take in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYBMhNvdZU

but Martin, do we STILL need to give them half a trillion in subsidies over the next 10 years?

(jumping up and down throwing a tantrum :)

How so, exactly?

I guess it's unconstitutional because it's not in the Bible. Or maybe because the president isn't really an American citizen, he's actually a space alien (and a Muslim one at that). There simply is no rational argument against a public option. All opponents have to go on is lies and scare tactics. 

Do you not know what the Consitution is?

Do you?

I do. But judging by yours and Allan's posts it doesn't appear that either of you have a clue. I thought it would be pretty obvious what "unconstitutional" means. Apparently neither of you do.

Well, you haven't actually offered an argument or explanation of why it is unconstitutional for the United States government to set up a company to allow citizens to purchase goods/and or services on an optional basis.  One would think the existence of the Post Office alone refutes your point.  If the Supreme Court is about to close down the Post Office, please let me know now so I can buy some stamps before they become rare antiques.

Care to elaborate on what you mean, since there's nothing obvious about how such a thing would be unconstitutional?

Try reading the 9th and 10th amendments.

Irrelevant.  Creating a new health insurance plan that a limited number of people may opt to purchase constains neither the rights of individuals nor of the states.  If it did, then Medicare Part B, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D would all be unconstitutional.  Given that I'm looking at an ad for AARP's "Medicare Choice" on TV as I type this, that clearly is not the case.

Please try again.

So the Constitution is irrelevant? Yep. I figured you people look at the Constitution as an impediment.

FYI; Medicare is also unconstitutional.

The Consitution is quite relevant.  It protects your freedom of speech, even when 40-odd years of legal precedent (just counting post-Medicare years) and basic reading comprehension contradicts said speech.

It's your argument that's quite irrelevant.

I did appreciate the shot at "you people."  Though given that "my people" are Irish-American and your last name is Cunningham... well...

Step right up folks, what we have here is a genuine, bonafide TENTHER. Well, maybe since he's a ninther and a tenther he would be called a...NENTHER?

Genuine Teabaggin' malcontent.

So, I guess Mr. Cunningham would like to tell 85 to 90% of seniors that he's gonna take away their social security and medicare. Oh no, excuse me, "PRIVATIZE IT". Well, there's a pickle we aren't in now because we didn't listen to George Dubya. Steve is a relic. From the past where people thought Reagan's words were gold. Beware of socialized medicine! The government is taking over your lives!"

Well, turns out the story ended differently and Steve hasn't updated his databanks. Turns out that medicare and social security were good things we did IN SPITE of the fear mongerers.

The only people I SEE taking over MY LIFE are the BIG CORPORATIONS.

THEY ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL owning more wealth than the other 95% of us COMBINED!

We will all find out when the issue hits the Supreme Court.  It will all be on how they rule and who will be in power directly after the next election (if 2013 is the date all begins).  Individual mandates, and infractions on state laws will be tricky to navigate through the court. 

This is different than say 20 years ago,  The communication and times will big determiners.  I'm excited to see what will happen on the new playing field.  The constitution will really count and not be shelved with "nobody will know--"

17 enumerated powers are just that, and the presidents job, to enforce the constitution by the way, will all come into play.

Washington and Hamilton, how does that taxing decision play out in compromise of documentation (the war could have been paid for in other ways)---

Mr. cunningham...

Where in the constitution does it say that we cant have a public option in our health care ?

Mr. McHugh,

The constitution is a document/s that gives congress the power to do only certain things, therefore, it is more like a "can" not a "can't" document.  Go there and the issue would die quickly.  The Senate wants to side step the issue.

The problems lie in the taxing power (Article I sect.8).  At least 4 times in American history the Supreme Court has overruled them and told congress NO. Once congress tried to rewrite and go around a ruling and was admonished for prevarication (skirting the truth).

All-in-all, this baby will land on the Supreme Court's door step!  Where you will find a "CAN" will become a "can't" if the public option goes through.

:),

I guess most feel like writing in "draft" style:)

Yes, the constitution is more than 1 document, headed by a single document.  Amendments etc., all apply.

Congress has a way of using the "Interstate Commerce" clause to get things done.  Amendments 9 and 10 restrict them from many actions, otherwise the "Checks and Balances" system doesn't work.

They can only do certain actions.  The 17 enumerated powers are their basis for all their  power.

Yes, Lets hear it for Grayson!!!

REP. ALAN GRAYSON (D), FLORIDA:  If you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: Die quickly!  That‘s right, the Republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick.

Republicans want revenge.  They‘re demanding that Democratic congressman Alan Grayson of Florida apologize to House minority leader John Boehner for making these remarks on Tuesday night.

GRAYSON:  I‘m not going to recount every single thing that I said.  But I will point out that, immediately after that speech, several Republicans asked me to apologize. 

Well, I would like to apologize.  I would like to apologize to the dead.  And here‘s why.  According to this study, health insurance and mortality in U.S. adults, which was published two weeks ago, 44,789 Americans die every year because they have no health insurance. 

So, I call upon the Democratic members of the House, I call upon the Republican members of the House, I call upon all of us to do our jobs for the sake of America, for the sake of those dying people and their families. 

I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven‘t voted sooner to end this holocaust in America. 

Maybe you (or your employer) have had the wrong insurance options.  My insurance rocks.  I needed a $25K operation, and my out of pocket was $450.

Increases in cost can be traced back to increases in State Mandates.  Why do I pay for a Mandated "Marriage Therapist" in Colorado?  Insurance companies probably lobbied for increased mandates nor more revenue. 

I don't care which party was responsible for the failed policies of the last 10+ years.  Lets start with a ROLL-BACK of those failed policies before we go "Euro-Canadian" with the whole system.

Jason, you may want to check out this article by Bob Cesca. Even if you have good insurance now, chances are you won't have good insurance in the future. Since healthcare is 16% of GDP, and many aren't paying for healthcare, but instead going to emergency rooms, that makes your insurance go up and up and up.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/the-health-insurance-you_b_313103.html

So government intervention screws things up so your recommended remedy is, what? More government intervention? Almost sounds sane to me.

Unpaid obligations are not a major factor in insurance reform.

Are you saying that 16% of GDP can be turned over to federal control with no adverse affects?

Did you consider the 65% of doctors that quit or retire because of government limits on what they can earn? 

We will be stuck with whomever will take a job in a government controlled profession.

Steve, you obviously didn't even read the article, it doesn't even mention government intervention except if you are referring to the public option. It is necessary to de-monopolize your masters.

Jason, I have 17 years in healthcare and nothing you say makes any sense at all to me. My point about the GDP is that it is eating up our GDP. It's now at 16% but soon will be ONE FIFTH of our GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT. THAT'S BIG, and it's big enough to eat up your monthly income over time. So, what are you gonna do about it? Just keep fighting with me? I'm not the enemy, big Insurance is. The goverment will have to regulate the hell out of them and they have earned it.

How can you defend the REAL DEATH PANELS?

17 years in healthcare and all you can come up with is to socialize it? This thing has been tried all over Europe, Canada, Australia, Massechussettes, etc, and has failed every single time. And if the government tries to force me to buy something that I don't want (forced insurance via the IRS) then we will have a BIG problem. I am not a ward of the state. The state is not my daddy nor my mommy. They may be for you.

You are putting down Massachusets? Dang. I thought they had built a really good healthcare delivery model.

Single Payer is truly the only way to go. It gets profit out of our care so we can focus on the patient. The more I see of how nasty the big insurance companies are being, the more I am convinced that we have to get to single payer, eventually. Right now, we have to give CPR to the public option on a daily basis, but it will survive.