I’ve started this post at least five times and trashed each one due the frustration of trying to list all the reasons why HR3200 is not reform but is just plain wrong for the American health care industry. Instead of fixing those aspects of the industry that result in high costs and lack of coverage for millions, it totally dismantles everything we have come to depend on that makes our health care the best available. It puts the Secretary of Health and Human Services in place as a health care dictator who will control every aspect of medical care in America. HR3200 will not lower costs, will destroy the private health insurance industry, will dictate what treatment is covered and who is eligible to receive that care, will ration care to reduce costs, will reduce payments to doctors and hospitals, will cost trillions of dollars of taxpayers money (again), and will offer only one source for medical treatment for everyone, that being the government controlled "public option".

Our medical care in America is without equal in the world despite the claims from the left that it ranks 24^th worldwide. If you examine the World Health Organization’s statistics that ranking includes cost and percentage of population not eligible, among other non-quality factors that do not have any bearing on actual quality of care. When mortality rate, cure rate, immediacy of care, advanced diagnostics, doctor/patient ratio, and similar quality indications are considered, America ranks number one in the world. We’ve all heard Obama preaching about all the unnecessary tests, surgical procedures, re-admittances, and medications that are being used. We’ve heard him lie about how doctors make decisions to perform unnecessary surgeries just because they are more lucrative. What he is really saying is your doctor will no longer be able to perform the tests he might deem necessary, and that your doctor is a butcher who would sooner amputate limbs than treat a hangnail. In reality, the primary care physicians who diagnose ailments such as infected tonsils are not the surgeons who perform tonsilectomies, making his claims not only false but stupid.

HR3200 will destroy the American standard of care and result in a system similar to Great Britain’s medical system. This is not necessary, but that is what will be forced upon us by Obama and the Deficrats. Their ultimate goal is not the improvement of care nor expanded coverage, but is the seizure and control of not only one-sixth of the annual GDP amounting to roughly four trillion dollars, but control of nearly every part of a person’s life. What they eat, whether or not they use tobacco, the use of safety equipment such as seat belts, helmets, hearing protection, and safety glasses, the design of automobiles, bicycles, motorcycles, aircraft, toys, televisions, telephones, and appliances, all would fall under the realm of possible health hazards and would be regulated by the Deficratic government.

If lower costs, improved quality, and expanded coverage were the true purposes of health care reform efforts, there are much less expensive, less destructive actions that would surely result in attaining those goals. Eliminating the governmental regulations requiring universal coverage for such things as vericose vein treatments, accupuncture, substance abuse rehab, male pattern baldness, PMS, erectile disfunction, and depression, to name just a few, would go miles toward lowering the cost of a policy for those who did not need such care. Also, the fact that insurance is used to pay for almost 75% of all medical care accounts for drastic increases in the cost of care provided. When the cost of services is not subject to the influences of a free competitive market costs rise. If the patient were paying for the services rendered, the ability of the patient to go where it might cost less drives costs down due to competition. If the tax credits given to employers for providing medical insurance were given, instead, to the employees to buy their own health coverage or fund a Health Care Savings Account, an environment of competition would be fostered in the insurance market where virtually none exists today. It is government regulation, just as it was in the housing market collapse, that is the source of most of the health care industry’s ailments. We can see how well the housing market has been repaired. Do we want the same hacks fixing our health care system?

Obama and the Deficrats are not after health care reform. They are elitist socialists who can’t live with America’s greatness and exceptionalism. They see our beloved nation as oppressive and a bane on the rest of the world. It matters not to them that every nation in the world wishes they could be more like America, that Canadians come here when their own "public option" medical system tells them they will have to wait six months for cancer surgery, or that women give birth in parks and alleys in the UK because there are no beds available in hospitals. No, they couldn’t care less about the health care we have available or how much worse others are with the same system they are creating. They want you under their boot heel. They want to de-evolve America down to the level of the rest of the world. After all, if we have it so much better, that must mean we are depriving someone of something better than they have.

It is the basic premise of the individual having freedom to choose what type of life he will pursue that has been responsible for the advancements America alone has accomplished. To destroy this in favor of "social justice" and redistribution of wealth will doom not only America, but the entire world to a future of less instead of more.

Glenn Flowers

POSTSCRIPT: Ever notice that the one thing government does fairly well is destruction and death? It makes for a really decent military, but not an efficient health care system.

All the Obama supporters are saying that we need to discuss health care reform in a constructive, bipartisan, cooperative manner. Well, I’m willing to give it a go. I’ve read the bill and believe it allows doctors to "pull the plug on Granny". You folks say it doesn’t. Here is your chance to teach a conservative what you know.

It is these five questions about Sect 1233. ADVANCED CARE PLANNING CONSULTATION. Pages 424-434, that make us conservatives believe in the possibility that Granny could have her plug pulled. Prove to us that this bill doesn’t allow it.

1. Can you show me where the bill prevents a doctor from issuing and signing an "order for life sustaining treatment" that denies treatment to a patient?
2. Where in Sect 1233, or anywhere in the bill, does it say that the wishes of the patient, on the order for life sustaining treatment, must be carried out in all cases?
3. What kind of legal barriers need to be addressed in a state, as mentioned on Page 427 paragraph (ii), sub-paragraph (I), to enable an order for life sustaining treatment?
4. Why is it that a doctor must sign the order to make it legal, but the patient isn’t required to sign?
5. What directives are available to the patient in Sect. 1866(f)(3) as mentioned on Page 430 in paragraph (iv)?
6. Why is the patient limited to those directives in Sect. 1866(f)(3)?

There are no state laws in existence anywhere preventing a doctor from saving a patient’s life. There are state laws, though, that prohibit doctors from knowingly allowing a patient to die if they can prevent it. It is my opinion, and nothing in the bill says anything different, that the state laws the bill says need to be overcome are state penal codes for murder.

If anyone can alleviate these fears, I, and many more like myself, would greatly appreciate it.

The word, discriminate, has come to be known as synonomous with racial prejudice or racial bias. While it could mean those in certain contexts, its true definition is far less evil, and is, actually, complimentary when used to describe one’s ability to think and analyze in a critical fashion. Discriminating is the act or description of the act of clearly defining a subject.

Bush called for reform of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac 17 times in 2008 alone and Democrats ignored his warnings .

For many years the president and his administration have not only warned of the systemic consequences of financial turmoil at a housing government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) but also put forward thoughtful plans to reduce the risk that either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac would encounter such difficulties. President Bush publicly called for GSE reform 17 times in 2008 alone before Congress acted.

Unfortunately, these warnings went unheeded, as the president's repeated attempts to reform the supervision of these entities were thwarted by the legislative maneuvering of those who emphatically denied there were problems.

The White House has released this list of attempts by President Bush to reform Freddie Mae and Freddie Mac since he took office in 2001.Unfortunately, Congress did not act on the president's warnings:

** 2003
January: Freddie Mac announces it has to restate financial results for the previous three years.

February: The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) releases a report explaining that "although investors perceive an implicit Federal guarantee of [GSE] obligations," "the government has provided no explicit legal backing for them." As a consequence, unexpected problems at a GSE could immediately spread into financial sectors beyond the housing market. ("Systemic Risk: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Role of OFHEO," OFHEO Report, 2/4/03)

September: Fannie Mae discloses SEC investigation and acknowledges OFHEO's review found earnings manipulations.

September: Treasury Secretary John Snow testifies before the House Financial Services Committee to recommend that Congress enact "legislation to create a new Federal agency to regulate and supervise the financial activities of our housing-related government sponsored enterprises" and set prudent and appropriate minimum capital adequacy requirements.

October: Fannie Mae discloses $1.2 billion accounting error.

November: Council of the Economic Advisers (CEA) Chairman Greg Mankiw explains that any "legislation to reform GSE regulation should empower the new regulator with sufficient strength and credibility to reduce systemic risk." To reduce the potential for systemic instability, the regulator would have "broad authority to set both risk-based and minimum capital standards" and "receivership powers necessary to wind down the affairs of a troubled GSE." (N. Gregory Mankiw, Remarks At The Conference Of State Bank Supervisors State Banking Summit And Leadership, 11/6/03)

February: CEA Chairman Mankiw cautions Congress to "not take [the financial market's] strength for granted." Again, the call from the Administration was to reduce this risk by "ensuring that the housing GSEs are overseen by an effective regulator." (N. Gregory Mankiw, Op-Ed, "Keeping Fannie And Freddie's House In Order," Financial Times, 2/24/04)

June: Deputy Secretary of Treasury Samuel Bodman spotlights the risk posed by the GSEs and called for reform, saying "We do not have a world-class system of supervision of the housing government sponsored enterprises (GSEs), even though the importance of the housing financial system that the GSEs serve demands the best in supervision to ensure the long-term vitality of that system. Therefore, the Administration has called for a new, first class, regulatory supervisor for the three housing GSEs: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banking System." (Samuel Bodman, House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Testimony, 6/16/04)

August: President Bush emphatically calls on Congress to pass a reform package for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, saying "first things first when it comes to those two institutions. Congress needs to get them reformed, get them streamlined, get them focused, and then I will consider other options." (President George W. Bush, Press Conference, The White House, 8/9/07)

September: RealtyTrac announces foreclosure filings up 243,000 in August - up 115 percent from the year before.

September: Single-family existing home sales decreases 7.5 percent from the previous month - the lowest level in nine years. Median sale price of existing homes fell six percent from the year before.

December: President Bush again warns Congress of the need to pass legislation reforming GSEs, saying "These institutions provide liquidity in the mortgage market that benefits millions of homeowners, and it is vital they operate safely and operate soundly. So I've called on Congress to pass legislation that strengthens independent regulation of the GSEs - and ensures they focus on their important housing mission. The GSE reform bill passed by the House earlier this year is a good start. But the Senate has not acted. And the United States Senate needs to pass this legislation soon." (President George W. Bush, Discusses Housing, The White House, 12/6/07)

January: Citigroup announces mortgage portfolio lost $18.1 billion in value.

February: Assistant Secretary David Nason reiterates the urgency of reforms, says "A new regulatory structure for the housing GSEs is essential if these entities are to continue to perform their public mission successfully." (David Nason, Testimony On Reforming GSE Regulation, Senate Committee On Banking, Housing And Urban Affairs, 2/7/08)

March: Bear Stearns announces it will sell itself to JPMorgan Chase.

March: President Bush calls on Congress to take action and "move forward with reforms on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They need to continue to modernize the FHA, as well as allow State housing agencies to issue tax-free bonds to homeowners to refinance their mortgages." (President George W. Bush, Remarks To The Economic Club Of New York, New York, NY, 3/14/08)

April: President Bush urges Congress to pass the much needed legislation and "modernize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. [There are] constructive things Congress can do that will encourage the housing market to correct quickly by . helping people stay in their homes." (President George W. Bush, Meeting With Cabinet, the White House, 4/14/08)

May: President Bush issues several pleas to Congress to pass legislation reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac before the situation deteriorates further.

"Americans are concerned about making their mortgage payments and keeping their homes. Yet Congress has failed to pass legislation I have repeatedly requested to modernize the Federal Housing Administration that will help more families stay in their homes, reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure they focus on their housing mission, and allow State housing agencies to issue tax-free bonds to refinance sub-prime loans." (President George W. Bush, Radio Address, 5/3/08)

"The government ought to be helping creditworthy people stay in their homes. And one way we can do that - and Congress is making progress on this - is the reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That reform will come with a strong, independent regulator." (President George W. Bush, Meeting With The Secretary Of The Treasury, the White House, 5/19/08)

"Congress needs to pass legislation to modernize the Federal Housing Administration, reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure they focus on their housing mission, and allow State housing agencies to issue tax-free bonds to refinance subprime loans." (President George W. Bush, Radio Address, 5/31/08)

June: As foreclosure rates continued to rise in the first quarter, the president once again asks Congress to take the necessary measures to address this challenge, saying "we need to pass legislation to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac." (President George W. Bush, Remarks At Swearing In Ceremony For Secretary Of Housing And Urban Development, Washington, D.C., 6/6/08)

July: Congress heeds the president's call for action and passes reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as it becomes clear that the institutions are failing.

In 2005-- Senator John McCain partnered with three other Senate Republicans to reform the government's involvement in lending.

Democrats blocked this reform, too.

More... Not only did democrats not act on these warnings but Barack Obama put one of the major Sub-Prime Slime players on his campaign as finance chairperson.

The past couple of weeks have seemed like an eternity in some ways. It was just ten days ago that Sarah Palin accepted the nomination of VP candidate of the Republican party. It has been less than 72 hours since FreddieMac and FannieMay were bailed out by American taxpayers. What with all the attacks on the Palin family, the Obama interview by Bill O’Reilly, McCain’s new policy to change America’s direction, it hardly seems like it’s only been a handful of days. And in that few days there have been many claims made that need to be factualized and the truth be told.

There is a pattern to be recognized here. Democrats tend to deception and a lack of responsibility in order to gain power. Admiitedly the Republican party is not without blame too, but as a matter of policy is realistic, more effective at providing a solution for America’s needs, and generally supports American traditions and values.

I think I know where we got all the liberal democrats who are trying their best, it seems, to cause as much damage and hurt to the USA as they can.

Remember Kruschev speaking at the U.N. in 1959? Remember him banging on the podium with his shoe? Do you remember what his topicwas? It was the infamous "We will bury you under a red blanket of socialism" speech. Nikita chose to deliver a message that day that threatened the American way of life. We retaliated the next day by cancelling his trip to Disneyland. He was really ticked off as he had been very excited about going there and had really been looking forward to it. Instead, he had lunch with 300 actors, producers, directors, and technicians at a Hollywood movie studio. Oh….. man, …..just the thought makes me queasy.

Anyway, after the bury in a blanket part, he went on to say something similar to the following, and I’m paraphrasing from memory of 1959…….

(picture a short, fat, baldheaded Russian standing in one shoe before the general assembly, hammering the podium with the heel of his other shoe as he yelled and ranted...)

Remember that? We thought he was crraaazzyy. Loooney Tuuunes. Conquer us through the children, and the schools. Yeah, they better send some MIGS to those schools too. They’re wacked man, way out!

They have succeeded. Even though their own nation failed economically, the seeds they managed to plant havesprouted and have grown healthy, commie pinko politicians and teachers. It hasn’t, yet, changed our economy, not much, but we sure have grown a bunch of socialists who try harder evryday to do just that. We all know that a lot of the educators in the higher grades and colleges/universities, are radical socialists, to the point of fascism in most cases. I think that the beatniks and Jack Kerouac generation were the last generation to make it through unscathed. After that, the coffee shops, then the folk era blended the coffee. It was right then that a vision of a perfect communal society started the airheads to really wondering if "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need" could really work. With no means to try and experiment, the teens of 1959-1962 decided it was better in USSR than life was here. But they couldn’t just say it out in the open. They did blame the US as the reason the USSR had to build nukes. They had to, to protect themselves from us.

Those 1959-1962ers became the teachers and college professors of the 1966ers and on till now. They were the Bill Ayres types, Patty Hearst, Charlie, Hanoi Jane, SLA, SDS, Black Panthers, Abbie Hoffman, Joan Byez, and all the radical socialists in that era. And then THEY had children, turned hippy, and dropped man. And their children’s children are on YouTube everyday stinking that site all to Hell.

Yeah, that’s how we got stuck with all the liberal socialists we have today. If only we had never let Kruschev take off his shoe…..

Never mind…