Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category

Rocker Ted Nugent says it better than I could ever hope to…

“In an effort to deflect criticism of their ongoing program to bankrupt the entire nation, the Democratic leadership has labeled Congressional Republicans as the “party of no.” The Democrats would have been correct had they checked their spelling. It is not “no” that defines the Congressional Republicans but rather “know.”

Let the guitar boy help the spelling-challenged Democrats understand what the bedrock of the Republican Party — conservatives — instinctively know.” Source: The Party of ‘Know,’ Not ‘No’ – HUMAN EVENTS

Read on at the source…

From of all sources, the New York Times…

There was a rare sight along the motorcade route as President Obama arrived here Thursday to talk about health care: a protest.

In what was perhaps a surprising sight for a president accustomed to an enthusiastic embrace wherever he goes, Mr. Obama was greeted by several hundred protesters who, judging by their signs, oppose his economic policies and efforts at overhauling the nation’s health care system. Some of the signs read: “No Health Care,” while others read “No Socialism” and still more declared, “Taxed Enough Yet?”

Mr. Obama is here for a town-hall style meeting, where he will make for revamping the nation’s health care system, his highest domestic priority. Mr. Obama has argued that cutting health care costs is critical to the economic health of the United States. But a key element of his proposal, a call for a government-administered public plan that would compete with private sector insurers, is drawing intense opposition from Republicans. The American Medical Association, the nation’s largest doctors’ group, said Wednesday that it, too, opposes a public plan. Mr. Obama will travel to Chicago on Monday to speak to the A.M.A. Source: Protesters Greet Obama in Green Bay – The Caucus Blog – NYTimes.com

Maybe ramming socialized medicine down our throats may not be as easy as you thought, Mr. President…

Things are slowly returning to normal here in Green Bay and Paul Ryan already has a comment on the President’s townhall today…

I applaud President Obama for bringing national attention to two things I’m passionate about: health care reform and Wisconsin. I am eager to work with the President and Democrats toward a bipartisan solution to health care. However, the Majority has chosen to exclude such collaboration. After reviewing the President’s remarks in Green Bay today, I have one basic observation to make: the difference between the President’s rhetoric and the substance of his plans is nothing short of astounding. In fact, non-partisan experts continue to claim that the President’s “public plan option” will cause as many as 120 million of Americans to lose the health insurance they already have and like. This makes it difficult to keep the insurance they like, underscoring the growing divide between the President’s promises and his policies.

The President reiterated a false choice that is damaging the open, honest health care debate that we deserve. The President frames the debate as: The government must take over the management of health care OR continue with the failed status-quo of today. He continues to challenge his critics by asking, “What is the alternative?” He knows that there are alternatives – better alternatives where the patient, not the government, is at the center of health care in America. He knows that we have introduced the Patients’ Choice Act of 2009. He knows this, and is simply hoping that the American people don’t know it. It should be noted that Democrats haven’t yet introduced a bill – we have. The Patients’ Choice Act is a real proposal with actual legislative text, demonstrating that we can have universal health insurance in this country without the government taking it over.

Another favorite refrain of the President is that entitlement reform is health care reform. With health security threatened by the unsustainable growth of Medicare and Medicaid, serious reform of these programs is no longer an option. Last year, I introduced comprehensive reforms of both programs, and yet again – nothing but rhetoric from Washington. What’s worse, the Administration’s current strategy to fixing our entitlement crisis is to add yet another entitlement program to an already unsustainable fiscal future. You can’t create new government entitlements, impose trillions of dollars of new taxes, and call this cost containment. We already spend over two-and-a-half times any other country on health care. The problem is not that we don’t spend enough money, but that we don’t spend it efficiently or effectively. Source: Journal Times Online >> Paul Ryan Commentary

Please go the source for the rest of the article..

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Michael Reagan reports…

“President Barack Obama has undertaken the expansion of health care to the roughly 45 million Americans who do not currently have health insurance. Having about one American in seven with no health insurance is undeniably an undesirable situation which deserves our attention and concern.

This is not just a matter of compassion either, but also of practicality. About the most expensive way imaginable to deal with routine illness is to provide it in hospital emergency rooms, yet this is the only alternative for millions of people. In addition, the uninsured commonly defer getting needed treatment, and with the looming threat of infectious diseases to all our families, we are all at risk when millions go without needed treatment.

Our problem, however, lies in the dwindling supply of health care providers. Most doctors are overworked, many are underpaid. The number of doctors is increasing at a woeful 1 percent a year, and the number of available nurses has been flat for years. With an increasing population — and one that is aging as baby boomers move into their 60s — who is going to provide health care to 45 million more Americans, even if we make the wildly optimistic assumption that we could afford to pay for it? ” Source: Michael Reagan : Efficient Nationalized Healthcare? Not So Fast – Townhall.com

Michael Reagan was far too kind — I can’t think of one thing government does well besides spending money. Go to the source for the rest of the article…

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Alice from Oconto County reports…

Right now, at about 9:40 p.m. [on June 9], it’s been about 4 hours since I got the phone call telling me I was a winner in the Obama ticket lottery.  I’ve calmed down considerably, but am still quite excited that I’m going to be able to get into the town hall event at GB Southwest High School.  This excitement isn’t so much because I will be allowed to bask in the presence of the Lord Messiah Obama, but that little ol’ me, a staunch conservative and lifelong Republican has kind of flown under the radar.  I feel like an undercover operative and that my presence will be like that of an embedded reporter.

I hope that I can keep my excitement under control so that I don’t inadvertently let slip that I am not exactly Obama’s most ardent supporter.  I feel like I need to put lead weights in my shoes so that I don’t float away from all of the excitement.  I want to take a notebook and pen into the event so that I can jot down my impressions of the whole event, but wonder if I’ll be allowed to do that since I won’t have pre-approved press credentials.

I have prepared a question to ask, for each of the three topics I’ve heard will discussed as part of the town hall event.  At first I heard that this was to be a healthcare forum, but have since heard that the economy and the environment will also be discussed.  I guess I’ll find out what happens when I get there.  In any case, I’ll be prepared.

Hmmm. Our very own embedded journalist!

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Local blogger Steve Prestegaard takes up the issue here…

“In the 80s and 90s, Green Bay was the Center of the Health Insurance Universe. Back in the Day, we led the World in designing, selling and servicing some very, very innovative health insurance benefit plans for small business owners and their employees. The proof of our success was in ALL the Sales we made – we drove the competition absolutely crazy.

Not only were our plans good, they were priced right! It takes 3 things to sell health insurance: Rates. Rates. Rates… We were a low-cost provider with OUTstanding customer service and lots of BIG ideas! We set the bar VERY high from lil old Green Bay.

Thousands, and thousands became employed – and trained – in a highly technical industry; and there were countless spin offs, mergers, vendors and health-related wannabee businesses taking root on the Tundra, too. Agents and customers from around the country constantly flew in to see what all the fuss was about. About 100% of the time they’d go home totally impressed with our knowledge, our craftsmanship and our work ethic.” Source: Marketplace of Ideas Blog – An open health care letter to President Obama

Steve goes on to say…

“Five years ago, my company was leading a huge initiative for UnitedHealthcare. We hosted a series of Town Hall-type meetings with: “The Primary Healthcare Decision Maker in Your Household.” And just like the President, we launched our initiative in Green Bay. (We eventually moved beyond the Tundra to other towns and halls.)

Guess what The Number ONE Healthcare Issue is for The Primary Healthcare Decision Maker? “Well, DUH!,” one said, “The Cost!”

It didn’t take a Town Hall Meeting to discover THAT! It’s always about the Money, isn’t it?” Source: Marketplace of Ideas Blog – An open health care letter to President Obama

Maybe President Obama doesn’t need to spend the money to come all the way to Green Bay?! He could just read Steve’s blog on that BlackBerry of his…

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Told ya so? You betcha…

“Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin said Monday during an interview with Fox News‘ Sean Hannity that President Barack Obama’s agenda “defies any sensible economic policy any of us learned when we were in college.”

Asked if she would call the president’s policies ‘”socialism,” Palin responded: “If we keep going down these roads, yes that is where we are headed.”

As Hannity began to rattle off a number of Palin’s campaign criticisms of Obama, including Palin’s focus on the president’s “spread the wealth” comment, the governor interjected that the list was “kind of a ‘we told ya so.’”

“Well, is that how you feel?” Hannity asked.

“That’s how I feel,” the Republican governor responded. “Americans have to be paying attention.”

“We have to have our voices heard. And ultimately it needs to be our will, the American people’s will imposed on Washington, instead of the other way around.” ” Source: Sarah Palin: Barack Obama’s agenda not ’sensible’ – Andy Barr – POLITICO.com

I think you’ll want to go to the source and read the entire article…

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