Republicans’ ‘Pledge to America’ Covers the Right Issues in 2010

...one who is open-minded or not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional or established forms or ways - Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary

...thought I'd clarify the official definition since many here choose to generalize the independent thinkers into a political faction.

In my opinion - the "liberal" is an imaginary foe within the collective mindset of "conservatives." The rest of the population is just trying to do the right thing. We all love our country.

All I know is that hospitals are already required by government to admit anyone meeting admission criteria even if they have no insurance. And they can only release a patient upon safe discharge. This means the burden is on the hospital to find shelter for a homeless patient. Yes, this is a good thing, but who gets stuck with the bill? The hospital, and there is no government reimbursement. Neither is the cost spread about those who have insurance because insurance companies set the cap on how much a a provider can bill for a code. Hospitals are sucking wind while insurance companies are getting fat and this is one reason why our current system is on trouble and requires improvement. By 2038 we're facing a 50 trillion dollar deficit in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Our economy will collapse under the weight. The current administration is trying to prevent the fall of our nation in the near future. I don't think their plan goes far enough to cut costs - only 1.3 trillion last I checked. At least the Baby Boomer's don't have to worry.

John of TX 5:31PM September 28, 2010

You didn't explain yourself.

steve of IL 2:31PM September 28, 2010

If you the new GOP Pledge literally, its a recipe for extraordinary deficit spending and more layoffs. Its a retreat to the policies of George Bush the so failed the country and left us in this mess of a recession.

If you read the GOP symbolically, then you're just admitting that policy doesn't matter to you, that you are just flipping out from what the chorus of hatemongers have been impressing on your superficial understanding of political reality. So you are a sore loser about McCain losing the election, and your racist instincts are blowing a gasket because we have a mixed race president. You think any screwball could be in the senate and that Republican swindlers can't be any more dishonest or crooked than any other politicians. Hate to burst your bubble.

Maybe you should consider the massive deficit spending the GOP has set out in their pledge and the massive number of layoffs that would happen if you actually followed the Pledge as a prescription to the country's problems. GOP policies failed terribly, and the pledge is asking for the same policies that failed. Fiscal responsibility is some kind of joke to these Republicans.

Loren of TN 10:47PM September 27, 2010

First of all, many polls show that people are confused about the reform bill;

"Six months after President Barack Obama signed the landmark health care law, the nation still doesn't really know what's in it. More than half of Americans mistakenly believe the overhaul will raise taxes for most people this year, an Associated Press poll finds. But that would be true only if most people were devoted to indoor tanning, which got hit with a sales tax. Many who wanted the health care system to be overhauled don't realize that some provisions they cared about actually did make it in. And about a quarter of supporters don't understand that something hardly anyone wanted didn't make it: They mistakenly say the law will set up panels of bureaucrats to make decisions about people's care - what critics labeled "death panels."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/21/ap/politics/main6888377.shtml

All this deliberately instilled confusion comes courtesy of the TP liars whose corporate backers have promoted these lies with their millions in support for astroturf organizations and phony blogs the likes of which Bill Hedges relies on for his so called "facts" which is actually propaganda. Knowingly lying doesn't make you smart, just evil and dishonest. It means you can't win honestly so you...LIE!! Well, as Goebbels noted, a lie told often enough will eventually be believed.

Here is a recent poll that most people actually support health care reform but oppose the Obama reform bill only because it didn't go far enough. This is the story on the poll from the main AP report which covered it;

"WASHINGTON --- President Barack Obama's health care overhaul has divided the nation, and Republicans believe their call for repeal will help them win elections in November. But the picture's not that clear cut. A new AP poll finds that Americans who think the law should have done more outnumber those who think the government should stay out of health care by 2-to-1. "I was disappointed that it didn't provide universal coverage," said Bronwyn Bleakley, 35, a biology professor from Easton, Mass. More than 30 million people would gain coverage in 2019 when the law is fully phased in, but another 20 million or so would remain uninsured. Bleakley, who was uninsured early in her career, views the overhaul as a work in progress. The poll found that about four in 10 adults think the new law did not go far enough to change the health care system, regardless of whether they support the law, oppose it or remain neutral. On the other side, about one in five say they oppose the law because they think the federal government should not be involved in health care at all. The AP poll was conducted by Stanford University with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation."

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/2745692,poll-health-care-reform-not-enough-092510.article

November may show us just how little the Tea Parties actually represent mainstream opinion in the US. Most people are more reasonable.

steve of IL 9:05PM September 27, 2010