7 November 2009
Dear Congressman Rehberg:
I am writing in support of the current health care bill being debated in The House today. As a member of a life-long Montana family, I am concerned about this nation’s broken health care system, and the high percentage (more than 34%) of Montanans without health insurance. I encourage you to break from the partisan politics being played by the Republican party, think about those uninsured in the state you represent and VOTE FOR THIS BILL!
There is no reason this great country should have such a high number of uninsured. No one should be forced to choose between paying their rent or buying food and going to the doctor or getting their prescriptions. Allowing this to continue is un-American.
Do the right thing for Montana and vote YES for H.R. 3962.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Kello
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/The-Presidents-Remarks-and-a-Letter-from-Ted/
"I suffer no illusions that this will be an easy process. It will be hard. But I also know that nearly a century after Teddy Roosevelt first called for reform, the cost of our health care has weighed down our economy and the conscience of our nation long enough. So let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year."
– President Barack Obama, February 24, 2009
President Obama spoke to a special joint session of Congress and the American people to outline his plan for health insurance reform. The core of his plan: provide more security and stability for people who have insurance, provide quality, affordable care to those who don’t, and rein in skyrocketing costs that are crushing American families, businesses and the government itself.
If You Have Health Insurance More Stability and Security Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age. Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most. Caps out-of-pocket expenses so people don’t go broke when they get sick. Eliminates extra charges for preventive care like mammograms, flu shots and diabetes tests to improve health and save money. Protects Medicare for seniors. Eliminates the "donut-hole" gap in coverage for prescription drugs. If You Don't Have Insurance Quality, Affordable Choices for All Americans Creates a new insurance marketplace – the Exchange – that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. Provides new tax credits to help people buy insurance. Provides small businesses tax credits and affordable options for covering employees. Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice. Immediately offers new, low-cost coverage through a national "high risk" pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created. For All Americans Reins In the Cost of Health Care for Our Families, Our Businesses, and Our Government Won’t add a dime to the deficit and is paid for upfront. Requires additional cuts if savings are not realized. Implements a number of delivery system reforms that begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality. Creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system. Orders immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, not on practicing defensive medicine. Requires large employers to cover their employees and individuals who can afford it to buy insurance so everyone shares in the responsibility of reform.
Highlights from online commentary:
Andrew Sullivan: "This passage brings the bipartisan peroration to a real close: 'That large-heartedness – that concern and regard for the plight of others – is not a partisan feeling. It is not a Republican or a Democratic feeling. It, too, is part of the American character. Our ability to stand in other people’s shoes. A recognition that we are all in this together; that when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a helping hand. A belief that in this country, hard work and responsibility should be rewarded by some measure of security and fair play; and an acknowledgement that sometimes government has to step in to help deliver on that promise.' This is a liberalism most centrists can live with."
Open Left: "[H]e hit the jackpot tonight. I have been listening closely to Presidential speeches for about 35 years now, have watched quite a few oldies but goodies from the past, have even contributed ideas to a fair share of speeches in the Clinton years, and I am sitting here thinking that was one of the very best Presidential speeches I have ever heard. JFK's inaugural and a couple of FDR's best are the only ones I can think of that moved me so much. More importantly, though, he did everything he needed to do: Lay out clearly what he strongly believes in; make a powerful argument for why we need to get this done; answer the phony scare tactics; [and] fire up the people around the country who want to get this done to keep working to make it happen."
Washington Monthly: "Obama went big, sold the plan, and actually explained how this would work. It was as strong as I've seen him on health care — which means he came through with the right speech at the right time … And if someone at the DNC and/or White House political operation can just take the last five minutes or so of that speech, and keep airing it in a constant loop, I'd appreciate it. Brilliant stuff."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/08/21/Weekly-Address-The-Moral-Case-for-Health-Insurance-Reform/
President Obama debunks the myths around health insurance reform, and discusses the public option proposal in which many of them are rooted -- but he focuses his address on the stark moral and historical turning point at which we find ourselves: "This is our chance to march forward. I cannot promise you that the reforms we seek will be perfect or make a difference overnight. But I can promise you this: if we pass health insurance reform, we will look back many years from now and say, this was the moment we summoned what’s best in each of us to make life better for all of us. This was the moment we built a health care system worthy of the nation and the people we love. This was the moment we earned our place alongside the greatest generations. And that is what our generation of Americans is called to do right now."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Weekly-Address-Real-Conversations-about-Health-Insurance-Reform/
The President talks about how the chatter and ruckus around health insurance reform on television obscures the reality of what's happening in America. He discusses how in most towns people and Members of Congress are having constructive conversations, and how people are learning how reform will help them and their families with the real problems they have faced with the insurance system.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Taking-Questions-on-Health-Reform-in-New-Hampshire/
The President hosted a town hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on health insurance reform, telling the crowd, "I don't think government bureaucrats should be meddling, but I also don't think insurance company bureaucrats should be meddling. That's the health care system I believe in." The President was introduced by Lori, a woman who can’t find coverage because of her medical condition. We all know someone like Lori who has been discriminated against because of pre-existing conditions, and can't receive the care they need. This is a personal issue for the President, who recounted his mother's battle with insurance companies as she battled with cancer in the last months of her life.
The President outlined how his plan will end these unfair, and often deadly, practices:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cqQl3lZzzE
We launched www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck this week to knock down the rumors and lies that are floating around the internet. You can find the information below, and much more, there. For example, we've just added a video of Nancy-Ann DeParle from our Health Reform Office tackling a viral email head on.
The White House has confirmed that Obama will be in Bozeman on Friday August 14th. I feel we should do what ever is needed to make a strong stand behind President Obama and Health Care Reform.
Is anyone interested in helping?
Joining the discussion at Whitehouse.gov/live
Posted by Nathan Sterken
The White House live stream broadcasts all kinds of White House events, from press conferences with the President to concerts in the East Room. As you may have seen, it’s also home to a new, interactive feature—Open for Questions. During what we call "Open for Questions" sessions, which are hosted about once a week, administration officials answer questions from the public in a live, online video chat. To participate in a future session, stay tuned to the White House blog, Facebook page or Twitter feed for announcements, and then head to the White House Live application on Facebook during the event to submit a question.
By looking at the percentage of people from each state who tuned in, we can see that the popularity of Open for Questions and other White House events varies from state to state with each event. The map below, for example, shows this Wednesday’s Open for Questions session with the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors was most popular in the Midwest and Virginia:
The President’s primetime press conference in the midst of the H1N1 outbreak, though, was popular in California—home to the first confirmed case of H1N1:
And when President Obama weclomed Alison Krauss and Union Station, Brad Paisley, and Charley Pride to the White House, the event was most popular in Tennessee, the nation’s country music capital:
Stay tuned to the White House blog to hear about future Open for Questions sessions and other White House events. To participate in future Open for Questions segments, visit the White House Live application on Facebook.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Joining-the-discussion-at-Whitehousegov-live/
Baghdad PUPS & K9- Bomb Sniffing Training
Since stray dogs in Iraq, Pakistan & Afghanistan are being killed every day, then there might be a solution to save these DOGS & many people as well in those countries. Perhaps we could ask the US and local Armies to train quite a few of them to become trained K9 Bomb sniffing. Then they could be freed every morning and evening on two different shifts and sent to crowded places, watched by under cover personnel, and asked to come back to their special kennels after every shift and then the evening shift would take over. These K9 dogs would have a collar to show they are army dogs so nobody should harm them...If some one would want to harm them then that person (he/she) would be mal intentioned and would be arrested. These K9 Bomb Detecting/Sniffing Dogs (K9BD2) would every day & night roam about in crowds and pick would be suicide bombers and bark at them to alert the security personnel as well as potential targets. Under the Islamic Law guard dogs such as sheep dogs are permitted.
If I lived closer to Arizona, I would start a protest to this? Utter disrespect, and I am surprised, because didn't we "WIN" Arizona? Anyway, I wish I could ask our current administration, to use their contact list, and ask that every single resident, voter, student, donor, anyone remotely associated with the State Of Arizona, to write to your Managing Editors, of local News Papers, contact Orgs, that donate money, send out E-Mails to other Obama supporters about this.
Whatever your heart tell you to do.
My understanding is that it is not O.K. to trash the standing President, especially in times of War, because you will also be disrespecting our troops. I didn't care for Bush, but never went on a rampage, because of this little understood proticol. Why has everything changed, in regarding RESPECT, when it comes to our new Prez.
Please read, and do what you wish, with this info.
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=83121442645&h=frt3O&u=1MNMr&ref=mf
N.Mc.
This weekend we have a great opportunity to support President Obama by going out and collecting Pledge Promises in support of his priorities for our country. As you are aware we elected President Obama with the promise of changing our country. In order to do that we have to help him push our top three priorities in improving our Economy & Creating Jobs; Health Care, Clean Energy, Education/Schools.
This is a great way for us to build and reenergize the folks that support President Obama, creating a database of volunteers and supporters.
The purpose of the Pledge Promise is to have supporters do the big ASK and talk to your representative asking them to pass President Obama's Budget. We can do this. This is why we elected President Obama...we are the change we've been waiting for!
THERE IS A METHOD TO HIS MADNESS. OUR PRESIDENT B. OBAMA HAS DONE MORE FOR OUR COUNTRY IN ONE MONTH THEN ANY OTHER PRESIDENT. SO I'M GONNA TAKE ONE MINUTE OF MY TIME TO THANK HIM AND SUPPORT HIM ALL THE WAY. SO HERE IT IS (THANKYOU PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!!!) AND YOU CAN COUNT ON MY SUPPORT. DOING SOMETHING RATHER THEN NOTHING IS WHAT SEPERATES US FROM THE ANIMALS. AMERICA IS EXPERIENCING A VERY HUMBLING TIME IN ITS HISTORY BUT WEV'VE HAD IT TO GOOD FOR TO LONG AND MAYBE SOMETHING GOOD WILL COME OUT OF THIS. MAYBE THIS WILL BRING FAMILIES TOGETHER WE HAVE BECOME A CULTURE OF EVERYONE FOR HIMSELF AND THATS JUST NOT RIGHT. WE NEED TO GATHER OUR MORALS BACK UP AND JOIN THE ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE CLUB CALLED THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!
RANDY OF MI.....
Cable news and right wing blogs are swarming with the revisionist history on the New Deal. Arm yourself against lies, spin and propaganda by reading info from a number of sources.
Here down a article about this topic. [Media Matters is a progressive media watchdog and fact checking organization which has received accolades from numerous sources (except the right wing media which often gets debunked by Media Matters).]
The link to digg it and for article: Conservatives Cherry-Pick 1930s Unemployment Figures
Summary: Columnists Mona Charen and George Will continued a trend among conservative media of responding to comparisons between the current economic situation and that of the 1930s and between Barack Obama and FDR by attacking the New Deal. In separate columns, both Charen and Will cherry-picked unemployment figures to assert that the New Deal did not reduce unemployment. But historians and progressive economists have noted that unemployment fell every year of the New Deal except during the 1937-38 recession; further, Nobel-laureate Paul Krugman has said it was a reversal of New Deal policies, not a continuance of them, that contributed to rising unemployment in 1937 and 1938.
Yes we can! Best wishes, Steffen
http://changeforbetterworld.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-way-to-say-goodbye-to-neocons-bush.html
Formal Petition to Attorney General-Designate Eric Holder to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute any and all government officials who have participated in War Crimes.
I have sat back and watched the opposition to President Obama command the dialogue in the media regarding his plans. Whether it is about the stimulus plan or foreign policy (think the former VP!), the administration has been pushed around for the last week! The grass roots movement that helped push President Obama into the White House needs to rise up and fight on his behalf!!! We need to follow up and not just expect him to fight all our battles. WE WANTED A VOICE IN GOVERNMENT, SO LET'S USE IT!!!!
We need to write our congressmen and women, our local newspapers, and the television news media outlets and tell them that we want President Obama's plan to have a chance!!!! We had tax cuts and other policies from the Republicans for the last 8 years and it didn't work out. In fact, it has contributed to our debt, hurt job creation, and reduced services that are needed now. Changes are needed in the stimulus and senators appear willing to take some spending out, and that's great. We need to focus on strong job creation that will be around now and in the future.
President Obama HAS compromised and tried to find some conservative policy to use in the stimulus, but Republicans are just ignoring the outreach and simply biting the President's hand. It's time we bite back!!!!
Write your elected officials and tell them we are watching and will hold them accountable in the coming near term election if basic compromise is not found! We will hold accountable those people who played politics when Americans were losing their jobs. We will fight in the next election to get rid of old politicians who are not living up to the Change this country voted for in 2008!!!!
Spread the word to your family and friends to start writing as soon as possible.
Thank you,
Raul Dominguez
Obama Supporter
Torrance, CA
The grassroots movement that helped elect Barack Obama President needs to start writing letters to the editor of their papers, their local elected officials and members of the Senate to stop the gridlock in passing a stimulus package. When Republicans simply vote no on a bill because they want to stop some part of it, means that nothing gets accomplished. When Rush Limbaugh says he just wants "Obama's policies to fail", he's still advocating the country to fail because the administration is Obama's. I don't care if policies are conservative or liberal, if they help get Americans working, improve our economy, and stimulate the beginning of a global financial rally, then that's fine!!!
We need to work together. If Judd Gregg (R) comes over as Commerce Secretary, I hope a Republican is put in his Senate seat so pundits don't say the move was simply to get the Dems a full majority. We need serious people now to solve serious problems.
Please comment and send your thoughts to your contacts. Thanks, Raul
By morning the wind had stopped and cold had set in. We got an early start and headed north to the Twin Cities. We stopped in Fargo for lunch with friends.
North Dakota was cold, but the roads were clear and we made good time. Dixie and I lived for 5 years in North Dakota and still feel at home in the Big Empty. Warmest people in the country.
We spent the night in Miles City, Montana, having driven 800 miles.
Early start this morning, as snow has moved in. Fought a light snow for 400 miles, across the passes and along the rivers, but made it home this afternoon.
Good trip. President Obama made it all worth the effort.
We got out of Wheeling late. Dixie loves the casinos. I enjoy reading while she plays.
As we got a late start, we did not get very far and spent last night in Danforth, IL.
Today in Iowa we hit ground blizzards and thought we would try and get north of it. Didn't happen. We are stranded in Northern Iowa for the night.
We arose early yesterday and did a tour of Arlington Cemetray. What a place. Emma felt we had to visit since we were so close. This visit did delay our leaving DC by a couple of hours. Emma wanted to see Baltimore, home of Hair Spray, so we drove there first. And we drove there very slowly. The only heavy traffic we have had for the whole trip.
Then we stopped at Gettysburg to view the battle sight. Here we found out that we were probably too far from Pittsburgh for the Kids to catch their flights home and to college. I drove as fast as I dared, but we just missed their flights. We got them rescheduled for the 22nd and set up in a hotel at the airport (pricey, aren't they?) and drove to Wheeling, WV.
For those I have promised photos, I can not download them to this computer, so everyone will have to wait. Sorry.
The ObamaCart made the NY Times yesterday, so I guess we have arrived.
You can Digg it: My_way to say GOODBYE to neocons, Bush and Cheney!
A picture from me to say goodbye from most bad president of US and all neocons.We can only hope many people will long enough remember. Bush had a lot bad gifts for the change! Let's take care the poor and normal people will not have to pay now too much after the rich made profit in good time!And what's with impeachment now?! What's with hidden knowledge of Sept. 11 2001?[ Maybe an explanation of picture: it's made like an "egg laying wool milk sow" a metaphorical-idiomatic term in Germany]
Yeah, and here you can see something new about neocons were bringing to us - for me to say: don't forgive Bush and neocons and there is still a lot to work of. We will and can do this too - Yes we can!I got now message too like "If anybody can clean up the mess bush left, it's President Obama." - Yes and Obama likes people helping still to do the work - help him! We were a big and strong movement and so people got knowledge back how strong people can be together! Whistleblower: Bush's NSA spied on EVERYONE (already 4255 Diggs) The NSA had access to ALL YOUR COMMUNICATIONS, regardless of who you were or whether or not you were communicating internationally.
Sunday Jeff and Emma flew into Pittsburgh and Jeff's baggage was lost so we had to spend the night. Monday we got out late and drove to DC. We swung south and came in from the south east to avoid traffic. Missed our motel and wound up down town. Parked and spent a few hours on the mall. Then back to the motel. Very light traffic.
Then to the MYBO Grassroots Soical. Cheryl had given a power point on the Obamacart, so when we arrived with my wheel, we got a warm reception. Had a great time and returned to the motle around midnight.
This morning up before 5 and got a cab down to the mall. I wanted to watch the show from the Lincoln Memorial, but was over ruled so we moved. To the WWII Memoial where Emma and I found good seats. But, that was not to be either. Dixie and Jeff went to the Washington Monument and called us, so we joined them.
So, we watched our dreams come true from the cold, wind swept hill top which surrounds the Washington Monument. The crowd was so thinck you could hardly move, but not heavy enough to create enogh body heat to warm the place.
What a wonderful experience! It was everything I wished it would be.
Afterwards, we worked our way back out of the mall, across the river to Arlington Cemetary and caught the Metro then a cab back to the room. Tonight we are going out again, but nothing will ever top today.
