Good job subbing for Mike. After listening to Obummer's speech and confirming my impressions by some of the comments I heard on your broadcast, all I gotta say is that, like a bad hangover, the "audacity of hope" is being replaced by the "despair of deception". The President will rather protect the financial health of the insurance companies (not to mention the banks) than the medcial well being of well over 200 million people. Where is government FOR the people?

Hank, did you really really listen to the speech? The President is trying to squeegee a decent health care plan out of this lackluster Congress. You should direct your anger at the fraudsters running those private bait-and-switch health insurance companies. Americans will soon no longer have to fear having "pre-existing" health problems. Insurance companies will no longer be allowed to drop claimants from their policies once they get sick.

Have to agree with Mr. Lombardi.

To me this was pretty much Obama's Waterloo and I was fully expecting him to cave in completely like the usual spineless democrat.
I was all ready to write his ass off, BUT the speech was not that bad, he stated quite clearly he wants a "public option" and that the PO is really the only viable solution that will make insurance companies compete.
It is also the only viable options for those that have very little to no money.
What is "affordable" to some is utterly impossible to many, when you are living in a rat infested hotel paying week to week and living off of Top Ramen then even $50 a month is out of the question.
When you have just lost your job and thus both your Health Insurance and your income in a time of deep recession where there are on average at least 6+ people competing for each and every job out there and you have been out of work for 6 months to a year, you have exhausted all of your savings and all this stress related to losing your job, maybe losing your house, etc is now causing health problems (Stress is a leading cause of most all health problems) then what Insurance company is going to step in and insure you?
maybe you can afford $100 a month, what insurance are you going to get for $100 a month from a private for profit insurance company?

None, Nil, Nada, Zip, Zero.

the only option is a public option that is similar to medicare, my mother which is 92 years old pays out $96 a month for her Medicare and it covers her every bit as good as my wife's & I Federal Blue Cross Blue Shield that she gets from working for the Government for 37 years, the same insurance all members of Congress have is what we have.
Her Medicare isn't quite as good on a couple of things, bit less coverage for Dental & Vision but other than that it is comparable and its only $96 a month for a 92 year old woman.

Now imagine what BC/BS would charge a 92 year old woman for the same coverage she gets with Medicare? I would venture to guess somewhere around $800+ a month and that is IF they would even cover her at all at any price.

My wife & I pay about $220 total for both of us a month for full coverage, Dental & Vision included.
Now obviously the Federal Gov pays a big chunk probably at least $400 or more of her Insurance.
But even at $600 or so a month for 2 people that is cheap compared to what many individuals or companies have to pay.
The reason being is that we are in a very large, many many millions size "group coverage".
now imagine if EVERYONE were under that exact same umbrella, if everyone was covered then every hospital, doctor bill would be paid and cost of health care would go down for everybody.
Down enough so that everybody can get excellent health insurance for under $100 a month, and those that can not afford even that are taken care of by a public option.

Obama knows that is the only way it will ever work and he basically stated as such.

I think he should have come out and called on each and every nut bag Republican right there and put them in the spot light and asked.

OK Senator Inhofe show me and the American people where these "Death Panels" are in any version of any health care bill, please show us so we can act right here and right now to take that part of the bill out.
Oh you haven't read the bill? Then how can you sit there an collect a paycheck from tax payers, I don't care if this bill were 10,000 pages long it is your job sir to read an understand this bill, you have a trained and paid staff do you not? Can you read?

Then proceed to slap down each and every nut bag that have come out and publicly made asses of themselves.
But that would be too much to hope for from any democrat.

Why do we need insurance companies at all?

How long before we hear about insurance companies cooking the books? Will it be several years down the road suddenly we need to bail out insurance companies. Too big to fail. Between the corporate media, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, and the angry astroturfing protests (That shit makes me not even want to visit an event), Shouldn't the root problems of the door of our monetary system be closed on the banksters before trying to decide what to do about health care. Should we not stabilize the markets before screwing around here?

Look I haven't had health care for almost 30 years, and that was when I worked in the USAF. I'd love to have a basic fucking physical.

Every job I have ever seem to have, didn't come with health care, some jobs I lost money. I contracted. I've seen how somehow we are supposed to bring back banks which are bankrupt because they over leveraged, ponzi schemed and fucked around gambling, these banks books still aren't fixed today their shoe box has a turd in there, or they would open it up an show us the $65 trillion. Now we want insurance companies running around looking for way's to be profitable? That's assuming anyone even has a job. (which is much higher than is being said)

Then toss into this all the noise and crap from corporate media (again ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS), the shock stories, the town hall outbursts, even if there was a health care plan to look at we can't tell if it's real or not, the corporate media has basically pissed away it's credibility and between them and the government (no clear direction or leadership among both) I can't even tell what the fuck is up or down anymore. I Hear one thing I say it and someone else goes no it's not and they convince me in short time.

Our country has some other problems to deal with before health care. You can't get Health Care wrong. If it really gave a shit about our health care, that stimulus package would have been to doctors, food, and emergency housing. That would be leadership or excellence in health care. This country's resources are not a bottomless pit if anything is left over it should be to alternative energy so we can get everything off the grid That would be leadership.

But when I hear insurance I think LEECHES.

They want all this money, and a.) it never gets used or b.) when it get's used it's not adequate. Don't tell me it ain't that way, I've seen it.

When the discussion goes from DOCTOR to INSURANCE the math goes from un-rounded accuracy to rounded-fuzzy math . you can't use fuzzy math on a monetary system based on a fractional reserve

And don't even get me started about how electronic vote tabulation devices allow for no accountability of our representatives.

So while I did listen to Obama, I see some problems.

Anyone care to explain the corporate stance on how to run a profitable insurance company?

Jobs are lower not higher, e.g. less jobs (hehe stupid me)

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE CHAT ROOM DURING THE SHOW, IT'S UP ABOVE!

nunya said,
"The reason being is that we are in a very large, many many millions size "group coverage".

for many self employed working,tax paying families this is the key,as it is now we are forced to buy in very small groups and if one person in the group gets sick and needs costly care,every premuim is raised until the insurance company gets everyone in the group to drop their coverage

a simple solution would be to let the self employed buy into the federal program or buy into medicare,i realize not everyone could afford the 600 per month but to me that sounds like a dream(before my and husband and i were forced to let our coverage go the insurance company had raised our premiums to almost 1200/month for one person,for a 2500 deductible)

allowing the self employed to buy into a huge established group would take one big burden away from start up businesses which in turn would be good for the economy and job creation

He may have stated quite clearly he wants a public option, but he also stated as clearly that another way to accomplish the same ends is equally acceptable to him. The Democrats, in Congress and in the administration, including his Chief of Staff, have been floating this willingness to give it up for a few months now. Each time, we go nuts and they take it back, and then come back again and talk about it.

The public option in this CRAP legislation is the only bit of it that holds any promise for this mandatory health insurance to end up not being too heavy a burden for too many people... maybe some glimmer of hope that someday someone COMPETENT can use it to slide everyone into the Single Payer format that is the only lucid and humane way to treat each other.

That speech was "We're capitalists. We never cede a cash cow for anything. I'm standing up here, running my mouth, so you will stop being angry at me for it." Rest assured, when they come up with an alternative for the public option that only SOUNDS like it will do the same thing, THAT'S when suddenly all the votes needed will line right up behind this Not Healthcare Reform. It's plain as the nose on your face.

Whether or not it is their intent, the Republicans are giving the Democrats the political cover for caving in completely to the demands of the corporate oligarchy.

Big Ag is already feeding us so many chemicals and toxins and microbes that sicken us up for Big Pharma... and drives up those premiums for Big Insurance. Now EVERYBODY will HAVE TO play this game.

That speech was a reprehensible piece of shit. It was the politically astute way to appease the greed of big companies and soothe the poor rubes who have to put up with this CIRCUS they make out of what should be BASIC common sense, BASIC common decency.

If he had any honor he'd shoot himself.

True I forgot about the "mandatory insurance" thing which just completely solidifys that the public option is not an option but in fact mandatory.
It simply will not work without a very strong public option.
and I agree single payer is really the only way to go, but that sadly wont happen because WAY too many Americans are ignorant beyond belief, easily fooled into voting against their own best interest and even the 10s of millions that know better, aren't ignorant, still wont stand up in the 10s of millions and DEMAND the right thing (single payer, medicare for all) be started.