73. The Republiscums are NOT in the least bit interested in walking in someone else’s shoes. All they care about is themselves and those who are close to them. The rest of us can just fall off the face of the earth as far as they care. This is one reason why I don’t believe in God. I can’t believe that God would leave people like Frank M, golly and the other Republiscum trolls here on this earth without some kind of retribution for their sins. Unfortunately, I have seen many selfish-self centered “me-me-me” acquaintances skate through life while loving, caring, nurturing friends suffer from tragedy or illnesses. I just don’t understand it.

Comment by bilbobaggins — January 7, 2008 @ 4:08 pm

Sad to say, all true… but there is cause and effect and what goes around does indeed come around, that you can bank on. So, while, like you, I don’t understand it either, I am comforted by the fact that they will get theirs, either now or in the future. One thing for sure, they need to learn the concept of KARMA.

Comment by texaslady

You forgot stupid.

The Republiscums are NOT in the least bit interested in walking in someone else’s shoes. All they care about is themselves and those who are close to them. The rest of us can just fall off the face of the earth as far as they care. This is one reason why I don’t believe in God. I can’t believe that God would leave people like Frank M, golly and the other Republiscum trolls here on this earth without some kind of retribution for their sins. Unfortunately, I have seen many selfish-self centered “me-me-me” acquaintances skate through life while loving, caring, nurturing friends suffer from tragedy or illnesses. I just don’t understand it.

I worked all my adult life and was stricken with ACHD seven years ago, which rendered me unable to work, needing life saving medical procedures and expensive medicine. I paid for my disability coverage and I am taking NOTHING from the taxpayers. The cost of my medicine just doubled and Rx coverage premiums increased as a result of this administration and the pharmaceutical companies. My recent open heart surgery cost taxpayers at least ten times what taxpayers in other industrialized nations would have paid.

I would love to climb the corporate ladder once again, that may be impossible in the short term since I cannot climb a flight of stairs. However I am hopeful, I attempt to improve myself everyday, physically, financially and spiritually, even though physical and financial improvement is a little limiting when you are facing Sudden Cardiac Death. Therefore, you may wish to walk a mile in another persons shoe before you make such a callous statement, alternately you should pray daily that you will not be struck down by some genetic disease you have not been previously aware of.

That said, I don’t feel sorry for myself, I still feel sorry for you, you are setting yourself up for a major awakening some day, did you ever hear of the law of cause and effect? Just remember, the law of cause and effect, like the law of gravity, cannot be ignored, nor will it go away. You will reap what you sow.

Comment by Zooey

Well, very few right-wingers will ever discuss our health care crisis in any case (watch a GOP debate and see if it comes up). And we normal people are having lots of fun at Rush’s (and his sychophant’s) expense.

Hmm. Let’s see. I have my own company as a corporate recruiter.

A few comments to address your shortsighted biased views.

1 – I have a friend who’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer about 10 years ago. The company that he worked for changed insurance carriers maybe four months after she was diagnosed. At that point, neither the old nor the new carriers would touch her for any amount of money. They had to go to the state of Illinois and go into a special pool. So you go along thinking that you have health insurance through your employer and all of a sudden find out that you are high and dry.
2 – I don’t know what rock you’ve been living under for the last 10 or 20 years, but health insurance is becoming more and more of an issue for just about all companies out there these days. 20 years ago your employer paid 100 percent of the costs, and your individual costs were minimal. Copays, employee contributions, selected plans are all making health costs jump for all employees. Some companies are simply dropping any health care coverage at all. Want health care coverage, get it yourself.
3 – Many people CANNOT change jobs because they can’t afford the change in health care, or the loss of health care. I see that more and more.
4 – Paraphrasing, there used to be a saying along the lines of, “What’s good for GM is good for the USA.” Try looking at GM and the problems that they are having trying to absorb, pass on, health care costs.

If you don’t see a problem with health care in the US, it’s simply because you’ve got your eyes closed. It CERTAINLY isn’t because people are working enough, or at a high enough paying job, to afford it.

Francine thinks there is beauty in people not being able to afford to pay for their own health insurance. Typical soulless Republiscum attitude.

Health care should be a right for all Americans, not a privilege.

We’ve got a group of people who are arguably in the top echelon of income in the United States. Nothing wrong with that.

So what do you suppose it would cost these folks to buy their own health insurance? Even Robert Byrd who could do it with Medicaid/Medicare supplemental insurance. $10,000.00 per year max. Of course it’s also tax deductible.

So instead of volunteering to pay for it themselves, and make an example of the system, they simply take their health care and have people who are making slightly over the minimum wage contribute to the cost. Of course the person making minimum wage doesn’t have enough money to pay for their own health coverage.

Fascinating.

Who needs ‘em stinkin’ up the place anyway, right, Frank?

Comment by shoeless — January 7, 2008 @ 1:36 pm

You’re right, Shoeless. We help them anyway, that’s what makes us human.

AARP refused to allow Kucinich to participate in their Democrat sponsored debate because they take tens of billions of $$$ from health insurance companies.

Same with the Iowa and New Hampshire debates.

Most Americans DON’T KNOW about single payer. They’ve NEVER heard of it. They’re being denied their right to hear from all the candidates. It’s beyond OUTRAGEOUS.

Lastly, helping insurance companies sell policies is NOT a health insurance plan. It’s Corporate Crony Capitalism. You know who you are Hillary, Barack and John.

PITTY IT DIN’T HAPPEN!!!!

Comment by Frank M — January 7, 2008 @ 1:13 pm

I don’t believe you have answered the question regarding people who are unable to “climb the corporate ladder” for one reason or another.

For that matter, there aren’t enough corporate ladders for everyone to climb.

A few years ago, someone wrote a letter to the editor in my local paper claiming that there really is no health care crisis — that all people had to do to get good health insurance was to get a job with an employer who offered it. This is logic that I’m sure you can identify with, since your posts kind of fall along the same line.

Let’s look at some problems associated with that logic:

1) There aren’t enough jobs with employer-paid health insurance to go around (this is why McDonald’s is able to hire people, you know). Furthermore, employers are having to cut back their health insurance benefits to their employees or eliminate it altogether because of skyrocketing costs.

2) Even if you are lucky enough to work for an employer who offers health insurance, your out of pocket costs for premiums can still be well out of your affordability range. Employers often pay a part of insurance costs, with the employee picking up the rest. Many employers don’t pay ANYTHING toward premiums — they “offer” the insurance to the employee at the employee’s cost so the employee can benefit from lower group rates.

3) If you are dependent upon your employer for your health insurance, you’re screwed if you lose your job. Oh yes — you can continue your health insurance through COBRA at your expense, but when you have to pay it all yourself, how can you afford it if you don’t have a paycheck?

4) If you have any kind of pre-existing condition when you get your job, often your employer-provided insurance will specifically not cover it. Which means that if you are diabetic, have a heart murmur, or high blood pressure, you won’t get any financial help for the type of health care you are likely to need the most.

5) And let’s not forget the people who are too disabled to work. Or are homemakers dependent upon a working spouse whose spouse has died or split. And countless other legitimate scenarios where people don’t have a paying job with insurance.

There are a whole lot of people out there who aren’t able to “work hard” or “climb the corporate ladder” as you feel everyone should do. What do you propose to do about them? Just let them get sick and die? Or get sick enough to go to an emergency room and then file bankruptcy when the bill comes? Taxpayers WILL pay for the uninsured eventually. It’s cheaper in the long run to pay to keep people healthy than it is to pay when they get sick through neglect.