American Morning
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August 13th, 2009
05:43 AM ET
What’s on Tap – Thursday August 13, 2009
Here are the big stories on the agenda today:
- President Obama is getting ready for another road trip to pitch health care reform, but at town hall meetings yesterday in Pennsylvania, Iowa and Maryland, senators were shouted down. Rumors of death panels and worries about “grandma” are putting health care reform on life support. We are here to separate fact from fiction and filter out the noise. And we’re live at the White House with the president’s plans to turn around an angry tide.
- The town hall tear up controversy. A man takes a poster of Rosa Parks and rips it in half at a town hall meeting on health care outside St. Louis. The man was arrested and the woman was escorted out. A new angle of the confrontation is revealing a whole new side to this story today. And the woman who brought that sign in will join us live with her side of the story.
- Back from the brink? The Federal Reserve said that the economy is “leveling out,” following the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. It's the closest to an official pronouncement of the end of the recession so far. But it comes with a word of caution: most Americans won't feel like things are significantly better right away. So, how do you feel. Let us know right here or at 877-MY-AM-FIX.
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On Twitter
Trump on Putin and the war in Ukraine: “Putin would have never gone into Ukraine. I used to talk to him about it. Itwitter.com/i/web/status/1…6OW4
I’m in fo@alexwagnerer this week. Tonight, Parkland shooting victim Joaquin “Guac” Oliver@manueloliver00olivertwitter.com/i/web/status/1…OipufrPzfg
Liz Cheney on Nashville shooting: Focus on gun violence in schools, not banning books nbcnews.com/politics/polit… via @NBCNews
BREAKING: A federal judge has ordered former Vice President Mike Pence to comply with a grand jury subpoena about ftwitter.com/i/web/status/1…iP
BREAKING: Under extreme and mounting pressure from public protests, the United States and members of his own governtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…Up
Americans should watch developments in Israel, in which a sitting prime minister, facing criminal charges of fraud,twitter.com/i/web/status/1…m1
Fix the insurance problems and the theft and fraud taking place. DO NOT allow our govt to take over our healthcare stsyem, just help fix it. Your opinion would sound great, but if ...how you run a vet hospital, post office, medicare program, gosh...(.just about any program they ran), would have the same outcomes, we would be doomed! Let the American Private Industry run it. I have soooo much more faith in an American than I do a government official, you? Fix the problem, which the healthcare is rated one of the best, and bring costs down..... the American People way, not a govt way! That gives them WAY WAY WAY toooooo much control over you! No way!
Hey Carol, when they going to look into the federal offenses that took place on a horrible hate crime against a black man, by four black Union men, while taking a beating, hospitalized, and racially assulted? Hate crimes! And to think that someone sent an email to the Union to do this kind of thing!!!! Yeah.....cry wolf! If you are yelling for this plan, you are either a part of it, you have no clue about it, or you are highly paid to fight for it. I, along with REAL AMERICANS, are not paid ONE PENNY! Being an American is payment enough for us!
CNN viewers should be reminded that:
1) the US spends 15+% of its GDP on health care & fails to cover 55 million citizens. 2) Canada spends 10% & covers nearly all its citizens. 3) The Canadian system is public financed care, not government-run care. 4) The US private health care system has already failed miserably compared to dozens of countries who provide basic health care to all their citizens. 5) The unique feature of US health care is the absence of major public financing. 6) US private health care financing rations care so that millions don't get it. 7) Much of the 5% GDP difference between US & Canada is the cost of the US private sector's avoiding rather than paying health care costs.
CNN when is a MSM station going to cover the fact that GRASSROOTS.ORG, the founder of the ad for Willie Horton, is responsible for the NAZI Obama hate propaganda? When?
I can't believe the MSM cannot expose these astro turf assaults on democracy.
Thank you Lyn for mentioning Canada because that is mentioned so often that it is not right,I just heard Canada mentioned again by Mr.Sanchez.We do have something called OHIP and yes it covers abortion but it also covers doctors and hospital visits,we do have to show it at those times and if we don't have it at the time we have to call it in and it is not really free we do have to pay at tax time.Most employers offer coverage that's not covered by this OHIP where a payment is deducted bi-weekly or monthly from our paycheques and there is a deductible at the beginning of the year, to cover visits like dental and eye care and prescriptions which are not covered by OHIP.Yes some of us go to the emergency for cold and minor little things but we are covered.The Americans should take a page from our books as we have one really important thing in common at this time, the unemployed cannot collect unemployment if we quit our jobs or is fired,and in both cases we do have to have a really really good reason in both cases,try telling the employment representative that being on E.I.was more beneficial to you instead of working and see how that pans out.
This morning's show discussed the costs of health insurance. Concerning those costs, here is a YouTube video you have to see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKI9be55N00
It shows a series of people who are fighting for United Health Group to pay for treatment for their fatal diseases. Juxtaposed against these people is a profile of Stephen Hemsley, the CEO of UHG, who is paid about $121,000 PER HOUR!! This is what is wrong with American health care. I wish more people could see this video.
If you turn on FOX you will hear nothing of death panels... Only CNN keeps this rumor alive for some unknown reason.. Maybe they think there doing the work of the people or good reporting but NO one on FOX the number one rated news station is feeding in to this so called death panel..
It is becoming increasingly clear that the conservative Republican people that are getting their marching orders from the talk radio hosts and right wing corporate(insurance/drug co.) sponsored web sites are begging to show their true nature. From the lady at Senator Grassle's town hall meeting who openly proclaimed herself to be an "Iowa redneck " to the the man currently under arrest for the assaulting the the lady and taking her poster(which was not being displayed or held up) it is clearer every day that the right wing is mad as hell that they lost the election, their values of greed, bigotry, and corruption have been rejected. YOU LOST the election!!! You can voice your opinions at the top of your lungs, it is your right, but rude behavior, intimidation, threats of violence, and now instances of violence just show how truly un-Christian you all are. Redneck indeed, a brutish, bigoted, self centered person,prone to quickly resorting to violence when confronted with anything they disagree with, from the right kind of beer to drink, to the horrors of an African American actually having been elected as President of the U.S.A.
Further correction to your guest re economies in France and Germany: Germany also HAS a stimulous package which, as with France's stimulous package, is being given credit with getting their economy going again.
When politico is fact checking could they please fact chaeck the 60plus ad CNN continues to run. It contains many of the lies that you are debunking. When does a news organization have to put honesty above profits??
Peggy, there were others in the crowd with signs also. They were not man handled out of the auditorium. The man snatched the sign from her when all he had to do was tell the authorities that signs were not allowed and this lady had one. WHo did the police man handle and throw out? You do the math!
I can not believe you let that poster woman on your program running her mouth about racism. Its not about racism its about our health ins. problem. It seem like we can't do anything without people yelling racism. Just because a white and black does not agree it not because of race..... I am so sick of some people using that as a weapon all the time. Its because our president wants to cram this ins. stuff down our throats. I don't want my tax dollars to pay for these lazy peoples health ins. and that will happen. Why should a hard working person that pays for all their needs be made to pay for peoples ins. who are to lazy. Sure if everyone gets the same care then why should some of those people work at all. I use to be on afdc and there were girls in there that would say "oh welfare is gonna cut me off so I had better get pregnant so they won't". Is that right????NO!!
WE NEED TO HELP AMERICANS ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I used to watch your program almost every morning but you guys bringing that woman on this morning has upset me. That woman was acting stupidly (as the president would say). I found Fox News this morning and I will be watching them from now on.
The economist you had on this morning stated France did not have a stimulous package which is NOT true. The French have a better growth forecast than expected which Sarkowsy is now claimiing is due to the success of his STIMULOUS package.
Ihope you are gpoing to correct this falsehood.
It is also interesting that Germany, France and Canada are fairing much better in this recession yet the Republicans and their supporters are accusing them as "socoalists". What they fail to include is that these democratic governments did not turn their countries over to big business and lobbyists!!
The president being in office for a mere eight months is expected to clean up eight years of a big deficit, the Republicans should come up with better ideas for the health care reform instead of protesting against it.The more the republicans protest the more the people are going to follow suit,and the people are not just protesting against health care reform ,it's the fact that he is black more than anything else.He's being compared to that Hitler and the joker,the anger of the people are being fuelled by what is on the internet and the negativity of the Republicans and they have found an excuse to vent their anger in a different way instead.These people have to ask themselves if they were satisfied with the way things were this black man took office. If McCain or a white man had won,satisfaction would have been guaranteed,these people are scared but that's no excuse for bigotry.He is doing the best that he can with what he had to work with upon taking office,they say ignorant people are stupid people and by listening to what others are saying and not thinking for ourselves we tend to get in trouble by following the leaders.BTW,I checked the amendments and it doesn't say you have to be born in the U.S.A to become a president,these people are not debating the reform they are hating their president.
My comment is on Health Care and Reform;
I have listened to most of the debates concerning Pres. Obama'sHealth Care Reform, and I have read revelant parts of the bill that would pertain to me and my family.
My question is a multi part question.
A) Does anyone remember when the Bush Admin. pushed Social Security and Medicare reform?
If you collect S.S., under the Bush Amin. law, you pay for medicare weather you want it or not. The payment comes out of your monthly check before you get it. Try to remember that when you visit your dr.
B) Why would anyone not be in favor of a law that requires all Americans to have health Insurance? Are they stupid or just plain idiots?
Think of health insurance like it's car insurance; your required to have it, but oaw many times do you need it in a year? Unless your the most dangerous driver out there, hardly ever.
C) With health Insurance going the way as jobs, and jobs going out the window, why would anyone be against a " Single Payer" Health Insurance Plan? We have it already with Medicare.
Although I have private insurance and I do not collect S.S. I am in total favor of any reform that mandates everyone have health insurance. I know personally what it's like to not have health insurance because of the high cost of Cobra. To drive a car, you are required to have car insurance. I know this because I drive a car. The state government I live in does not tell me who to get insurance from, but just get it.
And so should it be with health insurance. How would it be paid for?
I am in favor of a " Tax" like on your paycheck now. The cost of your plan would be deducted from your check like usual, like your 401k.
then you choose your health insurance provider, like they do with Medicare.
Put a cap on the costs of tests to be done. A cap on the cost of ALL drugs. I don't care about a dr.'s salary., just the cost of the test, xrays, mri's, ct-scans, etc.
Keiser-Permenante ( I hope its spelled right) pays their doctors to keep their patients healthy. Those patients who have Keiser are the better for it.
I am not sure Pres.O can turn around the scared,angry,racist mon mentality that seems to exist in the south were Palinisms are made into bumper stickers and proudly displayed next to Obama O no stickers.I would like to hear Mrs. Palin say Oh by the way the death panel clause I was referring to was actually written and inserted ito the proposed bill by a Republican. The Rosa Parks Poster, was the objection to the poster or to Rosa Parks, its my understanding no one was allowed to bring in a poster an she broke the rules.
Last but not least I am one of those americans that wont feel the leveling out right away if ever.
Let me be the first to request that tolerance be applied in this blog, for once.
Yes, we are all passionate about our belief's, our opinion, our personal and national goals.
I am confident that if one were to just shut their mouth for 5 minutes, and listen with an open heart and an open mind one might just learn that the opposition is not totally different.
We all basically want the same thing, the methods used to get there are often quite different. It is only with tolerance and understanding that this can ever be achieved.
I recommend reading the constitution again, as well as literature and documents our forefathers wrote about this same time. They did not have a Republican, Democrat, or Liberal party then, but they had tolerance and understanding and just look what those traits did for this country.
So for this specific blog is it at all possible to have a serious debate without mud slinging in both directions???
I believe if we all took a collective breath and just relaxed for a moment it can be done.
If as we have been told over and over that there is no Health Plan finalized, why is it that the President out giving pep talks?. To me he appears to be an old west snake oil salesman. Put a plan together, present it to the American People and let the debate begin....
HCR: President Obama..Give the American People what they want. Nothing. Leave HC the way it is. As soon as the insurance/drug companies and the Leeches (ones that are sucking up all the profits, and leaving the ordinary citizens with nothing, accept higher rates)realize that nothing is going to be done, they will raise their rates on these so-called Citizens for their feedback and guess what? they will be crying like b$$$hes.
I feel sorry for the ones who don't have medical/dental insurance; their children, parents are sick and dying; seniors are worrying about their care and everybody worrying about the cost.
They don't realize that nothing is written in stone yet, but they don't give a rat's a$$. All they know is that a Black man has tried to turn things around and this is hard for them to accept.. This has come down to a black/white mentality We have been relegated back to the 40's-50's-60's-70's. Look at the mentality of the people that are out there protesting and what is coming out of their "mouths". If this isn't a race issue, Popeye is a Punk!!!!
The Devil is truly walking this Earth and I see who is being lead by the nose.
It is time for Congress (House and the Senate) to step up to the plate and do what you were sent to Washington for; either fish or cut bait. This is not about Party Ideology.
This Health Care plan will CREATE NEW JOBS,in many trades,new Hospitals & Clinics in much needed areas?
Doctors & Nurses will be in a high demand.<Thats good for the students in school now.
New jobs for construction workers(electrians,plummers,roofer,ac mech, ect...)new transportation systems will all be needed aswell.
Theres so many Positive things comming from thisHealth Care Bill.
Some things need to be worked out but from what I see,BUT the USA needs this now!
Health CARE FOR ALL..
GO OBAMA WE LOVE YOU........................HAR_V in VA
This will pay its self off in the long ....GOD BLESS US