Leonard Boswell Lies to his Constituents at Lone Town Hall Meeting
- Friday, August 14, 2009, 4:30
- National, News Center, Top Story
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- 79 comments
In his only scheduled town hall meeting, Congressman Leonard Boswell told a crowd of 100 people that he might not vote for the health care reform bill. Boswell, who is considered to be the most vulnerable congressional incumbent in Iowa, told the audience, “I can’t answer that because we don’t have a bill.”
However Boswell’s congressional website tells a different story. The front page of Boswell’s website states, “As a Member of Congress, representing the Third Congressional District of Iowa, I am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress and with President Obama to create real reforms that will help Iowans and all Americans receive health insurance and access to their family doctors. Since H.R. 3200, the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, was introduced on July 14th, I have been in various meetings analyzing this bill with the needs of Iowans in mind, voicing my support and criticism for the many provisions in this monumental bill. I am fighting for strong provisions that will contain the cost of health care, pay providers fairly, and maintain access to services.”
Why is Congressman Boswell lying to his constituents? It’s bad enough that Congressman Boswell has only made time to hold one town hall meeting addressing the healthcare issue in his district during the August recess, but misleading his own constituents for political convenience is unacceptable. Boswell’s lone town hall meeting occurred in Sigourney, a tiny town in the easternmost county in his district. Sigourney is a two hour drive from Des Moines, which is also in Boswell’s district.
Boswell’s website also states, “The Public Option should be self-sustaining and deficit neutral.” That statement indicates that Congressman Boswell supports the Obama administration’s single-payer, government-run program. However, the thousands of people who have turned out to town hall meetings all across the state are vehemently opposed to the Democrats’ proposal, and so Boswell was singing a different tune than is on his website when he had to meet his constituents face to face.
Boswell is splitting hairs by claiming that, since there isn’t a final version of the bill, he doesn’t know whether or not he will support it. Boswell’s website is very clear. He supports a public option and clearly communicates that he will support H.R. 3200 as long as it fixes the Medicare payment formulas. Congressman Boswell owes his constituents a clear explanation of his position on healthcare reform. The one way in which he can do that is to hold additional town halls across his district.
Boswell is trying to have it both ways on this issue to avoid an embarrassing situation like other members of congress have experienced in their town hall meetings. Boswell is also probably worried that showing strong support for the bill could hurt him in next year’s election.
While Congressman Boswell faced a primary challenge by former State Representative Ed Fallon in 2008, Boswell won easily and defeated his Republican opponent by a 14 point margin. Still, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has included Boswell in its incumbent protection program.
Speculation remains that Poweshiek County Attorney Mike Mahaffey is considering another run against Boswell. Mahaffey is a former GOP state chairman and was the Republican nominee for congress in 1996, the last time the seat was open. Mahaffey narrowly lost to Boswell.
If Mahaffey does run for the third district congressional seat, he will have to first win a primary to earn the Republican nomination. Thus far, two relatively unknown candidates have stepped forward and announced their intentions to run. Dave Funk, a medically retired Northwest Airlines pilot, had a campaign kickoff fundraiser Wednesday night, which Congressman Steve King attended. Funk is the current President of the Iowa Chapter of the Safari Club and served as the Co-Chair of Iowa Sportsmen for McCain-Palin in 2008. The other candidate is Pat Bertroche, a psychiatrist with a practice in Clive.
About the Author
Craig Robinson has written 700 stories on this site.
Craig Robinson serves as the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheIowaRepublican.com. Prior to founding Iowa's largest conservative news site, Robinson served as the Political Director of the Republican Party of Iowa during the 2008 Iowa Caucuses. In that capacity, Robinson planned and organized the largest political event in 2007, the Iowa Straw Poll, in Ames, Iowa. Robinson also organized the 2008 Republican caucuses in Iowa, and was later dispatched to Nevada to help with the caucuses there. Robinson cut his teeth in Iowa politics during the 2000 caucus campaign of businessman Steve Forbes and has been involved with most major campaigns in the state since then. His extensive political background and rolodex give him a unique perspective from which to monitor the political pulse of Iowa.
79 Comments on “Leonard Boswell Lies to his Constituents at Lone Town Hall Meeting”
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I thought Boswell had cancelled all appearances as his grandson was injured. Did he deliberately mislead constituents? One hundred people? That’s all? No one must have known about it. It sounds like they didn’t make any effort to let voters know.
How about RPI or Polk County Republicans holding some???? Have an Empty Chair siting there with Boswells Name on it????
This guy is incredible! I remember when he was in the hospital last year for 2 MONTHS, and when asked about it, refused to comment on it. When you are as old as he is, it is relevant information for your constituents.
I’d take Fallon over Boswell any day. At least Fallon won’t lie to my face.
Fallon is kooky but he is honest. He is a rare Democrat–he doesn’t lie!!
Where are all of Iowa’s liberal lapdog ‘journalists’ on this injured grandson story. It should be easy enough to confirm with a little work but they completely took Boswell at his word. I think I also read somewhere that he was going to re-schedule the meetings but I’m not holding my breath.
I went to this townhall meeting and it was poorly organized (probably on purpose). I had to go to his website to even find out if he would be appearing anywhere near me. When i saw he would be in Sigourney, it said I had to RSVP. I did, nearly 2 weeks in advance. When news of his grandson came out, i called his office to find out if the meeting was still going on and they told me no. I called again the morning of and they told me it WAS going to happen. When I got there, they had a signup list and would only allow the first 60 people in. Needless to say, the people wearing AFSCME and SEIU tshirts were the first people allowed in, and they were the only people who got sitting space. I wonder why they had us RSVP if they were planning on turning so many people away?
Lucas,
Please cut and paste your comments and put them up at the Bleeding Heartland blog, where they’re fishing for bad news about Republicans at town hall meetings.
http://www.bleedingheartland.com/diary/2954/seeking-good-quotes-and-footage-from-townhall-meetings
In addition to Bos being a liar, he is also a coward–typical Dimocrat.
Craig, yesterday Boswell’s office announced plans for an August 23 town-hall meeting at AIB in Des Moines.
Ah Craig, slow news day, not having a final bill or version or anything close is a pretty big “hair” I am not sure how you think boswell is misleading, he has stated what he wants or is looking for, but can’t commit until there is a final version. I am guessing that is how many representatives and senators feel.
Silence
Silence..obviously you failed English in the public school system..otherwise you’d be able to comprehend what Boswell publically stated yesterday…and what his previous public statements have been. There most certainly IS a bill in the House side..that being the aforementioned by Boswell himself, HR 3200. Boswell is flat out LYING to his constitutents if he’s telling them that “there is no bill”.
there is no final version, no representative is going to say they will vote on something until the final version, on top of not even having a final version in the house, there would have to be another version that would come from negotiations between the senate and house in a joint committee. Apparently, hawk, you never took a civics class or you failed it. I believe boswell’s position and statements are similar to that of grassley who is working on a bipartisan bill in the senate. Please, stop the hypocracy.
Silence
PS, Hawk what do you have against public education???
Silence
You mean the state-run ‘educational’ system manned by liberal union hacks where anything goes except that which smells of morality or godliness? Do you really have to ask?
Boswell is in the House side..which as Boswell CLEARLY stated, there is a bill, HR 3200…Boswell is the one saying that he’s “analyzing the bill”
I don’t have anything against the public school system..I merely stated the point that you obviously failed English because anyone who had a public school education would be able to understand what Boswell said yesterday..and what he’s saying on his website…are NOT in agreement with each other.
A Dem politician lying? I’m shocked. Shocked, I say.
So, we can’t criticize Boswell for refusing to tell us how he’ll vote and claiming there is no bill, because, according to Silence, there is no “final” bill, which Silence tells us won’t happen until the conference committee comes up with a compromise.
But, if you remember your Schoolhouse Rock, the bill doesn’t go the the conference committee until each chamber has VOTED on their versions of the bill.
So, it’s really not too much to ask for him to tell us how he’ll vote on the house version.
All this “it’s not final” crap is just a diversionary tactic to get people to back off so that Obamacare can move a few more steps down the road towards passage without so much controversy.
Just remember, anything that’s in the House version has a pretty good chance at making it in to a final bill.
Hawk, it would seem to me that this is rather trivial, there are several versions of the “bill” there will be undoubtly several more amendments. I honestly don’t see why this is getting any play. Grassley is working on a bill, then said he might not vote for it in the end. This is much ado about nothing Hawk, again take a civics class, it might help.
Peggy, I suppose you believe the government has no business in education either, I suppose all kids should be home schooled like I am sure you were, because that is about the only way you could turn out a person as short sighted and narrow minded as you. Really, what is like to be as paranoid as you, a boogey man around every corner???
Red. Politicians from both sides lie.
Silence
Nice to see where lydia learned all she knows about civics. I only said there will be several more versions and final bills to come before there are any votes on a quote “final” bill. LIke I told Hawk, Lydia, take a civics class, there is a lot more to this than what school house rock taught you.
Silence
“He supports a public option and clearly communicates that he will support H.R. 3200 as long as it fixes the Medicare payment formulas.”
I don’t understand why this is so tough for you all. It seems clear, we will vote for it if it fixes the medicare payment formulas, that is a big “IF” right now, so “IF” that is done and in the final version he will, “IF” it isn’t, then he won’t. For all the English class gurus, like hawk, why isn’t this clear enough for you?
silence
Silence… Unlike you..I have taken civics class…when a Member of the House of Representatives says to his constituents that “there is no bill”….but then CLEARLY says on his website that he’s “analyzing HR 3200″ closely… you don’t have to be a friggin rocket scientist to understand that he’s LYING to them. I know you’re desperate to defend ol’ Leonard at every chance you can get…. Leonard Boswell is NO Blue Dog Democrat…he clearly supports the “public option” that will dump millions of people out of private insurance and into government hands… Leonard voted for the job killing Cap and Trade bill….and you can guarantee that even if this bill does NOTHING to the Medicare payment formulas..he’ll vote for it…why? Because Nanci Pelosi will tell him to, that’s why.
The Schoolhouse Rock reference was just me trying to put it into terms Silence might be capable of understanding. 8-year-old can understand this, but apparently Silence and Boswell can’t.
Silence,
You said “no representative is going to say they will vote on something until the final version.” I think what you meant to say was “no representative is going to publicly endorse anything because it is so wildly unpopular,” and then you meant to continue, “but many of the representatives will surely vote in favor of it back in Washington (away from the constituents).” The other day didn’t Boswell say he voted for Cap and Trade because it was part of the process, but that he was personally opposed. Boy, if thats not foreshadowing…
Thinking, it is hard enough for you to “think” for yourself, so please don’t try to “think” for me or anyone else as I am sure it will overload your circuits. Lydia you should stick with your 8 year old logic, it is about your speed, and Hawk, it is sad that this is the best arguments you can come up with, grassley says essentially the same thing, that is fine, democrat says it, oh my god, the lies. What a hypocrite.
Silence
Silence, Sorry but I wasn’t homeschooled. You’re wrong. Again.
Anybody watching B.O. right now? It’s not about healthcare reform – it’s a hostile, government takeover of the insurance industry. SOCIALISM.
Silence,
Thanks for addressing my analysis and choosing not to disagree with anything I said.
“Grassley says essentially the same thing, that is fine, democrat says it, oh my God.” Have you read any of the articles on this site this week, people are upset at Grassley too. But great talk about hypocrisy…
Peggy, nice to see you can still regugitate talking points fed to you, in case you haven’t figured it out, the insurance industry is not exactly a bunch of up standing citizens, they like to deny necessary care and not pay health providers for care. Kind of like what they did to Obama’s cancer stricken and dying mother. They could at the very least use reform. I can’t believe there are so many idiots out there being used as pawns of the insurance industry. The Insurance companies are one the biggest problems with health care.
Thinking you provided no analysis to respond to, I told you stop trying to think for others because you have enough trouble doing it for yourself, by evidence of your alleged “analysis.”
Silence
Folks, we have a very serious situation occuring in our country right now. A left-wing group being directed from the WH has of what I just read, coerced 12 sponsors to pull sponsorship of the Glenn Beck program.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Beck’s but I know fascism when I see it. This is very , very serous and we had better gear up for the war this is.
I just called Sargento Cheese in WI and told them I would never buy another package of Sargento Cheese.
It’ boycott time.
Beck’s not going to have any problems…they might have lost 12..but probably have 100 on a waiting list to advertise with them…
The problem I have is if the WH is directing this effort…official government resources should not be used for these purposes…
No kidding but it’s Beck today, Hannity tomorrow and Rush the next day.
This jihad is being carried out by a group called Color of Chage, a left wing political group. So far today they’ve intimidated 12 groups to drop Beck.
These are names listed so far:
Progressive Auto Insurance
GEICO
State Farm
Sargento Cheese
Men’s Wearhouse
S.C. Johnson
Procter & Gamble
Lawyers.com
Maybe they actually watched Beck’s show and became embarrassed that they sponsored him, I know I would be. Really, “jihad”. Get a grip. Groups from both sides of the aisle are continuously go after sponsor dollars of people they don’t like. The right is always hitting at companies that advertise with olberman. Didn’t Palin call for sponsors to stop advertising with Letterman. Again, another non issue of the day.
silence
Still waiting for Craig to correct his post to note that Boswell has scheduled a town-hall meeting in Des Moines on August 23 (AIB, 3 pm).
we can only hope hannity and rush are next!!!! Hawk, I was wondering if you had the same concern about government resources be wasted when the bush white house tried to stop the release of Fahr. 911. I am betting you didn’t have a problem with that.
Silence
Silence: You Dims do not care that there is an organized effort to use intimidation to stifle free speech. There is much more to this story and even if you don’t agree with someone, you surely believe someone has the right to speak.
These people are using strong-arm tactics and there is a concerted effort being made to shut down talk radio and conservative speech.
They’re willing to use force to accomplish what they want.
Deace, I do believe in free speech, I believe in a free exchange of ideas. However, your friends, beck, hannity, and rush engage in a free exchange of lies. They can feel free to spread them, but if they lose sponsorship because of it, it should not come as a surprise. With free speech comes responsibility, and consequenses. If you choose to abuse it, it will have consequences, like crying fire in a movie theatre. You are very nieve if you think the republicans aren’t the masters of the strong armed tactics you now want to bash. Again, it was the white house under bush who tried to block the release of Fahr. 911, did you object then or just let it slide.
Silence
Do we even need to bring up valerie plame and what bush’s white house did when her husband said that Iraq never tried to obtain yellow cake???
Silence
Silence, are you talking about Joe Wilson’s article in the NY Times where he states that Iraq never tried to obtain yellowcake uranium……or his official report to the CIA where he acknowledged that Iraqi trade officials met with trade officials in Niger repeatedly? Considering that Niger’s potential exports consist of goats, sand, crops from subsistence farms, and yellowcake uranium…I don’t think you need to call Lt. Columbo to figure out that Saddam’s government was looking for a source of uranium.
And what the hell are you talking about with respect to “Farenheit 911″? In the reality where I live, that movie came out the summer before the 2004 election. I don’t seem to remember all those Rethuglican Stormtroopers who raided theatres who were exercising their First Amendment right to show that piece of trash and beat all the lefty melonheads within an inch of their lives for daring to challenge Fuhrer Bush. That movie was also accompanied by numerous LIES by Democratic politicians and their willing accomplices in the media.
Remember the fake story about Bush being AWOL from the National Guard? Remember the supposed scandal over Al Qua Qua (I know I butchered the spelling there, but for the purposes of trollbashing, it’s good enough for gov’t work)? Remember when Howard “Arrrrrrrgh” Dean said that conspiracy wackos who thought Bush knew about the 911 attacks in advance “had a point” and should have their concerns addressed?
You think those sorts of challenges to the government would be written off as “the excesses of patriotic Americans exercising their right to Free Speech” in Obama’s America? We’re merely 6 months into Obama’s presidency, and he’s already proved to be more thin skinned than any president in recent memory (Jimmah Carter would be a close second). This is a group who sees any dissent as treason, and I really don’t look forward to the next 6 months of their actions in power.
“Still waiting for Craig to correct his post to note that Boswell has scheduled a town-hall meeting in Des Moines on August 23 (AIB, 3 pm).” — desmoinesdem
DMD,
Remember when you called Steve King a “tax cheat” because it was reported that he hadn’t paid a DC homestead tax – that he was never billed for? Did you ever apologize for that?
Maybe when you learn to eradicate the partisan bile you post on your blog, you’ll earn the right to correct other bloggers.
Peggy, I understand that reading comprehension is not your strong suit. I corrected that post as soon as I logged on and saw the comments. Perhaps Craig doesn’t read comments on his own posts–I have no idea.
I didn’t ask if you corrected it. I asked if you apologized. The words “tax cheat” didn’t come from your source, they came from you.
Russ, I know you live in fox fantasy land, but wilson never said what you claim. It is a cheney lie. as for fahr. 911, the whitehouse pressured the distributor not to release it, I believe it was through disney and they did drop it and was picked up by someone else, the point, if you bothered to read the discussion was about censorship. try again some other time. I think the bush administration will go down as the most thin skinned ever. Silence
All You Dims that say there is no Bill… Then how come the President was so Mad that they didn’t pass it before the Recess???? Also remember that Promise by Obama that all Bills would be posted on the Internet for 5 days before any votes???? How about the 300 pages in the Cap & Trade dropped in 3 hours before the vote or after the vote who’s counting right Dims. But you are correct We should all just sit around and trust that the Dims are doing the right thing for us….
Obama wasn’t all that mad, and yes, there was no bill in position to be voted on before the recess. I am not sure what your point is Jeff, or I guess you just wanted to make some pointless complaints about the “Dims”.
Silence
Silence My point is When it is convenient there is no bill to have to talk about. They had to have it passed before recess so they have a Bill until someone wants to talk about it. Next point is that you Dims don’t want to discuss anything you just want to have it magically appear and get voted on before the public has anytime to debate anything.
In case you missed it, the democrats are having town hall meetings to discuss health reform, unforunately your teabagging friends, aka insurance industry pawns, want to act like fools and shout down any civil discussion on the matter. It is the republicans that don’t want to have the debate. They just want it all to go away to appease their insurance industry friends. The goal was to try and have it passed before recess, but congress couldn’t come up with a final bill in time, so there was no vote. There isn’t some magical final version bill hidden away somewhere. You have no point Jeff.
Silence
Silence,
Get off it. The only organized presence at any of these town halls has been liberal nut jobs, aka unions. The opposition to these health care reforms is a genuine grassroots movement. Ignore them at your own peril.
genuine grass roots movement that is being organized, helped, and told what to say by the right wing. real spontaneous. They are just a bunch of pawns of the insurance industry and are too ingnorant to understand that they are being lied to and used.
Silence
I am new here so I guess all these Dims on The Republican Party discussion board are here to try to Filibuster Republican discussion is the norm. Interesting I have no desire to go hang out in Dim sites and just throw stones all day. But I also have a job and don’t live in Moms basement either…
Silence,
People like you keep saying that but you provide little proof of your claims. If you want to keep making your claims please back it up with some evidence. And I don’t mean just one tired old email, I mean let us see some continuing and real evidence of this organization that you claim. I am confident that you cannot. I however can provide evidence of leftist organizations doing the exact thing that you claim the right is doing.
Silence,
I attended Loebsack’s town hall on Saturday in Cedar Rapids. 70 to 80% of that crowd was opposed to the Obama and Democrat agenda. They weren’t “organized”..they were “helped”…they weren’t “pawns of the insurance industry”… The only organized groups there were SEIU and Organizing for America aka Organizing for Obama.
They were the ones holding the professional signs..that read “Paid for by SEIU/Organizing for America”
So Silence, again you’ve demonstrated that you DON’T know what you’re talking about….
Al, just go to freedomworks or tea party patriots websites, look for their action kits, chalk full of talking points. Hawk, I am not saying the left isn’t organizing, they are only doing it is response to the nonsense the tea baggers and others are doing. Read the article I posted in the main article, it is from the ex head of PR for Cigna health, talks about how the insurance industry manipulates and gets crap out in the media, ie fox news, you and your buddies eat it up hook line and sinker and then going running off to town hall meetings and make fools of yourselves. It is a good read, check it out.
Silence
Silence…
Again..these people that came out to Loebsack’s town hall..to Boswell’s town hall…these weren’t “astroturf” as you want people to believe… These were people coming…speaking from the HEART…they didnt have “talking points”…
One lady at Loebsack’s town hall told him that she was offended by Obama saying that those who oppose need to simply “get out of the way and not do alot of talking” She said that she’s not an activist..she wasn’t paid…but that for ANYONE especially the President of the United States to tell people to “get out of the way” is downright offensive.
I would have a lot more respect for some of these Democrats if they would have the guts to say, Mr. President…Speaker Pelosi…you are WRONG…
Where do you think these “concerns” come from, the death panels, the care rationing. They didn’t come up with this stuff on their own, it was BS fed to them by faux news and groups backed by the insurance industry. I am not saying the concern isn’t real, I am saying it is being manufactured by the insurance industry. These people are being used and are too ignorant to realize it.
Silence
God..what an amazing amount of arrogance…its this arrogance that have driving the President’s polling numbers down….you have people out there trusting REPUBLICANS on health care issues now for the FIRST time ever……you have people getting involved who have NEVER gotten involved in the political process before…
These aren’t people being “manufactured” by the insurance industry…nice straw man argument…
Good lord..have you even READ HR 3200, Silence?? I doubt you have…..because if you had you would understand why people are upset.. you would understand why people aren’t trusting what the Democrats are telling them.. Yet, we’re supposed to “get out of the way”, according to President Obama.
Silence…its that arrogance that has liberals in trouble right now….Lets be honest here..you guys SHOULD have been able to pass this easily. You have a filibuster proof Senate…you have a wide majority in the House and of course the Presidency. Yet, as it stands right now..there is no way in hell this thing passes…and if somehow, Pelosi and Reid strongarm their members into passing it….its VERY likely you could lose not just the House..but the Senate as well..
You’ve got seats right now that should be “safe”..that are going to be very much in play..seats like Dodd in CT and Boxer in CA and Gillibrand in NY. The list goes on and on…
Silence,
You want to know where these concerns came from then read the damn bill. The people that you are belittling are a hell of a lot more intelligent than you give them credit for. As I stated before, ignore these people at your own peril.
Yes, I have read several provisions of the bill, and what you and your kind allege isn’t in their, in fact these manufactured “concerns” are being debunked left and right. You are a bunch of tools who don’t even understand you are being used to your own detriment for the benefit of wall street stock holders.
Silence
and Al, these people are intelligent??? You mean the ones screaming to keep the government out of their medicare??? Yes, real smart.
Silence
Silence,
I do believe you have selective reading abilities. Our concerns are in fact based on the language in the bills. For example the end of life counseling provision leaves way to much room for interpretation and implementation. It is not a stretch to be concerned that this provision could in fact be used to deny healthcare care services to the elderly, in essence becoming a “death panel.”
Silence…
If you had actually READ the bill..you’d understand that HR 3200 would do away with Medicare Advantage, the Medicare alternative plan set up by the Medicare Prescription Drug bill in 2003…so when you hear elderly folks saying “keep the government out of my Medicare”..that’s what they’re referring to. Medicare Advantage plans offered by insurance companies have delivered affordable health care to seniors as well as offering an affordable prescription drug benefit.
Obama’s said time and time again that “if you like your coverage, you can keep your coverage”…yet back in January, Obama stated he wanted to do away with Medicare Advantage..which would oust 9 MILLION seniors from their health care plans…
If you had read the bill..you’d know that if you chose to NOT to have health insurance…you would be subject to a 2% increase in your income tax…which would be a DIRECT violation of the President’s pledge that he would not raise taxes on people making under 250K. Also under this proposal…non-US citizens residing in the U.S. (i.e illegal aliens would be EXEMPT from this tax, yet they would be able to take full advantage of the so called “public option” benefits…
If you had read the bill…you’d know that an employer with a payroll of $250,000 or more would be subject to an 8% tax on their payroll if they did not offer a government-approved health care plan. Again, another violation of the President’s tax pledge. Also, think about this Silence..what business owner in their right mind wouldn’t drop health care coverage for their employees when its cheaper to pay the tax rather than pay for health benefits.
Here’s a little tidbit I’m sure you “read” Silence….if an employer drops private health insurance coverage on its employees…those employees would then be AUTOMATICALLY enrolled in the “public option”.
So..millions of Americans who had previously had private health care..would automatically become dependents of the government for their health care….and thus..we begin down the eventual road to single payer health care.
Ah, hawk, you are truly a genius, your employer can drop your coverage now, the only difference is there would be no public plan to go on. This is happening all the time because employers can’t afford it, or just don’t want to provide it. The reform bill doesn’t get rid of advantage, that is a lie. You and al are just a couple of lemmings, who are being led by the nose. Get your heads out of your arses and realized you are tools for the insurance industry.
Silence
Al, I can’t believe you bring up death panels and your buddy hawk brings up the prescription drug of 2003, that uses the same end of life counseling language and review boards that you refer to as death panels. The republicans were all for then, now the hyporcrites are out trying to say they are “death panels” and idiots like you can’t figure it out.
Silence
Silence…
Loebsack at his town hall last Saturday confirmed that Medicare Advantage would be a thing of the past if HR 3200 was passed… Nice try. Obama has also stated very clearly going back all the way to January of THIS year that he wanted to end Medicare Advantage…again..Nice try.
It seems all you can do is to use hyperbole and insults to try to back up your arguments…
Its again very clear that you HAVEN’T read the bill…
Hawk, senate versions save it, again nice try to you, the senate isn’t going to get rid of it. However, since you seem stuck on this, it is still run by medicare, under their guidelines, it is just administered by outside people, or “outsourced” it is still a government run program.
Silence
Nice teenage use of capital letters, it really makes you points stronger.
Medicare Advantage Plans are health plan options that are part of the Medicare program. If you join one of these plans, you generally get all your Medicare-covered health care through that plan. This coverage can include prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage Plans include:
Straight from medicare homepage, part of medicare, government run.
Silence
Obama’s goal was to reduce the excessive giveaway payments to the insurance industry that the republicans put forward, not to end the program, just bring it in line with traditional medical care.
Silence
During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama singled out the Medicare Advantage program as wasteful spending and said he would curtail it as president.
The program pays private insurance companies a set rate to treat Medicare beneficiaries. The idea behind the program was that competition between private insurers would drive down costs for treating Medicare patients. But it turns out that Medicare Advantage plans have consistently cost the government more per beneficiary than traditional Medicare.
“We spend $15 billion a year on subsidies to insurance companies,” Obama said at a debate on Oct. 15, 2008. “It doesn’t — under the Medicare plan — it doesn’t help seniors get any better. It’s not improving our health care system. It’s just a giveaway.”
We examined his claim that the program cost an extra $15 billion during the campaign and gave it a True on our Truth-O-Meter. Read our previous reporting for more details on how the plan works and what people say about its utility.
President Obama’s first budget outline included his campaign promise to reduce spending on Medicare Advantage. Under his budget, payments to the private insurers would be reduced, bringing them closer to the costs of traditional Medicare. Fans of Medicare Advantage say this will have the effect of killing the program.
The budget outline shows the savings beginning in 2012. Over 10 years, the average savings would be $17.6 billion per year.
Obama still has some heavy lifting to do to get his budget passed. But savings from Medicare Advantage are a prominent part of the budget outline he released Feb. 26, 2009. That leads us to rate this In the Works.
sorry meant “traditional medicare”
Silence
Silence you may want to read my post again. I was talking about the inclusion of end of life counseling to HR 3200. Evidently you haven’t read the bill yet because the language in the bill is vague and non specific. As I stated the way that it is worded now that provision could be interpreted to mean almost anything including a panel designed to deny care to individuals that the government no longer feels are productive. I then stated that these panels could indeed then be considered death panels.
“Nice teenage use of capital letters, it really makes you points stronger.” — Silence
Hey, Silence, when you find a better way to emphasize a word on this blog, let us know.
Is it possible for libs to debate without resorting to personal insults? I think not.
Al, the wording in the end of life counseling is the wording the republicans used in the 2003 medicare bill. Additionally, it is voluntary. Additionally, it is probably in your health care plan now. There were no comparisons to nazis and death panels when the republicans used it in 2003. They weren’t death panels then, and they aren’t now. Get over it and stop being a tool.
sorry pegster to insult your teenage communication techniques, is it possible for you to debate and actually make sense??? I think not.
Silence
Peggy: My my. A little prickly today. Second to me, you’re the queen of insults. So why so sensitive? Debating without insults is the ideal but what I like about insults is that is one of the ways I can determine if the commenter is truly creative. Plus I like to try ‘em out on the bevy of slacked-jaw clay eaters that frequent this site.
MIE – I think I am second to none when it comes to insults, really, you are the rex grossman, and I am the peyton manning of insults on this board. lol
Silence
Silence–true. Actually the quality of the debate has been quite good on the health care issue. Al with guns ablazing is shooting blanks, however.
Silence, Mod: I tip my hat to both of you when it comes to being creative with the insults, I only wish I was as quick with a barb as either of you!
I actually reserve for those you are truly ignorant or stupid, if you are willing to be rational and civil I try not to, some people just make it too easy to slam.
How is the new job timmy, sticking it to the old employer??? MIE, very true about Al, it is hard to have a battle of wits with the unarmed.
Silence, thanks for asking! So far, so good. It’s been kinda like riding a bike, doing almost exacly the same thing. Hopefully we can pull away more and more of their old customers, free enterprise is a wonderful thing!
Silence,
Funny one there.
Al is destroying you on these threads and it’s a pleasure to watch the beating. And at least he can spell.
Seriously, you can’t be an attorney.
To Silence Dogwood: Home schoolers are superior, proven fact!