Jiminy - this guy is a real nutjob. Do 47% of Americans not recognize megalomania when they see it?

Wow, Obummer doesn't even have to be elected President to bring worldwide utopia. Just his nomination has righted all of the wrongs that exist in the world (caused by America, no doubt).

:rolls eyes:

On the other hand, to hear the GOPers on this board, if Obama is elected it will mark the beginning of the end of Western Civilization. Both sides in this election are prone to exaggerated statements. I'm focusing on the candidates' positions on the issues, not their egos. It should come as no surprise that politicians have egos.

Well I may have to chnage my vote now, McCain hasn't said he will heal the world and all that ails it

Ok, Obama being elected won't be the end of Western Civilization. Just the beginning of socialism in the United States. Just the end of free enterprise.

Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran!

It thought socialism had already started, in the minds of conservative BOLers, with The Great Society? Or The New Deal?

Or the Emancipation Proclamation?

There's a fine line between some government programs to help others, and wanting to socialize medicine, tax the rich to give to the poor, increase government controls over all areas of business, etc.

Lovely to see Obama's response to anyone who disagrees with his policy ideas has spread to you as well. What, you disagree with my ideas, and I'm black? You must be racist!

1. How would Obama "socialize" medicine? Would he have the government employ all doctors, own all hospitals and eliminate insurance companies in favor of a single-payer system?

2. "Tax the rich to give to the poor." Obama would hardly be the first Robin Hood in the White House.

3. "Increase government controls over all areas of business." Please elaborate.

We don't know because he wont answer the question. But he has given countless speaches saying we need to have health care for all. I don't know how it will be done but I know it will be done with tax dollars.


Barack Obama's Plan
Quality, Affordable and Portable Coverage for All
Obama's Plan to Cover Uninsured Americans: Obama will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. The Obama plan will have the following features:
Guaranteed eligibility. No American will be turned away from any insurance plan because of illness or pre-existing conditions.
Comprehensive benefits. The benefit package will be similar to that offered through Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), the plan members of Congress have. The plan will cover all essential medical services, including preventive, maternity and mental health care.
Affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles.
Subsidies. Individuals and families who do not qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP but still need financial assistance will receive an income-related federal subsidy to buy into the new public plan or purchase a private health care plan.
Simplified paperwork and reined in health costs.
Easy enrollment. The new public plan will be simple to enroll in and provide ready access to coverage.
Portability and choice. Participants in the new public plan and the National Health Insurance Exchange (see below) will be able to move from job to job without changing or jeopardizing their health care coverage.
Quality and efficiency. Participating insurance companies in the new public program will be required to report data to ensure that standards for quality, health information technology and administration are being met.
National Health Insurance Exchange: The Obama plan will create a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals who wish to purchase a private insurance plan. The Exchange will act as a watchdog group and help reform the private insurance market by creating rules and standards for participating insurance plans to ensure fairness and to make individual coverage more affordable and accessible. Insurers would have to issue every applicant a policy, and charge fair and stable premiums that will not depend upon health status. The Exchange will require that all the plans offered are at least as generous as the new public plan and have the same standards for quality and efficiency. The Exchange would evaluate plans and make the differences among the plans, including cost of services, public.
Employer Contribution: Employers that do not offer or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of the national plan. Small employers that meet certain revenue thresholds will be exempt.
Mandatory Coverage of Children: Obama will require that all children have health care coverage. Obama will expand the number of options for young adults to get coverage, including allowing young people up to age 25 to continue coverage through their parents' plans.
Expansion Of Medicaid and SCHIP: Obama will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function.
Flexibility for State Plans: Due to federal inaction, some states have taken the lead in health care reform. The Obama plan builds on these efforts and does not replace what states are doing. States can continue to experiment, provided they meet the minimum standards of the national plan.
Lower Costs by Modernizing The U.S. Health Care System
Reducing Costs of Catastrophic Illnesses for Employers and Their Employees: Catastrophic health expenditures account for a high percentage of medical expenses for private insurers. The Obama plan would reimburse employer health plans for a portion of the catastrophic costs they incur above a threshold if they guarantee such savings are used to reduce the cost of workers' premiums.
Helping Patients:
Support disease management programs. Seventy five percent of total health care dollars are spent on patients with one or more chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Obama will require that providers that participate in the new public plan, Medicare or the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) utilize proven disease management programs. This will improve quality of care, give doctors better information and lower costs.
Coordinate and integrate care. Over 133 million Americans have at least one chronic disease and these chronic conditions cost a staggering $1.7 trillion yearly. Obama will support implementation of programs and encourage team care that will improve coordination and integration of care of those with chronic conditions.
Require full transparency about quality and costs. Obama will require hospitals and providers to collect and publicly report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections, and disparities in care. Health plans will also be required to disclose the percentage of premiums that go to patient care as opposed to administrative costs.
Ensuring Providers Deliver Quality Care:
Promote patient safety. Obama will require providers to report preventable medical errors and support hospital and physician practice improvement to prevent future occurrences.
Align incentives for excellence. Both public and private insurers tend to pay providers based on the volume of services provided, rather than the quality or effectiveness of care. Providers who see patients enrolled in the new public plan, the National Health Insurance Exchange, Medicare and FEHBP will be rewarded for achieving performance thresholds on outcome measures.
Comparative effectiveness research. Obama will establish an independent institute to guide reviews and research on comparative effectiveness, so that Americans and their doctors will have the accurate and objective information they need to make the best decisions for their health and well-being.
Tackle disparities in health care. Obama will tackle the root causes of health disparities by addressing differences in access to health coverage and promoting prevention and public health, both of which play a major role in addressing disparities. He will also challenge the medical system to eliminate inequities in health care through quality measurement and reporting, implementation of effective interventions such as patient navigation programs, and diversification of the health workforce.
Insurance reform. Obama will strengthen antitrust laws to prevent insurers from overcharging physicians for their malpractice insurance and will promote new models for addressing errors that improve patient safety, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and reduce the need for malpractice suits.
Lowering Costs Through Investment in Electronic Health Information Technology Systems: Most medical records are still stored on paper, which makes it hard to coordinate care, measure quality or reduce medical errors and which costs twice as much as electronic claims. Obama will invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records, and will phase in requirements for full implementation of health IT. Obama will ensure that patients' privacy is protected.
Lowering Costs by Increasing Competition in the Insurance and Drug Markets: The insurance business today is dominated by a small group of large companies that has been gobbling up their rivals. There have been over 400 health care mergers in the last 10 years, and just two companies dominate a full third of the national market. These changes were supposed to make the industry more efficient, but instead premiums have skyrocketed by over 87 percent.
Barack Obama will prevent companies from abusing their monopoly power through unjustified price increases. His plan will force insurers to pay out a reasonable share of their premiums for patient care instead of keeping exorbitant amounts for profits and administration. His new National Health Exchange will help increase competition by insurers.
Lower prescription drug costs. The second-fastest growing type of health expenses is prescription drugs. Pharmaceutical companies are selling the exact same drugs in Europe and Canada but charging Americans more than double the price. Obama will allow Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are lower outside the U.S. Obama will also repeal the ban that prevents the government from negotiating with drug companies, which could result in savings as high as $30 billion. Finally, Obama will work to increase the use of generic drugs in Medicare, Medicaid, and FEHBP and prohibit big name drug companies from keeping generics out of markets.
Fight for New Initiatives
Advance the Biomedical Research Field: As a result of biomedical research the prevention, early detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer and heart disease is better today than any other time in history. Barack Obama has consistently supported funding for the national institutes of health and the national science foundation. Obama strongly supports investments in biomedical research, as well as medical education and training in health-related fields, because it provides the foundation for new therapies and diagnostics. Obama has been a champion of research in cancer, mental health, health disparities, global health, women and children's health, and veterans' health. As president, Obama will strengthen funding for biomedical research, and better improve the efficiency of that research by improving coordination both within government and across government/private/non-profit partnerships. An Obama administration will ensure that we translate scientific progress into improved approaches to disease prevention, early detection and therapy that is available for all Americans.
Fight AIDS Worldwide. There are 40 million people across the planet infected with HIV/AIDS. As president, Obama will continue to be a global leader in the fight against AIDS. Obama believes in working across party lines to combat this epidemic and recently joined Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) at a large California evangelical church to promote greater investment in the global AIDS battle.
Support Americans with Disabilities: As a former civil rights lawyer, Barack Obama knows firsthand the importance of strong protections for minority communities in our society. Obama is committed to strengthening and better enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so that future generations of Americans with disabilities have equal rights and opportunities. Obama believes we must restore the original legislative intent of the ADA in the wake of court decisions that have restricted the interpretation of this landmark legislation.

Barack Obama is also committed to ensuring that disabled Americans receive Medicaid and Medicare benefits in a low-cost, effective and timely manner. Recognizing that many individuals with disabilities rely on Medicare, Obama worked with Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) to urge the department of health and human services to provide clear and reliable information on the Medicare prescription drug benefit and to ensure that the Medicare recipients were protected from fraudulent claims by marketers and drug plan agents.
Improve Mental Health Care. Mental illness affects approximately one in five American families. The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that untreated mental illnesses cost the U.S. more than $100 billion per year. As president, Obama will support mental health parity so that coverage for serious mental illnesses are provided on the same terms and conditions as other illnesses and diseases.
Protect Our Children from Lead Poisoning. More than 430,000 American children have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Lead can cause irreversible brain damage, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma and death. As president, Obama will protect children from lead poisoning by requiring that child care facilities be lead-safe within five years.
Reduce Risks of Mercury Pollution. More than five million women of childbearing age have high levels of toxic mercury in their blood, and approximately 630,000 newborns are born at risk every year. Barack Obama has a plan to significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, which in turn would reduce the amount of mercury in fish.
Support Americans with Autism. More than one million Americans have autism, a complex neurobiological condition that has a range of impacts on thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. As diagnostic criteria broaden and awareness increases, more cases of autism have been recognized across the country. Barack Obama believes that we can do more to help autistic Americans and their families understand and live with autism. He has been a strong supporter of more than $1 billion in federal funding for autism research on the root causes and treatments, and he believes that we should increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to truly ensure that no child is left behind.

More than anything, autism remains a profound mystery with a broad spectrum of effects on autistic individuals, their families, loved ones, the community, and education and health care systems. Obama believes that the government and our communities should work together to provide a helping hand to autistic individuals and their families.
Barack Obama's Record
Health Insurance: In 2003, Barack Obama sponsored and passed legislation that expanded health care coverage to 70,000 kids and 84,000 adults. In the U.S. Senate, Obama cosponsored the Healthy Kids Act of 2007 and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2007 to ensure that more American children have affordable health care coverage.
Women's Health: Obama worked to pass a number of laws in Illinois and Washington to improve the health of women. His accomplishments include creating a task force on cervical cancer, providing greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and helping improve prenatal and premature birth services.

As you can see, this is extreme and he has not given a cost estimate.



Agreed. But when you listen to his speaches, they are full of restributions. So much so that it would cause one to worry about extreme taxation. According to Barak's site:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/poverty/

You can derive the redistributions and wasted money from the above links. Those were the two most glaring to me. I can expound further but this post is getting long enough.




Many Democrats have hammered businesses for (god forbid) making profit. Obama and Hillary criticized Exxon's revenues. But Exxon is in the business to make money. Exxon provides jobs, and incentive to work harder. Exactly what Barak wants to rid us of.

well, he is related to both Dick Cheney and Brad Pitt...he's got my vote!!!!!

I made a poor joke on the conservative objections to social policy impacting business owners. I apologize.

Don't worry I can only think of about one person who reads what you write.

This is hardly extreme. Private insurers would still provide health insurance coverage. There would be no government takeover of physicians or hospitals. Would it be cheap? No, of course not. But neither is the current system, which leaves millions uninsured, sick and unproductive. Those of us who are insured are paying for those who receive free care and/or wait until they're so sick they cost more to treat. What is extreme is to think that the current system works. Our current system hinders American competitiveness. Now, would Obama's plan truly cover everyone? Would there by unintended consequences (e.g. premium increases for everyone as insurers are forced to accept everyone? Would the government acting as a reinsurer mitigate some of this?)? That we could debate, but this is hardly extreme.



I'll read these later, but I will tell you that I'm a bit concerned over his position on capital gains taxes. Secondarily, he has mentioned that he wants to protect pensions by placing them above secured creditors in Chapter 11 proceedings. I fear that this could have negative repurcussions on the bond markets, raising borrowing costs for all businesses.




I would agree that talk of a windfall profits tax on oil companies is a joke.

To add my 2 cents here:
#1) Obama is not in favor of a single payer system. He is in the business of making it more affordable, not making it mandated. If anyone paid any attention to the Democratic Primary for the last 17 months, that was one of the reasons Obama and Hillary beat the heck out of one another. Hillary wanted to mandate coverage for ALL Americans and impose penalties if they didn't get it. Obama wants to make it affordable so everyone who wants it CAN have it.

#2) The "tax the rich" comment is the same conservative talking point about letting the Bush tax cuts expire. As history will show, Bush is one of, if not the only, President to cut taxes and increase military spending in time of war. I'm no economic expert, but seems to me that we're asking a lot of people to sacrifice in the name of this War on Terror, but God forbid those who can afford it throw a little bit of money towards the Government, since they're the ones who want this war to begin with.

#3) This again is just a talking point to scare people into believing Obama will nationalize industries. Most of the people here see anyone who is against a 100%, no regulation, free enterprise system as a dirty communist. Because Enron, WorldCom, and so forth have showed us all the good that happens when businesses go unregulated...

1. Obama wants to regulate health care by creating a "National Healthcare Insurance Exchange". He also plans to REQUIRE all businesses to "make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health care". In other words, even the young boy delivering papers to his neighbors on his bikes will be given medical benefits by his company. He also plans to have his people in the FEHBP tell insurers and doctors how people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure treat their patients. Behind his smoke and mirrors, you'll see socialized medicine, or at least something very close to it.

2. Not only does Obama plan to let the Bush tax cuts expire, which will directly effect those of us in the middle class, his plans for change will require a lot more money than just pulling us out of Iraq and leaving them not just angry at the US, but allowing those who hate democracy to finish the war in our absence and set up shop again. I find his comment that tax cuts for the middle class were "irresponsible" scary. Also, while he says he wants to put an end to pork barrel spending, and acts like he never did it, he is just as guilty as every other politician out there. He says he wants to improve our education, but then flat out says he wants to take back federal money for student lending.

3. Minimum wage is not enough, so businesses who pay people substandard wages in order to keep their prices low will be forced to pay more. In other words, people will make more, but the cost of the things they want to buy will be higher. He wants to force employers to give as many paid sick days as he sees fit, not allow the free market to decide. In other words, don't like the benefits and salary your current employer has for you? Don't worry, you don't have to look for a job with better pay and better benefits, the Obamessiah is here to let you continue to do the same job you've been doing and get better benefits and pay. Sure, it'll cost your employer, who will pass the costs on to you by increasing the prices of the products/services your company provides, but that's ok. You get a few extra paid days off.

Actually, he would still be covered by his parents' plan.



Seriously, can you provide me with a link quoting Obama as such? What I've heard him say is that he would keep the Bush tax cuts permanent for middle-class folks and that he would raise marginal rates for folks earning more than $250K/year.

That's of no consequence. Under Obama's plan, his company would still have to provide a set amount for him to get health insurance.

I wonder what he plans on doing with the VA health care system. They have so few doctors that sometimes you get booked an appointment months out.

So, Obama wants to increase the quality of services for troops and veterans, and make sure that all vets can be included. You still haven't answered how he can do this. After all, without all vets able to use the VA as it now stands, those who do use the system are forced to wait a long time to see a doc.

On inauguration day, BF, there will be a national collection of all wallets, purses, change jars, and piggy banks.