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"I'll have to reread your friend's analysis of the act before I respond." It wasn't my friend's analysis. He just pointed me to the site I mentioned. I can get the web site with the analysis, but you should be able to google it.

I woudn't take the word of anyone named snarky bastard as gospel. Come on, the name of the writer of that piece should have been the first clue that the piece was not to be taken serious. The low penalty rates are only for those who are at the lowest level of earnings. The penalty rate will increase as income increases. Are the penalties high enough of the higher earners? No.

The writer is a blogger and while it's funny, it's not a joke. Are the penalties going to be anywhere near the cost of actually buying health insurance? If they're not and with insurers compelled to accept anyone regardless of condition it makes no economic sense to buy insurance until you need it.

The Healthy Americans Act, would have been a good way to start it in a bipartisan manner. It already had GOP sponsors. The reality was, the Democrats strategy, all along, was to lock out the Republican leadership from the negotiations, and then hope to pick off 1 or 2 GOPers at the end of the day. While it is quite possible that the GOP would have tried to thwart any and all progress on health care reform, there was no substantive effort to...

... went to education is locked into the budget, and when it dries up the state is looking at ways to cover it! It's going to be a $2B shortfall come 2011. That would result in an 8% increase for school taxes on top of the normal yearly budgetary increase!!! I thought stimulus spending was supposed to be a short-term kick-start of the economy, not something to permanently raise the level of state government spending?

I think the conduct of posters on this message board is a good sample of the differences nationwide between the two groups. Go through any political commentary and look who resorts to name calling, piling on etc. If you are actually fair minded you know exactly what I am talking about.

Thanx for posting that. It's a very heart-warming story to read especially during this Christmas week. :-) Awww, after reading further I see it wasn't quite accurate. You know what? I'm sure there were many unsung heroes so this can be a tribute to those whose names we'll never know.

...might be the time of day your on...I get a little lag late at night but everything is downloading for me...

**Boy are the Dems going to be upset about this. Remember how angry they got every time Bush tried to usurp rules? ** Tongue in cheek, I hope? Bush was a lightning rod for hate. I've never seen a sitting president take as much abuse as him. (And I doubt we ever will again)

"Maybe a more bipartisan approach from the start would have yielded better results?" There is no such thing as a bi-partisan approach when one party comes to the table with the opinion that they want this President to fail and will do everything they can to try and make that happen.