Will Miller be thrown out of the demo party?

[DinoDoc]

That's right. Keep digging.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Sorry, I forgot that DD never makes a mistake... I'll be sure to keep that in mind, the next time you are caught in one .

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

What is Kerry's Health care plan?

https://www.johnkerry.com

Educate yourself.

Okay, Let's see what he has to say...From his web site:

Affordable, high-quality health care will keep our families healthy, our businesses competitive, and our country strong.
Over the last three years, family premiums have increased by more than $2,600 and prescription drug prices have grown four times faster than inflation. These skyrocketing costs have hurt our economy and forced many families into bankruptcy.

We deserve a president who understands that in America, regular check-ups shouldn't empty family checkbooks - a president who will put people ahead of insurance and drug companies.

John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to address soaring premiums and cut Americans a break. Their plan will lower family premiums by up to $1,000 a year, cut waste from the system, lower the cost of prescription drugs to provide real relief to seniors, and use targeted tax cuts to extend affordable, high-quality coverage to 95 percent of Americans, including every child. And because John Kerry and John Edwards believe that everyone's health is equally important, they will provide all Americans with access to the same coverage that members of Congress give themselves.

To make affordable health care a right - not a privilege - for every American, John Kerry and John Edwards will:

Cut Your Premiums
John Kerry and John Edwards will cut family premiums by up to $1,000. That's $1,000 in real savings people can use to buy groceries, pay the bills, and save for their children's future. And that will mean more jobs and more competitive American businesses.

Cover All Americans With Quality Care
The Kerry-Edwards plan will give every American access to the range of high-quality, affordable plans available to members of Congress and extend coverage to 95 percent of Americans, including every American child. Their plan will also fight to erase the health disparities that persist along racial and economic lines, ensure that people with HIV and AIDS have the care they need, end discrimination against Americans with disabilities and mental illnesses, and ensure equal treatment for mental illness in our health system.

Provide Affordable Prescriptions
The Kerry-Edwards plan will reduce prescription drug prices by allowing the re-importation of safe prescription drugs from Canada, overhauling the Medicare drug plan, ensuring low-cost drugs, and ending artificial barriers to generic drug competition.

Cut Waste And Inefficiency
Today, approximately 25 percent of health care costs are wasted on paperwork and administrative processing. The Kerry-Edwards plan harnesses American ingenuity to cut waste, save billions, and take new steps to ensure patient privacy.

Nice words...so what's the plan? They keep talking about it, but noone can ever find it...

From georgewbush.com :

A Plan for Helping American Families in a Changing World

“We must reform health care in America. We must build a modern, innovative health care system that gives patients more options and fewer orders, and strengthens the doctor-patient relationship.”

-President George W. Bush

Building a competitive economy is necessary to promote prosperity. But another key element of a secure society is helping families in a changing world. Families need easy and affordable access to health care, family-friendly work environments, a tax code that accommodates the needs of families, and a Government that recognizes families in its policies in critical areas such as assistance to military families and veterans. President Bush has always made families a priority. In 2000, he pledged to reduce the marriage penalty in the tax code and he will continue to work on promoting and assisting America's families.

Reforming Health Care

President Bush believes all Americans should have access to affordable, quality health care. President Bush is working to address the root causes of rising health care costs, rather than shifting the costs to taxpayers or forcing Americans into an inflexible, one-size-fits-all bureaucratic system. The President's plan reduces the rising cost of health care; provides affordable coverage to those who need it most - low-income children and families, small businesses, the self-employed, and people who do not get health benefits through their job; and improves health care information, quality, and safety. To achieve the goal of more affordable health care, the President has:

Established new, tax-free Health Savings Accounts (HSA) which allow Americans to own and control their own health care.
Opened or expanded community and rural health centers with the goal of serving an additional 6.1 million people who live in underserved and rural areas.
Granted waivers and flexibility to states to extend eligibility under Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to an estimated 2.6 million low-income Americans.
Implemented a new rule to lower drug costs for millions of Americans by strengthening competition between generic and brand-name drugs, saving American consumers more than $35 billion in drug costs over the next ten years.
Created a Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit to help seniors pay for their medicines.
Improving Health Care for Children

In order to help children and families obtain health care, President Bush will:

Promote Affordable Health Care for Children - The President will launch a nationwide, billion dollar Cover the Kids campaign to sign up more children for quality health care coverage. The Cover the Kids campaign will combine the resources of the Federal Government, states, and community organizations, including faith-based organizations, with the goal of covering all SCHIP-eligible children within the next two years.
Promoting Affordable Health Care for Every American

To address the root causes of high health care costs and help provide affordable health care to American families, the President will:

Expand Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) - President Bush will propose a tax credit for low-income families and individuals to purchase health insurance, or to purchase a low-premium, high-deductible health plan and an HSA. Families will receive up to $2,000 for their premiums and $1,000 cash to put in their HSAs to help meet the deductible. Individuals will receive up to $700 for their premiums and $300 for their HSAs.
Promote a Health Savings Account Tax Credit to Help Small Business Employees - President Bush will propose a tax credit for HSA contributions to help individuals and families who work for small businesses fund their HSAs. Small businesses and their employees who set up an HSA will get a tax rebate for contributions to the HSA of up to $500 per worker with family coverage and $200 per worker with individual coverage.
“This is a great plan, the future of health care,” says [Rich] Phillips. HSAs aren’t those familiar accounts that allow you to stash a pretax $2,000 that you must spend in the same year; these policies are shiny and new.”


Provide an Above-the-Line Deduction for Health Insurance Premiums - President Bush has proposed to allow individuals who purchase low-premium, high-deductible insurances policies to deduct the premiums they pay for these policies. It will reduce the net cost of these policies and encourage the use of HSAs for saving for health care needs and making wise, cost-effective health care choices.
Allow Small Businesses to Establish Association Health Plans (AHPs) - While large businesses can use their purchasing power to get better deals from insurance companies, smaller firms often find that coverage is priced beyond their reach. To give small employers and their workers more purchasing power, the President has proposed allowing small businesses to band together and negotiate on behalf of their employees and their families.
Expand Association Health Plans - President Bush supports AHP expansion so that people who purchase coverage on their own can buy health insurance from a group other than an employer. This would allow civic and charitable groups, churches, and other types of organizations to offer health insurance to their members.
Allow Shopping for Health Coverage Across State Lines - Today it's easy to use the Internet or toll-free numbers to shop for products. But different rules apply to health insurance. Consumers can only purchase health insurance in the state in which they live, and can't shop around for a better deal in another state. The President proposes giving people the freedom to shop across state lines to find the best rates for their health coverage.

Expanding Community Health Centers
President Bush recognized the needs of uninsured and medically underserved communities and promised to open or expand 1,200 health center sites to serve an additional 6.1 million Americans by 2006. In his second term, the President will build upon his proven record of expanding access to health care to help communities in need. The President will:

Ensure that Each of America's Poorest Communities has a Health Center - These health centers are located in medically underserved urban and rural areas where there is little access to basic health care services. They provide critical primary and preventive health care services to low-income individuals, migrant farm workers, homeless individuals, and children regardless of their ability to pay.
Controlling Rising Health Care Costs

The President will reduce health care costs by improving the use of technology in the provision of health care by:

Promoting Health Information Technology (IT) - The President has undertaken a new initiative to make electronic health records universally available within the next decade. This new initiative will improve health care quality, reduce its cost, and improve access to affordable care by applying to health care the same information technology that has transformed so many other industries. Health IT will also help eliminate medical mistakes, leading to increased quality and safety for patients.
Fighting for Medical Liability Reform - President Bush proposes commonsense liability reforms that will speed recovery of damages to patients, fairly compensate those who have been injured, and increase access to care. These reforms will help prevent skyrocketing medical liability premiums that force doctors to give up the practice of medicine, threaten access to needed care, and drive up health care costs for everyone.
Fighting Health Care Fraud and Waste - President Bush signed a Medicare bill that will cut wasteful spending out of the program, saving seniors and taxpayers an estimated $20 billion over the next decade. The Department of Health and Human Services also has issued regulations closing a Medicaid loophole that will save the Federal Government an estimated $25 billion. The President has proposed saving another $24 billion over the next ten years by reducing states' Medicaid cost-shifting to the Federal Government.
Providing Affordable Health Care for Seniors and People with Disabilities

In December 2003, President Bush signed a new Medicare law that will provide 40 million seniors and people with disabilities with better benefits and more options for the first time in Medicare's history. The new prescription drug benefit will empower seniors and Americans with disabilities to choose the health care coverage that is best for them.

Beginning this past June, millions of seniors started saving on their prescription medicines with Medicare-approved discount cards. Nearly 4.2 million seniors are already using their cards to save money on their medicines. In addition to these savings, low-income seniors are getting a $600 a year credit - a total of $1,200 through the end of 2005 - to help pay for prescriptions.

In his second term, President Bush will keep his commitment to continue implementing this very important program for America's seniors by:

Implementing Prescription Drug Benefit - Beginning in January 2006, all beneficiaries will be able to sign up for prescription drug coverage under Medicare. This new benefit will provide the greatest help to those in greatest need - seniors with low-incomes and those with high prescription drug bills - but will provide savings to all seniors who sign up.
Expanding and Improving Benefits for Seniors - In addition to prescription drug coverage, the new Medicare law provides better coverage of preventive benefits and coverage of disease management services.
Beginning next year, Medicare's coverage of preventive services is being expanded to include screenings for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Beginning next year, everyone who enrolls in Medicare will be covered for an initial physical examination.
For the first time, Medicare will offer disease management services that will help beneficiaries with chronic medical conditions avoid dangerous and costly medical complications.


Enhancing Long-Term Care Insurance

As Americans continue to live longer, long-term care has become an increasingly important issue. President Bush recognizes that the growing need for long-term care calls for planning both by individuals and by Government. In this area, heroic sacrifices are being made by millions of families who care for their mothers and fathers as their parents cared for them. President Bush will recognize and reward individual responsibility and help alleviate the financial burden of taking care of an elderly parent at home in the following ways:

Tax Deduction for Long-Term Care - President Bush proposes a new above-the-line tax deduction that individuals could claim for long-term care insurance premiums.
Additional Tax Exemption for Home Caregivers of Family Members - President Bush proposes that individuals caring for an ill family member at home, such as an adult taking care of an elderly parent, should be able to claim the family member as an additional personal exemption on their tax return.

Hmm...specific proposals. As I said Bush's plan has teeth. Kerry is hot air.

Educate yourself, dear sir.

[Straybow]

Yeah, "John Kerry and John Edwards will cut family premiums by up to $1,000. That's $1,000 in real savings people can use to buy groceries, pay the bills, and save for their children's future. And that will mean more jobs and more competitive American businesses."

I won't believe this until he demonstrates the use of his magic-rate-reducing wand in the first debate.

"And now, alakazam!" *poof* "See? Health insurance rates are now 2¢ cheaper, but since I'm not President the effect is only temporary and will disappear at the end of the debate. Once in office the effects will be permanent. I just have to shake the ol' wand 10,000 times…"

Or was that the Clinton plan?

[Drake Tungsten]

Zell Strikes Back!!!

Telling It Like It Is
I will never trust John Kerry with my family's safety.

BY ZELL MILLER
Monday, September 13, 2004 12:01 a.m. EDT

My critics in the national media are working overtime trying to paint me as an angry nut who got the facts all wrong in my speech to the Republican National Convention. Since there's not enough time to challenge all of these critics to a duel, let me set the record straight here and now.

First, the anger. A lot has been said about my angry demeanor. I've made enough speeches to know that you're supposed to connect with the audience by telling a joke or a humorous anecdote or some amusing tale. It's a tried-and-true formula that I've used for most of my life. But this was not a normal speech in a normal time.

Today, we are at the most serious moment of history that we may ever know, and I wanted to connect with the seriousness of this moment, not the audience.

Now, about those facts. I charged that John Kerry is weak on national security, and I listed some of the many weapons systems he has opposed over the years. My critics tripped over themselves to point out that Dick Cheney opposed some of the same weapons systems when he was defense secretary.

But, like with so many things in life, timing is everything. Mr. Kerry was proposing the cancellation of many of these weapons systems at the height of the Cold War--the worst possible time to weaken our military strength. It would be comparable to a senator in 1943 proposing to scrap the B-29 Bomber or Sherman tank or Higgins landing craft. By contrast, Mr. Cheney waited until after we had won the Cold War to propose modernizing our forces and replacing older weapons systems. There's a huge difference. Whether it's the Cold War of yesterday or the war on terror today, Mr. Kerry has sought time and time again to weaken our military at the exact moment we need to show our strength.

I also charged that John Kerry and his fellow Democratic leaders see America as an occupier, not a liberator, and that nothing makes this old Marine madder. My critics pounced on that one, too. Aren't you aware, they sneered, that President Bush has used the term "occupiers"?

Do they mean when the president said this in April?--"As a proud and independent people, Iraqis do not support an indefinite occupation--and neither does America. We're not an imperial power, as nations such as Japan and Germany can attest. We are a liberating power." Are the people of Iraq not liberated from a terrible dictator? Did we not transfer sovereignty over to the Iraqi people exactly when we said we would?

John Kerry and his crowd derisively call American troops "occupiers" because it fits with their warped belief that America is the problem, not the solution. While more than 50 million people in Afghanistan and Iraq are enjoying freedom, Mr. Kerry is still fretting over whether the U.N. crowd likes us or not. The American people will not abide a commander in chief who gets squeamish over America's role as a liberating force in the world.

And my critics love to point out that I had nice things to say about John Kerry when I introduced him to a Georgia Democratic dinner in 2001. That's true and I meant it. But, again, timing is everything. I made that introduction in March 2001--six months before terrorists attacked this country on Sept. 11. As I have said time and again, 9/11 changed everything. Everything, that is, except the national Democrats' shameful, manic obsession with bringing down a commander in chief. John Kerry has been wrong many times, but he's never been more wrong than in his failure to support our troops and our commander in chief in this war on terror.

So, my critics can call me a psychopath and fire spitballs at me and froth at the mouth when an ex-president sends me a nasty letter. That's the freedom of speech they all enjoy, courtesy of the American soldier.

But for David Gergen and this newspaper's Al Hunt, among others, to call me a racist was especially hurtful. For they know better. They know I worked for three governors in a row, not just one: Carl Sanders, Lester Maddox and Jimmy Carter. They knew I was the first governor to try to remove the Confederate emblem from the Georgia flag. And by the way, when I called each of Georgia's former governors to tell them what I was about to attempt, Jimmy Carter's first question to me was, "What are you doing that for?" Mr. Gergen and Mr. Hunt also know I appointed the only African-American attorney general in the country in the 1990s and more African Americans to the state judiciary than all the other governors of Georgia combined, including that one from Plains.

So, they can call me names and ridicule my angry demeanor all day long. But facts are facts. And the fact is, John Kerry has a long record of proposals to weaken our national security in a time of war. And I would never put my family's safety in those hands.

Mr. Miller is a Democratic senator from Georgia.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110005614

Way to tell it like it is, Zell.