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With the 2012 election just 18 months away, the debate over the future of Medicare has become a hot button between democrats and republications. What is your opinion of Medicare reform and how will it affect how you vote in the upcoming election?

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I will NEVER vote for Romney! Of course, he and the other Rep.'s can afford to take care of their family elders. What about the rest of us?
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@2much2cover, already read it and I'm still an Obama supporter OBama / Biden 2012
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Anyone interested in reading about this columnist's overview of the R plan for Medicare should do an internet search for
gop would kill medicare paul krugman

to read his column which appeared in many Sunday papers today
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Have a nice vacation Brandywine :)
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Thanks...I was surprised he so blatantly lied last night. I haven't agreed with him, but I thought he was a stand-up guy.
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somebody here issued a challenge to post a list about Ryan or Romney. I offer this, only for factual discussion and this one sticks to the issues at hand.,
FACT CHECK: Ryan takes factual shortcuts in speech
By CAL WOODWARD and JACK GILLUM | Associated Press – 1 hr 17 mins ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan took some factual shortcuts during the Republican convention when he attacked President Barack Obama's policies on Medicare, the economic stimulus and the budget deficit. His running mate, Mitt Romney, was expected to speak later Thursday in the convention's culmination.

A closer look at some of Ryan's remarks Wednesday at the GOP convention in Tampa, Fla.:

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RYAN: "And the biggest, coldest power play of all in Obamacare came at the expense of the elderly. ... So they just took it all away from Medicare. Seven hundred and sixteen billion dollars, funneled out of Medicare by President Obama."

THE FACTS: Ryan's claim ignores the fact that Ryan himself incorporated the same cuts into budgets he steered through the House in the past two years as chairman of its Budget Committee, using the money for deficit reduction. And the cuts do not affect Medicare recipients directly, but rather reduce payments to hospitals, health insurance plans and other service providers.

In addition, Ryan's own plan to remake Medicare would squeeze the program's spending even more than the changes Obama made, shifting future retirees into a system in which they would get a fixed payment to shop for coverage among private insurance plans. Critics charge that would expose the elderly to more out-of-pocket costs.

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RYAN: "The stimulus was a case of political patronage, corporate welfare and cronyism at their worst. You, the working men and women of this country, were cut out of the deal."

THE FACTS: Ryan himself asked for stimulus funds shortly after Congress approved the $800 billion plan, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Ryan's pleas to federal agencies included letters to Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis seeking stimulus grant money for two Wisconsin energy conservation companies.

One of them, the nonprofit Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp., received $20.3 million from the Energy Department to help homes and businesses improve energy efficiency, according to federal records. That company, he said in his letter, would build "sustainable demand for green jobs." Another eventual recipient, the Energy Center of Wisconsin, received about $365,000.

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RYAN: Said Obama misled people in Ryan's hometown of Janesville, Wis., by making them think a General Motors plant there threatened with closure could be saved. "A lot of guys I went to high school with worked at that GM plant. Right there at that plant, candidate Obama said: 'I believe that if our government is there to support you ... this plant will be here for another hundred years.' That's what he said in 2008. Well, as it turned out, that plant didn't last another year."

THE FACTS: The plant halted production in December 2008, weeks before Obama took office and well before he enacted a more robust auto industry bailout that rescued GM and Chrysler and allowed the majority of their plants — though not the Janesville facility — to stay in operation. Ryan himself voted for an auto bailout under President George W. Bush that was designed to help GM, but he was a vocal critic of the one pushed through by Obama that has been widely credited with revitalizing both GM and Chrysler.

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RYAN: Obama "created a bipartisan debt commission. They came back with an urgent report. He thanked them, sent them on their way and then did exactly nothing."

THE FACTS: It's true that Obama hasn't heeded his commission's recommendations, but Ryan's not the best one to complain. He was a member of the commission and voted against its final report.

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Associated Press writers Tom Raum, Andrew Taylor, Henry C. Jackson and Bradley Klapper contributed to this report.
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I have HBP, a pre- existing condition so President Obama's plan best helps me personally and that's all I care about. My vote will be Obama / Biden 2012, It's what's good for me and the hell with the rest of the world!! I am taking on the republican attitude!!
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Possibly revolution, like the 1770's.
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sharonmill...good job in explaining the differences in Medicare plans, though I don't think you took it far enough. I've noticed that the voucher program of Ryan's seems to be ignored in discussion. With the Ryan plan future seniors will be given vouchers for a set $$$ amount to be used towards health care. If the senior's actual health care cost exceeds the voucher amount, which is expected, it will come from the senior's pocket. (Not trying to take sides here just giving details. Each person can come to their own conclusions.)

Brandywine...you don't have to "change the channel"...just change the topic or thread that you're reading. If you want to stay away from political debate and talk about health care for seniors instead, then don't come to to this thread but the many others that do talk about health care and not politics. Your contributions towards healthcare are valued.
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@Alan...you are so right. Obamacare does take 700 billion from Medicare, but it takes it from insurance companies...not seniors or providers. A step in the right direction towards sustainability. The Ryan plan takes from seniors the same amount and it goes to tax cuts for highest incomes. Fact.
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I esp don't like this poly talk and so for 67 days I will not be back. Got more to talk about than politics. So I "changing the channel" so to speak. I get enough pol talk on tv and the newspaper and sure don't need it here. 67 days.
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At the end of the day, when all the political dust settles, the important thing is that we preserve Medicare for those who really need it, and there are plenty out there whose lives depend on it. My single vote will not change who becomes President or which party with dominate the Congress and Senate. Egos and opinions aside, we need care for those who need the care and Medicare does work.We need keep it financially viable somehow and available to our fellow citizens. Its about providing healthcare at the end of the day, not about insurance and not about any diodgy political scheme just delivery of care. Our politics may vary, but we should all be on board with the real issue of a sustainable Medicare
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The only answer I have ever had is that the republican's did not want Medicare and did fight it for years now every chance they get they try to disturb it in any way one of them can .I can't except any reason for any one not wanting to better America and on the part of women I think women know them self's better so let them take care and make their own decision's about women stuff that doesn't really have any thing to do with men they know their medical need's more than any one
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Such angry people...are you getting help for this?
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Unfortunately after all this jabbing, especially between PunchNJudy & 2much2cover, no opinions or votes have been changed. But feathers have been ruffled and blood pressure raised. It's been interesting to watch. If this is any indication, it's scarey to imagine how politics and the debate climate will escalate by 2016.
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It sad to say but it is hard to trust anyone that lands in the White House, Congress people and the unseen people that makes decisions for r country.

Anyone here ever watch the documentary called, "Inside Job?" I think it came out around 2010. It was a very interesting n it has five parts to watch. It was narrated by Matt Damon n directed by Charles Ferguson. Yes, Obama had his sticky hands in the cookie-jar too with some of these people working under him that was part of the economic meltdown n still has some of them now.

"It begins by examining how Iceland was highly deregulated in 2000 and the privatization of its banks. When Lehman Brothers went bankrupt and AIG collapsed, Iceland and the rest of the world went into a global recession"
You can also get the whole documentary from Netflix.

We need to try n stop bickering of who done who has not done what n start working together if we ever going to get out of this mess for our children n grandchildren's future. The first step I think is to stop bickering at each other n start using that energy to come up with ideas on how to get this done. Hopefully, I did not offend anyone for that is not what the purpose of my post. Everyone have a good night.
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When I read some of these extreme rants posted against the D party and our president of the United States, I can't help but see a parallel between those posting them and those do nothing siblings many of us post about. Like:

Do nothing siblings find it easy to criticize the family members who have stepped up to take on the caregiving tasks.
Extreme R's do nothing but criticize everything the president has tried to do to solve the problems he did not create. They had years to do something and did nothing but make it worse.
Do nothing siblings don't want their safe little world interrupted. They have their work, their friends, their vacations and they don't want to hear about your problems. Afterall, you took on this responsibility of caregiving voluntarily.
Ditto for Rs re the above. Too bad you had some bad luck in life, pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.
Do nothing siblings have all the right answers, and they don't hesitate to stick their nose in after the caregiver has been forced to make all the hard decisions and do the hard tasks alone b/c when needed the do nothing siblings would not help.
Ditto for Rs re the above. When Obama tried to get them to joinly solve problems, they turned refused to work with him.
Do nothing siblings won't contribute anything but if there is some money involved they can get their hands on, they will be right there to fight to get it,
Ditto for Rs. Find your own health insurance, but don't touch my govt Medicare.
Do nothing siblings have their own code they live by and if you don't conform to it, they will ignore family who need help.
Rs, especially the extremists, have their own code, if you don't follow it or behave as they expect, they will turn their backs on their fellow citizens and refuse to help them and even try to prevent them from enjoying the same rights they do.
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So…it’s just the same old hysterics from right wing republicans…I wonder where you’ve got your information….FOX? Rush? Sarah? Ha!
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PunchNJudy- I SO agree with you. I have read several books lately on the President (NonPartison) and what you say is what is being written. Even some of his close friends and mentors have disclosed things in these interviews. GOD will not help us if we don't help ourselves. NOTHING is FREE. Someone pays for it in the end.
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Still waiting to hear how the triple R is going to save Medicare, that so called socialist plan. I don't have to say more, your words speak for themselves where you are coming from. And it's not rooted in concern about preserving Medicare.
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And my final post on this topic:
Any Democrats care to offer a similar set of statements about Romney?
WHEN I WAS FINISHED READING THIS I WAS SHORT OF BREATH…
.
Looking back through the past 4 years, many "Whens" pop up. Read them all to better understand where we are going as a country…

WHEN - he refused to disclose who donated money to his election campaign, as other candidates had done, people said it didn't matter. (But we are all to be very concerned about Mr. Romney's personal money and his campaign funding!)
WHEN - he received endorsements from people like Louis Farrakhan, Mommar Kaddafi, and Hugo Chavez, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - it was pointed out that he was a total newcomer and had absolutely no experience at anything except community organizing, people said it didn't matter. (And his fellow COs will avow he wasn't even good at that!)
WHEN - he chose friends and acquaintances such as Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn who were revolutionary radicals, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - his voting record in the Illinois Senate and in the U.S. Senate came into question, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he refused to wear a flag lapel pin and did so only after a public outcry, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he stood with his hands over his groin area for the playing of the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, people said it didn't matter. (a/k/a the obama 'crotch salute'.)
WHEN - his personal background was either scrubbed or hidden and nothing could be found about him, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - the place of his birth was called into question, and he refused to produce a birth certificate, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he had an association in Chicago with Tony Rezko - a man of questionable character and who is now in prison and had helped Obama to a sweet deal on the purchase of his home - people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - it became known that George Soros, a multi-billionaire Marxist, spent a ton of money to get him elected, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he started appointing White House Czars that were radicals, revolutionaries, and even avowed Marxist Communists, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he stood before the Nation and told us that his intentions were to "fundamentally transform this Nation" into something else, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - it became known that he had trained ACORN workers in Chicago and served as an attorney for ACORN, people said it didn't matter (and encouraged voter fraud, by the way).
WHEN - he appointed cabinet members and several advisers who were tax cheats and socialists, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he appointed Cass Sunstein as Regulatory Czar who believes in "Explicit Consent," harvesting human organs without family consent and allowing animals to be represented in court, while banning all hunting, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he appointed Kevin Jennings, a homosexual and organizer of a group called Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Education Network as Safe School Czar and it became known that he had a history of bad advice to teenagers, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he appointed Mark Lloyd as Diversity Czar who believes in curtailing free speech, taking from one and giving to another to spread the wealth, who supports Hugo Chavez, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - Valerie Jarrett, an avowed Socialist, was selected as Obama's Senior White House Advisor, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - Anita Dunn, White House Communications Director, said Mao Tse Tung was her favorite philosopher and the person she turned to most for inspiration, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he appointed Carol Browner, a well known socialist as Global Warming Czar working on Cap and Trade as the nation's largest tax, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he appointed Van Jones, an ex-con and avowed Communist as Green Energy Czar, who since had to resign when this was made known, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - Tom Daschle, Obama's pick for Health and Human Services Secretary could not be confirmed because he was a tax cheat, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - as President of the United States, he bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, people said it didn't matter..
WHEN - he traveled around the world criticizing America and never once talking of her greatness, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - his actions concerning the Middle East seemed to support the Palestinians over Israel, our long time ally, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he took American tax dollars to resettle thousands of Palestinians from Gaza to the United States, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he upset the Europeans by removing plans for a missile defense system against the Russians, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he played politics in Afghanistan by not sending troops early-on when the Field Commanders said they were necessary to win, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he started spending us into a debt that was so big we could not pay it off, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he took a huge spending bill under the guise of stimulus and used it to pay off the organizations , unions, and individuals who helped him become elected, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he took over insurance companies, car companies, banks, etc., people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he took away student loans from the banks and put it through the government, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he designed plans to take over the health care system and put it under government control, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he claimed he was a Christian during the election and tapes were later made public that showed Obama speaking to a Muslim group, where he stated that he was raised a Muslim, educated as a Muslim, and is still a Muslim, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he set into motion a plan to take over the control of all energy in the United States through Cap and Trade, people said it didn't matter.
WHEN - he finally completed his transformation of America into a Socialist State , people woke up--- but it was too late. Add these up one by one and you get a phenomenal score that points to the fact that Barrack Hussein Obama is determined to turn America into a Marxist-Socialist society. All of the items in the preceding paragraphs have been put into place. All can be documented very easily. Before you disavow this, do an Internet search. The last paragraph alone is not yet cast in stone. You and I will write that paragraph. Will it read as above or will it be a more happy ending for most of America ?

Don't just belittle the opposition. Search for the truth. We all need to pull together or watch the demise of a free democratic society. Pray for Americans to seek the truth and take action for it will keep us FREE. Our biggest enemy is not China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran. Our biggest enemy is a contingent of politicians in Washington, DC . The government will not help, so we need to do it ourselves.
Question....will you delete this, or pass it on to others who don't know about Obama's actions and plans for the USA , so that they may know how to vote in November, 2012 and the ensuing years?
It's your decision. I believe it does matter. How about you?
WHEN - November 2012 comes, it will matter who you vote for!
(My own addition: WHEN Michelle Obama announced "it is the first time in my life I am proud of America" It DIDN'T matter!)
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Stop preaching to a choir until you know what the "choir" endures themselves. I won't even begin to tell you what MY health care, personally costs, so don't give me the BS that the democrats are working hard to help the less than wealthy, a category that I easily fall into, by the way. The difference is, I don't hate the wealthy, I commend them. They are the reason our country grew, we had jobs, commerce, good economy and a great credit rating in the U.S. Get your numbers right and stop spewing the garbage you hear on MSNBC. Ironically in my local paper today "There is a widening economic divide. Ameri­ca’s middle class has been shrinking in the stagnant economy, and poverty is now approaching 1960s highs, while wealth con­centrates at the top. In fact, well-off people do shoulder a big share of the tax burden. Though households earning more than $1 million annually comprise just 0.3 percent of all taxpayers, they pay 20 percent of all federal taxes the government is projected to collect this year, according to the Tax Policy Center, a nonparti­san group that studies tax policy. In contrast, households earning $50,000 to $75,000 a year accounted for 12 percent of taxpayers and contributed 9 percent of federal taxes, the center’s data showed." Clearly, you don't open your eyes and realize that your points all favor SOCIALISM...so yes, stay where you are and vote for your messiah, obama. Then let me hear from you in 4 years to hear your belly aching about how you were fooled not once, but twice by this wolf in sheep's clothing. Also, you go off on a tangent. Switzerland is a wealthy country. I POINTED to them re: GUN CONTROL and not health care! And what in H are you rambling about "innocent people being killed in our communities?" You want to blame republicans FOR THAT? Sending me the woman who decides to get pregnant? You are a rambling mass of misconceptions, fond of copying and pasting propaganda and, true to your liberal roots, out to come off as an EXPERT in every topic under the sun. Oh and by the way, I won't even 'go there' in disclosing what my husband and I paid personally out of pocket for our own health care last year, including premiums, deductibles, co-pays, Rx and dental. You have no conception that R and R are all about preserving Medicare for future generations. I think your diatribe will definitely be reason enough for me to NOT follow this topic, since clearly, there is nothing to learn here as long as you persist in firing off your misguided, unfactual copies/pastings! I can only hope and pray we have new blood in our White House, solidly planning a solution to so many obama-caused dilemmas, instead of bringing us down any further than our poor country has already sunk, at the hands of your "messiah." And by the way...the open mic gaffe of obama whispering in Putin's ear "I can't do anything right now, wait until after the election?" Funny. We don't hear too much about these things, do we? No one demanded of the imperial one "what did you mean by that?" But we do hear about mediscare, abortion, and gun control. Poverty level is exactly what obama wants for ALL OF US. He is NOT INTERESTED in a thriving America. There is a much bigger picture here, but no one "goes there." Interesting.
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Still waiting for someone to tell me how the Romney plan will "save" the economy or even prevent it from sinking as Obama did when left with the years of Bush.

"FDR was called a socialist when he passed Social Security. JFK and Lyndon Johnson, they were both accused of a government takeover of health care, when they passed Medicare"

How many R's are willling to give up their Medicare and Social Security? I can tell you it sure isn't the elected R's in Washington, b/c they have not give their up.
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Kudo's to PunchNJudy !!!!!!
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and PunchNJudy, since you cited Switzerland, I will cite it also:
Swiss are required to purchase basic health insurance, which covers a range of treatments detailed in the Federal Act. It is therefore the same throughout the country and avoids double standards in healthcare. Insurers are required to offer this basic insurance to everyone, regardless of age or medical condition. They are not allowed to make a profit off this basic insurance, but can on supplemental plans.[1]

Regulations also restrict the allowable policies and profits that a private insurer may offer, as noted by healthcare economics scholar Uwe Reinhardt in a review in JAMA.

When everything in Switerzand is the same as everything is the USA, then you can tell me about their gun policy. Right now, I see innocent people being killed in mass killings in our communities becoming more frequent every day and the R party not wanting to limit those weapons of mass destruction and ammunition being sold to anyone who wants to buy them.
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Oh, and PunchNJudy, the wealthy pay taxes, just a lot less dollar for dollar than people like me. (Rommney 15%, Obama 25%, me more than ROmney, less than Obama. And if they truely love the USA, they would be willilng to pay a higher porportionate percentage b/c their income allows them to more than meet their day to day needs, and then some. If you earn 20,000 paying 10 percent or 2000 takes a big chunk our of your take home pay. but if you earn 200,000 off of investments paying 10 percent or 20,000 still leaves you with 180,000 to take your taxpayer medicare voucher helped paid for by the 20,000 income person and stir in some of your "hard earned dividends) and buy yourself a nice priviate industry conceirge health insurance policy.
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And PunchNJudy, do you hire aides in your family? Have you checked to see if the agency covers them for health insurance, sick leave, etc If you private hire, are you paying for these benefits? If not, I guess you are looking the other way while they do this highly personal work for you and if they get sick or pregnant you will just have them replaced, I guess? If you will support them, please send contact info so I can send this young lady your way.
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And PunchNJudy, do you or any members of your family have Medicare, that socialist program?
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PunchNJudy: You still didn't tell me what the triple R plan is to save us from Obama. By the way, maybe you can tell me what your suggestions are for a young woman who works very hard as an aide to the elderly. Nearing 30, but without health insurance, she decided to get pregnant anyway b/c that's what conservatives like you promote young straight people should do - have families. Neither parents, both work, have health insurance. So, all the conservatives out there, the money meter has started running (I am a working taxpayer by the way) . So far there is one trip to the emergency room related to pregnancy (b/c no health insurance emergency room only option for her). Now plans to apply for Medicaid. So, under the Obama program she could buy in to health insurance, under the R program, she should, what's that advice? Carry her child she wants and give it away for adoption b/c she is a working poor woman? Find a church that will support her until she can go back to the same low paying job with no health insurance?
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2much2cover--you need to wake up. The "blame BUSH" excuse is way over and Mr. FixIt with whom you continue to have your "slobbering love affair" has caused our mess, not Bush, evidenced by his lack of experience, lies, and socialist agenda. You want to get off that liberal bleeding heart soapbox of yours? If you want things to be fixed you need a few people with a brain in their heads and a TRUE love of America. Oh, and the stupidity to think the wealthy don't pay taxes is no longer laughable, it's sad...and it is a sad state of affairs for liberals to detest anyone who has more wealth than they do. You know that 15 TRILLION dollar debt we have? Well guess what--OBAMA BUILT THAT. Gun control? Oh yes, I forgot...the theory that becoming a victim is somehow morally superior to defending yourself and your family makes perfect sense. Switzerland's govt. issues anyone who wants a gun gets one, trains them how to use it, and lo and behold, guess who has the lowest gun related crime rate of any civilized country in the world? Very good. You guessed it. As Wm. Buckley said "liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views." Your diatribe proves exactly what he said. You won't open your ears to hear that maybe, just maybe the R and R team might actually have a solid plan to fix some of obama's mess (yes, OBAMA's mess). Incredulous that anyone can actually entertain another 4 years of this horror show called the presidency, of which we will never recover if he gets his way. The essential difference between liberals and conservatives is that liberals could not exist without conservatives to defend their freedom and support them economically. Conservatives on the other hand could exist and live quite well without liberals. I rest my case.
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