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Lowden Doubles Down On Health-Care-By-Barter: 'Bring A Chicken To The Doctor' (VIDEO)
Nevada Senate candidate Sue Lowden (R)
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Sue Lowden, the front-running Republican challenger to Sen. Harry Reid, yesterday doubled down on her idea that health care could be paid for using the barter system.
Last week, when Lowden suggested "that bartering is really good," it seemed that she may have been talking about haggling prices and just had her vocab mixed up. It happens to everyone.
But yesterday, on a local news program, Lowden seemed to double down on the idea. Asked whether the statement made her seem disconnected, she shot back that it's Reid who's disconnected for not knowing "that this is already happening in our state."
"Let's change the system and talk about what the possibilities are. I'm telling you that this works. You know, before we all started having health care, in the olden days, our grandparents, they would bring a chicken to the doctor. They would say I'll paint your house," she said. "[That's] what people would do to get health care with their doctors. Doctors are very sympathetic people."
"I'm not backing down from that system," she added.
Reid's campaign blasted the video clip out to reporters this afternoon (subject line: "Seriously ... Has Sue Lowden Lost Her Mind?). Watch:
Lowden went on to say that barter "is not even mentioned in my plan" and said it's just an alternative she was discussing at a town hall meeting.
The TPM Polltracker Average, in a matchup between Reid and Lowden, shows Lowden leading Reid 52.1% to 38.2%.
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Moose49
April 20, 2010 5:56 PM
There are lots of good reasons why Reid is behind in the polls and faces a tough reelection fight. But to this crazy????? Talk about adding insult to injury.
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hunter
April 20, 2010 6:45 PM in reply to Moose49
This is great news. Nevadans know lots about Harry Reid, and next to nothing about Lowden. That's why Reid does so poorly in these matchups...he'd be losing to a ham sandwich at this point. But once the campaign actually starts humming, and people start paying attention to stuff like this, I have a hard time seeing this looney actually displacing the pugilist Reid.
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mans_best_friend
April 20, 2010 6:53 PM in reply to hunter
This woman IS a ham sandwich. One has to wonder if she has someone checking to make sure her shoes are on the right feet before she goes out in public.
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Tim
April 22, 2010 1:32 AM in reply to mans_best_friend
This begs the question: How stupid does a politician have to be before they begin to insult the intelligence of the American people?
The P.T. Barnum answer is that you never arrive at that point.
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JNagarya
April 22, 2010 6:58 PM in reply to Tim
So, how does it work? Not having any chickens, would I have to buy chickens when I wnated to see the doctor?
And what if the doctor is a vegetarian?
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Steve
April 24, 2010 10:01 PM in reply to Tim
And Obama's election proves it.
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Steve
April 22, 2010 7:24 PM in reply to hunter
The ham sandwich would make a much better senator anyway. At least it's good for something, which is obviously more than Nevadans think of Harry, with good reason.
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FreeRider
April 20, 2010 9:04 PM in reply to Moose49
Please, please, please. Tell me just a few of those "lots of reasons" why Reid is behind in the polls. I can't come up with them. He hasn't been caught cheating on his taxes or his wife; he didn't take a preferred loan from Countrywide; he hasn't been diddlying little boys.
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Moose49
April 21, 2010 8:53 AM in reply to FreeRider
Fair enough. I just meant the combination of it being a tough year in general for Democrats, Reid's own lack of charisma (understatement of the decade) and his inadequacies as majority leader. Hopefully, enough Nevada voters will realize by the time November rolls around that he's light years better than someone who looks like she could give Palin and Bachmann a run for their money in all-around idiocy.
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JNagarya
April 22, 2010 7:01 PM in reply to Moose49
Who said it's "a tough year" for Democrats? Republicans, and pundits who simultaneously add that six months in politics is a lifetime.
And those who type without thinking.
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Steve
April 22, 2010 10:23 PM in reply to JNagarya
How about a president who has to struggle to push a watered down health care bill through a congress heavily controlled by his own party? How about the loss of two governors mansions, one in the democratic stronghold of New Jersey after an all out push by Obama to save both of them? How about the loss of a senate seat in the liberal bastion of Massachusetts of all places after another all out Obama push to keep it in the party? If Democratic candidates can't win there, where can they win? If the president hits the campaign trail for you and you lose, 3 times in a row, is he an asset or a liability? How about a 10 point GOP lead on the generic congressional ballot?
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/generic_congressional_ballot
You may as well accept it. The party is over and November is going to be a disaster for the party of the jackass. Obama struggled hard with the dream congress he's had. With the one he's going to have he won't have a chance. They will eat him alive. Living in denial isn't going to change anything.
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JNagarya
April 23, 2010 5:11 AM in reply to Steve
How about a President who's a conciliator instead of a bullshitting bully?
How about a President who is GENUINELY FOR biapartisanship, which in the longer run will work in his favor.
In fact, it already is working in his favor: the Republicans lost massively on HCR; they can't afford to lose a second issue in a row: financial reform. In addition to which, they are on the defensive on that issue and others.
And the FL RNC is being investigated by the FBI and DOJ, which includes looks at Crist, and at Rubio's tax returns.
And Michael Steele, sitting on top of a pile of fiscal malfeasance, says there's no reaon African-Americans should vote Republican.
How about a President who got HCR through, after 100 years of failures at the effort?
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Steve
April 24, 2010 12:14 AM in reply to JNagarya
None of this is remotely relevant to the fact that you have a president who is barely effective with the friendliest congress imaginable. His only real victory to date being a watered down health care bill that was passed in desperation just so democrats can say they and Obama passed SOMETHING, even if all it will due is run health insurance premiums into the stratosphere, and drive even more jobs overseas as businesses seek to avoid yet another burdensome and unrealistic government regulation. Virtually all polling and recent elections indicate a looming November disaster for the democrats which will essentially stall the democratic agenda for at least the next two years. Oh and I forgot Obama's record setting deficit spending which has the debt closing on 13T as I type. Well over 14T before he is booted from office in 2012. If the feel good nonsense you are spouting helps distract you from the impending doom then by all means carry on.
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JNagarya
April 25, 2010 3:54 AM in reply to Steve
A long list of bills have been signed by him into law. There's another person here who tracks that and from time to time posts it. So, yes, he is effective. Your problem with him is that he's not a so-called "strong leader" who struts, bullshits, and bullies.
I mean everything I said.
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Steve
April 27, 2010 11:43 PM in reply to JNagarya
A long list huh? I see it's so impressive, that you have listed exactly none of them. Obama is a weak leader who is out of his depth with the congress he has. The one he will be stuck with after November will eat him alive.
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molten_tofu
May 21, 2010 2:25 PM in reply to Steve
Legislation signed in Bush's first year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_George_W._Bush_legislation_and_programs
Legislation signed in Obama's first year:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Barack_Obama#2009
Again - LOL! Also note that Barack has signed 6 bills/res this year while Bush only signed 7 bills/res during his ENTIRE second year! LOL!
Also, let me make some really astute observations about your research skills:
They suck.
Also, your "legislation signed" metric sucks as a measure of presidents' efficacy.
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molten_tofu
May 21, 2010 2:01 PM in reply to Steve
Obama's deficit? LOL!
http://zfacts.com/p/318.html
...or not!
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Steve
April 24, 2010 12:19 AM in reply to JNagarya
Oh and you can't really be serious with that bipartisan non-sense. How many GOP votes did the health care boondoggle Garner? That's right 0, as premiums rise, benefits are cut, and insurers send out letters to their stockholders and policy holders blaming it all on all the new regulations it's the democrats baby and their baby alone. Ask Harry Reid how he's doing with the 62% of Nevada voters who currently favor outright repeal.
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JNagarya
April 25, 2010 3:58 AM in reply to Steve
I'm absolutely serious about the bipartisanship. Clue, jackass:
During a crisis at Harvard, Barak Obama was the only person on the campus able to bring the opposing factions together to resolve the issue. That is GENUINE bipartisanship.
Whether the other party chooses to cooperate in bipartisanship is a separate issue.
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Steve
April 27, 2010 11:41 PM in reply to JNagarya
Sheep like yourself who beleive everyone is entitled to a handout for virtually everything are the reason we are closing on a 13 Trillion debt. The financially collapse that's on it's way as a result will make the so called 'meltdown' look like a speed bump. And for the record I am entitled to what I earn. Why don't you moochers go out and support yourselves instead of whining for a handout all the time?
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Steve
April 27, 2010 11:45 PM in reply to JNagarya
A crisis at harvard???? Oh my no not that. Without the Messiah to the rescue life as we know it would have ended.
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JNagarya
April 22, 2010 7:06 PM in reply to Moose49
"inadequacies as majority leader."
Health care insurance reform after 100 years of failed efforts?
Clue: NO ONE becomes a leader in Congress -- this includes Pelosi -- unless they are politically savy. Reid is not and amatuer or beginner.
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Red XIV
April 22, 2010 8:53 PM in reply to JNagarya
Reid's weak leadership of Senate Democrats is a major reason why the likes of Baucus, Nelson, Landrieu, and Lieberman were able water down health care reform into the weak law we have now. It's better than nothing, but a stronger leader Majority Leader could've gotten us much more.
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Steve
April 22, 2010 9:51 PM in reply to Red XIV
And pissed off even more voters.
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JNagarya
April 23, 2010 4:57 AM in reply to Red XIV
I believe in good-faith bipartisanship -- which means all parties must engage and discuss the issues, instead of slinging horseshit. Don't you?
And I believe in exposing those -- Republicans -- who constantly hide their refusal to "deal" behind their demand for "bipartisanship".
Don't you?
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Steve
April 24, 2010 12:21 AM in reply to JNagarya
There is no bi-partisanship. The health care bill being a perfect example. It is nothing but a massive redistribution of wealth via taxes and higher insurance premiums from those who earned the wealth to those who haven't. There is absolutely nothing in the bill that will even remotely begin to cut health care costs.
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JNagarya
April 25, 2010 4:03 AM in reply to Steve
You've read the bill, Mr. Entitled?
If you're so opposed to "redistribution of wealth" -- which is a stupdfyingly mindless phrase -- then stop using the infrastructure in this country: ALL of it was built by redistribution of taxes. You don't want to pay, selfish prick? Then stop using that everyone else paid for.
Or stop the horseshit whining, "What's in it for ME!?" and grow up. You live in a society with others, and who don't all agree, and taxes are the price of civilization: get used to it.
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Steve
April 27, 2010 11:53 PM in reply to JNagarya
You're the sheeplike entitlement junkie happy about a bill which will do nothing but vastly increase the premiums of the healthy to pay for the sick. The healthy will quickly decide that it's cheaper to opt out and pay whatever penalty is ever actually enforced, which will likly be none at all, leading to a death spiral for private insurers. This will pave the way for the government to take an even larger role and mismanage the health care system the way they mismanage most everything else. The sheeplike stupidity it takes for people like you to trust a government that can't manage to avoid running almost 13 TRILLION in red ink to manage and regulate your access to health care cracks me up. It's no surprise FL dumbocrats couldn't manage to operate a punch card ballot machine in 2000.
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Red XIV
April 26, 2010 12:37 PM in reply to Steve
The health care bill was made up mostly of Republican ideas. Democrats put way TOO MUCH effort into compromising with Republicans, but Republicans had already decided they wouldn't vote for any health care bill because doing so would be handing a political victory to Obama.
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Steve
April 27, 2010 11:55 PM in reply to Red XIV
Yeah it's made up of so many Republican ideas that it didn't garner a single GOP vote. LMAO do you really believe this stuff or did you hear it on NPR and just think it sounded cool?
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Red XIV
May 13, 2010 12:59 AM in reply to Steve
Republicans voted against it because they wanted to beat Obama. On anything. It didn't matter what was in the bill, it just mattered that they thought they had an opportunity to hand Obama a political defeat.
But you already knew that.
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Steve
April 22, 2010 10:29 PM in reply to JNagarya
He's also not going to serve another term. Try to get it through your head: Nevada voters, by a large margin, did not want the 'reform'. Reid's job was not to pass a half baked ill conceived health care bill with more unintended consequences than you can count on an abacus. His job was to represent his constituents. He didn't do it. Now it's pink slip time.
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JNagarya
April 23, 2010 5:18 AM in reply to Steve
He's also not going to serve another term.
_____
I wouldn't know.
But your foremost skill is in predicting the [unpredictable] future. A skill apparently fueled by the bitterness spewing from the "wound" to one's sense of entitlement.
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Steve
April 24, 2010 12:24 AM in reply to JNagarya
He trails at a minimum 3 GOP challengers by large margins. His approval ratings are in the toilet and have been for some time. He isn't coming back by November, or ever. As far as the entitlement comment I haven't the faintest clue what you are talking about which isn't surprising since you don't either.
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JNagarya
April 25, 2010 4:07 AM in reply to Steve
Are you in Nevada? Or are you simply furious and hateful because you and your ilk LOST the election, LOST on HCR, and find yourself in the intolerable position of being the MINORITY whining because you don't get to DICTATE to the MAJORITY?
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Steve
April 27, 2010 11:58 PM in reply to JNagarya
Translation: You can't refute the fact that Reid is losing to not one but three GOP challengers and have decided to respond with an irrelevant irrational tirade. You are the one who looks angry.
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Beetlejuice
April 21, 2010 9:27 AM in reply to FreeRider
Nevada is primarily a two city State...Las Vegas and Reno. Every place else is a farming community. Las Vegas is primarily the Democrat's stronghold. Everywhere else is republican red territory. Also, much of rural Nevada was homesteaded by Mormons, which are mostly repub's and take their orders from Salt Lake City. There's also a fevered mistrust of the federal government by the rural community since almost all the free land in the state is controlled by BLM. Take all that into consideration and it's pretty damn difficult to figure out which way the public will vote in any given election cycle.
Other things to keep in mind is just about all repub's I know wouldn't vote for a Democrat for any public office if their life depended on it. Just look at the Governor. You'd think by now there'd be some grassroots effort to get him out of office. As for Ensign, he's riding the ropes hoping Lowden wins so he would be crowned Nevada's senior Senator and all his trespasses forgiven.
Lowden is married to a casino mogol so she represent the casino business interests. So expect big bucks to be filling her coffers instead of Reid's. Also look at how well the Nevada repub in the state legislature have move the state to a diverse economy away from a sole-sourced one totally dependent on gambling revenues and job sources.
On the other hand, Reid represents the mining interests in Nevada - if it can't be grown it must be mined. Being a converted Mormon and the son of a miner carries some weight with most of the rural populace, but no one can tell exactly how much.
Lowden is playing to the crowd about the chickens. She's mining their sympathy for the old days when things were simple and people of little means could get the services they needed by simple bartering. In small, rural communities it may work enough for the public to vote for her. She's playing Bu$h's game by seeking out what clicks with the small, rural communities to offset the huge majority of Democrats in Las Vegas. While the number of Democrats in Las Vegas is huge, it's not enough to overpower the rest of the state, which is mostly republican.
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Lovelynina
April 21, 2010 11:50 AM in reply to Beetlejuice
Well-written, well thought-out comment. It's a welcome change from the usual rant about right-wing ignoramuses. Shows you that there's a back story for everything. Thanks.
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Beetlejuice
April 21, 2010 12:57 PM in reply to Lovelynina
Just my biased, personal opinion after 25 years as a permanent resident. I've watched the state slowly turn red over the years and as a state employee, got enough first hand knowledge from people outside the Las Vegas area to know the tide turns blue as often as a blue moon occurs. And Obama's win in Nevada was a blue moon event.
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FreeRider
April 21, 2010 2:40 PM in reply to Beetlejuice
I appreciate your thoughtful response, however . . .
those same factors were in play when (a) Reid won by 25+ points in 2004 and (b) Obama carried the state by 12+ points in 2008.
Democrats outnumber Republicans in NV by 80K.
Reid is losing because Democrats have turned against him for some reason I can't fathom. Republicans stick by their scumbags 'till the bloody end!
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Beetlejuice
April 21, 2010 3:06 PM in reply to FreeRider
Democrats have always held the higher number of voters...it's just they don't always vote. I was in Nevada when he went against Ensign and was surprised how poorly he faired, but still managed to win. So it's no surprise he's up against a wall this time around. It's Lowden's race to loose, but I think in the final moments before election day, there will be enough people energized to give Harry another term. Especially with Gibbon and Ensign as the Party leaders in the state, the last thing Nevada needs is a freshman Senator that's on the same political level as Palin and Bachman ... totally clueless.
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FreeRider
April 21, 2010 3:12 PM in reply to Beetlejuice
1. The same criteria you listed for his poor showing existed in 2004 when he won by 25+ points.
2. The demographics have not changed since then but the people's attitude about Reid has changed dramatically. Why?
3. There has been no scandal and no allegations of wrong-doing. What has he done to lose the support of the voters who have kept him in office for decades?
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geofu54
April 21, 2010 6:37 PM in reply to FreeRider
Well, perhaps because people are suckers for a pretty face... Also, too.
(TFIC, just in case. After those recent stupid remarks by Lowden, I am a little optimistic now Reid can pull it off at the end).
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FreeRider
April 21, 2010 6:59 PM in reply to geofu54
He's polling behind Tarkanian, too. Is that what you call a pretty face?
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geofu54
April 21, 2010 7:54 PM in reply to FreeRider
Ugh. Some people have weird taste, so...
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geofu54
April 21, 2010 8:03 PM in reply to FreeRider
With all seriousness, aside from midterms generally being tough for incumbents, I think it comes partly from sort of relative deprivation on the Dem's part, i.e., gap between unreasonable expectation rooted in sorta macho-man worship and the reality in the Senate.
When people say someone's "leadership" or lack thereof, it's often about the strong hero image they project to his/her. Reid has a charisma deficit in the first place, but people now think "With the majority in the Senate (not super-majority anymore, but anyway), EVEN YOU can be a tough badass and strike fear into those idiots, right, Harry?" What he managed to accomplish in face of the difficult reality of the Senate itself does not really matter anymore, how he appeared in doing so does. It doesn't seem like he snaps his fingers and the Senators instantly get lined up (because that never happens in the real world). And it seems Democrats are now punishing him for that.
(Gosh, this does sound familiar. Some "progressives" are doing exactly the same to Obama too).
To be perfectly honest, I too wish he said things more forcefully or like that now and then. I also do think in today's mass media (and American) politics, Reid's lack of machismo is his disadvantage. However, that he is trailing this badly behind those complete idiots, and that's what Democrats are doing to him... it's just nuts, ridiculous. He doesn't deserve this for sure.
But it's still early, and whoever wins the Republican primary, s/he will be exposed once the general campaign gets in full swing. Im hoping Democrats will come to senses in November.
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FreeRider
April 21, 2010 8:44 PM in reply to geofu54
You hit on my biggest frustration with the Reid scenario--he's being fucked over by Democrats!!! Reid has delivered for Nevada; he has delivered for his party as majority leader; he has delivered for the president but the shitheads keep trashing him!
Reid is the nutleft's favorite whipping boy. However, whenever I ask "what has Reid done or not done to earn such hatred from the left?" the response is always something nebulous and talking-pointish like "he a failure." Of course, that's just bullshit.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 10:04 AM in reply to FreeRider
Another thing these idiots forget is that it took courage for Harry to bring the HCR bill to the floor knowing he was getting his ass kicked in the polls over this particular issue and knowing it might be his demise. I'd say that was pretty damn courageous.
How many profiles in courage have we seen from the other side. None.
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Steve
April 24, 2010 12:48 AM in reply to chameleon
Evidently you can't get it through your head that Reid was not sent to the senate to advocate for liberal idiocy that advocates the redistribution of wealth through taxes, insurance premiums or any other mechanism. He wasn't sent to the senate to show courage by defying the wishes of his constituents. He was sent to the senate to represent the people of Nevada and since currently 62% of Nevada voters want the health care legislation repealed it's pretty safe to say they don't feel it's passage was in their best interest.
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chameleon
April 24, 2010 10:21 AM in reply to Steve
What you can't get through your head is that you have nothing important to say here - period!! So take your trolling ass somewhere where they really care what you have to say.
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Steve
April 24, 2010 10:05 PM in reply to chameleon
In other words you have absolutely no rational response and have chosen to respond in the only way you can: Irrelevant stupidity.
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Steve
April 22, 2010 10:45 PM in reply to FreeRider
What color is the sky on your planet? On this planet Reid just shoved through high profile half baked health care legislation that recent polling indicates 62% of likely Nevada voters hate enough to want to see repealed.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/nevada/election_2010_nevada_senate
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Steve
April 24, 2010 12:39 AM in reply to geofu54
No it comes from a population disgusted over taxes that suck down roughly 30% of the average persons income and a debt closing on 13T ever fueled by a congress that can never spend enough. If that wasn't enough now there is a health care boondoggle passed for no purpose other than so Obama can declare victory because he passed SOMETHING on health care that anyone with even the slightest flicker of intelligence realizes will cause their premiums to skyrocket amid a myriad of other unintended (but entirely foreseeable) consequences. Voters also realize that there is absolutely nothing whatsoever in the bill that will reduce health care costs in the slightest. Nevada voters did not send Reid to the senate to appease the left wing's insatiable need to redistribute wealth. They sent him there to represent their interests. Since recent polling shows 62% of likely Nevada voters favoring repeal of the aforementioned boondoggle it's safe to say they don't believe that that particular bill represents their interests.
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kstone
April 22, 2010 7:02 PM in reply to geofu54
Her arrogance while slinging ignorance might also turn some people off. Here she is saying something quite bizarre, that poor folks might prevail upon the kindness of a good-hearted doctor to get free health care. (She certainly isn't speaking of herself!) And yes, there are many doctors who have risked their positions by helping suffering people with no means to pay them. The insurance companies HATE that. But that doesn't mean people should have to beg. Reminds of that similarly arrogant, ignorant and disdainful Cheney comment that his admin needn't worry about the jobless - they have eBay!
Lowden reminds me of Bachmann: haughty, overly confident in her own abilities, extremely narrow worldview, attractive (to some) and willing to sell her grandmother for a chicken.
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Steve
April 22, 2010 10:41 PM in reply to geofu54
Yeah, good luck with that. Seriously when you push high profile health care legislation that 62% of your constituents want repealed outright why would anyone expect to be re-elected?? Hallucinogenic drugs perhaps? Lowden is hardly Reid's only problem. The challenge is finding somebody who isn't polling in front of Reid.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/nevada/election_2010_nevada_senate
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Steve
April 24, 2010 12:42 AM in reply to geofu54
Then just about every GOP candidate seriously running must be drop dead gorgeous because Reid trails all of them by significant margins.
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Steve
April 22, 2010 10:06 PM in reply to FreeRider
Gee it couldn't have anything to do with supporting health care legislation that at last count 56% of voters favor the outright repeal of and only 35% of voters think will be good for the country?? It couldn't be that 78% of voters think the health care boondoggle......oops I mean legislation will mean higher taxes on the middle class? Naw that can't be it. It couldn't be that Reid is an inside the beltway elitist who ignores the wishes of Nevada voters in general and said voters recognize him as such?
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/march_2010/health_care_law
No it couldn't be any of those things. LMAO Democrats definitely got one thing right: They chose the right mascot. They are without a doubt THE party of the jackass. I hate to break the bad news to Dem supporters, but, if you can't win in Mass. you damn sure can't win in Nevada, or for that matter most of the rest of the country. Reid is toast. Accept it.
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Steve
April 22, 2010 10:32 PM in reply to FreeRider
Reid is losing because he grand stands for the democratic party elite instead of representing the Nevada voters who put him in office. Goodbye and good riddance.
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Steve
April 22, 2010 9:45 PM in reply to FreeRider
LMAO "Vote Reid because he isn't a felon". You should do bumper stickers for the DNC. Reid is a moron who supported a half baked health plan Nevada voters overwhelmingly opposed. A health plan that won't do anything for people who actually pay their own way except jack up their premiums. First poor dead Ted's Mass senate seat and now the senate majority leader is circling the drain. The Chappaquiddick swimmer is rolling over in his grave. Democrats are imploding at record speed.
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mJJ
April 22, 2010 3:21 PM in reply to Moose49
Actualllty this looney person at least gives me a great BIG laugh. I can see it now. Someone with cancer arrives at the doctor's office with a box containing 4 chickens and as she is asked how she intends to pay, the patient hands over the box of chickens. By the end of the day, the doc might have a cord of wood, a box of chickens, several cakes, 2 turtledoves and a partridge in a pear tree. I thank this loony woman for the great big laugh, errrr cackle, she has given this old Republican but surely we will know enough NOT to elect this loon. But if we do, alert every health department in the country. No doctor's office will ever be sterile again. HAHAHAHA
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Steve
April 22, 2010 7:22 PM in reply to Moose49
Fight? What fight? The word fight implies that Harry has some sort of chance to win. Only in wonderland. Harry is done. Is there anybody who isn't ahead of him in the polls?
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mans_best_friend
April 20, 2010 5:58 PM
Reid should challenge her to a debate, then just shut up and let her talk.
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tiowally
April 20, 2010 6:31 PM in reply to mans_best_friend
Reid should challenge her to a cock fight.
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Leftflank
April 20, 2010 9:22 PM in reply to tiowally
Maybe she's speaking metaphorically & chicken means something more reasonable, like beaver & painting the house means cleaning out the pipes. The wise Doc knows she really means trading for sex, which is a bit of a gamble, which are both reasons he's operating in Vegas in the first place. So the deep thinking Sue may just have it all figured out.
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bibimimi
April 21, 2010 12:38 AM in reply to Leftflank
"That's three fine little peckers you have there, Miz Lowden"...
[bow-chicka-bown!].
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susanthe
April 20, 2010 10:04 PM in reply to tiowally
He'd have to borrow one for the fight.
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mcc
April 20, 2010 5:58 PM
Wikipedia:
Lowden is truly saying things that only someone who's been on gold-plated executive insurance since 1978 would ever say.
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mans_best_friend
April 20, 2010 6:16 PM in reply to mcc
This goes beyond that. I don't think even Sarah Palin would say something so completely idiotic.
"...before we all started having health care, in the olden days..."
Good heavens.
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John
April 20, 2010 6:59 PM in reply to mcc
Also says, "Sue Lowden and her husband has in excess of $50 million dollars in stock holdings as filed to the Senate Office of Public Records."
Unlike most Americans, she could just buy a hospital for her family.
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datora
April 20, 2010 8:57 PM in reply to mcc
Your assessment of Governor Quitter is far too generous, sir. But, I will grant that Bartering Barbie could well give her a good run for the title.
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datora
April 20, 2010 9:00 PM in reply to datora
urg. Reply-to in a non-intuitive location. Was supposed to be reply-to mans_best_friend. My irony today.
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bibimimi
April 21, 2010 12:42 AM in reply to datora
Chick fight!!!!!!!!
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Nancy Irving
April 21, 2010 1:28 AM in reply to datora
It is really too bad that there are only two spots on the national ticket.
Palin, Bachmann and Lowden would win some kind of trifecta.
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SqueakyRat
April 22, 2010 7:19 AM in reply to mcc
Yeah but she's a hawt middle-aged republican.
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Steve
April 24, 2010 12:53 AM in reply to mcc
It may not have occurred to you but if everyone were successful enough and responsible enough to be on gold plated insurance there wouldn't be a so called health care crisis. The fact is that there are a lot of people who have plenty of money when it's time to buy beer and cigarettes but no money to pay for health insurance because it would cut into the beer and cigarettes budget.
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CJ
April 20, 2010 6:40 PM
I tried to take Lowden's advice this week. Well, not to barter, but to haggle.
I've bee discussing a medical procedure with a specialist who is out of my insurer's network. Therefore, I'd be responsible for any and all medical costs in excess of the amount that insurer has determined to be "usual and customary." There is no cap for such excess amounts.
So, when I tried to ask the doctor's office what they would charge for this procedure, they gave me the run-around with, frankly, lies and falsehoods (essentially misrepresenting what my insurer will pay). When I then asked them to put their fees into writing and e-mail them to me, they asked why? I told them that I didn't want any surprises. They said that because of the insurance company they couldn't put their fees in writing (I have no idea what that means).
In short, this doctor's office bent over backwards not to give me their pricing information because they have no intention of competing for business that way or negotiating their price. They're going to charge what they charge, they're not going to tell you what they charge up front, and we have to take it or leave it.
In summary, my experience demonstrates that Sue Lowden is full of crap.
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mans_best_friend
April 20, 2010 6:48 PM in reply to CJ
Actually, the reason they couldn't give you a price is that all large insurers negotiate hefty discounts for all procedures. These discounts run 30% or more. When you get and EOB you'll likely see two different amounts: "billed amount", and "allowed amount". The "allowed amount" is the discounted figure. So the truth is, your doctor's billing department really doesn't know what the price is until the insurance company tells them what they'll pay and it's different for every insurer.
N.B. This screwed up system is a significant part of the reason why administrative overhead is so ridiculously high.
Try offering them a couple of chickens.
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CJ
April 20, 2010 11:25 PM in reply to mans_best_friend
You're mistaken.
As I previously stated, this doctor is NOT in my insurer's provider network. Therefore, this doctor has not negotiated any fees or discounts with my health insurance company. Therefore, this doctor can charge me any amount they want. My insurance company will pay 60 percent of the "usual and customary" amount for the procedure (as determined by the insurance company), and I'm on my own for the rest.
That, however, isn't the problem. The problem is that the doctor's office refuses to disclose how much they charge up front. You can't haggle (or barter) if they won't tell you what they charge.
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Cool Blue Reason
April 21, 2010 2:22 PM in reply to CJ
Perhaps you're going about this wrong:
1. First ask the service provider for a listing of each procedure that they intend to bill for (without "prices," as they insist).
2. Then, contact your insurance company to obtain a breakdown of what they consider "usual and customary" for each procedure.
3. Multiply by 0.6 to obtain the expected insurance payment for each item, and sum to obtain the total insurance payment.
4. Decide how much you can afford to pay out of pocket in addition to this amount. Divide your proposed out of pocket payment by the total insurance payment to obtain a decimal ratio, to which you should add 1. Multiply the expected insurance payment for each item by this factor (i.e., 1.xx) to obtain the proposed provider payment for each procedure.
5. Fax your detailed proposal to the provider, specifying that this is is the actual payment they can expect to receive based on your insurance reimbursement levels and the amount you can afford to pay.
6. If they accept the "offer," make sure you've got some kind of written substantiation that they've signed off on those terms.
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CJ
April 21, 2010 5:15 PM in reply to Cool Blue Reason
That's a excellent idea! But I'm stuck at step one.
The doctor's office will only give me some of the procedures (CPT codes), but they said that once they surgery begins, they are likely to find that they have to perform additional procedures--which makes sense. But they will only quote me on the procedures they know about, not the ones that they will decide on during the surgery.
Note that this doctor is a specialist who only performs limited procedures for this condition. Therefore, those potential additional procedures are limited to one or two...maybe three. When I asked for the CPT codes for those additional procedures, the response I received from the doctor's employee was literally as follows (emphasis mine): "right now, i do not know of any other procedures that he might perform."
I have since followed up for the CPT codes on these mysterious additional procedures, but to no avail. They keep telling me that they don't know exactly which additional procedures he will perform, and therefore, they won't give me the codes for them.
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mass_murdock
April 21, 2010 10:36 PM in reply to CJ
Looks like your just going to have to sign yourself over to the death panel and take whatever comes.
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SqueakyRat
April 22, 2010 7:22 AM in reply to CJ
Throw in another chicken.
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Steve
April 24, 2010 1:41 AM in reply to CJ
Then ask them for the procedure codes for the procedures they know will be performed and their charge (as opposed to the insurance allowable or reasonable and customary, although in every office I have worked in we would have given you that as well to what ever degree the insurer was willing to disclose it)for those procedure codes. If they refuse to provide them find another Dr and check with the state medical board to see if their refusal to disclose fees constitutes an ethical violation. For most providers in this state it would be a violation of their respective code of ethics. Most providers are not going to guarantee what potential related procedures will have to be performed because there could be unforseen complications and then they have essentially waived the right to bill you for anything extra they HAVE to do. If you get the information from them regarding the known procedures to be performed then contact your insurer and find out if they consider those charges reasonable and customary. Your insurer may or may not give you the maximum they consider reasonable and customary but they should be willing to tell you if the amounts you tell them are or aren't R&C. They should also be willing to tell you how much of the R&C amount or the amount of the charge amount you provide they will pay which may or may not be 100%. Also make sure the procedures don't require pre-authorization. Don't assume the provider did it. Bottom line if the provider does not cooperate with you enough to get a reasonable estimate then find another provider.
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Steve
April 24, 2010 1:24 AM in reply to mans_best_friend
This isn't really correct or relevant to the post you responded to. In most cases providers are not subject to any allowable charge when they are non-contracted/non-participating. Non participating providers contracted to bill Medicare is an exception and so is Tricare, in that there is a cap 15% above the allowable charge in both cases, but private insurance is not subject to this. They can balance bill the patient any difference between their charge and what the insurer pays as reasonable and customary. In any event the provider's charge is always known to the provider (or the provider's billing dept, the Dr. his or herself may have no clue what the exact charge is). They may not (but should) know if their charge is considered reasonable and customary by a given insurer and they should definitely know what their contracted rate is if they are participating/contracted with a given insurer. There is really no justification for refusing to give a patient the charge for a particular procedure, and it's just poor business to set up a situation where an account is likely to go to collections.
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Steve
April 24, 2010 1:10 AM in reply to CJ
Your experience is not typical. Most providers don't have a problem telling you what they charge for a procedure. It doesn't do them any good to run a bill you can't pay. You can sign all the financial agreements in the world. It doesn't mean that they can force you to pay or that it's economical to do so. The fact is if you are cash pay or out of network they can cut their rate and still make more than they would on a patient seen in network and subject only to insurer allowable. The solution is to simply take your business to another practice the same way you would with any business that won't disclose what it's going to charge. That said you have to talk to the right department. Many medical staff have no idea what the charge for a procedure is, they only know the clinical aspects of the procedure. Billing is not their area. They are also going to want the procedure codes, to know if certain procedures will be bundled unbundled etc. It's also unreasonable for you to go to a hospital for open heart surgery or some other complex procedure with high risk of complications and expect them to give you an exact total when they have no idea what aftercare you will need.
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nowhereman
April 20, 2010 6:50 PM
Harry should ask her what the going rate is for chickens per MRI.
I'm guessin' back in the day, we done had pert near 5000 chickens fer each of them MRI pictures.
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Jaycal
April 20, 2010 7:43 PM in reply to nowhereman
No, no, no... according to www.MRIcompare.com an MRI is only between $400 and $3,500. I could buy a roasted Costco chicken for $6, so you'd only need to drop off about 67 chickens in your doctor's office. Then again, your doctor might depreciate the value of your chickens to about $2, because he now owns all the chickens in your state after a few weeks of this bartering bs, so now you'd need to bring in about 200 of the little feathered friends.
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datora
April 20, 2010 9:08 PM in reply to nowhereman
I wonder how many chickens it takes to pay off ten years of med school loans? And, does the doctor then pay his staff and his rent and equipment purchases & rentals in chickens?
Maybe Congress should just set the minimum wage in chickens per hour and we can all pay our taxes to the IRS in chickens. How many chickens will the postal service require to pay for the postage on sending ten thousand chickens to the IRS?
Sure wish the Daily Show or Colbert would take this and run with it ...
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slb
April 21, 2010 3:00 AM in reply to datora
My sister started raising chickens on her property a couple of years ago. I thought she was a little bit crazy then; I had no idea she had the beginnings of a new United States mint in the works!
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ejg3
April 20, 2010 7:09 PM
I suggest that people line up with chickens to cash in for chips at one of the casinos she and her husband own. I suspect there will be more squawking from the house than from the hens. I think she has firmly self defined herself as bird brained but that may be too insulting to the avian world.
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slb
April 21, 2010 2:57 AM in reply to ejg3
+10!
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bvd
April 20, 2010 7:10 PM
In the olden days the medical procedures were things like blood-letting and applying leeches. Perhaps she's nostalgic for those lost treasures as well.
This is so easy to ridicule in a campaign that even Harry can do it. Just say to folks, ask yourself - what would your doctor do if you offered to give him some homecooked food in exchange for a hip replacement. They'll understand right away.
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chameleon
April 24, 2010 10:18 AM in reply to bvd
And to quote Alan Grayson last night on Bill Maher's show, "in the olden days Sue Lowden wasn't able to vote"
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hsdell
April 20, 2010 7:14 PM
I'm gonna need a bigger wallet--currently I only have enough room for a couple chicken nuggets.
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Jaycal
April 20, 2010 7:39 PM in reply to hsdell
Yea, I imagine pulling a chicken out of your trousers in public will only scare the straights.
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NotBornEveryMinute
April 21, 2010 6:14 AM in reply to Jaycal
LOL! Thank you, Mr. Gumby!
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Steve
April 24, 2010 10:22 PM in reply to NotBornEveryMinute
Gee you rocket scientists don't think she could be talking about the bartering of professional services, or other items of contemporary value and using a chicken as a metaphor? Believing, admittedly somewhat foolishly, that people such as yourselves would have the common sense to figure it out.
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bluestatedon
April 20, 2010 7:19 PM
Y'know, just when I had decided that the next Republican VP nominee should be the lady down in Georgia who's sure the DOD implanted a microchip up her tush, Sue comes in and doubles down on the crazy. It's a tough decision.
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hsdell
April 20, 2010 7:20 PM
Forget about gold and silver, there is a new poultry-based monetary standard.
Following the adoption of this new standard, we'll be able to transact business without having to carry a truckload of birds with the new MasterChicken(tm) card.
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datora
April 20, 2010 9:15 PM in reply to hsdell
My MasterChick™ is only a Turkey Card™ right now. I'm hoping to upgrade to an Emu Card™ once the economy starts to turn around.
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Xantar
April 20, 2010 11:20 PM in reply to datora
Teacher salary: 15,000 chickens
Day at the hairdresser: 3 chickens
Running such an incompetent political campaign that a badly wounded milquetoast senator might STILL pull one out: Priceless.
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Measure for Measure
April 20, 2010 7:22 PM
Sheesh, I thought that she just misspoke the first time. I guess I gave her too much credit.
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Jaycal
April 20, 2010 7:37 PM
This is complete historical revisionism, which is typical for a Republican. They used to bring a duck... why do you think they called them "Quacks". : )
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ejg3
April 20, 2010 7:39 PM
For the good of the country this is one of those things that happens in Vegas that should stay in Vegas. Romney's Dad was out of the running for the White House when he said he was brain washed on Viet Nam. I suspect with Ms Lowden rain drops falling on her head would be more than enough.
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Bass Ace
April 20, 2010 7:43 PM
Will they take my pig at the front desk, or do I have to lead him through the atrium, up the elevator, all the way to the 14th floor of the University Medical Center? Does he have to wear a mask if we're going to maternity?
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Douglashh
April 20, 2010 8:08 PM
Ms. Lowden is certifiably insane if she thinks this is a credible proposal. How many city dwellers have anything to trade that would be anywhere close to the cost of the average doctor's visit? Let's ask the AMA to poll their members on this one.
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unknowncitizen
April 20, 2010 8:21 PM in reply to Douglashh
Maybe city folks could scare up some crack or meth ingredients to pay for a GSW triage?
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Michael A
April 20, 2010 8:38 PM
Another milf looney toon running as a repuke. When will it stop? This is just plain insane.
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33lp
April 20, 2010 8:39 PM
You all are forgetting how pretty she is. Leave Britny, er, Suzie alone!
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hychka
April 20, 2010 8:49 PM
Maybe she thinks she could pay with sex. Probably if every patient paid with sex, the poor DR would be too tired to practice. Ms. Lowden might think she's special enough.
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hychka
April 20, 2010 8:51 PM in reply to hychka
PS Of course, this is NV! What was I thinking? Of course she was talking about paying with sex!!
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jjcomet
April 21, 2010 10:31 AM in reply to hychka
Laudon paying for anything with sex is too revolting to contemplate this early in the morning. If she tried to pay for health care with sex, she's be lucky to get a Tylenol.
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Mt. Skullcrusher
April 20, 2010 8:58 PM
Lowden's Wikipedia page has been updated to reflect her beliefs.
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Michael A
April 20, 2010 9:03 PM in reply to Mt. Skullcrusher
They still have the first line as former runner up in the ms america pagent and ms new jersey. Then, reporter, then married into money and has been livin the high life on her hubby's dime. Gee, those sure are qualifiers. Sh*t, she should be running for president, not a lowly senate seat. She's more qualified than rambo of the great northwest who can see russia from her front porch.
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Woodrowfan
April 20, 2010 9:21 PM
She was the head of a casino? I wonder how she'd like if her customers tried to pay their gambling debts with livestock or other payments in kind??
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Michael A
April 20, 2010 9:31 PM in reply to Woodrowfan
No prob. Comes out of hubby's pocket anyway. "Head of a casino"? You can get alot of mileage out of that. Figurehead maybe, or . . . . nah, that would be too crass.
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ejg3
April 20, 2010 9:48 PM
I think that she's going to take away the Dumb Cluck title from Henny Penny.
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Given Up
April 20, 2010 10:10 PM
Everytime people have said that the republicans want to drag us back to the fifteenth century I have usually thought of this as hyperbole. I guess I was wrong.
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ronalley
April 20, 2010 10:45 PM
Lowden may be a crackpot but she has a point -- just not the one she is trying to make. Until medical insurance became common in the late 1940's and 50's, setting and collecting fees was a very important part of the medical practice. In the days before medical insurance, doctors cultivated wealthy patients just as lawyers cultivated wealthy and corporate clients. Doctors made house calls and were concerned about the cost of delivering services. Particularly in rural areas, barter was a common method of settling a physician's bill. Doctors often collected their fees in partial payments. In many respects the business side of a medical practice in pre-insurance days resembled the business side of veterinary practices today.
Medical insurance relieved the medical profession of the need to set and collect fees from individuals and allowed them to devote more time to medical issues. When insurance companies provided a steady stream of patients in the doctors' offices, doctors found they no longer needed to make house calls to maintain a good book of business.
Health care reform is likely to have as great an impact on the medical profession as medical insurance did 60 years ago. I can't foresee the exact changes, but I'm confident those changes will be great.
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h0db
April 20, 2010 11:25 PM in reply to ronalley
Of course, back in the day, the only things a doctor could do was set broken bones, help deliver babies, and tell you how long until the cancer killed you. Oh yeah, and hand out the sugar pills. You can either have barter medicine, or you can have technology, antibiotics, medical research, etc. You can't have both.
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Cool Blue Reason
April 21, 2010 2:36 PM in reply to ronalley
The adoption of insurance also effectively wiped out the potential for market signals to regulate demand (and, secondarily, supply), because it has almost completely obfuscated price information from market participants.
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Jim_NH
April 22, 2010 2:06 PM in reply to Cool Blue Reason
Yup, agreed.
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PushMe-PullYou
April 20, 2010 11:06 PM
Suzie Vegas not remember right. In olden days Ugg pay medicine man with mastodon drumstick.
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NotBornEveryMinute
April 21, 2010 6:20 AM in reply to PushMe-PullYou
Ugg have sock-puppet?
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Phoebe Fay
April 20, 2010 11:43 PM
Well, I looked at Ms. Lowden's website, and I will note that she's consistent. Her plans for bartering for medicine are just about serious and thoughtful as her plans for balancing the budget.
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bibimimi
April 21, 2010 12:34 AM
She's guano.
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Kuyleh
April 21, 2010 2:28 AM
All I own ATM are cats and rabbits. D'you think we'll have different animals, like we have different coins and bills? Or will I have to invest in a chicken coop?
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witty1
April 21, 2010 3:32 AM
Bartering was pre-penicillin and pre-polio vaccine so I'm thinking there wasn't a lot of R&D built into a Physician's fee at that time.
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Sailormarlowe
April 21, 2010 5:27 AM
Sweet Sue Lowden, she make best Senator. She right for all peoples. And, doctors should be required by law to acccept as payment whatever patients have to offer. Barter is best. Sue is correct on the important issues.
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Kuyleh
April 21, 2010 5:49 PM in reply to Sailormarlowe
Your English is failing drastically. You need to learn to copy and paste better...Assuming your IQ is high enough for that, even.
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bluestatedon
April 21, 2010 7:39 AM
I mean, it seems obvious: people who in disproportionate numbers exhibit insanely high rates of alcoholism, a legacy of mass murder and political repression, nationalist paranoia, cultural genocide of minority peoples, involvement in organized crime in the U.S. and Europe, active and enthusiastic support of child prostitution across Russia, who are statistically vastly less competent at observing the rule of law and human rights, are a people that should not be especially proud of themselves. Russians should be equally embarrassed.
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greatdogs
April 21, 2010 8:06 AM
If she is elected, will Sen Lowden accept chickens or other live critters as payment for her services? If its good enough for the local sawbones, it ought to be good enough for the jr senator from Nevada. Imagine being on the flight from DC to Vegas on a payday weekend. The only thing missing would be Ellie May Clampant. Well then again, maybe not.
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KenInTenn
April 21, 2010 4:28 PM in reply to greatdogs
I wonder how much poultry it takes to get :30-second spots aired on Vegas radio and TV stations?
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bluestatedon
April 21, 2010 9:36 AM
Although I'm a Michigan Democrat, I'm going to defend old George Romney here. George was a moderate Republican who was serious about governing, and would have already been run out of today's GOP. The 'brainwashing" comment was perhaps ill-advised, but the fact that it seemed to have ended his Presidential aspirations was a very early example of the idiotic herd mentality among the journalistic elites even back then. All Romney was referring to was the fact that during a trip to Vietnam he felt he'd been sold a bill of goods about how well the war was going. "Brainwashing" had very negative connotations at the time due to associations with North Korean and Chinese actions with American POWs during the Korean War, and the press jumped on it in a mindless frenzy as indicative that Romney was somehow not fit for office.
Mitt isn't half the man his father was.
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arbalest
April 21, 2010 10:28 AM
Apparently the young lady has not been to a clinic where there are 50 or so people ahead of you for waiting for service. How long would it be before the doctor has enough of what ever you have to offer?
It occurs to me that Duke Cunningham (with his "menu") was basically opening the awarding of defense appropriations contracts to the barter system so maybe she has bigger plans for this system.
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ariuszme
April 21, 2010 7:51 PM
NV, LV my home, is a desert. LV is the hub and Reno is the other existant town.
Truth is Harry REALLY IS one of those nice, quiet, boring old guys who leads a quiet family life and has no agenda whatsoever. Only thing I can hold against him is he became a wacko Mormon in his adult life. Otherwise he's a ridiculously ethical hard working guy.
He does lack charisma. But politicians unfortunately get voted in with charisma over ethics.
His son is running for Gov, he's not doing well in the polls either.. State has a lot of Mormons and churches in general.. too many idiot cons!
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Steve
April 23, 2010 1:06 PM in reply to ariuszme
Has no agenda whatsoever? Really? That's why he ignored the wishes of the vast majority of Nevada Voters and pushed through a half baked health care bill they overwhelmingly opposed so Obama could pass SOMETHING to save face. Reid is a lapdog of the DNC. He always has been and Nevada voters are sick of it. He's done.
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tdispatch07
April 21, 2010 11:10 PM
Our grandparents?? My grandparents never brought chickens to any place or painted anyone's house but their own. She must be REALLY old to remember that so well. I hear in those days we all used outhouses and it was common for people to die of pneumonia and influenza. Maybe she remembers that 99.9% of all doctors were white men and wants to return to that.
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mass_murdock
April 22, 2010 1:24 AM in reply to tdispatch07
I have a great grandfather who was a doctor in a small town in Texas. He was in fact a white man who died in a gunfight. He and his opponent (the town sheriff) emptied their guns into each other at point blank range. Then he crawled over and started beating his (dead) opponent with his empty gun. He might have survived, but he refused medical treatment.
I suppose you could have asked him to take a chicken in lieu of payment. Then again he was the kind of person you would have had to ask very carefully.
Now back in Kenya, my more remote ancestors did it all the time. They still do as far as I know. A nice chicken goes a long way in Kenya. Perhaps we should model our health care system like Kenya's, I think is what she is saying here.
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SqueakyRat
April 22, 2010 7:23 AM in reply to mass_murdock
Wait a minute. White men die in gunfights?
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Jim_NH
April 22, 2010 2:03 PM in reply to tdispatch07
I am really old, but recently I did some elecronics repair for my doctor and haven't seen a co-pay since. With the HC bill, what do you think doctors will do to avoid the needless paperwork?
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Steve
April 22, 2010 10:09 PM in reply to Jim_NH
Thanks to federal law waiving co-pays, especially on federal health plans is about 3 different kinds of billing fraud. The federal government to the consumers rescue again....
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Sailormarlowe
April 22, 2010 7:30 AM
Sue Lowden, she hot blonde. Harry Reid, he old cadaver. Sue, she win. Any peoples sick, they go emergency room. What's the problem?
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 10:08 AM in reply to Sailormarlowe
You need to get some new material.
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larsvanness
April 22, 2010 11:10 AM
Marlowe needs to meet me in a dark alley so I can have the morbid pleasure of grinding him into the ground like the cockroach that he is. Well that's just being disrespectful to cockroaches. I once had to shoot a rabid a dog and that was far more distasteful than any thing I could think of doing to the sea queen here.
I'm still trying to get over the shock of finding my beautiful 20 yr/o daughter is now in Afghanistan. She was here on leave at the end of March after stopping in Wyoming to see her mother and never said a word to anyone about her deployment orders. My sister was following her FB page and read her brief post "Afghanistan sucks" and then called me. So I have completely re-immersed myself in our Foreign Policy. Listened to Dexter Filkins on Fresh Air yesterday describing the ground situation and Karzai Governmment and of course it is just a bit trite to say deja-vu all over again. Viet-Nam, how eery it was listening to him describe how Marines control the villages by day and the VC--oops...er the Taliban return and take control at night. I fear the President is being badly served by his Secratary of State who unfortunately still harbors in my opinnions aspiriations of high political office (wondering why Chelsea Clinton isn't wearing captain's bars but then it appears that the daunting task of building a Muslim democracy in Afghanistan isn't for every one). She is much less the policy wonk that her husband is and I can think of any number of academician that are far more fluent in foreign affairs than she. But really my disdain for her goess back to the primary campaign and the statments issued by her staff against Barak Obamma. Anyway I don't mean to offend you here and I will be folowing your comments closely and thank you for your kind sentiments.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 11:22 AM in reply to larsvanness
I can't even imagine how distressed you are. My thought are with you with all sincerity. I would love to hear more about your thoughts on Hillary and why you feel she is doing such a terrible job. My disdain for her came in the campaign also, especially when I found out she was responsible for Reverend Wright and Bill Ayers. You have not offended me in any way and I can't imagine your ever doing so.
Grigory is on his rant again today with is blatant racism, even though he thinks Obama is doing a good job. I feel little consolation in his praise of Obama given the fact he thinks the rest of the black population is dirt under his feet. I wish you could use the power of your communication to set him straight. I get too angry to properly articulate my thoughts.
You are very special....
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larsvanness
April 22, 2010 2:04 PM in reply to chameleon
Thanks chameleon. Trust me here when I tell you that grigory is not praising the President. What he is doing is patronizing us and the President by appearing to be more enlightened. It's an old racial ploy and a cheap one at that. Believe me, you can take him for the racsist that he is.
"And I must admit, I am extremely impressed with Obama. I've never actually observed a reasonably intelligent and thoughtful African-American before, it's quite astonishing. Seriously, in five years in Ivy graduate programs, I got used to the idea that all "educated" black Americans were pompous and ignorant idiots, but Obama really is the exception that proves the rule I guess."
I have already pointed out to him that if he did indeed spend "five years in Ivy graduate programs" his "education" would have exposed him to some very significant black authors, historians, philosophers and scientists. The fact that it didn't or he refuses to acknowledge these thinkers merely indicates that no amount of education will ever benefit him.
Well Hell, as I have already pointed out to "grigory pechorin" my high school educated daughter (who is now in Afghanistan) is much better read in Russian literature than he is. I introduced her to Tolstoy's "Notes From Underground" when she was in junior high school and she became so enthralled with the character of Anna Karenina that she insisted on changing her first name to "Anna".
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 3:13 PM in reply to larsvanness
I do trust you. Notice he has resorted to name calling. he is a fraud and a liar and a racist.
I guess your daughter didn't want you to worry in advance. I can't even imagine the anguish.
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AbqMike
April 22, 2010 1:34 PM
Why doesn't this woman, and all her barter "supporters," publicly drop any health insurance they have, and announce that henceforth they will obtain all health services only through barter? It would be an excellent test of her ideas.
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Steve
April 22, 2010 7:19 PM in reply to AbqMike
Better yet why don't all the mooching deadbeats who insist that somebody else pay for their health care quit being parasites and try paying there own way? Then there wouldn't be a so called health care crisis and nobody will have to advance half baked ideas like bartering for health care.
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Jim_NH
April 22, 2010 1:51 PM
It is not uncommon for carpenters, plumbers and other tradesmen to exchange services instead of cash. Obama's greatest success may well be the creation of a huge undergound economy - physicians included.
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boyoboy
April 22, 2010 2:34 PM
Why doesn't she poll healthcare practitioners and see who is willing to barter for their medical services. She may very well believe her claim, but she should be able to prove her theory by evidence.
And, we all know what the results of this poll would be. I doubt that many providers are going to give you an MRI for some Foster Farms.
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kstone
April 22, 2010 8:55 PM in reply to boyoboy
Just sent a note to the Nevada State Medical Association to see if they had a comment.
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A Trained Monkey
April 22, 2010 8:28 PM
Yes and in the olded days for that chicken you got
some leaches and a poultess.
Monkey
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JNagarya
April 23, 2010 5:03 AM in reply to A Trained Monkey
The system is more efficient now. They replaced the leeches with doctors.
And wasn't "Poultice" a US president?
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Tosh
June 6, 2010 5:33 AM
Evidently you can't get it through your head that Reid was not sent to the senate to advocate for liberal idiocy that advocates the redistribution of wealth through taxes, insurance premiums or any other mechanism. He wasn't sent to the senate to show courage by defying the wishes of his constituents. He was sent to the senate to represent the people of Nevada and since currently 62% of Nevada voters want the health care legislation repealed it's pretty safe to say they don't feel it's passage was in their best interest.
m65 kamagra
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