REPUBLICANS: Please vote for John McCain.

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AAAhmed46
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REPUBLICANS: Please vote for John McCain.

Post by AAAhmed46 »

Watching the debate, the only guy not to scare the crap out of me was that man.(yes i know, old debate)

He was *GASP* against torture.(too bad nobody applauded that)


im pretty liberal politically, but if the republicans were to come into power, id rather have him sitting on the throne then anyone else.

I don't agree with all his views, but at least he's who he says he is, and unlike someone, he actually fought in a war and suffered for it.

It's a shame he's unpopular.
benzocaine
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Post by benzocaine »

I've always liked him. He's OK .... for a politician :roll:
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mhosea
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Post by mhosea »

He's unpopular because he doesn't have a lot of charisma. He also has a reputation for getting a little hot under the collar from time to time. I like him OK, but Senators have a tough time getting elected, anyway. I wouldn't worry too much about most of these guys. IMO, it's the democrats' election to lose. I don't think Obama is ready for the real deal. He'll come across looking like a kid before it gets too far. Hillary is still a polarizing figure. If they can look past these two and nominate a seasoned candidate who appeals to the center, they'll win easily. If they insist on some model liberal who will split the middle in half, they'll lose another close one. I'm a republican. Based on what I know today, I'd vote for Bill Richardson, and I know how he comes across as playing both sides of the fence. To me, that makes sense when you are the kind to consider each issue on its merits and don't let your ideology rule decisions on what to do with imperfect tools in a complicated reality to make a positive difference with a recalcitrant problem. "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."
Mike
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f.Channell
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Post by f.Channell »

I'm hoping you Canadians invade us and give us health care.
I'm sick of paying more year after year.

F.
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Mary S
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Post by Mary S »

Fred we're just waiting for our dollar to hit $.96 and we'll be coming down!!!

:)
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f.Channell
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Post by f.Channell »

I'm ready. Free cholesterol medicine too right? :lol:

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Post by TSDguy »

I used to be a big fan of the man, but he gets more and more bat ##### insane everyday. Something has gone wrong in that guy's head. He also seems to be catering more and more to the extreme convservatives and religous nut cases which terrifies me.
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Bill Glasheen
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Post by Bill Glasheen »

Fred wrote:
I'm hoping you Canadians invade us and give us health care.
I'm sick of paying more year after year.
No way, Jose. You want Candadian health care? Go north.

You don't know how many Canadian physicians I've worked with in the health insurance business who fled the Canadian health care system. The grass always seems greener elsewhere. Sorry, but it ain't.

Americans are cheap bastards when it comes to their health care. They'll think nothing of dropping half a million for a home and stretch the paments out over 30 years or get interest only loans. But ask them to pay a couple hundred dollar copay for their specialist visit and they go nuts. That's what happens when a 3rd party pays for health care. People are friggin ungrateful.

One of the biggest reasons for health care inflation in this country is that our ability to cure is growing faster than our GDP. So should we complain to the biomedical engineers? I think not. Prioritize your health care spending along with everything else in life. Live well, and you won't have to pay for care from bad living. Shop wisely for health care, but don't be cheap.

Rant = off. ;)

- Bill
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Bill Glasheen
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Post by Bill Glasheen »

I like John McCain because he's one of the few politicans who doesn't pander to what the public wants. Most of the rest of them are spineless. John's views have been pretty consistent for years. You know what you're getting with him. His biggest weakness is a lack of charisma.

I saw Richardson being interviewed on Meet The Press a few Sundays ago. The guy's a joke. He two-faces every issue he talks about. Forgetaboutit. He'll never last.

Hillary is a polarizing figure, for sure. But as much as she scares me, she really is one smart cookie. I always thought the same about Bill Clinton. Most of his views scared the you-know-what out of me. But he was a very smart man who seemed to be able to get things done. More importantly, Clinton had a Republican Congress who wouldn't let him spend a dime. It was a beautiful combination. That's why we had balanced budgets.

Obama is the new kid, and has the appearance of being sharp. But I don't see much wisdom there, and he's a bit too liberal for me. His universal health care proposal is going to go over about as well as Hillary care. Remember that? (1993) It was DOA about 2 months after Bill set her loose on it. It'll never happen.

Don't get me started on John "the crook" Edwards. Thankfully I don't think he'll win. Enough people see through that "two Americas" BS to see what a phoney he is, never mind his immoral ambulance chasing activities. I have enough faith in our public that I don't see him making it. And besides, he's a whining, overly-apologetic weenie. (You'd never guess I hate him)

As for the other two front running Republicans... Our friend from Massachussettes may have the face and the Romney name. But he can't hold a view (e.g. abortion) any longer than it takes to win an election. I can't see that kind of blow-in-the-wind politician surviving. Too bad... He otherwise seems to be a nice guy.

Rudy I believe is going to survive it all if he can rally enough support from the Evangelicals in Middle America. That'll be a tough sell. They don't like his views on abortion, and the NRA isn't wild about his views on gun control. But like McCain, he won't bend to suit a fickle public. That strength and what appears to be a centrist view just might bring him to the finish line.

That's my view of it all for now, and it's worth all of 2 cents and some change. ;)

- Bill
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Mary S
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Post by Mary S »

More young doctors leaving Canada:
study 585 departed last year: Moving for better working conditions, medical head says


http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story. ... 66258.html

August 10, 2000
Veronique Mandal
National Post
(Hugh) Scully

Canada is losing doctors at the rate of two to three medical school graduating classes per year, and most fit the profile of the 39-year-old Canadian-educated male specialist, according to a new report.

Over 70% of the exiting physicians received their medical education within the last 10 years, says the Canadian Institute for Health Information report, released yesterday. The findings confirm suggestions that Canada is being drained of its brightest and youngest physicians.

"We're losing the yearly output of two to three medical schools and we're really going to start feeling the impact in 2001," said Dr. Mo Watanabe, retired dean of medicine at the University of Calgary.

"It takes 10 years to produce a medical graduate and we've been decreasing the number of medical students in this country since 1993,"

While 585 doctors left Canada for the U.S. and other countries in 1999 -- an increase of 3%over 1998 -- only 343 returned. The deficit of 242 doctors is not being replenished because of a continual decrease in the number of students entering Canadian medical schools.

The situation alarms Dr. Watanabe.

A 10% decrease in enrolment in the country's medical schools between 1993 and 1997 means in 1980 there were 1,800 Canadian doctors in training, but that number has dropped to 1,500.

Many of the doctors coming into the country are coming on temporary licences, with no intention of remaining, said Dr. Hugh Scully, president of the Canadian Medical Association. The net loss presents a "very real, continuous worry," he said, because older physicians are retiring at an accelerated rate.

"Young physicians ... are leaving for better working conditions and more research opportunities," Dr. Scully said.

Fifty per cent of doctors who leave the country permanently have graduated within the past 10 years and the remaining 50 per cent in the past 15 years, said Dr. Scully. And those doctors are closest to the full range of their education -- young adults who still have lots of energy, he said.

"Our profession is ageing faster than the general population and we're getting tired," Dr. Scully said of the older physicians remaining. "We're not being pushed against the wall, we're at it,"

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information report, the average age of medical specialists in Canada has reached almost 50, and family doctors nearly 46. In 1995, 19.6% of Canadian physicians were in the 50-59 age bracket. Today, that group accounts for 22.8% of physicians.

The biggest demand is in the area of family physicians, where overall numbers increased by 1%, but still fall short of demand.

Newfoundland experienced the largest decrease in family doctors (7.9%), with Yukon a close second (7.7%), followed by the Northwest Territories (6.3%) and Ontario (4.1%). Alberta and Saskatchewan accounted for more than half the 1% increase in the profession.

In provinces such as Ontario, where family doctor numbers have declined, the Ontario College of Family Physicians report doctors in their 70s coming out of retirement or unable to retire because there was no replacement to look after their patients.

Ontario also experienced a 3.2% decrease in the number of physicians per 100,000 population, while Nova Scotia reported an increase of 7%.
Fred...come to Nova Scotia, we're up 7% :)
(Sorry to hijack the thread)
Topos
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For The Law & Order Crowd

Post by Topos »

Fred Dalton Thompson now is a true Conservative [def: Preserve American values].

Given the George Soros - Americans should have no private firearms - sock puppets such as Obama and Clinton [she who will not realease her "Mein Kampf" senior thesis from Wesely College] who have vowed to save us from ourselves with our greedly being 'rich', and the 'Islamo-facism and global terror is just a bumper sticker' crowd, I hope FDT will be the candidate to run against Queen Hillary. Here is a Republican who has the wit and mental agility to debate her on her terms.

His young wife is proof positive that Southern Boys can talk softly but carry a big stick [Thank you Teddy Roosvelt], which will be needed in a President to stand up to the onslaught we will be continually facing.
[Americans think in sound bites and months, our adversaries in 25 years and beyond plans].

He and she served on the legal committee to investigate Nixon and FDT raised the issue of the missing 18 minute tapes that sent Slipper Dick Nixon to oblivion.

A choice statement he made recently was to the effect that after 8 years in D.C. as a Senator, he left to go to Hollywood where he found the folks more truthful and realistic. [grin].

May I suggest to those who still read Ernst Cassirer's volumes on Mythic Thinking. This is the way the manipulators develop catch phrases for the idealistic to manipulate them into their own self defeat [Lenin had a choice sound bite "Useful Idiots"].

Bill's and my candidate is 'Global Warming'. When asked if it is or is not occurring my answer is "That is not the complete question for the inferred context - it should be "is epochal increase and corresponding decrease in global temperature caused by living humans and can we do anything to contorl it?" , I know, the ADD 3-Sec. sound biters cannot handle polysyllabic words [grin].

"Them's is my sentiments, Lord' - President Calvin Coolidge.

Best day to all.
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Post by f.Channell »

Some 45 million American I heard this morning don't have health care.
I doubt all of them are choosing $600k houses.

And the Health insurance execs drive much better cars than the doctors I know. Something wrong there.

But I plan on voting with my wallet like most Americans.

When I have my two choices, I'll take a good look then.

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Bill Glasheen
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Post by Bill Glasheen »

Fred wrote:
And the Health insurance execs drive much better cars than the doctors I know.
Sorry... This is a common bash against insurance companies. The truth of the matter is that it's all wrong. I know because I've worked in the insurance industry, sold software to the insurance industry, and investigated how efficient physicians are in delivering care. And along those lines, I've gotten a pretty good look at the fee schedules physicians are entitled to. I was there when the RBRVS (resource-based relative value scale) payment paradigm became standard.

It is true that doctors no longer can take the government (e.g. Medicare) to the cleaners. RBRVS fixed that. It's also true that insurance companies can't do the same either. Risk adjustment algorithms (thanks to my company and others) made it possible to predict how much a patient will cost in the future.

Uncle Sam and large employer groups now have a way to quantify how much care their members will need, and how much it will cost.

Insurance companies (e.g. the free market) have responded by lowering admin costs to a bare minimum. It's worth noting that the for-profit insurers generally operate more efficiently than the not-for-profits. You can thank capitalism for that.

CEOs make what CEOs make. This is true also for heads of physician groups. On the average, a physician makes probably double (or more) of what an executive makes in an insurance company. I know because I hired people while working for insurance companies, and I saw the salary scales.

The real money is made investing in health care stocks. It isn't made working for insurance companies. If it was, I'd still be there.

As for the uninsured, well ask any Mexican in southern California how easy it is to get care when you really need it. You may have to wait a long time in an ER, but you'll always find some kind of care.

What people seem to forget is that this isn't a socialist country. The best health care isn't an entitlement here, and the best health care is nowhere to be found in a single payer system. We are a land of opportunity - not a land of entitlement. The differences in salaries and classes are there to create incentive in a competitive system which does quite well in the world economy.

For those on the bottom, our Medicaid, Medicare, and ER care are better than what can be found in most countries in the world. Ask any Mexican. Why do you think they're so grateful to take on jobs that people who feel entitled think are beneath them?

And FWIW, Wennberg (of Dartmouth) and others have used small area analysis techniques to show that we have just as much (or more) problem with TOO MUCH care than we have with insufficient care. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Health care is expensive - period. You're going to pay out your a$$ for it, whether by the government or a private sector model. And it's expensive because people who work in that system deserve every penny they get. They are some of the most highly trained and conscientious people to be found in any industry.

One of our biggest problems today in our health care system (other than too much care) is the 3rd party payment system. This is true both for insurance companies and government care. If having a car was a benefit, you'd demand a BMW too. But since you have to pay for it out of your pocket, you might think a used Toyota or a brand new Chevy is a pretty good deal. I drive vans with over 100,000 miles on them for the same reason. Some of the best future innovations in health care financing will come via benefit plans (such as medical savings accounts) that make the consumer have more skin in the game. The more it hurts you to pay, the more wisely you'll shop. You'll never feel that way when someone else is footing part or most of the bill.

One more thing that will help will be to give small industry and individuals the same tax benefits that corporations get for providing health insurance as a benefit.

One final note... The managed care industry in New England ranks as the best in the country. Check the stats at the nonprofit NCQA (National Committee for Quality Assurance). Your big, bad insurance companies are doing a pretty good job, and deserve some kudos. And Wennberg made a career with his New England Journal of Medicine papers contrasting the high volume care in Boston vs. the lower volume care in New Haven - with no difference in quality or outcomes. Ponder that a bit.

- Bill
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mhosea
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Re: For The Law & Order Crowd

Post by mhosea »

Topos wrote: Bill's and my candidate is 'Global Warming'. When asked if it is or is not occurring my answer is "That is not the complete question for the inferred context - it should be "is epochal increase and corresponding decrease in global temperature caused by living humans and can we do anything to contorl it?" , I know, the ADD 3-Sec. sound biters cannot handle polysyllabic words [grin].
I bet it'll be a hoot coming out of the on-the-fly subtitler as well.

I like Fred. I didn't know he was running, but now that I look into it, it seems like he's probably going to.
Mike
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Bill Glasheen
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Post by Bill Glasheen »

Where have you been, Mike? The announcement before the announcement before the announcement has been all over the news! :lol: :lol:

FWIW, he will officially announce circa July 4th.

I don't know enough about Fred Thompson to make a judgement yet. All I know is that he's a better actor than Reagan ever was. :wink:

Ronnie made a pretty good president - flaws and all. I didn't vote for RR either time, but back then I was voting my own interests (e.g. academic research medicine). As a country we did pretty well under Reagan. And the crazies in the religious right got their voice without getting any of their more extreme demands. That takes leadership to pull that off.

IMO, that's what we need today. Keep your idealogues; I want leadership. I want someone who listens more to a well-developed inner compass than (s)he does to the polls. And said person needs enough charisma to inspire the rest of the country to go along for the ride.

- Bill
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