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POPSWho Does Our Government Work For?
The table would not clip, go to source to see it and learn more. Among the 61 recipients of these joint contributions are 11 senators who sit on the 23-member Senate Finance Committee. Four other Democratic senators on the Finance committee also received such contributions: Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Deborah Stabenow (D-Mich.). - averaging about $19,800 in contributions per person from these clients and their external lobbyists during the two-and-a-half year period studied. On the other side of the aisle, 60 percent(!!) of the Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee were found to have accepted campaign contributions from these major health-related organizations and their outside lobbyists. Republican lawmakers received an average of $67,700 per person from these clients and their external lobbyists Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) received the most in such contributions, with $130,620. Who are they working for?? Not you
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POPSMore docs for healthcare change than against it Don't know where all the heat is coming from when most in healthcare want meaningful reform. Is it just that those who oppose the President want to win by trying to make him lose? Weird country this - at times like these. I know tons of folks who don't get the preventive and corrective care they need because they can't afford it. and then theres' my 70 year-old buddy who is doing great because he is fully covered because of his coverage from the VA and Medicare - two government run healthcare programs that some say we should be afraid of - go figure.
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POPSPresident's plan to charge wounded veterans for treatment This plan to make the VA profitable is tapping the wrong group of people. Instead of charging veterans to pay for their medical care let's redirect money from self-serving special interest groups and frivolous earmarks to cover VA expenses. All of this money comes from one source: our tax dollars. I for one would much rather see my money go towards helping victims of governments’ obsession with war than to protect turtles during mating season. Priorities have gotten so tweaked out of proportion with what is considered important in this country that there is more value placed on ‘things’ than on people. Our veterans are the single most important 'special interest' group America has. Let’s not compound their injuries by making them pay for the wounds suffered because this country feels the need to flex its military muscle.
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POPSWhite House Declines to Explain Plan to Make Veterans Pay for War Injuries
American Legion Commander David K. Rehbein said in a statement. “He says he is looking to generate $540 million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it.” Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander Glen M. Gardner Jr. came away from the meeting with a different impression, however. "The president told us that he would not go through with the third-party billing proposal if he felt the veterans' community didn't approve of it," Gardner said in a statement. "We made our opposition clearly known." Currently, the VA covers the full cost of medical ailments related to military service and bills third-party insurers for non-service related injuries. Veteran groups fear that shifting more of the cost to private insurance will do several things: 1) drive up premiums for veterans; 2) make it more difficult for injured veterans to find and retain health insurance;
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POPSMcCain Lies Again, Repeats False Claim He ‘Received The Highest Honor And Awards’ From Every Vets Gr As ThinkProgress has repeatedly documented, McCain is either willfully lying or he is delusional about his record — and the meaning of “highest awards.” In fact, McCain has recently stood on the opposite side of all three of the groups he mentioned: – Disabled American Veterans (DAV): In a list of 36 “key votes,” shows McCain “Voted Against Us” 16 times. (Obama “Voted With Us” 17 times, and against only once.) – Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): Endorsed Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-VA) GI Bill that McCain vigorously opposed; called McCain’s alternative GI Bill “very partisan” and said they “didn’t have much input” in its crafting. – American Legion: Endorsed Webb’s GI Bill and criticized McCain’s concern about how it would affect retention, saying the bill “would encourage young men and women to join the military.”
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POPSMcCain delusional about Veterans support McCain is either willfully lying or he is delusional about his record ... In fact, McCain has recently stood on the opposite side of all three of the groups he mentioned. Their reports strongly favor Obama!
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POPSSenator Byrd Rips McCain on Earmarks It takes ear-marks to get back our gas taxes for interstate and highways work. For some reason the federal government taxes at the pump alot but then alots and apportions money to be spent by ear-marks. This is a good example of a necessary and justifiable ear-mark. Note the republican Congresswoman Capito supported this very big ear-mark too, and West Virginians (and alot of truck lines who move freight through the state, and help pay for the interstates also through tolls) are not complaining. McCain lost all credibility on ear-marks when he supported the Bailout Bill absolutely loaded with them. Perhaps McCain's biggest hypocrisy on Earmarks is the enormous earmark spending (he supports) for Israel , instead of for Americans.
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POPSJohn McCain Record of Vet Support Just Another Buffalo Chip McCain voted against increasing VA funding by $1.8 billion by ending abusive tax loopholes The man even voted against giving combat duty troops more time at home between extended tours. John McCain had the gall to not only be rude, but to lie to a vet about his record of endorsements from veteran groups and then had the nerve to refuse further questioning on the issue: "I’ve been endorsed in every election by every veterans organization that do that, I’ve been supported by them, and I’ve received their highest awards from all of those organizations. So I guess they don’t know something you know." Later, during his town hall meeting, McCain admitted he does “not have a perfect voting record,” and then announced questions about veterans issues were off limits: “I will be glad to debate a lot of things, but not that one,” http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/08/mccain-veteran...
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POPSWebb Splits With Obama Over Drilling Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D) of Illinois and Sen. Charles Schumer (D) of New York dismissed any concerns about Webb’s stance, saying they did not notice his proposal Wednesday. Durbin, however, pointedly rejected Webb’s argument that states should have the right to make drilling decisions. The legislation “offers a preliminary step toward exploration and development of one of our domestic energy sources,” Webb said. “In order to address our nation’s energy crisis, all options need to be on the table.” One of Virginia’s most prominent environmental groups also opposes Webb’s idea, saying there is no plausible environmental distinction between gas and oil drilling and that any environmental damage would spread far beyond Virginia’s coast. “This puts the camel’s nose under the tent,” said Glen Besa, director of the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club.
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POPSRolling Thunder Honors America's Military And Veterans The riders themselves have some airborne help from a different breed of choppers this year. For the first time, "Flying Thunder" has joined the effort. In mid-May, a quartet of 40-year-old UH-1 "Huey" helicopters took off from Palm Springs, Calif., and escorted several groups of riders as they journeyed towards Washington. The four aircraft landed yesterday in Lynchburg, Va., and will do a flyby this afternoon.... Anyone living here in the D.C. area can't miss the significance of Memorial Day. These bikers see to it that we remember. Remember those who have served and given their sacrifice to protect us here at home on this Memorial Day.
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POPSVeterans’ Groups Pushs For More Predictable VA Funding “It is a lot cheaper to provide veteran care through the VA than it is to provide it by Medicare or Medicaid,” said Violante. “If we put the resources into the VA it would certainly be fiscally responsible.” Congress now appropriates VA medical care funds on an annual basis. Political squabbling has delayed VA funding in 13 of the past 14 years — something that has severely hampered the department’s ability to plan and manage its healthcare system, according to DAV’s talking points. Veterans’ groups say the change would ensure the agency can better handle the growing number of veterans dependent on it for medical care. An added benefit would be that advance appropriations would not fall under pay-as-you-go budgetary rules, which do cover mandatory funding. This means the advance appropriations would not have to be offset by spending cuts or revenue raisers, requirements that make it harder to move legislation.
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POPSVA will not help soldiers register to vote the "Rolling Thunder" veterans group in New Jersey, which has lead many pro-Republican demonstrations in Washington, regularly meets at VA facilities. Moreover, before the 2004 presidential election, California's Republican Party paid workers $15 for each new voter registered This is so warped. Where is the country in which I I thought I lived?
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POPSBush Lies about Veterans' Bill More: The veterans’ bill adds $3.7 billion over Bush’s request for the Veterans Affairs Department’s budget. The increase would ease waiting times to claim VA health benefits and add money to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. Bush urged the public to remember the service of members of the armed forces in wartime on Sunday, Veterans Day. The White House is planning an event Sunday during which the president will honor veterans, spokesman Gordon Johndroe said from Texas, where Bush is spending the weekend at his ranch. That's what Republicans do best. Organize "honor our veterans" events while turning their backs on veterans. Pathetic.
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POPSACLU, NAACP assist voters ? If you need help in order to vote, you should not be eligible to vote, and if you can not speak and read in English, you should be deported
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POPSFalwell's Flub - Helped Pagan Proselytizing in Public Schools Jerry Falwell's organization forced a public school in Albemarle County, VA to let a Christian group distribute materials promoting their Vacation Bible School. Alas, a pagan group steps in and uses the same policy to distribute their materials, which led some Christians to develop a new-found appreciation for the separation of church and state. Via Friendly Atheist
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