Arianna appeared on "Real Time with Bill Maher" Friday night alongside Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA). During the show's 'Overtime' segment the group had a particularly spirited discussion on such topics as Rush Limbaugh comparing Obama to Hitler as well as the fact that Rep. Kingston had placed a photo of himself posing with a "R.I.P The U.S. Constitution" t-shirt on his Flickr account.
Both of the GOP representatives, after being pressed by Arianna, denounced the use of Hitler comparisons by figures such as Rush Limbaugh, with Rep. Issa saying that invoking Nazi Germany was "off limits" and that "Nobody has a right to use Hitler if it doesn't live up to the atrocities he did."
Kingston, however, played down the idea that there was an outpouring of anger at the recent health care town halls, saying that he had hosted 11 of them and that he didn't see any "hate-mongering." Kingston instead suggested that the whole story was being driven by "Rahm Emanuel and the White House and the spin machine trying to make anyone who opposes 'Obama care' an extremist."
Arianna then asked Kingston to explain why he had posted a photo on Flickr of him holding a t-shirt that read "R.I.P The U.S. Constitution," which was taken at a health care town hall last week. Kingston defended the photo, saying that he was simply trying to help inspire a young activist who had approached him.
To watch the segment, click here. Then click on the large "Overtime" picture to pull up the video.
The health insurance business makes soooo much money that they have enough for all the costs of doing business plus large salaries, huge bonuses, national advertising, lobbyists - health care money being misspent, paid by individuals or businesses through high premiums.
A public option won't have those unwarranted costs.
You have have no control over a private insurance company. They make healthcare decisions that are actually business decisions.
Public healthcare decisions will be made by your medical provider. Care can improved over time by consumer/voters. If you are not satisfied, you will have a public advocate.
We are told this will cost too much money; the issue is treated as if the money will pour out until it dries up & the treasury is empty.
Think about it. More health care providers will be employed. More tradespersons will be employed building new hospitals and clinics. More service providers will be employed - janitors, cafeteria workers, laundries, gardeners,... and much more. These individuals will be paying taxes, buying consumer goods, homes and cars..... The money will go round and round, for the public good.
Meanwhile, you and your neighbor will be feeling good. That neighbor that you never see that is sitting inside because they are in too much pain to do anything else? They will be going to work, making money, paying taxes... That nagging pain you live with because the MRI, surgery, or medication is too costly? Dealt with.
Imagine!
But, first, please think.
A blunder highlighted, when efforts to develop nuclear devices were impeded through lack of suitable specialists. Thereby demonstrating, the inadvisability of compromising the full potential of the human resource, through setting one part against another.
NOW MY I AM SOUL SICK AND HAVE ONLY MYSELF TO BLAME...AFTER ALL I SWALLOWED THE MANY JAGGED PILLS .
"Nobody has a right to use Hitler"...Guess I'll have to switch to Mussolini
This argument is not Blue or Red, it is humanitarian and the hate that has been spewed by people against it is once again powered by ignorance, fear of change and the possibility that someone, basically all of us have to pay for it. So what!!!!!! It is time to use the gray matter that we all have in different quantities -- brain power and get enough information to understand just the concept of public option first and then the details And if it costs money, then that is the responsibility of all of us.
Lets just pay for things we don't have the money for. Republicans and Democrats don't care when they are paying with monopoly money.
Why dont we just leave things the way they are then, lets just continue to let the private health care industry that could care less about patients and let the costs continue to spiral out of control, and continue to fight with insurance companies while on our death beds. wow, what fools.
Of course, I know I must pay for it!
SECOND...the only reason their heathcare runs as smooth as it does, is the same reson they always manage to get a rasie for themselves even with an approval rating of below 20%...because they dont have to answer to anyone and they did it for themselves...
The republican , at least one praised Bill Clinton, Maher always does support Bill and Hill , and we also know how Arianna feels about them....
Is that what we're doing here? Throwing bipartisanship away in the spirit of entertainment?
Not with accusations of "euthanasia"......
If Kinstone actually created the health care package he claims he did, why has he not proposed it? He has said and done NOTHING to counter the Obama proposal except for allow the underinformed continue to rant about crazy stuff. I am unhappy with Obama's plan, for certain... IT'S TIME FOR SOCIALIZED MEDICINE IN OUR COUNTRY. Can we not have a grown-up discussion? We are GIVING them this power! Pelosi should have stuck to her guns and not allowed an August recess! But no. And now they are everywhere saying really dumb stuff to encourage the dumb to stay dumb.
I feel like I'm going crazy. Yesterday in Phoenix there was a big anti-health care reform outside of a major mall. The crowd was noisy and intimidating. Not one person of color that I saw. Mostly older folks... a medicare crowd. It makes me sick just to think about it. Too bad I can't get any coverage for "deeply disquited and disturbed".
If all they're hearing is ranting idiots at Town Meetings and not getting letters that are reasoned and forceful that THIS IS THE ISSUE, they are going to think people can be pushed around and denied a truly UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE.