vernbvb's Comments (695)

“There is not a chance in hell of a bipartisan bill of any kind with President Obama in office. Anyone who doesn't see what is going on has been living onn another planet. You are right, we need heathcare reform that helps real people, but we need competent legislators who really care about the people working on it. What the real problem is, is that we have seasoned, professional and Corporate politicians in office who could care less about anything but their egos and their pockets.”

“Exactly! And affordable is not mandatory penalties for poor people who can't afford to purchas insurance.

Something smells a little fishy in our gov right now.”

“I read that. Some Americans are pretty sheepish but believe me, as things get worse, those politicians and think tank groups will bear the brunt of Americans anger. The populace will be out of control and those politicians and think tank groups won't have a clue as to how to handle the repercussions. The 60's weren't anything compared to what is to come if things get worse.”

“You are one of the lost sheep i am referring to. I started appealing for Healthcare reform in the late 70's and early 80's and was actively engaged in the hearings in my state and in the White House Conference on Again in 1980. I continued to work in the area of Healthcare for the next 25 years. I am a Social Worker and Gerontologist so i know firsthand what is going on with healthcare in America. The push for healthcare reform has all of a sudden become so politicized until Americans like you want to use propaganda that has been fed to you as a reason not to give hardworking and poor Americans equal access to treatment. Corporate America's problems and faults go beyond the Unions and the Auto Industry. Please don't take a little misinformation and make it the cornerstone of your argument against doing the right thing for the citizens of our country. We are the only industrialized country in the world without healthcare for all of its populace.

From what you have written, you are another individual who doesn't care about where we are headed or you have been badly misinformed. So if you don't care about the state of healthcare in America, don't try to use propaganda as an excuse. It really is ok for you not to care. Just try to allow those who do care to express their concern without trying to spin the issue.”

“The Union is right but where is the rest of the populace who should be up in arms? It's as though we are a Third World uneducated country with no understanding of the trouble we are in. We should want all of our politicians to do whatever it takes to get healthcare for American citizens. We are just as important as any old war. I will bet that a lot of Americans don't really realize how backwards we are and how we for the most part love the role of being sheep. We let media and politicians manipulate us while doing a pissy poor job of giving us facts. But even when some of us have the facts, we can't comprehend or interpret them and we certainly don't know how to use them to make decisions for the good of our country. That is why we were ok with having less than stellar leadership for 8 years and are even ok with considering Palin as a presidential candidate when she is even less equipped to run the country.

We are so messed up and the politicians just keep the propaganda going and the media appears to be allowing politicians to pull them into their unscrupulous games. The media could be a lot more helpful to the American public if it would stick with reporting facts which are pertinent to the survival of our people and our economy rather than getting caught up in political propaganda and games of certain politicians.”

“Eighth (8th) grade girlfriend? Shucks, i'm waiting for the teachers, golf caddies, hotel maids and the rest to come out of the closet.

With all the money being thrown around for Tiger tidbits, it wouldnt surprise me if his childhood playmates start popping up talking about harassment when Tiger pulled a ponytail or two or even an assault charge by someone he may have gotten into a schoolyard fight with.

Come on guys, bring on the dirt! Surely, you can do better than this!”

“LOL! Have you ever seen such a symbiotic father/daughter relationship. Seems to me that she is still joined at the crotch.”

“Point made, but the populace needs to find a way to hold the government accountable, including the justice dept. who could investigate and prosecute so many of these out of control corrupt individuals and institutions.”

“Me too, and right now it appears to me that Rachel Maddow is one of the few we can count on to do the required research. If only she could be somewhat neutral in her interviewing. I love her, but in order to present the issues while interviewing guests, it is essential that she does impartial indepth interviews and allow the viewers the opportunity to evaluate and interpret for themselves. I have no problem with her probing to expose facts when guest seem to be providing untruths and hogwash, but do so as journalist seeking truth.”

“That's because they just don't know how to use the legal system to prosecute and legislation to regulate. Until Americans get outraged enough to take action against all the fraud, corruption, and even those that enable these things (like some legislators, justice dept. etc.), things will only get worse. The banks, as you imply, won't be talked into anything. We need to shut down their gambling casinos and go after the CEO's and others involved in the fraud and corruption.”

“Yeah, but when does the public begin to respond to being "Hoodwinked" or even to revolt against Corporate America?”

“America is getting played like a fiddle by Kazaii and the rest of the corrupt war profiteers.

President Obama, please re-evaluate, send fewer troops, take care of Al Queda then bring our troops and our money home!

I bet this can be done in a very short time period if we use air strikes. No more commitment to rebuilding these countries. We need to rebuild in America!”

“I just have a hard time believing that President Obama can be duped into staying in Afghanistan by the military or anyone if something wasnt at stake. I, too, believe that a lot of profiteers and some military fanatics might be somehow giving false information and horrible advice to our President. But surely, PO has someone who is not connected to the war profiteers and other corrupt individuals advising him. Personally, i would have gone with VP's advise had i been PO.
The thing that needs to happen is someone needs to investigate the military, contractors and others who might be involved in ensuring the escalation of these conflicts. This will be very difficult since once the money is appropriated, the trail gets very weak. That in itself is the best clue we have about fraud and corruption and about why some don't want this war to end.

If this country is being duped along with others into continuing a senseless conflict, it will become our worst legacy.”

“Ariana, there appears to be a lot more going on than we are privy too. No way are we escalating a war to get at 100 more or less Al Queda members. And the Taliban that are so "non-threatening" seem to be figuring in a large way in the decision to stay put in Afghanistan. It appears to me that the very people we are supposed to be fighting to protect must also be involved in attacks on our military and on their own homeland. If other countries are also sending troops and resources, as our President says, then what is really going on? Surely those countries could go into Pakistan and root out Al Queda members. Maybe Al Queda is a whole lot larger than we have been led to believe. Maybe they are able to recruit many new members because citizens of both Afghanistan and Pakistan are tired of foreigners occupying their countries.

If these countries are so afraid of Al Queda getting control of nuclear weapons in Pakistan, why not just dismantle the nuclear weapons redirect nuclear energy.

This is one huge mess, but since i am sure we don't have all the facts, I will defer to the President's decision based on military intelligence, and analytical reasoning. Let's pray that he will stay on top of things and continually evaluate conditions and modify as necessary.”

“It is very depressing to think that the media as well as the Government (esp Justice Dept) has treated this so called "problem" so lightly for the past couple of years. As soon as the economy started to tank, you better believe these facts were known. But John Q Public was sold a bad bill of goods against Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae as the culprits responsible for our tanking economy. They were never major players as they didn't have the wherewithall nor did they have the money or access to control of enough finances to tank economy.”

“They can use term "problem" all day long, but it is a CRIME with capital letters and time for serious investigation. The public needs to demand prosecution of even participating bankers whose banks are now closed.

Time to clean up Wall Street and all the fraud and corruption permeating major corporations and Washington D.C. legislators.”

“I have said it before and i will say it again, Swaps ought to be outlawed. Banks and Corporations are out of control and global swapping between banks is hard to regulate. Especially given the fact that those involved can get out of contracts by selling to someone else before their contract expires. Too many ways to gamble in swapping and too many different banking systems and corporations involved. Makes it difficult to follow the money trail. Seems to me to be a very good way to destroy economies in a lot of countries.

Seems to me like Bernie Madoff is only one of many financiers who belongs in prison.”

“Rep. Conyers, I agree with you on healthcare and sincerely hope that by the time the legislation reaches the President's desk, it will represent real change to a horrible healthcare system (or non-system). I cannot completely agree with you on the issue of Afghanastan. While I too, want the President to bring our troops and money home, I believe withdrawal has to be done in a careful, strategic way. There are problems to address and structures which need to be put in place.

I hope that you continue to share your wisdom and your concerns with the President. I know that you appreciate how difficult it is for our President to lead in times like these. He is being attacked by just about every Republican in Congress and some Democrats, and is being second guessed on every decision. The problems he inherited from the Bush Administration can't be solved in a year or two.

Just remember that he pledged that he would be President of ALL the people, so when he seems to be straddling the fence, I believe that he is just trying to do the best job he can for ALL the people.”

“Many in the media have helped to foster this negative political culture by lending credibility to so many obstructionist especially when they don't have a valid complaint or a valid point to offer.

Some in the media seem to think this is some kind of game. We are experiencing the worst economic problems during my lifetime and rather than lend something positive to the process of addressing our crises, some of the media prefer to play politics with issues which are detrimental to the survival and success of our country.

Obstructionists wouldn't do the things they are doing if they couldn't count on certain segments of the media to blow things out of proportion in partisan fashion.

I don't know how long it will take some in this country to realize that what is going on politically in our country can have serious ramifications. No matter who the President is and whether we agree with him/her or not, we owe an allegiance and respect to the Office. When individuals attack the President on all fronts no matter what he is doing, it is almost treasonous in my opinion. These individuals don't deserve to serve as legislators for they have hidden agendas and prove by their actions that they have no regard for the Executive Office of this country. What they are doing should be considered impeachable offenses to our Constitutional system.”

“Never mind. Just looked up. Pop Artist?”

“Who is John Mayer?”

“I am giving the President the benefit of the doubt. He seems to be trying to allow appointed cabinet members and legislators take the lead on issues relegated to their supposed areas of expertise. The issues of derivatives and regulation were key to changing the status quo. I don't really understand why the democrats caved in on these issues unless it was due to encouragement from the Administration. I believe we need our President out in front of all the critical issues and you are write, employees like McKrystal, need to be reprimanded or fired when they begin their own public campaigns for issues to influence public before the President has chance to weigh in.

I empathize with the President, for he has a monumental job to do in handling so many crises during the same time period. Each of the issues he has been addressing are important but the economic issue is the most vital right now in my opinion. I understand that security of our country is vital, but I don't believe that a threat from Al Queda is as serious as the total collapse of our economy. I believe we are attributing too much power to Al Queda and using too much of our finances and resources to fight a terrorist group. We cannot change the culture of the Middle East nor should we try.

I pray that PO will rededicate himself to campaign promises and not allow Wall Street/Corporate America to continue to write legislation.”

“Ditto! Arianna has been unwavering in her stance on healthcare. Let's draft her for Congress!”

“The line doesn't appear at all broken to me. And it explains a lot about Joe Lieberman. He is definitely one of the legislators who is not thinking about representing his constituents. Corporate Legislator to the bone!”

“While I would never claim to know where the problem actually starts, I believe there is pretty solid evidence that the propensity toward being unfaithful and having multiple partners increases for popular athletes when they are in high school. Everyone loves them and they get away with a lot.They learn that some females will put up with them cheating as long as they stay with them. This is also the time when a lot of athletes learn that they can get away with further disrespecting a female either verbally or physically. The values instilled in athletes at home and at church have a hard time competing with the reality of having one's ego massaged to the point of narcissism.

As these athletes go through college and on to professional careers, the tendency to respond to the adoration of female fans with casual sex and sometimes disrespect increases. By the time they fall in love and get married they have internalized certain opinions and behaviors toward females in general. For them, no partner is more important than he is. Sometimes, the wife is a trophy or someone who loves him unconditionally without demands. Some athletes who have the propensity to cheat just don't change their ways after marriage but most try to be discreet.Msg. to mothers- Teach daughters early how to respect themselves and to not accept disrespect from boyfriends. If they start early not accepting disrespect, maybe our young men will change and eventually become better husbands.”