The Case Against John McCain

But we can't even call that a flip-flop.

0 Replies

cicerone imposter wrote:

McGentrix wrote:
Geez, you just don't quit with the old canards do you? How many times must it be explained to you? Veteran benefits have gone up throughout the terms of the Bush Administration, it has been demonstrated time and again yet it just doesn't sink in does it?

You are ignorant: just because the dollar amount goes up doesn't mean that each veteran gets more/they're actually getting less, because there are more veterans to take care of. DUH! Not only that, but under Bush, veterans are now charged co-pays.

You say that like its a bad thing.
Lets look at exactly which veterans have to pay copayments and which ones dont...

http://www.ussvi.net/veterans/vet-2006/061105i.htm

Quote:

For 2006 an annual Medication copayment cap of $960 was established for veterans enrolled in priority groups 2 thru 6. Medications will continue to be dispensed when the copayment cap is met. Medication provided for treatment of nonservice-connected (NSC) conditions is $8 per prescription. An annual medication copayment cap was not established for veterans enrolled in priority group 7 or 8.
Veterans in Priority Group 1 (50% or more) are not subject to copayments.
Veterans in Priority Group 2 (30% & 40%) and below are subject to copayments. Basic and specialty outpatient care is $15 & $50 per visit respectively. Inpatient care is $10 per day per diem charge or $953 for first 90 days and $465 for each subsequent 90 days. Nursing Home or Day Care/Inpatient Respite Care/Geriatric Evaluation is $97 & $15 per day respectively. Domiciliary care is $5 per day.
Veterans in Priority Group 3 (10% & 20%) are subject to copayments. Those in receipt of a Purple Heart or are former POWs are also placed in this priority group. Veterans who have been POWs are exempt from Medication Copays.
Veterans in Priority Group 4 are subject to copayments. Catastrophically Disabled veterans placed in this priority group can be subject to full medical care copayments or to reduced inpatient copayments under the Geographic Means Test criteria.
Priority Group 6 Health insurance and all applicable copayments will be billed when the care is for conditions not related to the veteran's exposure or experience. Veterans in this priority group are subject to full medical care copayments or to reduced inpatient copayments under Geographic Means Test criteria and to medication copayments.
Veterans in special Categories are subject to copayments when their treatment or mediation is not related to their exposure or experience. The initial registry examination and follow-up visits to receive results of the examination are not billed to the health insurance carrier and are not subject to copayments. However, care provided that is not related to exposure, if it is NSC will be billed to the insurance carrier and copayments can apply.
All veterans receiving prescriptions for NSC conditions who meet the low-income criteria (income limits for the VA NSC pension program) are exempt from the medication copayment.
Veterans enrolled in priority group 7a and 7c have income above the VA Means Test threshold but below the Geographic Means Test threshold and are responsible for 20% of the inpatient copayment and 20% of the inpatient per diem copayment. The geographic means test copayment reduction does not apply to outpatient and medication copayments and veterans will be assessed the full applicable copayment charges. Note that reduced inpatient copayments can apply to veterans in Priority Groups 4 and 6 based upon the income of the veteran.
Veterans assigned to Priority Group 7e or 7g are not eligible for enrollment if a decision to restrict enrollment of new Priority Group 7 veterans has been made. These veterans are eligible for care of their NSC conditions on a humanitarian emergency basis and are charged the applicable tortuously liable billing rate for services provided. Veterans in Priority Group 7e are eligible for care of SC conditions at no charge.
Veterans enrolled in this priority group 8a and 8c are responsible for the full inpatient copayment and the inpatient per diem copayment for care of their NSC conditions. Veterans in this priority group are also responsible for outpatient and medication copayments for care of their NSC conditions.
Veterans assigned to Priority Group 8e or 8g are not eligible for enrollment. These veterans are eligible for care of their NSC conditions on a humanitarian emergency basis and are charged the applicable tortuously liable billing rate for services provided. Veterans in Priority Group 8e are eligible for care of SC conditions at no charge.
[Source: www.va.gov/healtheligibility/costs/ Nov 06 ++]

0 Replies

MM, it is amusing that your quotation basically exults anti-intellectuals. Perhaps this is why you and others who are literal and somewhat unread vote for the likes of Bush.

0 Replies

Can the country afford a president who is losing his memory?

10.07.2008

McCain's Memory Excuse

There's a LAT piece today about how, in her wooing of women voters, McCain surrogate Carly Fiorina isn't above stretching the truth about the candidate's positions. For instance, Fiorina recently suggested that McCain took issue with insurance companies who pay for Viagra but refused to cover birth control. (As you might imagine, this a sore spot with many gals.)

The folks at NARAL were quick to point out that, in fact, Senator Straight Talk has twice voted against measures--once in 2003 and once in 2005--that would require insurance companies to pay for birth control. When asked about this apparent discrepancy, McCain insisted that he did not recall those votes and noted, "It's something that I had not thought much about."

This response brought to mind an episode from last month regarding McCain's record on supporting probes of the Katrina disaster. While campaigning in Louisiana, McCain boasted that he had "voted for every Katrina investigation"; when a New Orleans reporter pointed out that the Senator had, in fact, twice voted against establishing an independent panel along the lines of the 9/11 Commission, McCain insisted that he was "not familiar with exactly what you said."

Now, Senators cast a lot of votes that they don't pay that much attention to. They also cast a lot of votes that they wish people would forget. But Senator Straight Talk should be careful about falling back on the I-don't-remember-or-I-wasn't-paying-attention excuse. Some people might get the idea that McCain doesn't give a damn about his domestic policy votes. Worse still, others might start to wonder if perhaps the 71-year-old candidate's memory isn't what it used to be. McCain cannot afford for either of those concerns to start tickling the electorate's brain.

--Michelle Cottle: The New Republic Magazine

0 Replies

It's becoming more evident that McCain's senior moments are increasing with his age; and people still want him to be our president and CIC. If that isn't dangerous, I don't know what is.

0 Replies

There has been a lot of discussion of McCain's personal life in this and other threads, and many have taken the position that it is 'none of anyone's business.' And that's fair enough.

But, what happens when it turns out that the candidate may have been lying about aspects of his personal history? Are we allowed to discuss that? Does it matter at all?

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-divorce11-2008jul11,0,6546861.story

Cycloptichorn

0 Replies

Phil Gramm thinks that we are in a mental recession, and that we are a nation of whiners. Maybe the following are only in the imagination.

HOUSING FORECLOSURES INCREASING: As a result of the subprime lending crisis, "housing foreclosures nationwide were up 50% in June compared with the same month in 2007." In California alone, foreclosures have reached an average of 500 per day.

HOMELESSNESS INCREASING: The number of homeless people in America over the age of 50 is "steadily increasing."

HEALTHCARE COSTS RISING: According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, "health-care costs are growing much faster than the economy." Costs are rising so significantly, some Americans are delaying retirement.

GAS PRICES RISING: The national average gas price is $4.09, up 33 percent from this time last year. Gas prices are now expected to hit "$4.25 by the fall and then stay at more than $4 a gallon until the end of 2009."

JOB LOSSES INCREASING: In the first six months of this year, a total of 438,000 jobs have been lost, bringing unemployment to 5.5 percent. The CEO of Bank of America commented, if unemployment continues to rise, "all bets are off."

FOOD COSTS RISING: "U.S. food prices rose 4 percent in 2007" -- the fastest rise in 17 years -- and as a result, food stamps have considerably less buying power.

HEATING AND ELECTRICITY COSTS RISING: Heating oil costs across the North are expected to be "up 60 percent from last year," and utilities across the country are "raising power prices up to 29%."

REAL WAGES DECLINING: "Slower wage growth and faster inflation has led to falling real hourly and weekly earnings for most workers."

LEISURE SPENDING DECLINING: As a result of the rising cost of living, Americans are "tightening their belts and thinking twice about spending extra bucks on entertainment and leisure products."

VALUE OF DOLLAR DECLINING: The dollar "has been declining steadily for six years against other major currencies, undercutting its role as the leading international banking currency."

0 Replies

Phil Gramm and John McCain needs to retire from politics. They're both mentally deficient.

0 Replies

Advocate, Your heading under HEALTHCARE left out a signifant fact; that over seven million more Americans are without health insurance. Of course, it's all in the mind of whiners.

0 Replies

cicerone imposter wrote:

Advocate, Your heading under HEALTHCARE left out a signifant fact; that over seven million more Americans are without health insurance. Of course, it's all in the mind of whiners.

Stop your whining!

0 Replies

I know; I know. Even though we're better off than most retired, middle-class, Americans.

0 Replies

But you are not as well off as is Phil. He never worked a day in the private sector, but is worth millions.

0 Replies

I said "most retired..."

0 Replies

McCain slips: 'Get those offshore reserves exploited' by David Edwards and Nick Juliano
Published: Friday July 11, 2008

Republican presidential candidate John McCain let his tongue get the best of him at a town hall meeting Friday, revealing what critics would say is the true effect of opening US coastlines to drilling he now supports after years of opposing.

"I'll do everything in my power to get those offshore reserves exploited ... um, er, explored, discovered and um..." McCain said, drawing some knowing chuckles from the largely Republican audience.

He had to stop and collect his thoughts. Already he had been answering a woman's question about lowering gas prices for nearly two minutes -- squeezing in a joke about France in the process -- and he seemed flustered.

Thoughts gathered, he continued. The oil reserves around coastal states like Florida would be "explored and exploited and we will send the message ... all over the world that the United States is on the road to becoming independent from foreign oil." (emphasis his)

McCain has been criticized for reversing his prior opposition to expanding off-shore oil exploration, which environmentalists say would devastate pristine coastlines while doing virtually nothing to reduce the cost of oil.

McCain spoke during a town hall event in Hudson, Wisconsin -- nearly 1,500 miles from the coastlines he wanted to hand over to the oil companies.

This video is from CNN.com, broadcast July 11, 2008.
link Every day it's something with this jamoke.

0 Replies

Jim Cramer on McCain's 'lack of any knowledge whatsoever about economics.'

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/07/11/jim-cramer-on-mccains-lack-of-any-knowledge-whatsoever-about-economics/

Cycloptichorn

0 Replies

blueflame1 wrote:

McCain slips: 'Get those offshore reserves exploited' by David Edwards and Nick Juliano
Published: Friday July 11, 2008

...

Thoughts gathered, he continued. The oil reserves around coastal states like Florida would be "explored and exploited and we will send the message ... all over the world that the United States is on the road to becoming independent from foreign oil." (emphasis his)

A nice little sound bite that's sure to impress the odd conservative.

The result though, it means McCain is either a liar or an idiot or possibly, both.

0 Replies

I believe McCain is senile.

0 Replies

Quote:

The result though, it means McCain is either a liar or an idiot or possibly, both.

Quote:

I believe McCain is senile.

C. All of the above.

0 Replies

Brand X, What does that say about those planning to vote for McCain?

0 Replies

Oooopsie. McCain Named Steelers Defensive Line In POW Camp

Jon Delano PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― In his first sit-down interview with KDKA Political Editor Jon Delano, U.S. Sen. John McCain recounted how he would recite the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line-up to his North Vietnamese captors.

McCain, the Republican candidate for president, says he naturally thinks of the football team whenever he thinks of Pittsburgh.

"The Steelers really made a huge impression on me -- particularly in their early years."

In fact, McCain explains how the team helped him during his time in a POW camp.

"When I was first interrogated and really had to give some information because of the physical pressures that were on me, I named the starting lineup -- defensive line -- of the Pittsburgh Steelers as my squadron-mates!"

McCain says he's hopeful the Rooney family will maintain their identity with the team, although quick to add that the team ownership is really none of his business.

On other topics, McCain discussed how he could relate to the economic pain of average Americans, the importance of using this region's coal to make America energy independent, and the how intends to win Pennsylvania against Democrat Barack Obama this November.

Watch Jon Delano's Complete Interview With Sen. McCain link

0 Replies

The Case Against John McCain

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know