blzrul

It's an unfortunte fact that care in VA hospitals is not always the best. My husband used to go to a VA hospital before he had a job with healthcare. He said it was a nightmare and he wouldn't willingly go back unless it was absolutely necessary. When he saw "Born on the 4th of July" he commented that it wasn't too far off - too many people needing service and not enough staff or equipment to provide the best service (which our soldiers deserve). That's not to say the staff was incompetent or uncaring, but the facilities were old and not in the best repair, they were understaffed, and overcrowded. Not all VA hospitals are like that of course. I have a friend who's a radiologist with a VA facility in Iowa and he says it's a wonderful facility. This soldier may not be able to get adequate care at his VA hospital or, if the recuperation is going to be lengthy and require multiple surgeries, he may prefer to recuperate near family where there IS no VA hospital. It is a shame, but the sad fact is if he won't use the VA facilities then he is just another American without health care coverage.

Those damned Canadians are sitting on a TON of our oil. AND they are NOT part of the coalition of the willing. And doesn't Manifest Destiny include all shining seas? Hudson Bay is big enough to be a sea...and we only have part of Bering.... And I've seen their airforce flying over the Ralph on Canada day, we can take them. We don't have to kill them all even, just move them to someplace where there's no people, like Wyoming, and pump that sweet crude right on home to papa. Or Poppy ... and his pals. We have to do something, those freakin Iraqis just blew up another one of our oil pipelines!

No he hasn't. His SPOKESMAN, Scott McClellan, has said that Bush said in the past Kerry served admirably. When pressed he made some mealy-mouthed resonse. THAT in reaction to John McCain's call for Bush to repudiate the ads, as Kerry repudiated an anti-Bush ad (immediately I might ad). He wouldn't repudiate the ads, as he should have. Why not? Let them to his dirty work. It was only when this blew up in his face that he addressed it directly. And how do we know that? Because IF he had come right out and said "this is stevestojan and it should stop", it may have. Even if it didn't, it wouldn't have gotten all the play in the press and it would have died on its own. McCain is on record as planning to have a few - or many - words with Bush on the topic this week during the convention. He was backed into a corner and had no choice. And the AP poll released yesterday proved it.

Hmmmm and for the past 4 weeks when all this swift boat crap was going on, why didn't he say any of it then to demonstrate his humility and ability to unite? Oh that's right, because back THEN it wasn't general knowledge that his chief legal advisor had also advised the group AND that one of the group was actually on his re-election campaign's veterans' panel. And probably also because most news outlets are condemning the group and their divisive ads, and most people now believe Bush is behind them, and only a small fraction of people (most of them HERE) believe that Kerry was dishonest. Yeah, humble, right. If he's humble then I'm conservative. But at least I'm not gullible.

Shoot if if was only those two I wouldn't have wasted my best sarcasm. Taking the high road gets old after awhile and I won't do it. I won't institute an attack on anyone here but I don't have to take one either. Look at it this way: The Swift Boat Liars for Bush attacked Kerry. He brushed it off for 3 weeks or so. It kept up. He fought back and sure enough an AP Poll has just come out stating that almost 50% of Americans think the Bush campaign is behind it (well, maybe because it's true). The point is had Kerry not acted, it might have stuck. Instead the Bush campaign has egg on its face. There are times to fight, and times to keep quiet. I'd not said anything to anyone but this thread broached ther topic and I answered. I'm not criticizing you or taking anything away from you - good for you if it rolls off your back. Maybe you're a better person than me, but we're certainly different. It wouldn't matter if I was Mother Teresa, they'd still skewer me. Since I'm not Mother Teresa, I can tell them to pound salt, and I will. They certainly shouldn't judge you by what I do.

I liked the Fair Tax proposal, from what I read, and then I found out that Tom DeLay supported it. That man is not to be trusted, so I'm a little suspicious now. There is an interesting treatise out there titled "The Least of These" which was written by a theologian regarding fair taxation in a Judeo-Christian society. I think that's what we're supposed to be, at least that's what I hear. In any event, I won't go into it too much because neocon heads might explode, but it it rather interesting. Basicially WWJT (who would Jesus tax) and what would He do with it...it would make for an interesting discussion with someone like DeLay who purports to be Christian and anti-tax. It's still packed away in my boxes somewhere, I don't think you can get it at bookstores since I had to go to the university press and get it, but it's quite interesting. If anyone wants the name of the press PM me.

To answer the original question, it could be that: 1) There isn't much of a "forum" any more in terms of there being discussion or debate, unless one counts name-calling and personal insults. 2) The topics are generally not worth addressing, seemingly ripped from the pages of the National Enquirer. 3) The atmosphere is distasteful. After being away a few days, then coming back and sampling the posts, I was put in mind of entering a room where something foul and fetid dwelled. Perhaps it's all the bottom-dwellers, I don't know, but it would be more pleasant sniffing a diaper pail if you ask me. 4) Or perhaps it's just mere courtesy, not wishing to interrupt the delusional circle-jerk you've all been enjoying. Have a nice day!

It's nice to see how much you care about the plight of your fellow Americans. I didn't say Kerry had the answer but it's obvious Bush does not. So I still don't see anyone justifying four more years of an economic policy that continues to plunge more Americans into financial distress. If you actually look at the report on the Census Dept site you'll see that many of the areas were flat with the exception of CHILDREN. The numbers of children living in poverty and without health care have been what's increased the most. But, ho hum. Just trot out your narrow, trite and nasty reponses. Damn kids, that's why abortion is legal I guess. Put 'em out of their misery. Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?

Story As the story says, the ranks of the poor an uninsured have swelled over the past three years. I guess most people on this board don't care until it happens to them. Four years of the current economic policy have definitely had some results at least.