- Congressman Peter DeFazio.
- Kenneth "Ken" Davis, author, "Don't Know Much About" series.
- Larry Scott, Founder/Editor of VA Watchdog.
- What's next for the health care debate?
- Any hope left for a public option?
- Banned books week
- Veteran's issues - VA to cut emergency checks for G.I. bill recipients
- Doctor, my eyes!, Jackson Brown (video).
- Bad Case Of Loving You, Robert Palmer (video).
- Against the Wind, Bob Seger (video).
- Crazy Train, Ozzy Osbourne.
- Suddenly I See, KT Tunstall.
- Call Me, Blondie (video).
- Democracy, Leonard Cohen.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY): I'd just like to know what you think of Medicare, a government-run program that's far more government-run than what Senator Rockefeller has proposed. Do you think Medicare's a good program? Cause most of the amendments on the other side have been aimed at preserving Medicare, a government-run program.Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): I think that Medicare is part of the social fabric of America, after forty years, just like Social Security is, and I don't say that because it's perfect. There's a lot of things that need to be changed and a lot of the things in this legislation are changing a lot of things that's wrong with Medicare. And to say that I support it is not to say that it's the best system that it can be.
Sen. Schumer: But it is a government-run plan, isn't it, right?
Sen. Grassley: It is a government-run plan.
Sen. Schumer: Thank you.
Sen. Grassley: And the reason I say it is part of the social fabric of America is there are private health insurance plans and retirement plans that are connected with Medicare and Social Security
...
Sen. Schumer: All of the horrors of a government-run plan that you elicited in reference to Senator Rockefeller’s amendment; you’re supportive of Medicare. I just don’t understand the difference. A government plan, per se, if Medicare is good and part of the social fabric and we should keep it, which I presume you're saying, that’s a government-run plan. And just the, the main knock you’ve made on Senator Rockefeller’s amendment, I presume on mine, is it's government run.
Sen. Grassley: Yeah.
Sen. Schumer: Medicare is government run and most people like it very much.
Sen. Grassley: But if it, and it will come to a single-payer, and that denies the American people choice...
... What you forget in this whole process is that people are going to be in the public plan, no choice of their own. They are going to be forced out of it by small business shutting down their plans. ...
Sen. Schumer: I was just going to ask with Senator Grassley's OK, he cited Medicare Advantage, which is something some of us on this side have a little more sympathy to than most. And it has competition. There's Medicare, and then there's Medicare Advantage. And they compete. And according to what my friend from Iowa just said that's good. What you're arguing in terms of public option is we shouldn't have Medicare at all, just have the private companies compete, and that's not what people want.
Sen. Grassley: If you want competition, you don’t want the government running everything. The government is not a fair competitor. It's not even a competitor.
Sen. Schumer: So you don't want Medicare?
Sen. Grassley: It's a predator. I told you that Medicare is part of the social fabric of America. And I think that there's a lot wrong with it.
"I submit to you that the feminist movement is the most dangerous, destructive force in our society today. [...] My analysis is that the gays are about 5% of the attack on marriage in this country, and the feminists are about 95%. [...] I’m talking about drugs, sex, illegitimacy, drop outs, poor grades, run away, suicide, you name it, every social ill comes out of the fatherless home."
