SHOE-FLY PIE

Salisbury High School /Penn State Soccer Star Jason Yeisley to try out for MSL

2009-12-10T16:53:00.003-05:00

Salisbury High School's Jason Yeisley has been invited to try out for Major League Soccer at their combine in Florida.
From the Morning Call:

Salisbury High School product Jason Yeisley and Moravian Academy graduate Adam Welch are among 62 college seniors nationwide who have been invited to participate in the 2010 Major League Soccer Combine Jan. 8-12 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The official MLS Combine list was made public today.

Yeisley, a forward who starred at Penn State for four years, was the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year after successfully returning from four major injuries, including surgeries to his right knee and both feet.

Jason Yeisley is the best boys soccer player to come out of Salisbury High School.
He is a great young man and we obviously wish him the best.

One child for all

2009-12-10T15:41:00.003-05:00

It seems many leftists of the world believe the planet should have a policy of one child per couple. This is where we are heading with leftists controlling everything.
The only thing left is a world-wide revolution whereby leftists are ______________.

A planetary law, such as China's one-child policy, is the only way to reverse the disastrous global birthrate currently, which is one million births every four days.

The world's other species, vegetation, resources, oceans, arable land, water supplies and atmosphere are being destroyed and pushed out of existence as a result of humanity's soaring reproduction rate.

I love the way they consider humans the same as lettuce, just another species.
It gets better.

Ironically, China, despite its dirty coal plants, is the world's leader in terms of fashioning policy to combat environmental degradation, thanks to its one-child-only edict.

Yes, that great policy China has of forced abortions, murder, and imprisonment is really working to better humanity.
Of course we could just ask leftists like Diane Francis, writer of the article, to just kill herself and other like-minded individuals and the planet would be much better off.
Read more of this crap here.

UPDATE: The writer of the article, Diane Francis, has MORE THAN ONE CHILD.
Isn't that typical of leftists?

Campaign Spot on National Review Online

2009-12-05T13:27:00.000-05:00

Campaign Spot on National Review Online

Critical Condition on National Review Online

2009-11-17T19:02:00.000-05:00

Critical Condition on National Review Online

A very quick and easy rebuttal of Obama's plans for our health take-over
and the economy.

Jobs Saved or Created in Congressional Districts That Don't Exist - ABC News

2009-11-17T18:02:00.000-05:00

Jobs Saved or Created in Congressional Districts That Don't Exist - ABC News

This is par for the course with this corrupt administration.
Outright lies are part and parcel of the everyday operations
of the Obama adminstration.

Campaign Spot on National Review Online

2009-11-16T21:06:00.000-05:00

Campaign Spot on National Review Online

SEIU: Building a New American Health Care Empire?

2009-11-16T10:08:00.000-05:00

SEIU: Building a New American Health Care Empire?

Who Are ‘They’? by Victor Davis Hanson on National Review Online

2009-11-09T20:31:00.001-05:00

Who Are ‘They’? by Victor Davis Hanson on National Review Online

This speaks volumes of where America is going right now.
VDH is always a favorite.

Dems will ask for a recount in New Jersey

2009-11-03T19:59:00.004-05:00

The polls are ready to close in New Jersey and I will make a prediction.
I predict that the democrats will ask for a recount in New Jersey

PelosiCare

2009-10-29T18:30:00.002-04:00

Here is the bill that was put forth today by Nancy Pelosi.
The government is trying to take over our lives is the summary statement of this bill.
The bill includes funding for abortion, fines for those who do not get insurance, government inspection of a family's fitness to have children, taxpayer funded insurance for "unauthorized immigrants," along with a host of other far-left bullshit.

Read the CBO summary here.

The entire bill comes in just under 2,000 pages. The original house bill was 1,018 pages. Pelosi has managed to add almost 1,000 pages to this giant roll of toilet paper.

Roger Goodell is a racialist

2009-10-28T19:37:00.003-04:00

Here is some video of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testifying before Congress.
The question deals with the Rush Limbaugh contoversy.
Goodell is a lying hypocrite.
He then lies about what Rush said about Donovan McNabb.

Back

2009-10-27T17:45:00.003-04:00

The staff is back and ready for action.
We paused at September 11. We wanted more reflection of
what has happened and what the future might hold.
We are at a major turning point in our nation's history.
The next couple of years will determine our children and grandchildren's
futures.
The blogging will now begin again.

Project 2996 WALTER BARAN

2009-09-11T10:28:00.002-04:00

I am honored again this year to be a part of Project 2996.
This project honors those people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
I will continue to honor Mr Walter Baran.

In remembrance of the victims of September 11, 2001, project 2,996 was started. This website is dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives on that day 8 years ago. I am honored to have been selected to remember WALTER BARAN.

As soon as I was assigned Walter, I began researching his life. I learned many things about Walter Baran. I found out we had many similarities in our lives. I wish I would have met Walter in person.

Walter Baran was born on November 28, 1958. Walter was married to Carol and has two beautiful daughters named Stephanie and Samantha. Stephanie was 15 and Samantha 12, on September 11, 2001.

Walter worked as an investment banker for Fiduciary Trust. He was also a vice-president in the firm. His office was on the 90th floor of Tower 2.
From what I have read about Walter, I can definitely say he loved life, and especially his family. His two daughters were the world to him and he often coached their teams. He had an interest in sports. His favorite hockey team was the New York Rangers. Even though I live in Pennsylvania, I have always been a Ranger fan.
I would have loved to watch the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals with Walter.

Walter had a profound sense of fairness and what was right.

"There's one story that really sticks out for me. Many years ago Wally went to a baseball game and one of the ball players refused to sign autographs. A man who was with them asked the ball player, "You know what your problem is? You forgot what it's like to be a kid."

That was written by a friend of Walter's, Terence Farley.
Walter agreed with that man at the game. He loved to have fun with Samantha and Stephanie. Walter would do something special at Easter when the girls were young.
His friend Paul Ranieri recalled that Walter "would go around the house with three fingers in some powder and make rabbit paw prints on the floor, so his daughters knew that the Easter Bunny had been there."
His daughters were his essence.

Walter also had a love for cigars.

"Wally enjoyed his family, his friends and his cigars. It is because of Wally that I have a passion for cigars and read your magazine Proxy-Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0

ch issue. Wally is a cigar smoker from the old days (he is only 42, but I always tease him about being 10 years my elder). He tells me about when he used to smoke cigars right at his desk. I was introduced to cigars by smoking Hoyo de Monterrey Excaliburs (Wally's favorite). We like to sit around, laugh, tell stories, talk sports and smoke cigars. I always make fun of Wally because he smokes his cigar to the very end, and I often wonder how he doesn't burn his fingers. I hope to see Wally soon, but as the days go by it seems less and less likely that I will ever get to talk, laugh or smoke a cigar again with my buddy. I hope to live every day to its fullest now, and smoke every cigar to the end, because I never know when it will be my last. Thanks, Wally, for being a friend, a mentor, and introducing me to things like smoking cigars and enjoying life".

Paul K. Ranieri
New York, New York

As a cigar aficionado myself, I would have loved to enjoy a smoke with Walter.
Walter also collected coins. He, of course, shared his collection with others.

Walter Baran was also a member of St Joseph's where he would help out every year with the annual feast and bazaar. He would enjoy a cigar and a beer while talking and dealing cards. This was part of his family life, the life which was most important to him.
A cousin of Walter, Jennifer Bajcic wrote this:

"There are so many memories that Walter has been a part of. Like an endless number of Christmas Eves, when I was at the kid table and somehow Ali and me both always seemed to find a little bit of Brandy Alexander after Walter had walked though the room (our mothers of course, never saw). That was Walter. He just always wanted to make sure everyone around him was smiling and well taken care of. I'll always remember him then - yelling out for a "broccoli sangwich" with Rob or filling up my wine glass when I wasn't looking. Just laughing. Those are my best memories of my cousin. He was truly a good man that I feel so lucky to have had in my life, and more importantly, in my family."

Walter's sense of combining fun and family was apparently evident on Saturday mornings too. He and the girls would make new recipes to try out. Family and fun.

As I read about Walter Baran and his life, I was impressed with his sense of dedication to right and wrong. His deep love for Carol, Stephanie and Samantha was his guiding principle in his short life. He was a complete man. He was "one of the good ones".
Throughout many websites there are messages left for Walter and his family. The sentiments are the same. Walter was a righteous, fun-loving family man. He was always willing to help people. Walter is what we all want in a friend, spouse, and father.

He daughter Samantha wrote this on January 25, 2004.

Walter Baran was not only my father, he was my hero. He was a great guy. He was always a gentleman where ever he was. He loved hockey, it was his true passion. He would love to go to the Ranger games, he would always take my sister and I. He used to coach my basketball team, no matter how busy he was he always made time for what was truly important to him. He loved the holiday Thanksgiving and claimed it was the forgotten holiday. The day after Thanksgiving we would put up our tree, it was a tradition. He would always take an afternoon at work and put his little christmas tree up at work. He touched many peoples lives and will always be remembered as "one of the good ones". I love you dad!

From his early days at Curtis High School, as a resident of Staten Island, a VP at FTCI, and a family man, Walter Baran was a man of honor, love and integrity. He may be physically gone but his life continues to touch those who knew him. I now know some things about Walter and his life has touched me.

This project was fate. I was randomly assigned Walter's name. Doing the research I found out that we had the same interests. The NY Rangers, cigars, collecting coins, coaching our children's sports teams, and a sense of fun and family. It was almost spooky to read about these things and I kept thinking that I was given Walter Baran's name for a reason. I think I have discovered the reason Walter is the person I am remembering. Walter is telling me to dedicate my life to the same things he did, to try and be one of the "good ones".
I have never met Carol, Stephanie or Samantha. Maybe one day I will have that privilege. But this I do know, their father Walter Baran will always be in my thoughts. Every time I watch the Rangers, or have a cigar, or share coins with my two daughters and son, Walter will be there. When I look at the Memorial quilt poster dedicated to Walter, he will be there with me.
There is a Walter Baran Way in the borough of Staten Island. I will drive on that road someday soon. I will think of the Baran family and wonder if the girls have their own family and how proud their father would be. I am proud to have been selected to remember Walter Baran on this day.
Almost 7 years ago, Carol and the girls wrote a message to Walter that was published in the Staten Island Advance.

Walter Baran
Tuesday, 11/12/2002
Walt, it's a year, so I guess I have to say goodbye. I've known from the beginning in my head that you weren't coming home, but my heart couldn't accept that.

Life is so different and lonely without you. We miss you so much. We live with our memories now, thank God we always made things special so we have a lot of wonderful family memories.

Be at peace, my love, and always be our Special Star watching over us.

Love and Miss You Forever,

Carol, Stephanie and Samantha

I am honored to be part of this project. To Carol, Stephanie and Samantha, you will always be in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you for sharing your husband and father with us. We hope his love warms your heart on cold evenings.

Walter touched many lives. I would like to learn more about Walter from his friends and people who remember him. Please leave comments. The comments must be confirmed by me first so there will be a delay of a day or so till they can be posted.

Mean, evil CIA interrogators tortured with....

2009-08-29T14:37:00.006-04:00

The Obama administration's investigating into CIA "torture" took hold last week with Eric Holder kicking off the game.
It seems the CIA torture methods included blowing cigar smoke into the faces of murdering Islamicists. Oh but wait, the also turned on a drill nearby to intimidate the murdering Islamicists. But it gets worse. The CIA also made gun shot noises in an adjacent room to murdering Islamicists. This is outrageous!
Read what the Washington Post says about this.

The debate over the effectiveness of subjecting detainees to psychological and physical pressure is in some ways irresolvable, because it is impossible to know whether less coercive methods would have achieved the same result.

KSM was not cooperating so they upped the ante. He was subjected to waterboarding, which tens of thousands of US Servicemen/women has also been subjected to during training, and suddenly...

"What do you think changed KSM's mind?" one former senior intelligence official said this week after being asked about the effect of waterboarding. "Of course it began with that."

So apparently we DO KNOW THAT IT WORKED TO PROTECT AMERICANS. This is in the same story yet 3 writers fail to see any connection. Talk about duh factor.

Timothy P. Carney: How GE's green lobbying is killing U.S. factory jobs | Washington Examiner

2009-08-29T11:58:00.001-04:00

Here at the PIE we wrote about the illegality of the light bulb, in the near future of course. The future is here. Incandescent bulbs will soon be illegal. The ObamaNation police will be visiting to make sure you are in compliance. Meanwhile, Americans lose their jobs. Well done Obama and his supporters.

Timothy P. Carney: How GE's green lobbying is killing U.S. factory jobs | Washington Examiner

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Airbrushing out Mary Jo Kopechne by Mark Steyn on National Review Online

2009-08-29T11:53:00.001-04:00

My favorite person from Canada is right on target again.

Airbrushing out Mary Jo Kopechne by Mark Steyn on National Review Online

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How many windmills would it take to power the Lehigh Valley?

2009-08-29T11:51:00.003-04:00

If you needed to provide power to the Lehigh Valley using windmills alone, how much space would be needed? Take the LV area in which all communities combined is around 300,000 people and figure out the number of windmills need to generate energy for 300,000. The space required to provide energy to an area of 300,000 would be 110 miles!
I love it when Obama speaks of new energy technologies like the windmill. New? They have been around for hundreds of years. The internal combustion engire is "newer" technology than the windmill. Just another example of Obama's historical illiteracy.
The freakin' sun is even older but...

Let's take a 500-megawatt power plant which by itself can power a city of 300,000. (A megawatt is one million watts.) It will sit astride a fairly large plot of land. A coal-fired plant near me is just under that capacity (495 MW) and sits on about 300 acres. Most of that land, however, is essentially devoted to undeveloped transmission right-of-way filled with ponds, woods and streams. Only a small portion is covered by plant facilities including coal storage. I estimate less than 30 acres.

For new wind projects huge 5-megawatt wind generators are just now being deployed. If we take these as typical (and they are not), then using an estimate of the direct land footprint for wind towers of 0.38 acres per tower, we find that we'd need 100 towers covering 38 acres. But wind turbines run at only about 30 percent capacity because the wind doesn't blow all the time. This compares to about 70 percent capacity for coal-fired power plants. So we need to multiply 100 towers by about 2 1/3 to get the number of towers we'd need to match the operating capacity of one coal-fired plant. That means we'd need about 233 towers with a direct land footprint of 87 acres. That doesn't seem too bad. And, the land under the turbines is still available for farming and other purposes. The overall direct effects on the land and water are certainly less when compared to the coal plant.

But we're not done. The spacing between towers is typically at least five diameters of the rotor. That doesn't sound like much. But for the 5-megawatt towers in this example, the spacing would be 2,065 feet times 232--we don't need to separate the last tower from another tower beyond it. Then we'd add the diameter of the rotors--413 feet times 233--and we get a distance equivalent to about 110 miles. So, we'd need a line of 5-megawatt turbines stretching 110 miles. In theory, we'd want to split them up and put them in various locations in which the wind blows hardest at different times. But the total length of the line would still be at least 110 miles. If we take the largest separation recommended between towers which is 10 diameters of the rotors, we'd have to just about double that distance.

By comparison most people who live 110 miles from a coal-fired power plant are rarely even aware that it might be a source of electricity for them. And, the plant is certainly not a direct irritation. The lesson here, however, is not one of aesthetics. It is an illustration of the disparity in power densities between those energy sources on which we currently rely and the alternatives now being proposed and deployed.

The power density problem for solar energy is no less daunting. Vaclav Smil, who has investigated the power density problem carefully, described it this way:

[I]n order to supply a house with electricity, photovoltaic cells would have to cover the entire roof. A supermarket would require a photovoltaic field roughly ten times larger than its own roof, or 1,000 times larger in the case of a high-rise building.

When we contemplate renewable energy sources, we rarely contemplate the land area required to deploy them. Just the problems involved in obtaining rights-of-way alone are beyond anything we've ever experienced. And, the enormous scale of manufacturing required to produce the panels and wind towers would dwarf our current energy industries. The coal-fired power plant by comparison seems like a wonder of compact energy generation.

I am not arguing against solar or wind-generated power but this idea of our energy needs being met with wind and the sun is ridiculous.
Kurt Cobb wrote the article and below is the link from SCITIZEN.

Read more here.

Health care bill worse than you think, "AAHCA of 2009 SUCKS"

2009-08-29T10:14:00.006-04:00

I have finished reading America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, also known as ObamaCare or soon to be KennedyCare.
The main contentions, loss of choice, "death panels", rationing, are all real.
The one point I would like to highlight is the so called "death panels."
It does exist in this bill. Obama is just outright lying when he says there is no such thing. Just ask Barbara Wagner of Oregon.

When Barbara Wagner's lung cancer returned, the Oregon woman was prescribed a chemotherapy drug, Tarceva, that could lengthen her life and provide comfort. Then, she was notified that the Oregon Health Plan wouldn't cover the cancer drug, but would cover palliative (comfort) care, including a doctor-assisted suicide.

“Treatment of advanced cancer that is meant to prolong life, or change the course of this disease, is not a covered benefit of the Oregon Health Plan,” said the unsigned letter Wagner received from LIPA, the Eugene company that administers the Oregon Health Plan in Lane County.

The government-run health plan in the state of Oregon refused Barbara Wagner's treatment. The government-run plan did offer her government-assisted suicide.

Ms. Wagner isn't the first Oregon cancer patient to be offered a doctor-assisted suicide in place of treatment. Randy Stroup, who has prostate cancer, applied to the Oregon Health Plan for assistance and was told the Plan wouldn't cover chemo, but would cover a physician-assisted suicide. Randy fought back by appealing the Plan's decision and won. His chemotherapy is now being covered, and he hopes to gain more time with his five grandchildren than he would have had without chemo.

This is the "death panel" that Sarah Palin warned about. Obama talks of cutting the cost of medicine, this is how Obama will do it, DEATH PANELS.

Barbara Watson is lucky, the pharm company is cutting through the government-run health care maze and just providing it for Ms. Watson. The government told Barbara to die.
I could go on and on about the truths in AAHCA of 2009 but you get the point. Obama, the media, union thugs,and ignorant liberals are all wrong about this bill.
Sarah Palin, the American people, and browndog are all correct with respect to what this bill would do to America.
Watch the KATU newsreport right here.

Democrat Diane Watson is a racist

2009-08-29T09:48:00.006-04:00

US Rep. Diane Watson, Democrat from California, injects some race into American politics. I just love it when liberals use race and when they are called on it, they in turn call the other person a racist. Watson uses her skin color as a "shield" to hide behind. Obama uses it and his administration uses it as their primary weapon.
These California democrats are so ignorant it is distressing. She is clueless.
After her claim of great health care in Cuba, we just had to show you what Castro "has put into place." Listen to the assholes clap when Watson claims Castro was great.
She goes on to praise Che, who she apparently doesn't know murdered over 1000 people.
This is today's democrat party. This is what America faces.

Democrat representative Diane Watson needs to have a look at the Real Cuba.

Castro only shows the international hospital to his American friends so of course Watson would be fooled. She is a fool. If things are so good Rep. Watson, why do Cubans try to escape the island?
Diane Watson is a leader in the New America, Obama's America.

Time to man the Watchtowers

2009-08-29T09:40:00.002-04:00

Saturday morning music. Hendrix played last at Woodstock. Most of the dirty hippies had already left by the time Jimi took the stage. This performance is from the Isle of Wight festival.
In America it is time to man the watchtower.

"This ain't America anymore"

2009-08-29T09:32:00.002-04:00

Watch Officer Wesley Cheeks Jr. tell an ObamaCare protester that he is not in America anymore. This officer is ignorant. His reply to an American citizen who says "This used to be America" is met with the answer of "It ain't no more."
This is what has come to America since Obama took over. There will be violence I am afraid. The American public will only tolerate this kind of bullshit for so long.

Letalvis Cobbins must be put to DEATH

2009-08-28T09:19:00.003-04:00

Letalvis Cobbins was found guilty of heinous crimes against Channon Christian and Chris Newsom. Cobbins was sentenced to life in prison. That means he will be out in a few years. The shot above is from a Ghetto Braging Rights website. Of course all the brothers go to these sites to brag about their large equipment.
Then they brag about raping and other such acts. This is post-racial Obamanation.
There are three more trials relating to this incident. Death must visit these pieces of human garbage.
Of course in this post-racial Obamanation some groups feel they are privileged and can do what they want. One such example would be the New Black Panthers party in Philadelphia, Pennyslvania. 2 men armed with clubs intimidated voters during the 2008 election. The post-racial Obama Justice department dropped all charges. And now we have many websites( top 30 hits on google were all just like the above shot)spitting out such racial hatred. If that is what is going to happen in America then....
Letalvis Cobbins is just another example of the shit that is urban America.
Instead of executing Cobbins, the jury decided he can chill with his boys.
My prefered method would be castration(for using his equipment in the process of this crime) and no medical attention what so ever.
Letalvis, justice will be visiting you. I promise. Maybe some prisoner will not like the kind of websites that are supporting Cobbins and take matters into their own hands. I hear that another racist group, the Aryans, might like to make Letalvis into their own little bitch. Maybe both groups could just kill each other off and we could all get on with life.

Read about the verdict right here.

Susan Waitkus, Allen Township, astroturfer

2009-08-12T09:23:00.002-04:00

Susan Waitkus of Allen Township Pennsylvania is our Astroturfer of the day. Susan Waitkus uses old stats and even older arguments for socialized medicine.
Here is Susan Waitkus' letter to the editor.

It always astounds me when someone declares that nationalized health care in the rest of the world is such a disaster. Is that why the U.S. is 29th in infant mortality? That is fact as reported by the most recent 2004 Centers for Disease Control comparison. Is that why we are 42nd in life expectancy? That is fact as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. Not just some unsubstantiated declaration. Just because you read it in a letter to the editor or hear a Republican on a Sunday morning talk show doesn't make it true. Our health care system is great in the U.S. if you have a good insurance policy, but not so much when you have no insurance and a family member is ill.

Susan Waitkus

Allen Township

Susan, those infant mortality numbers have been used by liberals for years.
The reason, there is a more recent report too Susan but your source didn't want to look for it, is that in the United States we have many more premature infants which we try to save. In most countries any chance of a birth defect means that the baby is aborted, thus we try to save more infants as opposed to killing babies before they are born.
Here are some other numbers for you Susan.
Breast cancer deaths are 52% higher in Germany than in the US, 88% higher in the United Kingdom.
Prostate deaths are 604% higher!!! in the UK and 457% higher in Norway than in the US. All have socialized medicine which you Susan, advocate.
Canada 9% higher death rate for cancers overall, 184% higher prostate death rates in Canada than in the US. I could go on Susan but.... you use a outdated statistic without proper background to try and argue for socialized medicine. Help those without catastrophic health insurance but keep your hands off of the other 280 million Americans insurance Susan. Susan, it always astounds me when people use that same old argument.

Monday Morning Tea reading

2009-08-10T08:16:00.002-04:00

The democrat party is convulsing, Obama's thugs beat Americans over the weekend, and football season has started. Enjoy your morning tea with some headlines.

Out of work, you can work for the Obama administration as a paid protestor.

Specter's fight with Sestak requires cash.

Republican plan for health insurance fix?

Levi Johnson dates skank Kathy Griffin

Round-up of Obama brownshirts attacking Americans.

Morning tea music, critical of the media and honoring those who do whats right.

Morning Call letters to the editor

2009-08-09T08:45:00.003-04:00

Well we didn't think the Allentown Morning Call would print our letter to the editor. The letter we sent clearly demonstrated the outrageous dishonesty of Barack Hussein Obama. The editors at the Morning Call are left-wing ideologues so of course they would not publish something so critical of their little Stalin.
The Morning Call did publish many letters in support of Obama's health care coup.
Here is a letter from a George Soros funded Center for American Progress hack.
The questions are from Josh Drobnyk. Softballs is what he gives her and the counterpoint argument gets condescension and challenging questions from Drobnyk.
Nothing like having a weak reporter ask questions.

Fans describe health insurance provided by the federal government as necessary for competition under reform. Foes decry it as a step toward socialized medicine. Washington correspondent Josh Drobnyk talked with both sides for their views.

JUDY FEDER: Fed plan setting the prices it's willing to pay kills competition

Why do you support a public health insurance option?

The reason we are talking about a public health insurance option as one of a choice of plans is that the health insurance industry does not function well. It is one of the few industries that makes more money the less service it provides. It is an industry that is not at all competitive. The markets are dominated by a single or a couple [of] insurers throughout the country. At the same time, our premiums have doubled, health insurers have increased their profits. Â…

To make sure the health insurance plans are delivering services and there is competition so insurers are forced to keep those premiums low, we need a real competitor in there.

The big government programs such as Social Security and Medicare drew broad bipartisan support. Do you worry that a bill passed that includes an option but is a party-line vote would hurt the effort in the long-run?

We want policy to be about what we need not about partisan gain. But reality is sadly that sometimes one party wants to hold back what is needed to avoid giving the other party a victory. That was part of the political discussion in '93 and '94 when conservatives advised Republicans not to let Bill Clinton have a victory. Â… If one party is the party of no then that can't hold back the [other] party from doing the right thing.

The way the program has been proposed, the public option would be one of many alternatives to choose from within an insurance ''exchange.''

Doesn't establishing that exchange, alone, ensure more competition?

It helps and that is a big part of the reform that I am and others are advocating. Â… But even with an exchange we are missing some important elements. We are missing an insurer that is committed to keeping costs low and will be given the authority and opportunity to be innovative in changing the way we deliver health care. Moving us from paying on a piecemeal basis and placing so much emphasis on high-cost, high-tech procedures and not on preventive care and managing chronic illness. A public health insurance option that is empowered and charged with getting us better value for the dollar and giving us better health care can truly lead the field.

Some fear this will lead to socialized health care -- how do you convince them that it won't?

Anybody expressing that fear needs to be reminded of what we are stuck with -- with private insurers running the shots. What we've got is unacceptable. What we are talking about is a choice. With that choice, private insurance would actually grow under health reform.

-- Judy Feder, fellow, Center for American Progress

Here is my reply to Judy Feder.

Hey Judy from Center for American Progress, which is a George Soros left-wing group, first off insurance companies profits are 3%.
That is much less than bottled water/soda companies make.
You want more competition Judy, how about allowing health insurance to cross state lines? How about allowing individuals to purchase health insurance just like car insurance or home insurance? These two ideas alone will increase competition dramatically and it would not require giving the federal government control of individual's health insurance.
I love your comparison with Medicare. Originally Judy, Medicare was to cost only $ 5 BILLION and today it is almost $ 500 BILLION. So much for the government cost estimates.
Your talking points that the Center for American Progress sent you are weak Judy. As Obama mentioned in 2003 and more recently during this last campaign, his goal is single-payer government controlled health care. He said it Judy. Now he lies and says he didn't say that and that people are lying about him when they say that. He is the liar Judy and you are just intellectually dishonest.