I don't think I can enjoy schadenfreude over someone's lack of health care. Perhaps the lack of good health has also contributed to the lack of brainpower that allows them to vote against their own self-interest. Oh wait. Sorry, that was bad. I shouldn't imply that republicans are in any way mentally deficient. They're not. But, they do need to recognize that their party is not what it once was. They need to realize that it's time to leave the party that has long since left them.

Republicans in the populous generally want smaller government. Republicans in office have long since left that ruse behind. They can talk about the tax and spend liberals all they want. But, tax and spend is more fiscally responsible than borrow and spend. At least it philosophically recognizes that the bills must be paid.

What the socialist can’t comprehend is that the red-state white-trash peasants will resent the Democrats even more. White-trash instinctively know that anything that helps them ALSO helps “those people”. And, they also know they’d rather cut-off-their proverbial noses than do THAT.

I have medicare, but no dental at all, so rotting teeth make my immune system more aggresivly attack my kidneys. So medicare gladly pays 120,000 extra for hospital and medicines, but foolishly saves 4,000 dollars by denying me dental care.

This is America, I love capitalism, but Medicine is a human right, obove capitalism. If a DR wants to get fillthy rich, he is in wrong business, he should become a plumber or buthcher. DR's hate Universal Health Care, so the HMO's who they love now hurth them. I say just rewards!

I have medicare, but I don't have dental or vision care. I retired with may years in Federal service, I had vision & dental care, all of a sudden I'm back to square one. BC/BS like many other healthcare companies care less about its members. So universal healthcare is a must for seniors.

Kris Debal on 6/21/07 wrote that Dr's are against a national health care system. I believe the AMA is in favor of a national system, and I have read letters to editors or opinion columns by many physicians who support one. I don't know where Kris gets his information.

I'm a red-state resident who fully expects a national health care system to be in place within the next 10 years.

But I expect it to operate more like Medicaid than Medicare.

If there's a billing code for it, you can get it paid for under Medicare - not so with Medicaid.

And expect rationing, especially at the top of the demographic pile.

Medicare paid for my grandfather's open heart surgery around age 80.

That would never happen under a universal health care system.
(he'd be shunted to Hospice care)

On the other hand, people with basic, chronic conditions (e.g. diabetes) will get more consistent care, that will cost them personally much less than they pay now.

Whether you feel that is a good or bad outcome, it is what will happen under the forthcoming "National Health, USA"

why doesn't some think tank dedicate their energies to parading the political ,cultural ,financial disconnects between the red -states and the blue states---it started in early colonization and there has been "bad - blood "ever since--the south has been on the opposite side of the fence on every issue--revolutionary war--civil rights --cultural authoritarianism and militarism- they have ROTC in high schools!!!

the north and south do not FIT well on many issues --if only to create strife and political tension---

a top northern tier of states would be so much better served if it could join or affiliate with Canada---why not make that type of union possible---???--short of splitting the union---which is far from a functional union---

LOREN J CLOSE II,

Why not just go with the split as the states voted themselves on the particularly divisive issue of W? The blue states can all simply merge with Canada. All are contiguous either with Canada or with other blue states. See map for resulting nations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesusland_map

Personally, I liked the map variant wikipedia called "the most extreme case".