In his speech at a Denver fundraiser yesterday, Obama repeated what has become a key talking point for Democrats -- that the Senate "doesn't get anything done" and the reason for that is that some Republicans, who "don't believe in government," are happy to block the administration's initiatives because blocking government initiatives is "consistent with their philosophy."  ... It's a charge you'll no doubt hear more in the coming campaign.  But it's a striking flip-flop from Obama's earlier statements in which he praised Congress' ability to get things done.  As a matter of fact, at a DNC fundraiser in California last October, Obama said his administration and Congress had accomplished so much that, "If we stopped today, this legislative session would have been one of the most productive in a generation."

The fact is, when you hear the president and Democrats in Congress complain about not being able to get anything done, or about Washington being broken, they're talking about one thing: their inability to pass a national health care reform bill.  Congress can do, and is doing, lots of things -- just not sprawling, omnibus "comprehensive" bills that are unpopular with the American people.  (The same can be said for cap-and-trade legislation, now dead in the Senate.)  If you put aside enormous bills that would re-order the American economy in ways the public does not want, Congress can do things just fine.

From the forum:

"So I just got a call from my health insurance provider.  My family rates are going up $200/month ... $2400/year per employee effective April 1st.  Didn't take long after signing to get this s**t going.

So much for the 'my plan will save Americans $2500/year in Healthcare premiums.'

F***ing liar in chief."

•  Roughly 14 million people will lose their employer coverage by 2019 as companies terminate employee coverage (the fines are cheaper) and force workers onto Medicaid. -- What was that about being able to keep your existing coverage?

•  The cost "reductions" will not be "fully achievable" because millions will be forced onto Medicare, even as it is being completely gutted. -- But, weren't Republicans just "fear-mongering?"

•  Crushing new fees and taxes on medical device makers will (in addition to killing innovation) "be passed through to health consumers" via higher prices and premiums on drugs and medical devices. -- Welcome to "the change we need."

•  Funding for the national high-risk pool will be exhausted by 2012, resulting in substantial premium increases to sustain the program, which will "limit further participation." -- So much for "bending down the cost curve."

•  Forcing millions of people onto Medicaid when most doctors already won't accept it will be "difficult" for the program to endure. -- But, isn't ObamaCare supposed to improve access?

•  As companies pass on the costs of $87 billion in penalties between 2014-2019 to consumers, everything will become more expensive and we will lose even more jobs. -- But, didn't Democrats repeatedly tell us this would be good for the economy?

•  It will drive15% of medical care providers who take Medicare Part A out of business. -- Again, how will reducing care (this doesn't even include the 45% of doctors who said they would consider leaving the profession if this insanity passed) while adding millions of patients improve access?

•  Severe Medicare cuts would drive roughly 50% of seniors out of the wildly popular Medicare Advantage program. -- Again, contrary to everything we were told.

The economic report released last week by Health and Human Services, which indicated that President Barack Obama's health care "reform" law would actually increase the cost of health care and impose higher costs on consumers, had been submitted to the office of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius more than a week before the Congressional votes on the bill, according to career HHS sources, who added that Sebelius's staff refused to review the document before the vote was taken.

"The reason we were given was that they did not want to influence the vote," says an HHS source.  "Which is actually the point of having a review like this, you would think."

Support for repeal of the new national health care plan has jumped to its highest level ever. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 63% of U.S. voters now favor repeal of the plan passed by congressional Democrats and signed into law by President Obama in March.

Prior to today, weekly polling had shown support for repeal ranging from 54% to 58%.

Currently, just 32% oppose repeal.

"DSAers (Democratic Socialists of America members) in every state and city," he said, "should be prepared to rebut distortions with letters to the editor and op-eds that talk about what socialism really is – and what true social democratic public provision would look like, particularly when health care is the paradigmatic public good that markets, let alone for profit oligopolies, simply cannot justly and affordably supply."

"Progressives must now work to ensure that some conservative Democrats who did not support the final bill will be punished with primaries or even third-party challenges."

During fiscal year 2003, the Institute created a postretirement health benefit plan for its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). It provides the CEO and his spouse medical insurance from retirement until death. The present value of the estimated cost of this benefit is approximately $120,000, which is being accrued over the CEO's estimated remaining service period. The amount expensed by the Institute for the years ended 2009 and 2008 related to this liability was approximately $12,000 and $17,000, respectively. At 2009 and 2008, approximately $84,000 and $72,000, respectively, was included in accounts payable and accrued expenses.