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Alley Cat Allies, the national advocate for feral and stray cats, this week launched an online guide offering tips to feral cat caregivers and concerned individuals who want to help feral and stray cats this winter

Top Five Health Care Reform Lies—and How to Fight Back

Lie #1: President Obama wants to euthanize your grandma!!!

The truth: These accusations—of "death panels" and forced euthanasia—are, of course, flatly untrue. As an article from the Associated Press puts it: "No 'death panel' in health care bill."¹ What's the real deal? Reform legislation includes a provision, supported by the AARP, to offer senior citizens access to a professional medical counselor who will provide them with information on preparing a living will and other issues facing older Americans.²

If you'd like to read the actual section of the legislation that spawned these outrageous claims (Section 1233 of H.R. 3200) for yourself, here it is. It's pretty boring stuff, which is why the accusations that it creates "death panels" is so absurd. But don't take our word for it, read it yourself.

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Lie #2: Democrats are going to outlaw private insurance and force you into a government plan!!!

The truth: With reform, choices will increase, not decrease. Obama's reform plans will create a health insurance exchange, a one-stop shopping marketplace for affordable, high-quality insurance options.³ Included in the exchange is the public health insurance option—a nationwide plan with a broad network of providers—that will operate alongside private insurance companies, injecting competition into the market to drive quality up and costs down.⁴ If you're happy with your coverage and doctors, you can keep them.⁵ But the new public plan will expand choices to millions of businesses or individuals who choose to opt into it, including many who simply can't afford health care now.

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Lie #3: President Obama wants to implement Soviet-style rationing!!!

The truth: Health care reform will expand access to high-quality health insurance, and give individuals, families, and businesses more choices for coverage. Right now, big corporations decide whether to give you coverage, what doctors you get to see, and whether a particular procedure or medicine is covered—that is rationed care. And a big part of reform is to stop that.

Health care reform will do away with some of the most nefarious aspects of this rationing: discrimination for pre-existing conditions, insurers that cancel coverage when you get sick, gender discrimination, and lifetime and yearly limits on coverage.⁶ And outside of that, as noted above, reform will increase insurance options, not force anyone into a rationed situation.

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Lie #4: Obama is secretly plotting to cut senior citizens' Medicare benefits!!!

The truth: Health care reform plans will not reduce Medicare benefits.⁷ Reform includes savings from Medicare that are unrelated to patient care—in fact, the savings comes from cutting billions of dollars in overpayments to insurance companies and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.⁸

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Lie #5: Obama's health care plan will bankrupt America!!!

The truth: We need health care reform now in order to prevent bankruptcy—to control spiraling costs that affect individuals, families, small businesses, and the American economy. Right now, we spend more than $2 trillion dollars a year on health care.⁹ The average family premium is projected to rise to over $22,000 in the next decade¹⁰—and each year, nearly a million people face bankruptcy because of medical expenses.¹¹ Reform, with an affordable, high-quality public option that can spur competition, is necessary to bring down skyrocketing costs. Also, President Obama's reform plans would be fully paid for over 10 years and not add a penny to the deficit.¹²

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P.S. Want more? Check out this great new White House "Reality Check" website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/ or this excellent piece from Health Care for America Now on some of the most outrageous lies: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51729

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McCain's Appointee Responsible for Lennon's Harrassment

He Worked to Deport John Lennon
By Jon Wiener   September 15, 2008

From  THE NATION

The man John McCain appointed to head his transition team, William E. Timmons, played a central role in the Nixon Administration's campaign to deport John Lennon in 1972.

Timmons is known today mostly as a lobbyist for the oil companies, but in 1972 he worked in the Nixon White House as Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. Strom Thurmond, the segregationist senator from South Carolina, sent a letter to Timmons in February, 1972, as the Nixon White House was gearing up for the President's re-election campaign.

The letter informed Timmons that Lennon and his friends were "strong advocates" of a program to "dump Nixon," and that Lennon was planning "to hold rock concerts in various primary election states." The purpose of the concerts was political: "to stimulate 18-year-old registration" and to urge people to demonstrate against Nixon at the Republican National Convention. Thurmond's memo to Timmons concluded, "if Lennon's visa is terminated it would be a strategy counter-measure."

At the time--spring of 1972--the war in Vietnam was going strong, Lennon was living in New York City and had become a prominent antiwar voice, singing Give Peace a Chance and Imagine at antiwar rallies and concerts.

Timmons wrote back to Thurmond a few weeks later. The "Dear Strom" letter reported that "the Immigration and Naturalization Service has served notice" on Lennon "that he is to leave this country no later than March 15." It was signed by Timmons "with warm regards."

The information Thurmond sent to Timmons was correct--it came from the staff of the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee, of which Thurmond was a member. Lennon and his new friends Jerry Rubin and Rennie Davis, who four years earlier had organized the 1968 antiwar protests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, were planning a concert tour to mobilize young people to vote in the upcoming election. Of course registering young people to vote was not a crime--but the Republicans were concerned about the "youth vote," since 1972 was going to be the first election in which 18-year-olds had the right to vote, and it was widely assumed young people were mostly antiwar and thus anti-Nixon.

Nixon's effort to deport Lennon never succeeded. In the end, Lennon stayed in the United States while Nixon left the White House, resigning in the Watergate affair. But Lennon did curtail his antiwar organizing during the 1972 campaign, on the advice of his immigration lawyer, Leon Wildes, who told him not to do anything to further antagonize the Nixon people.

Timmons left the White House shortly after Nixon's resignation and founded his own lobbying firm. In 2008 he was registered to represent the American Petroleum Institute, Visa USA, Anheuser-Busch and Freddie Mac. He's also worked with virtually every Republican presidential campaign, starting with Bob Dole.

McCain's selection of Timmons ties the candidate to Nixon's dirty tricks and enemies list. Nixon's campaign to deport John Lennon was an example of White House abuse of power--the use of the power of the president to punish those who criticized him or opposed his policies.

The Thurmond-Timmons documents were first published in Rolling Stone, July 31, 1975.

The story of Nixon's effort to deport Lennon was told in the 2006 documentary The US vs. John Lennon and in the book Gimme Some Truth: The John Lennon FBI Files

Don't Chain your dog!

A good article to make someone think before they doom their pet to a life of being imprisoned by a chain.  From www.ItsMeowOrNever.org

Don't Chain your dog!

Well, I have to be fair here.  I blasted Palin for her wacko church, now here is something I've heard about Biden.  The waters get muddier, and our choices get worse and worse.  I swear...I just feel like giving up.  I hope the PUMA's find enough strength to muck up the whole election!

This was posted to Plaxo by a member named Jeri Walter.

Interesting memo I received ....
From a source that identifies himself and his company.

I feel an obligation to honesty and truth to share with you some facts. My Father and Mother instilled in me the values and morals of treating people fairly and always being honest. If you purchase something, you pay for it. If you borrow something, you give it back.

I have been 'stiffed' three times in my 30 year professional career by someone who I rendered services to, gave a finished product to, but who refused to pay for those services even though they acknowledged the services and products were correct, were what they asked for, and were never challenged for not being correct.

I am lucky in having only three, but those three hurt badly. Joe Biden was one of those people. I worked on his 1988 Presidential campaign financial disclosure engagement. I busted it for him and got everything right. He stiffed me for over $15,000 worth of work. He refused to pay once he dropped out of the race.

I did similar Capitol Hill campaign financial disclosure work for Bob Dole, Pat Buchanan, and a Democratic candidate for Ambassador to New Zealand.

All of those folks paid even though they lost the election or did not get the appointment. That type of work is very demanding and very tedious because your efforts are scrutinized by Congress. Biden did not care.

I am on the Board of Directors of a company that owns a majority position in a private jet management company in Northern Virginia . They manage jets for businesses and rich folks. They also charter planes to the public. This past winter John Thompson chartered over $250,000 worth of air time. He paid every penny.

Joe Biden, in his latest unsuccessful run for President, chartered over $150,000 worth of air time. He PAID ZERO. He continues to refuse to pay stating his race is over and he is out of money. He never once complained about his flights.

Joe Biden is a rich man. He could pay.  Joe Biden is a liar and a cheat. I know it first hand. Character is what life is all about.  Joe Biden is a man of bad character and sets a bad example for America .

I feel compelled to share this dark side of a man who asks for your vote and trust. Best Regards,

Bruce D. Riddle, CPA,

I have an update on this.  I emailed Mr. Riddle to verify it, and got a response that it was true, but that Mr. Biden had now repaid most of the debt.  He also referred me to this page, similar to Snopes.com where it was all documented.  I still feel that this is an important issue, and should be made pubic, so I am leaving this posting up with additional information.  ***********************

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/cpa-stiffed-by-biden.htm

CPA Got Stiffed by Joe Biden- Truth! But Resolved!
Summary of the eRumor: 
An angry email from a CPA claiming Joe Biden failed to pay for his 1988 Presidential campaign finance disclosure agreement and air time. The email called Biden a liar and a cheat, racking up thousands of dollars in unpaid debts.
 
The Truth: 
This email is authentic, but the author told TruthOrFiction.com that the matter has been resolved between him and Joe Biden and that part of the bill has been paid.

The eRumor began circulating in August, 2008.

Bruce Riddle is a Certified Public Accountant whose was hired by Biden's 1988 presidential campaign to prepare required financial disclosures.  Riddle said he never got paid $15,000 that was owed.

Riddle is also affiliated with a jet charter company that he said Biden used in a presidential campaign but after the campaign ended, Biden failed to pay $150,000 in costs for chartering jet flights.

Riddle told TruthOrFiction.com that since the time he sent out the email, Biden has paid the bill for the jet flights and Riddle decided to write-off the other bill because it was from so long ago.

This was another occasion of what we describe as someone becoming an unintentional internet celebrity.  Riddle sent this email to a handful of family members.  He never intended for it to go public.  But it got forwarded and has circulated all over the English speaking world. 

Riddle said he'd been getting hundreds of phone calls and emails each day from people asking about the eRumor and was having a tough time getting his work done! 

His plea is that people stop forwarding it.
posted 09/04/08
 
Best Regards, Bruce D. Riddle, CPA, CFP
BDR Associates, LLC
Contact information omitted by Truth or Fiction