Avlon: Palin, LaRouche stirring the crazy pot

First all, LaRouche is no liberal, he calls himself libertarian, which is not associated with being liberal. Also it could be mentioned that, Palin did a public service announcement last year in Alaska that promoted, "end of life counseling," via living wills.

These people just love to show there behind all on their face! They are just trying to get something out fast ,so that they can say that they were the first person to respond, and they forget to allow time for their brains to catch to their mouth! Of course that only applies if they have a brain!

Imagine that, the wingnuts on both sides happen to disagree with President Obama. Guess there couldn't possible by a wingnut that supports Obama (like maybe Chris Matthews)

Thank you for being a voice of reason and facts in this health scare landscape that has being created by whoever can find a microphone, loud speaker, news camera or computer terminal and a blog spot.

It is good to see CNN swinging with the truth behind the issues and not the letting the fruitloops have free access to the airways to say or do whatever stupidity they think will gain them attention.

This is why CNN is the best news organization, because you get out in front of the hype and not just follow the pack.

Thank you.
Em in Las Vegas

John Avlon – WINGNUT OF THE YEAR AWARD!

Let's start with your ignorance on the "HITLER" question.
Where do you stand on the EIGHT long years of the ILK plastering "Hitler" references on President Bush? Guess that was what Hillary screamed out to be PATRIOTIC?

Refering Ogodfather, Thug Leader of the New World Order Mob of Dirty Chicago Politics to Hitler is quite fitting.
Exam his Czars - socialists
Exam his LIE during the Town Hall claiming he "NEVER" stated he backed a "SINGLE PAYER Health Care Plan" when he definitely did (with YouTube videos as PROOF) - 2003, 2007 and recent as April 2009.

Next – Sarah Palins "Death Panel" was the only way to shorten the unreadable plans America has reason up in FORCE to HALT.
FOUR plans in Congress and TWO in Senate. The part of the bills you ignored during on America Morning - we YANKED out of the bill AFTER Sarah made her statement & the major driving force were the PATRIOTS across America, that ugly SLEEPING GIANT (those of us that have lives; work to pay taxes for Congress to STEAL; families to raise; and normally settled for phone calls, emails & faxes to communicate with our Congresspersons.

Instead - because of LYING DWEEB ILK, such as yourself, we had to step out for the first time and hit the rallies, Tea Parties, and now Town Halls.

http://www.TeaPartyExpress.org
The Tea Party starts in California August 28, 2009 & will travel across the country landing in Washington DC September 12, 2009 in front of the Capitol Building! We'll be there, along with THOUSANDS of other Great Americans.

We're taking this country back from the arrogant, power hungry LIARS in DC - on BOTH sides of the isles. Yeah – that's right. We're not some far-right-wing extremists. We're the INDEPENDENTS, over 50, Vietnam Vet & proud Vets Wife... along with family, friends, co-workers, Church members, neighbors and best of all - NEW & REFRESHING Americans that will be putting their name on the ballot boxes for 2010 and 2012.

You, Sir, are drowning in drool for Obama & the Democrats.
You're BLIND to the fact that AVERAGE, law abiding, educated, wise from experience, well researched regarding this bill.
Unlike YOU - our Congressmen & Congresswoman sent us copies, which our panel of 4 attorneys (2 medical, 1 personal injury, 1 trial); along with 3 Physicians (1 General Practice, 1 Surgeon & 1 OBGyn); and my Sister-In-Law, a MidWife. They have been pouring over page by page and putting the mombo-jombo into laymens terms in order to place on the internet for average people to actually read and understand.

You can pull the wool over some of the people some of the time - but you can't ALL of the people ALL of the time.
BUSTED, you crazy wingnut, Avlon!
Have a nice day! Oh ... and has CNN found a plug to stop the bleeding of their RATINGS, yet? Guess not, because it's TANKING!
Now they will know WHY!

Don't worry if this doesn't get posted. We copied it & will be forwarding to Fox and American Morning via email.
Faxing to our Congresspersons

i was shocked by your wingnut segment. cnn is showing itself to be completely biased. First of all larouche is not on the left. He is a far right wacko. But there is a thing called the constitution. it allows dissent. the great thing about america is we can dissent. we don't have to support, or "worship" any president. a few years ago during the bush adminstration (who i did not vote for or support) many anti war demostrators held posters depicting bush and cheney as nazi, with swatikas. i didnt hear anyone on cnn decrying that, saying it must stop. because that is free speech.. even unpopular extreme opinions can be spoken. perhaps its a heavy handed prejorative but its still allowed under the constitution. Most of media have tried to marginalize the american people opposing obama's health care plan as "a mob, unamerican, or paid operatives of big pharma". but the people at the town halls are the essence of democracy...petitioning the representatives to listen to their views. As for the poster showing obama as a hitler, well that's freedom of speech also....
For your reporter to say that has to stop was outrageous, and proved the point. In America we can burn the flag as a political expression, we can also insult the president. That's democracy. how dare try you to silence freedom of speech. and you wonder why we compare the obama true believers to nazis

The wingnuts take advantage of weak minded ignorant people, take to networks like cnn they can't get away with it anymore.

Sarah Palin, the Democrats secret weapon.

Thanks Sarah!

This is the first (and last) time I will watch CNN morning.

Once again, the liberal media associates a good honest american with some wingnut like larouche.

Was it not Nancy Pelosi who first called the expression of free speech and opinion by Americas as Nazi like and un American ?

No, you won't see Queen Pelosi or King Harry being skewered by CNN.

The problem with journalist is that they are both naive and uninformed. They can't see past this week's ratings. They believe in the concept of benevolent government. They don't understand that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and by allowing the gov't to take power it should not have it will eventually end up crushing the population. Maybe not this year, or next, but sure as heck eventually.

Further Sarah is right. The gov't underfunds Medicare and Medicaid today, cost shifting the real costs to folks with jobs and insurance. As 'public' health care grows, the costs will increase, and the revenue (thanks to 100 Trillion in debt) will not keep up. Therefore, it will be required, again, not right away, but eventually, to ration health care and allow the infirmed to die because its too expensive.

What CNN and politicians can't understand is that the free market, if allowed to work, will solve this problem. RIght now we don't have a free market, it started to perish when Medicare/Medicaid was conceived.

All you have to do is watch Geico and Allstate compete for your car insurance. What happens? Prices go down.

ALLOW THE FREE MARKET TO WORK. CNN, your are still the Clinton News Network.

If you are so smart, why does Fox have all the top rated shows???

I think this report was right on point!! THANK YOU! I hope you replay this segment before the show ends this morning. It is pathetic the way Palin and other GOPs are making statements like this to continue to attempt to divide America and sprew lies and add to the already over-the-top confusion and misinformation on the health care discussions. This is just like her–how can people even consider something like her to run this courtry is beyond me. It is OK to disagree and offer constructive critism if you like; but to spread outlandish lies just to "keep mess going" intentionally so the townhalls are out of control, is just not right. Please play this again so more Americans (mainly the ignorant who simply believes anything loud mouth Rush and pathtic Palin says) can be made aware of this TRUTH.

I realize that CNNs' objective is to report the news from each side of the political spectrum. However, in the case of Sarah Palin and the rest of the crazy politicians who are like minded, I say that her "15 minutes of fame is up". It has become extremely apolling for any politician (current or former), to project misinformation to such a heinous degree! It has always been the American way, to state our difference of option. Hence why we have two distinct political parties of government. I strongly believe in freedom of speech, just not the freedom of lies and concussion! I can only hope that President Obama and congress will soon provide us full disclosure of what the health care bill has to offer for all Americans. Upon full and detailed disclosure, most Americans are intelligent enough to form definitive options, for their respective needs. Until that happens, we continue to conflicting "Town Hall" meetings and confusing rallies base upon misinformation! As for Palin for President for 2012, if that ever comes to fruition, I would pack my bags and move to Swisher- land!!!

GRASSROOTS.ORG the originator of the Willie Horton ad who started alot of this with FREEDOM WORKS must be proud to have stoked the USA fear, race and hate fires.

Recipe for HATE: 1 Pound of Grassroots.Org (Willie Horton ad originator), 1 Pound of Dick Army's organizations, 2 heaping cupos of the Media not exposing the originators of these astro turf groups, Stir in at your taste all the uneducated, misinformed and just plain radical hatred of having a Black President. (Optional ingredient: Have the uneducated wingnuts on television interviews. This really gets it Hot and Spicy)

SARAH PALIN WAS,IS AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE WINGNUT OF AMERICA BECAUSE OF THE LOOSE SCREWS IN HER BRAINS.

Lyndon Larouche is not representative of the Left, at all. He is a Libertarian, which is not aligned with Liberal thinking. He would tell you this himself. Please, do try to do at least a wee bit of research. CNN has quickly become a joke.

It is a wonder that we get anything done in this country! Everyone has their own opinion & beleifs, yet when it doesn't fit or they do not agree then it is wrong. CNN is blasted for manipulating, being biased. Watch any other TV station and they are reporting the same thing, just using different words! Sara Palin – what a joke. Yet many of you think she is great. She is an embarrassment to "real working" women. How many of you have actually taken the time to "read" the health care bill ONLINE? Yet continue to blast it with unfounded facts and statements. As far as "Death Panels", well just another example of using inappropriate and disgusting language to incite peoples brains.

Sarah Palin points out the truth, AND SHE'S A WINGNUT???? What are you folks smokin'? You'd better wake up and listen. The grass roots activism isn't just about health care. That's only a symptom of their frustration over government takeover of free enterprise throughout the fabric of our country. This is the rallying point against out of control spending and takeover of individual freedoms. The members of Congress had better be looking to their own positions. Their power is about to be completely usurped by the Czars.

Sarah Palin is right about this dangerious Health Bill that is being proposed. The Democratic Party does not want you to know about the truth, it may scare you. SARAH PALIN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2012. Read the bill and know the truth. Sarah Palin has read it and is telling you all the truth what is in it.

I think the public and media should just ignore Sarah Palin and let her live her life in obscurity. The more the media reacts to her inane and foolish statements, the more P.R. power she gets and this reinforces her ego and inflated sense of self. We have more important things to concern ourselves with in the country than to focus on a person who is demostratively ignorant and unsuited for any future political leadership.

Let's just call it what it is? Crazy!!!! Why are we even talking about Sarah Palin? She's not an intelligent woman, so why are we still intrigued by her misinformed rants? And comparisons to Hitler? Hitler People? Come on!! It is better to be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt. My family has members of the left and right, and people who are black, white, and asian; we disagree and debate facts. Oh, and the best line we have heard from these ignorant uneducated conservative folk is that "they want their country back". Who took it? Or, is this just the new way to say that I don't want a black man running my country, and by the way, I'm not a racist. Bigots, always PC!

Death Panels?

Paranoid schizophrenia Symptoms -

People with paranoid schizophrenia may have over-the-top (grandiose) mistaken beliefs (delusions) about protecting themselves from the plot that they think is against them.

Other symptoms include:

Feeling tense, suspicious, guarded, and reserved

Sound like someone we know?

P.S. Wolves are Nazi. We must charge $800 to shoot them in cold blood from airplanes to raise revenue for our state. I don't care that there is a declining wolf population and that it's not for herd control!!!! Wolves bring cash to our state! Wolves are evil and must be destroyed. They are destroying this state! The are at the root of all that is good and pure!

What? No! Save the Polar bears??? Polar bears must die! I sued to have them delisted so we can Drill Baby Drill !

–Sincerely, Sarah Palin

We will get a health reform bill. Once past, it will become accepted in mainstream America, and eventually over the next two years, the fringes will warm up to it, once the lies they are being sold now, don't come to fruition. Shame on the GOP!!!
Obama 2012!!!

to everyone especially the right wing loons please get a copy or tape of Rachel Maddows show last night(thurs the 10 th) on msnbc and see what sarah palin, newt gingrich and gas bag limbaugh have said in the recent past about end of life care. they must have got huge checks from the health care companys to completely do a 180 Please check it out.. if you want to be informed watch keith olberman and rachel maddow on msnbc weeknites 8-10 pm. watch and be informed

Paranoid schizophrenia Symptoms -

People with paranoid schizophrenia may have over-the-top (grandiose) mistaken beliefs (delusions) about protecting themselves from the plot that they think is against them.

Other symptoms include:

Feeling tense, suspicious, guarded, and reserved

Sound like someone we know?

P.S. Wolves are Nazi. We must charge $800 to shoot them in cold blood from airplanes to raise revenue for our state. I don't care that there is a declining wolf population and that it's not for herd control!!!! Wolf gunning brings revenue to our state! Wolves are evil and must be destroyed. They are destroying this state! We must give gunning permits to the good and pure to wipe out these evil creatures!

What? No! Save the Polar bears??? Polar bears must die! I sued to have them delisted so we can Drill Baby Drill !

–Sincerely, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin wouldn't know the truth if it bit her. She is a pathilogical liar who has NEVER bothered to get any real facts before she opens her mouth. All she does is continue to spew forth Misinformation and hatemongering. She acts like she cares for the developmentally disabled yet she slashed the budget for services to them (the developmantally disabled) to NEARLY A THIRD of its budget prior to her term as Gov. yet demanded the state of Alaska reemburse her for her FAMILIES

Government programs: Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security.... all government ran programs. Shall we privatize Medicare and Social Security? About Medicaid: The government program funded by billions of tax dollars to give aid to the uninsured and economically deprived. Maybe reforming health care would redirect the billions of dollars that is funding Medicaid for the poor. Or maybe we should just bring the poor and uninsured before a Death Panel. That will solve everything!

Americans would be wise to listen to her before we lose all control over our health decisions. If Congress has it's way in September, we will forever have our health decisions controlled by the politicians and bureaucrats in DC.

A factor people are overlooking is the fact that with the eventual single payer system Obama wants and will eventually get, all doctors, nurses, and hospital will become AGENTS of the STATE and answerable only to politicians in Washington. Health care workers will not only be paid by the federal government but also educated and regulated by the federal government located a long way from your community and controlled solely be political interests.

Why is the SEIU sending union members to the townhall meetings??? These people already have super medical insurance thru strict union agreements. The reason can only be that the union leadership anticipates INCREASED UNION MEMBERSHIP in the health care industry once the federal plan becomes law. Does this sound good for patients and tax payers. Do you want your federally paid doctor and nurse or hospital worker to be able to go on strike. You think this can't happen? Look at France. With the federal takeover of the health industry, the US will be more socialistic than Britain and within a few percentage points of France. This is scary and worst of all, it will be irreversible. Wake up now or there will be no waking up (literally) for millions of Americans..

Palin is trying to generate sales for an upcoming book which is written by her ghost writer! The "empty-head" Palin cannot "read", "write", or "think" for herself! Everything coming out of her mouth is prompted by the Republican Party.

The Republican Party is the new KKK!!!

Helping the most vulnerable of people is a Nobel cause. And compassion is the essence of Christianity and Buddhism.

Obama/Biden 2012

If reporters can dig deep to find out when a Senator is sleeping with a woman other than his wife and all the other mind-numbing garbage being passed off as "news", why can't you dig deep into the backgrounds of these protestors at town hall meetings to find out if they are somehow connected to special interest and/or insurance lobbying groups? I'm so sick of hearing about healthcare reform lies, Sarah Palin and fictional death panels that I frequently turn off the news (even CNN) and loose myself in a good 1942 movie on TCM. Drop the tabloid reporting and dramatic stories and find out once and for all who or what is TRULY behind these town hall disturbances. I really don't want to see anymore reports on beer summits, political faux pas and shock journalism. New media should be further evolved in journalistic accountability than we are. Please don't become the alter-ego of FOX.

The argument is not “reform or no reform”.

Reform is needed, but a complete takeover of the American Healthcare system by the government is not the answer. Instead let us focus on what is broken and fix that component.

We are not perfect, but I truly believe in my heart that we are a great nation…the greatest in the world. Simply take a look at the census data to find that the US ranks #1 in immigration to the nation as well as #1 in the fewest citizens leaving the nation. That says something about this great nation we live in.

My parents and grandparents came here from Cuba 48 yrs ago and believe this is the greatest nation in the world…a nation of free choices, freedom of speech, capitalism and free enterprise.

Yet lately we seem to be moving further away from these principals that make our country different from the rest. Let us not completely rid ourselves of the principals our forefathers founded this nation upon. Let us not limit our choices.

Since when can we trust our government to do anything correctly?? (No matter what Party is in control)

Change is needed on some things, but not everything how much change?

Let’s make the US a better country, not a different country, because a complete transformation of the US as we know it can be the biggest mistake of our lives.

I wholeheartedly agree that Sarah Palin is a "wingnut". As a Republican for 40 years, I was appalled with her hate speech at the Republican convention. She has become more hateful as time has gone by. At her rallies, people were shouting "Kill him" (referring to then candidate Obama). She did nothing to stop those people. She couldn't answer simple questions posed by Katie Couric. It took her 5 years and 6 colleges to get her degree in communications, yet my 5th graders write better and clearer than she does. Friends of mine had called her "a breath of fresh air". Where? Maybe at the beach at low tided!! I think she just makes the news because she is so outrageous. She offers nothing positive–just negative criticism. She gives a bad name to the word "Christian". Wonder what Jesus would have to say of her.

How dare you criticize a woman who loves this country and wants to promote personal freedoms and liberties? Sarah Palin is working hard to help people yet you sit on your high horses and judge her. It's apparent that you have not read the details of the bill and your opinions are based on what biases the liberal media are pumping into your small minds. Blind obediance and pack mentality is what brings dictators into power and allows the government to grow. Read a history book, America! The extra $25 Obama is putting into your paychecks does not counteract the damage he is doing to America and the free market. Try reading BBC News or other media sources outside the US and see what they have to say about the state of our great nation.

Oh, and check out what's going on in Burma while you're at it. (If you're not aware that Suu Kyi prefers to call Myanmar Burma then you REALLY need to start reading!)

Hey AmericanWingNutpatriot, you think that an over 50 NEW AND REFRESHING cult that you described will take America back? Back to what you moron? You will NOT take us back to the good old days of greed. There a far more of me and my kind that will crush you and yours EVERYTIME you guys rear your nasty little heads at the ballot box. For now, enjoy your little 15 minutes in the spotlight and we too will be bombarding our Representatives with a more inclusive mandate that will leave you narrow minded, backwards, heehaws heads spinning. Enjoy for now!

I'm envisioning a "Death Panel"... Maybe Five or Six people who stand as judges. Millions of elderly people are brought before them and and sentences to death. LOL

What they're talking about is counseling sessions? Ever put a loved one in hospice care?

Sarah Palin condoned something that she is against now... She changes her mind depending on to the stance that benefits her the most.

She's devious and manipulative. Or maybe she's got... I don't know... what is called when a person has a split personality???? LOL

We'll just sum up all her personality disorders and call her a wingnut.

Kudos to Gail Keegan. Her blurp is an exact assumption we should all be making. Think my fellow Americans; read and educate yourselves also.. Half of these blogs are written by Corporate types who want us divided and dumbed down so they can continue to rob us blind, and that includes most of the proponents of killing the health bill. Its not about us average folks and never have been. Its those in control, on both sides, that are using us in their money making schemes. WE MUST FIGHT BACK!

EARTH TO OBAMA. The majority of the people DO NOT WANT THIS. Wake up. Look at the polling data. Even CNN must acknowledge there is not enough support in the polls. SO why keep forcing this socialist agenda on us?

How does that song go? She's a nut. She's a nut. She's a W I N G nut.

I wonder why it is acceptable to compare Bush to Hitler, or for Pelosi to say that we are all a bunch of swistika toting nazi's. But it's unacceptable to say Obama is a facist. Look up the definition, he actually fits it quite well.
Fascism, pronounced /ˈfæʃɪzəm/, comprises a radical and authoritarian nationalist political ideology[1][2][3][4] and a corporatist economic ideology.
If you are being honest with yourself on Obama authoritarian nationalist political ideology[1][2][3][4] and a corporatist economic ideology. Fits him quite well. Just ask GM. SO actually he is a fascist. Whats with the Pay Czar? That is more Fascism. CNN needs to wake up and start reporting.

I don't believe rational being still listen to what a convicted criminal like Lyndon LaRouche on anything. How do you dice Rush Limbaugh being a spokespeson for Legal Zoom where people prepare a legal living will and at the same time opposes the Federal Government position on helping people avoid unnecessary legal tussle. In the case of Sarah Palin, everyone knows, she's somewhat deluded and she's willing to say anything to get some attention. I'm still wait for the Aussie Rupert Mudoch to give her a show on FOX. From all indications, these group are bent to stirring home brewed terror attack in the homeland. Their militia are armed and ready. One only hope when these wingnuts decide to strike the homeland, our security sevices will be there to round them up. Hate speech should never be equated with free speech. Thankyou'll

"The recent uptick in comparisons of the President of the United States to either communist or fascist dictators is just unacceptable."

Really? Direct me to the 'unacceptable' clause in the 1st ammendment, o enlightened one. Further, I didn't hear the Obama Youth at CNN belly-aching when Jr. Bush was receiving *exactly* the same treatment from the left.

Got critical thinking? Didn't think so.

Here she comes again! Babbling and inciting fear and hatred once more!

Death Panels?

Perhaps she should just get a stance and stick with it. She's giving me whip lash.

Palin: you need to either condone end of life counseling for the terminally ill or oppose it. You can't have it both ways depending on who your target audience is.

Health Reform means government funded... not government in scrubs.

LaRouche is a registered Democrat!!!! Funny this image of Obama Hitler was all over the news. Condeming Repubs and even Brian Williams tried to tie this to Rush.

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS LIED
MEET THE PRESS LIED
MEDIA MATTERS LIED

Liberal based media on MS/NBC is all lies. The poster said LaRouchepac.com right on the bottom of it. Tell me know one saw this???

NBC owned by GE who just happens to be getting billions of dollars in Obama stimulus money. That media has sold out. Where are you CNN why are you not reporting the truth about MSNBC? They are your competitors?

It is absolutely stunning the amount of delusion it takes for lemming wingnuts like AmericanWingnutPatriot to defend and make excuses for their wingnut leaders. I also am over 50, with a family and work hard - and you, sir, are a crazy...and your ilk will NOT be taking ANYTHING back. You and your taliban-nut crazies are the VERY thing we all need to defend America against.

I wonder who the heck listens to a convicted criminal like Lydon LaRoach. Rush Limbaugh is a spokesperson for Legal Zoom and yet he's opposed to Federal Government's Living will provision in the Health care bill. Sarah Palin's position is very consistent with her personality. She's one deluded woman who can say anything and do anything to get attention. I think it's about time the Aussie, Ruppert Mudoch gives her a show on FOX to propagate the evil agenda of bringing the Federal Government down. We're all witnesses to the rise of homeland militias and terrorist groups. There is a correlation between all the hate speeches and the rise of these crazy fringe elements. It's time to distinguish between free speech and hate speech. Any talkshow host that sends the signal that our political leaders should being poisoned or shot should be charged for crinimal intent rather than overlooked. I pray our security agencies are alert, prepared and ready to take down any terrorist group before they unleash another Oklahoma city bombing or a 9/11 style attack.

Thankyou'll

@ dissent is american August 14th, 2009 7:10 am ET

"For your reporter to say that has to stop was outrageous, and proved the point. In America we can burn the flag as a political expression, we can also insult the president. That’s democracy. how dare try you to silence freedom of speech. and you wonder why we compare the obama true believers to nazis"

But don't forget, free speech also allows us to speak out agains protesters and dissenters. Also, much of the annoyance and frustration is with the fact that much of the "protesters" are spouting inaccurate information (a nice way of saying blatant lies). Yea, freedom of speech is of utmost importance and should be protected. But truth is important as well.

I would love to see Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck and Lyndon LaRouche put out to sea in a row boat without oars! Life here in the good old USA would become a lot more productive.

I can understand Avlon's candidates for wingnuts since he's such a liberal fascist. I'm sure next week he'll nominate all the Americans at the Town Halls who hate being Amercia being turned into a Socialist State. POWER TO THE PEOPLE.

this wingnut thing drives me nutty. time after time a prominent republican is held out as a nutcase while never a mention about a democrat. linden larouche?!?!?! how about pelosi and reid? the "independent" host called for the people to stop calling obama "hitler" and said it has to stop.....yet he ignored pelosi calling the public Nazis. the hierarchy of the democratic party has been calling for the end of debate which is the first premise of a free society and the 1st amendment. which one of the last two deserves the wingnut award before la rouche???

for the record Lyndon Larouche has never been a libertarian...nor has he been a member of the Libertarian Party...ever

I'm not at all sure I've EVER seen or heard anyone else claim LaRouche is a lefty. News to me and likely to him and his supporters. Palin is simply a batty.

I completely disagree with any type of Health Care that the goverment gets more involved than they are now in my health care. Medicare is as far as I think they should go, They do need to correct some of the problems with health care and I also think they should allow states to completely run the Medicare program not the Federal Goverment. Right now with the Federal Goverment running it and if they were to take over health care those of us in smaller populated states really have very little say it what is going on in congress since states like Ca. have much more repenstation in the congress than the smaller states. So right now most people think the Speaker of the House should be out in 2010 but since she is from Ca. that will not happen since she is of the far far left and that is what the majority of Ca. wants. San Francisco and LA. If you talk to others in the centeral or nothern part of the state you will find they are a good mix of what the rest of the country is, but due to the size of LA and San Francisco they have no way of changing the make up of their rep. in congress and the senate. Dr. Coburn and a few more have put together a very good health care reform bill but it will never see light of day due to it not being a far left plan and it give people responsibility for their care which is not what the left wants they want a nanny state and the only way this is going to change is elect some in the middle in Ca. Ny and a few other states. Will it happen maybe I don't know. My fear is we elect some from the far far right this would not be good either cause it would then leave the far far left out. We need our elected officals to be what most of the country is slightly right leaning middle of the road. Palin will be a major force to come will she be elected I don't think so but she will be a speaker for the right and I don't see her as far far right she is more a right leaning middle of the road person but some think if you don't think the federal goverment should be in your life all the time then you are far right this is not correct.

Palin is a real twit. She is drawing out all the fringe nutcases in her party. It makes the GOP weaker than it already is. Enough people jumped ship when she came on the scene during the election, and now more will continue to jump ship. I think the republican party is dying, or it will become the party of the extreme fringe nutcases and the normal republicans will need to form a new party.

This just in
Score
SARAH PALIN 1
DEMOCRATS 0

They took this out of the bill, she was right after all.

@Neil August 14th, 2009 10:57 am ET

"Look up the definition, he actually fits it quite well.
Fascism, pronounced /ˈfæʃɪzəm/, comprises a radical and authoritarian nationalist political ideology[1][2][3][4] and a corporatist economic ideology.
If you are being honest with yourself on Obama authoritarian nationalist political ideology[1][2][3][4] and a corporatist economic ideology. Fits him quite well. Just ask GM. SO actually he is a fascist."

Sorry Neil, you are woefully (and willfully?) mistaken. It is nice that you are able to copy and past the short summary of fascism from WIkipedia, but did you not read the description? Fascism identifies MUCH more closely with the Republican ideology than the Democrats. We're Socialists, remember?

La Roche is NOT a liberal. He doesn't even consider himself one. He's also crazy.

As for Palin, she's lost her bloody mind. I bet even McCain is disgusted right now.

John Avlon....you're a disgrace and here's why...

Instead of looking at the part of the bill that has so many people outraged, you attempt to discredit Palin. You fail to realize that everyone who read the portion of the bill dealing with end of life care sees it the same way. That's why they're outraged

We don't need to take Palin's word for it. It says a medical board will review cases. It says doctors will only be reimbursed if patient follow through with the boards recommendations.

In short, it is what Palin said it was.

Now, how about taking that part out of the bill? That might be a better solution than slamming Palin.

Well guys or gals, you pick the gender, as it seemly changes, IE Mayor of the small Oregon Town. To all of you eastern folks, out West we call a frog a Frog, not a tadpole, altho we fully understand a tadpole is actually grows into a frog. Well Sarah Palin called a tadpole a Frog, by saying, death panel. No one in their right mind would actually write death panel in a legislative bill, but all of the inferences were in the bill.
So thank you Sarah, keep up the great work, you have the medias' attention. I will guarntee you that portion of the bill will be removed forever and hopefully the total bill will be scraped.

To all followers of Larouche and that other guy that runs every president cycle, be aware that these guys are using you to make money. They are not interested in public office. If they were, they won't wait until presidential election. After the election is over, they disappear with your money laughing at you, never hearing from them again. Don't be fool by these con(s). YOU, the people get involved to shape the government. Check out the persons running. Ask the hard, personal questions (for charater). YOU, run for office and change things.

"He is a Libertarian, which is not aligned with Liberal thinking. He would tell you this himself. Please, do try to do at least a wee bit of research. "

As a matter of fact if you did a little research yourself you'd find out that in fact he will not tell you that himself. He's not a libertarian and his actions prove it.
Associating Larourche and the Libertarian party is an insult to the Libertarian party.

The only wingnut is Obama and the supporters of his Nazi health reform.
John Avlon served as Chief Speechwriter for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, so we know that he is the biggest wingnut of them all and a thug, this is a thug article.

I agree. Dissent is American. Telling outright lies is not. The folks running around shouting the death camps are coming are nuts or just bald faced liars.

Left or Right, if you lie to get your way, you are a liar. Palin is nuts and a liar. LaRouche is just nuts.

@ mjm August 14th, 2009 11:39 am ET

"You fail to realize that everyone who read the portion of the bill dealing with end of life care sees it the same way."

Sorry , you are wrong. You are completely misrepresenting what the bill says. Your interpretation is based on the lies you have been told. I have read the actual bill, and it indicates nothing to the effect of what Palin said. All it does is require insurers to pay for counseling concerning long term care and end of life issues. There is no requirement for such counseling and there is no provision for any sort of panel who makes life and death decisions and whose recommendation must be followed before doctors get paid. It is complete made up BS.

No crazier than the Obama plan is, actually.

The cost of this plan, will be astronomical, at a time when the country is already burdened with massive debt. It simply is not affordable. It will bankrupt the country, whether at the federal level, or the individual citizen level, in tax increases.

There is a very real concern that such a plan, will in fact (and there are NO safeguards against it), result in treatment for the aged, being denied, on both a high cost basis, or a terminally ill basis, which is exactly what people are talking about. That vocal outpouring, is not imagination, just because the Dems SAY it won't happen. It is happening in the NHS in the UK, and it will happen here, also.

This is one time, citizens are NOT going to TRUST the President, to make good on his rhetoric.

It always amuses me when CNN posts a thoughtful article criticizing Sarah Palin – immediately the right says they are biased. Her comments were off the mark and made no sense showing her lack of knowledge on the subject. Thanks for the analysis. I for one appreciate it.

Earth to Neil........ Most of the people in America DO want the mess we call health care FIXED. Can you even imagine what it is like to have a family and not beable to know they will be taken care of in a proper way? Ok, Ok so these people shouldn't have a family or need health care if they can't afford it. Right? You bet ' cha. Neil - don't have insurance if you don't want it. It's ok. We won't pay for you. That millions of Americans don't have insurance or coverage is a disgrace. You believe the the slip shod, shame based socialistic system we have today. You pay thru high rates and $80.00 asprins. CEO's become millionairs because they are so "good" at what they do. Get a grip, Neil !!! What ever system there is is broken.

It's high time somebody put Sarah Palin where she belongs–in with the Larouchies and other wingnuts.
There are no death panels. To say otherwise is a lie. If somebody wanted to start a death panel, there would be so much outrage on the left AND right that it would never get off the ground.
While these protesters have the right to free speech, the way they're going about it is despicable–spreading lies and behaving like Storm Troopers in the 1930s. They are not interested in facts. They are interested in pure intimidation.
And as for LaRouche being on the left, he's been a Democrat in name only for a long time. Remember that he used to claim that Queen Elizabeth II was a drug dealer.

"I want my country back" ... The one that killed the indians and stole their land, the country that fought the Mexicans and then took their land and then said they were illegal. The country that hosed down, beat, and hung black people for wanting to be treated equal. "The land of the free" ... for who? This country has been dominated by white males since the beginning. They said that "all men should be treated equal" ... that is until you have a black president and a women hispanic supreme court judge. This country is a melting pot of all nationalities and has always bragged about that until ..... well, you know the answer to that. One of the reasons this country was started was to escape religious persecution, but today you hear some people say this is a christian nation only. I am a christian, but I do believe this country was made for all religions.
I know people feel that the government is getting to involved in everything, but stop and think about that. How has the government affected your day to day life? My life hasn't changed much, and what has changed the government didn't change it, I did.
In a month from now I will be attending my brothers retirement ceremony from the U.S. Navy. It will be my second ceremony like this that I have attended, my brother-in-law was the first. I have served my country for 8 years, my other brother served his country for 10 years. You can see we are a military family, we love what this country stands for and the freedoms it gives everyone... everyone. All races, all religions, male or female. I hope that all the noise that is being made about our President isn't just because the color of his skin, I hope that the country that people are saying they want back isn't the country that I described earlier, because that is not the country that I fought for!!!!!

Whenever I see one of those town hall meetings all I can think is "wheres the debate in all that screaming?". So many people calling each other "unamerican" for this reason and that. Its sort of disgusting. I agree that its fine to disagree with Presidents, bills, and politics. But I also think that constructive debate is all that needs to be heard. If you disagree, bring proof to the table rather than little annoying quips about death panels. And I'm directing that at both sides. Just calling dissenters "radicals" or "ridiculous" why not back it up with examples from the bill that prove what they're saying is wrong. The only way to have a debate is to be rational, thoughtful, and well informed. Stop with all the useless bickering and get to the meat of the issue!

To mjm:

Taking what part out of the bill? There is not yet a bill. There are several proposed bills, and not one suggests anything even remote to death panels. As an attorney, Ii get paid handsomely to do what the bill suggests the gov't would cover – the making of a living will... so that the desires of the elderly would be respected if there comes a time when that elderly cannot speak for him/herself.

Ignorance abound. Folks should first get informed, or leave the rest of us the benefit of a doubt regarding their intellect.

Gov. Palin again? who really listen to Palin? I stop listening to Gov.Palin after i heard her answer questions asked by Katie Couric .i think we should stop giving her a microphone.

Funny thing is, nobody would have paid attention to Sarah Palin's comments on her facebook page had CNN not plastered it all over TV. Nobody would have paid any heed to the "instructions to disrupt town halls memo", as the guy who wrote it had a whopping 15 followers on twitter and 6 friends on facebook. Gee, that wasn't reported in CNN's expert analysis, I wonder why?

Keep watching your ratings drop further and further. You're repeaters no reporters. Just parrot the DNC talking points, as god forbid you actually engage in that journalism thing. That would take effort!

Obama is the wingnut! Lies, deception, cover up, and deceit is what the Amercian people are getting. The ones who voted for this con-artist are beginning to wake up. This is a non-article. CNN is becoming just like the other major networks and their Chosen one.
Untrustable! MSNBC went a long time ago. With idiots like Rachel Madcow, Keith Olberwoman, and Chris Mattpukes they have lost all
journalistic credibility! I hate to see CNN be like the rest, but I guess that is why FOX continues top dominate! I saw an idiot from Vermont,
(supposedly independent) call FOX a tool of the right wing....I had to laugh! NBC is a tool of Obama and the far left wingnuts! Obama gave them millions (maybe billions)...and now they can only report what the White House allows! Good luck with that...and ...as far as Nazi's/Hitler
Obama, Reid and Pelosi are as close as I have ever seen!!

Vernon August 14th, 2009 11:19 am ET

I can understand Avlon’s candidates for wingnuts since he’s such a liberal fascist. I’m sure next week he’ll nominate all the Americans at the Town Halls who hate being Amercia being turned into a Socialist State. POWER TO THE PEOPLE.
=================
Wow, two complete non sequiturs in one paragraph. Fascists are not liberal, and liberals are not fascist. Two completely opposite philosophies. And fascism and socialism are polar opposites, too. And if you weren't such an ignoramus, you'd know that the Obama administration has not proposed ANYTHING that remotely resembles anything like socialism except for the kind of socialism that right wingers believe in, which does not now and never has existed. It's the old McCarthyite-Bircher distortions still making the rounds after decades of being discredited by thinking people.

To you folks still living in the 50s, calling someone a socialist is equivalent to using the "n" word; it's used as an insult and an epithet and is totally divorced from the true meaning of the word. It derives from hate, pure and simple. In case you didn't notice, the cold war is over. Labeling someone a socialist who isn't one is just a childish insult. It's a way of dismissing someone without ever having to deal with what that person is saying.

One more time LaRouche is a registered Democrat. Period. He ran against Carter in the 80's.

Sarah Palin is an idiot ! And she was John McCain's pick for VP??!! He is a bigger idiot !

I love how six years ago, even the most benign criticism of George Bush's policies or actions brought cries of "traitor" and "love it or leave it", but now that the Red State Rednecks are disenfranchised, suddenly it _is_ patriotic to question the president.
So, on behalf of all of us who were polite about it when your guy was in charge, I would like to offer you right-wing clowns some sage advice you gave me awhile ago.

"If you can't respect the man, respect the office."
"It's a democracy. The people wanted him to win, and he won."
"America, love it or leave it!"
"If you aren't with the President, you're against America!"

AmericanWingnutPatriot
--------------------------------
I feel sorry for you. You are being heavily misinformed, and very presumptious.
Of course President Obama wanted a single payer system, most progressives do. However, as a pragmatist, he knows that this goal can't happen now. He has to satify the left and the right. That's why the public option is out there. It's a difference between a candidate and a president who has to govern......... As far as the outrage in America right now, it's no question that 47 million people (who voted for McCain) & didn't vote for the President in the last election. That's who's really out there ramping up for a fight.....and that's fine......but remember the other 50 million plus that did vote for him........we're the quiet one's watching the outrage play out......you'll hear us again, when it's time to vote....lol....

The people who belive in "death panels" are weak minded people. Like the people who followed David Koresh. Tell them anything and they will believe it because they can't think for themselves.

To all you anti-Obama lunatics posting here: You are not only hate-filled, you are all just dumb. Every comment betrays your very embarrassing ignorance of reality.

The greatest deception mankind has ever known was the republican party convincing the average "Joe Sixpack" American they represent his interests. The insurance/drug/healthcare industry along with their republican clients have succeeded in agitating simple minded people into an unruly mob – protesting the very reform that will BENEFIT them and their families.

You people have crossed the line and are way beyond the sympathy I normally reserve for ignorant and uneducated jackasses.

This is not the first time Sarah Palin has lied, nor I am confident, will it be the last. She absolutely knew what she was saying was wrong.

What surprises me is that she wasn't called out sooner. As Governor, Palin set aside a day in Alaska to encourage Alaskan's to discuss end of life directives with their families and doctors.

Nor is this the first time the republican party has endorsed lies and innuendo to scare and threaten others. I have become tone deaf to the GOP. The republican party has gone off the deep end and should no longer be considered credible.

I don't know what's scarier about America today – The fact that we have so many politicians and radio commentators who go about spewing these outright lies and hate filled ideas, in order to scare the voting public into voting for them, or the fact that so many people are either so desperate, ignorant or poorly educated, that they buy into these lies as the gospel truth.

Either way, it hurts everyone.

Great fact checking on AM. Please keep it up!

http://thedailyalien.blogspot.com/

AmericanWingnutPatriot, donttreadonme

Keep up the good work. As long as I know people like you are right wing fanatics I will continue to oppose the RepubliNazi's. Have a nice day. Enjoy your protests. Don't forget to not let anyone else exercise their free speech rights. Rush might get mad. )-:

G SMITH August 14th, 2009 11:33 am ET

This just in
Score
SARAH PALIN 1
DEMOCRATS 0

They took this out of the bill, she was right after all.
--------------------------------
Do your homework, it was originated from a GOP Senator.

Thoughful and valuable post, What Is Going On. However, you left off of your list one of the darkest times in US history; the inhumane instiution of slavery. The American economic institution that captured Africans as if they were less than wild dogs, forced them to America away from their homeland and families, and got rich while slaves helped built this country. Is that the country they "want back?" Not happening. So we might as well just accept each other, embrace the melting pot, learn from each other, be grateful to God Almighty for life, and live in harmony.

I just heard on the on of those AM radio shows that the obama bill also includes a provision for the goverment to come into our homes and take our childrens vital organs to donate to needy wealthy people.

Re: Dissent is American
Yes free speech is good and should be encouraged. Screaming over speakers and otherwise trying to disrupt honest debate is counter-productive. The left wants to hear other opinions in a reasoned calm manner. We want the best possible reform, and we are perfectly willing to acknowledge that the right has ideas that may need to be part of that reform. People like Limbaugh, Palin and Beck spreading lies does not advance anyone's position. It just scares people. Also, you totally gave yourself away as a right-winger when you said: "why we compare the obama true believers to nazis"

I still don't understand why Palin is still making news she is a quitter

It never ceases to amaze me how the media is blamed, especially by those of the right wing persuasion, when they don't like the message. Let me tell you something, people. We are blessed to have a free media in this country, and CNN is absolutely the best example of that. For you moron right wing nuts, Fox is your media of choice. If you're not liking the message CNN puts out it's only because they (and a little thing called the FACTS) do not support your already formed negative based value system. Don't blame CNN and don't say stupid stuff like "you'll never watch them again". It just shows your ignorance.

Sarah's a wing nut alright just like those wing nuts in 1973 who believed that Roe v Wade would lead to abortion on demand. Thank God for wing nuts like Sarah!

@Rick McDaniel August 14th, 2009 11:51 am ET

"There is a very real concern that such a plan, will in fact (and there are NO safeguards against it), result in treatment for the aged, being denied, on both a high cost basis, or a terminally ill basis, which is exactly what people are talking about. "

You are either making this up, or repeating what you have been told. Either way, you are lying.
You are basing your rationing on the notion that, if something is too expensive, then treatment cannot occur, resulting in denial of treatment to those who cannot afford it. What you apparently DO NOT realize, is that this happens NOW under our current insurance system. The "Obama plan" (actually, it'll be Congresses plan) is focused on correcting this problem.

AmericanWingnutPatriot is a perfect example of what is wrong with the United States. Misinformed unstable characters like this stir up other uninformed, undereducated crazies on the religious right to disrupt intelligent civil public discourse on issues affecting us all. Right wing wingnuts support outrageous statements from their idol Sarah Palin without question. No wonder the Republican Party is imploding.

A position thay defies belief is senior citizens at town hall meetings denouncing government involvement in healthcare. They are demanding that government keep its hands off my Medicare. Whom do they think runs Medicare? A pretty incongruous position, don't you think!

Don't forget who's funding the long list of right-wing lobbying groups against health care reform, the ones who could make the Pledge of Allegiance fascist if they chose because ignorance is not only bliss, but the preferred lifestyle of the right. Proof?

FreedomWorks Orchestrates ‘Grassroots’ Movements To Serve Dick Armey’s Corporate Clients

FreedomWorks' Long History Of Teabagging

And let's all praise the authors of the "Willie Horton" bullpucky, The Carmen Group and Shirley and Friends.

Oh right, and Citizens United.

Oh, right and the Conservatives for Patients' Rights .

You've got to look with better eyes, people. If you have Medicare, bless the 1965 Democratic Party. If you want to keep Medicare, bless the 2009 Democratic Party. If you want ANY Health Care, throw the wingnuts out of the party.

Just a follow up to my organs being donated to the wealthy. The Right is famous for making up sh*t to rile up those that would benefit from the obama plan the most. I have to give them credit it works every time guns, abortion and now healthcare

There sure seem to be a lot of irrational people commenting on this issue. It looks like the article touched a wingnut nerve!

To the AmericanWingnutPatriot... Take a deep breath, look into the mirror and remove the tin foil hat, and have another shot of whiskey. You are unhinged, my friend. Perhaps the new healthcare plan that congress will pass and the prez will sign will have a clause to assist you in your day to day delusions.
I'll say a prayer....

On April 16, 2008 Sarah Palin when Governor of Alaska and BEFORE she hit the limelight, signed a proclamation declaring a "Healthcare Decisions Day." It cited the importance of "the need to plan ahead for health care decisions, related to end of life care" and went on to "encourage hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities and hospices to participate in a statewide effort to provide clear and consistent information to the public about advance directives." You can google and read the whole thing.

A few months ago, Newt Gingrich spouted the Gunderson Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, WI.

More than 20 percent of all Medicare spending occurs in the last two months of life. Gundersen Lutheran Health System in LA Crosse, Wisconsin has developed a successful end-of-life, best practice that combines: 1) community-wide advance care planning, where 90 percent of patients have advance directives; 2) hospice and palliative care; and 3) coordination of services through an electronic medical record. The Gundersen approach empowers patients and families to control and direct their care. The Dartmouth Health Atlas has documented that Gundersen delivers care at a 30 percent lower rate than the national average ($18,359 versus $25,860). If Gundersen’’s approach was used to care for the approximately 4.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who die every year, Medicare could save more than $33 billion a year.

Health Care Rx: Across the Country, Some Systems Are Getting It Right –– Newt Gingrich.

Rush Limbaugh advertises "Legalzoom" which, among other services advocates Living Wills, which Limbaugh specifically mentions in his script.

All three are hypocrites and people who misrepresent facts, not to mention their own standards. These three and others will do whatever is necessary to be in the limelight and make money. Talk about flip-flopping.

Wake up America to the reality of what is behind all of this mayhem. It has little to do with healthcare reform as it does about their bigotted anti-Obama feelings.

Anyone who would believe the "death panel" gibberish would believe anything. Unfortunately, we still have many grownups that believe in "intelligent design" as well as Noah's Ark and all the other preposterous fairy tales. And if you describe these beliefs like I just did you are labeled a hater or atheist, or anything else that can be thought up in an instant.
Obama sees a massive problem that he was elected to fix and is just trying to do his job. The people with the money who want to keep looting the public will not go quietly and know how to manipulate the simple folk who easily duped and convinced to argue against their own best interests. We need another Constitutional Convention to modernize our system of government.

Go Sarah Go! Doh, let's scare my grandparents.. Priests have end-of-life discussions. Get it right the first time, stop scaring my mom about nothing. Who would let anyone pull a plug on grandma. Boogeyman much? If anyone starts pulling plugs on grandmas, I will be there to stop them and I wont be alone.

To think she would have been vice president...and then resigned.

This article should not exist. It is a waste of everyone's time since it contains no valuable information, and not meaningful analysis. It merely points out that there are some people with unusual views.

Furthermore, why would you bother comparing Larouche to Palin? One was on a major party ticket, and the other is insignificant, both in terms of the quality and interest of his ideas, and the size of his following.

What's going on,
Froma a white male living in the north east
Thank you for what I wish I had Said.

AHMEN

This is not about disagreeing with health care reform. This is about a black man in the white house. The republican party has always been racist and will remain racist. Sarah Palin is just an ignorant woman who was thrushed into the spotlight and is loving it. She does not even know about minority people. She knows exactly what she is doing. It is okay for husband to join a club that wants to break away from America and nothing is said. She is upset that the sane America has found out who she really is, a noboby, a pretender of knowlede. No one complained when Bush and Cheney put us in this mess. Look at the republican party. Notice who all the members are? Old people who do not want change. Old white men who do not want to loose their connection with the insurance industry. They are getting paid big time. i just can not believe how ignorant these people are. How can you complain when you don't even know what is going on. These people only get their information from fox news and the racist pigs out there. How about reading once in a while for yourselves to learn the real issues. It is just sickening how they always mention God and abortion in everything. If you don't want the plan don't sign up for it. If you don't want an abortion use abstinence, but you can not push everyone into having the republican belief. This is America not the Republican party's country. You people are just stupid and ignorant.

Luv it when someone isn't afraid to call a spade, a spade. More power to you Ms. Palin, hope you find yourself a worthy running mate for 2012.

Thank God Obama will be out of office in 3 1/2 yrs. Then we can get back to capitalism

Too many people are blindly loyal to their party lines to get beyond the media mud and actually look at the bill. There are plenty of frightening facts within this health bill, just read it.

Even if the federal government could do a good job at running our health care the American people should still be against it. The federal government has the Constitutional obligation to PROTECT its people, not PROVIDE for them. We should not be comfortable with allowing our government to take care of us. It goes against the principles of why this nation was founded. We the people are accountable for our own lives but the government wants to take that freedom away. It must stop.

The far right are targeting the uninformed and sad to say, those who are not highly educated. They govern on FEAR and HATE. The American people need to educate themselves and get the right information and stop listening to those who wanted this president to fail from day one.

The only thing the republicans want is for everyone to suffer. I surely can not wait until you meet God, because he will definitely have a good lesson for you to learn. You can be sure that there will be judgement day. Also Obama does not have to worry, because God is on his side. Why do you think that he beats you at every turn. I guess it was okay for the guy to have a pistol strapped on his leg at the town hall meeting. Some nut could have taken that gun and killed a lot of people, but that is okay with you republicans. As always trying to intimidate people to get your way. Remember the white people stole this country, then you rounded up slaves to work your land. Then you brought the immigrants over for cheap labor. Now who started this mess? After you have bullied your way through everything and messed it up now you want your America back. I look at some of you people on these news shows and shake my head. You people are so misinformed. I work everyday just like you uppity people. If i do not want the plan now at least it will be there for me when i lose my job. You are not giving people anything, people have supported themselves without your ignorant backwards thinking. The republicans just want everything like it was in the 50's and 60's where you could lynch and deny people their freedom.

Nobody here is saying it is wrong to dissent, although that was the dominant theme up until the recent inauguration.
What is upsetting thinking people is the practice of upsetting vulnerable citizens with lies.

Yes. Lies. Palin lies, Grassley lies and Limbaugh lies.

Everything being used to scare people is already in place today and administered by private companies with the goal of maximizing profitability.

If healthcare is not a right, then stop using my taxes to protect the intellectual property of drug companies and to give grants to medical school and to setup state based medical boards to decide who can and cannot procatice medicine. Also stop regulating insurance companies. Let them do whatever they want. Then when these wingnuts get sick or injured, you'll see the debate change.

Right now I think it's mostly about greed. Insurance companies, drug companies and mean-spirited little people who don't give a smelly crap about their citizens ot nation.

Those who believe in a return to the "Utopian 50s" the culture war is over, you lost.

What are you? Two years old? This sounds like schoolboy name calling. Just because someone happens to disagree with the liberal agenda, they are a wingnut? What happened to intelligent debate? Palin's voice needs to be heard – she is a respectable and accomplished woman, and no one can change that fact. She is also a refreshing force in the political world – and beautiful – and no one can get over that either!

CNN, cut the cord from Obama already and have an original thought. It's time you examine both sides of the argument. If your goal is to have no intelligent person come to you for news, keep it up. We used to expect media to be the watchdog, not a stool pigeon for the current administration. And that applies to left and right wing politics. Be unbiased, just once.

If the American Wingnut Patriot and all his Tea Party pals need some psychiatric counselling I know a good psychiatric hospital up in Canada where they can get help. No charge, they have Universal Health Care....

First of all CNN has become more like fox entertainment rather than a serious inpartial report the facts news station. The President for CNN got his nose bent out of joint because he has a crush on Palin so no more radio talk hosts will be allowed on the air except for of course Bill Bennet.

The other thing is all you anti goverement/ anit Obama people out there that have a problem with the public health care option need to wake the hell up. It's an "option" for those of us who cannot afford what you now have. Back off and quit acting like others don't deserve to have affordable health care. It will force the greedy and immorale insurance companies to become more competive and therefore reducing your costs as well. IT IS GOOD FOR EVERYBODY except maybe the insurance companies profits.

Quit acting like little spoiled little children because your man Mc Cain lost and Obama won.

People on the religious left charge that Palin and others are making up stories about death panels that will be created by the Democrat health plan. To test this, I read the section in question. Palin and others are correct. The section hints that end of life counseling may indeed be mandatory. The language states that the counseling sessions may be recommended more frequently than every 5 years based on recommended from health professionals, lawyers, and health policy experts. This sounds like a worse nightmare than what we have now. Now at least you can challange insurance providers in a court of law. In a government controlled system, the law is always on the governments side and not the people's side. People bashing Palin ignore these facts and pretent that they don't exist. They sound pretty hateful and intolerant too, if you read the other comments here.

Palin is effectively RIGHT in everything she's been doing. She is so right, it makes the rest of us normal. There is a blinding impedement with her too – she feeds on the emotions of the gullible. It is left to the rest of us the ensure that we continue to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because if we don't, God help us!

Does it really matter if we call it a “Death Panel” or a process that we supply information to like age, weight, height, smoker, drinker, existing health issues and then come up with a number that falls somewhere on a matrix that decides whether you get life extending or saving health treatment or not.

Price for care seems to be the domino that if pushed would have a tremendous affect on every aspect of the system as it stands. It seems that Texas has made some significant progress in this area with changes they have put in place that deals with malpractice among other things. The price of healthcare has dropped while the quality has increased do to more doctors setting up practice in Texas. This lends itself to both diversity and quality. Wouldn’t it make sense to apply what works to what we have in order to make it better for everyone? I don’t think we can deny that the care that is available in America is some of the best!

John Avlon, should get his poltics correct, LaRouch is right of the Republicans

Let's remember, Hitler was democratically elected and acheived "cult of personality" status well before he became the demon we all know today.

I once believed that liberals fought for individual freedom but at every turn, they legislate away the individual. If that isn't the backbone of Socialism, then I must be very confused. I've lost my faith in the Democrats to protect individual freedoms, therefore they've lost my vote.

I am amazed at the number of people shouting about health care, shouting about commmunism, shouting about socialism, and shouting about free speech. No one is telling you that you can't voice your opinion! Freedom of speech is a two way street! Freely speak with everyone else instead of silencing everyone who doesn't agree with your "shouting points". Let EVERYONE speak!...and maybe if we listen to eachother we can get something accomplished. Everyone should agree that it is time for reform! Now is your chance to tell the government what type of reform is necessary and what type isn't. Don't let the voice of reason be drowned out by the shouting.

If you think Sarah is a nut, what about Pelosi, Reid, Durbin, etal?

UnAmerican to disagree? I spent 22 years of my life so that wingnuts, liberals, or just plain old American people could maintain their right to free speech, free to find life , liberty,and the pursuit of happiness.

And now if you speak out against the GREAT socialization of America, you are reported to the 'fishy' network. Orwell must have been a prophet and saw the day of Obamanation.

Richard Cheney will defend Sarah palin from his secured, undisclosed location. George Bush willl authorize post-presidential illegal wiretaps in order to determine the "wonky liberal" demographics. Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny will further assist the right-wing slander program. Watch for the fair and balanced details tonight on FOX!

dissent is american- i think the article is saying the he's pictured to the left but hey i'm not as smart as you are

Oh yes I think the right is telling us to remember the good old days of when they had majorities and sitting presidents. When the country was good and fair to us little people. When Nixon was ransacking the Watergate building or all that money was trickling down to us from the pockets of the very wealthy by the rep. god (oh R reagan) or the two Bushmen who have as a family screwed up this country in their 12 years of being president more than in any time in history of the USof A. Good cozy thoughts. Just the sight of Young king George ( I guess he must of been abducted by alians since you dont ever see him) gives me ill feelings.
The rep. should really make up their minds. Cant have socialist policies in this country. Then all you so called patriots should make a list and state you dont want socialism in this country. Then when you have a fire we wont have to pay the fire dpt. to come to your house or when you have a break-in we dont have to send the police dpt to your house since these sytems are purely socialist systems. These patriot then can find a good private school or home school since I dont want these idiots in the socialist public school system. That would save us billions of dollars right there and it would make the so called patriots in this country feel good about themselves.
If they need an prescription then they are SOL since the funding for research and developement on most meds are done in a socialistic system. And please put a sticker on your vehicle before you enter that federal park system no no no you cant go in there since the whole system is used with our taxpayer money so only us socialists can camp and look at the wonders of that system.
And since the country is at war and that system is purely socialist that you can stop beating your chest saying how great our fighting men are and start paying for paid merchs. to do our fighting -but you already have that they are called concern citizens at town hall meetings).
Your COMPATIONATE CONSERVATIVES make me sick and this is one more reason.

CNN's reporting does not present all the facts. No one will check identification for those illegals who want free health care. Come on, actually report both sides!

Judging from AmericanWingnutPatriot's post below, it is clear that there are plenty of delusional people who are receptive to Palin's and LaRouche's drivel.

Only racism can make one so blind. Healthcare for all is a good, christian thing. There are no death panels. The insurance companies are standing between you and your doctor now, why does no one care about that. A for-profit company is making decisions on what treatment you can or cannot have. Apparently this is OK. Heaven forbid the government bring the greedy, profit driven insurance companies premiums down. I think all these wingnuts need to apply to work at these insurance compaines, I mean your already their number one advocate, might as well get paid for it, right?

The president is doing his utmost best to help, yet they have individuals like Sarah Palin, who tries her best to bring him down
She is just like Rush, Beck, and all the others on Fox news, HATERS
Palin is always stating that the media is after her children, yet she is the one that is putting her kids in harms way. What a dumb nut

Randy Willaman- everything you typed is pure comedy. keep it coming and try not to contradict yourself so much. you really show your intelligence

Can someone please tell why I should trust the GOP at this point? This part y with so many ideas – where were they during the Bush years. Hannity says "they lost there way", so why are we to believe they've all of a sudden found it????

I asked my Congressman a question (John Carter of Texas) and no response as of yet, to tell me why he feels a public option is a "government takeover". I'm waiting on ONE, just ONE person to tell me that. If the bill reads, you can keep your current policy if you like it, then what is saying you won't get to keep it. BTW – this death panel stuff has got to stop. The GOP has offered nothing, not one single idea that I've seen. So if nothing happens because of them, and medicare and medicaid goes bankrupt, we know who to blame.

When will Americans open there eyes and see the republicans are sabotoging peoples right to health care. When government runs health care, just like in some Canadian provinces where they also run car insurance costs go down, coverage is offered to the poor and no fat cat insurance execs making 10 million a year while denying coverage for some life saving health service. Now I know that may not be common, but it does happen and never should. When government runs health access is granted to all, and that's how it should be. If you believe the taxes are too high or you don't want to support others with your tax dollars, suck it up. Stop spending so much on defence and more on the health of your population.
P.S. Canada Federal income tax rate: 29%
US federal income tax rate: 35%

This article is extremely bias to help Obama have some credibility toward his messed up Health Care Plan. It's interesting to see CNN defending this Socialist wacko President just because he is promoting Liberalism.

Check out Palin's April 16, 2008 Healthcare Decision Day, where she proclaimed support for what she is now calling "death panels".

She was so proud of her support that it was on her web page. Funny how it was pulled when she made her "death panel" comments

What baffles me is the fact that there are people out there who continue to listen to Sarah Palin and feed her ego.There are millions of women who make intellectual contributions every day in the world,and especially the USA that don't get the recognition she does.She attracts the brainless zombies who contribute very little to society and regardless what she says,the same people eat it up as though she is a god.

I've got an Idea, Let's all continue to act like spoiled brats and outscream everyone else until we get our way! Stupid fools, this world belongs to all of us, not just the wingnuts.

Palin is an idiot, a republican and a quitter ~~ 3 strikes, you're outta there.

Thank God for your article. I cringe from the perversion of a bill that should be debated on its merits, not on hysteria and fanaticism. Sarah Palin chooses to engage with misinformation and tout it as family values. And posting a picture of Obama as Hitler? I hope that your article serves to add some measure of intelligence and courtesy to the debate. It seems to me we are back to Obama as potential terroist... the thinly veiled, or not so thinly veiled measures lobbed against him by Palin and her crew in the election. Help!

She's in good company although I do think you're being exceedingly kind just calling her a wingnut. She goes far, far beyond that, but interestingly, she has a few followers (see Americanwingnut's observations above), who share her optimism for sheer oddball behavior wrapped in a faux American flags. They scream the loudest obscenities and make the gravest threats - all in the hope that someone, anyone, will pay attention. No, Sarah Palin and her backers aren't nuts. They're comic relief and nothing more.

To "dissent is american":
Sure, Palin and Larouche have the right to say whatever they want. And they do.
CNN also has the right to point out that its a blatant lie (Palin) and a bit crazy and in poor taste (LaRouche). Free speech doesn't mean you can't call out the wingnuts.

Why is CNN doing a story with this man is CNN gone that far to the left too

its an opinion piece people, not news, get a grip.

So, the Government "panel" (assumedly) that denied 64-year old Barbara Wagner in Oregon (Gov't run healthcare) the $4,000/month cancer drugs but offered to pay for the $50 "end of life" drugs wasn't at all a "death panel", huh?

Oh, the evil drug company gave her the drugs for free. Of course, the gov't might do the same for you, IF YOU'RE A REGISTERED VOTER OF "THEIR" Party, of course.

There's a high dose of righty nuttiness in the comments. Get Ayn Rand's hand out of your alimentary canals and do some critical thinking. Both of these wingnuts are deserving of the title. Palin lied. Denying it requires a special amount of cognitive dissonance. LaRouche is, dare I say, even crazier than Sarah.

Wow. I sure hope the insanity's not contagious.

Get this Health Care Reform done, pronto! If it covers 45 million uninsured Americans, I don't care whether it's partisan or not, socialism or not, as long it is not coming from these wingnuts. These are all smokescreens. If the previous Bush administration really cared about Health Care, they should have done something about it when they had control of the White House and Congress. The previous administration should have done something to cut down heatlh care cost and the cost of prescription drugs. It's so pretentious to say that they care about people's health now that this administration is really going to do something about health care this time. Leave the wingnuts alone. They do not deserve a space in your respectable news network! They can be covered by Fox News.

How about the wing nut brother of Raum Emaual (SP) that just this year advises those under 2 years old and over 55 years old should NOT recieve as good as care as those inside those ages? But I guess the liberal press can't be covering any story that makes liberals look crazy....

Watching these town hall "meetings" from Canada I can't help but be very concerned about the health of the world's oldest democracy, the United States.

What has happened to pulic debate? Why are so many people filled with so much fear about Obama?

The mis-information that flies aroung the talk radio stations is unbelievable. It's increadible that most American's still think that the 9/11 terrorist crossed the US- Canadian boarder (when they accually where admitted into the States on visa's.

Gues what, Canada, Europe, Japan, Austrailia, i.e. – the rest of the free world DOES have government run health services and we are not communist!

Randy: Was it not Nancy Pelosi who first called the expression of free speech and opinion by Americas as Nazi like and un American ?

No it was not..... this is just one of the many lies you swallow with such ease! Like the holocaust and the moon landing to be sure.

SHE SAID THAT DISRUPTING PEOPLE WHEN THEY ARE TRYING TO SPEAK ON THERE OWN BEHALF IS UN AMERICAN . AND IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOSER.

Neil wrote: "EARTH TO OBAMA. The majority of the people DO NOT WANT THIS. Wake up. Look at the polling data. Even CNN must acknowledge there is not enough support in the polls. SO why keep forcing this socialist agenda on us?"

EARTH TO NEIL: The people have been led, like cattle to the slaughter, to believe the lies, exaggerations, and untruths. Real news organizations, such as CNN, NBC, CBS, and ABC do their jobs to inform the public. Party led 'news organizations' like FOX perhaps, do their best to 'report' the lies as truths and distort the real story.
So Neil, get real. There's no socialist agenda. The people will support healthcare reform once the liars are shown to be the trivial wingnuts they are.

It's good that everyone is FINALLY getting involved with THEIR country. We have let the politicians run things too long with the people acting like sheep. This had better be the wake-up call for "We The People of the United States of America."

SARAH:

Re: The healthcare plan;

What do you say we "just stop makin' things up?" (Sound familiar?)

Death panels, Give me a break!!

I agree with you Randy. I used to watch CNN but now am just simply disgusted. Instead of calling it CNN for Clinton News Network, it should be called ONN: Obama Nut Network

ENOUGH Palin. The woman is an idiot. Truly an embarrassment to any thinking American. If these "Death Panels" did exist, I know who my first candidate would be.

@windrider August 14th, 2009 12:06 pm ET

"Labeling someone a socialist who isn’t one is just a childish insult. It’s a way of dismissing someone without ever having to deal with what that person is saying."

I think you just identified the philosophy of today's republican party.

AmericanWingnutPatriot and others,

Your ignorance and lack of education is clear.

An "Advanced Directive" or "Living Will" is not a death panel. I work in a hospital. It is a piece of paper that you can sign saying "If I am brain dead, keep me on a ventilator" or vice versa.

Anyone notice that the majority of the townhall lunatics are uneducated white people? I am saying this as a white person that is educated and gets my information from sources other than right-wing talk radio.

Wow, the comments have surprised me, I have nothing against free speech or opinions. People are actually defending this fanatical behavior and encouraging this atmosphere of fear.
What I do have problems with is political personas using their reputations to spread lies. Meaning, when Palin mentions 'death panels', she as a public figure is suggesting that these 'death panels' actually exist, but they don't, and neither does a health care bill, yet. I believe the town hall meetings were going to be a great way for our representatives to hear directly from the people about their concerns, but all these fanatics do is yell that they are 'scared of Obama!', of Socialism!, of what America has Become!, disrupting these town halls so that no-one can ask important questions, thereby blocking any ability to relay the truth. I haven't seen evidence of the local constituency asking important questions and voicing rational concerns. What is going on? The fanaticism on both sides needs to stop, everyone needs to slow down, consider what their true concerns are, and voice them, not by yelling, but by communicating with one another so there is some sort of solution that truly does reach across the isle.
Politicians that use these fanatical tactics lose all my respect, no matter what their stance on the issue is.

The only people here who are crazy are the ones that think the goverment can run anything correctly. USPS cut back services... how long before the ER is closed on Friday's? Its innevitable. Also funny that people can apparently afford a computer, but they complain about paying for their health care insurance. Priorities!

"Andrew August 14th, 2009 12:12 pm ET

I love how six years ago, even the most benign criticism of George Bush’s policies or actions brought cries of “traitor” and “love it or leave it”, but now that the Red State Rednecks are disenfranchised, suddenly it _is_ patriotic to question the president.
So, on behalf of all of us who were polite about it when your guy was in charge, I would like to offer you right-wing clowns some sage advice you gave me awhile ago.

“If you can’t respect the man, respect the office.”
“It’s a democracy. The people wanted him to win, and he won.”
“America, love it or leave it!”
“If you aren’t with the President, you’re against America!”"

AMEN!

If "conservatives" want "government out of their lives", then they want to get rid of their medicare, social security? What about public schools? Police officers? Then the government should mind their own business about a women's right to choose to have an abortion?

Bunch of hippocrates.

I am a strong supporter of what Obama would like to do with healthcare. I hope that the bill reflects what Obama wants and that it isn't done half-a$$ed.

Wow, what a weird bunch who are posting here. Does anyone have any real idea what they are going on about?
Sarah Palin seems to be a Very Odd Duck. Yes the health care system in the US needs work, maybe if people did not eat such junk, except toxic spills and injest so many things, they would be a little bit healthier. Bring back the smokers and drinkers.
Tax the insurance, drug and fast food companies rather than the average person. Tax the car companies.
Stop talking about Sarah Palin, if this is the next President of the US, plan on being the laughing stock of the entire world. I would rather have a five year old leading the way, at least we would know they really are this limited in intelligence.

I heard that President Obama is trying to mirror the healthcare program to what the members of Congress have. If that is the case, I have never heard or read about any member of Congress complaining about the numerous plans available to them.

Wayne Schwartz – thank you. I give you credit for doing the right thing and not just following the GOP. I agree with you. Palin is dangerous. She tells incidious lies to stupid people. A complete hate-mongerer.

Richard,

You are being paranoid. The country will never go single-payer. Even if it did in fifty years...do you know what that means anyway?

Why does the gov need to get involved? Because right now our healthcare is "for profit" and it is out of control. I work in a hospital and can tell you the atrocities that go on, and the main culprit is insurance companies. We do need reform.

The private insurance companies need to have some standards to abide by – like they can't drop your insurance if you get sick, heaven forbid.

I agree, not everything should change, but it is a VERY broken system.

If I lose my job tomorrow (which we all know is possible in this economy), what would I do? I have a spot on my lung. Should I starve so I can get an MRI? I won't qualify for Medicaid. What should I do? This proposed-plan would give me an option.

CNN, how is it that the childish and clearly unbalanced rantings of someone like "AmericanWingnutPatriot" can make it onto your blogs without censure, but more reasonable postings cannot? Honestly, people like that (I assume it's a guy because it is really stupid) guy should take a pill and just go away – such losers are just hateful bigots whose opinions are not among those that need airing because all they do is hate, hate, hate.

This has gotten so out of control, that it is mind-numbing! I am a registered Democrat (and proud of it) but I have voted for Republicans and Independents because I make my decisions based on the FACTS, not supposition. I am a married, black, mother of two and I am absolutely appalled at the hatred that I see making its way throughout this country. These are certainly not the values with which I want to raise my sons. I do not have a problem with people having a difference of opinion, as it is our constitutional right to do so. I have a problem when these "opinions" whether they are from the left or right fan the flames of violence. And I am afraid that this is exactly what may happen. Whether we like or agree with our political leaders, there is a certain amount of human respect and decency that is deserved. My deference to human life and respect probably comes from the fact that I am also a registered nurse who knows firsthand the crisis that the current healthcare system is in. I do not pretend to know all the answers, but we must do something. I know that my premiums increase every year (not my benefits) because my hospital is constantly having to eat the cost of uninsured or underinsured patients. We also had to forgo our cost of living increases this year, so that we wouldn't have to layoff employees. So, I still end up paying for it anyway. When you have to care for a dying 32 year old mother of two with breast cancer that might have been able to be treated if she'd been able to get a mammogram, but didn't because she didn't have insurance because her employer didn't offer it to her.. You might have a different take on things. My grandfather passed away from pancreatic cancer, but he was able to afford some new experiemental treatments that probably added a little time to his life. How can any of us watch our fellow CITIZENS suffer if he/she is willing to work and pay SOMETHING? This is the true American spirit...Not all the fighting and bickering. We really need to reset the tone or someone is truly going to get hurt, and that is what SCARES me!!

I just don't understand Palin. When it comes to welfare, the "unproductive" can take a hike. But, hypothetically, if health policy were to examine the "unproductives'" contribution to society, it's evil. Am I missing something?

Actually MRN you should die insteadand decrease the surplus population, a profit margin is more important than anyone else's life.
At least that's more or less the position of the ones against healthcare.

The reason Sarah Palin mentioned "death panels" is because of Obama's advisor Ezekiel Emmanuel. he is a bio ethicist and his chief of staff''s brother. if you google his name you will see an article he wrote in the 90s where he mentioned in that under universal health, medical services would have to be rationed because if you extend health care to all americans there would increased demand but the same limited amount of doctors. so how would we decide who gets benefits first....Dr Emmanuel premise is that health care should be dolled out to paitients based on whether they are contributing voting memebers of society. therefore an 80 year old with dementia or a child with down syndrome shouldnt get services before a healthy voting 30 year old. this was shocking to read and i know there is nothing in the proposed bills going through congress stating this, but this is the view of a high ranking bio ethicist for the CBO that obama appointed. if you dont believe what i am writting please google his name and read it yourself. This is a slippery slope. Why would obama appoint this man unless he believes similar ideas. its not that far fetched to see that this could lead to a soylent green type of future where the government encourages the old and sick to do their duty and just die.
Please google ezekial emmanuel yourself and read his radical views.
its important to research these issues and ask these questions, so i am glad miss palin bought this up. also when people on the left dissagree with someone's political views they always resort to personal attacks and insults. and its chilling how many liberals want to silence anyone who dissagrees wtih anything obama proposes by calling them nutscases, racists, mobs and ginned up. so many blogs say that right wingers shouldnt be "allowed" to say anything
that criticizes obama. is anyone surprise that middle americans are rising up worrying about our rights being taken away?

Here's a good mental exercise. Imagine our schools being run solely by for-profit companies, without a public option. What would happen?

How about our National Parks?
How about our national highway system??

Who do you think would be excluded from the benefits of these systems? What would happen during an economic downturn, like what we've seen lately?

Think about it people. Your paranoid fears of the government trying to take over your lives is right wing propaganda. The government (under Democratic leadership, anyway) is trying to provide for the people in the face of business and industry that see people as commodities and the source of profit. Of course, everything cannot be government run, because with our capitalism and free commerce, there is no tax revenue. But there are certain elements of infrastructure (education, transportation, healthcare, etc.) that needs to have a protected, public alternative.

Chris Matthews is not a wing-nut because he has real evidence to back up his stance on political matters. Palin is a dolt and a wing-nut and forgets she herself called for Alaskans to create advanced directives before she quit her job to pursue more lucrative offers. Wing-nut Larouche has been on the fringe for yrs for a reason. If the GOP wants to provide a clear-cut fact based opposition to health care reform debate they have to stop using rich political nuts from spewing lies – the Town Hall opposition is funded by the whack-job who gave us the Willie Horton ads.

@brian August 14th, 2009 4:58 pm ET

The only people here who are crazy are the ones that think the goverment can run anything correctly. USPS cut back services… how long before the ER is closed on Friday’s? Its innevitable."

Another one of the misconceptions. No one is talking about the goverment running the hospitals, brainiac. It is about REFORMS to the INSURANCE industry and a PUBLIC (=government run) INSURANCE OPTION.

CNN, I think you are stirring the pot by not vetting your reporter's reporting. If LaRouche is a lefty then I'm a member of the DAR and I can assure you I am not. I think your reporting is really getting sloppy. Please do a little more research of the FACTS. Commentary is not reporting. I don't mind if it helps or hurts one party or the other as long as reporting is FACTUAL. I think most news outlets are too afraid of offending but someone will always be offended. So now you are offending the sane people of America who just want to get some decent health care without going bankrupt. Thanks a bunch for doing what you accuse others of doing, just stirring the pot. So unhelpful and so sad.

Reading Sarah Palin's most recent posting, it is clear that she did not, and could not have written it.

By comparing the "doubling down" and the "civility" posting to any of her speaches or her first "Death Panel" lie, it is clear the writing, and inclusion of footnotes, is beyond her abilities. Come on, footnotes?!? From Sarah Palin?!?

Clearly one or more of her advisers are ghost writing her Facebook posts now in an effort to polish her image. Maybe CNN can redeem itself by examining this and bringing out the truth about Sarah Palin's lies.

We have one of the few people with the guts and intelligence to save this country in the White House now. After reading some of these comments, I fear for him.

Go get 'em Vince! You are dead-on about the rightwing hypocritical noise machine. The level of purposeful stupidity that they show is incredible......and then they resort to name calling if you don't agree with them!! Apparently these people never gained further social and analytical skills after their 3rd grade recess.

The people at the town halls are "the essence of democracy?" Give me a break! They are right-wing conservatives, bussed in by groups such as 'Tea Party Patriots' and 'FreedomWorks,' two industry funded groups who stand to benefit if health reform legislation fails. The insurance industry and big medicine are playing a significant role in organizing, and perhaps stirring up the outbursts we're seeing at health care public forums around the country. When G-Dubya ran his town halls, you had to prove loyalty to the party and hold a ticket to gain entrance. A brilliant young (Democrat) student in my town in northwest New Mexico was ushered out of a Bush affair held at the Connie Mack ballfields a few blocks from my home, by Secret Service agents, based on his questioning, in our local newspaper, of the legitimacy of the Bush administration's invading Iraq, which began our free-fall into budgetary deficit, as so many of you Republican conservatives seem to forget! So much for your 'freedom of speech,' which we came closer to losing under the Bush administration than ever before in the history of this democracy!

I applaud CNN including "AmericanWingnutPatriot" in this listing.

Yes, "AmericanWingnutPatriot", you have a right to free political speech. But I would also ask, do you care about the truth and this country. My guess is that you don't.

I am heartened that most of you who have posted comments do not equate freedom of speech with hateful ranting and scare tactics. It is fine in a democracy to research, discuss and debate ideas. It is unconscionable that leaders like Palin and talk show hosts like Limbaugh lie and incite their uneducated base to potentially violent action.

And when people start bringing guns to town meetings, it becomes fascism, home-grown jihad. Guns and militias have nothing to do with freedom of speech or liberty - or health reform! These people are psychos, criminals and terrorists. Frankly, I wish they weren't on the streets and I want them nowhere near my children, or anyone's children.

Oh - and as for "the left being afraid of Palin," let's clear up that misunderstanding once and for all. We're not so much afraid of HER (she's just an airhead), as we are of sharing a country with the legions of crazy fools who can't see through her.

Given that the liberal left has no problems terminating an infants life in the womb it is perfectly logical for someone to assert that they plan to set up "death panels" for the aged.

Thanks, Sarah Palin. I'm a 70 year old very healthy woman with an equally healthy 93 year old mother who lives in another state. Both of us plan on discussing end of life issues with our doctors when the time comes. Thanks to Mrs. Palin's absurd scare tactics and untruths, it looks as if Medicare may not cover these consultations in the final bill. I plan on sending our expenses to Mrs. Palin.

I think you have a lot of people who feel very passionate about an issue and so they like to color their arguments in order to make a point. Nothing really wrong with that. While it may sound a little nutty for people on the right to say health care reform is going to create "death panels", I find it no more rediculous than arguments I hear from the left saying that you can't trust the insurance companies or private heath care simply because they make a profit (at what? saving lives? Whats wrong with that?).

I think a lot of people are worried that the heath care reforms being proposed could eventually turn into socialized medicne. Furthermore, there are no assurances that it won't. I often hear testimoninals about how great Euopean socialized medicineis simply because it is free and have to ask: how would anybody in Europe know if it was good medicine if it is the only thing availible? We have both private and a patchwork of public health-care in this country. If you had a brain tumor were would you prefer to go to get operated on?

Palin,s rants are typical of a party that out of touch with the people who they should be helping>Again it,s what,s good for me.

This commentary was "dead on"! OOOPS, excuse the pun. As long as Sara Palin can open her illiterate mouth, the world will definitely be blessed with her "wingnut" comments, over and over again.

How can anyone take what Sarah Palin says with any credibility??? She is a shining example of the type of people who watch Fox news – ignorant, narrow-minded, my way or the highway type people. Clearly she doesn't understand that every single health insurance company has a "death panel" that decides who they will cover and what services they will pay for. And their motivations are 90% profitability and 10% public relations – they certainly don't give a rip about who contributes anything to society – only who contributes to their P&L statement. News flash – insurance companies select who they will cover – has Palin never filled out an insurance application or received a denial letter in the mail???? Oh yes, that's right her insurance is provided by the Alaska tax payers (does that mean she is secretly a socialist/commmunist??). I certainly hope she doesn't accept Medicaid or gov't money for her son – that would be the crime of the century!

Fox must be biased since they seldom report on Palin and CNN can't get enough of her.

Great article, Mr. Avlon!

These lies and scare tactics are just sad. Most people hear these lies, and roll our eyes. But, for some that are not well informed and get their news from Faux news channel and O'reilly, Bec or Hannity this is scary.

I think some of this will backfire.

Thanks for doing an article exposing the lies!!!!!!!!!!!!

People really have no idea what's at stake. If we keep going with the healthcare "system" we have now, within 5 years NOBODY will have health coverage that's worth having. This keeps getting pitched as covering the uninsured like that's some goody-goody idea. Bush said people have healthcare - the emergency room. It's the dumbest thing he ever said - which is saying something. Because care in the emergency room, unless you really need to be there, is absolutely the worst care imaginable at the absolute highest cost possible. And those extreme costs are packed onto the backs of those of us who have employer-paid health care. And our "cost-sharing" goes up year after year, and the benefits go down. Without reform, within 5 years NOBODY will have healthcare coverage worth having.

Sarah Palin is a prostitute for the hunting industry. The real "death panel" was the one she unleashed in her state to needlessly slaughter
hundreds of innocent wolves to satisfy the selfish hunting lobby. I say, good riddance.

Listen up all you Americans! I just watched 26 video's of The World at War by the Thames Video Collection, an HBO special circa 1976. If anyone shouting about socialism, communism, Hitler, the Soviet Union, Japan, or any other country; take a refresher course. It was mass unemployment, lack of health care, and propaganda, etc., etc., that biased public opinion. And ignorance.

55 million people were killed in World War 11. Right now there is estimated to be 45 million people in the United States without medical insurance. After rebuilding Europe, Scandinavia, Japan-all now have health care for their citizens. Except America.

I don't necessarily embrace the government, but I embrace the idea that everyone in a democracy like ours has the money to insure all of us. This is a good thing, a needed thing, and compassion. If we never come to compassion in this country, it will be a bad thing.

Put down your hate, your fears, your anger, your misinformation. What will you do without insurance? I know, I lost mine. Now I just wonder what will happen if I get cancer, heart disease, or any illness. I will sell my home, I guess. This is really not the answer for you or me. Does Sarah Palin have health insurance? Yes. Does Barrak Obama? Yes. Why don't the rest of us have it?

Change the laws while we have a chance-it only comes around once in a very great while. Thank you for listening.

"Bill August 14th, 2009 10:11 am ET

Sarah Palin points out the truth, AND SHE’S A WINGNUT???? What are you folks smokin’? You’d better wake up and listen. The grass roots activism isn’t just about health care. "

I agree that this is not about health care. It boils down to rich white Republicans losing their meal tickets, the American consumers. It also boils down to the NRA telling people that this black President will take away their beloved firearms. The third issue is that Rush compares Obama to Hitler all day, and people start to buy it...what are YOU smoking?
And Palin pointed out no truths. The bill states that these consultations are VOLUNTARY, with health care professionals, not government people, and are a covered expense IF you want information. Nobody is promoting death. Why are you people so afraid of bringing this country into the 20th century...we are the only nation not caring enough about our people to make sure they have health care, which ends up costing us much more than any other nation pays per capita. The system is broken, and obviously letting the free market work hasn't worked. Sounds nice and democratic, but it doesn't work...people need help, and we'll all be better off...
Finally there is NO bill yet, and the end-of-lfe provision, despite Palin's assertion today, is not out. How could it be? The Congress is in recess and has been since before she raised the 'death squad' idiocy. So Grassley also lied today...big surprise.

barassodinga August 14th, 2009 11:00 am ET

“The recent uptick in comparisons of the President of the United States to either communist or fascist dictators is just unacceptable.”

Really? Direct me to the ‘unacceptable’ clause in the 1st ammendment, o enlightened one. Further, I didn’t hear the Obama Youth at CNN belly-aching when Jr. Bush was receiving *exactly* the same treatment from the left."

The same treatment? I don't recall a lib at a Bush rally carrying a loaded gun. Or posters comparing him to Hitler...we wanted him to come clean about the cost of the war and the torture policy, neither of which he did. We wanted to know about the illegal wiretapping of all Americans, but he lied about that. We asked him not to go to war...he didn't care. But the level of dislike never rose to the degree being perpetrated by the right wing talkers over Obama. I would never have wished the President DEAD, as I have seen all week on signs carried by Republicans. It is not at all the same, and is not American either. It is frightening that a few people can turn honest senior citizens into angry, scared puppets.

Lyndon LaRouche is no leftist, to set the record straight. To equate him with a liberal is a major disservice to those who are true liberals, such as myself. And we are very proud of that; it's tantamount to saying that one is educated and conversant in the issues of the day while living in a world full of morons.

Insulting your opponents does not make you any better then they....

The Constitution gives us (Americans) the right to speak our minds even you don’t like what they are saying.

Why will you Phony mouth pieces read the documents you claim to love before you start shut anyone who does not kiss you’re a%$#...

You always whine instead of making reasonable and logical arguments another’s position.

Just the facts please, you don’t need your name calling…

I like sarah palin she is not a wing nut, she tells the truth, she has been insulted by the media over and over, and when she defends herself, the media says she is a nut, I think the media has been very unfair to her and her family, Its about time she stands up and fights for what is right.

On the right lets takes all these wingnuts that rant and rave without knowing what the hell they're ranting about, because it sure isn't this health reform bill. First of all, let's see how they pay their medical bills once they lose their jobs. Second, the right knows that if this bill passes and works, like I think it will, their goose is cooked for about 16 years or so........People lets do what's right for Americans, not just the Special Interest people making all the millions on healthcare. Get real will ya!!! This is long, long overdue and had it passed for Clinton back in the 90's we would have saved $5T by now and not be in the shape we're still in with this mess we call our healthcare system. This is America, and if we can't do it better, something is very, very wrong. Grow up and use your brains God gave us!!

Larouchies again!

Opportunistic political blowflies with a nose for civil unrest.

What is really depressing about Palin’s comments are that they are working! They are talking about getting rid of paying doctors to talk to their patients about end of life care. (That is what Sarah Palin is calling “death panels”.) This nation really needs to talk about how we should handle end of life care, because it is not only expensive, it is also often contrary to the will of the patient. When we need serious discussion, all the right wing nutcases are doing is fear-mongering.

Palin and LaRouche are not worth reporting on, but they somehow capture the limelight. I think discussion and disagreement are good.
What is disheartening is how dumb some of it is. By the way, Liberal and conservative (how tiresome the labels are) are not synonymous with wingnuts...however, I'd hardly classify a true blue liberal like Chris Matthews as a wingnut–he's just a little over-enthused sometimes.
Besides dumb, some of it is just plain ignorant–like Palin, like Limbaugh, like Michael Steel, like Beck, like Hannity, like Coulter. Some of it is just plain politics–like John Baynor now not liking consult on end of life wishes now, but did before he could capitalize on criticizing health care for Republican crazies. Some of it is just foot in mouth, like Nancy Pelosi & the "unamerican" comment. Then there's Murtha, a Democrat, who doesn't care if Healthcare Reform doesn't get done till January–probably so he has more time to slip in his pet projects. And one doesn't have to wonder with this cast of characters why people are cynical about the politicians and the news.

What is wrong with you people? If

As a Canadian I can't help but wonder WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE! Universal Health Care should be the first and foremost responsibility of any Governement, looking after its people, the weak, the elderly the young and the less fortunate!
Health care, Socialism?Communism? The hate and fearmongering has left Canadians fearing for America
Our system is not perfect but it works, no worries about huge medical debts,bankruptcies, second mortgates ect to pay for medical treatment.
Whats happened to the so called Greatest country on earth?

The gang of politicians presently in power, Democrats, Republicans with Obama included talk to us about the proposed health care bill they are pushing and want us to think all we need to know about the bill is what they are telling us. They stand in front of us and talk out of both sides of their mouth, they have a bad habit of miss speaking and tell us there is much urgency in passing the bailout, TARP, Cap and Trade and now something only a small number of Americans want.
Let us see this 1,000 page Health Reform bill, on paper, for all to digest and I don’t care if it is work in progress. We can’t respond to our representatives if all we know is the candy they are telling us. We have asked how is this going to be funded and the answer is “self funded at no extra cost to the taxpayers”. Do our elected officials think our beurocrats are actually going to make anything more efficient? The people know, the problem with our present health care is the government, not President Bush, not Capitalism, but the law makers who create the bills that drive up the cost of living.
Anybody except a politician would look at the number of frivolous, health related law suits, or in fact, all frivolous law suits and start there with cost reduction. I won’t insult your intelligence by telling you why law makers won’t touch this out of control problem.

Thank you, Mr. Avlon. Sarah Palin garners absolutely no respect for millions of Americans. Those select few that support her ignorant rantings raise eyebrows, to say the least. I applaud the republicans distancing themselves and hope they remain disassociated, disconnected, and dismiss her permanently as a relevant political figure. That would be refreshing.

LaRouche is simply a disgrace.

When Sarah Palin makes a true statement it's "nuts". Other politicians can say the same thing and it's accepted. Liberals had better understand that she has a huge following. Perhaps none of you read what Ezekial Emannuel (health advisor to the President and he isn't even a medical doctor) wrote about children under two and adults over fifty. What she described is EXACTLY what they have in mind.

I think Avalon is a wing nut, I wonder how he can even keep a job, Sara is a good woman & more honest than other politicians, I wish her well & she will make alot more money than Avalon.

Palin has already proven herself to know nothing. she refused stimulus money that her state really needed and after she quit ( my parents taught me when you start something you finish it too) the first order of business was to secure that money for the energy industry. At any rate she left because the heat was to high in the kitchen now she needs to go away.

When Sarah (former governor, she quit) quotes "death panel" and "level of productivity in society" who is she quoting? Who's making stuff up now?

As a citizen of the world watching what is going on in America, I may be able to provide a fresh perspective. The 8 years the Bush was in office was a stain in the history of the US, at least in the eyes of the rest of the world. Secrecy, lies, hidden interrogation / detention facilities, a war of choice, as opposed to necessity.

Love or hate Obama, you do have to admire that he did open up the debate to the American people in a manner that is unprecedented. If he was really a socialist, liar, thief and all the other world some people in this forum have used, the issue of health care would not be up for debate. He would simply make a unilateral decision and do this behind closed doors, like what you saw in the 8 years prior. Instead, the townhalls are providing a vehicle for free speech.

Also, speaking as an outsider, I must say that the world is watching these townhalls with disgust. Where is the actual debate amongst all of the yelling? Isn't America the land of Harvard and Yale? And do people on all sides of this really want to be represented by "wingnuts?" I hope that there is more to the left and right than these crazies. And make no mistake, they are nothing more than crazies.

A short note about Sarah Palin, the world sees her a stereotypical dense American bimbo, no different than an actress or celebrity – no substance, just a waste of time and air, yet catapulted to celebrity because America worships celebrity. Do you really want someone like that representing you in a World Leaders' Forum? Those who accuse Obama of being a celebrity forget that he is a Harvard laywer who has singlehandedly and swiftly reminded the world that America is more than what is seen on Jerry Springer and the Simple Life.

So, debate on, but remember, the world is watching. It is very difficult to convince foreigners that Americans are not self serving, selfish and rude people when not only can you not take care of your own, but can even be respectful when debating how to do it. I believe there is more to America, you just have to stop letting these crazies represent you.

Wow. A lot of these letters written in defense of Sarah Palin sound like they too were written by nut jobs.

People! Get a grip and actually learn something before you go ballistic, because you have no idea how foolish you come across to others, especially those better informed.

Badboy, if those three Dems are the closest you've ever seen to a Hitler, you aren't very old and you are exceedingly ignorant about Hitler and the Nazi Party. There are no elected leaders in our country, on either side of the aisle, who deserve being compared to Hitler or Nazis.

As for Palin, I live in Alaska and Palin cares about only one thing, her own career and climb to the top. She will do whatever it takes and is pandering to extremists on the right to build her base. Her fans should learn more about her record in Alaska, not just as governor, and read up on why she became so unpopular to Alaska voters before going wacko in her defense.

Sarah, please hire an interpreter to help you understand what living wills are.. because of YOUR LIES, the insurance companies will not pay for counseling between the patient and doctor. May just review my living will (which I have had done years ago in my 30s) with my doctor and send you the bill. Take off your blinders!

I find that this health care debate it filled with many ironies. Many of the people opposing it worry about government bureaucrats
taking away their medical choices yet they are not appalled by insurance bureaucrats that routinely deny them or their families life saving health care for pre-existing health conditions all in the name of greed. Also, others being particularly being vitriolic about the proposed legislation often are on Medicare and Medicaid which are by definition "socialist" programs enacted by democrats. Yet many of these people don't want to give those benefits up. That being said I would defend the right of my fellow Americans to disagree with me on this and other issues with my life as this is the heart of democracy. I would just urge people to research things themselves and then form an opinion. Go to the bill itself not some bloviating politician or misinformed person just screaming and urging violence. Democracy depends on the electorate..us...being informed for our country to thrive and be a shining example to the world.

The saddest part of these comments is that most here claim to be Christian, and yet the comments are far from anything the Bible teaches. Comments such as "Take our country back", are what the radicals terrorists are shouting too.

Let me ask you this, what party was Christ? What kingdom was he for? What did Jesus tell Peter when he drew his sword to protect him from those who came to arrest him? Where is your faith and trust that God will fix things in his due time? Do and say what you want, that is your right. But please leave God out of it. Do us all a favor and stop calling yourselves Christians!

The real blame lies with the church leaders who promote this non-christian behavior. If they don't promote it, they turn a blind eye for the sake of money and membership.

The main theme of the Bible is God's Kingdom. Obviously your church does not teach this. Think of literally the millions who are losing faith because of your actions.

i hope someone reads this and really understands where im coming from. i am not a "wingnut" i am a moderate, and am registered independent. i am on the fence on this bill (HR 3200) but am leaning against it. for a major reason. i have read much of the bill. the problem i have is that nothing in it is expressly stated. everything is left to interpretation of what a certain collection of words mean.

i keep hearing this: " people on [left/right] keep spewing misinformation" or something along that line.

i would like someone to tell me, according to who or what is any information accurate or inaccurate? there is not one thing in this bill that is concrete. yes some people are taking it too far (death panels). but i also think it is safe to say that when our congressmen and president tell us what they THINK is in it, that they either don't know, or could easily just be giving us the interpretation that we want to hear. with so much ambiguity in this bill it is easy for it to be misconstrued.

what i want to know is, how can i support a bill i when i cannot be absolutely certain what it says even reading it myself.

why should i trust ANY politician to offer me there interpretation of it?

why should anyone HAVE to interpret it for me? this is law that will change all of our lives! why does it need to be so vague?

and finally how can any one of you out there say that what you think the bill says is really what its trying to say? and how can any of you know that the way you read it, is the same way our congressmen read it and plan to use it??

the problem is, you can't. none of us are clairvoyants. all you can really do is decide to trust your politicians. i for one have never trusted any politician, and that is why i am having a hard time. if anyone has any insight on this, id be glad to hear it.

Larouche is a Libertarian, not a Liberal. Reading some of these posts is pretty scary. AmericanWingnutPatriot believes a "death panel" section was secretly and quickly removed from one of the proposed Bills as soon as Palin made her comment about it. Even Palin hasn't made a claim that foolish. INow there's the nonsense about allowing funds to be transferred from private bank accounts! Nothing could be further from the truth. Medicare will not be cut by millions, billions, or trillions – however, allowing Medicare to negotiate better drug prices (banned by the Bush Administration) will result in huge savings while providing the same service.

The proposed Bills can be read on the Library of Congress website so anybody should be able to make those decisions for themselves.

Stop believing every ridiculous rumor. If it sounds crazy, maybe it is so check it out before having a hissy fit.

I really don't care what Palin has to say, because it's all intended to rile up the uninformed. As far as gov't. run health care, if people hate it so much, they should give up their medicare, or sign away their RIGHT to have it at 65. I don't see a lot of people demanding to have private insurance over Medicare. My private insurance will go up 10% this year–last year it was 28%. I couldn't switch plans–my employer gets to decide who insures us. Then I'm told that in addition to paying more for healthcare, my employer can't afford to give me a cost of living wage increase due to health care costs. After all of this, I hear marginal news reports that certain health care companies are posting record profits. This is FREEDOM? This is what free market competition has done for us. The insurance companies have had 15 years to fix this problem, yet their innovative companies have come up with nothing that helps cover the uninsurable–those that need it the most. Their innovation has gone into how to make more money for themselves. Health insurance companies have financially strangled people in this country. Take my $3,600 that I pay to my insurance company for 80/20 coverage and give it to the govt. At least they'll cover the uninsured. By the way, only the rich in our country get the "best medical care in the world." The poor don't access care and die everyday from lack of treatment.

To AmericanWingnutPatriot

Let us all know what your panel of professionals have to say when they finish reviewing the status quo alternative as well.

And you need to take a deep breath before you give yourself a heart attack...it could lead you to the desk of the ER where I was this morning- the receptionist praying for healthcare reform to pass as I paid her the $125 co-pay that was only $35 four years ago.

We are seeing the decline of America, the once mighty nation. America is the centre of loonies, sodom and gomorrah similarities. When a nation becomes proud and arrogant and its people become fearless of God, you can just feel the wrath of God upon them.

Palin is beyond a joke. She can't think beyond a 5th grader and yet the STUPID 'conservatives' support her in preference for Obama??

Wake up America – you are almost a pariah nation.

Bush must have been one of the most STUPID and irresponsible president of America.

The health system was bad then and the majority of Americans wanted the system changed. Obama has come out with a plan but he is not being given a chance. Is this the outcome of a democratic country where every issue have a 50-50 debate because of its bipartisan system of democracy. C'mon!

In light of the fact that Congress has removed the "so-called death panel" language from the Health Reform Bil which didn't exist according to the Administration, I believe an apology is in order for Sarah Palin.

How could language which did not exist be removed from the bill?
USE YOUR COMMON SENSE IF YOU HAVE ANY to figure that one out!

teri

During these uncertain economic times the extremists on the right are using fear on many Americans to help further the cause of doing nothing for Obama, of course unless it means doing something for their own extreme interest.
I think the American people and voters have been here and seen these actions from the extremists wing previously. Americans will need to stand up and be heard on any discussion especially at townhall meetings for which these are important to our American values. These discussions being held for Health Care issues were never held for the 2nd Iraq war because the GOP is not interested in other American opinions except for the far Right Wing extremists input.
Nine years ago, a candidate for president promised Americans that he would unite the country – at a time when it seemed that's just what America needed. Instead, by 2004, America saw a country that had become more divided. America was now in two wars; its popularity in the world was slipping, in part due to its invasion of Iraq ; Congress had become even less effective than it was when it was deeply mired in partisan politics at the end of the Clinton years; and the economy had begun to show signs of a slow hemorrhaging.
Nine years later, after two terms of the promised “uniter,” George Bush, America finds itself with an economy on the brink of disaster – a result of reckless spending and mismanagement by a Republican administration that ran on the platform of smaller, effective government and fiscal responsibility. The American economy has a long way to go to recover in 2009, but recovery will never be soon enough for Americans that just need a fair chance to help themselves. Health Care that is fair to all Americans may just be the only change or improvement that some Americans may need to help themselves and help Americans keep chasing their American Dreams.
How long before you think one of those extreme right wing militia nut-jobs whips out an assault rifle at one of these town halls? Remember the cries of "Kill him!" at the Palin rallies? The threats of armed insurrection at the tea parties? The Homeland Security assessment that the radical right wing groups are a terrorist threat? The right wing nut head case that shot the abortion doctor?

Since there is no Senate bill yet, Palin and Grassley both lied when they said the end-of-life discussion provision has been taken out. When? Since the Congress has been on vacation? Are Grassley and Palin suddenly the co-writers of the bill? bet the other five committee members are not aware of that.
Palin is an American, and thus free to say whatever she pleases, but I am so tired of her pompous pronouncements about what is best for 'her' America, and her flat out lies that began a year ago with her much ballyhooed speech. Remember that? She said that she said "No Thanks," to the bridge, when in actuality she took the money and used it for other projects (as directed by the federal government.) That was her first national lie, and there are so many others. I really believe she cannot tell the truth. She says what will get press coverage and make headlines. I wish we could call a moratorium on Palin coverage for a week....the interest in her would die a quick death.

Vic , get a clue. I can tell you didnt do a lick of homework AND youve mis stated several facts like your right winged counter parts. I challenge ALL of you opponents to actually READ the darned document (and not the one re-written and interpreted by right wing nuts) And you will see that you have nothing to fear and even more to feel safe about. Again, the cons being fed to you and countless other braindead folks is being fed to you by Big Corporate types who could care less about your health. Now if my name calling kept you from hearing the truth, you now understand what you and your cronies are doing to the rest of America.

Maybe the title should be 'Crazy Palin, LaRouche stirring the Healthcare pot'

It is amazing how many people dont get it. All president Obama is trying to do is HELP us. It is not that hard to understand. The right wingnut wackos, who are lying about everything, somehow are able to brainwash these slow minded people who truly dont understand or care to know the facts. What part of, healthcare industrys will no longer be able to deny people with pre-existing conditions, double our premiums, co-pay, deductibles, and drop and/or deny coverage to their existing customers dont these slow minded people understand? All President Obama wants to do is provide us with a government option IF we want it. What is so evil about that? He has already mentioned how it will be paid for, and how the government is NOT trying to take over the healthcare industry!!

I have to laugh at the person who wrote," I findit no more ridiculous than the arWhile it may sound a little nutty for people on the right to say health care reform is going to create “death panels”, I find it no more rediculous than arguments I hear from the left saying that you can’t trust the insurance companies or private heath care simply because they make a profit (at what? saving lives? Whats wrong with that?). "

Last tine I checked, Insurance companies do not save lives. Doctor's, nurses and certain medical technologies save lives.

There are nuts on both sides, the right just have dumber one's. Sarah Palin is the Dem's secret weapon.

If you are against health care reform, why is it ok for the congressman and senators to have the best health care available and yet you feel that Americans shouldn't have access to there government health care? Hello, we pay for them to have excellent coverage and they are against us having the same type of benefits! I do not understand why Americans hate each other so much. If we are not careful we will have another civil war in this country, and that is truly scary. The hate that is spewing will continue to build until we have neighbor killing neighbor, brother killing brother, because we cannot and will not get along to make a stronger America.

I think she should go back home and stay their. So is just maken unwanted trouble.
Everyone problem is that they want to take orders from one of color and there you just haven't came out all the way.

Ms. Palin talks, with contempt, about the so called "Death Councils" that seemingly interfere with an individuals right to medical treatment; Big Brother interfering in the lives of American citizens.And yet her supporters want to take away the rights of others; the right to an abortion and the right of a same sex couple to to marry. It has been shown over and over that these so called "Death Councils" are simply not true. Why is it that she can say such stupid things that make her and her supporters look like such imbeciles and hypocrites and defend her statements?

Even though I do agree both of these people are self-serving wingnuts, Lyndon LaRouche certainly does not appear to be "on the left".
He is a self-proclaimed Libertarian.

...here in Canada we all cannot believe what is gong on in the USA. You gotta be nuts not to want government sponsored universal healthcare... it is so much better not worrying about poor health leading to financial ruin, a blessing to those that are old and the ill, and more compassionate to the poor. You are destroying a very wonderful gift because of corperate self-interest and partisan hatred. You guys got to learn to take care of one another, it makes for a better world.

Can CNN not post anything about the nutty Liberals?????? CNN,
NBC, MSNBC can only report lies on individuals who love our country and wants to help! So afraid of Sarah Palin because she has so much to offer our country!!!!!!! Will 2012 ever get here so Obama will
loose office to Sarah!!!!!!!!!!

It's amazing the rantings and obvious digust the GOP core and it's wingnut peanut section have demonstated ever since President Obama won the election. These folks are genuinely scared of having a very intelligent, progressive Black man as President in the White House. It's pitiful, they can't even hide their racism.

These death panels will become reality if the bill passes as it is presently written, but they will be called end of life consultations. All you have to do is download it pages 424to 434 of Hr3200. Just google [section1233 HR 3200].Download it and read all 11 pages. Then ask yourself this question, Do I want thousands of doctors and nurses and other medical personnel visiting millions of people in thousands of hospitals,nursing homes,hospice centers,MENTAL HOSPITALS,asssisted living homes,etc ,and consulting them on living wills and the range of medical treatment they should choose [ranging from full treatment to NO treatment] with the goal of reducing health costs and with the incentive of money to motivate them to obtain agreements for Less care. Think about it! Do you think all of these people can be trusted to not abuse this situation? Your own parents and loved ones are potential victims. what do you think all of these vulnerable people think about this dangerous idea?

Get over it. The democrats have won. Elections have their consequences. President Obama's ideas may not all work. However, it is refreshing to have a president who works hard for the American people.

syracuse is a lunatic. Being afraid of advice about end of life matters is absurd. people like syracuse would prefer the advice of someone selling invisible men in space fantasies. You fear what you do not understand. Think about it!

Palin is using typical republican lies and scare tactics. Seems that the right wing party is desperate when it has to resort to this.
No where, no way has there been anything said about people losing their freedoms or rights....She is simply making things up.

Avlon is right on target, we can tell by the loony responses. Palin is the best thing to happen to liberalism since Gingrich, I hope she keeps it up.

Reality to 'syracuse': you can put a cork in it now. Except for you true-blue flat earthers, this death panel lie has been discredited from every corner, leaving some high-profile original supporters stepping and ducking embarrasingly away now. This nonsense is the epitome of the rightwing stupidity being unleashed in the name of wishing to see Obama and this nation fail. If you really did read all 11 pages of the document you reference and you really did come to the conclusion you claim, you are a purposeful moron....much worse than stupidity and ignorance. You are an uber-partisan hack with no honor, a member of America's home-grown taliban.

Sarah Palin is a joke, a cartoon character, a failure and a mental case. Before she thinks of 2012 she should tell us why she could not govern Alaska, why her family and Britney Spears, resemble.

'Adolf' Hitler is spelled with an 'f,' not 'ph'.

Wow! After reading only 8 comments, I never could imagine the seething hate (my observation) directed towards the democratic process. We elected a president that would make change from 8 years of (2) wars (thanks George for taking your eye off the ball with Iraq), no government foresight after combat, government failure in response to Katrina (Brownie did his best), de-regulating large industries (Enron, Wall Street , and Bank CEO's nearly causing an economic collapse). It seems those opposed to Obama's vision prefer the previous adminstration's accomplishments to some having a better vision of ourselves who is also of mixed ancestry.

So if everyone doesn't support Obama's "Socialistic" health care plan, why are they not protesting against the current "Socialistic" health care programs? Let's get rid of medicare, medicaide, the VA, the CDC, the FDA... these are all government health programs...

How many of you with these pro-con opinions have actually read "the bill"? How many are aware that the mantra of the libs(Obama) of 46 million 'uninsured' includes 12-13 million ILLEGAL ALIENS (compliments of the U.S Census Bureau)?
That page 65 (or close by) stipulates health care for ACORN and another 'activist' group members will be paid by the 'reformed' health care plan?

For all of those criticizing CNN for this article and claiming that CNN is biased you are mistaken and clearly wrong. CNN is an entire news organization made up of INDIVIDUALS who are liberal, conservative, unaffiliated, and in the middle. This article was written by one individual expressing their own views yet still entirely based on fact. You will also find many conservative articles posted on this site. This is completely different from Fox where EVERYTHING had a conservative bias. Learn how to be objective, but I guess to do that, you'll need an education first.

God only knows what these end of life "optional advisory" boards might become once entrenched. Maybe they will make an old person feel guilty about being a "burden" on the system after paying 25%-50% total taxes for 50 years.

And BTW, if an "ignorant", unemployed Governor, posting a simple page on a Facebook, can have more impact on yet-to-be-defined healthcare legislation than all other Republicans and the majority-controlling Democrats; well, I'll take a dummy like her any day of the week.

... so here we are again....

The Right Wing "Neo-NAZI-Cons'.... so he**-bent and BOUGHT-OUT by the medical industry (that has no right to call itself a profession anymore).... all this discussion intended do divert the attention of the American people to one simple principle that has been stated and repeated and IGNORED again and again.... so people lets review.....

THIS IS A PUBLIC OPTION.....

In case you have been diverted by the EMPIRE of Rupert Murdoch lets review ONE MORE TIME.....

THIS IS AN OPTION......

So lets take a commercial break from the verbal diarrhea spewed out by 'Sara Baracuda' and Lyndon 'Never had a chance' and focus on the basic principle.....

THIS IS AN OPTION.

Lets review this word.

OPTION.

That means more CHOICES.....

That would swing medical care perilously close toward .... o... I dont know.... lets think..... FREE FRIKKING ENTERPRISE?????? In a Democracy WE JUST CANT HAVE IT!!!!!

... which just might deter these politically connected pharmaceutical companies from charging .... gee let see... $12,0000 a month for ANTI-CANCER PILLS? Hmmm... But no.... these people are INFERIOR.... they dont have blue eyes and blonde hair.... unacceptable..... ZEIG HEIL BIG SMILE...

These people are taking YOUR CHOICE AWAY FROM YOU.....

CNN is nothing more than a money-making shill of the right.....NOYT the "left". your commentators call lyndon larouche a "leftwinger" are you crazy? sarah palin is more leftwing than this man. there are zero leftwing or progressive groups that even exist (except for a few environmental groups) who say or do ANYTHING in vocal support of even leftwing ideals, let alone do the fascist activities that are the 24/7 bread and butter of nearly ALL republicans, and faithfully reported on/covered by CNN as representative of America. i especially love how your morbidly obese black christian pastor "reporter" so objectively represents racial issues on your shows, how your female reporters trash men ON AIR and receive zero negative punishment, how your coverage of gay issues (which consists of almost no coverage involves not a single gay reporter), how one looking at your station would assume that the USA is 99% minority, with all of the coverage of blacks that you shove down peoples' throats, to speak nothing of your crazy nonstop sensationalism of any real news. if CNN even placed an avowed progressive person on any of its shows, i think i'd pass out. enough with the propaganda you push, including this farce of a factual story.

Sarah Palin a mother and private citizen shares her comments on Facebook and becomes the target of scorn from pusillanimous sycophants that are in abject fear of her. Why?

[...] Avlon: Palin, LaRouche stirring the crazy pot – amFIX – CNN.com Blogs. [...]

Up until that health care comment that came out of SP'S mouth,I had at least a glimmer of hope that she had the brainpower to at least read before she speaks,Ultimate first rule get both sides of the story first before shooting your mouth off right! would not vote for her now if she wanted to be a school yard monitor!

Why would anyone be upset that a president who follows Gestapo enhanced interrogation techniques (and it was the Gestapo who coined the phrase itself) would be compared to Hitler? Face it, Bush coonsiders it acceptable to arrest Americans off the streets of our towns and put them into military custody without charges, attorneys or any word to their families while subjecting to treatment that normally results in the police going to prison.

The only "Crazies" out there are those that think CNN doesn't work for Obama's Communist agenda.

The left is petrified of Sarah Palin.

Never, ever heard of this guy Avlon that wrote this piece!
Just another member of the looney left!

syracuse , do a liitle deeper thinking, there are so many crooked people out there they would sell you the Brooklin bridge if they thought you could give them any money at all. Having a group of dr.s deciding if treatement (No mater how sever or worthwhile,or worthless ) could be helpfull or may prolong the death sentence by a day or so, would be a good thing. I for one, would like to die rather than suffer in agony having to drink liquid morphine for pain when everyone knows suffering painfull and terminal disease hurts all that have to witness it.

Sarah Palin's commentary about "death panels" ..... got people's attention. It's been the news this week ..... and so, for that ..........
I say, "Thank you, Sarah for waking people up to what could or
could not happen with the unfolding Healthcare reform act that
the Democrats are endeavoring to RUSH through Congress.'

People do need to awaken from the Obama mesmerization-–
and journalists need to start doing their job--reporting the facts .... not opinions. Everyone has an opinion-having one doesn't mean one is right. Most folks don't have a clue what's in the clue, but they DO have an opinion on it, don't they?

Before it is over, America will be a welfare state, if it's left to Obama.

The ancient Mayans predicted that the world would end in December, 2012. Did they have a divine insight into the fact that Obama might be "re-elected?" Woe is us.

Avlon: get a clue. Your misquote of Palin is very telling you said: "what she calls 'unproductive' members of society" – The reason "unproductive" is in quotes is because she was quoting what Obama's health care policy advisor wrote! The fact that you didn't know she was quoting Zeke Emanuel tells me that you didn't bother to actually look into Palin's claims. Why don't you actually do some research before you make fool out of yourself. I suggest you start by actually reading Palin's blog, check up on her assertions and footnotes for accuracy and context and only then should you pass judgment on her – or you can just join the bandwagon of Palin haters, vote the party line, follow the crowd, drink the kool-aid.

sarah palin is correct, if we have government run health care they will decide who is to live or die based on age and quality of life.i truely beleive this will happen and no one can covince me otherwise. let those who have no health insurance buy there own, that is over half the total of the unensured.

What do you guys expect of somebody who went to 5 university just to obtain a bachalors degree. Did you guys not see the way she abandoned her job as a Governor of a blind state because she was overwhelmed.
She reminds me of those low level thinking uneducated fools who like to make noise just to be heard.

I hope she continue to make jest of her deficiencies and become a laughing stock always.

Rating for 3 cable news stations
Fox News 3rd
MSNBC 22nd
CNN 23rd

Amazing how the liberal media is losing most of america. They see right thu the lies and misinformation. CNN was once the #1 cable channel. They have driven Conservatives and Independents away just like MSNBC. MSN NBC is so far out of the main stream they will never be a respected news outlet. CNN is shockingly behind them in the ratings. Obama is fading in the polls and those viewers are moving to Fox. Fox is breaking down the problems with the Cap & Trade bill and the Health care bill. CNN and MSNBC continue with Democratic Party talking points about "wing nuts" and "anrgy mobs"

LIberals are on the wrong side of the issues and have resorted to name calling. The Liberals can't argue against Palin's positions, sio they attack her. She was right about the death panel as there was a provison in the bill. She got congress attention and now they are trying to remove that provison. She is impacting policy and that is political power. Liberals are so afraid of Palin because she represents the heartland of america. She is the one person who can swing for the fences and knockoff Obama. She has nothing to lose and that is very liberating for a canidate who can say what she really thinks and feels. Just like the folks at the health care town hall meetings. This is democracy and americans are getting off their butts and taking a stand on a critical issue.

@ AmericanWingnutPatriot,

Sounds like YOUR A WINGNUT TOO If you think PALIN GOT BRAINS FOR THE NATIONAL STAGE.

GO RIGHT AHEAD AND MARCH TO DC ALL YOU WANT. THE USA WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THE STONE AGE BECAUSE WE DIVERSE PEOPLE OF ETHNICS & COLOR WILL NOT LET IT. SO GET OVER IT YOU SORE LOSER

LaRoche is not a Libertarian. He has never been a Libertarian. The Libertarian has never had anything to do with that nutbar. Nor are his (insane) views even remotely related to those of either the Party or the concept of libertarianism in the least. How he ever became associated with libertarianism I can only guess, but it has done the movement endless harm. I can only theorize he calls himself a libertarian to discredit actual libertarians.

Wingnut on Left made no sense.If thats the best you can get from the left thats great. How can a wingnut from the left berate its candidate unless its Racially motivated.He attacked Obama as Hitler.Dems who do that to thier elected Candidate is treasonous to me. Terrible pick .Try harder or just say there are none directed at Republicans its Obama they target. Thats the "Racism" in it.Republicans attack Democrats not there own party until Beck,Limbaugh,Palin started talking "Psychotalk". Democrats attacking Obama is Racist.No Loyalty.

To Mr Avlon: Great article. You NAILED it.

To CNN: You need more people like this guy. While I'd take issue with Libertarians being leftists considering the heavy presence of Friedmanite economic agenda's, they do have a large number of "Liberal" social agendas. ( I digress )

Best CNN Article EVER.

News Flash:

Despite popular belief, not everything that you read on the Internet is true! Research other sources before drawing a conclusion.

Why do we need to be bi-partisan. Lets just get a bill done with a public option. This should satisfy everyone except for the wingnuts... nothing will ever satisfy them. These people like Palin and her followers are just plain stupid.

Canada may not have the perfect health care system, but we do respect our seniors, we know what they went through too give our generation what they have today. The comfort of their last years should not depend on people like Obama who is lucky enough too be able too reach in his pocket and pay for his grandmothers care.Where would Obama have been without his grandparents.

The worst part about the Palin comments is that now that she's a known politician people will take her comments seriously. The whole idea of the death panel is absurd. Take a look at Canada's system, not perfect but definitely better than what you have. Health care is readily available to every member of society and no bureaucrat decides on the amount of care available because of the recipients "level of productivity in society". Everyone gets necessary, life-saving medical attention for free as well as access to a family doctor but not free prescriptions or dental. What's so bad about that?

As well, in response to all those who allege this new health care reform is a front for socialism moving in, I guess the socialized public school system, socialized fire department and socialized police force are somehow different from socialized medicine. All are readily provided by the government to those who need it and they haven't led to some kind of social or communist revolution. If you're going to rally against social programs take a look at how much you enjoy not having to pay for a squad car to show up at your house if it's being robbed before you vilify social medicine.

Let me start out by saying I'm a Canadian FRIEND. I spend all my winters in your country and am grateful for that opportunity. I also think that I am better than average in understanding American Politics if understanding is technically possible. I follow the elections and news as closely as most Americans. I just watched your President convene a town hall meeting with dignity and respect. Everyone learned from the process. This person Obama is the best man I have seen in the political arena. I am 65 years old and anything but naive or stupid. Wether you voted for him or not, allow the man to lead as you will not find a better man on either side of the aisle in a very long time. Your country needs this man so badly. If it were possible, many countries including Canada would be happy to have him. What I have witnessed recently is a tragedy. Your beloved democracy appears to have degraded into a bad joke. May God help you.

Shameful actions by the GOP gang of extreme right wing conservatives. The New Home Grown Terrorists. Fear, disinformation, hatred, dissent, divide and conquer is all they can offer the country. They call themselves patriots but will go to large efforts to tear down the democratic process and DENY others the due process just to get their way. It can all be boiled down to a Black Man being president of the USA. They can't stand it, they can't stand the fact that whites will be a minority in the very near future and it is driving the crazy with fear and worry. There will be health care reform. What we need to do is get the monkey of out backs of Special Interest Lobbyists in Washington. Send the whole armies of lobbyists back to their companies that only care about making money. Maybe the Health Care industry needs to be non-profit. Conservatives ran the country for 8 years and look where it got us. It is high time that this loud and vicious minority is put in its place, the scrap heap of failed history. As for the rest of us, lets work to make this a better place for all, including the fringe wackos.

President Obama will save these ignorant people in spite of themselves because he is a great leader doing God's will. Love America or leave it.

There are some of you who miss the point entirely. These people are not considered wingnuts because they do not agree with the President. It is the combination of lies and hate-filled tactics that make them wingnuts.

I hear a lot of complaining but I don't hear any solutions, except for leaving the broken system the way it is and letting the insurance companies continue to bleed us dry. The same people whining about government control will be blaming the government for doing nothing (should this fail), 20 years from now, when health insurance premiums are triple what they are today. What has the republican party EVER done to keep out health costs down? Hint: Nothing, except to counter the Democrats who have AT LEAST tried to do something repeatedly.

I'm not saying govt insurance is right but while you're all busy figuring out why its wrong (mostly based on lies and rumors), could you please take some time and come up with a plausible solution? I know......it's too much to ask. It's much easier to be a complainer.

The Wingnuts are easy to spot. They're always mad, always acting out of anger, and refuse to see past their own narrow visions and selfish needs. And they're always hypocrites. Palin qualifies. She's an ex-pagent queen, who quit her job as the Governor of a state with less people than some major cities. On top of that it's a state that CANNOT survive without the handouts and pork projects she claims to hate so much. She's a nutjob who keeps her face in the news by saying stupid things. Anyone can do that. Reading some of the crazy responses in here, it's clear we've got plenty of people who can do what Palin does.

If that's the new qualificaion for President, we obviously have no standards anymore. We might as well have Glenn Beck run in 2012. He can disect fish and make crayon drawings to show us dumb Americans how everything is a conspiracy. We can all buy his book and wear an official President Beck tin foil cap. According to him, being crazy is Common Sense.

The majority of this nation is comprised of sheeple. They require someone telling them what to do. They join a political party to be part of ideas they don't have the brains to create themselves. They're the same fools that cannot stay out of debt. These are the same nitwits that bought overpriced homes, gas guzzling SUV's, and invested their money into a financial bubble they believed would last forever. Now that it has all fallen apart.....they of course blame the Democrats because their republican masters have told them to. The same people yelling and screaming are the people that can't manage their own houses and want someone else to blame for it. I doubt we can depend on them for good advice on how to run a Government either.

If you just got laid off from you lush job, can't pay your mortgage, lost your money in the market, and can barely afford health care, the government isn't the problem, it's YOU!!!

Seriously, can people stop making mention of Czars specifically to Obama's administration? Do your freaking research. You will see that, via the bountiful information available to an avid Googler, there were plenty of Republicans that brought additional "Czars" on board.

Just google Bush and Czar. Knowledge comes not from your asinine assumptions... This statement applies to Left, Right, and Center.

Palin, you need mental help! Your about to fall off a cliff, NO Kidding , go see a dr. soon! You can't be president if your in the funny farm.

Ruthie stated, "
Can CNN not post anything about the nutty Liberals?????? CNN,
NBC, MSNBC can only report lies on individuals who love our country and wants to help! So afraid of Sarah Palin because she has so much to offer our country!!!!!!! Will 2012 ever get here so Obama will
loose office to Sarah!!!!!!!!!!"

Sorry Ruthie... But I don't "believe" there are enough idiots in the U.S. for that to happen. You are better served to pick a better candidate and perhaps make more intellectual arguments than stooping to kindegarten principles of conduct...

This woman is a propagandist......

I think we should throw them both into a pit and then throw an Obama doll in with them, with a real pair of Obama's socks on, and watch them go. My money's on Sarah.

What I see in Sarah Palin, what ever else she is she is honest, someone that can connect with the average person, she just isn't phoney. What I see in Obama is an elitist, that tries too impress the rich and famous, and a person that will do anything he can too be a rock star.

If there was no Death Panel provision, then why did Sen. Grassley have it removed.?
As usual the Obits are cranking up the Lie machine to spread there socialist agenda, and yes Larouche was a communist and a Liberal , you morons.

We are so over Palin she was a test dummy.... it didn't work out lets deflate her fold her up and put her back in the closet.

There's an old saying, "if it walks like a duck and looks like a duck, it's a duck". The same is true with rumors. "If it sounds unbelievable and crazy, it probably is". However, only people who have common sense and intelligence will be able to tell the difference and that leaves out all of the right wing evangelical republicans who are led like the sheep they are via fear tactics to the right wing's way of thinking.

I'm confused as to why the author of this piece would choose to compare Palin (on the right) to Larouche (on the left) . . .

If you want to look for the far left (wingnut comments) you only need to look at the comments from over the last week from people like Pelosi, Ried, Frank, Clinton (both Clintons) as they describe those oppsed to the "Quick Fix Health Care Plan" (built in a few weeks under the Presidents original timeline) as people who are "Un-American", "Mobs", "Rabble Rousers" . . .

The same people saying this now are the same ones that were SCREAMING that Bush was going to procaim Martial Law, All our Civil Rights are going to be repealed, There will be a new Kingdom of Bush!

Not to mention Sect. Clinton's comparison of the U.S. Electoral system to that of Nigeria while on an overseas trip to Africa . . .

It's funny that those same people screaming for everyone to loudly protest suddenly start saying that protesters are "unAmerican"

America needs health-care reform, we don't have the best health-care system in the world, and people who are sick and work 2 jobs can't afford their care without going into debt when they loose their insurance because of a pre-existing condition.

I have a friend with lupus and the crap she's had to go through is downright criminal. Something has to be done, so get out of the way, this country deserves better than what we're getting. And just because you go to town-halls ranting and raving and carrying on, doesn't make anything better or add to the conversation that this country should have had before i was even born.

And CNN, i can't believe you actually posted that vitriol that AmericanWingnutPatriot posted. That person obviously only comes here to spout what they've been hearing on Beck and Hannity. Anyone with half a brain can see through those two whack-jobs.

/rant

Sarah Palin is the best thing that ever happened to the democratic Party!!! I HOPE she does run for President next time.

Someone on here wrote that Sarah Palin has a lot to offer this country. Now that person is a real nut job. Sarah Palin can teach us to hate, to hunt moose and how to insert a foot in our mouths on a regular basis.

Sarah Palin- what a joke!!! I have always felt that CNN was the best news channel to watch but I am now doubting the fairness that they display. Bias is becoming reality on CNN. We have more important things to concern ourselves with than to give the outraged people that can't controll their anger and that listens to the untruth comments that Sarah Palin tells. Stop making things up Palin. I am ashamed to be a republican at this time. CNN please be fair to Obama!!!!!!!

CNN, trying to make Sarah Palin out to be VILE! the America
Citizens knows what your doing.PLEASE DON'T BE AFRAID!!
Shes just an Ordinary American Woman.

You're right guys Sarah is not a wingnut, and it's not fair to or right to call her that. So please stop it. She (Mrs. Palin) is a flaming "IDIOT", not worthy of being in the same political arena as any current level headed politician. No one on the right can possibly serious about her. A pretty face and a smile does'nt by you a pass in politics. So get over it, and drop her like a wet food stamp.

I love to listen to a good debate, I like to hear valid seriuos points from both sides. But you guys keep it in the comical arena with folks like Palin, Rove, Limbaugh, Coulter, Beck and Hannity. All of them make pretty good money on the FOX NEWS comedy channel humoring the world, so lets keep them out of the political conversation. Thanks

False equivalency. Tagging the left with Lyndon Larouche because you couldn't come up with someone *actually* on the left? For what, some need to impose "balance?" Sometimes there is no balance to the nutjobs out there. Stop trying to impose an equivalence where none exists. It's foolish.

Honestly, here is Sarah Palin spitting out more BS that doesn't help our country move in any direction.

It's time for us to move beyond "Obama is going to kill everyone you love." and actually get some real sense into our country's political system.

These two are the worse type of American citizens, they want everyone to hate each other so that nothing but making the rich get far richer happens in this country! It's funny how she can give away checks to the people in Alaska, but when the rest of the country want a fair Healthcare System she is against helping the rest of the people in our country!

Republican strategist Lesley Sanchez said this morning that people make a bit mistake if they underestimate Sarah Palin, thus proving that a good portion of Americans are morons, and the GOP is populated with liars and people who will believe anything.

why can't the public understand what is going on with health care and being given the face up keep on critizing the messangers. where you care for these people or not you owe them respect. it will be you children and family that will paying for all the bill that we seniors can't because we will be gone=your grandkids and theirs will pay. you need to get on the positive boat before a large hole come into the bottom of your boat and there will be nobody to save you. leave them alone so they can do their job. if you realize it the first 200 days have not gone well at all and the polls are dropping. be careful what you say it can come full circle and get you in the butt.

john August 16th, 2009 1:19 am ET

Rating for 3 cable news stations
Fox News 3rd
MSNBC 22nd
CNN 23rd
-------------------------------------
High ratings don't mean that the truth is being spoken........it just means it's popular.
It's like saying that just b/c American Idol produces top ratings, that everyone who wins the show, or appears on it, will be superstars like Madonna, MJ, Elvis, or the Beatles................................
FOX can have their ratings....... I will listened to news w/ the facts behind it......Not just CNN either....There's PBS, and C-Span.

I'm amazed at how supposed educated Americans listen to these people. It is 2009, and yet hate, bigtory and stupidity rules. I am done with these idiots and the media should be too. Palin is, without a doubt, a back woods moron. And she needs to shut up.

LaRouche is unstable and needs meds.

So let me get this straight. Congress and the President say that the death panel does not exist. Sarah Palin comes out and says it does. Later, the Senate drops the "non-existant" death panel from the bill. And Palin is the wingnut?

Palin faces ethics charges. She beats the charges and they are thrown out of court. Palin therefore must be an uneducated, unethical bimbo.

Palin faced those drummed up charges, personal attacks on her family, and other non-sense. She did the right thing by stepping down to let someone else (not burdened by lame tactics) run the state. She put the needs of the state first. Yeah, that's crazy!

Left/Liberal/Democrat = Always right. Right/Conservative/Republician = Always wrong. Yeah,that's good debate....

Town hall protesters = terrorists and definitely unamerican mobsters with political backing. people protesting Bush = good, outstanding trying to fight for the good of everyone.

And if nothing else fails...play the race card! I am so sick and tired of hearing about slavery. Yes, it was wrong. Yes, we still have a ways to go. But NO, not all white people are evil. Not every white person wants to "keep the black man down". And I am tired of hearing how whites should be punished for their "crimes" of slavery. Do they want to punish the descendants of the white people who fought against slavery also?

Sorry, maybe I am just having a bad day. But I am so sick of stupid name calling and "politics as usual". And Yes, it goes BOTH ways. There are right/conservative/republicians which do the same thing as the people on the left. This, in no way, is to say that they are innocent. It is just that the left seems to have really stepped up the personal attacks lately and it is just plain stupid.

Let's just get back to debating the issues for a change.

Can people please get off the death panel crap and stick to reality? Is it that hard? If you don't want any changes in health care, more power to you; but please keep the conversation to those issues on this planet and not Krypton. Thank you.

casual observer, the only thing casual about you is your lack of understanding of the english language. Syracuse eloquently sums up section1233of Hr3200.These despicable death panels are disguised to idiots like you and frank frisilio and william bergeman and especially to that SUBMORON KEN. On the day the death panels come to recommend your koolaid don't, swallow. Parrots can speak english clearly but theit comprehension is like Ken's.

william bergeman,casual observer,and ken. welcome to america.I know you are from other countries because native english speakers have much better comprehension skills than any of you can ever hope to obtain.I suggest you start with the concept of critical thinking and buy yourselves a good american dictionary. With perseverance I am sure you can overcome your brainwashing. Give it up fellows The death panels or death consultations or end of life consultations are going to be eliminated from HR3200. Do you guys really trust your parents and loved ones and all the millions of vulnerable people in Mental Hospitals,and nursing homes and assissted living centers,etc.,to the end of life consultation panels who's explicit goal is to reduce health care cost. Think casual observer ,think critically not casually.Play the devil's advocate or are you afraid you will learn somthing from a moron like me? syracuse

[...] Read entire post–>CNN.com [...]

Rating for 3 cable news stations
Fox News 3rd
MSNBC 22nd
CNN 23rd

John, first of all the word news just doesn't fit with FOX. You know, that oxymoron stuff. Fox is an ENTERTAINMENT CHANNEL led by some of America's top comics, Bill O'Really, Sean Manatee, etc...

Wiseman, these despicable death panels, as you call them, were at one time quite well supported by other idiots such as Hatch and that political party called the GOP. If you and syracuse, who lives just down the road from me, think that a panel of three, five, five thousand will decided who lives and who dies, I would suggest the term 'idiots' be reapplied to the two of you.

The DEATH PANELS are evil no matter who supports them. Frank Frisillo does not understand english very well. All you have to do is google section1233 of HR3200,go to the site and print pages424to434 and read it for your self.It would be so irresponsible to unleash all of these doctors and nurses and other medical people upon the millions of vulnerable people in hospitals,MENTAL HOSPITALS,assisited living centers hospice centers,NURSING HOMES,etc. to convince these people to sign an agreement for [voluntary??] treatment reduction to save the goverment money on health care cost! Think of your own loved ones and family members moms,dads,friends, grand parents and ask yourself , Am i confident they will resist the efforts of this wave of vultures descending upon them more and more often as they get sicker?This is an abomination!!God help us! These doctors wil be paid and rated according to the success of their efforts. MONEY is the root of this evil plan!!

r

LaRouche is no leftist. He was a leftist but flipped to the extreme right and then treads water sometimes as a democrat to make his weird hodge podge belief system defy categorization and thereby slip under the ideological radar.

Palin is the current leader of the Christian right which is rapidly falling apart after the disgrace of the Bush years and the fact that except for social issues like abortion and gay rights, most Christians rightists are at bottom working and middle class Americans who need the basics, jobs, health care, education for their kids. Many of those Christian rightists voted for Obama and many will continue to gravitate to the center because it is in their interest.

The best medicine for both these wingnuts is to ignore them and talk sense with Americans who want a better life for themselves and a better future for their kids.

I love all the people who are talking about Death Panels. Did any of these people read the draft bill?

LaRouche is not even on the left/right spectrum anymore. He's gone off to another planet.

I like the idea of exposing wingnuttedness, but try to keep it from being mere slander and please back up your points. This is journalism, or should be.

As a staunch Democrat and supporter of the Democratic Party, I sincerely, DEEPLY hope that the Republicans run Sarah Palin for President. Please, Lord ... let that happen. And in a real "dream come true" scenario, let her be the Republican nominee AND let the Republicans give her free reign to speak her "mind."

As it stands right now, the Private Health Insurance companies are your 'death panels'. They ALREADY make their decisions about your parent's condition and they make their decision based on how expensive and how profitable their death will be.

How many of you complainers are on Medicare?
How many of you that cry "Socialism" drove to work this morning on government provided roads?
Did you check your mail box for mail?
Have you ever dialed 911?
Do you know who paid to develop the Internet?
Do your children go to the public library?
Do the local police protect you from thieves?
and if your house is on fire, who comes to the rescue?
Did you take your pay for the government holidays?
Are the subsidized farmers refusing the government money?
Who is protecting the pharmaceutical companies from international competition?
I didn't see Goldman Sachs refuse the TARP money...

Like it or not, we are a hybrid of capitalism and socialism.
We are not Russian Communists...
and never will be.

Maybe patrick can read english but he sure does not .understand beyond his brainwashing limits. Let me explain it to you. Section1233of HR3200 authorizes end of life consultations better known as DEATH PANELS. Download HR3200 and print pages 424to434 then read and think about what it means. Don't waste your time looking for the words death panels the concept is there but the words are not. Thousands of doctors motivated by money counseling millions of vulnerable people about living wills,power of attorney and trying to convince them to sign those papers [an agreement for less or no treatement ]Can you garantee these patients tha all evil doctors are locked up and that doctor Jack kevorkian and his comarads wil not be among these vultures? I take back that last remark. These people motivated by money are lower than vultures. Vultures wait for death while these lowdown counselors will be out to hasten death. Do you really trust that your loved ones and friends and relatives that are in these institutions,would be in no danger. Read and think outside your ideology . IT may help you. God help us!

Patrick you should read and think. Section1233 of HR3200 authorizes end of life consultations[ DEATH PANELS]. Many people just do not think that the weak and sick and old among us should have absolute confidence in these doctors who will be motivared by money. Think about your own loved ones . Don't you have any concern at all for these easy targets for greedy doctors. think man think syracuse [a thinking democrat who cares more about life than ideology!]

The idiocy level runs high in these comments. The end-of-life consultations are not "death panels" determining who lives or dies. They are intended to let people know what a living will is, for God's sake. As the comments above show, many Americans are not smart. These consultations are intended let people know what types of legal options (e.g., living wills) are available to people who don't want to be sustained by unnatural medical means against their own wishes. Hate to break it to you, but hospitals (and doctors) make far more money off the sick than they do the deceased, so how do you "death panel" whacks figure that end-of-life consultations will reward those "motivated by money". End of story. Yikes.

"AmericanWingnutPatriot" – you're making both LaRouche and Palin appear sane compared to you...

You know what I like most?
You write a commentary piece about wingnuts, and then the wingnuts (mostly right wingnuts) go ballistic trying to prove they're not wingnuts.

As for all the talk of "death panels" and how they aren't needed, I've got two words for all of you why end of life wishes need to be spelled out far in advance: Mary Schiavo!!

The U. S. Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, but tests for irresponsibility apply. Dissent is a well-reasoned counter-argument, not an unfounded accusation or a hysterical outburst. Fear-mongering and provocation are not legitimate forms of free speech, and they are never protected by the Constitution.

Calling the President a fascist is at best pathetically inaccurate. Railing about non-existent "death panels" in an effort to whip up political opposition is no more legitimate than instructing people to stand in the middle of the street in order to catch a bus.

Kelly, if you were to read section1233of HR3200 pages 424to434 you would see and understand that these Doctors wil be paid by the government to cut healthcare by reducing the money spent on medical care. If the patients choose death instead of life, that choice saves MONEY!. It wil be the goverment savings money not hospitals stupid. Even the supporters of death counsels can see that ,Fool. In addition to counseling about wills and attorneys there wil be an aggressive effort to convince these vulnerable people to sign their own death warrants for the purpose ofsaving the U.S. GOVERNMENT much MONEY! ARE you blind or what? MAYBE YOU HATE SICK AND WEAK PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU ARE WILLING TO TRUST MILLIONS OF THEM TO THE DANGEROUS DEATH SQUADS KNOWN AS END OF LIFE CONSULTANTS. WATCH FOX NEWS SUNDAY AT 6PM. THE SUBJECT, deatbooks already in veterans hospitals under obama,s adminstration. READ and Think you are a brainwashed PARROT. MY GOD THIS PERSON IS LACKING BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF ENGLISH!!

KELLY, IF YOU COULD READ YOU WOULD DOWNLOAD SECTION1233OF HR3200 PAGES424to434 and if you were not lacking in basic understandig of human nature and if you were not brainwashed to the point of sounding like a parrot [speaking words with no understanding], you would see the inherent danger in this plan. The doctors will be paid by the US government not hospitals. Open your mind to the truth. Think. These groups of doctors should be called deathsquads not deathpanels. Millions of vulnerable people hounded by hordes of doctors to sign their own death warrants. Wake up and think. Some of your own loved ones are in danger. God help us!

Do you think that your relatives and loved ones will be safe if thousands of doctors are sent out to counsel millions of vulnerable and weak people about wills, attorneys and cutting their medical treatment down to a little treatment or no treatment. I smell a death rat. IT seems they should be called death squads not death panels. God help us! Download section1233 ofHr3200 pages 424to 434 and read and think long and hard.This is an unconscionable plan. Forget ideology think about your own loved ones!!

Syracuse says in part: "Do you think that your relatives and loved ones will be safe if thousands of doctors are sent out to counsel millions of vulnerable and weak people about wills, attorneys and cutting their medical treatment down to a little treatment or no treatment. I smell a death rat."

First, I have read the section and pages you site. Second, I still don't understand your leap to 'death squads', 'death panels', etc. This is information Doctor's already provide their patients when asked.
If my parents (88 and 82) have questions concerning end of life issues, living wills, health proxies, etc, I hope to God Almighty that their doctor's would provide honest and detailed information to assist them and their family in deciding what is best for them.

Your insistance in stating that these death squad doctors will be heading out on a mission to sign up old folks to voluntarily reduce their treatments and terminate their lives is the talk of someone with paranoia abounding within themself. Look, I don't look forward to my parents or myself dying anytime soon but I think it's fair to have doctors reimbursed for offering this valuable information so that I can prepare for that eventuality. If you don't want that information or would rather get it from a lawyer or some website, be my guest. DON'T decide for me and my parents that getting this info from their doctor is 'unconscionable'. You need to calm down and truly understand that doctor's provide this information today to their patients when asked, they just don't get reimbursed for it.
Go speak with your doctor and clear your head of this conspiracy. THERE AIN'T ONE, Syracuse!! Start preparing yourself for SU's football and basketball seasons. Go Orange.....

KILL GRANDMA, not true, it's grandma who is selling out on the grand kids. They sit there and say no to the public option except for themselves. They do not want to give up their plans but refuse to share it with their kids and grand kids. Disease, unemployment, politicians and insurance companies don't discriminate. One day they may need health care and not have it because you believed the lies and sold them down the river.
Unless grandma has so much money she can afford all the medical bills for anyone of her kids and grand kids who get sick. I hope she won't have to sell everything she has and then have to move into subsidized housing paid for by the government.
So I was at the Claire McCaskill Hillsboro meeting and she asked the seniors their if they wanted to give up their government plans. Out of the hundreds of seniors their less than six held up their hands. I don't think those six or so understood the question or thought it was a trick question.
These people are apparently under the believe that it is cheaper to dig graves than to insure those who are not insured.

They rubber stamped two wars we are fighting now. Once again its OK to kill our own people and people in other countries but no way can we take care of our own. The money we spend on these wars can insure the uninsured. What happened to these so call religious people, have they no compassion for anyone but themselves.

Private insurance will make their decision for you. Where have you been. With another option private insurance will have to get better because you have another way to go if they rule against you to many times.
Right now you don't have a choice and you have to go along with what they say. This will cut into some of the profits they make but they won't be so eager to put profit before you. Why is that so hard for some people to see?

My two cents! An equal amount of training should be placed on basketball defensive. Then, the drill will be complete