Well jimmyt, I've got to say I like the cut of your jib. There are a lot of folks, especially in the MudCat community who live in the margins, primarily because that is where musicians who have not caught the gold ring live. Sometimes they vastly overstate what otherwise would be a compelling case.

Leaving old folks on gurney for four days? And what did they do after the patient took a crap? Leave him in the hallway as an example? Stick Post-it notes on his forehead? If you believe that, you may be too dumb to hold a job that will let you pay for health insurance...

Since the highest number quoted (from what source?) of Americans who are alleged to be without health insurance is 20 million, and we live in a nation of 235 million Americans, the comment that only the "rich" (who must be the top 5% who pay 60% of the total tax revenue) can afford heath care is basically stupid on it's face.

Since I work on a Federal Job Corps Center, I note that virtually every student we have has some form of a government-issued health card, whether state or federal. Then there are the employees who refuse to set aside money for matched-funds health insurance because it "cramps their style". Finally, and we are in a minority, are workers like myself who set aside some $50 a month for a single person (more for family care). Who the hell is paying for all of this except those "rich" 5%?

And within those 20 million Americans, a good number are lazy parasites (I know, I've made several arrests during my younger police career). Take a look at the number of persons now being arrested for false claims on the Sept. 11th victim funds.

Many years ago I was an EMT on a local rescue squad. You would be suprised how many "poor people" we would transport to an emergency room for things like the flu, because they knew that the state would pay for what otherwise would be a private bill from a local doctor. There were others who, when injured in an auto wreck, would try like hell to get arrested, so that their bills would get paid as part of "humane" jail treatment. Now many states have enacted "Hound to Death" laws which state that medical costs of prisoners are to be borne by the prisoners once they are released, and the state has formed collection agencies to "...you guessed it" for twenty years. Amazing how it cut down on medical problems in the jail.

Now how we got from Conservatives to Abortion to Health Insurance, I leave to others, but it was fun getting here, and now I must bid adieu.