First of all, as presented, it leaves a great deal to be desired. But it's about the best thing that President Obama could hope to get through with the present Congress, and even that isn't working. But if he had gone straight for a single-payer system, he would have slammed into the old curse phrase, "Socialized Medicine." He's trying for a compromise, and even the compromise isn't working.

Many of the so-called "deceptions" attributed to President Obama are severe twistings of what he's really attempting (groping for a niche in the brick wall the Republicans have set up), these twistings authored by such people as Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly of Fox News, a multitude of Right Wing web sites, and people like Songwronger who merely parrot what these people say.

Such twistings would not be necessary were it not that Congress is hell-bent on seeing to it that any attempt to change a badly flawed but highly lucrative (for health care providers and pharmaceutical companies) business remains as it is now.

I've had occasion to make use of the current health care system in this country and I can tell you some real teeth-grinders about the practices of the system. The basic operating principle seems to be that since often the patient's life and well-being is at stake, screw it to him while you have the chance. Many individual doctors, genuinely concerned about the welfare of their patients, hate the system, but there is little they can do if they need access to clinics and hospitals for their patients.

I am not enthralled with Barack Obama, but let's face it, he's no FDR. But then, not many presidents have the force of personality that FDR had to bring his programs about. President Obama is trying the best he can, but he's working against opposition who WANT to see him fail.

Even if it messes up the rest of the country as well!!

Don Firth