Finally! Something we can do besides sending each other all these great emails...

There's going to be a recount in Ohio, instigated through a joint endeavor by the Green and Libertarian Presidential Candidates (David Cobb and Michael Badnarik).

They need $150,000 by Monday, Nov. 15. Current count is $71K and has more than doubled the $35K it was at 8AM this morning. I just donated some money because I think this is the only way to prove fraud.

Check it out and pass this message along:
http://www.ohiogreens.org/
http://www.votecobb.org/
http://badnarik.org/

Let's get to the bottom of this and find out who really won!

Peggy Deras, CKD, CID

Howard,

Hi. So good to hear from you. I would like to point out a cover-up in the Bush Medicare and Medicare Drug Bill for a Part D and what else that bill does to the consumer for health care that is not being brought to the forefront of discussion by our politicians, our lawmakers and yet little ol' me has found it to be true simply because I am a licensed insurance producer, that means sales and service agent of health care products. I have a captive license means I work exclusively for Combined Insurance Corpporation of America, an AON company.

Anyhow, first my beef is the same with the Medicare Drug Act for 2006 and the changes it brings in benefits and options for drug cost help as most seniors have. As Senator Kennedy and our Minnesota state Medicare department representative spoke at Anoka Senior Center on this bill in their attempt to glamorize it and run point for the government in their attempt to basically get in on the baby boomer market in the industry of drug revenue from this huge age group approaching retirement. They said the average senior, being according to them approximately 28 to be precise who responded prior stating they need drugs but could not afford them need this bill. Yet they bragged like it was so great, the savings was going to save this person 10-12% off the cost of their drugs!

What this bill states is that private insurance companies can no longer sell a medigap insurance policy with drug coverage in it after 2006, those grandfathered in are OK. What they don't tell you is that that policy in Minnesota for example is our Extended Basic Policy, other states Plan H or J I think, is those policies are providing long term care in the home and nursing homes for the highly medicated or early medicare disabled citizens who stand a snow balls chance in hell of getting through underwriting to get this kind of care the only other way it is available, unless one is wealthy and self-funds, by virtue of a Long Term Care policy! These wonderful Extended Basic policies provide 80% drug coverage and 100% after a $1000 out of pocket simultaneously is tabulated at the 80% level! My own company watchguards how many of these we agents sell because 5% of the senior population buys them because although expensive at $500+ a month for the supplemental policy, usually their drug expense, long term care, and all the other benefits it gives far exceed the policy premium. My own company tells me the expense of these policy for the insurance company 110% of the premium received so they are a burden for insurance companies. Wah, Wah, then my own company should raise it, as other companies Extended Basic policies run as high as $978 per month.

Did you understand that Howard? So after 2006 the passage of this drug bill puts the most critically healthy individuals literally on the streets for their home care and long term care or further driving up Medicaid and bankrupting this country instead of on the insurance companies which can leverage themselves well enough and raise rates to avoid bankruptcy if left alone. Analysis shows Part D only benefits the highly medicated because you don't even really started to save anything to make it better than other programs out there that can save you 30-60% through a Medicare approved pharmacy like SavRX, etc. But does it really benefit them, they need these Extended Basic policies as they cover all of ones out of pocket costs after Medicare pay first, and many things Medicare doesn't like custodial care, wheel chairs, ramps up the homes, major dental, and nursing home care. We are indeed in very scary times in this country. Bush stood on values, whose values? Big Business is a materialistic value core when you suffer your elderly and your children and they are so good are covering this up in the passage and discussion of this bill!!!

And also what's wrong with Medicare contracted with these HMO companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield? Lots, that is what's wrong with Medicare, is it has misled too many seniors to believe they still have Medicare when they are actually no longer in FULL medicare when they choose any other option than a private insurance supplemental to Medicare. And then they suffer high, unpredictable and unexpecgted and unpromised out of pocket expenses to one of our most vulnerable population groups. (OK BCBS does have an insurance division, but only sell their HMO/PPO product, senior gold to seniors), Medica, Health Partners and U-Care (Our Minnesota based Medicare Managed Care contracted companies) and then there is even more fundamentally wrong with the Unicare and Human choices being allowed to manipulate advertising to seniors to falsely represent their coverage)

Well, my kids are home and have earned a chinese dinner out for chores well done!

bye Howard,

Kim Theobald-Stark

Let's see ... Fallujah is being claimed a victory, despite the fact that even the military is beginning to admit that it did nothing to weaken the enemy; they didn't find Abu Musab al Zarqawi and hundreds of "foreign insurgents." The power of martyrdom in the Islamic culture was badly underestimated ... the defenders of Fallujah are becoming national heroes.

And while our troops were preoccupied with that disaster, the freedom fighters have retaking Ramadi, Samarra, Latifiyah, Kirkuk, Mosul and several suburbs in Baghdad. It looks like the US hold on the "Green Zone" is increasingly tenuous ... Sunni clerics are calling for a boycott of the January elections, which I doubt will take place during that month.

What else can go wrong?

Charles Auld
Arab, Alabama

Howard -

If Dean can't get the nomination to head up the DNC then I say he should start his own 3rd party.

I can't take the Democrats anymore. They are just a bunch of wimps. The other night I heard Pelosi quoting out of the bible. So, it looks as though they think we should take on religious zealots.

Johanne M. Dictor
Oakland CA

Concerning Gov. Dean for chair of the DNC.

OK, so here is the deal.

Get the list of the members of the DNC from the DNC. Get each DFA group to take on contacting the local member of the DNC and meet with them personally.

Then you will have a campaign.

Steve Ybarra
Sacramento CA

Hi Howard,

I had a few bad days and occasionally slip into gloom, but I think if I keep active in the fight against this growing power of the Republican religious right to control America I will come out of it. I e-mailed NY Times today regarding an article in Sunday's paper and it felt good.

I am a Catholic on a crusade of my own to oppose a return to the old hell and damnation church, which with the inspired dedication of Pope John XXIII, was changed by Vatican II. The Catholics who have held on to old traditions were a big factor in defeating John Kerry, a really fine Catholic who could have made a change for the better for America.

I want to congratulate you on all of your hard work and was happy to hear you are keeping in touch with those others who put so much of themselves in trying to save our country from another four years of Bush. I hope the U.S. can survive it. I want to keep in contact with "seniorsforamerica".

Thanks again for all of your prompt e-mail returns to my requests. We have a lot of work to do in the next four years. Be happy about all the time and effort you devoted to the cause of our country. The people like you were my inspiration.

Nancy Brannigan