US Politics News Bits for Saturday, August 29, 2009

This Saturday, at Senator Ted Kennedy's funeral Mass, President Barack Obama delivered a eulogy. The Roman Catholic funeral Mass, honoring the seventy-seven year old senator, took place in Boston Massachusetts where friends and family joined together to honor Kennedy's memory. Approximately 1500 people gathered together for the ceremony. Senator Ted Kennedy was the youngest of the Kennedy brothers. He died earlier this week after a long fight with brain cancer.

Wyoming Senator Rejects Health Care Bill

Republican senator of Wyoming, Michael Enzi, rejected the bipartisan health care bill floating through Congress because he feels that it does not meet necessary standards. Enzi expressed the concern that the Democrat-introduced health care reform bill would not decrease the national deficit as it should, but increase it. He believes that the bill would fail to save Americans any money. In addition, Enzi is concerned that the bill would compromise the freedom of medical choices for patients.

Four Years after Katrina: Progress Inhibited by Turf Wars and Red Tape

Four years have passed since Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans. Recovery is still underway, moving slowly and obstructed by "turf wars and red tape." The storm, which hit during the Bush administration, left many in the country disheartened by the lack of federal responsibility in responding to the New Orleans crisis. President Barack Obama reassures the nation, that the lessons of that horrific storm have been learned and that the government is more prepared to handle such events. President Obama intends to visit the city of New Orleans before the end of the year.

Town Hall Meetings Showcase the Fear and Frustration of the American Public

The fear and frustration of the American people during this time of economic uncertainty, wars abroad, and seemingly empty promises is reflected in the hostility demonstrated at town hall meetings. This summer, at town hall meetings, voices have been raised and fingers pointed. Just eight months into his Presidential term, Barack Obama is receiving a major portion of blame from a public that is fearful of where the President intends to lead this country. Some have gone so far as to call President Obama a Hitler. Right now, there is a major distrust of the federal government and it seems that President Barack Obama is taking the heat for the ineptitudes of the Bush administration and the slow move to progress during the current administration.

Canada Responds to Commercial Demonizing its Universal Healthcare Program

There are plenty of opponents to President Obama's proposed system of universal health care. Some go so far as to demonize the Canadian health care system in order to rile up fears that individuals suffering life-threatening illnesses will be placed on the backburner. Opponents to the proposed universal health care system are attempting to utilize television spots to capture and frighten the audience. The most prominent television commercial features Shona Holmes a Canadian national who claims to have been placed on the backburner in spite of a brain tumor. Instead of waiting for surgery, Holmes says that she mortgaged her home in order to pay for the surgery in America. Canadian groups in support of their health care system have responded to Holmes' claims by reminding Americans that the brain tumor that Holme's suffered from was not so life threatening as she claimed. Holmes' tumor was a noncancerous -called a Rathke's cleft cyst. A recent poll shows that most (82 percent) Canadians supported their health care system.

References

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090829/ap_on_re_us/us_kennedy_funeral;_ylt=AlLXjbgvJwe76QlpnC1IJpiyFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTJqYTI5NTE4BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwODI5L3VzX2tlbm5lZHlfZnVuZXJhbARjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDa2VubmVkeWZ1bmVy

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090829/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul_republicans;_ylt=Ak.RtnNFVcOQBYOEo5UBvpeyFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTJ2dG0yZGx2BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwODI5L3VzX2hlYWx0aF9vdmVyaGF1bF9yZXB1YmxpY2FucwRjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzYEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDZ29wc2VuYXRvcnNp

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090829/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_katrina;_ylt=AvHL2mZIaxAGwRF58ZomadKyFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTJocmNrdW8zBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwODI5L3VzX29iYW1hX2thdHJpbmEEY3BvcwMzBHBvcwM4BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA29iYW1hbm90dXJmdw--

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3301308

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090829/ap_on_bi_ge/cn_canada_medicare_for_all;_ylt=Ak.cp4TTgKoRw_fFGtZ0DHuyFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTJ2NnBnM2F1BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwODI5L2NuX2NhbmFkYV9tZWRpY2FyZV9mb3JfYWxsBHBvcwM4BHNlYwN5bl9hcnRpY2xlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDb2JhbWFoZWFsdGhy