[Fast_Eddie]

Hundreds of millions in waste- let's examine that for a minute.

Federal Budget 2010 $3.55 Trillion.

Okay, how much is "hundreds of millions"? Let's say, what, seven hundred million. That's a big number.

700,000,000/3,550,000,000,000 = about 1.9

Not saying it doesn't matter. But if we refuse to make progress on health care due to 1.9% of the federal budget being "wasted" I think we're making a mistake. That's assuming the undocumented claim of "hundreds of millions" is accurate which it almost certainly isn't. I'm not saying we don't deal with it. Get the system in place and then work on any abuses we can. But to pass the opportunity over what in the scheme of things is so little would be a mistake.

You've all heard my rant on this before. If we want to cut spending there are only three meaningfull places to look. About 75% of the federal budget is Medicade/Medicare, Social Security and Millitary. You'll never get elected if you even hint that you would even look at possibly, maybe suggest that we should cut SS or MM. So there's only one answer. This isn't hard.

Actually, the health care reform plan is the first thing I've ever heard them talk about that starts to address any of the big three expenses. If they really succeed in making medical care less expensive it would have a substantial impact on MM.

Or we could do the responsible thing and quit whining about how much everything is and start paying our bills. When I go to Wal-Mart and buy a big screen TV, they don't much care if I think they paid too much for a Union trucker to ship the thing. They pretty much want me to pay for all of it. And I would, had I ever been to a Wal-Mart and if I owned a big screen TV. We need to run the country the same way. No money? No war.