"Populism" is the only bastion of hope for Republicans.

Day after day I have heard the Senate Minority Leader quote one poll or another regarding opposition to the Senate Health Care Reform Bill and he views that as a victory. He sees that as something to be proud of. He is the Minority Leader and has been unable to deliver a Senate Bill with a Public Option that contains costs today and in the future and yet this is a good thing. It is not. It is obstrutionism at its worse.

The current polls that are talking about the Senate Bill are sorely unfavorable simply because it is not serving the best interest of the people. They do no indicate the people don't want health care insurance reform, as only yesterday Dr. Howard Dean asked to "Kill the Bill" but for a totally different reason than the Republicans want it stopped.

Dr. Dean believes the Senate Bill has gone awry from its inception in the House. So, when Dr. Dean states "Kill the Bill" one can be certain there are plenty of Democrats saying the same thing but because they see the Senate as hostile and unproductive toward real reform.

So much for McConnell's propaganda.

To enter into a constructive conversation at this point regarding the accomplishes of the Senate Bill would be better at this point. It is easy to do.

Yesterday, President Obama along with Democratic Senators stated the bill has been able to capture eight more years of solvency to Medicare. That is no simple statement and cannot be ignored, so I would ask Democratic leaders like Dr. Dean to look on the positive side of the Senate's accomplishments.

They achieved this astounding accomplishment by cutting wasteful spending. Isn't that PART of what Dr. Dean wants?

Cutting wasteful spending to the bone is important to most if not all Democrats. They simply hate pork spending and government waste and to realize applying those Democratic principles to Medicare has extended its solvency eight years is nearly solving the problem we now face with our entitlements.

If I may?

Before the Democrats embarked on Health Care Reform, the Medicare program has solvency to about 2017. That is nearly only seven years in the offing. Many of the Baby Boomers are entering their entitlement years. It is safe to say MOST are entering the years of SSI and Medicare.

The Senators by cutting government waste have extended that solvency to 2025. That is fifteen years of entitlement the Baby Boomers will enjoy. That is an astounding accomplishment. Fifteen years of entitlement solvency nearly brings the issue at hand to a close as the Baby Boomers will be entering their Ninth Decade of life at the age of 80 years old.

Granted all the problem is not solved as Americans live longer and seek to live even longer as quality of life do to better health will enhance the vitality of older age. But, what the Senate has done is nearly solve the problem we currently face. After, the Baby Boomer Hump, the country will receive relief on the demand of its entitlements and a younger generation that is now making 'investment retirement' a priority will take over an even 'richer and enjoyable retirement era.'

While the Senate has accomplished a remarkable mile stone in protecting USA entitlements to its citizens, we cannot ignore the needs of our citizens today. The House Bill as passed earlier is that bill. It addresses the needs of Americans today. Applying wasteful spending principles to Public Option programs for those that choose that form of health care alternative will improve the Public Option and control even more costs. There is a lot to be learned by the Senate proposal, however, the immediacy of the House Bill to answer the nation's problems today cannot be abandoned.

I challenge all Democrats to see the positive changes of these bills and support them. I have trouble postponing the Public Option any further. While there are Senators, such as the Independant from Vermont, that advocates extending Medicare to all, there is a danger in postponing this valuable service to the American people.

It is healthy to debate even further changes to Health Care in the USA. It is more than healthy to debate all aspects of Single Payer, but, it will not be a reality today. To 'assign' it entirely to debate means it will be moved from the agenda of change for at least another generation. That is not good for the American people. When 'debate' replaces 'reform or change' it demoralizes the esteem of the issue and creates despair in the populous of this country. Democracy is for all, not just those that can afford it and it is why The Public Option must sustain the legislation at hand.

By passing a Public Option it provides the 'reality' of a sustained debate, but, to demise that option to the American people will provide despair and will serve to divide the Democratic Party rather than unit it.

Lautenberg and Menendez practice protectionism. I can't believe there is cronyism in the Democratic Party.

This is a North Carolina initiative, so it isn't as though Senator Hagin's state isn't seeking alternatives either, but, they attempting to secure their citizens from exploitation and not simply empty words of legislation.

One of the many dangers that the FBI and CIA have to realize exists is the 'online' diagnosis and prescription that follows. That is a very unsafe practice and should be shut down as a means of commerce in the USA.

What I found most attractive about this approach in North Carolina was the concept of 'State Lot Purchases.' To make it simply, States into a regional 'compact' that provides large lot purchases of medications for all their medical and pharmaceutical facilities. This provides methods of carefully obtaining the lowest priced medications of the highest quality in and out of the USA while insuring their "Homeland" always has a good supply of necessary and frequently purchased medications.

With the new health care reform legislation that will include a Public Option, the degree consumers have to lower their health care costs are significant and their safety enhanced by being able to afford health insurance and deductibles so they won't turn to such extreme measures as online doctors and drugs. I am very disappointed to realize it might even be my neighbors that are not receiving the quality of care they need due to extreme costs both on the prescribing side and prescription side. Like, WOW, where has everyone been?

I do not see this as a huge problem that cannot be contained. I see massive interest by the global community through efforts at the WTO and through State Department initiatives that will increase cooperation and enforcement of high quality standards for all Americans. I strongly advocate to have such dangerous practices be shut down as we enter the era of 'Health Care Safety, Education and Advocacy' for all our citizens.

There are some good ideas here and a sense of responsibility by States to take good care of their citizens.



Electronic Monitoring and Internet Prescribing (click here) -- This is a relatively recent trend which gained momentum during the past three years. Proposed laws would allow for the development and regulation of electronic transmission of prescription drug orders, as well as establishing Internet prescribing practices to provide increased protection for consumers purchasing prescription drugs over the Internet. Additionally, several more states seek to establish electronic prescription drug databases to monitor the misuse, abuse and diversion of prescription drugs and controlled substances. In August Alaska became the final state to change laws and regulations to allow for e-prescribing.



Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez didn't join their collegues Byron Dorgan and John McCain in stopping the illegal medication trade in the USA.

Legislating is not going to solve this problem.

There are several adaptation the States are looking at and I'll put an entry above this picture that provides some excellant alternatives to doing nothing when it comes to saving American $100 billion US in medication expense.

But, the best way to approach this is to shut down the illegal traffickers of counterfeit drugs. That is best done through channels at the FBI and CIA and the overburdened State Department.

All this protectionism by the two New Jersey Senators that receive support from their pharmaceutical industry giants have caused a problem in the USA. Rather than garnering the resources to defeat the illegal importation of medications that are dangerous to consumers, they have done nothing but stated all medications sold in the USA have to meet FDA standards. Well, that is fine to say, but, IN PRACTICE that is not what is happening.

We know for a fact there are illegally produced medications globally that reach the American consumer. They are sold on websites that should not be accessible by the American consumer. To begin, and only to begin, the federal law enforcement agencies that have PROOF of the sale of dangerous medications should have the authority to shut down these websites. I don't understand why any dangerous website is allowed to exist on any internet access in this country, whether it be al Qaeda or extremist Islamic ministers to those peddling dangerous medications. It simply should be good sound legal policy to shut them down.

Now, as to those that do not violate FDA standards, let them exist. However, a conserted effort should be made by our federal law enforcement agencies to identify these benevolent sites and then have the State Department work with these importers to win FDA approval.

This problem is not this huge. Consumers need to be educated to their reality when they seek less expensive alternatives to drug store pharmacies.

To address the need of keeping drug store pharmacies working and bringing in customers, there should be a consolidation of their authority that surrounds this issue. Where they can obtain less expensive medications either domestically or abroad they should have the ability to apply to the FDA for approval of their sources.

I simply cannot imagine Walgreens or CVS or an Association of Independant Pharmacists importing medications that are harmful to their customers. They simply would not do that. It would end their good reputations and cost them their business. What these entities should do is actively seek out less expensive sources of their medications and solitcit approval for them from the FDA on a "Fast Track Basis." In addition, to provide complete transparency these distributors should clearly label "FDA Approved Imported Medication." It would give the control to the consumer to accept these medications or pay an additional price for domestic medications.

This would be especially helful to folks without medication insurance coverage.

Somewhere in this debate, too, is Homeland Security. There are many venues of compromised Americans by simply writing a bill that looks good on paper, but, is completely ineffective in practice. Americans will find alternatives to their needs if they are forced to and the years of neglect of good Health Care Legislation and Commercial Sales of Medication from Import Sources have led to a dangerous set of circumstances.

Senator Hagin of North Carolina pointed to a woman that had the resources to purchase medications domestically, even knew something about quality medications and still opted to purchase from outside the USA that eventually cost her her very life. That girls and boys is poor legislative protections. The answer here is to indentify the need for 'discovery, verification and enforcement' met with a reactive State Department that works with other countries to solve this issue.

How can the State Department help? Simple. Previous to the draconian cuts in diplomacy by the Bush/Cheney Executive Branch, the USA had diplomatic priorities that included excluding child labor and including environmental protections from all the countries we did business with, including those in the WTO. Yes, the World Trade Organization should be taking an active roll in this mess.

But, at any rate, the State Department needs to add to its 'check list' the imporation by USA consumers of medications produced outside its borders. Where there are better opportunities for consumers in receiving high quality medications from outside the USA which results in savings of $100 billion that cannot be overlooked and should become a priority of the USA State Department and its relationship in the WTO.

The WTO should work actively with its counterparts in the USA to develop standards that reflect not only accessibility but the demands placed on the quality of the medications by the FDA. By incorporating these measures in a global market place, the USA FDA will be placing higher standards among all nations that will result in healthier people everywhere.

Not only that, but, I cannot believe there are also terrorist network dollars being made from such corrupt counterfeit medication production. By standardizing a global market place where all countries engaged in medication manufacturer uphold the same high standards, and I have a feeling some countries might have higher standards than the USA FDA, countries can harness the capacity to monitor, facilitate not just good medications for market but far, far better relations internationally.

I do not believe there is a country on Earth that does not want good quality goods to be in the market place, but, may not have the ability to understand what high quality goods are or how to best manufacturer them.

I sincerely see this as a global security infrastructure issue that will enhance market function and add to the quality of lives of citizens in all participating countries.

See above the picture of the crony politicians to read about alternatives that provide even more options.