President Obama's Weekly Radio Address

Rationed Care?: What's AARP got to say, got to say about it?

Come on AARP. You've been sending me notices to join you since I was 49. Scare me about health care reform. I know you got it in you. You represent retired people for God's sake. All this health care talk has got me on edge.

You're big! You're bad! You are the AARP!

I know you are going to scare me into understanding the truth. I'm hitting play.

Hmmmmm. There won't be rationed care? Really? Wow.

Video: Setting it straight... Bernie Sanders on health care

A Peon Ponders: What have those stinking Liberals ever done for you?

During the 2004 election cycle, I was obsessing on politics and pretty much feeling totally helpless. I wasn't bold enough to actually go out into the world and talk to people about politics, although I had done enough research to understand what was going on between the government and the people. So I just used my e-mail skills to annoy other people.

One thing that I kept getting mad as hell about, was my new found awareness that the word 'liberal' was actually being used very much like a four-letter word. I re-checked the definition and it didn't look so bad to me. Every time I sent out one of those annoying e-mails, I put the definition at the end of it, using a pretty large font and very colorful. Now I recognize that this tactic of redefining liberal as a word, creating an ideological wedge between us by painting people as bad because they have liberal beliefs, has been going on for a very long time in the political war of words. I still don't like it and I don't even know if I am entirely Liberal, but I most definitely know I turn left on the political spectrum.

Here are a few things that 'Liberals' have done courtesy of Daily Kos:

• The GI Bill

• Endangered Species Act

• Environmental Laws

• The Space Program

• The Peace Corps

• Americorp

• The Civil Rights Movement

• Earned Income Tax Credit

• Family & Medical Leave Act

• Consumer Product Safety Commission

• Americans With Disabilities Act

• Freedom of Information Act

• Women's right to control their reproductive future

• Allowing citizens to view their own credit records

• The Internet

• Balancing the federal budget

• The Brady Bill (5-day wait on handgun purchases for background checks)

• Lobbying Disclosure Act

• "Motor-Voter" Act

• The Voting Rights Act

• Unemployment Insurance

• Medicare/Medicaid

• Food Stamps/WIC

• Social Security

• Peace between Israel and Egypt

• Peace between Israel and Jordan

• The Department of Education

• The Department of Energy

• The Department of Transportation

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development

• Labor Laws

• The Marshall Plan

• Winning World War II

• Food Safety Laws

• Workplace Safety Laws

• The Tennessee Valley Project

• The Civilian Conservation Corps

• The Securities and Exchange Commission

• Women's Right to Vote

• Universal Public Education

• National Weather Service

• Product Labeling Laws

• Truth in Advertising Laws

• Morrill Land Grant Act

• Rural Electrification

• Public Universities

• Bank Deposit Insurance (FDIC)

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Public Broadcasting

• Supporting the establishment of Israel

• The United Nations

• NATO

Some of these things are looked upon as 'good and bad' things. Big government - not good to some people. The United Nations - definitely doesn't work very well when Republicans are in charge. Medicare - not so much by traditional conservatives, although President Bush expanded Medicare with the Rx drug program, although I suppose his compromise to his base was by writing the legislation such that Medicare can't negotiate with the drug companies, so that pharmaceutical industry can maintain their profits which pleases Conservatives. But then, if Medicare can't negotiate, doesn't that make big government bigger yet? Okay now I am confusing myself, so I have to stop.

I especially enjoy having electricity in my home, oh and the Internet too! Thank you Liberals. See now. If you say Liberals a lot, and in context with some good things that Liberals have accomplished for society, it doesn't feel quite so bad. I just hope some 'ditto heads' are watching. Thank you Liberals!

Have a good day and see you real soon.

Peace and Love,

PD