Clinton & Obama on Senate Veteran Affairs Committee, so why adovcate for universal health care??

Here's an even better question: After the scandal over the deplorable conditions at Walter Reed Medical Center, why would ANYONE advocate for universal health care? Don't people realize that the military health care system IS universal health care for military members? Are people not bright enough to understand that Walter Reed is a picture-perfect model of what health care will be like in this country if universal health care is passed?

Herein lies the difference in ideologies: Republicans invite scrutiny; Democrats expect blind allegience. Republicans can defend their positions with logical arguments based on facts, Democrats defend their beliefs entirely on emotion and will resort to bashing and name-calling once their plans and positions are revealed to have no hard evidence to support their assertions.

There are a lot of things that dictate what the VA can do. for one the treatment you get or may not be able to get depends a lot on income. Even retired vets may not be able to get much if any help because of income,

Several mentioned what may happen with the coming election and there are some candidates who will if anything go the negative way but what can a president do? they can recommend changes but its up to congress to make the changes. Presidents get the blame for anything that goes wrong when its congress that causes most of that.

The VA needs a lot of changes and some are taking place. The same person who was running Walter Reed would not even allow card for Christmas to go to VA patients there ( for a soldier type cards) universal health care shouldn't hurt a lot of vets that are now on private insurance. The medical profession has such a run away on charges that something has to be done. Take just the added cost to an OB/GYN doctor for malpractice, at least 50,000 a year. this gets passed on so having a baby is rather on the expensive side.

I'm not sure there is really an answer anymore short of getting rid of congress and starting over

Great question, I gotta concur with Rand C on this one. The VA has been a joke for a while. I had to send the same paperwork over and over, after two years I just gave up, thank god for my local VFW, they helped me get things straight. The Clinton era was a dark one for all military not just the vets. These Dems are saying anything to get some votes, but why should we believe them? Especially Hitlary, how different from her own is she really gonna be? Think who Universal Healthcare would benefit, and how high the rates that the working already pay would go. The newly insured under this guise would be low income and the currently uninsurable. It's bad enough waiting in an emergency room, doctors office or for an appointment for as long as we do now, imagine how long and expensive it'll be when these people start clogging the system.

universal health care is not always socialized medical care because all it really creates it a stop to the middle man insurance mark up. In most cases except for Russia, Canada and, China they have private practice. The fact is that the cost health care with out the insurance Cartels health care would cost a third its current price. Drug company's are the biggest problem, they sell the same drugs to other country's in europe for 2500% cheaper then in America. The issue of the VA is that it was set up for a post WW II system over 60 years ago before allot of congressman were born and, when ever congress is given a alternative it try's to limit it or kill it. The real issue is are ways to help vets and, reform the VA the way Thatcher reformed NHS in the UK. universal health care means doctors are pain for the health of their patients and, not under paid by the insurance cartels.

Well as long as the insurance company have control over health care and since our goverment has giving them this power. No one will have good health care. You know we still have so many people out there that doesn't want to hear the truth. Well I take that back the hear what they want to hear and read. If they just take a look at ever candidate and compare research they will find that the on person that is fit to change things is Dennis K. He is the only one that really have a outlook to our future. The only thing is is any of the Candidates ready to clean up our messed up country. This is for all people even if you don't like one another just pick the one that can really make a change.

You raise two good points. First, is the deplorable treatment of our military--active duty AND vets--which is inexcusable as no one does more the country, and frankly the world, than they. They are also Constitutionally authorized unlike most of the garbage the Congress plays around with. Second is the fact that UHC can NOT work. It doesn't anywhere--goes bankrupt while providing rationed care. In the US, both Medicare and Medicaid have strong elements of UHC and they're both going bust and losing doctors willing to tolerate the nonsense to boot.

Again, would like to point out there is a decent health care proposal out there:

There IS a sensible plan that does NOT force patients on it with fear of fines; does NOT impose the costs on employers; does NOT raise our taxes; and DOES resolve another abuse of the taxpayer in its funding, provides for preventative care (moral and economical), and would prevent bankruptcies (more than half are caused by medical bills and most of those folks have insurance). Check it out:

http://www.booklocker.com/books/3068.html

Author would retain VA (as well as IHS) because of their special nature, but military would always be free to use the civilian system and this extra care would be available to them. Also in the plan in the book, VA would get substantial increases in available funds and resources (author is 100% pro-military and honoring our debt to them).

Yet they will raise taxes and the VA will see virtually nil as a result. These anti-military candidates really make me want to vomit. Clinton was at the helm for eight years and I remember no significant increase of aide to our brave injured veterans or to the health care that they were promised for the rest of their lives. The Republicans haven't fared much better, but put McCain in and I believe that he knows the pains that our vets suffer both physically as well as emotionally and he will improve the situation dramatically.

The answer is simple. Hillary wants to control every aspect of your life - in her mind, health care is the next step. Universal health care doesn't work in socialist & communist countries and it won't work in the United States.

Simply put, Hilliary wants government to run everything and healthcare is just the first step.

You have to pick and choose what gets don't you? How can you have money to support the VA when all these Tax breaks and Tax loopholes are making difficult to get funding.