If Mike Ross is "leading" anything, then the "followers" are brain dead.

Excellent reporting Mike... we will try to spread this info far and wide...

He owns 100% stock in a pharmaceutical company and is holding healthcare for all Americans hostage... isn't that a conflict of interest?

NO!!!!!!!!! VOTE NO ON THE HEALTH BILL!!! WHAT IS THE BIG HURRY TO JAM IT DOWN EVERYONE'S THROATS!!!!!!!! OBAMA ACTS LIKE IT SOME BIG EMERGENCY!

WHY SHOULD THE AMERICAN PUBLIC PAY FOR ABORTIONS WHEN WE ARE SUPPOSE TO BE SAVING MONEY???????????????????????

USE YOUR BRAIN AND VOTE NO!!!!!!!!!!

please continue your opposition to obama's health care plan.we do not need the federal government involved in our choice for health care coverage. keep up the good work.

Your "issue he needs to explain" if flawed. Three doctors isn't bad for a town of barely 4,000 people. Also, Hope is only 10 minutes away via I-30. From working in the area a time, I know many people from Prescott work and have doctors in Hope.

As an Arkansas native and current resident, I testify to the sorry state of health care in this backwater state. Unfortunately, Arkansas has never had an African-American elected to statewide office or to any federal office. It's a pretty safe bet that the only progressive member of congress that will ever come from here will have to be a black person. So long as their share of the population statewide remains below 15% the conservative whites will keep re-electing "blue dogs" like Mike Ross. I prefer "crooked dogs" as a more descriptive term, but hey--that applies to all of them, doesn't it?

Too bad, I voted for this grandstander.
Like your day in the sun? Turn coat.
Support your damn party president.

You didn't really have to expound beyond stating Ross gets $100,000 in dividends and most of his campaign contributions from the health care industry. I'm wondering, though, how a pharmacy in a town of 4,000 can pay $100K in dividends plus salaries and other expenses - you know, with Medicaid and Medicare paying so little!!!

Given that the Democratic party can't get the Blue Dogs to get on board or convince its members that general interests are more important that narrow special interests, it's doubtful that I'll ever vote Democrat again. Green Party, Socialist, I'll vote and campaign for anything but Democrat.

No to Obama/Pelosi reform. The CBO even said the bill as written is ineffective and costly. Wake up your partison eyes. The Blue Dogs want to move slow with a little pragmatism.

I see he's just another paid prostitue who was pimped to the legistature by another drug cartel.
Our founding fathers must be rolling over in their graves.

Rep. Ross just made my day a little brighter. After months of listening to how lucky we are to have our new President, and then listening to his and congressional leaders plans for our country, every time I now hear about another Representative, Senator, or governor who refuses to cooperate it makes my day a little brighter. Can't wait until the 2010 elections, and the big one in 2012.

Urban or rural America it does not make a difference, the reality is the amount of politicians in Washington should be
cut in half. PAC and lobbyist groups should not be able to fund
the politicians political campaigns. Lets create term limits for the congressmen and senators, they have premium health care
and pensions, why should they be advocates for the average citizen. Politicians are benefiting themselves, the money given to them from pharmaceutical lobbies and insurance companies during campaigns create a circumstance of corruption. Maybe
those politcians who have received momey or support from any
healthcare or insurance companies should not be allowed to serve on the committee that will be making policy for healthcare.

Great point.

To you lover of the "Blue Dogs" - we will get single-payer. Watch as you lose in 2010 and 2012 again.

Mike Ross is a hero. Rural hospitals and physicians/specialists have to be protected or there will be loss of both from small towns. Specialists already are disadvantaged to a point that any more strikes, and specialists will leave these towns in droves(or retire). Long waits for specialists, or long drives will become norm for Arkansans.

Mike Ross is scary. I've called his office and voiced my opposition to his blue dog policies and the secretary actually hung up on me.

This man doesn't care about his constituency. His priorities lie with his bank account. Congressman Ross presents the people of Arkansas with a long list of problems. But what are the options? The ADP offers no solution and is satisfied with holding the seat even if it is occupied by an idiot.

I am extremely disappointed that politicians elected by the People , are so involved with keeping their revenue stream going, that they impede the progress of a long overdo healthcare reform bill.
isn't 70 years long enough to wait?? A pharmacist, of all people, must be aware of the disaster we are all facing if this bill does not pass. GREED!!!

Blue Dogs; lets call them what they are DINO's (Democrats In Name Only). Like Dinosaurs, they are relics of the past and doomed to political extinction because of their inability to adapt to a changing world and represent the people that elect them rather than the lobbyists and special interests.

Which health bill are you opposing? Can you state any specifics that are specifically contained in it? Where did you find the text of such a bill... or is this simply a parroting of an argument by someone else who hasn't seen it, either?

From what I can see, the only people making a lot of noise about this are advocates of the Party of "No" and advocates of the Party Without a Clue. Let's keep an open mind... until and unless some actual details emerge in writing and not in speculation.

I rarely vote for Democrats because all they do is raise taxes
and waste money, but I will cast a vote for you if you stick to
your guns and defeat this health care bill. We do not need more
debt and I hope you take out the care of illigals. We do not need to spend money on that too. Spend that money on our own residents. Send the illigals home. I am an Arkansan and I wish you luck.
PS: Also defeat that Cap & Trade bill. Drill offshore.

We need you to support Obama's health plan now..stop all your "stupid" reasons for voting against reform...looking at your bio seems like you and your wife are owned by drug companies..hopefully not insurance companies too.

Shame on you. I guess the people who say "the blue dogs bark but they never bite! Shame on you!

Shame on you for allowing your personal greed to deny your constituants of their right to universal health care. And shame on this nation for spending trillions of dollars on war and destruction and ignoring the desparate needs of its populace.

Everyone is talking about the cost of the health care. I would be interested in all the rules and regulations included, like whatdoes ACORN & AMERICORPS have to due with this. What is a "Health Choices Commissionse" (another zar)? What is the Healthcare Exchange? A yes or no will the non US citizens will have any coverage? How much will this coverage cost each of us? Why would the goverment need direct access to individual bank accounts? Why can't a hospital expand without government approval? Since Suicide & euthanasia is aganst GOD's rules, why does the government think He(God) needs help? What is community-based Home Medical Services? Why does the government has the authority to disqualify Medical Advantage Plan, HMOs, etc? Why does the Government provide approved list of end-of-life resorces guiding you in death? (Sorry ONLY GOD not Obama can due this? With all the sorry marriage's in the public office is almost funny to think the Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Don't FORGET THAT MEDICARE IS operated BY THE GOVERNMENT, look what happened to it? And last but not least WILL ALL THE CONGRESS AND SENATOR'S be included? (I already know the answer just thought I would ask.) I keep hearing about all the catholic's on the Sup. court, question are they practicing catholic or a catholic so they have a religion to enter on their applications? Big difference.

Tell them to vote "no" on Obama's health care takeover.

Research the facts, folks. Insurance and pharmaceuticals want things to stay the same, this is not sustainable. We need this health care reform bill. Blue Dogs are delaying what this country needs, their reasons are smoke screens. Link to view the bill and refute the lies about it here:

http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2009/07/deconstructing-the-right-wing-lies-health-bill.html

Republicans and Blue Dogs can't get what they want with truth & facts so they lie.

I don't like government controlling my healthcare, especially dictating what doctor I should see.

I don't like that government would ration healthcare to our elderly people and allow them to linger and perhaps die waiting to get treated, or perhaps being denied medication or treatment.
God help us if you vote this plan in.

To many brain dead backwoods men keep saying I don't want to have government limit my choice.What choice do you have if you can't afford health insurance or a doctor.Under a single payer health insurance program like the liberals wanted before blue dogs like ross destroyed it you could go to any doctor or hospital you wanted.Stop being brainwashed by the republican controlled media's lies.As for the health insurance being used for abortions you people are murdering 20,000 to 50.000 people a year who can't get prompt medical treatment.There are other ways to fight against abortion besides murderring other people by denying them health care.start thinking,it will be a wonderful experience

I may live in California, but I will work very hard to remove Mike Ross with my contributions against him. This is a national issue, not a "Hope" only issue. Why would someone not want what he has for medical insurance? Why would we not want to pay for a great program like Medicare? Why aren't we good enough to get the same kind of care as veterans? We would pay for ours, unlike veterans, but we should get that great quality of care for EVERY American citizen!!! By the way, those are all government run medical plans.

What Ross is going to do is water down the health care bill to the point that it is ineffectual. He is buttering his own bread on his insistence that small hospitals get a larger slice of the pie,including of course the one is his home town where he and his wife own 100% of the stock in a pharmacy.
The best and easiest way to get more money available for health care is to set up a single payer system like medicare and increase the maximum amount paid by raising the limit at which it stops. This will not, in itself, solve the problem but it would be a first step. An independent commission should be set up to handle this.
Next the government should increase the amount that general practitioners are paid and encourage the medical schools through subsidies to expand the subjects necessary to insure that there is more emphasis placed on family practise.

It is time to start our own PAC called Health Care for Americans with the expressed intention of funding opponents to the Blue Cross Dogs in their next election.

I see the paid Right Wing trolls are at their illiterate best.

tying in ALL CAPITALS exposes you as a moron

the need for health care reform is a economic necessity. health care ins. cost have doubled in 10 years and are projected to double (again) in less than 8-10 years. with stagnate wages and inflation
the number of people uninsured and under insured will continue to rise. when people use health care services and can't for those services the cost is shifted to the paying pool and TAX payers. as mentioned in this article there's very little competition to slow down the cost of health care ins. without competition prices will continue to rise beyond the cost of living/inflation. this is not just a
moral issue but a economic necessity if we are to compete in a global economy. businesses moving overseas and outsourcing will continue unless we slow down health care cost. wal-mart and many other large corporations realize this rise in uninsured and the cost of health care is unsustainable.

Did anyone on here ever wonder why The President, Senate,Congress, Supreme court, etc... Refuse to be covered under the same plan? Do you think it is because of its wonderful benefits? They have the Mercedes Benz of healthcare plans, they want to give us the Yugo, is that what you really want!

Being a citizen of the U.S.A., and a member of the public, I can't understand why public SERVANTS should have better healthcare than the public. In all my years in business I have never run across an employer whose subordinates, or employees had a better healthcare plan than they did.

True we do need some sort of healthcare reform, but not this plan, not this day. Do you feel some sort of warped obligation to fund healthcare for illegal aliens? I don't.Do you want the government to be so invasive in all aspects of your life, I don't. Do you want to be denied any benefits because your to old, disabled, have cancer, diabetes, als, md, ms, alzhiemers, or any other ailment that isn't cost effective, according to the government.Yet they will pay for a counselor to help you die.

This country did not become the greatest nation on the planet through socialism, quite the opposite. If you want something, you earn it, you don't sit back and think your entitled to everything as a freebie, just because you were born.

This is the absolute worse piece of legislation ever introduced. It needs to be defeated at all costs. Oh and by the way I'm just your average Joe, working stiff, self employed, pay my own insurance guy, no silver spoon boy. Maybe, if the majority of the " uninsured " bought health insurance instead of nice cars, flatscreen T.V.'s,top dollar computers, and Iphones, we wouldn't have such a drastic Communistic bill.

Read the euthanasia bill before you support it!!!

P.S.

I wonder who founded this healthcare exchange? Were you aware Al Gore and Henry Paulson founded the exchange that carbon credits are to be traded on. Due to the cap and trade bill. Sound a little fishy? Go figure why cap and trade was pushed so hard!!!

Try doing a little reading now and then, not only do you find facts about things like this, it helps you keep from burning your microwave popcorn!

mike ross, stand by your convictions, vote NO on the health bill. the cost is outrages. page 881 mainly deals with paid education,and creating jobs,paid by the money out of the health bill.what percent of the money is left for real health care?

Fun to listen to C-Span where people complain that they don't want the government making decisions about their health care. when asked what insurance they have now, they say, "Medicare." Obviously they don't understand that Medicare IS government insurance and that it already IS making decisions about their care. Guess they like it well enough. And my question would be, "Would you rather have an insurance company whose main concern is PROFIT making decisions about your coverage instead?" Guess the answer is, "Yes," or people just don't think! Could be the later!

Donot the uninsured have medicare and medicade? Look what a shambles the government has made of those plans. Oh yea any nut who thinks the federal government should jump into healthcare is not looking at the Fed's track record. This 1000+ pages of the healthcare bill is a joke, full of pork and pet projects. Not to mention the fact that the American people have no way of paying this bill. Horray for Mike Ross he needs to stand up for his people and vote NO. No where in the Constitution does the Fed's have the right to stick their nose in healthcare. That is a right reserved for the states. Vote No Mike and keep voting NO until our congress lines up with the job it was designed to do. If what is being shoved down our throats is so good for us why does all of the "elected" not have to participate? Trust me if it is not good enough for the "elect" it is not good enough for us.

It's all a waste of time and our money, as per usual for our government. Obama is not legally qualified to be President. read the Constitution, your parents, not one parent must be U.S. citizens, nevermind the fact that a copy of a Kenyan birth certificate has recently surfaced.

Wake up people, read, don't just listen to hearsay. Obama is a usurper, everything he has done is illegal, and will be repealed. The main stream media are nothing but pandering lapdogs, hoping to get tossed a bone. Obama and all his D.C. cronies need to be tried for treason, and punished accordingly. IF YOU HAD NOTHING TO HIDE, WOULD YOU SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS TO HIDE IT?????
The healthcare plan is great if you want yearlong waits for appointments, denial of care, government sponsored euthanasia, skyhigh taxes for you and your descendants, and denial of care if anything not cost effective to the government is wrong with you. Talk to a Canadian, Briton, German, etc... if you want the skinny on the socialized medicine thing.

Has the government lobotomized all you people? Once again, this is THE WORST PIECE OF LEGISLATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE U.S.A.

WHAT IS COST EFFECTIVE TO THE GOVERNMENT?, GRANTING THEMSELVES A YEARLY PAY RAISE! MICHELLE OBAMA HAVING A STAFF OF 20, AT OVER A MILLION A YEAR, WHEN EVEN HILLARY HAD ONLY 3, AND ALL THE REST OF THE FIRST LADIES 1 BACK TO MAMIE EISENHOWER.

WAKE UP AMERICA, STOP THE FRAUD, THEFT, AND CORRUPTION.

Shame on Mike Ross. He doesn't care about others because he has what he needs. Let him take a look around his state, really look and see why we need public health care. I'm disgusted and will do everything I can to make sure he doesn't remain in office.

We are just about the only developed country in the world that doesn't have some kind of health care for all citizens. Our failure to provide affordable health care to all places us among the 3rd world nations. Even some less developed countries have some form of assistance for the less fortunate. A sliding scale fee system is one option. The options considered keep private insurers and hospitals in place. However, the private companies would have competition and might be pressured to actually cover those they insure. As it is, companies pay more attention to their bottom line than to their obligations to the insured.

TERM LIMIT CONGRESS.
NEVER REELECT THEM!

Wake up you ignoramouses, Obamacare is like being SUBJECTED to Logans run. Repeal Government regulations on healthcare. Do you want to put your mother or grandmother in a coffin? If so, we don't need you, go back to your poor, ignorant, socialist countries. Try to get healthcare there, without the help of Americans. Canadians flee to America for healthcare for a reason, and it is not the quality of the Canadian "universal healthcare" system. Don't be so stupid.

Anyone who believes anything Obama is saying should Google Charles Krauthammer and see what he has to say about "Does Obama Lie" it is a great article. He makes it so clear as to what Obama is saying.................

Where exactly will you be drilling offshore in Arkansas? As I remember my map of this country, Arkansas has no coastline. So I can only assume you are suggesting drilling along the coastlines of coastal states. I live in California. Ask me if I want oil drilling off my coast. Hell NO!!

Why should I have to pay for WARS?

At least, abortion is legal, thank goodness, unlike some WARS.

Get your facts straight.

85% of Canadians are very satisfied with their health care.

They would revolt if anyone took it away.

(There will always be at least 15% of a population who will never be satisfied.)