I would like to share an experience I had. I was in Florida

[cuke]

(the W Palm Beach area) taking care of some of my mom's business. The UFT was having a meeting with its' retired members, and my mother wanted to go, so I went with her. It was held in the auditorium of a large synagoge. I counted 22 seats across and at least 30 rows. The place was pretty full with at least 500 of the seats occupied and a number of people milling around.

The UFT reps brought up a number of issues of concern, which were discussed. Then the rep started talking about some upcoming changes to their health plans. As usual of late (I've attended a # of these meetings lately) someone started asking questions about the Medicare D "donut" and as usual, some of the people there just can't understand it. Some people were getting more and more exasperated, until one person yelled out "I CAN'T WAIT FOR HILLARY TO FIX THIS PIECE OF SHIT!!"

The silence was incredible. Even though it was not shouted out at an ear-splitting volume, it was just loud enough, and the man's voice was deep enough, that everyone noticed it. And everyone shut up for a moment,

And in that brief moment, I could see the look in peoples' faces as they looked around. It said "Uh-oh, what's going to happen next?"

And then, the place exploded in cheering. I've never seen 500+ Jews be so happy to be in a synagogue. It continued until someone started the chant. "HILL-a-REE! HILL-a-REE!" which continued until the UFT reps asked, over the PA, for everyone to settle down.

[tularetom]

1. I hope they aren't disappointed

people are so fed up with the nitwit chimpistration they are beggin for something new. Hillary would be a 1 million percent improvement over what we are now enduring but I don't see her health plan as a panacea. Everyone will have "insurance" but that isn't the same as everyone having health care. The only way to achieve that is single payer type system. I fear that some of these seniors will continue to be jacked around by the insurance companies. The only difference will be that they won't be paying as much to get jacked around.

[cuke]

3. Health insurance is the "gateway drug" to health care

with insurance, you can get access to health care. And under Hillary's plan, there will be minimum standards for what an insurance plan must cover that also includes coverage for prevention and covers the management of chronic conditions, which can be very expensive and which are often not covered by current insurance plans. Under Hillary's plan, everyone will be better off. Either they will get care they couldn't before, or they will have the increased coverage for less money.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. The Donut Hole Is Ridiculous

Who ever heard of an insurance plan where you're insured up to a certain amount then the insurance stops till you reach another amount and then it resumes...

Only a Republican could think of that...

[flordehinojos]

17. that is probably the sick/evil conniving intention of the bushes ... really ...

they don't want to give health insurance to kids whose middle class parents make a certain amount which, the bushes say, should afford them health insurance. Really? (i know lots of middle class parents whose salary affords them a house, a used car, clothing and schooling for the kids,food on the table, and ø Ø health insurance for their kids ... God forbid the expense involved if their kids should get really sick.

(and yes, they don't want to give health insurance to us senior citizens as our health declines and our incomes do too).

then the bushes say they are going to help certain mortgagees who signed up to get a mortgage and on the payment road ... ran into some trouble which made them unable to pay their mortgages, but they are not going to help people who, knowingly, signed up for a mortgage they knew they could never pay back !!!

but bush is borrowing money from our pockets to pay for his illegal invasion and occupation of iraq and he will never pay a cent of it back ... with all of the tax breaks that he gives to himself and his rich circle ... we, the middle class who are supposed to afford health insurance but can't because property taxes have gone up, health insurance has gone up and covers nothing, co-pays have gone up and even if you have an HMO if your provider physician doesn't like what the HMO pays them, they go ahead and bill you for the balance not covered by the HMO payment and your co-pay, municipalities fees have gone up to cover the difference between the donut hole created in their budget as a result of bush's tax cuts, decreasing federal funds to the states, and even further decreased funds to counties, cities and municipalities.

yes the bush gang is an evil, immoral, lying, conniving gang who is in to pocket money while creating a serfdom for their kingdom.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. People Here Discount Hillary's Appeal To Older Folks

And they do it at their peril because the older you get the more likely you are to vote...

[cuke]

6. I couldn't overestimate their enthusiasm and activism if you paid me to

I thought I could be obnoxious the way I inject politics into everyday conversations, but these seniors are unreal. And there no "sheep" either. They are all very knowledgeable. They've been there, done that, gotten the t-shirt and wore the t-shirt out many years ago.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. They Have More Free Time Too

I read in Iowa that a plurality or majority of caucus goers are over 55...This bodes well for Hillary... I remember in 04 a Kerry presidency was to be ushered in by young voters who overwhelmingly supported him over Bush*... The problem was that they didn't come out in the numbers they were expected to...

[sufrommich]

20. The AARP political forum on their web page

is one of the most battle hardened ones I've been to.Lots of well informed Democrats fighting the good fight over there and interesting to read. My Mom posts there all the time and slaps down the republican posters with some regularity. They are a well informed group and not battle shy.

[emilyg]

14. Yep.

[flordehinojos]

5. what is UFT

and good for those who can't wait for hillary to fix "this piece of shit"... i listened to her the other day when she was barn storming (or barn feasting--i think it was just one barn yard party) and the more i listened to her ... the more that something in me began to say, if this country has a hope of ever returning to one infinitesimal particle of what it was before, hillary will be the one to do it." i too am rooting for hillary at this point but wondering:

1) poppy promised to give her hell if she ran for the presidency and his minions at CNN, MSNBC, and other channels are doing just that.

2) i read today that many states are reversing the electronic machines means of voting ... but will enough states, reverse enough machines and go back to paper and pencil ballots or whatever other means of voting which would allow us to really and truly count our votes?

and,

3) and most importantly will the bushes be, or are they even, willing to give up the power they so blatantly coup d'etat ed themselves into, or will they look for reason and occasion to cancel our elections and keep themselves in power?

we really are living in a very perilous times.

[cuke]

8. UFT = United Federation of Teachers

It's like the NEA. It's a union for teachers and others who work in the feild of education

[flordehinojos]

9. thanks .

teachers usually labor to teach facts, truth and veracity. they must really know what a crooked bastardly family is occupying the white house.

[cuke]

10. Openly contemptous is the way I would describe it

Mention that name to a senior in W Palm Beach, and stand back.

[MGKrebs]

18. Questioning whether the votes will be counted accurately is certainly a valid issue,

but the candidates and campaigns have to go on as if they will. Otherwise, there is no point in even trying. It's a parallel issue. Has to happen concurrently, but it doesn't replace the campaigning.

[ChiciB1]

11. I've Lived In Florida For So Long... And I'm So Sorry To Tell You...

they "may" have been teachers at one time, but Florida has always been the land of the SENIOR citizen, and so many of them walk the walk and talk the talk! I have nothing against some oldie/goodies, but there is sort of a "group think" and strain of stubbornness! I give them all the credit in the world for having gone through many trying times here in America, but many BENEFITED from the likes of FDR. And Hillary is NO FDR!!

PLUS, Florida is so screwed up now my husband says he's ashamed that he was born in Tampa!! When we moved here it was a completely different place, now I wonder if it wouldn't be good if they sunk it!!

Insurance and taxes and LOTS AND LOTS of money, people with 2nd and 3rd houses, and when you get down to W. Palm Beach... well just think about it!

[cuke]

12. Think about what?

I'm not sure what your point is. Yes, they're senior citizens. I thought I made that obvious when I noted it was a meeting for retirees.

So what if they're old?

[NewHampster]

13. I love it

Our seniors vote. My mom and all her Jewish friends in Florida love Hillary.

WooHoo for Hillary.

[xchrom]

15. the doughnut hole in part d is a KILLER for many many people.

[cuke]

16. I think that's what confusing them

They think that once they get past the donut hole, the new reimbursement rate applies retroactively to the out of pocket expenses included in the donut hole

[BootinUp]

19. Thanks for sharing cuke

She will fix it this time.

[The Backlash Cometh]

21. The last time Hillary tried to tackle the health care issue...

Our family was convinced to go on HMO because we were young and healthy and needed the money. We, unfortunately, had to change doctors every year because the company kept changing the approved HMO list. Then a son of a bitch doctor prescribed the wrong anti-biotic and continually ignored complaints of pain. By the time it was over, I had grounds to sue, but found out that some bubblehead had given the HMOs immunity. I lost at least ten years of good health over it and became too cynical to really enjoy much after that.

I've always wondered who was the bubblehead who gave the HMOs immunity.

[Sancho]

22. welcome to Florida, where the voters are democratic and ...

the voting machines are Republican...

For those of us who have been "double-Bushed" in the last decade, Hillary, Obama, Edwards, or Gore would all be welcome. The sense of frustration is incredible!

I work in education in Florida. We just got a letter from Governor Crist that our dental insurance policy was discontinued.

[eridani]

23. Hillary is going to sell them out to Big Pharma and the insurance industry

Who do they think pays her bills?

[ChiciB1]

25. I Would Like To Be A GOOD Democrat Here In Florida, But It's

almost impossible. Keep getting emails from Thurman, get on board, become a delegate, yatty, yatty, yatty! I DON'T want to associate myself with them! Never thought I would feel this way, but the Democrats here are... I'm not sure WHAT word to use!

Just know they ARE different, at least those in power are!

[Mojorabbit]

27. My mother is convinced

that Hillary will implement universal single payer health care. She does not and will not understand that this is not so.

[Ethelk2044]

24. You should have told them she will not get the chance because she will not be our

Nominee.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

26. O K

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAQS7pdjVU4&mode=related&search=

[cuke]

28. You can go and tell them yourself