The only way out of the mess our country is in that I can think of is to withhold our taxes. Any way to do this? The IRS can't go after millions of people, can it? If the Internet can allow people like GG to be influential and hasten the end of the MSM, then the only way political and economic change will come is through the pocketbook, right? We need a third party-- it would draw from many segments of the US population at this point. Where is Move On and some of these bigger organizations? Geez, I never thought I would be feeling worse about the state of our country today then I did during 8 years of Bush-Cheney - this is truly a nightmare.

You neglected to mention the fact that the recent election in Afghanistan was hopelessly corrupt--the UN was even hiding evidence to that effect. People who have spent long periods of time in that country (like Rory Stewart, for one) say that the Afghanis are as bothered by the corrupt government there as they are by the Taliban, who, by the way, are not necessarily remnants of the last group of Taliban that scattered after 9-11 and our invasion--they are local people who support some parts of extremist Islamist ideology and are now in the position of being considered insurgents. Maybe we should try paying them off like we did with the Sunnis in Iraq--that had the most powerful efeect on the level of violence there-- any "success" attributed to "the surge" was really all about "the payoff." And I was just reading about how well many of the contractors in Afghanistan are doing--most of our tax dollars go to paying them exhorbitant salaries and benefits--not excatly a way to win hearts and minds. How can we possibly

succeed"(whatever the hell that means) in Afghanistan if we are propping up a government the people there hate and fear?

How do you factor in that Wilson's biggest contributions have been coming from the health care industry? Maybe that had something to do with his act of "courage." It's not only Obama who is guilty of kowtowing to the insurance companies.

Speaking as the daughter of a surgeon, I think some tort reform would definitely have a positive impact on health care costs. My dad was hauled into court countless times by people who came into his office with the sole intention of trying to make some money via bogus claims--in fact, when I worked for him during summer vacation, I could tell what these people were up to as soon as they walked in the door. If you want to sue a doctor, you don't need to have a shred of proof to bring a lawsuit, just a willing lawyer. Though my dad never did anything wrong, he lost many hours when he could have been working having to go and testify against baseless accusations. Surgeons and anesthesiologists are charged staggering amounts for medical malpractice insurance. My dad, who retired in the 1980s, was paying $60,000 a year alone just for malpractice insurance--that's on top of all the other overhead expenses. Older surgeons who were working part time had to retire because they could not afford to pay the malpractice insurance--less doctors means higher fees. Can people honestly claim that unregulated claims have no impact on health care costs?

Why not screen for bogus or frivolous lawsuits? Do you really think a doctor won't order a multitude of tests just to protect him or herself? The US is a sue-happy culture with people asking for outrageous awards. Whenever I was on jury duty in a civil case, all I had to do was say I didn't believe in multi-million dollar awards to get dismissed--no lawyer wanted me on their jury. The system has gotten out of hand and needs some basic reform.

As a side comment, I always hear statements made that people with insurance "pay" for those without, which assumes that people without insurance never pay their medical bills. But many do and, in fact, pay much more for procedures than do those with insurance so those without insurance are, to a certain extent, subsidizing the insured.