The liberals' longtime dream of a government-run health care system for all died Wednesday in the Senate, but Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont vowed it will return when the realization dawns that private insurance companies "are no longer needed." ...more

December 16, 2009

Some people seem to be obsessed with the idea that this president is going to fix everything if we just give him a chance, even though it has long been evident that he has a low opinion of this country. It is very evident whenever he gives a speech before the leaders of other countries. Is it not absurd for a sitting president to besmirch his own country before the world? We have seen the "change" but where is the "hope?" I find it hard to believe that according to some polls, Obama is still given a 40-50 percent approval rating. Much too high! ...more

December 16, 2009

Blaise Ingoglia's guest column last week in Hernando Today, which was critical of third parties for undermining the two major parties' future existence, was laughable. ...more

December 16, 2009

President Barack Obama is calling Senate Democrats to the White House to say it's time to come together and pass legislation embracing a wholesale remodeling of America's health care system. ...more

December 15, 2009

The end game at hand, Senate Democrats appeared ready to jettison a proposed Medicare expansion from sweeping health care legislation today in a bid to remove the largest remaining obstacle in the way of Christmas-week passage of the measure. ...more

December 14, 2009

You have to wonder what John Allen would think. Allen, the first president of the University of South Florida, was determined to create a different state university; one that focused on academics. To that end he argued against big-time sports programs, especially football. Of course that was so long ago the Bulls weren't even the Golden Brahmans yet. Now they are a big-time program with a football team that went 7-5 this season and still is going to play in a post-season bowl game. ...more

December 14, 2009

With a fierce ambition and savvy political skills, Pat Bean survived the rise and fall of seven Hillsborough County administrators before she got the job in December 2003. ...more

December 13, 2009

In a victory for people with cancer and other serious medical problems, the White House agreed Friday to help close a loophole in the Senate health care bill allowing annual dollar limits on their care. ...more

December 11, 2009

A loophole in the Senate health care bill would let insurers place annual dollar limits on medical care for people struggling with costly illnesses such as cancer, prompting a rebuke from patient advocates. ...more

December 11, 2009

It's unbelievable that members of the U.S. Senate on both sides of the aisle are receiving so much resistance to make low cost prescription drugs from other countries available to Americans. The same worn-out arguments still are stopping this process and all it really comes down to are pharmaceutical manufacturers not wanting lose the billions in profits. ...more

December 11, 2009