Jack, which level of govt provides essential services is scarcely quibbling. It's the basic difference between Republicans and Democrats! Whether schools and the police are controlled by the federal government in other countries isn't the point. We're talking about the good old US of A, where they're not. Comparatively speaking, there's relatively little federal funding provided to K-12 schools. Most of the money is either from the local district (here in Iowa, a combination of property taxes and local option sales tax) or a state funding formula. That's very different from putting the feds in control. And as I said, I have not seen anyone's health care plan that includes levels of local control similar to what we see with our schools and police. If I did, I'd be much more willing to consider supporting such a plan. I have a voice in what happens at our local school, because I get to vote in school board elections. (I can even run for the school board.) Likewise, I get to vote for the county sheriff, which gives me a voice in local law enforcement. If I lived in a town instead of in the country, I could vote for the mayor and city council, who oversee the local police. Where do I find the equivalent of those options in any national health care plan?

Marklart, a lot of people believe that setting a date certain for withdrawal from Iraq is not a good idea. Did Clinton set a date certain for withdrawal from the former Yugoslavia? If he had, and if we'd pulled out, I wonder if Kosovo could have declared independence, as it just did--with American troops still there? And bombing Iran, if it turns out they are indeed developing nuclear weapons, is an option I would not want to take off the table. Of course Israel might take care of that one for us anyhow.

Last edited by L. Brown; 02/19/08 08:56 AM.