internet and phone plus a free compaq mini netbook computer. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v today before time runs out on this astonishing offer. from washington, the american original, the mclaughlin group brought to you by mississippi development authory. visit mississippi.org to see what we can do for you. "this broadcast realtime captioned by becky lyon." issue 1. u.s. government health insurance. >> we will cover preventive care like checkups and mammograms that save lives and money. >> president obama's votes for health care are clear. what this would mean if it

becomes a reality is far from clear. mr. obama used the prime time press conference of his presidency, his fourth one, for one purpose, to sell his plan for health care reform to the american people. what does the obama plan actually mean? according to the president, one, no add-on to the nation's monumental deficit. >> i've also pledged that health insurance reform will not add to our deficit over the next decade and i mean it. >> two, no denials of coverage. >> finally, no insurance company will be allowed to deny you coverage because of a pre- existing medical condition. >> three, no bilking. >> we want to ve a public option is to help keep the insurance companies honest. >> questions, subsidizing health insurance for over 45 million people currently without insurance. covering everyone regardless of their health. doing this without increasing the deficit and only raising

taxes on the very rich. madonna, bill gates, beyonce. and at the same time, also cutting the growth of spending on health care. is this too good to be true? >> of course it is. john, he has two big problems here. one, you look at every poll, health care reform is not at the top of people's list of concerns now. they care many more about the state of economy and jobs. it is pushing something people don't care about that much right now. two, it is too good to be true. he says people won't lose their health insurance if they want to keep it. it's not true. he says he will bend the cost curve down. not true. he says it will be paid for much very likely not too. in effectual. >> you just heard the republican talking points. they have determined that to do their part to try to kill this as one of their leading stars

pointed out -- >> don't forget the blue dog. >> the republicans say this will be obama's water lieu if he loses he will be finish politically. democrats could do this on their own. this has evolved into a fight, you're right, among the democrats. it is a form of the insurance system. if you think you can't lose your insurance today. you can. 14,000 people every day are losing there's insurance. people care about it a lot contrary to your expectation and if the democrats let this opportunity go by when they have good majorities in the house and senate and have a democratic president they will pay a huge price so i think in the end they will come together and pay us something and it will include something of a public option. they may call it a co-op or something else. but it is not a government takeover any more than medicare

is a government takeover. there are lots of private plans that exist with medicare just like fedex and ups exist with the post office. it is not a -- >> of course it will lead to decimation of the private health insurance industry. that's what obama's intention is. not immediately. but if you have a government option backed by unlimited resources, i.e., the u.s. government, at a lower cost than what the private companies are doing, then all of these small businesses and big businesses will then offload all of their insurance responsibilities onto the government. onto the public option meaning he wants to starve out the private insurance companies. and this plan is so complex, so costly, if it passes it will turn us all into psychiatric patients because it will make us crazy. there were no estimates last week. 1.5 trillion costs. the more the americans see the

cost, they see rationing, reduction in care, reduction in access to their doctors. that's why these numbers are sinking faster than a shoe in a -- >> okay, government health insurance. >> that's a good example of what we are trying to build for the american people. there is a marketplace of different plans that they can access depending on what is best for their families. now, one of the plans that we talk about is a public option. >> sounds reasonable. but is it as enticing as it sounds? the former chief economists for george w. bushgregory mancue thinksnot. >> choice and honest fotiincoitioare indeed the daunon of daa successf market system. but they are usually achieved without a public idpr. er

we ovdon't need vegontwe rnmeunr grocery stars or ungovernmentun gas stations to sumeenre that americans can buy food doent n' or government-run gas statio y to ensure that americans can buy prices. unquote. what would be the ctpaimbu of a public option? a public option is available it will et. unquote. so what would a public tiop on lead to? mancue. a the governme h nt dominant role in buying the esseicrv of doctors and other health care providers icit coul e pricesprdown. icce the government is virtually the only game in town, health care providers will have little choice but to take whatever eythcan get. is the public option a back emgont vehealth care st? canybemae americans are ma happy with their cut enrrenheal care vimo ngimmediately to a singlepa r system is too radical a change to be

politically e. for those who see single fo pair as the id eal,a public optionthat eauses taxpayer fund to tilt the playing field may be an attractive secondstbe. if the subsidies are big enough over , metimore and at the best price." question. is obama forcing private insurers to bring down costs by blue instituting a government program that takes their business away? >> one could only hope, john. we are talking competition. who do we care about? taking care of people, taking care of insurance companies. i'm annoyed by this whole notion. >> private sector insurance. taxpayer money is unlimited and the government -- >> that's not what mancue said. >> underbids the private insurers. >> he was talking about how they can't stand competition. that competition was good.

you're going to have choice and you're going to have competition and that's going to help the public. >> he points out fannie mae and freddie mac started as private companies. >> they became public companies. and then they were indestructible. >> that's a subject for a different show, john. i want to get this in. we are hearing from the supporters of the status quo that we are going to lose coverage, going to lose choice. we are losing that now with private insurance. the private sector has failed to support and serve the public in a satisfactory way and that's why we are having this whole debate right now and i think that's why the public is going to vote for some kind of a public option to compete with the private market and whether it is called a co-op or something else. >> the american people who have health insurance like their present system. >> that's what i hear. i don't know who those people are. i have heard those polls too. >> you don't worry the government will be rationing doctors and hospitals. >> they are doing rationing now, john. i have been out in the workforce for over 40 years and i'm constantly getting cut back

and cut back by private insurers and the companies do shop around as they should. >> the point that the current system is unsustainable. so something has to be done. >> look -- >> why does it have to be radicalized? >> it is choice. it is not radical. it is choice. >> if you like your insurance you can keep it. >> that's right. >> that's not true. >> that is not true. >> dishonest. >> we have heard this -- excuse me. >> let me finish my sentence. in today's market your employer can cut you off. your insurance company can say you have a pre-existing condition. nirvana today so you are going to get some certainty with this new system. >> it does need reform. what the house bill does, according to an independent

group. lewan group. 80million people out of their private insurance into the plan. obama cannot admit that. >> a plan that hasn't been voted on yet. >> on the question of competition, there are thousands of private insurers already on the scene. we have plenty of competition. last time i read the u.s. constitution thousands-- last time i read the constitution the founding fathers did not know that the government would be selling insurance. the republicans have alternatives that are free market based. this is not about health care. this is about the federal government led by barack obama and the far left, which is why you've got a splintering off of moderate and conservative democrats who don't like this one bit because of the costs and because of the explosion of the government here, but the far left is driving this because it seeks to take over more and more of your freedom

of choice. >> oh, please. >> please. now. come on. come on. >> go ahead. >> it is not the far left. it is the democratic party operating on the mandate that it got from the voters when they elected barack obama. >> how do you explain the poll numbers crashing? >> going to 59% popularity is not exactly crashing. and it going to -- let me finish. excuse me. my turn. getting to 50%, 49%, given all the bashing people like you have done he is now getting control back of the debate on this. >> bashing. the director of the cbo. >> this is a battle within the democratic party. >> exactly. >> legislative process is going on. >> that's what i said. >> we have not seen the finished product yet and the democrats have the numbers and they are going -- they are not going to blink this time like they did in --

>> the question, assuming -- excuse me, excuse me. please relinquish the democrat congress, assuming they pass health care reform, will a single pair government program eventually not only dominate private health care but eliminate it? >> yes, that's the entire point. unless its reform is stripped down radically that's what will happen and that's what the liberals want. >> there will be 40 to 50 million new customers and a lot of those customers are customers that the private market doesn't even want and there is plenty to go around that you can co-exist with addons and the government is going to provide a subsidy, a very basic plan and people will buy extra. the insurance industry will flourish. but i'm with clarence, since when is this about protecting the insurance industry? they are making a ton of money. >> do you want your insurer to

go out of business, clarence? get dropped from your employer coverage? >> my coverage has been going down, and so has a lot of people. i'm not in that bad of shape. >> you're going to sign up for the public plan. >> let's go -- >> hold on, clarence. >> bringing us back to the exit question. >> how do you like medicare? >> exactly where we are heading to the single payer system if this gets passed and signed into law by president obama. they said as much this is the objective. and president obama let nancy pelosi to write the economic stimulus. i don't think it will succeed. >> i'm almost medicare age anyway and it is one of the most popular programs. >> that's a question of -- >> because it is government run. >> it is not bankrupt. >> it is going bankrupt.

>> health care costs are doubling quickly. >> right now on the status quo. a 10% increase by president obama to get the same thing. >> answer the question. >> what's the question again? >> the answer to the question is the problem is that taxpayer money is behind the government program. therefore it is unlimited. the government will underbid the private sector program because it has got a natural tendency to maintain itsself in existence and that whether mean the ends of private health care over time. and i think it is a bad idea. when we come back afghanistan agony. when planning for retirement these days,

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b@ if we don't act, medical bills will wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. and he won't get the chemotherapy he needs. if we don't act, health care costs will rise 70%. and he'll have to cut benefits for his employees. but we can act. the president and congress have a plan to lower your costs and stop denials for pre-existing conditions. it's time to act. issue 2. afghanistan agony. >> we knew that this summer was going to be tough fighting. that there was an interest in the taliban exerting control. >> right on both counts, mr.

president. the fighting is tough and the taliban are winning. with the mountainous terrain and the summer heat reaching 120 degrees coalition forces have been able to put down taliban insurgents in southern afghanistan. the number of taliban attacks now at its highest since the war began in 2001. and july is now shaping up to be the deadliest month on record. 35 u.s. soldiers have already died this month. surpassing last year's monthly high of 28. 750 u.s. soldiers have been killed since 2001. and 1000 deaths are now yepected by the end of this . isar year. is the r wawinnable? t is unlikely that we llbe wa able to defeat the lin. successful ents of counter insurgency campaigns in

places like malaya, control of the rders, troops, strong support from the jomarity ma ethnic group. a long-term commitment d a credible local government are lacking in afghanistan. but atwh should e thwhallied forces do? the best afghan policy would be to reduce the number of foreign trompsfr frthe current level of 90,000 to far fewer. perhaps 20,000. in that case, two distinct objectives would r the international community. development and counter terrorism. so says royy stewart writing in the london review of books. that the president of the united states will not be deterred. >> the united states has made a lasting commitment to defeat al- qaida but also to

democratically elected sovereign governments. that commitment will not waiver. >> question, is this nation building? is president obama committing to nation building in afghanistan? monica? >> yes, it is. this is the much derided approach when undertaken by president bush in iraq when president obama who was a senator and candidate really had some significant issues with it but here is he trying to do the exact same thing in afghanistan. the problem is we have got about 66,000 u.s. troops either on the grounds in afghanistan or on the way. and our allies really have not stepped up. one of president obama's big objectives here in afghanistan was to try to get our nato allies to commit more trips. 9000 troops suffering a tremendous amount of casualties. so the british government is under pressure. obama has also indicated that

-- to his defense secretary he would like to increase the number of troops in afghanistan above and beyond what has already been committed by the end of the year and the problem is -- hang on. let me finish. the problem is that while we are talking about tactics here with troops on the ground there really isn't a strategy. no exit strategy that's been delineated. no strategy for what we are setting out to accomplish beyond trying to win hearts and minds and trying to get the afghanistan army and police force up which was a great struggle in iraq to try to protect themselves from al- qaeda forces or get them out of the country. this is a very difficult proposition. >> yes? >> it is feeling a lot like iraq when you hear each day about american servicemen dying and i think, you know, barack obama has taken an enormous gamble by raising the stakes in afghanistan but i don't really see that he had any other choice and he was not opposed to fighting an insurgency in iraq and this is how you fight

it called nation building. and they are calling it a holistic strategy. basically they are not fighting the taliban they are protecting the people. but what that means is they have escalated the fighting in afghanistan, the taliban is coming across the boarder into pakistan and pakistan is now pushing back because they feel that the taliban is now urbanizing its fight in that country. so it is a scary strategy but i would disagree with you that they don't have a strategy. very clear strategy is in place and that is fighting an insurgency in afghanistan with the hope of containing the problem. >> the fact is barack obama did oppose fighting in iraq. that was what the surge was about. it was not just more manpower it was a different strategy. now the strategy is being applied in afghanistan and as we saw with the surge in iraq when you initially go in to clear these areas of the enemy you're going to take casualties. it is extremely painful. and if you recall the iraq debate everyone on the left, everyone who was in favor of losing the war said oh, my

gosh, the surge is not going to work because casualties went up. casualties are going up in afghanistan now. this is a real -- this is a real gut check moment for barack obama because this is inevitable that casualties go up and he has to see this moment through. unfortunately he doesn't have so much of the left. >> casualties are going up because we are engaging the enemy now. we didn't have enough troops in afghanistan. we may not have enough now but we have got a stable -- one thing the government doesn't have much authority outside the capitol city. you've got to deal in those rural areas where local tribal chiefs are. >> it has been hard to hold the areas. >> hard to hold them. right. >> you take them by day and overnight they go back. >> we have cleared these areas occasionally, never held them. that's what we are doing now. >> revisit iraq. how many years and how many casualties do we get before

president bush realized it was insurgency? >> we will be right back with predictions. let's not forget what the russians tried to do and how it failed miserably in afghanistan. when planning for retirement these days, the forecast is full of ifs. if i'm too exposed to downturns. if i'll go through my savings too fast. to help you feel more confident consider putting a portion of your savings in a metlife variable annuity. when the market goes up, it gives your assets a potential to grow. while protecting you if the market goes down with a steady stream of income. let america's number one annuity provider help you stay on course with guarantees for the if in life. get answers about annuities at metlife.com.

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of every eligible associate's salary to their 401(k) andgeyeat profit sharing plan. ...even if the associate didn't contribute a dime... ...making good jobs even bettera save money. live better. walmart. on a strategic importance gale 0 to 10. rate the strategic importance of afghanistan? >> i put it at a 10. it is connected to pakistan. >> i'm going to put it at 9. this is the war we should have thought before getting into iraq. >> i will say 7. key critical part of the world and we done need to lose it. >> the answer is a 2. don't forget to follow us on twitter.

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