“Even if you don’t have health insurance, you are still taken care of in America. That certainly could be defined as universal coverage.” -- Former HHS Director Tommy Thompson in 2004, explaining why it was OK to spend $1 billion in Iraq toward the goal of universal coverage when we don't have that in this country.

“The immediate goal is to make sure there are more people on private insurance plans. I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room.” -- President Bush, last July in Cleveland.

Yeah, good thing we have those ERs, which are increasingly unable to immediately care for patients who are having heart attacks.

Imagine a loved one who is having a heart attack having to wait 20 minutes for care. Why do we put up with this?

The free enterprise system says close the ERs down. So, should we just leave it at that?

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