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There is no more inspirational read than to look up the valiant histories of the nation’s Congressional Medal of Honor winners. Recently, the 2006 story of Petty Officer Second Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor has emerged on the internet.  His story exemplifies the courage of the young men and women who carry the ideals of our country on their backs each and every day.

While manning a machine gun position on a rooftop in Rhamadi, Iraq, U.S. Navy SEAL Michael Monsoor threw his body on top of a hand grenade to protect his fellow comrades.  He screamed “grenade” but knew the other SEALS would not be able to escape.  Without a second’s thought for his own safety, Petty Officer Monsoor smothered the hand grenade with his own body.  At his funeral, dozens of Navy Seals formed a line and placed the Tridents from their uniforms atop his casket until it was covered with gold.

This story has emerged on blogs and e-mail throughout the country, because like so many other authentic and important stories of bravery and honor in the Iraq conflict, U.S. television news networks choose not to report them.

From Krauthammer’s column in today’s Washington Post:

“This is not about politics? Then why is it, to take but the most egregious example, that in this grand health-care debate we hear not a word about one of the worst sources of waste in American medicine: the insane cost and arbitrary rewards of our malpractice system?

“When a neurosurgeon pays $200,000 a year for malpractice insurance before he even turns on the light in his office or hires his first nurse, who do you think pays? Patients, in higher doctor fees to cover the insurance.

“And with jackpot justice that awards one claimant zillions while others get nothing — and one-third of everything goes to the lawyers — where do you think that money comes from? The insurance companies, which then pass it on to you in higher premiums.

“But the greatest waste is the hidden cost of defensive medicine: tests and procedures that doctors order for no good reason other than to protect themselves from lawsuits. Every doctor knows, as I did when I practiced years ago, how much unnecessary medical cost is incurred with an eye not on medicine but on the law.

“Tort reform would yield tens of billions in savings. Yet you cannot find it in the Democratic bills. And Obama breathed not a word about it in the full hour of his health-care news conference. Why? No mystery. The Democrats are parasitically dependent on huge donations from trial lawyers.”

Unlike too many conservatives, I recognize that the health care system’s financial problems are multi-faceted, and that tort reform will not be a cure-all by any means. But it is inexcusable that the subject of tort reform is not even on the table.  Heck, it’s not even in the same building as the table.

The Mayo Clinic posted this commentary on the Congressional plan that was released a couple of days ago:

“Although there are some positive provisions in the current House Tri-Committee bill – including insurance for all and payment reform demonstration projects – the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients. In fact, it will do the opposite.

“In general, the proposals under discussion are not patient focused or results oriented. Lawmakers have failed to use a fundamental lever – a change in Medicare payment policy – to help drive necessary improvements in American health care. Unless legislators create payment systems that pay for good patient results at reasonable costs, the promise of transformation in American health care will wither. The real losers will be the citizens of the United States.”

I really dislike the Tri-Committee bill, so I agree with what Mayo says.  Their take also seems consistent with what Atul Gawande said in this New Yorker article, “The Cost Conundrum,” which I found presuasive.  I think, however, that the conservatives who are so gleeful about Mayo’s statement should keep in mind that Mayo’s criticism of the Tri-Committee bill is pretty narrow:  Medicare payment policy still encourages more care, rather than the right care.  It would not be hard to amend the Tri-Committee bill to at least attempt to do that, which would be a bad thing.  As a small-government guy, I worry about the federal government trying to exercise oversight over medical decisions.

“Till death do us part” used to apply to marriage.  Now the familiar phrase also describes how long the United States Government will be draining your checking account to pay for its misguided flood of bail-outs and President Obama’s bottomless pit of healthcare “insurance.”

I don’t usually steer readers in search of great journalism to the New York Post, but writer BETSY MCCAUGHEY speaks out succinctly this month about the true pain awaiting Americans if the Obama health care locomotive isn’t stopped.

McCaughey reveals several eye-brow-raising facts  in her article assessing Obama-Care.   First, she reports that under Obama’s health care plan a family of four making less than $88,000 a year will be eligible for government health care assistance.  If your family income is above that level, you’ll have to pay the cost no matter how high it may rise.

Second, she notes that the price tag for the plan could start at as much as 1.6 trillion dollars.  Half of this cost is intended to come from your pocket and mine, if you work 50-60 hours a week, have made the  mistake of getting a graduate degree, and have two incomes.  Obama’s circle of Clinton policy makers see such households as cash cows to be milked by the federal government.   The rest of the cost of the program is scheduled to be paid for  by cutting seniors’ health benefits under Medicare.  If you haven’t heard about these realities, it’s because the Obama White House only likes to talk about benefits, not costs.

Here’s what will really give you an untreated ulcer:

Shockingly, only a portion of the money accumulated from slashing senior benefits and raising taxes goes to pay for covering the uninsured. The Senate bill allocates huge sums to “community transformation grants,” home visits for expectant families, services for migrant workers — and the creation of dozens of new government councils, programs and advisory boards slipped into the last 500 pages.

I understand this YouTube video is gaining more and more attention.  I hope millions of American voters see it and let their congressmen and senators know they have seen it:

Slowly but surely, middle class, and upper-middle class Americans are being awakened to the fact that federal taxes are being skirted by at least half of all Americans.  Half.  Governor Mitt Romney, in a recent private meeting in Los Angeles, stated that it is more likely that only 40% of all Americans are carrying the enormous federal tax burden today.  Under the new codes being enforced by the Obama Administration, that figure will probably become 50%.   Is it any wonder that there are “tea parties” emerging around the country featuring fed-up Americans who recognize more and more that the very rich are escaping tax-free, as well as those in the low-income sectors of our economy.   There is no shortage of compassion among American earners, but there is a conviction in Democracy.

Right now, there are too few patriots paying the freight.

Many years ago I was flying to a recording session in Los Angeles with a successful arranger.  We were both on our way to be paid well for our music.  It was thrilling for me, at 18 years old, to be flying anywhere.    To be on an all-expense paid trip to watch one of my songs recorded on a Hollywood soundstage by a full orchestra, and to be able to put on headsets and sing, was breathtaking for a teen from a small town in Utah.   It seemed as if I was on the verge.  

The sage producer who accompanied me on the flight,  offered the best advice of my life.   Perhaps he felt too that I might have other recording sessions ahead of me, and he shared  what he had learned from decades of being part of the music business.  He said, “Remember.  The devil always exacts his price.”

Though there was nothing but adventure in my head, his words fired a bit of hesitation into my heart.

In the next couple of years I had my brush with the entertainment industry.  Everywhere I went, every meeting that was taken, every performance that awaited, taught me that there was no life in music, without sacrificing your life FOR music.  The only question was how easily one would sacrifice  everything else of value.

I have yet to meet anyone who has succeeded in making and selling music who hasn’t paid a price for it.

 This week we pause because a man like Michael Jackson, who has been part of the culture of our lives, succumbed to the life and the lifestyle of making music in the commercial world.   Despite the sad revelations that will begin to spill out as soon as the flowers are dropped on his casket, Michael Jackson made the most of stardom.  He did share virtually everything he had.  He was a man of great kindness.  He used every state of the art tool known in the world to magnify and share his great talents.

Still, after the assets are divided, after all videos have been remembered, when the lights are dimmed and his children are alone in their beds….the devil exacted his price.