Chip Cravaack was living a quiet life of a medically retired Northwest Airlines Pilot, grounded at 48 with sleep apnea. At age 51, a self-described stay-at-home dad, with two boys ages 8 and 6.
His congressional responsibilities will require him to be away from home most of the time.
He credits the politically powerful Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life , (MCCL) for turning against Oberstar. Fact: The MCCL has a history of electing those ill-prepared to lead.
I received a negative ad addressed to the Uppgaard Family that was paid for by Cravaack for Congress Campaign Committee. This ad is full of lies, and reflects on Chip's value system.
Jim Oberstar's vision for economic growth in the future has been lost, along with the new bills awaiting the new Congress. We will all be the worse for that.
Cravaack believes: the health care bill was the battle ground in his race - particularly the debate over abortion. The health care bill contains many facts that fail to get media coverage.
No longer can politicians boast that the U.S. has the finest health care in the world. The book by T.R. Reid The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper and Fairer Health Care is loaded with information and facts that should be on the table as we focus on curing a health care system that continues to struggle to succeed. How they did it?That's what the book is all about.
The World Health Organization (WHO) rated France the best overall health system in the world. A study by the Bank of America concluded that if Americans would cut spending down to the French level, we would save about $600 billion annually. T.R. Reid's book is a must read.
Bob Uppgaard
Pequot Lakes
Don't believe everything
Built into most bills/programs passed by Congress are automatic increases.
These increases can be based on cost of living, population growth, or just an automatic percentage increase.
For example, let's take a program with a budget of $10 million in 2010 with a 10 percent increase built in.
That means that in 2011 that budget will be $11 million.
But Congress heard our message in the recent elections and decides to only increase spending by a half million.
That still means they're going to spend $500,000 more next year.
But the news release will read: Congress cuts spending on XYZ by $500,000.
They didn't cut anything - they're spending more!
There are hundreds, probably thousands, of these programs. And all we'll hear is about cuts.
But when the dust settles, spending will be up again.
It's time to put these bills/programs under the microscope and get some real cuts.
Art Becker
Pillager
We'll take the ball away
With the influx of cash from corporations and special interests, with the blessing of the Supreme Court, the Republicans gained several new seats in Congress. Now it is time for payback and they are holding the country hostage until the self-appointed royalty in our country (corporations, CEOs, bankers, investment firms, college presidents, sports figures, coaches and celebrities, etc.) get to keep their tax breaks from expiring. How are these people going to create so many new jobs when they haven't during the last decade of their reduction in taxes? They say they don't want to fund anything without cuts in spending. So where are these cuts going to be, health care, infrastructure or services to the less fortunate?
Congress acts like a kid who says, It's my ball and you have to play by my rules."Guess what Congress, it's not your ball. We lent you the ball for the current term and you better learn to live by the same rules as us or we will take the ball away from you in the next election.
Julie Pawlak
Hackensack
Comments (85)
Add commentThe Republicans will never do
The Republicans will never do anything to hurt their cash cow (abortion rights) because by keeping it legal it keeps the cash and votes flowing to the GOP.
If the GOP had any intention of making abortion illegal they would have at least tried when the Republicans had the country in a stranglehold by controlling the White House and both houses of Congress. They did nothing!
Nothing beyond the tax cuts for the wealthy that didn't create many jobs (second time tried second time failed) and left the country deeper in debt.
Now they are trying the tax cuts for the wealthy scheme again (third time). They know it won't create enough jobs to break even but it does create more national debt and national debt is good. It's good because it gives them an excuse to shovel more of the nations wealth upward to The Creators.
Soon we may envy the middle class of Mexico.
I sent an email to Mr.
I sent an email to Mr. Craavack asking about his "disability".
We'll see if I ever get a response or an answer.
Fish, If you sent me a
Fish,
If you sent me a letter, I wouldn't respond.
Maybe you can to explain your disabilities to us.
Fish, could you explain how
Fish, could you explain how murdering the innocent unborn generates cash for the GOP? If good Catholics like Ted"sure I can drive" Kennedy and Nancy "Fiberglass face" Pelosi couldn't get abortion stopped, who could? We should remember that abortion must remain legal just in case the sockmonkey's daughter makes a mistake. Barry would not want her "punished" with a living child. Kill the little punishment. God helpus. Now that we are a Muslim country, Barry might have to rethink his baseless position. Muslim's are anti-abortion but pro suicide bombs.
Steve-----
Steve, don't get too hard on the fishhead---after all he, Al M. and Jesse are all prime examples to the world as to why-maybe abortion should have been legal a number of years back!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Dr. Bob
Was that sleep apnea thing supposed to be some underhand dig? Real cute. BTW..when Dr. Bob, the retired dentist, writes in to complain about a broken US health system from his plush lake home..it makes me wonder why a rich retired dentist would complain about the US health system! Didn't you get rich from your patients?
Julie Pawlak
Julie is a shining example of how democrats and republicans are the exact same. Kudos, Julie.
Sockmonkey
define: sockmonkey
"•A sock monkey is a toy made from socks fashioned in the likeness of a monkey. These stuffed animals are a fixture of folk art and kitsch in the culture of the United States and the culture of Canada."
Kitsch
"•Pretentious, low-quality work which is 'thrown together'."
Uppgaard
Bob Uppgaard is a leading example of the socialist/communist mentality of the Minnesota political left. Nonsense, nonsense and more nonsense.
ntb club
the poor doctor in a founding member of the ntb club(NOT TOO BRIGHT),oberstar had no vision-just throw more borrowed money at anything and take credit for it! he was owned by the unions and has shown a total lack of class & decency since his overdue loss! vision-blind as a bat!
MCCL response
Mr. Uppgaard makes several unsubstantiated accusations. Correction #1: Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) does not elect anyone. We are a pro-life organization with a political action committee that helps elect pro-life candidates. The MCCL PAC carefully screens candidates to ensure they are not only ready to lead but also committed to defend the lives and rights of unborn babies, their mothers and other vulnerable citizens. Correction #2: Congressman-elect Chip Cravaack is not a liar. He sought public office because he did not believe Congressman Oberstar was representing his constituents well -- including the unborn. Uppgaard is correct in stating that Cravaack believes the health care overhaul, including its expansion of abortion, was ground zero in the November election. FactCheck.org ran a story in July explaining taxpayer funded abortions in high-risk pools under the health care overhaul law (http://nrlc.org/AHC/DvSBA/ExhibitK-FactCheck.orgOnNRLCOnHighRiskProgramA...). Cravaack will do all he can to prevent taxpayer funded abortions, because most Minnesotans don’t want to be forced to pay for the destruction of unborn human lives.
Scott Fischbach, MCCL Executive Director
Minneapolis
Mr. Fischbach, I would
Mr. Fischbach,
I would appreciate it if your organization would stop meddling with our legislative process. It's been said that your organization is a driving force behind preventing the reformation of our corrupt way of financing elections. That is wrong.
Also, if you really wanted to reduce the number of abortions you would put your passions into providing birth control and birth control information. Simply wagging your finger at women and telling them no is not effective.
You guys are so predictable
Apnea is a treatable condition for most people. At least 30,000,000 Americans have it and continue to work.
Mr. Cravaack has it and went on disability from what I've been reading. Milking the system is what I would call it. It's okay though; he's a Republican. That makes it okay to some of the posters here.
While it's true that apnea interferes with daily living and clouds thinking it doesn't mean a person cannot do a job.
So if I read your posts correctly you guys support someone refusing to look for a different job and just go on disability. Maybe those other 30,000,000 working Americans with apnea should do that too. What do you say guys? Good idea?
Fish - Isn't he, and hasn't
Fish - Isn't he, and hasn't he been working?
Many vets have service connected disabilities and keep working.
What's your point again?
Maybe that small tax break will help pay for the deductibles, copays, etc., that Tricare doesn't cover in treating his condition.
New, let's explore your disabilities...
Were you "milking the system" by collecting subsidies for your fish farm?
The logic of Fish
***While it's true that apnea interferes with daily living and clouds thinking it doesn't mean a person cannot do a job.*** Ya, buddy..who needs an airline pilot to think clearly?
***So if I read your posts correctly you guys support someone refusing to look for a different job and just go on disability. Maybe those other 30,000,000 working Americans with apnea should do that too. What do you say guys? Good idea?***
Actually Fish, he did look for another job..and got it. Congressman!
Speaking of predictable...
Fish, you spend more time on here bellyaching about everyone else.....oops.....republicans, maybe you can claim disability for that. Really Fish, in the spirit of the season, see if you can't say something nice about someone else. Just once...
Chronic bellyaching...
So if the VA gave Fish (of course he's not a veteran) a 10% disability rating, then about $130 - $150 of his monthly earned pension would be tax exempt. If he was in the 15% tax bracket that would save him about $22 a month.
Wow! Makes wanna run out, join the military, and get shot or something, doesn't it?
I've read that his disability
I've read that his disability payments were $79,000/year.
Does that sound like $22 month?
If he wasn't physically and mentally able to find a different job after losing his commercial pilots license what makes you so convinced he can do a challenging job like a congressman? Or maybe all he has to do is march in lockstep with the party no thinking required?
I've read many postings by Republicans claiming that if a person loses their job they should find another job even if it pays minimum wage and even if it's less than unemployment and will cause them to lose their home.
Why doesn't that apply to Mr. Cravaack?
Oh looky what I just found!
Oh looky what I just found! :)
https://www.usna.com/SSLPage.aspx?rss=alumni_arch&referrer=sub_alumni&pi...
"Cravaack's sleep apnea ended his flying career in 2007, two years after he retired from the Navy Reserve.
Though Cravaack was able to use his experience in the pilots' union to bolster his labor credentials on the Iron Range, he has been afforded a comfortable living on Northwest Airlines' (now Delta's) long-term disability plan, which last year paid him $79,091, according to a U.S. House financial disclosure statement."
I can hardly wait to read all the excuses the Republican posters here will come up with to support his decision to go on disability instead of sucking it up and finding a different job. Yep I can hardly wait.
Also, since apnea doesn't usually just appear in middle age it's very likely that he had it when he started working for Northwest Airline so he probably had apnea when he took the job. So within 2 years of taking the job he lost his license and went on disability without taking a different job.
Apnea is a treatable condition for most people. At least 30,000,
Fish, as a person who spent a few years working for a company who specialized in helping people with sleep apnea, I have to say that you are right, there are thousands of people who are treated for apnea who are able to lead relatively normal lives. But just like with most health issues, everyone is not the same, and I would also assume that most of those people are not pilots... Plus, without seeing his sleep study there is no way to know how severe his apnea is or even what type he has.
Also, he was on disability through his "disability insurance." Insurance is something that you opt to pay into so that in case you are unable to continue to do your job due to a longterm disability you will still have some income. It is a private company that he is paying, and that private company deemed that his apnea qualified him for a payout on his policy. It is not the same as getting disability from the state. And while you claim he was not looking for another job, maybe he has spent his time on disability preparing himself for a new job... say perhaps, finally getting Oberstar out of office?!?
Like I told Cravaack when I shook his hand, "Beat Oberstar, go to Washington and don't bring me back anything!" And I meant it... Instead of discussing his apnea, maybe we should discuss the job he needs to be doing now?!?
Oh looky what I just found!
So 2007? About 2 - 3 years before the election, just enough time to fundraise and campaign!?! He had just lost the well paying career that he had put his entire adult life into acheiving for reasons beyond his control, I think the point of diability insurance is to give you time to figure out a way to make a living. (Besides, it has been soooooo easy to find decent jobs over the past few years?!?)
But, I think you just proved our point... he WAS working on getting a new job.
Good posts, aleigh.
But Fish still won't get it.
It's okay. He's a Republican.
That's what I thought. It's a pretty far stretch to say he was preparing for a job as a congressman especially when you read his statements about how he decided to run for office.
You'd think that most people could find another job within 2-3 years or would at least be furthering their education during that time. I've got it! He was training to run a day care. :)
Republican personal responsibility. Do as I say not as I do.
I'll remember that the next time I hear someone talking about how we need to kick those lazy American workers off unemployment and how many Americans are scamming the disability programs.
And wolfy still thinks it was a $22/week discount. He just doesn't get it.
Fish...
I was giving an example that might apply to VA disability. And it was $22 a month.
As for your other comments, maybe you need to read aleighs posts again.
Delta/ALPA disability
Fish, again you just dont get it. Delta has a great disability insurance plan you can opt into and pays 66% of your previous income on a long term basis. There is a short term plan as well that is similar. ALPA (airline pilots association) is the Delta pilot union, and they have plans as well. So its not like he went on SSI or something. And you get this idea somehow that he only worked for Delta/NWA for a couple years? How do you come up with that? Because it says he was in the Naval Reserve? Many many Delta pilots also are in the Reserve or National Guard..and have been for years. Fish, you are just getting way too easy to debunk! Not that you were ever really difficult..Oh, by the way: I work for Delta so I know what the disability plans are. I know what Im talking about..unlike you
Reality Check
I do wonder how many hard working people would have voted for him knowing he had not worked for years and that he lives on nearly $ 80G a year? I know tons of people that have sleep apnea and work, not as pilots, but......SOMETHING.
Also, if he's so 'disabled' - isn't being a Congressman a rather challenging job? if he can do that...(finish this sentence)......
Wow!
He's living on 80K a year!
What's your point?
Here is your sign Earthy
"Also, if he's so 'disabled' - isn't being a Congressman a rather challenging job?"
if he can do that...I still wouldn't want to be a passenger on a plane he was piloting! I have never seen you criticize Franken for sleeping on the job.
Hey libbies...
How's that $3.00 working for ya? It was $1.80 when Obama took office. LOL
Bush's fault?