So far three primaries down, and a different winner each thttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifime.
I think Romney will take this one as Florida is full of rich people. He is leading in the polls right now.
Here is Rick Santorum badmouthing President Obama while in West Palm Beach FL.
Newt doesn't want to debate Obama if the moderators are members of the media. And Todd will be robocalling for him. You can kiss Florida goodbye Newty!
And Ron Paul is still irrelevant.
Your thoughts?
Tim Tebow spotted at hotel that was hosting a porn convention
From FOX Sports
Tim Tebow's recent trip to Sin City saw him share a hotel with one of the world's largest porn conventions, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
The Denver Broncos star, famed for his clean-cut image as much as his Mile High miracles, checked into the Hard Rock Hotel in Paradise, just outside Las Vegas, on Jan. 18 while in town for a photo shoot.
Tebow was seen strolling through the hotel's casino on the day that a four-day Adult Entertainment Expo was opening, while most of the industry's leading performers were said to be in and around the Vegas Strip for the Adult Video News (AVN) Awards.
But the quarterback checked out without his spotless image sullied by shots of him passing the adult stars in the lobby.
A source told the newspaper that Tebow spent "most of the time" tucked away in his penthouse suite.
You would have thought that Tim, his agent, or the Broncos would have made sure his hotel accomodations was not hosting something like this.
Yep the Sarah curse continues. After she declared her love for him his play went south, and now he is in the company of porn stars.
Wonder what Sarah thinks of Tim now? Probably loves him even more.
If Franklin Delano Roosevelt were alive today
Today is the 130th anniversary of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's birth. He was our 32nd president. In my opinion he was the best president of the 20th Century. Abraham Lincoln was the best president of the 19th Century.
FDR and Obama have a lot in common.
Both are Democrats.
When they both took over the presidency they inherited an economic crisis.
FDR eventually became a war president. Obama was a war president from Day One.
Both their fathers died while they were in college
Speaking of college, FDR graduated from Harvard and attended Columbia Law School
Obama graduated from Columbia and Harvard Law School
The women that raised them (Sarah Roosevelt (FDR's mother) and Mrs. Dunham, (Obama's grandmother) both died when they were 86.
Both their Vice President's first names started with the letter J-John Nance Garner, FDR's first VP, and Joe Biden
Both their Vice Presidents were 65 when elected
Both have had assassination attempts
Both had wives who said controversial things and were accused of meddling
Both were accused of being a dictator, a communist, and a socialist
FDR ushered in reform the New Deal. Obama ushered in health care reform and DADT.
Both were viewed as demagogues.
Both had to deal with big money opposition. The Liberty League founded by the Du Ponts were against FDR and even tried to have him overthrown. Obama has the wrath of the Koch brothers who founded Americans for Prosperity.
FDR was born, raised, and lived in Hyde Park NY. Obama eventually settled in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago.
Both started out as State Senators.
Both were concerned about the common man.
Right now we could use a little of FDR's guidance. I think what President Obama should have done was take a page from the New Deal playbook. Instead of bailing out banks, he should have declared a bank holiday, shut down the big banks in trouble and audit them.
As for the auto industry, what he should have done was have the Big 3 manufacture tanks, jeeps, and humvees instead of cars and trucks for two years for the military instead of the Cash for Clunkers programs. That way they were not getting free money. They did the same in World War 2.
Don't get me wrong. I like President Obama and most of what he has done, but the bailouts are something I didn't agree with at all.
In 1933 when FDR took office unemployment was at 25%, by the end of his first term it was down to about 12. Then he cut back on New Deal spending which caused another recession. Remember Dick Cheney once said deficits do not matter.
Sarah gets totally owned by Jeanine Pirro on FAUX
Damn that was entertaining! Jeanine had to bite her lip at the end to keep from busting out laughing. My favorite part was annoy a liberal, vote for Newt. What is Sarah still stuck in High School or something?
Troll comments
This is a graph Sarah Palin does not want anyone to see
AnonymousJan 25, 2012 06:45 AM
10 trillion in debt from 1776 thru 2009, and another 5 trillion from 2009 to present...your graph is disingenuous.
Lately I've been getting fewer and fewer troll comments. I guess the trolls are tired of being humiliated every week.
AnonymousJan 25, 2012 06:45 AM
10 trillion in debt from 1776 thru 2009, and another 5 trillion from 2009 to present...your graph is disingenuous.
Lately I've been getting fewer and fewer troll comments. I guess the trolls are tired of being humiliated every week.
This is how one of Sarah Palin's endorsees treats the President of the United States
From MSNBC.com
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and President Barack Obama engaged in an apparently tense exchange on an airport tarmac shortly after Air Force One touched down outside Phoenix on Wednesday.
The two leaders could be seen talking intently at the base of Air Force One's steps. Both could be seen smiling, but speaking at the same time.
Obama appeared to walk away from the Republican governor while they were still talking, according to a White House pool reporter. Brewer confirmed that by saying she didn't finish her sentence.
Asked moments later what the conversation was about, Brewer said: "He was a little disturbed about my book."
On a Phoenix radio talk show after their meeting, Brewer said Obama was "tense."
Brewer recently published a book, "Scorpions for Breakfast," something of a memoir of her years growing up and defends her signing of Arizona's controversial law cracking down on illegal immigrants, which Obama opposes.
Obama was objecting to Brewer's description of a meeting he and Brewer had at the White House, where she described Obama as lecturing her. In an interview in November Brewer described two tense meetings. The first took place before his commencement address at Arizona State University. "He did blow me off at ASU," she said in the television interview in November.
In a statement after the meeting, Brewer didn't mention the airport conversation, and would only say that she discussed economic issues with Obama in a brief meeting.
"Don't be mistaken, I'm bullish on our nation's future," Brewer said in a statement issued later. "But I'm convinced the path the president has pursued is the wrong one. I hope he takes some of the lessons of Arizona back with him to Washington."
On the tarmac Wednesday, Brewer handed Obama an envelope with a handwritten invitation to return to Arizona to meet her for lunch and to join her for a visit to the border.
"I said to him, you know, I have always respected the office of the president and that the book is what the book is," she told reporters Wednesday. She said Obama complained that she described him as not treating her cordially.
"I said that I was sorry that he felt that way. Anyway, we're glad he's here, and we'll regroup."
A White House official said Brewer handed Obama a letter and said she was inviting him to meet with her. The official said Obama told her he would be glad to meet with her again. The official said Obama told her that in her book she inaccurately described their last meeting, which the official described as a cordial discussion in the Oval Office. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation between the president and the governor.
I have to admit if I ever ran into Dumbya Bush or Sarah Palin I would probably act the same way Jan Brewer did to President Obama. However like Dumbya and Sarah, Jan is a proven liar with a substance abuse problem.
Jan has been busted about her allegations that headless corpses were found along the border, and that her father died while fighting the Nazis during World War, (he died in 1955, ten years after the war ended). If she'll lie about her father's death, she'll lie about anything, just like a certain ex-Governor and her youngest son's birth.
Sarah also wrote the forward to Jan's book Scorpions for Breakfast.
Sarah you are who you roll with and you roll with Jan Brewer. Take a look at Jan, that's what you are going to look like in ten years.
I need to give a shout out to GinaM who commented on Immoral Minority that Jan's name should be Gov Burntface. I love it!
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and President Barack Obama engaged in an apparently tense exchange on an airport tarmac shortly after Air Force One touched down outside Phoenix on Wednesday.
The two leaders could be seen talking intently at the base of Air Force One's steps. Both could be seen smiling, but speaking at the same time.
Obama appeared to walk away from the Republican governor while they were still talking, according to a White House pool reporter. Brewer confirmed that by saying she didn't finish her sentence.
Asked moments later what the conversation was about, Brewer said: "He was a little disturbed about my book."
On a Phoenix radio talk show after their meeting, Brewer said Obama was "tense."
Brewer recently published a book, "Scorpions for Breakfast," something of a memoir of her years growing up and defends her signing of Arizona's controversial law cracking down on illegal immigrants, which Obama opposes.
Obama was objecting to Brewer's description of a meeting he and Brewer had at the White House, where she described Obama as lecturing her. In an interview in November Brewer described two tense meetings. The first took place before his commencement address at Arizona State University. "He did blow me off at ASU," she said in the television interview in November.
In a statement after the meeting, Brewer didn't mention the airport conversation, and would only say that she discussed economic issues with Obama in a brief meeting.
"Don't be mistaken, I'm bullish on our nation's future," Brewer said in a statement issued later. "But I'm convinced the path the president has pursued is the wrong one. I hope he takes some of the lessons of Arizona back with him to Washington."
On the tarmac Wednesday, Brewer handed Obama an envelope with a handwritten invitation to return to Arizona to meet her for lunch and to join her for a visit to the border.
"I said to him, you know, I have always respected the office of the president and that the book is what the book is," she told reporters Wednesday. She said Obama complained that she described him as not treating her cordially.
"I said that I was sorry that he felt that way. Anyway, we're glad he's here, and we'll regroup."
A White House official said Brewer handed Obama a letter and said she was inviting him to meet with her. The official said Obama told her he would be glad to meet with her again. The official said Obama told her that in her book she inaccurately described their last meeting, which the official described as a cordial discussion in the Oval Office. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation between the president and the governor.
I have to admit if I ever ran into Dumbya Bush or Sarah Palin I would probably act the same way Jan Brewer did to President Obama. However like Dumbya and Sarah, Jan is a proven liar with a substance abuse problem.
Jan has been busted about her allegations that headless corpses were found along the border, and that her father died while fighting the Nazis during World War, (he died in 1955, ten years after the war ended). If she'll lie about her father's death, she'll lie about anything, just like a certain ex-Governor and her youngest son's birth.
Sarah also wrote the forward to Jan's book Scorpions for Breakfast.
Sarah you are who you roll with and you roll with Jan Brewer. Take a look at Jan, that's what you are going to look like in ten years.
I need to give a shout out to GinaM who commented on Immoral Minority that Jan's name should be Gov Burntface. I love it!
Gabby Giffords officially resigns
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Thank you Gabby for everything you did for this country! You will be missed.
Now I need to get some tissues.
Sarah to Chris Christie: don't get your panties in a wad
That's real rich considering Sarah has had her panties (or is it thong) in a wad since the 2008 Election
This is the closest Sarah Palin will ever get to meeting President Obama
This photo was taken at the Alfalfa Dinner in 2009. It looks like Sarah is going to confront President Obama and Joe Lieberman is about to give her a body check. Which is good cuz the current POTUS is too good for her anyway.
This picture also proves Sarah is nuts. I'm sure John McCain told his good friend Joe Lieberman what a nutcase Sarah is, which is why Joe had to put himself between her and President Obama.
Mission Accomplished
Here is a real public servant with a servant's heart
I had a feeling Gabby would not run this fall, but I was hoping for the best.
Gabby thank you for your service. I hope to see you make a comeback in 2014 when your seat will up for election. And who knows, maybe 2016 when John McCain will be up for re-election, and maybe you could run for President.
And Sarah Palin take note here. This is what a real public servant does, looks out for the people they are serving, something you have never done.
Congrats Sarah. Mission accomplished for you. You put crosshairs on Gabby's district and now she has resigned. I hope you are happy.
I had a feeling Gabby would not run this fall, but I was hoping for the best.
Gabby thank you for your service. I hope to see you make a comeback in 2014 when your seat will up for election. And who knows, maybe 2016 when John McCain will be up for re-election, and maybe you could run for President.
And Sarah Palin take note here. This is what a real public servant does, looks out for the people they are serving, something you have never done.
Congrats Sarah. Mission accomplished for you. You put crosshairs on Gabby's district and now she has resigned. I hope you are happy.
Breaking News-Joe Paterno passes away
From ESPN.com
I can't help but feel sad about this. Even though he was morally bankrupt, he was a very good football coach. It's a shame he did not do more regarding Jerry Sandusky.
My father passed away from cancer so I do not wish cancer on anybody, not even the likes of Joe Paterno. Cancer is a horrible disease and so is chemotherapy.
Joe was the winningest football coach in college football history. He was the first coach to win all the major bowl games (Orange, Rose, Fiesta, Sugar). He won two national championships, coached five undefeated teams, and sent over 250 players to the NFL.
Another regret is this year my Iowa Hawkeyes lost to Penn State. They played before the scandal broke. I do take comfort that Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz had the best record of all coaches Joe coached against at 8-3. Kirk was even mentioned as a replacement for Joe.
But the biggest regret is how Joe handled Jerry Sandusky. Why he felt the need to protect him I do not know. Jerry retired in 1999, three years before Mike McQueary caught him in the shower with an underage boy. Joe had the clout to make one phone call to law enforcement to have that monster thrown in jail. But he did not and that is unforgivable.
My hope now for Joe is that God forgave him for not turning Jerry Sandusky in to the State College police. Hell is not fun.
I can't help but feel sad about this. Even though he was morally bankrupt, he was a very good football coach. It's a shame he did not do more regarding Jerry Sandusky.
My father passed away from cancer so I do not wish cancer on anybody, not even the likes of Joe Paterno. Cancer is a horrible disease and so is chemotherapy.
Joe was the winningest football coach in college football history. He was the first coach to win all the major bowl games (Orange, Rose, Fiesta, Sugar). He won two national championships, coached five undefeated teams, and sent over 250 players to the NFL.
Another regret is this year my Iowa Hawkeyes lost to Penn State. They played before the scandal broke. I do take comfort that Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz had the best record of all coaches Joe coached against at 8-3. Kirk was even mentioned as a replacement for Joe.
But the biggest regret is how Joe handled Jerry Sandusky. Why he felt the need to protect him I do not know. Jerry retired in 1999, three years before Mike McQueary caught him in the shower with an underage boy. Joe had the clout to make one phone call to law enforcement to have that monster thrown in jail. But he did not and that is unforgivable.
My hope now for Joe is that God forgave him for not turning Jerry Sandusky in to the State College police. Hell is not fun.
Troll comments
How can the Palins keep affording to buy properties without any PAC money?
Dorothy KilgallenJan 18, 2012 06:07 AM
There's a Forbes article called "What Sarah Palin Really Earns: Less Than You Think" and though it's a little outdated (published 7/7/10), the info is well sourced:
"But an investigation by Forbes of Palin’s income since she left office last July ... plus a review of her finances from a source with access to her business records, suggests Palin made a far smaller advance and that her earnings over the past 12 months were at best $10 million.
"Palin’s biggest source of income since leaving office is her 'Going Rogue' advance and royalties. Neither Palin herself nor her publisher, HarperCollins, would comment on what they are. But a publishing industry source who knows the terms of the deal said Palin’s advance was 'nowhere near $7 million.' A source inside Palin’s camp says the number is closer to $2.5 million.
"How plausible is this smaller figure? Last October Palin made her final required financial disclosure during her term as governor. In the first 6 months of 2009, while Palin was still in office, she listed $1.25 million in income from the forthcoming book. It’s standard practice in the publishing business to give an author half of their advance upfront; the rest when a manuscript is delivered.
"Palin’s publisher, HarperCollins, reports 'Going Rogue,' a bestseller, sold 2.2 million copies. After subtracting the estimated advance, Palin’s take would be $6 million. That’s a windfall, but hardly the birth of a financial juggernaut ...
"A second source of income for Palin is the Fox News Channel, where she began appearing in January as a commentator. Her first year income from the network is reportedly $1 million (which the Palin insider does not dispute). Palin will also earn income from an Alaska-themed series on the Discovery Channel. For that, she’ll reportedly get $250,000 apiece for each of 8 episodes.
"Palin’s speaking fees are reported to be $100,000 per appearance. But Palin has done fewer than a dozen speeches in which she has made even close to this number, says the Palin insider ... Palin’s take from speeches since leaving office, then, probably hovers at $500,000."
http://tinyurl.com/7l9brbu
As for her Arizona house, this is from HuffPo, 5/23/11:
"An anonymous Delaware-registered limited liability company paid nearly $1.7 million cash for the 7,900-square foot property earlier this month."
http://tinyurl.com/3r27hj4
If you're going to blog about Palin (or anything else, for that matter):
1. Get your facts straight. It took me about two minutes to find out that the AZ house's purchase price was $1.7 million and not "like 5-7 million."
2. Give credit where it's due. The info, pic and documents re: Bristol's house came from PoliticalGates' recent scoop, yes ? SAY SO ...otherwise it looks like you dug those facts up.
Dorothy KilgallenJan 19, 2012 07:25 AM
Levidumpedthepalins,
Read the whole post dump, dump, dump ...
The h/t to Politicalgates was added after I posted my comment.
You've obviously mistaken a dump for your brain.
Don't sleep on your side, Levi. You'll wake up with skidmarks on your pillow
Dorothy I added that h/t before you commented so shut the fuck up
Dorothy KilgallenJan 18, 2012 06:07 AM
There's a Forbes article called "What Sarah Palin Really Earns: Less Than You Think" and though it's a little outdated (published 7/7/10), the info is well sourced:
"But an investigation by Forbes of Palin’s income since she left office last July ... plus a review of her finances from a source with access to her business records, suggests Palin made a far smaller advance and that her earnings over the past 12 months were at best $10 million.
"Palin’s biggest source of income since leaving office is her 'Going Rogue' advance and royalties. Neither Palin herself nor her publisher, HarperCollins, would comment on what they are. But a publishing industry source who knows the terms of the deal said Palin’s advance was 'nowhere near $7 million.' A source inside Palin’s camp says the number is closer to $2.5 million.
"How plausible is this smaller figure? Last October Palin made her final required financial disclosure during her term as governor. In the first 6 months of 2009, while Palin was still in office, she listed $1.25 million in income from the forthcoming book. It’s standard practice in the publishing business to give an author half of their advance upfront; the rest when a manuscript is delivered.
"Palin’s publisher, HarperCollins, reports 'Going Rogue,' a bestseller, sold 2.2 million copies. After subtracting the estimated advance, Palin’s take would be $6 million. That’s a windfall, but hardly the birth of a financial juggernaut ...
"A second source of income for Palin is the Fox News Channel, where she began appearing in January as a commentator. Her first year income from the network is reportedly $1 million (which the Palin insider does not dispute). Palin will also earn income from an Alaska-themed series on the Discovery Channel. For that, she’ll reportedly get $250,000 apiece for each of 8 episodes.
"Palin’s speaking fees are reported to be $100,000 per appearance. But Palin has done fewer than a dozen speeches in which she has made even close to this number, says the Palin insider ... Palin’s take from speeches since leaving office, then, probably hovers at $500,000."
http://tinyurl.com/7l9brbu
As for her Arizona house, this is from HuffPo, 5/23/11:
"An anonymous Delaware-registered limited liability company paid nearly $1.7 million cash for the 7,900-square foot property earlier this month."
http://tinyurl.com/3r27hj4
If you're going to blog about Palin (or anything else, for that matter):
1. Get your facts straight. It took me about two minutes to find out that the AZ house's purchase price was $1.7 million and not "like 5-7 million."
2. Give credit where it's due. The info, pic and documents re: Bristol's house came from PoliticalGates' recent scoop, yes ? SAY SO ...otherwise it looks like you dug those facts up.
Dorothy KilgallenJan 19, 2012 07:25 AM
Levidumpedthepalins,
Read the whole post dump, dump, dump ...
The h/t to Politicalgates was added after I posted my comment.
You've obviously mistaken a dump for your brain.
Don't sleep on your side, Levi. You'll wake up with skidmarks on your pillow
Dorothy I added that h/t before you commented so shut the fuck up
South Carolina primary is being held today-Update
Now we are down to four.
Mitt Romney
Newt Gingrich
Ron Paul
Rick Santorum
Jon Huntsman dropped out on Monday, Rick Perry on Thursday. I think Mitt will win this one. Newt's ex wife did a lot of damage, so did the Palins endorse of him. You all know, everything they touch turns to shit.
Also Santorum was declared the winner of the Iowa caucus after a recount.
Update-Gingrich wins, Romney 2nd.
Whoo Hoo! Even though Gingrich pisses me off the most I want him to get the GOP nomination so Obama will have the pleasure of creaming him
Mitt Romney
Newt Gingrich
Ron Paul
Rick Santorum
Jon Huntsman dropped out on Monday, Rick Perry on Thursday. I think Mitt will win this one. Newt's ex wife did a lot of damage, so did the Palins endorse of him. You all know, everything they touch turns to shit.
Also Santorum was declared the winner of the Iowa caucus after a recount.
Update-Gingrich wins, Romney 2nd.
Whoo Hoo! Even though Gingrich pisses me off the most I want him to get the GOP nomination so Obama will have the pleasure of creaming him
If John McCain had been elected president (satire)
This is what would have happened
1/20/09-John and Sarah are sworn in as president and vice president, respectively
1/21/09-Sarah starts plotting John's death.
3/12/09-Sarah invites John to the Naval Observatory for a moose steak dinner. While there he mysteriously has a heart attack and dies, thus breaking the record for the shortest presidency set by William Henry Harrison back in 1841. Sarah is immediately sworn in as president by Justice John Roberts.
3/13/09-Sarah's first official act is to appoint Todd as her Chief of Staff, making history as being the first Presidential Spouse to hold a position in a presidential administration. People cry nepotism. She also appoints Wayne Anthony Ross as Attorney General, Chuck Norris as Secretary of Defense, Chuck Heath Sr. as Secretary of Education, (more nepotism), Kristen Cole as Secretary of the Treasury, David Koch as Secretary of the Interior, Scott Walker as Secretary of Labor, William Koch as Secretary of Energy, and Meg Stapleton and RAM as Co-Press Secretaries. She bypasses on naming Nancy Pelosi as Vice President as dictated by the Constiution, choosing to leave that vacant.
3/14/09-Sarah blackmails Harry Reid to call on the Senate to look into Barack Obama's associations with Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, Tony Rezko, and Rod Blagoevich. When the Senate comes up empty, she then has WAR start an investigation. WAR is unable to come up with anything so Sarah comes up with a fake birth certificate and has him deported.
4/19/09 Sarah uses her authority as Commander in Chief to pull Track out of Iraq.
5/17/09 Sarah gives the commencement speech at Notre Dame. She announces she will sign an executive order banning all abortions in any circumstances.
5/31/09 Willow is expelled from Sidwell Friends School. Sarah and Todd send her to Alaska to live with Chuck and Sally.
6/1/09 Sarah announces she is reinstating the draft. Minimum draft age is 15 maximum 60. First person drafted is Mike Wooten. 2nd person David Kernell. 3rd Levi Johnston but he flunks the physical.
7/14/09 After David Letterman makes his joke about Bristol/Willow. Sarah has the FCC remove him from the air.
11/09 Sarah has moose served at her first state dinner with India. She also has Big and Rich, Hank Williams Jr and Ted Nugent provide the musical entertainment. And those party crashers? She has them arrested after the fact.
2/10 After Family Guy makes fun of Sarah and Trig, Sarah has the FCC remove Family Guy from the airwaves.
4/10 Congress passes the health care reform, Sarah vetoes it
6/27/10-Willow comes to visit and brings ten of her closest friends with her. They ransack the Lincoln bedroom, strewing Vodka bottles, used condoms, and cigarettes all over. They also do damage in the Red Room, the State Dining Room, and the White House pool. Several White House domestic staff quit in protest.
7/10-Bristol and Levi announce their re-engagement and that they plan to marry at the White House. Sarah has Levi drafted into the Army and is sent to Iraq.
12/10 Congress repeals DADT, Sarah vetoes it.
1/8/11-Jared Loughner goes on his killing spree in Tucson and also wounds Rep. Gabby Giffords. Sarah gives him a presidential pardon.
1/18/11-Sarah cancels the state dinner with China cuz she's uncomfortable around Asians.
3/11-Jeremy Morlock is arrested for killing civilian Afghanis. Sarah gives him a presidential pardon. She also sends ground troops to Libya and orders airstrikes.
5/1/11-Osama Bin Laden is killed. Sarah takes all the credit.
4/1/11 Sarah goes to Iraq to visit the troops. While boarding Air Force One for the return trip she "forgets" Trig.
5/17/11-Sarah announces that Track and Britta got married at the White House
9/7/11 Piper's "tutor" quits saying she cannot take anymore of her diva attitude. Sarah enrolls her at Sidwell Friends but Piper ends up being expelled.
10/12/11-Sarah cancels the state dinner with South Korea for the same reason as why she canceled the state dinner with China.
10/20/11-Gaddafi is killed and Sarah takes all the credit.
1/20/12-Impeachment proceedings against Sarah finally begin.
1/20/09-John and Sarah are sworn in as president and vice president, respectively
1/21/09-Sarah starts plotting John's death.
3/12/09-Sarah invites John to the Naval Observatory for a moose steak dinner. While there he mysteriously has a heart attack and dies, thus breaking the record for the shortest presidency set by William Henry Harrison back in 1841. Sarah is immediately sworn in as president by Justice John Roberts.
3/13/09-Sarah's first official act is to appoint Todd as her Chief of Staff, making history as being the first Presidential Spouse to hold a position in a presidential administration. People cry nepotism. She also appoints Wayne Anthony Ross as Attorney General, Chuck Norris as Secretary of Defense, Chuck Heath Sr. as Secretary of Education, (more nepotism), Kristen Cole as Secretary of the Treasury, David Koch as Secretary of the Interior, Scott Walker as Secretary of Labor, William Koch as Secretary of Energy, and Meg Stapleton and RAM as Co-Press Secretaries. She bypasses on naming Nancy Pelosi as Vice President as dictated by the Constiution, choosing to leave that vacant.
3/14/09-Sarah blackmails Harry Reid to call on the Senate to look into Barack Obama's associations with Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, Tony Rezko, and Rod Blagoevich. When the Senate comes up empty, she then has WAR start an investigation. WAR is unable to come up with anything so Sarah comes up with a fake birth certificate and has him deported.
4/19/09 Sarah uses her authority as Commander in Chief to pull Track out of Iraq.
5/17/09 Sarah gives the commencement speech at Notre Dame. She announces she will sign an executive order banning all abortions in any circumstances.
5/31/09 Willow is expelled from Sidwell Friends School. Sarah and Todd send her to Alaska to live with Chuck and Sally.
6/1/09 Sarah announces she is reinstating the draft. Minimum draft age is 15 maximum 60. First person drafted is Mike Wooten. 2nd person David Kernell. 3rd Levi Johnston but he flunks the physical.
7/14/09 After David Letterman makes his joke about Bristol/Willow. Sarah has the FCC remove him from the air.
11/09 Sarah has moose served at her first state dinner with India. She also has Big and Rich, Hank Williams Jr and Ted Nugent provide the musical entertainment. And those party crashers? She has them arrested after the fact.
2/10 After Family Guy makes fun of Sarah and Trig, Sarah has the FCC remove Family Guy from the airwaves.
4/10 Congress passes the health care reform, Sarah vetoes it
6/27/10-Willow comes to visit and brings ten of her closest friends with her. They ransack the Lincoln bedroom, strewing Vodka bottles, used condoms, and cigarettes all over. They also do damage in the Red Room, the State Dining Room, and the White House pool. Several White House domestic staff quit in protest.
7/10-Bristol and Levi announce their re-engagement and that they plan to marry at the White House. Sarah has Levi drafted into the Army and is sent to Iraq.
12/10 Congress repeals DADT, Sarah vetoes it.
1/8/11-Jared Loughner goes on his killing spree in Tucson and also wounds Rep. Gabby Giffords. Sarah gives him a presidential pardon.
1/18/11-Sarah cancels the state dinner with China cuz she's uncomfortable around Asians.
3/11-Jeremy Morlock is arrested for killing civilian Afghanis. Sarah gives him a presidential pardon. She also sends ground troops to Libya and orders airstrikes.
5/1/11-Osama Bin Laden is killed. Sarah takes all the credit.
4/1/11 Sarah goes to Iraq to visit the troops. While boarding Air Force One for the return trip she "forgets" Trig.
5/17/11-Sarah announces that Track and Britta got married at the White House
9/7/11 Piper's "tutor" quits saying she cannot take anymore of her diva attitude. Sarah enrolls her at Sidwell Friends but Piper ends up being expelled.
10/12/11-Sarah cancels the state dinner with South Korea for the same reason as why she canceled the state dinner with China.
10/20/11-Gaddafi is killed and Sarah takes all the credit.
1/20/12-Impeachment proceedings against Sarah finally begin.
Nikki Haley one of Sarah's endorsees isn't doing so well
From the National Review:
Haley certainly has seen her approval ratings slump since being sworn in, although just how much is a point of dispute. According to a December Winthrop University poll, the governor’s approval rating is 35 percent, with only a little more than half of Republicans giving her a thumbs-up. Since every statewide official in South Carolina is a Republican, the GOP controls the legislature, and Republicans have a seven-to-one advantage in the congressional delegation, the Winthrop survey rang alarm bells everywhere.
The governor punched back. Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, she dismissed this “local poll” because it also showed that President Obama would today win South Carolina, which would be a bizarre result since he lost the state by 9 percentage points in 2008.
But the poll in question didn’t test President Obama’s general-election prospects in South Carolina, only his statewide approval rating. This came in at 45 percent — higher than Haley’s. The governor’s office was forced to admit she had misspoken.
I don't follow South Carolina politics so I don't know how accurate her ratings are but this isn't good.
Haley certainly has seen her approval ratings slump since being sworn in, although just how much is a point of dispute. According to a December Winthrop University poll, the governor’s approval rating is 35 percent, with only a little more than half of Republicans giving her a thumbs-up. Since every statewide official in South Carolina is a Republican, the GOP controls the legislature, and Republicans have a seven-to-one advantage in the congressional delegation, the Winthrop survey rang alarm bells everywhere.
The governor punched back. Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, she dismissed this “local poll” because it also showed that President Obama would today win South Carolina, which would be a bizarre result since he lost the state by 9 percentage points in 2008.
But the poll in question didn’t test President Obama’s general-election prospects in South Carolina, only his statewide approval rating. This came in at 45 percent — higher than Haley’s. The governor’s office was forced to admit she had misspoken.
I don't follow South Carolina politics so I don't know how accurate her ratings are but this isn't good.
Travel Insurance for People Over 50 Years Old
Travel Insurance for People Over 50 Years Old
Do you want to purchase travel insurance for people over 50 years? There is no age limit when it comes to travel is. The desire to explore the world, is not bound by the limits of all ages, according to the survey, most people go for a holiday at home and abroad are the 50s and 60s, as mentioned above, especially those who are outside. By the time you reach 50, your children are ready to leave home and most of them want to live an independent life. In these cases, you have the time and money to spend on themselves.
A lot.
Today, you can think of visiting the place when it comes to planning for the holidays. If you are adventurous enough, you can explore the woods, relax on the beach or exploring new places abroad, the options are very large, and certainly there is something for everyone. You can visit some of the leading companies specializing in planning a vacation and we are happy to advise you when it comes to planning for a lifetime. Many people who have already reached the 50 are using these opportunities offered by the company and to book a holiday to them. This trend is increasing day by day. It's really a dream come true when you can surf the web and through the resort for the best book for themselves.
Enjoy a better coverage.
The tendency to go on vacation the day it becomes increasingly important for the elderly to seek travel insurance policy that provides coverage for those times when you really need, accidents can occur. at any time during the trip or on the other hand, you can end badly and will need medical help. In this situation, if you have travel insurance, then it will be easier for you to meet your medical expenses. As you may have to make payments from their own pockets, you can claim the full amount of the insurance company later. But sometimes it's hard for people over 50, the insurer would be the insurance companies expect patients to pay the premium so large as to be able to enjoy protection. The more costs are quite high and can be difficult to pay.
How to make the best travel insurance for people over 50 years?
Some insurance companies do not include any age limit for insurance policies available, but these companies limit the duration of your vacation that you plan to enjoy. For example, if you are 60 and above, the time dropped to 42 days after 90 days if you want to go abroad for a holiday, you are free to have travel insurance for people over. 50 years or older. This insurance policy to cover $ 5 million for medical reasons, up to $ 1,500 for the loss of personal property and up to $ 5,000 for the cancellation of the trip. You can get the company's online terms and conditions, together with the cost of your travel agent or online. Travel insurance is also useful in similar conditions. You are allowed to travel for a period of 120 days every year, no single trip lasts longer than 42 days for most travel insurance policies are available for people aged over 50 years.
How can the Palins keep affording to buy properties without PAC money
And any other financial resources are dwindling and Levi is allegedly not paying child support for Tripp?
Bristol bought her home along Lake Lucille on July 29, 2011, while she was in LA filimg her unreality show:
Here is the tax assessment for it:
Bristol claims it's a fixer upper but it looks like it doesn't need it:
Since she bought this house in July 2011 it's obvious she had no plans to stay in Hollywood. Once again she lies.
Also she defaulted on the property taxes on the house she bought in Arizona. Not surprised considering she is spending all her money on houses.
How did she get all this money to buy these two properties not including the condo in Anchorage. She made $267,000 for lying about abstinence, got at least $300,000 for DWTS, several hundred thousand dollars for her photo shoots, which Levi should get a cut of since Tripp was in them, and the book deal. Can you say SarahPac?
Sarah and Todd bought some property as well. They bought the property near to Bristol's which is separated by two empty lots on Aug 25, 2011 under the name Iron Investments. That address is 325 W LAKE VIEW AVE WASILLA. Who did they buy that house for? Track and his family?
How can the Palins afford to keep buying properties. Sarah bought the Arizona pad for like 5-7 million, and the new home that was featured on SPA.
Sarah got paid 2 million for SPA, then there is her salary from FAUX News. She also got 12 million for Going Rogue. She charges $100,000 for speaking engagements but those are drying up. Then you take out the taxes. Alaska has no state income tax but she is going to get hit on the federal. So you figure about 25% total for taxes that still isn't enough to buy all those big properties. Where did the money come from? Her PAC.
Big thank you to Politicalgates for their sleuthing.
Bristol bought her home along Lake Lucille on July 29, 2011, while she was in LA filimg her unreality show:
Here is the tax assessment for it:
Bristol claims it's a fixer upper but it looks like it doesn't need it:
Since she bought this house in July 2011 it's obvious she had no plans to stay in Hollywood. Once again she lies.
Also she defaulted on the property taxes on the house she bought in Arizona. Not surprised considering she is spending all her money on houses.
How did she get all this money to buy these two properties not including the condo in Anchorage. She made $267,000 for lying about abstinence, got at least $300,000 for DWTS, several hundred thousand dollars for her photo shoots, which Levi should get a cut of since Tripp was in them, and the book deal. Can you say SarahPac?
Sarah and Todd bought some property as well. They bought the property near to Bristol's which is separated by two empty lots on Aug 25, 2011 under the name Iron Investments. That address is 325 W LAKE VIEW AVE WASILLA. Who did they buy that house for? Track and his family?
How can the Palins afford to keep buying properties. Sarah bought the Arizona pad for like 5-7 million, and the new home that was featured on SPA.
Sarah got paid 2 million for SPA, then there is her salary from FAUX News. She also got 12 million for Going Rogue. She charges $100,000 for speaking engagements but those are drying up. Then you take out the taxes. Alaska has no state income tax but she is going to get hit on the federal. So you figure about 25% total for taxes that still isn't enough to buy all those big properties. Where did the money come from? Her PAC.
Big thank you to Politicalgates for their sleuthing.
Working With Depression: Accident and Insurance
Working With Depression: Accident and Insurance
Health and accident insurance, real concern for many people who suffer from depression in the workplace. It can be very difficult to do with the health problems of the metal as the disease is much more difficult to identify and treat physical ailments rather than easier.
Health and accident insurance, real concern for many people who suffer from depression in the workplace. It can be very difficult to do with the health problems of the metal as the disease is much more difficult to identify and treat physical ailments rather than easier.
So, you get sickness and accident insurance if you suffer from depression or other mental health problems? And you will be able to get the coverage you need from your insurance to help you deal with the reality of work with depression?
The problem is that no matter what the personal circumstances of you if you suffer or have suffered from mental illness, the insurance company sees you as' high risk and may be willing to sell accident and insurance. disease on this basis. This means that the insurer may unfairly discriminate against people with mental health problems, while the insurance company at the belief that everyone should have access to insurance, are forced to take all our customers at risk. This means that they are forced to pay higher premiums.
Alarming is that in 1996 25% of people who have used mental health services are denied insurance Luckily, this is beginning to change, and the numbers have been steadily improving in recent years. And 'understanding and development of claims for equality. Equality Act in 2010, has done much to improve the situation. The actions that make it illegal to discriminate against people who are 'protected characteristics', including people with disabilities, mental health.
Part III of the law, like the state to have a fair and equitable distribution of goods and services, which means that insurance providers are required by law to provide coverage to the party. suffering from mental health problems such as depression in a fair and reasonable rates.
If you suffer from mental health problems including depression and want to buy coverage as well as injury and illness is important to be open and honest with your insurance carrier for the future. Insurance policy may be more convenient if your insurance provider to find out that they failed to disclose information they consider relevant.
The trick is to always shop around for any accidents that different insurance providers and health plans with different statistical formulas, with which develop health and accident insurance premiums, so it really. can pay to get quotes from a number of different service providers.
Injury and illness is something that everyone is entitled to a key area where everyone should be insured. Mental health problems as a reason for not doing so you are assured, no. One of the accidents, excellent service and guaranteed to get sick, you should consider making reference to the protection of payment that offers a range of options and is known for the quality of key services and hands. their career
Sarah makes a Newsweek article that has nothing to do with her all about her
From Huffington Post
Sarah Palin took to Twitter early Tuesday to give Newsweek a piece of her mind.
The former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate seemed to be particularly annoyed by the magazine's decision to run a cover story about President Barack Obama under the headline: "Why Are Obama's Critics So Dumb?" But Palin's ire wasn't directed at the story's assertions; instead she took aim at Andrew Sullivan, the author of the article.
Sullivan is the former editor of The New Republic, a weekly columnist for the Sunday Times of London and the author of several books, including "Virtually Normal," "Love Undetectable" and "The Conservative Soul." In recent years, he has covered Palin's public and political life, including the unfounded rumors that claimed Palin may not have given birth to her son Trig. The speculation ended in 2008 when Sullivan posted links to photographs showing a pregnant Palin.
Game On Sarah!
You are so dumb. Now everyone is going to be asking about Babygate. You can refer them to my blog.
Tips For Comparing Motorcycle Insurance Plans
Tips For Comparing Motorcycle Insurance Plans
You may find that motorcycle insurance is very similar, but that could justify all the other vehicles, because I think that most of my readers are familiar with the car, I think it would be useful in the comparison. These cars and motorcycles.
If you live in the U.S. make sure that your state requires a minimum of political responsibility. This is to protect the finances of other vehicles on the road, on the other hand, operators of other vehicles that must carry insurance to protect you. This is especially true if you drive a saloon car, motor home or motorcycle.
You can also perform a more comprehensive coverage to protect against losses in their cars. If you still owe money on the bike, the creditor can require you to have complete coverage.
If you live in the U.S. make sure that your state requires a minimum of political responsibility. This is to protect the finances of other vehicles on the road, on the other hand, operators of other vehicles that must carry insurance to protect you. This is especially true if you drive a saloon car, motor home or motorcycle.
You can also perform a more comprehensive coverage to protect against losses in their cars. If you still owe money on the bike, the creditor can require you to have complete coverage.
The premiums are affected by many of the same things that affect your car insurance. Your age, driving record and type of bike you ride, maybe not. How you use your bike, maybe not. If you drive just a few hours a week you could be driving distance is low. If you travel to work every day on the highway at a busy city, you may need to pay more.
At this point you should understand that we purchased our risk management policies. The insurer is looking for professionals who are at risk. So one of the most important things that's different about the bike is guaranteed by the fact that car insurance companies believe that the risk of making a motion of a machine.
However, insurers are smart enough to understand that cyclists safe in the hands of a very good might be a risk of short-trapped car in the hands of bad people. Therefore, there is always something you can do to shop for coverage and also to promote itself as a better risk.
Tips for the comparison between the bike and its policies.
As with other types of insurance is largely regulated at the state level. In addition, policies and prices vary depending on the area. Therefore, it is useful to compare plans in your area. You can find some great sites that will show you the best companies in your area. You just need to zip code.
Once you see the item you are free to click through to each company to find out more about prices and options to protect their If you have any questions, you can get contact information for choices. You can call, email or visit the company or its agent to receive more detailed information. If you are quite understanding about the politics of a motorcycle, you can find companies that will allow you to purchase online or by phone. This provides a good mix of using the Internet effectively and to request a personalized service.
You will need to understand how much you can afford to cover the balance of how much you can afford to lose. This will help you understand the amount of coverage and deductibles.
The insured person is not one that is perfect for all motorcyclists. When you shop and compare, you can find companies that are best for you.
You need a car or motorcycle insurance?
Visit us online for a way to get cheap motorcycle insurance. You can compare different insurers on the computer at home or at work. Of course we also provide car insurance quotes from the internet that can help you save time and money
Sarah Palin says Republicans should vet one another
From Mudflats
Sarah Palin, perhaps politics’ most high-profile vetting escapee seems to have a strong opinion on the matter of vetting when it comes to people who are not Sarah Palin. Despite documentation that proves Palin was never vetted (as John McCain and others claim), she is waving the red flag, encouraging Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich and others to continue their public “vetting” of Mitt Romney and the cast of Republican presidential hopefuls.
Palin says that criticism of Romney’s record as the head of Bain Capital is fair and that he should provide the public with proof of his claims that he helped to create 100,000 jobs during his time with the firm.
That's real rich considering Sarah was the least vetted candidate in history. And she is a tax cheat as well.
Sarah Palin, perhaps politics’ most high-profile vetting escapee seems to have a strong opinion on the matter of vetting when it comes to people who are not Sarah Palin. Despite documentation that proves Palin was never vetted (as John McCain and others claim), she is waving the red flag, encouraging Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich and others to continue their public “vetting” of Mitt Romney and the cast of Republican presidential hopefuls.
Palin says that criticism of Romney’s record as the head of Bain Capital is fair and that he should provide the public with proof of his claims that he helped to create 100,000 jobs during his time with the firm.
That's real rich considering Sarah was the least vetted candidate in history. And she is a tax cheat as well.
Two primaries are down
So far the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries are on the books. Mitt Romney has won both of them and is on track to capture the GOP Nomination for President.
Here is the breakdown for delegates:
Mitt Romney-14
Ron Paul-10
Rick Santorum-8
Jon Hunstman-2
Newt Gingrich-2
Rick Perry-2
How many delegates has Sarah won?
0!
Breakdown for Iowa votes:
Mitt Romney-30,015
Rick Santorum-30,008
Ron Paul-26,219
Newt Gingrich-26,251
Rick Perry-12,604
Michele Bachmann-6,073
How many write in votes has Sarah Palin gotten?
0!
Breakdown for New Hampshire:
Mitt Romney-97,600
Ron Paul-56,872
Jon Huntsman-41,783
Rick Santorum-23,362
Newt Gingrich-23,291
And how many write in votes has Sarah Palin gotten?
0!
Suck on it Palinbots!
Here is the breakdown for delegates:
Mitt Romney-14
Ron Paul-10
Rick Santorum-8
Jon Hunstman-2
Newt Gingrich-2
Rick Perry-2
How many delegates has Sarah won?
0!
Breakdown for Iowa votes:
Mitt Romney-30,015
Rick Santorum-30,008
Ron Paul-26,219
Newt Gingrich-26,251
Rick Perry-12,604
Michele Bachmann-6,073
How many write in votes has Sarah Palin gotten?
0!
Breakdown for New Hampshire:
Mitt Romney-97,600
Ron Paul-56,872
Jon Huntsman-41,783
Rick Santorum-23,362
Newt Gingrich-23,291
And how many write in votes has Sarah Palin gotten?
0!
Suck on it Palinbots!
How To Get The Best Pet Insurance Deal
How To Get The Best Pet Insurance Deal
With the economy like most of us it is impossible to hit with the big vet bill. But if our dear furry friend is sick, we will have no choice. It was found that the money would be of great stress. This is why pet insurance is a good idea, especially if you're armed with knowledge on how to get the best deal. If your dog or cat is sick or injured, then the insurance will cover the costs. Before you decide to get insurance for pets, there are some things you should consider.
A type of coverage.
This is probably the most important factor that influences the mode of payment of premiums. Do you need coverage only for injuries from an accident or medical care for animals? You want everything to be included? It 'important to consider this option carefully, and access to your lifestyle on what kind of problems your pet is likely to be found in the future. You can choose to cover some of the vet bills, which will eventually reduce the premium.
Secondly, your pet may affect the award.
The age and breed of your pet can affect the premiums. Older animals, the more you can expect to pay. In general, it will not be able to ensure the dogs over the age of 8 or cats over the age of 10, but if you are younger, then you can take out a life insurance policy that covers them for the rest. of their lives. Some varieties are more expensive to ensure that the risk of disease.
3 Shop around!
There are so many available from different insurance companies and the costs are very different. Ring around for quotes or to a comparison site to make sure you get a better deal.
4 It 'Spayed your pet?
If your cat or dog neutered / sterilized then you can expect to pay less for your insurance. This is because the animals are neutered are less prone to certain diseases. It may be helpful to get your pets spayed to save money in the long run.
5 Read the small print.
There is always a lot of terms and conditions of insurance policies or the first to introduce the policy carefully read all the details, especially what is and is not included, excess that you must pay and what they can decay. insurance required.
Emma Nutter is a freelance writer who writes for the dearly departed pets.
Tim Tebow's season is over
From ESPN
Ever since Sarah declared her love for Tim, he has gone 1-4 as a starter.
Hopefully Tim can wash the curse of during the offseason. I really do like the guy. He acts more Christian than Sarah ever will, visiting sick kids in the hospital and setting up a charitable foundation.
Kind of disappointing yesterday. The Saints lost to the 49er's. I hate the 49'ers.
Ever since Sarah declared her love for Tim, he has gone 1-4 as a starter.
Hopefully Tim can wash the curse of during the offseason. I really do like the guy. He acts more Christian than Sarah ever will, visiting sick kids in the hospital and setting up a charitable foundation.
Kind of disappointing yesterday. The Saints lost to the 49er's. I hate the 49'ers.
Cheap iPhone Insurance - Protecting Your iPhone
Cheap iPhone Insurance - Protecting Your iPhone
Insurance is what to do with nomophobia iPhone? Well, almost everything is Nomophobia fear of not being able to use the phone for any reason. In a survey conducted by YouGov at the request of the UK Post Office and 53% of respondents said they suffer from this phobia. This is not the official name and might not be true, it might scare people who can not stay in touch because of their cell phone was missing.
Obviously not a citizen of the United Kingdom, where all the people who were interviewed only a small number of participants was 2.163, which is not actually considered that the UK population is very large. But the point is here. It seems that in the United Kingdom, one of two nomophobes off their phones. Unfortunately, that has been lost, stolen mobile phones often. British Crime Survey conducted in August 2008, it was shown that in 6 out of 10 incidents, the phone is the only thing stolen. The same survey showed that 11% of victims were aged between 18 and 24 years, which is five times more people over the age of 64, this may mean that a person younger than people younger than the target for theft. persons phone, or that young people have mobile phones older.
Therefore, it is a great opportunity for anyone to lose their phone was rubato.Mentre may be true that you should ask yourself if you can afford to buy a new iPhone, it would pay a monthly fee for insurance. To help you decide if this is part of mathematics.
IPhone 3G, I will use this example. The online market is very popular for the iPhone 3G 8GB costs about £ 200, insurance is the cheapest iPhone 3G I found that the cost of cover is £ 6 per month, assuming that when we consider the statistics the above. Do not lose your iPhone for 2 years in two years you will pay £ 144 on insurance, so if you lose your iPhone after two years you will have to pay another 200 pounds to be. £ 400 in total, with the certainty that you pay only € 200 for mobile phones and 144 for insurance in addition to 344 pounds and get the new iPhone will be one of the best, as it covers. £ 1000.
In addition to this, if you're going to lose your iPhone, I do not know how long it will take to get a new one? Insurance companies typically take up to 48 hours to process a claim. So even if you're one of those 53% do not have to endure nomophobes for too long, because you will have a new iPhone back in 48 hours.
The bottom line is that when you get insurance for your phone, you can rest easy knowing that they will be in touch with family and friends. And we all know how important it is to be able to do so. Just be sure to get insurance, the iPhone and I do not agree with any policy, just read before accepting them and see which one fits you best.
Insurance is what to do with nomophobia iPhone? Well, almost everything is Nomophobia fear of not being able to use the phone for any reason. In a survey conducted by YouGov at the request of the UK Post Office and 53% of respondents said they suffer from this phobia. This is not the official name and might not be true, it might scare people who can not stay in touch because of their cell phone was missing.
Obviously not a citizen of the United Kingdom, where all the people who were interviewed only a small number of participants was 2.163, which is not actually considered that the UK population is very large. But the point is here. It seems that in the United Kingdom, one of two nomophobes off their phones. Unfortunately, that has been lost, stolen mobile phones often. British Crime Survey conducted in August 2008, it was shown that in 6 out of 10 incidents, the phone is the only thing stolen. The same survey showed that 11% of victims were aged between 18 and 24 years, which is five times more people over the age of 64, this may mean that a person younger than people younger than the target for theft. persons phone, or that young people have mobile phones older.
Therefore, it is a great opportunity for anyone to lose their phone was rubato.Mentre may be true that you should ask yourself if you can afford to buy a new iPhone, it would pay a monthly fee for insurance. To help you decide if this is part of mathematics.
IPhone 3G, I will use this example. The online market is very popular for the iPhone 3G 8GB costs about £ 200, insurance is the cheapest iPhone 3G I found that the cost of cover is £ 6 per month, assuming that when we consider the statistics the above. Do not lose your iPhone for 2 years in two years you will pay £ 144 on insurance, so if you lose your iPhone after two years you will have to pay another 200 pounds to be. £ 400 in total, with the certainty that you pay only € 200 for mobile phones and 144 for insurance in addition to 344 pounds and get the new iPhone will be one of the best, as it covers. £ 1000.
In addition to this, if you're going to lose your iPhone, I do not know how long it will take to get a new one? Insurance companies typically take up to 48 hours to process a claim. So even if you're one of those 53% do not have to endure nomophobes for too long, because you will have a new iPhone back in 48 hours.
The bottom line is that when you get insurance for your phone, you can rest easy knowing that they will be in touch with family and friends. And we all know how important it is to be able to do so. Just be sure to get insurance, the iPhone and I do not agree with any policy, just read before accepting them and see which one fits you best.
Troll comments
We remember the victims of the Tucson shooting
Anonymous Jan 8, 2012 10:00 PM
You people need to get a life... the terminology used in political battles has been around for many decades and is nothing new. Hilary Clinton and other Democrats and Republicans used similar maps to target her political opposition in various campaigns. Time to move on and find something new to bitch about...
Anonymous Jan 8, 2012 10:00 PM
You people need to get a life... the terminology used in political battles has been around for many decades and is nothing new. Hilary Clinton and other Democrats and Republicans used similar maps to target her political opposition in various campaigns. Time to move on and find something new to bitch about...
Choosing the best pet insurance
When choosing a pet insurance policy, it's important to weigh the risks you'd like to cover and decide on which type of insurance best suits your needs. There are many types of policies available to pet owners, and not all policies are appropriate for all owners.
In 2010, Americans spent billions on health care for their pets and $250 million on pet insurance. Pet insurance policies cover a wide variety of animals but mostly provide coverage for dogs and cats, the most commonly owned pets in America (77 million and 93 million).
Pet insurance is a good idea because veterinary care has become more sophisticated, and as such is able to cure injuries and illnesses that were once an automatic death sentence for pets. As a result of the increased sophistication in treatment, costs have also increased. Having a pet insurance policy in place can spare pet owners from the painful decision of making an economically necessary euthanasia.
Understanding the coverages available for your pet, and examining what several pet insurance companies have to offer can help you purchase the policy that's right for your pet. Coverage can range from policies that reimburse just for accidents and major illnesses to policies that cover routine check-ups and visits. Here are the three major coverage types available from most pet insurers:
When purchasing a pet insurance policy, it's important to check the policy's exclusions and other stipulations. If you see a condition specific to your pet's breed excluded, the policy you're considering may not be the right policy for you. For policies that exclude certain conditions, you may be able to purchase a rider to the policy that extends coverage. Riders are add-ons to insurance policies that add additional coverages to policies.
In 2010, Americans spent billions on health care for their pets and $250 million on pet insurance. Pet insurance policies cover a wide variety of animals but mostly provide coverage for dogs and cats, the most commonly owned pets in America (77 million and 93 million).
Pet insurance is a good idea because veterinary care has become more sophisticated, and as such is able to cure injuries and illnesses that were once an automatic death sentence for pets. As a result of the increased sophistication in treatment, costs have also increased. Having a pet insurance policy in place can spare pet owners from the painful decision of making an economically necessary euthanasia.
Understanding the coverages available for your pet, and examining what several pet insurance companies have to offer can help you purchase the policy that's right for your pet. Coverage can range from policies that reimburse just for accidents and major illnesses to policies that cover routine check-ups and visits. Here are the three major coverage types available from most pet insurers:
- Full coverage -- Full coverage plans will provide coverage for just about all medical expense that may be incurred by your pet's care, such as regular vet visits and some drug coverage. Also, full coverage plans will pay for some of the more expensive surgeries or treatments your pet may need. This type of coverage is most beneficial to pet owners with older pets or pets who may be frequently ill. Getting coverage for an older pet can be difficult, so most pet owners should get coverage for their pets when they are young. Full coverage is definitely recommended for animals used for sporting or work purposes, as these animals are more likely to be injured than house pets. Pet insurance coverage can keep pet owners from having to pay large amounts of money in treatment for pets should they become ill or injured, so it's a good investment to make.
- Standard coverage -- Standard coverage is a low price plan that covers routine veterinary bills such as expenses for vet visits and check ups. This coverage does not provide full coverage for the more expensive types of treatments and surgeries your pet may need if it becomes sick or injured, although many policies provide partial coverage. This type of coverage is appropriate for house pets or pets not likely to have major health problems.
- Catastrophic coverage -- This type of coverage offers reimbursement for expenses incurred by treating major injuries or illnesses. It does not provide coverage for routine vet visits. This type of policy is most appropriate for folks who want to handle routine costs out-of-pocket, but need coverage for the more expensive treatments that may arise because of an accident. These policies tend to be cheaper than full coverage policies.
When purchasing a pet insurance policy, it's important to check the policy's exclusions and other stipulations. If you see a condition specific to your pet's breed excluded, the policy you're considering may not be the right policy for you. For policies that exclude certain conditions, you may be able to purchase a rider to the policy that extends coverage. Riders are add-ons to insurance policies that add additional coverages to policies.
Insurance companies
There are several pet insurance companies, but one of the most well-established ones is VPI Pet Insurance. Founded in 1980, VPI covers hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats nationwide. The longstanding stability of this company means that when you need a claim covered, VPI will have the funds to reimburse you for your pets' medical costs. Another often-recommended pet insurer is the ASPCA's health insurance program. The ASPCA offers some pretty good benefits with some plans, including multiple pet discounts, a $100 per year deductible and 80 percent reimbursement on most charges.Exotic pet insurance becoming more commonplace
Last year Americans spent nearly $250 million on pet insurance. This coverage included dogs and cats, but also included policies for more exotic animals, such as chimpanzees and other pets. More than 77 million dogs are owned as pets by Americans, and nearly 93 million cats are owned as pets as Americans.
There are more than 50 million other animals owned as pets by Americans. Because of the prevalence of dogs and cats among pet owners, most pet insurance policies are most often written for these animals. Pet insurance is a form of insurance that provides coverage to pets for their veterinary care. Pet insurance helps to offset costs related to the expense of treating sick or injured pets. Veterinary care has become more sophisticated in recent years, making it more expensive, thus growing the market for veterinary insurance.
Here's a few "exotic pets" and some of their special care needs.
Owners of exotic pets can expect to spend more on average, because of the smaller insurance pool and because of the more specialized care needs of exotic animals. In addition to a monthly premium, pet owners may also have to pay a co-pay or deductible in some cases. Most exotic pet insurance polices offer care for illnesses and injuries your pet may endure, although some injuries and illnesses may be barred by exclusion. Drug coverage may also be offered by the pet insurance plan. For routine care and care barred by exclusion, riders offering extended coverage may be purchased in some circumstances.
Some exotic pet insurance policies offer death and theft insurance, which pays the owner a benefit if the covered pet dies or is lost or stolen. For owners of expensive pets, this coverage may be desirable. Exotic pets are becoming increasingly popular among Americans. As these pets become more widespread among pet owners, veterinary care related to these animals will likely become in higher demand. Because of the specialized nature of exotic pet healthcare, these policies can help offset what can be very high bills for the care of your exotic animals.
There are more than 50 million other animals owned as pets by Americans. Because of the prevalence of dogs and cats among pet owners, most pet insurance policies are most often written for these animals. Pet insurance is a form of insurance that provides coverage to pets for their veterinary care. Pet insurance helps to offset costs related to the expense of treating sick or injured pets. Veterinary care has become more sophisticated in recent years, making it more expensive, thus growing the market for veterinary insurance.
Exotic pets are less exotic than you think
According to pet insurance companies, an exotic animal is any pet other than a dog or cat. This means relatively common pets such as birds or rabbits are, for the purposes of insurance, exotic animals. Insurance companies basis this definition on the fact that exotic animals have care needs that are more specialized than those of dogs can cats. Because insurance is essentially all about probability and statistics, insurers must consider the health needs of certain animals and the chances these services may be necessary when writing insurance policies.Here's a few "exotic pets" and some of their special care needs.
- Rodents -- Hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils and other rodents' primary veterinary concern will be dental care, as they tend to have rapid tooth growth. Most rodents have short lifespans, although guinea pigs can live for up to seven years. Because of their short lifespan, finding coverage for these pets is often difficult.
- Reptiles -- Many reptiles can live for decades, and pet reptiles often change owners over the course of their lifetime. Each type of reptile, including lizards, iguanas, snakes and turtles have very specific healthcare needs. Commonly, the healthcare needs of reptiles is related to feeding and nutrition, although other needs can arise. Reptiles are one of the species of exotic pets that are easier to insure, depending upon the species.
- Birds -- Birds have a variety of health issues requiring specialized veterinary attention. The lifespan of birds greatly varies. Some live only a few years while others can live for decades. Some of the most common health issues with pet birds involve wing clipping and infections.
- Pigs -- Pigs are an increasingly popular pet. Pigs can live for more than a decade and their specialized health problems involve digestive and breathing problems.
Obtaining an exotic pet insurance policy
Exotic pet coverage is a little more difficult to obtain than pet insurance for dogs or cats, but because of the increasingly sophisticated nature of veterinary care and the costs involved, it's a worthwhile investment. One of the largest pet insurers in the U.S. is VPI, which offers a number of exotic pet policies. Most dog or cat polices cost between $10 and $50 per month, depending on the level of coverage obtained.Owners of exotic pets can expect to spend more on average, because of the smaller insurance pool and because of the more specialized care needs of exotic animals. In addition to a monthly premium, pet owners may also have to pay a co-pay or deductible in some cases. Most exotic pet insurance polices offer care for illnesses and injuries your pet may endure, although some injuries and illnesses may be barred by exclusion. Drug coverage may also be offered by the pet insurance plan. For routine care and care barred by exclusion, riders offering extended coverage may be purchased in some circumstances.
Some exotic pet insurance policies offer death and theft insurance, which pays the owner a benefit if the covered pet dies or is lost or stolen. For owners of expensive pets, this coverage may be desirable. Exotic pets are becoming increasingly popular among Americans. As these pets become more widespread among pet owners, veterinary care related to these animals will likely become in higher demand. Because of the specialized nature of exotic pet healthcare, these policies can help offset what can be very high bills for the care of your exotic animals.
Pet insurance pros and cons
Pet owners are buying pet insurance in increasing numbers as veterinary care becomes more and more sophisticated and owners are more loath to euthanize their pets. While pet insurance can offset costs enough to help pet owners avoid the very difficult choice of economic euthanasia, policies don't cover everything and are not always a good investment. Like any other insurance policy or financial service, pet insurance had benefits and disadvantages buyers should consider before purchasing a policy.
Most pet insurance policies offer coverage for veterinary costs that arise from sicknesses and illnesses. Others offer coverage for theft and death. Most policies also contain exclusions barring coverage of illnesses and injuries arising from certain circumstances and barring certain treatments from coverage. What are the benefits of pet insurance? For pet owners, purchasing a pet insurance policy can have a number of benefits. In the event of a major accident or illness, pet insurance can come in handy in avoiding big medical costs. If your pet is struck by a car, the cost of treating broken bones can be very expensive. Many pet owners are forced to choose euthanasia because of economic concerns.
Having a pet insurance policy can spare a pet owner this difficult choice by making emergency care affordable. Pet insurance is very affordable, with most policies costing between $10 and $50 per month, depending on what type of pet you're insuring and the level of coverage provided. It may be best to purchase a low-cost policy that only covers the big accidents or illnesses and pay for routine care on your own. Many pet insurance policies offer discounts on coverage for multiple pets. Most of the time these discounts range from 5 to 10 percent. Some breeds of dogs and cats have problems that are common to the breed, such as hip problems with German Shepherds. Fixing these problems can be expensive, so purchasing a policy while the animal is young is a good investment.
The average pet insurance policy will pay for between $2,000 and $14,000 in care per year, but some cases the cost of care may exceed this amount. Routine treatment, the most common veterinary treatment, is not covered by most standard pet insurance policies. If you want coverage for vaccinations, wellness check-ups and other routine care, you'll have to purchase an add-on to your pet insurance policy.
Pet insurance policies often have limits on how many treatments or tests of a specific sort can be covered each year. For example, some policies will limit how many x-rays they'll cover each year. Like any form of insurance, your pet policy is a bet. If your pet never gets injured or sick, you've basically given the insurer money each year for nothing. However, if an illness or injury occurs, having pet insurance may turn out to be a good investment.
When considering purchasing pet insurance, pet owners should shop around and find the policy that best fits their individual circumstances. You may also want to see if you can buy pet coverage through your company, as now about 5 percent of companies offer some form of pet coverage as a benefit to employees. For owners of some pets, no policy will be a good deal and those owners may instead want to set aside savings each month as a fund to pay for emergency pet care. Evaluate your options carefully before making a choice.
What is pet insurance?
Pet insurance is essentially coverage for the costs of veterinary care for pets that arise from sickness or injury. Last year, Americans spent nearly $250 million on pet insurance, and nearly $10 billion was spent in the U.S. on veterinary care. Pet insurance is a form of property coverage, meaning that it works on a claims made basis, in which the insurer reimburses the policyholder for bills submitted after treatment. Pet insurance policies have existed in some form since the late 19th century but only became widespread in America after the 1980s.Most pet insurance policies offer coverage for veterinary costs that arise from sicknesses and illnesses. Others offer coverage for theft and death. Most policies also contain exclusions barring coverage of illnesses and injuries arising from certain circumstances and barring certain treatments from coverage. What are the benefits of pet insurance? For pet owners, purchasing a pet insurance policy can have a number of benefits. In the event of a major accident or illness, pet insurance can come in handy in avoiding big medical costs. If your pet is struck by a car, the cost of treating broken bones can be very expensive. Many pet owners are forced to choose euthanasia because of economic concerns.
Having a pet insurance policy can spare a pet owner this difficult choice by making emergency care affordable. Pet insurance is very affordable, with most policies costing between $10 and $50 per month, depending on what type of pet you're insuring and the level of coverage provided. It may be best to purchase a low-cost policy that only covers the big accidents or illnesses and pay for routine care on your own. Many pet insurance policies offer discounts on coverage for multiple pets. Most of the time these discounts range from 5 to 10 percent. Some breeds of dogs and cats have problems that are common to the breed, such as hip problems with German Shepherds. Fixing these problems can be expensive, so purchasing a policy while the animal is young is a good investment.
What are the disadvantages?
Pet insurance often bars coverage for pre-existing conditions -- ones you know about and ones you don't know about. So, if you purchase coverage for your pet and later it's discovered that he has a long-standing health condition, coverage for treatment of this ailment may not be covered by your pet insurance policy. Pet insurance policies often have caps on how much treatment they'll pay for, and in some cases these caps can be rather low.The average pet insurance policy will pay for between $2,000 and $14,000 in care per year, but some cases the cost of care may exceed this amount. Routine treatment, the most common veterinary treatment, is not covered by most standard pet insurance policies. If you want coverage for vaccinations, wellness check-ups and other routine care, you'll have to purchase an add-on to your pet insurance policy.
Pet insurance policies often have limits on how many treatments or tests of a specific sort can be covered each year. For example, some policies will limit how many x-rays they'll cover each year. Like any form of insurance, your pet policy is a bet. If your pet never gets injured or sick, you've basically given the insurer money each year for nothing. However, if an illness or injury occurs, having pet insurance may turn out to be a good investment.
When considering purchasing pet insurance, pet owners should shop around and find the policy that best fits their individual circumstances. You may also want to see if you can buy pet coverage through your company, as now about 5 percent of companies offer some form of pet coverage as a benefit to employees. For owners of some pets, no policy will be a good deal and those owners may instead want to set aside savings each month as a fund to pay for emergency pet care. Evaluate your options carefully before making a choice.
Who needs third-party pet liability insurance
When people think of pet insurance they usually think of coverage for veterinary treatment for accidents and illnesses that may befall their pets, but there is another risk that pet owners may want to insure against -- the damage their pets may cause to others.
Liability insurance is a form of insurance that protects the insured from risks of liabilites that can be litigated in claims and lawsuits. If an insured is sued for a claim that falls within the liability insurance policy's coverage, the insurer will pay for the insured's defense and indemnify against any judgment or settlement that may be reached in the case.
Third-party pet liability insurance provides coverage for injuries that may be caused by your pet. The most common form of pet liability insurance available is dog liability insurance. There are more than 4.7 million dog bites reported annually in the U.S. More than 1,000 people per day go to an emergency room with dog bite injuries and 33 people died of dog bites in 2007. Most dog bite injuries happen to children, most of whom are bitten in the face.
We live in a very litigious society, and with the many personal injury attorneys who take cases on a contingency fee basis, there's little deterrent for folks who suffer even the slightest injury to refrain from suing if they think there's an opportunity for them to profit from a suit. Dog bites and other injuries caused by pets can leave disfiguring scars and long-term pain. Because of this, its likely that hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages or more may be awarded to a plaintiff in a civil suit regarding a dog bite.
More than $1 billion of losses related to dog bites occurred last year, $300 million of which was paid for from homeowner's insurance. Many homeowner's policies extend liability coverage to dog bites, but many do not. If you own a dog, you may want to review your homeowner's policy to see if it covers dog bites. If it doesn't, third-party pet liability insurance may be a good investment.
Pit bulls have also been in the headlines recently for attacks on children and adults. Other breeds known for aggression include German Shepherds, chows, huskies and Dobermans. Insuring one of the more aggressive breeds of dogs may cost a little more than insuring a poodle or a dachshund, but when you consider the risk involved, it's a good investment to make.
When purchasing third-party pet liability insurance, experts recommend you purchase a policy that provides at least $100,000 in coverage for injuries that may arise from a dog bite. In some cases, if your homeowner's policy does not already offer dog bite or other coverage, it can be purchased as an add-on. Liability insurance for pets is usually inexpensive, but can run up to $1,000 per year for some pets, particularly aggressive breeds or animals with a history of biting. When applying for third-party pet liability insurance, your insurer will evaluate your pet, its history of causing injury, if any, and statistical data concerning how much of a risk that pet is. Based on this data, the insurer will approve or deny coverage and set a rate.
Liability insurance is a form of insurance that protects the insured from risks of liabilites that can be litigated in claims and lawsuits. If an insured is sued for a claim that falls within the liability insurance policy's coverage, the insurer will pay for the insured's defense and indemnify against any judgment or settlement that may be reached in the case.
Third-party pet liability insurance provides coverage for injuries that may be caused by your pet. The most common form of pet liability insurance available is dog liability insurance. There are more than 4.7 million dog bites reported annually in the U.S. More than 1,000 people per day go to an emergency room with dog bite injuries and 33 people died of dog bites in 2007. Most dog bite injuries happen to children, most of whom are bitten in the face.
We live in a very litigious society, and with the many personal injury attorneys who take cases on a contingency fee basis, there's little deterrent for folks who suffer even the slightest injury to refrain from suing if they think there's an opportunity for them to profit from a suit. Dog bites and other injuries caused by pets can leave disfiguring scars and long-term pain. Because of this, its likely that hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages or more may be awarded to a plaintiff in a civil suit regarding a dog bite.
More than $1 billion of losses related to dog bites occurred last year, $300 million of which was paid for from homeowner's insurance. Many homeowner's policies extend liability coverage to dog bites, but many do not. If you own a dog, you may want to review your homeowner's policy to see if it covers dog bites. If it doesn't, third-party pet liability insurance may be a good investment.
Aggressive breeds
While any breed of dog may bite someone, some breeds tend to be more aggressive than others. According to a recent study of all dog bite fatalities over a 20-year period, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and interbred dogs from the two breeds were responsible for three-fourths of all attacks. These breeds were responsible for nearly 70 percent of attacks on children, more than 80 percent of those on adults and almost two-thirds of the fatalities.Pit bulls have also been in the headlines recently for attacks on children and adults. Other breeds known for aggression include German Shepherds, chows, huskies and Dobermans. Insuring one of the more aggressive breeds of dogs may cost a little more than insuring a poodle or a dachshund, but when you consider the risk involved, it's a good investment to make.
When purchasing third-party pet liability insurance, experts recommend you purchase a policy that provides at least $100,000 in coverage for injuries that may arise from a dog bite. In some cases, if your homeowner's policy does not already offer dog bite or other coverage, it can be purchased as an add-on. Liability insurance for pets is usually inexpensive, but can run up to $1,000 per year for some pets, particularly aggressive breeds or animals with a history of biting. When applying for third-party pet liability insurance, your insurer will evaluate your pet, its history of causing injury, if any, and statistical data concerning how much of a risk that pet is. Based on this data, the insurer will approve or deny coverage and set a rate.
Coverage for non-canine pets
The vast majority of third-party pet liability policies are written to cover dogs. If you need a policy to cover another pet, it may be hard to find. Nevertheless, pet owners shouldn't snap up the first policy they find that covers their pet chimpanzee or snake. Like consumers of any other product, pet owners should shop carefully and make sure they understand the terms of the third-party liability policy they're buying -- what it covers and what it excludes and how much coverage it provides. Because of the potential for losses from a dog bite or other pet-related injury, it's wise to purchase a third-party liability policy to protect your wealth from a lawsuit, particularly if you own a breed of dog that's known to be aggressive. Paying a little in coverage now could save you considerably later if a suit is brought against you.Who needs dogs insurance?
Certain breeds of canine may be at greater risk of illness and injury than others. That's why for some breeds of dogs, buying pet insurance more than just a good idea. Veterinary care has become more sophisticated in recent decades. Illnesses and injuries that were once death sentences for beloved pets are now treatable. This treatment comes with a cost, which can be high. Some of the more sophisticated treatments of dogs such as cancer treatments or hip replacement surgery can cost thousands of dollars.
The high price of these care options, and the unpredictability of when they may be required makes dog insurance advisable for canine owners. Americans spend about $250 million per year on pet insurance, with dogs being the most frequently covered animal. Dog insurance typically runs between $10 and $50 per month and can cover a broad range of injury and illness, depending on the amount of coverage purchased.
As Americans spend more than $10 billion for dog health care per year, this insurance can be a good investment. Some breeds of canines are more susceptible to certain types of injury and dog illnesses than others. For example, German shepherds have a hereditary predisposition to hip problems. Modern veterinary medicine can treat hip problems in dogs, even to the point of offering hip replacement surgery, but these treatments can be quite expensive. Having a dog insurance policy in place can help defray the costs of expensive treatments that your dog may be predisposed to develop because of his breed. In general, larger breed dogs tend to be more expensive from a health care standpoint because larger breed dogs can require larger doses medication than smaller dogs.
Breeds at elevated risk for these illnesses include boxers, Great Danes, terriers and retrievers. Endocrine disorders -- This includes diabetes and hyperthyroidism. Mid-size dogs tend to be at greater risk for these illnesses. Dogs are also at risk for injuries, such as injuries caused by getting struck by a car in an accident or other mishaps.
Coverage is provided based on age and breed, and some dogs may be excluded from coverage. Some commonly covered illnesses include asthma, hip dysplasia, ear infections, bone and joint issues, cancer, etc. Routine coverage covers a variety of services, including spaying and neutering, heartworm treatment, dental care, vaccinations, etc. In general, the more comprehensive the coverage you obtain for your dog is, the more money it will cost.
When applying for dog insurance coverage, the insurer will evaluate a number of factors to determine whether they will cover your dog. Insurers will evaluate your dog's age, breed and general health, along with his medical history. This is why it's good to get insurance for dogs while they're still puppies, as older dogs are seen as a greater risk for insurers.
Pet owners seeking dog insurance should ask for quotes from several companies, as it is a competitive business and some insurers may offer lower rates or better services. Be sure to read and understand your dog insurance plan -- what it covers, its terms and what it excludes, before committing to it. Dog insurance can be a good hedge against expensive medical costs for pets, but only if you buy the right policy and the right amount of coverage.
The high price of these care options, and the unpredictability of when they may be required makes dog insurance advisable for canine owners. Americans spend about $250 million per year on pet insurance, with dogs being the most frequently covered animal. Dog insurance typically runs between $10 and $50 per month and can cover a broad range of injury and illness, depending on the amount of coverage purchased.
As Americans spend more than $10 billion for dog health care per year, this insurance can be a good investment. Some breeds of canines are more susceptible to certain types of injury and dog illnesses than others. For example, German shepherds have a hereditary predisposition to hip problems. Modern veterinary medicine can treat hip problems in dogs, even to the point of offering hip replacement surgery, but these treatments can be quite expensive. Having a dog insurance policy in place can help defray the costs of expensive treatments that your dog may be predisposed to develop because of his breed. In general, larger breed dogs tend to be more expensive from a health care standpoint because larger breed dogs can require larger doses medication than smaller dogs.
Common dog illnesses
Here's a list of common dog illnesses, and which breeds are particularly susceptible to them. Eye diseases -- Quite a few breeds are susceptible to eye problems such as cataracts, glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy, etc. Some eye problems, like cataracts are fairly well spread out among all breeds, however some problems like ectropion affect a more select group of dogs, in ectropion's case, spaniels, labs and shih tzus. Musculoskeletal disorders -- These illnesses include hip and elbow dysplasia and a variety of other problems. These disorders mostly effect smaller breed dogs. Heart disease -- These illnesses include aortic stenosis, sub-aortic stenosis, mitral valve disease, cardiomyopathy, etc.Breeds at elevated risk for these illnesses include boxers, Great Danes, terriers and retrievers. Endocrine disorders -- This includes diabetes and hyperthyroidism. Mid-size dogs tend to be at greater risk for these illnesses. Dogs are also at risk for injuries, such as injuries caused by getting struck by a car in an accident or other mishaps.
Coverages available
There are essentially three types of coverage available for dogs, and all pets covered by pet insurance. Accident coverage is the base line insurance for dogs. Just about any dog qualifies for accident coverage, regardless of his breed, general health or age. This covers car accidents and injuries that may be caused by falls, poison ingestion, broken bones, insect bites, etc. Illness coverage covers sickness related ailments.Coverage is provided based on age and breed, and some dogs may be excluded from coverage. Some commonly covered illnesses include asthma, hip dysplasia, ear infections, bone and joint issues, cancer, etc. Routine coverage covers a variety of services, including spaying and neutering, heartworm treatment, dental care, vaccinations, etc. In general, the more comprehensive the coverage you obtain for your dog is, the more money it will cost.
When applying for dog insurance coverage, the insurer will evaluate a number of factors to determine whether they will cover your dog. Insurers will evaluate your dog's age, breed and general health, along with his medical history. This is why it's good to get insurance for dogs while they're still puppies, as older dogs are seen as a greater risk for insurers.
Pet owners seeking dog insurance should ask for quotes from several companies, as it is a competitive business and some insurers may offer lower rates or better services. Be sure to read and understand your dog insurance plan -- what it covers, its terms and what it excludes, before committing to it. Dog insurance can be a good hedge against expensive medical costs for pets, but only if you buy the right policy and the right amount of coverage.
Pet Insurance: The basics
With advances in veterinary treatment, illnesses and injuries that were once fatal to pets are now treatable. But with increased care options, there are also increased costs. Pet insurance can help pet owners defray the costs of potentially expensive pet care, and prevent them from having to make painful decisions regarding the well-being of their pets based on financial considerations. While pet insurance may sound like a new innovation, it's actually been around for quite some time.
The very first pet insurance policy was issued in the late 19th century to owners of horses and livestock. Pet insurance came to Britain in the 1940s and in 1982 the first American pet insurance policy was issued to a canine actor playing Lassie. Pet insurance may seem like a frivolous expense to some, but when considering the investment pet owners put into their animals, it's actually a pretty sound investment.
Treatment for life-threatening illnesses such as cancer can cost thousands of dollars. Having a pet insurance policy in place can greatly help to mitigate the costs of this treatment. In the U.S., nearly $34.4 billion was spent on pets in 2004, which is double what was spent a decade before then. Of that $34.4 billion, nearly $1.6 billion was spent on the purchase of pets, $14.2 was spent on food and nearly $16 billion was spent on medical care, including medicine. Today, pet insurance is common in some countries. In Britain nearly 23 percent of pet owners have insurance on their animals. Dogs are the most commonly insured animals, followed closely by felines.
Non -lifetime policies will offer coverage for treatment during a set period, but after that period some conditions may be excluded. Lifetime coverage will cover all specified conditions for the lifetime of the pet. Lifetime policies may have per condition, per year exclusions, which will deny coverage for some conditions if they occur more than a set number of times per year.
Most policies offer coverage for routine visits and emergency visits, medications, lab tests and x-rays and vaccinations. Like health insurance, many pet insurance policies work with a network of vets that the owner must choose from. Using a vet outside the network may result in a lower reimbursement or non-payment of a claim. Pet health insurance offers a variety of policies and coverages to pet owners. Owners can purchase coverage for certain treatments, like surgical coverage, or can purchase other options such as nationwide coverage if the owner travels a lot with his or her pet.
Often pet insurance policies will have discounts if multiple pets are being covered. A common discount is a 5 to 10 percent cut if the owner registers two or more animals. Just like human health insurance, pet insurers may require the pet to undergo a medical examination before offering coverage. This is why it's a good idea to obtain coverage for a pet while he or she is young, before the animal has the opportunity to develop significant health problems.
The very first pet insurance policy was issued in the late 19th century to owners of horses and livestock. Pet insurance came to Britain in the 1940s and in 1982 the first American pet insurance policy was issued to a canine actor playing Lassie. Pet insurance may seem like a frivolous expense to some, but when considering the investment pet owners put into their animals, it's actually a pretty sound investment.
Treatment for life-threatening illnesses such as cancer can cost thousands of dollars. Having a pet insurance policy in place can greatly help to mitigate the costs of this treatment. In the U.S., nearly $34.4 billion was spent on pets in 2004, which is double what was spent a decade before then. Of that $34.4 billion, nearly $1.6 billion was spent on the purchase of pets, $14.2 was spent on food and nearly $16 billion was spent on medical care, including medicine. Today, pet insurance is common in some countries. In Britain nearly 23 percent of pet owners have insurance on their animals. Dogs are the most commonly insured animals, followed closely by felines.
How it works
Pet health insurance operates much like property insurance. The insurer reimburses the owner for costs after the pet has received veterinary care. The owner submits a claim to the insurer in order to obtain reimbursement. In general, there are two types of pet insurance policies, lifetime policies and non-lifetime policies.Non -lifetime policies will offer coverage for treatment during a set period, but after that period some conditions may be excluded. Lifetime coverage will cover all specified conditions for the lifetime of the pet. Lifetime policies may have per condition, per year exclusions, which will deny coverage for some conditions if they occur more than a set number of times per year.
Most policies offer coverage for routine visits and emergency visits, medications, lab tests and x-rays and vaccinations. Like health insurance, many pet insurance policies work with a network of vets that the owner must choose from. Using a vet outside the network may result in a lower reimbursement or non-payment of a claim. Pet health insurance offers a variety of policies and coverages to pet owners. Owners can purchase coverage for certain treatments, like surgical coverage, or can purchase other options such as nationwide coverage if the owner travels a lot with his or her pet.
Often pet insurance policies will have discounts if multiple pets are being covered. A common discount is a 5 to 10 percent cut if the owner registers two or more animals. Just like human health insurance, pet insurers may require the pet to undergo a medical examination before offering coverage. This is why it's a good idea to obtain coverage for a pet while he or she is young, before the animal has the opportunity to develop significant health problems.
Average costs
On average, pet insurance costs between $10 and $50 per month, depending on the insurer the owner uses and how comprehensive the policy he or she buys is. Accident coverage, which covers injuries as a result of being hit by a car or other accidents for about $10 per month, while accident and illness coverage will cost between $20 and $30 per month. Many employers are beginning to offer workplace benefits that provide pet insurance at discount prices.Third-party liability insurance
In addition to pet health insurance, many insurers also offer third-party liability insurance coverage for pets. This insurance basically covers any damage your pet may cause to others or their property. For pet owners, pet health insurance can be a wise investment that will offset the costs of extensive and expensive treatment your animal may need. Pet owners should read over all policy documents and ensure that they understand all language in a policy before signing up for coverage.Shopping for the best pet insurance
The pet care industry has gained a lot of popularity today. This is mainly due to the rising costs associated with health care for animals. It is to this end that the pet insurance policies are earning rave reviews. This investment allows you to give your pet canine, feline or bird the best in times of medical emergency. In order to ensure that your pet is offered the best diagnostic tools and treatment, it is imperative to consider a good pet insurance.
Good pet insurance does not necessarily have to be expensive. What you need to shop for is the kind of coverage offered by the different companies. Around the world reputed health insurance companies are also designing a number of pet insurance options. The fact that as a pet owner you have to dole out a considerable amount of personal finances to deal with pet care in an emergency is the prime thought behind the generation of these pet insurance policies. When looking around for the best pet insurance policy you should keep the pet’s health concerns in the focus throughout the endeavor. This helps you to save money as well as get the best payout in an emergency.
The chosen pet health insurance policy should meet all your requirements efficiently and professionally. It pays to conduct good pet insurance comparison. This enables you to identify the best rates, best payouts in emergencies, plans that can be tailored and lowest claim period. The general consensus is that standard pet insurance plans should be avoided. This is because they force you to pay for services that you may not require at all. Also this aspect reduces the value of the policy.
You should also consider deductible amounts, extra payments and co-pays. The ideal plan would cover all this and leave room for payments towards office visits, prescription drugs, dental care, hospitalization benefits and expenses associated with genetic conditions. It helps to check with the vet for the right insurance policy. Many policies and vet-suggested clauses help you and the animal to earn discounts with the inclusion of another pet, animal shelter and even affiliated veterinary clinics.
Shopping for the best pet insurance policy is not difficult with a little ground work taken care of prior to the commitment. It helps a lot to know the different types of coverage your pet is entitled to within a single policy. The animal is dependent on your for its upkeep. A good pet insurance policy will ensure that the animal gets the best services and treatment options should there be some untoward development at any later stage. It helps a lot to loop in the vet in your head hunt for a good pet insurance scheme. You should check out the fine print and could do with some legal advice that is also now in place for pet owners.
Prior to investing in a pet insurance you should investigate the ingrained traits of the breed and find out about health care issues that the animal is likely to manifest later on. This helps you to find a comprehensive package that takes care of the animal till the end. Pet insurance is the least you can do for your pet dog or cat or bird. The helpless creature is adopted because of its previous domestication and gives your home a friend and additional family member.
When you adopt a pet as a baby the animal will naturally call for a series of vaccinations to prevent the onslaught of different life threatening diseases that the breed is likely to develop. With the best health care insurance policy you can pay for all this without having to dip into personal funds. A step taken when the animal is little adds longevity to its relationship and companionship within the home.
Good pet insurance does not necessarily have to be expensive. What you need to shop for is the kind of coverage offered by the different companies. Around the world reputed health insurance companies are also designing a number of pet insurance options. The fact that as a pet owner you have to dole out a considerable amount of personal finances to deal with pet care in an emergency is the prime thought behind the generation of these pet insurance policies. When looking around for the best pet insurance policy you should keep the pet’s health concerns in the focus throughout the endeavor. This helps you to save money as well as get the best payout in an emergency.
Pet insurance services:
You should essentially evaluate the level of service offered by the insurance company. It helps to ask people with pets around you and preview referrals to know how promptly they answer your calls and respond to email queries. You should also ask whether or not the representatives bring the pet insurance plans to you and explain the details of their plans well. Prevention is better than cure and hence it is imperative for you to consider pet insurance now; instead of waiting for a medical emergency to put you under stress.The chosen pet health insurance policy should meet all your requirements efficiently and professionally. It pays to conduct good pet insurance comparison. This enables you to identify the best rates, best payouts in emergencies, plans that can be tailored and lowest claim period. The general consensus is that standard pet insurance plans should be avoided. This is because they force you to pay for services that you may not require at all. Also this aspect reduces the value of the policy.
You should also consider deductible amounts, extra payments and co-pays. The ideal plan would cover all this and leave room for payments towards office visits, prescription drugs, dental care, hospitalization benefits and expenses associated with genetic conditions. It helps to check with the vet for the right insurance policy. Many policies and vet-suggested clauses help you and the animal to earn discounts with the inclusion of another pet, animal shelter and even affiliated veterinary clinics.
Things to look out for:
When you are comparison shopping for the best pet insurance policy it is a good idea to enquire about discounts to bag the lowest rates possible. To get the best value out of the pet insurance scheme it is important for you to compare pet insurance quotes and bargain. Comparison of all the variables helps to save a lot of precious time and money later. Also enquire about the amount of coverage and the types of service and about how existent customers enjoy the service.Shopping for the best pet insurance policy is not difficult with a little ground work taken care of prior to the commitment. It helps a lot to know the different types of coverage your pet is entitled to within a single policy. The animal is dependent on your for its upkeep. A good pet insurance policy will ensure that the animal gets the best services and treatment options should there be some untoward development at any later stage. It helps a lot to loop in the vet in your head hunt for a good pet insurance scheme. You should check out the fine print and could do with some legal advice that is also now in place for pet owners.
Prior to investing in a pet insurance you should investigate the ingrained traits of the breed and find out about health care issues that the animal is likely to manifest later on. This helps you to find a comprehensive package that takes care of the animal till the end. Pet insurance is the least you can do for your pet dog or cat or bird. The helpless creature is adopted because of its previous domestication and gives your home a friend and additional family member.
When you adopt a pet as a baby the animal will naturally call for a series of vaccinations to prevent the onslaught of different life threatening diseases that the breed is likely to develop. With the best health care insurance policy you can pay for all this without having to dip into personal funds. A step taken when the animal is little adds longevity to its relationship and companionship within the home.
Bagging the best pet insurance
If you observe people who own pets it is easy to see how they do not differentiate between the animals in question and family members. It takes little or no time for a bird, reptile, feline or canine to become part and parcel of the family unit and integral members. Family and home insurance has another add-on these people need to consider – pet insurance! Yes, you can now insure your pet cat or dog or bird.
There are dedicated pet insurance policies that cover every aspect of the animal’s health and well being. This is an upcoming industry that has benefited by a lot of momentum due to pet owners around the world increasingly demanding for pet insurance. There are many ways for shopping for pet insurance. You could get online and click away till you identify the most apt package for your particular pet. The other option is real time or offline shopping.
Pet insurance is designed just like the policies that are in place for health insurance and that on human life. The package enables you to pay nominal insurance premium and benefit from timely payouts when you need the money the most. The money is ideally offered to help you to cope with unexpected expenses incurred with regards to the pet’s health and treatment options.
You need to look for certain things within the policy document and customize the plan if need be. It pays well to look around for accreditation by American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or ASPCA. Ti also helps to nose around a bit and find policies that cover accidents, illnesses and general wellness care coverage. Also look into the applicable annual deductibles and reimbursements on veterinary expenses.
There are a number of plans that also address the need for vaccination throughout the animal’s life and even coinsurance. There are special packages that cover genetic disorders and a number of chronic disorders that could take a toll on the animal’s health. Coverage for heredity and genetic conditions helps a lot. Deductibles and premium should be calculated and dwell understood prior to putting pen to paper.
You can also ask around for coverage on congenital conditions, reimbursements on veterinary bills, preventive care, kennel fees, advertising and rewards to regain a lost pet, pet recovery tags for free, expenses associated with spaying or neutering, feline and canine dental cleaning, annual tests and physical examinations. There are pet insurance plan covers that address more than 6,500 medical conditions.
Today a number of health care companies for humans are also designing pet insurance coverage. You can ask your own insurance provider for advice and suggestions. The package ensures that the animal is treated on time when and as required. It is an essential requirement for any pet owner considering the kind of expenses animal emergencies can also attract.
There are many online and offline resources that offer complete guidance and even help you to address the formalities to get a policy in action. This takes the yoke off your shoulders and all you have to do is sign on and agree to the terms and conditions. There are members of the litigation fraternity too that address clauses of the fine print and work towards deriving complete value from a pet insurance coverage. Timely investment calls for quick action to enjoy a lifetime with your pet.
The animal in your care is your responsibility and totally depends on you to handle the intricacies of developments around its life. Separate pet cat insurance and pet dog insurance helps you to even tweak the clauses and combine them in case you have more than a pet at home. Pet insurance coverage is no more an option, it is a necessary investment to evade fiscal burden alter on. It si now cheap and easily available and all you have to do is click away!
There are dedicated pet insurance policies that cover every aspect of the animal’s health and well being. This is an upcoming industry that has benefited by a lot of momentum due to pet owners around the world increasingly demanding for pet insurance. There are many ways for shopping for pet insurance. You could get online and click away till you identify the most apt package for your particular pet. The other option is real time or offline shopping.
Pet insurance is designed just like the policies that are in place for health insurance and that on human life. The package enables you to pay nominal insurance premium and benefit from timely payouts when you need the money the most. The money is ideally offered to help you to cope with unexpected expenses incurred with regards to the pet’s health and treatment options.
Only the best for your pet:
Good pet insurance plans cover laboratory tests, blood tests, scans and all sorts of hospitalization. This saves you on a lot of your personal liquid funds. Today there are a number of dedicated companies offering pet insurance, via a number of different plans. The shopping spree for the right one could get challenging in the absence of adequate research and investigation. Pet owners should indulge in good comparison shopping and essentially compare pet insurance quotes prior to buying any one recommended policy.You need to look for certain things within the policy document and customize the plan if need be. It pays well to look around for accreditation by American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or ASPCA. Ti also helps to nose around a bit and find policies that cover accidents, illnesses and general wellness care coverage. Also look into the applicable annual deductibles and reimbursements on veterinary expenses.
There are a number of plans that also address the need for vaccination throughout the animal’s life and even coinsurance. There are special packages that cover genetic disorders and a number of chronic disorders that could take a toll on the animal’s health. Coverage for heredity and genetic conditions helps a lot. Deductibles and premium should be calculated and dwell understood prior to putting pen to paper.
You can also ask around for coverage on congenital conditions, reimbursements on veterinary bills, preventive care, kennel fees, advertising and rewards to regain a lost pet, pet recovery tags for free, expenses associated with spaying or neutering, feline and canine dental cleaning, annual tests and physical examinations. There are pet insurance plan covers that address more than 6,500 medical conditions.
Essential considerations:
They also pay out for diagnostic tests, chemo and anesthesia. Cancer treatment and surgeries could cost you a lot but with a good pet insurance policy in place you can cope and deal with these with ease. Look also for pet insurance covers that offer respite for prescription medications, emergency visits, tooth extraction and alternative medication. Good pet insurance coverage will enable you to enjoy a peaceful time with the animal devoid of the fiscal burden certain treatments can bring on.Today a number of health care companies for humans are also designing pet insurance coverage. You can ask your own insurance provider for advice and suggestions. The package ensures that the animal is treated on time when and as required. It is an essential requirement for any pet owner considering the kind of expenses animal emergencies can also attract.
There are many online and offline resources that offer complete guidance and even help you to address the formalities to get a policy in action. This takes the yoke off your shoulders and all you have to do is sign on and agree to the terms and conditions. There are members of the litigation fraternity too that address clauses of the fine print and work towards deriving complete value from a pet insurance coverage. Timely investment calls for quick action to enjoy a lifetime with your pet.
The animal in your care is your responsibility and totally depends on you to handle the intricacies of developments around its life. Separate pet cat insurance and pet dog insurance helps you to even tweak the clauses and combine them in case you have more than a pet at home. Pet insurance coverage is no more an option, it is a necessary investment to evade fiscal burden alter on. It si now cheap and easily available and all you have to do is click away!
Affordable best pet insurance
Affordable and the best pet insurance policies are but a click away! Our pets surely deserve better than having to dip into the same funds as those set aside for the family. It odes not take time for any person adopting a pet animal or bird to get very attached to it. They mean the world to us, comforting us all the time and making us feel good especially on those days when one tends to feel really down.
Your pet takes no time at all to become your best friend. They are around even when the rest of the world has turned its back. When you adopt a pet it is your responsibility to take charge of the animal or bird’s safety and health.
Today dealing with pet related emergencies can be very taxing on personal finances. It is to deal with this requirement that dedicated insurance companies are now offering best pet insurance policies online as well as offline. Across the globe, pet insurance is becoming a standardized requirement when you choose to become a pet owner. The claims you get to make in the future help you to ensure that the pet gets the best of care even when your personal finances or low or you do not wish to touch them.
You can now shop for the best quality pet insurance plan, which does no necessarily have to be expensive, online. When you use the internet to shop for a cheap pet insurance plan, you get to do so 24x7 and view the fine print and negotiable possibilities sitting right at home. You should ideally look out for pet insurance plans that are affordable.
The premium payout as well as the total cost of the package differs according to the age of pet and type of pet (canine, feline etc). The other influencing factors include the gender of the pet, pre-existing medical conditions that the pet may have inherited, breed and related considerations. Sorting out these basics helps you to negotiate the price of your pet insurance plan.
If you like a particular plan with one reputed online pet insurance company but would prefer another clause in yet some other, you could consider the co-pay option and have the benefits of both the privileges.
You should research and investigate the various plans prior to making an investment. It helps not to fall for the standard plans; they usually only cover emergencies and neutering. Instead look for the best pet insurance policies that offer membership discounts whenever you shop for pet health supplies. This helps you to economize on the upkeep of the animal.
You should essentially check out a variety of reviews and referrals offered by pet insurance companies and existent clientele. This helps you to take a good look at the pros and cons and comb through the various aspects of the different plans. Your pet is completely dependent on your for its upkeep. It is imperative and humane to give the dependent animal the best you possibly can.
Many a time years go by without the pet needing any medical attention too. This way you get lucky; nevertheless, there are many breeds that display genetic disposition to certain ingrained and inherited physical ailments. It helps a lot for you to pick the best pet insurance policy after you investigate the particular breed you have adopted.
Take a look at the history of the animal and even ask the local veterinarian. In fact this professional is the best resource to guide you into the kind of pet health insurance coverage you should consider. Based on the information regarding the genetic history of your pet, the vet is able to suggest coverage.
Good pet insurance policies help you to actually save a lot of money over the years. Today they are generally cheap to begin with and offer you a look at the fine print prior to signing on the dotted line. Online pet health insurance reviews help a lot to find a plan that fits your budget perfectly. The plan you choose should necessarily address specifics like pre-existing conditions and your budget needs. Affordable pet insurance is being offered by reputed companies the world over. All you need to do is look around and go ‘window shopping’ for the poodle or canary insurance!
Your pet takes no time at all to become your best friend. They are around even when the rest of the world has turned its back. When you adopt a pet it is your responsibility to take charge of the animal or bird’s safety and health.
Today dealing with pet related emergencies can be very taxing on personal finances. It is to deal with this requirement that dedicated insurance companies are now offering best pet insurance policies online as well as offline. Across the globe, pet insurance is becoming a standardized requirement when you choose to become a pet owner. The claims you get to make in the future help you to ensure that the pet gets the best of care even when your personal finances or low or you do not wish to touch them.
Affordability and customized features:
The industry is vast and the policies you get to choose from are very well thought of and put together. Pet insurance plans differ on the basis of price or sum assured and the various aspects of pet care that they cover.You can now shop for the best quality pet insurance plan, which does no necessarily have to be expensive, online. When you use the internet to shop for a cheap pet insurance plan, you get to do so 24x7 and view the fine print and negotiable possibilities sitting right at home. You should ideally look out for pet insurance plans that are affordable.
The premium payout as well as the total cost of the package differs according to the age of pet and type of pet (canine, feline etc). The other influencing factors include the gender of the pet, pre-existing medical conditions that the pet may have inherited, breed and related considerations. Sorting out these basics helps you to negotiate the price of your pet insurance plan.
If you like a particular plan with one reputed online pet insurance company but would prefer another clause in yet some other, you could consider the co-pay option and have the benefits of both the privileges.
You should research and investigate the various plans prior to making an investment. It helps not to fall for the standard plans; they usually only cover emergencies and neutering. Instead look for the best pet insurance policies that offer membership discounts whenever you shop for pet health supplies. This helps you to economize on the upkeep of the animal.
You should essentially check out a variety of reviews and referrals offered by pet insurance companies and existent clientele. This helps you to take a good look at the pros and cons and comb through the various aspects of the different plans. Your pet is completely dependent on your for its upkeep. It is imperative and humane to give the dependent animal the best you possibly can.
Window shopping for the pet:
Cheap and affordable pet insurance plans help you to sort and calculate the disposable income at hand that you can possibly set aside each month for the upkeep of the pet, when it gets sick or calls for medical attention. You can now invest any amount of disposable income to keep your pet fairly healthy.Many a time years go by without the pet needing any medical attention too. This way you get lucky; nevertheless, there are many breeds that display genetic disposition to certain ingrained and inherited physical ailments. It helps a lot for you to pick the best pet insurance policy after you investigate the particular breed you have adopted.
Take a look at the history of the animal and even ask the local veterinarian. In fact this professional is the best resource to guide you into the kind of pet health insurance coverage you should consider. Based on the information regarding the genetic history of your pet, the vet is able to suggest coverage.
Good pet insurance policies help you to actually save a lot of money over the years. Today they are generally cheap to begin with and offer you a look at the fine print prior to signing on the dotted line. Online pet health insurance reviews help a lot to find a plan that fits your budget perfectly. The plan you choose should necessarily address specifics like pre-existing conditions and your budget needs. Affordable pet insurance is being offered by reputed companies the world over. All you need to do is look around and go ‘window shopping’ for the poodle or canary insurance!
Protect Your Life With a Family Medical Insurance
Protect Your Life With a Family Medical Insurance
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Health insurance is much more to pay for medical care. Family health insurance can protect the health of your family. Many people claim to have private health insurance policies they wish to use in an emergency. Rarely consider that the insurance was created to help them maintain their health. Medical insurance is available in various flavors. Some are very comprehensive and cover a wide range of services, more flexibility and is designed to cover basic services. It 'important to determine the type of policy is necessary.
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Although it is difficult to predict what might happen to you or your family, you better try to find a policy that covers at least most of the events of life such as motherhood. You can also find the driver, which will be edited or added to insurance policies that will allow you to add medical coverage at a later time, when you need it, some companies have policies on driving conditions exist, the disease. cancer and mental health services.
Family health insurance can help save lives by providing coverage for preventive health care. If you have a complete physical examination and annual screening, you will be more in tune with your body and be able to sense when something is wrong. The doctor will be able to carry out regular checks on you and will be able to steer in the right direction when it comes to an error. The doctor will be able to catch diseases before they become too serious and can lead to a specialist certificate on or if you need it. Some policies allow you to see specialists without referrals and other people notice your advice from your doctor.
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Keeping regular appointments with your doctor, you will maintain good health and insurance company, you will see that you have to take care of your health and can be adjusted premiums, deductible, or to compensate you for your efforts. you
When you receive your private health insurance for your family, insurance, medical insurance, remember that your purpose is to provide more than just help you pay when you break an arm or a heart attack. It is designed to help you stay healthy so you can avoid getting them in the ER, which is more expensive than a trip to the clinic for your family. With a variety of existing policies and riders are sure to find the right policy for your family to keep them happy and healthy.
??
Health insurance is much more to pay for medical care. Family health insurance can protect the health of your family. Many people claim to have private health insurance policies they wish to use in an emergency. Rarely consider that the insurance was created to help them maintain their health. Medical insurance is available in various flavors. Some are very comprehensive and cover a wide range of services, more flexibility and is designed to cover basic services. It 'important to determine the type of policy is necessary.
??
Although it is difficult to predict what might happen to you or your family, you better try to find a policy that covers at least most of the events of life such as motherhood. You can also find the driver, which will be edited or added to insurance policies that will allow you to add medical coverage at a later time, when you need it, some companies have policies on driving conditions exist, the disease. cancer and mental health services.
Family health insurance can help save lives by providing coverage for preventive health care. If you have a complete physical examination and annual screening, you will be more in tune with your body and be able to sense when something is wrong. The doctor will be able to carry out regular checks on you and will be able to steer in the right direction when it comes to an error. The doctor will be able to catch diseases before they become too serious and can lead to a specialist certificate on or if you need it. Some policies allow you to see specialists without referrals and other people notice your advice from your doctor.
??
Keeping regular appointments with your doctor, you will maintain good health and insurance company, you will see that you have to take care of your health and can be adjusted premiums, deductible, or to compensate you for your efforts. you
When you receive your private health insurance for your family, insurance, medical insurance, remember that your purpose is to provide more than just help you pay when you break an arm or a heart attack. It is designed to help you stay healthy so you can avoid getting them in the ER, which is more expensive than a trip to the clinic for your family. With a variety of existing policies and riders are sure to find the right policy for your family to keep them happy and healthy.
The dark side of Mitt Romney
From Vanity Fair
Mitt Romney has long been a front-runner for the G.O.P. nomination—even if no one really knows who he is. Digging into the candidate’s record as a Mormon leader, his business deals at Bain Capital, and that infamous car trip with the family dog strapped to the roof, Michael Kranish and Scott Helman pierce the Mitt bubble in an adaptation from their new book, The Real Romney, to find that the contradictions, question marks, and ambivalence go deeper than his politics.
itt Romney’s privileged pedigree was common knowledge to his classmates at Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School, where he was simultaneously enrolled in 1971 through a joint-degree program. By that time, his father, George Romney, had run a major corporation (American Motors), been elected three times as Michigan’s governor, sought the presidency, and been appointed to President Nixon’s Cabinet. Despite strongly resembling the elder Romney—the full head of strikingly dark hair, square jaw, dazzling smile—Mitt did little to draw attention to his parentage. The only hint was George’s faded gold initials on a beat-up old briefcase that Mitt carried around.
In truth, Mitt cherished his father’s example and endeavored to follow it. George became more than just a mentor to his youngest son. He was a pathfinder, showing the way of their Mormon faith through the thickets of politics and business, home life, and character. Through his achievements and mistakes, George had bestowed many lessons, and Mitt soaked them up. “His whole life,” said John Wright, a close family friend, “was following a pattern which had been laid out by his dad.” So with his wife, Ann, as a partner and his father as an inspiration, Mitt set out to build a family, a career, and a place in the church that he loved.
The Romneys’ Mormon faith, as Mitt and Ann began their life together, formed a deep foundation. It lay under nearly everything—their acts of charity, their marriage, their parenting, their social lives, even their weekly schedules. Their family-centric lifestyle was a choice; Mitt and Ann plainly cherished time at home with their children more than anything. But it was also a duty. Belonging to the Mormon Church meant accepting a code of conduct that placed supreme value on strong families—strong heterosexual families, in which men and women often filled defined and traditional roles. The Romneys have long cited a well-known Mormon credo popularized by the late church leader David O. McKay: “No other success can compensate for failure in the home.” They had arrived in the Boston area with one son, Taggart, and soon had a second, Matthew. Over the next decade, the Romneys would have three more boys: Joshua was born in 1975, Benjamin in 1978, and then Craig in 1981.
To Mitt, the special one in the house was Ann, with her wide smile, piercing eyes, and steadying domestic presence. And woe was the boy who forgot it. Tagg said there was one rule that was simply not breakable: “We were not allowed to say anything negative about my mother, talk back to her, do anything that would not be respectful of her.” On Mother’s Day, their home would be fragrant with lilacs, Ann’s favorite flowers. Tagg didn’t get it back then, but he came to understand. From the beginning, Mitt had put Ann on a pedestal and kept her there. “When they were dating,” Tagg said, “he felt like she was way better than him and he was really lucky to have this catch. He really genuinely still feels that way.” What makes his parents’ relationship work, he said, is their distinct characters: Mitt is driven first by reason, while Ann operates more on emotion. “She helps him see there’s stuff beyond the logic; he helps her see that there’s more than just instinct and feeling,” Tagg said. Mitt and Ann’s relationship would grow and change as their family entered the public eye. But she has remained his chief counselor and confidante, the one person who can lead Mitt to a final decision. Though she did not necessarily offer detailed input on every business deal, friends said, she weighed in on just about everything else. “Mitt’s not going to do something that they don’t feel good about together,” said Mitt’s sister Jane. Tagg said they called their mom “the great Mitt stabilizer.” Ann would later be mocked for her claim that she and Mitt had never had an argument during their marriage, which sounded preposterous to the ears of many married mortals. Tagg said it’s not that his parents never disagree. “I know there are things that she says that he doesn’t agree with sometimes, and I see him kind of bite his tongue. But I know that they go and discuss it in private. He doesn’t ever contradict my mother in public.” Friends of the Romneys’ back up that account, saying they cannot recall Mitt ever raising his voice toward Ann. Nowhere was Ann’s special status more evident than on long family car trips. Mitt imposed strict rules: they would stop only for gas, and that was the only chance to get food or use the restroom. With one exception, Tagg explained. “As soon as my mom says, ‘I think I need to go to the bathroom,’ he pulls over instantly and doesn’t complain. ‘Anything for you, Ann.’” On one infamous road trip, though, it wasn’t Ann who forced Mitt off the highway. The destination of this journey, in the summer of 1983, was his parents’ cottage, on the Canadian shores of Lake Huron. The white Chevy station wagon with the wood paneling was overstuffed with suitcases, supplies, and sons when Mitt climbed behind the wheel to begin the 12-hour family trek from Boston to Ontario. As with most ventures in his life, he had left little to chance, mapping out the route and planning each stop. Before beginning the drive, Mitt put Seamus, the family’s hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon’s roof rack. He had improvised a windshield for the carrier to make the ride more comfortable for the dog.
Then Mitt put his sons on notice: there would be pre-determined stops for gas, and that was it. Tagg was commandeering the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, when he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. “Dad!” he yelled. “Gross!” A brown liquid was dripping down the rear window, payback from an Irish setter who’d been riding on the roof in the wind for hours. As the rest of the boys joined in the howls of disgust, Mitt coolly pulled off the highway and into a service station. There he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the road with the dog still on the roof. It was a preview of a trait he would grow famous for in business: emotion-free crisis management. But the story would trail him years later on the national political stage, where the name Seamus would become shorthand for Romney’s coldly clinical approach to problem solving.
The Book of Mitt
If Romney is exceedingly comfortable around family and close friends, he’s much less so around those he doesn’t know well, drawing a boundary that’s difficult to traverse. It’s a strict social order—us and them—that has put co-workers, political aides, casual acquaintances, and others in his professional circles, even people who have worked with or known him for years, outside the bubble. As a result, he has numerous admirers but, by several accounts, not a long list of close pals. “He’s very engaging and charming in a small group of friends he’s comfortable with,” said one former aide. “When he’s with people he doesn’t know, he gets more formal. And if it’s a political thing where he doesn’t know anybody, he has a mask.” For those outside the inner circle, Romney comes across as all business. Colleagues at work or political staffers are there to do a job, not to bond. “Mitt is always the star,” said one Massachusetts Republican. “And everybody else is a bit player.” He has little patience for idle chatter or small talk, little interest in mingling at cocktail parties, at social functions, or even in the crowded hallway. He is not fed by, and does not crave, casual social interaction, often displaying little desire to know who people are and what makes them tick. “He wasn’t overly interested in people’s personal details or their kids or spouses or team building or their career path,” said another former aide. “It was all very friendly but not very deep.” Or, as one fellow Republican put it, “He has that invisible wall between ‘me’ and ‘you.’” Referring to the time later when Romney was governor of Massachusetts, a Democratic lawmaker recalls, “You remember Richard Nixon and the imperial presidency? Well, this was the imperial governor.” There were the ropes that often curtailed access to Romney and his chambers. The elevator settings restricted access to his office. The tape on the floor told people exactly where to stand during events. This was the controlled environment that Romney created. His orbit was his own. “We always would talk about how, among the legislators, he had no idea what our names were—none,” the lawmaker said, “because he was so far removed from the day-to-day operations of state government.”
This sense of detachment is a function partly of his faith, which has its own tight social community that most outsiders don’t see. Indeed, the stories of Romney’s humanity and warmth come mostly from people who know him as a fellow Mormon. His abstention from drinking also makes parties and other alcohol-fueled functions distinctly less appealing. He is the antithesis of the gregarious pol with a highball in one hand and a cigar in his mouth. Romney’s discomfort around strangers would later become more than just a curiosity; it would be an impediment on the campaign trail. Lacking an easy rapport with voters, he would come across as aloof, even off-putting. “A lot of it is he is patrician. He just is. He has lived a charmed life,” said one former aide. “It is a big challenge that he has, connecting to folks who haven’t swum in the same rarefied waters that he has.” His growing wealth, the deeper he got into his career, only widened the disconnect. Even as he began shouldering more responsibility at work, Romney would assume several leadership positions in the Mormon Church. But he could handle it. “Mitt,” said Kem Gardner, a fellow church official from this period, “just had the capacity to keep all the balls up in the air.” Or, as Tagg put it, “Compared to my dad, everyone’s lazy.” Helen Claire Sievers, who served in a church leadership position under Romney, got a glimpse of his work habits during weekend bus trips to the Mormon temple near Washington, D.C. Church groups would leave late on a Friday, drive all night, and arrive early on Saturday morning. Then they’d spend all day Saturday in temple sessions before turning around and driving home, to be back by Sunday morning. It was a grueling itinerary, Sievers said, so everyone used the time on the bus to sleep or read quietly. Everyone but Romney. “Mitt was always working. His light was on,” she said.
Mormon congregations, typically groups of 400 to 500 people, are known as wards, and their boundaries are determined by geography. Wards, along with smaller congregations known as branches, are organized into stakes. Thus a stake, akin to a Catholic diocese, is a collection of wards and branches in a city or region. Unlike Protestants or Catholics, Mormons do not choose the congregations to which they belong. It depends entirely on where they live. In another departure from many other faiths, Mormons do not have paid full-time clergy. Members in good standing take turns serving in leadership roles. They are expected to perform their ecclesiastical duties on top of career and family responsibilities. Those called to serve as stake presidents and bishops, or leaders of local wards, are fully empowered as agents of the church, and they carry great authority over their domains. Mitt Romney first took on a major church role around 1977, when he was called to be a counselor to Gordon Williams, then the president of the Boston stake. Romney was essentially an adviser and deputy to Williams, helping oversee area congregations. His appointment was somewhat unusual in that counselors at that level have typically been bishops of their local wards first. But Romney, who was only about 30 years old, was deemed to possess leadership qualities beyond his years. Romney’s responsibilities only grew from there; he would go on to serve as bishop and then as stake president, overseeing about a dozen congregations with close to 4,000 members altogether. Those positions in the church amounted to his biggest leadership test yet, exposing him to personal and institutional crises, human tragedies, immigrant cultures, social forces, and organizational challenges that he had never before encountered.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is far more than a form of Sunday worship. It is a code of ethics that frowns on homosexuality, out-of-wedlock births, and abortion and forbids pre-marital sex. It offers a robust, effective social safety net, capable of incredible feats of charity, support, and service, particularly when its own members are in trouble. And it works hard to create community, a built-in network of friends who often share values and a worldview. For many Mormons, the all-encompassing nature of their faith, as an extension of their spiritual lives, is what makes belonging to the church so wonderful, so warm, even as its insularity can set members apart from society.
But a dichotomy exists within the Mormon Church, which holds that one is either in or out; there is little or no tolerance for those, like so-called cafeteria Catholics, who pick and choose what doctrines to follow. And in Mormonism, if one is in, a lot is expected, including tithing 10 percent of one’s income, participating regularly in church activities, meeting high moral expectations, and accepting Mormon doctrine—including many concepts, such as the belief that Jesus will rule from Missouri in his Second Coming, that run counter to those of other Christian faiths. That rigidity can be difficult to abide for those who love the faith but chafe at its strictures or question its teachings and cultural habits. For one, Mormonism is male-dominated—women can serve only in certain leadership roles and never as bishops or stake presidents. The church also makes a number of firm value judgments, typically prohibiting single or divorced men from leading wards and stakes, for example, and not looking kindly upon single parenthood.
The portrait of Romney that emerges from those he led and served with in the church is of a leader who was pulled between Mormonism’s conservative core views and practices and the demands from some quarters within the Boston stake for a more elastic, more open-minded application of church doctrine. Romney was forced to strike a balance between those local expectations and the dictates out of Salt Lake City. Some believe that he artfully reconciled the two, praising him as an innovative and generous leader who was willing to make accommodations, such as giving women expanded responsibility, and who was always there for church members in times of need. To others, he was the product of a hidebound, patriarchal Mormon culture, inflexible and insensitive in delicate situations and dismissive of those who didn’t share his perspective.
In the spring of 1993, Helen Claire Sievers performed a bit of shuttle diplomacy to resolve a thorny problem confronting church leaders in Boston: resentment among progressive Mormon women at their subservient status within the church. Sievers was active in an organization of liberal women called Exponent II, which published a periodical. The group had been chewing over the challenges of being a woman in the male-led faith. So Sievers went to Romney, who was stake president, with a proposal. “I said, ‘Why don’t you have a meeting and have an open forum and let women talk to you?’” she recalled. The idea was that, although there were many church rules that stake presidents and bishops could not change, they did have some leeway to do things their own way.
Romney wasn’t sure about holding such a meeting, but he ultimately agreed to it. Sievers went back to the Exponent II group and said they should be realistic and not demand things Romney could never deliver, such as allowing women to hold the priesthood. On the day of the meeting, about 250 women filled the pews of the Belmont Chapel. After an opening song, prayer, and some housekeeping items, the floor was open. Women began proposing changes that would include them more in the life of the church. In the end, the group came up with some 70 suggestions—from letting women speak after men in church to putting changing tables in men’s bathrooms—as Romney and one of his counselors listened and took careful notes.
Romney was essentially willing to grant any request he couldn’t see a reason to reject. “Pretty much, he said yes to everything that I would have said yes to, and I’m kind of a liberal Mormon,” Sievers said. “I was pretty impressed.” (Ann Romney was not considered to be sympathetic to the agitation of liberal women within the stake. She was invited to social events sponsored by Exponent II but did not attend. She was, in the words of one member, understood to be “not that kind of woman.”)
Romney’s leadership was not so rosy for everyone, though. As both bishop and stake president, he at times clashed with women he felt strayed too far from church beliefs and practice. To them, he lacked the empathy and courage that they had known in other leaders, putting the church first even at times of great personal vulnerability. Peggie Hayes had joined the church as a teenager along with her mother and siblings. They’d had a difficult life. Mormonism offered the serenity and stability her mother craved. “It was,” Hayes said, “the answer to everything.” Her family, though poorer than many of the well-off members, felt accepted within the faith. Everyone was so nice. The church provided emotional and, at times, financial support. As a teenager, Hayes babysat for Mitt and Ann Romney and other couples in the ward. Then Hayes’s mother abruptly moved the family to Salt Lake City for Hayes’s senior year of high school. Restless and unhappy, Hayes moved to Los Angeles once she turned 18. She got married, had a daughter, and then got divorced shortly after. But she remained part of the church.
By 1983, Hayes was 23 and back in the Boston area, raising a 3-year-old daughter on her own and working as a nurse’s aide. Then she got pregnant again. Single motherhood was no picnic, but Hayes said she had wanted a second child and wasn’t upset at the news. “I kind of felt like I could do it,” she said. “And I wanted to.” By that point Mitt Romney, the man whose kids Hayes used to watch, was, as bishop of her ward, her church leader. But it didn’t feel so formal at first. She earned some money while she was pregnant organizing the Romneys’ basement. The Romneys also arranged for her to do odd jobs for other church members, who knew she needed the cash. “Mitt was really good to us. He did a lot for us,” Hayes said. Then Romney called Hayes one winter day and said he wanted to come over and talk. He arrived at her apartment in Somerville, a dense, largely working-class city just north of Boston. They chitchatted for a few minutes. Then Romney said something about the church’s adoption agency. Hayes initially thought she must have misunderstood. But Romney’s intent became apparent: he was urging her to give up her soon-to-be-born son for adoption, saying that was what the church wanted. Indeed, the church encourages adoption in cases where “a successful marriage is unlikely.”
Hayes was deeply insulted. She told him she would never surrender her child. Sure, her life wasn’t exactly the picture of Rockwellian harmony, but she felt she was on a path to stability. In that moment, she also felt intimidated. Here was Romney, who held great power as her church leader and was the head of a wealthy, prominent Belmont family, sitting in her gritty apartment making grave demands. “And then he says, ‘Well, this is what the church wants you to do, and if you don’t, then you could be excommunicated for failing to follow the leadership of the church,’ ” Hayes recalled. It was a serious threat. At that point Hayes still valued her place within the Mormon Church. “This is not playing around,” she said. “This is not like ‘You don’t get to take Communion.’ This is like ‘You will not be saved. You will never see the face of God.’ ” Romney would later deny that he had threatened Hayes with excommunication, but Hayes said his message was crystal clear: “Give up your son or give up your God.”
Not long after, Hayes gave birth to a son. She named him Dane. At nine months old, Dane needed serious, and risky, surgery. The bones in his head were fused together, restricting the growth of his brain, and would need to be separated. Hayes was scared. She sought emotional and spiritual support from the church once again. Looking past their uncomfortable conversation before Dane’s birth, she called Romney and asked him to come to the hospital to confer a blessing on her baby. Hayes was expecting him. Instead, two people she didn’t know showed up. She was crushed. “I needed him,” she said. “It was very significant that he didn’t come.” Sitting there in the hospital, Hayes decided she was finished with the Mormon Church. The decision was easy, yet she made it with a heavy heart. To this day, she remains grateful to Romney and others in the church for all they did for her family. But she shudders at what they were asking her to do in return, especially when she pulls out pictures of Dane, now a 27-year-old electrician in Salt Lake City. “There’s my baby,” she said.
In the fall of 1990, Exponent II published in its journal an unsigned essay by a married woman who, having already borne five children, had found herself some years earlier facing an unplanned sixth pregnancy. She couldn’t bear the thought of another child and was contemplating abortion. But the Mormon Church makes few exceptions to permit women to end a pregnancy. Church leaders have said that abortion can be justified in cases of rape or incest, when the health of the mother is seriously threatened, or when the fetus will surely not survive beyond birth. And even those circumstances “do not automatically justify an abortion,” according to church policy.
Then the woman’s doctors discovered she had a serious blood clot in her pelvis. She thought initially that would be her way out—of course she would have to get an abortion. But the doctors, she said, ultimately told her that, with some risk to her life, she might be able to deliver a full-term baby, whose chance of survival they put at 50 percent. One day in the hospital, her bishop—later identified as Romney, though she did not name him in the piece—paid her a visit. He told her about his nephew who had Down syndrome and what a blessing it had turned out to be for their family. “As your bishop,” she said he told her, “my concern is with the child.” The woman wrote, “Here I—a baptized, endowed, dedicated worker, and tithe-payer in the church—lay helpless, hurt, and frightened, trying to maintain my psychological equilibrium, and his concern was for the eight-week possibility in my uterus—not for me!”
Romney would later contend that he couldn’t recall the incident, saying, “I don’t have any memory of what she is referring to, although I certainly can’t say it could not have been me.” Romney acknowledged having counseled Mormon women not to have abortions except in exceptional cases, in accordance with church rules. The woman told Romney, she wrote, that her stake president, a doctor, had already told her, “Of course, you should have this abortion and then recover from the blood clot and take care of the healthy children you already have.” Romney, she said, fired back, “I don’t believe you. He wouldn’t say that. I’m going to call him.” And then he left. The woman said that she went on to have the abortion and never regretted it. “What I do feel bad about,” she wrote, “is that at a time when I would have appreciated nurturing and support from spiritual leaders and friends, I got judgment, criticism, prejudicial advice, and rejection.”
One woman who had been active in the Exponent II organization was Judy Dushku, a longtime scholar of global politics at Suffolk University in Boston. At one point while Romney was stake president, Dushku wanted to visit the temple outside Washington to take out endowments, a sacred rite that commits Mormons to a lifetime of faithfulness to the church. She had never entered a temple before and was thrilled at the chance to affirm her dedication to a faith she’d grown up with and grown to love. Earlier in her life, temples had been off limits to Mormons who, like Dushku, were married to non-Mormons. Now that rule had changed, and she was eager to go. But first she needed permission from her bishop and stake president.
After what she described as a “lovely interview” with her bishop and after speaking with one of Romney’s counselors, she went to see Romney. She wasn’t sure what to expect. Despite Romney’s willingness to allow some changes in 1993, he and Dushku had clashed over the church’s treatment of women. “He says something like ‘I suspect, if you’ve gotten through both of the interviews, there’s nothing I can do to keep you from going to the temple,’ ” Dushku recalled. “I said, ‘Well, why would you want to keep me from going to the temple?’ ” Romney’s answer, Dushku said, was biting. “He said, ‘Well, Judy, I just don’t understand why you stay in the church.’ ” She asked him whether he wanted her to really answer that question. “And he said, ‘No, actually. I don’t understand it, but I also don’t care. I don’t care why you do. But I can tell you one thing: you’re not my kind of Mormon.’ ” With that, Dushku said, he dismissively signed her recommendation to visit the temple and let her go. Dushku was deeply hurt. Though she and Romney had had their differences, he was still her spiritual leader. She had hoped he would be excited at her yearning to visit the temple. “I’m coming to you as a member of the church, essentially expecting you to say, ‘I’m happy for you,’ ” Dushku said. Instead, “I just felt kicked in the stomach.”
The Bain of Mitt’s Campaign
By the time Mitt Romney walked into the Faneuil Hall offices of his mentor and boss, Bill Bain, in the spring of 1983, the 36-year-old was already a business-consulting star, coveted by clients for his analytical cool. He was, as people had said of him since childhood, mature beyond his years and organized to a fault. Everything he took on was thought through in advance, down to the smallest detail; he was rarely taken by surprise. This day, however, would be an exception. Bill Bain, the founder of Bain & Company, one of the nation’s premier consulting outfits, had a stunning proposition: he was prepared to entrust an entirely new venture to the striking young man seated before him.
From the moment they’d first met, Bill Bain had seen something special, something he knew, in Mitt Romney. Indeed, he had seen someone he knew when he interviewed Romney for a job in 1977: Mitt’s father. “I remember [George] as president of American Motors when he was fighting the gas guzzlers and making funny ads So when I saw Mitt, I instantly saw George Romney. He doesn’t look exactly like his dad did, but he very strongly resembles his father.” Beyond appearances, Mitt had an air of great promise about him. He seemed brilliant but not cocky. All of the partners were impressed, and some were jealous. More than one partner told Bain, “This guy is going to be president of the United States someday.”
The Bain Way, as it became known, was intensely analytical and data-driven, a quality it shared with some other firms’ methods. But Bill Bain had come up with the idea of working for just one client per industry and devoting Bain & Company entirely to that company, with a strict vow of confidentiality. From the start Romney was perfectly adapted to the Bain Way and became a devoted disciple. Patient analysis and attention to nuance were what drove him. For six years, he delved into numerous unfamiliar companies, learned what made them work, scoped out the competition, and then presented his findings. An increasing number of clients preferred Romney over more senior partners. He was plainly a star, and Bain treated him as a kind of prince regent at the firm, a favored son. Just the man for the big move he now had in mind.
And so Bain made his pitch: Up to that point, Bain & Company could watch its clients prosper only from a distance, taking handsome fees but not directly sharing in profits. Bain’s epiphany was that he would create a new enterprise that would invest in companies and share in their growth, rather than just advise them.
Starting almost immediately, Bain proposed, Romney would become the head of a new company to be called Bain Capital. With seed money from Bill Bain and other partners at the consulting firm, Bain Capital would raise tens of millions of dollars, invest in start-ups and troubled businesses, apply Bain’s brand of management advice, and then resell the revitalized companies or sell their shares to the public at a profit. It sounded exciting, daring, new. It would be Romney’s first chance to run his own firm and, potentially, to make a killing. It was an offer few young men in a hurry could refuse.
Yet Romney stunned his boss by doing just that. He explained to Bain that he didn’t want to risk his position, earnings, and reputation on an experiment. He found the offer appealing but didn’t want to make the decision in a “light or flippant manner.” So Bain sweetened the pot. He guaranteed that if the experiment failed Romney would get his old job and salary back, plus any raises he would have earned during his absence. Still, Romney worried about the impact on his reputation if he proved unable to do the job. Again the pot was sweetened. Bain promised that, if necessary, he would craft a cover story saying that Romney’s return to Bain & Company was needed due to his value as a consultant. “So,” Bain explained, “there was no professional or financial risk.” This time Romney said yes.
Thus began Romney’s 15-year odyssey at Bain Capital. Boasting about those years when running for senator, governor, or president, Romney would usually talk about how he had helped create jobs at new or underperforming companies, and would claim that he had learned how jobs and businesses come and go. He’d typically mention a few well-known companies in which he and his partners had invested, such as Staples. But the full story of his years at Bain Capital is far more complicated and has rarely been closely scrutinized. Romney was involved in about a hundred deals, many of which have received little notice because the companies involved were privately held and not household names. The most thorough analysis of Romney’s performance comes from a private solicitation for investment in Bain Capital’s funds written by the Wall Street firm Deutsche Bank. The company examined 68 major deals that had taken place on Romney’s watch. Of those, Bain had lost money or broken even on 33. Overall, though, the numbers were stunning: Bain was nearly doubling its investors’ money annually, giving it one of the best track records in the business.
Romney was, by nature, deeply risk-averse in a business based on risk. He worried about losing the money of his partners and his outside investors—not to mention his own savings. “He was troubled when we didn’t invest fast enough; he was troubled when we made an investment,” said Bain partner Coleman Andrews. Sorting through possible investments, Romney met weekly with his young partners, pushing them for deeper analysis and more data and giving himself the final vote on whether to go forward. They operated more like a group of bankers carefully guarding their cash than an aggressive firm eager to embrace giant deals. Some partners suspected that Romney always had one eye on his political future. “I always wondered about Mitt, whether he was concerned about the blemishes from a business perspective or from a personal and political perspective,” one partner said years later. The partner concluded that it was the latter. Whereas most entrepreneurs accepted failure as an inherent part of the game, the partner said, Romney worried that a single flop would bring disgrace. Every calculation had to be made with care.
Despite some initial struggles, 1986 would prove to be a pivotal year for Romney. It started with a most unlikely deal. A former supermarket executive, Thomas Stemberg, was trying to sell venture capitalists on what seemed like a modest idea: a cheaper way to sell paper clips, pens, and other office supplies. The enterprise that would become the superstore Staples at first met with skepticism. Small and midsize businesses at the time bought most of their supplies from local stationers, often at significant markups. Few people saw the profit-margin potential in selling such homely goods at discount and in massive volume. But Stemberg was convinced and hired an investment banker to help raise money. Romney eventually heard Stemberg’s pitch, and he and his partners dug into Stemberg’s projections. They called lawyers, accountants, and scores of business owners in the Boston area to query them on how much they spent on supplies and whether they’d be willing to shop at a large new store. The partners initially concluded that Stemberg was overestimating the market. “Look,” Stemberg told Romney, “your mistake is that the guys you called think they know what they spend, but they don’t.” Romney and Bain Capital went back to the businesses and tallied up invoices. Stemberg’s assessment that this was a hidden giant of a market seemed right after all.
Romney hadn’t stumbled on Staples on his own. A partner at another Boston firm, Bessemer Venture Partners, had invited him to the first meeting with Stemberg. But after that, he took the lead; he finally had his hands on what looked like a promising start-up. Bain Capital invested $650,000 to help Staples open its first store, in Brighton, Massachusetts, in May 1986. In all, it invested about $2.5 million in the company. Three years later, in 1989, Staples sold shares to the public, when it was just barely turning a profit, and Bain reaped more than $13 million. It was a big success at the time. Yet it was very modest compared with later Bain deals that reached into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
For years Romney would cite the Staples investment as proof that he had helped create thousands of jobs. And it is true that his foresight in investing in Staples helped a major enterprise lift off. But neither Romney nor Bain directly ran the business, though Romney was active on its board. At the initial public offering, Staples was a firm of 24 stores and 1,100 full- and part-time jobs. Its boom years were still to come. Romney resigned his seat on the board of directors in 2001 in preparation for his run for governor. A decade later, the company had more than 2,200 stores and 89,000 employees.
Assessing claims about job creation is hard. Staples grew hugely, but the gains were offset, at least partially, by losses elsewhere: smaller, mom-and-pop stationery stores and suppliers were being squeezed, and some went out of business entirely. Ultimately, Romney would approvingly call Staples “a classic ‘category killer,’ like Toys R Us.” Staples steamrolled the competition, undercutting prices and selling in large quantities. When asked about his job-creation claim during the 1994 Senate campaign—that he had helped create 10,000 jobs at various companies (a claim he expanded during his 2012 presidential campaign to having “helped to create tens of thousands” of jobs)—Romney responded with a careful hedge. He emphasized that he always used the word “helped” and didn’t take full credit for the jobs. “That’s why I’m always very careful to use the words ‘help create,’ ” he acknowledged. “Bain Capital, or Mitt Romney, ‘helped create’ over 10,000 jobs. I don’t take credit for the jobs at Staples. I helped create the jobs at Staples.”
Howard Anderson, a professor at M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management and a former entrepreneur who has invested with Bain, put it more plainly: “What you really cannot do is claim every job was because of your good judgment,” he said. “You’re not really running those organizations. You’re financing it; you’re offering your judgment and your advice. I think you can only really claim credit for the jobs of the company that you ran.”
The same year Romney invested in Staples—digging into a true start-up—he also inked the biggest transaction, by far, that Bain Capital had put together until then. And with this $200 million deal, he waded full-on into the high-stakes financial arena of the time: leveraged buyouts, or LBOs. Whereas a venture-capital deal bet on a new business, pursuing an LBO meant borrowing huge sums of money to buy an established company, typically saddling the target with big debts. The goal was to mine value that others had missed, to quickly improve profitability by cutting costs and often jobs, and then to sell.
Initially, Romney thought that putting money into young firms “would be just as good as acquiring an existing company and trying to make it better.” But he found that “there’s a lot greater risk in a start-up than there is in acquiring an existing company.” He was much more comfortable in an environment where the issue wasn’t whether an idea would pan out but whether the numbers worked. He knew himself, knew that his powers ran less to the creative than to the analytical; he was not at heart an entrepreneur. Perhaps that was what led him to push the Pause button at the outset with Bill Bain. But he now felt ready to take on much bigger financial risks, mostly by making leveraged bets on existing companies, whose market was known and whose business plans he could parse and master.
Billions of dollars were being made in the field of leveraged buyouts in the roaring 80s, and Romney was fully in the game, continuing to ratchet up his favored strategy. On the campaign trail in 2011, Romney said his work had “led me to become very deeply involved in helping other businesses, from start-ups to large companies that were going through tough times. Sometimes I was successful and we were able to help create jobs, other times I wasn’t. I learned how America competes with other companies in other countries, what works in the real world and what doesn’t.” It was a vague summary of what was a very controversial type of business. In his 2004 autobiography, Turnaround, Romney put it more bluntly: “I never actually ran one of our investments; that was left to management.” He explained that his strategy was to “invest in these underperforming companies, using the equivalent of a mortgage to leverage up our investment. Then we would go to work to help management make their business more successful.”
Romney’s phrase, “leverage up,” provides the key to understanding this most profitable stage of his business career. While putting relatively little money on the table, Bain could strike a deal using largely debt. That generally meant that the company being acquired had to borrow huge sums. But there was no guarantee that target companies would be able to repay their debts. At Bain, the goal was to buy businesses that were stagnating as subsidiaries of large corporations and grow them or shake them up to burnish their performance. Because many of the companies were troubled, or at least were going to be heavily indebted after Bain bought them, their bonds would be considered lower-grade, or “junk.” That meant they would have to pay higher interest on the bonds, like a strapped credit-card holder facing a higher rate than a person who pays off purchases more quickly. High-yielding junk bonds were appealing to investors willing to take on risk in exchange for big payouts. But they also represented a big bet: if the companies didn’t generate large profits or could not sell their stock to the public, some would be crippled by the debt layered on them by the buyout firms.
The arcane domain of corporate buyouts and junk-bond financing had entered the public consciousness at the time, and not always in a positive way. Ivan Boesky, a Wall Street arbitrageur who often bought the stock of takeover targets, was charged with insider trading and featured on the cover of Time magazine as “Ivan the Terrible.” Shortly after Romney began working on leveraged deals, a movie called Wall Street opened. It featured the fictional corporate raider Gordon Gekko, who justified his behavior by declaring, “I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! … Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.”
Romney, of course, never said that greed is good, and there was nothing of Gekko in his mores or style. But he bought into the broader ethic of the LBO kings, who believed that through the aggressive use of leverage and skilled management they could quickly remake underperforming enterprises. Romney described himself as driven by a core economic credo, that capitalism is a form of “creative destruction.” This theory, espoused in the 1940s by the economist Joseph Schumpeter and later touted by former Federal Reserve Board chairman Alan Greenspan, holds that business must exist in a state of ceaseless revolution. A thriving economy changes from within, Schumpeter wrote in his landmark book, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, “incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating a new one.” But as even the theory’s proponents acknowledged, such destruction could bankrupt companies, upending lives and communities, and raise questions about society’s role in softening some of the harsher consequences.
Romney, for his part, contrasted the capitalistic benefits of creative destruction with what happened in controlled economies, in which jobs might be protected but productivity and competitiveness falters. Far better, Romney wrote in his book No Apology, “for governments to stand aside and allow the creative destruction inherent in a free economy.” He acknowledged that it is “unquestionably stressful—on workers, managers, owners, bankers, suppliers, customers, and the communities that surround the affected businesses.” But it was necessary to rebuild a moribund company and economy. It was a point of view he would stick with in years ahead. Indeed, he wrote a 2008 op-ed piece for The New York Times opposing a federal bailout for automakers that the newspaper headlined, let detroit go bankrupt. His advice went unheeded, and his prediction that “you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye” if it got a bailout has not come true.
Thanks to a highly leveraged but successful takeover and turnaround of a wheel-rim maker, Accuride, Bain Capital became a hot property. So much money poured into Romney’s second investment fund that the firm had to turn away investors. Romney set out to raise $80 million and received offers totaling $150 million. The partners settled on $105 million, half of it from wealthy customers of a New York bank. During a break at a photo shoot for a brochure to attract investors, the Bain partners playfully posed for a photo that showed them flush with cash. They clutched $10 and $20 bills, stuffed them into their pockets, and even clenched them in their grinning teeth. Romney tucked a bill between his striped tie and his buttoned suit jacket. Everything was different now.
Valley of the LBO Kings
It was time for another road show, but the days of soliciting prospects for scarce cash in obscure locales were mostly over. This time Romney and his partners headed to Beverly Hills, California. Arriving at the intersection of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard, they headed to the office of Michael Milken, the canny and controversial junk-bond king, at his company, Drexel Burnham Lambert. Romney knew Milken was able to find buyers for the high-yield, high-risk bonds that were crucial to the success of many leveraged-buyout deals. At the time of Romney’s visit, it was widely known that Drexel and Milken were under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. But Drexel was still the big player in the junk-bond business, and Romney needed the financing.
Romney had come to Drexel to obtain financing for the $300 million purchase of two Texas department-store chains, Bealls and Palais Royal, to form Specialty Retailers, Inc. On September 7, 1988, two months after Bain hired Drexel to issue junk bonds to finance the deal, the S.E.C. filed a complaint against Drexel and Milken for insider trading. Romney had to decide whether to close a deal with a company ensnared in a growing clash with regulators. The old Romney might well have backed off; the newly assertive, emboldened Mitt decided to press ahead.
Romney’s deal with Drexel turned out well for both him and Bain Capital, which put $10 million into the retailer and financed most of the rest of the $300 million deal with junk bonds. The newly constituted company, later known as Stage Stores, refocused in 1989 on its small-town, small-department-store roots. Seven years later, in October 1996, the company successfully sold shares to the public at $16 a share. By the following year, the stock had climbed to a high of nearly $53, and Bain Capital and a number of its officers and directors sold a large part of their holdings. Bain made a $175 million gain by 1997. It was one of the most profitable leveraged buyouts of the era.
Romney sold at just the right time. Shares plunged in value the next year amid declining sales at the stores. The department-store company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2000, struggling with $600 million in debt, and a reorganized company emerged the following year. So ended the story of a deal that Romney would not be likely to cite on the campaign trail: the highly leveraged purchase, financed with junk bonds from a firm that became infamous for its financial practices, of a department-store company that had subsequently gone into bankruptcy. But on the Bain balance sheet, and on Romney’s, it was a huge win.
Not every deal worked out so well for Romney and his investors. Bain invested $4 million in a company called Handbag Holdings, which sold pocketbooks and other accessories. When a major customer stopped buying, the company failed and 200 jobs were lost. Bain invested $2.1 million in a bathroom-fixtures company called PPM and lost nearly all of it. An investment in a company called Mothercare Stores also didn’t pan out; the firm had eliminated a hundred jobs by the time Bain dumped it. Fellow Bain partner Robert White said Bain lost its $1 million and blamed “a difficult retail environment.”
In some cases, Bain Capital’s alternative strategy of buying into companies also ended in trouble. In 1993, Bain bought GST Steel, a maker of steel-wire rods, and later more than doubled its $24 million investment. The company borrowed heavily to modernize plants in Kansas City and North Carolina—and to pay out dividends to Bain. But foreign competition increased and steel prices fell. GST Steel filed for bankruptcy and shut down its money-losing Kansas City plant, throwing some 750 employees out of work. Union workers there blamed Bain, then and now, for ruining the company, upending their lives, and devastating the community.
Then, in 1994, Bain invested $27 million as part of a deal with other firms to acquire Dade International, a medical-diagnostics-equipment firm, from its parent company, Baxter International. Bain ultimately made nearly 10 times its money, getting back $230 million. But Dade wound up laying off more than 1,600 people and filed for bankruptcy protection in 2002, amid crushing debt and rising interest rates. The company, with Bain in charge, had borrowed heavily to do acquisitions, accumulating $1.6 billion in debt by 2000. The company cut benefits for some workers at the acquired firms and laid off others. When it merged with Behring Diagnostics, a German company, Dade shut down three U.S. plants. At the same time, Dade paid out $421 million to Bain Capital’s investors and investing partners.
The amount of money now being earned at Bain Capital was skyrocketing, and much of it came from a handful of giant deals. During Romney’s 15 years there, the firm invested about $260 million in its 10 top deals and reaped a nearly $3 billion return. That was about three-quarters of its overall profit on roughly 100 transactions during Romney’s tenure. In one of his most specific explanations of how he made his fortune, in his autobiography, Turnaround, Romney wrote that most of the companies he invested in were ones that “no one has heard of—TRW’s credit services, the Yellow Pages of Italy.” Those weren’t just any two deals. They were two of the most lucrative of Romney’s career, and luck played a big part in both. A mere seven weeks after buying TRW, Romney and his partners flipped the company. Bain’s $100 million investment returned at least $300 million. The second deal cited by Romney took longer but involved even more good timing and luck. It began with a renowned Italian investor named Phil Cuneo, who had the idea of buying the Italian version of the Yellow Pages. It seemed a solid investment in a firm with a staid and stable business model. But mere months after closing the deal, Cuneo and his Bain associates realized that they had acquired a company that might benefit from the surging interest in dot-com businesses; the Yellow Pages company owned a Web-based directory that had the potential to be the Italian version of America Online or Yahoo. In just under three years, in September 2000, the partners sold the investment, earning a windfall that far exceeded anyone’s initial expectations. Bain’s $51.3 million investment in the Italian Yellow Pages returned at least $1.17 billion, according to a Romney associate familiar with the deal. There is no public documentation of how the profits were distributed, but at that time at least 20 percent of the return would have gone to Bain Capital. Of that, Romney’s typical payout was then 5 to 10 percent. That means this one obscure deal would have given him a profit of $11 million to $22 million. If Romney made a side investment in the deal, as was standard among Bain partners, he would have made even larger gains. One Romney associate said Romney’s total profit could have been as much as $40 million. (A Romney spokesman did not respond to questions about the deal.)
It was those kinds of deals that enabled Bain Capital to report the highest returns in the business in the 1990s. Romney’s own net worth would grow to at least $250 million, and maybe much more, a trove that would enable him to foot a large part of the bill for his 2008 presidential campaign. Asked about a report that his wealth at one point reached as high as $1 billion, Romney said, “I’m not going to get into my net worth. No estimates whatsoever.”
For 15 years, Romney had been in the business of creative destruction and wealth creation. But what about his claims of job creation? Though Bain Capital surely helped expand some companies that had created jobs, the layoffs and closures at other firms would lead Romney’s political opponents to say that he had amassed a fortune in part by putting people out of work. The lucrative deals that made Romney wealthy could exact a cost. Maximizing financial return to investors could mean slashing jobs, closing plants, and moving production overseas. It could also mean clashing with union workers, serving on the board of a company that ran afoul of federal laws, and loading up already struggling companies with debt.
There is a difference between companies run by buyout firms and those rooted in their communities, according to Ross Gittell, a professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics. When it comes to buyout firms, he said, “the objective is: Make money for investors. It’s not to maximize jobs.” Romney, in fact, had a fiduciary duty to investors to make as much money as possible. Sometimes everything worked out perfectly; a change in strategy might lead to cost savings and higher profits, and Bain cashed in. Sometimes jobs were lost, and Bain cashed in or lost part or all of its investment. In the end, Romney’s winners outweighed his losers on the Bain balance sheet. Marc Wolpow, a former Bain partner who worked with Romney on many deals, said the discussion at buyout companies typically does not focus on whether jobs will be created. “It’s the opposite—what jobs we can cut,” Wolpow said. “Because you had to document how you were going to create value. Eliminating redundancy, or the elimination of people, is a very valid way. Businesses will die if you don’t do that. I think the way Mitt should explain it is, if we didn’t buy these businesses and impose efficiencies on them, the market would have done it with disastrous consequences.”
The first time I saw a picture of Mitt Romney,he reminded me of a sleazy car salesman. Guess I was right
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