Cleveland area Congressman Dennis Kucinich today released statement regarding the debate over universal healthcare. Kucinich has run for President twice with a platform that favored healthcare for all citizens under a single-payer-not-for-profit system.

The title of the release by Kucinich was titled "Healthcare: Change the Debate Support a Real Public Option" and reads:

Dear Friends,

In mid-May, in an effort to reach consensus, President Obama secured a deal with the health insurance companies to trim 1.5% of their costs each year for ten years saving a total of $2 trillion dollars, which would be reprogrammed into healthcare. Just two days after the announcement at the White House the insurance companies reneged on the deal which was designed to protect and increase their revenue at least 35% The insurance companies reneged on the deal because they refuse any restraint on increasing premiums, copays and deductibles - core to their profits. No wonder a recent USA Today poll found that only four percent of Americans trust insurance companies. This is within the margin of error, which means it is possible that NO ONE TRUSTS insurance companies.

Republican Sen. George Voinovich sent out his e-mail newsletter this week and highlighted in red and green at the top were the figures for the U. S. Debt.

Voinovich is a “debt hawk,” he believes.

Here’s what he wrote: “The REAL Inconvenient Truth

“Currently, the U. S. Debt is estimated at: $11,459,807,480,955

“Your share of today’s public debt is: $36,683.”

The words are in red and the figures are in green.

What he doesn’t say, however, is that the debt DOUBLED under the Presidency of George W. Bush and Sen. George Voinovich, Republican brothers.

Eight years of not paying their bills and leaving the nation in a hole where debt will only go up and up.

Not paying for a war that they didn’t need to start. Ruining the country’s reputation by torturing people. Forcing a small minority of military people – usually referred to as our “brave men and women” - to pay the entire price of the war with loss of life, limb and minds.

And giving to the richest of the rich, what: Tax reductions and the freedom to cheat.

What a pitiful Debt Hawk. More like a baby chicken all the way around.

The Senator is a phony. Always has been and always will be.

It's alright to be an out and proud gay or lesbian, but not in the U.S. military. On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed with the Obama administration and upheld Pentagon policy which bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

The court said that it will not hear an appeal from former Army Capt. James Pietrangelo II, who had been dismissed by the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Earlier, a federal appeals court in Boston threw out a lawsuit that Pietrangelo and 11 other veterans had filed.

Pietrangelo served six years in the army, seven years in the Vermont National Guard, and fought in Iraq in 1991. After the decision was revealed, he said:

"I think this decision is an absolute travesty of justice and I think every judge on this court should be ashamed of themselves. It's nothing short of rubber stamping legalized discrimination, the same way Nazi Germany legalized discrimination against Jews. The Supreme Court is not infallible, they get things wrong, and they got it wrong this time."

On Tuesday the California Supreme Court upheld a voter approved ban on same sex marriage. However, they also decided that the estimated 18,000 same sex couples who married before the law took effect will stay wed.

The final decision of 6-1 was written by Chief Justice Ron George, which rejected arguements by gay rights activists that the ban revised the state constitution's equal protection clause to such a dramatic degree that it would first need Legislature's approval. The court determined, however, that the people have a right through voting to change their constitution.

The ruling said:

"In a sense, petitioners' and the attorney general's complaint is that it is just too easy to amend the California constitution through the initiative process. But it is not a proper function of this court to curtail that process; we are constitutionally bound to uphold it."

Gay rights activists immediately vowed to resume their fight, and say that they will return to voters as early as next year in an attempt to repeal Proposition 8.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery on Thursday after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. While pancreatic cancer is often quite deadly, the court said that doctors found Ginsburg cancer at an early stage. Ginsburg, 75, is the only woman on the Supreme Court, and has been a justice since 1993.

Ginsburg had the surgery today at in New York at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and will remain in the hospital for seven to ten days.

This is not her first bout with cancer, with the last having been in the late 1990's. In 1999 Ginsburg had surgery for colon cancer, and received both chemotherapy and radiation treatment. The pancreatic cancer was discovered during a routine annual exame late last month. The court said that a CAT scan had revealed a tumor measuring about 1cm across at the center of the pancreas.

During Ginsburg last battle with cancer, she received treatment throughout the court's term and didn't miss a single day on the bench. The justices will hold their next private conference on Feb. 20, and will return from winter break to the bench on Feb. 23.

While you can argue that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich may not lack sense, you can't argue that the embattled politician isn't entertaining. Blagojevich , who didn't attend his impeachment trial today, visited New York City to be a guest on The View. On the popular daytime talk show, Blagojevich stated that he would appear for his impeachment trial if he was allowed to call and question witnesses in the proceedings that will likely mean his expulsion from his office. Blagojevich also maintained that was innocent of the charges against him which include trying to sell the vacant seat of Barack Obama to person who pay him the most amount of money.

Here is the video of Gov. Blagojevich on the show today for those who didn't see it this morning live:

According to various sources, Caroline Kennedy has informed New York Governor David Paterson that she no longer wants to be considered as for the vacant Senate in the Senate left by Hillary Clinton. Many pundits thought Patterson was going to choose her in the coming days and now has a field of New York Atty. Gen. Andrew CuomoReps. Carolyn Maloney, Steve Israel, Kirsten Gillibrand and Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi all vying for the job.

The New York Post, who broke the story, cited "personal reasons" for Kennedy's last minute departure. Clinton, meanwhile, was confirmed to her new role as Secretary of State by the Senate by a vote of 94-92. Here is the AP Video of the confirmation of Mrs. Clinton:

.

George Voinovich was a very selective conservative. That made him also a very selective “moderate” Republican.

My experience with Voinovich tells me he used his ethnic background to represent wealth in the community and in the nation. He successfully portrayed himself as personally frugal and the image carried him a long way.

I once told an audience that Voinovich would never be Governor because people saw him as a Mayor, nothing more. I was obviously very wrong.

Voinovich campaigned often riding on a bicycle with his wife, Janet, alongside. It gave him the image he sought – a regular person just like you and me.

His political success showed that he was a shrewd politician.

He received only the most praiseworthy assessments by the news media. It was a key to his reputation of a humble servant of the people.

Even along with the announcement that he will retire, the Plain Dealer ran another article headlined: “$1 trillion recovery plan rattles Voinovich.”

It hit the theme once again of Voinovich as the careful guardian of public money. A custodian who could be trusted.

It’s very hard to ever find an uncomplimentary portrayal of Voinovich in the Plain Dealer, which after all sets the pattern of media appraisal of politicians and thus their reputation here.

Cleveland area residents with Dish Network will want to tune into Dish Network Channel 9415 today at 6:30 as Congressman Dennis Kucinich will be interviewed. Kucinich has been an outspoken critic of the conflict in Israel and has called on the United Nations to investigate in the matter. Here is what Kucinich told Al Jazeera yesterday when he was interviewed on their station and he later posted on his website: