The Graeme Frost Accident Pictures

Posted: Monday, October 15, 2007 9:05 PM by Countdown

Here are the aftermath pics of the accident that nearly cost Graeme and Gemma Frost their lives. These are personal photos from their parents, shared with Countdown for use in a segment tonight. The children are still suffering today, and if there's any doubt they and their family could use a little help from Uncle Sam, it should disappear after you see these.

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Comments

I don't get the point?

Confused? (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 9:08 PM)

At the moment, Uncle Sam is giving all his money to Corporations. Their 'Sad Songs' are the only ones he'll listen to.

Steve Turner Cedar Falls Iowa (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 9:22 PM)

Thank you for attempting to make this issue less abstract. Bush wouldn't even allow himself to be photographed signing the veto, but imagine if we had footage of him physically going into hospitals and pulling out kids' IVs or going into homes and raiding medicine cabinets. That's essentially what's happened here.

It's the same thing over and over again with social programs. Conservative pundits find one case that they decide to paint in the extremest of terms to make it appear that one person is taking advantage of the system, and that's reason enough in their minds to do away with a program entirely. In this case, they screwed up because this is not that one extreme case of someone abusing the system, and they don't seem to be making much of an effort to find a real extreme case, which suggests that maybe none exists.

BN, Bloomington, IN (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 10:41 PM)

Uh...this is more than a little gratuitous. I don't care if the parents gave you the pictures - having terrible photos of a hurt child show up on my RSS feed adds no weight to your argument. Instead, it detracts. And, seriously, anyone with any sense can make up their mind on the issue without pictures. You are exploiting the kids in your own way, MSNBC. For shame.

Erin, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 10:49 PM)

Every time I think I've seen the Right go as low as they can, they somehow manage to stoop even lower. Kids are off-limits, even for the Mafia - so I guess we are to surmise that the GOP are an even bigger organized crime syndicate than the boys from Jersey. (I eagerly await the day they are served their final onion rings).

The SSwiftboating of this little boy is unforgiveable.

The thing I don't get is: What could possibly be wrong with extending medical coverage to these kids?? The reality of extending the coverage means that, not only do the kids get the care they need, but the big corporations (drug companies, hospitals, etc), those who lobby Congress, are going to get that money anyway. What's the deal? It is illogical, even by conservative standards (I know, I know 'conservative standards' - an oxymoron if ever there was one!)

GothamTomatoNYC (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 10:54 PM)

So who thinks that someone who makes $82.5K should be on Welfare???
That was the bill that Bush vetoed.
That's what the Dem want, people who make $82.5K on Welfare, to make everyone depended on Government.
Welfare is a form of slavery, I know, I've been on the Plantation of Welfare, and have no desire to return.
When you are on Welfare, the Government gets to decide what you can, or can't do. Where you live, how much you can make, and what you can do with your money.
Don't believe me, just see what happens if you open a savings account when you're on Welfare. (Oh, you have that much extra, we will just have to cut your bennefits by twice as much.)
S-Chip is for the poor, who should be led away from dependecy from the Government, not deeper into dependicy of government programs, but that won't happen, as what would happen to government Welfare workers, if no one needed Welfare anymore?
As one who escaped the Plantaion of Welfare, I hate Welfare, and refuse to return to it.

David Molinero, Clayton, Georgia (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 11:02 PM)

Funny how the public schools aren't good enough for their kids (they send them to a $20,000-a-year-private school), but public health insurance is. If you don't want questions, don't foist these children onto the public stage. Fight your battles like adults and stop hiding behind youngsters dragging around red wagons filled with your talking points.

Boo Keith (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 11:10 PM)

If someone has never gone through something like this, they have no idea what all is involved. Looking at the pictures shows the amazing progress Graeme has made. I am just as hopeful for his sister. What saddens me is that people can be so cold and callus in their remarks about these beautiful children. I am sure their parents will be able to explain there are some people in this world that have so much pain in their hearts they are unable to share empathy. I think the question in Neale Donald Walsh's book, "The New Revelations A Conversation With God" says it all. "What hurts you so much that you feel you have to hurt me to heal it?"

I, too, am without health insurance. I have been very fortunate to have very good health, and I am thankful everyday that I am well and strong. But, this is so unnecessary in our country.

Maybe someday, we will have people in leadership positions that will understand the concept, "We the people"

My best wishes to Graeme and his family. They deserve the same health coverage as our Congresspeople!

Colleen Weber, Everett, WA (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 11:34 PM)

You've stooped to a new low, Keith. Pathetic

no longer a countdown watcher (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 11:58 PM)

The reason the Repugs are so crazed about this is the same reason Bill Kristol insisted Hillary's '94 health-care proposal be "killed": If it's perceived that the Dems are more for the middle class (the people who benefit from health-care reform the most -- i.e. people like the Frosts, who aren't on welfare but are getting killed by medical bills), they'll win it all and keep it all. It's all about holding turf. The socialized-medicine meme is just window dressing.

Oh, and "Boo Keith"? Ever hear of "scholarships"? They're the only reason Graeme's in that private school. After all, a family should have the freedom to choose where their child goes to school, right? And by the way, the next time Dubya vetoes a bill surrounded by "snowflake children", I expect the same level of outrage from you.

Hunter of NY (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 12:11 AM)

"We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others."

Unless, of course, we agree with those attacks.

countclown (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 12:17 AM)

True believers on the Right/Conservatives/Republicans see these horribly injured children as 'welfare queens'.

The truth is, this program provides state funded medical insurance for kids who otherwise wouldn't have it. SCHIP covers children whose parents work and earn too much to qualify for medicaid but still cannot afford health insurance. Our health insurance system is broken. This program saves children's lives.

Jeremiah, Houston TX (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 12:28 AM)

Boo... I don't know if you read, but the kids got to those schools because they have programs and facilities that help them with their physical problems caused by the accident.

And those of you turned off by the photographs? It wasn't like there was no warning. Get over yourselves. Those pictures help bring the argument back to where it should be. Those kids got hurt, and the program helped them. That bug up your rear has died. Time to extricate.

Jackie M, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 12:31 AM)

As many comments here show, even when shown how people suffer as hard evidence as to why the S-CHIP is important.

But the other won't have it. An abstract idea can be argued against with some insane ideology of why it's okay that 47 million people have no health insurance, and why CHILDREN (for God's sake people, we are talking about children here) have to go without the care they need. Families being destroyed, thousands losing everything they have for some long-outdated political theory.

Bring forth something as simple as pictures however, something so very simple as hard proof of examples of people who so dearly need this help, and it's a hit below the belt. Something so simple as "look at this person, they need help" is "a new low" or "gratuitous", as others here have said.

Dave Smith, New York, New York (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 12:54 AM)

$850 Billion to murder tens of thousands of people in an invasion of a sovereign nation and you guys cannot come up with a few dollars for health care?

Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.

When I was six years old (in 1966), I remember my mother making very tough choices so she could afford the ten dollar deterrent fee that was being charged by the government so I could have my tonsils looked at.

I also remember spending many an afternoon stuffing envelopes and attending demonstrations in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan to force the government to drop the deterrent fees, which they did in 1969. When most kids my age were playing hockey, I was manning a picket line, and it paid off.

I hope that a family never, ever has to make the choices that my parents had to make.

In a country as wealthy as yours, to force anyone to undergo public scrutiny, or prostrate themselves in front of some beaureaucrat, to receive medical care - it's simply pathetic. Have you no shame people.

Health care is a right, not a privilege.

Darren Gudmundson, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 12:54 AM)

Thank God I live in Canada.The comments of some of you "patriotic" Americans is repugnant in the extreme.Go ahead and pile the broken bodies of suffering children at the alter of your sick twisted ideology you low life vermin.You hate "welfare"? Ha!You pour trillions into obscene foreign wars but can't spare a few red cents on your own children!I HATE YOU!!!

Scott in Vancouver (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 1:24 AM)

"Funny how the public schools aren't good enough for their kids (they send them to a $20,000-a-year-private school), but public health insurance is."

Public schools oftentimes are not equipped to handle the multifaceted issues facing children who have suffered neurological traumas. In addition, I have little doubt that if they HAD kept their children in public schools, people like you might be off in a corner muttering about your tax dollars paying for their 504 services.

"Fight your battles like adults and stop hiding behind youngsters dragging around red wagons filled with your talking points."

This is about CHILD HEALTHCARE. Hence, there are children involved. Stop hiding behind your faulty rhetoric and open your eyes.

K, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 1:58 AM)

This was an auto accident, don't tell me the family had no automobile insurance. Its against the law to drive without insurance.

If a child is severely injured due to an accident in which the parent is the sole responsible party the child must sometimes sue the parent in order for the parent's liability insurance to be forced to pay in full.

I'm all for self employment and family businesses but failure to provide insurance for your own children is irresponsible.

Something just doesn't add up right with the parent's story.

PS
I've seen much worse. Still the girl is lucky to be alive.
Now if Ted Kennedy had been driving would the democrats even acknowledge the child's existence?

Wayne, TN (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 2:06 AM)

It's a miracle these kids survived..yeah..people always think people in business are rich, you live in a decent home, you still got $$, you can afford everything money can buy..sure..a myth. With the rising cost of health insurance, better hope you remain healthy. I pay a fortune for myself, family and employees..and I am NOT a rich person..just a compassionate employer. This kid is being educated on scholarships..didn't any of you dipsh**its out there critizing every get one of these? Ideally families should be able to afford the basic health insurance, co-pay a portion if a catastrophic illness or accident befalls them, but in the real world just the basis insurance is unaffordable. So what's a family to do?

Laura in Los Angeles (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 2:37 AM)

I've have said for a long time that humans are half way between God and animal life. Compassion is God-like and vicious attacks are from the jungle, from the defense of number one to the exclusion of all else. God loves all: plural, and the animal thinks only of self: singular.

Isn't it ODD that the group w/ a monopoly on truth, religion, right, intelligence and sanity is the group known for this attack. And where is the always pointed out equal on the left?

Conservatives, Neo-Cons, where is your talking point on this? Or will you only slime me as prove of your correctness? Or call Limbaugh, Hannity or Levine to have them give you an answer?

Talvenada, Phila., Penna. (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 2:40 AM)

Grim pictures, but they illustrate the truth of what these kids, and this family, had to deal with before the wolves started at them.

It's all too easy to lie with facts, and that is exactly what the right wing fringe has been doing. Look at the reality of what is going on. The Frosts are not rich, and the two children suffered horrific injuries. Without SCHIP, they would never have had access to the level of care the kids needed, and the medical bills would have forced them into bankruptcy.

President Bush vetoed a bill that would have extended protection to many other deserving families. I guess none of us should be surprised. He did, after all, sign into law measures that make it far more difficult for families facing overwhelming medical bills to seek the protection of bankruptcy.

Wendy Nix, Charlottesville, Virginia (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 3:01 AM)

Turns out the Frost family is eligible for SCHIP aid under present rules and the Democrat's proposed increases would not affect their condition.

Once again lefties make a tempest out of a teapot.

Wayne, TN (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 3:03 AM)

David Molinero, Clayton, Georgia, why is it in a country as rich as the US should families face bankruptcy or homelessness due to catastrophic injury or illness when this same country can shell out over $120 BILLION for an illegal war? $82k when you have $500k in hospital bills for one child isn't a helluva lot of money, now is it?

As for the pictures being too graphic, no. Instead of a insubstantial idea being vetoed, you get to see what Bush and his corporate warmongers are trying to ignore. Their actions have real life consequences.

Sandra Chung, US citizen in Australia (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 5:58 AM)

Hey Boo Keith, the children are in that school due to FULL SCHOLARSHIPS, in other words, no fees. Go back and listen, will ya?

Sandra Chung, US citizen in Australia (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 6:00 AM)

Countdown is by far the best show on TV. It has everything, including humor, oddity an irony, but most of all it exposes the propaganda you see and hear on Fox. It exposes the hate-filled nonsense Of O'Rieley, Hannity and that whole crew on Fox. I moved from Naples, Florida to Horry County, SC. The development where I live, The Long Bay Club,in Longs SC only has the cable offering from the Horry Electric Company. Countdown was not offered on their programming. I had to subscribe for Direct TV which costs three times as much but life without Coundown and Keith Oberman would be quite unberable.

Clement V. Drury, Longs, South Carolina (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 6:55 AM)

Clement V. Drury, Longs, South Carolina (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 7:01 AM)

I love all the trolls spewing the right wing lies about these people. They make 45,000 a year, combined, not 81, and their kids go to private school on scholarships, you tools.

Keep shooting yourself in the foot, and when it's YOUR turn for tragedy, I hope it comes back to in full.

Spanky McSpank (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 8:04 AM)

Wayne, it's too bad that the "much worse" you've seen didn't happen to YOU. As hateful and negative as your posts are, just remember: what goes around, comes around.

Lisa Fort Worth TX (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 8:38 AM)

Boo Keith.
Red wagon, if you don't want questions....etc.
Parroting Michelle Malkin quite nicely, he is.

kestrel9000 (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 8:42 AM)

Keith Olbermann, you are a disgrace. The gratuitous use of pictures from their car accident is unbelievable. The Frosts would be covered under the program that Bush was ready to sign. Shame on the Democrats for using the Frosts as political pawns in the SCHIP battle. Shame on the extreme right for the attacks on the family. They should battle the democrats in debate

Quite frankly, Mr Frost, as a self employed, under the table worker should purchase insurance for his family. He was about to purchase a house for 50,000 16 years ago and had the money to fix it up. He owns a commercial building, so he should purchase insurance. That is part of being self employed. I have friends who are self employed, and they purchase their own health insurance, and have to do without certain luxuries, such as granite countertop like the Frosts.

The SCHIP program is a good program and should be used to subsidize medical insurance for those that need it. Yes all children should be insured. But I have to ask, if you have a job, making money so you don't qualify for a subsidy, shouldn't one of your top priorities be to have health insurance for your family. I would agree that a preexisting condition should not preclude a family from purchasing insurance. If it does, then those families should be included under the SCHIP plan.

By the way, I agree with Wayne, wouldn't the family be covered under an autoinsurance policy if it was a car accident. If they didn't have auto insurance either, shame on those parents.

Keith, for once, can you provide both sides of the story rather than your democratic platform.

Kevin of NJ (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 9:01 AM)

GothamTomatoNYC (Sent Monday, October 15, 2007 10:54 PM)

Wonderful post!! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I especially loved your "final onion rings" comment! You are too good!!

Krista Swisher, Indianapolis, IN (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 9:16 AM)

The terrorist democrat party along with Keith the liberal, "make the government pay for everything" Oberman now using children as human sheilds is pitiful, Hillary clinton listens in on private phone conversations of her opponents and the irrational keith is silent, but things are a changing. GOOOOOOOO FOX and FOX business

LMAO AT MSNBC usa (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 9:16 AM)

These arguements are getting a little pointless and tiring regarding the Frost Family. Steve Turner is correct. That's politics. The Dems used a family and the young man to try and make a point (perhaps they should not have), and the Republicans in their counter arguements against the plan attacked the family and the young man, (they should have left the family out of it).

The point is there are children in this country, and elderly, who need assistance with health care. If we as citizens of the US really care about our kids and our senior citizens we would stop all the damn bickering and sit down and come up with a reasonable plan to assist these two groups. Arguing over whether a family used by the Dems are good examples of who needs assistance and who does not only makes a legitimate agreement and compromise (that will be required to come up with a plan to assist these people) much more difficult.

There is absolutely no excuse for the Dems and Republicans not to be able to agree on some form of legitimate health care assistance plan after they have spent billions and lost millions on this conflict in Iraq. No excuse at all, none.

We are bogged down in a conflict where thousands have lost their lives, have spent billions some of which has lined the pockets of who knows, losing many or our own 19 and 20+ year old kids killed in a far off land, fighting over whether a particular family deserves health care assistance, arguing over whether Gore deserved the Nobel Prize, fighting over liberalism versus conservativism, while sitting back munching on popcorn and routing for a baseball team where players are paid millions to throw, hit and catch a ball, on and on and on. What the hell is wrong with you people!!!!!

Cudos to those defending a kid who does not deserve to be attacked, and sc-- yo- to those who want to argue at every turn on every issue instead of making suggestions and sharing ideas to help resolve all these issues and more.

My apologies. I am pissed this morning and these arguements about this young man and family just made it worse. There is no sense or common sense in this country no matter what side you are on or what political path you favor. You know it to be true.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 9:26 AM)

A picture is worth a thousand words. I dont care if these people had gold growing in their garden, the point is children need health insurance regardless of their parents wealth or lack there of. Peace to all, Denny

DCohn, Cleveland, OH (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 9:40 AM)

See...when someone calls this family "irresponsible" for not having their own insurance, I wonder what kind of rose-colored glasses they wear. I changed jobs recently, and had to pay my own insurance for one month (I have twin 2 yr olds). for just one month, it would have been 1k$. Now...I make decent money, but after taxes, that 1k$ would have made it nearly impossible to pay for my house (not huge by any means), car (2 cars, one 10yrs old) and our food. So Wayne, who apparently is either independently wealthy, or doesn't NEED insurance, would say I'm a fatcat liberal. We know he's not on military retirement, since his kind only yells at the sidelines, never actually puts themselves in harms way.

A. Response, Greenville, SC (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:04 AM)

Horrible things can happen to any family in an instant. We never know when a terrible tragedy is going to happen to one of us. I only hope people would have much more compassion for other families going through these times.

JoAnn, Moundsville, WV (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:07 AM)

Wayne in TN - once again your ignorance and intolerance is showing - the whole point of spotlighting the Frost family was that under Bush's conditions, they would NO LONGER be elligible for SCHIP - Also, auto insurance usually taps out around 300,000 per person (read your policy, tool!) - and I dare say it looks like they needed more than that, not even including long-term rehab -

Laura H, St. Louis, (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:23 AM)

David Molinero, Clayton, Georgia

You have no idea what you are talking about . . . SCHIP is NOT welfare and that $82.5K figure is not the norm for SCHIP. The formula, which the new bill did NOT change, I might add, is based on the individual state. Nothing changed about the formula. It's the same as it has always been. Someone making $82.5 in my area would be upper middle class, in NJ, it would be barely getting by. Try reading about the REAL provisions of this bill instead of listening to the spin.

junebug (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:35 AM)

I know how much my health insurance is costing me and my family a year. It's staggering. And it only keeps going up. It's nearly 10% of my income. 10% - and that doesn't include the increased co-pays, limitations, medication limits, etc.

For all you who think the insurance company would take care of this or give this family a HUGE settlement, here a little fact for you: While it's true one parent can sue the other for compensation for the injured child, HMO's or managed health care providers can and usually do tack on a lien to get THEIR money back first. I know. I work in insurance, and I've seen this all too often. So if you think for these people there's a gravy train for the years of therapy and medical expenses these children will have over the years from an insurance company, think again. It will get taken away and returned to the insurance company. Then a limitation of visits for therapy or medical procedures will be placed on these children. Then for a period of time, any therapy or medical procedures may become an out-of-pocket expense. So there goes the vicious cycle.

The corporate HMO/managed care providers will get any reimbursable money first. We are the United States of Corporaterica.

Thanks Keith for posting these pictures. It's an important reminder of how fragile life is and that we do need to take care of our own.

Gigi, Hudson, MA (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:35 AM)

"Turns out the Frost family is eligible for SCHIP aid under present rules and the Democrat's proposed increases would not affect their condition.

Once again lefties make a tempest out of a teapot."

No, Wayne, the "lefties" didn't make a tempest out of a teapot, the Frost child testimony was just to show the benefits of SCHIP. The ones who made a "tempest out of a teapot" were the hate-filled bloggers who ATTACKED this family, STALKED them and THREATENED them. My gosh, man, is EVERYTHING about political parties to you?

BTW, guess where people got the idea that the rules for qualifying had changed with this bill? That would be from the "righties," sir. The formula is the SAME as it has always been.

junebug (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:38 AM)

"If a child is severely injured due to an accident in which the parent is the sole responsible party the child must sometimes sue the parent in order for the parent's liability insurance to be forced to pay in full."

Again, Wayne, you don't really know what you're talking about here, either. Yes, the parents most likely had car insurance. In some policies, there are limitations regarding family members and of course, there are policy limits. Many people have minimum limits policies. In Texas, those minimums are 20,000/40,000 (20 per person, 40 per accident). These children were hospitalized for MONTHS with severe head injuries and other injuries. If the parents had minimum limits, those limits were eaten up by medical bills in a matter of days, given the injuries to these children. The children have more than likely had their claims settled already, but the amount they received most likely barely made a dent in their medical.

Speak of that which you know, sir. Apparently, insurance, automobile accidents and the cost of critical care aren't among them.

I do insurance defense, btw, and these pictures are very tame. I didn't find them shocking at all. Very sad, yes, but shocking, no. I've seen much, much, much worse. The file I'm looking at as we speak is one of them.

junebug (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:50 AM)

I listen to these right wing idiologs complaining about having to pay for health care for children and I can only think there is a very special place in hell for them. They keep complaining about being called mean, well denying health care to children because you don't agree with the choices thier parents made, is mean. It's not only mean it's selfish.

jen,il (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:51 AM)

Scott in Vancover- good point.

jen,il (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:52 AM)

Wayne, TN (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 2:06 AM)

How Dare You Sir! Bring up Kennedy in this context, you know it’s a sore spot with us!

You know as a true blue advanced liberal Obermann knows what to talk about and what not to talk about. The Turkey Armenian resolution thing for example. It is blatantly obvious that this resolution at this time is meant to undermine what appear to be successes in Iraq, and because it’s obvious Keith knows he shouldn’t be talking about it. It illustrates that we true liberals don’t give a rat’s ass about the troops, despite our rhetoric. This legislation is designed specifically to harm our efforts in Iraq, and will probably result the deaths of more soldiers - but so what? We can just turn around and blame it on Bush. Aren’t we clever?

True Liberal (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:52 AM)

Keith, I am behind you 100%, you are doing a great job. Thank You. To the people who "don't get this"...it is about providing health care for kids. Those who yell "welfare" don't seem to have a problem when the government bails out a mismanaged corporation. And those of you whining about your' tax dollars...You don't seem to mind your' tax dollars being spent to bomb other countries.
This car accidnet could happen to anyone...to the people who are crying "foul"...remember that.
It could be you.

Steve, Rochester, NY (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:55 AM)

Is it reasonable to ask families that make X amount of money a year to pay some or all of their medical insurance? Of course it is. Can the millionaires in Congress actually look at these photos and say this family doesn't require any help? If we can spend a billion a week on a war, we should be able to find a reasonable soultion to find a way to finance the medical aid these children deserve. Any of us can be the unfortunate victims of an accident or a disease. Where the hell is the simple human kindness from some of you? The rhetoric is more important than the reality. This country is in a great deal of trouble, because even a situation like the one this family is in can't set the red state/blue state, democrat/republican, liberal/conservative diatribes aside. Shame on us that this is even being debated.

Frederick Sweeney, Brooklyn (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 11:06 AM)

Wayne, TN -

Maybe if you thought a little more you would write a little less, or what you write might actually make sense.

"If a child is severely injured due to an accident in which the parent is the sole responsible party the child must sometimes sue the parent in order for the parent's liability insurance to be forced to pay in full. ... Something just doesn't add up right with the parent's story"

Assume they were insured. Assume they even had, what here in CA, is high level insurance, over the legal minimums required. That would be, say, $100,000 per person per accident. Assume the insurance company paid in full. Do you have any idea of what the medical bills of an accident like this could amount to? $100,000 would be gone after the first couple of weeks in the hospital and the first of the several surgeries required. Then what? The bills for the children's care could easily have been double, or triple, of five times that. Have the children sue the parents so they could seize their assets and end up homeless as well? Smart!

As for the Ted Kennedy comment, why not just blame Clinton, as well?

Kudos to Keith, and to Countdown, the best news show on TV, for bringing us this story and letting the public hear the parent's side.

Morris Sheppard. Los Angeles, CA (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 11:13 AM)

BN in Bloomington: That image of Bush yanking IVs out of kids arms in hospital beds would make a GREAT campaign ad. Of course it doesn't have to be W. It could be a generic Republican, a fat, old, bald, bespectacled, white guy with $100 bills hanging out of his pockets!
Scott in Vancouver: I understand your anger. There are many here who share your sentiments about our national priorities. We're working on it.
Gotham tomato nicely said. When do the Bushies get their last "onion rings"?

Bill Rochester NY (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 11:39 AM)

First of all- the posting is called 'The Graeme Frost Accident Pictures'- what did you think the photos would look like? If you don't want to see that, hit your 'back' button.

And for all the right wing trolls- how is it OK for you guys to hold up photos of Terri Schaivo (among other things- like the blown-up photos of fetuses at abortion rallies) at protests, but photos of this kid can't see the light of day? Hypocrisy, much?

As George Carlin once said about the Right Wing Lunatic Fringe's attitudes towards children, "If you're pre-born, you're fine, if you're pre-school, you're f'ed!"

Billo, Your Onion Rings are ready! (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 12:07 PM)

Wayne: You callus, selfish, heartless waste of oxygen! I hope you do have the "opportunity" to experience such tragedy. These pictures are my current reality. My brother was injured in an accident this summer. He had health insurance, a retirement nest egg, a good job. 9 weeks in ICU and the 2 million cap on his medical care was gone. He is still in the hospital and will be there for a long, long time. He will never work again. His injuries are so severe that rehab is even questionable. They have had to liquidate all assets and are now eligible for Medical Assistance. He had everything going for him, and in one second, his future was gone. They will probably have to declare bankrupcy when all is said and done. I can't imagine what it must cost to have two children in ICU, as the Frosts did. You are right, "Scott in Vancouver", the health care crisis in America and those who aspire to the status quo are "repugnant to the extreme." For people like Wayne, Jerry, Boo Keith, it's "one for me, and all for me" all of the time. And stop with the B.S. about the Frost's $500,000 home. You obviously didn't even watch the show last night, or you'd know that they bought a fixer upper, put sweat equity into its repair and now have a home. $500,000 may go a long way in Redneckville, where Wayne and Jerry live, but it would be a modest home for the Frosts. Their kids are on scholarship to go to private school. Good for them. Do I sense some jealousy from you, Wayne? There isn't a hell bad enough for people like the trolls on this thread.

Just couldn't stay away & Still mad in Madtown (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 12:10 PM)

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