[smokinjoe]

1) Can this just stop until someone presents a direct (and accurate) comparison? You make it sound like it will be a fourth branch of Government. There are several Government Agencies that don't hemorrhage money and actually accomplish what they set out to do. Look at Medicaid - people were saying essentially the same exact things about it and now people probably couldn't imagine not having the program.

2) Please explain.

3) Probably because a wider availability to care and an overall increase in average quality of life is a good, if not great thing for a society.