It seems that for many American politicians, "Canada" has become a dirty word.

As Barack Obama pushes to bring promised health care reform - an expected 10 year, US$1 trillion plan with a government-run health insurance program to compete with the private sector - his opponents are pointing a harsh finger at their northern neighbour as an example of what doesn't work.

A Republican pollster even told his friends to "use horror stories from Canada" to rail against Obama's agenda, painting the public Canadian system as feeble, socialist and riddled with delays.

Even the decision of former MP Belinda Stronach to travel to America for breast cancer treatment became fodder for those in the anti-medicare camp.

Things got even spicier this week with the release of a controversial advertisement in which a Canadian woman claims that she would be dead if she had relied on the Canadian health care system for treatment.

As the debate rages on, it appears the Canadian system will be integral to the conversation with some on Capitol Hill singing its praises and others, like a politician featured in the video below, slamming it as a "bureaucratic, socialized piece of crap."

Do you feel that the criticisms lobbed against our system are fair game or do you resent the way Canada has taken a political beating in Washington?

- Ryan Maloney, Yahoo! Canada News

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