ThinkFast: May 5, 2009
ThinkFast: May 5, 2009
After speaking with President Obama, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) predicted that the President will nominate a Supreme Court judge soon. “I’d be surprised if it went beyond this week,” Hatch said, adding that Obama told him he won’t nominate a “radical or an extremist” to replace Justice David Souter.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), a chief sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, said the Senate may have to sacrifice EFCA “in favor of more modest labor-law changes.” “Compromises are going to be made,” said Harkin. “It probably won’t be card-check, because too many people are opposed to it now.”
Several corporate members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are frustrated with the group’s opposition to global warming legislation pending in the House. In a letter to the Chamber, companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Nike, requested that they “refrain from making comments on climate change unless they ‘reflect the full range of views, especially those of Chamber members advocating for congressional action.’”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said yesterday that any public health insurance option “must be subject to the same regulations and requirements as all other plans” in the insurance market. He also suggested that a public plan should be self-sustaining without tax revenue; should pay doctors more than Medicare pays; should not force doctors and hospitals to participate; and should have government managers who are separate from insurance industry regulators.
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has announced that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is joining the GOP’s National Council for a New America’s “panel of experts.” “I am pleased to announce that Governor Palin has joined the National Council for a New America’s panel of experts,” Cantor said in a statement.
Speaking at the Panetta Institute in Monterey, CA yesterday, former Bush adviser Karl Rove claimed that President Obama “is failing to fulfill his bipartisan promise in Congress and in the polls.” But former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe shot back at the criticism, saying “this is like getting interview lessons from Sarah Palin.”
The U.S. government “is expected to direct about 10 of the 19 banks undergoing government stress tests to boost their capital…a move that officials hope will quell fears about the solvency of the financial sector.” The banks affected could included Wells Fargo & Co., Bank of America, Citigroup Inc. and other regional banks.
“President Barack Obama plans Tuesday to name a new chairman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an agency ridiculed for coziness with the industries whose products it monitors, in addition to expanding the commission and boosting funding for its work.” Obama is expected to name former South Carolina education superintendent Inez Moore Tennenbaum as chairman.
Last year, Murtech, a private firm owned by Robert Murtha, nephew of Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), received over $4 million in no-bid defense contracts. Rep. Murtha has steered “hundreds of millions in Pentagon work to companies in his district, many of them fledgling enterprises run by campaign contributors.” Robert Murtha “said he is not at liberty to discuss in detail what his company does.”
And finally: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) is so passionate about health care that he is willing to give his personal e-mail address out to reporters. Yesterday during a conference call hosted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund announcing the creation of Doctors for America, Baucus said, “This may be a bit dangerous, but I really want to hear from you all, so I’m going to give out my personal e-mail address.” Reporters were then stunned as he revealed his Earthlink address.
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Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said yesterday that any public health insurance option “must be subject to the same regulations and requirements as all other plans”
Bullshit, Schumer. You’re already caving in to the corporate insurance lobby.
What do insurance companies produce, Senator? They produce paperwork and schemes to avoid payment. That’s it.
Our country needs to revitalize. Medical & health care reform top the list. We can’t afford to model this like the existing predators, who have bled industry & citizens dry with double digit rate increases while lowering coverage parameters.
You either represent the American public or private industry, Schumer…which is it?
May 5th, 2009 at 9:08 amDavid Plouffe shot back at the criticism, saying “this is like getting interview lessons from Sarah Palin.”
(giggle!)
May 5th, 2009 at 9:12 amObama told him he won’t nominate a “radical or an extremist” to replace Justice David Souter.
It wont be Limbaugh! YaY!!
May 5th, 2009 at 9:12 amHe also suggested that a public plan should be self-sustaining without tax revenue;
Yeh, we need that revenue to bail out non self-sustaining investment banks because they are too big to fail.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:16 am…adding that Obama told him he won’t nominate a “radical or an extremist” to replace Justice David Souter.
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ANYBODY to the left of Scalia is going to be considered to be a “radical or an extremist” by the rightwingers. The wingnut machine will go into full trashing mode no matter who President Obama appoints.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:17 amFrom the WaPo article:
Murtech received its contracts primarily from the Army Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Ala., which has been generous to companies in John Murtha’s district and enjoys a close relationship with the congressman through a mutual interest in breast cancer research. The Army command has won at least $200 million a year in federal funding for the cancer research, of which Rep. Murtha is a stalwart supporter. In a program called Missiles to Mammograms the command has collaborated with a contractor in Murtha’s district, Windber Medical Center, in a multimillion-dollar project to explore using missile-tracking technology to detect breast cancer.
What a flipping waste. This has already been done, digital signal processing from Navy sonar programs has already been used to enhance mammogram images. Use the darned money to provide access to mammograms for all women!!!! Throwing shoe in general direction of all involved.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:17 amHa! Palin on a panel of “experts?” What a joke! I guess her ability to circumvent real answers to questions posed to her makes her more than qualified to join Cantor and his group. If only Palin would have been in the pizza shop yesterday, I’m sure her wealth of knowledge would have shown through when asked about health care….not.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:18 am…public health insurance option “must be subject to the same regulations and requirements as all other plans”
So how was AIG self-sustaining or even regulated when they created a hedge fund in its bosom..requiring 180 billion in bailouts.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:18 amThe U.S. government “is expected to direct about 10 of the 19 banks undergoing government stress tests to boost their capital
In other words another bailout or changing accounting rules, again, to price assets as they see fit. YaY! Enron Accounting has been legalized! Oh YaY!!
May 5th, 2009 at 9:19 am“Compromises are going to be made,” said Harkin. “It probably won’t be card-check, because too many people are opposed to it now.”
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It’s sad that EFCA is all but dead because the opposition put together a better and more effective marketing campaign against it. As a result, most Americans who know anything about EFCA at all honestly believe it takes away the right to a secret ballot. Even George McGovern succumbed to the hype.
Whatever the next generation of labor reform law happens to be, I hope the sponsors know they need to market it well to the people. May they not fall down on the job again.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:20 amHarkin and Shumer throw up their flags of surender.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:21 amWe are begining to see how Republican the Democratic Party really is. Even with the numbers they fail to make the necessary changes to move America foward. All the peace across the asile crap is just mugup for continuing the status quo. F0or they are sure to be happy with their status.
The vote is the only remedy for these has beens. Ask Sen. Specter.
“…former Bush adviser Karl Rove claimed that President Obama “is failing to fulfill his bipartisan promise in Congress and in the polls.”
Ahhh, the ‘Party of Pain’ speaks out on bipartisanship. KKKarl, you were so bipartisan while we were paying your salary at the WH. Thanks for nothing, you despicable little pig.
As Dr. Matt points out above, these jerkoffs were blasting Obama about ‘the Market’ for the last 3 months, but once it surpassed it’s low mark their lips are apparently sealed.
The Party of Pain & Torture is looking for new direction. Problem is, they’re looking in the same old dusty corners, talking to the same, vindictive people and pushing the same, tired ideas.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:21 amSen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said yesterday that any public health insurance option “must be subject to the same regulations and requirements as all other plans” in the insurance market.
So then, they must cost a fortune, deny care to people who need it most, and drain the national budget more and more each year? No thanks. I want what you guys on the Hill have – socialized medicine.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:21 amHatch said, adding that Obama told him he won’t nominate a “radical or an extremist” to replace Justice David Souter.
Yes, I agree. President Obama won’t nominate anyone like Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, or Alito.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:21 amLast year, Murtech, a private firm owned by Robert Murtha, nephew of Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), received over $4 million in no-bid defense contracts.
If the VP authorizes it, it is legal! Free Markets Beeyotch!
May 5th, 2009 at 9:22 amMissed Item: Dems cut funding [50 million] for closing of Gitmo because the Dems fear a battle over war funding????
May 5th, 2009 at 9:23 amSarah Palin (R) is joining the GOP’s National Council for a New America’s “panel of experts”
What happened to the Old America? The Newt Contract? Why with the never ending Orwellian sloganeering.
New Way Forward for Stay the Course!!
May 5th, 2009 at 9:25 amPresident will nominate a Supreme Court judge soon.
Nominate a moderate republican senator from a state with a democratic governor…..
May 5th, 2009 at 9:28 amHow long will it take for NBC to get rid of David Gregory? Personally, I didn’t like Russert, but Gregory is awful! I think a lot of viewers thing the same.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:28 amHouse Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has announced that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is joining the GOP’s National Council for a New America’s “panel of experts.”
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If Palin is representative of the level of “expertise” on this council, this group will have all the skill of the Keystone Cops.
Further proof that the National Council for a New America is more about marketing than about actual ideas. They will use people like Palin (and anybody else they believe can draw a crowd) to sell an empty concept. The only objective here is to regain Congress and the White House, not make the country better or stronger. And the people they sell to won’t realize they’ve been suckered (AGAIN!) until it’s too late.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:29 amXisithrus Says:
Missed Item: Dems cut funding [50 million] for closing of Gitmo because the Dems fear a battle over war funding????
Actually, it was closer to $80 million. Here’s the link:
http://rawstory.com/08/blog/2009/05/04/house-dems-refuse-funds-to-close-gitmo-relocate-inmates/
May 5th, 2009 at 9:29 amformer Bush adviser Karl Rove claimed that President Obama “is failing to fulfill his bipartisan promise in Congress and in the polls.”
Remember when Rove claimed it was center right?
Hilarity ensued.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:30 amunbelievable Says
May 5th, 2009 at 9:21 am
I want what you guys on the Hill have – socialized medicine.
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Cheneycare for everyone!
May 5th, 2009 at 9:30 amMarie Says:
How long will it take for NBC to get rid of David Gregory? Personally, I didn’t like Russert, but Gregory is awful!
I couldn’t agree more, Marie. Gregory plays a kind of ‘hyper-gotcha’ in his demeanor & speech. He tends to dominate conversations instead of allowing the guest to finish a remark.
David Gregory’s calling is to be KKKarl Rove’s dance partner.
Dancing with the Scars, perhaps?
May 5th, 2009 at 9:32 amActually, it was closer to $80 million. Here’s the link:
Exxxxxcuuuuuuuse me!! =)
I had read yesterday it was 50 million
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i1DBB8JA46mzegcVniqdGeQYASwQD97VMNM80
May 5th, 2009 at 9:33 amAs a first step, I suggest that Congress’s health insurance adopt the Schumer plan.
When he says it should be self-sustaining, without tax revenue, he’s saying 100% of the costs should come out of our paychecks. The unemployed will have to find some way of paying for their health care out of their unemployment checks or savings. His plan is a poison pill, designed to kill health care reform.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:33 ammisscoleopteramolly Says:
unbelievable Says
May 5th, 2009 at 9:21 am
I want what you guys on the Hill have – socialized medicine.
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Cheneycare for everyone!
“So?”
May 5th, 2009 at 9:33 amI have a hard time believing the GnoPe is going to rail against war funding when thats about the only thing they railed for when Arbusto was in office. So I call BS to the dems fearing a battle over war funding as a reason to cut Gitmo closing funds.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:35 amRegarding the National Council for a New America:
I saw a few clips from their pizza party last night. Several snipes were thrown in Palin’s direction by both Cantor and Romney. Now that she’s on board this should get entertaining. I also heard (I’ll try to find a link) that Republicans in the House want to cut the number of aids that they now have and hire a bunch more image consultants. Didn’t the Repubs cry to the Dem majority a few months ago, whining that they needed to keep funding in the budget to maintain their current level of aids despite their party’s considerably lower number of Reps this session? Now they want to get rid of the aids and hire image consultants??!! The Dem majority needs to slash funding from the budget for these scumsuckers. “Image consultants”? Not on my freekin dime! It’s hilarious that the new GOP club thinks that it just needs to tweek it’s public image and everything will be ok. Way to slather on the lipstick GOPigs!
May 5th, 2009 at 9:45 amwe are still getting royally screwed by banks and lobbyists. obama is just putting a smiley face on it.
this is bs.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:45 amObama is expected to name former South Carolina education superintendent Inez Moore Tennenbaum as chairman.
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Whoa whoa whoa – a CPSC chairman who isn’t an industry lobbyist? That’s CRAZY TALK!
May 5th, 2009 at 9:54 amI hear you spearNmagicHelmet. What’s ironic and makes matters worse is that most of these banks and investment firms have much if not most of their holdings in off-shore tax shelters. They collect bailout money, move it offshore and proceed to lobby their souls away in DC. These corporations enjoy the status and legal protections of American citizens regarding lobbying representatives while they pay little to no money in taxes. This shit needs to stop if the President hopes to change the way government does business. If your corporation is not paying it’s share of US taxes you should not be banned from lobbying representatives. Plain and simple.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:59 am“Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), a chief sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, said the Senate may have to sacrifice EFCA “in favor of more modest labor-law changes.” “Compromises are going to be made,” said Harkin. “It probably won’t be card-check, because too many PEOPLE are opposed to it now.”
You mean rethugs and bought off democrats. This is why organized labor has no party. Democrats flock to our union halls hat in hand come election time making all kinds of promises. Then they return to Washington only to serve their corporate masters.
Many have mixed feelings about unions and that’s
understandable given that unions have been demonized by the MSM for over 30 years now. When was the last time you heard a positive story about unions? About my only recollection is what Lech Walesa did in Poland…not even in this country!
(I can only speak for my own union, the UA, but we do some great things besides providing a fair wage for our non-union opponents. Check out our “helmets to hardhats” program for returning vets or “heat on- water off” program benefiting the underprivileged.)
One of the major reasons corporate greed and wage disparity got so out of hand is because unions have been weakened to near irrelevance. Like them or not, unions are a crucial part of the checks and balances system. Lose the CHECK and the balance remains awry.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:06 amWhy did I believe Schumer was a Democrat? Or was it Spector whom I thought was a Republicon?
” . . Cantor (R-VA) has announced that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is joining the GOP’s National Council for a New America’s “panel of experts.””
What type of EXPERTS are these people supposed to be? With Palin, there is no EXPERTISE necessary – just say whatever – you betcha – as long as you portray your ‘religious zealotry’ and as long as you are EXPERT IN BEING ‘AGAINST FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’.
And if you want a GOOD READ, John Ashcroft wrote an op-ed in the NY Times [equating a financial situation to torture metaphorically but that was the underlying message I picked up], see:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/opinion/05ashcroft.html
May 5th, 2009 at 10:06 amHouse Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has announced that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is joining the GOP’s National Council for a New America’s “panel of experts.”
Even dimwit Sarah is an expert compared to “empty suit” Cantor.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:10 amNo, the Pukes didn’t ‘buy off’ the Dims. Dims are predisposed to obey the orders of their owners and bosses. They do as they are told. They don’t have to be bought off; they volunteer…
May 5th, 2009 at 10:16 amSchumer will support a “public plan” that is just as inefficient as the Private ones?
That takes smarts…
May 5th, 2009 at 10:19 am“No, the Pukes didn’t ‘buy off’ the Dims.”
Did’nt say they did. But I agree with the rest of your statement.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:20 amHussein Matt Says:
Fake lips, fake boobs, shallow as a pile of ant shit.
Prejean and the GOP: a match made in Heaven.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:21 amYup, gotta have all seats on the Supreme Kangaroo Court filled. LOL
RT
May 5th, 2009 at 10:26 amPrivacy Center
The New American Prosperity with American Values.
(This is fun)
May 5th, 2009 at 10:30 amProject Nothing-new for an Archaic Century
May 5th, 2009 at 11:03 amAny reason why TP is ignoring Obama’s plan to change the “tax haven” status for American Corporations who create “Head Offices” outside the U.S.?
Hello?
New thread please…
May 5th, 2009 at 11:17 amSarah Palin (R) is joining the GOP’s National Council for a New America’s “panel of experts”
Why does the GOP National Council for a New America need an expert on clothes shopping?
May 5th, 2009 at 11:21 am“I’d be surprised if it went beyond this week,” Hatch said, adding that Obama told him he won’t nominate a “radical or an extremist” to replace Justice David Souter.
Of course, to the foaming Rethuglicans, anyone to the left of Scalia (including Kennedy, O’Connor, and most obviously Souter) is a “radical or an extremist” leftist….
Cheers,
May 5th, 2009 at 11:24 amNext thing you know, we will find that she has been having gay sex with her meth dealer.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:24 am34. A Patriotic Anopheles Acting Says:
They collect bailout money, move it offshore and proceed to lobby their souls away in DC. These corporations enjoy the status and legal protections of American citizens regarding lobbying representatives while they pay little to no money in taxes
Agreed. One thing that is totally passing over my head is that moving to off-shore havens used to be a cause celeb that **CONSERVATIVES** decried. But now that Obama is talking about taxing these havens, it is the Conservatives who are saying you can’t do that.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:24 amSen. Chuck Schumer panders to private health insurers but handcuffing any public plan. Guess who will get tax dollars? Private plans via taxpayer supported premiums. (See Wyden-Bennett’s Healthy Americans Act)
May 5th, 2009 at 11:32 amRobert Reich has a post on his blog that references Obama’s health care strategy:
http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2009/05/why-obama-is-taking-on-corporate-tax.html
May 5th, 2009 at 11:34 amSchumer and many other Democrtaic Senators have sold their souls to the corporate lobbyists and Wall Street. There will never be any worthwhile health care reform….these senatorial fools keep adding concessions and won’t even look at HR 676. I need health care….I have no insurance anymore….screw the insurance companies…..we want single-payer!!!
May 5th, 2009 at 11:45 amHatch said, adding that Obama told him he won’t nominate a “radical or an extremist” to replace Justice David Souter.
Why shouldn’t he appoint a “radical” or “extremist”. That’s what the Republicans did three times during the Bush presidency.
Why does the right get four seriously right wing justices and the left can’t have even one liberal justice?
May 5th, 2009 at 11:54 amMr. Schumer kind of misses the whole point of the exercise. One of the major reasons for the public option is to provide people who otherwise couldn’t afford it with health care. If they are required to pay premiums and copays based on the private insurance companies, then it fails, which I suspect may be the whole point of the operation. Another reason for a public option is that people who are sick need to have their bills paid as well. This won’t happen if the government has to exclude them from the rolls.
The obvious answer is to require private insurance companies to meet the same regulations that the public option fills, to improve the private sector rather than degrade the public sector. In other words,
1. the premiums and copays would be set based on the person’s ability to pay
2. no one would be refused enrollment for any medical reason
3. all medical care provided by a licensed physician would be covered, no exclusions
4. all FDA approved drugs would be included
People have to learn that the reason for medical insurance is to help the client. Profits, especially the kind now being “earned,” are not even secondary. They are way down on the list. Whenever push comes to shove, the needs of the client take priority, not the greed of the CEO.
May 5th, 2009 at 12:15 pmYour country makes me sick!!! Thank god I live in Canada.
How any government takes the position of corporations over it’s people is behond me.
I just don’t get it!! I guess If you just sit there and do nothing, YOU GET NOTHING!!!
What happened to the marches you once had….Equal rights, Vietname war, pollution marches in the 70’s, Abortion rights.
Now, when it involves your life and the well being of your family, NO ONE MARCHES FOR SINGLE PAYER????? WHAT GIVES AMERICA?????
I LOVE YOUR PEOPLE BUT DAMM, HOW COULD YOU JUST SIT THERE WHILE YOUR GOVERNMENT ALLOWS THE AMERICAN CITIZENS WEALTH TO BE TAKEN ONCE THEY ARE SICK.
I try to be informative about our system. The benifits of not having corporate slavory dictate our lives.
TAKE IT TO THE STREET AMERICA IF YOU WANT SINGLE PAYER!!!!….IT WORKED BEFORE WHAT MAKES YOU THINK IT WONT WORK THIS TIME????
May 5th, 2009 at 12:40 pmRahm Emanuel spoke to over 300 AIPAC major donors.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710862759&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1083213.html
May 5th, 2009 at 12:55 pmObama’s neocon Dennis Ross continues his tour of the Middle East, topic Iran.
http://www.metimes.com/Security/2009/05/01/ross_brings_nuclear_message_to_middle_east/d56c/
http://www.isria.info/en/5_May_2009_89.htm
May 5th, 2009 at 12:56 pm56 – cool suggestion, but how do we police it once it’s in place?
will investors pull away from private insurers due to the increased risk the private insurers will be required to underwrite?
what will the private insurers do to keep their stock prices healthy?
i don’t offer that as an outright rejection of the idea, just some important q’s that spring to mind…
May 5th, 2009 at 1:44 pmMax Baucus was cool to President Obama’s plan to crack down on offshore tax exclusions.
Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said the plan needed further study, even though similar ideas have been around for years.
So Max facilitated offshore tax breaks for American branded multi-nationals. My guess is he’ll make health care reform work for those same companies, especially private insurers. The U.S. Chamber badly wants to shed that pesky employee health insurance benefit.
“Individual pays, Private plans” is the underlying strategy. Congress is loathe to tax their corporate sponsors.
May 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pmThere is already a group of physicians for health care reform. They are for single payer.
link
May 5th, 2009 at 3:46 pm______
misscoleopteramolly Says:
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“Compromises are going to be made,” said Harkin. “It probably won’t be card-check, because too many people are opposed to it now.”
__________________________________________________________
It’s sad that EFCA is all but dead because the opposition put together a better and more effective marketing campaign against it. As a result, most Americans who know anything about EFCA at all honestly believe it takes away the right to a secret ballot. Even George McGovern succumbed to the hype.
Whatever the next generation of labor reform law happens to be, I hope the sponsors know they need to market it well to the people. May they not fall down on the job again.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:20 am
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Labor leaders just need to allow workers to complete and return their cards privately and card check would be
May 6th, 2009 at 12:39 amgreat. ;)