ThinkFast: July 20, 2009
ThinkFast: July 20, 2009
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A new Washington Post/ABC News poll has found that President Obama’s public support on health care has dropped below 50 percent (from 57 to 49 percent) and his “approval ratings on other front-burner issues, such as the economy and the federal budget deficit, have also slipped over the summer.” However, Obama’s overall approval rating remains high at 59 percent.
Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) is preparing to reemerge on the national stage by taking on the issue of health care. He is reportedly “penning op-eds this week outlining his reform ideas and appearing on cable television shows Monday and Tuesday, including a Fox News Channel appearance alongside conservative commentator Sean Hannity.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wants to soften the surcharge on the wealthy in the House health care bill, raising the trigger for individuals from $280,000 to $500,000. “I’d like it to go higher than it is,” Pelosi told Politico. “I just want to remove all doubt. You hear ‘$500,000 a year,’ you think, ‘My God, that’s not me.’”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected U.S. calls to halt settlement expansion by allowing 20 Jewish-owned apartments to be built in East Jerusalem, a “part of the city that Palestinians regard as key to their future state.” “I would like to reemphasize that united Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people and of the State of Israel. Our sovereignty over it cannot be challenged,” Netanyahu said.
White House Budget Director Peter Orszag said yesterday “that the struggling economy has backed away from the precipice it was teetering on late last year but a return to economic growth has not occurred yet.” “Where we are is the sense of free fall that we had back in December…we’ve stepped back from that precipice but we’re not yet in the growth zone,” Orszag told CNN.
Lobbyists are gearing up to try to weaken the clean energy bill in the Senate. “Even those industries more in tune with [Senate Chairwoman Barbara] Boxer’s vision are looking to mold the House climate bill more to their liking in the Senate, which could be difficult considering the Jenga-like structure of the measure.”
During a CNN appearance yesterday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) urged opponents of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to “stop the racial politics.” “I hope we don’t go back to the day when we used to have African-Americans up for confirmation and say ‘Yes, but you belong to the NAACP so, you know, we’re really suspicious of you,’” Leahy said.
Federal statistics show that the number of Hispanic workers who die on the job has risen, despite the overall number of workplace deaths declining. “There can be no excuses for negligence in protecting workers, not even a language barrier,” said U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. “Hispanic worker deaths increased from 533 in 1992 to 937 in 2007 — a 76% jump. In the same period, total fatalities in all jobs nationwide fell from 6,217 to 5,657.”
Ethan Hastert, the son of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), is running for his dad’s old congressional seat. “The younger Hastert filed papers to run early last month and is already in the process of fundraising and assembling a campaign team.”
And finally: During her visit to India, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that stereotypes perpetuated by our respective entertainment industries create false impressions. “If Hollywood and Bollywood were how we all lived our lives, that would surprise me,” Clinton said. “People watching a Bollywood movie in some other part of Asia think everyone in India is beautiful. And they have dramatic lives, and happy endings. And if you were to watch American TV and our movies,” she said with a twinkle in her eye, “you’d think we don’t wear clothes and we spend a lot of time fighting each other.”
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Before the trolls all rush to the conclusion that President Obama’s dipping approval ratings on the health care issue has to do with the people not wanting a public plan option, I’d just like to suggest that at least part of the weakening approval has to do with the perception that Obama’s willing to compromise on a public plan option. The last thing we want is health reform that isn’t reform at all.
Many of us are looking for signals that Obama will hold fast to the public plan option, even if he has to get reform passed with Democrats only. Fortunately, during the past week, we have been getting a few signals in that direction — probably after this poll was taken.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:10 amRIP, Walter Cronkite.
You were the voice of America.
You weren’t afraid to question Federal policy.
You were a strong voice for people in a corporate wilderness.
Thank you for all you have done for truth and accountability.
‘…and that’s the way it is…’
July 20th, 2009 at 9:13 amThe only thing wrong with the Obama proposal for health care is that he thought he could get a few repugniscum on board.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:22 amIt has taken a while to recognize that repugs do not, will not, compromise. They have a mission and it is to destroy the Democratic president. Plain and simple.
“Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) is preparing to reemerge on the national stage by taking on the issue of health care. ”
after listening to this goober’s response to obama’s speech, his alternative health care plan can probably be summed up in three words “don’t get sick”
July 20th, 2009 at 9:23 amWe in Illinois have not seen the end of the Hastert family.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:25 amEthan has nothing more than his name and the ability to receive money from repugs.
Gov Jindal on health care that’s like asking Cheney for the truth just look at Louisiana’s Health Care facts.
http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/statehealthreform/louisiana.html
As far as Obama’s approval ratings they really don’t matter FDR has low approval ratings during his first term so did Clinton and even Ronnie had low approval ratings there first term but all three eventually went on to serve two terms.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:26 amIsrael’s sovereignty cannot be challenged says Netanyahu, but Palestine’s sovereignty is to be destroyed. How is that going to lead to peace, Bibi?
July 20th, 2009 at 9:28 amWe’ve gone from ‘…and that’s the way it is…’
to
“That’s our show for tonight. Here it is, your moment of Zen.”
July 20th, 2009 at 9:30 amNancy Pelosi: Bushbot
1) Takes impeachment “off the table”
2) now wants to protect the wealthy
With DINOS like this, who needs Republiscum?
July 20th, 2009 at 9:32 amGov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) is preparing to reemerge on the national stage by taking on the issue of health care.
Jindal is not exactly a friend to healthcare right now. Just last month…
“Gov. Bobby Jindal used his line-item veto authority Tuesday to eliminate $14.2 million the Legislature had earmarked for the New Orleans Adolescent Hospital, a move that means the Uptown mental facility is likely to close by Sept. 1.” (The Times Picayune, 01 July 2009)
Look, post-Katrina, mental health services in Southeast Louisiana are almost nil, and this he thinks is a good idea? Now, families that were able to receive treatment in New Orleans will have to travel north of Lake Pontchartrain to the only other facility in the region serving adolescent mental health needs. That hospital is not equipped to take any influx of this size…and sadly, many of the families – in this economy – cannot afford the time or expense of that kind of travel, and may likely forgo treatment.
Well done, Gov. Jindal…aren’t you proud of yourself?
July 20th, 2009 at 9:35 am“I would like to reemphasize that united Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people and of the State of Israel. Our sovereignty over it cannot be challenged,” Netanyahu said.
_____________
And this is why a two-state solution is ultimately doomed to failure. The only hope for a lasting peace is a one-state solution. Wipe Israel off the map, wipe Palestine off the map, and create one secular, multi-religious, multi-ethnic state in which all people can live on either side of the green line.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:36 amOh good grief! Now we have Mark Kirk in the Senate race in Illinois — this is the Senator who went to China and told them not to believe the American government.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:42 amThe Dems should play that video non-stop for the coming year.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected U.S. calls to halt settlement expansion by allowing 20 Jewish-owned apartments to be built in East Jerusalem, a “part of the city that Palestinians regard as key to their future state
And just in; All the politicians in D.C. nodded in agreement, and wished the IsNaziRaelis well.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:43 amDaniel Perl was a journalist who was tricked into thinking he was going on an interview when he was kidnapped and murdered but this soldier just wondered off in an area that is heavily infested with Taliban.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:45 amIf Jindal really does have some ideas on health care, now’s the time to speak up. However, if he’s going to be using media avenues such as Hannity to communicate these ideas, I’m not holding out much hope that we’re going to hear anything except the tired old GOP leftovers (which will be about 10% “ideas” of giving the health insurance industry and Big Pharma more money and power, and about 90% attacking the “socialism” of President Obama’s plan).
July 20th, 2009 at 9:50 amBriseadh na Faire says
July 20th, 2009 at 9:30 am
We’ve gone from ‘…and that’s the way it is…’
to
“That’s our show for tonight. Here it is, your moment of Zen.”
__________________________________________________________
And who would have thought that the best source of broadcast news we have available today would be the fake news report?
July 20th, 2009 at 9:53 amNow this is surreal: http://twitter.com/AP11_SPACECRAFT
The Apollo 11 astronauts have been tweetified.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:56 amBriseadh na Faire says:
“That’s our show for tonight. Here it is, your moment of Zen.”
July 20th, 2009 at 9:30 am
______________
And I could totally see myself feeling nostalgic about that signoff many years from now.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:59 amJindal’s healthcare plan probably only funds exorcisms and faith-healings.
July 20th, 2009 at 10:06 amBut only if you belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of the New Orlean Saints…
July 20th, 2009 at 10:12 amGood morning youngsters….So much to comment on and so little energy to tackel it all…Please forgive the spelling errors and poor sentance structure about to happen…Most of you know me after reading my bleeding heart liberal rants almost from the beginning of this forum, I hope you will indulge me this morning and even if I piss you all off atleast read and think on what I have to write, just as I do with all the regulars here…Agree, disagree but think…
I have come to think all the polatician’s in our gov. and Israels are nothing more than slum lord’s…Gobble up the money, do as they please, lie to us and every one around the world, creating war’s and killing people by intent or design.. Like slum lords they use the money to advance their personal issues and fix nothing for the renter’s but create more misery….Changing from crazed reich winger’s to do the same or nothing dem’s makes little diffrence….Only the word’s and appearance of change is fact…Pretty speeches to appease the masses and use up time and suck away or print more money is all these people do…
I ask you realy, what has changed? We are still supporting 4 war’s..Netanyahoo( intent.) the warmonger is calling all the shot’s and no one is even attempting to cut Israels fund’s for war or the genocide on their neighbor’s, much less demanding they open their borders for aid to Gaza and Palestine..Shame on you Clinton and Obama for not doing your job…
Our own gov is still using drone’s to wipe out wedding parties around the word and acting indignent when one of our own is captured and yet our gov. has tortured and still hold’s people like barbarians of hundred’s of year’s ago..Jeebos, they make me sick…Let’s see that would be a shame on you Obama for hiring gates and leaving more reich winger’s in charge of the “forever war”..
They kill horses don’t they.? Yes, horses, people and anything including spirits of future generations, babies even, and let it pass with more flowery speeches and fighting over health care or what ever they think will appease us for a short time. Yep! they gobble up the money and waste time to feed their master’s the bank’s, lobbiest , big insurance and more polatician’s…But never mind true civil right’s, like being able to live, eat and work…The slum lord’s will not fix the bridge’s or feed the hungry children, instead we are fed new’s crap and allow all our new’s to be controled by one or two more slum lords,,, and people die.
Just how many back there in the kingdom of polatician’s do you think are truly working for the people, our constitution, ending war’s and feeding the truly hungry.?..My count is one..Dennis Kucenich…What have we become.? Where are we going.?…Only the names have changed with a D or R after their name’s..Palosi is still taking impeachment off the table and Obama is following through with blocking investigation’s….So the guilty still get to play in the massive game of only moving deck chairs on the titanic….Take the money and run, fill the masses head’s with garbage in garbage out and pretend they are doing their job of protecting the people and constitution all the while, killing the thought process of the public…The perfect plan is here…They have removed the back bone, thinking and will of the people…With out even firing a shot we are being controled, spied on and all our resourses and reasoning is being controled by the piss ant’s in DC and their helpful new’s whore’s ….Ugh…We need more than Blessings here….I’m hoping for a miracle…
July 20th, 2009 at 10:16 amIf President Obama’s poll numbers have slipped on healthcare, it’s only because he keeps watering down his own bill and making concessions with Republicans that are helping to ensure any reform that does pass does little or nothing to fix problems inherit in the system.
July 20th, 2009 at 10:23 amJindal “knows something about healthcare.” I wonder if he knows that from 1992 through 2006, Medicare costs per patient in his state stayed at the third highest in the country, behind only New York and New Jersey (even Mass. had lower costs). What exactly did he do as the head of the Dept. of Health and Hospitals, or as Governor, that did anything to impact these high costs?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31390679/ns/health-health_care
July 20th, 2009 at 10:27 amNotably absent (in the rest of the story as well), is how Halliburton no longer has the vice-president shilling for him and the draw-down in Iraq has lessened the demand for whatever overpriced “services” were rendered there. To describe it only as “The world’s second-largest oilfield services company,” is more than just a little disingenuous.
July 20th, 2009 at 11:03 amRollaMO @ #24: Great link. One would think after Bible Spice the GOP might have learned their lesson about vetting spokemen.
July 20th, 2009 at 11:54 amAnd if you were to watch American TV and our movies,” she said with a twinkle in her eye, “you’d think we don’t wear clothes and we spend a lot of time fighting each other.”
If they’re not wearing any clothes, they’re not really fighting, wink wink nudge nudge.
July 20th, 2009 at 12:31 pm.
July 20th, 2009 at 11:16 pmHere’s a solution to all of our problems that the Republicans & Blue Dogs might even approve: recycling the elderly.
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