ThinkFast: September 8, 2009
ThinkFast: September 8, 2009
The Washington Post documents the health insurance industry’s use of rescission — “the technical term for canceling coverage on grounds that the company was misled.” Insurers defend the practice, claiming that they “need to be able to cancel policies to control fraud.” If health reform legislation bars companies from screening for preexisting conditions, rescissions should no longer be an issue.
Several House liberals tell Roll Call that “they could support” a health care reform bill that would only include a public option as a fallback plan “depending on how it was structured.” “This is a way to get a bill,” Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) said. “I believe it’s worth listening to because I want legislation that is going to, in some shape or form, expand coverage and bring down the cost of health care.”
Although Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) was an ardent opponent of the stimulus, he has made federal “crime grants to local law enforcement agencies” an “integral part” of his “political machine.” Perry has made it sound like the money was his idea, saying that Texas “remains dedicated to equipping our law enforcement with the resources necessary to protect our citizens.”
Military observers, soldiers on the ground “and some top Pentagon officials are warning that dispatching even tens of thousands more soldiers and Marines” to Afghanistan “might not ensure success.” The skeptics say that “the heart of the problem” is that “neither Barack Obama’s White House nor the Pentagon has clearly defined America’s mission in Afghanistan.”
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, a charity organization that provides health services to Afghans, on Monday accused American soldiers of illegally raiding one of their hospitals, damaging property and tying up patients and staff in the process. Anders Fange, the Committee’s country director, told the press, “This is a clear violation of internationally recognized rules and principles.”
Afghanistan’s U.N.-backed Election Complaints Commission “has ordered a number of recounts and audits of votes from last month’s presidential election,” concluding that there was “clear and convincing evidence of fraud.” The Aug. 20 election has been plagued by “claims of mass fraud and ballot-box stuffing against all the main candidates.”
President Obama’s global warming agenda stands in limbo as the administration makes an all-out push to pass health care legislation. “Senate Democrats originally intended to roll out their version of a cap-and-trade climate bill this week, but they have since delayed that schedule until later this month in part because of the brewing battle over health care.”
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is launching a $2 million ad campaign aimed at defeating the creation of the Obama administration’s proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency, which would “tightly regulate consumer products including mortgages and credit cards.” Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)’s office called the campaign nothing more than “scare tactics from the likes of big business.”
And finally: Sarah and Todd Palin are up for auction. Dinner with the Palins is one of the items in the 10-day charity auction on eBay for Ride2Recovery, with the opening bid set at $25,000. However, “dinner will be in Palin’s home town, Wasilla, deepest Alaska, and the successful bidder will have to get themselves there at their own expense.”
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Lemme get this straight — for $25,000 (plus airfare), I can get dinner with the Palins? I thought Levi said neither one of them could cook.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:09 amYou beat me to it #1.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:12 ammissmolly, the Palin’s can cook – schemes and books, just not food. They’ll just hire an illegal immigrant that they pay $20 and pocket the $24,980.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:15 amThe republicans would like nothing better than to see health care reform fail as it would be a feather in their cap.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:15 amI’m a senior….seen and lived through a lot. There are people in the world evolved and some not so evolved. It seems to me those more evolved – think more of others and those not so evolve – think more of themselves. Some are more intelligent and have a vision….others not so much. To put this in a kind way, those who oppose health care for every SINGLE American appear to be more self-absorbed, less educated, without vision, and IN THE MINORITY. Why are we letting this group with their insurance agency connected leaders dictate policy one iota? Sometimes, like introducing Medicare and Social Security, others just NEED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Splashed across the front page of our local Sunday paper was the news that my son’s school district would not be showing President Obama’s speech to school children across America. This is not Bumblefcuk, Kansas, this is a blue school district in a blue county in a blue state.
We have 16 months left with this Congress. Fcuk the bipartisan happy talk! The GNOP is out for blood, and they’re winning the yelling match. Take ‘em down!
PEACE
September 8th, 2009 at 9:16 amPublic option as a “fallback plan”…
Methinks we’re still getting screwed. Supposed, the President will be making a case for the public option in tomorrow’s speech before Congress. Supposedly.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:17 amSchool administrators appear to be the biggest force fighting our President’s speech to school aged children.
You know, the ‘CEO section’ of education…the ones making 6 figures & above.
Most are members of the White Wing, & don’t represent public opinion in the first place.
They had no problem with, ‘our childrens are learning’, Bush, however, or the fact he read books upside down.
It’s a sad state of affairs when the people running our education system turn out to be the people in need of education.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:17 am#4. I think we are letting it happen for a couple reasons. For one we have let the loudmouthed Republicans control the debate. They get their marching orders from the mantra of Rush and the bubble-heads on Faux “News”. If they say Obama is not a native born American, despite all the evidence to the contrary, the sheeple who follow Rush and Faux believe it without question.
Second we are losing it because the leadership of the Democratic Party in Congress, Harry Reid in the Senate and Nancy Pelosi in the House, are spineless. They are afraid to come out strongly in favor of something because it might upset the vocal minority that listens to Rush and watches Faux, and that could cost them votes. They dont realize that they are losing votes now by not standing up for their convictions, but that seems to be lost on them.
Third, we are losing it because Barack Obama still views life through rose-colored glasses. Barack still believes that he can work with Repugnicans in a bipartisan manner. Just a couple weeks ago Senator Grassley (R-IA) came out and reiterated the Repugnican mantra about death panels and pointed the finger at Barack. What did Barack do? He said “I can work with him.” Horse hockey! They don’t want to work with us why should we work with them? Barack wants any health care reform to be “bipartisan” … well if that is so why are only Democrats doing any compromising.
We now live in a land where obfuscation of fact is the norm and where the loudest mouth gets the most attention even if there are no facts in that mouth. And then Democrats roll over and expose their jugular for them. That’s why we’re losing.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:24 amDinner with the Palins:
Pay $25K for the privilege; spend thousands of dollars getting your stupid ass to Wasilla; and then Sarah Palin will claim she never heard of any auction, and leave you standing on the doorstep.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:25 amThe Washington Post documents the health insurance industry’s use of rescission — “the technical term for canceling coverage on grounds that the company was misled.
This is exactly what happened to us. I was hospitalized and assumed that Blue Cross would pay the bill since we had made payments for years. But lo and behold, when they discovered that I had been given medication for a migraine while I was in the hospital overnight, they claimed we hadn’t listed migraines on our application. Who knew anyone was ever hospitalized for migraines. My husband argued for over an hour with the insurance company representative but nothing would budge her. My doctor wrote a letter to Blue Cross suggesting that they were “once again weaseling out of paying” a claim. They dropped our insurance. Health insurance companies are the legal Mafia.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:26 amWhy do I have the feeling that without a strong public option, this health care bill will be nothing more then smoke and mirrors.
Congress will try to pass a law making rescission illegal for the insurance company’s, but with no public option the insurance company’s will take this to court, and tie it up for years. Nothing will change, because insurance company’s will make sure that rates are the same, even if you can cross state lines for insurance. Profit is the bottom line and the insurance company’s know the only thing that could harm their high profits, is a public option, the rest is just smoke and mirrors.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:26 amZooey says:
Dinner with the Palins:
Pay $25K for the privilege; spend thousands of dollars getting your stupid ass to Wasilla; and then Sarah Palin will claim she never heard of any auction, and leave you standing on the doorstep.
“Oh, here. Take this,” Sarah hands a raw moose leg out the front door prior to slamming it.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:26 amTawdry says: …Health insurance companies are the legal Mafia.
BCBS, California, saved $300 million by using recission against 20,000 claims.
With numbers like that, insurers will continue to use whatever means they can to increase profit.
Therein lies the problem. When profit is the driving force behind health care, the only ‘winner’ is the corporation.
That’s why they’re spending $1.5M / day to fight reform.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:29 amI love it, gummitch. :D
September 8th, 2009 at 9:30 amInsurance company lawyers are paid big bucks to dream up these clauses that defend their denial of coverage.
Now they claim that denial of coverage is their protection against fraud? WTF?
A person develops a symptom and receives treatment, but coverage is denied because the symptom was not reported before it occured?
Insurance profiteers must be thrown out of the health care arena – no more “for-profit” health care. They are shameless in their greed.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:33 amHere in Louisiana, it is optional from parish to parish: public schools in New Orleans are all viewing the President’s speech on education, while the suburbs (to which all the white flight occurred) are making it optional- at the superintendents’ discretion. Like many other areas around the country, some schools are offering alternative assignments and giving parents the option to have their kids not watch it.
What I want to know is this: how long are they estimating this speech to be? Tops, 10 minutes, right? After all, how long are kids going to really pay attention? The argument that it disrupts the curriculum for the day is specious at best. It takes longer to wrangle students for a bathroom run. And how much is this costing in administration and extra labor hours to provide the alternative activity and more teachers/substitutes to watch the kids who are not viewing the speech?
And finally (sorry for the soapbox moment), if the righties really fear this as a piece of potential indoctrination, why not let the President go through with it as originally planned? At that point, a righty could then step back and say, “See. This is exactly what we were talking about. He is Satan/Hitler/Mussolini/the Easter Bunny Killer.”
The stupid. It burns.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:33 am#5 Spencer’s mom
The Republican’s have shouting down to a science and yes, they are winning quite a bit with their shouts. The Dems don’t seem to understand this “shouting” is swaying public opinion. The shouting is like what happens in a stadium at a sporting game, first there is a little rumble then it gets louder and louder until all of a sudden you can’t hear yourself speak. The Dems just stand on the sideline wondering how to stop the noise.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:35 amThere can be only one reason for the uproar against health insurance reform — money.
The insurance companies want more of it.
And they will do anything to get it. Lie. Deny. Bribe politicians. Threaten. Send paid advocates to the media.
The worst of it is that the people are falling for it – against their own better interests!
September 8th, 2009 at 9:37 amHow refreshing it would be if democrats voted on health care according to dictates from the heart and not out of fear of losing their job. We are such a fear based society! EVERYBODY seems to be fearful of something. We have no clue nor realize the freedom and power that is ours when we cast fear aside.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:41 amThis public option as a fallback plan is a cop out. Who knows who will be in power, and it will be debated on into the future.
Can’t we get rid altogether of the REAL death panels…medical insurance agencies?
I am not ready to give up my faith in Obama just yet. I’m hoping he is just giving lip service for the folly of bipartisanship (nice thought but it takes two to tango), and in basketball terms…..give health care reform with a public option a slam dunk!
Today the rightwing authoritarians are claiming credit — they say Obama rewrote his school speech in reply to their legitimate complaints. They will use this as a teaching moment for the next issue — throw a tantrum, and the White House will cave.
The speech is 18 minutes long – it all has to do with admonishing students to study, etc. Obama has always stressed education – including his own, against the odds – but this is somehow viewed as “subversive.”
Bush is the president who asked for letters from students.
Reagan turned his into a political message on lower taxes.
This is going to be a long four years, folks, but it will feel like eight. (I doubt we’ll actually get eight.)
September 8th, 2009 at 9:43 amPerry has made it sound like the money was his idea, saying that Texas “remains dedicated to equipping our law enforcement with the resources necessary to protect our citizens.”
What a two faced, low-life, scumbag weasel the Governor of Texas is. He blasts the Federal Government and the stimulus, talks about secession and then takes Federal money and tries to pawn it off as Texas money.
I had an uncle who negotiated contracts for a defense contractor with their sub-contractors all over the U.S.
I once asked him which city had the nicest people, he replied Buffalo, NY…..and the worst, “Dallas, Texas”.
He told me in Buffalo their word was good on a handshake deal, in Dallas; even with a signed contract they would try to weasel out of the deal.
My apologies to the good people of Texas, but it seems you have a lot of rattlesnakes down there.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:43 amLOL! No Offense, but the Palin’s seem to be the most boring people on Earth. What are you gonna do? Watch wedding shows and discuss hunting? (Oh that’s right! Levi says Palin doesn’t even hunt and still keeps her gun in a box!)
September 8th, 2009 at 9:49 amtwocents says
September 8th, 2009 at 9:41 am
How refreshing it would be if democrats voted on health care according to dictates from the heart and not out of fear of losing their job.
___________________________________________________________
How ironic. So many of us are afraid of losing our job because that would mean we lose our health insurance.
I wonder if the members of Congress have a similar fear? Nah — they probably get government health care for life, even if they’re voted out of office.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:51 am“This is going to be a long four years, folks, but it will feel like eight. (I doubt we’ll actually get eight.)”
You’re right, Marie! If Obama and Congress do not pass health reform with a public option NOW, the republicans will say Obama is weak and his presidency is a failure. We all know how America is listening to the shouters without really thinking. Republicans just may return next election in full force.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:52 amThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Good point, misscoleopteramolly!
September 8th, 2009 at 9:54 amWatchpoopy gave himself a promotion.
“STORM”
Hee hee…
September 8th, 2009 at 9:56 amMarie says
September 8th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Today the rightwing authoritarians are claiming credit — they say Obama rewrote his school speech in reply to their legitimate complaints. They will use this as a teaching moment for the next issue — throw a tantrum, and the White House will cave.
_____________________________________________________________
Which is kind of funny, because only one small segment of the speech was reworded — a part that talked about how students could help President Obama meet his education goals. It was poorly worded, and it was changed.
From this, the wingnuts will spin that they’re the ones telling the president what to say, and that he wouldn’t be telling the students to study hard, work hard, stay in school, stay focused, or any other of the points in Obama’s speech without them pulling the strings.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:57 amSTORMy, elf isn’t a racial hate group that advoctes violence and hate.
You are the terrorists
September 8th, 2009 at 9:57 amAny congresscritter against pubic options MUST DROP THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT RUN INSURANCE.
Immediately.
It’s endangering themselves to everything they fear.
Oh, and include those on Medicare who oppose government insurance.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:57 amYou know, the money’s actually going to a good cause: why can’t some liberal donor get in on the auction, take the dinner, and ask some real questions?
Every school district for 20 miles around us wimped out. I suspect there’s going to be a run on the White House site this afternoon about 3:30…..
September 8th, 2009 at 9:57 amTawdry says: …Health insurance companies are the legal Mafia.
BCBS, California, saved $300 million by using recission against 20,000 claims.
With numbers like that, insurers will continue to use whatever means they can to increase profit.
Insurance Companies have a legal obligation to maximize profits for their shareholders. There’s only three legal ways to do that: increase money coming in, i.e. premium increases; decrease money going out, ie. benefits payments; and investments. We all know how investments went this past year, but they have a safety net for that, the taxpayer (Insurance companies scored big under Bush’s bailout of the financial sector).
Money = power. Insurance companies use our money to increase their power.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:58 amMost Americans loved putting Obama into office!
Most Americans want the way health care is run CHANGED!
Most Americans want a public option NOW!
Why all this pandering?
September 8th, 2009 at 9:59 amBut….that would mean Republicans believe in evolution!
September 8th, 2009 at 10:02 amInteresting link, STORMie.
I certainly do not stand behind the use of destruction to make points regarding the environment. I would rather ask someone not to buy mink instead of spray-paint it.
But how is this “terrorism”? This is the destruction of property. This is graffiti against a wall, the burning of an uninhabited building…how is this “terrorism”?
Please explain, ex-watchdog.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:05 amThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
watchpoop isn’t even trying anymore.
Sad.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:07 amZimzone says: School administrators appear to be the biggest force fighting our President’s speech to school aged children.
This is why I laugh when Cons call the public underEducation system ‘Liberal’… I’ve seen it first hand – it’s run just like the military – nothing Liberal about that.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:10 amSTORM, no I call em as I see em and elf is not a terrorist group like the right wing extremists, period.
Right wing extremism is the number one threat to America today.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:10 amThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
ELF was the name of a great band in the early 70’s. I think I still have their album! lol
September 8th, 2009 at 10:16 amwatchpoop… er… Stormy Daniels isn’t very good at reading comprehension, is she?
September 8th, 2009 at 10:17 amRadical Terrorist Environmental Group ELF Topple radio Towers in Washington State.
Hey, Storm, your title isn’t gripping enough. It should go something like this:
/snark
September 8th, 2009 at 10:18 amtwocents, are you thinking of ELO?
September 8th, 2009 at 10:18 amp.s. I thought the purpose of the comment voting system was so that trolls wouldn’t derail discussions….
September 8th, 2009 at 10:20 amThe actual Seattle PI headline: 2 radio towers in Washington state toppled
Poopstorm: You are an advocate of terrorist activity and support groups like ELF?
ELF is a loose collection of radicals who are definitely vandals using what is in my opinion a failed and counter-productive strategy. “Terrorism” specifically involves threat against persons and groups like ELF have never targeted people – unlike terrorist anti-abortion activists, for example.
During the anti-war movement of the 60s and 70s, some activists broke into Selective Service offices and poured animal blood on documents. Activity like this would no doubt be considered “terrorist” by the Right, but no people were harmed or threatened. Again, it’s targeted vandalism but not terrorism. Whether it’s effective or “good” is an open question.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:22 amgum, I have no doubt that our friend STORMfront would read your well-reasoned critique and decide that You are an advocate of terrorist activity and support groups like ELF?
Or at least she would pose it as a rhetorical question.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:25 amralph the wonder llama says:
gum, I have no doubt that our friend STORMfront would read your well-reasoned critique and decide that You are an advocate of terrorist activity and support groups like ELF?
Or at least she would pose it as a rhetorical question.
Stormpoopy suffers from the usual wingnut binary worldview.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:26 amI would love to see Tina Fey’s take on this dinner!
September 8th, 2009 at 10:31 amThis provides political cover for “Blue Dogs.” Sadly it is more about the politics of power than doing the people’s business. But that has been the way of elected officials since the dawn of representative democracy. It’s not likely to change any time soon.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:35 am44. ralph the wonder llama says:
twocents, are you thinking of ELO?
No, definitely ELF! Check out amazon….troll-looking guy on the cover.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:36 am44. ralph the wonder llama:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_(band)
samples on amazon
Definitely my hard-core rock ‘n roll days…..
September 8th, 2009 at 10:42 amtwo cents, that is so COOL!
Thanks for the link.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:44 amPurple State says:
But how is this “terrorism”? This is the destruction of property. This is graffiti against a wall, the burning of an uninhabited building…how is this “terrorism”?
Please explain, ex-watchdog.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:05 am
________________
It’s politically-motivated violent crime. That, by my definition, is terrorism. Terrorism doesn’t have to kill people – it just has to cause economic disruption, and the destruction of radio towers certainly counts.
That said, I believe it should be prosecuted like all terrorist acts – as nothing other than a crime.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:00 amStorm aka watchpoo can’t tell the difference between terrorism and vandalism. Following his reichwing logic we’ll be sending adolescent vandals to Gitmo the next time we have a Republican president.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:02 amSTORM says:
God you stupid brainwashed rightwing sheeple are so pathetic and ignorant. The Radical terrorist group that has never in their history killed a single person? In fact NO green group has EVER killed anybody but since the new propaganda parrot talking point is about ECO terrorism. Morons like you wont let that stop you from regurgitating the stupid you were programmed with. Have the decency to be embarassed that you are being used like a Chatty Kathy doll.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:06 amSTORM says:
WOW that was weak. No see YOU are nothing but a brainwashed propaganda parrot. Spewing what you were told to think without ever even TRYING to think for yourself. You are a moron. A particularly stupid moron. You get your string pulled and regurgitate on demand what you were TOLD to think. You are so pathetic it is just sad
September 8th, 2009 at 11:08 amBaucus, Grassley, Enzi, Lincoln and Bayh are all health insurance whores, bought and fully paid for by the health insurance cabal.
We need to support organizations that will throw those whores out of office.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:15 am#53 ralph the wonder llama says:
“two cents, that is so COOL!”
Your welcome, Ralph! Glad to give you a musical smile.
A few more gems from that era….
http://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Beck-Group/dp/B0000024YI/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1252422751&sr=8-9
http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Jeff-Beck/dp/B000I0QKDS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1252422544&sr=1-1
Enjoy!
September 8th, 2009 at 11:15 amEugeneDebs says:
In fact NO green group has EVER killed anybody but since the new propaganda parrot talking point is about ECO terrorism.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:06 am
_____________
Ted Kaczynski did kill a few people, though he’d be more accurately be termed an anarcho-terrorist rather than an eco-terrorist.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:18 amralph the wonder llama
Wait Ralph, this one is better, minus some of the not so good:
http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Jeff-Beck/dp/B0000027KU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1252423208&sr=1-2
September 8th, 2009 at 11:22 amchiroptera toasterhead says
Yeah Ted was an insane genius who cant credibly be linked with ANY green group. He had his own Luddite mission which was only tangentially green and was part of NO group
September 8th, 2009 at 11:22 amThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Everybody knows you’re promoting your own site.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:28 amchiroptera toasterhead says:
EugeneDebs says:
In fact NO green group has EVER killed anybody but since the new propaganda parrot talking point is about ECO terrorism.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:06 am
_____________
Ted Kaczynski did kill a few people, though he’d be more accurately be termed an anarcho-terrorist rather than an eco-terrorist.
I’d call Ted a nutcase, frankly.
Environmental radicals have seriously injured people a number of times by spiking trees. My memory is that an activist was blown up with a car bomb a long time back, but there was reason to believe it wasn’t the activists who planted the bomb. Makes me realize how long the eco-’terrorists’ have been around.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:33 amWhy does joedee sound exactly like one of those email spammers that try to sound like you should know who they are and you should be interested in what they are bringing to your attention — totally without any self-interest, by the way — just because it’s so darn exciting?
September 8th, 2009 at 11:33 amGoodness, those links bring you to two immensely boring sets of race discussions from a guy whose grammar is pretty bad for a self-advertised writer.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:36 amchiroptera toasterhead says:
It’s politically-motivated violent crime. That, by my definition, is terrorism. Terrorism doesn’t have to kill people – it just has to cause economic disruption, and the destruction of radio towers certainly counts.
I’m not sure I buy it, toasterhead. If the intent was to cause economic disruption, maybe, but the intent here was to remove something they believed was an intrusion into the ecosphere.
The legal definition of terrorism:
From Wikipedia:
September 8th, 2009 at 11:39 am
gummble-bee-itch says:
Yes. I think spiking trees is the worst thing they can be credibly linked to and it is very bad. It has the potential to kill someone. As far as I know however they havent killed anyone and I have looked. Destroying property is bad. It is wrong and hey put them in jail. Calling them TERRORISTS however when they take pains NOT to kill people is just dumb. Ted was a terrorist and yeah he was insane. The rightwing nuts as always line up like the sheep they are to carry water for the powerful. The Ecoterrorism meme is just that. Trying to get the mindless drones like STORM to carry the message that there is no difference between environmental activists and Al Queda
September 8th, 2009 at 11:42 amYou mean after eight years of Bushs ‘Stay The Course’ they still dont know what that clearly defines?
September 8th, 2009 at 11:42 amGee, I thought they knew what stay the course meant, it means a new way forward.
Sheesh. Cant that be any clearer?
September 8th, 2009 at 11:43 amchiroptera toasterhead says:
I agree with grumblebee. It DOESNT fit the definition of terrorism. It is not spreading terror. People are not living in fear that corporate and wealthy peoples property is going to be destroyed and it will cost them money. If they are assuring that they DONT kill people they are taking pains to assure exactly the opposite that people are NOT terrorized and that is not anywhere NEAR terrorism. When those bombs go off in crowded places or these ski lodges start being burned while full of people get back to me
September 8th, 2009 at 11:46 amDirty Max’s latest health care plan:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26822.html
Features:
1. No public option (includes co-ops, no mention of trigger)
2. No employer mandate (includes a free rider provision)
3. Less generous in subsidies and coverage
The devil is in the details. With devilish, corporate sponsored Max in charge, this bears close monitoring.
September 8th, 2009 at 12:07 pmWhy? It won’t be part of anything that might actually happen.
September 8th, 2009 at 12:13 pmMilitary observers, soldiers on the ground “and some top Pentagon officials are warning that dispatching even tens of thousands more soldiers and Marines” to Afghanistan “might not ensure success.” The skeptics say that “the heart of the problem” is that “neither Barack Obama’s White House nor the Pentagon has clearly defined America’s mission in Afghanistan.”
Somebody needs to tell this to Kristol, Palin, Rove, et al, who are pushing for more troops in Afghanistan.
September 8th, 2009 at 12:43 pmtwocents says:
If Obama and Congress do not pass health reform with a public option NOW, the republicans will say Obama is weak and his presidency is a failure.
If he caves on the public option, Obama will have proven himself to be weak. As far as failure goes, he’d be well on his way since the republics will use the same tactics to short-circuit any of his initiatives.
September 8th, 2009 at 12:48 pmStormee sez;
Project ELF: Extremely Low Frequency- US Navy communication system that transmitted one-way: to submerged submarines. Closed down in 2004 as obsolete.
September 8th, 2009 at 12:50 pmInsurance companies have taken the law into their own hands by deciding which of their customers is guilty of “fraud”. Recission is against the law because health insurance companies do not have the authority to judge who may or may not be defrauding them.
If insurance companies want to rescind someone insurance coverage, they should take that customer to court, and present their evidence that this customer is committing fraud, and let the judge/jury decide if the customer’s insurance should be rescinded.
Health care insurance companies have taken the law into their own hands. If I take the law into my own hands, I could go to prison. Why do insurance companies have the right to take the law into their own hands when I do not have the same right?
Because America is a nation that exists outside the rule of law.
September 8th, 2009 at 1:49 pmGoddamn the fcuking liars all to hell.
We Can’t Afford to Wait
September 8th, 2009 at 2:53 pmFORWARD WITH PROGRESS, THOSE OPPOSED WILL BE DAMNED BY PROGRESS.
I post, Fred votes it down, then upchucks, a distinctly bad move for someone with their head in the sand.
September 8th, 2009 at 3:16 pm.
Those people over there are Muslims, right? Well, then let their Muslim Jesus take care of them.
And our REAL Jesus can take care of us right here in His favorite country, where He put all the money and stuff.
September 8th, 2009 at 8:59 pm.
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, a charity organization that provides health services to Afghans, on Monday accused American soldiers of illegally raiding one of their hospitals, damaging property and tying up patients and staff in the process. Anders Fange, the Committee’s country director, told the press, “This is a clear violation of internationally recognized rules and principles.”
Stuff happens in war. Ask the commander-in-chief about it.
September 8th, 2009 at 9:23 pmI’m just now realizing that “healthcare reform” consists of the requirement that every American have health insurance or pay a fine; and that without a public option, our government is essentially requiring us all to pay big premiums to insurance companies whether we can afford it or not. If the government is going to mandate coverage, they absolutely MUST provide it….
Where’s the next town hall meeting?????
September 9th, 2009 at 4:12 pmThank you for your sharing.!
September 11th, 2009 at 2:45 pmestetik
September 15th, 2009 at 5:52 amThe healthcare system we have now is not wrking for a lot of people nd we do need a change but do you really beleive the US government plan will solve thsi problem, look at ss and medicare, the US government is not the answer.