The Fold

Scoring Affordable Health Bill

2009-07-14T17:57:00.003-05:00

Reading through some of the highlights on the House's version of health care reform, I must say that I am somewhat pleased with something from the Halls of Congress for the first time in a long time. It's not a perfect bill but it does hit all the main reform points that I think are necessary for any true reform.

A "public option" for those who don't have health insurance.
Guaranteed solid benefits for everybody, with caps on out-of-pocket spending.
Regulation of insurers, including requirements that insurers provide insurance to people with pre-existing conditions without higher rates.
A mandate that everyone assume some responsibility of payment.

I'm still hesitant on some of the proposals like payment reform and how a surcharge on the wealthiest will pay for the plan. I'd score the overall bill with B (slightly above average).

-- CBO already scored the bill and projects it will cost $1.04 trillion over 10 years and cover 97% of Americans. Keep in mind that's cheaper than what the war in Iraq has already cost in 6 years.

-- The House plans to move forward tomorrow with markups and amendments scheduled for Thursday.

Really the only thing I would like to see added in the amendment process is one that ties Republican Members of Congress' health care coverage to the passage of this one. We'll see then how much they are really against government-funded health care.

Health Care: It's Time

2009-07-14T16:00:00.003-05:00

On the day the House presented its version of health care reform with a "public option" I see Lisa at Organized Chaos has somewhat responded to our quaint discussion from a few days ago about this very issue.

On competition in health care:

I don’t oppose competition. I oppose a competition in which the deck is stacked in favor of the government’s entry. I also dispute the notion that the post office is a brilliant example of how government competition could improve the service or quality of health care. UPS and FedEx pushed the USPS to improve its services, not the other way around. And BTW, the USPS is still inferior to both.

I’m still confused as to how people who label themselves as supporting capitalism/competition could be against increased competition for health insurance providers because government would be involved.

The only way the deck would be stacked in favor of the government is if private providers can’t compete, and if they can’t compete capitalism tells us they will fall. Nor did I say the postal service was a brilliant example of how government competition could improve health care. I said the postal service was an excellent example of a government service not shutting down private business. If UPS and FedEx pushed the USPS to improve, isn’t that still competition? If private industry forces the government to do better than I’m all for it. And likewise, if public industry forces private industry to shape up then it’s still a good thing. It’s called competition.

All this goes without mentioning that people will not have to leave their current providers. Myself, for instance, will stay with my current provider and so will millions of others. The only way people will switch providers is if the government is able to offer better services for less money. Those who don’t have insurance coverage through their employers will have the option of being covered by the “public option,” which is great news for the + 40 million people who don’t currently have health coverage. Republicans in Congress currently enjoy this very system of health coverage. If they are so against it, they should pen a bill that would strip them of their socialist medicine as well. They won't do that as we all know, so they really should be forced to explain how they can support public coverage for them but no one else.

15 Minutes Are Up

2009-07-14T09:08:00.005-05:00

Who in their right mind would print anything Sarah Palin has to say? Oh wait, the very liberal media known as the Washington Post gladly does.

The only topic Palin can actually claim expertise on is transfer credit at American universities. Unless she's writing an op-ed on how to transfer to six different colleges and still manage to graduate from one, there's really no reason to ever print anything she says, certainly not something about climate and economic policy.

*Update:

As dumb and void as ever. Think Progress discovers Sarah Palin supported capping carbon emissions while running for vice president. Keep in mind, though, that anything prior to Jan. 2009 is ancient history and it's never to be brought up again. If you do, you're only demonstrating anger and hatred for America.

Doesn't this qualify as being for it before she was against it?

Just Like Yesterday

2009-07-13T13:58:00.003-05:00

Liz Cheney, daughter (not the gay one) of Super Tough Guy Dick Cheney, says those who oppose her father's administration-- ultimately those who oppose Republican Rule-- are "angry" and "un-American."

Actually, what would be un-American is to insist that a presidential administration can't be held to the Constitution, which is exactly what the Bushies have said since 2001. The world is so relieved these people aren't in power anymore.

God Help Us All

2009-07-13T09:47:00.003-05:00

John McCain, the de facto figurehead leader of the Republican Party, says Sarah Palin's resignation doesn't mean she quit.

“I don’t think she quit. I don’t know there was a quote, promise.”

How in the world is being elected as governor not a promise to the voters? And since when is resigning your post when you're halfway finished with a job not quitting? Only in the Republican Fantasy World can any of this be true. In their world, a world where George Bush was popular and Iraq had something to do with 9/11, quitters are fighters and actual quitting is only when you cross your heart and stick a needle in your eye.

Different Standards Still Apply

2009-07-12T13:03:00.003-05:00

With Friday's revelation that former veep Dick Cheney gave very direct orders to the CIA to conceal from Congress a massive government surveillance program, it again highlights the total hypocrisy from Republicans concerning federal power when they are in office. Below I wrote about presidential appointment of "czars" and Republicans crying like little babies when Obama does it. Today we have Republicans shrugging shoulders at this newest revelation of very extreme power grabs by the Bush administration.

Here's Senator Kyl (R-AZ) saying that if it's a top secret program then it's okay to hide it from Congress. I couldn't imagine if it was Barack Obama hiding top secret spying programs from Congress what Sen. Kyl would be saying. Obama publicly and openly appoints people to run certain policy directives and Repubs claim he's trying to avoid Congressional oversight and using it as a power grab. But the Bushies can intentionally hide from Congress a massive spying program and Repubs shrug their shoulders.

It's the same no matter the subject. When Democrats commit acts of immorality it proves they are unfit and should be removed from office. When Republicans do the exact same thing they merely pray to God and give Bible quotes as to why they don't have to resign. When Bush appoints more "czars" then any president in history, it's perfectly normal. When Obama does it, it's proof he's a socialist dictator. When Republicans are in power there isn't anything they can do that should be criticized.

It's all so redundantly stupid but the real point in all of this is that Congress has oversight of the CIA. Even if it's a "top secret" program, Congress has OVERSIGHT. It doesn't matter what Sen. Kyl may think, the president or vice president cannot order it concealed from Congress. That's the whole point.

Deep Thought

2009-07-11T19:21:00.003-05:00

It's not surprising, in a Sadistically Republican sort of way, to see Fox News, Mike Huckabee, Karl Rove and other Republicans complain about President Obama appointing people to head up new policy directions or better known as "czars" in today's 24/7 news media world. After all, no one appointed more czars than President Bush. Yet none of that matters to Republicans now. All that matters is when Obama does it, it's a power grab designed to expand federal power and avoid oversight. George Bush doing it means nothing and anyone that brings up the ancient history of the Bush presidency is only demonstrating anger and hatred. Wheeeee!

Quickies

2009-07-11T11:28:00.003-05:00

It's going to be a busy weekend around here and I might not have time to post very much. I wanted to get out a couple items real quick while they were still fresh on my mind. First, we've begun our Republican Walk With God page. It can be viewed here. This page will help track the many Holy walks with God Republicans enjoy. Walks such as the one Christian Conservative and Republican U.S. Senator John Ensign is currently taking. Or the stroll Holy Man Mark Sanford in South Carolina is taking are just some of the many blessed walks that will be highlighted.

Secondly, if you haven't heard yet about the C-Street group, or The Family as they like to be called, and how this "Christian" group handled the whole Ensign saga, you really should give it a read.

Alright I'm off.

Write Your Medicare Check to Me Then

2009-07-10T14:47:00.004-05:00

One of the dumbest arguments from Republicans about President Obama's health care reform is that a "public option" would force private insurers out of business. Absurd as it sounds it's actually their argument. What it would do is force private companies to compete with a public plan. The only way they would close down is if they can't compete, which is the very basis of capitalism. So the big, bad, super-capitalist Republicans are actually arguing that competition (nee: capitalism) will actually shut down private enterprise. It makes no sense. You can't actually call yourself a capitalist and say such things.

On top of that, here we have Congressman Roy Blunt (R-MO) saying that government should have never gotten into the health care business. Amazing really. Roy Blunt is a federal employee who's health care for him and his family is completely paid by tax payer money. His very own health care plan is the government getting into the health care business. If you pay attention to what he's saying, it's that government shouldn't have started medicare and medicaid. Well, then, it's perfectly acceptable for government to have started his health care plan but not a plan that covers other people That's the whole point to every Republican/conservative plan. They aren't against government funded anything. They're against anything that might provide anything they have to other people.

Obama: Recovery Still A Ways Off

2009-07-10T09:17:00.004-05:00

I think that might be an understatement from President Obama. Recovery seems to be almost out of sight from where I'm looking. Though job losses have slowed, they are still in unacceptable territory. And the Dow is stagnant. Real growth is still far away. What is truly lagging, though, is stimulus spending. ProPublica reports stimulus spending is almost impossible to track. Recovery.gov, the site responsible for publicly tracking the money and the results, is out of date and worthless thus far.

WaPo graphs stimulus spending to be very slow also.

It's fair to state the American people have given the president breathing room when it comes to the economy. Slowly and surely this economy will become Obama's. The question is how long will that take. My estimation is about another 6 months and we'll see drastic swings in polling showing people are giving ownership to the Obama administration.

I think economic recovery will be a large factor in next year's mid-term elections and there's no doubt election results will be determined by economic results. Infrastructure projects are some of the most important and some of the most visible. These should be a priority for stimulus spending. Secondly, I really want my dang broadband initiative to take hold. There's no reason internet access can't be a utility just like running water and sewer.

Repub Walk With God Is Solid As Ever

2009-07-09T17:16:00.005-05:00

Walking With God can be a difficult task. Sometimes the little stroll can get bumpy. For instance, your friend and co-worker, who also Walks With God, wants to end his affair with his buddy's wife but he knows doing it will prompt his mistress to go public. So what do you do? Exactly what any good Republican U.S. Senator would do, you urge him to pay his girly friend millions to shut her up. Then you tell the press that you aren't going to discuss it because in the course of your Walk With God, you merely acted in good faith as a medical doctor and a Deacon. So your friend has his parents pay off his romp sessions. All very clever and Godly if you ask me.

Deep Thought

2009-07-09T09:03:00.003-05:00

Until Republicans are accused of murder and investigated three separate times and found to have nothing to do with said allegations, and are accused of embezzling money from a land deal and investigated three separate times one of which was an independent counsel setup by the opposition party and given an unlimited budget and unprecedented subpoena powers, of which the entirety of every investigation including the one setup by Congress found them to have no wrongdoing whatsoever, they really should shut up and quit whining about petty investigations and being Perpetual Victims. They have no idea what it's like to be victims of wingnut conspiracy witch hunts.

Republican Values: Pay Off Your Mistress

2009-07-09T08:22:00.002-05:00

The moral values of the Republican Party is such a daunting display of Christian moral solemnness that it makes me realize exactly what the 'gotcha media' really is. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) purportedly urged Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) to pay off a mistress with millions of dollars with whom he admitted having an affair. And to think they Walk With God.

Surely Reality Will Set In?

2009-07-08T17:10:00.003-05:00

A must see case of complete ~~Republican~~ conservative self-destruction when it comes to all things politics. SBJ sure does try, but it all would just go away if he would come to terms with the reality of the last 8 years of Republican rule. Their denial is so dejected it almost makes you want to feel sorry for them.

But They Walk With God

2009-07-08T12:32:00.004-05:00

The Republican Walk With God just keeps getting closer and closer. George Bush told us that God was on our side in our fight against the evildoers. We're constantly reminded by folks on Redstate.com just how holy Republicans are and how the heathen Democrats are out to destroy our country. We've seen people like James Dobson, Ted Haggard, John Hagee and Pat Robertson to name a few, remind us over and over again that their Walk With God is much holier than anyone else in the world.

Now today we see a Republican Arizona state senator tell us that we should mine for uranium in her home state because the Earth is 6,000 years old and it's been safe thus far. In the Republican Fantasy World it's a sin to admit the Earth is more than 6,000 years old because it would not coincide with the Bible. The funny thing is uranium takes billions of years to create. And it's one of the things scientists use to prove just how old the Earth really is. Don't question their reality, it will only prove how unholy you are.

(h/t Think Progress)

Jeb Bush Informs Us All How Stupid He is

2009-07-08T11:29:00.003-05:00

The former Governor of Florida and brother to President George W. Bush and son to President George H. W. Bush tells us what he really thinks:

Barack Obama would not have gotten elected if he'd let us in on his secret plan prior to the election. He would not have gotten elected if he'd said, "My idea is to create a $1.8 trillion deficit for the next fiscal year. My idea is to spend $750 billion [the president's budget estimate puts this figure at $630 billion] over the next ten years on a government-sponsored, government-subsidized health care policy. My idea is to create a massive cap-and-trade system [based on the idea] that CO2 is [a] pollutant and we need to tax it in a massive way to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions."

Jeb also went on to call Obama a "collectivist."

It's all one big conspiracy for Republicans. It's like watching an episode of the X Files. Not only are they Perpetual Victims being ostracized by Democrats but they are also Freedom Fighting Warriros alerting us to Barack Obama's secret plans that he hid to get elected. Big bad Jeb forgets that his very own brother created the $1.8 trillion deficit not Barack Obama. President Obama merely inherited it. And it was his brother that spent more money than any president in history. It was also his brother that "collected" more private industry than any president in history. If Jeb is worried about a "collectivist" president then I'm sure he didn't vote twice for his brother It really should be illegal to be this stupid.

It's All Coming Back to Me Now

2009-07-07T20:51:00.004-05:00

It's nice to see Al Franken being seated as a U.S. Senator. Many will recall that I used to work for Sen. Paul Simon, whom then comedian Al Franken portrayed in SNL skits most notably spoofs on the Clarence Thomas hearings. Paul would have loved to seen this day and I'm sure he would have referenced his dear friend the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, the very seat Franken now holds. It's weird how everything ties in together. It was also Sen. Simon who first introduced me to then state senator Barack Obama in 2002, where I would later go work. You were a good man Paul. God you were a good man.

True Republican Values on Display

2009-07-07T20:19:00.002-05:00

Republicans are so serious and believe so heavily in moral values and "traditional conservative principles" that when one of their own violates every moral standard they so insist everyone must live up to, what do they do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The South Carolina Republican Party voted overwhelmingly to look the other way at Gov. Mark Sanford and his many transgressions. Proof positive Republicans really could care less about moral values or any of their constant stump speeches, unless of course it's a Democrat then that person is unholy and anti-American. There is no reason to ever trust anything they say.

Boners for Values

2009-07-06T22:20:00.004-05:00

As deeply ridiculous as Sarah Palin is, it's worth bringing to attention the advancement of her totally fictitious claim that her goal is to look ahead and advance this country along the traditional conservative values of "less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security, and much-needed fiscal restraint."

Her goal may be to do just that, but her assumption that less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security and much needed fiscal restraint has anything to do with traditional conservative values is retarded. We just had in this country 8 years of conservative Republican rule and no where can we find the slightest hint of less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security or any sign of fiscal restraint whatsoever. Any such "values" are totally absent from Republican history. But let's get to what really gives Republicans boners.

In 20 years of solid Republican rule (8 years of Reagan, and 12 years of Bushies) no where is there any track record of any such self-proclaimed "values." Reagan never once shrunk government, led us to greater energy independence, created stronger national security (at least no more so than any other president) and absolutely demonstrated no such ability for fiscal restraint. He did nothing of the sorts of things Republicans claim they "value." In fact, there is no where in their history that suggests they have ever "valued" any of it. It's one big lie. All they want to do is sit back, wear Reagan shirts and have circle jerk Tea Bagger parties.

Any sane person would think that we could find, in the very least, an ounce of their "values" in 20 years of rule. If not, you eventually have to start questioning these people's grasp of reality.

Tea Baggers 2.0

2009-07-06T21:23:00.007-05:00

I would be totally remiss if I didn't mention the hugely popular Tea Bagger Party over the weekend. Even though Tea Baggers like to tell us that they are protesting government and not necessarily the President of the United States/Democrats, the reality is they are mad they lost the election in 2008 and have consequently dug themselves deeper into the Republican Fantasy World.

Does this person look like they are protesting "government?"

How 'bout this person?

I'm pretty certain comparing our president to bin Laden is a rather precise protest aimed squarely at one person.

I cannot imagine what Fox News and Republicans would be saying if Democrats used the nation's Birth Day for a day of protest against our president. Oh yeah, they said it was the one day we should focus on anything except what we disagree about. For Republicans, though, their own rules don't apply to them because they are Freedom Fighting Revolutionaries just trying to protect America. Anyone else is still an islamofascistterroristliberalcommie.

Quitter

2009-07-06T20:59:00.004-05:00

Hummmmmm.....what else can I say about this that already hasn't been said? I'm so late to it not sure there is anything I can add. Wait, yeah I can. Someone who quits in the middle of their job is just perfect to lead the GOP. Good luck Republicans.

If a Democrat quits they are unpatriotic and not fit for office. A Republican does it and they are Super Patriots battling liberals to take back our country. Officially not an official political party anymore. They are now a group of wing nuts led by the person above. Wheeee!

Gone

2009-07-06T20:52:00.001-05:00

Looks like I picked a busy few days to get away and neglect the blog. But I'm back baby!

Public Option Price Tag

2009-07-02T08:17:00.003-05:00

CBO evaluates cost of public option and estimates it will cost $611.4 billion over 10 years. Estimations are 97% of Americans will be covered by the plan.

Two weeks ago the CBO released a cost estimation for Sen. Kennedy's health bill. Estimated costs were $1 trillion over 10 years and millions still left without coverage. That bill did not include the public option, however. Nevertheless, Republicans pounded on the report saying it killed any such effort to reform health care. Now that the CBO has scored the public option, will Republicans be so quick to stand by CBO or will they continue to use the report that doesn't even include the public option? Last time I brought it up it didn't even garner a response.

Fox News: Dems Really Only Have 50 Votes

2009-07-01T15:21:00.003-05:00

After their freakout yesterday over Al Franken's belated victory in MN, Fox News has now concluded the Dems really don't have a super majority and barely have 50 votes.

For all intents and purposes, Democrats don't truly have 60 votes in the Senate.

With the addition of Franken, they technically have 58. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., caucus with Democrats but don't define themselves that way.

For all intents and purposes, Fox News, the caretakers of the Republican Fantasy World, is lying. Just like with a majority, a super majority is not judged by how many votes a Party has, but how many members caucus with it. Majority power rests on a simple majority (51). A super majority rests with 3/5 of the vote (60). If we go by Fantasy World logic and conclude that senators who do not always vote with their Party are then stricken from their share of seats, accordingly Republicans only have 32 votes considering the 8 moderates in the Party that voted for SCHIP.

Of course it would be a complete falsehood to state such a prose. Republicans obviously have 40 seats and not 32. Now consider that Fox News, a leading media outlet in America, is pushing a story just as false and inaccurate as me saying Repubs only have 32 votes. That's just how Fair and Balanced Fox News is.

GOP's Walk With God (*Update)

2009-07-01T08:39:00.006-05:00

This is just to keep everybody on the same page here.

Last Friday Mark Sanford said that since King David didn't resign when he had an affair that he wouldn't either.
Then yesterday he said that it was God's will for him to remain Governor of South Carolina.
He also admitted in the same AP interview that he had inappropriate contact with other women but that he was doing it to "blow off steam." Also one of his love romps was attended by his "spiritual adviser."

Even when they commit acts of immoral disgust, Republicans are still Holy, God-walking people. Not only are they Revolutionaries!, they are also God-like in their conduct. Don't dare point out their hypocrisy because then you are treating them unfairly.

*Update:

Couple other things to get straight here.

In the AP interview Sanford calls his mistress his "soul mate" and that they are truly in love. His exact words are his affair is a "love story." And here we have PA Republican state senator John Eichelberger stating he opposes same-sex marriage rights because it is "wrong" and will lead to "polygamy." That sounds like something Sanford would be all for. Of course gay marriage won't lead to such scare tactics, but according to their argument against granting equal rights, Republicans' very own lifestyles would be widely accepted and legal.

**Update:

They just can't quit. Their walk with God is extraordinary in its composition that they are actually just walking alone. Joe the Plumber says he talked to God and God told him not to run for office.

Asked if he has plans to run for public office, he replied, “I hope not. You know, I talked to God about that and he was like, ‘No.’”

Every step they take is guided by God. Their adulterous affairs are undertaken with careful understanding that God is with them; they even bring their preachers along to join them. They reference the Bible citing proof they don't have to resign from office. They run and don't run for office with God's permission. It's a special walk with God I'm sure everyone would like to have. But the only way to do it is to be Republican.