Pilot Season Episode 9!

Doing Away With the Doughnut Hole
AARP and consumer groups want it eliminated or at least narrowed

Ask Medicare beneficiaries what they hate most about Part D prescription drug coverage and a chorus goes up: “The doughnut hole!” Although most enrollees have saved money buying their drugs through Part D since the program began in 2006, the thing they fear most is falling into that gap in coverage—universally nicknamed the doughnut hole—where they must generally pay 100 percent of the cost of medicines out of their own pockets.

Now, with a mood in Washington to make health care more affordable for everyone, AARP and some other consumer groups are calling on Congress to eliminate the Part D gap, or at least narrow it.

“Medicare beneficiaries dread falling into the doughnut hole because it essentially leaves them uninsured for a major medical expense for part of the year,” says Cheryl Matheis, AARP’s director of health strategies. “To millions of people enrolled in Part D, making health care more affordable means closing the coverage gap.”

The Medicare drug benefit is unlike any other type of insurance. Health policy experts compare it to a roller coaster. In any given year, depending on the total cost of the drugs they consume and the design of their Part D drug plan, enrollees can move through a number of periods of coverage and noncoverage, as follows:

Noncoverage—Deductible phase

* Enrollee pays up to $295 out of pocket at the beginning of the year until coverage kicks in—though some drug plans charge no deductible

Coverage—Initial coverage phase

* Enrollee pays copayments or coinsurance required by plan until total drug costs (what both enrollee and plan have paid) reach $2,700 since the beginning of the year

Noncoverage—Doughnut hole phase

* Enrollee pays 100 percent of drug costs until $4,350 has been paid out of pocket on drugs (excluding premiums) since the beginning of the year

Coverage—Catastrophic phase

* Enrollee pays up to 5 percent of drug costs until the end of the year

Another Part D coverage analogy: It’s a bit like having auto insurance that stops after policyholders have traveled a certain number of miles in a year—but kicks in again if their mileage reaches a very high level before the end of the year.

For example, Latricia Solberg of Rialto, Calif., a kidney patient who has dialysis three times a week, needs to take 12 Renagel pills a day to keep her phosphorous levels in check. Under Part D, her copay was $90 for three months’ supply. Now, in the doughnut hole, it costs $2,019 for the same quantity.

No cheaper generic version of Renagel is available in the United States, and Solberg doesn’t expect to qualify for catastrophic coverage before November. The cost takes precious money she and her husband need for other things—“and with both of us on disability, that’s scary,” she says. “But if I stopped taking it, I’d get really sick.” She will face this dilemma each year.

About one in four Part D enrollees (26 percent) fell into the coverage gap in 2007, according to a study published by the Kaiser Family Foundation last year. Among those age 85 and older this figure rose to one in three. Half of enrollees who got dunked in the doughnut hole reached it by August, and most stayed in it for the rest of the year. Only 4 percent of enrollees made it through the gap to reach the benevolent phase of catastrophic coverage, in which they pay no more than 5 percent of the cost of their drugs until the end of the year. More here:

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/medicare/articles/doing_away_with_th...

another bird just ran into a window ... this is the 3rd one I have seen do it.

She is usually worried, it seems, about Mexican drug-running hit men although she lives in rural Illinois. It's a good thing my hubby is coming with me or I would probably blurt out "Mom, if you want some things to worry about, I can really tell you some. After the last 8 years I have my own paranoias. (sp?)

or an awful lot of clean glass.

it went perfectly with the capradio.org series I heard this morning called

Living Homeless

http://theinfounderground.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5367

Israel did 9/11, ALL THE PROOF IN THE WORLD!!

(the headline, not mine)

Submitted by Sandy on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 11:57am.
She is usually worried, it seems, about Mexican drug-running hit men although she lives in rural Illinois. It's a good thing my hubby is coming with me or I would probably blurt out...
---------
Sandy: "Mexican drug-running hit men? You don't know from Mexican drug-running hit men. Let me tell you about Mexican drug-running hit men!"

At the recent Senate-Republican House Fundraising Dinner actor Jon Voight, called Obama a ‘False Prophet’ and said that “we and we alone are the right frame of mind to free this nation from this Obama oppression.”.....

http://www.thedailychange.com

********

"Jon Voight

is a frightened little girl in a pink ballet tutu, who acts like Obama just wandered in from the rain forest with a bone thru his nose and a communist pamphlet in his loincloth. The neocons who own jon voight and make him dance on the chabad telethons are the worst most elitist people on earth. glen beck and jon voight are their bitches... both of them are used tampons who must be flushed down the toilet immediately!......."

http://www.roseanneworld.com/blog/2008/08/jon_voight.php

drug-running hit men since I live in Tucson. I could tell her we have drug shootings here all the time but then she would never come to visit. I wonder if she is watching too much Lou Dobbs.

Submitted by dan on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 12:00pm.
...or an awful lot of clean glass.
-----------
It's way up there on the list of birdy hazards. Little kids walk into glass, too. Invisibility wins every time.

http://www.wbu.com/education/windowstrikes.html

Cheering Movers and Art Student Spies: Was Israel Tracking the Hijackers Before the 9/11 Attacks?
A new article in the newsletter Counterpunch examines unresolved questions over whether Israeli agents were tracking the 9/11 hijackers before September 11th. ABC’s 20/20, The Forward, and Salon.com have all covered the story. But where’s the follow up? We speak to the author of the article, Christopher Ketcham; Counterpunch editor Alexander Cockburn, and Marc Perelman, the Forward reporter who did one of the first reports on the story in 2002.
====
Were Israeli agents tracking the 9/11 hijackers before September 11th? In 2002, ABC’s 20/20, Salon.com, and the Jewish newspaper The Forward all did this story. But where’s the follow up?
http://www.democracynow.org/2007/2/8/cheering_movers_and_art_student_spi...

By Sherwood Ross

Two Colombian generals, both of whom received training at the U.S. Army's "School of The Americas"(SOA) at Ft. Benning, Ga., have been accused by Colombian authorities of crimes involving narcotics and collaborating with criminal paramilitary groups, according to a report in the June 15th issue of The Nation magazine.

Brig. Gen. Pauxelino Latorre has been charged "with laundering millions of dollars for a paramilitary drug ring, and prosecutors say they are looking into his activities as head of the Seventeenth Brigade," investigative journalist Teo Ballve reports. He notes that criminal probes repeatedly linked his unit "to illegal paramilitary groups that had brutally killed thousands" of Colombian farmers in an effort to seize their land for palm oil production.........

The hypocrisy of this man is astounding. The Mainstream Media has never challenged his disastrous policies. He is a hopeless failure. Yet, he is invited by Public Enemy # 1 to repeat his catastrophic views. During the eighties and nineties, not only did he urge the Republicans to adopt the racist tactics of the Southern Strategy, but he created "how to" pamphlets. Furthermore, his family values were deplorable- and he certainly was not fiscally responsible.

Just a little reminder:

(1)Family Values?

Pressing Wife for Divorce in the Hospital:
"He walked out in the spring of 1980.... By September, I went into the hospital for my third surgery. The two girls came to see me, and said, "Daddy is downstairs. Could he come up?" When he got there, he wanted to discuss the terms of the divorce while I was recovering from my surgery." - Jackie, his first wife.

(2)Dead-Beat Dad:

The hospital visit wasn't the end of it, either. Jackie had to take Newt to court to get him to contribute for bills, as utilities were about to be cut off.
Draft Dodger:
Though he relentlessly pushes military spending and talks like a bigtime hawk, Gingrich avoided the Vietnam War through a combination of student and family deferments. (He married one of his teachers at age 19.)

(3)Problems With Women?

Newt pressed his first wife to sign divorce papers while she was still in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery. He also graciously said "She isn't young enough or pretty enough to be the President's wife." But his second marriage hasn't been that smooth either. Newt and Marianne have been separated - "frankly", she told the Washington Post in June 1989, "it's been on and off for some time."
Does Newt have some kind of problem with women? He has said that he read a book called "Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them", and "found frightening pieces that related to my own life." Incidentally, Marianne told Gail Sheehy she doesn't want Newt to run for President. " I told him if I'm not in agreement, fine, it's easy. I just go on the air the next day, and I undermine everything. ... I don't want him to be president and I don't think he should be." Newt's response? Marianne "was just making the point hypothetically" that he would not run unless she agreed he should.

(4)House Banking Scandal:

Newt Bounced 22 Checks
Remember the House Banking scandal, where so many congressmen wrote rubber checks on government money? Newt hopes you don't, because he bounced 22 himself, which almost cost him reelection in 1992. His vote for the secret House pay raise, and the chauffeur who drove him around Washington in a Lincoln Town Car, didn't help.

(5)Lucrative and Questionable Book Deals: Murdoch's $4.5 Million wasn't the first

The 1995 Murdoch Deal --- The 1984 Book Deal

The 1995 Murdoch Deal
You probably heard something about Newt's book scandal. He was offered first $2.5 million, then $4.5 million by Harper Collins, a publishing company owned by Rupert Murdoch, who also owns the Fox TV network and newspapers and TV stations around the world. Murdoch has been having problems with a complaint by NBC that Fox is a foreign owned TV network, which is against US law.

Con't

http://www.realchange.org/gingrich.htm

ATTENTION SEDERVILLE:

MY CATS ARE FINE.

REPEAT:

MY CATS ARE FINE.

RUFUS AND RUSTY DON NOT HAVE PNEUMONIA

REPEAT:

RUFUS AND RUSTY DON NOT HAVE PNEUMONIA

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
*************************

You may now return to your regular blogging activities.

I'm a whore !

**

www.bartcop.com

www.marcmaronrules.blogspot.com

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

N E W S F L A S H - Not from Bait's News Service

Since he won't tell us.. ;)

Eatmesomegoldfishgitis ?

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Incorrect O'Reilly Apologizes, Not Quite Humbled

http://www.asylum.com/2009/06/08/incorrect-oreilly-aplogizes-not-quite-h...

Jun 8th 2009
By Jeremy Taylor

Drawing a contrast with their coverage of murdered abortion doctor George Tiller, Bill O'Reilly made the on-air accusation that CNN had almost completely ignored the equally politically charged murder of an army recruiter in Arkansas.

It would have been a good point, if it bore any resemblance to the truth. But, as CNN's Rick Sanchez uses the tell-all video tape to demonstrate, CNN in fact covered the murder of Private William Long extensively.

After the jump, watch Sanchez catch O'Reilly in an untruth, and O'Reilly hurl personal insults as he "apologizes."

*************************

You'll notice that Bill-o changes the story during his "apology" saying he was only talking about the evening hours...but he clearly said CNN did not cover the story all day long

that I can afford and that pays 75% of what Medicare pays and after I reach $135 out of pocket, it picks up 100% for part B and after I reach $2000 of out of pocket will pay 100% of Part A, which is the hospital portion.

It's $88.02 a month which is $7.02 more than I was paying for the Workers with Disabilities buy in for medicaid.

Medigap insurance has plans from A-L. L being the newest and the one I got. It's very confusing to have all thos different plans and some are very expensive and others don't cover much and you pay more out of pocket. It really is confusing for the Seniors to deal with.

So if you know someone that is just eligible for Medigap insurance you might want to help them with choices.

Submitted by Chubby Bubba on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 12:33pm.
ATTENTION SEDERVILLE:
RUFUS AND RUSTY DON NOT HAVE PNEUMONIA
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
--------
So-o-o, it was an insurance scam all along?

wouldn't it be a lot simpler all the way around to get rid of the gap?

>>So-o-o, it was an insurance scam all along?

SHUT UP- SHUT - UP!

they haven't finished the investigation yet!

sheesh!
*************************

talk about spillin' the beans...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_&_Mrs._Simpson

1936 abdication of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, who gave up his throne to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.

From OMGtv..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFkeKKszXTw

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected Ralph Nader's attempt to sue Democrats who he says conspired to keep him off the ballot in the 2004 presidential election.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia says Nader's 2007 suit was filed too late, beyond the statute of limitations.
...

Chubs: Alright, boys. Time to go out and get some fresh air and excersize.

Rusty: We can't. We're sick. We're at death's door.

Chubs: What do you mean, `sick'? you are fine.

Rusty: We have Pneumonia, we read it on the internet.
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

Fisherman Hooks Live Missile in Gulf

http://news.aol.com/article/fisherman-live-missile/519712

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. (June 9) - Florida authorities say a commercial fisherman reeled in a live missile in the Gulf of Mexico and kept it on his boat for 10 days.

The sheriff's office in Pinellas County say the boat's captain, Rodney Soloman, hooked the air-to-air guided missile 50 miles off the Panhandle town of Panama City. The Air Force and Navy use Gulf waters off the Panhandle for weapons training.

Soloman had the missile aboard his boat for 10 days before returning Monday to port in Madeira Beach, near St. Petersburg.

A bomb squad was called in from MacDill Air Force Base and dismantled the missile in an empty parking lot.
The bomb squad said the missile was very corroded from floating in saltwater for a long time. They said it was live and in a very unstable state.
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

Last night's Colbert Report is pretty funny...if you are looking to mindlessly waste twenty minutes of your life (somewhere other than here).

http://www.colbertnation.com/home

>>A federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected Ralph Nader's attempt to sue Democrats who he says conspired to keep him off the ballot in the 2004 presidential election.

Well, I guess I was wrong about Nader not really making as much of a contribution as he could...It's hard to argue that the quality of all our lives will be enhanced by his selfless choice of how to spend his efforts.
*************************

once again, way better than if he'd been in congress for the last decade...

i've heard of bang bang shrimp, but this takes the cake

>>Last night's Colbert Report is pretty funny.

either that, or I could wait 20 minutes and watch it on the tee-vee.

plus, I saw it last night.

and, yes. I agree. It was a good one.

It was interesting how the handled the transition from the show's regular format to more of a USO stand-up thing.

Did you notice Colbert's use of the golf club as an obvious homage to Bob Hope?
*************************

And the `boot camp' was funny too.

RAW STORY

Even the conservative-leaning New York Post didn't sugarcoat the backgrounds of the two Democratic New York state senators who changed parties Monday night and helped the GOP return to power.

The headline for the Post's story, Turncoats are revolting, wasn't just referring to the mini-revolution.

"Meet the two Democratic turncoats who handed control of the state Senate back to the Republicans: One's been charged with slashing his girlfriend, while the other is being probed in a funding scam," Carl Campanile begins his story.

Pedro Espada Jr., who represents The Bronx but actually lives in tony Mamaroneck -- is a serial party-switcher who's implicated in state-funding shenanigans involving his nonprofit health-care company.

Hiram Monserrate of Queens was indicted for allegedly slashing his girlfriend in the face with a broken glass. Espada has a long history of being a renegade and displaying party disloyalty. Three workers at a firm he runs, the Soundview Health Care Network, pleaded guilty in 2005 to diverting $30,000 from programs for family care and AIDS treatment to his political campaign. He was not charged.

Earlier, Espada was caught red-handed attempting to steer $745,000 in grants to his outfit.

The New York Times reports, "After seizing control of the New York State Senate on Monday afternoon, Republicans enacted a series of rules changes, including six-year term limits for the president and majority leader, steps to equalize the budgets of the majority and minority parties and mandating that pork barrel projects would be distributed equally among members of both parties."

The New York Daily News reports that court challenges are expected to declare the coup illegal.

More details on the alleged attack by Monserrate on his girlfriend were reported in the Daily News last week. Monserrate was indicted March 23 on three counts of felony assault on girlfriend Karla Giraldo and three counts of misdemeanor assault.

Prosecutors say he slashed Giraldo with a broken glass in a fight in his apartment Dec. 19. They say Monserrate was jealous because he found another man's business card in her purse. She needed 20 stitches to close the gash over her left eye.

Though Giraldo first told hospital officials Monserrate hit her, she later said it was an accident.

.....

Prosecutors don't believe it was an accident - judging by a "violent" surveillance video from inside Monserrate's building. They say the video shows him dumping the offending business card into the trash chute, then later yanking a wounded Giraldo to the door as she screamed for help.

He's in Iraq entertaining the troop. It really was a great show. He declared victory in Iraq until he spoke to General Odierno.

Watch part of it here:

http://tpmtv.talkingpointsmemo.com/?id=2697706&ref=fpblg

Despite strong words, GOP fundraiser yields smallest haul in five years

RAW STORY

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said President Barack Obama’s plan to fix the economy has “already failed” and “bowing to the Saudi King is not an energy policy” in a fundraising speech Monday for House and Senate Campaign Committees — playing the part previously held by President George W. Bush, who headlined the fundraisers as president the past eight years.

Despite his rhetoric — it appeared that it was Gingrich who may have failed for the night: AP noted that “despite the rallying cry, the GOP faithful still weren’t opening their wallets as they have in recent past.

The event took in a relatively small fundraising haul of $14.5 million, the lowest total in at least five years. Last year, it raised $21.5 million, compared with $15.4 million in 2007 and $27 million in 2006.”...................

I saw it .... the Dailey Show was pretty good also.

By Ernest A. Canning on 6/5/2009 2:15PM

Or, 'Why corporate control of the media may be hazardous to your health'...

Guest Editorial by Ernest A. Canning

"Americans think that it’s healthcare that produces health, when there really is very little evidence for that. What turns out to be really important is the nature of caring and sharing in society….Where societies are more equal --- and economic equality is the thing that is most important in this --- people look after each other…and pretty well everyone does better. There’s almost nothing that is better in a society that tolerates the extreme levels of inequality in the United States. And so, we end up dying younger than people in all the other rich countries, despite spending half the world’s healthcare bill." - Dr. Stephen Bezruchka, March 30, 2009

"Who are we? Is this what we have become --- a nation that dumps people off like garbage who can't pay their hospital bills?" - Michael Moore, following a segment in which a confused elderly woman in a flimsy hospital gown is dumped curbside near a Skid Row rescue mission, in his documentary Sicko!*

In Failed States (2006), Prof. Noam Chomsky, a preeminent linguist and one of this nation’s most prolific political writers, concludes that the U.S. suffers from a “democracy deficit” --- the significant gap between the policy positions of the electorate and their elected representatives --- which he attributes to the manner in which “elections are skillfully managed to avoid issues and marginalize the underlying population…freeing the elected leadership to serve the substantial people."

Con't - Bradblog

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Anybody watch Colbert last night?
Submitted by toniD on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 1:14pm.
...It really was a great show...
---------
Have you heard about Chubby's cats? They have AIDS.

Family: George Tiller's Clinic Will Be Closed Permanently

Springfield mother struck by daughter learning how to drive

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/springfield_mother_struck...

by The Republican Newsroom
Saturday June 06, 2009, 3:34 PM

By LORI STABILE
lstabile@repub.com

SPRINGFIELD - A 17-year-old girl who was practicing how to drive in a cinema parking lot struck her mother and broke her legs, Springfield police said.

Sgt. Thomas E. Long said the mother was sitting on a fence when she was struck with the 2001 Ford Windstar van Saturday morning.

"She was stopped, but not being familiar with the vehicle, she accelerated and hit her mom," Long said.

He said the girl was trying to put the car in park. The mother was brought to Baystate Medical Center. The accident was reported at 10:48 a.m. at 1250 St. James Ave., the movie theater parking lot behind Springfield Plaza, he said.

The owner of the car, the girl's father, Treavor Blair, 39, of 181 Nursery St., was cited for allowing an unlicensed operator to operate the vehicle, Long said.
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

from the nyt:

Officials say a huge bomb has exploded at the Pearl
Continental Hotel in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing
at least five people and wounding 25 others.

An (iron) fistful of help

Jun 4th 2009
From The Economist print edition
China, Iran, Russia and Venezuela have been doling out largesse. Should Western democracies be worried?

CONGO and the International Monetary Fund are arguing about a bail-out. What’s new, you might ask. Dog bites man. But the sticking point is, unexpectedly, not the country’s economic policy, but how exactly to repay a $9 billion credit that Congo secured last year from China.

China’s deal with Congo, and the disputes arising from it, are examples of a growing trend. Authoritarian governments are using their money to buy influence abroad. Sometimes the money comes as a commercial loan; sometimes, as a grant; frequently, as both. These flows are changing the business of aid, undermining attempts by Western countries to improve their programmes and encouraging recipients to play donors off against each other.

The use of aid to win friends and influence people is not new. America and the Soviet Union both used aid as a weapon in the cold war. Now a 21st-century equivalent is emerging. A study this week by a group of American institutions, Freedom House, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia, looks at the use by China, Iran, Russia and Venezuela of what it calls “authoritarian aid”. The study, “Undermining Democracy”, is the first attempt to estimate the global scale of such operations.

China’s assistance programme is the most active. In 2007 its leaders said they would offer African countries $20 billion in new financing (they did not say on what terms or over what period). Hu Jintao, the president, repeated a promise to boost aid and cancel debts during a trip to Africa this February. The World Bank says China already gives Africa $2 billion a year (more than the bank itself does). China does not publish aid figures and a study in 2007 for the Centre for Global Development, a think tank in Washington, DC, put the figure lower, at $1.5 billion-$2 billion a year (with a third to a half for Africa). But all estimates agree that aid has been rising relentlessly (see chart) and that China, once a recipient, is now in the middle rank of donors, on a par with Australia or Spain, though with more commercial lending. More...

http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=1...

Sonia Sotomayor is not likely to be the only smart woman who has the headlines for a few days between now and the next election cycle.

It occurs to me that as more women who are smart and accomplished pass through the spotlight, the less smart and accomplished Sarah Palin looks, eh?

I realize that there exists a certain percentage of rabid idiots who will never stop supporting Palin, but there are rabid idiots who think that Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon in a Hollywood studio, too. There is not much that can be done to enlighten some people. Among the many types of learning disabilities, stupid is the most debilitating.

During the past few days, Palin has re-entered the headlines while Sotomayor is already there. The side-by-side comparison isn't flattering to Palin. She doesn't seem qualified to breed let alone lead.

NYT Public Editor Comes Down On Paper For 'Flawed' Gitmo Story
By Justin Elliott - June 8, 2009, 6:12PM

New York Times Public Editor Clark Hoyt has written a dissection of the paper's front-page story on Guantanamo "recidivism," concluding the May 21 piece was "seriously flawed and greatly overplayed."

The story, which originally ran under the headline "1 In 7 Detainees Rejoined Jihad, Pentagon Finds," was the subject of an "editors' note" Friday walking back several of its claims.

Hoyt writes today: the story "demonstrated again the dangers when editors run with exclusive leaked material in politically charged circumstances and fail to push back skeptically."

Read more »

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/06/nyt_public_editor_come...

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

'US protectionist move may lead to countermove by India'

9 Jun 2009, 2114 hrs IST, PTI

BANGALORE: IT industry body NASSCOM on Tuesday said any protectionist move by the US that adversely impacts the domestic outsourcing industry might trigger retaliatory measures by India.

"This war could get started off. If there is any protectionist move in the US, it could lead to India coming out with counter protectionist measure," NASSCOM President Som Mittal told reporters here.

"So, for us, it's important that we are sensitive during this period," he said.

Mittal said no US lawmaker would oppose any legislation aimed at saving American jobs.

He, however, also said that "there are enough people within the system" in the US and the UK who believe that once any protectionist measure is taken, "it does not stop there".

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/US-protectionist-move-may-l...

The King County Public Health Emergency Response Unit just left....

somehow they got the idea that my cats have swine flu...
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

>>We all have our needs..

or, in this case, or "Neds."
*************************

but who am I to point out typos?

Poll: Third of Republicans view party unfavorably

WASHINGTON — In thinking about the Republican Party's troubles, consider this: One-third of Republicans now say they have an unfavorable opinion of their party.

There's no such dyspepsia among Democrats. Just 4% have an unfavorable view of their party.

The findings of a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll underscore the perilous state of the GOP. Over the past three years, Republicans have lost control of the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and they're now struggling to forge a unified response to the popular new Democratic president.

-----

Asked by Gallup "what comes to mind when you think of the Republican Party," 25% of those surveyed said "unfavorable" and another 1 in 4 offered negative assessments including "no direction," "close-minded" and "poor economic conditions." Sixteen percent said conservative and 7% "favorable."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-06-09-poll-parties_N.htm

*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

Federal Court Says Religious Monument At Oklahoma Courthouse Is Unconstitutional (6/9/2009)

Ten Commandments Monument An Endorsement Of Religion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org

DENVER – A unanimous federal appeals court yesterday ruled that county commissioners in Haskell County, Oklahoma unconstitutionally sought to promote their personal religious beliefs by erecting a Ten Commandments monument on the front lawn of the county's courthouse. The decision by the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals comes in a challenge filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Oklahoma on behalf of a local resident.

"This decision is a victory for the cherished American value of religious freedom," said Daniel Mach, Director of Litigation for the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief. "The government should not be in the business of promoting religious viewpoints. In our country, people should be free to express their faith – or to exercise their right to hold no belief at all – without government interference or favoritism."

In its decision, the court ruled that the monument violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution because a "reasonable observer would view the monument as having the impermissible principal or primary effect of endorsing religion." The monument is unconstitutional, the court ruled, because the proposal to erect the monument, its approval by the Haskell County Board of Commissioners, and the commissioners' expressly religious defense of the monument "strongly reflect a government endorsement of religion."

"This is a significant ruling for the citizens of Oklahoma," said Joann Bell, Executive Director of the ACLU of Oklahoma. "Religion should not be something that should be allowed to divide the citizens of this state, which is what happens when the government endorses one particular set of religious beliefs. All Oklahomans, of all creeds – and not just the beliefs of those in power – should feel welcome at the county courthouse."

http://www.aclu.org/religion/public/39800prs20090609.html

.if you are looking to mindlessly waste twenty minutes of your life (somewhere other than here).

****

20 minutes?

that's nothing.

Lieberman, Graham Threaten to Shut Down Senate
June 9, 2009, 12:31 p.m.
By Emily Pierce
Roll Call Staff

Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) threatened to hold up any and all legislation in the Senate until Congress passes its legislation to prohibit the release of photos showing detainee abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We’re not going to do any more business in the Senate,” Graham said. “Nothing’s going forward until we get this right.”

Both Senators said they were alarmed that a House-Senate conference committee on the supplemental war spending bill appears poised to eliminate language — inserted by the two Senators — that would block public disclosure of detainee abuse photos. The $90-billion-plus bill has been held up, in part, because House Democratic leaders have said they do not have the votes to pass it with the detainee photo provision included, because many liberal lawmakers have balked at the language.

If the provision is eliminated, Lieberman and Graham said they would vote against the supplemental and any attempts to bring debate on the measure to a close. Graham predicted that most, if not all, of the 40 Senate Republicans would do the same, and Lieberman said he would be reaching out to Democrats on the issue as well. That could be enough to filibuster the supplemental measure on the Senate floor, because 60 votes are needed to end debate on a bill.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/35664-1.html?type=printer_friendly

its not terribly mindless ;numbing, boggling, warping, futzing sure.

just played "and the beat goes on" by the whispers.
good stuff.

"I'm better now, I'm O.K."

Chubby: or, in this case, or "Neds."

***

D'oh.

Should be banned from politics
Submitted by edna ellen poe on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 12:32pm

http://www.realchange.org/gingrich.htm

*******

I had forgotten about that site..

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

House Democrats dropping photo provision from war funding bill

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Democratic leaders plan to drop a provision -- backed by President Obama -- from the $100 billion war funding bill that would bar the release of detainee photos, according to House Democratic congressional aides.

The language, added as an amendment to the bill by Sens. Joe Lieberman, D-Connecticut, and Lindsay Graham, R-South Carolina, would make requests to the Defense Department for the detainee photos exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.

A Democratic aide told CNN that the decision to drop the language would not interfere with the administration's request to ban the release of the photos because the U.S. Supreme Court is still expected to review the legal challenge filed by the Department of Justice arguing against their release. In the meantime, the photos are not being released.

In May, Obama ordered government attorneys to object to the court-ordered release of photos depicting the mistreatment of prisoners, reversing an earlier White House decision.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/09/war.funding.bill.photos/index.htm...

People in glass houses....
new
Submitted by Catharine on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 2:17pm.
Chubby: or, in this case, or "Neds."

***

D'oh.

*******

So Chubbs,what do your cats have ?

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Lucille ? ;)

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

Dodd, Kennedy to introduce healthcare reform bill
By Alexander Bolton
Posted: 06/09/09 11:02 AM
Sen. Chris Dodd (Conn.), the second-ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, will introduce broad healthcare reform legislation Tuesday afternoon.

Dodd will introduce the Affordable Health Choices Act to comply with committee rules, which requires that legislation be made available for review before committee markup. The legislation leaves unscripted the details in some controversial areas, such as the public plan option and employer mandates. Dodd hopes to hammer out the specifics of these policies after consulting with Republicans in the coming days.

"I want Republicans to know that I want their ideas," he said during a Tuesday morning press conference. "I want to put in a bill that is an invitation."

The committee will mark up legislation starting next week. It has allocated two weeks to vote on amendments.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/dodd-kennedy-to-drop-healthcare-refo...

Submitted by MMRules on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 2:21pm.
So Chubbs,what do your cats have ?
---------
Chubbs: "Two pair and three of a kind. What do your cats have?"

>>So Chubbs,what do your cats have ?

It really depends on who you talk to.
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/world/asia/09china.html?_r=1&ref=globa...

China has issued a sweeping directive requiring all personal computers sold in the country to include sophisticated software that can filter out pornography and other “unhealthy information” from the Internet.

The software, which manufacturers must install on all new PCs starting July 1, would allow the government to regularly update computers with an ever-changing list of banned Web sites.

NRA's Ill Wind Blows through the Windy City
by Derrick Z. Jackson

President Obama really must say something about guns now, less he fecklessly watch the National Rifle Association take over his beloved Chicago. The NRA is appealing to the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court in Chicago last week upheld a handgun ban in Chicago and the nearby suburb of Oak Park.

The Supreme Court threw out the District of Columbia's handgun ban last year. The appeals court said that only the Supreme Court can overturn the ban since municipalities, under the Constitution, are places where "local differences can be cherished as elements of liberty rather than extirpated in order to produce a single, nationally applicable rule."

As we all know, the NRA wants one single, applicable rule of guns anywhere, anytime. It recently rolled Obama and the Democratic-led Congress into allowing loaded guns in national parks. It has silenced the Democrats on bringing back the lapsed assault weapons ban. Also last week, the fear-mongering of the NRA about attackers preying on loved ones around every corner persuaded the Tennessee Legislature to override Governor Phil Bredesen's veto of a bill that allows people to carry firearms into restaurants and bars where alcohol is served.

If there is one place Obama can take a stand, it ought to be Chicago. Once upon a time, he had lots to say about gun violence and assault weapons being found near schools. Throughout the presidential campaign, he said he was confident America could find common ground between rural family traditions of hunting and children being hunted down and slaughtered on city streets. He often referred to specific numbers of Chicago public school children being killed. ..........(more)

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/06/09-2

Some Health Insurance Companies Making a Profit From Smokers

As President Barack Obama pushes Congress to pass by August a health-care reform bill that provides coverage to all Americans, a new study from Harvard University about the money-making practices of health insurers has caught our attention.

Each year, about 443,600 people in the United States die from tobacco-related illnesses; about half of all Americans who keep smoking will die from it. This nasty habit kills more of us than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, murder and illegal drugs combined, according to the American Cancer Society. It’s the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women.

And it appears health insurers are hedging their bets that these deaths will actually make them money. The seemingly twisted findings are a part of a study out this week from Harvard doctors, who say that seven health and life-insurance companies in both the United States and overseas have nearly $4.5 billion invested in tobacco stocks. Prudential company alone has more than $1.5 million invested. That means those insurance companies have a financial interest in seeing more people smoke.

"It’s the combined taxidermist and veterinarian approach: either way you get your dog back," Harvard’s David Himmelstein, who co-author of a letter published in this week’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, told Scientific American, who contacted some of the insurance companies mentioned to get comment. "If you own a billion dollars , then you don’t want to see it go down."

Continued>>>

http://www.wowowow.com/money/some-health-insurance-companies-making-prof...

(Rep) Boehner: Obama 'importing' terrorists

Republicans this morning are pouncing on the news that one Gitmo detainee, Ahmed Ghailani, was transferred to a federal court in New York for his alleged role in the 1998 Africa embassy bombings. Said House Minority Leader John Boehner in a statement:

This is the first step in the Democrats’ plan to import terrorists into America. Without a plan to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, the Administration has made the decision to begin transferring these terrorists into the United States, in spite of the overwhelming opposition of the American people and serious questions from Members of Congress of both parties. There are more than 200 of the world’s most dangerous men held at the Guantanamo Bay prison. Does the Administration plan to transfer all of them into our nation in this way? Do they plan to give them the same legal rights as the American people? Just what is the Administration’s plan for closing this prison?

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/06/09/1957586.aspx

* January-March filings up 35 percent

* California, Florida, Georgia have most filings

* Consumer filings up 33 pct, business finings up 64 pct

NEW YORK, June 9 (Reuters) - U.S. bankruptcy filings rose in the first quarter to the highest since 2005, government data show, as rising unemployment, falling housing prices and tight credit made it harder for people to hold off their creditors.

There were 330,477 filings in the January-to-March period, up 10 percent from the previous quarter and up 35 percent from a year earlier, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said this week. Consumer bankruptcy filings rose 33 percent from a year earlier, while business filings rose 64 percent.

For the year ended March 31, bankruptcy filings rose 33 percent to 1,202,503. Experts expect further increases as the unemployment rate heads toward 10 percent and the economy struggles to emerge from an 18-month-old recession

http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN0936993120090609

now that's psycho talk.

i really don't get this meme that the gitmo terrorists have these superhuman powers of evil. was that all part of trying to keep us skeered?

Peru Indian leader flees to Nicaraguan embassy

LIMA (AFP) — The wanted leader of protesting Amazon Indians has taken refuge in the Nicaraguan embassy after violent clashes between Indians and police in northern Peru, leaving 35 dead, Prime Minister Yehude Simon said Monday.

Simon made the announcement in a presentation to members of Congress. An arrest warrant was issued Saturday for Alberto Pizango on charges of sedition, conspiracy and rebellion.

At least 35 people were killed in 24 hours of violence on Friday and Saturday, as police and soldiers clashed with Amazon Indians over land rights in the rainforest.

Pizango, who was in the capital Lima when the violence in the city of Bagua broke out, spoke to reporters on Friday and accused President Alan Garcia of "genocide" and for "perpetuating the worst slaughter of our people in the last 20 years."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gKz_TwBb5n4g3rnPg5lS1...

tonid - is this the same set of individuals who were getting "palinized" from helicopters by the peruvian militia because they were blocking some foreign oil company from stealing their oil?

>>chinese porn

thing about Chinese porn...a 1/2 hour later and you're horny again.
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

as confusing as chinese pornography. that's an old saying, right?
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

They want to deforest the Amazon Rain Forest. The Indians are fighting for their land.

Try the Kung Pao porn. I think it's in carrum A.

America a weapons supermarket for terrorists, inquiry finds

The US is a virtual supermarket for terrorists and foreign governments seeking high-end military technology, including components that can be used to build nuclear weapons and equip militants fighting US and British troops, the American government has found.

Over the past year, government investigators posing as private buyers purchased military-grade body armour, technology to stabilise and steer guided missiles, a device that can be used to detonate nuclear weapons, and other munitions through legal means in the US. They evaded export controls and posted dummy versions of the gear to countries known as trans-shipment points for terrorist groups and foreign governments seeking arms and weapons components.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/08/arms-trade-us-terrorists-nuc...

The U.S. retailer is considering TCS, Wipro and Infosys for $500 million outsourcing deal

Wal-Mart Stores has shortlisted top Indian tech firms, including TCS, Infosys and Wipro, for an outsourcing contract potentially worth up to $500 million over next few years, as the retailer seeks to award multiple contracts for managing its business applications and other back office activities.

At least two people familiar with Wal-Mart's outsourcing strategy told ET on conditions of anonymity that the retailer is expected to start outsourcing more to India within six months.

"Wal-Mart has been testing the waters by outsourcing smaller projects to companies such as Infosys, TCS and Wipro. Now, the retailer wants to flesh out a more comprehensive outsourcing strategy and has shortlisted these tech vendors," said a senior executive of one of the tech firms exploring business opportunities with Wal-Mart. He requested anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to media.

When contacted by ET last week, Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley confirmed his company is in discussions with several service providers, but declined to elaborate any further. "Certainly, we feel our company has a lot to offer India and we hope to grow our business there. We are always in discussions with potential service providers, but we have nothing to announce at this time," he said.

LINK

Heated debate, but no vote on creating AWOL haven in Bellingham

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/943298.html

SAM TAYLOR - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

BELLINGHAM - Residents verbally sparred Monday, June 8, over the idea of granting sanctuary to AWOL soldiers.

In a community meeting approved unanimously by City Council members, city residents as well as others from around Whatcom County, discussed the G.I. Sanctuary City Movement's proposal to prohibit local police from arresting AWOL soldiers if stopped for other issues, such as speeding.

Hundreds of people signed up to speak on the issue and the Bellingham Municipal Court building was packed to standing room only. At one point, the fire marshal told the meeting facilitator that the room was past capacity, and asked people who had already spoken to leave.

The meeting was often heated, with those opposing the sanctuary city idea sometimes shouting at the moderator, Moonwater, the executive director of the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, as well as supporters of the sanctuary city idea.

When Moonwater asked the crowd to calm down and not yell at speakers, saying she might close the meeting if it didn't stop, one person yelled "good!"

It was an evening packed with passionate speeches about soldiers who have killed themselves, about veterans from World War II who believed it was dishonorable to desert and much more. It appeared there were more people present against the idea, with many giving standing ovations to various speakers as they derided the City Council for having the meeting as well as the sanctuary city movement supporters.

"This meeting should not even occur," said Korean War veteran Phil Morgan. "The city should pay attention to city business, not special-interest groups."

"This war is wrong, and illegal and immoral," said Matt Bambara, an Iraq war veteran.

The G.I. Sanctuary City Movement organization was successful in getting the meeting approved unanimously by City Council members, but since then a firestorm has erupted at the local, regional and national levels about the issue. City Council members have not offered up the ordinance for a vote, however, and no council member appears willing to do so.

City Councilman Stan Snapp refused to attend the 7 p.m. Monday, June 8, meeting, saying he didn't support the sanctuary city idea and believed his presence would "add legitimacy" to the issue. Councilman Gene Knutson also doesn't support it, and said he'd only go for a little while.

Meanwhile, police were requested by officials after Council President Barry Buchanan received an e-mail that he thought was sarcastic, but it included language saying if the council wasn't careful "something could happen."

Though the meeting got heated, no violence erupted.

The sanctuary city group is composed of Western Washington University students who argue that military deserters don't deserve to be jailed for being absent without leave from what the group believes is an illegal Iraq war.

Several veterans groups spoke against the idea of a sanctuary city at the meeting, including leaders of the local American Legion chapter and the Disabled American Veterans chapter.

Many veterans present spoke against the issue, saying they had signed a contract they had to fulfill. Some sanctuary city supporters, however, were also veterans, saying the city should show compassion to soldiers in need.

Moonwater was only able to get through to part of the third page of those who signed up, out of 10 pages, she said, adding earlier in the meeting that if every person spoke their three minutes the meeting would have taken five hours.

The issue has received regional and national attention as local Veterans for Peace member Gene Marx spoke Monday on the Fox News morning program "Fox & Friends" about the issue. Whatcom County Republican Party Chairwoman Luanne Van Werven also was supposed to be on the show, but there were issues with the satellite feed in Seattle, she said.

Van Werven ended up on a Seattle talk radio tour of sorts, speaking on the conservative Kirby Wilbur show on KVI-AM, a Fox News affiliate, as well as the Dave Ross show and Dori Monson show, which are both on KIRO-FM. With Monson, Van Werven debated the issue with Sanctuary City Movement organizer and student Nick Spring, she said.

Council members say they've been deluged with e-mails and contacts from people about the issue. Snapp said Monday that he had received 50 e-mails in the past two days.

"It's pretty much one-sided," Snapp said, adding that the message is, basically: "Don't do this. It's all against it."

Buchanan said he'd heard from the "entire Western hemisphere" about the issue. Though the U.S. Navy veteran is attending the meeting, he doesn't support the sanctuary city idea.

"I'm a veteran, and I just think since we have all-volunteer forces that when you make the decision then have a contract with the military then you need to honor that," Buchanan said. "I think there are things in the system that need fixing like multiple deployments ... but I don't think this is the way you do that."

*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

safe bet to underestimate what can be used to serve personal purient interests.
criswell predicts a rise in the traffic at the hello kitty site.

"I'm better now, I'm O.K."
"I can play dumb all day but the nights too long."

Alberto Pizango took refuge in Nicaragua's embassy on Monday, days after violent clashes between Peruvian police and indigenous Indian protesters left dozens dead, including at least 22 police officers.

Pizango, the head of the Peruvian Jungle Interethnic Development Association, "has already taken asylum," Yehude Simon, Peru's prime minister, told a special session of congress called to discuss the protests.

Nicaragua's ambassador to Peru said Daniel Ortega, the Nicaraguan president, would decide on Tuesday whether to grant Pizango asylum, Peru's state news agency reported.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/06/2009695131981421.html

Looks like Obama is REDUCING healthcare coverage on Americans in order to keep his campaign promise that the now uninsured will be receive SOME healthcare? And this despite the reality that he doesn't have to steal from Peter to pay Paul?! Because Single-Payer is the cost-effective solution ready to provide everyone with better care! Instead Obama is choosing to provide the poorest with the bare minimum by reducing the quality of care from working people -- a balancing act devised for the primary purpose of GUARANTEEING continued PROFITEERING FREEDOM for the FOR-PROFIT Medical Insurance Industry (and the Washington politicos like himself)!?

The Dems and Obama are --

o failing to cut-out the greedy profiteering middleman Corporations from American healthcare delivery

o failing to expand a system that already exists (Medicare-- where the administration framework needs only to be expanded rather than begun from scratch)

o failing to allow all Americans to choose their preferred physicians or medical practitioners

o failing to respect affordability for employed Americans by creating a mandate system (that is necessary for ONLY one reason: To keep the UP-FRONT profits flowing for the FOR-PROFIT INSURANCE INDUSTRY!)

o failing to control healthcare delivery costs by allowing the FOR-PROFIT INSURANCE INDUSTRY to suggest and steer a so-called cost-control policy

o failing to repair the disgusting insurance theft program named Drug Plan D that was attached to Medicare BEFORE proceeding to create MORE ineffective healthcare policy and programs just as wasteful and unfair as Drug Plan D! (NOTE: Medicare Drug Plan D was on the fasttrack too, just like this Baucus "we don't have time to include Single-Payer" fast-tracking hog slop! Drug Plan D was planned by the profiteers in industry, not by our representatives, and the same thing is happening again with the ENTIRE national healthcare system!)

o failing to serve America and are instead serving themselves and their campaign contributors -- lining their own pockets with contributions from the special interests whose MANDATE insurance programs they have on the FAST TRACK; everytime legislators rubberstamp CORPORATION-DICTATED programs, it is a crime against democracy

o failing to adequately tax Corporations and The Rich to pay their fair share for anything in America, let alone support for the medical system (schools, teaching hospitals, public research, research institution grants, public medical resources like military hospitals) from which the Corporate Class and The Rich consistently benefit, but to which the Corporate Class and The Rich make no consistent/guaranteed contribution.

Mary Landrieu Opposed To Public Health Care Option

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said on Tuesday that she is opposed to the creation of a public health care plan patients could opt into that would compete with private insurance.

"No, I'm not open to it. I'm not open to a public option," said Landrieu. "However, I will remain open to a compromise, a full compromise. Public option is not something that I support. I don't think it's the right way to go."

Landrieu is a key swing-voting "centrist" Democrat. Her vote may be less valuable, however, if Democrats decide to move health care reform through the Senate using the reconciliation process, which requires only a majority vote.

In May, Landrieu told the Huffington Post she was leaning against the public option but still considering it. "I am actually not sure," she said at the time. "I don't think I am [for it], but I told the folks that are promoting it that I would talk with them, but I am an original cosponsor of the Wyden-Bennett bipartisan proposal -- the only bipartisan proposal that I know of. And so I'm going to stay focused on that as a core, but I'm not going to shut the door on anything right now."

The Wyden-Bennett plan does not include a public option.

Though she is now opposed to the public option, she said she may still vote for a reform package that includes it. "It would be unlikely, but I'm not saying no, no and no," she said.

"I know there are some people really pushing this public option, but I think it really undermines the essence of our efforts to create a real market-based private sector model but with strong, I guess, safeguards for consumers," she said.

Landrieu said that in her estimation, a public option is not likely to be a part of the final reform plan. "I don't think that's likely, but I'm not counting all the votes," she said.

Asked if there were any other Democrats in the Senate that she knew of firmly opposed to a public option, she didn't miss a beat. "Ben Nelson," said Landrieu.

HuffPo

Suicide bomber attacks Pakistani hotel U. S. was to buy

The hotel, which is in a high-security zone and protected by a large security contingent, was widely regarded as the safest place for foreign nationals to stay in Peshawar. Under a new embassy-building program, the U.S. government had been planning to purchase the hotel and turn it into a consulate for northwestern Pakistan.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/story/69741.html

Will a mandate force you to pay for a policy with a deductible and co-pay you may NOT be able to afford?

Will a mandate force you to pay for health insurance and yet be so expensive before deductible or co-pay that you will still have to ration preventive healthcare for you and your family?

Despite the mandate, will these insurance policies still leave you with medical bills so large that you are financially ruined by a single emergency run-in with the American Medical Industry?

If you have a chronic health problem, how does this system accommodate you? Are you going to pay your mandate premium and still be refused adequate care?

[I ask because, well, LOOK at DRUG PLAN D!!! They got away with that thievery, so what's to stop them from another such scam?!]

High test as we used to call it. from a BP dealer. (personal observation)

You gotta read this! (Too long to post).

HUD and the real estate rip-off--

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/08/HUDCA...

Submitted by nora on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 4:09pm.

Looks like Obama is REDUCING healthcare coverage on Americans in order to keep his campaign promise that the now uninsured will be receive SOME healthcare?

I'm going to end up with less "health care" than I have now. No problem. If I get ill, I'll just quit.

and if i ever lose my hands

lose my plough

lose my land

oh if i ever lose my hands

oh if i won't have to work no more

I wanted to respond to you re mandates. I don't like them. It's too dangerous to put a demand on people because who knows what will happen in the future.

I want to know more about this health care. even the single payer. Will it cover everything or like Medicare will it cover 80%?

The devil is in the details right now. And I don't want them to rush trough without thinking of future consequences.

I do want single payer, but right now would take a choice because then it would be easier to get single payer and it would not be as expensive.

Have to go for awhile. But those are my thoughts right now.

tg we saved the derivatives' traders

California contemplates ultimate reform - no welfare

By Cynthia Hubert | Sacramento Bee

Could California become the first state in the nation to do away with welfare?

That doomsday scenario is on the table as lawmakers wrestle with a staggering $24.3 billion budget deficit.

County welfare directors are "in shock" at the very idea of getting rid of CalWORKs, which has been widely viewed as one of the most successful social programs in the state's history, said Bruce Wagstaff, director of the Department of Human Assistance in Sacramento.

"It's difficult to come up with the right adjective to react to this," Wagstaff said. "It would be devastating to the people we serve."

[...]

McClatchy

i think our biggest fear is that it will use the notion of something is better than nothing and that to simply get it passed that something will be poisoned by the republicans and blue dogs.

what was that old saying, there are two ways to do something, the right way and the navy way. i suspect some variation applies here.

and thats the way the republicans like it.

There is an old saying where I come from...."Never fuck with a poor man's rent money." It makes them desperate and dangerous....

This, if it passes will cause riots....

House committee subpoenas Federal Reserve

The congressional panel investigating what happened to all that bank bailout money has issued a subpoena to the Federal Reserve, asking them to hand over all documents relating to the takeover of Merrill Lynch by the Bank of America.

On January 1, BofA finalized its purchase of Merrill Lynch for just over $29.1 billion. That made the bank eligible for an additional $20 billion in federal rescue money, bringing BofA's total to some $45 billion. Now, Reps. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Edolphus Towns (D-NY) want to know exactly what the banks and the Federal Reserve agreed to when they arranged the deal last year.

[...]

RawStory

Please forgive my cynicism....it's been a long decade.

Break the Banks, for the Good of the People
Bailing out the big US banks has done nothing to improve them

The Obama Administration has, however, introduced a new concept: "too big to be financially restructured". The Administration argues that all hell would break loose if we tried to play by the usual rules. Markets would panic. So, not only can't we touch the bondholders, we can't even touch the shareholders - even if most of the shares' existing value merely reflects a bet on a government bail-out.

This judgement is wrong. The Obama Administration has succumbed to political pressure and scare-mongering by the big banks and, as a result, has confused bailing out the bankers and their shareholders with bailing out the banks.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/06/09-8

The Wichita clinic of Dr. George Tiller, murdered for providing late-term abortions, will be closed, his family says

If you're not ready to die for it, put the word 'freedom' out of your vocabulary.
Malcolm X

Glenda Jackson: How to beat the fascists? Build houses ...

"But while politicians cannot take the lead, nor can we abrogate our responsibilities. We must be tough on fascism, and tough on the causes of fascism. A social housing revolution; a renewed and sustained regional investment strategy; policy priorities that reach out to voters who have never stepped inside a focus group. These are the weapons that Nick Griffin fears most. Anything that undermines social, political and yes, racial, inequality undermines, fatally, his platform of extremism.

Within a year, we face our defining reckoning with the British National Party. Griffin believes the ultimate prize, a parliamentary seat, lays within his grasp. We have less than 12 months to prepare ourselves..."
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/glenda-jackson-how-to-...

June 4, 2009 - 6:50pm — shelfcheck

The Seattle Public Library system will close Monday, Aug. 31 through Sunday, Sept. 6 due to citywide budget cuts (click to read rest of press release at the library website).

No materials will be due; no fines will be accrued, and there will be no access to the library website during that week. The estimated savings from the closure: $655,000.

>>The Seattle Public Library system will close Monday, Aug. 31 through Sunday, Sept. 6

that's like the hottest week of the year! It sucks for all the bums looking for a place to keep cool...

and the kids. and everyone else.
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLiYxdFbfyA

Why don't we close the WAR for a week? see how much money we can save?
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

I think the family and the community were traumatized by this murder and I think the threats are still coming to the family and maybe even the community right now.

Off to work

I just posted our new hours and locations today too...

We'll be closed every Friday now. And two branches closed. And we have 13 of 30 employees...

I saw the Redding Library this past weekend....amazing! Glass enclosed private study rooms, a floor to ceiling window with comfy chairs and plugs behind all the chairs....60 public computers...A HUGE fireplaced reading room with the whole Bancroft collection books in a glass case...It seemed like I only saw three people working there but there must have been more...The check in process is on video so you feed your items on a conveyor belt then watch a staff person empty and check it in...Pretty rad...They are only two years old..not sure how they have so much funding...

God no shit, eh....wouldn't it be nice...

http://indyreader.org/

Submitted by Alice on Mon, 06/08/2009 - 5:53pm.
I tend to agree with the black women in the congress...Is that racist?
-----

No.

Palin calls Letterman ‘pathetic’ after ’slutty flight attendant’ joke

Share on Facebook By David Edwards and Stephen Webster

Published: June 9, 2009
Updated 1 hour ago

Gov. Sarah Palin is hitting back after her recent trip to New York City became the subject of CBS late night talk show host David Letterman’s Top Ten List on Monday. Naturally, the video of his list, and one of his more barbed jokes, became the talk of right-wing blogs on Tuesday.

In his number two highlight of Palin’s New York City trip, Dave pranged that Palin “bought makeup at Bloomingdale’s to update her slutty flight attendant look.”

Speaking to right-wing radio show host John Zeigler on Tuesday, Palin called Letterman’s shot “pathetic.”

Dave’s number one highlight was that Palin “especially enjoyed not appearing on Letterman.”

con't
http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/06/09/letterman-palin-slutty-pathetic/

..another sick pet...
new
Submitted by maggiesboy on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 10:19am.

I want Single Payer For Pets!

& u thought they would go 4 it???
U is dummer than I thought

Yep!

SOA graduates linked to drug trafficking in Colombia

Two Colombian generals, both of whom received training at the U.S. Army's "School of The Americas" (SOA) at Ft. Benning, Ga., have been accused by Colombian authorities of crimes involving narcotics and collaborating with criminal paramilitary groups, according to a report in the June 15th issue of The Nation magazine.

Dirty Fat Bastard

Promoted to Headline (H3) on 6/9/09:
Newt Gingrich Declares: "I Am Not A Citizen Of The World!"
by Linda Milazzo

This evening at a Washington DC fundraiser, in a statement that can best be described as regressive American exceptionalism, former Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich said of himself:
"I am not a citizen of the world. I think the entire concept is intellectual nonsense and stunningly dangerous!"
Witness the video below of Mr. Gingrich's pronouncement that defines in two simple sentences the elitism, racism and egotism that have destroyed his Republican Party:

The question is, how can this protectionist, elitist, and even racist declaration be in the best interests of America, which despite Mr. Gingrich's supremacist notion, is part of the global community?

What's most frightening is the air of superiority with which Gingrich made his statement. Staring straight into the camera before a room of Republicans, this leader of his party defamed any benefit he might derive as a citizen of the world. With George W's arrogance, Dick Cheney's sociopathy, and Donald Rumsfeld's bravado all rolled into one, Gingrich equates a citizen of the world to "intellectual nonsense." He typifies the very characteristics of the Bush years that thrust this nation into its abyss.

Clearly Gingrich's "I'm not a citizen of the world" is a slam on Obama after the President's recent Mid-East & Europe tour. But undermining Obama's global popularity won't alter the fact that Gingrich could never achieve such acceptance. In the ever blending global arena, Gingrich is consistently bland.

Mr. Gingrich, if you are NOT a citizen of this world, then stay the eff out of it. Go back where you were ten years ago when you were forced from the House in disgrace.

Newt-Gingrich-Declares--I-by-Linda-Milazzo-090609-119

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Newt-Gingrich-Declares--I-by-Linda-Mila...

How come for...most of my adult life...whenever a democrat is elected president he turns into the `best republican' president.

We should print up bumper stickers: Bill Clinton is no longer the best Republican President!
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

The question came up today.

Excerpt:

Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union’s last communist general secretary, called for a new American “revolution” — also calling it a “perestroika,” or government restructuring — in an editorial published Wednesday in The Sydney Morning Herald .

“Some have reacted with understanding. Others have objected, sometimes sarcastically, suggesting that I want the United States to experience upheaval, just like the former Soviet Union. In my country, particularly caustic reactions have come from the opponents of perestroika, people with short memories and a deficit of conscience,” the former Soviet leader wrote.

con't

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/06/09/mikhail-gorbachev-calls-for-new-a...

AIPAC Wall Beginning to Crack
Tuesday 09 June 2009

by: Ira Chernus, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

For years, AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) has helped to stonewall the Middle East peace process by building a solid wall around the Israeli government, protecting it from criticism in the US. Senators and representatives have feared the wrath of AIPAC come Election Day, even in states and districts where the Jewish vote is negligible. Whatever they may have thought privately about Israel's policies toward the Palestinians, they've remained silent.

I got a first-hand glimpse of the process shortly after last year's election, when I talked to an aide of a newly elected House member. The new member, who represents a district with hardly any organized Jewish community, knew very little about the Middle East when the campaign began. The representative had been "educated" on the issue, the aide told me, by a handful of wealthy Democrats - none from the member's district, all generous contributors to the campaign, and all staunch supporters of the AIPAC line. That's how it works, all over the country.

Or at least that's how it used to work. Now, for the first time, there are signs of a crack in AIPAC's vaunted political edifice. The wedge issue is the Obama administration's public demand that Israel stop all new construction in its West Bank settlements, including what the Israelis call expansion to accommodate "natural growth."

con't

http://www.truthout.org/060909R

chubby?

Bill Clinton is no longer the best Republican President

that asshole tweety is hosting asshole joe scarborough, as if it wasn't enough that we have to endure them during their own shows, now they go host guesting on each other's show

get me out of here!

he had blue dog extraordinaire kent konrad on to talk about fiscal responsibility and how it's essential to have bipartisanship because you know, the 60 votes, he refused to accept ed's premise that they should be "reconciliatory" for the health care bill

Sure, nobody asked, and he didn't tell, but everybody knows.

Maybe someone should ask?

i caught a glimpse today but work duties didn't allow concentration, so i missed the marc the shark bit

also, some of you mentioned a colbert replay, i'll look for it... so it'll be comedy for the rest of the night, seems like a good idea

Hey, Joe

"You know, it's funny -- I remember Abramoff's name..."

Thus fellow Pensacolian Joe Scarborough painted his relationship
with the likes of Jack Abramoff as something he happens to
remember.

Boy, I'd love to have at Scarborough. Just once. In front of the
camera. "Hey, Joe, do you happen to remember the name of
the young woman found dead in your office at the same time
your ex-wife was accusing you of infidelity? Do you happen
to remember how you resigned your Congressional seat shortly
thereafter?"

Here is a super analysis of how Joe got out of that one.

Oh, and as far as Scarborough happening to remember Jack Abramoff...

http://www.foxnews.com.pssht.com/joe_scarborough_bloody_sm.jpg

REMEMBER KILLA JOE!
new
Submitted by edna ellen poe on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 8:04pm.

edna - yuck-yuck & more yuck, Vanity Fair
magazine

>>what did he (obama) do now?

nothing new...
*************************

"The Once and Future Rajah of Bhong."

on..

Former Gov.Siegelman coming up soon..

"Hello to our friends and fans in domestic surveillance."