National Desk
WTF is up with Republicans and Health Care Reform?
Sat, March 27, 2010
No one is denying that Health Care Reform is essential. I am embarrassed, as we all should be, by the US taking last place among the industrial nations in the world, in terms of per capita access to (affordable) health care insurance. Personally, I have always had employer provided health care insurance, though not necessarily a Cadillac Plan, I’ve had at least a Subaru Plan. The vitriolic dissent surrounding this bill is worse than the Willie Horton frenzy that Senior Bush whipped up. The sight of Republican Congressmen urging protesters to “KILL” from the second floor of the Capitol Building shocked and disgusted me.
Let me set the record straight and perhaps afford a new perspective on the whole issue.
Let me set the record straight and perhaps afford a new perspective on the whole issue.
- The bill signed by President Obama this week is A REPUBLICAN BILL. It is actually more conservative than the health bill brought forward by the Republicans in 1996. The bill as signed firmly entrenches the for-profit health insurance companies. My side wanted single-payer system, like every other industrialized nation.
- John McCain said, on the floor of the Senate, (I am paraphrasing) that single-payer was a step toward Socialism and a non-starter. Similar statements were made by his Republican colleagues in reference to the public option. Meanwhile, John McCain had his stage 2A melanoma, an invasive form of skin cancer, treated in 2000 using the Congressional Public Option. My own representative, Mike “Pocket Change” Castle had his prostate procedure using the same Public Option. Dick Cheney, 5 heart attacks, public option. And not to single out Republican (although it’s more fun) every member of congress has the same health benefits, that includes everyone in the photo above.
- The US has the finest health care system in the world! Ugh, that is, for 35% of the population, while another 51% have inadequate health insurance and 14% have no insurance at all. After this Health Care Initiative becomes fully effective, there will still be just under 10% of the population with no health care insurance.
"Blizzaster" A blizzard of neologisms bury the U.S. East Coast
Sat, February 06, 2010
The storm proved a major disruption, with trolleys and buses in the Dover area shutting down and stores closing en masse in the face of a storm destined to go down as one of the major snowfalls in the area's history.
But perhaps the greatest damage has been done to the English language. Weathermen, with really nothing to report other than, “It’s snowing”, have turned to coining terms to describe the storm. Snowmageddon, snowpocalypse, snowtastrophe, snowclysm, snowlocaust, snowlamity, and snowzaster (which would be an excellent name for a religous cult) were just some of the neologistic offerings used to assault the mother tongue this weekend. Move over Bennifer, Bragelina, and Billary!
No Lame Duck. Just Lame.
Tue, July 28, 2009
- having lost a re-election bid
- choosing not to seek another term at the expiration of the current term
- a term limit which keeps the official from running for that particular office again
- the abolishment of the office, which must nonetheless be served out until the end of the official's term
Ex-Governor Palin continued to use the term lame duck referring to herself. Ending her week-long farewell tour with a severe condemnation of the media, Palin exited the stage with her famous windshield wiper wave, and proceeded directly to the media tent for her post-resignation news conference.
Nation mourns Walter Cronkite as the 2nd-most trusted man in America steps up to assume the role.
Sat, July 18, 2009
Mr. Cronkite anchored the “CBS Evening News” from 1962 to 1981, at a time when television became the dominant medium of the United States. He figuratively held the hand of the American public during the civil-rights movement, the space race, the Vietnam war and the impeachment of Richard Nixon. During his tenure, network newscasts were expanded to 30 minutes from 15.
In a related story, Nuclear Family Times editor, Michael Maciarello, long reputed to be the second-most trusted man in America, steps into the superlative role. In a news conference at Nuclear Family Times International Offices, Mr. Maciarello stated, “As a fellow journalist, I always looked up to Cronkite. He set the standard for all of us. I would have loved to have Cronkite as news editor for this medium we call the internet.”
As to the ascension to the role of most trusted man in America, Mr Maciarello stated,”I make no claim to the most trusted role, it is being thrust upon me. I would have been most trusted if it weren’t for that fish I caught in 1968, I swear it was larger than it appeared. At any rate, trust is a relative thing. And it is the most trusted MAN in America, afterall. That means that I’m like the 150 millionth most trusted person in America.”