Repubs like to declare loudly and often that they're the party with all the respect for the US Military. They're the ones who "listen to the commanders on the ground". They have a respect for the uniform that Dems just don't get.
With a few simple words — "I would have to object" — Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina derailed a Senate Armed Services hearing today in which generals had traveled from Korea and Hawaii to testify about the Pentagon's needs for the next year.
Repubs also have a tendency to claim they have a better understanding of (and a greater aversion to) "government waste". Does it just not occur to these knuckleheads that scheduling a meeting that requires 3 FLAG OFFICERS to come in from Nebraska and Hawaii and Korea, and then canceling it without hearing from the Brass Hats - that this is practically the definition of government waste!?!
What's more troubling is that this is a continuing pattern, so I've suspected for a while that they do some of these things on purpose. They thwart certain efforts that should make things work a little more smoothly, and then down the road somewhere, they point back to the mess they helped to create, and they say, "See? I told ya - it's all fucked up." And, "I guess I'd better stay on a while and try to protect ya'll from that bad ol' gummint."
These people have no soul and no honor.
Mar 25, 2010
Today's Quote
"Some of my libertarian friends balk at what looks like an individual mandate. But remember, someone has to pay for the health care that must, by law, be provided: Either the individual pays or the taxpayers pay. A free ride on government is not libertarian," - Mitt Romney, April 11, 2006. (hat tip to Sully)
Mar 24, 2010
On What Just Happened
Some analysis of What Just Happened.
Some things to remember - like Cenk says, the bill addresses some of the worst aspects of Healthcare Insurance Coverage, but does precious little about the root causes. One thing Cenk doesn't mention is that if you attack Big Insurance and Big Pharma and Big BioMed, then you're attacking the people who work for those companies. The suits in the executive suites aren't going to sacrifice themselves in this battle. They're gonna put their workers on the line first; workers who have hopes and dreams and kids and mortgages and Voter Registration Cards.
Also, Dems who wanna gloat need to be ever-mindful of the simple fact that SCOTUS gave the hammer to Big Corporate in the Citizens United decision. I'd like to believe the current meme - that Repubs are in deep denial mode; they're in total disarray; that they're indulging in wishful thinking, probably just to put on a brave face for the party faithful; but I know for a stone fact that it's always a bad idea to underestimate the opponent.
Some things to remember - like Cenk says, the bill addresses some of the worst aspects of Healthcare Insurance Coverage, but does precious little about the root causes. One thing Cenk doesn't mention is that if you attack Big Insurance and Big Pharma and Big BioMed, then you're attacking the people who work for those companies. The suits in the executive suites aren't going to sacrifice themselves in this battle. They're gonna put their workers on the line first; workers who have hopes and dreams and kids and mortgages and Voter Registration Cards.
Also, Dems who wanna gloat need to be ever-mindful of the simple fact that SCOTUS gave the hammer to Big Corporate in the Citizens United decision. I'd like to believe the current meme - that Repubs are in deep denial mode; they're in total disarray; that they're indulging in wishful thinking, probably just to put on a brave face for the party faithful; but I know for a stone fact that it's always a bad idea to underestimate the opponent.
What Just Happened
1) Children cannot be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions. (adults included starting in 2014)
2) Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get tax credits covering up to 50% of employee premiums.
3) Seniors will get a rebate to fill the so-called "donut hole" in Medicare drug coverage, which severely limits prescription medication coverage expenditures over $2,700. As of next year, 50 percent of the donut hole will be filled.
4) Children can stay on their parents' plan until they turn 27.
5) Lifetime caps on the amount of insurance an individual can have will be banned. (Annual caps will be limited, and banned in 2014)
6) A temporary high-risk pool will be set up to cover adults with pre-existing conditions. Healthcare Exchanges will eliminate the need for that program in 2014.
7) New plans must cover checkups and other preventative care without co-pays. All plans will be affected by 2018.
8) Insurance companies can no longer cut someone when he or she gets sick.
9) Insurers must now reveal how much money is spent on overhead.
10) Any new plan must now implement an appeals process for coverage determinations and claims.
11) Tanning Salon Tax - this tax will impose a ten percent tax on indoor tanning services. This tax, which replaced the proposed tax on cosmetic surgery, would be effective for services on or after July 1, 2010.
12) New screening procedures will be implemented to help eliminate health insurance fraud and waste.
13) Medicare payment protections will be extended to small rural hospitals and other health care facilities that have a small number of Medicare patients.
14) Non-profit Blue Cross organizations will be required to maintain a medical loss ratio -- money spent on procedures versus money coming in -- of 85 percent or higher to take advantage of IRS tax benefits.
15) Chain restaurants will be required to provide a "nutrient content disclosure statement" alongside their items. Expect to see calories listed both on in-store and drive-through menus of fast-food restaurants sometime soon.
16) The bill establishes a temporary program for companies that provide early retiree health benefits for those ages 55‐64 in order to help reduce the often-expensive cost of that coverage.
17) The Secretary of Health and Human Services will set up a new Web site to make it easy for Americans in any state to seek out affordable health insurance options The site will also include helpful information for small businesses.
18) A two‐year temporary credit (up to a maximum of $1 billion) is in the bill to encourage investment in new therapies for the prevention and treatement of diseases.
2) Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get tax credits covering up to 50% of employee premiums.
3) Seniors will get a rebate to fill the so-called "donut hole" in Medicare drug coverage, which severely limits prescription medication coverage expenditures over $2,700. As of next year, 50 percent of the donut hole will be filled.
4) Children can stay on their parents' plan until they turn 27.
5) Lifetime caps on the amount of insurance an individual can have will be banned. (Annual caps will be limited, and banned in 2014)
6) A temporary high-risk pool will be set up to cover adults with pre-existing conditions. Healthcare Exchanges will eliminate the need for that program in 2014.
7) New plans must cover checkups and other preventative care without co-pays. All plans will be affected by 2018.
8) Insurance companies can no longer cut someone when he or she gets sick.
9) Insurers must now reveal how much money is spent on overhead.
10) Any new plan must now implement an appeals process for coverage determinations and claims.
11) Tanning Salon Tax - this tax will impose a ten percent tax on indoor tanning services. This tax, which replaced the proposed tax on cosmetic surgery, would be effective for services on or after July 1, 2010.
12) New screening procedures will be implemented to help eliminate health insurance fraud and waste.
13) Medicare payment protections will be extended to small rural hospitals and other health care facilities that have a small number of Medicare patients.
14) Non-profit Blue Cross organizations will be required to maintain a medical loss ratio -- money spent on procedures versus money coming in -- of 85 percent or higher to take advantage of IRS tax benefits.
15) Chain restaurants will be required to provide a "nutrient content disclosure statement" alongside their items. Expect to see calories listed both on in-store and drive-through menus of fast-food restaurants sometime soon.
16) The bill establishes a temporary program for companies that provide early retiree health benefits for those ages 55‐64 in order to help reduce the often-expensive cost of that coverage.
17) The Secretary of Health and Human Services will set up a new Web site to make it easy for Americans in any state to seek out affordable health insurance options The site will also include helpful information for small businesses.
18) A two‐year temporary credit (up to a maximum of $1 billion) is in the bill to encourage investment in new therapies for the prevention and treatement of diseases.
Mar 23, 2010
Mar 22, 2010
Whatever Will We Do?
The handwringing over at RedState.com is really fun to watch right now. This post is classic. And there's quite a little spat that breaks out in the comments. It gets to be a real hoot about 1/3 of the way down when the poster (Neil Stevens) gets into it with a reader AKA'd as eastbaylarry.
It could be interesting - especially so if Erick Erickson continues what looks like an attempt to widen the Republicans' appeal (I assume to attract the ever-elusive Independent Voter), while at the some time narrowing the party's identity by chasing out The Birthers and The Nullifiers, etc.
It could be interesting - especially so if Erick Erickson continues what looks like an attempt to widen the Republicans' appeal (I assume to attract the ever-elusive Independent Voter), while at the some time narrowing the party's identity by chasing out The Birthers and The Nullifiers, etc.
David Frum
The guy pretzles himself in a big way. From his blog.
This is a guy who's done his share of throwing fuel on the partisan fire - going as far towards the logical extreme as anybody else - and here he is saying, "Gosh, why's everybody so pissed off all the time?"
But just when I think he's gonna say something reasonable (like, maybe this won't be so bad - maybe we should wait and see), he goes back over the top and jumps straight into Blame-The-Media-No-Matter-What mode. Except, now, he's blaming the Conservative Bias of The Media(?) WTF? I'm having a hard time remembering the last time I heard any of these guys even acknowledge the existence of Conservative Media.
I’ve been on a soapbox for months now about the harm that our overheated talk is doing to us. Yes it mobilizes supporters – but by mobilizing them with hysterical accusations and pseudo-information, overheated talk has made it impossible for representatives to represent and elected leaders to lead. The real leaders are on TV and radio, and they have very different imperatives from people in government. Talk radio thrives on confrontation and recrimination. When Rush Limbaugh said that he wanted President Obama to fail, he was intelligently explaining his own interests. What he omitted to say – but what is equally true – is that he also wants Republicans to fail. If Republicans succeed – if they govern successfully in office and negotiate attractive compromises out of office – Rush’s listeners get less angry. And if they are less angry, they listen to the radio less, and hear fewer ads for Sleepnumber beds.
This is a guy who's done his share of throwing fuel on the partisan fire - going as far towards the logical extreme as anybody else - and here he is saying, "Gosh, why's everybody so pissed off all the time?"
But just when I think he's gonna say something reasonable (like, maybe this won't be so bad - maybe we should wait and see), he goes back over the top and jumps straight into Blame-The-Media-No-Matter-What mode. Except, now, he's blaming the Conservative Bias of The Media(?) WTF? I'm having a hard time remembering the last time I heard any of these guys even acknowledge the existence of Conservative Media.
I’ve been on a soapbox for months now about the harm that our overheated talk is doing to us. Yes it mobilizes supporters – but by mobilizing them with hysterical accusations and pseudo-information, overheated talk has made it impossible for representatives to represent and elected leaders to lead. The real leaders are on TV and radio, and they have very different imperatives from people in government. Talk radio thrives on confrontation and recrimination. When Rush Limbaugh said that he wanted President Obama to fail, he was intelligently explaining his own interests. What he omitted to say – but what is equally true – is that he also wants Republicans to fail. If Republicans succeed – if they govern successfully in office and negotiate attractive compromises out of office – Rush’s listeners get less angry. And if they are less angry, they listen to the radio less, and hear fewer ads for Sleepnumber beds.
I'd sure like to see somebody pick up on this. It's just possible we're seeing a Bill Buckley moment here.
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