Conflucians Say, “We told you so”

When all of the stupid Obots were proclaiming Obama’s abortion and reproductive rights bona fides last year, we noted that those issues were conspicuously absent from the vast majority of candidate’s web pages as we searched through ActBlue for candidates to endorse.  There was a reason for that and if you pea brains weren’t so stoked on Kool-Ade, you might have had a “WTF?!” moment.   We put two and two together when Obama didn’t challenge any provisions of the first Paulsen Bailout bill while Hillary was running around to all of the morning shows with her hair on fire over mortgages.

He’s dancing with the ones who brung him, just like we told you he would.  But would you listen?  And what do you have for leverage now?  Hmm?  What are you going to use to get the Blue Dogs and Obama himself to do the right thing?  Thaaaat’s right.  You’re pretty much out of options.  We’re stuck with this Congress for at least two more years but by then, the damage will be done.  And YOU dragged us into this.  When you think about it, what makes you that much different from the creationism-loving, terroism-fearing, Rush Limbaugh worshipping right wing nuts?  Well, from where I’m sitting, not a whole hell of a lot.  Congratulations!  You now bear the responsibility of our downfall along with all of the Republican voting public who gave us 8 years of Bush.

‘gits

Stay tuned for Conflucians Say, tonight at 10PM EST on PURrrr where we will taunt them a say-cawnd time.

B-B-B- But we MUST pay the Bank (Health Care is Still Off the Table)

Taking health care off the table wouldn’t bother me so much if actually made some sort of financial (or logical) sense. Or for that matter if it was actually possible. But, I’m sitting here waiting to go for a doctor’s appointment and a blood test and no one took my diabetes or the co-payment off the table.

You see, we are already paying for health care. A National Single Payer Health Care Plan would only shift some of the money that’s going to pay for administrative costs to private insurance companies murder-by-spreadsheet — using it to cover the medical expenses of the un (and under) insured. From the Physicians for a National Health Plan, Single Payer FAQ:

Won’t this raise my taxes?

A universal public system would be financed in the following way: The public funds already funneled to Medicare and Medicaid would be retained. The difference, or the gap between current public funding and what we would need for a universal health care system, would be financed by a payroll tax on employers (about 7%) and an income tax on individuals (about 2%). The payroll tax would replace all other employer expenses for employees’ health care, which would be eliminated. The income tax would take the place of all current insurance premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket payments. For the vast majority of people, a 2% income tax is less than what they now pay for insurance premiums and out-of-pocket payments such as co-pays and deductibles, particularly if a family member has a serious illness. It is also a fair and sustainable contribution.

Currently, 47 million people have no insurance and hundreds of thousands of people with insurance are bankrupted when they have an accident or illness. Employers who currently offer no health insurance would pay more, but those who currently offer coverage would, on average, pay less. For most large employers, a payroll tax in the 7% range would mean they would pay slightly less than they currently do (about 8.5%). No employer, moreover, would gain a competitive advantage because he had scrimped on employee health benefits. And health insurance would disappear from the bargaining table between employers and employees.

President Re-Election Gets Pwned; We Pay the Price

Like Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's

The latest “stimulus package” from Team Obama has passed the House. Hooray! Bold, decisive action from Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats (not a single Republican voted for it). It’s got money for infrastructure spending and alternative energy, too! But as is becoming per usual with our new President, we have to ask: “Where’s the catch?”

Well, if you read the story linked above, something will strike you right away – something that was hidden in the 99th paragraph of the article.

In an attempt bid [sic] to assuage Republicans, Mr Obama persuaded Democrats to to remove millions of dollars in funding for contraceptives for state medical programmes from the bill.

And what about this?

The stimulus plan includes about $275 billion in tax cuts, including a credit worth $500 dollars for each worker and $1,000 for couples.

Yes, Obama giveth, and Obama taketh away. (Please note: Murphy has a great action regarding this bill today. Check it out!)

You see, the original bill in the House did not include any tax cuts. And it CERTAINLY did not include this horrifying idea to take away government funding for birth control measures, which is bad even apart from its obvious heartlessness and misogyny; it actually will end up costing more money than it saves. (By the way, weren’t all the Sarah Palin haterz positive that if she became Vice President, this sort of thing would start happening to women – even though she is on the record as being pro-contraception? Ah, memories.) But Barack Obama strode down to Capitol Hill in all his glory, with many representatives of Big Business trailing behind him in clouds of cigar smoke – you know, the ones who helped him buy the Presidency for $800 million – and lo and behold, the Democrats listened to his words of wisdom! Yes, that’s right – the Democrats are in charge now, and they were the ones who tried to make the bill “bi-partisan” at Obama’s urgings. The Republicans can do nothing, legislatively, to stop the bill in the House, so their input was politically nil – or should have been. 

Thursday: Mutual, I’m sure

Hat Tip to Radiowalla at Alegre’s Corner for finding this little gem of an exchange between Dick Armey (his name conjures up so many amusing images) and Joan Walsh.

They were discussing Rush Limbaugh’s control over GOP members of Congress when Dick (so appropriate) starts talking over Walsh and finally tells her, “I’m so damn glad you could never be my wife”. I’m guessing that Walsh was equally relieved.

Note that Dick talks over Walsh, snickers and laughs at her comments and is generally dismissive of what she has to say.  This is not unusual behavior for men in the workplace but this clip is one of the best examples of the behavior of the species that has been caught on tape.

Yep, guys, we put up with this crap every single day.