Brace yourself. The next couple of days, you will be hearing a lot about that horrible “Canadian Healthcare”, “long lines in Britain”, “Socialist Healthcare”, “France”, “Healthcare decisions made by bureaucrats in DC instead of your doctor”, and all the other dreck we have been hearing since 1993 from the people who say “we have the best healthcare in the world, so don’t tamper with it”.
Health care cost cuts could kick-start reform
When President Bill Clinton took on health care reform, industry leaders fought back, killing the White House proposal before it could gain any traction.
Now those industry leaders are trying to help President Barack Obama find a solution to the problem of uninsured Americans, offering $2 trillion in spending reductions over 10 years.
Obama to unveil groups’ pledge to cut health care costs
Congress Plans Incentives for Healthy Habits
His Shrillness, Paul Krugman likes what he’s been hearing so far
Harry, Louise and Barack
A portrait of Ted Kennedy, the man who has been fighting the healthcare battles for decades
The man at the center
The opponents are already showing up with the same arguments. Quelle surprise!
Ex-Hospital CEO Battles Reform Effort
The television ads that began airing last week feature horror stories from Canada and the United Kingdom: Patients who allegedly suffered long waits for surgeries, couldn’t get the drugs they needed, or had to come to the United States for treatment.
More from the usual suspects
Republicans and the ‘Public Option’ (WSJ op-ed page)
A case in which compromise means government health care.
Cheney backs Limbaugh over Powell on GOP future
Dick Cheney made clear Sunday he’d rather follow firebrand broadcaster Rush Limbaugh than former Joint Chiefs chairman Colin Powell into political battle over the future of the Republican Party.
Republican women: A minority in a minority
Women make up almost 51 percent of the U.S. population but less than 10 percent of the House and Senate GOP — a gender disconnect that could make the Republicans’ climb back to power even steeper than it would be otherwise.
(…)
Republican women in the House say they feel the problem — literally — when their male colleagues nudge them to the front of GOP press conferences to break up the solid lines of middle-aged white men in neckties.
At least the GOP apparatchiks finaaly came up with the cause celebre that will bring back the party from the wilderness
Gingrich still doesn’t want Obama to speak at Notre Dame
US has more swine flu cases than any other country, WHO says
A portrait of Margaret Chan, WHO Director General
Managing a Flu Threat With Seasoned Urgency
There have been few more dramatic moments at the World Health Organization than the late-night gathering on April 29 when Dr. Margaret Chan, its powerful director general, declared that the human race was in peril.
This one could be very ugly
Concerns white phosphorus used in Afghan battle
The American military denied using the incendiary in the battle in Farah province — which President Hamid Karzai has said killed 125 to 130 civilians — but left open the possibility that Taliban militants did. The U.S. says Taliban fighters have used white phosphorus, a spontaneously flammable material that leaves severe chemical burns on flesh, at least four times the last two years.
Pakistan steps up Swat offensive
Shaky Pakistan Is Seen as a Target of Plots by Al Qaeda
King Abdullah of Jordan has some interesting thoughts
Netanyahu meeting with Obama decides Mid-East’s future
Barack Obama aims high on first visit to the Arab world
Pope embarks on tricky Israel visit
Economic downturn finally hits Iraq
iPhones in Iraq – the US Army’s new weapon
The Shrill One is worried
U.S. risks lost decade due to half-steps: Krugman
The United States risks a Japan-style lost decade of growth if it does not take aggressive action to stimulate its economy and clean up its banking system, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman said on Monday.
“We’re doing half-measures that help the economy limp along without fully recovering, and we’re having measures that help the banks survive without really thriving,” Krugman said.
Rupert Murdoch wants more from those who are not subscribers
Micro-payments considered for WSJ website
News Corp is planning to introduce micro-payments for individual articles and premium subscriptions to the Wall Street Journal’s website this year, in a milestone in the news industry’s race to find better online business models.
Box Office Weekend: Star Trek Conquers the Universe
Toilet bowl snake bites man on penis
Filed under: General |
The Confluence 
I love Politico. “Democratic women, by constrast think it’s just super duper being leered at, condescended to, and cut off at the knees by their colleagues. ‘They never ask us to be in the pictures!’ said one Congresswoman happily. ‘We don’t get pushed forward at ALL. They say over their dead body, the road to hell is paved by name recognition. If we’re really good, we get to make the coffee, and sometimes they let us talk–they’ll say, “go trash Sarah Palin” or “go trash Gillibrand” or “Clinton” or whoever. Super fun! Those Republicans have their gender disconnect, not us!’
New York Timas also has an article on women fighting each other in the workplace (“Backlash – Women bullying women at work). Must be Mother’s Day backlash…
More musings from me on the jocularity at the WHCA bash
I wanted to link to that article but I didn’t see its purpose. It looks too much like “Women too can be evil”.
They are probably trying to blame women for glass ceiling, a bit like why women are harassed because of the clothes they wear non-sense (but as we know even veiling women are groped).
Another effort to get women fighting women. Remember Nancy Pelosi saying she was going to put an end to it (the primaries) and thankfully Hillary R. Clinton went to the finish line. If she had done as Pelosi wanted women would be blamed as their own enemy, like that article, but thankfully we know different as Hillary got more votes and she did us proud.
Wanda (comedian) was trying to joke about Pelosi being a ‘Hillary Supporter’, in an effort to distance Pelosi from Obama now that the memos have come out, but we all KNOW Pelosi was in the TANK for Obama. That meme will work for people that were asleep during the primaries, but not on us.
Oh no, Madame Speaker was neutral – she said so.
(and Nancy would NEVER lie to us)
/snark
http://blog.buzzflash.com/editorblog/065
In fact it was as early as March that Pelosi was saying that Hillary would never be VP, and saying some pretty nasty things about us voters too and that the delegates were the ones to chose and not the voters. So, she is no F66G6NG Hillary supporter, EVA!
I never saw Nancy’s botoxed face have more expression than when the idea that the primaries should mean something came up. God help me, I’ll actually enjoy watching her get the treatment she joyfully gave Hillary and shed not a tear .
haha..
…..and thankfully Hillary R. Clinton went to the finish line. If she had done as Pelosi wanted women would be blamed as their own enemy…..
Indeed…once again, thank you Hillary.
I like the following line from the article:
“If women business leaders act consistent with gender stereotypes, they are considered too soft,” the group found in a 2007 study. “If they go against gender stereotypes, they are considered too tough.”
Exactly why we won’t have a woman president in my lifetime. Hillary was considered too tough and Sarah too dumb, and every woman in the near future will be judged one or the other.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/11/report-edwards-staff-planned-blow-campaign-affair/
Ah, but first they were such LOYAL DEMOCRATS to Donna Brazile, Pelosi, Dean, Axelrod and OBAMA, that they worked on BLOWING UP Hillary R. Clinton the best candidate that just happened to be a woman.
Yup, the lengths these ‘loyal’ Democrats went to, to protect the PATRIARCHY is shocking, because either way they were set on making sure the female candidate was knee capped.
It’s shocking , but seemingly the whole Dem apparatus was Team Barry for years before ’08. Hill may been running for her poltical life as much if not more than POTUS.
….and if it looked like Edwards was going to become the nominee, they were going to bring down the campaign
If this is the case, then the only point of Edwards running at all was to help sink Hillary . What was the point otherwise? The Edwards ( both) were there to sink Hill.
Edwards, was always attacking Hillary and then gave his support to Obama, while shooting hoops. In the end Edwards, didn’t even support a woman with a terminal illness, because he was busy having a fling. Yet, Elizabeth, had to campaign and fight for her life, and look after the family, because he couldn’t give it up even after the affair came to light.
The patriarchy is runs very deep….
WHO do you think he was for? It sure wasn’t the Hillary, the best candidate that just happened to be a woman.
He may have been idiotic enough to believe he would be VP ( lol! ) or at the least the story would be kept quite, as a reward for helping to sink Hill. But both the Edwards laid lumber on Hill….many stories of how Elizabeth ” didn’t like ” Hillary and actual criticisms starting in 07. I’m sorry she’s ill, but Elizabeth seems more involved in the Edward ruse than is usually admitted.
Given how sewed up the Dem party was for Barry , it’s amazing how the governors of PA and Oh etc. helped Hill at all …and really makes Hill’s run even more amazing.
Chris Muir is teh funny:
http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/2009/05/11/#005175
…..but left open the possibility that Taliban militants did. The U.S. says Taliban fighters have used white phosphorus,….
This reminds me of a recent event were the army said the Taliban blew up homes with villagers , killing many women and chirlden. Then it turned out the blown up homes and resulting deaths were due to US aerial bombing . So basically any time the Army says ” the Taliban did it,” there needs more investigating . Saying the Taliban did it, is the extenet we’ll go to acknowledge something happened
So, you are saying it’s always the fault of our service men and women and there really is a ‘MODERATE TALIBAN’, because Obama says so?
Last I looked the Taliban was trying to take control of Pakistan and shooting people with no trial execution style and doing other horrid things.
I just about never fault our service men and women , and certainly was not doing so here. I fault the spinners at the Pentagon and at HQ…..for, in this case, bombing civilians and then saying the Taliban did it. IMO, It hurts our creditabilty on the ground and therefore makes things tougher for our service men and women . I don’t remember saying any part the Taliban is swell .
This is a great set of links, MABlue! Let me know when you are done adding to them and I’ll add the social stuff.
Good morning KatieBird. 🙂
I just looged on the site and was about to ask where the social stuff was.
With all due respect for Mablue2’s links, I think it’s important to note that the healthcare links she provided are only of the mainstream media, which supports the Obama version of health care “reform.”
It’s really important that people go to other links, other than the mainstream/Obama supporting links, to get information on the health care debate. With a true “public option” or single payer, we are not achieving health care reform. In fact, what Obama wants to do will actually dig us much deeper into a hole in the long term.
So, again, I really encourage people to get educated by going to links that katiebird posted at:
First of all I’m a HE.
2nd and more importantly, I choose a couple of stories in the news. It’s not a post to fight Obama or to fight the Democrats and their policies. There are many other posts and other people for that.
Whether it’s the type of healthcare reform we like or not, the administration is about to tackle the issue, for the 1st time in 16 years.
Moreover, there are good liberals like Krugman who clearly like what has been seeping out so far.
Sorry about the she/he mixup.
I’d point out that “tackling” the issue not necessarily bringing about improvement if it “tackles” the issue in a bad way. And my intention was only to point out that, IMHO, people shouldn’t rely upon the healthcare links you provided, since they contain more misinformation than information about the facts of healthcare reform.
Also, while I am skeptical of the plan that is coming from the Democratic leadership, I am certainly fighting “Democrats.” In fact, there are about 75 Democrats in the House of Representatives who are co-sponsors of HR 676, which calls for single payer by creating Medicare for all Americans. I support them. They are the true Democrats, IMO.
Finally, with regard to Krugman, he is still quite wary of the coming agreement between Obama and the private insurers on healthcare “reform” in the link you provide. As Krugman indicates, it all comes down to whether there will be a true public option in the bill or not.
Oops. In the second paragraph I meant to say “I am certainly *not* fighting Democrats.”
you do very good Mablue.i appreciate all of your hard work.thanks
Krugman is cautiously optimistic at best, because he recognizes that the major health care opponents are only lining up to “compromise” because they realize that the demand for health care reform’s time has come and it’s going to happen whether they like it or not, and this is their only way to get a seat at the table. The danger, as Krugman points out, is that they are angling somehow to maximize profits–as usual–rather than realize true UHC. They do not want a public option, and Obama has been hedging on that as well. Hence, the debate between Hillary and BO: either ALL are covered, or not. It won’t work otherwise, because there will be a hidden tax on all of us.