I apologize for this abridged news post.
Some of you know that I’ve been dealing with family health issues and while they aren’t totally resolved (everyone is well on the road to recovery) I CAN’T put off getting back to doing my share…. And I miss you all to much to put off participating until things get back to normal. DO things get back to normal? Who knows.
Senator Ted Kennedy
Robert Scheer: Remembering the Real Deal
I would put Kennedy alongside my other hero, George McGovern, as the most trusted standard-bearer of the Democratic Party’s too-often-sabotaged liberalism. I just could never imagine either of them ever selling us out. Indeed, I haven’t felt quite so sad about the passing of a political leader since the day when people started bawling all over the Bronx with the news that FDR had died. In a political world dominated by bipartisan cynicism, there are few touchstones of integrity for the common folk, and Kennedy was one of them.
Byrd wants health bill renamed for Kennedy
“In his honor and as a tribute to his commitment to his ideals, let us stop the shouting and name calling and have a civilized debate on health care reform which I hope, when legislation has been signed into law, will bear his name for his commitment to insuring the health of every American,” Byrd said.
Politico forwards spin that GOP would support health reform if Kennedy had been active in Senate
In an obituary for Sen. Edward Kennedy, the Politico repeated the Republican claim that Kennedy’s absence from the health care debate prevented lawmakers from reaching a bipartisan compromise, reporting that “Republicans complained that without Kennedy, Democrats were less willing to make the concessions needed for true compromise.” Several progressive commentators have identified this talking point as GOP spin intended to disguise Republicans’ obstructionism, with Salon.com’s Joan Walsh, for example, stating that “absolutely no evidence supports that point of view,” and washingtonpost.com blogger Ezra Klein noting that Kennedy’s committee has already reported out a bill.
Health Care
Poll: 86 percent say insurance, public or private, should be available to all
Among the 1,000 Democrats, Republicans and independents surveyed on Aug. 12 and 13, 79 percent say they believe a federal government health insurance option should be available for people to buy.
Yet about one-fourth of those polled believe the “public option” is a national health care system, similar to the one in Great Britain.
“These two words have become radioactive, they have been swift-boated,” said William Mann, senior vice president of Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates. “There is a real misunderstanding.”
Franken Faces Friendly Fire From Liberals Who Want Public Option
Franken declined to discuss whether he would consider voting for a health care bill that did not include a public option.
“I’m not going to negotiate against myself,” he said.
Kucinich Calls on Insurers to Testify Before Panel
Kucinich, a vocal House liberal, asked the insurance executives to prepare testimony to “discuss the methods and protocols by which your health insurance company determines coverage for prescribed medical treatments, the administrative cost associated with this activity, and your company’s awareness of the response by doctors to these activities.”
“I further request that the testimony put into context anecdotes of claims denials, deferrals, and policy rescissions by insurers,” Kucinich wrote. “Your testimony should also discuss the adequacy and availability of data on, and government oversight of, the extent and impact of these actions.”
National News
Cheney’s Jihad–Why “enhanced interrogation techniques” don’t enhance U.S. interests, by Peter Bergen
Of the terrorists, alleged and otherwise, cited by the CIA inspector general as being fingered by KSM during his coercive interrogations, only Ohio truck driver Iyman Faris was an actual al Qaeda foot soldier living in the United States who had serious intention to wreak havoc. However, he was not much of a competent terrorist: In 2002 he researched the feasibility of bringing down the Brooklyn Bridge by using a blowtorch, an enterprise akin to demolishing the Empire State Building with a firecracker.
If that was the most threatening plot the United States could discover by waterboarding the most senior al Qaeda member in U.S. custody, it was thin stuff indeed.. .. ..
Who is Obama playing ball with? by Amy Goodman
It looked like it was business as usual for President Barack Obama on the first day of his Martha’s Vineyard vacation, as he spent five hours golfing with Robert Wolf, president of UBS Investment Bank and chairman and CEO of UBS Group Americas. Wolf, an early financial backer of Obama’s presidential campaign, raised $250,000 for him back in 2006, and in February was appointed by the president to the White House’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Economic recovery for whom?
Interestingly, Wolf’s appointment came in the same month that UBS agreed to pay the U.S. $780 million to settle civil and criminal charges related to helping people in the U.S. avoid taxes. Not to worry. UBS, an ailing bank with a pre-existing condition, had great insurance coverage. It was actually receiving $2.5 billion in a backdoor bailout from bailed-out insurance giant AIG. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said, “It looks like we’re simply laundering this money through AIG.” UBS, this bank that shelters wealthy tax dodgers, was actually being bailed out by hardworking U.S. taxpayers.
The Secret Government, by Christopher Hayes
An effective investigation into the breadth of the CIA’s interrogation programs must be bipartisan, similar to the work of the Church Committee in the 1970’s
Adjustable Mortgages Loom as Threat to Housing Recovery
On his annual salary of $100,000 as a television camera operator, he could afford the $2,200 initial mortgage payments. And he planned to sell the home before the mortgage reset.
Now Mr. Clavon is part of what many economists say is a looming threat to a housing recovery: more than a half-million option ARMs scheduled to reset in the next four years, at rates many homeowners cannot afford. His mortgage payments have risen to $2,700 a month because of a clause he did not notice on his contract, and are scheduled to rise above $4,000 in two years.
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The Confluence 
Huh?
Just listen to the first question 1st question.
What vicious combination of barbiturates is Chris Matthews on?
So, Ted Kennedy’s endorsement was a REBUKE of both Hillary and Bill Clinton?!? Chris Mathews is so lost with his ‘brother’ bull and his guests so filled with the demonizing the Clintons.
First, the Kennedy’s haven’t run out of family members. Secondly, many of us that held them in high regard, did so for commitment to family and to the larger community. Thirdly, Chris Mathews, needs some help for his obsession with Obama, this is about Ted Kennedy’s Life, his family, his life’s work, his trials, his triumphs, his legacy, and that isn’t about one endorsement.
Chris Mathews should know better, than to turn some one’s remembrance, into God worship of someone else, while attacking others, is in poor taste and lacks decorum.
Can anyone even with the IQ of a turnip STILL declare Obama as the torch career for Liberals? Hasn’t that (silly) illusion been shattered in a billion pieces many times over in the last 6 months?
Still trying to push Obama-as-the last-Kennedy-“brother” horse droppings.
dittio
I’ve missed you too, Katiebird – glad to hear your folks are on the mend.
{{{Katiebird}}} – I missed you too – and am glad to hear your folks are on the mend.
If I was Teddy I wouldn’t want my name on that POS bill.
If they REALLY want to honor him they should name the single payer bill after him and then pass it.
I’ll second that!
YES, and the country would then remember him and his family always.
Amen to that! JFK would not have liked this “POS bill,” that’s for sure.
that is exactly what I was thinking. Unfortunately I think Teddy K would probably be pushing for this bill.
How true, how true!
Alas… now that the Lion is dead…. they will use his name to push forward an imposter bill.
Such BS.
I was thinking the same thing.
(((KatieBird))),
Things do get better, it just takes a long time. Then you some times have a little tea time and remember the good things and the other memories fade. I would always write down something good, even the smallest of things, just to take note…even a good cup of coffee or tea and let a smile brighten the day. It is some times the smallest of gestures that make it possible to climb the highest of mountains.
Sending you good thoughts… and a big smille.
He doesn’t want to interrupt his vacation, but will do so to…
make a speech. Surprise surprise.
This is a must read, it isn’t to long but has some very sharp insight.
What bothers me about the pettiness of Teddy Kennedy holding a grudge against Hillary Clinton for not acknowledging JFK’s initiation of the Civil Rights Act is that, JFK only did so grudgingly, his bill was considered weak and was substantially beefed up in Congress. So, maybe bringing up Kennedy wouldn’t have been such a smart thing to do, even if it had been the point.
This article tries to be even handed, but even so, it’s easy to see that JFK had neither the juice, nor the inclination, to push forward meaningful Civil Rights legislation during his presidency. Clinton inadvertently did him and Obama a favor by leaving his name out of it. A lot of black people might have pushed back against JFK the Civil Rights leader, and anybody associated with that notion.
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/john_kennedy_and_civil_rights.htm
Not to mention that it was Bobby Kennedy, as JFK’s AG, who authorized the wiretaps of Martin Luther King as a “suspected communist.” (barf)
MLK didn’t trust either one of them.
Don’t forget RFK’s connection to McCarthy and his trials. In
1953, RFK enlisted in McCarthy’s crusade against what both men saw as the evil of communism in America
Excellent article, by the way. Thanks for posting.
word, Cinie,…Hillary spoke the truth, hence Ted’s Mount St Helen reaction to the truth.But I rather think Ted Kennedy was played by Obama handlers even more than he was a Barry king maker. It couldn’t have been hard to stoke to the red hot stage the POTUS jealousies that are always on the bubble in the Kennedy heart ….particularly by the idea of a woman getting the office ! Bumpkins like Carter and Bill were bad enough ! /snark .
I wonder if TK ever felt guilty for the Clintons being falsely attacked as “racists.”
Was preserving Camelot more important, as he watched the Clintons being shredded?
Was Caroline’s children being “excited about Obama” more important than our daughters being excited about Hillary?
Remember how Hillary graciously reached out to shake Ted’s hand (was it the State of the Union Address?), and Obama turned away? How she rises above all that crap is beyond me.
I think that there was an exaggerated perception in the South at the time of the strength and effect of Kennedy’s support of civil rights legislation. Any movement toward enfranchisement of African Americans, no matter how tentative, was regarded by conservative whites as an imminent danger to God, the flag, apple pie and white women. Especially white women.
To a certain extent, we’re still viewing JFK’s civil rights policies through the lens of what they threatened, rather than what they accomplished. Sending marshals and the National Guard in to keep order during desegregation was conflated with the rulings of the Earl Warren Supreme Court. At the time of the assassination, Jackie Kennedy remarked on the seeming pointlessness of the murder: “It wasn’t even for civil rights.”
Weren’t those marshalls and National Guard sent in during Eisenhower’s tenure?
The federal troops and/or National Guard were deployed many times during the fifties and sixties. Eisenhower sent in troops to keep the Arkansas Guard from blocking high school integration, Kennedy sent in federal marshals and threatened Wallace with the National Guard.
There’s an interesting conversation about Ted’s reasons at Hilary is 44: http://www.hillaryis44.org/2009/08/26/the-death-of-ted-kennedy/#comment-261010
I also agree with Hillary is 44 commenter turndownobama at 9:11am that it is very likely a powerful politician would endorse an unqualified politician over another because they are “miffed” by a remark. Maybe Ted’s ego was bruised but ultimately I think this was a decision of many Democratic Party leaders. Maybe the comment made Ted realize that electing Obama would be the most effective in protecting the Kennedy dynasty? Whatever his reasons and the reasons of Dean, Brazille, Pelosi, etc., there were more reasons other than the LBJ remark. I refuse to believe that remark alone cost Hillary the backing of the Democratic Party leaders.
Sorry, I meant to say it is very UNLIKELY that a politician like Ted would endorse Obama over the LBJ remark. There were other reasons.
There was a series of stories in Newsweek that ran right after the election titled “How Obama Did It.”
According to the authors Obama had the backing of the K clan as early as 2006. Lots of people (including Hillary) thought she was the “establishment” candidate last year. But lots of party insiders (including TK) were secretly backing Obama. The LBJ/MLK flappette was just the excuse TK used to go public with his endorsement.
Oh, I have no doubt that he would endorse OBama for that comment. I am sure there were other factors such as sexism, wanting to keep his family as the only “dynasty” in the party etc…
He was a politician and every good thing that came to him career wise was because of his family brand. He worked hard in the senate later.
I think he and Kerry were simply jealous and did not want Hillary in because the Clinton are just not their type of democrat elitists. I also do not think they wanted Hillary to go where they could not. She wouldn’t be enough of a puppet.
I would think misogyny played a part as well.
We just can’t have a woman in Jack’s office
Indeed. That story is like the one other Dem’s told about how their kids ” made” them vote for Obama.. Imn other words: pure shit . …Ted was just waiting for a moment that high lighted the Kennedy legacy .
Yes. Except that, the “Kennedy legacy” is now tarnished by a campaign that falsely painted the Clintons as racists.
It’s unforgiveable.
It’s why I’m now an Independent, and why a whole lotta other lifetime Democrats are, too.
Actually Mary, I agree with you. I was speaking of Ted’s reasons . If one looks at his 1980 behavior in regards to Carter, it ‘s bad as well. He spilt the party with amazing bitterness and without a quam, even though he had to know he would never win the office….well at least he could keep Carter out . No wonder Nancy Reagan had such nice words for him yesterday .
myiq2xu’s reason is the most believable. I believed Obama was the establishment candidate as soon as I saw him in 2004 at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. He had Kerry’s backing back then and probably that of the Kennedys and other power brokers by then. You just don’t randomly decide to pick a virtual unknown to give the keynote address. There were big plans for Obama before most of us even heard of him.
There’s also an interesting comment, speculating that it was Ted Kennedy who pushed Obama to offer Hillary the position as SoS. Her seat in the Senate would then become open to Caroline Kennedy …?
There was also speculations back then that the reason Bobby Jr supported Hill was to run for her NY seat…. If Ted did get Obama Inc to pick Hill , then he did a service to us even if it was for the wrong reasons.
SO…DO WE NOW CALL OBAMA..”BARRY kENNEDY?”
LOL!!!
Good morning KB. Hang in there, and keep taking care of yourself too! Things have a way of working out.
I’m moderating this thread this morning. And I’m deleting comments about Teddy Kennedy that are purely insulting. I just found out that a friend of mine died yesterday morning and I’m not in the mood to see such comments or discuss the issue.
{{{Katiebird}}}
I’m so sorry you lost your friend.
It was very sudden – he’d just posted a video (Called Peace, Love and BBQ) to youtube (with a facebook link) at around 1:30 am – then… gone.
It’s funny to have two such different ways of dying collide on the same day. Teddy with his known brain tumor and 15 months of warning. And Barry who might have known about heart problems but, no one else did….
Sorry KB. I was talking to a friend last night, who lost someone the same way 2 weeks ago. 57, she was reading a book, and just left…
mysterious life, this is.
Gees, some times life just doesn’t seem fair. My condolences on the loss of your dear friend.
You are deleting comments on your own personal loss?
Other than the garbage about Mary Jo, I did not see anything so offensive it had to be deleted. I really hate to see this site become another PC, net nanny site.
People have legit reasons to dislike the man and just because he died shouldn’t mean people shouldn’t be able to talk about how they felt about his political actions.
He is not your friend, he is a public figure.
Thanks KB for moderating (and deleting some of) the comments today. RIP Senator Kennedy. You made differences in my life, my kids’, and many others. The death of someone close to us is always a shock — whether sudden or anticipated over 15 months. The sting is the same. But eventually the sting lessens and the fine memories, experiences, and influences remain not only undiminished but actually heightened.
So…we gave UBS (through AIG) $2.5 billion, and they are giving us back $780 million? Isn’t that a tidy profit. It says everything about Obama that this is who he is choosing as his golfing partner. Obama is always looking out for his next campaign donor, not the American people.
It’s really sickening, isn’t it. Pay to play the Chicago way, brought to us by a so-called Democrat.
Interesting quote from Eschaton:
“Disaster
The people who will be forced to buy insurance will be, to a great degree, those young people who voted Obama into office.
Forcing them to buy shitty insurance from insurance company skimmers may just succeed in stemming that generational democratic tide. “
I guess it’s better to have them involved in the long run. Yes, it is a disaster for Obama but I’d rather have more young people angry as long as they see that health care is their problem too. As we predicted, most of the young’uns have become apathetic after the election of their hope and change man. I just want Obama to do SOMETHING so real liberals and single payer advocates can make their next to fight whatever shitty bill he passes.
I completely understand your frustrations; I wanted them to enact Medicare-for-All, and just expand ages of those who could buy in, including Medicaid.
But I gotta tell ya—having read this whole bill (took me a week, it’s such torturous legalese)—the House Bill is total crap, delivering captive customers through this mandate to the same insurance companies that screwed us all before.
But then again, Obama did the same with the banksters, with very little true reform for the sake of the customers.
I wish I didn’t feel so deeply offended by Obama’s acting like he’s doing something “for the little people,” but I do.
Medicare-for-All would have been so much easier to sell, and without all the trash stuck in the House Bill that’s questionable.
With all due respect to the memory of Teddy Kennedy, his “chosen candidate” just wasn’t experienced enough to get this done.
What can I say?
the House Bill is total crap, delivering captive customers through this mandate to the same insurance companies that screwed us all before.
yup, one knows that because the industry is spending millions to sell it…instead of sink it . And why not? They wrote it! It would be more accurate to call it the Serf Health Reform Bill
I just want Obama to do SOMETHING
People have been saying that for many years now…ever since he showed up in Chicago really.
But Obama doesn’t do.
I’ve posted two comments this morning and both didn’t appear – I’ll try again.
KB – I’ve missed you at TC – I’m glad to hear that things are looking up for your loved ones. Take good care of yourself too! 🙂
I love that they cast the coming mortgage resets as a “threat” to the “housing recovery”.
Green shoots, anyone? LOLOL…there is no “housing recovery” …The only “recovery” in housing is going to be a return to normal price levels, as it should be — but of course that’s not what our illustrious MSM or politicians mean when they say “recovery”.
I’m also good and tired of hearing how a house is “worth” this much or that much, or has “lost value.” No. A house is not a 401K fund. It’s worth what people will pay for it, period. If you paid $400K for it and now nobody will pay more than $200K for it, guess what? It’s worth $200K. It hasn’t lost value. That’s its value, right there — $200K.
Really wish our MSM would get this, but that seems too fundamental a concept to squeeze into their tiny brains.
Any case, the REAL next hit is going to be commercial RE.
If you paid $400K for it and now nobody will pay more than $200K for it, guess what? It’s worth $200K. It hasn’t lost value. That’s its value, right there — $200K
Well put! The housing bubble was like a mad game of musical chairs and when the music stopped , many were holding the bag without a seat . My husband and I needed to sell our house because of a job situation and at the time I knew we were racing with the bubble and luckily we sold our house, literally the day before the bubble burst, in Aug 07. The point is , while it took millions by surprise, there were a good number of articles talking about this insane bubble for some time before even Hilliary talked about it in the beginning of 07 and she was the first pol to do so . ( of course) Hillary talked about the impact on HOMEOWNER. She’s still the lone one to have underlined their plight and map out a way to help them as a means to correct the situation. Unfortunately that plan, along with her health care plan, are gathering dust since since they do not contribute to the cause of making us serfs , indeed, they would forestall that upper crust goal .
Who is Obama playing ball with? by Amy Goodman
This is a question she should have asked in ’07 instead of disappearing into the kool-aide barrel and pushing Obama as hard as she did.
Goodman is not just a highly intelligent reporter, she’s a highly intelligent reporter who was nearly killed while reporting on the Indonesian CIA coup Obama’s stepfather, Lolo Sotero, was involved in as a go between the American oil companies and the guy they installed, Suharto. So Amy Goodman especially had to know about Obama and what he was long before this….and well before pushing him 24/7 on her program. WTF?
As to Byrd’s idea….I’m not a big Kennedy fan, given how it seems shooting down Hillary was far more important to him than the good of the country. But he deserves a far better tribute than the hot mess health bill no one has read but the lobbyists who wrote it .
I am with the move to name the healthcare bill after ted kennedy. Just not for the same reasons as its proponnts
http://edgeoforever.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/go-ahead-name-the-healthcare-bill-after-ted-kennedy/
I am with the move to name the healthcare bill after ted kennedy. Just not for the same reasons as its proponents
http://edgeoforever.wordpress.com/2009/08/27/go-ahead-name-the-healthcare-bill-after-ted-kennedy/
Franken declined to discuss whether he would consider voting for a health care bill that did not include a public option.
“I’m not going to negotiate against myself,” he said.
He’ll fit right in
Yup. Funny how all this talk of “negotiating” always includes every “stakeholder” and every political blowhard on the planet except the PEOPLE.
I ought to go to a damn townhall with a big sign with only one word on it, and an arrow pointing down at myself:
–> STAKEHOLDER
Oh, I watched John McCain’s townhall this week, and while I agredd with some stuff but not a lot of stuff he said on healthcare, I did greatly admire him at one point:
Someone asked a very hostile question about closing Gitmo, and you could tell the audience (Sun City, AZ) was very hostile to the idea. McCain didn’t flinch. He spoke very eloquently about torture, it’s immorality and dangers, and about speaking with terrorist recruiters in Iraq, and how the Abu Ghraib photos were a prime recruiting tool.
He was getting some jeers and boos, but he didn’t back down. He was respectful to the audience, understood their concerns and fears, but just told them they were wrong.
I disagree with a big chunk of McCain’s politics, but I was reminded again that I do admire him in some ways, and have respect for the basic character of the man. He may not always be right, but I believe he sincerely tries to do what is right by his own conscience, more than many politicians do.
This last election was the first time in my life I ever voted for a republican in my life. I could in good conscience vote for John Mc Cain as I do believe he loves this country. I do not always agree with him but I never doubted that about him. He also knew how to work with others.
I never felt that way about backtrack and still do not think he has any interest in this country other than what he can get out of it.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
Go Merkel Go!
Lookie. It’s a sweet article about the Clintons’ vacation in Bermuda.
http://www.bermudasun.bm/main.asp?SectionID=24&SubSectionID=270&ArticleID=42616
Awww, where Chelsea was conceived 30 years ago. I loved this bit:
That’s our Bill and Hill – just regular folks, no special treatment other than necessary security. 🙂
I loved the part about Hillary saying to Bill, “Look darling, isn’t it romantic?” That was my favorite part, just because of how cute it was. I love Billary. I’ll admit it, I’m a fangirl and a groupie.
And I also love the picture in the article only because of how cute Hillary’s tunic is.
Spammy ate me.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-richardson-probe,0,6962248.story?track=rss
Here is the 30 pieces of silver for judas.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
“Iran could face new sanctions if it does not show a willingness to negotiate on its nuclear programme”
Does Israel ever have to negotiate on its nuclear program, or even admit that it has one? Nope. And yet which country has shown a greater propensity to attack its neighbors without provocation? I mean if I were Iran I’d damn well make sure I had some means of deterrence.
More war rumbles, that’s all this is. Our esteemed leaders are lining us up for another bloody war in the Middle East, or perhaps Somalia, we haven’t wreaked enough havoc there yet.
littleisis, thanks for posting that. It really was a sweet article.
I’ve been posting it everywhere all morning, because as I explained in the previous thread, it is a heart warming thing to see old people who are still in love. *wink*
Okay, I’m done being naughty noiw.
I know a lot of people who are hanging on to jobs they don’t want just to keep their insurance. Why does Congress have to overhaul the whole system, or do nothing? Why don’t they start with making insurance available to everyone who wants it by setting up a public option. Wait for millions of people to quit their jobs which will shake up the economy and hopefully lower the deficit then go back and put in place a more comprehensive plan when the country is not on the brink of bankruptcy? I don’t get this “we can’t do anything because we can’t do everything” mentality. They need to stop acting like Democrats and Republicans and start acting like representatives of the people.
((((Katiebird)))))
You always do the best roundups!!!!
http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/08/27/one-way-not-to-save-money-during-hard-times/#more-31166
for all the pet lovers here. Things to keep in mind,
Very good information on diet for pets
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
I’m watching Ted Kennedy’s motorcade get into Boston. For the first time since I moved here, I’m really homesick.
What is wrong with this country when we get to spend hours watching dead bodies be driven around but we can’t use air time to help people understand basic economics and finance and government issues or anything really important?
humans love drama.