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POPSStay Off of Fox News: Obama Administration Warns Democrat Strategist
White House Communications Director Anita Dunn said that she had checked with colleagues who "deal with TV issues" and that they had not told people to avoid Fox. On the contrary, they had urged people to appear on the network, Dunn wrote in an e-mail. But Patrick Caddell, a Fox News contributor and former pollster for President Carter, said he had spoken to Democratic consultants who said they were told by the White House to avoid appearances on Fox. He declined to give their names. Caddell said he had not gotten that message himself from the White House. He added: "I have heard that they've done that to others in not too subtle ways. I find it appalling. When the White House gets in the business of suppressing dissent and comment, particularly from its own party, it hurts itself." Some observers say White House officials might be urging consultants to spurn Fox to isolate the network and make it appear more partisan. Los Angeles Times
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POPSDemocratic Donors Rewarded With White House Perks Presidential aides said there has been no systematic effort to use the White House complex to aid fundraising, though they acknowledge the DNC has paid for some events at the presidential mansion. Many guests at the White House not only had fundraising connections, but also have personal friendships with the president, Mr. Obama's aides said. "Contributing does not guarantee a ticket to the White House, nor does it prohibit the contributor from visiting," said Dan Pfeiffer, deputy White House communications director. • See White House response to story: White House touts ethics in rewards for fundraisers Presidential aides said there has been no systematic effort to use the White House complex to aid fundraising, though they acknowledge the DNC has paid for some events at the presidential mansion. Many guests at the White House not only had fundraising connections, but also have personal friendships with the president, Mr. Obama's aides said.
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POPSAlternate Iraq War Universe … Obama Won! Never mind that the surge was initiated by President George Bush, and the current withdrawal was negotiated by the Bush administration with a sovereign, elected Iraqi government which his actions allowed to come into being, in place of the prior despot he had deposed, while Democrats, including Obama, were howling for abandonment. Obama deserves some credit, of course. For staying Bush’s course and throwing his own boneheaded pandering demands for a precipitous pullout under the bus. OK, I thought Friedman had got about as weird as he could. Silly me. This next step is particularly important, which is why we cannot let Afghanistan distract U.S. diplomats from Iraq. Remember: Transform Iraq and it will impact the whole Arab-Muslim world. Change Afghanistan and you just change Afghanistan. Fascinating. The big clamor for the last few years of course has been that Iraq was distracting us from Afghanistan, and now every jackanape out there, to include Friedman . . .
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POPSSecret Obamacare Negotiations Behind Closed Doors Democracy does not begin and end on Election Day for the American people. Whether you are for or against Obamacare, we the people deserve an opportunity to read, digest and understand the most important health care legislation to be debated in the United States Senate in our lifetime. The American people relied upon the promise of the Obama Administration and the leadership in Congress to be open and transparent, therefore it is time to stop the closed door negotiations and allow the American people to participate in the democratic process. Author: Brian Darling http://blog.heritage.org/2009/10/19/secret-obamacare-negotiations-enter-day-6/
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POPSPolitico and Scarborough Figure Out The Obama White House’s Fox News War Tactic WARNING: THIS POST IS NOT APPROVED BY WHITE HOUSE CENSORS! “And then you had a couple days of breast-beating from The Washington Post and The New York Times about whether or not they were fast enough on the ACORN story,” the official said. To some media observers, it’s almost the definition of a “chilling effect” " a governmental attempt to steer reporters away from negative coverage " but the White House press corps has barely uttered a word of complaint. Fox denies its news coverage is slanted, and even White House aides say the network’s top correspondent there, Major Garrett, is a straight shooter. But in its non-news hours, Fox mixes in a steady diet of criticism of President Barack Obama by its prominent conservative commentators Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck. It’s a formula that works for Fox, with the highest ratings in cable news. A day after White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Obama senior adviser David Axelrod said other journalists .
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POPSMere Sound and Fury Until Harry and Nancy Do Their Thing in The Dark Half of it will come from massive cuts in Medicare Advantage, while the other half will be generated by new taxes on high-end insurance, higher income taxes, and new levies on drugs and innovative medical devices. We will address these additional yellow flags on this page on Tuesday in Part 2. There is another reason why the CBO's preliminary analysis should be taken with a grain of salt, though this one wasn't mentioned in the report. Whatever the content of the Baucus bill once it is voted out of the finance committee, it will disappear into a legislative black hole as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and their key aides do what they did on the economic stimulus package back in February -- huddle together behind closed doors to write the final bill, which will then be presented as a fait accompli in the form of a conference report. Everything else is mere sound and fury signifying nothing until Harry and Nancy do their thing in the dark.
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POPSEast Bay hospice facility draws praise from loved ones, dying patients
More: Patients may spend weeks, days or only hours here while doctors and a staff of nurses and aides control their pain or agitation, social workers counsel and chaplains guide. Since it opened in 2004, more than 1,400 people have died here… Family members frequently return, often on anniversaries, to walk or sit in the yard. "The families are just so thankful. They feel so grateful. The pain is being handled. They can kind of, not enjoy the process of death, but the stress is taken off," nurse Joy Favaedi said, as two of Butkus' grandchildren played in the living room. "It's a sad place, but such a positive place." …Advocates for hospice — which focuses on comfort in the last six months of life, normally at home — view the political debate as a reflection of cultural reticence to accept death or recognize a downside to persistent life-extending measures. Places like Bruns House fill a need for acute hospice care in a homelike setting…
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POPSWhite Coats passed out to Docs A sea of 150 white-coated doctors, all enthusiastically supportive of the president and representing all 50 states, looked as if they were at a costume party as they posed in the Rose Garden before hearing Obama’s pitch for the Democratic overhaul bills moving through Congress. The physicians, all invited guests, were told to bring their white lab coats to make sure that TV cameras captured the image. But some docs apparently forgot, failing to meet the White House dress code by showing up in business suits or dresses. So the White House rustled up white coats for them and handed them to the suited physicians who had taken seats in the sun-splashed lawn area. ‘You look very spiffy in your coats.’ Obama told the group of doctors after his aides had handed out a great many of them. UPDATE: Patterico is not sure that all of the doctors in attendance at the President’s photo op were even pro-ObamaCare . According to the testimony of one doctor who was invi
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POPSObama to Meet High-Powered Aides for Afghan Review were the top ranking civilian officials expected for a bracing session on a war some supporters fear could swamp Obama's presidency. War commander General Stanley McChrystal, who warned in a leaked report that the conflict could be lost within a year without more troops, was also due to to take part, either in person or by video link-up, the White House said. Other top military brass included were General David Petraeus who heads US central command, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Director of National Intelligence Admiral Dennis Blair. CIA chief Leon Panetta was also due to take part, along with Richard Holbrooke, the US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as the US ambassadors to Islamabad and Kabul. Obama warned after meeting NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Tuesday that the United States could not fight the battle in Afghanistan alone, in remarks apparently aimed at European partners.
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POPSDid bad care spur a mother to kill her disabled daughter? More: She wrote that the aides bathed Yvette "like a car," with cold water at times to punish her. When Yvette would scream, the aides would turn the hot water back on before the nurse in charge could arrive, according to the letter. "There's much more but you can ask my family. "... They can tell you. I can't go on like this. She has been begging me to end it for two years," Diana Harden wrote. "My health is failing and I don't want to leave her alone."… Because she was partially paralyzed, Yvette Harden could get around only with a wheelchair. But staff took away the motorized chair after Harden broke a glass patio door and bent the metal on a gazebo fixture in July 2008. She was given a manual chair that she had to be strapped into because it was too small and made the pain in her legs and back worse, according to Department of Public Health records. She told her mother, "I want to die; I don't want to live without my wheelchair…"
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POPSTwenty Minutes with the President CS – Mr. President, it’s hard to label this type of friction as “in fighting” or make the irresponsible leap to “thorough,” when the evidence I insist you examine regarding 6 of the 10 members are statements of fact. (At this point one of Obama’s senior aides approaches the President and whispers into his ear. Obama glances quickly at his watch and nods as the aide resumes his post at the doorway, directly behind me.)
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POPSLive In South Florida - Only Rich Need Apply
Reading this article, made me conclude that So Florida has a plan to rid itself of working class dwellers. OMG, it's easy, raise taxes, insurance, utilities, everything under the tropical sun to a level that only well-off families can afford. I swear So. Florida’s leaders… want to rid paradise of commoners, so there’s more room for the blue-blooded beautiful people with fat wallets. Sound too farfetched, too birther, too death panel, too teabagger, too (oh what the heck) conspiracy theorist? Probably, and we sure as hell don't need another one of those nut-ball, butt-ball townhall myths floating around. But it’s strange to figure out why the cost of living in paradise is becoming beyond most people’s shallow pockets. I lived there for 19 years and was able to make ends meet. Today that’s not a can do. I’m glad I got the hell out while the gettin was good. But maybe there’s a silver lining here, because it’s only the filthy rich who will monetarily be able to withstand the BIG HIT.:eek:
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POPS Change WH withdraws call for students to 'help' Obama President Obama's plan to inspire the nation's schoolchildren with a video address next week erupted into controversy Wednesday, forcing the White House to pull out its eraser and rewrite a government recommendation that teachers nationwide assign students a paper on how to "help the president." White House aides said the language was an honest misunderstanding in what was supposed to be a inspirational, pro-education message to America's youths. Among the activities the government initially suggested for prekindergarten to sixth-grade students: that they " write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president." Another task recommended for students immediately after listening to the speech: to engage in a discussion about what "the president wants us to do." http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/02/wh-withdraws-call-students-help-obama/
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POPSPelosi will let Rangel hold post despite latest allegations FTA: There is also the danger of alienating members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), a large bloc of liberals in the Democratic Caucus. Many of them take pride in the fact that one of their members sits atop Ways and Means. Pelosi: Jan. 2006 ""It is long past time for the Congress to address the systemic Republican culture of corruption that has undermined the American people's confidence in this institution," Pelosi said. "I am proud that some of the best minds in our Caucus will be leading the Democratic effort to clean up the corrupt Republican Congress. These great leaders will work to restore truth and trust to the People's House." Hypocrite.
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POPSIt Took The Republicans 7 Years To Do What The Dems Have Done In 7 Months . . . P'Off The Independent Center Once they went down this path, they’re going all in here, and you can’t take that bet back.” Couldn’t agree more. The public option made it into too many versions in the House to snuff out without a backlash from the fanatical left. But the realization that we could be heading towards the disaster which is the UK’s and Canada’s crumbling ‘public options’ has woken up the electorate and they will have nothing of it. And it always comes back to how to pay for it, and that sets the target clearly on seniors and their rising ranks of health care consumers. Our naive President let this whole mess get out of control. He did not lead and establish a baseline, he let the wing nuts in Congress run amok, and he got the result he deserves. If anyone is serious about health care reform they will junk the current abominations from the left wing and produce something palatable to the nation. It may not save the Democrats from the voter backlash, but it sure will lessen the backlash
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