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POPS Universal Health Care Mecca In the past, I paid attention to the health care debate as a speechwriter who prepared speeches, talking points, op-eds, and debate prep material on the topic at different times for John Edwards, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and others. Now, I'm paying attention because I'm a citizen up the creek without a paddle. Since I care more about my country than my personal pride, here's how I lost my insurance: I moved. That's right, I moved from Washington, D.C., back to Massachusetts, a state with universal health care. In D.C., I had a policy with a national company, an HMO, and surprisingly I was very happy with it. I had a fantastic primary care doctor at Georgetown University Hospital. As a self-employed writer, my premium was $225 a month, plus $10 for a dental discount. In Massachusetts, the cost for a similar plan is around $550, give or take a few dollars. My risk factors haven't changed. I didn't stop writing and become a stunt double. I don't smoke.
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POPSOlympic Flashback: '02 Salt Lake Games Tainted By Scandal, Bribery and Glenn Beck's Church
Almost as soon as Romney took the job, however, the Mormon Church's role in the Games became a source of contention - a dispute exacerbated by Romney's request for an additional $8 million in loaned property and cash from the church, among other contributions. Utah's wealthiest businessman, Jon Huntsman Sr., the father of Utah's current governor, assailed Romney for exploiting his ties to the church. Huntsman himself is prominent in the Mormon Church, which is officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ''We've got a chairman who is active LDS, now we've got a present CEO who is active LDS,'' Huntsman was quoted in the Salt Lake Tribune as saying of Garff and Romney. ''They claim they're going out really scour the world to find the best person, and Mitt brings in one of his cronies to be the COO. Another broken promise. Because we've got three LDS folks who are all cronies. Cronyism at its peak. ..... These are not the Mormon Games.'
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POPSHey Obama ~ Don’t Forget Deval Patrick!
a state political race by the president, and is a delicate one, given that Mr. Paterson is one of only two African-American governors in the nation. Hey Obama, as long as you’re meddling in state politics to undermine black governors, you might want to consider throwing Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick under the same bus. He’s way down in the polls, too! By the way, Mr. President, congratulations on the state politics-meddling re Ted Kennedy’s deathbed wish to reverse his 2004 request for a Massachusetts law that would have barred then-Gov. Mitt Romney from appointing a replacement to John Kerry in the event he … snort … excuse me … got elected president. With last week’s 95-58 vote in the Massachusetts House, it’s looking good. The President of the United States and others who do not reside in Massachusetts, such Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, have been meddling in local politics because they are worried that despite dominating House, Senate and White House . . .
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POPSDems In Mourning that they took away from Republican Gov. Mitt Romney when it actually looked like there might be a vacancy in John Kerry’s seat. In his later years, specifically the last couple of months, Kennedy was to come to believe that democracy would be best served by ensuring a placeholder is in office to vote on the Kennedy Memorial health care monstrosity … tragically now on life support though possibly about to benefit from a new infusion of animation due to Kennedy’s demise. A lot out there today on Kennedy’s charm, collegiality. I’ve always been charmed by the knowledge that this paragon of American democracy/champion of the little guy tried to kill the scrappy conservative blue-collar tabloid I work for as part of his feud with Rupert Murdoch, with the 1988 FCC cross-ownership ban. The Boston Herald … still alive and kicking today, and having made considerable efforts at reconciliation … joins the world’s media in honoring the fallen Lion: Legend mourned.
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POPSPush for Kennedy Successor Stirs Political Storm Now, with Mr. Kennedy dying three years before his term was up, some Massachusetts Democrats are reversing course, calling for Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint an interim replacement to hold office until the special election can be held. They now argue the state shouldn't be without full Senate representation for months, especially with pressing issues such as health care before Congress. The Massachusetts situation is the latest to erupt over filling vacant U.S. Senate seats, following particularly messy appointments in New York and Illinois. Away from the political infighting, mourners lamented Massachusetts's loss of clout in the U.S. Senate. "Whoever goes in will not have remotely close to the influence he had," said Ted Glynn of Boston. "That's a big concern." The question of how to fill Mr. Kennedy's seat is vexing Democrats. In 2004, Mr. Kennedy supported a special election rather than a gubernatorial appointment. Yet more recently, he wrote to Mr. Patrick . .
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POPSTed Kenendy - Senator or Peer of the Hous of Lord? The left-wing senator wanted to hand its seat to his wife or one of his relatives, by changing a law amended to block Romnay's choice a few years ago. I wouldn't call this "liberalism" . Aristocray and ancien regime look more likely
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POPS Ted Kennedy The speculation and manuevering will fire up again after a discreet interval. Joe. Patches. Caroline … not good enough for New York, but this is Massachusetts. Any number of Kennedy third-stringers. All of them have feet of clay, not that was ever an obstacle to Kennedys until recently. Hey, don’t be shy, Deval Patrick. The Kennedys never were. Here’s a great chance to appoint yourself out of that mess in Massachusetts … though re-election might be problematic. Grease it with the Legislature right and maybe they’ll let you appoint yourself. Despite his shameful performance re the Iraq war … when he viciously disparaged a wartime president and sought to undercut a vital national security interest with troops fighting and dying in the field … he remained able to work across the aisle and had significantly better political skills than most in his party. When he called, presidents of both parties picked up the phone. The great tragedy today in the Bay State is that John Kerry,
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POPSNew Rule: No Shame in Being the Sorry Party One of the best articles I've read recently. Not only for approaching this world wide famous American unability to believe that America actually can do wrong but also for the sense of humour.
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POPSGOP balk at Kennedy proposal to change sucession law So Sen. Kennedy wants a re-do on the Mass. law now that it *might* affect the political dynamics in the Senate. I know he carries a lot of weight and influence but what was good in 2004 should be good enough for 2009. I'm sorry for the Senator's terminal illness. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. However, trying to change the Mass. laws to allow for unfair manipulation of the process (NOW) and supply a link for his health care legacy is pretty low. It's good to see the Dem. Governor balking. I hope he allows the process to take it's course and the outcome be lawful.
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POPSReforming health care is fiscally conservative
More: Real conservatives should point out that the current proposals are not tough enough on costs - and criticize Obama for that, not for fantasies like a communist takeover or euthanasia program for special needs kids. The Romney-Obama model will require fiscal boundaries to healthcare provision and this will mean a trade-off that will be hard to postpone much longer. We'll get less innovation, and probably some rationing at some point. But that is already happening - the rationing is done by insurance companies. One final thing: most Americans do not want people dying in the streets. If you have guaranteed emergency room care for the uninsured at public expense, you have already effectively socialized medicine. It makes no sense not to bring these people into the insurance system, and to offer less expensive, long-term preventive healthcare. To insist that ideology stand in the way of this piece of compassionate common sense is irresponsible.
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POPSObamaCare Patterned After RomneyCare Mitt Romney showed the democrats how to sneak this healthcare package past their constituents by hiding the true costs. (This is also just one good reason for republicans to not put up Romney as a future presidential candidate).
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POPS10 Reasons Why Republicans Seldom Serve in the Military
Here are 10 reasons why so few Republicans show up at the military induction center. 1. World War Two was the last white war. A war fought with a large white participation. Korea saw a growth in minority participation, but by the time of Vietnam, class distinctions had grown, and war was mainly fought by a collection of white trash southern hillbillies, whites on the run from the law in the States, and blacks and Mexicans. War became a half-way house for those perceived as losers, while increasing numbers of whites decided to spend their time going to college on student deferments and amassing cash in lucrative careers. 2. Many white right-wingers, while they won’t admit it, don’t like blacks because they consider them to be lowly niggers. They don’t want to eat next to one in the mess hall, and certainly not sleep under one in a bunk bed. 3. Most right wing successful politicians and pundits got where they are because they focused on the prize, advancing themselves. The
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POPSGreat Comeback to Obama on Video! "Good to hear the Senator taking it to Obama and laying out all the GOP proposals that have been shot down by the Dems. Now it’s time to state why the Dems are opposed to GOP proposals, the real goal is increased power and influence for the Dem party. If they were really interested in health care for all they would seek a moderate compromise. But they’re simply not interested. They will not allow We the People to fend for ourselves because then we wouldn’t need and therefore be beholden to Democrats." "DeMint really does need to run for President! He is fantastic! He is one of the only true conservatives that have stuck to his guns through this whole debacle! Even Romney and Newt were for the bailout. DeMint wasnt."
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POPSBarack Obama Finds Real Birth Certificate Upon finding out that he had both Mormon and Mexican heritage, Obama answered by saying that "I'll bet Utah is sorry now that they didn't vote for me. Maybe I'd better appoint Mitt Romney to my cabinet or something." The President Elect also used his executive powers to overturn BYU's loss in the Pioneer Bowl to Arizona, declared Pace Thick and Chunky Salsa as the official condiment of the White House, and ordered a plate of Huevos Rancheros for breakfast. Next on his agenda was inviting all of the contestants in the Miss USA and Miss America pageants to his offices. "If I get to be a Mormon and have more than one wife, I'd better get me a lot of good looking ones!"
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POPSThe NRA thrives on paranoia, and the rest of us will pay But the NRA is an organization built on fear, and they use that fear to pump up those shreds into nuclear threats. Watch the interview with NRA spokeswoman Rachel Parsons above, talking about how a proposal to close the gun-show loophole -- which permits hundreds, if not thousands, of transactions to occur that would be illegal in a gun shop, and lets people who are forbidden to buy guns to do so, since no background check is required. Parsons is trying to tell us that this somehow affects people's Second Amendment rights -- even though the only actual effect of this legislation she can claim is that the people who put on these gun shows couldn't afford to do so anymore, because they wouldn't be making as large of sums from them as what they're accustomed to. Of course, this has nothing to do with the Second Amendment.
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POPSGOP kicks off campaign to reconnect
The GOP is now fighting to regain their footing because the neocons ignored their plummeting popularity while Bush was still in office. Then they reiterated their cynicism towards their constituency by selecting another lackluster politician in the form of Sarah Palin to run as VP. Is the republican leadership willing to step down and allow new people to take the reins? This is the only way I see this organization changing its direction. The real problem with politics is that no matter who sits in the drivers seat, the tax payer gets screwed. After four years we are so fed up with the current administration that the opposing party is almost assured of winning. The campaign season is getting so long that the winner needs only meet two criteria to outlast the others: 1-have the most money and 2-be the most adaptable to the current political tide. Helping Obama get this nation on the road to recovery is not admitting defeat it is helping Americans, this is what the GOP needs to l
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POPS My Tea Party Rant Huckabee saddled the Republicans with McCain, period. Romney would have been the candidate to have on the podium when it was obvious that the economy was in trouble. Now remember, with no Obama in the White House pursuing his Marxists policies, it is very unlikely that these Tea Parties would have ever occurred. So, I find it particularly outrageous that Huckabee was out in front, co-opting the Tea Parties to the benefit of his ‘Fair Tax’ issue, when he in large part, contributed to the eventual election of Obama by saddling us with the inept John McCain. Now, Huckabee has parleyed his campaign presence into some sort of Fox TV show and we can expect him to be putting his mug in front of any populist movement that he thinks he can use to further his cause - him. ( There is a good article over on mises.org about the Flat Tax and the Fair Tax, and how they distract from the real problem - out of control spending) http://mises.org/story/3389
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POPSRomney’s Law, 2012, and another $45 million Former Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney is strongly leaning towards another run for President in 2012. Fresh off of winning 4.5 million votes in the 2008 Republican Primaries, and his third straight CPAC Straw Poll win, Mitt Romney is weighing whether he wants to spend another $45 million on another presidential campaign in 2012.
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POPSMitt Romney helps Bobby Jindal fundraise Rumors abound as to who will run for the Republican nomination for President in 2012, with Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, and Sarah Palin being the names that come up the most often.
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POPSRomney’s unemployment I recently read an article which started with an innocuous enough sentence, which upon further examination made me leap out of my chair with irrational anger–so naturally I thought I would share it with you guys.
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POPSMitt Romney helps Bobby Jindal fundraise Rumors abound as to who will run for the Republican nomination for President in 2012, with Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, and Sarah Palin being the names that come up the most often.
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POPSCPAC Straw Poll Vindicates Ron Paul, Huckabee Distanced
Ron Paul in virtual tie for 2nd, with Palin, well above Huckabee. Conservatives, unlike the republican establishment, like Ron Paul's principles on economics, preserving Constitutional law and liberty, and apparently even foreign policy (surprise, surprise) over others . This shows that conservatives then are divided, and not ready to throw all their weight behind one lead candidate (i.e. Romney, a CFR member and RINO who has no real conservative or Constitutional record). It must be acknowledged that Ron Paul's principles are vindicated as attractive among conservatives, and been missing from the Republican party. While Romney won the poll this still means Republicans are out of touch with conservatives listening now to Paul outside the heat of political campaigns. The fact that he fairs so much better here than during the primaries (although he trampled Giuliani then) says that conservatives are awakening and listening to his message, finally.
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POPSRachel Maddow Responds to Bobby Jindal Hilarious! 1. I'm just like Obama. 2. Tax cuts cure everything. 3. Tax cuts and prayers are far more effective than monitoring possible natural disasters. 4. Sarah Palin and I are running for President in 2012 along with Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. Republicans rock!
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POPSDawn of a Newt Age So who is the real Newt—the Web-savvy wonk toiling to revitalize government, or the canny political strategist gathering ammo and identifying wedge issues for the gop? The answer, of course, is both—and neither Democrats nor Republicans ought to forget that Gingrich pulled off a political revolution once before.
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POPSThe Palestinian Electric Car Recently I listened to Mitt Romney justify Israels aggression against Gaza because during the cease fire Gaza decided to make rockets instead of building businesses or schools. Lies like that happen when a people are turned into the the other . Interestingly, they also talked with Ziva Patir of Project Better Place about the possibility of the Palestinians working with that company. She told them that although she couldn't speak for PBP on the issue, "I believe that business creates peace, and any peace project is good for everybody." Indeed it is.
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POPSThe Top 10 Weirdest Moments Of 2008 According To Politico Blago eyes 2016 presidential run The 79-page criminal complaint against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is filled with vulgar remarks and jaw-dropping revelations related to his alleged attempt to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat. But overlooked amid the spectacle is this bizarre gem, buried deep within the document: Blagojevich toyed with the idea of appointing himself to fill Obama’s seat to “remake his image in consideration of a possible run for president in 2016.” He’d viewed himself as a presidential contender after winning the governorship in 2002, but much had transpired since then. He had an undistinguished first term, limped to reelection in a solidly Democratic state against a weak field, alienated much of the Legislature and was well-aware the feds were closing in on his administration on corruption issues unrelated to the Senate seat.
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