King Politics

Even though these same conservatives don't mind states requiring you to carry liability insurance on your automobile, they have problems with a mandate for health insurance coverage. Nevermind the fact that the costs of people going without health insurance are much costlier to society.

As is typical of the base of the out-party, these conservative Christian rightists are upset Obama is, in fact, governing as the Democrat that he is. Like most Democrats, he's pro-choice and favors every American having health insurance. He also supports public school, the arts, clean air, and sports. Oh, my gosh, clearly he's a commie!

While I wouldn't go as far as to suggest that the conservative movement is dead, I think it's accurate to say that it is bereft of new, workable and practical ideas. Were it not, Obama and Democrats (collectively) wouldn't have cakewalked to victories in 2006 and 2008.

Labels: Conservatives

Researchers at Harvard (it's in the Northeast, I believe) have determined that roughly 45,000 Americans die each year because they lack health insurance. Short summary here, long summary here.

Labels: Health Care

America's allies are not pleased that the Obama Administration has decided to reverse the Bush Administration's plans of installing/extending a missile defense shield in several Nato countries. Despite the about-face, pragmatists recognize this is an opportunity for a fresh start with the angry bear, perhaps by linking Russian and Nato's missile defense systems. Putin is pleased.

The reason missile defense shields remain relevant is because of the idiot running Iran. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's idiot-in-chief continues to deny the Holocaust, calling it a "lie."

Perhaps, one reason the Pentagon changed its views on missile defense, besides the prohibitive costs, is that Israel, has developed quite the sophisticated missile defense system itself the last twenty years.

Labels: Israel, Mideast, Russia

Head of California firm that registers voters for California GOP pleads guilty to voter fraud. I'd like to see Fox cover this story.

Labels: Voting

Reactionaries were in full force in DC last Saturday. Organized by Freedom Works and Glenn Beck,their antipathy to Barack Obama was easy to see. Many refer to Obama as an "Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug and a racist in chief." For a summary of this ilk, read Sebastian Jones. Admittedly, this video is a bit biased, but you can watch several interviews with the protesters.

Labels: Ideology

I'm new to this particular scandal, but the Christian Science Monitor has a primer on the latest controversy. Doesn't look good for Acorn; I know that much.

Labels: ACORN, Voting

NPR's Steve Inskeep has a story on the gentrification of Houston's Third Ward.

It was an okay story. There's a certain futility in any story like this where the the reporter spends a few days in town and they try to give you a "feel" for the town. Inskeep left out the fact that Houston has some of the least restrictive zoning laws in the country. There was also a huge flux of Katrina evacuees who changed, not the color, but the character of the 3rd Ward. There was a certain and inevitable backlash to that population, which has made Sen. Coleman's complaints fall on deaf ears. More importantly, the black middle-class mostly abandoned the 3rd ward years ago. Change is inevitable, and Houston, more than most cities, exemplifies this.

Labels: Media, Texas

The financial nightmare that was the George W. Bush years came into sharper focus with last week's release of income, poverty and health insurance statistics by the Census Bureau.

Read the rest at The Loop.

Labels: Economics, George Bush, The Loop

There's a lot of Internet buzz about When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment. Check it out.

Labels: Book Review

Biting the hand that feeds him? The array of proposals in Congress, notably Max Baucus' Senate Finance proposal all contain provisions requiring you to get coverage if you don't have it, especially the roughly 10 million folks aged 19-26. Good idea? For crying out loud, yes. The addition of millions of relatively healthy young people should help reduce premiums for everybody (theoretically). Additonionally, access to basic preventative check-ups will do them well in the long-term. But, again, remember, this is mostly a function of the fact that most of these folks work for employers who don't offer access to an employer-based health care plan. Were employers true to their young employees, the government wouldn't have to intervene.
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Unbelieveably, states that are the stingiest at dispersing Medicaid benefits (i.e. Republican and Southern, Plains) are likely to receive a boost in any health care reform. This is because the federal government looks to expand the Medicaid package.
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Hendrik Hertzberg makes the argument that health care reform that is a compromise between House and Senate Democrats will be a stronger, more viable effort than a compromise between Democrats and Republicans.
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Despite the public waffling on health care reform, one group, surprisingly isn't ready to throw a public option under the bus. Who, you ask? Doctors.
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And, just in case you think health care reform is much ado about nothing, bear in mind that policy experts expect employers to shed cost by reducing health care benefits. You may not reform, but the odds are you'll need it.
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On a mostly unrelated task, health care is the last thing on John Allan Muhammad's mind. His execution is set for Nov. 10. Don't remember him? He's the D.C. sniper.

Labels: Health Care, John Allan Muhammad

Andrew Romano makes the case that we'd be better off covering illegal aliens when it comes to health care reform. Turns out that the population is typically younger and healthier, meaning their contributions to the system should actually lower costs for everyone. And, after all, if health care is a right, as many suggest it is, why should we deny it anyone? Especially if they make contributions in to the system.

Labels: Health Care

The New York City Council and Mayor Bloomberg both appear supportive of banning outdoor smoking in city owned parks, benches and other recreational areas. As a non-smoker I'm none too sympathetic to smokers' claims of rights. There is no right to smoke a cigarette and blow your filthy breath in to my face. City owned parks should be no exception to the rule.

Analysis
To put this in the context of the current health care reform debate, this makes good sense from the government's perspective. Anything to reduce future health care costs should be applauded by the public.

Labels: Public Health

My favorite Patrick Swayze film (I'll admit, I didn't see all of them) was Red Dawn. Here is, at left, pictured from a scene in that classic WWIII film. He's died of pancreatic cancer at 57. RIP.

Labels: Entertainment

In Louisiana, where only 14% of the white vote went to President Obama, embattled Republican Senator David Vitter seems likely to survive his inclusion on a DC madam's call sheet. But, antipathy to Obama's health care reforms, cap-and-trade, and economic stimulus efforts are used by Vitter and other Republicans to attack Democratic incumbents and challengers alike.

Analysis
I don't know if this is more an indictment of Louisiana morals, their true disdain for liberal politics, or the absolute banality of a population that truly suffers due to the lack of health insurance coverage. Just look at this; Louisiana is 50th of 50, yet they resist efforts to reform.

Labels: GOP, Louisiana

If clean drinking or bathing water is important to you (and I hope it is), you should read this first in a long series of articles about America's worsening water supply.
Even though chemical, manufacturing, coal and other major polluting companies have violated the nation's water laws more than 500,000 times, little is done by state or federal regulators to change their behavior. Why?

Enforcement by both the EPA and state regulators is uniformly lax because proving cancer (a likely occurrence due to the presence of arsenic, lead and other poisons in the water) came from specific pollutants is exceedingly difficult. Even the presence of higher rates of cancer in areas affected by commercial pollutants is insufficient in court. And, the companies don't want to pay any extra to clean up their mess because doing so implicitly amounts to acknowledging that there is something bad with their effluent.

Labels: Environment

Researchers in San Diego and New York believe they are closer to finding a vaccine for AIDS. Clearly, this would be the ideal result, as steps like circumcision and abstinence are really only half-measures. The weapon of choice are known as broadly neutralising antibodies. Heck if I know what these do, but it sounds promising. Let's wish the researchers the best of luck.

Labels: AIDS, Science