Oh, if I only had the time and talent to do this research and do the writing. I dream of posting this type of thing myself instead of just linking you to Nate, but alas.
It seems I am falling into the camp that dislikes the health care legislation but believe it's a heck of a lot better than nothing. In this great post, Nate Silver unpacks some analysis by Marcy Wheeler at FDL and shows why the Senate bill is in fact a pretty good deal for the working class.
Thanks, Nate.
The Senate
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Thank you, CBO!
Link back to Aaron Carroll's blog, where he re-posts a post by Megan McArdle. Hear, hear!
Thank you, CBO!
Thank you, CBO!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
A really great blog
Wow, embarrassing that my last post was at the beginning of October. Some blogger I am turning out to be.
Truth be told, I am a little down about health care reform and the state of our nation in general. I am trying to maintain a more healthy balance, for instance, if I find myself getting too upset during drive time when listening to POTUS or some other news program, I force myself to switch to pop music. When I'm really upset, I go classical. I have a strict no-Sunday-morning talk show rule in place for now as well.
But I am down and not out. And so I thought it would be useful to pass along the information about one of my new health care heroes, Dr. Pete Carroll. He does a blog and also appears regularly on news media, most prominently for me on Stand Up with Pete Dominick (3-6 ET M-F on POTUS).
His latest post is trying to make some sense out of the politics around the Senate Health Care Bill (to pass or not to pass - that is the question.)
Thanks, Dr. Carroll - very helpful.
Truth be told, I am a little down about health care reform and the state of our nation in general. I am trying to maintain a more healthy balance, for instance, if I find myself getting too upset during drive time when listening to POTUS or some other news program, I force myself to switch to pop music. When I'm really upset, I go classical. I have a strict no-Sunday-morning talk show rule in place for now as well.
But I am down and not out. And so I thought it would be useful to pass along the information about one of my new health care heroes, Dr. Pete Carroll. He does a blog and also appears regularly on news media, most prominently for me on Stand Up with Pete Dominick (3-6 ET M-F on POTUS).
His latest post is trying to make some sense out of the politics around the Senate Health Care Bill (to pass or not to pass - that is the question.)
Thanks, Dr. Carroll - very helpful.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Commence Bombardment Now
Politico's Glenn Thrush says: "House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has just more or less dared proponents of a public option to bombard his office with their expressions of support of the plan." By stating that he hasn't met a "real American" who supports the public option in a health care reform plan. Umm, yeah. Commence bombardment now:
(202) 225-6205
Thrush's full post here.
(202) 225-6205
Thrush's full post here.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Easing the sting
So while I don't like making fun of people to make myself feel better (or at least I don't like that I LIKE making fun of people to make myself feel better) I thought this picture was a riot. The think I like best is that it doesn't even make any effort to be clever, and the man clearly knows he's being photographed. He's holding it up for the camera...and he doesn't realize we're all giggling at him....
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Czars and Witches
OMG, I was furious this morning while I was driving in listening to squeaky little Marsha Blackburn, representative from Tennessee on this whole Czars thing. If you haven't heard, they have introduced a bill with 100 co-sponsors to - oh I don't know - oversee the presidential appointments to a wide variety of staff positions. They want to be able to "fully vet" people he wants to hire in his administration. NOW you think of it? After we let Brownie ruin a major US city? WhatEVER. The irony is unbelievable - Bush was fine to appoint his frat brother's illiterate junkie kid but now when every indication is that Obama wants to appoint QUALIFIED people to important federal positions, now we somehow need oversight. Talk about Congressional overreach. This post about Obama's appointment to the Justice Department head of the Civil Rights Division made me hopping mad.
So I was wondering, how in the heck do these people - the "unhinged zealots" in the immortal words of Jason Linkins, manage to be so destructive when they are such a minority? They are following up on the firing of Van Jones by saying that there should be congressional oversight of something like all of the president's staffing decisions. It's so absurd! And it chips away, chips away, chips away at Obama's ability to move forward with the country's agenda. Which is just their goal. Hmmph. But how do they do it? I think it's Fox News! They have this enormous pulpit from which they can fling this nonsense and the Fox News viewers just eat it up. And then, by the laws of the "Crank Cycle" it somehow gets picked up as reality and covered as news.
Anyway, so really I just wanted to say that Fox News is really bad for America.
And also, I wanted to point out that little Marsha totally reminded me of Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter! What do you think?
Here's Marsha
Here's Dolores
So I was wondering, how in the heck do these people - the "unhinged zealots" in the immortal words of Jason Linkins, manage to be so destructive when they are such a minority? They are following up on the firing of Van Jones by saying that there should be congressional oversight of something like all of the president's staffing decisions. It's so absurd! And it chips away, chips away, chips away at Obama's ability to move forward with the country's agenda. Which is just their goal. Hmmph. But how do they do it? I think it's Fox News! They have this enormous pulpit from which they can fling this nonsense and the Fox News viewers just eat it up. And then, by the laws of the "Crank Cycle" it somehow gets picked up as reality and covered as news.
Anyway, so really I just wanted to say that Fox News is really bad for America.
And also, I wanted to point out that little Marsha totally reminded me of Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter! What do you think?
Here's Marsha
Here's Dolores
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
New Periodic Award
I am reminded of Stephen Colbert and his periodic placing of people "on notice." I love doing that! I think I'll do that too.
But *today* I'd like to start a preiodic award that I will bestow when someone calls a spade a spade - when someone looks at the emperor and rightly concludes that he is, in fact, au naturel. My award will be called the NEKKID.
Props today to Jason Linkins who wrote a great post on HuffPo calling out the crazies who opposed Obama's speech to America's school children today. RIGHT ON, BROTHER! Congratulations! You are the first ever recipient of the Nekkid!
But *today* I'd like to start a preiodic award that I will bestow when someone calls a spade a spade - when someone looks at the emperor and rightly concludes that he is, in fact, au naturel. My award will be called the NEKKID.
Props today to Jason Linkins who wrote a great post on HuffPo calling out the crazies who opposed Obama's speech to America's school children today. RIGHT ON, BROTHER! Congratulations! You are the first ever recipient of the Nekkid!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Hangin' with the mild-mannered, fresh-breathed, rainbow-colored, Jesus-lovin' crowd
I was struck by how very nice the crowd was. Perhaps this is why our crowd is smaller than the tea party crowd - we are really not all that angry about this issue. We are passionate, I believe, but we aren't mad down to our core. Honestly, I think we have all the moral high ground to be angry to our bones - it should make everyone mad as hell that innocent Americans are suffering and dying in the disgraceful lottery that passes for a health care "system" in this country. We should all be trembling with rage at the injustice of it. But even those of us passionate enough to make it down to the Capitol today were not angry.
A gal behind me tapped me and politely asked if I had any gum or breath mints. She said she had had a flavorful lunch.
I noticed how very diverse we were. This group was even more diverse than many pro-Obama events I attended which were much more likely to be majority African-American affairs. This group was young, old, black, white, gay, straight, and everything in between.
Larry Pelligrini, bless his heart, who served as the MC, was the most direct. He said, and I paraphrase, "if you are a birther or a tea bagger or whatever you are out there, if you like the status quo, fine. Be aware that probably you will have your small claims denied and when you have a large claim, you will be kicked out of your plan. But if that's what you want, fine. But please don't get in the way of those who have nothing." Wow. That was our tirade against the tea baggers. Really, it was so sweet.
So. Wow. I hardly know what to say. Those of us who really have a right to be hopping mad - dare I say - mad enough to spit - so mad we can't see straight - at a corrupt and unjust system are just amazingly reasonable. This didn't feel much like storming the barricade. I felt cozy and self-righteous, but I don't know if this is going to cut it.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Do we stand a chance?
Depends on who you ask.
While Matt Taibbi's article makes one want to jump off a tall insurance company building, David Sirota's new post makes one think it just might be worth it to storm the barricade again....
While Matt Taibbi's article makes one want to jump off a tall insurance company building, David Sirota's new post makes one think it just might be worth it to storm the barricade again....
Monday, August 24, 2009
Helpful Health Insurance Analogy
This is short - less than 5 minutes. It takes a little while to get to what I think is the good part, but I actually think the fire-fighting analogy, about 3 1/2 minutes in, is helpful and might be a good way to talk about public option vs. private insurance.
See what you think.
See what you think.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Free Speech Rocks
OK, so recently I posted a ranting on my Facebook status. Here it is. If I had thought about it ahead of time, I might have rephrased, but…here it is:
And one of my friends, whom I happen to know is extremely conservative (or Libertarian? we usually don’t talk politics because we’re both hotheads and her ideas are all wrong…wrong I tell you) responded to my post with a three word comment, “free speech rocks.”
I have thought about that comment for a week now and I really have to respond – not so much to her directly, but to the point of view she seems to represent. (In fairness to my friend, I did not follow up with her about her comment to clarify her meaning so maybe she really did mean, with no context, baggage, or inference, to celebrate free speech in America.)
So, first of all, yes. Sarah Palin has the right to say whatever the heck she wants on her Facebook page. Of course she does. I get it.
But you cannot distract me by goading me to defend my own credentials on freedom of speech!
I could at this point go on a long dissertation about how it is we liberals – card-carrying, little L, capital L, any kind of L-I-B-E-R-A-L liberals who live and die by the right to freedom of speech. I heart the ACLU! I could focus on the fact that my free speech honor has been impugned and lose my original point altogether.
But no – I will parry your thrust and not be distracted. I get that Sarah Palin has a right to free speech, whether or not I like what she says. As President Obama said to a group of fellow pro-reformers on Thursday, “Come on.” As in, come on, people. Stop being ridiculous. Give the person across from you a little bit of respect – s/he is not a Nazi. Come on. House Bill 3200 does not seek to create death panels. Come on. Emily Schunior believes in free speech rights. Come on.
But the point of my post wasn’t to say she shouldn’t be allowed to post her thoughts to Facebook. My point is: her thoughts on Facebook, once rightfully posted, should not be the basis for national health care policy. The reasons for this are myriad and self-evident:
A-F) She’s an idiot. Amply demonstrated and documented. I shall say no more.
G) OK, so that was probably not very tactful. Here are my real reasons:
H) This conjecture is open to correction. But unless I miss my guess, Sarah Palin isn’t an authority on medicine, health care policy, the insurance business, or anything else even vaguely connected to this debate. I’d bet the farm on the fact that she hasn’t read HR3200. (I haven’t either.) The people who are in a position to provide useful information to us are many, and none of them are named Sarah Palin. If you are looking for an authoritative opinion on health care reform, might I commend to your consideration:
i) our elected representatives serving in the House and Senate. The committee members on both sides of the aisle have been researching this and hearing testimony for many months, and in some cases, years, and decades. Naturally, their publicly expressed opinions are going to be colored by their politics, but that’s ok. I will listen to Eric Massa, Barney Frank (from the great state of Kiss My Mass-achussetts), and Amy Klobuchar. You can listen to Michele Bachmann and Jim DeMint if that’s your cup of tea (but I won't link you there). Either of these people is more informed on the issue than Sarah Palin.
ii) choose some organization you trust (not some newly formed organization whose name sounds good, like “Americans Heart Doctors” or “Freedom!”) but like, say, the AARP, some organization with a dog (your dog, or your grandma as the case may be) in the fight and with a history and track record of advocacy that you trust. Look at what they say about the issue. I also think the Kaiser Family Foundation has good material, including a side-by-side comparison of the major proposals.
iii) Wendell Potter.
iv) Wendell Potter
v) Wendell Potter
vi) Here’s an interesting one, see what Stan Brock, founder of the non-partisan Remote Area Medical, has to say.
vi) Of course, I think that a variety of moderately progressive thought leaders have produced good research and information like, for instance, Tom Daschle, Howard Dean, or, for a good, accessible but informative read, try Critical Condition by Donald Bartlett and James Steele, editors at Time.
I) So, there are more informed and informative sources out there, but I don’t want to lose sight of an EVEN LARGER point: though she may not be an expert on health care policy, Sarah Palin is influential (God help us). And therefore, it is especially important that she shouldn’t be allowed to get away with outright lies. Have you seen this? Here is a cut from her now infamous Facebook entry. Read the whole thing in context if you must, or take my word from it that I am not abstracting away from her major point or falsely coloring her purpose by pulling out this tidbit:
What the heck are the quotes around “death panel” and “level of productivity in society” for? Is her suggestion that she’s quoting from the bill? Umm, I haven’t read it, but…that’s not in there. Her suggestion, nay her statement, is definitely, inarguably, that the legislative proposals on the table would create some sort of government agency or body that could decide whether individuals live or die. THAT IS ABSURD. That is insane. As Republican Representative from Georgia, Johnny Isakson, said before his balls were removed from his body, that is nuts. To even suggest that President Obama or any Democrat, myself included, might think a panel of people to decide whether human beings should be provided live-sustaining medical care is a good idea. I mean, come on. This is not helping.
What I meant in my original, MUCH SHORTER Facebook post was that, progressive, conservative, libertarian, or nazi, we can all agree that a debate about an issue as important as health care reform (um, we do all agree it’s important, right?) is not well served by this type of statement. By such an obscene distortion, we have now derailed what could and should be a positive exchange of ideas that would serve us well.
Yes, she has a right to free speech, but as we all know, you cannot yell “Fire” in a crowded auditorium. What she has done is exactly analogous. She has yelled, “evil” and “The America I know and love” in a controversial political debate. In the subsequent stampede, real Americans are going to get hurt and die. I stand by my original statement – we should not let her get away with it.
Emily Schunior is thinking we shouldn't let Sarah Palin get away with dictating national health care policy from her Facebook pageAnd I linked to the OFA page where people can sign up to participate in the fight for quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
And one of my friends, whom I happen to know is extremely conservative (or Libertarian? we usually don’t talk politics because we’re both hotheads and her ideas are all wrong…wrong I tell you) responded to my post with a three word comment, “free speech rocks.”
I have thought about that comment for a week now and I really have to respond – not so much to her directly, but to the point of view she seems to represent. (In fairness to my friend, I did not follow up with her about her comment to clarify her meaning so maybe she really did mean, with no context, baggage, or inference, to celebrate free speech in America.)
So, first of all, yes. Sarah Palin has the right to say whatever the heck she wants on her Facebook page. Of course she does. I get it.
But you cannot distract me by goading me to defend my own credentials on freedom of speech!
I could at this point go on a long dissertation about how it is we liberals – card-carrying, little L, capital L, any kind of L-I-B-E-R-A-L liberals who live and die by the right to freedom of speech. I heart the ACLU! I could focus on the fact that my free speech honor has been impugned and lose my original point altogether.
But no – I will parry your thrust and not be distracted. I get that Sarah Palin has a right to free speech, whether or not I like what she says. As President Obama said to a group of fellow pro-reformers on Thursday, “Come on.” As in, come on, people. Stop being ridiculous. Give the person across from you a little bit of respect – s/he is not a Nazi. Come on. House Bill 3200 does not seek to create death panels. Come on. Emily Schunior believes in free speech rights. Come on.
But the point of my post wasn’t to say she shouldn’t be allowed to post her thoughts to Facebook. My point is: her thoughts on Facebook, once rightfully posted, should not be the basis for national health care policy. The reasons for this are myriad and self-evident:
A-F) She’s an idiot. Amply demonstrated and documented. I shall say no more.
G) OK, so that was probably not very tactful. Here are my real reasons:
H) This conjecture is open to correction. But unless I miss my guess, Sarah Palin isn’t an authority on medicine, health care policy, the insurance business, or anything else even vaguely connected to this debate. I’d bet the farm on the fact that she hasn’t read HR3200. (I haven’t either.) The people who are in a position to provide useful information to us are many, and none of them are named Sarah Palin. If you are looking for an authoritative opinion on health care reform, might I commend to your consideration:
i) our elected representatives serving in the House and Senate. The committee members on both sides of the aisle have been researching this and hearing testimony for many months, and in some cases, years, and decades. Naturally, their publicly expressed opinions are going to be colored by their politics, but that’s ok. I will listen to Eric Massa, Barney Frank (from the great state of Kiss My Mass-achussetts), and Amy Klobuchar. You can listen to Michele Bachmann and Jim DeMint if that’s your cup of tea (but I won't link you there). Either of these people is more informed on the issue than Sarah Palin.
ii) choose some organization you trust (not some newly formed organization whose name sounds good, like “Americans Heart Doctors” or “Freedom!”) but like, say, the AARP, some organization with a dog (your dog, or your grandma as the case may be) in the fight and with a history and track record of advocacy that you trust. Look at what they say about the issue. I also think the Kaiser Family Foundation has good material, including a side-by-side comparison of the major proposals.
iii) Wendell Potter.
iv) Wendell Potter
v) Wendell Potter
vi) Here’s an interesting one, see what Stan Brock, founder of the non-partisan Remote Area Medical, has to say.
vi) Of course, I think that a variety of moderately progressive thought leaders have produced good research and information like, for instance, Tom Daschle, Howard Dean, or, for a good, accessible but informative read, try Critical Condition by Donald Bartlett and James Steele, editors at Time.
I) So, there are more informed and informative sources out there, but I don’t want to lose sight of an EVEN LARGER point: though she may not be an expert on health care policy, Sarah Palin is influential (God help us). And therefore, it is especially important that she shouldn’t be allowed to get away with outright lies. Have you seen this? Here is a cut from her now infamous Facebook entry. Read the whole thing in context if you must, or take my word from it that I am not abstracting away from her major point or falsely coloring her purpose by pulling out this tidbit:
The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s “death panel” so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.Now, come on.
What the heck are the quotes around “death panel” and “level of productivity in society” for? Is her suggestion that she’s quoting from the bill? Umm, I haven’t read it, but…that’s not in there. Her suggestion, nay her statement, is definitely, inarguably, that the legislative proposals on the table would create some sort of government agency or body that could decide whether individuals live or die. THAT IS ABSURD. That is insane. As Republican Representative from Georgia, Johnny Isakson, said before his balls were removed from his body, that is nuts. To even suggest that President Obama or any Democrat, myself included, might think a panel of people to decide whether human beings should be provided live-sustaining medical care is a good idea. I mean, come on. This is not helping.
What I meant in my original, MUCH SHORTER Facebook post was that, progressive, conservative, libertarian, or nazi, we can all agree that a debate about an issue as important as health care reform (um, we do all agree it’s important, right?) is not well served by this type of statement. By such an obscene distortion, we have now derailed what could and should be a positive exchange of ideas that would serve us well.
Yes, she has a right to free speech, but as we all know, you cannot yell “Fire” in a crowded auditorium. What she has done is exactly analogous. She has yelled, “evil” and “The America I know and love” in a controversial political debate. In the subsequent stampede, real Americans are going to get hurt and die. I stand by my original statement – we should not let her get away with it.
Really? ALL and sundry? Really?
Hello, blogosphere! These are my thoughts. Thoughts, blogosphere. Blogosphere, thoughts. As my blog title suggests, this will be my spot for wide ranging thoughts, though lately I am predictably thinking about motherhood, politics, and spirituality. (Well, and it goes without saying, Carolina basketball.) All of which are, of course, intertwined.
Motherhood
I am four months in! What a crazy crazy thing. Usually my thoughts about motherhood are better described as bursts of random observation: what a cute kid I have! What an incredible father my husband is. What have we done? Look what we’ve done! When will I sleep? I had no idea he’d be so soft. I had no idea how singing to him would make me feel. And then from time to time I’ll have a longer, coherent idea.
Politics
My husband thinks I need a soapbox and outlet for my rage! He mistakenly believes that when I am voicing an opinion *sotto voce* at home that I am upset with him. Not true (necessarily). Often I am JUST UPSET and someone needs to know. Now I can tell my blog and punch my pillow.
Spirituality
I certainly wouldn’t want to use the “R” word, and even “spirituality” sounds a little formal for my daily thoughts on the meaning of life. Spirituality for me here will probably include a few thoughts on religion(s) and holy books, especially when I have gotten to chew on something really interesting or challenging with my brilliant and newly ordained priest-sister. But I also savor more unconventional brushes with divine, like when every year (every year!!) in the Spring I am astonished by leaves. How big they are, and how many there are, and how they completely cover the trees.
So that gives you a little more context for what “all and sundry” will be. Here I go – this should be fun
Motherhood
I am four months in! What a crazy crazy thing. Usually my thoughts about motherhood are better described as bursts of random observation: what a cute kid I have! What an incredible father my husband is. What have we done? Look what we’ve done! When will I sleep? I had no idea he’d be so soft. I had no idea how singing to him would make me feel. And then from time to time I’ll have a longer, coherent idea.
Politics
My husband thinks I need a soapbox and outlet for my rage! He mistakenly believes that when I am voicing an opinion *sotto voce* at home that I am upset with him. Not true (necessarily). Often I am JUST UPSET and someone needs to know. Now I can tell my blog and punch my pillow.
Spirituality
I certainly wouldn’t want to use the “R” word, and even “spirituality” sounds a little formal for my daily thoughts on the meaning of life. Spirituality for me here will probably include a few thoughts on religion(s) and holy books, especially when I have gotten to chew on something really interesting or challenging with my brilliant and newly ordained priest-sister. But I also savor more unconventional brushes with divine, like when every year (every year!!) in the Spring I am astonished by leaves. How big they are, and how many there are, and how they completely cover the trees.
So that gives you a little more context for what “all and sundry” will be. Here I go – this should be fun
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