Gone Fishin'

Not exactly, but still a vacation. Back in April.

Schiavo Saved!

Rest assured Ladies and Gents, the U.S. House and Senate will not put your life in the hands of your family or your doctors, especially if they want to give up on your life after only 15 years in a persistent vegetative state. Hey, I don't know what is right here and it is no more my place to get involved in a decision that is between the family and the doctors, than it is the place of the U.S. Congress - who of course have no more pressing matters to consider.

Health care costs may be spiraling out of control and they want to reduce Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and the Drug benefit that Bush campaigned on, but they will not give up as long as there is a sliver of a chance that this woman could emerge from a 15-year coma, damn the cost! I am sure that they perceive no hypocrisy in their position. Not just in terms of the costs of health care which they deem most lower income Americans unworthy of, but also in terms of Big Brother-like intrusiveness in our lives.

I am tired of thinking for myself. Mr. Hastert and Mr. DeLay, I await your orders. Perhaps you can provide a daily list of the tasks that I and everyone in the United States must do. That way, it won't take an Act of Congress to rescind individual decisions and actions with which you disagree. We'll all be much happier.

Doh

Secretary Condi Rice displaying that she clearly does not have the skills for her job, let slip that the Afghans would have to postpone elections until the fall. Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President seemed a bit put out that the beans were spilled by a visiting foreign official. Well, Hamid, when you lie down with camels....

O'Delay No DeLay

Probe of Abramoff and Nonprofits' Money Opens

Senate Finance Committee Seeks Records on Trips by Reps. DeLay and Ney, Donations to Indian Tribes

By James V. Grimaldi Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, March 17, 2005; Page A04

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41850-2005Mar16.html?referrer=email 

The Senate Finance Committee yesterday opened an investigation into allegations that lobbyist Jack Abramoff used nonprofit organizations to pay for a variety of improper activities, including overseas trips for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (Tex.) and another Republican lawmaker.

Santorum - He's not just out of state... he's out of touch..

Key part, emphasis added:

Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Penn Hills, and U.S. Reps. Melissa Hart, R-Bradford Woods, and Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, told the audience that using a health savings account in tandem with a high-deductible health plan will make Americans more aware of how health care dollars are spent -- because they will be paying more of the bill -- and thus help hold costs down.

 

From another article on the same forum, also emphasis added:

"I believe it is necessary to get the consumer back involved in their health-care decisions,'' said U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, who noted that he has advocated the health savings concept since 1992. "[The current system] buffers people from the true cost of health care.''

(http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05074/471576.stm)

 

Tell THAT to the many Pennsylvanians facing ever-higher premiums and copayments or who no longer have health coverage.

 

This comes just two days after a Post-Gazette article inconveniently revealed that people who buy into Santorum's HSA pitch have a hard or impossible time doing the shopping he touts.  (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05072/470126.stm)

 

 

 

What about Casey?

I'll be going a short travel-related hiatus. During this time I was hoping to get some input on why (and why not) anyone should support Bob Casey Jr. as an alternative to Rick Santorum.

Champion of ?

The United States scored a huge victory recently when it blocked a U.N. Conferences endorsing any new international human rights.  Spreading human rights is the foremost threat to the spread of freedom and democracy.

 

"We think we have really accomplished what we set out to do," said Ambassador Ellen Sauerbrey, leader of the the American delegation.  The United States ensured that the document did not incorporate a new international human right.

 

Way to go USA! USA!  Stop the spread of human rights!

Not good for the gander

What is good for the goose is not always good for the gander.  At least that seems to be the argument of Senate Republicans.  Earlier, during the debate over tort reform, the GOP made the argument that we needed to federalize the tort system because "Wealthy Trial Lawyers" could shop 50 different state systems to find a friendly court.  That is bad for business to have to deal with 50 different systems.

 

Now on to the reform of bankruptcy laws.  A Democratic proposal to establish a federal limit of 30% on interest rates - yes, 30% - I mean who pays 30%, was shot down.  Why?  Because some states already have laws on the books and this new federal limit would override those laws.  Some of the laws set limits lower than 30% but many do not.  So now it is OK if credit companies have to deal with 50 different state systems. 

 

I am confused, what is the difference hear?  Oh wait, I see.  Federalizing torts helps big business, but federalizing credit limits helps ordinary people. Clear as the mud they sling.

Wisdom from Ghandi

Peace will not come out of a clash of arms but out of justice lived and done by unarmed nations in the face of odds.

Democracy and violence can ill go together. Evolution of democracy is not possible if we are not prepared to hear the other side.

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?

Hatred ever kills, love never dies; such is the vast difference between the two. What is obtained by love is retained for all time. What is obtained by hatred proves a burden in reality for it increases hatred.

What kind of victory is it when someone is left defeated?

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.