Tort Reform in the new Health Care tome..

From Redstate.com:

Jen Rubin:

Remember Obama’s effort to try a “test” for tort reform? (We don’t actually need a test, since it has worked to lower medical malpractice coverage and help increase access to doctors in states that have tried it.) Well, Pelosi’s bill has an anti-tort-reform measure. On pages 1431-1433 of the 1990 spellbinder, there is a financial incentive for states to try “alternative medical liability laws.” But look — you don’t get the incentive if you have a law that would “limit attorneys’ fees or impose caps on damages.”

See Hot Air for more, including a link to the actual language and a reminder that the Democrats never had any intention of doing anything at all to disconcert trial lawyers. Which is the point that I’d like to hammer home, here: there is no reason to be surprised at this. We knew back in August that something like this was going to happen; and this is precisely the sort of political doubletalk that the people opposing the Democrats’ health care rationing bill have come to expect from the current ruling party.

So. To any random Democrats reading this: when Nancy Pelosi looks you in the eye and tells you that the new health care bill addresses tort reform, she is lying to you. Because she thinks that you are stupid.

She. Thinks. That. You. Are. Stupid.

Moe Lane

Keep up the war on Fox News, Barack!

So apparently the President who has received the most laudatory and fawning press coverage of any President in the modern era has decided to go to war on one of the few media outlets that does not genuflect before daring to ask his administration non-deferential questions. This week, Obama apparently went so far as to take the insane step of trying to remove FoxNews reporters from a pool interview. The basis for Obama’s war on FoxNews is that FoxNews isn’t really “news,” because it represents and is pushing a point of view. So, to review the world as it appears through the lenses of Barack Obama, the Huffington Post and Tommy Christopher are objective “news” organizations that get called on respectfully at White House press conferences, and FoxNews isn’t “news” because they’re pushing a point of view. Great.

Many people seem to be genuinely upset by this development. I’m not; in fact, I welcome it. After this week, no Republican administration will be so foolish as to replicate the mistakes of the past Republican administrations who felt like they had to treat DNC propaganda mouthpieces like the NYT and MSNBC like objective news organizations. Remember when the NYT leaked the highly classified program the Bush Administration had to track the funds being used to support terrorism, even though their own legal department told them the program was almost certainly legal? Remember how Bush took the extraordinary step of begging them not to run the story because it would shut down a completely legal program that had been very effective in combating terrorism, and they basically told him to get lost and ran it anyway, just because it would cause him political damage? I think it was a mistake for Bush to ever allow a NYT reporter back in the White House press room again, but he clearly felt that Presidential precedent and decorum demanded it.

Now that Obama has shown the way; to wit, that a President is perfectly free to blackball any news organization that says anything he doesn’t like, the next Republican President will have a much easier time kicking MSNBC off Air Force One. In fact, I wish we could just speed up this entire kabuki dance and develop a set of permanent political blacklists; Republicans refuse to go on MSNBC and CNN, Democrats refuse to go on FoxNews, etc. etc. At long last the media will have shed the last vestiges of being the objective arbiters of truth and reporting and it will be evident to the whole world which side a given “news” organization is a mouthpiece for based on which politicians will grant them interviews. When that day comes, everyone will look at all news reports examining them for agendas and biases with a critical eye that has been deserved for decades. And since the media is still overwhelmingly left-wing, the aggregate result of their collective defrocking will be a bonus for our side.

I’d like to thank President Obama for starting this process, and encourage him to see it through to its conclusion.

And now you know...

I just posted a video on my facebook page which finally puts many of the thoughts that have been rattling around my head in focus. It was a video of the tea party protests in Chicago on April 15, where people of many different backgrounds, ideas, religions, races, and political leanings gathered to tender their disgust with what they felt was a betrayal by a man many of them had voted for.

Not Evil, just Wrong. I guess this is how i am trying to sum up my feelings about many of my friends and relatives. These people have big hearts, care about others, want the world to be a better place, ect. My problem with them begins with this Ronald Reagan quote "when the government gives someone a dollar, they had to take it from someone else first". Because of the promises that our current leader makes, these folks believe that if they just give the government more power and money, it will solve their problems and the problems of others. After all, this is a new administration, right?

They are socialists. Some do not know it, but they are nonetheless. They will even argue that they are not, but believe in every socialist idea that moved down from D.C. Government controls on pay, government run health care, controls on prices, control of our thermostats, control of the news we get.

I love these people, i honestly think that most of them just want the things i have previously outlined. But to think that the government can just create jobs (hasnt happened yet), or fix the environment (how many more liberals like John Edwards and Al Gore will we find have a larger carbon footprint than ANY of us?), or tax our nation into prosperity is just wrong.

Socialism as a growth vehicle is a failed enterprise, and leads to lack of initiative, invention, and progress. I point to the Union example. I worked in a union, and no matter how hard i worked, i would never get more pay than the guy who came in and napped most of the day. Why? Because according to the union, "we are all equal". Maybe in the sight of God, but not necessarily in the workforce. And this is not to bash unions, but it is the hallmark of socialism to let everyone settle into mediocrity.

Pork spending report Oct 15

This is where your tax dollars are going:

$300,000 in federal stimulus money pays to map radioactive rabbit turds from a helicopter

$445 million worth of congressional earmarks compromise the priorities of the Energy Department

$2.6 billion diverted from guns and ammunition for troops to pay for politicians’ pet projects

Two men imprisoned for skimming money from a $8.2 million congressional earmark funded through the Defense Department

Go fish: $1 million of stimulus funds spent to catch fish in Utah

The Federal Highway Administration urging localities to impose tolls on motorists who drive during rush hour

The Federal Highway Administration tells Indiana it has too many billboards along the state’s roads.

Taxpayers foot the bill for office items lost or stolen by members of Congress

Half-a-million dollar NSF stimulus grant pays to search for alternatives to Facebook

Stimulus funds pay to create an online database of bugs

Stimulus funds to pay for talking buses in Ohio; Human voices to replace beeping sounds that alert pedestrians of approaching buses

Congressmen successfully pressure the Food and Drug Administration to approve medical device manufactured by campaign contributor

Spending bills stalled by decision of Appropriations Committees to withhold government reports from the public and other members of Congress

Political ‘scientists’ lobby to keep millions of dollars in federal science grants

Congress will spend more than $100 million to put sand on beaches.

White House Communication director turns to Mao for guidance..

Anita Dunn is Barack Obama’s Communications Director.

She tried starting a war with Fox News that left even leftwing commentators scratching their heads calling Obama a wimp. Claiming that Fox News is part of the right wing echo chamber, Dunn ran to CNN to complain about Fox News not offering sexual favors to Obama like . . . well . . . CNN and the other networks.

How dare it maintain its integrity!?!

Well, thanks to our friend Glenn Beck, we have Anita Dunn on tape declaring her favorite philosopher is Mao — the Chinese Hitler. Mao led the communist revolution in China and became China’s dictatorial and insanely paranoid leader.

Hitler sought to exterminate a whole race of citizen. Mao decided to exterminate all of his citizens, or at least significant classes of citizenry, driving many to suicide to avoid ritualistic violence at the hands of Mao’s red brigade. Mao’s response? “China is such a populous nation, it is not as if we cannot do without a few people.”

Mao’s political and philosophical writings read like Hitler’s Mein Kampf. He drove the educated classes to starvation. Kids were put in charge of adults. Educated workers were forced to work in fields. He fostered a cult of personality that affects China even today.

She describes Mao as not just her favorite political philosopher, but one of the “two people I turn to most.” The other, tragically or humorously depending on your frame of mind, being Mother Teresa. I can bet you that between the two it is not Mother Teresa who Anita Dunn looks to for guidance on abortion policy.

How in God’s name is it acceptable for the woman in charge of the White House’s communications shop to declare Hitler her favorite philosopher? The answer is that it is not. Why then is Mao acceptable?

Answers

Okay, people ask me things like "Why don't you like this or that Obama is doing?" or "Why, whats wrong with doing that?", so i am going to actually BE brief in my humble opinions...

Lets begin:

National Health Care. People who actually care about other people have been duped into thinking that this is a good idea, because nobody wants to think of someone unable to get treatment. It isnt a good idea for a variety of reasons, but here are a few. In spite of the assurances, you may NOT be able to keep your doctor. Businesses will be FINED $8,000/employee if they do not take the government option. For many employers, this would be less per employee than they spend on their own health care plan, so they will gladly kick that plan to the curb. Viola! You are now on the Government Plan. Either that, or the employer will have to fire people to make up for the cost, or pass the added expense onto their customers. Either way, not a good way to go. The government has not shown any indication that they can run ANYTHING effectively, so why should this be any different. Also, Harry Reid and other powerful Democrats have made sweetheart deals in the Senate version that would essentially make the rest of the nation fund health care in their state.

Foreign Policy. Our president is turning into Jimmy Carter faster than Carter did. He accepts a book from Hugo Chavez, he tolerates a 45 minute rant from the communist Daniel Ortega, He tells the French that Americans are "arrogant", he apologizes to the world for our attitude and beliefs, and when confronted by a madman who doesnt believe that millions of people died in WWII because they were Jewish and who wants nuclear weapons desperately, all he can do is give him his best Neville Chamberlain impression. The only people in the world who like us now are the same people who have always wanted us taken down a notch. Why is it so horrible to want the USA to be the very best nation on earth, the place where freedom loving people truly wish to go?

Cap and Trade. Frankly, i dont think too many people actually know what this is. It is legislation designed to "Green" the economy and change our methods and policies regarding power, electrical, gas, natural gas, ect. What it actually does is put binding rules and fines on many of the companies in the USA that produce power, sell gas, or even do plating of metal parts (something i am very familiar with). What it will do is triple and sometimes quadruple the cost for that company to do business. Which means that company will pass that cost down to you, and me, provided they can stay in business. If not, those jobs and products will have to move to Mexico, or China, who do not believe in/agree with the whole "green" philosophy when it interferes with commerce.

The Government will decide your pay. Kenneth Feinberg, the unconfirmed and unelected "pay czar" is already busy determining how much pay an executive can make. This philosophy comes from the idea that it is "unfair" that some people are wealthy and some are not. And if you have a high-five for Kenneth on this, remember that it is only a matter of time until the government comes up with a complete pay scale for everyone. If you have ever worked at a union shop, you understand this. Everyone who has that particular "job", regardless of how hard or not you work, gets the same pay. And this administration firmly believes in the Union Way.

I said i would keep this short, so i will. I truly believe that this administration WANTS unemployment high, because they want people dependent upon the government, just like those poor people who lined up outside Cobo Hall in Detroit to get their "Obama money". He WANTS us to be looked at by the world as just another country, not a light of liberty or a focal point for freedom. He WANTS to have government control as much of your life as possible, because by doing that he can make it all "fair" for everyone. But think of it this way: If you are in college and take a test and score 100% because you studied, and the guy behind you got a 60% because he didnt, is it fair to take 20% from you and give it to him so you both have an "equal" score of 80%? Didnt you EARN that 100%? How does making everyone mediocre bring anyone up?

I fear for the future, and I worry that our children will have to struggle much more than they should have because of the policies that we are having pushed upon us. I hope I am wrong, but maybe after the elections this year and next we will see things improve.

Happy Monday...right

Just some observations for a Monday..

Today, i was in the bathroom brushing my teeth and i noticed that my Crest Spinbrush is the "Pro" model. Now would someone please explain to me how a Spinbrush becomes a Pro? Is there some worldwide competition for toothbrushes, and mine became ineligible for Amateur status because it got an agent? Or are they trying to tell me that somewhere there are people being paid to use Crest Spinbrushes, and this is the exact model they would use? I doubt Dentists offices use these things, they have those super high speed jobs, that make that lovely high-pitched whine.

I have a confession, I like silly entertaining kids shows. I like the show iCarly. I cant explain why, but it appeals to me. The writing is pretty good, no earth-shattering developments happen, and mostly its just craziness. However, I was thinking today about the TV family dynamic, and how misrepresented it seems to be. This girl, Carly, is being essentially raised by her big brother, who is no rocket scientist. So i thought of TV families of late, and immediately i remembered Malcolm in the Middle. That was one of the few "complete" families on TV but the way they were presented was more of a live action version of the Simpsons than a normal family. For the life of me, i cannot think of any show featuring the standard "mom, dad, kids" kind of dynamic. A few years ago there was one which seemed like it would have a solid future, 8 Simple Rules, but the death of John Ritter really killed that show.

Our "dear" President tried to get the Olympics for Chicago. No, actually, he tried to get the Olympics to Chicago so they would buy up all the slum land his cronies own, thereby paying them back for all of their help getting him elected. And the man who has bought into all the "cult of personality" about himself was almost laughed out of Copenhagen. This country has some serious issues going on: Health Care, Afghanistan, almost 10% unemployment, scandals with ACORN, the NEA, and the water crisis in California. Yet, the Olympics in 2016 is something that took center stage. I guess i just dont get where the priorities have gone.

I think this will be a very cold winter. Seriously. Go get a very warm parka if you live north of Tennessee. Get your gear now before its gone and you cant find any. You will thank me later.