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Let Congresswoman Giffords Fully Recover, First…

As Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords continues to undergo rehabilitation in Houston and to improve every day, the assumptions, rumors and predictions about her political future continue to swirl. Such speculation includes “Democrats in Arizona and Washington [are] looking to her as a potential candidate to replace retiring GOP Sen. Jon Kyl.“ According to Politico, Arizona and Washington strategists...

When We Ate “Real Food”

“In recent weeks,” writes a culinary columnist, “we’ve seen a big, powerful government agency, a big, powerful person and a big, powerful corporation telling us what to eat.” He is critiquing the efforts of the USDA, Oprah and Wal-Mart (partnering with Michelle Obama) to persuade Americans to “Eat Real Food”–more fruit and vegetables, less processed gunk. A noble goal,...

More Walter Reeds?

When it comes to our troops and veterans, I am an equal opportunity zealot. I railed against the Bush administration when the shameful facts of the “Walter Reed scandal” unfolded. Today, under a new administration, we read about another scandal in the making—one that is affecting thousands of our troops at our Warrior Transition units. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports on a nine-month investigation...

Lessons from Our Egypt Moment

WASHINGTON — In light of the history-shaking events on the streets of Cairo, it’s not surprising that a truly remarkable development slipped through the news cycle with barely a nod. On a unanimous voice vote last Thursday, the Senate passed a resolution co-sponsored by John Kerry and John McCain urging Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to hand power over to a caretaker government as part of...

New Republican Bill Allows Hospital ERs to Turn Away Women Who Need Immediate Abortions to Save Their Lives

Evan McMorris-Santoro has a write-up on congressional Republicans’ latest attempt to place the lives of fetuses above the lives of women (emphasis is mine):

Questions about Mark Kelly’s Shuttle Flight Decision

As I mentioned yesterday in the thread dedicated to the recovery of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Astronaut Mark Kelly has decided to command the shuttle Endeavour flight set to launch April 19. I also mentioned that the astronaut believes that his wife is making extraordinary progress and that support from family and friends “were keys to his decision to command the upcoming flight of the space shuttle Endeavour.” “She...

Veterans ‘Discuss’ Proposed Veterans Benefits Cuts with Bachmann (UPDATED)

UPDATE: According to Daily Kos, now that the Veterans of Foreign Wars are fighting back, Bachmann is backing down on her $4.5 billion “suggested” cuts in veterans benefits: “One point on my discussion list was a $4.5 billion proposal that would affect payments made to our veterans,” Bachmann said in a statement. “That has received a lot of attention and I have decided that it should be...

Health Care Chaos and Egypt Riots

Two narratives dominate the news–the revolt in Egypt and the future of American health care. How bad can a Pyrrhic victory get and how long can it last? As the Senate votes down health care repeal, Congress has wasted a full month on partisan posturing, leaving what was a national mess to the courts and states to scramble it into 50 forms of incoherence. Just as the House and Senate split on undoing the...

Senate Health Care Repeal Effort Fails

The Senate has just defeated a Republican-led effort to repeal the entire national health-care overhaul, with lawmakers voting strictly along party lines. “The decision underscores the hurdle that the GOP faces in that Democratic-majority chamber as it tries to overturn the law.” All 50 Senate Democrats present and one independent voted against the repeal, while all 47 Republicans voted in favor....

Florida Judge Rules Health Care Law Unconstitutional

Florida District Court Judge Roger Vinson has just handed down his decision on whether the health care reform law is constitutional. Many Conservatives had hoped or predicted that the judge would rule against President Obama’s health care reform law. Judge Vinson did not disappoint them. Vinson ruled that the legislation is unconstitutional. In the decision, Vinson writes: … I must reluctantly conclude...

Republicans in Congress Want To “Redefine” Rape

If House Republicans have their way, rape will only be rape if it involves physical force. Why are they trying to do this? One word: Abortion.

Our Social Security System—Time for ‘Adjustments’

A letter to the editor in my hometown newspaper yesterday morning caught my attention. The letter: Time for updating In 1870, Otto Von Bismarck, chancellor of Germany, in a shrewd political move, decried that every German citizen age 65 or older would receive a lifelong pension. Longevity then was about age 55. Thus we have the origins of our eligibility for Social Security, Medicare, etc. Seems we need some...

Obama Address Challenges America To Return To Glory … Of 50 Years Ago?

I can describe President Obama’s State of the Union speech in three words. Just do it. I can describe Wisconsin Republican Rep. Paul Ryan’s rebuttal in one word. Huh? And, Mr. President, what’s this 1960′s Sputnik moment? Nice try for the metaphoric oratory to goose our nation’s return to excellence. To my ears, the Soviet space shuttle orbit played second fiddle to Obama’s...

Arizona Legislator Ties Loughner’s Actions to Roe v. Wade

Arizona State Senator Linda Gray opined on a local radio show that the Roe v. Wade decision has created a culture of “disrespect for human life” that might have influenced Jared Loughner’s shooting spree.

America’s Fitness and Juicing Maven Jack LaLanne Dies at 96

Some sad news for baby boomers who have seen one face as a constant since they were kids, to fitness buffs who owe some of what they do today to him, to fitness center store owners whose businesses are descended from him, from those who were entranced by his infomercials on juicing — and for me personally after an incident a few years ago; fitness guru Jack LaLanne has died at 96: American fitness guru...

A Monument for Tarawa, as Poignant as Iwo Jima: Ours, Yours, Mine, Theirs

I collect photographs of moments that I think ought never perish from memory… for the sake of Peace, and for the sake of remembering to think ten times before running the young to war… again… from any side. When I first saw this photo, traced the hands of the wounded Marine trailing in the water, touched the bodies of the other Marines, wounded and dying on the barge pulled by brothers waist...

The Michelle Obama Meme du Jour

The First Lady has been accused of many things, but this one deserves a “Memmy.” According to Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors’ Highway Safety Administration, Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity campaign could be one of the factors to blame for the increase in pedestrian deaths during the first six months of 2010. According to the GHSA, 1,891 pedestrians were killed in the first six...

Creating Something Is Difficult; Tearing Down Is Much Easier

And Rep. Steve King (R-IA) opts for ‘much easier‘:

Republican House Passes Largely Symbolic Health Care Reform Repeal

The newly installed Republican-majority House of Representatives has passed its largely symbolic repeal of President Barack Obama’s signature health care reform — symbolic since it’ll be dead in its tracks in the Senate or if by some miracle the Senate voted to agree it would be dead in its tracks with Obama’s veto pen. But be sure to stay tuned: health care reform opponents can still...

Paul Krugman on GOP’s “War on Logic”

Here’s a riddle for you: How can the Medicare “doc fix” payments be considered part of the spending that Republicans say will be saved by repealing the Affordable Care Act if those payments would remain even after repeal?

Health Care and the New Civility

WASHINGTON — President Obama’s call for “a more civil and honest public discourse” will get its first test much sooner than we expected. Having properly postponed all legislative action last week out of respect for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of the Tucson shootings, the House Republican leadership decided it could abide no further delay in a vote on its “Repealing...

Repeal No Replace

Come on, Repubs, give Bill Kristol something to work with, won’t you? I mean, don’t leave him flapping on the line like a fish gasping for life, guys! That’s not nice!

Consequences

Milt Priggee, www.miltpriggee.com This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved.

“The Nature of Someone’s Delusions Is Affected By Culture”

Yes, it’s true, it’s really really true, and it’s not all that difficult to understand. Really.

Two By Joni

People’s Parties
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