They were already called “miracle rescues,” when people were being pulled alive from beneath the ruins in Haiti on day six, and on day seven when at least seven people trapped beneath the ruins were rescued as hopes to find any more survivors were fading. Most search and rescue experts said then that chances to find any more living beneath the rubble were rather … [Read more...] about Haiti: Miracle on Day Ten (UPDATES)
Please Give To Haiti
No partisan agenda here, no words of debate, just encouraging you to donate to whatever charity you feel will do the best to help the suffering. A good resource for donations is here … [Read more...] about Please Give To Haiti
Health Care Reform After the Cataclysmic, Apocalyptic Catastrophe That Shook the World
As we all know, the Democrats have had a massive loss of nerve as the result of losing one Senate seat to a Republican. (Yes, I know, it was Ted Kennedy's seat for decades, but it's still only one seat.) … [Read more...] about Health Care Reform After the Cataclysmic, Apocalyptic Catastrophe That Shook the World
Putting Faith Before Fortune
Say what you will about the wisdom of his decision, it's certainly admirable. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Oakland-As-prospect-leaving-baseball-for-priesthood-012210 … [Read more...] about Putting Faith Before Fortune
Radical Surgery for Health Care
Once, under local anesthesia on an operating table, I overheard doctors in heated disagreement on what to do next. It was not reassuring, but compared to Washington squabbling over health care reform after the Massachusetts debacle, restful. The Surgeon-in-Chief wants to "move quickly to coalesce around those elements of the package that people agree on. We know … [Read more...] about Radical Surgery for Health Care
Let’s Do The Easy Health Care Reform
With the GOP win in Massachusetts there has been a lot of talk about what to do with health care reform. Some on the left pushing for immediate action while others call for stopping all reform now. What I can't understand is why we can't at least do stage one of the process. There are a number of aspects to health care reform that are, as far as I know, quite non … [Read more...] about Let’s Do The Easy Health Care Reform
An Open Letter To Chief Justice Roberts
To: Chief Justice John Roberts Re: Citizens United vs. the Federal Election Commission Dear John, I am a voter who takes his citizenship seriously. I am not a rich man. I have volunteered my time as an unpaid volunteer to work for various political causes and candidates. In your majority ruling Thursday, you reaffirm that corporations have the same rights as … [Read more...] about An Open Letter To Chief Justice Roberts
Did Health Care Adjust Obama Intinerary ?
President Obama was in Ohio today talking about jobs and the economy. One of the biggest employers in the region is a company called Invacare that makes high tech medical equipment. It would seem to make sense for Obama to visit that employer but he did not. Speculation is it had to do with health care reform. … [Read more...] about Did Health Care Adjust Obama Intinerary ?
Worst Democrat of the Day: Dianne Feinstein
For pulling an Evan Bayh and learning all the wrong lessons from the Massachusetts special election: I think we do go slower on health care. People do not understand it. It is so big it is beyond their comprehension. And if you don't understand it when somebody tells you it does this or it does that and it's not true, you tend to believe it, even though it isn't true. It's … [Read more...] about Worst Democrat of the Day: Dianne Feinstein
The Supreme Court’s Brave New Electionworld
The Supreme Court has struck a mighty blow for corporate freedom. By courageously setting aside past legal precedents that have kept corporations (which after all are just folks like everyone else) from enjoying their full free speech rights, corporations can now express themselves the same way every other decent individual does — with huge infusions of money into the political … [Read more...] about The Supreme Court’s Brave New Electionworld
Haiti: Disaster Could Cause Diplomatic Confrontation
It is strange how disasters, the desire to help out the victims, and political, diplomatic and military issues and sensitivities can sometimes merge into a potential international crisis. That’s what is apparently happening as Taiwan is dispatching a military aircraft carrying aid for earthquake-hit Haiti. According to Reuters, the aircraft has to refuel in the U.S. on … [Read more...] about Haiti: Disaster Could Cause Diplomatic Confrontation
Death to Health Care
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Death to Health Care
Some Republicans Now Edging Obama In Polls
A new poll now shows GOPers Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney getting close to Obama in polls. … [Read more...] about Some Republicans Now Edging Obama In Polls
Stop the Insanity!
Here's another example of the insane narrative emerging from Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts on Tuesday -- from a leading German publication, Der Spiegel: US President Barack Obama suffered a painful defeat in Massachusetts on Tuesday. With mid-term elections looming, it means that Obama will have to fundamentally re-think his political course. German commentators say … [Read more...] about Stop the Insanity!
Will Next Week See A Sunday Night Massacre For Obama’s Economic Team?
Ever since the beginning days of his Administration, Obama has had an official economic team led by Treasury Secretary Geithner/Advisor Larry Summers and an unofficial economic advisory team led by Paul Volcker. Geithner/Summers are pro-financial consolidation and believe the government should spend its efforts into keeping asset prices up and liquidity cheap, and the real … [Read more...] about Will Next Week See A Sunday Night Massacre For Obama’s Economic Team?
In a Nation of Incrementalists
Earlier this week, Andrew Sullivan published a round up of reader reactions to what happened in Massachusetts. This excerpt, from a Canadian reader's comment, stuck with me ... I cannot understand how the American public can forget the Republican record so quickly. We all knew that the Democrats would not govern perfectly, but how can a president that won such a landslide … [Read more...] about In a Nation of Incrementalists
Policy-Making and the Court
In writing a post at my blog (PoliBlog) I noted the following in a footnote: “yes, there is a difference between legislative actions and judicial ones, but in the end they sum together to make public policy” and it made me think of the following statement by Sonia Sotomayor when she was on the Court of Appeals (from a video of a conference—see here): “…Court of … [Read more...] about Policy-Making and the Court
Activist Judges are Terrible
Unless they benefit your side and then you say nothing.. … [Read more...] about Activist Judges are Terrible
Quote of the Day: the “Anti-Human Supreme Court”
Our political Quote of the Day comes from journalist/blogger Rick Heller who looks at the recent Supreme Court ruling on campaign spending and corporations in a post on The New Humanism blog that must be read in full. Here are a few key parts of it: So the Court, in fact, decided that to distinguish between human beings and corporations was discriminatory and … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: the “Anti-Human Supreme Court”
When Speech Isn’t and Money Is
The battle lines were immediately drawn following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down certain restrictions on corporate spending in political campaigns. Many conservatives, particularly Republicans, cheered the decision as a victory for free speech. More liberal observers, as echoed by the President, decried the ruling as a “stampede of special interest money in our … [Read more...] about When Speech Isn’t and Money Is