One thing that has been mentioned in the debate over health care reform is the idea that Medicare has a much lower overhead than private insurance companies so to switch over to a government system would save money. But one of the problems is that this assumes the current overhead would remain the same if millions more joined the system. As has been pointed out by some of … [Read more...] about Is Low Medicare Overhead A Myth ?
To Catch A Kindle Thief. Or Not.
The upside of the Kindle's tether could be that when lost or stolen, Amazon would use its technology to help you get it back. Don't count on it. The NYTimes: Samuel Borgese, for instance, is still irate about the response from Amazon when he recently lost his Kindle. After leaving it on a plane, he canceled his account so that nobody could charge books to his credit card. Then … [Read more...] about To Catch A Kindle Thief. Or Not.
A Community Shows It Cares
Recently our local news covered the story of a police standoff in the city of Manteca, California. It was a pretty standard story, a couple of would be bank robbers were running from the police and ran inside a duplex, displacing the residents and leading to an hours long standoff. Happily that part of the story ended without anyone being hurt. But the story had a followup, … [Read more...] about A Community Shows It Cares
Labor’s Love Lost
Previous generations marked the holiday with parades, speeches and editorials honoring the dignity of work. Today's theme is despair over failure to find jobs. "Labor Day 2009 is a terrible time to be an American worker," writes Washington Post columnist Harold Meyerson. "Official unemployment hovers just under 10 percent, its highest level since the early 1980s. Add in … [Read more...] about Labor’s Love Lost
‘Rivers of Blood:’ The West Could Care Less for Deaths of Afghans – The Frontier Post, Pakistan
When one wants to get a sense of how people on the Afghan-Pakistan border feel about something, Pakistan's Frontier Post, based in Quetta, Pakistan, is a good place to look. In this indignant editorial reaction to yesterday's ill-fated NATO attack in Afghanistan's Kunduz Province, the Frontier Post equates NATO forces with Taliban fighters, attacks the sincerity of the … [Read more...] about ‘Rivers of Blood:’ The West Could Care Less for Deaths of Afghans – The Frontier Post, Pakistan
Fighting Fire With Fire: Olbermann vs. Beck
Ostensibly because of this.... Keith Olbermann is going after Glenn Beck. Via James Joyner, "Somehow, this reminds me of Mad’s long-running Spy vs. Spy series." [Link mine] KatRose calls it A Truly Worthy Cause. She goes on to use her academic access to quote local media accounts of Beck's career as a morning zoo schlock jock. She finds "no smoking guns." I … [Read more...] about Fighting Fire With Fire: Olbermann vs. Beck
But What Will You Tell the Children?
So. The White House has released the prepared text for Obama's speech to the nation's students tomorrow. It's packed full of what I consider to be classic values that are held very dearly by pretty much every parent I know. It talks about taking responsibility, and working hard, and having goals that take effort, and that there's no excuse for not trying. It says, … [Read more...] about But What Will You Tell the Children?
Is Half a Loaf Better Than None?
That is essentially the question Josh Marshall asks about health care reform. And the answer is, when it comes to health care reform, half a loaf may well be worse than none: … [Read more...] about Is Half a Loaf Better Than None?
Yet another good reason…
... not to go back to the moon. Moon Cat has already rendered the effort meaningless. … [Read more...] about Yet another good reason…
Let’s Tell It Like It Is, For A Change!
The evolution of the health care debate has taken us on a wild ride. At first the goal was to have national health care, which sparked fear into conservatives based on the argument that innovation will be stifled by lack of competition. This led to a compromise between Democrats and Republicans which produced the public option. This way, the insurance companies were not … [Read more...] about Let’s Tell It Like It Is, For A Change!
White House Releases Text of Brazen Children Indoctrination Message (UPDATED)
The White House has just released the text of a controversial back-to-school speech that President Barack Obama will be making to our children tomorrow. The speech will be broadcast directly into the schools, mainlining into the minds of our vulnerable children in a brazen attempt to, in the guise of civics education, indoctrinate our young ones and to fill their little heads … [Read more...] about White House Releases Text of Brazen Children Indoctrination Message (UPDATED)
Justice Roberts’ Big Test (Guest Voice)
WASHINGTON -- President Obama's health care speech on Wednesday will be only the second most consequential political moment of the week. Judged by the standard of an event's potential long-term impact on our public life, the most important will be the argument before the Supreme Court (on the same day, as it happens) about a case that, if decided wrongly, could … [Read more...] about Justice Roberts’ Big Test (Guest Voice)
Labor Day
Jeff Parker, Florida Today This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Labor Day
A Tale Of Two C’s—Change & Continuity
Why is President Obama's popularity fading? You can hear a lot of answers to this question. But for me the answer is obvious, and comes down to the two C's—change and continuity. He promised the former, but when it comes to the most basic issues facing the country, the economy and foreign affairs, he's governing in keeping with the latter. On this Labor Day, just consider who … [Read more...] about A Tale Of Two C’s—Change & Continuity
How Obama Screwed Up the Van Jones Story Arc
Consider this my first (and last) column on the entire Van Jones kerfuffle. Given how the story ended, somebody messed up on this one big time, and the only available suspect is the President himself. There are two possible ways that this was bungled, and we'll look at them both in a moment. But first, let's look at the list of "charges" against Jones by Obama administration … [Read more...] about How Obama Screwed Up the Van Jones Story Arc
For Lovers of Symmetry (Economic Truth from China)
Posted at WatchingAmerica.com, this article from the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph made me smile. The piece quotes a very senior Chinese official telling more good sense about their and our (America's) economic problems than we can hear from 100 experts on American cable TV. It describes the (almost perfect) asymmetry between the U.S.'s and Chinese economic challenges … [Read more...] about For Lovers of Symmetry (Economic Truth from China)
Airstrikes That Killed Dozens of Afghan Civilians Was Ordered on the Basis of One Informant
See, it's stuff like this that helps explain why Afghans -- and many others -- are convinced that the United States doesn't believe Afghan lives matter all that much: … [Read more...] about Airstrikes That Killed Dozens of Afghan Civilians Was Ordered on the Basis of One Informant
Is it Triggertime?
Buried in the weekly Sunday back-and-forth wrangling over the health care reform bill - and the public option in particular - was a particularly important comment from Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson today: I think [Obama] has to say that if there's going to be a public option, it's going to be subject to a trigger. Nelson added in his remarks on CNN that this shouldn't be just … [Read more...] about Is it Triggertime?
“We see 8-year-olds telling Mom not to worry, don’t cry”
If you're looking for holes in our national security, try San Antonio, Texas. Or Asheville, North Carolina: … [Read more...] about “We see 8-year-olds telling Mom not to worry, don’t cry”
God Bless Jerry Lewis
I must admit that when it comes to the man and his work, my views are somewhat mixed. I find some of Jerry's stuff is absolutely brilliant but much of his slapstick humor goes a bit silly for me. I've also heard that when it comes to Jerry Lewis the man he's not exactly the nicest human being and can often be quite a jerk. But when it comes to Labor Day weekend I can say … [Read more...] about God Bless Jerry Lewis