Health Care Reform: “Failure is not an option”

That’s what Charles Schumer said yesterday during the health reform debate. He also said “We're not going to not pass a bill.”

Also NOT an option: The endless dithering, posturing and masturbating that threatens to derail any and all health care reform.

Our underworked overpaid “representatives” need to get off their asses and get a bill passed and ready for Obama’s signature before the end of the year. I’m as strongly in favor of the public option as anyone — better yet, a single payer system. This is clearly indicated in lots of earlier posts and comments at other blogs.

But the public option — and now abortion (it figures!) — can NOT be allowed to derail the entire package. Too many legislators are willing to scuttle the entire bill if it isn’t perfect. And this is exactly what the Health Insurance Harem (formerly known as the GOP) wants. This is not the time for “I won’t vote for a bill that contains/doesn’t contain ______________.”

This article lists fourteen changes that will take effect in January 2010, if — and only IF — Obama signs a health care reform bill before the end of this year.

Among these changes: ending the disgraceful and immoral practice of rescission. This is where an insurance company nullifies a patient’s policy — in order to sleaze out of paying the patient’s medical bills — by “discovering” something the patient “omitted” on the insurance application form. “So, you bought a pack of Rolaids five years ago. You didn’t mention anything about your pre-existing stomach condition. Your policy is hereby canceled.”

This practice is a huge moneymaker for the health insurance industry, and it needs to be stopped ASAP.

Health insurers will also be prohibited from placing a lifetime cap on a patient’s coverage.

The article ends with: “Later on, as with Social Security and Medicare, there will plenty of opportunity to amend the law in Congress. For now, let's help Democrats get HCR passed.”

George W. Bush: “Terrorists? What Terrorists??”

It’s so weird, almost scary, when a person just snaps. When you see someone’s entire personality do a Big 180, it really stops you cold.

Imagine the double take you'd be doing if the most uptight, sanctimonious person you ever met was standing there with a big fat joint in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other, and yelling out “Heeyyy, if it feels good, DO IT! Yeeeaahhh!!!!”

Or picture some simpleminded loudmouth who drinks beer by the case and only talks about football and getting parts for his truck. Only here he is, sipping white wine and speaking softly about the differences between Emmanuel Kant and Arthur Schopenhauer.

Well folks, the President of the United States has just snapped. Seriously, he has SNAPPED!!!

For over six years, the sign of our times has been FEAR. Paranoia! The Enemy! Terrorists! Spy on your neighbors and report any suspicious activity. Keep an eye on that swarthy person over there. If we don’t fight them over there they’ll follow us over here!

But now — everything you know is wrong. Left is right and up is down. Our Wartime President isn't worried about terrorists any more. Nevermind.

Oh, don’t misunderstand. We’re still planning to attack Iran (and Syria and Venezuela if they don’t watch out) and we’ll still be in Iraq when our great-grandchildren have died of old age. The Patriot Act is bigger and better than ever. Habeas Corpus is still dead. We still need to torture prisoners because, well, you know the drill — there might be a ticking time bomb and yada yada yada. And we still want to know what books you're reading and every website you’ve ever visited and who that e-mail was from.

But: Bush wants to slash counterterrorism funding for police departments, firefighters and rescue departments across the country. He wants the funding reduced by more than half. Heellllooo!?!?!?!?!!! Earth to Dumbya!!

Homeland Security wants to provide $3.2 billion to states and cities for protection against terrorism. Bush wants to reduce that amount to $1.4 billion. Programs for port security and transit security are being eliminated completely. WTF??? Chimpy’s drinking problem must be getting worse.

Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said “This budget proposal is dead on arrival. This administration runs around the country scaring people and then when it comes to putting their money where their mouth is, they say ’sorry, the bank is closed.’ California’s ports carry over 47 percent of all goods imported into the United States. A terrorist attack at any of California’s ports could shut down our nation’s port system and result in a mind-boggling loss for our nation’s economy.”

Charles Schumer (D-NY) said: “To zero out essential Homeland Security programs which have more to do with protecting Americans and fighting the war on terror than much of the money spent in Iraq shows how warped and out of touch this administration’s priorities are.”

Peter King (R-NY) said Bush’s plan “goes totally in the wrong direction. This would be a very grave mistake, and I will do all I can to stop it.”

And even Bush’s Bitch said he would “urge the administration to reconsider this wrong-headed strategy.”


cross-posted at Bring It On!

Electrodes Gonzales Worried About “Image Problem”

This probably sounds like a skit from Saturday Night Live or The Daily Show, but it’s an actual news item. Abu Gonzales is concerned about his “image problem.” OOPS, hope you didn’t just spew your drink all over your keyboard.

Image problem?!?!?!?!?!? WTF? This is the drooling idiot who said the Geneva Convention is “quaint and outdated.” It’s also the same twisted sickfuck who said an interrogation technique is not torture as long as it doesn’t result in “organ failure.” Then there's the firing of those U.S. attorneys who weren’t quite gung ho enough about the Bush agenda, and his perjured testimony before Congress… (If his memory is one tenth as bad as he's pretending, he needs to be transported to an assisted living facility ASAP.)

And the solution to all these scandals is to fix his image problem??? Trying to fix Torquemada Gonzales’ “image problem” is like trying to clean the world's filthiest outhouse by spraying it with an air freshener.

Alberto Gonzales is probably the only person in the world who could make us long for the good old days when John Ashcroft was attorney general. Gonzales’ response to all the uproar over his scandals: “These allegations have been troubling to hear.”

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., cut through all the bullshit by saying: “There are probably only two people on Earth who think the attorney general ought to stay: Alberto Gonzales and President Bush. As long as he’s in charge, the Justice Department, the rule of law and America will suffer.”

We need to remove this malignant polyp from the Justice Department.