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shut up and pull
climber
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Nov 17, 2010 - 07:02pm PT
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A GOOD START:
House Republicans announced today that they will force a floor vote to eliminate taxpayer-funded support for NPR in response to the firing of Juan Williams. A proposal to defund NPR was the winner in the GOP’s weekly “YouCut” contest, in which the public votes online for various spending cuts — GOP leaders have pledged to force votes on the winning items (so far nearly every such vote has failed to pass the Democratic-controlled House). House Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia and Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado, who authored the proposal, announced the winner in a statement:
This week’s winning spending cut is a proposal developed by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) that would eliminate taxpayer funding for National Public Radio. When NPR executives made the decision to unfairly terminate Juan Williams and to then disparage him afterwards, the bias of their organization was exposed. Make no mistake, it is not the role of government to tell news organizations how to operate. What is avoidable, however, is providing taxpayer funds to news organizations that promote a partisan point of view. Eliminating taxpayer funding for NPR is precisely the kind of commonsense cut that we have to begin making if we want to fundamentally alter the way business is conducted in Washington.
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shut up and pull
climber
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Nov 17, 2010 - 07:37pm PT
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OBAMA -- OUR MEDICAL FASCIST IN CHIEF:
Meet the 'New' Donald Berwick
By Hal Scherz
Dr. Donald Berwick has his coming out party today in Washington. After President Obama snuck him into office during a recess appointment as the head of the second largest health insurance company in the world- CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) without so much as a single hearing, Senators finally have an opportunity to meet him during a Finance Committee meeting. The prepared transcript of Berwick's remarks at first glance, conveys a sense that he is a strong patient advocate and champion of patient rights. Were we to take these statements at face value, there would be much to look forward to during his tenure leading CMS. However, the spoken word in Washington is not to be trusted, and nowhere more so than in this case. We need simply go to You Tube or the internet and find the Berwick speeches and articles that portray a very different man.
The Donald Berwick that we have come to know, has stated his positions clearly and they are very different from what he is now trying to convince Senators and the American people that he supposedly stands for. There is no ambiguity about how Berwick feels about the sanctity of the doctor patient relationship. In his book "New Rules" he writes: "Today, this isolated relationship (between doctor and patient) is no longer tenable or possible... Traditional medical ethics, based on the doctor- patient dyad must be reformulated to fit the new mold of the delivery of health care...Regulation must evolve. Regulating for improved medical care involves designing appropriate rules with authority... Health care is being rationalized through critical pathways and guidelines. The primary function of regulation in health care, especially as it affects the quality of medical care, is to constrain decentralized decision making."
Berwick is in a position to fulfill his agenda, of transforming our healthcare system into one that resembles the British system, with its rationed care and inferior outcomes, unchecked and accountable to no one. This is a system to which he has professed his love and admiration. He has a dislike of our system of healthcare and disapproves of it. Here are some other "pearls" that have come directly from Dr. Berwick. "I cannot believe that the individual healthcare consumer can enforce through choice the proper configurations of a system as massive and complex as healthcare. That is for leaders to do." "Please don't put your faith in market forces. It's a popular idea: that Adam Smith's invisible hand would do a better job of designing care than leaders with plans can." "The U.K. has people in charge of its health care- people with the clear duty and much of the authority to take on the challenge of changing the system as a whole. The U.S. does not"
Dr. Berwick's lack of respect for the doctor- patient relationship cannot be masked by a cool sounding Harvard accent. In fact, that accent brings to mind the famous and particularly apt aphorism of William F Buckley Jr. that he would rather be ruled by the first 300 names in the Boston phone directory than by members of the Harvard faculty. Dr. Berwick has always viewed himself as a "leader" who needs to radically change American health care; he cannot now suddenly alter these years of radical opinions about how terrible American healthcare is by giving a hopeful speech about his plans for Medicare. This is a man who has stated that healthcare by definition involves wealth redistribution, and he intends to make good on his promises.
Dr. Berwick finally gets his Senate hearing, but unfortunately all that this can be is political theatre at this point, unless Senator Grassley or another member of the committee have the courage to ask publicly, some probing questions that have already been raised. In a letter sent to Dr. Berwick this summer by Sen. Grassley, he was asked to respond to questions regarding conflicts of interest regarding donors to his Institute for Healthcare Improvement which may make him vulnerable regarding policy decisions that he has to make. In lieu of confirmation hearings, these questions are legitimate and something that every American has the right to know.
One other rich area of exploration for the senators concerns what Dr. Berwick knows about the white house decision to thwart the constitutional prerogatives of the Senate. Which is why a question to Dr. Berwick like this might prove very productive:
"Dr Berwick, Presidents have made other recess appointments like yours but only after the Senate had at least been given the courtesy of holding a nomination hearing. You never even appeared at such a hearing. Can you describe to us your discussions with the White House and who to your knowledge was in on the decision to thwart the Senate in its constitutional duty? What role was played by the president, chief of Staff Rohm Emanuel and his brother Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel and David Axelrod? Who has been advising you at the White House to downplay your radical views in your recent speech and in your appearance here today before the committee?"
Dr. Berwick's appointment was a final episode in the story of tawdry, backroom dealing and the-people- be- damned politics that rammed Obamacare through Congress and on Election Day cost so many members of Congress their jobs. Dr Berwick's role in this episode and the disdain he has shown for the prerogatives of the US Senate speak to the same problem his views on health care show - an avarice for personal power that is deeply at odds with a system of government that places that power in the hands of elected representatives and ultimately in the people themselves.
Dr. Scherz, a pediatric urological surgeon at Georgia Urology and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, serves on the faculty of Emory University Medical School and is president and cofounder of Docs4PatientCare.
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Douglas Rhiner
Mountain climber
Truckee , CA
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Nov 17, 2010 - 07:54pm PT
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But, it also took Dems, greedy/foolish individuals and Wall St. to make this mess.
But, but greed is good!
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shut up and pull
climber
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Nov 17, 2010 - 08:30pm PT
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Why is it than when liberals get rich through the capitalist system it is ok, but when conservatives or other people do it, it is "greed"?
Explain the different treatment.
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Nibs
Trad climber
Humboldt, CA
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Nov 17, 2010 - 09:00pm PT
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A while back I asked for sources for rational debate/discussion between conservatives and liberals and suggested a couple of sources that I appreciate - Diane Rehm and Fareed Zakaria. Crickets...posted it twice, crickets...I guess you all prefer to masturbate to your own ideology rather than think and try to learn something.
titanic is sinking fast -are you sure this is how you want to play it?
Here is a brand new opportunity to think and discuss: Charlie Rose had Alan Simpson(R) and Erskine Bowles(D) on last night to talk about their findings with the bipartisan US deficit commission. Check out the transcript - there is enough there to piss off the left and the right; therefore, I think they might be on the right track. What do YOU think??http:///www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11294#frame_top
and note - Alan Simpson "...if you’re going to reject something put something up there as to what you would do to replace your rejection."
go ahead, read it; then tell me what YOU are going to do - let the tax cuts expire? set a limit on revenue? cut spending - where? how about the military? Whatever you cut there are real people at the other end. it isn't a happy party like you make to out SUAP. This isn't fun a games.
I'll check back in when I can; maybe there will be something constructive discussed (not holding my breath...)
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Nibs
Trad climber
Humboldt, CA
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Nov 17, 2010 - 09:01pm PT
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greed is NOT good under ANY circumstances.
just another example of why republicans are wrong.
conservatism is good/liberalism is good; republicans and democrats SUCK. time to break up the two party system; it no longer represents the people.
greed is NOT good. (ok, now I am out of here)
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dirtbag
climber
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Nov 17, 2010 - 09:13pm PT
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Yeah Ron...I could manage that somehow.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Nov 17, 2010 - 09:33pm PT
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Hmmmm, like a divided US, a divisive Taco Stand. The usual sides take the usual narrow-minded approach.
Not many have a different approach or any possible solutions, or appear willing to hear the other side.
To quote a well-known Supertopian from another thread. The Taco Stand is the number one place for armchair climbers and monday morning quarterbacks.
And I will add that ST is a great place for political minds and problem solvers to congregate.
"I am right and you are wrong dick head climber." "Yeah you sure are right, well right of Franco and Mussolini, you dick head climber." "Obama sucks". "Okay, maybe he does but I don't care as long as he does not pardon Dubya, Cheney or Rumsfeld after they are convicted." "What do you mean you commie socialist, those three are patriots and national heroes. Obama is the evil one." "Perhaps, but next to Sarah Palin, at least he shows he has some brains and believes in an America for the people, not the gentry." "Oh, I can see Russia from Juneau, so I know what international politics are like. And I will beat that coloured man next presidential election, because he hates America. Anyone for tea?" "No just give me some orange-flavored Kool-Aid please."
And on and on, and nauseam.
Some of you on both (either?) sides should open your minds. I would do the same but it seems my mind has deserted me.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Nov 17, 2010 - 09:43pm PT
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Back in your armchair Patrick..!
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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Nov 17, 2010 - 09:54pm PT
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Fat - You are missing a long list of what your leader did (yes, not all his "fault", but things that he allowed to happen, misrepresentations, and outright lies) not to mention that the republican agenda has been to "defund" anything that has anything to do with the people of the United States.
"I too see lot's of problems that occurred during the eight Bush years, but not all are "Bush's fault". The wars were mismanaged, he allowed both Dems and Repubs open earmark checkbooks and he could have pushed regualtors to enforce the finance laws already on the books. But, it also took Dems, greedy/foolish individuals and Wall St. to make this mess."
Yes, the dems "went along with" whatever the leader spewed.. Is anyone going to admit that the right was in control of everything during the 8 years prior to Obama?
Do you remember what happened during the electric crisis in Ca?
Davis was skewered because bash would not lend a hand, mainly because it was a Texas based company (Enron) that was stealing the money from Ca?
We know what happened to Enrob, now what should happen to the buussh that was so complicit with what was happening?
I say hang the bastard.
You say enforce the finance laws already in place....
But what kind of repuklicant can possibly regulate anything having to do with the free market capitalist flow?
Why, that would just be so democratic, and un-repuklickant.
Come on fatty, you and I both know reukes are corrupt as all hell.
Mainly because people are corrupt as all hell.
Mainly because people are only looking out for themselves.
Mainly because market values have had their way with America over the last 30 years.
It hasn't worked.
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corniss chopper
Mountain climber
san jose, ca
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Nov 17, 2010 - 09:54pm PT
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Where's my Obama-care waiver?
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Nov 17, 2010 - 09:56pm PT
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Jingy
climber
Somewhere out there
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Nov 17, 2010 - 09:57pm PT
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And another thing...
Fat - "
When one paints with broad strokes, one could get attached to Maxine Waters."
I get it, so I can now paint the painful picture of the right = Nazi
Right = Mao
Right = Nixon
Right = The Clan
Right = anything below the Mason/Dixon line, right?
There is nothing wrong with being associated with people you see fit.
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Nov 17, 2010 - 09:59pm PT
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Socialist Nanny State...
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corniss chopper
Mountain climber
san jose, ca
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Nov 17, 2010 - 10:09pm PT
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A broke blonde decides to ask God for help. “Dear Lord,” she prays, “if I
don’t get some cash, I’m gonna lose everything. Please let me win the
lottery.”
Lottery night comes, but the blonde doesn’t win. She prays even harder,
saying, “God, why have you forsaken me? My children are starving. Please
just let me win this once.”
Suddenly there is a blinding flash of light, and the blonde hears God speak.
“Sweetheart, work with me on this,” he says. “Buy a ticket.”
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Nov 17, 2010 - 10:10pm PT
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Norton
Social climber
the Wastelands
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Nov 17, 2010 - 11:00pm PT
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Good one Jeff!
Seriously, how is your weight loss program going?
How much, if any, have you lost, and how much more to go?
I once poofed up to 210 pounds, and now am down to a svelte 165.
My weight loss secret you might ask?
Like Nancy Reagan said when asked how drug addicts could stop their addiction: JUST SAY NO.
Good luck Jeff.
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shut up and pull
climber
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Nov 17, 2010 - 11:59pm PT
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HOPE: U.S. Department of Justice Pushes N.J. County to Allow Muslim Corrections Officer to Wear Headscarf. Even though the Third Circuit has said it’s not legally required.
“Next up — calling any Muslim law officer a ‘pig’ to be declared a ‘hate’ crime.”
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