"Death Panel"

This today from our almost-vice president:

The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's "death panel" so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their "level of productivity in society," whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.

It's shit like this that has me wanting to disconnect completely. I just can't take the lies.

Not a bad week

Yes, it was a pretty good week for the president.

The president's remarks today help cap what's been a pretty good week for the White House. Isaac Chotiner noted this morning that "in the face of declining poll numbers and stalled health care negotiations," the president has seen some encouraging developments this week. Today's improved unemployment numbers are part of it, as are the death of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor, the renewal of the "cash for clunkers" program, the release of two American journalists from North Korea.

The polls are looking a little better, public confidence is looking a letter stronger, and his most rabid critics have spent the week embarrassing themselves with thuggish tactics.

Not a bad week.

Indeed.

Friday Cat

Fighting the Teabaggers

Sure the logical argument to confront these Teabaggers with is Medicare. It's socialized, they use it, and wouldn't want to lose it. But they are also being hammered with the message that Medicare is bankrupt. So, despite their own positive experience of it, they still think it's a failure. The bigger problem here is a lack of logic (they've turned off that gene) and, even more so, it's that the Teabaggers can't accept that a black man is president.

Yay for the wise Latina

Now let's hope she's more Marshall than Roberts.

Looking for an outlet

So, if this healthcare reform bill turns out as shitty as the Blue Dogs and Baucus (and maybe even Obama) want it to be, you think the Teabaggers would accept me? I may need to vent too.

Three Words For John Bolton...

...and his fellow Ronald Reagan-worshipers now slagging President Obama:

1. arms
2. for
3. hostages

44

That's the percentage of people who think they personally will not benefit from healthcare reform. This is astounding. At a basic minimum all premiums should go down or stay steady. Is that not a benefit? And, this does not even start to talk about not losing your insurance over pre-existing conditions and the like. I don't think this number is a symptom of the Democrats not getting their message out, but that the Rights's fear tactics are that much louder (and, of course, scarier).

Still wrong

For the Right the release of journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling is a negative thing. Obama and the Clintons handled it perfectly. We gave up nothing and probably gained a whole lot. It's a shame the Right, who's always wrong, refuse to admit this. We all should be celebrating.

Not blogging

I think I'm overwhelmed by the stupid.

Not Obama's birth certificate

Mock them, please

Yes, I mind that Michelle Malkin got a forum on This Week this morning. It's not so much that media shouldn't give her a forum, it's more so--and this was abundantly clear on This Week--that she's treated as a serious commentator. She's not. If she's going to get national attention she should be pressed on her fringe views (lies). She should be exposed as ridiculous. This I don't see happening, ever. And that holds for Malkin and GOP members that parrot her points (lies).

Truth in Comics

If it's Sunday, it's Truth in Comics.

Not a cable news feud

The House to vote on single-payer

I guess I should be happy, but I'm not a fan of putting the best idea in this whole healthcare reform exercise to a symbolic vote. Single-payer shouldn't be an afterthought, it should be the only game in town. I don't like being thrown crumbs, but when you're starving for real reform I guess crumbs will have to do. As Steve Benen said, "It should be an interesting vote."