State of the Day

Friday (Guest) Cat

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:00:00 +0000

President Nelson

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:07:00 +0000

Since it's former insurance company executive Ben Nelson's turn to run the country, does anyone actually think his real objection to the healthcare bill is abortion funding? Let's be serious here. Just like Lieberman, he's bought and paid for. Let's stop the charade.

NYT: Liberal Revolt on Health Care Stings White House

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:02:00 +0000

When I read that NYT headline, my first thought was "good." I hate that this is where I'm at. What did they think would happen when capitulation came so quick? President Lieberman opens his mouth and within 24 hours he got everything he asked for. Everything the insurance industry asked for. And to top it off, Leiberman was embraced while someone like Howard Dean was demonized. It's all backwards and while I still hold out hope that this bill can be fixed, my hope is no longer directed toward the man who promised it.

Bernie Sanders is a no

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:53:00 +0000

While I appreciate very much that Bernie has announced his intention, no matter how tentative, to vote no on the Lieberman-Obama healthcare bill, he has not said he would filibuster. The fight here is now on the filibuster level. I don't like that it is, but that's where we are at. Bernie should say no to cloture and be clear about. It's the only way this bill will be forced to the left.

Joe Biden Is A Dumbass Dinosaur

noreply@blogger.com (Ted) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:15:00 +0000

Joe Biden holds a meeting about protecting intellectual property in the 21st century but fails to invite any artists -- the people who create intellectual property.

“Intellectual piracy is costing this country…billions of dollars and thousands of jobs,” Biden told the assembled executives.

Joe Biden holds a meeting about protecting intellectual property in the 21st century but fails to invite any technologists -- the people who create the means by which intellectual property is being copied and shared at a rate never before possible.

“It offends me that we … treat it as if it’s a mild irritant,” Biden said. “It’s theft – Flat unadulterated theft.”

Making digital copies of files is not theft. Stealing a CD off a shelf is theft. That CD has to be replaced and paid for by someone in the food chain (label, retailer, insurance company). Nothing needs to be replaced when a copy of a digital file is made, so this is clearly not "flat unadulterated theft" in the terms Biden is using it. Dumbass dinosaurs do not want to see the difference between the two, apparently, as the only guests invited to this meeting were "high-ranking government officials and entertainment industry leaders."

Biden: “All the major players in one place, in one room, with one overall, overarching strategy how to better deal with what is a serious, serious problem facing our country.”

That's kinda like having a meeting about solving the health care crisis and only inviting the heads of the largest health insurance companies. You know, the ones who have been gaming the system and ripping off We The People for decades. No doctors, no nurses, no patients, no industry observers...

Try again, Joe.

It's what the White House wanted all along

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:33:00 +0000

The more I sour, the more I grudgingly come to accept that the healthcare bill coming out of the Senate is exactly what the White House wanted all along. The big pharma deal and every public-option hedge should have been enough for me, but today, in the cold light of a corporate-Lieberman-Obama victory, I am now converted. Many have been whining that Obama is not leading on healthcare reform, he is leading, just not in a direction I would like. I wanted conservative arm-twisting, but it's liberal arms that are red and sore today.

Kill the bill?

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:14:00 +0000

I'm not there yet, but I'm getting close. For the first time yesterday when I saw Obama on the TV talking about healthcare reform I was sickened. That's not a good sign. Howard Dean wants the bill killed. I tend to trust Howard Dean. With the loopholes, the mandates, and the lack of any real public choice I don't see how this bill helps. Forcing people to buy crappy, expensive insurance makes no sense. Ugh.

Medicare buy-in dead

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:16:00 +0000

Backtracking, capitulating, bastards. You knew it was too good to be true. This bill is now the Leiberman Bill and all the suck must be attributed to him.

More Leiberman

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:37:00 +0000

I would post this video of Joe Leiberman flip-flopping on his support for Medicare expansion, but I really don't want his traitorous face on the blog. The man has no principles and I cannot stand looking at him.

Lieberman to side with the GOP and filibuster healthcare reform

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:27:00 +0000

Really, what's left to be said about Joe? He's willing to kill people overseas to satisfy his neo-con instincts and he's willing to kill at home to satisfy his health industry base. He's a sad, bitter man.

Truth in Comics

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:00:00 +0000

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

Follow the money

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:17:00 +0000

Between the defeat of mortgage cramdown legislation in the House, the legislative loophole allowing caps on annual limits in the Senate' s healthcare bill, and the active attempts by the White House to kill the drug importation bill, yesterday was not a pretty day for the little guy. I'd be depressed if I wasn't so numb.

Medicare for more

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:29:00 +0000

That's the healthcare idea being floated today as the demise of the public option continues. Bringing down the eligibility age to 55 sounds like a great idea. And, because it sounds like a good idea, one that liberals could rally behind, it will surely die.

Update: I didn't mean to channel Atrios, but I sort of did.

Truth in Comics

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:00:00 +0000

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

Friday Cat(s)

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:02:00 +0000

Dump Bernanke

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:15:00 +0000

Like many on the Internets I was ambivalent towards Bernanke getting another whirl as Fed chief. Being in charge and ignoring the mess Wall Street was making leading up to the crash should have been enough to disqualify him. On the other hand, the actions taken to prevent a collapse have been bold and necessary (however, one sided). In the end, if it wasn't Bernanke, another Wall Street tool would be put in his place. At least Bernanke was a tool with experience having dealt with the mess.

All that being said, after his performance yesterday in front of the Senate Banking Committee (bastard wants to gut Social Security and Medicare while leaving his rich buddies alone), I am fully on board the dump Bernanke express. Now I can only hope the Senate gets on board too. Dumping Bernanke would send a strong signal that the Senate is on the side of the people and not the bankers (and as I typed that I realized how futile that hope is).

Don't blame Al Franken

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:36:00 +0000

If Republicans didn't want to be perceived as pro-rape they should have thought about that before they voted. Now they whine (something they do best) that they can't work with Franken. Like they ever would have worked with him in the first place.

Sometimes I long for the Bush days

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:19:00 +0000

Back then it was so much easier to scream bloody murder when the guy doing the escalating wasn't the one I voted for.

More Cheney

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:24:00 +0000

Dick Cheney cherry-picks reporters even better than he cherry-picks intelligence.

Cheney 2012

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:01:00 +0000

I think someone needs to tell the Beltway press generally, and Newsweek's Jon Meacham specifically, that we had an election in 2008 and the failed polices of Bush/Cheney lost terribly. The media's amnesia never ceases to amaze.

Truth in Comics

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

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

Truth in Comics

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

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

Don't steal my lamb

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:16:00 +0000

I understand why liberals want Geithner to go (Robert Reich for Treasury, anyone), but for Republicans to be after him is ludicrous. If Wall Street was tanking then maybe I see a reason for their bluster. Absent that, they should just shut the fuck up about him. He's our sacrificial lamb.

This blog bites

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:54:00 +0000

And so does work. Too busy to even think.

Truth in Comics

noreply@blogger.com (creature) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

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