Comments Posted By Eddie
Displaying 11 To 20 Of 46 Comments
YES, BUT DON'T CALL THEM UNPATRIOTIC
Well, if Bush had asked Americans to do something other than shop after 9/11, the day wouldn't require a national day of service, because it would be remembered not just as a day "we got hurt" but a day we stood up as a nation and did our best to rebuild and recover. Instead, an opportunity to appeal to a better country and a more involved citizenry was turned into a cheap "go shopping" comment devoid of the meaning and spirit Americans were looking for. Reagan, FDR, Teddy, hell, even Dwight or Richard Nixon, these leaders would have asked Americans to do something other than shop.
Then, to be politicized so shamelessly for seven years, to become this (if this single unnamed source is reliable)? That's a dagger in the back, but there are already a few there from the Bush days.
Comment Posted By Eddie On 24.08.2009 @ 16:21
Speaking of the science part of that marriage, scientists have made a breakthrough with rice growing in flooded conditions. Rice is one of those crops it wouldn't hurt for Americans to grow more of, especially with the (seemingly) enduring popularity of American versions of Asian cuisine.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/08/21/snorkel-genes-help-rice-plants-survive-flooded-conditions/
I hope your White Sox take the Central this year.
Comment Posted By Eddie On 21.08.2009 @ 12:35
"Which raises an interesting idea, could the solution to the health care crisis be for each of the individual states to come up with their own answer under a loose federal mandate? We leave the implementation of so many responsibilities (such as education) up to the state governments, why shouldn’t health care for all be any different?"
That sounds about right to me.
Rick,
I had thought highly of the co-op idea, but with your post and the Heritage link, I have to admit this is not much better than the public option. Thank you for a hysteria-free dose of reality.
Comment Posted By Eddie On 18.08.2009 @ 13:35
"I’ve said it a thousand times; this bill is so bad that if we spent the same amount of time explaining the truth of it as we do in lying about it, it will be soundly defeated."
Chuck Grassley, Palin and others obviously did not get the message. I agree with Jackson about this because it does seem to work for whichever side uses it the most.
We are a country held hostage by interest groups (not just lobbyists in Washington) on almost every issue of importance. How long we will be able to continue in the absence of what will be in 2012 20 years running of piss-poor vision and leadership in the White House is uncertain.
And while I don't like the President's plan or the liberal's ideas, I still want a prominent Republican to get out there and demand we have the right to know how much a medical procedure will cost us beforehand instead of having to fight the insurance system every time for them to uphold their policy agreements. I want a Republican who acts like he gives a damn about the 50 million people without insurance and has ideas on how to fix that without growing the government to an even greater monstrosity. Where are these Republicans? Where is their plan that they counter the President's with?
Am I wrong in remembering that Bob Dole, Newt Gingrich, and other prominent Republicans in the Clinton era specialized in forcing Clinton and his ilk into policies and legislation that was far more considerate of conservative beliefs and the country's needs than their liberal ideology originally intended to create? How did they do that? Was it by being obstructionist or actually being constructive and compromising, negotiating, and winning the PR war with Americans?
Comment Posted By Eddie On 14.08.2009 @ 12:00
LEARNING NEW THINGS CAN BE FUN
Ken,
I can certainly agree with your reasons for why conservative ideas aren't being talked up by GOP leaders. I would also love to see a concerted push by them to try to force Obama to a deal by holding out for meaningful tort reform. Bush got the Dems to override a key constituency (teachers unions) with NCLB, can the GOP get Obama to override a key fundraiser on a big issue?
I would also note you have a lot more Dems (Durbin now, Bayh, Brown and others in recent weeks) admitting they would accept a deal if they had to w/o a public option.
Busboy33,
I can feel your desperation... I too no longer have health insurance. I have the option of one now that I am @ school FT but their plan is so full of holes and provisos I don't want to pour $150 a month into something that makes me pay for everything (medicine, clinic visits, hospitalization) while giving me almost nothing in return if I get seriously sick. I do have catastrophic insurance through Allstate for cancer, stroke and a few other potential biggies but I don't know how good it is, even though thus far the contract details don't seem too gruesome.So, I am not happy that other conservatives are basically acting like there is no big deal here and we can just sit on the issue. I drive by the free clinic in downtown Greensboro every day and my heart sinks at the extraordinary long line of people grimly looking forward to a 2-3 hour wait to get into the 2-3 hour waiting room. This isn't good.
We do need something much better than what Congress has proposed so far. What Obama has done in letting President Pelosi and VP Reid run this deal is sickening, b/c he seems to have abdicated his leadership on it and let them trot out a bunch of stinker bills that are destined to get little support from conservative Dems, let alone Republicans. He can and could still do much better than that, but he has to get in there and do it. Will he sit back sniping at critics like he's done or actually get his hands dirty? I don't know.
Comment Posted By Eddie On 9.08.2009 @ 18:50
Imagine if Grassley, Enzi, Hatch and a few others formed a Healthcare version of the "Gang of 14" w/ more conservative Democrats in order to push Obama's plan into a more acceptable endeavor that cost less and ended up covering significantly less.
While the House libs would be furious and try their best to obstruct it, I somehow doubt Obama would think twice about them when he had the opportunity to present a "bi-partisan" program without using reconciliation. Now as to what the conservatives would do, who knows? They were already fiercely lobbying and threatening Grassley just for negotiating with Baucus and other Dems on healthcare.
Comment Posted By Eddie On 9.08.2009 @ 12:20
Rick is one of the few conservative writers that did not lose their bearings over the last 8 years. Notice how very few liberal writers still have their wits after only 6 months of Obama in office. The kind of partisanship we all decry is here to stay, given the vast amounts of money that can be raised and bundled to support the wing nuts on both sides. I'm not calling for campaign finance but I would ask someone to follow the money.
Rational and pragmatic people are often left out of the fundraising frenzy because rational and pragmatic doesn't exactly fire up those campaign contributions and the $500 dinners in Iowa and New Hampshire. Why do we still argue over abortion? It raises money and both sides see no reason to reach pragmatic compromises or try innovative new ideas out because these things won't keep the base riled up and contributing money.
Anyone who was around for Bush's massive Medicare expansion which will cost taxpayers a bundle in the long run may remember the stark lack of real debate on it other than some fear mongering about leaving old people in the lurch. I have not seen that in Obama's healthcare debate, because as other commenters have pointed out, its been an ongoing argument and policy debate for years now. There have been multiple bills w/ bipartisan and partisan backing this year and a ton of negotiation between sides and factions over it. There have even been a good deal of hearings, though they have primarily been on health care problems, not solutions.
Comment Posted By Eddie On 9.08.2009 @ 11:44
VIOLENCE AT TOWN HALLS PREDICTABLE AND DISTURBING
I agree about the violent aspects of unions (and I would love to see more attention given to the disgraceful lobbying being forced upon UPS employees by their union and company bosses in a Congressional effort to punish FedEx for not being sufficiently unionized) being brought in.
(Link to the UPS/FedEx story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/06/AR2009080603863_pf.html )I honestly don't get the fear of health care that is ongoing at this point. Conservative and Blue Dog pressure has whittled down much of the worst aspects of proposed health reform. If I recall you have in the past indicated the bill Obama gets will be far different and less far-ranging than what he and factions in Congress had proposed.
So I do not see the need for explosive rhetoric by GOP representatives and their allies making insinuations that liberal health care reform will encourage euthanasia for the elderly or that Medicare will be taken away.
I have heard Sen. Hatch is working on something to propose in September and would love to see a Rep. Ryan or a Mitt Romney come forward with a detailed proposal to further whittle down the more liberal wish list of health care items in the final bill.
As far as conservatives in these town halls, how does the Rep. and their staff know that they will act civilized? Pres. Bush and other Republicans for years made it a requirement for pre-screening at events so as to keep out liberal protesters and troublemakers. I don't see where we conservatives have the right to complain now when Democrats do it (even though we probably did it to prevent the kind of behavior some of the Left is well known for). If people were willing to behave and not act like infantile Code Pink/ACORN protesters, the Dems would not have the quasi-excuse they have now.
Comment Posted By Eddie On 7.08.2009 @ 12:24
SHOUTING DOWN THE OPPOSITION AT HEALTH CARE MEETINGS IS NOT THE ANSWER
Its all about the optics. How these protests get reported over the next month will likely determine whether we see a return of the "Silent Majority" by Obama's people. The American people traditionally do not appreciate disorder, do not rabble-rousing and especially do not like citizens obstructing the lawful and agreeable interests of other citizens. These pressure tactics are fundamentally un-American, denying the right of other Americans to inquire of their elected representatives. Most Americans, whether they agree with Obama's plan or not, will probably not take kindly to this tea party protester behavior. Its unruly and disrespectful to the other Americans there in the audience who want to listen or even speak up in the town hall.
Comment Posted By Eddie On 4.08.2009 @ 13:43
NOW THEY'RE COMING FOR THE FAT PEOPLE
I should clarify that Campos doesn't come out and say explicitly that being fat is not unhealthy, but he muddies the water as bad as his critics do by not distinguishing enough in the book (and in interviews) the significant variances in overweight classifications.
Comment Posted By Eddie On 30.07.2009 @ 14:09
