Comments Posted By mannning
Displaying 101 To 110 Of 475 Comments
MORE THAN POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OR VICTIMHOOD AT WORK IN FORT HOOD ATTACK
Radical, fundamental Islam is simply Islam. You cannot be a practicing Muslim unless you believe that the Koran is the word of Muhammed, and it is to be obeyed. Muslims are commanded to perform both kinds of jihad, or else they are apostates and are in jeopardy of their lives.
This is perhaps the basic tension in the life of Major Hasan, and it could well have driven him to the actions he took. By extension, what does this say about other 2 to 6 million Muslims in the US?
Comment Posted By mannning On 12.11.2009 @ 16:33
A RELATIVELY SHORT FOLLOWUP TO MY PJ MEDIA ARTICLE ON BI-PARTISANSHIP
It takes two to tango. If one partner isn't with it you get stumblitis, not graceful, harmonious and pleasing airs over the floor.
Do Democrats really know how to dance the tango? (Tom Delay does!)
Comment Posted By mannning On 17.11.2009 @ 22:51
THOUGHTS ON THE PASSAGE OF HEALTH CARE REFORM
@ busboy
Rather than attempting to justify each line item of the bureaucracy in the bill, or modifying it, it is more practical to attack the basic premises of the bill, the lack of spending reductions, the lack of effective tort reforms, and the multiple sneak taxes included. Then to do a full rewrite along conservative lines, with a final bill down in the few tens or hundreds of billions of dollars, with significant corrections to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security as well.
I hope that is the direction the Senate takes.
Comment Posted By mannning On 8.11.2009 @ 12:21
If anyone had paid attention, they would have discovered that the Republicans in the House offered many, many amendments to the various bills, none of which were accepted by the committees, but were voted out one by one by the Democratic majority.
So, the idea that they didn't try is false. The idea that they could have influenced the bills is also false. Any comments to the contrary are simply false as well. In a totally dominated Democratic House there was nothing to be done to get Republican ideas or modifications to the bills accepted. The entire operation became a Democratic railroad process. What we the public get, besides the 111-element bureaucracy posted above, is massive spending on top of our current 12 Trillion dollar national debt.
The only hope is that the Senate can stop this nonsense, and come up with something feasible and practical considering our fiscal situation.
Comment Posted By mannning On 8.11.2009 @ 12:11
The Nancycare version of Obamacare
This was posted here last week, but disappeared for some reason. This is the bureaucracy we may get if the senate goes along.
The House Republican Conference has gone to the Herculean effort of tabulating the new federal boards, bureaucracies, commissions, and programs that would be established by the House bill--all in the name of cutting costs, of course! They add up to 111:
1. Retiree Reserve Trust Fund (Section 111(d), p. 61)
Comment Posted By mannning On 8.11.2009 @ 08:26
2. Grant program for wellness programs to small employers (Section 112, p. 62)
3. Grant program for State health access programs (Section 114, p. 72)
4. Program of administrative simplification (Section 115, p. 76)
5. Health Benefits Advisory Committee (Section 223, p. 111)
6. Health Choices Administration (Section 241, p. 131)
7. Qualified Health Benefits Plan Ombudsman (Section 244, p. 138)
8. Health Insurance Exchange (Section 201, p. 155)
9. Program for technical assistance to employees of small businesses buying Exchange coverage (Section 305(h), p. 191)
10. Mechanism for insurance risk pooling to be established by Health Choices Commissioner (Section 306(b), p. 194)
11. Health Insurance Exchange Trust Fund (Section 307, p. 195)
12. State-based Health Insurance Exchanges (Section 308, p. 197)
13. Grant program for health insurance cooperatives (Section 310, p. 206)
14. "Public Health Insurance Option" (Section 321, p. 211)
15. Ombudsman for "Public Health Insurance Option" (Section 321(d), p. 213)
16. Account for receipts and disbursements for "Public Health Insurance Option" (Section 322(b), p. 215)
17. Telehealth Advisory Committee (Section 1191 (b), p. 589)
18. Demonstration program providing reimbursement for "culturally and linguistically appropriate services" (Section 1222, p. 617)
19. Demonstration program for shared decision making using patient decision aids (Section 1236, p. 648)
20. Accountable Care Organization pilot program under Medicare (Section 1301, p. 653)
21. Independent patient-centered medical home pilot program under Medicare (Section 1302, p. 672)
22. Community-based medical home pilot program under Medicare (Section 1302(d), p. 681)
23. Independence at home demonstration program (Section 1312, p. 718)
24. Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research (Section 1401(a), p. 734)
25. Comparative Effectiveness Research Commission (Section 1401(a), p. 738)
26. Patient ombudsman for comparative effectiveness research (Section 1401(a), p. 753)
27. Quality assurance and performance improvement program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 1412(b)(1), p. 784)
28. Quality assurance and performance improvement program for nursing facilities (Section 1412 (b)(2), p. 786)
29. Special focus facility program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 1413(a)(3), p. 796)
30. Special focus facility program for nursing facilities (Section 1413(b)(3), p. 804)
31. National independent monitor pilot program for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities (Section 1422, p. 859)
32. Demonstration program for approved teaching health centers with respect to Medicare GME (Section 1502(d), p. 933)
33. Pilot program to develop anti-fraud compliance systems for Medicare providers (Section 1635, p. 978)
34. Special Inspector General for the Health Insurance Exchange (Section 1647, p. 1000)
35. Medical home pilot program under Medicaid (Section 1722, p. 1058)
36. Accountable Care Organization pilot program under Medicaid (Section 1730A, p. 1073)
37. Nursing facility supplemental payment program (Section 1745, p. 1106)
38. Demonstration program for Medicaid coverage to stabilize emergency medical conditions in institutions for mental diseases (Section 1787, p. 1149)
39. Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund (Section 1802, p. 1162)
40. "Identifiable office or program" within CMS to "provide for improved coordination between Medicare and Medicaid in the case of dual eligibles" (Section 1905, p. 1191)
41. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Section 1907, p. 1198)
42. Public Health Investment Fund (Section 2002, p. 1214)
43. Scholarships for service in health professional needs areas (Section 2211, p. 1224)
44. Program for training medical residents in community-based settings (Section 2214, p. 1236)
45. Grant program for training in dentistry programs (Section 2215, p. 1240)
46. Public Health Workforce Corps (Section 2231, p. 1253)
47. Public health workforce scholarship program (Section 2231, p. 1254)
48. Public health workforce loan forgiveness program (Section 2231, p. 1258)
49. Grant program for innovations in interdisciplinary care (Section 2252, p. 1272)
50. Advisory Committee on Health Workforce Evaluation and Assessment (Section 2261, p. 1275)
51. Prevention and Wellness Trust (Section 2301, p. 1286)
52. Clinical Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1295)
53. Community Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1301)
54. Grant program for community prevention and wellness research (Section 2301, p. 1305)
55. Grant program for research and demonstration projects related to wellness incentives (Section 2301, p. 1305)
56. Grant program for community prevention and wellness services (Section 2301, p. 1308)
57. Grant program for public health infrastructure (Section 2301, p. 1313)
58. Center for Quality Improvement (Section 2401, p. 1322)
59. Assistant Secretary for Health Information (Section 2402, p. 1330)
60. Grant program to support the operation of school-based health clinics (Section 2511, p. 1352)
61. Grant program for nurse-managed health centers (Section 2512, p. 1361)
62. Grants for labor-management programs for nursing training (Section 2521, p. 1372)
63. Grant program for interdisciplinary mental and behavioral health training (Section 2522, p. 1382)
64. "No Child Left Unimmunized Against Influenza" demonstration grant program (Section 2524, p. 1391)
65. Healthy Teen Initiative grant program regarding teen pregnancy (Section 2526, p. 1398)
66. Grant program for interdisciplinary training, education, and services for individuals with autism (Section 2527(a), p. 1402)
67. University centers for excellence in developmental disabilities education (Section 2527(b), p. 1410)
68. Grant program to implement medication therapy management services (Section 2528, p. 1412)
69. Grant program to promote positive health behaviors in underserved communities (Section 2530, p. 1422)
70. Grant program for State alternative medical liability laws (Section 2531, p. 1431)
71. Grant program to develop infant mortality programs (Section 2532, p. 1433)
72. Grant program to prepare secondary school students for careers in health professions (Section 2533, p. 1437)
73. Grant program for community-based collaborative care (Section 2534, p. 1440)
74. Grant program for community-based overweight and obesity prevention (Section 2535, p. 1457)
75. Grant program for reducing the student-to-school nurse ratio in primary and secondary schools (Section 2536, p. 1462)
76. Demonstration project of grants to medical-legal partnerships (Section 2537, p. 1464)
77. Center for Emergency Care under the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (Section 2552, p. 1478)
78. Council for Emergency Care (Section 2552, p 1479)
79. Grant program to support demonstration programs that design and implement regionalized emergency care systems (Section 2553, p. 1480)
80. Grant program to assist veterans who wish to become emergency medical technicians upon discharge (Section 2554, p. 1487)
81. Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (Section 2562, p. 1494)
82. National Medical Device Registry (Section 2571, p. 1501)
83. CLASS Independence Fund (Section 2581, p. 1597)
84. CLASS Independence Fund Board of Trustees (Section 2581, p. 1598)
85. CLASS Independence Advisory Council (Section 2581, p. 1602)
86. Health and Human Services Coordinating Committee on Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1610)
87. National Women's Health Information Center (Section 2588, p. 1611)
88. Centers for Disease Control Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1614)
89. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Women's Health and Gender-Based Research (Section 2588, p. 1617)
90. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1618)
91. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1621)
92. Personal Care Attendant Workforce Advisory Panel (Section 2589(a)(2), p. 1624)
93. Grant program for national health workforce online training (Section 2591, p. 1629)
94. Grant program to disseminate best practices on implementing health workforce investment programs (Section 2591, p. 1632)
95. Demonstration program for chronic shortages of health professionals (Section 3101, p. 1717)
96. Demonstration program for substance abuse counselor educational curricula (Section 3101, p. 1719)49. Grant program for innovations in interdisciplinary care (Section 2252, p. 1272)
50. Advisory Committee on Health Workforce Evaluation and Assessment (Section 2261, p. 1275)
51. Prevention and Wellness Trust (Section 2301, p. 1286)
52. Clinical Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1295)
53. Community Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1301)
54. Grant program for community prevention and wellness research (Section 2301, p. 1305)
55. Grant program for research and demonstration projects related to wellness incentives (Section 2301, p. 1305)
56. Grant program for community prevention and wellness services (Section 2301, p. 1308)
57. Grant program for public health infrastructure (Section 2301, p. 1313)
58. Center for Quality Improvement (Section 2401, p. 1322)
59. Assistant Secretary for Health Information (Section 2402, p. 1330)
60. Grant program to support the operation of school-based health clinics (Section 2511, p. 1352)
61. Grant program for nurse-managed health centers (Section 2512, p. 1361)
62. Grants for labor-management programs for nursing training (Section 2521, p. 1372)
63. Grant program for interdisciplinary mental and behavioral health training (Section 2522, p. 1382)
64. "No Child Left Unimmunized Against Influenza" demonstration grant program (Section 2524, p. 1391)
65. Healthy Teen Initiative grant program regarding teen pregnancy (Section 2526, p. 1398)
66. Grant program for interdisciplinary training, education, and services for individuals with autism (Section 2527(a), p. 1402)
67. University centers for excellence in developmental disabilities education (Section 2527(b), p. 1410)
68. Grant program to implement medication therapy management services (Section 2528, p. 1412)
69. Grant program to promote positive health behaviors in underserved communities (Section 2530, p. 1422)
70. Grant program for State alternative medical liability laws (Section 2531, p. 1431)
71. Grant program to develop infant mortality programs (Section 2532, p. 1433)
72. Grant program to prepare secondary school students for careers in health professions (Section 2533, p. 1437)
73. Grant program for community-based collaborative care (Section 2534, p. 1440)
74. Grant program for community-based overweight and obesity prevention (Section 2535, p. 1457)
75. Grant program for reducing the student-to-school nurse ratio in primary and secondary schools (Section 2536, p. 1462)
76. Demonstration project of grants to medical-legal partnerships (Section 2537, p. 1464)
77. Center for Emergency Care under the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (Section 2552, p. 1478)
78. Council for Emergency Care (Section 2552, p 1479)
79. Grant program to support demonstration programs that design and implement regionalized emergency care systems (Section 2553, p. 1480)
80. Grant program to assist veterans who wish to become emergency medical technicians upon discharge (Section 2554, p. 1487)
81. Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (Section 2562, p. 1494)
82. National Medical Device Registry (Section 2571, p. 1501)
83. CLASS Independence Fund (Section 2581, p. 1597)
84. CLASS Independence Fund Board of Trustees (Section 2581, p. 1598)
85. CLASS Independence Advisory Council (Section 2581, p. 1602)
86. Health and Human Services Coordinating Committee on Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1610)
87. National Women's Health Information Center (Section 2588, p. 1611)
88. Centers for Disease Control Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1614)
89. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Women's Health and Gender-Based Research (Section 2588, p. 1617)
90. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1618)
91. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1621)
92. Personal Care Attendant Workforce Advisory Panel (Section 2589(a)(2), p. 1624)
93. Grant program for national health workforce online training (Section 2591, p. 1629)
94. Grant program to disseminate best practices on implementing health workforce investment programs (Section 2591, p. 1632)
95. Demonstration program for chronic shortages of health professionals (Section 3101, p. 1717)
96. Demonstration program for substance abuse counselor educational curricula (Section 3101, p. 1719)
97. Program of Indian community education on mental illness (Section 3101, p. 1722)
98. Intergovernmental Task Force on Indian environmental and nuclear hazards (Section 3101, p. 1754)
99. Office of Indian Men's Health (Section 3101, p. 1765)
100. Indian Health facilities appropriation advisory board (Section 3101, p. 1774)
101. Indian Health facilities needs assessment workgroup (Section 3101, p. 1775)
102. Indian Health Service tribal facilities joint venture demonstration projects (Section 3101, p. 1809)
103. Urban youth treatment center demonstration project (Section 3101, p. 1873)
104. Grants to Urban Indian Organizations for diabetes prevention (Section 3101, p. 1874)
105. Grants to Urban Indian Organizations for health IT adoption (Section 3101, p. 1877)
106. Mental health technician training program (Section 3101, p. 1898)
107. Indian youth telemental health demonstration project (Section 3101, p. 1909)
108. Program for treatment of child sexual abuse victims and perpetrators (Section 3101, p. 1925)
109. Program for treatment of domestic violence and sexual abuse (Section 3101, p. 1927)
110. Native American Health and Wellness Foundation (Section 3103, p. 1966)
111. Committee for the Establishment of the Native American H
THE HOPELESS BANALITY OF THE BLOGOSPHERE
One close source stated that he was a devout Muslim and had an enormous problem with being deployed with infidels to kill other Muslims. Which rings true to Islamic religion dictates. Still, it is a huge step from there to the actual event and his ultimate motive.
There is another aspect that should be brought out. It was suggested by Rand Paul that the US government and its investigative arms would do almost anything not to bring out and publicize a religious motivation for the shootings, so we should expect some convoluted PTSD explanation, regardless whether the truth is the guy had signed up in his own mind to perform an act of Islamic jihad, and and proceeded very deliberately to do so all by his lonesome.
It was also cited that he must have had significant prior deliberation, because no one (except possibly an MP) carries around two loaded 9mm weapons and extra clips inside an army base on the off chance they will be needed to repel boarders. A Doctor, no less? Nor do they give away their personal belongings to neighbors earlier in the week.
So let us indeed wait for the "official" story and hope it isn't a fairy tale dictated by PC. Any bets?
Comment Posted By Mannning On 6.11.2009 @ 22:03
Now, it may very well be that one of the reasons this is so is that I am not always crystal clear in imparting exactly what I want to say in my writings. My wordy wanderings have great need of an editor, and I really do appreciate those who make an effort to understand my intent, my meaning. I realize this is not always possible, but insofar as my efforts to be precise in my criticism fail, I shouldn’t go off the deep end excoriating someone who may or may not have understood what I was trying to say through no fault of their own.
If I were to make a comment on your presentations, it would be that, from my perspective, you tend to assume that readers grant you all of the basic beliefs in a topic--such as conservatism--and then you narrow your comments so far down that at least I, if not many others, lose sight of the fact that your basic beliefs are still predominantly conservative, and that your narrow point of view expressed in a piece is not usually a condemnation of conservatives in general.
If one misses your delimiters, such as "some" or "a few" or "those who" there is a great possibility of misunderstanding your thrust, especially since these delimiters seem to appear at the beginning of your essays, and are lost in the following four or five (or more) paragraphs.
The other thought I would present is that many of your condemnations of current conservative demonstrations, such as Tea Party events", appear to be quite biased and off the mark.
From the perspective of having attended some of these events, I find that quite a few of the conservatives I know personally as being intelligent, thoughtful and conscientious people are regular and devoted attendees. They all speak of the delight in seeing and interacting with a crowd of fellow conservatives that affirm and confirm their own ideas of what is wrong with the current political situation and what needs to be done to correct it. It is as though they are coming out of isolation and have a feeling that things are out of hand, that is, until they see a crowd of thousands that feel the same way.
Of course, there are a very few that cross the line into idiocy in those parties, but they are simply ignored for the most part.
Comment Posted By mannning On 3.11.2009 @ 12:26
WAR ON FOX OR BUSINESS AS USUAL?
The losers in all of this partisan yammering are the public. The liars that are spinning merrily away for their party, their man, or their programs,or manufacturing negative issues (even blowing up minor things to crisis proportions)with which to tag their opposition, are seriously short-changing the average citizen that does not have the sources or the critical skills to penetrate the multiple levels of spin. Honesty is suffering.
We thus have elections driven by feel-good emotions, promises not meant to be kept, snake-oil salesmen (including on the networks), distortions of the truth, and with great disdain for facts.
I submit that the Democrats today are far, far better at this kind of thing than Republicans have ever been, especially the Conservative segment. Mudslinging, distortions, and lying have not been core skills of Conservatives to be nurtured and displayed at every turn.
Comment Posted By mannning On 26.10.2009 @ 10:55
....choosing instead to pander for money.
....and popularity and power.
Comment Posted By Mannning On 22.10.2009 @ 12:46
THE DIFFERENT REALITY INHABITED BY THE CONSERVATIVE BASE
Some further thoughts on The Great Disconnect (Post #30):
1. These opinions, in sum, reflect much more of a conventional rightist mindset than a leftist one. How did a leftist congress and president get elected then? The key factor is White Guilt, which is now being dissipated rather rapidly. The second factor, spending by the Bush administration, has been overwhelmingly transferred to Obama. The third factor, GWOT, is also being booted by Obama now. The devil should get his due: Obama did run an effective campaign and McCain did not.
2. That America leans to the right in general seems to be confirmed. Yet, we are living with the leftist crowd that conservatives do not want have in positions of power. The more the left show their real objectives, the less the electorate will approve. We hope this disapproval is acted upon in time to unravel the damage.
3. The very large percentage of citizens that favor the Christian religion and morality, and the protection of Christian religious statements, signs and symbols in public places, argues also that a substantial majority most likely will hold faith-based positions on moral social issues as well-- including abortion and same-sex marriage. The percentage of people that profess a religious belief in this poll is in general accord with the last census results. Those people that moan about the hard line conservatives have taken on abortion and same-sex marriage, and the use of these issues as litmus tests, will be surprised in the next election cycles if these results bear up. Most moaners are not religious at all, it would seem, but are in that 10% of nones; a scarce few of them actually follow the Right.
Christians are taught tolerance of other religions, and the nation itself is built on the principle of freedom of religion. But, if a religion and its leaders advocate the (eventual) overthrow of this nation and the subjugation or killing of non-believers, then we see the strong advocacy in our public for the death penalty and the passing of laws that would seriously inhibit such actions.
4. Amnesty for illegal immigrants appears to be highly objectionable to a great majority of our citizens. This leftist government will probably try to pass an amnesty bill, which will give the right another significant boost at the next election.
5. Defense and prosecution of the GWOT against Islamic Jihadists stands very high on the agenda for most Americans. The new administration is backing out of Iraq as fast as possible, and will most likely find a way to get out of Afghanistan also, despite the earlier solemn declarations of Obama. They are not facing the Iranians down on their development of nuclear weapons with any success either. The Middle East is very much the same cauldron it has been for 60 or more years, with the added danger of possibly having nuclear weapons passed into terrorist hands. Obama is playing a dangerous game here with the Israelis, and showing far greater preference to the Palestinians—and Muslims in general.
6. A large citizen majority is focused on ensuring that the Constitution is respected and upheld. Violations and bending of the provisions of the Constitution are standard practice on the left, especially for the five leftist justices on the Supreme Court. It is a “living document” or guideline to them.
7. This set of opinions argues that conservative candidates for office must hold true to their conservative principles. They will then find substantial, winning support across a spectrum of voters. That they will possibly shed some centrists and pseudo-intellectuals in the process is understandable. We hear every day that conservatives must relax their principles and standards or else be consigned to second place forever. Real Conservatives, and, as shown in these opinions, a majority of the people, know otherwise.
8. There is little in this set of opinions that would spark the Far Right into frenetic action; rather, it has a sufficient conservative cast to it that they would in all probability be content to support it in the elections, as far as it goes. We are told that the Far Right will poison the electorate against the conservative Right with their antics and stupid remarks. One could point out that the Far Right has been there just about forever, and they have made their opinions known every year very loudly indeed, so their song is not new. After all, they are firmly on the margin.
It is much, much more likely that a sound brigade of conservative candidates in 2010 and 2012 will bring the Far Right into the big tent at election time without a lot of yelling and screaming.
Comment Posted By mannning On 20.10.2009 @ 15:36
