About time some one said it....

One of those moments where I am happy to have Dick Durbin as my senator:

4

This is an issue that just burns my biscuits every time I hear it. People just state what a huge problem medical malpractice is. With out quantifying it, or putting it in its proper context. First off it is a huge concern doctors, no doubt, the risk of being financially ruined due one error or even a perceived error is terrifying. But the numbers just do not back up the emphasis that Republicans constantly give it. Steve Benen adds some more info for this discussion.

What I suspect is that it has more to do with trial lawyers, which Republicans seem to despise, and much like ACORN they must be destroyed. Also they are easily demonized. No one likes lawyers (though I personally think some are quite swell), that is an article of faith. So they are an easy target.

Anyway it is just nice to see someone actually express the actual data on the subject.

-Cheers

Health Care Summit....Open Thread.

So I am gonna try to post my thoughts on the summit as I get to see them. Hopefully it won't be too stupid sounding.....

Opening comments:

• 10:00 It is pretty obvious at this point that both sides are fairly entrenched. I am likening it to the scene from the Princess Bride, with the Man in Black and Vizzini arguing over the impasse they have reached.
• The GOP does not want there to be a bill, so will advocate "starting over". And the Administration will face stiff political penalties if they fail to pass something.
• Starting over is not an option for the Administration. That is pretty much the stance presented in the Presidents opening remarks (opening remarks here).
• Sen. Alexander proffered the Republican talking points in is opening remarks. Be prepared to hear many times over the course of the day, "start from scratch", "government takeover", "frivolous lawsuits", and "interstate competition".

Links for more coverage:
Huffington Post has a running thread on the issue here, and Ezra Klein is dropping knowledge on proceedings here. Also I will be blatantly stealing and cross posting stuff where relevant.

• For example here is a nice exchange on what would happen to premiums under the Administration's plan as rated by the CBO, here. From my reading and the considered opinion of people like Mr. Klein I think the President has the right of it on this. People would have access to better insurance options (due to subsidies) and would trade up from the lousy insurance they have to a better insurance policy, because they could afford a better one. Not because insurance premiums had gone up, but because their ability to afford better insurance had expanded.
• The Sunlight foundation is showing the top donors of the person currently speaking. Nifty!
• Okay Sen. McCain is so not over losing. He and the President just spent several minutes going back and forth. "Where not campaigning anymore. The elections is over."
• It gets lost in the standard back and forth of political wrangling, but there actually are philosophical differences between the parties. Derek Thompson over at the Atlantic and Kate Pickert at Time-Swampland show it. In short the two camps profess to have very different views of government. The GOP mantra is that the government can not do complex things (mind you they only mention that for Democratic ideas Homeland Security, Medicare Part D, and the Tax cuts were just fine), while Democrats seem to believe that some complex issues can and should be handled by the government.
  

Lunch Break Thought: If the Republicans are going to pretend that Reconciliation is some sort of underhanded trick that it should be taken off the table, then I suggest the Democrats should follow suit with asking that filibuster also be taken off the table. I mean these are both misuses of the rules. Right?

• Rep. Paul Ryan has conditional like for the CBO.
• Marsha...Marsha...Marsha, enough with the interstate competition! Ezra knows way more about it then you do. But I will try to summarize. The reason why allowing insurance companies to just compete amongst all fifty states with out some sort of national regulation. What you would get is the laws of the state they reside in (and believe me all the insurance companies would flock to the state which offered them the the most lax legal restraints, think credit cards and Delaware) would become the de facto national regulations for health insurance. It would result in a race to the bottom. Competition is great, but you have to insure (ha!) that all the companies are playing by the same rules.
• Personally, this illustrates why negotiations should never be televised. Too many egos, and too much preening.

The Summit has wrapped up, the President closed out with a not so subtle gesture to the Democrats going it alone. I can not say I am surprised. I just wish they had figured this out last June. The Republicans were never, ever going to provide votes. Once Obama was elected they new their path back to power was absolutely dependent on grinding government to a halt. When the Republicans regain control of one (both or both chambers and the White House) of the chambers I guarantee they will change their tune once again.

Anyways, it was informative. The Republican leadership has shown themselves to be petulant preening sycophants who care more about returning to power then about improving their constituents lives. But then that is just my opinion.

-Cheers

Policy Wonk Nirvana....

Tomorrow February 25, 2010 the much ballyhooed Health Care Summit will be taking place at Blair House. The summit will be around 6 hours long.

I am sure I will be in policy heaven, or hell tomorrow.

Some must reading before tomorrow:

• Kaiser Foundation lets you do the comparison of the various health care reform plans (From the HELP committee to the Republican non-plan)
• Ezra Klein does some nifty explaining

Suffice it to say, tomorrow is an important day for health care reform. And I suspect I shall be insufferable after subjecting myself to that much raw politics.

Stay tuned.

-Cheers

Presidential Playa?

I don't know, I have been working on a theory for sometime that the President may be a playa....

No offense Michelle, but your hubby has been hobnobbing with some hotties.

Case in point back during the campaign there were rumors swirling about Scarlett Johansson, and missives going between the two.

Fast forward to this past year, the President meet and greeted Khloe Kardashian, some might say it is a coincidence, but in a few weeks time he will also be meeting with her sister Kim Kardashian because of this.

Coincidence? I think not!

I knew there was a fix in for the Saints! Perhaps Obama put a tax lean on the Manning family to ensure his dalliance with the Kardashian clan would reach fruition!

And finally there is this:


Evidently Shakira was recently invited to the White House and got to meet with the President and Veep. That is quite the reception for a foreign national. Who's only authority is derived from the lack of prevarication of her pelvic region!

I think that instead of Camp David, the President has been taking trips to Camp Bootie.

Mrs. O, you have been warned!

Anyway I am gonna keep digging on this pressing story to see what new leads I can come up with .

-Cheers

Still one of the best videos....

Again, I know that my attraction to things Kyle might make some people look askance at my sexuality, but dammit I do not care this is still one of my favorite videos of all time.

Kylie Minogue - New Music - More Music Videos

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This video is just chalk full of fierce and glam!

And goshdarnit, I just love every minute of it.

-Cheers

We are a no good torturing nation....

The argument that we should "not look back" has always wrung hollow to me. That said, the only way to discourage tortures use by public and military officials was to hold its architects accountable. So this story in the Washington Post was amazingly disappointing.

I understand that as a people we do not want to believe that we did something evil or that evil was done in our name. We are always the good guys! But the biggest part of what it means to be American is to stand up for what is right and for our principles. Hiding from what we have done and trying to explain it away is not the American way. It is a cowards way out. And those who advocate tortures use are cowards as well.

For further reading on related torture matters I would point you to this post by Glenn Greenwald and these comments by James Fallows (it remains to be seen if the media will cover it in this way).

-Cheers

A woman's burden...

I had to read this post a couple times, and then hit up the links in the article for more information but I am still having some problems getting my head around this.

I cognitively understand what is going on here. But I have problems internalizing how the victim is to blame.

It isn't just an issue of cultural learning, though. It's also a way for women to emotionally distance themselves from rape victims: I won't be attacked, because I'm not one of those girls. Rules give the illusion of control; if you abide by them, you'll be safe. Thinking of rape as it is -- a random, unwarranted violation -- can be terrifying and paralyzing. It's much easier to think about any kind of assault as being predictably triggered, and therefore preventable. It's a sort of armor women can put on to feel safe and invulnerable.

I guess what has me conflicted is I absolutely understand the coping mechanism going on here. Something horrible has happened, there must be a reason for it. Even if you blame yourself, that is some form of control over an uncontrollable happening.

From my understanding, this stems from the intrinsic belief that everything is avoidable. I don't subscribe to that belief, but then I haven't been raped so I haven't had to deal with the emotional and physical trauma that cries out for a reason.

No one wants to think of themselves, as at the mercy of a cruel and distant fate. But I can't help but have even more sympathy for when this happens. I know it doesn't help, but it must be said isn't your fault.

-Cheers

Seriously Tyler get your peeps in check....

Back from a fun and surprisingly enjoyable weekend of revelry, so I had to crush my good groove by delving into some news.

What do I find? Another Virginia pol has revealed that he is an ignorant and empathic midget.

State delegate Bob Marshall (R) is an ass:

State Delegate Bob Marshall of Manassas says disabled children are God's punishment to women who have aborted their first pregnancy.

He made that statement Thursday at a press conference to oppose state funding for Planned Parenthood.

"The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children," said Marshall, a Republican.

"In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There's a special punishment Christians would suggest."

Because disabled children and the parents of those children do not have enough burdens to bare?

I feel I should say something about causation and correlation, but I don't think that sort of methodological argument is appropriate for this sort of debate. Instead I will just award him a long over due "Douche-Bag of the Day" honors.

Where does Virginia find these people?

-Cheers

Irony is dead....

"I know we're not supposed to talk about Adolf Hitler but this administration is making it really, really tough to ignore some facts out there. ... [T]he "Big Lie" was an expression coined by Hitler. And the "Big Lie" is exactly what all of liberalism is. ... This is how the OSS described Hitler's psychology: "His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or a wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong" -- hello, George W. Bush and the Republicans," - Rush Limbaugh, comparing Obama's touting of the stimulus to a "Big Lie." (h/t Daily Dish)

I am not sure where to even begin with this. It is like the man lacks any self-introspection. The amount of transference going on here is truly amazing. I know it is standard CW to say both sides do it, but seriously the democrats when they were in the minority did not behave like the current crop of republicans. And honestly, Rush has blamed the Obama administration for everything wrong in the world since his election. This is truly pathetic.

-Cheers

Rand Flow Chart

Since I can never pass up a reason to make fun of Ayn Rand and her neophytes, I just had to post this flow chart (h/t Ballon Juice)


It would be funny if it weren't so true of her characters....and disciples.

-Cheers

Fat Tuesday....

Survived St. Louis with the help of the Woodard's, Jay-Z, our lovely hostess Jen and special assists by Amy and Natalie.

It was a good time and I even got to see Ed and Kelly (positively glowing with pre-mommyhood).

The food down there was great, and the city put on a solid party. I recommend checking out the Mardi Gras festivities the next time they roll around.

Other then that I will be back to political blogging later in the week. So don't worry! Till then,
I have been obsessed with this site.

I like the idea of the TED initiative. Getting people to brainstorm on the problems we face today seems useful and with the silliness that has become our political discourse is a much needed corrective. I hope more people tune into this sort of thing and start throwing some serious money and influence behind it.

-Cheers

Tyler you need to tell your people to.....

Pull their heads out their collective asses....

Seriously, I know they think the Rapture is nigh....but come on. This is why I absolutely believe in the separation of church and state. If only it could keeps loons like this out of office. That would make me very happy....

Del. Mark L. Cole (R-Fredericksburg), the bill's sponsor, said that privacy issues are the chief concern behind his attempt to criminalize the involuntary implantation of microchips. But he also said he shared concerns that the devices could someday be used as the "mark of the beast" described in the Book of Revelation.

"My understanding -- I'm not a theologian -- but there's a prophecy in the Bible that says you'll have to receive a mark, or you can neither buy nor sell things in end times," Cole said. "Some people think these computer chips might be that mark." [...]

[T]he growing use of microchips has collided with the Book of Revelation.... David Neff, editor of the magazine Christianity Today, said that some fundamentalist Christians believe that bar codes and implanted microchips could be used by a totalitarian government to control commerce -- a sign of the coming end of the world.

-Cheers

The Death of Science.....

The fact that articles like this have to be written is proof positive that we are doomed. Watching Fox News or many of the right blogosphere, it is indisputable, that since winter still exists that disproves Global Warming.

I know they have seized on the "warming" part of the Global Warming, which is an entirely accurate statement the globe as a whole is warming. However at no point does that mean that all points on the globe are warming uniformly. What it says, is that in the aggregate (big word!) the temperature is rising, this has effects on the climate. Any cook will tell you, that you can dissolve way more salt in warm water then in cold water. Air works in the same way. Warm air can hold more moisture then cooler air can. So the natural extension is that if you have slightly warmer global temperatures. More water will evaporate and get trapped in the air. Then all you need is suitably chilly temperatures to generate snow. The more moisture the air carries the bigger the snowfall.

This is basic science. Not that any scientist is blaming this wholly on Global Warming/Climate Change. There is also the well known and defined el Nino effect.

The thing that gives the lie to this ideological assault on science are that these things are never mentioned, here and here.

Weather is not climate.

-Cheers

Cars 2: Electric Boogaloo

As a brief respite I thought I would share this video on electric cars (h/t Brad Plumer via Ezra Klein), and as some what positive post. We talk about where to invest for the future, this video mentions a number of different options that could both yield jobs and better the environment.

I know there are those that think Climate Change is an elaborate hoax propagated by those DFHs out there. But really why isn't this a good idea. Energy independence and possibly millions of new jobs.

Looks like a win-win to me.

-Cheers

Oh yeah she is there leader.....

Former Governor Sarah Palin, doing a Q & A after her speech at the Tea Party Convention. Seems to have scribbled some crib note on her hand. All this after criticizing the president for using a teleprompter. I understand that it is standard republican rhetoric to attack the Mr. Obama as an empty suit, and there is nothing that will dissuade them of that. The opposition is always intellectually shallow. But this woman is the epitome of that. She has not issued one independent thought on any subject. She can not even answer questions given by a completely friendly host. Her command of issues and policy is a millimeter thick. Her paeans to "common sense solutions" and "Real Americans" makes me want to vomit.

Why? Because a lot of the problems we face are not simple. Common sense does not hold up well in those situations. Health Care Reform is not simple. Yet we have all these people complaining that we need to break it apart and do the popular things. Repeat it with me. Piecemeal....will...not...work. That is something that most vocal republicans do not address (I am looking at you Peggy Noonan). Well those that are even engaging in the argument, the others are just stomping their feet screaming "no" to deny the majority any accomplishment.

I am terrified of this woman, she embodies a lot of scary ideas and these people love her. They do not care what she stands for or that she has no real core beliefs, they will concoct whatever is necessary to support her.

-Cheers

Weekend Update...

The 11th Annual Grilling of the Meats is in the books, and I must say I thought it went quite well.

If I had to pick my favorite dishes I would go with Tyler's ribs and Single T's duck. They were just awesome. Everything was good, don't get me wrong, but those stood out to me the most. Also the shift from massive quantity to higher quality meats was also a huge improvement.

For next year I think the only thing we would change is to space out the preparation of the various meats throughout the day a little better. Things cooked a lot faster then we had suspected, but all in all it was a good time.

Thanks to all the attendees and the Voss' for hosting. I am sure Mike will get the list posted at some point for those interested in the menu.


-Cheers

That one post that was all science-y

With the sad news that the moon landing budget is being slashed, I thought some links with a science tinge would be warranted.

• Humanity almost didn't make it!
• Global Warming doesn't mean no more winter!
• How to fall 35k feet...and survive!

I know a lot of people think that trying to go to moon again is a waste. I think they are gravely mistaken, I know there are terrestrial problems that are pressing and need solutions/money. But the mission and purpose of NASA is more then just a monetary issue. NASA's purpose is to inspire. Not to turn a profit. It is an argument to our better angels, what we can be, and what we hope to be.

Also it is a chance for me to get super-powers.

-Cheers

You will believe....

....that a man can float! Or Photoshop!

-Cheers

A Nation of bed-wetting babies

When did we become such scared little children as a society. When this sort of thing just flies under the radar everyone should be extremely concerned.

The U.S. intelligence community policy on killing American citizens who have joined al Qaeda requires first obtaining high-level government approval, a senior official disclosed to Congress on Wednesday.

Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair said in each case a decision to use lethal force against a U.S. citizen must get special permission. . . .

He also said there are criteria that must be met to authorize the killing of a U.S. citizen that include "whether that American is involved in a group that is trying to attack us, whether that American is a threat to other Americans. Those are the factors involved."

Assassinating American citizens is extremely dangerous ground to be on, even if they are on foreign soil.

This may come as a surprise to many in government and even to members of the society at large, the constitution conveys rights and protections even to those we do no like. Being accused of something does not make you guilty.

As better legal minds have stated this is a huge departure and a massive increase in the power/scope of the executive. With no oversight, and only their own prerogatives as a governor to their behavior is not a recipe for good governance or faithful execution of civil liberties.

I understand that the terrorists are a threat, but we are seem to be the bigger threat to ourselves. The idea that simply by calling an American citizen a terrorist suspends due process and allows them to be put on an "assassination list", is absolutely terrifying to me. It is one thing to kill someone in the midst of a crime this is entirely different.

-Cheers

Credit where credit is do

I am one of those people who constantly says that Republicans have offered precious little in the way of actual substantive policy prescriptions during this trying times. So though I vehemently disagree with it, I have to point out that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), actually provided a very detailed budget proposal.

Ezra Klein does an excellent job of relating the salient points here, and even has an interview with Rep. Ryan here. As I have said, I do not agree with it, but at least it is a fully realized plan with actual numbers, and proposes actual cuts in spending. I will turn it over to Mr. Klein:

As you all know by now, the long-term budget deficit is largely driven by health-care costs. To move us to surpluses, Ryan's budget proposes reforms that are nothing short of violent. Medicare is privatized. Seniors get a voucher to buy private insurance, and the voucher's growth is far slower than the expected growth of health-care costs. Medicaid is also privatized. The employer tax exclusion is fully eliminated, replaced by a tax credit that grows more slowly than medical costs. And beyond health care, Social Security gets guaranteed, private accounts that CBO says will actually cost more than the present arrangement, further underscoring how ancillary the program is to our budget problem.

After the last couple of years you would think that the topic allowing Wall Street access to Social Security would be verboten. Also with the screams of bloody murder we have seen over last year, with the relatively minor changes the Obama Administration has suggested, it is as Mr. Klein suggested "audacious".

This is at least an idea. The risk it would transfer from the federal government to senors, notwithstanding, it does substantially bend the cost curve.

So as I said, credit where credit is due.

I am happy to see this, in a strictly partisan frame. It does reveal the republican Id, but also shows some of the differences between the parties. Republicans do not even like the flimsy social safety net we have today, as a matter of principle.

-Cheers

Mesmerizing

From the Daily Dish,

Vanishing Point from Bonsajo on Vimeo.

-Cheers

Grilling and Meats Weekend...

So the Grilling of the Meats is this coming weekend. I have been charged with lamb and chicken wings for our little gathering.

For the chicken wings, I will probably just go with my standard grilling recipe. So no surprises there.

But for the leg of lamb I am having some issues with which way to go. A simple marinade:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Greek), crumbled
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Or something more complex:

• 2/3 c. fresh lemon juice (or lemon zest)
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. Dijon style mustard
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2" slice fresh ginger root, unpeeled
• sprigs of fresh rosemary and cilantro

I was toying around with a yogurt based marinade as well, but decided against it.

For side dish, I will probably whip up some red gold potatoes and onions grilled with some aged white cheddar. I may toss some halved brussel sprouts in there as well for some added color and flavor.

That is what I am thinking for now. We shall see how it goes.

-Cheers

This is how you lose and argument...

Been watching a fair amount of news recently, and getting into a healthy number of political discussions.

What has become apparent to me now is that most people do not know when they have lost an argument. So I decided I would try to give some pointers on how you can tell when it is time to concede the discussion.

• If you pull a Godwin. You have lost. If the only refutation you can generate is invoking Hitler, the SS, or the Holocaust and there are no actual dead bodies or death camps you are just cheapening those tragedies.
• If accused of (racial) insensitivity/bigotry, do not ever say, "But I have a friend who is black/Jewish/Hispanic/Korean/Gay/etc.". You have lost if you do. First everyone makes mistakes. It is easy to misunderstand a comment that is made. Realize that, and clarify, that should generally clear things up. However, sometimes people are just ignorant and say ignorant things. You may fall in that category. Be aware of that.
• As a sort of corollary to the previous statement. If you have to exclaim, at any point, that your group/organization is diverse. You have failed. Diversity is fairly easy to spot. It is not some massive cognitive leap that there may be a racial component to the Tea Party craze currently washing over the country, when it consists almost entirely of people of a certain ethnic background.

So there you go. Some friendly advice from me too you.

-Cheers

A better explanation...

This one is for Andy. You posited a rational confusion with how things are working in Washington these days. My comment did not get to the source of the matter, but this post by James Fallows does a much better job. For example this bit from a congressional aide:

"I've missed almost all the punditry this past week... but what I've seen seems almost like a lot of misleading fluff designed to fill the void that should follow an understanding of the foregoing, at least on the subject of 'why no bipartisanship?' There's really nothing more to be said about "why no bipartisanship," once one recognizes the GOP party discipline. On this issue, it's absolutely astounding to blame Obama or even the Congressional leadership (although Pelosi and Reid leave much to be desired otherwise). It's doubly astounding that the GOP did it once before, less perfectly, but with a very large reward for bad behavior in the form of the 1994 mid-term elections. Yet no one calls them on it effectively, and bad behavior seems about to be rewarded again...

This just loops around to the notion that people just do not understand how our system works. If one party can maintain party discipline. Then there can be no bipartisanship:

"GOP member: 'I'd like this in the bill.'

"Dem member response: 'If we put it in, will you vote for the bill?'

"GOP member: 'You know I can't vote for the bill.'

"Dem member: 'Then why should we put it in the bill?'

Because I can't get enough of this stuff, Ezra Klein pops in and delivers the most succinct explanation I have seen, and why it is so corrosive.

The problem with believing that Congress runs on ideology rather than electoral interests is that it perpetuates the harmful misconception that legislators of good faith can get together and agree on policy, and that when that doesn't happen, something has gone wrong, or the policy in question is terribly extreme. We tell the public to expect agreement and then tell them to be disgusted when that agreement never manifests. It's a recipe for cynicism, and it's not accurate.

This is how Congress works: The majority party wants to govern. The minority party wants to make the majority a failure at governing. If you want to predict congressional outcomes, you'd do a lot better sticking to those two principles than following the optimistic statements of the media and the bipartisan hopes of the commentariat.

-Cheers

-edit

The Grilling is nearly upon us.

In honor of Nation Meat Week, and as a sort of break from the political coverage I will try to post some recipes as we get closer to the infamous "Grilling of the Meats". So first up: The Blue Cheese Bacon Burger


A good solid classic, which is easily adaptable to grilling. Depending on the cut of meat used to make the burger the cheese works as a nice contrast. I would probably pair this with a nice hard roll instead of a hamburger bun. Possibly an onion roll. You might be thinking, "Why a harder roll?", well simply put if grilled correctly a burger should be fairly juicy when you bite into it. That moisture absolutely obliterates most standard buns. So something a bit sturdier will allow you to stack up the burger, some veggies and condiments, of your choice, with out making a huge mess.

-Cheers

I think that milkshake is spoiled.

Dear Kelis,

Please tell me you were hijacked on your way to a cosplay themed party. Or that you are on some serious drugs. Seriously acid has to be involved here.

Love
Roman

What the hell are up with those shoes? I am going to need see some these in live action. Cause I do not believe one can walk in these things.

-Cheers