Thursday, December 31, 2009

Headlines 12/31/09

Texas spends $1.8 million to weatherize 7 houses
Govt efficiency on display

What Doctors and Patients Have to Lose Under ObamaCare
Besides rights, choice, and quality. Yes, "besides."

Iran accuses Western countries of fomenting violent protests
Of course, we accuse them of supplying violent terrorists.

Dave Barry's year in review: 2009

Blue on Blue: Maureen Dowd Actually Criticizes Obama
Rips him a new one, actually.

Everybody have a happy new year!

Monday, December 28, 2009

Long Weekend Healthcare Reform Roundup

Less Health Care for More Money: What's the Catch?
On Oregon's health care crisis — and their "universal" health care system.
(HT: Southern Appeal)

"This is the beginning of health care reform."
If you think this bill's bad, wait 'til you see what's next.

Mission Creep in Health Reform
Ditto.

ObamaCare and Taxes
Taxes for some; handouts for others. It's nice to have friends in high places.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

An All-Powerful Medical Board?

Sen. Harry Reid has inserted into the Senate health care reform bill language making it against Senate rules to even consider over-ruling the medical board his bill will create.

That doesn't make the board completely all-powerful, but it means you have to get 66 Senators to agree (to a rule change) before you can even bring up the topic of over-ruling the board. Elected officials, representatives of the people, will be unable to control the bureaucrats.

Do you object to this? I have a hard time believing even liberals are ok with such an anti-democratic notion. If you have a problem with this, today is the day to call your senators and tell them.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Weekend Roundup

The Time for Political Games is Over
WH: "Pass ObamaCare so we can fund the troops." Yeah, it doesn't make any sense to me either.

Neb.'s Nelson approves health care bill
Principled politician or prostitute?

The Hardest Call
ObamaCare's pro's and con's. Lots of con's.

Thin Climate Accord a Small Step in Long Process
"Nations agreed ... to keep temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels..."

As if "preindustrial levels" 1) was a constant value 2) that they can be sure they know 3) that should be a gold standard 4) that we can do anything about. A lot of gobbledygook in this.

Dreading our future
Obama's fans lose the faith: "Instead of provoking thought and inspiring ideas, the man hailed for his Ivy League nuance insists we stop thinking and do what he says. Now."

Friday, December 11, 2009

Health Care Reform Question

Something occurred to me this morning:

Right now rank-and-file liberals seem very inclined to assume doctors are lying and the Democrats in Congress are telling the truth about health care reform.

How often do doctors lie to people? How often do politicians lie?

Why should we think now is any different?

Monday, December 7, 2009

Headlines 12/7/09

Copenhagen climate summit: 1,200 limos, 140 private planes and caviar wedges
Green living for everyone else.

1975: The Ice Age is Coming
In case you'd forgotten (or weren't born yet).

Job Woes Hit Blue States Hardest
Maybe because blue states have the highest taxes.

UK cancer death rate is 38% higher than in US

Common Sense vs. the CBO on ObamaCare
Analysis: how many companies would dump insurance?

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Obama and Afghanistan

Ok. He's sending troops. That's good. I'm glad he's doing it.

I wish he was sending as many as the good general asked for. I wish he didn't feel the need to name an exit date. I wish he hadn't pre-empted Charlie Brown.

But I'm glad he's sending the troops.

And you have to feel for the guy on this. He's caught between the right — both hawkish Dems and the GOP — and the left — who want to pack up and go home. He's going to get beat up from both sides.

So let's be praise his decision to send the troops and support him and them in this conflict.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

UN on Terrorism

People will take different positions on the Swiss minaret ban, and that's fine, but the UN human rights chief demonstrated a serious deficiency while criticizing the new law.

The Swiss government, though no fan of the initiative, says the move is "not against Islam or Muslims, but one aimed at improving integration and fighting extremism."

The UN's Navi Pillay says, "These are extraordinary claims when the symbol of one religion is targeted."

Yes — the one religion that is proving difficult to integrate into European societies and is producing terrorists.

Why do liberals have such a difficult time admitting that there is only one religion — and thankfully only one faction in that religion — that is producing international terrorists? For all they accuse conservatives of being warmongers, if we do not properly identify the enemy, we run the risk of putting other groups in the crosshairs.

Or maybe that's the point.
/* -------------- -----analytics code */