Buck Naked Politics

Health Care Reform Warrior Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) Debates Betsy McCaughey

October 5, 2009 Healthcare Reform Debate with Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) and Dr. Betsy McCaughey, Health Policy Expert, Patient Advocate and former Lieutenant Governor of New York (1995-1998)

Watch Weiner be unstoppably awesome.

Also!:

Grayson on the Ed Show: Republicans Wish There Was a Nobel Prize for Fear

Progressives Ponder Obama's Nobel Prize Win for Not Being George W. Bush; Others Enjoy Wingnut-Baiting Bonus

by Damozel | Neener neener! Ha ha ha! (as Big Tent Democrat is wont to say, speaking for me only). 

Many progressives are disturbed by the award.  Tas of Comments from Left Field calls it ridiculous.  .

If the “feeling” about Obama is the “game changer”, then why not award the Nobel Peace Prize to the entire American electorate?  After all, we’re the ones whose feelings have changed — as shown by us collectively doing as much as possible to remove Republicans from power in Washington and treat the world better....

This prize should only be awarded to those who, as can be shown empirically, brought more peace to the world.  To throw the prize at Obama — or anybody else — who simply causes the Nobel committee to “feel good” only cheapens the award.

Maria of Crooked Timber wrote the post to which Tas is reacting.

[T]his isn’t about domestic politics, or about what he’s done yet. President Obama has changed how the world feels about America. He’s lifted the planet’s mood. This guy is global Prozac.

Grayson and Ron Paul Send Letter to Senate Banking Committee Asking for Delay in Confirmation of Ben Bernanke Until He Gives Up Info on 2008 Secret Emergency Loans

by Damozel | Here's yer bipartisanship.

Alan Grayson Calls Out Fellow Dems for Obsession with Getting Support of Olympia Snowe (R-ME) for Health Care Plan; Tells GOP, "If you're against health care, just get out of the way"

by Damozel | Can I hear you say, "Amen"?  From Huff Post:

"We as a party have spent the last six months, the greatest minds in our party, dwelling on the question, the unbelievably consuming question of how to get Olympia Snowe to vote on health care reform," he said. "I want to remind us all that Olympia Snowe was not elected President last year. Olympia Snowe has no veto power in the Senate. Olympia Snowe represents a state with one half of one percent of America's population." "What America wants is health care reform," he continued. "America doesn't care if it gets 51 votes in the Senate or 60 votes in the Senate or 83 votes in the Senate. In fact, America doesn't even care about that, it doesn't care about that at all." 

Wonkette:

Stephen Colbert on the Tears and Sincerity of Glenn Beck

by Damozel | Members of the mainstream media are jealous "because he dominates the coveted demographic of 18-49 year old voices in his head."

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Bend It Like Beck
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Michael Moore

Obama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize

by Damozel | Apparently the White House staff were as surprised as anyone.  

"Two key White House aides were both convinced they were being punked when they heard the news, reported ABC News' George Stephanopoulos .

""It's not April 1, is it?" one said.

"Upon being called by ABC News at 5:45 ET this morning, a White House aide said, "This better be good."

"When told by ABC News that the president had won the Nobel Peace Prize, the aide replied: "Oh, that is good.""(Huff Post)

Also:

"Initial White House reaction to Nobel Prize for Obama. Spokesman Robert Gibbs e-mails one word: "wow.""(Huff Post; much more)

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/09/obama-nobel-peace-prize-r_n_314996.html

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The consensus view-- which I share -- is that it's a bit damn previous.  On the other hand, anything that upsets the denizens of Greater Wingnuttia as much as this is going to do is pure bonus, so there's that.   In short:  Mwahahahahahahha!

Healthcare Debate— A New Option for the Public Option

by Bill Kavanagh:  As you no doubt know already, the public option as an essential element of healthcare reform has been under sustained attack.  Not only did the town hall Astroturf commandos decry the public option as part of a “government takeover” of healthcare, but soon afterward, the insider oddsmakers in Washington declared the public option dead-on-arrival, even as a substantial majority of the House of Representatives supported it, along with most Americans polled on the subject.

Keith Olbermann's Eloquent Hour Long Special Comment on Health Care System Failures: A Personal Account

by Damozel |  This 4-part video --aptly summarized here -- is extremely worthwhile and definitely worth making time for, as he discusses his father's experiences.

Part One:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Dole Supports Obama's Health Care Reforms and Smacks McConnell

by Deb Cupples |  Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (a solid Republican long known as the "hatchet man") has come out in favor of health-care reform.  On that topic, Mr. Dole reportedly said:

"'This is one of the most important measures members of Congress will vote on in their lifetimes....  If we don't do it this year I don't know when we're gonna do it.

"We're already hearing from some high-ranking Republicans that we shouldn't do that.  That's helping the president.... [He seems to mean current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.]

"I want this to pass....  I don't agree with everything Obama is presenting, but we've got to do something....

"'I don't want the Republicans putting up a 'no' sign and saying, 'we're not open for business.'"  (Midwest Voices)

Senate Passes (68-30) Franken-Proposed Amendment to Prevent KBR/Halliburton from Protecting Themselves Against Sexual Assault Claims

by Damozel | Via Howie Klein: Al Franken proposed an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill passed by the House.

S. Amend. 2566 simply prohibits "the use of funds for any Federal contract with Halliburton Company, KBR, Inc., any of their subsidiaries or affiliates, or any other contracting party if such contractor or a subcontractor at any tier under such contract requires that employees or independent contractors sign mandatory arbitration clauses regarding certain claims." The "certain claims" have to do with sexual assault....

Franken offered the amendment because a KBR employee, Jamie Leigh Jones, age 19, was raped by a bunch of KBR workers in Iraq and then locked up in a crate when she tried reporting them. After she was rescued and returned to America she was informed that she couldn't take KBR to court because there was some fine print in her -- and everyone else's -- contracts that don't permit any such thing. [See the video below.]

Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama...of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was the key spokesperson for the GOP against the legislation which he called unfair to Halliburton, one of the biggest Republican Party contributors in history. (More at HuffPost)

Good going for Franken.  It needed to be done, and he did it.

Jon Stewart: GOP Opposes Even the Dems' Limp Cap-and-Trade Bill

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Carbon Copout
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

Rachel Maddow: Republicans Pretend to be Shocked by Grayson's Remarks on GOP "Health Care;" Grayson: "They've Got Nothing"

Grayson and Maddow discusses the character of his comments; Maddow shows some footage of equally shocking Republicans. In other news, Maddow appears to be one of many who don't know that "holocaust" has a meaning predating World War II.  For the nation's indifference to the thousands who have died because they couldn't afford a doctor, I'd call it le mot juste.

hol·o·caust  (hl-kôst, hl-)

n.

1. Great destruction resulting in the extensive loss of life...  (the Free Dictionary)

...an act of mass destruction and loss of life (wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn)

The annihilation or near-annihilation of a group of animals or people, whether by natural or deliberate agency (e.g., “nuclear holocaust”) (wiktionary)

Obama: No Plans to Lower Troop Levels in Afghanistan

by bartleby the scrivener (photograph: US government work by Pete Souza from official Whitehouse photostream)| Obama told federal lawmakers he has no plans to reduce troop levels in Afghanistan, though he has not yet decided on the major troop buildup recommended by Gen. McChrystal, who has requested 40,000 more. (NYT)

"While some Democrats said they would support whatever he decided, others challenged him about sending more troops. And Republicans pressed him to order the escalation without delay, leading to a pointed exchange between the president and Senator John McCain of Arizona, his Republican opponent from last year’s election.

"Mr. McCain told the president that “time is not on our side.” He added, “This should not be a leisurely process,” according to several people in the room.

Justice Department Cracks Down on Medicare Fraud (Again)

by Deb Cupples |  As I've been saying since I started blogging nearly three years ago, waste, fraud and abuse on the part of private contractors have contributed heavily to our nation's outrageous health care costs.  [Examples are linked at the end of this post.]

Medicare is known for being a target of contractors' waste, fraud, and abuse -- and contractors often got away with it during the Bush Administration, due to Mr. Bush's tendency to turn a blind eye to the bad conduct of private companies.

How rampant is Medicare fraud?  The Justice Department states that -- in 2008, alone -- Medicare Fraud Strike Forces "secured 588 criminal convictions; obtained 337 civil administrative actions against individuals and organizations who were committing Medicare fraud, and recovered more than a $1 billion in health care fraud monies under the False Claims Act."  

Yesterday, the Justice Department announced that it is at least planning to focus on preventing Medicare fraud (kudos to the Justice Department):

Apple Leaves U.S. Chamber over Climate Issues

A New York Times blog reports:

"Apple has become the latest company to resign from the United States Chamber of Commerce over climate policy.

“'We strongly object to the chamber’s recent comments opposing the E.P.A.’s effort to limit greenhouse gases,' wrote Catherine A. Novelli, the vice president of worldwide government affairs at Apple, in a letter dated today and addressed to Thomas J. Donohue, president and chief executive of the chamber. Click here to read the letter.

“'Apple supports regulating greenhouse gas emissions, and it is frustrating to find the chamber at odds with us in this effort,' Ms. Novelli continued."

Well done, Apple.  See the rest of the story here.

New FTC Advertising Guidelines Target Bloggers, Celebrities, and More

by Deb Cupples |   Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced updates to its "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising," which address endorsements by consumers, experts, organizations, and celebrities -- and disclosure of relevant connections between advertisers and endorsers (e.g., payments compensation, and maybe conflicts of interest).  Reportedly, the Guides have not been updated since 1980. 

The FTC's press release states:

Florida Sunshine in the Healthcare Debate

by Bill Kavanagh:  Two of my colleagues here at Buck Naked Politics are based in Florida, the home of the dimpled chad.  For a decade, we’ve all been cringing when we hear they have an election down there.  Will they elect another member of the Bush family, or someone like Kathleen Harris, unable to discern the difference between serving the Bushes and performing her responsibility to voters?  Perhaps they’d send us another a moral-majority type like Mark Foley, leading one (creepy) life for himself and espousing another very conservative set of rules for the rest of us?  Who would Floridians send to Washington next?

Two Florida Utility Regulators to be Replaced

by Deb Cupples |   Two Public Service Commission (PSC) members will not be returning to the PSC come January 2010.  A St. Pete Times blog reports:

"In a move designed to reshape the embattled Public Service Commission, Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday named a former newspaper editorial board member and a former finance director for the Escambia County sheriff to the utility regulators' panel, ousting two incumbents.

"Crist appointed David Klement, formerly of the Bradenton Herald, and Benjamin "Steve" Stevens, former chief financial officer for the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, to serve on the five-member panel. He rejected two commissioners originally appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush who were seeking new, four-year terms: Chairman Matthew Carter and Katrina McMurrian."

Kudos to Governor Crist!  Two of the five commissioners were appointed by Crist and stood out for being consumer-friendly: Nancy Argenziano and Nathan Skop.  The other three were originally appointed by notoriously-industry-friendly Jeb Bush.  In a move that baffled consumer activists, Gov. Crist did reappoint one of the Jeb Bush holdovers: Lisa Edgar.

No matter:  combining Crist's two new picks with Argenizano and Skop may result in a solid majority of consumer-friendly commissioners on the PSC.

Note that Progress Energy and Florida Power and Light (FPL) each have asked the PSC to allow those companies to raise their rates by about 30%.  Governor Crist wants the PSC to deny the rate-hike requests, given the poor economy that Florida consumers face.