Top Ten Worst Things about the Bush Decade;
Or, the Rise of the New Oligarchs

Juan Cole (Informed Comment):

By spring of 2000, Texas governor George W. Bush was wrapping up the Republican nomination for president, and he went on to dominate the rest of the decade. If Dickens proclaimed of the 1790s revolutionary era in France that it was the best of times and the worst of times, the reactionary Bush era was just the worst of times. I declare it the decade of the American oligarchs.

U.S. War Spending Now Exceeds That Of All States

The U.S. spends more for war annually than all state governments combined spend for the health, education, welfare, and safety of 308 million Americans.

Cenk Uygur: “Are You Concerned Now, Rahm?”

This Independent is damn tired of being rolled. By BOTH sides! This administration’s agenda looks little different from the last one, with one extremely important difference: The last admin wasn’t afraid of a fight. Funny, this administration has plenty of stomach to fight against those who elected them, but none for fighting against those this country overwhelmingly rejected.

What is the one thing that is not wrong with this story? Fighting back! Someone quick, give Jane another two-by-four!

Exactly what are they hiding?

How the Liebergrinch Stole Health Care

(Gregg Levine)
Every Who down in Whoville liked health care a lot…
But the Joe, who lived in northeast Whoville, did NOT!
The Joe hated health care! Reform smells like treason!
Want to know why? Someone must know the reason.
It could be his “head” always broke to the right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all,
Was that Joe thought his purse was two sizes too small.
Whatever the reason, His purse or his shoes,
He kept blocking health reform, hating the Whos,
Appearing on news shows with a sour, jowly frown,
Joe’s admonitions were a thing of renown.
For he knew every Who down in Whoville beneath,
Whether suffering from gout or infected teeth,
Was “just waiting for free care” Joe’d snarl with a sneer,
“And thanks to that Kenyan, it’s practically here!”
Then he whined, with his fat fingers nervously drumming,
“I MUST find some way to stop health care from coming!”
For Tomorrow, he knew, if he let cloture pass,
Joe’d get less attention. He’d be out on his ass!
And then! No more noise! No more Noise!
Noise! Noise! Noise!
When senators debated! The NOISE!
NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!
Then the Whos, young and old, would see doctors and nurses.
Instead of waiting in ERs, or paying for hearses!
They would learn that Joe’s friends from AHIP were beasts.
Which was something that Joe couldn’t stand in the least!
And THEN they’d do something he liked least of all!
Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small,
Would stand all together, every Who that was living.
They’d stand hand-in-hand. And the Whos would stop giving!
They’d stop giving up paychecks to health care inflation,
Which meant Aetna would stop giving Joe a donation!
And the more that Joe thought of this whole lack of bling,
The more that Joe thought, “I must stop this whole thing!”
“Why, near twenty-one years, this has been my cash cow!”
“I MUST stop this health care from coming! But HOW?”
Then he got an idea! An awful idea!
OH JOE GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
“I know just what to do!” Then Joe laughed in his throat.
And he called his friend Harry to talk of his vote.
And he chuckled, and clucked, “Ol’ Hank, here’s the trick!
“I will vote for reform, and won’t look like a prick.
“All I need is a favor…” (Joe thought himself witty)
“Make health rules go through my senate committee!
“Because I’m the chairman of Whoville affairs,
“All the money from any who possibly cares,
“Be it AHIP, or Hospitals, Unions, or PhRMA,
“If they want Joe to help, they must increase Joe’s ‘karma.’”
“I get where you’re going,” said Harry with glee,
“If they want your approval, there will be a fee.”
“Then we speak the same language,” Joe cawed like a crow
“We do,” said the boxer from Flashlight, “you know,
“When the lobbies help you, you will likely help me,
“With six-figure check to the DSCC!”
And what happened then? Well… in Whoville they say,
That Joe’s bank account grew ten sizes that day!
And the minute his purse didn’t feel quite so tight,
He whizzed through DC in the bright morning light,
And he offered his vote as if clearing a storm!
And each Who down in Whoville got fake health reform.

(image by twolf1)

Exactly what Blue Cross Blue Shield is eager to protect!

First, they learned their rates will rise by an average of 11 percent next year.

Next, they opened a slick flier from the insurer urging them to send an enclosed pre-printed, postage-paid note to Sen. Kay Hagan denouncing what the company says is unfair competition that would be imposed by a government-backed insurance plan. The so-called public option is likely to be considered by Congress in the health-care overhaul debate.

“No matter what you call it, if the federal government intervenes in the private health insurance market, it’s a slippery slope to a single-payer system,” the BCBS flier read. “Who wants that?”

Plenty of people, it turns out.

Indignant Blue Cross customers have rebelled against the insurer’s message, complaining that their premium dollars have funded such a campaign.

They’ve hit the Internet in a flurry of e-mails to friends and neighbors throughout the state. They’ve called Hagan’s office to voice support for a public option. They’ve marked through the Blue Cross message on their postcards to instead vouch support, then dropped them in the mail — in at least one case taped to a brick — to be paid on Blue Cross’ dime. Or dimes.

Bring on a strong, robust PUBLIC OPTION!