PrintJanuary 8, 2010
Baehr Essentials (updated)
On at least 8 separate occasions, the President promised to allow C-SPAN to cover all the deliberations in Congress in the health care debate. Of course that was back then, as a candidate. Now the President and his congressional allies prefer secrecy to put the final touches on a very unpopular bill. The President and Robert Gibbs lied. And the process is not very transparent or democratic (small d)
Recall that the President promised a post -racial Presidency. Another whopper.
The President was a big fan of the Mayo Clinic for its low cost high quality delivery of health care services. But now at one of its clinics in Arizona, the facility will no longer accept Medicare assignment. The reason is that the rates paid by Medicare are too low. Do you think after $500 billion is cut from Medicare in coming years in order to provide subsidized health care for people and families making up to $90,000 a year, that payment rates will go higher? The problem with Medicare is over-utilization, not high prices. The new reform bill utterly fails to address that problem. See Jeff Jacoby
There are lots of fancy degrees floating around the corridors of power in DC at the moment (though no transcripts in a few cases), but not much in the way of brains, when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Jennifr Rubin wonders why George Mitchell and the President think that a deal on borders can be achieved in 9 months, with a final resolution of all issues in 2 years. Have they considered Hamas in their timeline? Have they considered the way the PA has been honoring every Tom, Marwan and Jamaal terrorist murderer the last few weeks?
Daniel Pipes provides a real life example of why Israeli security measures at airports are far better than those we now use -- and will soon use.
Rahm Emanuel is annoyed with Israel. I recall the emails that were circulating a year ago suggesting that with all the Jews in the new Administration, it wasn't a Cabinet, but a minyan. Isn't that clever? The power of Rahm Emanuel was all the evidence needed that Israel was in good hands with the new All (power to the ) State team. Being Jewish does not make one pro-Israel (think J-Street, George Soros, Norman Finkelstein, Jan Schakowsky).
Emanuel has had a major role in the crafting of US policy towards Israel. That policy has done wonders to antagonize Israelis, and make Palestinians more recalcitrant, a wonderful twofer. And while Obama dithered with his diplomatic offensive with Iran, the mullahs toyed with him, stole an election, shot and arrested their protestors, and moved a year closer to a nuclear bomb, humiliating the US in the process.
If Rahm wants to run for Mayor of Chicago, I encourage him to do so. He can do less damage to America and Israel as Mayor. Israel supporters in this country need to stop counting Jewish names, assuming they are all good on Israel and look to where they will actually find real support for a strong US Israel relationship.
See also Evelyn Gordon and Shmuel Rosner
If you liked Billy Dee William's "ad" for the Tiger Woods Mistress Commemorative Plate series, you will probably like this satire too.
Update:
The recall petition for Mary Landrieu in Louisiana is sensational news. Think of what happened with Arnold in California. Lots of folks on our side are most comfortable voting NO, and that is what recall votes are. Louisiana is very conservative, as much so as California is liberal. Landrieu won by 6% in 2008, but is now very unpopular after health care sell-out. Apparently not just for the 300 million for La. hospitals, but also for White House support for another Landrieu running for Mayor of New Orleans.
This is a very good strategy to use on Dems not up 'til 2012 or 2014. Maybe there will ve a recall launched in Nebraska, since Nelson not up until 2012.
