NO QUARTER » Sara in Italy

gawd - obama truly makes everything about him!

American Girl in Italy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:10:15 +0000

“Few would have seen on that day that… that their American ally would be led by a man of African descent.”

That comment was SO out of place, and SO unnecessary.

Yet, SO typical.

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More On Fort Hood, Sgt. Munley, And Others

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:37 +0000

We are learning more and more as the days pass since the horrific terrorist attack on Fort Hood this past week- yes, I said it - that’s what it is. What else do you call it when someone plots, plans, and carries out an attack on our soil but terrorism? Was not the Oklahoma City bombing terrorism? Regardless of any connections it now appears Hasan had in his Virginia mosque, or not, to try and spin this assault as anything else other than a terrorist attack is simply disingenuous. It makes one wonder just who it serves when people try to frame this as “Contact PTSD,” though PTSD is a very real consequence of war, or other traumatic experiences. But “Contact PTSD”? Enough of the excuses. From all that I have seen on this recently (link above), there were a number of red flags, a number of people making complaints about Hasan, concern over his anti-American rhetoric, and yet, for whatever (misguided) reasons, he was allowed to continue his practice.

And that brings us to this article, Heroes Took Huge Risks To Save Others. Not only are we learning more about Hasan as time passes by, but we are learning more about the actions of that tragic day on Fort Hood, and others who acted selflessly. No doubt, the big hero is Sgt. Munley, and I will get to her in just a minute Here is another hero:

Pfc. Marquest Smith, on his way to Afghanistan in January, was completing routine paperwork about a bee-sting allergy when the sounds erupted.

A loud popping noise. Moans. The sudden, urgent shout of “Gun!”

Smith poked his head over the cubicle’s partition and saw an extraordinary sight: An Army officer with two guns, firing into the crowded room.

The 21-year-old Fort Worth native quickly grabbed the civilian worker who’d been helping with his paperwork and forced her under the desk. He lay low for several minutes, waiting for the shooter to run out of ammunition and wishing he, too, had a gun.

After the shooter stopped to reload, Smith made a run for it. Pushing two other soldiers in front of him, he made it out of the Soldier Readiness Processing center — only to plunge into the building twice more to help the wounded.

Smith had survived the worst mass shooting on an American military base, a rampage that left 13 dead and 30 wounded, including the alleged shooter, Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan.

It could have been much worse, but for the heroics of Smith and others — including the diminutive civilian police officer who single-handedly took down Hasan.

Of course, that would be Sgt. Munley. More on her below as the picture of what happened on Fort Hood gets filled in. A big piece of that is we are getting some information on where the shooting began:

Decisive Action

At the processing center on the southern edge of the 100,000-acre base, soldiers returning from overseas mingled with colleagues filling out forms and undergoing medical tests in preparation for deployment.

Around 1:30 p.m., witnesses say a man authorities later identified as Hasan jumped up on a desk and shouted the words “Allahu Akbar!” — Arabic for “God is great!” He was armed with two pistols, one a semiautomatic capable of firing up to 20 rounds without reloading.

Packed into cubicles with 5-foot-high dividers, the 300 unarmed soldiers were sitting ducks (emphasis mine). Those who weren’t hit by direct fire were struck by rounds ricocheting off the desks and tile floor.

Let’s just reflect on that for a minute. Hasan chose an area in which the soldiers were close together. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. That’s pretty much what he did after he jumped up onto the desk and started firing. Just picture the logistics of that - man on desk firing on unarmed soldiers (only the MPs and contracted civilian police officers carry guns), 5 foot dividers, 300 soldiers. The potential for mass casualties was set in motion:

When he decided the shooter wasn’t close to being out of ammo, Smith made a dash for the door. He’d made it outside when he heard cries from within.

“I don’t want to die.”

“This really hurts.”

“Help me get out of here.”

Smith rushed back inside and found two wounded. He grabbed them by their collars and dragged them outside.

Around this time, Fort Hood Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley got the call of “shots fired.” The SRP isn’t on Munley’s beat; she was in the area because her vehicle was in the shop.

Munley, 34, was on the scene within three minutes.

Just over 5 feet tall, Munley is an advanced firearms instructor and civilian member of Fort Hood’s special reaction team. She had trained on “active shooter” scenarios after the April 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech. She didn’t wait for backup.

As she approached the squat, rectangular building, a soldier emerged from a door with a gunman in pursuit. The officer fired, and the uniformed shooter wheeled and charged.

Munley was hit at least three times in the exchange — twice through the left leg and once in her right wrist. Hasan was hit four times.

From the first shots to the last, authorities say the whole incident lasted less than 10 minutes.

Sgt. Munley’s fast response time, not waiting for backup (I wonder if she’ll get lectured about that?), and her willingness to put herself in harm’s way saved who-knows-how-many lives. Clearly, her training kicked in, and she did what she was trained to do. This article, Hero ‘Civilian Cops’ Emerge After Fort Hood Shooting: Sgt. Kimberly Munley Lost So Much Blood Doctors Feared She Wouldn’t Survive, goes into even more detail as to what Sgt. Munley did that day (H/T to American Girl in Italy for this article), as well as another police officer, Sgt, Mark Todd:

After Sgt. Kimberly Munley helped stop the Fort Hood massacre by shooting Major Nidal Malik Hasan several times, she collapsed from her wounds and doctors who treated her were afraid she wouldn’t survive.

“She was fading in and out of consciousness. She wasn’t saying much,” medic Francisco de la Serna, who began treating Munley when the shooting stopped, told ABC News.

Munley, a 34-year-old former soldier who became a civilian cop on the Fort Hood base, was shot twice in both legs during Thursday’s confrontation. Two powerful “cop killer” rounds allegedly fired by Hasan tore through her left thigh, exited and blasted through her right thigh as well. She was also struck in the wrist.

Sgt. Mark Todd, 42, a retired soldier who also works as a civilian police officer at Ford Hood, also engaged in a firefight with Hasan that lasted less than a minute, according to The Associated Press. Todd was not wounded.

Army officials say that an investigation is under way about whose bullets brought down Hasan as there was much confusion following the shooting. Munley’s supervisor initially credited her with the shot that stopped Hasan.

Todd told The Associated Press Saturday that he was unsure if Munley had wounded the suspect, because “once he started firing at me, I lost track of her.”

After firing his Beretta at Hasan, Todd said the suspect flinched, slid down against a telephone pole and fell on his back. Todd recalls hearing people say, “two more, two more.” He first thought they were referring to more shooters, but he realized that the bystanders were urging him to fire two more rounds, Todd said.

Todd said he approached the suspect and saw that he still had a gun in his hand, which he kicked away. Todd told the AP, “He was breathing, his eyes were blinking. You could tell that he was fading out. He didn’t say anything. He was just kind of blinking.”

Munley, the mother of two girls, was sped to Metroplex Hospital several miles away where doctors say she lost so much blood that they feared she would not make it.

I suppose we will have to wait to find out exactly whose bullet brought down Hasan - Munley’s or Todd’s, but there is no dispute that had she not started firing on Hasan, he would have inflicted more damage on the soldiers.

Her wounds were clearly severe, especially after being hit by “cop killer” bullets:

Munley proved to be as tough in the operating room as she was while confronting Hasan in their close-range shootout.

Dr. Kelly Matlock, who treated Munley at the Metroplex Hospital, said her first words in recovery were concern about Hasan’s victims.

“She opened her eyes and said, ‘Did anybody die?’ That’s what she said, ‘Did anybody die?’” Matlock said.

That pretty much tells you all you need to know about the make up and constitution of this woman. Her first thought, her first question, wasn’t about herself, but others. I am in awe.

Sgt. Munley got her question answered:

Munley now knows that the man she shot is alive, and that he is accused of killing 13 unarmed people and wounding 38.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry visited Munley in the hospital today and later described her as “understated.”

“She is a classic public servant who is not interested in anything other than getting on with her life,” Perry said.

Chuck Medley, the director of emergency services at Fort Hood, said many more would have died if Munley had not leaped into action.

“If she had not responded the way she had, we would have had an extremely high number of dead and injured,” Medley told ABC News Friday. “The number of lives that this person saved … We will probably never know. But there is a lot of ammunition left, a lot of magazines,” he said referring to what Hasan was allegedly carrying.

Uh, yeah. That, along with Hasan giving away his worldly goods, screams premeditation to me. No doubt about it.

While much of this has been covered already, the way in which this is written really paints a picture:

Sgt. Kimberly Munley’s Shootout With Major Nidal Malik Hasan

Medley described a scenario worthy of a Hollywood script. He said Munley, who is a member of the base’s SWAT team and a weapons expert, ran towards the gunfire and came upon Hasan when she rounded a corner and saw him pursuing a soldier who had already been wounded once.

“She fired on him twice and drew the attention toward her. He immediately spun around and charged her,” Medley said. “She fired a couple more rounds and fell back, continuing to fire.”

Despite getting struck three times by Hasan’s fusillade, Munley stayed upright and kept firing at the charging gunman.

Let’s stop right there. What kind of person is capable of doing this? What kind of person puts herself in the line of fire to save someone else? What kind of intestinal fortitude must this woman have to STAY UPRIGHT after being seriously hit, firing at the gunman?

I have a close friend who was a police officer at one time before he became a minister. I asked him that question - what makes some people run into danger, be it firefighters, police officers, military personnel, when everyone else is running away as fast as they can? What kind of courage and bravery must someone have to do something like Sgt. Munley? It is hard to fathom. Sure, many of us would like to THINK we would, but honestly - WHO would rush into this situation, size it up, and intentionally put herself in the line of fire to protect others? It is simply remarkable. This breed of human being is rare indeed.

At least according to this report, if it even matters at this point, it was Munley who brought Hasan down (as mentioned above, ballistics will have the final say):

“She struck him a couple times in the upper torso and he went down,” Medley said.

“When she rounded that corner she made a split-second decision to put her life at risk,” he said.

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone said Munley’s aggressive tactics averted even more carnage.

“She had been trained in active response,” Cone said. “They had rehearsed scenarios like this. Oftentimes, the idea is you would encircle the building and wait until you have more backup. What the belief is, if you act aggressively, to take the shooter out, you’ll have less fatalities.”

Munley acted aggressively, not waiting for backup. She went after the gunman and quickly found him. As Cone put it, Munley decided “to seek him out, to confront hm.”

Medley said he visited with Munley early Friday. “She’s doing very well. She was in good spirits. She was smiling and laughing,” he said.

Her boss said he told Munley, “The action you took saved countless peoples’ lives. People are healthy, alive and walking around today because of the action that this officer took. She’s a hero.”

Munley’s grandmother, Monirie Metz, told ABC News that the former South Carolina surfer girl would probably object to being called a hero.

“Kim doesn’t want be called a hero. She’s worried about everyone else right now and is very concerned about her colleagues with whom she is very close,” Metz said.

Of course Sgt. Munley would object to being called a hero. After what we have learned about her, who would be surprised by that? Not me. That speaks even more about her remarkable character. Can anyone not be impressed by this woman? I imagine her family is extraordinarily proud of her, as they should be.

Speaking of family:

Her husband, Matthew Munley, is a soldier at Fort Bragg, N.C., and was flown to Fort Hood. She also has two daughters, ages 15 and 2, from a previous marriage.

Needless to say, Sgt. Munley’s daring feats are already garnering tributes:

Facebook Tributes to Fort Hood Hero

In the hours after the shootings, two Facebook groups sprung up dedicated to Munley and her heroic actions.

“At that tragic moment you were able to use your training and abilities to bring an end to a day that will haunt the lives of many for years to come,” one member posted in the group “God Bless SGT Kimberly Munley.” “Thank you for being a true hero.”

And in the group “Sgt. Kimberly Munley: A Real American Hero!,” one woman stationed in Japan with her military husband said that Munley had inspired her to learn how to shoot once she returned to the U.S.

A true hero indeed - I know she’s mine.

Allow Me To Introduce You To…

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:00:25 +0000

Dr. Sima Samar. Now, some of you may know who she is already. For those who do not, or for those who are want to learn more, this is for you. (H/t to my aunt for sending me a mini biography on her, and to American Girl in Italy for mentioning her recently, too.) And now to the woman featured today:

In 2002, Dr. Samar was named the Deputy Premier in Afghanistan, in charge of issues affecting women. This was a position well deserved as you see:

Although women often served as ministers in cabinets before the Taleban came to power, Dr Samar will be the first woman to occupy such a senior post.

“I was not expecting this position so I’ve really not prioritised what I’m going to do,” she said..

Clinics set up

Dr Samar fled Afghanistan for Pakistan 17 years ago after her husband was arrested during the Russian occupation. He was never heard from again.

She gained a medical degree from Kabul University and developed a passion for women’s rights.

She practised medicine in a border refugee camp before opening a hospital for women in 1987.

With initial funding from Church World Service, she began setting up clinics and girls’ schools inside Afghanistan, travelling frequently between the two countries.

When the Russians withdrew in 1992, Afghanistan lost its strategic value to the United States.

The US Central Intelligence Agency shut the tap on the $3.3bn it had poured into the rebels’ coffers since 1979.

Dangerous role

In all, Dr Samar opened 10 Afghan clinics and four hospitals for women and children, as well as schools in rural Afghanistan for more than 17,000 students.

In Pakistan, she founded a hospital and school for refugee girls.

Literacy programmes established by her organisation were accompanied by distribution of food aid and information on hygiene and family planning.

These were dangerous pursuits under the Taleban regime. But the risks did not deter the doctor.

“I’ve always been in danger, but I don’t mind,” she said. “I believe we will die one day so I said let’s take the risk and help somebody else.”

What an amazing, brave, courageous woman she is. I’m not the only one who thinks so, of course. In 2004, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation was the Profile In Courage Recipient for her work in Afghanistan on behalf of women and girls:

In 2002, Sima Samar became the first women’s affairs minister in Afghanistan’s post-Taliban interim government. Prior to her appointment, Samar had dedicated her life to the preservation of basic rights for women and girls in Afghanistan. She fled her country in 1984 during the Soviet ocupation and moved to the border town of Quetta, Pakistan, where she founded the Shuhada Organization to support the education and health needs of Afghan women and girls. With dogged persistence and at great personal risk, she kept her schools and clinics open in Afghanistan even during the most repressive days of the Taliban regime, whose laws prohibited the education of girls past the age of eight. When the Taliban fell, Samar returned to Kabul and accepted the post of Minister for Women’s Affairs, even as she continued to run her clinics and schools. But her persistent calls for equality and justice attracted the attention of Afghanistan’s powerful religious leaders, who still saw no place for women in Afghan public life. She was taunted by male colleagues, and she began to receive thinly veiled death threats from Islamic conservatives hoping to silence her. She was ultimately forced to step down from her cabinet post, which was left unfilled. She subsequently was offered a non-cabinet position chairing the Independent Afghanistan Human Rights Commission, a position she still holds.

Oh, but the accolades don’t stop there. In 2006, Forbes ranked her as the 28th Most Powerful Woman in the World for her work as the Chair of the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission, especially on behalf of women and girls:

Samar has one of the toughest jobs in the world—monitoring rights abuses in an often-unfriendly land. She has long pursued these aims, sometimes undercover during the iron grip of the Taliban’s rule. After the fundamentalists fell, Samar was named to high government posts and established the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. She is also the founder and director of the Shuhada Organization, which oversees health, education and economic projects for women and girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan. At a speech at Brown University in May, Samar cautioned: “Women’s rights and human rights will not be real unless there is enough security and law enforcement in the country.” (—Tatiana Serafin)

I don’t know about you, but she’s sounding a whole lot like Hillary Rodham Clinton to me. Add to that being named one of Ms. Magazine’s Women of the Year in 2003 (you know, before Ms. Magazine declared someone like Obama a “feminist” and was still a pro-women resource), and these are just a very few of the numerous awards and prizes Dr. Samar has received for her work.

But there is one award she did not receive, despite supposition that she would. And you know what that award was the Nobel Peace Prize:

Commission spokesman Nader Nadiri told RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan that Samar is among the top contenders, but the winner won’t be announced until October 9.

Samar, 52, is a doctor and ran a clinic for fellow Afghan refugees in neighboring Pakistan during the 1980s and 1990s before becoming a cabinet minister in President Hamid Karzai’s interim cabinet in December 2001.

Samar has headed the Afghan rights commission since it was founded seven years ago. In 2005 she was appointed the United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in Sudan.

After all Dr. Samar has done in her life, after all the women, girls, and refugees she has helped through her work, after her continued fight for human rights, after the dangers she has faced, and faces still, she lost to someone who has done little more than make speeches. Who failed to make any hard decisions while in the IL Senate. Who did blessed little in the US Senate but campaign for a higher office. And who has done more talking than action in his new position. Yes, rather than take a stand, he has renewed policies we decried when they were instituted by President Bush; made promises he doesn’t keep; continues to put our troops in harm’s way for lack of decisions on recommendations made by the “generals on the ground,” and spent more time getting his face on tv (kicking off Mon. Night Football??), having parties, and going on vacation. Yeah, I can see how all of that has led to World Peace.

I used to have a lot of respect for the Nobel Peace Prize. But now? Not so much…

nobel “speech” prize

American Girl in Italy — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:00:09 +0000

A lot of people on the Left are mad at the Right for their criticisms of the Nobel Peace Prize committee awarding the Peace Prize to Obama, even accusing them as “siding with the terrorists“.

The only thing is the criticism is not only coming from the Right. There appears to be an universal sense of “huh?”

Here’s a round up of just some of what was said Friday, after the announcement.

From Newsbuster: NYT’s Brooks: Obama Nobel Prize Award a ‘Joke’ and ‘Travesty’; WaPo’s Marcus: Not ‘Necessarily Good News’

Morning Joe with Kathleen Parker:

Morning Joe with Mark Halperin

A Round-up for Nobel Peace Prize jokes from George Stephanopoulos’ Blog:

Barack Obama’s Teleprompter: Big Guy says Bill Clinton called and was gracious in defeat; offered to fly Kanye West over 4 the Nobel awards ceremony.

Erick Erickson: Obama is becoming Jimmy Carter faster than Jimmy Carter became Jimmy Carter.

Ana Marie Cox: Apparently Nobel prizes now being awarded to anyone who is not George Bush.

Headline over AP analysis by White House correspondent Jennifer Loven: He Won, But For What?

Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review: I want to buy the world a coke.

Ezra Klein: Obama also awarded Nobel prize in chemistry. “He’s just got great chemistry,” says Nobel Committee.

Adam Bromberg, CRC: Nobel Prize Committee must be staffed by out of work comedy writers.

Kristina Hernandez, CRC: It was the Beer Summit that put Obama over the edge.

People on the Street:

“President Obama has broken new ground here. Nominations for potential winners of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize ended on February 1. The president took office only 12 days earlier on January 20.”

Let’s take a look at the president’s first 12 days in the White House according to his public schedule to see what he did to deserve a Nobel Peace Prize:

January 20: Sworn in as president. Went to a parade. Partied.
January 21: Asked bureaucrats to re-write guidelines for information requests. Held an “open house” party at the White House.
January 22: Signed Executive Orders: Executive Branch workers to take ethics pledge; re-affirmed Army Field Manual techniques for interrogations; expressed desire to close Gitmo (how’s that working out?)
January 23: Ordered the release of federal funding to pay for abortions in foreign countries. Lunch with Joe Biden; met with Tim Geithner.
January 24: Budget meeting with economic team.
January 25: Skipped church.
January 26: Gave speech about jobs and energy. Met with Hillary Clinton. Attended Geithner’s swearing in ceremony.
January 27: Met with Republicans. Spoke at a clock tower in Ohio.
January 28: Economic meetings in the morning, met with Defense secretary in the afternoon.
January 29: Signed Ledbetter Bill overturning Supreme Court decision on lawsuits over wages. Party in the State Room. Met with Biden.
January 30: Met economic advisers. Gave speech on Middle Class Working Families Task Force. Met with senior enlisted military officials.
January 31: Took the day off.
February 1: Skipped church. Threw a Super Bowl party.
So there you have it. The short path to the Nobel Peace Prize: Party, go to meetings, skip church, release federal funding to pay for abortions in foreign countries, party some more.
Good grief.

Hardball:

From the Washington Post:

This is ridiculous — embarrassing, even. I admire President Obama. I like President Obama. I voted for President Obama. But the peace prize? This is supposed to be for doing, not being — and it’s no disrespect to the president to suggest he hasn’t done much yet. Certainly not enough to justify the peace prize.

“Extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples?” “[C]aptured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future?” Please. This turns the award into something like pee-wee soccer: everybody wins for trying.

Bill O’Reilly with Chris Wallace:

Today Show with Matt Lauer and David Gregory:

Here is a great roundup by Mediaite of some of the tweets:

Nick Kristof: My blog on Obama’s Nobel: it’s premature, esp when so many are risking lives doing fab work. http://tinyurl.com/ylbrkw

The Note (Rick Klein): wondering if confused react to Obama Peace prize has to do w/ sense that Nobel folks seem to be describing Jan. 20 Obama, not Oct. 9 Obama

David Folkenflik: Noting sniping about Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize, Fox News’ Wendel Goler says that puts RNC Chair Steele in roughly same camp as Taliban

Balk: Has it occurred to anyone that maybe Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize for all his work on the intractable Gates-Crowley conflict?

Howard Kurtz: Never thought I’d see Nobel Prize portrayed as a negative. But hard to fathom since O took office 2 wks before nomination deadline

Felix Salmon: RT @smalera: Does Nobel prize clerk requires photo ID and birth certificate when picking up? I smell a trap.

Marc Lamont Hill – Am I the only one who thinks that awarding Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize is ABSURD?!?!?!

@pourmecoffee: Nobel committee picks Obama for its fantasy peace team.

Mike Madden: RT @tfish77: obama? what was it, his passionate defense of bush torture policies, or his passionate refusal to investigate bush war crimes?

Mark Knoller: Should Pres. Obama accept the Nobel Prize? Should he suggest the award is premature and there might be others more deserving?

Jake Tapper: apparently the standards are more exacting for an ASU honorary degree these days

Rachel Sklar: ironic Obama gets Nobel Peace Prize on day the U.S. declares pre-emptive, unprovoked war on the moon

Rachel Sklar: BONK BONK BONK BONK BONK (That’s the sound I imagine Hillary Clinton’s head made banging against the wall this morning.)

Steve Krakauer: RT @mediaite …Nobel Peace Prize Problem: http://bit.ly/3yDlLz Spin this: #Obama was 11 days into presidency when noms closed

Ana Marie Cox: RT @lehmannchris: Biden now convinced he has a shot at the Chemistry prize. // Actually convinced he HAS the Chemistry prize.

Glynnis MacNicol: Obama Nobel Prize translation: Congratulations America on not electing another GWB.

Marc Ambinder: RT @Goldberg3000: It might be smart for Obama to turn this prize down, at least until he achieves peace somewhere. Or trade for Olympics

Marc Ambinder: Reaction from everyone seems to be: Huh? RT @alansmurray: Can someone explain? I thought award was for accomplishments, not intentions.

The Note (Rick Klein): wouldn’t you love to hear Bill Clinton’s reaction – his true reaction – to the Obama Nobel Peace Prize news?

Mark Knoller: Even WH trying to figure out how to spin the awarding of the Prize to Pres. Obama for the promise of his policies rather than achievements.

The Stalwart (Joe Weisenthal): I’m totally flabbergasted.

Mark Knoller: Do we now mark Norway as a “blue state” for awarding Nobel Prize to Pres. Obama?

Mark Knoller: The Nobel Committee risks being discredited for a political decision honoring aspirations for peace rather than a concrete accomplishment.
about 3 hours ago from web

The Note (Rick Klein): Nobel Peace prize goes to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations ….” shall have done

Mark Knoller: Initial White House reaction to Nobel Prize for Obama. Spokesman Robert Gibbs e-mails one word: “wow.”

Mark Knoller: The Nobel Committee based its decision on Obama speeches and policy statements, rather than any concrete accomplishments.

Mark Knoller: The prize is sure to be seen as a political statement by the Nobel Committee and an implied swipe at the eight years of George W. Bush.

The Note (Rick Klein): President Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize – sorry, but did anyone else see this coming? even a hint of a possibility?

There are more, I pulled most of my favorites. You can see the rest here.

From abcnews.com:

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.

From HotAir.com:

Even media Obamaphiles can’t believe it. Check out the Financial Times — “It is hard to point to a single place where Obama’s efforts have actually brought about peace” — or the Times of London, declaring that the committee’s made a mockery of the award.

NBC News correspondents and producers around the world share some of the local reactions they heard to news that President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Afghans ‘Confused’ by Obama’s Win
Palestinians and Israelis: Prize ‘for what?’
Chinese netizens ask: ‘Is today April Fool’s Day?’
Cuban professor: ‘What peace does this award represent?’
Kenyans ask ‘why?’
Egyptians: ‘A bit soon’ but still deserved
British press critical
Japanese laud nuclear disarmament

Is President Obama deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize? Total of 409,053 votes with 61.4% voting No.

Comments from NQers:

“It is unfortunate that the President’s star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights.” ~sjc-tx

“’Rather than recognizing concrete achievement, the 2009 prize appeared intended to support initiatives that have yet to bear fruit.’

“So he essentially won the Nobel “Speech” Prize, based on what he’s said and not on what he’s done?” ~ Sammie

From Lou Dobbs Radio promo today, posted by NYC Girl:

“What do you get for the man who has everything? A Nobel Peace Prize! Our Supreme Leader Barack Obama shockingly won the 2009 award for peace, having been nominated for the prize no more than 11 days after his inauguration. What else will Obama win in the coming months? The World Series? A Grammy? The Heisman Trophy? The next round of Survivor? Tune in today for a full analysis of the stunning decision.”

Snipits of Obama’s speech after winning Nobel Prize:

“I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who’ve been honored by this prize — men and women who’ve inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century.

And that’s why this award must be shared with everyone who strives for justice and dignity — for the young woman who marches silently in the streets on behalf of her right to be heard even in the face of beatings and bullets; for the leader imprisoned in her own home because she refuses to abandon her commitment to democracy; for the soldier who sacrificed through tour after tour of duty on behalf of someone half a world away; and for all those men and women across the world who sacrifice their safety and their freedom and sometimes their lives for the cause of peace.

That has always been the cause of America. That’s why the world has always looked to America. And that’s why I believe America will continue to lead.” ~ President Barack Obama

State Dept. on Nobel: ‘Better to be thrown accolades than shoes’

“Certainly from our standpoint, this gives us a sense of momentum — when the United States has accolades tossed its way, rather than shoes.

“There is an opportunity here,” Crowley said. “The tone has changed — but obviously we recognize that, while the tone in the world has changed, the challenges remain. They are very significant.”

This “call to action,” Crowley said, will fall primarily on the shoulders of Secretary Clinton and the State Department, who will look “to advance the president’s agenda and confront the challenges of the 21st century.”"

Figures…a woman does all the hard work, and the man gets the accolades. ;O)

Well, if anything, it’s nice to hear Obama speak positively about America, for once. And it appears that many on the Left and the Right have found something on which they can agree.

obama: we are held hostage by insurance companies that deny coverage

American Girl in Italy — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:45:20 +0000

“We are held hostage at any given moment by health insurance companies that deny coverage or drop coverage or charge fees that people can’t afford,” Obama said in August.

And on whitehouse.gov, the Administration promises more stability and security with health care reform, and points out that 20,000 people were denied treatment, to save money:

A recent Congressional investigation found that over five years, three large insurance companies cancelled coverage for 20,000 people, saving them from paying $300 million in medical claims - $300 million that became either an obligation for the patient’s family or bad debt for doctors and hospitals.

We’ve seen the ads:

We’ve heard a lot of talk about claims being denied by private insurers. But does Obama ever mention that the worst offender is Medicare?

From BigGovernment.com:

What appears to be the official blog of President Obama’s administration is all aflutter because the President will welcome, “doctors from across the United States to the White House to share their unique perspective on the struggles that American families face every day when it comes to health care.” (They posted today’s agenda in the name of transparency!)

The post even links to a National Public Radio (NPR) story in which a survey of medical professionals indicates they are among the biggest supporters of the so-called “public option.” A co-sponsor of the study, Dr. Alex Federman, indicates that, “physicians favored Medicare when it came to delivering care to patients. They thought Medicare was better when it came to autonomy and their decision making and their ability to get patients the care that they thought the patients needed.”

Furthermore, the American Medical Association (AMA) has endorsed the public option after an appeal from the President and despite, according to ABC News, the fact that “some member physicians at the group’s annual meeting [in June] likened the notion to communism.”

Beverly Gossage, Research Fellow for Show-Me Institute and founder of HSA Benefits Consulting wondered which insurance companies rejected the most claims. She found her answer in the AMA’s own 2008 National Health Insurer Report Card. The chart below appears on page 5 of the 16-page report.

“Of the eight insurers listed, Medicare is most likely to reject a claim, sending away 6.85% of requests. This is more than any private insurer and double that of the private insurers’ average!

In short, the AMA is endorsing a plan whose closest existing example is the most frequent denier of claims. How the public option exemplifies “delivering care to patients” is unclear.”

99,546 claims denied: These are non-covered services because this is not deemed a ‘medical necessity’ by the payer. (death panel?)

40,591 claims denied: Non-covered charge(s). At least one Remark Code must be provided (may be comprised of either the Remittance Advice Remark Code or NCPDP Reject Reason Code).

18,626 claims denied: These are non-covered services because this is a routine exam or screening procedure done in conjunction with a routine exam.

41,168 claims denied: This decision was based on a local medical review policy (LMRP) or Local Coverage Determination (LCD).An LMRP/LCD provides a guide to assist in determining whether a particular item or service is covered. A copy of this policy is available at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd, or if you do not have Web access, you may contact the contractor to request a copy of the LMRP/LCD. (death panel?)

Total Medicare claims denied in one year: 475,566

The entire report can be viewed here: AMA 2008 National Health Insurer Report Card

Again, I am all for reform. And it is up to the American people to decide on what type of reform is best. But what I don’t like is misinformation, and un-truthiness.

When people bring up their concerns about a Government takeover of health care, or rationing, or the dreaded death panels, they are scoffed at. Yet, looking at the Medicare denial rates, they deny more patients then seven top commercial health insurers.

So, perhaps the next time Obama puts down private insurance companies for denying claims, or scoffs at those concerned about rationing, or being denied under a public option, someone can point out to him that Medicare is one of, if not the worst, offender?

And while they are busy denying coverage to thousands of people, Medicare is running around willy-nilly overspending by the hundreds of millions of dollars.

According to their own auditors, Medicare knowingly overpays for almost everything it buys. Examples include:

– $7,215 to rent an oxygen concentrator, when the purchase price is $600.

– $4,018 for a standard wheelchair, while the private sector pays $1,048.

– $1,825 for a hospital bed, compared to an Internet price of $1,071.

– $3,335 for a respiratory pump, versus an advertised price of $1,987.

– $82 for a diabetic supply kit, instead of a $47 price on the Web.

Last year, the Health and Human Services Department tried to replace its archaic fixed-price fee schedule for 10 commonly purchased products with a competitive bidding program in 10 cities. The department said the program could save Medicare $125 million in a single year, or $1 billion if adopted nationwide. But Congress stepped in to stop it.

But Congress stepped in to block it….

H/T Newsbusters and memorandum where I first read the story.

The 2009 report care can be found here: 2009 National Health Insurer Report Card. The numbers are slightly better, with denials at 4%, putting them in second place.

a little reality check for the reality checkers…

American Girl in Italy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:01:43 +0000

I stumbled upon the latest Reality Check brought to you by WhiteHouse.gov. Apparently the Obama administration is still obsessing over FOX news, this time targeting Glenn Beck. They took Beck to task, providing the “REALITY” to his “RHETORIC”. I provide the *ACTUAL REALITY*.

What topic do they take issue with? His comments on Afghanistan? Health Care? The economy? Nope. The Olympics.

The problem is, I don’t think they were very honest or thorough in their fact checking.

Last night Fox News continued its disregard for the facts in an attempt to smear the Administration’s efforts to win the Olympics for the United States. In the past, hosting the Olympics has been a source of pride and unity for the country, but once again Fox News’ Glenn Beck program has shown that nothing is worthy of respect if it can be used as part of a partisan attack to boost ratings.

RHETORIC:
BECK SAID VANCOUVER LOST $1 BILLION WHEN IT “HAD THE OLYMPICS.” Glenn Beck said, “Vancouver lost, how much was it? they lost a billion dollars when they had the Olympics.” [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

REALITY:
VANCOUVER’S OLYMPICS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL 2010. Vancouver will host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games from February 12 – 28, 2010 and March 12-21, 2010, respectively. [Vancouver2010.com, accessed 9/29/09]

ACTUAL REALITY:
MONTREAL OLYMPICS LOST $1 BILLION. Beck just got the name of the Canadian cities mixed up.

“Montreal’s Olympic Stadium needs a new nickname — the Big Owe no longer applies because Quebecers have finally paid off their $1.5-billion debt from the 1976 Summer Games.”

“Australian taxpayers are still paying off an Olympic debt from the 2004 Sydney Games that could cost them $32 million a year for a decade. Barcelona is still paying back a $1.4 billion Olympic deficit. And even the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002 left Utah with a $155 million deficit.”

“Greece is facing a massive budget deficit as it tries to absorb the cost of the Olympic Games.”

The Auditor General of New South Wales stated cost overruns plagued the 2000 Sydney Olympics and as the guarantor of the games, the state government spent $2.3 billion.

The 1994 Lillehammer and 1992 Albertville Olympics along with the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games ran multimillion dollar deficits.

Even Calgary – considered a model Winter Olympic Games – lost money. The International Olympic Committee claims Calgary turned a $90 million profit in 1988, but Thomas Walkom, a Toronto Starr reporter and columnist disputes those figures.

In 1999, he reported the organizing committee omitted the cost of building facilities from its figures. The federal, provincial and municipal governments contributed $461million towards the games – nullifying any profits.

***

RHETORIC:
VALERIE JARRETT “WAS LAST SEEN WITH THE NEA.” Beck’s guest, FOX News contributor Pat Caddell, said, “[Obama] is going to go [to Copenhagen] with Valerie Jarrett who was last seen with the NEA pumping up their use of, you know, money.” [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

REALITY:
VALERIE JARRETT WAS NOT ON THE NEA CONFERENCE CALL. Valerie Jarrett was not a participant in the August 10, 2009 United We Serve/NEA conference call.

ACTUAL REALITY:
FROM TRANSCRIPT OF CONFERENCE CALL:

Ms Buffy Wicks: So, I’m at the office of Public Engagement at the White House. Our office does a lot of outreach to communities all across the country, either by constituency groups or issue. We have about 20 folks and we work under Valerie Jarrett, she’s one of our fantastic leaders, and Tina Chen. And so we’re really here at your disposal as we want to be helpful to you.

Jarrett was not a participant on the conference call, but the call was placed on her behalf, and the White House, as stated by Buffy Wicks.

***

RHETORIC:
CHICAGO IS CLOSING THE GOVERNMENT SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO BE OPEN. Beck’s guest Caddell said, “Chicago is closing the government several days a week because they cannot afford to be open. They are going to go and reward — this is the biggest scandal.” [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

REALITY:
CHICAGO HAS HAD ONE REDUCED-SERVICE DAY IN 2009, AND WILL HAVE TWO MORE ON THE FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING AND ON CHRISTMAS EVE. On August 17, 2009, CBS Chicago reported, “If you planned to check out a library book, visit a city clinic or have your garbage picked up on Monday, you’re out of luck. The City of Chicago is basically closed for business on Aug. 17, a reduced-service day in which most city employees are off without pay. City Hall, public libraries, health clinics and most city offices will be closed. Emergency service providers including police, firefighters and paramedics are working at full strength, but most services not directly related to public safety, including street sweeping, will not be provided. That also includes garbage pickup. Residents who receive regular collection on Mondays should expect trash to be picked up on Tuesday. Some other customers may experience a one-day delay as collectors catch up. As part of the 2009 budget, three reduced-service days were planned for 2009, days which are unpaid for all affected employees — the Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; and New Year’s Eve. The City Council recently approved moving the reduced-service day planned for New Year’s Eve to Monday. The 2009 budget anticipates saving $8.3 million due to the reduced-service days. In addition to reduced service days, all non-union employees were asked to take a series of furlough days and unpaid holidays, and most non-sworn union employees agreed to similar unpaid time off.” [CBS Chicago, 8/17/09]

ACTUAL REALITY:
According to WH.gov, Pat Caddell said this, not Beck. Caddell has worked for Democratic presidential candidates George McGovern in 1972, Jimmy Carter in 1976 and 1980, Gary Hart in 1984, Joe Biden in 1988, and Jerry Brown in 1992….so, take it up with him, not Beck.

This was Caddell’s introduction for his appearance: “Pat Caddell is a former senior adviser to President Carter. He’s a Democrat and a proud Democrat, not a Democrat that agrees with the crazy revolutionaries that seemed to have hijacked his party.” Is this a vast right wing conspiracy?

Perhaps he meant “several times a year”? Regardless of the actual number of days offices are closing, they ARE closing on certain days to save $8.3 M. In addition to reduced service days, all non-union employees were asked to take a series of furlough days and unpaid holidays, and most non-sworn union employees agreed to similar unpaid time off.”

***

RHETORIC:
VALERIE JARRETT WILL BENEFIT FINANCIALLY. Beck asked, “Is it possible that she is going to benefit if the Olympics come to Chicago?” Caddell responded, “Well, that’s the word. She has certainly had a lot of dealings going on in real estate.” [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]

REALITY:
UPON ENTERING GOVERNMENT, VALERIE JARRETT DIVESTED ALL HER REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT HOLDINGS EXCEPT FOR A SINGLE INVESTMENT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OLYMPIC BID. Valerie Jarrett divested all her investment real estate holdings upon entering government except for a single real estate holding that she was unable to sell. This single real estate investment has been determined by White House Counsel and the independent Office of Government Ethics to present no conflict of interest in performing her duties as a White House advisor. It has nothing to do with the Olympic bid.

ACTUAL REALITY:

Until joining the Obama Administration, Jarrett was the CEO of The Habitat Company, a real estate development and management company which she joined in 1995. She has been replaced by Mark Segal, a lawyer who joined the company in 2002, as CEO. Daniel E. Levin is the Chairman of Habitat, which was formed in 1971. Jarrett was a member of the board of Chicago Stock Exchange (2000–2007, as Chairman, 2004–2007).

She is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago Medical Center, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago and a Trustee of Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Jarrett serves on the board of directors of USG Corporation, a Chicago based building materials corporation.

Jarrett’s previous year’s income, in a 2009 report, was a $300,000 salary and $550,000 in deferred compensation from The Habitat Executive Services, Inc. The Wall Street Journal also reported she disclosed payments of more than $346,000 for service on boards of directors that reflect her political ties, and work in Chicago real estate and community development. She was paid $76,000 for service as a director of Navigant Consulting, Inc. a Chicago-based global consulting group with governmental clients. She received $146,600 from USG, and $58,000 to serve on the board of Rreef American REIT II, a real estate investment trust based in San Francisco. The Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc., paid her $34,444.

Jarrett received hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments, and deferred compensations, for her service on boards for various companies. She serves on the board of directors of USG Corporation, a Chicago based building materials company. Are we supposed to believe that she will not benefit through some means of compensation for her efforts to bring the Olympics to Chicago?

Other comments that were made in the same interview:

BECK: “Pat, let me ask you this. Fox TV in Chicago was told they can’t run a story on the negative part of the Olympics. And Valerie Jarrett — some people say she was a slumlord and she may personally benefit.”

CADDELL: “Look, Tony Rezko, in the end, probably will make money on this. This is the greatest outrage, and people need to tell the Congress right now to pass a law — not a penny, not a dime from us to bail it out for stimulus grants to pay for this. This is going to be a disaster at a level we’ve never seen in American politics financially.”

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents linking Valerie Jarrett, an advisor to Barack Obama and the co-chairman of the President-Elect’s transition team, to a series of real estate scandals, including several housing projects operated by convicted felon and Obama fundraiser/friend Antoin “Tony” Rezko.

According to the documents obtained by Judicial Watch from the Illinois Secretary of State, Valerie Jarrett served as a board member for several organizations that provided funding and support for Chicago housing projects operated by real estate developers and Obama financial backers Rezko and Allison Davis.

“Like Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett is a product of the corrupt Chicago political machine. And it is no stretch to say that she was a slumlord,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “We have real concerns about Jarrett’s ethics. Washington already has plenty of corruption. We don’t need to import more of it from Chicago.”

Why didn’t the White House respond to this *rhetoric*? Why didn’t they address these statements?

While you ponder that question, take a look - I think I found the top secret Chicago Olympic Presentation Video!

“shifting financial obligations of this magnitude to future generations is immoral, unacceptable and unsustainable”

American Girl in Italy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:26 +0000

“We are spending enough of our kids’ money,” the letter said. “Our country needs to get back to following the teachings of Romans 13:8, which says we should ‘let no debt remain outstanding.’”

“In our view, shifting financial obligations of this magnitude to future generations is immoral, unacceptable and unsustainable,” the senators’ letter said.

“All of us are willing to work with your administration on a plan for…reform that will keep the system solvent for the long term,” the senators said. “But we are concerned about the fiscal crisis facing the nation.”

Pelosi said the president would be met by people every step of the way who support keeping the system the way it is.

Can you say HYPOCRITES!?

These are quotes from a 2005 article, Dems Rally Against Social Security Plan

House and Senate Democrats rallied Thursday against President Bush’s plan to revamp Social Security, to show they would not let it pass without a fight.

Forty-three of the 44 Democrat senators, plus Independent Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont, signed a letter to the president saying it was “immoral” to borrow more money to pay for the plan, even quoting from the New Testament to make their point.

Bush says the Social Security system is broken and will be “bankrupt” in just a few decades if it’s not fixed, and he favors private investment accounts that would be funded by drawing a percentage of money out of Social Security taxes that otherwise would go to pay benefits.

Pelosi said,”the president would be met by people every step of the way who support keeping the [Social Security] system the way it is.”

But now, when Conservatives are worried about the out of control spending and huge deficits, and recession that we are in, and Republicans are working to develop plans for health care reform that won’t bankrupt the country, they are labeled hateful, racist, teabagging extremists who just want to see people die?

From Newsbusters:

Social Security In Deficit, Obama Applauded Reform’s Demise in 2006

Contrary to what the Left and their media minions told Americans in 2005 when President George W. Bush wanted to reform Social Security, the nation’s largest entitlement program is now projected to run deficits for at least the next two years.

In an article on the subject published Sunday, the Associated Press mysteriously hid the seriousness of this revelation while never once mentioning the Republican push to solve this problem four years ago, or that Democrats in January 2006 — including Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) — actually applauded the death of the previous year’s reform efforts.

The obfuscation began with the headline:

“Early Retirements Strain Social Security System.”

Strain? How about calling a spade a spade and letting people know up front that Social Security is about to run a deficit?

No. Such honesty came later:

Big job losses and a spike in early retirement claims from laid-off seniors will force Social Security to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes the next two years, the first time that’s happened since the 1980s.

The deficits — $10 billion in 2010 and $9 billion in 2011 — won’t affect payments to retirees because Social Security has accumulated surpluses from previous years totaling $2.5 trillion. But they will add to the overall federal deficit.

Applications for retirement benefits are 23 percent higher than last year, while disability claims have risen by about 20 percent. Social Security officials had expected applications to increase from the growing number of baby boomers reaching retirement, but they didn’t expect the increase to be so large.

What happened? The recession hit and many older workers suddenly found themselves laid off with no place to turn but Social Security.

Finally, the facts:

The Congressional Budget Office is projecting that Social Security will pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes next year and in 2011, a first since the early 1980s, when Congress last overhauled Social Security.

Social Security is projected to start generating surpluses again in 2012 before permanently returning to deficits in 2016 unless Congress acts again to shore up the program. Without a new fix, the $2.5 trillion in Social Security’s trust funds will be exhausted in 2037.

Might have been a nice time to mention that in 2005, President Bush wanted to overhaul Social Security to prevent this from happening, and that Democrats in Congress aided and abetted by their media minions convinced the American people that this wasn’t a serious problem that needed to be addressed yet.

Hmmm. So the crisis Bush and the Republicans predicted is now here, and not only doesn’t the AP mention that, it also didn’t express any shock whatsoever that Obama isn’t focusing on this now.

Read the entire Newsbusters article here.

The Democrats, while Bush was President, said “shifting financial obligations of this magnitude to future generations is immoral, unacceptable and unsustainable”.

But, now apparently it is hunky dory. And if you don’t agree, well, then, you are racist!

What a bunch of lying phonies.

yep….words, just words

American Girl in Italy — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:01:41 +0000

Flopping Aces had a great post up this week about Obama’s empty words and dare I say, lies. It really points out how empty Obama’s promises were/are when it comes to bipartisanship, and the truth about what is going on in Washington.

Congressmen Took Obama At His Word Over Invite to Review Health Bill “Line by Line”

Yet calls and letters go unanswered!

President Obama issued the following invitation at a Town Hall meeting he held in July in Raleigh, NC (White House transcript):

So I just want everybody to know, Congress will have time to read the bill. They will have time to debate the bill. They will have all of August to review the various legislative proposals. When we come back in September, I will be available to answer any question that members of Congress have. If they want to come over to the White House and go over line by line what’s going on, I will be happy to do that.

The next day Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN) wrote the President accepting his invitation. His letter is here. No word came back from the White House so Roe sent a second letter in early September. Two weeks after that second letter, still no response from the President who claimed he would be “happy” to sit down and go over the bill.

Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), chair of the Congressional Health Care Caucus. has also written twice noting in his second letter that the President stated in his speech before Congress last week that “My door is always open.”

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) has also written multiple times with no response. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) also indicated his willingness to review the health bills “line by line” with the President.

Continue reading the post, and the funny finish here.

Here are a few quips pulled from Obama’s speech to Congress last week:

“But what we have also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have toward their own government. Instead of honest debate, we have seen scare tactics. Some have dug into unyielding ideological camps that offer no hope of compromise. Too many have used this as an opportunity to score short-term political points, even if it robs the country of our opportunity to solve a long-term challenge. And out of this blizzard of charges and counter-charges, confusion has reigned.

Well the time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action. Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care….

This is the plan I’m proposing. It’s a plan that incorporates ideas from many of the people in this room tonight - Democrats and Republicans. And I will continue to seek common ground in the weeks ahead. If you come to me with a serious set of proposals, I will be there to listen. My door is always open.”

Then we have this gem from Hot Air:

In this clip from Naked Emperor News and Breitbart TV, Obama explains that any health-care overhaul will require $100 billion a year in new spending, for which Obama would push new taxes as a funding mechanism. Cutting red tape and “profits” out of the existing system would not be enough to fund a transition to a new system. Medicare and Medicaid, he warns, get used by politicians to manipulate budgets at the expense of health-care providers.

Do you all remember when the media and Obama supporters POUNCED on Hillary for telling the story of Trina Bachtel? They accused her of lying, even though she wasn’t?

Well, looks like Obama has been telling a big fib, himself. I wonder when he is going to get called out by the MSM as a liar?

From HotAir: It’s not the only myth that Obama’s been spreading lately, either:

Obama’s Real-Person Health Care Story Not That Real

After I raised questions about its accuracy, President Obama has dropped from his last two health care speeches an inaccurate reference he made about the health care travails of an Illinois man, whom Obama claimed had died after his insurance company declined to pay for his cancer treatments.

When Obama spoke to Congress about health care reform on Sept. 9, he attempted to put a human face on his push for a provision barring insurance companies from dropping patients with pre-existing medical conditions.

While not citing the person’s name, the president said: “One man from Illinois lost his coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because his insurer found that he hadn’t reported gallstones that he didn’t even know about. They delayed his treatment, and he died because of it.”

It’s just not true, which I pointed out in my Chicago Sun-Times column. I confirmed with the White House that the man Obama was referring to was Otto Raddatz, from a Chicago suburb. His insurance company did indeed yank his coverage in April 2005. But after a fight led by his sister, Peggy, an attorney and the Illinois attorney general, Raddatz got his coverage reinstated in a few weeks and never missed any needed treatments. And he did not die until Jan. 6, 2009.

How did Obama research this anecdote? He read it in Slate, and no one on his staff checked to see if the story was accurate. It’s precisely this kind of expertise that Obama wants to put in charge of your health care.

And is he really misrepresenting a story about his own daughter, for political purposes?

Can you blame Joe Wilson?

Words…just words.

wolf blitzer in jeopardy

American Girl in Italy — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:20:00 +0000

Wolf Blitzer got spanked by Andy Richter in Celebrity Jeopardy. And he looks as miserable as his performance.

H/T Hot Air
According to Wikipedia, “The incident created a stir when, after airing, CNN President Jonathan Klein suggested that Andy Richter might be a better choice to host The Situation Room than Blitzer.”

Perhaps those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones?

“…Ferguson cracked that the former Alaska governor is “quite funny,” evoking audience laughter, and asked about her future. Ferguson: “Hey, what about Sarah Palin, talking about “quite funny”? Do you think she’s gone? Do you think that’s it?”

Blitzer responded: “No, she’s not gone. We’ll be seeing a lot of her. She’s going to be writing a book. She’ll be doing speeches. She’ll be on TV. You’re going to have a lot of material. … If you need material, you’ll have it.”

Or mock others on their TV appearances.

I think Jonathan Klein is right…maybe hiring Andy would help CNN. That was terribly embarrassing and painful to watch.

Who’s providing the material now, Wolfie?

ACORN: will more nuts fall from the tree?

American Girl in Italy — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:01:42 +0000

James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles strike again. This time in Brooklyn.

The women, Volda and Milagros, in this newest video from Brooklyn, NY, seem slightly less forthcoming than the women from the DC and Baltimore offices. They seem a tad uncomfortable, and don’t look Hannah and James in the eye often. That said, it doesn’t stop them from offering counsel on how to lie, avoid taxes, bury cash in the yard, etc.

You can read transcripts of the other videos, and many more related stories at Big.Government.com

The woman in pink, Volda, seems a concerned about the welfare of the “prostitute”, continuously telling her to be quick, and to think. However, they continue to offer assistance even after they are told there will be 13 and 14 year old prostitutes in the house.

Here was the initial statement Acorn issued after the first videos:

STATEMENT FROM ALTON BENNETT,
PRESIDENT OF ACORN HOUSING, AND MIKE SHEA,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, REGARDING
RECENT NEWS REPORTS

Washington, D.C. –”As President and Executive Director of ACORN Housing we were appalled and angry to see the video of two Washington, D.C. employees offering advice on how to operate an illegal enterprise to keep it hidden from the government. While no transaction took place – no loan documents were signed or submitted, no bank loans were arranged, no new business was established – this is not how we behave. All ACORN Housing staff members undergo rigorous training and are expected to comply with high standards for ethical behavior and compliance with the law.

“This video tape is slanted to misinform the public about ACORN Housing. The people who made this tape went to at least five other ACORN Housing offices where they were turned away or where ACORN Housing employees responded by calling the police. That is not mentioned on the tape – it is part of a long-term plan to smear ACORN Housing for political reasons and provide entertainment in the process. But that does not excuse the behavior of the employees. We have fired them and are initiating an internal review of practices and reminding all staff of their obligation to uphold the highest legal and ethical standards.

“After more than two decades of helping people in need comply with the law in pursuit of the American dream of home ownership, it saddens us that ACORN Housing has been put in this position by everyone involved.”

“Honesty is not going to get you the house.” Is that their motto?

“This recent scam, which was attempted in San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia to name a few places, had failed for months before the results we’ve all recently seen.”
~Bertha Lewis, Chief Organizer, ACORN

I guess that first video wasn’t an isolated incident… rumor has it there is at least one more video! How can ACORN even think they could win a lawsuit?

Please see earlier NQ posts covering this story here, here, here and here.

Classic headline of the day: Obama: I Could No More Disown ACORN Than I Could My Own Nuts

hey, liberal media! you might want to quit delegitimizing the president…

American Girl in Italy — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:01:21 +0000

Let me set aside my media designated “white cloak” for a moment, and offer some advice for Obama supporters.

Every time one of you (liberal media) label criticism of Obama as racist, you are the ones hurting Obama.

Barack Obama is not the Black President of America. He is the President of the United States of America.

To continually label him the Black President, and any criticism of him as racist, it implies he is only representing black America.

It’s like the difference between the Oscars and the BET Awards…
or Miss America and Miss Black America.

Obama, whether some of us like it or not, was elected The President of the United States of all America.

Quit throwing the race card! Every time you do, you are in fact revealing your self to be racist. You are the ones who demote his position, and his person. And YOU are the ones who keep seeing Obama’s skin color.

To reduce criticism of Obama as nothing but racism you are reducing his role in the most powerful position in the world.

Is he above criticism because he is black? Is he not equal to past presidents, therefore capable of dealing with criticism? Should he be treated differently or special, because of his skin color?

Treating him differently, not as an equal, to past Presidents, is in itself racist. Isn’t it?

As President of the United States, Obama is now in the position to execute the duties and responsibilities as awarded to any other POTUS in the history of America. And with that responsibility comes power, luxury, and criticism.

Yes, Obama was the first African American man elected as President. Yes, the country celebrated. (I even got a little misty, as mad as I was, seeing all the tears the night he won, seeing the sheer pride on African American faces.) But, enough! MOVE ON! You need to stop relegating Obama as the black President.

He is either President of the United States of America, or not…what’s it going to be? If all he is to you is Black Student Body President, then we need to elect a President of all America…

Obama is like the Denzel Washington of politics. He won the Oscar for Best Actor*.

Why do you keep giving Obama the Daytime After School Special Award for Best Black Actor?

Are you going to stop revealing your own racism, and stop seeing Obama’s skin color? Will you call him President, with no more caveats? You are, after all, his supporters…

*Denzel won the second Best Leading Actor award ever won by an African American. Sidney Poitier won the first in 1963 for Lilies of the Field. My point is Denzel won Best Leading Actor - not Best Black Actor.

senate dems move to close loophole in health care reform bill

American Girl in Italy — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:01:11 +0000

From Politico: Wilson wins?

The controversy over Republican Rep. Joe Wilson’s shouting out “You Lie!” at the President over his claim that illegal immigrants wouldn’t benefit from health-care reform apparently sparked some reconsideration of the relevant language.

“We really thought we’d resolved this question of people who are here illegally, but as we reflected on the President’s speech last night we wanted to go back and drill down again,” said Senator Kent Conrad, one of the Democrats in the talks after a meeting Thursday morning. Baucus later that afternoon said the group would put in a proof of citizenship requirement to participate in the new health exchange — a move likely to inflame the left.

And from FOX: Rep. Wilson Outburst Leads Senate Dems to Close Loophole in Health Reform Bill

In the Senate, Democrats in the so called “Gang of Six,” began moving quickly to close the loophole Rep. Joe Wilson helped bring to light with his outburst during President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night.

House Republican Minority Leader John Boehner amplified the complaint that without proof of citizenship, illegal immigrants could be insured.

“There were two opportunities for House Democrats to make clear that illegal immigrants wouldn’t be covered by putting in requirements to show citizenships,” he said. “Both of those amendments were, in fact, rejected.”

In the Senate, Democrats in the so called “Gang of Six,” a group of bipartisan senators on the Senate Finance Committee which is the last panel yet to release its bill, began moving quickly to close the loophole that Wilson helped bring greater attention to.

“We absolutely assure that those who are here illegally would not get the benefit of any of these initiatives,” Sen. Kent Conrad said.

So, I guess Joe didn’t yell this out just because he’s a junky hooped up on No-Doz? (yes, someone really tried to make a scandal out of this…)

I wonder when Joe Wilson is going to get an apology? For sure Olbermann owes him one. (I didn’t watch the video…no need to.)

And Shuster, too. “The fact that Joe Wilson is from South Carolina…it strikes a lot of people as awfully close to the idea that maybe there was some sort of racist or bigoted element there.”

Really Shuster? It couldn’t just be that Obama was lying or misleading?

Oh, and in case you were wondering what the Republicans were waving around during Obama’s speech - they were waving around the 30+ health care reform bills that they have come up with. You know, the ideas that Obama keeps saying his opponents “don’t have”.

Why use the props? “To say in a quiet and respectful way, ‘Here are our ideas,’ ” Price says. “To say to the president, ‘You’re not being honest with the American people when you say that there haven’t been ideas put forward, and that you’ve listened to them, because you haven’t.’ ”

ACORN scandal: baltimore city state’s attorneys may bring charges…against the (fake) pimp and pro!

American Girl in Italy — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:01:20 +0000

STATEMENT OF STATE’S ATTORNEYS OFFICE FOR BALTIMORE CITY RELATIVE TO THE ALLEGED BALTIMORE ACORN INCIDENT

Baltimore, MD – September 11, 2009 – We have received inquiries from citizens and the media asking whether the Baltimore City State’s Attorneys Office would initiate a criminal investigation for acts allegedly committed at ACORN offices located in Baltimore. The only information received in reference to this alleged criminal behavior was a YouTube video. Upon review by this office, the video appears to be incomplete. In addition, the audio portion could possibly have been obtained in violation of Maryland Law, Annotated Code of Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article §10-402, which requires two party consent.

If it is determined that the audio portion now being heard on YouTube was illegally obtained, it is also illegal under Maryland Law to willfully use or willfully disclose the content of said audio. The penalty for the unlawful interception, disclosure or use of it is a felony punishable up to 5 years.

Would it be really cynical to wonder if her decision to possibly prosecute the makers of the video, and not the ACORN employees, could be politically motivated or biased?

Now, perhaps Hannah Giles and James O’Keefe did violate some code about video taping without consent, but is that really the focus and main concern of Patricia Jessamy?

ACORN employees were instructing two people on how to manipulate the law, falsify federal documents and provide cover for underage sex slaves. And she wants to prosecute the people who exposed them?

Now, it’s no No-Doz worthy scandal, but Jessamy was accused by her opponent of accepting dirty money, and siding with criminals over cops.

Maybe there is a pattern of behavior there…

there’s another ACORN prostitution tape… UPDATE

American Girl in Italy — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:01:18 +0000

In case you missed Amy’s earlier story, Want To Open A Brothel? Ask ACORN How! UPDATED!!! please read it. ACORN employees in Baltimore were videotaped offering advice on how to set up a brothel, and how to handle 13 year old prostitutes. Glenn Beck covered this Thursday night, also interviewing the woman who posed as a prostitute.

Following the airing of the these videos ACORN issued this: ACORN Maryland board member Margaret Williams said the video was an attempt to smear ACORN, and that undercover teams attempted similar setups in at least three other ACORN offices.

Now there is a second video, from a different office, with different ACORN employees. This is the DC ACORN office.

This corruption was discovered by a brave 20 year old young lady. Can you IMAGINE the corruption that could be revealed if actual investigators looked into this?

How the heck is this an attempted smear? If it weren’t so pathetic, it would be funny how people think using their own words can be considered smears.

“Yes. But let me say that before I even get inaugurated, during the transition we’re going to be calling all of you in to help us shape the agenda. (cheering) We’re going to be having meetings all across the country with community organizations so that you have input into the agenda of the next presidency of the United States of America!”

“I’ve been fighting alongside ACORN on issues you care about my entire career. Even before I was an elected official, when I ran Project Vote voter registration drives in Illinois, ACORN was smack dab in the middle of it, and we appreciate your work.”
~Obama as quoted on his own campaign website, at an ACORN meeting.

Here’s a little refresher on ACORN:

And here’s an oldie but a goodie:

Your tax dollars hard at work!

UPDATE: Major Garrett just tweeted:
MajoratWHBreaking: Census director tells ACORN in letter all ties to group being severed for data collection as part of 2010 census.

people really do have the shortest memories…

American Girl in Italy — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:01:29 +0000

People are all a twitter because Joe Wilson yelled out *You Lie* last night when Obama said illegal immigrants would not be covered under his plan.

But, in the very same speech, just seconds prior, Obama accuses Sarah Palin and other Republicans (and the media) of LYING.

However, they have since removed the provision that Palin was referring to, and Democrats rejected the amendment to require verification and close this loophole allowing illegals to be covered.

From The Hill:

Despite statements to the contrary, the Obama administration could force the American people to pay for the healthcare of millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S.

The Democrats’ bill in the House, H.R. 3200, contains gaping loopholes that will allow illegal immigrants to receive taxpayer-funded benefits. And these loopholes are no accident.

The legislation contains no verification mechanism to ensure that illegal immigrants do not apply for benefits. Republicans offered an amendment to close this loophole — it would have required verification using the existing methods that are already in place to verify eligibility for other federal benefits programs. But, when they were asked to put the language of the bill where their words were, in a party-line vote, House Democrats rejected the amendment to require verification and close this loophole.

The bill also leaves open the possibility that if one citizen family member is eligible for benefits, then the entire family — including illegal immigrants — is also eligible for the benefits.

From Legal Insurrection - The House Bill Does Cover Illegals

Technically, Obama was correct that his plan does not cover illegal aliens because Obama has no plan that has been released, only concepts. So if Obama says his plan doesn’t cover illegals, then by definition it does not cover illegals — at least until we see the language in his plan. Similarly, the Senate HELP Committee bill defines an “eligible individual” in numerous places throughout the bill to include only citizens and legal residents (including for the public option, at page 111 of the bill).

So using the two measures, the non-existent Obama bill and the draft Senate HELP Committee bill which was not a full Senate proposal, Obama was correct.

But if the standard is the full House Bill, HR3200, then it appears that Obama was incorrect. There is nothing in HR3200 that excludes illegal aliens from the various coverage provisions (with a few limited exceptions). The Congressional Research Service agrees with this assessment (full report embedded below). For example, with regard to health care exchanges, the CRS found:

H.R. 3200 does not contain any restrictions on noncitzens—whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently—participating in the Exchange.

Since the Obama administration wanted a full House vote passing HR3200 prior to the August recess, Obama was okay with a bill that included illegal aliens.

Obama, in his speech Wednesday, also accused people of using scare tactics:

“But what we’ve also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have towards their own government. Instead of honest debate, we’ve seen scare tactics.”

But then turns around and makes this statement:

“Everyone in this room knows what will happen if we do nothing. Our deficit will grow. More families will go bankrupt. More businesses will close. More Americans will lose their coverage when they are sick and need it most. And more will die as a result. We know these things to be true.”

Talk about scare tactics.

People are also complaining about the loss of civility in the Congress. They are shocked that a member of Congress would disrespect the President in such a manner.

I have also read many complaints about the Republicans and their refusal to stand and clap at certain points in the speech. Are people’s memories really that selective?

After eight years of calling Bush a mass murdering, Nazi style Hitler, dumbass and worse, Obama supporters run screaming and crying because of some comparisons of Obama to Hitler. (Many of which are coming from the far left!)

And who could forget about Obama hiring Van Jones? A guy who called Republicans assholes, said white polluters steer toxins into minority neighborhoods, said only white people were prone to mass murder in schools, and charged the former President with involvement in 9/11. And even after Glenn Beck exposed all of this, Obama stood behind him, and didn’t speak out against Van Jones’ comments or behavior. Van Jones was not fired, he resigned.

And let’s not forget about Obama’s old buddy, loves him like an uncle, Jeremiah Wright. Still slinging that hate speech!

The left was also outraged last week because some people rejected the lesson plan sent around by the White House, asking students to write essays on how they can “help the President”. But yet, the last time a President (George HW bush) spoke to schoolchildren, the Democrats were outraged, even going so far as to hold hearings.

Obama lectured on the need for civility in the debate, which is quite comical after the Democrats and liberal media spent the last few months calling anyone who opposes the reform, or current plans racist, teabagging, swastika wearing, evil mongering dangerous violent mobs spreading lies, innuendo and rumor. (Despite the fact that violence and disfigurement has come from the Left.)

And Hot Air pointed out: Guy who joked about Hillary being a “mad bitch” lectures GOP on civility.

I guess Dana Millbanks forgot about his little Hillary Gets Mad Bitch Beer skit he performed recently…

And as for lies, how about msnbc when they edited their video to eliminate the fact that this “white guy showing up with a gun strapped to his waist” was actually black?

Two wrongs don’t make a right. But seriously, people need to quit the whining and crying about all the “attacks on Obama” and remember that just a mere short time ago, the shoe was on the other foot.

I don’t think anyone is smearing Obama, or intentionally spreading misinformation and lies about the health care reform. People are looking at prior statements made by Obama and the Democrats, and they are looking at the facts in the bills.

Check out the Fact Check by AP from Wednesday nights speech and Reason’s Obama’s Lies Matter, Too. Read them and then ask yourself if people have a right to be concerned and a right to question the rhetoric.

education faces the death panel, why wouldn’t health care?

American Girl in Italy — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:01:13 +0000

All this talk about Obama speaking to the *shoochildren* got me thinking about the school system. Can’t one look at the education system when pondering what a government run health care program would look like?

Like health care, the US spends more than any other country on education (except Switzerland). And like health care, we are not ranked anywhere near the top. Out of 21 industrialized countries, U.S. 12th graders ranked 19th in math, 16th in science, and last in advanced physics.

According to a 2005 report from the OECD, the United States is tied for first place with Switzerland when it comes to annual spending per student on its public schools, with each of those two countries spending more than $11,000 (in U.S. currency). Despite this high level of funding, according to the OECD, U.S. public schools lag behind the schools of other developed countries in the areas of reading, math, and science.

According to a 2007 article in The Washington Post, the Washington D.C. public school district spends $12,979 per student per year. This is the third highest level of funding per student out of the 100 biggest school districts in the U.S. Despite this high level of funding, the school district has produced outcomes that are lower than the national average. In reading and math, the district’s students score the lowest among 11 major school districts - even when poor children are compared with other poor children. 33% of poor fourth graders in the U.S. lack basic skills in math, but in Washington D.C., it’s 62%.

The country has a reading literacy rate at 98% of the population over age 15, while ranking below average in science and mathematics understanding compared to other developed countries. In 2008, there was a 77% graduation rate from high school, below that of most developed countries.

With health care, the plan is to tax the top 1% of the country to pay for health care for others. Some people are already paying taxes for schools they don’t use, and the plan is for them to pay taxes for health care they won’t use, either?

Another issue is that many parents of private school and homeschooled children have taken issue with the idea of paying for an education their children are not receiving. However, tax proponents point out that every person pays property taxes for public education, not just parents of school-age children. Indeed, without it schools would not have enough money to remain open. Still, parents of students who go to private schools want to use this money instead to fund their children’s private education. This is the foundation of the school voucher movement. School voucher programs were proposed by free-market advocates seeking competition in education, led by economist Milton Friedman, but have been criticized for damaging public schools, both in funding and diversity.

The US spends $972 billion annually for schools, covering 76.6 M children. The government is proposing a figure roughly equal, over 10 years, to cover how many American, exactly? They were throwing around the 46 million dollar figure, but Obama said health care reform would NOT cover illegal immigrants, who make up about 10 Million. (and by the way, what is their solution to handle those 10 million?) Also, the figure is bound to change when companies drop coverage or people prefer a cheaper option. So, do we know how many will need to be covered under the public option? And if the Dems get their way, and their reform morphs into single payer universal coverage, we would need to cover 200M people.

Anyway, my point is that if we do end up with a government run health care program, a la single payer, which is where the Administration and Democrats want to go, what will it cost per person for care and treatment? England spends roughly $3000 per person annually in health care. (Refer to my other post the impact of universal health care )

After looking at the budget for the education system, $11,000 annually per child, it made me think about how much it would cost to cover Americans with chronic illness.

According to the CDC:

In 2005, 133 million people, almost half of all Americans lived with at least one chronic condition.

Chronic diseases account for 70% of all deaths in the United States.

The medical care costs of people with chronic diseases account for more than 75% of the nation’s $2 trillion medical care costs.

Chronic diseases account for one-third of the years of potential life lost before age 65.

Hospitalizations for pregnancy-related complications occurring before delivery account for more than $1 billion annually.

The direct and indirect costs of diabetes is $174 billion a year.

Each year, arthritis results in estimated medical care costs of nearly $81 billion, and estimated total costs (medical care and lost productivity) of $128 billion.

The estimated direct and indirect costs associated with smoking exceed $193 billion annually.

In 2008, the cost of heart disease and stroke in the U.S. is projected to be $448 billion.

The estimated total costs of obesity was nearly $117 billion in 2000.

Cancer costs the nation an estimated $89 billion annually in direct medical costs.

Nearly $98.6 billion is spent on dental services each year.

And from the Coalition for the Advancement of Health Through Behavioral and Social Science Research, more than 45 percent of adults struggle with a chronic health condition that affects their daily activities. From diabetes to asthma, heart disease, depression, obesity, and AIDS, more and more Americans are living with chronic illnesses. More than 90 million Americans live with one or more chronic illness; at least 22 million live with three chronic illnesses.

Could we even afford that, under a universal health care program? Which led me to think about budgets and cost cutting in the health care industry.

Sarah Palin caused a firestorm with her comments:

“And who will suffer the most when they ration care?” Palin asks. “The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their ‘level of productivity in society,’ whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.”

But, looking at the cuts made in education, for budget reasons, isn’t she right in questioning what would happen with a government run health care program? States budgets are coming up short, and school programs are facing the educational version of death panels.

What cuts are being made? Teachers, healthy lunches, art, music, gym, after school programs, books, supplies, busses, and special education and special needs programs. I don’t know about you, but I don’t find it hard to imagine that when budgets need to be cut in a health care program, certain people may face a type of death panel that Palin was talking about…

*Education Death Panels*

California - The Governor has proposed $1.3 billion in cuts to this current school year and another $4 billion in cuts for the next school year. If these cuts are approved in their entirety, they would add to the nearly $12 billion in cuts schools were already forced to sustain with the budget agreement that came about in February….including class-size increases in the South Pasadena Unified School District, which would result in kindergarten through third-grade classes having up to 32 students and fourth and fifth grade classes with as many as 36 children in each class; the cancellation of summer school programs at the Los Angeles Unified School District and the expected laying off of 2,250 teachers; and the recent vote by the Mount Diablo Unified School District board to lay off more than 400 teachers as well as the likely elimination of their sports and most music programs.

The poorest districts will be the hardest hit by the new layoffs, as they have the highest concentration of new teachers. Some school districts in wealthier areas of the state are seeking to compensate declining state funding by increasing local taxes that their residents can afford. About 75 percent of education funding currently comes from the state government.

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) recently voted to lay off over 2,000 teachers and over 1,000 educational personnel, though 500 of these layoffs were subsequently rescinded. As teachers are laid off, class sizes are slated to increase and materials will be scarcer as well.

At the end of last month, LAUSD announced that it was canceling most of its summer school programs, forcing many working parents to find alternative means of childcare. In past years the state has enrolled an average of 225,000 students in summer classes. The cancelled classes come as unemployment for youth is soaring.

The district is also planning $17 million in cuts to its school bus program, forcing many students to walk or take longer bus rides. A program to provide special transport for those facing hazardous walking conditions will also be canceled, potentially endangering thousands of students.

Georgia - teachers, who on average earn $48,300 a year, according to teacherportal.com — are facing the prospect of working several days without pay. That’s a not-insignificant sacrifice for teachers, although such pain has already been felt by thousands of people in other jobs.

Maryland - cut funding for a school breakfast pilot program, professional development for principals and educators, health clinics, gifted and talented summer centers, and math and science initiatives. For the coming fiscal year, Maryland’s governor has proposed cutting direct aid to local school districts by $69 million.

Massachusetts - enacted cuts to Head Start, universal pre-kindergarten programs, and early intervention services to help special-need children develop appropriately and be ready for school. Funding for K-12 has also been reduced, including spending for mentoring, teacher training, reimbursements for special education residential schools, services for disabled students, and programs for gifted and talented students.

Nevada - the governor has ordered various cuts to K-12 education, including delaying an all-day kindergarten expansion, cutting per pupil expenditures by $400 in a pilot program, eliminating funds for gifted and talented programs, eliminating funds for a magnet program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and making across-the-board cuts. Additionally, young children with developmental delays will lose more than 15,000 hours of needed services.

New York - the Governor proposes nearly $2 billion in cuts in education funding in FY 2010. Reductions in aid to individual school districts would range between 3 percent and 13 percent. In addition, a number of specific programs are eliminated, including supplemental math/science programs and new-teacher mentoring programs.

South Carolina - the Governor proposes suspending funding for textbook purchases in FY 2010.

Washington - the Governor has proposed reducing by one-third the amount the state spends to supplement education funding in property poor school districts. This proposal is likely to widen the gap in education funding between wealthy and poor districts.

New Haven — Children in more than 110 school districts and schools across Connecticut may soon be eating less nutritious school lunches as Governor Rell proposes to cut funding in half for the Healthy Food Program. The $2 million cut will force cash-strapped schools to find funding for the program or eliminate it, and replace fresh fruits and vegetables with less healthy food.

After school programs, and arts programs also suffer in budget cuts.

School budget cuts are wiping out entire departments, with art classes and programs for at-risk students disappearing fastest, the Daily News has learned. Intermediate School 218 in East New York, Brooklyn, is losing one third of its teachers, which will mean axing its music, art and computer programs, teachers said.

“From top to bottom, the school is going to be gutted,” said Chris Schilling, the school’s computer teacher and basketball coach whose position has been cut, he said.

“There’s no paper, no ink in the printers - we can’t even make copies,” he said.

***

“We’ve been staying here on Saturdays, working for hours after school and we’ve raised our standards, so why would they make such a big cut. Read more.

***

In the face of today’s gloomy economy, many school districts are facing the sad reality of budget cuts. In fact, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities predicts that half of all states will face budget shortfalls in fiscal year 2009.

***

“Every single grade is in desperate need of books,” Jones said, “and we can’t afford it.”

Cuts in teachers, after school programs, art, music, gym, computer classes, lunches, increased class size, supplies and books, busses, sports, special needs and advanced student courses cut, tutoring, counseling, librarians…

What do you think would happen with universal health care? Can we look at the education system, and guess?

ted’s favorite jokes were about chappaquiddick

American Girl in Italy — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:01:24 +0000

I wasn’t alive when America witnessed the assassination of John F Kennedy, and was a mere toddler when Bobby Kennedy was killed. I was just three when Chappaquiddick happened. I grew up in the generation of John John, and sadly we experienced our own Kennedy tragedy. The entire Kennedy clan seems to be touched by illness, tragedy and scandal in one form or another.

Has any family in recent history ever been so revered and loved but so mired in scandal?

JFK is often thought of as one of America’s most beloved President, but was famously known for his womanizing, and affairs. Who can forget when his affair was famously rubbed in the face of his wife and country when Marilyn Monroe appeared at his birthday celebration. My mom remembers thinking how tacky it was, and how bad she felt for Jackie. It was also reported that Marilyn was having an affair with Bobby, too.

But, of all the Kennedy scandals and tragedies, none is more tragic as the accident and events surrounding the death of Mary Jo Kopechne.

With the passing of Ted Kennedy we have an end of an era. It was somewhat difficult, looking at an aged, grey haired Ted, a man who spent his last months of his life suffering from a brain tumor, a public servant in the Senate for 46 years, a man who witnessed the assassination of his two brothers, and not feel something for the loss of the last brother in a famous family dynasty.

An image far removed from that of the young, vibrant handsome man, who supported his brothers.

An image even further removed from the lying, cheating, drunken one of a man who left a woman to die.

But, that’s exactly what he did.

Does a lifetime of reform and public service make up for what he did July 18, 1969? From all of the media attention covering his passing, it seems many believe it does. Obviously the majority in Massachusetts forgave him, where he served 46 years. Many people believe in repentance, forgiveness, and making amends.

But, did Ted Kennedy ever make amends? If you watch his statement and apology he made in 1969, he doesn’t appear to make amends. He makes excuses, and he lies.

It was a little difficult, with the public image of Ted Kennedy, and the adoration many feel for him, and his years of service he has devoted to his country, and not feel a bit of the nostalgia for all things Kennedy, the Kennedy’s I grew up learning about, and those that I watched. Even as angry as I was for his endorsement of Obama, and the disgust I felt hearing Chris Matthews call Obama the *last brother* of the Kennedy clan, I still remember this image of Ted:

And those of his brothers:

I wondered what it must do to someone - to see their brothers gunned down in cold blood.

Perhaps that is, in large part, why the people of Massachusetts forgave Ted Kennedy for Chappaquiddick. Did they feel that the Kennedy’s had given so much of themselves, that they could overlook the terrible, cowardly actions of the only living Kennedy brother?

But what about the rest of the country? Those not close to the Kennedy Dynasty - how did Ted avoid political suicide that fateful night, in July 1969? No doubt the headlines Man Walks on the Moon saved Kennedy big time. (I have a Seattle Times from the July 20, 1969 landing and throughout the entire newspaper the stories are about the moon landing, but one. One tiny little article at the bottom of the page talks about Kennedy’s accident.)

Despite of everything, the good and the bad, I wanted to believe that the last Kennedy brother, this 77 year old man, had tried to make amends. That he tried to live a life serving his country, making amends for what he did 40 years ago. I wanted to believe that he felt remorse, and went to bed every night thinking about what he did to Mary Jo. I wanted to believe that he struggled early on with the loss of his brothers, and struggled with alcoholism, and that he tried to overcome.

I didn’t want to speak ill of him the day he died. It’s hard to think of Ted Kennedy without thinking of his brothers, and young John Jr. I wanted to believe in the dream of Camelot. (I used to be a Democrat, afterall…)

But then I saw this:

H/T Hot Air

“I don’t know if you know this or not, but one of his favorite topics of humor was indeed Chappaquiddick itself. And he would ask people, “have you heard any new jokes about Chappaquiddick?” That is just the most amazing thing. It’s not that he didn’t feel remorse about the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, but that he still always saw the other side of everything and the ridiculous side of things, too.”

You can hear the entire interview here, at the 30:10 mark.

Ted Kennedy was a drunk who drove his car into a pond, with a young woman who was not his wife, and left her to die. He waited 10 hours before getting help. He paid her family hush money, he lied in his public statement, and he lied to the police. I wanted to believe he felt remorse and changed. Ted Kennedy died as despicably and as cowardly as he was on July 18, 1969.

Ted’s favorite jokes were about Chappaquiddick. And no, Melissa, I don’t think Mary Jo would think it was “worth it”.

If I were Obama, I would give that torch back.

there is plenty of bs for the plants in obama’s garden…

American Girl in Italy — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:45:19 +0000

You know the drill - the liberal media has been smearing the Right and opponents of HCR calling them racist teabaggers. Now they are obsessed with swastikas and people displaying posters of Obama as Hitler. (Funny how none of them mention all the Bushitler attacks we saw the last eight years.)

But, what do ya know, it is a pro-single payer group that has been lugging around the gigantic Obama Hitler poster.

And not only are the people behind this poster with La RouchePAC (Stop Obama’s NAZI Plan) and in favor of Single Payer, but they are also supporters of Congressman Dingle.

Read more about it here, at the blog prof.

And speaking of plants, remember the little girl who asked Obama about all those *mean signs* she saw outside? (I wonder if she saw the Obama as Hitler one?)

Well, turns out her mom is a huge Obama contributor and fundraiser. She has met Michelle, the daughters, Biden, and Obama. Shocking, I know.

Gateway Pundit and Michelle Malkin both did some digging and it is really quite remarkable that the Obama camp tries to pass these things off as anything other than plants. The media has now picked up the story. (well, FOX has, anyway. Also here.) Bill O’Reilly covered this, and the AARP false claim in his Talking Points memo.

(How long will it take for the left to accuse people of attacking this little girl, for pointing out her mom is connected to Obama? The same type of people that attacked Palin’s children - like this site: Trig is the name, and I am retarded.)

Be sure to check out Michelle’s The illustrated guide to Obamacare human props, where she features more plants.

Plants aren’t only found at Obama events. Seems Sheila Jackson had a rare type of plant, an Obama delegate and an organizer for Organizing for America, who lied about being a doctor.

Check out Patterico’s Pontification for the full story, including an email exchange with *Dr.* Roxanne Mayer.

The liberal media is ridiculing opponents to Health Care reform accusing them of societal sabotage, and calling them fake astroturf groups and racist who just can’t accept a black president. They have been called ugly, nasty and unhinged teabaggers. And Tingles is convinced they are all racist birthers.

Ed Shultz (honestly, who really gives a flying fig what Shultz says, does anyone even watch his show?) said, “…these folks, I think, they’re dumber than Joe the Plumber….the old right wing, they’re playing on the old, angry white uneducated misinformed Americans to go out there and carry the torch in the Republican party right now.”

Lawrence O’Donnell went absolutely apeshit on one of his guests, while filling in for Shultz. Will this go down as one of the WORST interviews in history? (It probably would if anyone actually watched this show…)

Is it really any wonder that msnbc is the worst in cable news? Perhaps if they actually put aside their bias, and did their jobs, (and quit obsessing over FOX) they wouldn’t be tanking like they are. Heck, Chris Matthews lost to CNN hosted by Kathy Griffith.

Don’t think they are bias? Who said this, and when?

“It is political dissent that created this country and sustained it and improved it.”

And what does he say about dissent now?

“The staged astroturf protests at the health care town halls are no longer about the proposed reform, no longer even about health care-now, transparent euphemisms for racism….It isn’t taxes and it isn’t tea parties and it isn’t stimuli and it isn’t Sotomayor and it isn’t health care reform and it isn’t the public option. Do some of these people simply fear and hate a black president?”

My how the times have changed.

People are angry, and frustrated, on both sides. But I have a feeling the *right wing racist teabaggers* are fed up and pissed off because they aren’t being listened to. They are just attacked. How can anyone expect civil debate when one side is repeatedly attacked and insulted. And no, they don’t deserve this. It started long before the HCR debate did.

did obama joker poster cross the line?

American Girl in Italy — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:00:22 +0000

Newsbusters: MSNBC Picks Up WaPo Article Claiming Obama Joker Poster Racist

CONTESSA BREWER: Is a poster of the President as the Joker racist? The posters in Los Angeles and elsewhere show the President as The Dark Knight version of the Joker above the word ‘socialism,’ you see it there. Except nobody seems to know who came up with this Obama image, face painted white, lipstick in the shape of an extended grin, he’s got the dark eye shadow. And no one seems to know who’s hanging them up. Phillip Kennicott is a style reporter for The Washington Post. Phillip, have you been able to get any further in finding out who’s behind it?

PHILLIP KENNICOTT: Last I checked, we still don’t know who’s done it, and I’m not sure that we will find out anytime soon.

BREWER: Alright, in your article on The Washington Post, you say – let me just give the title: ‘Obama as the Joker: Racial Fears, Ugly Face.’ Explain what you mean.

KENNICOTT: Well, I go back to the original context of the Joker in the Batman films. And these films have always been about urban fears, and quite simply, those fears code in many ways, black. They play into anti-African-American stereotypes. Which is one of the reasons I think they chose this particular comic book villain, instead of some other, to superimpose over the face of the President.

BREWER: But we – and we just put it up there – we saw George W. Bush on Vanity Fair as the Joker. I mean, then why would this be racially motivated?

KENNICOTT: Well, I mean, for the obvious reason that George Bush wasn’t black. I mean in this case, I think what they’re doing is finding an image that actually has undercurrents when applied to Obama that it simply didn’t have when it applied to Bush.

BREWER: You know, it’s interesting, because we’re seeing a lot of these trends, a lot of these questions about whether some of the attacks against Obama are really about the color of his skin. For instance, not just this Joker poster, but also, the whole birther movement. Do you think that maybe there’s not enough attention being paid to how many of the attacks really still are about the color of our President’s skin?

KENNICOTT: I think we’re going to be having two conversations in this country about the President for a long time. There’s going to be a political conversation and then there’s going to be a racial conversation, which we obviously haven’t about any previous president, because he’s the first African-American president. And it’s very difficult to separate those two conversations. And there’s a lot of sensitivity when people feel the other side in a debate crosses the line. But I think, absolutely, we need to continue looking at what are the legitimate political arguments and where – where racially coded arguments are coming in. And that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re racist arguments, but being aware of how race is playing into imagery.

BREWER: Alright, Phillip, thanks.

In the 4PM hour, anchor David Shuster teased an upcoming discussion about the posters:

“Meanwhile, conservative sites are posting this image of President Obama. Where is the bashing going to lead?” A still shot of the poster was shown on screen with the headline: “Right-Wing Hate?” During the later segment, Shuster asked Democratic strategist Julian Epstein: “A lot of conservative websites have been running essentially a shot of President Obama where he looks like Heath Ledger, the Joker from ‘Batman,’ and it says ‘Socialism’ underneath it. He’s got sort of a white scary face. Is that appropriate? Does that cross the line?”

Hmmm…Appropriate? I don’t know, Shuster? Where exactly IS the line?

Is this over the line:

Or this: Is Sarah Palin a poster girl for racism?

Or this: Town Meeting Protestors ‘Taking a Page Right Out of a Nazi Playbook?

Or this:

Maybe this was over the line? Sarah Palin getting divorced.

Or any one of the images I added above? Why the fuss over one anonymous poster?

Racist? I don’t think so…

no drugs for you! unless you want an overdose…?

American Girl in Italy — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:20:09 +0000

I saw this little tid-bit on HotAir today:

One patient in Oregon got a letter that made this all too clear, when in the same letter rejecting her request for life-extending chemotherapy, Oregon offered her “physician-aid-in-dying”. In other words, Oregon offered their customer a heapin’ helping of death:

Yikes, *sorry, no drugs for you, but we can help you commit suicide*. I think this is what Obama was talking about when he said maybe a pill is best?

When it comes to health care reform, I have listened to both sides of the debate, and can agree with portions of both arguments. Living in Italy, where we have socialized medicine, I also see the good and the bad with this type of system. For the most part, I have stayed out of the health care reform issue. I believe the American people should be *the deciders* on this important issue. But, I am pissed when the Senate scoffs at reading the bills, and I worry about the attempts to pass this so quickly.

I have had a lot of discussions with family and friends, and hear opinions from all points of view. I think the most important thing is that people fully understand what these changes mean - financially and as far as actual coverage. And when members of Congress, and Obama don’t even know what is being proposed, that worries me.

Supporters of the health care reform like to say that people go to Canada for healthcare, and deny that people travel to the US for care. People travel to the US ALL the time seeking better care. Some Americans may travel to Canada for healthcare, and I would bet those would be the uninsured Americans, or someone who was denied care by their insurance company. But I bet most would be people without insurance, and want to get some free care in Canada. Also, to take advantage of the cheaper drugs in Canada.

But, people from ALL over the world do travel to the US to receive the best care.

So, what do I think about socialized medicine? Well, for starters, it is paid for with taxes. Europeans pay +50% of their income in taxes for the socialized care. It can work efficiently and can be a great system. It can also be a nightmare. It depends on the area, the actual doctors and medical personnel. Socialized medicine seems to be great for caring for massive amounts of lower income people, people who just want the bare minimum in care. When I say bare minimum, I mean be prepared to supply all of your own comforts/supplies in the hospitals (from tvs to maxipads.) There are no private rooms, no fancy birthing suites. Yes, it’s cheap (not considering the taxes you pay), and perhaps you may not care, but it is a no frills system.

Patients are responsible for their own health history, and carry around their own x-rays, samples and files from doctor to hospital, to doctor. (This includes all biological specimens, etc.) Also, you have to give yourself your own shots.

There seems to be very little funds for maintaining the hospitals, and I have seen hospitals with conditions as bad as those we saw at the Walter Reed hospital. Most are old, and in all stages of decay.

You also have to be very pushy with your health care provider. My BIL was suffering from what I thought was an aneurysm due to his symptoms, loss of balance, slurred speech, unable to walk straight, loss of vision in one eye, strange taste in mouth, upset stomach. The doctor wanted to test him for GERD… My FIL got very assertive, and went to the hospital and found his doctor, and explained his sons condition. The doctor ordered an immediate CAT scan and they found a huge brain tumor. Now, the Dr. was awesome, and he got great care. But, had the family not pushed, he would probably be taking Pepto Bismal or something.

My MIL was misdiagnosed for three years, and given steroids which destroyed her bones. She waited four months for a knee surgery to repair the damage to her cartilage caused by the roids. My FIL was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and received fairly quick care. Overall, except for a few bad experiences, I have personally witnessed a pretty good system in Italy.

Another strain on the system is people use the emergency room as a doctors office. Doctors office visits are *private* but you pay ~150 euro. So, many people prefer to just go to the emergency room, where it is *free* (there is usually a small fee for tests, though).

Private doctors and dentists will send you to the hospital for tests, including blood tests, and e-rays, (since most don’t have the capability/expensive machines in their office), where you take a number, and wait. If you are in line at the hospital before the doors open, your wait is only a couple hours. If you arrive there late, you can wait many hours.

When my brother in law was diagnosed as having a tumor with the CAT scan, he was then transported to another hospital for the MRI. He was then transferred to another hospital for the surgery, where the surgeon for tumors worked. The hospitals can’t all afford to have all of the many machines that are needed for diagnosis. These machines are very expensive. Now, I assume a hospital in Milan or Rome would be fully equipped, but from my experience, the smaller ones where I live are not.

There are advantages and disadvantages. A big plus is you do not go in debt when you get ill. But, you have to pay a lot of taxes, and the health industry does suffer. And from what I have seen, there is a big difference in care depending on location, and the quality of people working.

One thing someone pointed out to me is small business owners who provide health care are at a disadvantage when bidding against companies that don’t provide insurance. The bids by companies that have to factor in their health care expenses are at a disadvantage because their job bids are usually more expensive because the competitors aren’t paying health insurance. So, mandates on companies that don’t provide insurance will help level the playing field with small business owners.

Although, I wonder if, when cutting costs, small business owners will choose to drop insurance all together, knowing there is a government option available? (Why is it required that businesses provide insurance, anyway? I can see the benefit of say, a Microsoft, to offer health care to their employees as a benefit, and they probably get a great package, based on the number of employees they have, but for a small business? Do they get more of an advantage, or are they strapped paying for the healthcare?)

I have heard horror stories in Europe and in the US. I hear about long waits, denied care, and botched surgeries in both Europe and America. I hear about people dying, and people being cured in both places. As I said, you won’t find yourself strapped with hundreds of thousands of dollars in dept in a socialized system, but you may find yourself denied care.

One nagging thing that worries me about moving to a government run system is that the US currently has the system in which people from all around the world turn to. How would a government run system affect the system as a whole?

And, as I brought up below, how will the Health Care reform reconcile the costs of Medical School with the new govt. subsidized Doctor salaries.

In American, doesn’t med school run upwards of $100,000+? My husbands cousin spent around $3000 - $4000 for her entire university and med school in Italy. Doctors graduating in America, with massive debt, I would assume expect to earn salaries that will allow them to repay their loans. Under a gov run plan, I don’t see that happening…?

I think there is definitely a need to fix parts of the system - the insurance companies denying/determining care, not your doctor. We need tort reform. The price of medicine is crazy. They need to examine what doctors charge insurance companies for their services/tests. My husband, a dentist, is stunned sometimes when he finds out what dentists bill for procedures in the states. Let’s just say, it is a wee bit more pricey than in Italy.

So, what do you think about the health care reform? And if you are an expat, what are your experiences with health care in Europe vs. America? I have had a good experience with the system here. My husband has some doctors in the family, and friends, so we know the quality of doctors is excellent. :O) But, as I said, we also hear the horror stories.

My point in all of that, is that I do believe the goal of the Obama administration/Democrats is to get to a single payer, government run universal health care system.

I am not trying to influence one way or the other, just offer my personal experience, and opinions.

I think the American people need to demand the facts, educate themselves, and figure out what they believe is the best system for America, and be the *deciders*. For every article I read about how great healthcare is in Canada, I can find two that talk about the horrors. Same goes for the current care in America.

Whatever type of care you think may be best, at least find out the facts of the proposed reform. And demand that members of Congress read the bills! And be prepared to expect your taxes to go up. I can not imagine this system having any chance at success without raising taxes.