Tag Archives: health care

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tentative Tuesday …&some News ~ new hc benefit


Today, our President will announce a new health care benefit that will impact all Americans.

Primary day

If not now   -when

Politicians and the Military who serve the people would be well warned to remember that the consequences of their actions or inaction have an impact that affects all of us.

In our 24/7 news cycle, it brings forth a lot of information that quite frankly seems more  like ugly gossip than anything else and in some instances reporters seem willing to put people at risk and today we hear that our military has started to fight openly, something that is usually classified  is not anymore? gotta say,  it is with great displeasure to know that in order to get the story magazines like the Rolling Stone would go with or without thought that extra mile and get a top military general to talk on or off the record not only about the President and his Administration but about others in the circle and or chain of command.  I am no military expert but it would be a moment that maybe someone would have enough sense to see what the impact would be on everyone including Americans  -it is with great sadness no one said ok this story could have all kinds of repercussions to our security to the security of the guys fighting and quite possibly to the top guys; but no- Rolling Stone found the rogue General was upset enough to talk and say things that will probably end his career though from what i read about McChrystal he seemed very adept at his job though the Obama administration has fought him about his military moves he has on some occasions been right -but was overridden which is probably why he decided to go rogue and talk til it got to the mainland; big big mistake.  Most people, sane people know this behavior is not acceptable by anyone on the lower level let alone those on the top level.  The notion that Rolling Stone made arrangements to do a story then spent over 3months with the general and no one told them that what was being said was off the record? even the comments from eiken berry should have been off the record/classified. The comments made by the General were calculated and  in response to his feelings of being betrayed but no military man should spout off to civilians unless and until he has gone through all the channels needed at the highest level ever -the President and from this mornings reports our President is furious and rightly so.  It’s a tough call -though he seems to have been somebody who had a plan his outbursts are unacceptable and should be dealt with swiftly.

The other odd news …among so many, is that Peter Orszag will be leaving in July and though he has been out of sight for quite sometime since the financial crisis was at its worse; obviously the rumors will be hot and heavy with no end in sight until someone at the WH decides to announce his departure and why. The Tea party has decided…well, reports are that Sarah Palin has given an indian woman and a black man permission to run for office which is strange in and of itself because who anointed Palin with that kind or power.

The BP oil disaster has cast a big shadow on Republicans because it showed exactly what side of any issue about big Corporations they are on and it ain’t with We the People; it’s an issue for me hopefully others will continue to replay the words that Barton, Bachmann Boehner, Paul Rand Sarah Palin have said: they are  corporatist that have probably voted against the people for years and are now being outed by an oil spill that will impact the Gulf Coast for decades and bring that areas businesses to their knees unfortunately. A lawsuit demanding the Feds cancel the moratorium because of all the jobs in limbo has been filed and the judge will decide on Wednesday if it merits.  It seems like a no brainer for a moratorium to be placed in effect until each one is evaluated and relief wells put into place and that 500mil dollar accessory is available so that each well has true safety features.

Other News …

judge says moratorium should end/grants injunction/administration will appeal/judge martin feldman -is a lot of things but should end/will affect unemployment and ripple throughout and damage that cannot undo/he cannot justify the moratoriumthis ruling coming  from a judge from  Alabama and given his position by Ronald Reagan


Fifty-seven percent of residents in Fremont, NE voted Monday to “banish illegal immigrants from jobs and rental homes,” overturning an earlier decision by city leaders. “Within minutes” of its passage, the ACLU in Nebraska “pledged to file a lawsuit” against the ordinance on grounds that it would “cause discrimination and racial profiling.”TP

Under orders from President Obama, the Labor Department is set to “expand the rights of gay workers by allowing them to take family and medical leave to care for sick or newborn children of same-sex partners.” Those who work for a company with 50 or more employees are entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave “to care for a newborn or for a spouse, son or daughter with ‘a serious health condition.'”TP

Sixty-five percent of Americans support President Obama’s temporary moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, a New York Times/CBS News poll found. “Overwhelmingly, Americans think the nation needs a fundamental overhaul of its energy policies, and most expect alternative forms to replace oil as a major source within 25 years,” the poll suggested.TP

“I have great respect for [gays and lesbians].”
— Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, 4/24/10

VERSUS

 

“We can get into the ick factor, but the fact is two men in a relationship, two women in a relationship, biologically, that doesn’t work the same.”

— Huckabee, 6/28/10, quoted in the New Yorker magazine


C-SPAN …

Conferees to address “swipe fees” at todays meeting

The Conference Cmte. on Financial Regulation legislation continues its meeting today. One of the issues under discussion will be fees charged to consumers on debit card “swipe fees”. Other areas of the legislation that will be debated this week include, derivatives trading, a consumer protection agency, an auto dealers exemption on some of the new regulations, and the so called “Volcker rule” which limits banks ability to make trades with their own money.The conference cmte. hopes to finish the bill this week so both chambers can vote on it before the July 4th recess.

Watchdog Questions Secretary Geithner on TARP’s Management

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner makes his fourth appearance before the Congressional Oversight Panel, giving an update on his Department’s handling of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The Congressionally-created group is charged with supervising how the $700 billion fund is managed and other financial stabilization initiatives proposed by the Obama Administration.
watch COP Hearing on C-SPAN at 10am ET
visit COP Website

Oil Rig Support Services File Lawsuit to Overturn Ban

The federal hold on new deepwater drilling faces its first legal challenge after several companies that provide support services to oil rigs filed a lawsuit to overturn the moratorium. In the filing, Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC claims the suspension on drilling will result in lost jobs and wages in Louisiana. A federal judge will decide Wednesday whether to overturn the ban.Kenneth Feinberg, the Independent Claims Facilitator of the $20 billion fund for victims of the spill, is in the Gulf region to begin implementing a plan to dispense funds to victims of the spill. He says the plan will likely be in place in 30 to 45 days, and after that time future claims will be addressed within 30 to 60 days of submission. He and his associates have also started arranging town hall meetings across the region, where people can discuss concerns and learn how to file claims.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Republicans -apologists


Republicans just released their latest fundraising report and it’s got me fired up. For two straight months now, Republicans have broken fundraising records! I guess being apologists for Big Oil pays.

Here’s what it comes down to. This June 30th FEC deadline is as big as it gets. If we don’t beat the Republicans, it will be seen as a sign the GOP has all the momentum. We can’t let it happen.

Help House Democrats raise $1 million in grassroots gifts by the June 30th FEC deadline. Contribute $5, $10 or more today and a group of Democrats will match you dollar-for-dollar.

Stop Sarah Palin's Tea Party

John Boehner must be worried about all his British Petroleum stock. Because in addition to record-breaking fundraising from special interests, he also just kicked off his “Battleground” campaign to get Republican House Members to raise $20 million so they can protect Big Oil’s agenda.

We have more seats in play this year, but right now, Republicans are raising more money.

We know what happens when Democrats have resources – we won the special election in Pennsylvania’s 12 district when a lot of the supposedly smart money was saying we couldn’t win a district in 2010 that Barack Obama couldn’t win in 2008. But we did.

We’re already close to making our grassroots goal. Help put us over the top by the June 30th FEC filing deadline.

Thanks,

Paul Begala
Paul Begala

P.S. June 30th marks the first FEC deadline since Republicans broke fundraising records for two months in a row now, thanks to all that Big Oil special interest money pouring in. The media is closely watching to see whether grassroots Democrats can reclaim the momentum for our side. Contribute today and a group of Democrats will match you dollar-for-dollar.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

A message for OFA from the President


Organizing for America

President Obama recorded a message for OFA supporters to update us on the crisis in the Gulf and why it’s critical that we establish a new foundation for energy in this country.

Watch the President's update.

See the message:

http://my.barackobama.com/CleanEnergyUpdate

Thanks,

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

BP And Its Apologists… ThinkProgress.org


Last month, BP CEO Tony Hayward lamented the continuing Gulf oil spill crisis was preventing a return to his privileged life of skiing and sailing. “There’s no one who wants this over more than I do,” said Hayward. “I would like my life back.” While Hayward, who is still in charge of BP operations, apologized for his remarks, the perception that the oil giant’s chief executive does not recognize the effect his company’s oil spill is having on the Gulf Coast economy and environment became even more apparent this weekend. “Two days after Mr. Hayward angered lawmakers on Capitol Hill with his refusal to provide details during testimony about the worst offshore oil spill in United States history,” photographers spotted Hayward on his yacht, which was competing at the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race off the Isle of Wight in the English Channel. But while Hayward relaxes on his yacht, millions of gallons of oil continue to gush in the Gulf sending crude as far east as Panama City, FL. As the disaster continues to devastate the economy, reports of the spill’s ravaging effects on the Gulf Coast’s environment and local wildlife persist — “a rare and endangered species of sea turtle is being burned alive in BP’s controlled burns of the oil swirling around the Gulf of Mexico, and a boat captain tasked with saving them says the company has blocked rescue efforts.”

OFFICIALS CHASTISE HAYWARD: Yesterday on ABC’s This Week, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Hayward yachting off the English coast during the oil crisis is “part of a long line of P.R. gaffes and mistakes.” “[T]o quote Tony Hayward, he has got his life back,” Emanuel said, adding, “I think we can all conclude that Tony Hayward is not going to have a second career in PR consulting.” Other lawmakers were more critical of Hayward, seeming to acknowledge that the situation is beyond PR crises and that Hayward and BP appear to lack any understanding of the Gulf spill’s disastrous consequences. On CBS’s Face the Nation yesterday, Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) said he is “very disappointed at how out of touch the executives at BP are.” On the same program, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) called on Hayward to step down. “I thought the fact that the chairman of BP had the gall, the arrogance, to go to a yacht race…in England, while all of this was going on here was the height of stupidity. And I believe myself that he should go,” Shelby said.

HAYWARD’S GOP FRIENDS: One of Hayward’s friends on Capitol Hill, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), last week apologized to Hayward for what he perceived as a White House “shakedown” of BP and its executives. Many Republicans and conservative pundits leaped to Barton’s defense. The Republican Study Committee (RSC) concurred with Barton, firing off a statement declaring that the $20 billion dollar escrow account negotiated by BP and the Obama administration for victims of the oil catastrophe in the gulf is a “Chicago-Style Political Shakedown.” Reps. John Fleming (R-LA) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) agreed with the RSC and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said he shares Barton’s concerns. Indeed, New York Times’ columnist Frank Rich noted, “The spill’s sole positive benefit has been to unambiguously expose the hard right, for all its populist pandering to the Tea Partiers, as a stalking horse for its most rapacious corporate patrons.” Other Republicans weren’t as eager to come to Barton’s defense. “I couldn’t disagree with Joe Barton more,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell yesterday on Fox News Sunday. “[I]t somewhat baffles me with respect to why he apologized to BP,” Cao said. “I condemn Mr. Barton’s statement. Mr. Barton’s remarks are out of touch with this tragedy and I feel his comments call into question his judgment and ability to serve in a leadership on the Energy and Commerce Committee,” Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) said. Republicans told Barton last week that he should either apologize for his remarks or face losing his Energy Committee chairmanship. Hours later, Barton backtracked. “I apologize for using the term ‘shakedown’ with regard to yesterday’s actions at the White House this morning, and I retract my apology to BP,” he said in a statement.

MORE BP MALFEASANCE: An employee who worked on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded last April causing the oil spill has told the BBC that he had identified a leak in the rig’s blowout preventer safety device weeks before the explosion and informed BP about it. The worker, Tyrone Benton, said the leak was not fixed in time and, instead, the company relied on a second preventer. “That is unacceptable,” Professor Tad Patzek, petroleum expert at the University of Texas, said. “If you see any evidence of the blowout preventer not functioning properly, you should fix it by whatever means possible.” Additionally, Congressional investigators have found that BP used a well design the investigators labeled as “risky” in more than one-third of its deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico. The Wall Street Journal reports that BP used the cheaper “long-string” design “significantly more often than most peers” — including on the Deepwater Horizon rig. “The decision,” says a letter from Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Bart Stupak (D-MI), “appears to have been made to save time and reduce costs.” Moreover, a newly released internal BP document shows that the oil giant estimated that up to 4.2 million gallons of oil per day could gush from a damaged well in the Gulf. Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) said in a press release that BP’s estimate stands “in sharp contrast to BP’s initial claim that the leak was just 1,000 barrels a day.”

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

UNDER THE RADAR ECONOMY — WHILE TEXAS CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY NEW FAR-RIGHT TEXTBOOKS, RICK PERRY STILL RESISTS FEDERAL AID


UNDER THE RADAR

ECONOMY — WHILE TEXAS CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY NEW FAR-RIGHT TEXTBOOKS, RICK PERRY STILL RESISTS FEDERAL AID: For the past year, far-right members of the Texas Board of Education have been overhauling the state’s textbook standards. The changes include “pushing for inclusion of more…Confederate glorification,” renaming the Atlantic slave trade the “Atlantic Triangle Trade,” and raising doubt about climate change. However, the Texas Observer now reports that, with the state facing “a budget shortfall of at least $11 billion in 2011,” the “money isn’t going to be there” for the state to buy the new books. The books with the new science standards “would have cost $400 million, and the Legislature is already expecting a bill of $888 million for textbooks already ordered.” To ensure that students can still be exposed to “proof, supposedly, of evolution’s fallibility,” the Board is trying to secure funding for special “supplements for science classes from fifth grade through high school.” Ironically, though, the legislature’s biggest obstacle to securing the revisionist textbooks is right-wing Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), whose constant compulsion has been to oppose federal funding. At the beginning of June, he refused to let Texas compete for Race to the Top funding for education reform because he falsely claimed the program would weaken the state’s school standards, an allegation refuted by fellow Republican governor Sonny Perdue of Georgia. The Houston Chronicle earlier this week lamented Perry’s stubborn “grandstanding” despite the clear need for education support in the state. Texas now faces a daunting $18 billion shortfall for the next two-year budget cycle, amounting to 20 percent of the total budget, but Perry misguidedly insists he can find enough spending cuts to create balance. He is even blustering about rejecting supplementary Medicaid funding from Congress that would greatly help address the state’s fiscal woes. Last year, he tried to reject the stimulus money that proved key to balancing Texas’ budget, insisting, “We can take care of ourselves,” before the legislature intervened and secured relief.