BuelahMan is Justin Bieber’s Newest Fan

My daughter is 6. She is “in love” with this kid and “wants to marry him”. She has MADE me sit thru each and every video of him (and Usher). For the life of me, I don’t get it, except to say that the kid is an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist and singer. He dances, too. Personally, if he did rock and roll I might be even more adoring of him.

But before I go on, I want to tell you about my day.

I have been to a foot “specialist” to confirm what I already knew: I have torn my Achilles tendon. This is no minor deal, either. This tendon is one of the worst to tear and repair and is apt to have many more problems with as I go forth. This specialist is a great guy. He was a student of my Mother-in-law and actually rode with her to school for quite some time. He also graduated high school with my wife. He understands my financial situation and is breaking a few of his business rules, but even with that, this is going to cost me alot of money that I don’t have.

Case in point, “The Boot”:

This sweet little contraption normally costs $500. Our friend (The Dr) let me have it for $300. They wanted me to use crutches with this boot and would sell me a pair for $80 (luckily I have access to a bent up pair that my wife’s Grandfather used 20 years ago… which will suffice). I can bend them back straight if it becomes too much of a problem, but they’re good for now.

They did Xrays of my foot and ankle ($150) and his charge for the visit was $100. My insurance comes with a $3500 deductible starting at the beginning of this year, so guess what… it’s all on me at my $290/week unemployment set to end the end of this month. He allowed me to pay $200, but the rest is due within 30 days. He has an order for me to go to the local hospital for an MRI on the lower leg, foot and ankle to confirm what we both know is the problem. I’m guessing somewhere around $1000 (maybe more).

Then, if true (I go back Tuesday for confirmation), he will send me to another Doctor for surgery in a town not too far from here (for he doesn’t work on anything above the ankle). It appears that most Achilles tendon tears are actually up around the calf, where the tendon is at its weakest point and not where it attaches to the heel. All of this means that I can figure to spend at least another $5,000 for the surgery and new Doctor. This is all money I don’t have and no way to get.

So, why do I now find myself a Bieber fan? Because he said this in a Rolling Stones article:

The Canadian-born (Justin) Bieber never plans on becoming an American citizen. “You guys are evil,” he jokes. “Canada’s the best country in the world.” He adds, “We go to the doctor and we don’t need to worry about paying him, but here, your whole life, you’re broke because of medical bills. My bodyguard’s baby was premature, and now he has to pay for it. In Canada, if your baby’s premature, he stays in the hospital as long as he needs to, and then you go home.”

I don’t really know if he was joking or not, but the system is evil as hell, in my opinion. If you have read here any length of time, you know how I feel about Big Meds. I was a huge advocate for Single Payer and wrote about it constantly when the debate (yeah, as IF they ever debated Single payer) was brewing.

I have tracked those corrupt Congresspeople that gain from fighting against Single Payer. And I have paid tribute to the very few who worked to get it debated (and then the ones who capitulated like the lap-dogs they are). I have called the lying liars out on several occasions, noting that Mr Soetero was once a very vocal advocate (but that only happened with certain audiences):

Poor lying bastard.

I also did a series called Where In The World Is Universal Healthcare, where one could do their own investigation into how other countries have implemented similar Single Payer systems and achieved far better results in health that we could ever achieve with a profit driven system. I highly advise you read thru those posts to see how you, as an American, are getting screwed.

Suffice it to say that I recognized that the American Sheople were being taken for a ride and most gobbled up the lies like a 750 pounder gobbles up donuts. We could have better, but the people here need to wake up and get rid of the two party criminal Corptocracy which feeds in large amounts from the health insurance industry.

Rock on, Biebes!

All posts are opinions meant to foster comment, reporting, teaching & study under the “fair use doctrine” in Sec. 107 of U.S. Code Title 17. No statement of fact is made or should be implied. Ads appearing on this blog are solely the product of the advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BuehlahMan’s Revolt or WordPress.com

The Filibuster That Never Was

I watched hours of his filibusterspeech and was impressed enough to share it with several people. They, too, were impressed with what one of the few “Independents” had to say. But allow me to clarify one thing, this was no filibuster. The filibuster (or “talking out a bill”) is a tactic used to STOP (or delay) a vote (and generally attains that goal, as history notes). In this case, the vote is and was always scheduled for Monday, Dec 13, 2010. Mr Sanders’ office said the Senator’s intention was to “speak as long as possible against a tax deal between the White House and congressional Republicans.”

Now, unless Mr Sanders gets his ass up there again on Monday and actually attempts to STOP the vote, this is nothing but rhetoric and a means to appease the masses of people that are pissed off.

I am not suggesting that Bernie Sanders doesn’t believe what he said, for I was taken by his passion and truth… he told it like it was. But, to me this is only Kabuki Theater meant to appease. For, IF he were actually filibustering, he would be there tomorrow and ensure that this does not take place, in the first place. Steve Lendman writes in “The Fix Is In: Expect Democrats To Buckle“:

Real filibusters don’t quit without succeeding. According to Senate historian Donald Ritchie, they occur “to prevent the majority from casting a vote.” Sanders spoke on Friday. A Monday vote is scheduled. Doing it then is what counts with others holding the floor nonstop.

Instead, after what he called “a long speech,” he concluded saying:

If “the American people are prepared to stand – and we’re prepared to follow them – I think we can defeat this proposal. I think we can come up with a better (one) which better reflects the needs of the middle class and working families of our country and, to me, most importantly, the children of our country. And with that, Madam President, I would yield the floor.”

No assertion he’ll be back on Monday, staying there with others uncompromisingly to kill the deal for a better one American families deserve. Instead, rhetorical bluster substitutes for resolute action, assuring wealth again defeats popular need. Democrats are as culpable as Republicans, showing not a dime’s worth of difference between them at voting time when it counts.

The real deal will be what you saw from O and his boss, Bubba Clinton. In that clown’s speech is where you will find what will actually happen on Monday.

So, rally everyone in support of Bernie for POTUS and waste even more time as they secure the coming austerity measures against you and the mass of multi-millionaires protect their money and take what is left from you and your children.

And say, “Baaa”.

All posts are opinions meant to foster comment, reporting, teaching & study under the “fair use doctrine” in Sec. 107 of U.S. Code Title 17. No statement of fact is made or should be implied. Ads appearing on this blog are solely the product of the advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BuehlahMan’s Revolt or WordPress.com

We Are The Patriots…They Are The Terrorists

It’s all about the divide and how you and I keep falling into line with it. Even those of us who see the reality of the false paradigm have long held, brain-washed ideologies that can be difficult to break. It is ingrained in us, but that doesn’t make it impossible to break.

Every President since Kennedy has been hand picked by the Trilateral Commission. As a matter of fact, every candidate on either Party that made a November election were members of the Trilateral Commission and hand-picked to be the POTUS. The Elitists within this group doesn’t give a rat’s ass who wins, for they are all owned puppets and will carry forward the agenda prescribed for them.

Kennedy was the last POTUS to not be a member of this group and see what it got him.

But the world gobbles it up. White against blackany color, Rep vs Dem, Abortionist against Right to life, Liberal vs conservative, sugar vs hugh fructose corn syrup, just name it and claim your “side”.

Fall into the divide and help keep it that way. Focus your efforts on the “side” you dislike the most, barrage the Tea Partiers with your “progressive” rage, defend the current POTUS in lieu of all the bald faced lies he said to get elected, because God knows John and the reTHUGlicans would be worse (worse than what, B’Man asks). You think Papa Walnuts (as my buddy Tengrain calls him) would “bomb, bomb, bomb Iran”? You think he would have pulled the troops out of Iraq just to send them to Afghanistan? You think he would have put Big Money and Big Banking in their place? Do you REALLY believe there would be ANY damned difference, except the color of their skin?

Seriously, in your need to protect and defend your favorite “side”, can you NOT see they are playing you like a fool? Have you not the mental ability to know when you are being conned? Being played as a chump?

We MUST stop this shit. We must disallow them control over our every thought.

And it doesn’t help to keep silent… to not rock the boat. To just get along.

Complacency is as bad as participation in their circus.

We MUST stand up and as a nation of patriots (not Sheople) and take back the Republic. I am telling you that one of the fastest ways is to never vote R or D again. Of course, you cannot allow the thieves to leave R or D and gain control of any other “Party”, as the Tea Partiers are wont to do.

We can start anew, but it will take a concerted effort that is NOT impossible. IF enough people feel the real pain.

I feel it.

Do you?

All posts are opinions meant to foster comment, reporting, teaching & study under the “fair use doctrine” in Sec. 107 of U.S. Code Title 17. No statement of fact is made or should be implied. Ads appearing on this blog are solely the product of the advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BuehlahMan’s Revolt or WordPress.com

THROW THE BASTARDS OUT!

OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ON CAPITOL HILL HAVE SCREWED US RIGHT AND LEFT. IT’S TIME TO SEND A POWERFUL MESSAGE.

by Alex Bennett
From HUSTLER MAGAZINE – March 2010 (Presented on LarryFlynt.com)

The other day I saw an interview with that enemy of the people, Glenn Beck. I’ve always believed the adage that even a stopped clock is right twice a day, and Beck proved me right when he said, “Everybody is mad at Washington.”

The people who disgusted me at those televised town hall meetings and at the March on Washington—yelling and screaming their nonsense while clutching badly spelled signs— were angry at the body politic.Well, so am I.

Have I become one of them? My politics are different, but my ire is just as rich. I too share a hatred for that fools confederation in the legislative and administrative branches of government that makes our lives a living hell. I differ, however, in how I see the country moving forward.

Politicians! Day after day, week after week, year after year, they sit around playing a stupid little game using their dicks (and some vaginas) as swords to see who has the power. At the same time, We the People sit with our dicks in our hands doing nothing while getting screwed. The worst part is we put up with it thinking that eventually these jerks will fix the economy. In fact, they keep playing their games, and we keep suffering.

Once a U.S. senator gets elected, he stays in office for six years. When it’s time for reelection, he has accrued enough power (read: money from lobbyists) to retain his seat. This cycle repeats itself until one day the senator drops dead of old age—an age achieved due to a great healthcare plan paid for by us.

In the meantime lobbyists bought him lunches and dinners, paid for his trips to exotic lands and gave him who knows how many other perks that will allow his family to inherit millions. All that time he lived off the public dole while using his influence to wheel and deal. What do we get? An early grave and the debt we leave our loved ones.

These guys are a bunch of worthless fucks, and even the best of them doesn’t make up for the rest. It gets worse each year. The games get nastier, and less gets done. As of now this country is at a standstill, paralyzed by the greed and stupidity that is called Washington politics.

Are you getting the idea I’m pissed? Well, I’ll bet you are too—even if your politics are the polar opposite of mine. What we have in common is that we’re sick of the way business is being done in our name. Our politicians have ceased to care about us. It doesn’t matter whether they’re Democrats or Republicans.

Happily, we’re still able to fight back. Forget those well-intentioned letters to your representatives, and enough already with demonstrations and those cute placards with catchy phrases—they’re a waste of time. The good ol’ boys don’t care what you think. They’re way past that. What we need to do is vote the bastards out!

Our supposed two-party system is an illusion. The Democratic and Republican parties have almost finished their merge into a single, pro-corporate entity. The fighting between them is a charade designed to keep us thinking there is a difference. It’s time for a third party that responds to the needs of 21st-century Americans.

I wish that some of the other political parties— for example, the Green Party, the Labor Party—were viable, but they just aren’t. Ross Perot managed to catch that lightning in a bottle until he went off the rails. People responded to Perot because he was articulating the public’s frustrations.

Creating a powerful third party, and even a fourth or fifth party, would be a daunting task that might take many years. So what can we do in the meantime? I say we scare the shit out of them!

Let’s send a message to every incumbent in Washington, even if they’re doing a good job, by not voting for him or her.Vote for a challenger no matter who it is. That doesn’t mean Democrats have to vote Republican or vice versa. There are always other candidates, some of whom might not be that bad once you listen to them.

The message has to be sent to our representatives. We’re their employer, and they’d better shape up. Otherwise they’ll wind up on the same unemployment line with everyone else—the unemployment line created by the politicians. If we kick the bastards out in large enough numbers, they just might pay attention.

——————————————

Alex Bennett is a longtime HUSTLER contributor. The two-time Emmy winner, who broke into broadcasting as a teenager, currently calls Sirius Left 146 his radio home.

Paul Craig Roberts Quits: I Don’t Know Whether To Be Pissed Or Give Up, Too

What is there to say about the movement? One of the most outspoken “insider” realists around seemingly sees the efforts as moot.

Should I be pissed? Should I quit? (I ask both of these to American Everyman)

I don’t know what to think about this. There is not the best rationale in his quitting. Sure, they are trying to squash any dissenting voices, but isn’t that the call to get louder?

I don’t know whether to feel sad or feel sorry for Mr Roberts.

Are we all to take the same path… give up the fight? Should we all decide that it is too late and just hang up our efforts?

I don’t know whether to be pissed or give up, too.

Mr Roberts originally penned his “retirement?” at CounterPunch. And in closing said this:

America’s fate was sealed when the public and the anti-war movement bought the government’s 9/11 conspiracy theory. The government’s account of 9/11 is contradicted by much evidence. Nevertheless, this defining event of our time, which has launched the US on interminable wars of aggression and a domestic police state, is a taboo topic for investigation in the media. It is pointless to complain of war and a police state when one accepts the premise upon which they are based.

These trillion dollar wars have created financing problems for Washington’s deficits and threaten the U.S. dollar’s role as world reserve currency. The wars and the pressure that the budget deficits put on the dollar’s value have put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block. Former Goldman Sachs chairman and U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson is after these protections for the elderly. Fed chairman Bernanke is also after them. The Republicans are after them as well. These protections are called “entitlements” as if they are some sort of welfare that people have not paid for in payroll taxes all their working lives.

With over 21 per cent unemployment as measured by the methodology of 1980, with American jobs, GDP, and technology having been given to China and India, with war being Washington’s greatest commitment, with the dollar over-burdened with debt, with civil liberty sacrificed to the “war on terror,” the liberty and prosperity of the American people have been thrown into the trash bin of history.

The militarism of the U.S. and Israeli states, and Wall Street and corporate greed, will now run their course. As the pen is censored and its might extinguished, I am signing off.

At the same time we lost one of the stalwart defenders and fighters of the only sane health care solution this week to the corptocracy (speaking of Kucinich). It seems that the few people that were holding the mantle of peace and caring for Americans (which would also help the rest of the world) over the corporate control the majority fall in line with, are folding. Giving up.

What does that mean for us… the little insignificant folks who fight with whatever methods they have access to? When the icons are dying, flip-flopping, downright selling out, or just giving up the fight and there is no one but us left, is it a lost cause?

I don’t think so. I believe that the only way to a correction is for all Americans (the ones that have the capability of transcending the mind control) to learn that their “party” is a scam and that they should do as I do and promise to not vote for either a Dem or a Rep (in my case ever again). If everyone would make and keep this promise, then obviously neither party would hold or gain another seat. But don’t fall for some replacement “Tea Party” who was simply hijacked by the old guard ReTHUGlicans. For this is precisely what will happen and you know it. They have already put their mitts all over it.

But where do the replacements come from? For just because we make the vow doesn’t mean that there will not be the undying sycophant who considers party more important than any issue facing us (which may be around 20-30% of the population, I estimate). It IS ingrained. However, it is also evident that many people are awaking. My friend (in real life) Dr Doug told me he was a long-time Republican and fell for the BS. He has been reading and totally immersing himself in links from here and many other places and finds himself to be much more libertarian than before. He is but one of many folks I know (in real life) that are seeing the light. That both parties are complicit.

So, education is the key. Being able to show people that most of these people in these party (by far) are corporatist and will fall into line no matter what. How else can you explain Kucinich or ALL the Republicans who voted against this bill without pushing for a Medicare-For-All system (or some semblance of a populist defense). The fact is that this theater we are seeing from our couches and desk chairs still, no matter what the kabuki, is nothing more than protecting and enlarging the Big Money control of America. It truly is nothing less than fascism at its base and total makeup.

I am not advocating any armed takeover (hitting the beach, as has been noted). For, unless the entire citizenry were to engage, it is a loss. I do not have that kind of trust in my fellow citizens. But there is a way to make a change, by working against their system. If enough were to see it and agree, then it is possible (I know what a HUGE “if” that is).

That being said, no matter what Mr Roberts does (hopefully just takes a short break), I am forced to keep on ranting and raving, hoping that someone new, everyday, can be reached and caused to rethink their brainwashing; Search a new horizon beyond that Two Party Paradigm.

One way to do that is search for new places to obtain information. My friend (unreal life) D.Eris from Poli-Tea (we have shared links and I have featured their work here before) has joined ranks with several Independent minded folks to form a new Blog for Independents called “Third Party and Independent Daily“. It is new and I have been reading with great interest. The goal is to move beyond that paradigm and provide news specifically for Independents and Third party folks. From the “About” block:

Third Party and Independent Daily is a multi-partisan group weblog that aggregates news and blog items from across the political spectrum on the third party and independent web.

Check ‘em out.

I know it is only a start. And I know how it feels to be depressed and feel as if nothing works. But, that is certainly not the case with Mr Robert’s influence on me and many more that valued his perspective and insight.

Take a break, Paul, then come back.

If Liz Were Queen, We Would Undermine The Entire Process

I read at a place called “If Liz Were Queen“. Nice blog, especially when it comes to the health care/health insurance issues/debate/giveaway. She explains why the Tea Partiers Are Clueless To What Is Really Wrong With The Health Care Legislation:

WHAT IS REALLY WRONG WITH THIS BILL?

IT FORCES 50 MILLION AMERICANS TO BUY AN INSURANCE PRODUCT FROM KNOWN CROOKS!

IT IS NOT “SOCIALIZED” MEDICINE. These people are just repeating what the Republican leadership have told them to say–people like Chuck Grassley who have done nothing but lie about the content of the bill.

IT IS WALL STREET CORPORATE PREDATOR MEDICINE.

IT HAS NO SAFEGUARD OF ANOTHER CHOICE, ANOTHER PLACE OTHER THAN WALL STREET FOR AMERICANS TO GO TO PURCHASE THEIR INSURANCE.  IT HAS NO PUBLIC OPTION.

IT IS NOT A “GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER” YOU FOOLS!  IT IS JUST ANOTHER WALL STREET TAKEOVER.

Her Highness provided a youtube clip of a young student as he interviews various partiers and gets their incoherent and erroneous responses.

Doesn’t that just say it all? Is it just me, but wouldn’t it make just a bit more sense if these people actually knew what they hell they were protesting? And let me just say right here and now, if you have the audacity to wear a GW Bush hat after those 8 years, you are totally beyond any hope. Its like a Bush bumper sticker on your car: surely you are so embarrassed by your two votes that put that imbecile (and his evil handler, Dick) in office, that you long ago scraped that off (even if the paint or the bumper, itself, had to go).

If this is what it means to be in a Tea party, ya’ll can have it.

Her Highness also points out that the Republicans May Have The Tables Turned On Them Over Health Care In November:

For certain it will be the Republicans from poor areas who don’t endorse the health care bill who will suffer the most.

Yep that’s how it’s shaping up.  Many of the Republicans who long touted that  the Democrats will lose the House and the Senate if they vote for health care reform look like they could lose out in November if they vote against the health care bill.

Virginia Foxx, a Republican Congresswoman from the 5th Congressional District of North Carolina might be ammong the Republican casualties in November…

Wouldn’t that be great, except that it could get much, MUCH better than putting Corporately owned and controlled Democrats such as Dennis Kucinich back in the office where they, like the Senate’s Bernie Sanders, can simply back off from principle and promises because standing for what is right might “Undermine The Entire Process“. Well, duh, you damned old fool. That is exactly what needs to be done. Disrupt the giveaway and make the system right. So, with this kowtowing remark, we lost the only seemingly sensible Senator we had.

They ALL suck.

Let us acknowledge that and get rid of every damned one of them next election cycle.

Simply do NOT vote another incumbent and ignore the two parties. For even the “Independent” Bernie Sanders has no spine after being in for so long.

They ALL must go.

If Democrats really get serious about real health care reform as Harry Reid has promised and pass the public option in the next couple of months, it’s all over for the Republicans in November.

The Democratic health  care reform would have the full support of 82% of the American people.

The Republican liars like Ghuck Grassley with his lies about “death panels” and other Republican poliiticians with their lies about the bill supporting abortion could very well be toast.

But if the Democrats are not careful and do not support a strong public option they can lose as well–not to Republicans, but to independents.  More and more Americans are beginning to get the ties of Congress–both Republicans and Democrats–to Wall Street.  We are not so dumb that we don’t get the connection between 50 million forced Wall Street Health Insurance customers and the stock portfolios of the 263 multimillionaires in Congress.

Stopping The Health Insurance Give-away Bill

Dennis the Chamberlain, don't forget to grab the train of the King's robe

Should we trust Dennis ever again?

Nope. He sold his soul to the devil, himself.

As Kurt Nimmo writes at Infowars:

Meanwhile, Obama managed to arm-twist one-time totalitarian care opponent Dennis Kucinich into backing the plan Democrats say they will enact without votes in Congress. Obama had summoned Kucinich to Air Force One and Dennis kissed the ring. “Even though I don’t like the bill, I’ve made a decision to support it in the hope that we can move to a more comprehensive approach once this legislation is done,” he told reporters.

Apparently Kucinich no longer consider Obama’s totalitarian care plan a sham. In October, he said the entire legislative package was “a bailout for insurance companies.” The American people are “being mandated to buy private insurance. If you read the bill, the people are going to end up paying — the insurance companies can raise rates 25 percent right off the bat, if you read the bill,” said Kucinich.

Dennis Kucinich, one of a very small number of Democrats who originally opposed Obamacare, now apparently believes it is fine and dandy for the government to force the commoners to buy health care insurance at gunpoint. He also believes large insurance corporations deserve a monopoly in partnership with the government.

Should we ever trust Dennis Kucinich again? I think not.

Dennis tried to defend his indefensible traitor action (piece of shit, lying scumbag), presented at AfterDowningStreet

Single Payer advocates explain reality to the Corporate whores, Howard Dean and John Conyers. h/t SinglePayerAction

And we also get the benefit (read as “sham”) of having the senate protect the health insurance premium double digit increases.

There may be but one way to stop this horrendous bill: Wait until the individual states sue.

Raw Story explains that Virginia will sue

(not that you would think it is a good idea from the Dem party sycophants commenting there)

Or maybe Idaho (thanks to AfterDowningStreet) for the link:

Idaho on Wednesday became the first state to pass a law saying no thanks to part of President Obama’s health care proposal.

The Idaho Health Care Freedom Act says in part, “every person within the state of Idaho is and shall be free to choose or decline to choose any mode of securing health care services without penalty or threat of penalty.”

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, a Republican, said Wednesday he signed it because he believes any health care laws should ensure people are “treated as an individual, rather than as an amorphous mass whose only purpose in this world is to obey federal mandates.”

Several other states may follow suit.

And of course, the obvious next step in the plan is to abolish Medicare and Medicaid. Walgreens in Washington State will stop accepting medicare payments for meds (which will be the last day my family will ever shop in their stores in TN or anywhere else, for that matter)

Effective April 16, Walgreens drugstores across the state won’t take any new Medicaid patients, saying that filling their prescriptions is a money-losing proposition — the latest development in an ongoing dispute over Medicaid reimbursement.

The company, which operates 121 stores in the state, will continue filling Medicaid prescriptions for current patients.

In a news release, Walgreens said its decision to not take new Medicaid patients stemmed from a “continued reduction in reimbursement” under the state’s Medicaid program, which reimburses it at less than the break-even point for 95 percent of brand-name medications dispensed to Medicaid patents. (h/t PrisonPlanet)

If you want to see a non-corporately owned person explain the truth in opposition to the flip-flopping Kucinich at Democracy Now. Watch as Nader says the truth about the bill and how Dennis cannot explain himself without admitting he had to kowtow to corporate pressures.

Dennis, you know that Obama is not going to help real America. Ralph knows this and is unapologetic in explaining it.

The video at the Democracy Now link is one of the most important you can see that not only tears Dennis a new asshole, but explains exactly what is happening in this bill. Dennis, however, is owned and indebted to the Corporately owned Democratic party. And as far as I am concerned, he can have them and suck on them and do whatever it is he needs to do to kiss their ass. At least Ralph didn’t.

At the end, Dennis shows his true colors and that his dedication and motivation is to protect Obama and the Dem Party.

This, in and of itself, is enough to write him off as I have.

The Drive For Single Payer by Ralph Nader

The Drive for Single Payer

by Ralph Nader

After several weeks of protests at Senate hearings and health care events by single payer advocates (visit singlepayeraction.org), six physicians from Oregon, with 191 years of combined real-world medical experience, are crossing the country in a 27-foot Winnebago making stops in nearly 30 cities, to debate, educate and advance full medicare for all. Everybody in, nobody out.

Calling themselves “Mad as Hell Doctors,” these physicians are already drawing crowds and expect thousands to turn out at each city that they visit, culminating in a large arrival demonstration in front of the White House around October 1. (Visit www.madashelldoctors.com)

They have written President Obama asking for a meeting “to discuss the future of health care as well as the moral, social, and fiscal imperative of enacting a single-payer system for America at this moment in our history.”

The White House turned them down flat, not even leaving the door open for reconsideration. Mr. Obama has met countless times with the CEOs of large corporations, whose greed and callousness causes so much of this crisis. Though he believes in single payer “if we started from scratch,” he has yet to meet with any single payer delegation.

The White House has shown that it lacks smarts. The formless, waffling Obama health insurance proposal is being shattered by the Republican cluster of Limbaugh-driven lies and the Blue Dog renegades in the Democratic Party, who are busy cashing mounds of campaign checks from the so-called health business. By ignoring and excluding the majority-supported single payer approach, the White House stifles any kind of insurance reform worthy of the name.

Publicized lies are translating into fears among people who should be supporting full medicare for all. FactCheck.org reports that “a notorious analysis of the House health care bill contains 48 claims. Twenty-six of them are false, and the rest are mostly misleading. Only four are true. For example, false are claims that the bill includes an order for end-of-life plans or health care for illegal aliens or assertions that ‘your health care will be rationed.’”

So wild are the falsehoods, fueled by runaway internet traffic, that the Republican National Committee implied in a fundraising letter that Democrats may structure the overhaul in a way to deny medical treatment to Republicans!

As with war, truth is the first casualty when it comes to the health care debate. The Democratically-controlled Congress, on its return after Labor Day, needs a wide-ranging personal, evidence-based series of public House and Senate hearings to again publicize the compelling story of avoidable suffering, fraud, waste, egregious profiteering and top executive self-enrichment – all subsidized by taxpayers.

Take the enormous and shocking information researched by Harvard Professor Malcolm Sparrow-an applied mathematician whose knowledge of health care billing schemes and regulatory deficiencies is without peer.

Mr. Sparrow is no arm-chair commentator. He has dug deeply into the enormously comprehensive frauds on medicare and consumers. He has found payments for medical services ordered by deceased doctors or huge payments in treatments for deceased patients-many gone for years.

Highlighting the widespread fraud on medicare by criminal behavior, he argues that these actions should be treated as “a crime problem” not just a “claims-processing problem.” Without criminal prosecutions, there is no deterrent stopping this massive robbery.

How massive? Read these words in recent testimony by Professor Sparrow:

The units of measure for losses due to health care fraud and abuse in this country are hundreds of billions of dollars per year. We just don’t know the first digit. It might be as low as one hundred billion. More likely two or three. Possibly four or five. But whatever that first digit is, it has eleven zeroes after it. These are staggering sums of money to waste, and the task of controlling and reducing these losses warrants a great deal of serious attention.

In the early 1990s, the Congressional Government Accounting Office estimated that billing fraud accounts for 10% of health care spending annually. That would be about $250 billion this year. In 1993, Attorney General Janet Reno declared that health care fraud was the number two crime problem, after violent crime in the country.

With someone as carefully authoritative as Malcolm Sparrow, the Democrats can make this crime spree front and center during the health care debate. People want to be assured that their health insurance dollars are protected. Instead the “license to steal,” which is the title of Mr. Sparrow’s groundbreaking book, continues. And the Republicans continue to sidetrack priorities for action with seedy prevarications.

It is a remarkable commentary on the state of the White House and Congress that the Democrats appear befuddled in dealing with the kind of coarse, cruel, fear-mongering that an FDR and Lyndon Johnson would have overwhelmed and sent packing.

Meanwhile, join the “Care-A-Van” of roadtripping Oregon physicians and their efforts to bring the message of health care for all to Washington, DC.

Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, lawyer, and author. His most recent book is The Seventeen Traditions.

h/t Commondreams

B’Man’s Redneck Watch: RealMan Just Don’t Want It

Sen Bernie Sanders addresses “RealMan” about what he thinks he don’t want:

Senator Sanders Unfiltered: Lies, Fibs and Anti-Reformers

Get weekly Senator Sanders Unfiltered episodes delivered to you on Facebook, Twitter, or email. Sign up at: http://sandersunfiltered.com And, be part of Senator Sanders weekly show. Submit your video question via Twitvid with #Sanders. http://twitvid.com

I got news for you, RealMan, Ole BuelahMan, here, doesn’t want it because I have taken the time to understand what is in it. Unlike you, I haven’t fallen for the Glenn Beck, Hannity, O’Liely meme. I see what what is transpiring right before our eyes (a wonderfully enriching gift to the Insurance Companies and little true reform for anyone). I wish you would help me  fight for the ultimate in health care… Single Payer, Not-For-Profit “Medicare-For-All”. Something like Canada’s system that has an 86% Approval Rating (via Undernews):

FOUR OF FIVE CANADIANS LIKE THEIR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Andre Picard, Globe & Mail, CA – An overwhelming 86 per cent of Canadians favor “public solutions” for bolstering medicare, according to a new poll. . . “With more than eight in 10 Canadians supporting public solutions to make public health care stronger, there is compelling evidence that Canadians across all demographics would prefer a public over a for-profit health-care system,” said Nik Nanos, president of Nanos Research.
A recent report by Health Canada found that 85 per cent of Canadians were “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with health-care services overall. That level was unchanged from 2005, the last time the survey was conducted.

I am nowhere near that satisfied with my healthcare, are you, RealMan?

And what about you “Progressive” RealMen? You still backing the plan because Mr Obama has made more money in campaign donations than any other politician in history (again, Undernews)?

Timothy P. Carney, DC Examiner – Barack Obama last year received more campaign cash from health maintenance organizations than any politician before him ever did — and it’s not even close.

Obama raised more than $1.4 million in 2008 from the employees and executives of “Health Services/HMOs” as the Center for Responsive Politics labels them — or “villains” as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls them. That’s more than the combined haul of every Republican nominee since Ronald Reagan left office.

These numbers don’t prove that Obama is owned by the health insurers. But they deflate the liberal claim that Republicans and “reform” protesters are shills for the industry…

…On insurer campaign cash, the Democrats win hands down. First, there’s Obama, the all-time champion in raising money from HMOs. . . The second-highest recipient ever of HMO money is Hillary Clinton. . . The Nbr 2 GOP recipient last election (after presidential nominee John McCain) was former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who created his own Obamacare in the Bay State.

So far this election, 65 percent of HMO money has gone to Democratic candidates, up from 60 percent last cycle.

The top recipient of HMO money this election is Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, and the top House recipient is Rep. Henry Waxman, the “reform” author in the House.

Yep. Did you ever really believe them? Any of them?

I’d say its time to find a whole new slew that will ONLY support HR676 (From Dave Lindorff’s piece at AfterDowningStreet):

The so-called “reform” bill that is going to emerge from the current process is going to be the legislative equivalent of road kill, barely recognizeable either as health care or as a “reform.” It will be a Christmas present for the insurance industry, the hospital industry and the phramaceutical industry, all three of which struck secret deals behind closed doors with the White House.

It will set back health reform in America a generation, will require everyone to buy inadequate and overpriced insurance, overpriced drugs and to go to overpriced hospitals. And the cost of healthcare to individuals, businesses, and the nation as a whole (already the highest in the modern industrial world), will continue to soar.

This is not a case where the right thing to do is push for any bill, and then try to move on. This is a case where Obama and the Democrats have whored themselves out to the greedy industry that is causing all the problems, and are pushing a plan that is worse than nothing.

We should all be working to kill this whole thing and start over, with HR 676.

If Congress won’t do it, we need to start working for a new Congress in 2010 that will.

No Democrat running for House or Senate in 2010 who isn’t solidly for expanding Medicare to all should get a single vote.

You might notice that I link often to AfterDowningStreet and UNDERNEWS and want to give a shoutout for the excellent work that David Swanson and growing contributors) and a special howdy to Sam Smith at UNDERNEWS and the work he does. Read the QUESTIONS SHOULD YOU FIND YOURSELF AT A MICROPHONE AT A ‘TOWN MEETING’ for a great rundown on Single Payer issues and how to explain it in everyday terms.

When Did Obama Become “Liberal” and Bush “Conservative”?

My blog is neither “right”, nor “left”; “liberal”, nor “conservative”, “Dem”, nor “Rep”. You can tell that by how I hold them all accountable and would never defend the paradigm either wants me to defend, just for defense sake. You will read me attack the so-called “liberal” blogs that are nothing more than Ass-Kissing Sycophants, just as much as the “conservative” Ass-Kissing Sycophants.

I visited (by accident) a blog called The Provocateur, who’s owner (I assume), or at least one of the bloggers there (Mike Volpe) wrote the following article (I must say well written, altho he is truly far off base in his analysis. He was kind enough to let this gruff old bear share a few words with him that didn’t get too heated, but were poignant and significant for the paradigm he is trapped in. I am tryng desperately to speak with these people (being I am from SW TN and around many of these people daily). I am a conundrum for them and was even called a “Paulian” (when perhaps “Kucinichian” is a bit more apt). I like Paul for his anti-war conservatism, but Dennis is just as anti-war as Paul is, maybe more.

Check out the dialog at the end to see how it ended up and let me know if you think it is worth the time online (for in person, things are generally easier to express face to face).

The Obama Presidency and Liberalism

I think it’s fair to say that the Obama presidency could be viewed as a controlled experiment on the worthiness of liberalism. With a very liberal president and overwhelming Democratic majorities, America is going to get a heavy dose of liberalism until at least 2010. (unless that is the President has a moderate epiphany as I suggested) Yet, if the president continues on his current path, he will also lead an imprint for history to judge liberalism in America.

So far, that judgment is incomplete but it’s also near an incomplete failure. We first started with the stimulus. On the economy, the president famously said, “only government has the resources to jolt our economy back into life”. He went on to say, “Tax cuts alone can’t solve all of our economic problems” and so totally rejecting the conservative fiscal solution to an economic recession. Nothing could be more liberal than seeing the government as the driver of economic growth. So, he passed his $787 billion stimulus. Its results so far have been well documented. Our unemployment rate is inching toward ten percent. Our deficit is nearing two trillion dollars and we’ve only spent one tenth of it. Meanwhile, the president took over several banks, two auto companies, and an insurance company. One way or another, the outcome of all this government intervention will also be a historical judgment on liberalism as well.

In fact, though, the greatest judgment against liberalism so far has been the president’s total inability to move his agenda going forward. In fact, despite overwhelming popularity, he barely got the stimulus through. Since then, he’s been totally impotent. Things don’t look to get any better. Cap and trade barely passed the House and the Senate has no plans to take it up anytime soon. Health care reform is in even worse shape. What sort of a judgment on liberalism is it if the liberal party has veto proof majorities in both chambers and still can’t pass a liberal agenda? One might ask if liberalism can’t pass now when will it pass.

Even lesser known policies like his $75 billion loan modification plan have been colossal failures. It’s important to point out again that this judgment is still incomplete. The economy could have a stunning turnaround and by this time next year our unemployment might be in the 6′s. GM and Chrysler might both be profitable by 2012 and the government will have sold its shares by then. In light of all of this, the president will then be able to pass sweeping health care, energy, and education reform. In 2012, we’ll be a liberal nation and history’s judgment on liberalism in America will be a glowing success. It’s still early and so the judgment is incomplete.

There will also be those liberals that will claim that the Bush presidency was a failing referendum on conservatism. That is a popular and totally inaccurate argument. There are some liberals that claim the tax cuts caused the recession we are in now. That’s just ludicrous. The tax cuts were enacted in 2001-2003. The recession didn’t occur for five years. The two have nothing to do with each other. Others proclaim that deregulation caused the meltdown. Of course, it wasn’t a lack of regulation but a lack of enforcement that lead to the crisis. It isn’t a conservative policy to look the other way on mass fraud, but a bad policy. In fact, most of Bush’s biggest problems came from embracing liberal ideas, big budget deficits, bloated government programs and bailouts. In fact, history’s judgment on conservatism should already be written with the wildly successful Reagan presidency. Yet, those with an agenda attempt to cloud the issue. Our economy came out of a recession because government shrank, regulations were slashed, and taxes were cut. Yet, some cloud the issue and leave that debate open still.

Make no mistake, by November 2010, and certainly November 2012, history will be ready to judge liberalism as well. While its currently incomplete, the judgment so far is a total failure.

B: If you think Obama is a liberal, you don’t know what the word means.

mike volpe: Enlighten me, how am I wrong? What does the word mean and who was and is a liberal if not Obama?

B: He voted lockstep with Bush’s policies and McCain during the POTUS run.

It is but one party with two perceived differences, but in actuality, it is the detriment to our country.

They do and act the same… both “liberal” and “conservative”, “right” vs “left” Dem vs Repub; and only the ignorant feed from it and agree.

This isn’t rocket science, yet too many are too gullible and/or brainwashed to know the difference. Much to my chagrin and the consternation of the Founding Fathers.

mike volpe: Bush wasn’t actually acting like much of a conservative in the last six months. Obama certainly didn’t vote in lock step the whole campaign. They did in the last couple months but that’s because Bush turned into a liberal in the last few months.

B: Mike,

Come now. Bush was never conservative, except in the “shiny little object that gathers your attention” realm. Abortion (even tho he wasn’t die hard) is one of those wedge issues they use to divide us, but that is meaningless.

Bush spent money like a drunken sailor. This is no secret. He lied to get us into wars to propagate the war profiteers and the PNAC agenda.

Mike, what I am saying is that they have their kabuki dance that many Americans fall for. But by and large it is bogus.

There is but one really socially liberal in the all of congress: Dennis Kucinich (and Bernie Sanders). There is but one truly fiscally conservative in the all of congress and that is Paul.

Most every other dance the dance. Look at their votes, especially the leaders. Every so-called “liberal” leader voted lock-step on the most prescient issues. Every Republican leader voted lock step with war funding, eliminating rights left and right.

All of this is obvious.

Follow the money and the votes.

I view myself as fiscally conservative, but look how Bush spent the money. Sure, he cut back the taxes on the wealthy and look what that got us. But he spent money on ginned up and bogus wars.

I am Socially liberal, in that I believe that each and every American should be taken care of as our own. Especially medically.

They all bow to the Corptocracy, verging on Fascism. Bush Sr, Clinton, Bush Jr, and Obama. All the same, with just enough of the kabuki dance differences to keep Americans divided and fighting (thanks to the likes of Hannity, Limbaugh, Olberman and the like). They all play for their masters and we are too stupid to make them stop.

Obama spends money in the same fashion and look at his rhetoric regarding abortion and gay rights, etc. Telecom immunity. Patriot Act.

These are NOT liberal views, but just the portrayal of the dance.

Please stop watching the magician’s right hand, because it is the left hand that holds the secret. Americans are fixated on the sleight of hand.

Patriots will know the difference and speak to it.

Read my blog some and you will realize I cut NONE of them any slack because they are all full of malarkey.

Again, Opensecrets can show you so very much. Follow the money.

Thanks for your time…

B’Man

mike volpe: Now it all makes sense. You’re a Paulian. That’s why you are so conspiratoria.

That doesn’t mean that Obama is NOT a liberal. Obama is still a iberal and frankly you proved it, you just seem to think that the rest of the government is also liberal. That’s true to some extent though not entirely. Of course, I wasn’t talk about the rest of government. I was only talking about Obama.

B: Mike,

I am not “Paulian”, whatever you think that is. Do you deny that he is conservative? The MOST conservative in all the congress?

Look at the votes and where they get their money.

Let me explain something that you can’t seem to grasp, spending money on bogus wars does not make one “liberal”, it makes one a criminal.

War profiteering is that. A crime, and all of the past presidents, since Kennedy are guilty.

Allowing the Federal reserve to rule this country is not “liberal” or “conservative”, it is criminal.

Just as I said, you don’t know what the word means, except in the mind of Limbaugh.

I can enlighten you, but you may be too far gone.

That isn’t surprising, for it is rampant on both “sides” that fall for their show.

Enjoy the show Mike, but as for this real Patriot, I’m working to to fix things. I need your help, but not if you can’t shuck the brainwashing.

Take care,

B’Man

PS: If you will not delete these posts, I would love to link back to forward the discussion and to show that it is possible to have a decent conversation with a person like you. Few and far between.

UPDATE:

OK, I tried and it shows that the ignorance runs so deep that it is likely impossible to have any meaningful discussion with such a personality:

mike volpe: By Paulian, I mean you voted for and supported Ron Paul. I am guessing you did given how cynical you are toward everyone except Paul. Yeah, Paul is a conservative except when it comes to earmarks for his district and then he’s very liberal. It’s funny how that works. He’s ideologically pure except when it comes to pork in his district and then he’s one of the most liberal folks in the Congress.

It’s easy to be ideologically pure when you’re a back bencher legislator your entire career and never lead to get a law passed. When you’re actually passing laws, you have to legislate and then it’s much more difficult. That’s the main difference between McCain and Paul. McCain actually got things done while in the Senate while Paul criticized everyone else and got nothing done. He is ideologically pure though. That’s why not a single law has his name on it.

As for war profiteering and the fed, I know the conspiracy theories. Libertarians are full of them and it’s corrosive to the philosophy.

http://theeprovocateur.blogspot.com/2009/06/libertarians-downfall-conspiracy.html

B’Man’s Patriot Watch (Part Deux): Bernie Sanders

Is the VA “Socialized Medicine”? He asked Mr McCain, who has a lifetime of Socialized Medicine usage, that question.

h/t Heather at Crooks and Liars

Heather wrote:

It is not the job of the Senate to protect the private health insurance industry. It’s a shame the best we may get out of the Senate is a public option and that we don’t have a few more Bernie Sanders out there fighting for real health care reform.

Its nice to know that at least one of them over there has some sense and isn’t totally in bed with the Demublican Party asshat that runs the joint.

B’Man’s Sycophantic Ass-Kissers Watch: John Amato at Crooks and Liars

I was banned from the fucktard’s site. No reason given, but from the number of in-coming links from there and seeing that many of the readers there agree with me that Single-Payer, Not-for-profit healthcare should be FORCED on to the table (Excuse me, people, you realize they work FOR us, right?). It seems evident that my message goes heavily against the grain in the mind of an ass-kissing sycophant who must gather whatever popularity and power he can by turning against the true needs and desires of Americans, especially Progressives.

Today, Master Ass-Kisser, himself, posted about having Nancy Pelosi on for a live chat to discuss America’s Affordable Health Choices Act

I hope that her shit is more palatable than Mr Obama’s. In my mind, all shit is something to avoid, but not Johnny Boy. Mmm Mmm.

I want to know why it is that so many American “Progressives” have suddenly stopped fighting for real change (I think I know the answer to my question). Why is it that you Sheople jump on board with a water-carrying asshat like Amato, when you know he has bedded down with the Power Mongering Demublican Party? He gets his pat on the head and a little backing and man o man having fun with those celeb’s… but what do you get?

Fucked. That’s what.

I watched this shit for 8 years as you other dumbasses fell for “The Godly Man” W and his criminally, evil ways. I watched as “Bushies” formed and basically defended and supported each and every horrific thing he and his cronies did. What I did not expect, at the time, was to have those who kept saying they wanted change to turn into Bushies. For that is precisely what Kos, C&L and many other so-called “Progressive” sites have done (become what they so hated for the last 8 years). Do you fools not see the hypocrisy and irony in your actions?

Do you realize that it is the REAL Progressives, like me, who are pushing for change and NOT willing to satisfy for the status quo of them “letting us eat cake”? That those fake progressive sites are now nothing more than a caricature of their previous object of their hatred, the Bushies.

But there is a way even without these slaves to the Dem Party. Let me show you how another REAL Progressive without the shit on his lips addresses this issue:

Did you see that, Johnny Boy? How about the rest of you jerkoffs who are only capable of toeing the line they want you to toe? Aren’t you embarrassed to call yourselves Progressive when regression and capitulation is your only method? You see Johnny Boy, when someone is a Patriot, they don’t fall on their knees and gobble the Elitist goober just to stroke their own ego. They stand up to the ones that are standing in the way of PROGRESS.

What I am saying is that these money-grubbing, ass-licking, water-carrying sites like Amatos’ are just the other face of the Two Party system. With John, he is too ignorant to have planned it, so I can only assume that he is simply liking the attention, money and the time he gets to sit with Arianna and the few opportunities he gets to speak with Olbermann. I don’t know what, exactly, it is about these folks, except it must be some sense of need for attention and the limelight. It sure as hell isn’t about what is best for this country.

The other explanation would be that they are complicit. I don’t think so. John isn’t smart enough.

But, he is dumb enough to allow the Demublican Party to rule what the agenda for his site is. This is obvious when it comes to one of the most crucial issues facing us today… our healthcare. Unfortunately, he and those others are unaware or just plain too stupid to see how what they are ass-kissing about is going to be a dismal failure and we will have them and their stupid ass-kissing fools to blame for it.

Thank goodness we have a different voice than the sycophantic ass-kissers out there:

D Is For Deception

Yesterday, the House Democrats unveiled their health care reform bill.

Even if it passes, it is bound to fail.

Why?

Because it keeps the insurance industry in the game.

It will cost a trillion dollars over ten years.

It won’t cover tens of millions of Americans.

It won’t control costs.

And it’s a bailout for the insurance industry.

Only a single payer — everybody in, nobody out — national health insurance bill (co-sponsored by 85 members of the House — most recently by Congressman John Murtha (D-Pennsylvania)) will hit the grand slam — cover everyone, save money, control costs, and fix a broken health care system.

But what struck me yesterday while watching the Democrats was the depth of their deception.

There was Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

Both heaping praise upon and honoring Congressman John Dingell (D-Michigan).

And his father — John Dingell, Sr.

John Dingell, Sr. represented Michigan’s 15th district for 22 years until his death in 1955.

John Dingell, Jr. has represented the district ever since.

But not once during the press conference did anyone mention that it was John Dingell, Sr. who first introduced a single payer bill in Congress in 1943.

And it was Democratic leaders in Congress and President Barack Obama who took single payer off the table.

The Republicans will tell you straight up — we’re for big business.

Single payer is socialism.

And that’s why we’re against single payer.

When the Democrats are out of power, they will tell you what you want to hear — we’re for single payer.

They then take power, and all of a sudden, they are against single payer.

Take Henry Waxman (D-California) as a case in point.

For years, Henry Waxman was a co-sponsor of HR 676 — the single payer bill in the House.

Until earlier this year, when he became part of the leadership in the House.

Then Waxman took his name off the single payer bill.

In 2003, Barack Obama said he was for single payer.

Obama said at the time that we would have single payer in America only when the Democrats took back the White House and Congress.

Last year, Obama and the Democrats took back the White House and Congress.

And now President Obama is opposed to single payer.

The reality is that there is only one solution to the health care crisis — get the insurance companies out of health care.

The Democrats are now engaged in what Dr. Marcia Angell — former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine — calls “the futility of piecemeal tinkering.”

Angell and a majority of doctors in the United States — and a majority of the American people — believe that only a major single payer overhaul will get the job done.

That’s why we’re challenging the Democrats around the country.

And we will continue to challenge them, and the health insurance industry to whom they are beholden, until single payer becomes a reality in America.

We’re in it for the long haul.

Thanks to your generosity, Single Payer Action has directly confronted Democratic leaders including:

Congressman Henry Waxman (D-California)

Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York)

Senator Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota)

Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland)

First Lady Michelle Obama

Senator Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut)

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California)

Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon)

White House Health Czar Nancy Ann DeParle

Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana).

And we’re planning to ratchet up the confrontation when Congress heads home for the August recess.

We have more than 20 single payer activists in our network now — and the list continues to grow.

The idea is to build a national core group of activists who will challenge members of Congress in non-violent direct confrontation.

To demand an answer — why are you ignoring the plight of the American people?

And to demand action — put single payer on the table now.

We need your help now to fund and expand this network in time for next month’s Congressional recess.

So, please, donate now — whatever you can afford — $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, $1,000.

So that we can confront the corporate Democrats in August.

And remember, only two days left on our special book offer.

If you donate $100 or more now, we will send you a copy, hot off the press, of Theresa Amato’s hard cover, 379-page masterpiece — Grand Illusion: The Myth of Voter Choice in a Two-Party Tyranny (The New Press, June 2009).

Autographed by Ralph Nader — who wrote the foreword to the book.

Phil Donahue said this about Grand Illusion: “Theresa Amato takes the biggest swing — not a jab, but a roundhouse punch — at America’s corrupt electoral system.”

So, don’t delay.

Please donate now.

So that we can challenge the corporate Democrats on their home turf in August.

Together, we can make the difference.

Onward to a life-saving, cost-saving single payer.

Russell Mokhiber

Cynthia and Mairead Speak From The Jail and The Latest Updates

My friend Anita sent an emailer out that needs distributing among blogs and other areas. It appears that her Verizon/Yahoo account is screening what she wants to express (giving me even more ammunition to say what pieces of shit those two entities are).

The day I am screened is the last day I pay them for service (Charter is on notice).

Well, now I have gone and done it! My Verizon/Yahoo will not let me send anything out! So I am blocked by the powers that be!

Please use this gmail addy until the problem is remedied!

Anita

*****************************

Several updates and video…

Cynthia’s voice…

********************************

I have this from David Josue, Cynthia McKinney’s assistant during her presidential campaign:

[12:42:27 PM] I just got off the phone with Alisa Green of the US embassy in Tel Aviv. She told me that Cynthia refused to sign the deportation. The order states that she violated the Israeli blockade. The embassy told me that Israeli law requires that inmates that refuse to sign a deportation must be kept in jail for 3 days before they are sent away. It will be Sunday before we know when and if she will leave Israel. (STOP)

********************************

Nobel Peace Laureate speaks from Jail Cell After Arrest on Boat Delivering Humanitarian Aid to Gaza

Irish Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire speaks to us from her jail cell in Israel. She was taken into custody along with twenty others, including former US Congress member Cynthia McKinney, when the Israeli military boarded their ship in international waters as it tried to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

We begin with the latest news of the ship that was seized by the Israeli military Tuesday as it tried to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israeli forces boarded the ship and towed it to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The 21 activists on board include former Congressmember and presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney and the Irish peace activist and Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire. Huwaida Arraf and Lubna Masarwa were released while the other 19 remain in detention. Mairead Maguire joins us on the line from her jail cell.

Go to the link to listen or view:

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/2/nobel_peace_laureate_mairead_maguire_speaks

Arrested Development by Ralph Nader

Senator Dick Durbin said last week that the banks own Congress.

That’s true.

But they don’t come close to the hammerlock their brothers in the health insurance and drug companies have over the place.

The drug companies and health insurance companies control every nook and cranny on the Hill.

If you doubt it, look no further than the events of the past two weeks at the Senate Finance Committee.

Committee chair Senator Max Baucus called a full 28 witnesses for two hearings on health care reform.

Senator Baucus called on the Business Roundtable.

He called on the Heritage Foundation.

He called on the lobby known as America’s Health Insurance Plans.

But not one of the 28 witnesses called by Baucus supported what the majority of the American people want.

And what the majority of doctors, nurses and health economists want.

Single payer, full Medicare for all, everybody in, nobody out, free choice of doctor and hospital health care.

And so, Single Payer Action decided to act.

Last week, eight citizens – including three doctors – led by Single Payer Action – simply demanded that Baucus add a seat at the table for a single payer advocate.

Instead of adding a seat at the table, Baucus called for the police.

The eight were arrested, handcuffed, and charged with so-called “disruption of Congress.”

The police left behind undisturbed the horde of corporate lobbyists accustomed to “the purchase of Congress.”

This week, two doctors, two nurses, and a citizen from Maine – inspired by the actions of the Baucus 8 – rose and simply demanded that Baucus add a single payer advocate to the witness list.

Again, Baucus refused.

And again, Baucus called for the police.

Now it’s the Baucus 13.

Single Payer Action will not rest until America gets what every other Western industrialized country has – universal, not-for-profit, health care – everybody in, nobody out.

More efficient.

And more humane.

Thanks to your generous help, the launch of Single Payer Action is one of the more successful launches of a citizen action organization in recent memory.

Single Payer Action has gained widespread publicity – on National Public Radio, Democracy Now, in Politico, the Associated Press, and the National Journal.

Opportunity is knocking.

Now we must open the door.

Single Payer Action will pick it’s battles wisely.

And use its resources frugally.

To defeat the insurance and drug industries.

And secure single payer national health insurance for all Americans.

Sooner rather than later. (Because at least 60 Americans die every day from lack of health insurance.)

If you have donated already, thank you for being part of this great launch.

If you have not donated, please donate now – whatever you can afford – $10, $20, $50, $100.

And remember – this is the last day to take advantage of our great two-book offer.

If you give $100 or more by midnight tonight, we will send you two galvanizing books that concisely detail the case for single payer in America.

• Health Care Meltdown by Robert LeBow, MD, revised and updated by Dr. C. Rocky White – a Republican doctor so fed up with the needless suffering caused by the insurance industry that he became a leading advocate for single payer.

  and

• Ten Excellent Reasons for National Health Care, edited by Mary O’Brien and Martha Livingston.
  

Remember, this two-book offer ends tonight at midnight.

So, donate now.

We’re building one million Americans strong for single payer.

Let’s get it done together – for all Americans.

And for future generations.

Onward to single payer

Ralph Nader

1 Waterboard, 1 Cheney, 1 Hour = Admittance To ANY Crime

Conservative09 keeps coming back for more and to argue that his “water boarding” that he received by his friends at his home was not torture. That all the people in SERE, the CIA and whatever reporters who have actually taken the water boarding technique have not been tortured. Basically, it is like a refreshing dip in the pool.

The dude is so wrong on so many levels , but has apparently convinced himself that what he “experienced” was no big deal and that the water boarding that has been done to the “terrorists” in our charge is not torture. Somehow there is this vast disconnect that he has with reality if he believes what happened to him is the same thing that happened to our prisoners.

My argument is that asking your friends and trusted companions to water board you is not the same thing as has been done to the prisoners in our and the secret jails we used for torture. That he didn’t experience weeks or months of fear and stress positions and bug boxes and threats to rape their wife and whatever horrible tactics are used on the REAL prisoners before he wet his head.

Sorry, but it takes a total sycophantic idiot to not get it. And Conservative09 certainly don’t get it. No more than Bush, Cheney, Yoo, Bybee, Pelosi or anyone who knew about the practice gets it.

But I asked him to allow me (or better yet, some people that I know) to grab his ass and do the water baording and I gauranteed him he would sing his heart out, begging to stop the real torture.

So, when I watched this at Dandelion Salad, I knew I had to post it for Con’s own education purposes.

This clip is from a guy who experienced the SERE water baording and his opinion is quite different than Con’s. I wonder if Con would argue with this man over the water boarding issue?