China increasingly trying to censor the Internet

Funny, I thought the capitulation of the International Olympic Committee was supposed to mellow China. You mean their effort at bipartisanship with fringe lunatic bullies didn't work? Read the rest of this post...

No kissing at schools in France?

Quelle horreur! In social settings, the French meet and depart with a kiss on the cheek (well, both cheeks actually), and the process can take some time for a fuzzy foreigner like myself who didn't grow up with the custom. Now, with the new anti-Swine-Flu no-kissing rules it might be possible to leave after a dinner in under 30 minutes, and it's all in the name of health safety too! I might even be able to sneak in a sortie a l'anglaise as well. As you might imagine, anything related to the English is not necessarily a complement in France, and in this case, it means leaving without saying goodbye.

Across France, authorities and school officials are taking few chances — while trying to avoid stirring panic when the academic year started last week. In recent months, a few schools in France have been temporarily shut after cases of swine flu emerged.

For kids in two schools in the town of Guilvinec, in France's western Brittany region, the first lesson of the year came from local officials: no more cheek kisses to teachers or other students.

"I asked the children not to kiss anymore," town mayor Helene Tanguy said by phone. "I felt that the protections sought — to wash hands regularly, not throw used handkerchiefs around, and not cough any old way — had no meaning if we let the kids keep kissing."

"It seems we were the first town to do so," she said. It's just part of an effort to adopt new and more sanitary habits, and there's no punishment involved for those who do exchange bises, she added.

As a playful alternative, some teachers in the town have set up "bise boxes": Pupils slip heart-shaped greetings inside before they're exchanged in class, Tanguy said.

Read the rest of this post...

White House still "blurry" on its position on public option

Stop telegraphing weakness.

On at least one high-profile controversy, there was little clarity from the Obama administration Sunday. The president's bottom line on a government health insurance option remained blurry as White House officials stressed support but stopped of short of calling it a must-have.

Obama "believes it should be in the plan, and he expects to be in the plan, and that's our position," political adviser David Axelrod told The Associated Press.

Asked if that means Obama will only sign a bill with a public plan, Axelrod replied: "I'm not going to deal in hypotheticals. ... He believes it's important."

Is anyone actually running the show over there? Read the rest of this post...

"Every American owes something to America's labor movement"

Obama addressed an AFL-CIO picnic today in Ohio. He used some pretty strong language to inspire the crowd of union workers in Ohio. This section of his speech addresses exactly what we're up against right now in the fight for health insurance reform:

We remember that the rights and benefits we enjoy today were not simply handed out to America's working men and women. They had to be won.

They had to be fought for, by men and women of courage and conviction, from the factory floors of the Industrial Revolution to the shopping aisles of today's superstores. They stood up and spoke out to demand a fair shake; an honest day's pay for an honest day's work. Many risked their lives. Some gave their lives. Some made it a cause of their lives-like Senator Ted Kennedy, who we remember today.

So let us never forget: much of what we take for granted-the 40-hour work week, the minimum wage, health insurance, paid leave, pensions, Social Security, Medicare-they all bear the union label. It was the American worker-union men and women-who returned from World War II to make our economy the envy of the world. It was labor that helped build the largest middle class in history. So even if you're not a union member, every American owes something to America's labor movement.

As we remember this history, let us reflect on its meaning in our own time. Like so many Americans, you work hard and meet your responsibilities. You play by the rules and pay your bills. But in recent years, the American Dream seemed to slip away, because from Washington to Wall Street, too often a different culture prevailed.

Wealth was valued over work, selfishness over sacrifice, greed over responsibility, the right to organize undermined rather than strengthened.

That's what we saw. And while it may have worked out well for a few at the top, it sure didn't work out well for our country. That culture-and the policies that flowed from it-undermined the middle class and helped create the greatest economic crisis of our time.

So today, on this Labor Day, we reaffirm our commitment. To rebuild.

I'd say today wealth is valued over work, selfishness over sacrifice, greed over responsibility. That sums up the era of George W. Bush and the GOPers who ran Congress. It also defines the health insurance companies.

There's a message here for the President in his own speech: Don't cave. Fight for what's right. Those forces on the other side are never going to compromise. And, he shouldn't compromise his core beliefs (at least what he conveyed to us were his core beliefs) to those same politicians and institutions that value wealth over work, selfishness over sacrifice and greed over responsibility. Let's hope Obama's speech inspired Obama. Read the rest of this post...

Another story of insurance premiums going up 22%

Mine goes up around 25% a year now. Will Obama's health care reform proposal, if he ever endorses any proposal, help people like me? I have no idea. And for a trillion bucks, I think I, and you, deserve to know whether this plan is going to save us money on premiums and provide us more benefits than we get now. More from DKos. Read the rest of this post...

Markos and Olbermann on public option and Obama

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Incompetence has consequences - health care debacle now jeopardizing global warming legislation

A few of our readers argue that we're being too hard on President Obama (who we supported in the primaries, and raised nearly $50,000 for). They say that we're only eight months into his first term, so we should cut him some slack, as though being President of the United States and the leader of the Free World is a job that can afford a year's worth of mistakes.

The reason we are so tough on the President is that actions have consequences. His mistakes are not occurring in a vacuum. Not only is he setting back (often intentionally) numerous causes that he promised to champion, such as civil rights and health care reform, but now the White House's inept handling of the health care reform debate is jeopardizing action on global warming. And unless that too was part of the "plan so intricate that simple folk like us simply can't comprehend its brilliance," then we are seeing some real damage across the spectrum of Democratic politics, in addition to an issue that concerns the planet's survival.

The current states of affairs is simply not acceptable. Read the rest of this post...

Joe Kennedy won't run for Senate in Mass.

Looks like there won't be a Kennedy running for Ted's old seat. Former Congressman Joe Kennedy opted out today:

Joseph P. Kennedy II announced today that he will not seek the Senate seat held by his uncle, a move likely to end the Kennedy family's half century of political dominance in Massachusetts and entice several other candidates to jump into the race.

Kennedy posted his decision not to run in the special Senate election on the website of Citizens Energy Corp., the nonprofit he founded to deliver free heating fuel to the poor. The outpouring of grief and appreciation following the death of his uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, moved the former Congressman to naturally "consider getting back involved in public office."

The Massachusetts Legislature will probably decide in the next week or so whether to amend state law to allow for an interim appointment for the vacant seat until the election on January 19, 2010.

The primary election is scheduled for December 8th. So far, only the Attorney General, Martha Coakley, has announced an intention to run. This move by Joe Kennedy could open the field. Although, the field should have been open anyway. The U.S. Senate is not the British House of Lords. There's no such thing as a "family" Senate seat. Read the rest of this post...

Report: Senate health care plan has no public option

This is not going to be good news for many. CNN:

A proposed health-care bill by the powerful chairman of the Senate Finance Committee does not include a government-run insurance plan, a source close to the discussions said Monday.

Although the proposal from Sen. Max Baucus excludes a "public option," it would allow for the creation of nonprofit health care cooperatives, an idea that some moderate Democrats and Republicans have expressed possible interest in supporting.

It was sent to committee members Saturday night.

Congressional liberals are pushing strongly for inclusion of a public option; conservatives are sharply opposed.

President Obama has said he supports a public option but has not clearly indicated that he will veto a bill that fails to include it.

Baucus' bill would cost less than $900 billion over 10 years, according to the source. The price tag is at least $100 billion less than any other health-care reform bill currently under consideration by Congress, the source said.

Read the rest of this post...

Obama and the "socialist" indoctrination of our school children

The "Obama is a socialist" message goes all the way back to the campaign. You'll recall that back then candidate Obama wanted to stay above the fray, and not feed a spirit of polarization, so he chose not to fight back on this issue. Thus, the attack continued to haunt him during the stimulus debate, and continued during the health care debate, and continues now. And the attack grew as well. It now includes the charge that "Obama is Hitler."

And what happened as a result of the theme growing? Thousands of far-right Republicans were enraged, and inspired, across the country, leading them to swarm health care town halls, and effectively scare the White House and Congress into backing off their plans and promises to reform our health care system. The more the attack continues, the more it will force the White House off message, and continue to damage the president. This is what happens when you refuse to fight back. You not only empower the enemy, but the problem continues to get worse as it affects issue after issue.

This is why we keep harping on all of these issues of Obama's character and willingness to defend himself and fight for his beliefs. We worry that every time Obama refuses to fight, in the spirt of bipartisanship, he lets a problem grow, and inspires more Republicans to push him even harder, further polarizing the country, further damaging the very bipartisanship he claims he's trying to promote.

From AP:

Dating back to his campaign for president, some Obama opponents have tried to paint him as a "socialist." Since winning the White House, the attacks have continued over his attempts to invigorate the tumbling economy with a $787 billion stimulus.

Far-right critics now charge that Obama would use his back-to-school remarks Tuesday to indoctrinate youngsters into his alleged "socialist" agenda.

Fox News Channel commentators Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck have been prominent in attacking the speech. Florida Republican party chairman Jim Greer said he was "absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology."

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Reader feedback: A post that everyone at the White House, the DNC, and the Hill should read

Having worked on the Hill, and in other public jobs, I've dealt a lot with the public. Reading their letters and their emails, taking their phone calls. When you work jobs like that you learn to discern the real feedback from the astroturf. You can instinctively tell when someone is telling the truth versus when someone is simply parroting what a telemarketer told him to say. And, you learn to discern when a problem is growing far beyond a politician's ability to deal with it. That is happening now with health care reform, but also with President Obama's popularity and credibility.

Let me share with you some of the recent, and most popular, comments our readers have left regarding the President's actions of late. I really feel in my gut that these are illustrative of what Democrats are saying across the country about the President. This is very dangerous for the President, the party, and for our agenda that things have gone this sour, and this public.

Ralph Kramden:

I still can't believe that I actually worked to get this "wuss" elected. Of course, I've only ever played the REAL game of chess...the one, ya know, that takes place on a board and the game in which the key to victory is to plan seven moves ahead, while anticipating your opponents EVERY move and then responding forcefully to any aggressive move by the opposition. Obama's version of chess is the one in which you simply allow your opponents to place you in "check" every move and considering that, the fact that they haven't managed to "mate" you; considering that some kind of victory. I know a "wuss" when I see one and I'm seeing one right now: Obama.

WDemDem:

It's not what I voted for or donated money to either. I don't appreciated getting punked by the man so many millions worked so hard for to get elected. The only protection we have from the radical right is the huge majorities we have in the legislature (which have proven to not mean a damn thing for the most part). Once those get reduced in 2010, we'll be back to or even worse than the bush regime. Hillary is laughing her ass off right about now.

Karen:

I would like to know why Obama was more actively engaged with his cockamamie "Beer Summit" for Henry Louis Gates and the cop than he is for health care reform. That episode took up weeks of press coverage, all sound and fury signifying nothing.

Synical:

You take the polls where the majority of the public wants the public option and tell the Blue Dogs to get on board by educating their constituents. "Affordable Medicare for all who want it" - would be a simple message to sell. You coordinate their message with the President's message. Which is what you idiots should have done before the damn break. Sending out Democrats to sell vapor to their constituents was the height of stupidity.

What you don't do is insult your base, and you don't let a party determined to see you fail and few scared politicians in unsafe districts, who are probably going to lose anyway because life isn't fair, dictate against the tide of public opinion. That is, unless you are scared shitless because the industry deals you made at the start when you were pretending to negotiate in good faith (and transparency) on the part of the public are falling apart before your eyes.

1970cs:

This is incredible:

"He's not going to get punked or pushed around," Axelrod said. "On the other hand, I don't think he's going to fill his day with gratuitous partisan back-and-forth, because it isn't productive and it's not healthy."

"partisan back-and-forth": He screwed over his own base to the healthcare lobby.

"he isn't going to get punked or pushed around" : does Axelrod not even know this has already happenned, clueless.

Eraske:

I think the democratic politicians show the fear...we show anger. The fact that they can't understand the difference is makes my f***ing head explode.

Butch1:

They do not like the left. They couldn't wait to get away from us after we brought them to the dance. They used us. I don't think they will care that we leave until it become apparent that we are leaving in droves and that there aren't as many independents they could count upon. As far as I'm concerned, it's already too late, at least for me.

Bubble:

It's already too late. My highschool civics teacher told us, when Nixon said "I'm not a crook" - the fact that he had to say it meant that his goose was already cooked.

Obama is openly being called a wuss, a pussy, compared to Neville Chamberlain, etc... He's allowed himself to slide into a political box that even Houdini couldn't get out of, or I should say Bill Clinton. He's abdicated his presidency, all ready.

aimai:

I agree with the article one hundred percent--rare for me when it comes to the WaPo. That's because I'm one of the activists and fundraisers who worked for Obama and because this is exactly what I didn't vote for. I didn't vote for him and his to f*** around once they got into power. I didn't vote for President Snowe, or President McCain, or President Grassley or President Baucus. I voted for Obama because he was the only viable choice and he was running as a serious Democrat. If he wasn't serious about being a Dem and pushing Dem causes--which to me are synonymous with liberal and progressive causes--he shoudln't have, for example, run on the "public option". We bought him, we own him.

WilliamHarrelson:

At a certain point, there will be no going back to the good will days for the Obama Administration. If we get no health insurance reform or ineffective reform that serves insurance companies and allow the Republican blackmail to prevail, then Obama will reap a political whirlwind that will destroy him and set back the progressive democratic movement for another 20 years.

HillcrestDenizen:

I had a come to Jesus conversation with my husband this morning about BO. His numbers are tanking because his base is giving up on him. This guy is an empty suit, Rahm is more than a major disappointment and most of the dems are wimps with the exception of Barney. The 20% nutjob Republican base are still calling the shots. I feel like I'm on a sinking ship and it's every man for himself. If there was an election today I would probably sit it out. HOPE???? Next to none... Prove me wrong and I would gladly eat crow. I'm officially an Independent. No more $$ for anyone until I see results.

CatDance:

At this point in time, it's difficult to see how a Republican President would be any different than the Democratic administration has been, in terms of results, and I say this as a dyed in the wool, proud Democrat who is well beyond the left of the left.

KevinBGoode:

Now how exactly is Obama (and for that matter, Democrats) supposed to seek rapproachment to this gang of thieves and domestic terrorists? The very fact that the American people overwhelming rejected the GOP in the last election should mean something - attempts at genuine bipartisanship might look pretty, but when it is decidedly obvious that one party has a rigid doctrine which repudiates any level of cooperation, then you don't waste time kissing their ass.

If Obama had taken a strong leadership position (supported by Democrats who actually had some conviction to real change), the Republicans would be struggling to even exist as a viable political party.

Tripe7s:

I kept hoping Obama was holding back, waiting to pounce on these racist scumbags, but I now have a sinking feeling that in order to appeal to people that would NEVER like ,or support him, in any way, he has given away his "election capital". In poker you always play the hand you are dealt, and he has seemingly blown a FULL HOUSE.

mml34:

before the election my biggest fear was that obama's most fervent supporters were naive. they expected too much and would be irreparably let down when obama failed to deliver on every promise he made.

since the election i realize that obama is the one who is naive, a far scarier prospect.

he doesn't recognize his enemies for what they are. he doesn't realize that they are trying to destroy him. he thinks that if he gives a little more, proves himself to be a little more pragmatic, a little more willing to throw his base under the bus, his enemies will come around to his way of thinking, or at least, be willing to meet in the middle.

he's been fiddling while rome burns, under the guise of "no drama obama/staying above the fray." he has branded himself "weak."

even his most fervent supporters are wondering if obama knows how to fight for anything...

Paladin:

I voted for Obama. I am an Independent. After his first month in office I quit supporting him. It was clear to me that the direction he was headed in was very bushlike. He is weak. He, as president is much different than when he was campaigning. He did a complete 360 and even when it came to health care, he dumped the public that took him to the presidency and went with his corporate bosses instead. this complete turnaround as president from campaigner tells me he never intended to do the things he promised. He is a phony. He sold us out.

Read the rest of this post...

Monday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

Happy Labor Day.

To celebrate the holiday, the President will be at an AFL-CIO picnic in Ohio. The Vice President will be at a couple of events in Pennsylvania. (Yes, those are battleground states, too.)

This is going to be a hectic week in D.C. Congress returns tomorrow. Then, we've got the big health care speech on Wednesday night.

Besides being Labor Day, this is considered by many to be the last day of summer. So, enjoy it... Read the rest of this post...

Afghan student journalist released from prison

Karzai finally delivers though the young journalist will probably never be able to go back home to see his family. It's not the ideal outcome to this long story but much better than the original calls for death.

Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, the student sentenced to death in Afghanistan for trying to promote women's rights, has been freed from prison. The Independent has learned that he is now living outside the country after being secretly pardoned by President Karzai.

The fate of the 24-year-old trainee journalist became an international cause célèbre after his plight was revealed by this newspaper. A petition to secure justice gathered more than 100,000 signatures and the Afghan government came under intense pressure from the international community to release him.

Mr Kambaksh was moved from his cell in Kabul's main prison a fortnight ago and kept at a secure location for a few days before being flown out of the country. Prior to his departure, he spoke of how his relief was mixed with deep regret at knowing he was unlikely to see his family or country again.

Read the rest of this post...

Women highly underpaid in London banks

And these are the organizations that London and Washington are tripping over themselves to pamper. It was the US banks who started driving up pay in London when they moved in so chances are extremely high that US banks are also involved in this pay discrepancy. Why does everyone accept, tolerate and encourage this behavior? The Guardian:

Women earn around 80% less than men in performance-related pay at some of the UK's leading finance companies, revealing a "shocking disparity", according to an official inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Findings also show more than eight out of 10 women starting new jobs are paid lower average salaries than men.

The "massive gender gap" is one of the highest in the UK economy and entrenched by recruitment patterns, said the commission. It is calling for an overhaul in recruitment practices in the industry which provided 1.3 million jobs in Britain last year.

The disparity is revealed after the inquiry, the first of its kind, questioned 44 top firms which between them employ almost one quarter (22.6%)of finance sector workers. A key factor is believed to be the sector's age profile, where the majority of workers are between 25 and 39, the age at which women have childcare responsibilities.

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Major discovery in Alzheimer's research

Republicans may not be interested though because the new research was done in the UK so it's probably tainted with socialism. Too many American doctors are also under the misunderstanding that it's only the US that develops new drugs and delivers new breakthrough research. Despite their advanced studies they too can be as ignorant as Sarah Palin though maybe they're also planning their first overseas travel. Reuters:

Scientists have found three new major genetic links to Alzheimer's, affecting up to 20 percent of people with the brain-wasting disease, and said on Sunday it was the most significant such discovery in 15 years.

Two large studies found that the three new genes join the better-known APOE4 gene as significant risk factors for the most common cause of dementia.

"If we were able to remove the detrimental effects of these genes through treatments, we could reduce the proportion of people developing Alzheimer's by 20 percent," Julie Williams, a professor of Neuropsychological Genetics at Britain's Cardiff University, told a news conference in London.

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