NYT Editorial: Impeach Gonzales

From their lips to Congress' ears. I don't support impeachment to "get even." In this case, the man in charge of the "Justice" in the middle of a war is a known repeat criminal. That is unacceptable any time, let alone now. He won't go, he won't repent for his crimes. Impeach him. Read the rest of this post...

“I think I’d be dead if I’d stayed with the first provider.”

Today's NY Times has an in-depth article on cancer care that provides a window into the dysfunctional health care system in America. The subject of the article, Karen Pasqualetto, describes her fight for treatment:

Look for other opinions, her family urged. Her husband had a new job that provided better health coverage, and they switched to a different insurer.

“I think I’d be dead if I’d stayed with the first provider,” she said.

Ms. Pasqualetto, a self-described Type A go-getter, knew better than most how to find information. She has a law degree and worked for several technology start-ups. She had made enough money to quit that career and do something she loved, teaching sixth grade at a Catholic school in Seattle.

Get that? She'd be dead if she stuck with her insurance company. In the United States of America, our health care system fails us. And, our leaders still haven't come up with solutions. That's what this health care debate is about. Real people really suffering and really dying.

The problem is palpable among real people. John Edwards' answer to the health care question during the CNN/YouTube debate got the best response of the night. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton had to remind us that she bears the "scars" of her failed health care reform effort in 1993. We know. So get something done.

Almost everyone I know has an anecdote about how their insurance company screwed them over somehow. Maybe if one lives in the rarefied world of Presidents and U.S. Senators, those struggles and frustrations don't come up in conversation.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, I ended up in the emergency room because of an allergic reaction. "Anaphylaxis" is the term I learned. Since then, I've gotten several different bills that don't make sense. My favorite story is that my insurance company wouldn't pay for the "Twinject" that I'll need in the event of another episode. My allergist, who is a doctor in my health care plan, described that possibility as a "potentially life threatening" situation. (Admittedly, those words freaked me out.) Anyway, the insurance company wouldn't pay for the Twinject (which I'll only need to use if my life is in danger) because the doctor in their system didn't pre-approve it. Every call I make to my health insurance company is almost comical -- tragically comical. Apparently, my doctor needed to fill out an extra form for my prescription to be covered. See, it doesn't matter if my doctor is in their system. The insurance company tried to blame him. I don't really want my doctor worrying about what forms to fill out -- I like the idea that he's an expert in allergies, not forms. (And, it turns out I am allergic to nuts even though I always ate them. But it's exercise induced...who knew such a thing existed?) We truly have a health care system designed to prevent coverage. What happened on a very small scale to me happens to people with far worse conditions every single day.

Which brings me back to Karen Pasqualetto, who is fighting for her life every single day. She's been smart, aggressive and tenacious in her bid to survive. But, in the United States of America in the year 2007, if you're not an elected official, you need those skills -- and financial resources -- to survive the health care system. Is that the best we can do? Does it have to be this complicated to survive?:

Karen Pasqualetto is exceptional not only for her determination and confidence in dealing with problems that would intimidate many other people, but also for her financial wherewithal. So far her treatment has cost more than $400,000, almost all of it covered by health insurance from Starbucks, where her husband works in disaster-response planning.

When she joined a cancer support group, she recalled, “It was amazing to me the different experiences people were having based on what they could afford or who their provider was. I was able to say, ‘If the provider won’t pay, my family will. I don’t care, I’m going for a second opinion.’ ”

In the support group, it saddened her to hear other patients with advanced disease take the word of a single oncologist, because she believes that if she had done that, she would already be dead. She has come to think that survival may depend on money and access, and, she said, on “your own drive and motivation — are you Type A? — your education and your ability to sort through the medical world and the insurance world terminology.”

Ms. Pasqualetto’s doctors have accepted her insurance payments, but if they had not, she said, “I would find resources. I would get people to pay. I do have resources. I have access to people who wouldn’t sit by and let me die because of $200,000.”

I really, really hope Ms. Pasqualetto beats her cancer. She's become a champion in a battle she didn't choose.

Unfortunately, many Americans will die because they don't have the resources for even the very basic health care. There's no hope that the Republicans will deliver a better health care system for America. No way. Bush is even going to veto the SCHIP bill to get more kids covered. That's why the pressure is on the Democratic candidates for President. On health care, they'll need to deliver. Read the rest of this post...

How Will It Play In Peoria?

As our mutual friend Cliff wrote, Republican Rep. Ray LaHood is retiring at the end of his term. The seat, home to the aforementioned town of Peoria, should have a competitive race for the first time since Ms. O'Leary's cow went pyro (Republicans have controlled the seat for nearly 90 years).

His retirement is important for two reasons. First, LaHood is one of a few remaining Republican moderates in Congress. He doesn't always agree with the Democrats, but his penchant for honesty and his ability to occasionally (and only occasionally) think for himself really stands out. Here's what he recently said to The Washington Post about the House Democrats.

"They've had a pretty strong quarter," said Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), who praised the insurance bill as "creative" and suggested the homeland security bill would pass overwhelmingly. "The first quarter was not so good, and that's why they're not looking so good in the polls, but this quarter is looking very good for them. They can send their members home crowing about their accomplishments, and they've done it in a bipartisan way, which is exactly what they promised to do," LaHood said.

Rest assured, there are few other Republicans in Congress who would dare to speak so candidly on the record.

His retirement is also meaningful as it really gives Democrats a chance to expand the playing field and possibly pick up more House seats. The GOP now has to play defense for a seat they never thought they would have to fight over in a state that has become solidly Democratic, especially in a Presidential year.

Given their lesser fundraising, the more House Republicans are stretched, the more likely they have to make tough decisions about where to play against the Democrats. This is good news for vulnerable Democratic incumbents and better news for Speaker Pelosi. Read the rest of this post...

TSA knew that the 'dry run' terror alerts were bogus

Via Raw Story (which also has CNN video), confirmation that the "cheesebomb" BS was in fact BS, thanks to the TSA.

The Transportation Security Agency's national security bulletin issued was based on bogus examples that were combined to give the impression of ominous terrorist plotting, CNN reports.

"That bulletin for law enforcement eyes only told of suspicious items recently found in passenger's bags at airport checkpoints, warned that they may signify dry runs for terrorist attacks," CNN's Brian Todd reported Friday afternoon. "Well it turns out none of that is true."

Todd highlights the case of Sara Weiss, who was detained in San Diego after two ice packs covered in tape were found in her baggage. Weiss, who works for a faith-based organization, also was carrying a survey about Muslim Americans, which CNN says also raised law enforcement provisions.

"The FBI now says there were valid explanations for all four incidents in that bulletin, and a US government official says no charges will be brought in any of these cases," Todd reported.

Related:
* 'Deadly' airbound cheese Read the rest of this post...

All those "successful" reconstruction projects we're doing in Iraq? Absolute total disaster.

These are the "successes" that the Bushies keep pointing to in Iraq, you know, the schools, the electrical generators, all that good stuff that proves that it's been worth it. Well guess what? A ton of it has been abandoned by the Iraqi government, and is now in shambles. Why? Well it could be because the Iraqi government guy in charge of all of this, who at his previous job was rumored to run a bunch of death squads, is also rumored to have it out for the prime minister and wants to see his government fail, so he's ruining our billions in reconstructions projects (some say).

Tell us again, George Bush and General Petraeus, all the good things that are happening in Iraq. This is absolutely scandalous. And it's your money paying for this crap. Read the rest of this post...

Bush Is Hazardous To The World's Health

Sadly, I am not exaggerating.

A surgeon general's report in 2006 that called on Americans to help tackle global health problems has been kept from the public by a Bush political appointee without any background or expertise in medicine or public health, chiefly because the report did not promote the administration's policy accomplishments, according to current and former public health officials.

The report described the link between poverty and poor health, urged the U.S. government to help combat widespread diseases as a key aim of its foreign policy, and called on corporations to help improve health conditions in the countries where they operate. A copy of the report was obtained by The Washington Post.

Whether it is health care, science or our environment, this Administration has proven it cares nothing for the facts. Only 18 more months. Read the rest of this post...

Sunday Talk Shows Open Thread

Continuing on the weekly theme of Bush failures, looks like the subjects are mostly Alberto Gonzales and some Iraq. Apparently, Tim Russert couldn't get any real guests. He's just got a panel of reporters on his show to tell us what we need to be thinking. Two of Russert's six guests, Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd, also work for NBC. Who needs real news-makers anyway?

Here's the line up:

ABC's ``This Week'' - Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.; Bob Dole and Donna Shalala, co-chairs of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors; Computers for Communities founder Jacob Komar.

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CBS' ``Face the Nation'' - Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa.

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NBC's ``Meet the Press'' - Dan Balz and Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post, Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd of NBC News, Ron Brownstein of The Los Angeles Times and John Harwood of CNBC.

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CNN's ``Late Edition'' - Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; Reps. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., Christopher Shays, R-Conn., and Roy Blunt, R-Mo.; National Urban League President Marc Morial, Family Research Council senior fellow Ken Blackwell.

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``Fox News Sunday'' - Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis.; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; former Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr.

Read the rest of this post...

Mugabe economic policy: need cash, just print it

Shocking that the official rate of inflation is only 4500%.

The official Herald newspaper reported that Mugabe told a meeting of local council members that they should put more pressure on government ministers to improve services.

"Where money for projects has not been found, we will print it," Mugabe was quoted as saying.

The printing of money is generally regarded as a recipe for inflation -- which is officially at 4,500 percent in Zimbabwe, though private economists estimate it to be at least twice that high. The government last month ordered sweeping price cuts of about 50 percent, accusing store owners and businesses of fueling the inflation.

Read the rest of this post...

Brown comes to Washington

If Brown has any intention of staying in power as PM, he's going to have to figure out how to get the UK out of Iraq. His attempt to hold off meeting Bush face to face failed so today he will meet with Dear Leader at Camp David to discuss Iraq and the "special relationship." In addition to the large anti-war population in the UK, Brown should also keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of Americans are also against the war, so there's no need to be a whore to the American right to maintain the relationship. Americans are very anti-Bush and want out of Iraq so Brown should not hesitate to break with the failed agenda that Blair promoted. The "special relationship" has nothing to do with Bush. It has everything to do with America and the UK and Americans and our British friends want change and want out of Iraq. Read the rest of this post...

National Review Online Flip-Flops over Gonzales

Apparently, after eating a nice meal and suffering from food coma, Jonah Goldberg diverted from party orthodoxy and condemned the AG.

But my longstanding position is that the only possible defense of Gonzales against charges of villainy is rank incompetence. I've wanted to see him go for a very long time. So, while I very much doubt that Schumer-esque conspiracies have that much weight, I think Gonzales has long, long, long outserved whatever usefulness he might once have had. And — hey — maybe he actually did perjure himself.

A half hour later, Rich Lowry made sure the base got its daily dose of red meat.

This time I think [Gonzalez is] just being smeared. We'll have editorial up in the morning. From the parts of the transcript I've read he was badgered in a way meant to obscure the reasonable distinctions he was trying to make and set up this perjury accusation. Nasty stuff...

Phew! For a second there, I thought some folks at the National Review were actually starting to look at the facts and change their opinion of the Bush Administration. Thank God Lowry cleared that up for me. Read the rest of this post...

Open Thread

Take it through the night. Read the rest of this post...