Thursday Blues

Congratulations everybody, the next tranche of health insurance reforms have hit today. There was one point that I had missed the other day, which is of personal importance. Insurance companies will have to pay for all your emergency procedures even though you don't come through your primary physician. Strange wording. But this occured to me when I returned from Africa and went to Johns Hopkins for eye problems. After examing me, they concluded I had a torn and detached retina and whisked me away for a six hour operation. Later the surgeon told me that if they hadn't done it then, I would be totally blind in one eye. Let's say that's not elective surgery. But my insurance company protested about paying any of the bill because my primary physician had not been notified--like I carry his phone number on me. The insurance issue is still not resolved. But with the new health reform, this would not be a problem. Emergency surgery--no problem.

While I'm for Medicare for everyone to take out the chronic anxiety over the financial issues over health care--it's bad enough you have to concentrate on getting well, the reforms that take effect today basically mean I don't have to go bankrupt for anything serious. Even a routine heart attack would bankrupt me at this rate. Apparently, all the speakers at the Values Summits--allegedly Christians-- disagree with me. Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, doesn't believe people with pre-existing conditions should be insured. Sharron Angle doesn't believe there should be assistance to people with autism. I'm sure they would also all agree that Chris Hitchens should not get treatment for his cancer because of his atheism and chronic smoking and drinking. It's wonderful to see such loving people believe in a punitive life and a coercive state. But they all agree on the dangers posed by witches. And that's what you will get if the GOP comes back. But at least it will be paternalistic authoritarianism as witnessed the tone of the Pledge to America.

Another poll came out from Zogby--caveat emptor--that shows Democrats with a 1% generic lead in the congressional races, which tracks with the continued upward trend. Obama also has an approval rating of 49%. Other polls show weird discrepancies between the results with Likely Voters and those with Registered Voters. Bennett beats Buck in Colorado with registered voters, loses with likely voters; Sestak ties Toomey with registered and loses with likely voters; Feingold wins with registered voters , but loses big with likely voters; Reid wins with registered and loses by a point with likely voters. This demonstrates the alleged enthusiasm gap , which means the Democrats have to accelerate the GOTV efforts. Luckily in Delaware, Chris Coons, called by Glenn Beck a "Marxist" , is whipping Cathleen O'Donnell in both likely and registered. But the registered margin is a whopping 25%.

The great roll-out for the Pledge to America didn't really hit it. John Boehner wanted to assure everyone that Republicans are the same and that privatizing Social Security is not off the table. Please recall when W campaigned around the country on privatizing of social security. It was a mega flop. Pat Toomey in Pennslyvania has highlighted this as his major policy initiative. And he even admitted it would add significantly to the deficit. After recent events, who in their right mind would actually support this? I'm glad we are all going to be compis mentis when we are older and can finagle the ins and outs of the stock market like most people were able to do in prime health during 2008. And since they're going to raise retirement age to 70, it's going to be great for stock traders dealing with millions of people who have dementia. But it's all in the name of family.

Over 70% of Americans believe this country is in decline. It is if we don't make some fundamental changes. But I heard an unusual diagnosis of our fate from Niall Fergusson, the British neocon who spoke at Aspen warning that America might lose its empire. He repeated his talk in Australia. He said that the United States was in threat of losing its empire and global status because of our national debt. He said that the debt issue will force America to spend less on national security--remember we spend more than planet earth combined so I think we have alot of wiggle room--and lack the courage to rein in Social Security and Medicare costs. In other words, if we take care of Americans first, then we won't be the surrogate British empire Niall and the Bush neocons wanted. It should be noted that it was only during the George W. reign that any American policy-maker ever referred to the United States as an empire. The Left has used this terminology for years but American officials only did with W. In fact, Bush officials bragged to the British that the invasion of Iraq was "our imperial moment." Niall also said that all empires collapse when they withdraw from Mesopotamia. Good, here's hoping.

Newt Gingrich has taken up the anti-colonial issue by citing Dinesh D'Souza's recent thesis that Barack Obama is acting out his father's "Kenyan anti-colonial" mentality. D'Sousa's new book will be coming to my bookshelf soon and I already can anticipate the argument. But, before pre-judging Dinesh, I should like to mention that Glenn Beck's beloved Founding Fathers were notoriously anti-colonial and even modern Presidents such as Ike and JFK were anti-colonial. Does anyone remember the US sided with Egypt over the Suez Canal? All the stink that caused in Britain. But both Newt and Dinesh are imperialists--Christian imperialists. In other words, anti-American.

An American vet has been arrested in Chicago for plotting to kill Barack Obama and provoking a war between Christians and Muslims to hasten the apocalypse. This is the second plot in a week that has been disrupted. No wonder people believe America is in decline with this nonsense. Another man was arrested in Texas for attacking police officers because he was a member of the Texas Republican Movement, which advocates secession.

Not to worry, this stuff is getting mainstreamed. The Teabagger, Republican nominee for Senator in Alaska is pro-militia and considered a friend of that white nationalist movement. I guess that's one step ahead of his friend Todd Palin, who is a member of the Alaska Independence Movement. Both men should be happy about the GOP's embrace of the obscure 10th amendment.

Certain strange things have been appearing on my radar, which raises some interesting questions about some of the GOP candidates. The Washington Post found out that Pat Toomey's stint as a business partner in China was related to his relationship with Enron board holder Mr. Chen. On another front, you have the strange occurrence of Mark Kirk, GOP senate candidate in Illinois, bragging about telling the Chinese not to believe the Obama Administration of our country's assets. You have Dubai-based Newscorp, the owner of Fox News, being a business partner with North Korea and China, developing computer games. And you have private e-mails I get from conservatives praising China as a model and Vietnam.

In the old days of the Cold War, conservatives believed the turning moment was Whittacker Chambers outing Alger Hiss. But times have changed and , with the exception of the State Department couple who spied for Cuba, the most recent espionage problems have come from an asssortment of conservatives, members of Opus Dei, pro-Israeli Americans and the strange pro-lifer who was behind the anthrax mailings. Don't be surprised over the next few years if you see the conservative movement have a major espionage problem of its own on a scale of the Cold War exposes in the 1950s. Not a sermon, just a thought.

If Iran is an existential threat to Israel, why is Goldman Sachs-Israel opening an office in Tehran? I hate to disappoint everyone but I believe that the Iranian nuclear program has been disabled by "outside actions" and may be permanently out of action. I am probably the only one on planet Earth that believes this. But there were technological advances made by the United States over the last few years, which indicate things of this nature can be done. I submit they were.

Barack Obama spoke to the United Nations yesterday on a new development policy, which makes too much sense to repeat in a post that documents madness.

And, oh yes, documents were released today that demonstrate the Bush Administration intended to invade Iraq prior to 9-11 and Bush officials within 24 hours of 9-11 advocated an attack on Iraq--even though we learned yesterday that an Iraqi ambassador informed the administration that while Saddam was delighted, he had nothing to do with it.

Liz Cheney and Torture Advocate Marc Thiessen slams the quote of President Obama in Bob Woodward's new book that "America withstood a terrorist attack and was stronger for it." Liz went all Cheney on this quote and Marc Thiessen asks, "Do you feel more secure now?" Yes, Marc, I do.