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International Health Care: HuffPost Commenters Share Their Stories

2009-07-13T21:42:42Z

Last Friday I wrote about my experiences with a foreign health care system. I praised the quick, effective and very inexpensive treatment I received in England for a blinding migraine that kept me in a nauseated, bed-ridden state. My post brought out numerous stories from the HuffPost community about peoples' experiences with health care outside the United States. I wanted to highlight some of the stories posted under my piece.

alandkd:

I got pneumonia while in Germany for work. After seeing the doctor (she apologized for the half-hour wait because it was busy and she was the only doctor on call), within 10 MINUTES, she did an exam, an ultrasound, took blood for a test, and wrote an order for an X ray.

10 minutes to get the X ray, 10 more for it to be developed, and in another 10 minutes I was leaving with a prescription. They copied my US health insurance card and didn't charge anything.

---
RAF3:

20 years living with the "inferior" Canadian system got me a knee reconstruction, an ankle reconstruction, a thumb reconstruction, 2 beautiful children born via C-section, multiple trips to the doctor and emergency room, etc. etc. etc.

Quality of care and surgery -- at least as good and as prompt at I have ever gotten in the USA.

Never cost me more than my monthly premium ($70 per month, more or less, for the family and included dental) -- lots of dental visits too, now that I think about it -- and a few minor co-pays at the drug store.

---
Artemis34:

"Go home and call the doctor!" my colleagues said.

I was in Argentina, sick, and like all good American workaholics, at work!

"I"m American, we don"t go to the hospital unless we"re going to die [because then you don't have to pay the bill]" I said.

They explained that I could get care in Argentina and I needn't worry about my pocketbook.

They sent me off to my apartment with a phone number. I called and shortly after a doctor and nurse ARRIVED AT MY APARTMENT!

They examined me, said it was going around my neighborhood, gave me medicine and a prescription if I needed more, and gave instructions for follow-up.

No bill, FOR A HOUSE CALL!

I lived in Argentina for four more years and was very satisfied with the public care.

We call countries like Argentina and Chile "third world" but they can deliver care to their people and the US cannot.

---

RuWii

some years ago my brother in law was vacationing in Madeira (an island of Portugal) where he had acute apendicitis and needed emergency surgery. He was operated on and had to be hospitalized for 4 days. His wife stayed with him in his room. Not being Portuguese citizen he had to pay for his treatment. Being American he was terrified. The bill came in under $200!

---
rextrek

A few years ago,I was on vacation in Costa Rico and got hurt...I had hurt my ankle/foot & by taxi went to the ER...got 2 xrays/and a RX for pain pills....with instructions to apply ice..but it was NOT broken! Whew....what a relief...sure,the rest of my week was spent with my foot up,ice packs - at the bar..and pool...at a total cost of $30...I can ONLY Imagine what it would have cost in America!

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enilorac:

I was in a head on car collision accident in England a few years ago. My father, my mother and myself were wearing seatbelts, so we survived a bad crash. The most amazing aspect, however, was what Katharine experienced. An amubulance took us to the Emergency Room at the big hospital in York. We were x rayed, my mother spent the night under observation and my father and I were treated and then released.
The doctors and nurses, even the police, were professional, kind and very respectful. I filled out a number of forms with all our U.S, based addresses, etc. We never got a bill, just what I have described.
So I too, got treated to First World Health Care, and I know we would have been treated with the same respect and care for our health and safety, no matter our nationality, race or creed. Of course, as Katharine pointed out there are issues with the British system, but to its core it aims to care.

---
sodisenchanted:

I lived in Wales, UK for 16 months during 2007/2008. I have many health problems and won't begin to go into the problems I've had with insurance over the years.

I had to see a Dr. for an emergency as soon as I arrived in the UK and expected a huge hassle since I wasn't yet set up with NHS. I called the local surgery (Drs office) and had an appointment within 30 minutes. I saw a Dr. within 30 minutes of my arrival there. I tried to pay but was told they wouldn't know what to do with payment. (This surgery became my regular Drs.) I walked across the street to fill my prescriptions and when I tried to pay was informed all scripts filled in Wales written by a Welsh Dr. were free. COOL!

This level of treatment continued for my entire stay and I miss my Welsh Dr. I did wait about 6 weeks for a first visit to a specialist. It takes 5 months to see the same kind of specialist here. I could always see my GP same day there. It's a 3 day wait here sometimes just to see the nurse practitioner. My Welsh Dr. diagnosed and solved 2 problems I couldn't get any of 4 Drs. here to acknowledge.

---
enzosmom:

My 70-year-old father was knocked down by a horse-drawn carriage in Florence, Italy this May. Although he didn't lose consciousness, we were worried that he could have a head injury not unlike that which took the life of Natasha Richardson. We went to the closest hospital, which turned out to be the smallest, most crowded, and, according to our friends, the "worst." He was triaged as a 'green" patient (stable) upon arrival, received xrays and an MRI. Because he's on anticoagulants for a heart condition, they wanted him to remain overnight for observation, but they didn't have a room. He was given comprensive discharge instructions in English, by the English-speaking doctor, along with the xrays and MRI, so that he could follow up with his physician in America. My mother and I followed the instructions with respect to observing him for the next 24 hours, with no complications.
He was not charged for the treatment. The entire episode lasted four and one-half hours.
This was Italy. One of the (relatively) less affluent Western European nations regularly mocked for its inefficiency.

If you want to see more comments go here. Unfortunately I couldn't include everyone!

Notre Dame Protester's Shouts Included In Official White House Speech Transcript

2009-05-18T00:24:43Z

President Obama told Americans that he would be pushing for more transparency in government. Today his administration really took on that call by including a protester's shout in the official transcript of the President's Notre Dame speech. The transcript was emailed to the press after the speech.

In the run up to the speech, news reports highlighted protests by anti-abortion activists who disapproved of the Catholic university's invitation to the pro-choice Obama. While the numbers of protests were small compared to the attention they received, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs noted on Friday that the President would acknowledge the controversy in his speech. The President did so by calling for common ground on the issue of abortion. He also asked that people "do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature."

For the White House to acknowledge a protester in an official transcript really highlights the controversy, giving a heckler, temporarily, the same volume as the President. On the flip side, the reaction to the heckler was also included in the emailed transcript. The chorus of "Yes, we can!" and "We Are ND!" carried forth the stronger message that the President received a huge, warm welcome from the student body. Perhaps, by showing the reaction of many to one protester, the White House was able to show how much smaller the group of dissenters was compared to those who were open and excited to listen to the President.

See the partial transcript below:

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary _________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release May 17, 2009
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

University of Notre Dame
South Bend, Indiana

3:06 P.M. EDT

(this is excerpted from below the third paragraph in the speech)

THE PRESIDENT: I also want to congratulate the Class of 2009 for all your accomplishments. And since this is Notre Dame --

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Abortion is murder! Stop killing children!

AUDIENCE: Booo!

THE PRESIDENT: That's all right. And since --

AUDIENCE: We are ND! We are ND!

AUDIENCE: Yes, we can! Yes, we can!

THE PRESIDENT: We're fine, everybody. We're following Brennan's adage that we don't do things easily. (Laughter.) We're not going to shy away from things that are uncomfortable sometimes. (Applause.)

Ten Best Commencement Speeches: See A List, Take The Poll

2009-05-17T23:09:41Z

It's graduation season: a time when I'm reminded of a day sitting under the New Hampshire sun -- yes there is summer sun in New Hampshire -- praying that the ceremony would end so I could nurse a very hungover body. Of course, it didn't help that my mother was lurking around my row, angling in for photos of her little graduate sweating under a bulbous black gown. Needless to say, I wasn't able to pay much attention to my commencement speaker (author and historian David McCullough).

Over the years, I've gathered that many of my friends at other universities had similar experiences. The endless sitting, the fear of tripping on stage, the intense desire to go to the bathroom and the drunken blur of your last night as a college student really obscure the words of wisdom begin passed down by the esteemed speaker.

Don't fear if you weren't listening. The Huffington Post -- with the help of Facebook friends -- has cooked up a list of the best commencement speeches out there. Read them in the quiet of your office or home. And this time, you won't be busy trying to calculate the fastest post-ceremony route to the bathroom.

The speeches were chosen for the intensity of their messages, humor and historical significances. It's a mixed bag! Let us know which one you like the most in this poll.

STEVE JOBS AT STANFORD JUNE 12, 2005.
Select quotes below... full text here.

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking....

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."

GEORGE C. MARSHALL AT HARVARD JUNE 5, 1947.
Select quotes below... full text here.

"Political passion and prejudice should have no part. With foresight, and a willingness on the part of our people to face up to the vast responsibility which history has clearly placed upon our country, the difficulties I have outlined can and will be overcome."

JON STEWART AT HIS ALMA MATER, WILLIAM & MARY MAY 20, 2004.
Select quotes below... full text here.

"I was in New York on 9/11 when the towers came down. I lived 14 blocks from the twin towers. And when they came down, I thought that the world had ended. And I remember walking around in a daze for weeks. And Mayor Giuliani had said to the city, "You've got to get back to normal. We've got to show that things can change and get back to what they were." And one day I was coming out of my building, and on my stoop, was a man who was crouched over, and he appeared to be in deep thought. And as I got closer to him I realized, he was playing with himself. And that's when I thought, "You know what, we're gonna be OK."

PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY JUNE 10, 1963.
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"Some say that it is useless to speak of world peace or world law or world disarmament - and that it will be useless until the leaders of the Soviet Union adopt a more enlightened attitude. I hope they do. I believe we can help them do it. But I also believe that we must reexamine our own attitude - as individuals and as a Nation - for our attitude is as essential as theirs.

TONI MORRISON AT WELLESLEY COLLEGE MAY 28, 2004.
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"Although you will never fully know or successfully manipulate the characters who surface or disrupt your plot, you can respect the ones who do by paying them close attention and doing them justice. The theme you choose may change or simply elude you, but being your own story means you can always choose the tone."

STEPHEN COLBERT AT KNOX COLLEGE JUNE 5, 2006.
Select quotes below... full text here.

Now will saying "yes" get you in trouble at times? Will saying "yes" lead you to doing some foolish things? Yes it will. But don't be afraid to be a fool. Remember, you cannot be both young and wise. Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don't learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. But saying "yes" begins things. Saying "yes" is how things grow. Saying "yes" leads to knowledge. "Yes" is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say "yes."

OPRAH WINFREY AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY MAY 12, 2007.
Select quotes below... full text here. Scroll through the transcripts for the speech.

"You know, I come from good stock. Dr. Swygert was mentioning my grandmother who had a dream for me. And her dream was not a big dream. Her dream was that one day I could grow up -- she used to say, I want you to grow up and get yourself some good white folks, because my grandmother was a maid and she worked for white folks her whole life.

And her idea of having a big dream was to have white folks who at least treated her with some dignity, who showed her a little bit respect. And she used to say, I want you to -- I hope you get some good white folks that are kind to you. And I regret that she didn't live past 1963 to see that I did grow up and get some really good white folks working for me."

RUSSELL BAKER AT CONNECTICUT COLLEGE MAY 27, 1995.
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"So I will not waste my breath today pleading with you not to go forth. Instead I limit myself to a simple plea: When you get out there in the world try not to make it any worse than it already is. I thought it might help to give you a list of the hundred most important things you can do to avoid making the world any worse. Since I'm shooting for 15 minutes, however, there is no time to give you all 100. You will have to make do with 10. Short as the public attention span is these days, nobody could remember 100 anyhow. Even 10 may be asking too much.

DAVID FOSTER WALLACE AT KENYON COLLEGE MAY 21, 2005.
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And I submit that this is what the real, no bullshit value of your liberal arts education is supposed to be about: how to keep from going through your comfortable, prosperous, respectable adult life dead, unconscious, a slave to your head and to your natural default setting of being uniquely, completely, imperially alone day in and day out. That may sound like hyperbole, or abstract nonsense. Let's get concrete. The plain fact is that you graduating seniors do not yet have any clue what "day in, day out" really means. There happen to be whole, large parts of adult American life that nobody talks about in commencement speeches. One such part involves boredom, routine, and petty frustration. The parents and older folks here will know all too well what I'm talking about.

BONO AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA MAY 17, 2004.
Select quotes below... full text here.

"But I don't want to make you cop to idealism, not in front of your parents, or your younger siblings. But what about Americanism? Will you cop to that at least? It's not everywhere in fashion these days. Americanism. Not very big in Europe, truth be told. No less on Ivy League college campuses. But it all depends on your definition of Americanism. Me, I'm in love with this country called America. I'm a huge fan of America, I'm one of those annoying fans, you know the ones that read the CD notes and follow you into bathrooms and ask you all kinds of annoying questions about why you didn't live up to that. I'm that kind of fan."

Notre Dame Valedictorian: Obama Practices Catholic Values

2009-05-16T18:00:33Z

Note: This interview was conducted Friday, two days before President Obama's speech. Read the piece below in its original form.

-------
The media focus on the controversy surrounding President Obama's upcoming Notre Dame speech might give the impression that Obama is not welcome at the university. Class valedictorian Brennan Bollman, the woman who will be sharing the stage with the president on Sunday, says that couldn't be further from the truth.

"This issue has not divided the campus by any means," says the Catholic, pro-life biology major who will be attending Harvard Medical School after graduation.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, Bollman stressed that her peers do not view the president's overall values as inconsistent with Catholicism. In fact, Bollman says Obama is practicing Catholic values in his administration. Like Jesus, Bollman says, Obama is trying to invite "everyone to the table."

Condemnation of Notre Dame's invitation has come from Catholic Church members as well as anti-abortion groups, who have pushed the message that Obama and his pro-choice policies are not welcome. These groups have drummed up a considerable amount of coverage despite their smaller numbers. On Friday, Alan Keyes, one of Obama's challengers in the 2004 Illinois Senate Race, was arrested (for the second time in one week) on campus during a protest with about forty anti-abortion activists. Photos of the arrest have made it on to national cable networks like MSNBC. (Disclosure: I went on MSNBC this morning to discuss the controversy.)

Some of the strongest words against the Notre Dame invitation came from Chicago's Cardinal Francis George, who accused Notre Dame of showing it "didn't understand what it means to be Catholic when they issued this invitation."

Bollman called Cardinal George's statement out of tune with Catholicism. "We know exactly what it is to be Catholic because we are inviting President Obama to speak to us." She said the University's President, Father Jenkins, had even sent a letter earlier in the week to all graduates affirming he's proud that campus dialogue had not "led to divisions."

Bollman stressed that even though the student body is overwhelmingly disconnected from the outside furor over Obama's visit, there is a healthy debate on campus. She explained that the debate is less about abortion and more about Obama's policies towards "advancing this human life" after it's born. Bollman, who voted for Obama, says she and many of her fellow students support the president because of the respect he has "given to human life through many of his policies." Bollman did point out one group, Notre Dame Response, that would be holding a peaceful demonstration during the commencement.

Abortion rights is an issue that the president has largely avoided in his young presidency. When asked about the Notre Dame controversy during his 100-day press conference in April, Obama said it was a "moral and ethical issue," but one that was better decided by women than the government. Bollman brought up Obama's point during the press conference as a example of how he is not trying to be divisive when it comes to abortion, but rather he wants to look at the broader issue of unwanted pregnancy by bringing everyone to the table.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs revealed Friday that the president would acknowledge the controversy during his remarks at Notre Dame. "I think the president is somebody who has taught in a university setting, would understand that this is exactly the type of give and take that's had on college campuses all over the country," said Gibbs.

Bollam couldn't agree more. She said, "We're a Catholic university. We are supposed to -- by our nature -- engage all issues at their highest levels from people at all levels."

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Sarah Palin Twitter Account: Governor Starts Her Own Feed

2009-05-02T15:30:12Z

Sarah Palin has joined the Twitterati. Famous members include Ashton Kutcher, Shaquille O'Neal and Oprah Winfrey. And, of course, there's the political corps, which Palin will probably dominate. Her former running mate, John McCain, is an active tweeter. He has posted numerous updates on what he considers "pork-barrel spending". McCain's daughter Meghan is also a major twitterer with over 32,000 followers. You certainly won't see her tweet about Sarah Palin, however. In January Meghan declared, "Sarah Palin is the only part of the campaign that I won't comment on publicly."

Since Meghan won't be talking about Palin, Twitter at least gives the Governor an opportunity to get her message out there more without having to use the media that she claims produced "personal" and "salacious" reports about her and her family during the campaign.

Palin's feed began on April 29, without any fireworks, stating simply, "This is my official Twitter feed - from here I'll provide updates on issues concerning Alaskans". So far she has made seven updates and pulled in 14,638 followers. She's only following 42 people... and yes, one of them is John McCain. She has also chosen Bill O'Reilly. Problem is, the O'Reilly feed appears to be a fake. Two of the three updates are about O'Reilly's infamous camera freak-out.

Palin is a bit late to the tweeting game. She's paying for it with numerous copycat Twitter accounts. Here are a few to check out... two of the accounts have more followers than Palin's real one. Keep an eye on Palin the twitterer. Could she surpass Ashton Kutcher's 1,000,000 followers? Probably not, unless, like Ashton she posts bathing suit photos of her spouse while he's ironing.

1) http://twitter.com/Sarah_Palin

* Name For Sarah Palin
* Web http://sarahpac.com/
* Bio Sarah Palin: Hockey Mom Who Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down

5,843 Following 25,919 Followers

2) http://twitter.com/SarahPalin

* Name Sarah Palin News
* Location Alaska
* Web http://polfeeds.com
* Bio UNOFFICIAL TWITTER - News about Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska and Former Republican Vice Presidential Candidate

10 Following 4,353 Followers

3) http://twitter.com/Sarah_Palin/favourites

* Name For Sarah Palin
* Web http://sarahpac.com/
* Bio Sarah Palin: Hockey Mom Who Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down

5,843 Following 25,919 Followers

4) http://twitter.com/PalinPalooza

* Name Sarah Palin Palooza
* Web http://sarahpac.com
* Bio Express your support for Sarah Palin on Twitter!

423 Following 1,089 Followers

Party Switches Made By Famous Political Figures (SLIDESHOW)

2009-04-28T20:31:40Z

Senator Arlen Specter's announcement Tuesday that he would switch from the Republican to the Democratic party came as a surprise to many.

But party changes are nothing new in our democracy. Even Arlen Specter began his career as a registered Democrat while running on the Republican ticket for Pennsylvania District Attorney in 1965. Politicians have played musical chairs with party registration since the formation of the U.S. government. One of the biggest switches happened in the early nineteenth century, when United States Federalist Party members joined the United States Democratic-Republican Party. The Democratic-Republican Party clearly doesn't exist any more, and many other re-affiliations occurred after its dissolution.

As you'll see in the slideshow below, many well-known politicians have switched parties while serving in the public arena. And there are some famous public servants, like Hillary Clinton and CIA Director Leon Panetta, who changed their affiliations early in life. (Both Clinton and Panetta were Republicans. Clinton even worked for conservative Barry Goldwater during his 1964 presidential campaign.) Scroll through to learn more:

The White House Easter Egg Roll: Six Facts About Today's Event And More (VIDEO)

2009-04-13T13:07:28Z

Today is the first Easter egg roll for the Obamas, and true to expected First Family style, they're going big with the event.

The Obamas are hosting 30,000 people from 45 states and the District of Columbia. That's a ton of egg rollers -- in fact, that's about 10,000 more than have been at past White House egg rolls. Despite the expanded number, the Obamas will be using the same crowd-control system from the past: ticket holders get two hour time slots to play on the White House lawn before they are ushered out and the next group comes in. With 10,000 more guests this year, the Obamas are going to be putting on an interesting logistics display. You can try to watch it live here since the Obamas will be streaming the event for the first time. Remember, they're not just ushering adults through. Most of this group is aged fifteen and under!

The Obamas brought on another big change this year by distributing the tickets online. A couple reports, including this one from The Washington Post, cited some angry rollers, mainly Washington area residents, who had lost their local advantage of being able to wait in person to get the tickets. It appears the the White House tried to ameliorate the situation by allocating 4,000 tickets to local area students. The Obamas also gave out 2,500 tickets to military families. The special tickets that have received the most attention this year are those for gay and lesbian families. In 2006, gay and lesbian families were accused of "crashing" the White House Easter roll. This time the Obamas made a special effort to invite them.

Check out a slideshow of the Obamas at the egg roll.

Watch the Easter egg roll live:

A couple other fun facts about today's event are below... and if you want to learn about past Easter egg rolls then go here.

1. All children under the age of 10 will get one of the 30,000 wooden eggs made this year for souvenirs. The White House will be boiling and dying 13,000 eggs for the roll (those might be too smelly to bring home).

2. The Obamas are presenting a new roster of activities to encourage healthy living for kids. That includes yoga, sports, kids' cooking demonstrations, and of course the egg roll itself, which encourages lots of running. Chef Spike Mendelsohn of "Top Chef" fame will be one of the draws in that area.

3. There are some big sports stars from the NBA, WNBA, and MLS leagues to teach basketball and soccer moves. They'll also be some high school stars from local schools to teach the kids. Washington Wizards player Etan Thomas will be one of the athletes giving demos. The question is whether President Obama will show off some of his hoop skills as well...

4. The cover art for the program was created by a second grader. Nineteen students from the Two Rivers charter school in Washington submitted artwork and Mrs. Obama selected the winner.

5. The books for the "Storytime Stage" were all taken out of the local DC library for event. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be one of the readers. The roster also includes Josh Duhamel. Ladies, keep your eyes peeled! Last year First Ladies Laura and Barbara Bush read along with First Daughter Jenna.

6. A White House Easter egg roll isn't complete without musical performers. Unfortunately for the Obama girls, the Jonas Brothers will not be playing. The kids are getting Fergie (likely why her husband, Josh Duhamel, will also be contributing to the event), Ziggy Marley, Jessica Jarrell, Steve Songs and Imagination Movers.

Check back here throughout the day. We promise to have some great photos of the event along with the live stream which should update here.

Daphne Merkin, Sister Of Major Madoff Money-Funder Ezra Merkin, Writes Op-Ed Questioning Victims

2009-03-23T22:34:44Z

On Sunday, the New York Times ran an op-ed column examining how so many could have been duped by Bernie Madoff.

The op-ed dished out harsh words for the thousands who have lost everything in the notorious Ponzi scheme, calling them "co-dependent" "casualties" who should not be considered victims since they sought out Madoff. The author of the op-ed is Daphne Merkin, who the Times referred to at the bottom of the piece as "a contributing writer to The Times Magazine, [who] is working on a book on Jews and money."

Daphne Merkin is much more than just a writer looking into the Madoff debacle. She is very much entwined in the scandal as the sister of Ezra Merkin, the man who made up to $35 million a year funneling money to Madoff.

Merkin did issue a tiny disclaimer in the fifth paragraph of the piece: "(I did not know Mr. Madoff nor did I invest with his firm, but have a sibling who did business with him.)" But doing "business" with Madoff is a far far cry from directing pretty much all of one's fund, Ascot Partners, into the hands of Bernie Madoff. Merkin effectively had Bernie Madoff underwrite his life through the fees he skimmed off the money he gave Madoff. Their relationship caused ruin to many of the foundations and people who trusted Merkin to responsibly invest and watch their money.

According to New York Magazine:

Ezra took Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities places Bernie couldn't have dreamed of going by himself. The list of people and institutions that Ezra Merkin put with Bernie Madoff is a kind of Jewish social register. There was Mort Zuckerman, the media and real-estate mogul, and Ira Rennert, chairman of Fifth Avenue Synagogue and owner of a 68-acre oceanfront Hamptons estate. Over 30 charities invested with Ezra, many of them with a Jewish affiliation. Ramaz was in, as was Yeshiva. Not every investor says they knew that Ezra's fund Ascot was fully invested with Madoff, an assertion that will be at issue in forthcoming lawsuits.

It's unclear whether Merkin considers her brother an equal "casualty" among the rest. She does write, "It's interesting to me that institutional investors were the least likely to overlook the irregularities in his records; they weren't looking to be part of a family, they were merely looking to make money." But it appears that Merkin was looking to be part of a family, he was adding to the family, building it alongside Madoff. Madoff would not have been able to build much of this family without the help of Merkin.

Obama's Transparent Presidency: Weekly YouTube Addresses

2008-11-14T13:52:04Z

President-elect Obama's office gave the media a new way to present him as Franklin Roosevelt 2.0 by announcing Friday that it will be posting weekly addresses - fireside chats for the web generation - on YouTube.

The first address will appear on Change.gov this Saturday, after it airs in audio. An Obama spokesperson says that this innovation is just the beginning of the digital, transparent presidency. The plan appears to be in the mold of what the campaign did with videos like "Four Days in Denver" and Campaign Manager David Plouffe's conversations on the state of the race. These videos allowed supporters to feel like they had a direct connection to the campaign, a connection that bypassed the media. Already, the Obama team has made good on the post-election plan. It posted a video from Valerie Jarrett, one of Obama's transition chairs, discussing plans for the new administration. Watch it here:

Can the Obama team use the tools they built during the campaign to drum up support for complicated government initiatives? With a campaign, there were clear goals: raise money, organize, get out the vote. With a presidency, you have over 305 million Americans to motivate. We will be watching, texting, commenting, twittering, and of course, blogging the results.

John McCain, Barack Obama To Meet Monday

2008-11-14T13:52:00Z

Update... AP has more information on Obama and McCain's Monday meeting:

President-elect Barack Obama will meet Monday with John McCain in talks that Obama's transition office said would focus on ways they can cooperate on an array of troublesome issues facing the country.

The meeting will be the first since Obama, the Democratic Illinois senator, beat McCain, the Arizona Republican senator, by an Electoral College landslide in the Nov. 4 election.

"It's well known that they share an important belief that Americans want and deserve a more effective and efficient government, and will discuss ways to work together to make that a reality," Obama spokesman Stephanie Cutter said in announcing the meeting.

This just in from Barack Obama's transition spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter, Obama and McCain will be meeting on Monday for the first time since the election.

"On Monday, President-elect Barack Obama and Senator John McCain will meet in Chicago at transition headquarters. It's well known that they share an important belief that Americans want and deserve a more effective and efficient government, and will discuss ways to work together to make that a reality. They will be joined in the meeting by Senator Lindsey Graham and Congressman Rahm Emanual."

Fox News Graphic Shows Men Shooting At Obama, McCain

2008-10-31T22:49:10Z

Fox News is known for outrageous graphics. Remember the chyron under a photo of Michelle Obama that called her "Obama's Baby Mama"? Well the producer who oversaw that to air got fired after the network initially tried to stem the issue by calling it "poor judgment."

Last night Fox ran another graphic that could be considered "poor judgment." This one had two gunmen pointing their pistols at photos of Barack Obama and John McCain.

See for yourself and decide whether it's "poor judgment" to point guns at our presidential nominees, especially when news of Obama assassination plots continues to surface.

Check out the photo and watch a bit of the segment that aired:

Palin 2012 Frenzy: Media Myth Or A Real Possibility?

2008-10-30T15:37:57Z

When ABC blitzed inboxes Wednesday night with a headline-- "Sarah Palin Vows to Remain Player in 2012: 'Not Doing This For Naught'" -- that suggested the Alaska Governor would be a candidate for the Republican presidential ticket in 2012, it was a reporter's dream come true. Even esteemed CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer took the quote to mean that Palin was openly stating she would run:

The fact that ABC had to rescind that headline and replace it with the less-exciting "Sarah Palin: 'Not Doing This For Naught'" shows how news organizations are swimming like sharks to keep Palin in the spotlight. Palin could have been saying she would stick around for 2012. But the quote was more of a reflection of a desire to keep swinging at her critics.

Palin has been a bonanza for the press since she shook up the two-horse race at the end of August. She's added scandal, sex appeal, gaffes and rabid Republicans to the mix. Now, as it seems increasingly likely that there won't be any reason to report on Palin in five days, the press is looking for ways to extend its pot of gold.

This isn't to say that Palin hasn't contributed to speculation that she'll be sticking around. Over the past week, a combination of her comments and reports that she is ignoring John McCain's top aides' advice, have prompted many a reporter to write about a "Palin 2012" ticket. Yet these same journalists have written numerous articles referencing Republicans who say Palin has no business being a heartbeat away from the Presidency.

One way to reconcile that split is to look at Palin's presumed relationship with conservative voters. Yes, she's managed to lose conservative pundits like The New York Times' David Brooks and Kathleen Parker, but there remains a belief among media outlets that Palin still has a strong pull on conservative voters. Perhaps former Bush-Cheney campaign strategist Matthew Dowd summed it up best when he said, "She's vastly unpopular among moderate and independent voters, and while she could be in a position to be popular among an increasingly smaller Republican Party, she's got to figure out a way to extend that and figure out a way to strengthen her weaknesses."

But at the moment, Palin's chances for 2012 seem to be dwindling before they had a chance to become a reality. She appears to be dividing the party, not uniting it behind her. CNN is reporting today that there's a "civil war that is simmering will break out into the open if McCain loses," with Palin at the center.

McCain Allows Only Five Live Minutes For Joint CNBC Interview With "Rogue" Palin (VIDEO)

2008-10-28T15:59:45Z

It seems that after weeks of conservatives begging the McCain camp and the media to let "Palin be Palin," the McCain campaign is working harder than ever to make sure that doesn't happen. John McCain and Sarah Palin managed to come together today for their first joint "live" interview as reports swirled that Palin is going "rogue."

Between McCain's points and questions from CNBC's Maria Bartiromo, Palin only got a couple lines in -- easy answers on nuclear energy and oil prices. Bartiromo cut off the interview at the one question that could actually create some of those "rogue" answers: "I'd like to ask you how your partnership is going, and how unified you are, actually!" After that line, Bartiromo tossed to anchors, Mark Haines and Erin Burnett, who were forced to explain that the awkward cut-off was because the McCain camp would only allow five live minutes. Watch:

Despite the negatives for the campaign, Palin's recalcitrance has helped her shred the Caribou Barbie stigma for a more independent aura. Pundits are even starting to wonder whether she's gettng ready for a 2012 presidential bid.

Maybe that's why the McCain campaign allowed so little of today's interview to be live. The rest will air at 4pm and 7pm EST. The network will also be airing excerpts throughout the day.

McCain Claims Surrogate Meg Whitman 'Founded' eBay; Actual Founder Is Obama Supporter Pierre Omidyar

2008-10-27T17:03:03Z

John McCain continued his string of gaffes this morning by claiming that Meg Whitman, a national co-chair for his campaign and potential pick for Treasury Secretary, had "founded" eBay with five employees.

In fact, Whitman joined eBay as CEO in 1998, three years after it was founded by Pierre Omidyar, a Barack Obama supporter.

Omidyar endorsed Obama on his blog in May:

"Barack Obama is showing a mirror to America, and despite the bad stuff we see in our reflection, we see that we are fundamentally good and strong and proud, and we can overcome our challenges by working together, across all sorts of lines, be they partisan, racial, cultural, religious, or whatever.

That's something unique about Barack Obama's America -- our America -- and that's the America I want to live in. "

Whitman has been lauded for turning the then-30 employee eBay into a multi-billion dollar auction site during her ten years as CEO. She now sits on its board. Recently eBay took drastic measures to spur growth by firing ten percent of its workforce. Days later, McCain suggested Whitman as a potential pick for Treasury Secretary.

Biden Slammed During Florida Interview, Same Anchor Gives McCain Softballs

2008-10-25T20:04:55Z

Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden gave it to Florida WFTV anchor Barbara West Thursday when she asked him a slew of questions straight out of John McCain's talking points.

West began the interview by asking whether Biden was "embarrassed" by Barack Obama's association with ACORN. Biden refuted the false association between ACORN and Obama and rightly mentioned John McCain's speech during a rally sponsored by ACORN in 2006. Watch the interview below:

If you don't think West was laying a trap for Biden with rhetorical questions that are central to John McCain and Sarah Palin's speeches, then watch her treatment of John McCain in an interview on October 14th.

Biden asked her if his interview was a "joke" and wondered aloud who was writing her questions. Conservative writers, like Michelle Malkin, are trying to use Biden's negative reaction to biased questions as proof that he's even more erratic than John McCain. It's a huge stretch. Not only has John McCain increasingly accused the entire media establishment of being in the tank for Obama after years of calling the press his "base," but on Thursday he showed clear erratic behavior by snapping at a reporter over an immigration question:

At one point in the interview, McCain grew frustrated with a Tampa television reporter during her questions on immigration issues. McCain twice said illegal immigrants who have committed crimes would be rounded up. Katie Coronado of WFLA-TV asked if that meant using raids to round up immigrants.

"What did I just say that had any connotation of raids?" McCain said, raising his voice with impatience. "Let me try one more time."

He again explained the idea of forcing illegal immigrants out of the country by issuing ID cards and fining employers who hire illegals. He then softened his tone.

"I apologize," he said to Coronado. "I understand how important an issue it is. I didn't mean to be flip."

The Obama campaign responded to Biden's treatment by canceling a subsequent WFTV interview with his wife, Jill. Obama's Florida spokeswoman, Adrianne Marsh, called Biden's interviewer, Barbara West, "both combative and woefully uninformed about simple facts."

WFTV news director Bob Jordan refuted the bias by saying, "Mr. Biden didn't like the questions," Jordan said. "We choose not to ask softball questions."

Yes, tough questions are great Mr. Jordan, but not if some of them are 100% false or aim to equate the Democratic candidate for president with Karl Marx. Even John McCain wasn't subject to that kind of questioning when he flipped on Ms. Coronado on Thursday.