BlueHorde's Comments (11)

“The logic of Stupak-Pitts - that any plan directed by public officials or subsidized by tax dollars cannot offer abortion coverage - would not only prohibit any private insurance in the exchanges, or any subsidized insurance from offering abortion coverage - because money is fungible and any taxdollars spent on any portion of a person's coverage would indirectly subsidize abortion - it would also prohibit abortion coverage by any plan whatsoever - because health expenditures are deductible expenses - which is the same as a subsidy (in fact the "subsidy" for lower income people is in the form of a tax credit).

Indeed, due to the fungibility of money, ANYONE who receives taxable income and takes any tax deduction for any reason - including the personal deduction - is receiving a "subsidy", so NONE of their money may be used to pay for an abortion ... This is the logic of Stupak-Pitts ... If even tax credits are subsidies, and even the "public option" which gets no subsidy and is completely funded by premiums is still, however indirectly, supported by government to a degree too far to accept ... then there is little possibility that anyone could legally pay for an abortion.

Except, perhaps, for totally free procedures provided by volunteers or paid entirely by foreign nationals.

There is no compromise with the logic of Stupak-Pitts, it intends to make abortion impossible to obtain for anyone in the US. The correct strategy is to explicitly recognize the Hyde Amendment, but”

“How is this "similar" to single payer?

It is pay for service. No pay - No Service. Hey, it's great to be able to find lower prices, and in time that could introduce an actual free market to the health sector and bring medical inflation in line with the rest of the economy. But don't kid yourselves that this is an alternative to heath care reform or universal coverage.”

“What a marvelous resource for people who don't live in a civilized western nation.”

“Sometimes I think it might, finally, actually be happening

Democracy - Leonard Cohen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OETwbVBPI1U”

“Cobern, being a mere US legislator is confused about matters of law. He only makes law, he is not trained nor qualified to understand them.

He is incorrect that the advice he gave Senator Ensign is privileged because of doctor/patient or even pastoral confidentiality.

But it turns out those conversations ARE privileged under the 5th amendment, since Coburn's advice apparently makes him an accomplice to Ensign's illegal acts to pay off his former mistress and her family, it is perfectly reasonable for Coburn to refuse to give testimony which would incriminate himself.

It is understandable that Coburn is confused that he has a 5th amendment privilege to not testify, he is probably under the impression that the 5th amendment was nullified during the Bush administration along with the 4th amendment and Habeas Corpus.”

“Let's make a list of whether certain things are unconstitutional
1) Warrantless spying on Ameican citizens, check
2) Denying Habeas Corpus, check
3) Making war without consent of Congress, check
4) Suspending treaties without consent of Congress, check
5) Altering laws via signing statements without Congressional approval, check

6) Providing health care to Americans - constitutional”

“By "You people", you must mean Alaskan Republicans - they have been the source of almost all of the ethics complaints, and indeed all of her political enemies in Alaskan politics. Her political problems in Alaska have always been with her fellow Republicans.

Most of the rest of the country never heard of her until one year ago this month. The ethics charges were well underway before that, as you said "relentlessly hounded for years" by fellow Alaska Republicans. http://pubrecord.org/politics/908/mccain-vp-pick-has-history-of-clashes/”

“"but when she got her own show and started with the chirpy sarcasm, ending every sentence on a high C note like a ditzy teenager, I was done. The whispery asides, the "teeny, tiny, teensy, teeensy" are like fingernails on a chalk board to me, and I can't tune out fast enough when she giggles and exchanges inanities with that lame comedian at the end."

That stuff is classic Rachel, nothing new, she's been doing that on the radio for 5 years. She's a nerd with a 5th grade sense of humor who happens to be the smartest person in broadcast news and the best explainer of complex subjects ever. It may not be your cup of tea, but I think it would be horrible for Rachel to agree to be more boring.”

“Pelosi and others were briefed on these and other matters - like the NSA's illegal wiretapping - under strict National Secrecy rules - but they couldn't even discuss these matters with their own national security advisors, they had no one they could report violations to, all they could do is write letters (and they did) to the very president who authorized the lawbreaking. They were put in a national security box that didn't allow them to follow their conscience.

According to legal experts interviewed on the Rachel Maddow Show, the 7 year statute of limitations for the first of these acts is now running out, soon they will be unprosecutable.

Except in international courts.”

“The former Republican majority defined bipartisanship as "do it our way", not as "join us in crafting legislation", you can contribute your bipartisanship by agreeing with us. Because in a democracy the majority rules absolutely.

The Republican minority defines bipartisanship as "let us join in crafting legislation, but we still won't support it unless you do it all our way". Because in a democracy the minority has a veto power over the majority - it's the balance of power. Last Congress proved it with 107 filibusters - the all time record.

Maybe we should replace Harry Reid with the 2003 version of Bill Frist - he'd show the Republicans what it means to be a minority party.”

“Why has the media grabbed hold of the storyline (meme) that Panetta has little or no intelligence experience?

He does - 40 years ago he was a military intelligence officer - he ran the intelligence unit at Fort Ord.

The story should be that in recent decades he has not been part of the national intelligence establishment - that is he is not among the people 'tainted' with the crimes and failures of recent years.”