Bobby Jindal on The Huffington Post

Rich Robinson: Top Ten PR Blunders of 2009

2009-12-15T15:04:19Z

For some this was, as Queen Elizabeth might say, "annus horribilis" - a horrible year. For the rest of us, it was another lesson in public relations crisis management. Here are the Top 10 PR blunders of 2009:

10. Fox News Caught Using Fake Footage. To make it seem like a protest over health care reform was larger than it actually was; the lying liars over at FNC used footage from a previous protest on the National Mall. Jon Stewart played clips from both events, clearly showing that the network used archived footage from a better-attended rally on Sept. 12 (with green trees, cloudy skies) to show thousands of protesters taking to the streets in Washington, D.C, which took place in November that had fall trees and sunny skies.

9. Michael Steele, Human Gaffe Machine. The chairman of the GOP discovered a comfortable place for his foot all year long: his mouth. From his attempt to "urbanize" the Republican Party to his "strategic" use of the uttered gaffe, he has personified a political party that is lost far, far out in the woods.

8. Serena Williams' Outburst. After losing to Kim Clijsters at the US Open Semi-finals in September on a foot-fault call, the tennis powerhouse walked over to the diminutive judge and began berating her. "I swear to God, I'm [bleeping] taking this ball and I'm shoving it down your [bleeping] throat," Williams said. She was fined $10,000 for the outburst.

7. Tom Daschle's Tax Lax. Nominated as Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services, Daschle was looked upon as a key player in the looming fight over health care reform. But in February, he withdrew his nomination in embarrassment, due to his neglect over paying taxes on the use of a chauffeur service. In 1999 Daschle stated that "tax cheaters cheat us all, and that the IRS should enforce our laws to the letter," only underlining the irony of his blunder.

6. Kanye West Interrupts. During the MTV Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift unexpectedly won for Best Female Video. As she was making her acceptance speech, West leaped up on stage, grabbed the mic from her and said, "Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'll let you finish, but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!" He ruined Swift's moment and was quickly and roundly condemned by performers of all stripes, via the Twitter-verse. During an interview, the topic arose and President Obama commented that Swift seemed like perfectly nice person. "Why would he do that?" asked CNBC's John Harwood. "Because he's a jackass," Obama replied, to many laughs in the room. Nice call, Mr. President.

5. Balloon Boy Hoax. Richard Heene claimed his son had floated away in a home-made balloon. After a flight that lasted hours and was covered live on television, it landed about 12 miles from the Denver Airport. Once on the ground, the boy was not inside, so authorities began a manhunt of the area, raising fears that he had fallen from the balloon. Later that afternoon the he was reported to have been hiding at his house the entire time. Suspicions arose that the incident was a hoax following the Heene's interview on CNN. Responding to a question about why he was hiding, the boy said "You guys said that, um, we did this for the show." The Larimer County Sheriff announced the incident was indeed a hoax, and the parents would likely face several felony charges. Heene pleaded guilty to the charge of "attempting to influence a public servant."

4. Bobby Jindal Flops. It was supposed to be the governor of Louisiana's national coming out party: he was selected to give the GOP response to President Obama's first State of the Union speech. And little Bobby fell flat on his face. His reviews were harsh: "amateurish," "laughable" and, "a missed opportunity." On PBS, conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks said, "to come up at this moment in history with a stale 'government is the problem,' 'we can't trust the federal government' - it's just a disaster for the Republican Party."

3. Gov. Mark Sanford's Hike Through the Appalachian Trail. Hey, you can't blame a guy for falling in love. It even happens to guys that are already married, and that much is none of our business. But when said guy is the governor of a state who leaves his duties behind (without telling his staff how he can be reached) to travel to South America to be with his lover, a few questions might come up. Mark Sanford (R-South Carolina), disappeared to Argentina several times to be with the woman he calls his "soul mate." Touching, but perhaps not to his wife, who recently filed for divorce. The funniest aspect of this is Sanford told his senior staff that he was going to be away and out of touch, "hiking on the Appalachian Trail" - which has now become code for "off boinking my mistress."

2. Rod Blagojevich Attempts to "Sell" Obama's Senate Seat. Illinois Democrat and Tammany Hall wannabe Blagojevich is caught trying to get cash for his appointment to fill Barack Obama's seat in the United States Senate. In possession of recorded phone conversations, the FBI will have none of it. "Blago" loses his job and still faces federal corruption charges. Meanwhile, Roland Burris is named to the seat, but that's an entirely different PR blunder from the get-go.

1. Tiger Woods' Fall From Grace. Few public figures have assumed such a carefully constructed persona only to have the bottom fall out so harshly. Woods' bevy of infidelities has caused huge damage to his reputation and will take time to fix. The good news is all he will have to do is win golf tournaments. The bad news is it takes a great deal of concentration to win at golf ... so for the moment, he is not in a good place. Walking away from the game is a smart move. Now he needs to shut up, make amends with his wife and stop with the waitresses and porn stars.

Zombie Reagan Brought Back To Life To Lead GOP (VIDEO)

2009-11-30T16:37:48Z

Lacking an effective spokesperson, the GOP has put their faith in the reanimated corpse of Ronald Reagan. According to this video from The Onion, Zombie Reagan is a face that Republicans can trust. "When he moans at them, they're going to listen." As long as he hasn't eaten their ears yet.

WATCH:

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Karen Dalton-Beninato: Pilgrim's Progress: 10 Reasons to be Thankful for New Orleans

2009-11-26T17:05:56Z

While thankful for the closure that comes from a ruling that engineering disasters in the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and levees led to post Katrina flooding, I was taken aback when a CNN commentator conjectured that New Orleans residents are now looking for their "Pound of flesh."Our diaspora can be compared to many literary classics - the Illiad comes to mind, but not Shakespeare's Shylock character.

Fairness and revenge are two very different things. Having a foot in both worlds for four years has been challenging, but gratifying because I was able to be with my father during the last years of his life. Valuing that time is just one of the lessons learned from the journey home. Also Live and Let Die is on, with its French Quarter Second Line, and Baron Samedi's big voodoo scene is up next. It's the little things.

Here are 10 New Orleans signs of progress to be thankful for through our extended holiday season:

1) Our thriving movie industry. The Green Lantern moved its entire production from Australia to New Orleans, the Hollywood of the South, and Jonah Hex and Disney's The Princess & The Frog (pictured above) have wrapped production. Sandra Bullock's critically acclaimed The Blind Side just premiered in New Orleans. The true story written by local Michael Lewis is about a homeless teen taken in by an open hearted woman. Appropriately enough, Bullock's philanthropic efforts include adopting Warren Easton Charter School as it rebuilds.

2) Whodat Nation. Saints Quarterback Drew Brees, riding a 10-0 record, has built a football field for Lusher Charter School with his Brees Dream Foundation. Uniforms donated from an East Coast school will help them field their first marching band in the fall, along with horns from our ongoing NOMRF instrument drive.

3) Rock and also Roll. The local recording industry is also thriving. Kermit Ruffins released Have a Crazy Cool Christmas just in time for the holidays (I'm predicting he'll be a breakout star in David Simon's upcoming HBO series Treme, currently filming). Artists choosing to record in New Orleans include Dave Matthews, REM, Eric Clapton and more. And hometown artist Lil Wayne is still a hit machine.

4) Homes for the Holidays. Many returnees now have a roof over their heads thanks to efforts like Make it Right via Brad Pit; Habitat for Humanity Musicians Village spearheaded by Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis; and the St. Bernard Project which won CNN's Heroes Award last year. This year's nominee, Derrick Taab of Rebirth, heads Roots of Music, an educational program for young musicians. Watch for him on CNN's Heroes - a well deserved honor.

5) Planet Preservation. A Matt Damon-funded rooftop garden, Global Green's Holy Cross project and Preservation Resource Center are among many planet friendly endeavors throughout New Orleans.Furnishing Our Neighbors repurposed donated four star hotel furniture through its ReDefine 8/29 program, and has provided thousands of pieces at $8 and $29 to returning residents. Eleven more hotels are lined up for next year.

6) Health Caring. More than 1000 patients with no healthcare options were recently treated during a day long clinic thanks to donations from viewers of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Last night musician and club owner Irwin Mayfield's Project 2010 hosted a benefit to help with medical expenses of Marva Wright, Lady BJ, Bo Dollis and J.D. Hill. The New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund was able to keep a Mardi Gras Indian Chief in life saving medication while he waited for his transplant. And the Musicians Clinic hosted a benefit last month for Dr. John's drummer, Herman Ernest.

7) Extended Holidays. Our holidays are never really over. Post New Year's Day is Mardi Gras when Dr. John will be King of Krewe de Veux, the first parade of the year. A true humanitarian, his Voices of the Wetlands has kept a spotlight on rebuilding our coastal barriers. After Mardi Gras the town gears up for the Jazz and Heritage Festival, which inspired its message board Threadheads start a nonprofit record company. They also recently donated $10,000 to Silence is Violence, a coalition of citizens demanding increased safety.

8) Beam Us Up. The tech field is booming with companies like KoDa which utilizes social networking in a client's job search, WorkNola which helps those relocating to New Orleans and those already home a way to explore and apply for local job openings online, Evacuteer which has developed a network to train those willing to help during an evacuation, and Launch Pad New Orleans offering techies the chance to co-work.

9) Cooperation. In a polarized nation, an era of bipartisanship was kicked off with Joseph Cao's brave healthcare vote, the governor's visit to the White House State Dinner this week and James Carville and Mary Matlin taking up residence in The Big Easy. Cooperation can lead to accomplishments like Rep. Neil Abramson shutting down the Katrina Cottage program because not one cottage was ever delivered.

10) Last But Not Least, Accountability. The Huffington Post's own Derek Smalls, err, Harry Shearer, and Levees.org have been keeping the faith for four years that accountability would come through after all that we lost in the levees failure. Their faith and dedication has started to pay off. This list is my effort to show just why New Orleans residents, both home and displaced, are grateful to hometown heroes and humanitarians, friends and family in this season of thanks.

Bobby Jindal Silent On The $300 Million Landrieu Got Louisiana

2009-11-25T11:49:07Z

Does conservative Governor Bobby Jindal favor the $300 million in Federal money that could be heading his state's way, thanks to Senator Mary Landrieu's successful efforts to secure the cash in the health care bill? His office won't say.

To the best of our knowledge, Jindal has been publicly silent on whether he supports the money, ever since some on the right waged an aggressive attack on the funds, widely deriding the cash as the "Louisiana Purchase."

Judge: Hurricane Katrina Flooding Was Caused By Army Corps Of Engineers' Negligence

2009-11-18T23:12:39Z

NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a navigation channel led to massive flooding in Hurricane Katrina, a decision that could make the federal government vulnerable to billions of dollars in claims.

U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval sided with six residents and one business who argued the Army Corps' shoddy oversight of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet led to the flooding of New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward and neighboring St. Bernard Parish. He said, however, the corps couldn't be held liable for the flooding of eastern New Orleans, where two of the plaintiffs lived.

Josh Nelson: Will the GOP Nominate a Climate Change Denier in 2012?

2009-11-18T14:55:33Z

In the early stages of the race for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012, eight names are mentioned most frequently: Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Haley Barbour, Bobby Jindal and Dick Cheney.

Of these eight early contenders, five outright deny or question climate science, while the remaining three are opposed to all meaningful action.

If Gingrich, Jindal or Barbour wish to claim they are not opposed to all meaningful action, they'll have to present plans that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the extent scientists say is necessary, which is on the order of an 80+ percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2050. An 'All of the Above' strategy of increased domestic oil and gas development and incentives for nuclear plants that will never be built does not even come close.

Candidate	Position
Mitt Romney	Climate Science Denier
Mike Huckabee	Climate Science Denier
Dick Cheney	Climate Science Denier
Sarah Palin	Climate Science Denier
Tim Pawlenty	Climate Science Denier
Newt Gingrich	Opposed to Meaningful Action
Bobby Jindal	Opposed to Meaningful Action
Haley Barbour	Opposed to Meaningful Action

Mitt Romney, as part of the unveiling of the Massachusetts Climate Action Plan, wrote:

"If climate change is happening, the actions we take will help," Romney wrote. "If climate change is largely caused by human action, this will really help. If we learn decades from now that climate change isn't happening, these actions will still help our economy, our quality of life, and the quality of our environment."

Mike Huckabee, speaking with Katie Couric of CBS News:

Katie Couric: "Do you think the risks of climate change are at all overblown?"

Mike Huckabee: I don't know. I mean, the honest answer for me, scientifically, is I don't know.

Dick Cheney, speaking to ABC news in 2007, said:

"We're going to see a big debate on it going forward," Cheney told ABC News, about "the extent to which it is part of a normal cycle versus the extent to which it's caused by man." What we know today, he added, is "not enough to just sort of run out and try to slap together some policy that's going to 'solve' the problem."

Sarah Palin, talking to GOP boss Rush Limbaugh yesterday:

RUSH: What's our biggest energy challenge as a country? Do you believe at all or some or a lot in the modern-day go-green movement of solar and wind and all of these nefarious things that really don't produce anything yet?

GOV. PALIN: I think there's a lot of snake oil science involved in that and somebody's making a whole lot of money off people's fears that the world is... It's kind of tough to figure out with the shady science right now, what are we supposed to be doing right now with our climate. Are we warming or are we cooling? I don't think Americans are even told anymore if it's global warming or just climate change. And I don't attribute all the changes to man's activities. I think that this is, in a lot of respects, cyclical and the earth does cool and it warms.

Brad Johnson has more on this, including audio, here.

Tim Pawlenty, who was once an advocate of clean energy solutions to the climate crisis, has steadily moved in the wrong direction as his national ambitions have grown. Think Progress recently documented his regression as follows:

Dec. 2006: Pawlenty lays out an ambitious clean energy program for Minnesotans to reduce their use of fossil fuels 15 percent by 2015. Cutting greenhouse gases, Pawlenty said, would "be good for the environment, good for rural economies, good for national security and good for consumers." He also calls for a regional cap and trade program.May 2007: Pawlenty signs the Next Generation Energy Act of 2007, requiring the state to reduce its emissions 15 percent by 2015 and 80 percent in 2050. At the signing ceremony, Pawlenty said Minnesota was "kicking-starting the future" by "tackling greenhouse gas emissions."

Oct. 2007: Pawlenty declares that the climate change issue is "one of the most important of our time." He also brushes off "some flak" from right-wingers who doubt climate change science.

Sept. 2008: During the election, Pawlenty backs away from his own cap and trade program, says such a system would "wreck the economy." He then tells hate radio personality Glenn Beck (a climate change denier) that human activity only contributes "half a percent" to climate change.

Nov. 2009: Pawlenty backs away from acknowledging that any human activity is the cause of climate change.

While Newt Gingrich does not openly deny climate science, he is vehemently opposed to any meaningful legislation or regulation to address it. In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in April (PDF), he said:

This is the wrong bill for our national security.

This is the wrong bill for our economy.

This is the wrong bill for government of, by, and for the people.

He went on to cite widely discredited cost estimates and tout the wonders of coal and oil shale, two of the most polluting energy sources on the planet. This is not an all of the above strategy as Gingrich would like to claim. The emphasis is drill here, drill now, more of the same.

Bobby Jindal's press secretary released the following statement in September 2009:

"Governor Jindal has made it clear he believes that the House passed cap and trade bill punishes the American energy industry and that's the last thing we need to do when we are trying to become more energy independent. The legislation will make it harder to create new manufacturing jobs in the US, and the Governor opposes it."

In a March 2001 memo to Vice President Dick Cheney (PDF, page 17), then energy industry lobbyist Haley Barbour urged the Bush administration not to let environmental initiatives trump sound energy policy. Specifically, he wrote:

A moment of truth is arriving in the form of a decision whether this Administration's policy will be to regulate and/or tax CO2 as a pollutant. The question is whether environmental policy still prevails over energy policy with Bush-Cheney, as it did with Clinton-Gore. Demurring on the issue of whether the CO2 idea is eco-extremism, we must ask, do environmental initiatives, which would greatly exacerbate the energy problems, trump good energy policy, which the country has lacked for eight years?Most Americans thought Bush-Cheney would mean more energy and more affordable energy.

Bobby Jindal "Crippled" Louisiana Ethics System: Lawyer

2009-11-03T09:42:43Z

Louisiana's ethics system has been "crippled" as a result of legal changes made during Gov. Bobby Jindal's 2008 special session on ethics, the chairman of the Louisiana Board of Ethics said Monday.

"This is a convoluted and crippled ethics system we have today," Ethics Board chairman Frank Simoneaux said. "It does not make sense. It does not work well."

Julie Farby: 2012 GOP Candidates as Diverse And Exciting as Their Ideas

2009-10-27T15:26:23Z

In
the vast wasteland that is the 2012 GOP presidential landscape,
fresh-faced stars join seasoned statesman to create a powerful
right-wing juggernaut designed to bring down NObama and the rest of
those God-awful Democrats ruining America.

Now normally this
would sound like a delightful plan to reinvigorate a hurting Grand Old
Party and restore America's faith in the conservative movement by
reclaiming their rightful place on vacation on a ranch in Texas in the White House.

Of
course, this would require that the candidates are people who voters
actually think are competent enough to babysit their kids, let alone an
entire nation, but with the elections three or so years away, who
really has time for such formalities?

There's the always-compelling, perennial front-runners like Mittens Romney, Newt "Are You Morons Really Gonna Force Me To Run?" Gingrich, and formerly obese master of meaningless Iowa straw polls Mike Huckabee.

And let's not forget adorable, already-sparkling superstars like sexy, semi-retired multimillionaire Sarah Palin and nerdy, token minority Piyush "Bobby" Jindal whose charm and charisma is enough to make an AARP member want to grab the Bengay and boogie down.

Even
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is getting in the game, casually
ramping up his national profile by launching his political action
committee "Freedom First" in order to travel the country talking to
assorted teabaggers, secessionists, birthers and other nutjobs about
how this secret Muslim President is destroying America by fixing its
health care system and winning Nobel Peace Prizes.

"History
proves that it is weakness, not strength, that tempts our enemies,"
Pawlenty said in an interview with Newsmax. "And he is projecting
potential weakness, and enemies may see that and their respect may be
reduced as a result of that, or worse."

Like they might even get a shoe chucked at their head??

Pawlenty
also accused the president of being "extremely partisan in his
approaches," particularly when it comes to pushing his socialist health
care agenda.

"President
Obama has governed in an extremely liberal way, and he hasn't
accomplished many major initiatives, but the few that he has have been
almost exclusively partisan," he said. "That defies what he said during
the campaign and doesn't live up to that promise."

Obama has "a
philosophy that government knows best, a nanny-state mentality on
domestic issues that will ultimately be corrosive to the other pillars
of our country - to markets, private enterprise, individual
responsibility, freedom and liberty."

God damn you NObama! I mean can you believe the nerve of that guy? Thinking government knows best or even knows anything about how to run a country anywhere except straight into the ground is simply absurd!

One
thing's for sure: George W. Bush certainly never had any delusions he
could alter the course of history or that his decisions would have
unanticipated consequences and far-reaching effects. Except of course
on those few occasions when he was acting on behalf of a higher power
as God's chosen messenger on Earth.

Miles Mogulescu: A Call For a Bipartisan National Campaign to Overturn Insurance Companies' Exemption From Anti-Trust Laws

2009-10-16T14:15:03Z

Whatever their differences on comprehensive health care reform or regulation of Wall Street, here's something that progressives, liberals, centrists, and even free-market conservatives and some tea-baggers should be able to agree on: The insurance industry should not be virtually the only business in America -- other than professional baseball -- to be exempt from federal anti-trust laws that prohibit monopolies, price-fixing, market manipulation and other anti-competitive practices which are anathema to a free market.

I'm hereby urging the formation of broadest possible national coalition of people and organizations of all political persuasions to support the following proposition:

WE, THE UNDERSIGNED ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS, urge Congress to enact, and President Obama to sign, legislation to immediately repeal the insurance industry's exemption from complying with Federal anti-trust laws, while preserving the existing rights of the states to regulate insurance.

We need organizations as diverse as MoveOn, HCAN, Healthcare Now, the AFL-CIO, the National Association of Manufacturers, and even the Club for Growth, and tea bagger organizations to endorse this simple proposition. (Organizations as varied as the American Bar Association and the Automotive Service Association -- the trade organization for auto repair shops -- already support such legislation.)

We need the widest possible coalition of organizations to use their email lists to generate a million or more signatures in support. We need a national media campaign. We need massive lobbying of Congress.

This should be stand-alone legislation, not a piece of comprehensive health reform legislation. Senators and Congress people, Democrats and Republicans, liberals, centrists and conservatives -- whatever their position on comprehensive health care reform -- should be able to vote to make the insurance industry subject to the same anti-monopoly laws as every other American business and bar them from price fixing and market manipulation.

About the only people who could disagree are members of the insurance industry and their paid apologists.

As a result of the insurance industry's anti-trust exemption, 94% of insurance markets in the country are "highly concentrated" according to a study by the AMA. Only two health insurance companies control 98% of the market in Hawaii and 95% in Rhode Island; in 8 other states they control 80%-90% of the market; in 11 other states they control 70%-80% of the market; and in the states with the lowest concentration, they control 47% in New York and 44% in California, which still constitutes an anti-competitive oligopoly.

In part because of monopoly pricing, average health insurance premiums grew 120% between 1999-2007, while average wages grew only 29%. Between 2000-2007, the average profits of the 10 largest publically-traded health insurance companies increased 428%. In 2007, the average CEO salary of those companies was $11.9 million, 468 times the $25,434 wage of the average American worker.

Using their anti-trust exemption, insurance companies collude with health care providers to fix prices to the detriment of consumers. For example, a December, 2008 investigative report in the Boston Globe revealed that the state's largest insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, made a secret deal with the state's largest health care provider to fix prices and prevent lower prices being charged to other health insurance companies.

The basic principle of free market capitalism is competition. This is a principle upon which both liberals and conservatives agree, or should agree. Basic free market economic theory holds in order to survive and make a profit in a competitive market, businesses have to innovate, find ways to create a better product than their competitors, operate more productively and efficiently, and lower their prices or be undersold by their competitors. When instead of competition, there are monopolies and oligopolies, the free market fails to function properly, innovation is stifled, and monopolistic companies impose higher prices on their customers, whether individual consumers or other businesses.

In addition, to being anti-competitive, monopolies are anti-democratic; monopolies and oligopolies use some of their super-sized profits to hire armies of lobbyist and make contributions to politicians of all political parties in order to prevent lawmakers and regulators from interfering with their monopoly profits.

That's the reason that a century ago, Congress passed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and then the Clayton Anti-Trust Act, to break up monopolies and make practices like price-fixing and market manipulation illegal.

However, in an historic anomaly, until 1945 conservative courts held that the insurance business did not constitute "commerce" and thus could not constitutionally be regulated by the federal government or be subject to federal anti-trust law. The Supreme Court overruled this in 1945 and made the insurance industry subject to the same types of federal regulations that applied to other businesses. In response, the insurance industry convinced its friend in Congress to pass the McCarran-Ferguson Act which exempted it from Federal anti-trust laws (while still allowing state regulation, which is generally weaker).

(An historical note: Sen. Pat McCarran (D-Nev.) -- the chief sponsor of the McCarran Ferguson Act, -- was often thought to be the real-life inspiration for the Mafia-owned Senator in The Godfather II).

There have been many attempts since 1945 to repeal McCarran-Ferguson, but until now they have all been defeated by the insurance lobby. At times even conservatives have supported repeal. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home and he was unhappy with the treatment by his insurance company, Republican Minority Leader Trent Lott, along with then Congressman Bobby Jindal, and several other Republicans joined with a number of Democrats including Pat Leahy, Harry Reid, Mary Landrieu, to sponsor legislation to repeal McCarran-Ferguson, but the insurance industry and its friends in Congress defeated the legislation.

Now, the insurance industry's double-dealing on health care reform has given new impetus to legislation revoking its Federal anti-trust exemption.

Pat Leahy has reintroduced legislation in the Senate that would partly repeal McCarran Ferguson by outlawing price fixing and bid rigging by health insurance and malpractice insurance companies. Congressmen Gene Taylor of Mississippi and Peter DeFazio of Oregon have introduced the Insurance Industry Competition Act of 2009 which would completely remove the federal anti-trust exemption from the entire insurance industry.

At hearings Wednesday on the Leahy bill, Sen. Chuck Schumer stated, "The health insurance's antitrust exemption is one of the worst accidents of American history. It deserves a lot of the blame for the huge rise in premiums that has made health insurance so unaffordable. It is time to end this special status and bring true competition to the health insurance industry." Majority Leader Harry Reid testified that "there is no reason why the insurance companies should have exemption from antitrust laws." The Obama administration's head of antitrust enforcement, Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney, testified that there are "strong indications" that insurance industry exemption from McCarran-Ferguson are no longer valid, although she did not take an official position backing repeal.

It's not entirely clear whether Democrats are finally serious about repealing McCarran Ferguson or whether this is just a political ploy to threaten the insurance industry to back off from opposing Democratic health reform bills. As best as I can tell, so far this year, Republicans have largely been silent on the issue.

But whatever the outcome of comprehensive health care reform, it's clear that making the insurance industry (not just health insurance but all insurance) subject to the same anti-trust laws as other businesses, and barring them from price-fixing, market manipulation, and other anti-competitive practices, would help increase consumer choice and likely lower insurance costs to American consumers and businesses.

Remember, AIG, whose near-bankruptcy was one of the main catalysts the financial meltdown and great recession, and which has cost the taxpayer over 180 billion dollars (enough to fully fund health care reform for several years) was the world's largest insurance company -- credit default swaps, which was the cause of AIG's collapse, were a form of insurance against investment losses and couldn't legally be regulated as either insurance or gambling.

We need a national coalition crossing the political spectrum from left to right to abolish the insurance industry's exemption from Federal anti-trust laws with all deliberate speed.

*** UPDATE: While we're working to put together a larger national coalition, Sen. Pat Leahy has a web site where you can sign a petition to your Congressional representative supporting his bill to make health and malpractice insurance companies subject to anti-trust laws.
http://ga3.org/campaign/hcr_antitrust

Jindal Booed Loudly At Obama Town Hall (VIDEO)

2009-10-15T14:29:45Z

When President Obama mentioned Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal at his New Orleans town hall Thursday, the name was met with a resounding chorus of boos.

"No, no, Bob is doing a good job," the president told the crowd at the University of New Orleans. "Bobby, if it makes you feel any better i get that all the time," he continued, and the crowd laughed. More seriously, he added, "Even though we have our differences politically, one thing I will say is that this person is working hard on behalf of the state, and you gotta give people credit for working hard." This time, the audience cheered.

Watch:

The president promised New Orleans residents that his administration would never forget the city.

Obama noted that sewers and roads damaged by Hurricane Katrina still need to be repaired. Houses and hospitals are still vacant, he said. And schools and neighborhoods are waiting to thrive again.

"I promise you this," Obama said. "Together we will rebuild this region and we will build it stronger than before." He announced a new working group to coordinate restoration projects across the Gulf Coast.

The president also touted the progress made in the city since he became president: Reconstruction projects have moved forward that had stalled due to disagreements over whether the state or federal government would foot the bill. And his administration has sent more than $1.4 billion in additional federal aid toward repairing and rebuilding Louisiana.

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Karen Dalton-Beninato: Liveblogging Obama's Speech with New Orleans Ready for its Closeup

2009-10-15T13:39:38Z

I spent the morning almost interviewed as part of CNNOnline's Blogger Bunch, but my feed dropped at the last minute. As a displaced New Orleans resident, that's either a metaphor or plain old bad luck.

To their credit, CNN and MSNBC are spending much of today focused on the 60,000 abandoned homes, the levees still only one third of the way into readiness for a 100-year flood and more than 100,000 former residents not home. As one of the CNNOnline panelists mentioned that, I waved back. There are as many reasons residents are not back yet as there are former residents due to issues of education, safety, jobs, Charity Hospital still sitting empty and, in my case, the need to stay north for parents who were in failing health when Katrina hit. But things are changing. We have a house shared with friends when we go down to work. It's a beginning, and news of New Orleans is now filtered through the feeling of having one foot back in the door.

With photo from NewOrleans.com, here is my liveblog of President Obama's Town Hall speech at the University of New Orleans today.

Via NewOrleans.com which is also livestreaming: The program is opening with a prayer for the city of New Orleans, a call for unity, and the pledge of allegiance before trumpeter Shamarr Allen plays the National Anthem.

1:15 The thank you's begin. No, no, Bobby's doing a good job. (boos!) Bobby, if it makes you feel any better, I get that all the time. And the second point is that even though we have our differences politically, this person is working hard on behalf of the state and you've gotta give people credit for working hard.

Senior Senator Mary Landrieu, Leutenant Gov. -- don't know if he's related -- Mitch Landrieu [he is]. Outstanding member of Congress Charlie Melancon [who had announced he would not attend but changed his mind]. Newest member Joe Cao -- asks his daughter's name. Those are some cute kids, they look like mom. I'm big on daughters. *Rep. Neil Abramson is also in attendance and submitted the photo below. Missing is Senator David Vitter.

President introduces Mayor Nagin. Huge applause with rumble of boos. (There is a feisty crowd here!)

Secretary Homeland Security, HUD, Education, Environmental Quality (Shout out to Wetlands). Thanks Shamarr Keith Allen on the horn.

Thanks those who rebuilt in the face of ruin. May have swept through the city but it did not destroy this community and that is because of you, the people of New Orleans. Damage to Katrina not just caused by disaster of nature but also by a breakdown of government.

Mentions visits as Senator, presidential candidate. So far, I'm pleased to report we've made good progress. Fairly halfhearted applause.

Have sent more cabinet members to this region than anywhere else in the country. Mentions that won't tolerate turf wars between agencies, dispute resolution, 1.5 billion freed up from red tape. Schools, public health, broken roads, buildings -- Recovery Act has put thousands back to work. Tackling inefficiency that plagued HANO for years (applause).

Moving families toward self sufficiency. Just visited MLK Charter school, first to reopen in 9th Ward. Worked to be a better partner to allow universities to rebuild (First really big applause). Committed to building VA center downtown. Helping to hire cops and rebuild jails.

"I'm proud that my FEMA director has 25 years of disaster in Florida. A state known for its share of hurricanes. Put together group to study disaster recovery, modernizing emergency communication. Working to build miles of levees and strengthen wetlands and barrier islands that are the first line of defense for the Gulf Coast." (applause).

"Whether you're driving through New Orleans, Biloxi or south Louisiana houses still vacant, schools still waiting to thrive once more. I promise you we will not forget about New Orleans, the Gulf Coast, together we will rebuild this region and make it stronger than before." (applause.) Maybe the crawl saying "Mississippi mad" will change now.

Now Obama moves on to economic problems in the general recovery. "Our goal is not to just rebound from this recession but to build an America that works for everyone."

Talk of jobs created through the Recovery Act. Building a clean energy economy, education that equips every citizen with the training they need, building a health care system that offers affordable insurance to those who don't have it.

Gets the biggest applause so far.

"We are going to pass health care reform by the end of this year."

Just in case you were wondering, I never thought any of this would be easy. It's been 9 months, why? What did I say? Change is hard. And big change is harder. I don't quit. We get this stuff done. We keep on going until we get it done. Huge applause.

Obama: "Those folks who are trying to stand in the way of progress..." from lady in the crowd, "Alright now!" We now have full call and response cadence. Aaaaand, a Yes We Can from the crowd.

Mentions those who are struggling and challenges that wouldn't work with quick fixes. Diligence, perseverance, patience, renewed spirit of cooperation among our citizens. Asks for civility and areas of common ground. Same spirit that took hold of this region. You didn't get tired. You're still out there rebuilding. The true story is this community of unbending resilience.

Thanks first responders, emergency care, volunteer firefighters who recently helped Iowa tornado. Still remember when NYC firefighters who had been through 911 came to help after Katrina.

UNO graduating class this year is the first class that chose apply to a NOLA school after Katrina. Thanks the youth that came to help rebuild.

You believe in the possibility of remaking America to become what it can be.

*question time

Q: Girl Boy Girl Boy alternating. Calls on a Reverend Smith from Rayville. 30% dropout rate in US. We don't knock other schools but took our school to 97 percent attendance rate. No gangs and grad rate from 64 to 73.5 percent. In US, losing so many young men. We should look at all of our children in all of our schools.

A: MLK Charter school, schools weren't working for NOLA before the storm. COmmunity has used crisis as opportunity for new ways of learning. In Recovery Act, set up Race to the Top. Set aside $5 bil states can compete for. Show how you're improving performance, teacher quality the most important thing in a school, effective data, series to be good partner with state and local schools. Prob with No Child LFt Behind, bunch of tests but didn't follow through with tools to achieve goals. I can work hard, states, city but if parents don't insist on excellence from their children we won't succeed (applause). When I visited the school, beautiful kids charming, smart, introducing themselves very proud of their school you could tell adults had invested time...

(Cutting away to boy hanging from a balloon).

So from the morning's nonworking teleconference to this cutaway to a 6 year old hanging from a runaway balloon (which is, of course, terrible), New Orleans is still ready for our closeup. I'm jumping away to the NewOrleans.com feed. Wrapping up question on how to work more effectively with legal aid.

Q: It's a man's turn. Gabriel from New Orleans, FEMA reimbursements. Delgado largest vocational school had to turn away 1500 students not enough to cover. Without full service hospital for last four years. "I expected as much from the Bush Administration but why are we still being nickle and dimed in our recovery?"

A: Working as hard and quickly as we can. You mentioned Charity Hospital. Committed to working with city and state for world class health in New Orleans. Complication between state, city, feds. I wish I could write a check

Crowd: Why not?

There's this whole thing about the constitution and congress. Everyone will attack you for spending money unless you're spending it on them, you notice that? (laughter). Sprung loose 1.4 billion that had been held up for years. May not sound like a lot to you but it's real money. Talks about his team working, by the time my term is over you guys are going to look back and say this was a responsible administration...

Q: Calls on a woman who asks about immigration and kids lost in the system.

A: Discusses solution, "We are a nation of laws and we are a nation of immigrants. Don't have a lot of sympathy for folks who, once they're in, don't want somebody else to come in. But we're also a nation of laws." Reform would strengthen the borders, be serious about going after employers hiring undocumented workers (applause). In raids grab workers just trying to feed their families. Go after big companies purposefully hiring these folks. Several million undocumented workers who live here. Children now US citizens. Notion that you're going to send all those folks back, not all from Mexico. That's another stereotype that often gets promulgated. Describes fine, learn English, back taxes but pathway to get legal. Opportunity to solve in next year or two.

Q: Man's turn. Elliott Labaude on Healthcare Reform. This year's Social Security -- what will it do to remove Part B, removes increases we got in the past.

A: "SS will not see an increase because of deflation, costs down 6 percent. But with hardships $250 increase to seniors. In terms of Part B here's what health reform would do. Contain costs, lower across the board." Describes flawed medical care system. Electronic billing, saving 80 bil minimum on prescription drugs for seniors under medicare. With combined savings and reform Social Security benefits. Answers "What's in it for me?" Instead of deflation healthcare went up 5.5% Premiums going up 15 to 20 percent for employers. Will have to drop coverage or charge higher out of pocket costs. Average family premium doubled in 10 years. "If we do nothing your premiums will double again over the next 10 years." You heard a lot of funny tales, no cutting benefits under medicare, no forcing you to lose health insurance that you have. All we're talking about is giving you some options so you can still get insurance with preexisting conditions, employer can pool with others to get a better deal. (applause)

Insurance company stock went down, now they're getting nervous. You're going to start seeing a bunch of those ads. "Americans for good healthcare or something, probably a front group for the insurance industry and don't let them fool you. We're going to get this done.

Q: Ladies Turn. Environmental question mentioning there isn't even a recycling program in New Orleans. (big, big applause). In the midst of all the important things healthcare, education, domestic violence how can you as a leader make environmental policies more effective?

A: We have already invested in the biggest clean energy investment in American history. Retrofitting buildings, weatherization programs," Describes kind of a green Marshall Plan. Points out congressional leaders and says give your name and they'll give information on what they're doing (small laughter from audience). Climate change is real. Meaning worse hurricanes, more frequent, drought, famine, displacement around the world. Gone from 30 percent to 70 percent dependent on foreign oil. Ship out the wealth. Louisiana oil state. Good news is that coming out of this recession we're going to need new industry. Clean energy best opportunity. Increase environmentally sound ways to tap our oil and natural gas. Safe and effective nuclear energy like Japan and France. But most important new sources of clean energy and drastically ramp up energy efficiency (after healthcare) folks in Louisiana employed by energy industry will wonder how does this affect oil? Convinced package for energy independence can work. (Someone says he's ready to go). Lightbulbs, insulation other tips. Sealing natural gas leaks. Going to take a transition. Took a long time before you decided that Hummer didn't make much sense when gas went up to $4.

Last question, Man's turn (groans from ladies in crowd): Fourth grader Terrence Scott, why do people hate you and they're supposed to love you and God is love?

Photo by NewOrleans.com

A: Obama: "That's what I'm talkin about. Well first of all I did get elected President and not everybody hates me. If you're watching TV lately everyone seems mad all the time. SOme of it's just what's called politics. One party wins the other party feels it needs to poke you to keep you on your toes. You shouldnt take it too seriously. People are worried about their own lives, losing jobs, healthcare, homes and feeling frustrated. When you're President of the United States you've got to deal with all of that. Credit when things go good and blame when they go wrong. Keep on going when people are criticizing you as long as you know you're doing it for other people."

*And if you missed the result of the cutaway, there was no boy found in the balloon. MSNBC's Melissa Harris Lacewell is already mentioning on Twitter that her national interviews about New Orleans scheduled for today are being cancelled for coverage of the missing boy in a balloon.

Jindal Fires State Employee Day After She Criticized Him

2009-10-09T14:15:20Z

Gov. Bobby Jindal fired a state worker, Melody Teague, one day after she publicly condemned his plans to privatize state services. The worker's attorney claimed Teague was told that she was terminated for poor performance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, years ago.

Louisiana Democratic Party Chairman Chris Whittington has launched an investigation into the incident.

Melody Teague criticized Jindal during a forum held by the Commission for Streamlining Government. Soon after, the contract grants reviewer was told she was fired for her handling of the state's disaster food stamps program four years ago, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

According to The Advocate, Commission member Leonal Hardman believes that Teague was "unfairly targeted because she spoke out publicly at the streamlining forum."

In a statement, Chairman Whittington said, "For all of his talk about ethics reform, how ethical is it to fire a state employee for expressing her opinion publicly at a forum?"

Jindal has a history of firing or attempting to fire critics.

In July, the Associated Press reported that Jindal attempted to force out Board of Elementary and Secondary Education appointment Tammie McDaniel after she questioned a state official's budget decisions.

In March 2008, Jindal fired James Champagne, the executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, after the two disagreed on the state's motorcycle helmet law. Champagne had worked for the Louisiana State Government for twelve years.

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Jindal To GOP: Work With Obama On Health Care

2009-09-30T09:29:17Z

Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal urged his party in an interview Tuesday to shift to offering health care solutions instead of just rejecting what President Barack Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress are proposing.

"I think now is the perfect time to pivot and to say, not only here's what we're against, and not only here's how we're going to contrast ourselves, but here's what we're for," Jindal said in an interview Tuesday with POLITICO.

Jindal acknowledged that the Republican Party for years had been too slow to stake out positions on the health care debate "to our peril and the nation's peril."

Patrick Sauer: Bobby Jindal: Soaring to New Heights For New Orleans

2009-09-03T18:25:14Z

A recent Baton Rouge Advocate article detailed the 14 trips taken by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal in a taxpayer-funded helicopter to Protestant evangelical churches. Jindal, a Catholic, spent an estimated $45,000 to attend Sunday services. Some religious leaders believe this to be a violation of the separation of church and state.

Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, President of Interfaith Alliance, and a pastor at Northminster Baptist Church in Monroe, LA wrote an open letter to Governor Jindal:

"If you were traveling to these churches to worship with the various congregations, you should have paid your own expenses to get there as did the other worshippers. If you were traveling to these churches for the purpose of sharing your personal faith and encouraging faith in others, state funds absolutely should not have been used to pay your expenses. Indeed, in that instance, your state-funded actions were a violation of the United States Constitution's promise of religious freedom which has been a critical contributor to the vitality of religion in our nation. If you were traveling to these churches for political purposes, you should not have been there in the first place, regardless of who funded the travel...For the sake of religion, please do not politicize houses of worship in Louisiana and rob those of us who minister there of the credibility that allows our faith to be a healing force in our state and across our land," Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy.

In this Huffington Post exclusive, Governor Bobby Jindal responded to the charges. He delivered his remarks in front of a spiral staircase while wearing a candy cane-striped tie.

Here is the previously unreleased transcript:

(Long pause. Long pause. Long pause. Long pause.)

Hel-lo,

I'm Gov-er-nor Bobby Jindal. As I was walking through the aisles of my local grocery store this morning, mapping out my 2010 Easter brunch, I was thinking of the words of my Father.

"Bobby," he said as we sat down to a plate of Dahi Vada, "As Americans we can do anything."

I still believe that today. When we pull together, there is nothing we can't overcome.

Some have questioned my usage of a helicopter to attend church services in North Louisiana, where the true conservatives, my people, live. To these critics I say, you don't understand that I am bringing people together, and what I've overcome to meet the demands of this hallowed vocation. When I was a teenager, I overcame my Hindu upbringing to become a Catholic. Jesus spoke to me and told me Vishnu doesn't vote.

Recently, I overcame the whole going to Catholic services on Sunday edict as well. The Pope doesn't pull the lever either.

Where some see wasteful government spending, I see a way to deliver a powerful message to my God-and-government-fearing constituents. Like Jesus and the money changers, I wasn't kidding when I said we didn't want stimulus funds, even when I was asking about the stimulus funds. Keep your enemies closer the good Lord always says.

Since we won't by building a high-speed rail....(Whispers off to the side) We're sure on that right... Since we won't be building a high-speed rail, I consider the helicopter an example of fiscal discipline. I'm not like one of those Washington insiders wasting money on some crazy high-speed rail line. You might say, helicopters provide the low-cost wings, so I can meet-and-greet with the Lord's chosen angels.

As I fly over the great state of Louisiana, I think of all the things we've overcome. I recall another Republican taking a Louisiana helicopter trip...

Has it really been four years already? My how time flies. Before you know it, the Presidential election will be upon us.... (Long pause. Long pause. Long pause. Long pause.)

But I digress. Today, I am here to talk about how far The Bayou State has come under my leadership, working with all kinds of folks, both Catholics and Protestants, to make our state stronger.

Consider that four years ago, on this very day, the full deployment of Army and Air National Guard reached New Orleans. And a mere 24 hours later, the Superdome was completely evacuated. It is clear to me that without government-funded helicopters, we couldn't have done the work of the people, or the work of my personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Hurricane Katrina showed that when people come together, amazing things can happen in a week to ten days time.

I don't get down to New Orleans as much as I'd like to, mainly because there's no high-speed rail from Baton Rouge. I often pray for New Orleans as I fly to the North. Once I get to the pews in Hornebeck Parish, the parishoners usually pray for God to deliver his wrath to New Orleans, so I bow my head in quiet reflection on the price of shrimp....

But don't get those folks started on the festivities in New Orleans this weekend. Up in Coushatta, I could raise $45,000 to pay for my helicopter rides just by showing them this flier and passing the collection plate. Besmirching the good name of Mardi Gras, Southern Decadence in-deed.

But I kid the deviant kids. As my evangelical friends have taught me, God will give them the chance not to burn in hell. More importantly, New Orleans is overcoming all its problems. Katrina was the old way things were done. In Bobby Jindal's Louisiana, New Orleans has massive flood-control pumps. We're still working out the kinks, but if water gets in, we'll pump it back out!

That's what the D.C. bureaucrats will never understand. All it takes for a new levy system is a little elbow grease and some old-fashioned American can-do spirit! That's what my Father would have done, provided the job he got offered after calling random names in the YellowPages was levy-repairman.

Like the head of my Office of Coastal Activities Garret Graves said, "As you get away from Louisiana to D.C., it is very clear you don't have the same level of urgency and the same understanding of the challenges being faced down here."

We don't need any stimulus money, or any of that Washington D.C. waste. And let's not forget, according to one of your very own Hollywood liberals, the lack of reconstruction is Obama's fault. And that guy knows from hard-working American entrepreneur Abu! (Off-stage whispers...) I'm sorry, Apu! What do you expect from Kendell? (More off-stage whispers)... I'm sorry I don't even know what a Furry Rock is.

In summation, what I've seen soaring high above parishes miles from New Orleans is Louisianans coming together to rebuild this great state. Or, at least coming together in their corner of the state to pray with those who know exactly What Jesus Will Do if the levees don't hold. Why, he'll turn the water into wine and those Big Easy heathens can keep on partying until the true apocalypse rains fire down on their filthy heads! (Uncontrollable laughter).... Water, please....Aahhh...

(Clears throat) All I can say is what I believe in my heart. Whenever I go up in one of God's whirlybirds, I'm proud knowing that off in the distance, somebody is doing something to help us overcome New Orleans.

The helicopter trips are all part of God's plan. With him all things are possible, even the White House.

Thanks for your time, I'm President (loud off-stage cough) ... Sorry, Judeo-Christian slip.

I'm Gov-er-nor Bobby Jindal. Have a good night.

Jindal Takes Helicopter To Church At Taxpayer Expense

2009-09-01T15:55:46Z

On Father's Day this year, Gov. Bobby Jindal settled into a state helicopter with two staff members and flew to church services in Springhill.

A week later, state records show, he was in Dry Creek, again to attend church. The weekend after that it was a church in Monroe.

Republicans Praise FEMA Changes Under Obama

2009-08-28T11:01:52Z

WASHINGTON — As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama pledged to right the wrongs he said bogged down efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. Seven months into the job, he's earning high praise from some unlikely places.

Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., says Obama's team has brought a more practical and flexible approach. Many local officials offer similar reviews. Even Doug O'Dell, former President George W. Bush's recovery coordinator, says the Obama administration's "new vision" appears to be turning things around.

Stu Kreisman: Republicans, Healthcare and Money

2009-08-03T18:10:55Z

After Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal made a big show of how independent he was by rejecting President Obama's stimulus package, he's now going around the state presenting oversized checks to constituents and taking credit for the new jobs it's produced. Texas Governor Rick Perry, who went so far as to suggest that Texas secede from the Union (to which most of the country heartily agreed) rather than get federal funds, is now demanding where the rest of his state's share of the booty is. Speaking of booty, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford begrudgingly takes the money because the state legislature is forcing him to while he wistfully dreams of continuing his hike along the Appalachian Trail.

All but three Republicans voted against the stimulus, yet they all are gladly taking the money. Seeing a trend here? Here's how to shut them up. New rule. If a senator or governor announces that they are going to refuse the stimulus funds, don't give it to their state. Give it to the other states that want jobs. It will only take one senator or governor who is trying to score political points on the poor and the jobless to nix the deal. Then the people of the state will know who exactly is to blame.

Yes, I feel sorry for the people of the red states who will suffer because of the morons they voted into office. Maybe a shock to the system like this will finally make them understand that there's more to elections than gun rights and who loves Jesus more.

My guess is that if this pipe dream of mine ever did come to a vote, the gutless cowards on the right would all vote for the stimulus money just like when forced to, the "birthers" voted unanimously that the president was indeed born in Hawaii.

The same rules would apply to the health care bill, except governors wouldn't count. If you live in a state where one of your senators votes against single payer, your state can keep the status quo. If Montana loses out because Jon Tester votes yes and Max Baucus votes no, guess which senator will lose in the next election cycle. Everybody will know where to point the fingers.

It's time for Obama to call the Republicans' bluff. Enough with the bi-partisan crap. No Republican or DINO is going to vote for reform, no matter how much they water it down. Baucus's Group Of Six is awash in contributions from the health care industry and big pharma. According to Opensecrets.org, the total amount of money contributed to the six from the health care field during the period of 2005 to the upcoming 2010 campaign is as follows:

John Enzi: Pharmaceuticals - $216,200 Health Professionals - $144,049
Charles Grassley: Pharmaceuticals - $127,850. Health Professionals - $211,906
Olympia Snowe: Health Professionals - $174,574
Kent Conrad: Health Professionals - $229,033
Jeff Bingamen: Health Professionals - $207,563
Max Baucus: Pharmaceuticals - $506,313 Health Professionals - $497,641

These are the dolts making the rules? Any wonder why Baucus, Grassley and Enzi are doing all they can to kill health care reform? Do you think they care about the millions who have no insurance and the others who are about to lose theirs or which room of their vacation homes should they put their new 60 inch HD plasma TV?

Where are the Republican ideas? The only one I've heard so far is a plan to get their knuckle-dragging sheeple to disrupt town hall meetings intended to inform the public. The wingnuts are way too busy trying to keep the truth from reaching the public. The party of "No" is fast becoming the party of "No Freedom Of Speech." (Ironically, the "citizens" who will try to disrupt the meetings are probably the ones who need the benefits the most. Never underestimate the mentality of a tea bagger.)

Enough of this charade. Kudos to the president for trying to govern the inclusive way but it's painfully obvious that the opposition couldn't care less about the welfare of the people or the country. It's time for the Democrats to grow a pair and force a vote. And if your senator votes no, don't come running to the blue states to get health care. You were stupid enough to vote for the clowns, you keep them. The joke's on you.

Eric Alterman: Think Again: Why Not the Best?

2009-07-23T20:15:24Z

Crossposted with the Center for American Progress.

President Barack Obama made the argument at his Wednesday night press conference this week that our current health care system is unsustainable, saying:

"This is not just about the 47 million Americans who have no health insurance ... Reform is about every American who has ever feared that they may lose their coverage if they become too sick, or lose their job, or change their job. It's about every small business that has been forced to lay off employees or cut back on their coverage because it became too expensive. And it's about the fact that the biggest driving force behind our federal deficit is the skyrocketing cost of Medicare and Medicaid. So let me be clear: if we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit. If we do not reform health care, your premiums and out-of-pocket costs will continue to skyrocket. If we do not act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day. These are the consequences of inaction. These are the stakes of the debate we're having right now."

Yet the position of many health reform opponents in Congress is, as Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell told David Gregory of Meet the Press on Sunday, that America has "the finest health care in the world now." This position was echoed by Alabama's Senator Richard Shelby, who told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday that Obama's health care plan would be, the "first step in destroying the best health care system the world has ever known." And Louisiana's Governor Bobby Jindal wrote in Politico that, under Obama's plan, "the quality of our health care would diminish."

Elected officials aren't allowed to just make stuff up when they go on the television -- and if they do, the journalist's job is supposed to be to call them on it. Not too much of this happened, however, so I thought I'd take a look and see just how well Kentucky, Alabama, and Louisiana are doing health care wise. Thanks to the Kaiser Family Foundation's new statehealthfacts.org, it's not so hard. Let's start with Kentucky.

About 600,000 people in Kentucky, or 14.6 percent of the population, are uninsured. This is slightly better than the national average. But roughly 100,000 of the uninsured are children -- and incidentally, almost half of those children live below the poverty line. Compared to the rest of the United States, Kentuckians experience a higher death rate from cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and heart disease, and about 66 percent of the adult population could be considered obese.

And Alabama? Only 13.7 percent of Alabamians are uninsured. Again, that's better than the national average, but more than 70 percent of non-elderly uninsured Alabamians live near or below the poverty line. More than half of all uninsured children in the state -- about 90,000 -- also live below the poverty line. But perhaps the focus should be on quality of life, rather than coverage. Alabama has an infant mortality rate of 9 deaths per 1,000 live births. Not only is that higher than the national average; it's also higher than the rate in Ukraine and Cuba. Like Kentucky, Alabama has a higher mortality rate when it comes to cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, stroke, and heart disease. And almost 70 percent of the adult population could be considered obese. Alabamians also experience higher rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and Syphilis than the national average.

OK, what about Mr. Jindal's Louisiana? Alas, more than one in five Louisianans are uninsured. That's almost 850,000 people, of which more than 160,000 of which are children. The infant mortality rate is even higher than in Alabama -- 9.8 deaths per 1,000 live births -- and the mortality rate due to cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, stroke, and heart disease is far higher than the national average. The death rate from HIV is double the national average. And this is not to mention the sudden closure, damage, and disruption of health care services after Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans area, which are still in the process of being reestablished. The Government Accountability Office published two reports in July on health care problems in the New Orleans area -- one detailing problems with restoring primary care services to the low-income population and one identifying lack of access to mental health services for traumatized children. The suicide rate has doubled in New Orleans since Katrina.

But Jindal, Shelby, and McConnell were all talking about the nation as a whole and not about their own states, right? Well, 47 or so million people are uninsured nationwide, including about 9 million children, most of whom live near or below the poverty line. America's newborn death rate is among the highest in the world -- tied with Slovakia, Poland, Cuba, and Taiwan. American infants are three times more likely to die in their first month than their counterparts in Japan. Not to put too fine a point on it, but this "greatest health care system in the world" left us ranked dead last in the category of avoiding preventable deaths in people under the age of 75. And yet we somehow manage to spend a fortune to achieve these pitiful results. We spend a third more than France, and see far worse results than countries like Switzerland or Canada where many Americans are forced to travel to find affordable health care.

Wendell Potter, a whistleblower from the health care lobby, recently appeared on Bill Moyers Journal to discuss the "finest health care in the world." He told Moyers that he knew that people were uninsured, but the human cost did become real to him until he actually attended a free health care expedition in Wise, Virginia. He recounted:

I just assumed that it would be, you know, like health booths set up and people just getting their blood pressure checked and things like that. But what I saw were doctors who were set up to provide care in animal stalls. Or they'd erected tents, to care for people. I mean, there was no privacy.... I saw people lined up, standing in line or sitting in these long, long lines, waiting to get care. People drove from South Carolina and Georgia, and Kentucky, Tennessee -- all over the region, because they knew that this was being done. A lot of them heard about it from word of mouth.... It was like being hit by lightning. It was almost -- what country am I in? I just it just didn't seem to be a possibility that I was in the United States.

But Bill Moyers, whose program airs on PBS on Friday evenings, doesn't have a network Sunday news show. And so all most of the public who watches them knows is that, dammit, we have best gosh-darn health care in the world!...

You can read the rest of Eric Alterman's analysis in his recent article, "
Think Again: Why Not the Best?"

Eric Alterman is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and a Distinguished Professor of English at Brooklyn College. He is also a Nation columnist and a professor of journalism at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. His seventh book, Why We're Liberals: A Handbook for Restoring America's Most Important Ideals was recently published in paperback. He occasionally blogs at http://www.thenation.com/blogs/altercation.

Read more: Alabama, Louisiana, Mitch McConnell, Bobby Jindal, Richard Shelby, Media, Health Insurance, Barack Obama, Healthcare, Politics News

Jindal Cashes In On Stimulus While Bashing It

2009-07-23T14:57:09Z
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has reemerged after his disastrous State of the Union response prompted a brief sabbatical from the spotlight. In a Politico piece Monday, Jindal wrote that "the nearly trillion dollar stimulus has not stimulated," but somehow, in spite of terrible government intervention, "things in Louisiana are looking up."

How did that happen? It might have something to do with the millions of dollars in stimulus money that went to the state. Jindal must know about it, because he's been handing it out all over, in giant-check form. Think Progress reports:

Despite the fact that the checks contain millions of dollars of Recovery Act funds for job training programs, housing assistance programs, homelessness prevention programs, police training, criminal justice technology upgrades, and community development block grants, Jindal has been printing his own name on the checks and taking credit for the money. For example, Jindal presented Lafayette with yet another jumbo-sized check that contained at least $2,125,584 in Recovery Act funds. Though the money came from spending policies authorized by the Recovery Act, Jindal did not appear to credit the Recovery Act at all. And although the state stands to gain nearly $8 billion in federal funding from the Recovery Act, Jindal was one of several GOP governors to try to block the measure earlier this year.

They note that the stimulus distribution has garnered Jindal many positive headlines -- in contrast to his grandstanding against the federal funds last fall. Now he's trying to have it both ways: Oppose the stimulus in Washington and get credit for it back home.

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Read more: Jindal Stimulus Money, Jindal Stimulus, Bobby Jindal, Bobby Jindal Stimulus, Jindal, Jindal Stimulus Louisiana, Politics News

Lincoln Mitchell: Bobby Jindal, Dan Quayle and Socialist Health Care

2009-07-21T15:11:20Z
Bobby Jindal has "seen enough" and Dan Quayle thinks President Obama needs to "tame the left wing of his party." Perhaps it is time to give the Republican Party some credit for consistency, if not exactly relevancy or accuracy. Dan Quayle, who has gracefully made the transition from boy wonder vice president to elder statesman of his party without pausing along the way to actually accomplish anything, and Bobby Jindal, who seems to have succeeded in combining the politics of Ronald Reagan with the earnestness and credibility of Ronald McDonald, seem to agree that the biggest threat to the country is that President Obama will pass health care reform and lead the country irrevocably down the road to socialism.

For most of Obama's presidency, the Republicans have vacillated between attacking the president for being weak and unable to get anything done and attacking him for being a socialist who, as Quayle suggested, is a captive of radical elements in the Democratic Party. You might say the Republican Party cannot decide whether Obama reminds them more of Jimmy Carter or Josef Stalin, two people who, other than having been born in Georgia, have almost nothing in common. The Carter angle seems to have less sticking power than the red baiting because an ineffective president is not as frightening to the Republican base as socialism is. Fear, not surprisingly, has remained one of the key tenets of the Republican message during Obama's presidency.

Labeling any program seeking to use public resources to help poor people or provide opportunity to more Americans as socialist has been a tactic employed by many Republicans and no small number of conservative Democrats over the years. It has at times been quite effective. In this regard, Quayle, Jindal and others in the Republican leadership are not employing a new strategy. To the contrary, they are relying on a the same tactic conservatives used more than 40 years ago to fight against Medicare, and more than 70 years ago to fight against Social Security. Labeling any progressive program socialist remains a tried and true conservative tactic, but in the 21st century it feels almost quaint and seems to have little power to move voters outside of the Republican base. One cannot help but wonder if this message, and these messengers, are the best the Republicans can find.

If Obama succeeds in passing meaningful health care reform, his political skills, the large majorities and relative unity of the Democratic Party in both houses of Congress and the decades of work activists contributed to this cause will all be singled out as reasons for Obama's success where other Democratic presidents have failed. The failure of the Republican Party to recognize the limits of their appeal and that hollering "socialist" repeatedly on Fox News does not exactly swing voters during a time when getting sick, or having a family member get sick, without health care is a far greater concern to most Americans than creeping socialism or Soviet expansion.

The threat of socialism may strike fear into the Republican base, but seems to have little impact beyond those voters. This was demonstrated during the campaign as luminaries such as Sarah Palin and Joe the Plumber spent the last days of the campaign calling Obama a socialist and watching the Republican poll numbers drop.

Bobby Jindal and Dan Quayle notwithstanding, the struggle for health care will still be very difficult. In addition to strong opposition from the Republican Party, free market ideologues, insurance companies and others, there are many Democrats in Congress who have not yet committed to doing pushing for strong reform. Additionally, the final bill still has not been written so we cannot yet be at all certain that Congress will vote on something truly meaningful. Even with the implosion of the Republican Party still showing no signs of abating, opposition to a genuinely significant health care bill will be very strong.

If Obama is able to push through a real health care bill it will have an immediate and positive impact on millions of uninsured Americans and will rationalize a complex and costly system more generally. A victory for Obama on health care will also put to rest the scare tactics which have been used to defeat health care reform for about half a century. It may also discredit playing the socialist card in general as a useful conservative tactic for fighting against any and all progressive change. This would be a powerful and paradigm shifting victory.

Read more: Ronald McDonald, Joe the Plumber, Ronald Reagan, Bobby Jindal, Social Security, Josef Stalin, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, Red Baiting, Dan Quayle, Health Care Reform, Fox News, Jimmy Carter, Socialism, Medicare, Republican Party, Politics News

Mitchell Bard: Congress Is Behaving as if the Health Care System Isn't in Tatters

2009-07-20T15:39:33Z
When it comes to health care reform, I feel like the house is on fire, but nobody in Washington (except maybe President Obama) seems to see it. Or worse, they see it, and they don't care.

Here are some statistics, via the nonpartisan/bipartisan National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC), to demonstrate just how dire the current health care situation is:

46 million Americans under the age of 65 (which represents 18 percent of the population) had no health insurance in 2007. And given the spike in the unemployment rate and downturn in the economy since then, that figure has to be even higher now.

2.4 trillion was spent on health care in 2008, representing 17 percent of the U.S.'s gross domestic product. That's more than four times what we spend on defense.

Costs are trending in the wrong direction. Projections have costs reaching3.1 trillion in 2012 and4.3 trillion by 2016, if the same health care system remains in place.

The NCHC has compiled projections on the negative impact of spiraling health care costs on the economy, state and federal budgets and employers, large and small, and the effects are stifling. Health care costs are a major threat to our future.

We are also very inefficient. We spend more money per person on health care than nations that provide universal coverage to their citizens. The NCHC, citing the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, points out that health care spending was only 10.9 percent of the gross domestic product in Switzerland, 10.7 percent in Germany, 9.7 percent in Canada and 9.5 percent in France, all countries that provide single-payer health care.

And what about the small businesses Republicans are always pretending to defend? They are getting killed by health insurance payments. Employer-based premiums rose 5 percent in 2008. In 2007, rates for small employers went up 5.5 percent and companies with less than 24 employees saw an even bigger increase, 6.8 percent. The Republicans call any health care reform measure from the Democrats a job-killer, but nothing is killing the ability of small businesses to hire Americans more than the rising cost of health insurance.

Not that Republicans care about American workers, but I thought Democrats were supposed to be looking out for them. They are getting hammered, too, according to the NCHC. In 2008, employees had to pay a whopping 12 percent more in health insurance premiums than they did in 2007, so that the average worker is now paying $1,600 more a year for premiums than he/she did in 1999. In fact, since 1999, premiums for employment-based health insurance have increased 120 percent. (NCHC notes that during that same period, wages grew only 29 percent.) That means that health insurance costs are increasing four times faster for American workers than their wages are, on average.

Republicans love to talk about how bad health care will be if the government gets involved, and President Obama has taken great pains to assure Americans that, under his plan, if they like the coverage they have, they can keep it. But the evidence points to the fact that care in the United States isn't as good as it could or should be, and is not the best in the world. The NCHC notes that we are not in the top three in infant death mortality rate; ours is 7 percent, while the leaders are at 2.7 percent. The U.S. rate of mortality from treatable conditions is a third lower than the world's leader. A drop more than half of adult Americans get the care recommended for them, and less than half of those suffering from diabetes and less than a third with coronary heart disease receive proper care. There are also growing problems with medical errors and infections in hospitals.

It's not in question that there needs to be a complete overhaul of the health care system. The only question should be, how much can we change it? But if you listen to the debate in Congress right now, it sounds like a race to see who can do the least. And you would certainly never get the idea that the status quo is as broken and dangerous as it actually is.

The last time I wrote about health care, last month, my central concern was that Republicans were intentionally stoking fears of "socialized medicine" to kill a public option, all in defense of the insurance companies at the expense of the American people. A month later, my concern seems almost quaint by comparison.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released over the weekend showed that support for President Obama's handling of health care dipped below 50 percent for the first time. (It should be noted that more respondents still supported him than not, 49 percent to 44 percent, and Republicans continue not to be thought well of on health care, with only 34 percent trusting the GOP on the issue.)

While I wish President Obama's rating was higher, I can't say I am surprised. Yes, part of the blame goes to Congressional Republicans who are on an all-out blitz to kill health care reform, and their motives for doing so -- the protection of the big corporations who control the industry, including the health insurers and drug companies -- are in no way involved with helping the American people.

But if the Republicans were the only problem, I wouldn't be too concerned. Reforming the country's broken health care system is such an obvious need, I am sure that the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate would be able to shepherd through meaningful legislation, if that's what they wanted to do.

The problem, as I see it, is that none of the bills working their way through the House and Senate committees now really address making fundamental changes to the broken-down health care system I described above. Instead, the proposed pieces of legislation would seek to find ways to pay for more Americans to be covered under the old, broken, insurer-dominated status quo.

I thought Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius did a pretty good job battling David Gregory on Meet the Press yesterday. She made a good case that no consensus bill has emerged yet, so it's unfair to claim that any eventual legislation would include the failings that any of the proposals currently contained. And she did an excellent job pointing out that we have a long way to go, from the current broken system to one that eventually achieves the president's three goals of improving quality, lowering costs and expanding coverage.

But the one fact that Sebelius could not get around, and one that Gregory pressed her on repeatedly, is that the current pieces of health care legislation in Congress, according to the Congressional Budget Office, will not significantly lower costs.

I wasn't surprised by this problem, since as the debate has unfolded, it seems as though the policies that might actually reduce costs by addressing the domination of profit-motivated health insurers are the ones that have been the most contentious, especially the introduction of a government-run public health insurance option to compete with the private insurers. As I pointed out last month, there is an inherent contradiction to right-wing criticisms of the public option. They say that such a policy would create poor care for Americans while wiping out private insurers. The problem, of course, is that if the care would be so bad, why would people choose it at the expense of their current private insurers? And, if the private insurers would be ruined because the public option would create less-expensive, superior care, why wouldn't we want to adopt a system that raises quality and lowers costs? The Republican argument is completely disingenuous.

And yet, there are plenty of Democratic senators who have come out against a public option or failed to openly support it.

The Republicans are seizing on the obstacles President Obama is facing with health care reform, sensing an opportunity to dent his popularity. A banner headline on the Huffington Post today trumpets that Republicans from Michael Steele to William Kristol are predicting, as Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina did over the weekend, that health care will be "Obama's Waterloo." Hell, things are looking so good to the Republicans that Kenneth the Page impersonator/governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, has reappeared to chime in that he has "seen enough."

But blaming the Republicans for risking the health and economy of the American people to kneel in supplication at the altar of their big-business patrons is like blaming the scorpion of the famous proverb for stinging the frog. It's in their nature. Few of the GOP's policy positions actually benefit the majority of Americans, and even fewer are adopted for that purpose.

No, the blame gets spread across the entirety of Capitol Hill for the current state of health care reform, since not even all of the Democrats seem to realize the enormity of the problem. Rather than pushing for systematic change, they are dancing around the edges, trying to find ways to cover uninsured individuals without changing the way in which Americans receive (and pay for) health care.

I sincerely believe that President Obama sees the need for a massive overhaul of the health care system to lower costs, cover most Americans, and provide quality care. It's time for the Democrats in Congress to become as committed to these principals as the president seems to be. In light of the attacks by Republicans, which paint the president is some kind of take-over-crazed socialist trying to turn the U.S. into some amalgam of the Soviet Union, Sweden and hell, it seems like Democrats from pink and red states are running scared, afraid of being painted as too liberal in their next elections. And I'm sure that these same moderate Democrats are also feeding from the same insurance-company-supplied troughs as their Republican brothers and sisters.

Frankly, I'm less concerned about the "why" than the "how," as in, How do we move forward from here? So far, the concerns in Congress have led to tepid legislation that, if you believe the CBO, may cover more people, but won't address the underlying problems in the system. A government option should, if done correctly, help lower costs by forcing the private insurers to be more competitive in pricing and service. But even if a public option can find its way into a final bill, will it be strong enough to accomplish what it is designed to do?

In the end, we need a massive overhaul of the health care system that decreases costs, increases quality and covers most Americans. And it seems that right now, President Obama is one of the few players in Washington who seems to realize this fact. I was glad to read today that he is going to take a more aggressive approach to the health care debate, because I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that health care is shaping up to be the biggest leadership challenge of his presidency thus far.

The way things are going now, we are either going to get no health care reform (if the Republicans win) or watered-down health care legislation that acts as a bandage, helping some people but ignoring the larger problem creating the pain. Neither of those options are acceptable if we want to prevent a looming health care disaster that will not only risk our well-being, but also our economy, both individually and nationally.

We need fundamental change to the health care system, and President Obama has to find a way to convince his fellow Democrats on the hill that it's in their best interest politically to get on board. Because if the Democrats can come up with a solution that truly provides quality health care to more Americans for less money, their constituents will reward them in the voting booths. And if no health care legislation emerges, or if the bill that is produced is easily assaulted for threatening to balloon the deficit without addressing rising costs, voters will hold the Democratic lawmakers accountable.

The fire is burning, and it's time for real action to extinguish the flames. President Obama needs some help to do it. Let's hope he can convince enough of his colleagues in Congress to join him.
Read more: Meet the Press, Congressional Democrats, Small Business, Kathleen Sebelius, Congressional Republicans, Public Option, Bobby Jindal, Jim Demint, Health Care Costs, President Obama, David Gregory, Health Care Quality, Moderate Democrats, Health Insurance, Democrats, Single Payer, Congressional Budget Office, Obama Socialism, Uninsured, National Coalition on Health Care, Health Insurance Companies, Bill Kristol, Michael Steele, Health Care Reform, Washington Post, Universal Health Care, ABC News, Health Care, Obama Poll, Republicans, Politics News

Bobby Jindal Inserts Himself In Health Care Debate: He's "Seen Enough"

2009-07-20T10:59:30Z
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) will wade into the national debate over health care this week by penning op-eds in Politico and the Wall Street Journal and appearing on a series of cable chat shows today and tomorrow.

"Governor Jindal has seen enough," said Curt Anderson, a consultant for Jindal. "As a health-care policy expert, he strongly believes that the House Democrat[ic] plan would be a disaster for the long-term health of the American people, and the long-term health of the economy."
Read more: Bobby Jindal Health Care, Bobby Jindal, Jindal Health Reform, Health Care Reform, Jindal, Jindal Returns, Jindal Health Care, Politics News

Michelle Schweiger Schecter: A Higher Calling, Indeed

2009-07-12T10:19:23Z
Miss Alaska has resigned
24/7 the pundits have opined
Rick Sanchez thought she might be with child again
What's he smoking at CNN?

She cut and run the day before 4th of July
Leaving so many to wonder why
Perhaps she's taking a gig with Dave for a while
Convinced finally that he's no pedophile

Clearly other options she is looking to explore
Maybe she'll join Bristol on her abstinence tour
Or take a class in geography
Then tell us what other places she can see

The whole matter is really starting to smell
Only one who's enjoying it is Sean Parnell
Pit bull it turns out she is not
Just a skirt with nice heels soon to be forgot

Who could have predicted this rash move none can understand
Truly shocking to her Party -- the one just Old, not Grand
And having lost, of late, more than a few good men
What are they to do now without their mother hen?

Seems it's down to Pawlenty and Mitt
Neither blessed with much charm, talent, or wit
They could tap Bobby Jindal, after that stellar rebuttal
His fatuous analysis served only to befuddle

The rumors untrue she first spoke of this with Rudy
It was just a friendly call to get some hosting tips from Judy
What to serve after the meal at her soiree in Wasilla
She wanted to make chocolate moose but Mrs. G proposed vanilla

Her announcement made on the shore of Lake Lucille
Seems with the per diem she's been getting quite a deal
She rambled incoherently, never got down to brass tacks
Her speech utterly devoid of any sense or facts

She had the sheer audacity to invoke the name of Lincoln
Even Big Mac was left wondering what he could've possibly been thinkin'
Republicans who thought at first she was their perfect tonic
Had to grudgingly admit that now most find her quite demonic

These "silly accusations," she whined, are tantamount to insanity
Well, once her desk is cleared we'll need not contend with her inanity
Poor Poppy Jim returned from fishing in a chipper mood
Only to learn his dear son Todd would no longer be first dude

She claimed the state had wasted money better spent to build a road
You betcha she knows we know that excuse is just a load
To deflect from Housegate we heard cries of 'Media: Unfair!'
Reminiscent of her '08 response to high priced clothing she did wear

How ironic she told her audience "life is about choices"
When for the Lifers she's become one of the loudest voices
She informed the people of her state she won't serve as a lame duck
Now back to her true calling as a "(Hockey) Mom I'd Like to F#*k"

We heard that after her big speech she spent some time, uh, tweeting
It seems she still could not explain just why she was retreating
"Act in accordance to your conscience" -- that's all she wrote
Was that the best she had to offer those who'd given her their vote

ABC's Ms. Behar noted she's a very pretty girl
Which put her right wing co-host into quite a whirl
The former tried to mollify: "She is a superstar"
Alas, little Miss Lizzie lacks the smarts with Joy to spar

Her camp lays blame for this morass on Couric and on Fey
How much better it would be if those pesky gals just went away
And it's clearly female journalists she does seem to abhor
Can you believe she's got the balls to sue HuffPo's Shannyn Moore?!

Even from her friends at Fox, reviews were far from glowing
Liz Trotta called her "wacky" and wished that she'd get going
The commentary was spot on, though we already knew
"Inarticulate" and "flaky" -- we think time's come to say 'adieu'

Perhaps most shocking was the dish from much esteemed Mr. Rove
Don't think even he bought the fantastical tale she wove
He cast doubt on her specious claims our Ship of State she could steer
Might be the first time Karl's said something we could bear to hear

Soon-to-be-ex-Governor, a final thought for you
Just one last hurrah before your time is through
How 'bout a stint on late night with those whips named Bill and Jon
Then we can at long last bid you "Goodbye, Good Luck, Be Gone!!"

Read more: Michelle Schweiger Schecter, Gop, Karl Rove, John McCain, Poetry, Bobby Jindal, News, Politics, Judith Guiliani, Mitt Romney, Bristol Palin, Joy Behar, Shannyn Moore, Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin Resignation, Comedy, Rhymesq., Sean Parnell, Pawlenty, Jon Stewart, Todd Palin, Katie Couric, Liz Trotta, Republicans, Tina Fey, Rick Sanchez, Bill Maher, David Letterman, Wasilla, Rudy Guiliani, Politics News

Shawn Healy: Planet Palin

2009-07-07T20:54:39Z
Last August, Senator John McCain plucked political novice Sarah Palin, the upstart Governor of Alaska, from relative obscurity to constitute an unlikely Republican presidential ticket. Her rise was meteoric and instantly embraced by a party base that was never enamored with its less-than-conservative standard-bearer. The pick of Palin brought tremendous energy to an otherwise lackluster convention, and her vice presidential acceptance speech elevated the self-described "pitbull in lipstick" to iconic status.

However, controversy surfaced even before the convention began. Her teenage daughter Bristol was pregnant, much to the chagrin of the socially conservative wing of the party that Palin represents, but rather than flee, the base rallied around the hockey mom from the "coolest" state. An ethics probe examined Palin's firing of an Alaska state trooper, who was also her former brother-in-law, where her husband, Todd, intervened at several junctures. Even Palin's wardrobe drew disdain when it became apparent that the Republican National Committee spent hundreds of thousands of dollars outfitting its emergent "queen."

By all counts McCain and Palin had a successful convention, and they enjoyed a bounce in the polls that yielded a fleeting lead of nearly 10 points over Obama-Biden in early September. Soon, Lehman Brothers and the financial sector would collapse, and with it McCain-Palin's hopes of an upset bid. McCain was unfairly portrayed as a stooge of the unpopular incumbent, clueless on the economy and a captive of the neoconservatives who led us into two Middle Eastern wars. Palin didn't help matters with disastrous performances in the national media, specifically in one-on-one interviews with ABC's Charlie Gibson and CBS' Katie Couric.

Palin became the object of slapstick when Saurday Night Live's Tina Fey parodied her on a weekly basis. She would later embrace this humor at her expense, as would thousands of women who wore up-do's, wire-rim glasses, and red business suits for Halloween. Palin continued to draw massive crowds and proved an impressive orator, in some cases eclipsing her running mate, but when the dust settled, the two parted ways in a devastating defeat.

Monday morning quarterbacks suggested that McCain may have prevailed if he made a parallel pick to Obama's Joe Biden. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and current Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty would've sufficed. By my count, they may have tightened the contest, but the stars were truly aligned for Obama. 2008 was a Democratic year, and when he dispatched Hillary Clinton, the race was his to lose, and of course, he ran a remarkable campaign just in case.

Palin returned home and resumed her duties as Governor. The ethics probes and Freedom of Information requests continued, as did her run-ins with the national media. Her pre-Thanksgiving pardon of a turkey turned embarrassing with the sound of slaughter in the background, and her public spat with David Letterman forced an apology from the funnyman but did little to restore her family's dignity. Then came her surprising announcement on Friday: she would resign her position before the end of the month.

The implications of her decision are far from clear the following week. If she truly has national political aspirations, why leave behind her best shot at bolstering her resume? True, running for re-election next year was probably off the table, given the challenges of traveling the lower 48 while burdened by gubernatorial duties. Firming up her national resume is next to impossible since Alaska has only a single House seat, occupied by a 19-term congressman, Don Young, who is also a Republican. Palin is also blocked in the Senate, where Republican Lisa Murkowski will likely seek her second full term next fall.

This means Palin must assume the pitfalls of "movement" candidacies, running for the nation's highest office on the basis of lofty ideals and downplaying the importance of tried-and-true experience. She certainly has her loyal fans interspersed throughout the party base, but Republicans are known to work off of a pecking order. First-time candidates rarely gain the nomination. Since Richard Nixon's victory in 1968, only Gerald Ford in 1976 and George W. Bush in 2000 served as the party standard bearer in their first run for the White House. Ford was an unelected incumbent president and Bush the son of a former president.

At the same time, the Republican Party is in a state of disarray. Two of its presidential hopefuls, Nevada Senator John Ensign and South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, were cast aside with awkward news of extramarital affairs. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal delivered a not-yet-ready-for-primetime response to the president's address to Congress last February. Utah Governor Jon Huntsman was sent overseas by the Democratic president on a diplomatic mission. This leaves retreads Romney and Mike Huckabee, and perhaps radioactive former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as Palin's potential opponents. Intriguing possibilities include the aforementioned outgoing Governor Pawlenty and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, but neither are household names.

Bottom line: It's too early to write Palin off, especially with the Republican Party clearly sentenced to the backwoods for at least the foreseeable future. Her rise and fall taught us to expect the unexpected. So pull up a chair and watch as the hockey mom brings her act to the continental U.S.

Read more: John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, 2012 Election, Mitt Romney, Mitch Daniels, Tim Pawlenty, Alaska, Republican Party, Sarah Palin Reaction, Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin 2012, GOP Candidates, Politics News

Searching For Bobby Jindal

2009-07-06T18:57:03Z
MEANWHILE, whatever happened to Bobby Jindal? At one point he was the great hope of the GOP and now we hardly hear a word about him. The change dates to February 24th, 2009, when, anointed by his party, he gave a goofy speech in response to Barack Obama's first address to Congress. He was slammed by press and public alike and seemed to disappear overnight.
Read more: What Happened to Bobby Jindal, Bobby Jindal, What Happened to Jindal, Bobby Jindal 2012, Search for Bobby Jindal, Jindal, Governor Jindal, Politics News