Cost of the "War on Terror" Approaching $15 Billion a Month
December 29, 2007
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the Congressional Research Service (CRS) reported this month that the Bush administration’s request for the 2008 fiscal year of $189.3 billion for Defense Department operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and worldwide counterterrorism activities was 20 percent higher than for fiscal 2007 and 60 percent higher than for fiscal 2006.
In November, congressional Democrats released a study estimating that the hidden costs” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, “so far total approximatly $1.5 trillion,” costing the average U.S. family of four more than $20,000.”
Wow, as you can clearly see these Republicans love practicing fiscal conservatism. And kudo’s to the Democrats who now hold a majority in both House and Senate for finally putting an end to this reckless spending– NOT– The Democrats have supported and signed off every bill that has come their way with no more then a peep about it. I really hope the Democrats find a backbone before the next election because if they don’t prepare yourself for 2004 all over again.
Barack Obama: "2008 Will Be My Only Presidential Run"
December 29, 2007
At a rally in Williamsburg, Iowa Friday Barack Obama told the crowd that his wife Michelle thinks that he should not run for president again if in fact he fails in ’08.
“My wife and I were talking the other day. And she said ‘We’re not doing this again’. And those of you who met her know she doesn’t mince words,”said Obama.
She meant that in eight years, I’m not sure we’ll be the same people we are now.”
In the new issue of Vanity Fair, Michelle Obama tells a reporter that when it comes to her husband’s White House bid,
it’s now or never.”
There is no way to tell whether these are really what Barack and his wife feel is only known to them. However I am willing to bet that these statements were nothing more then a crunch time push to come across as the ‘new and refreshing’ candidate. And if in fact Barack comes up short in ’08 I find it hard to believe that another run at the White House –when the opportunity arises– will be passed over by the young, and extremely intelligent Senator from Illinois no matter what his wife says.
McCains Secret Attack Ad- Why Did He Sit on It?
December 29, 2007
With polls showing continued momentum for John McCain–especially in New Hampshire– Mitt Romney has decided to go negative. Romney attacks McCain on everything from attacking President Bush’s tax cuts, to his immigration stance. The commercial says McCain is an honorable man,” but asks, Is he the right Republican for the future?”
John Dickerson from Slate.com obtained a McCain ad which, ironically was done by media advisors who left McCain’s campaign early on to join up with the Romney team. Dickerson calls this ad the “the perfect counterpunch” to Romney’s latest spot.
This advertisement was supposedly produced over 6 months ago but was never aired, mainly due to McCains pledge not to go negative. I wonder if McCain will look back and wish he did things differently. When pledging not to go negative McCain should have looked at how far that strategy got theKerry campaign in ’04 where they to refused to get negative. We all know how that turned out don’t we.
John Edwards Attacks: Says "Obama in Never-Never Land"
December 29, 2007
In a interview Friday afternoon former North Carolina Senator (D) John Edwards labeled “ridiculous” comments made by the Obama campaign that seemed to link former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination to Sen. Hillary Clinton’s vote to authorize the use of force against Iraq, embraced Sen. Barack Obama’s politics over Clinton’s, and said an anti-Obama flier from a pro-Clinton union was “misleading” and “deceptive.”
With Edwards now in a statistical three way tie for the lead among Iowa Democrats he seems to be using these last days before the January 3rd primary to point out his opponents weakness’s. Something Edwards refrained from doing at all early in the primary process.
Giuliani In Bed With the Makers of OxyContin
December 29, 2007
In 2002, the drug maker, Purdue Pharma of Stamford, Conn., hired Mr. Giuliani and his consulting firm, Giuliani Partners, to help stem the controversy about OxyContin. Among Mr. Giuliani’s missions was the job of convincing public officials that they could trust Purdue because they could trust him.
As a celebrity, Mr. Giuliani helped the company win several public relations battles, playing a role in an effort by Purdue to persuade an influential Pennsylvania congressman, Curt Weldon, not to blame it for OxyContin abuse.
With sales of the drug in 2000 topping $1 billion in the United States alone, Purdue’s critics dozens of whom have sued the drug giant, citing inadequate warnings have alleged that the pharmaceutical giant heavily marketed the drug to doctors without emphasizing enough its addictive properties.
Mr. Giuliani, who declined to discuss his work for Purdue for this article, has refused to talk in detail about his firm’s clients. He has said that he is no longer involved in the day-to-day management of the firm, which still represents Purdue.
Oxycontin is the time-release form of oxycodone, usually prescribed for chronic and severe pain. Because it contains a larger amount of oxycodone, it has become one of the most abused prescription drugs in the United States. Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh and Jack Osbourne– son of famous rocker and reality TV star Ozzy Osbourne– are just a few names in a long list of OxyContin addicts who were forced into rehab.
‘Chicken Hawk’ Bill Kristol Lands a Job With the NY Times
December 29, 2007
The NY Times has gone ahead and hired notorious right wing mouthpiece Bill Kristol to fill in as a weekly columnist in 2008. The Times has reportedly stepped up efforts to create “controversy” within the pages of their publication and it seems they see Kristol as someone who will be able to help them get there. If you are not familiar with Bill Kristol here are some of his opinions on political based issues, with a focus on the war in Iraq:
“I think the American people are going to have great tolerance for the war taking longer, and they are going to have great tolerance for more casualties.”
“He’s [Saddam Hussein] got weapons of mass destruction. At some point he will use them or give them to a terrorist group to use,Look, if we free the people of Iraq we will be respected in the Arab world,.France and Germany don’t have the courage to face up to the situation. That’s too bad. Most of Europe is with us. And I think we will be respected around the world for helping the people of Iraq to be liberated.”I want to hear less about helping the Iraqi people and more about winning this war.”
“Kerry was launching very serious charges against the president of the United States, based on a thinly sourced
New York Times article, charges that really impugn the competence of the U.S. military.”“the war in Iraq could have terrifically good effects throughout the Middle East.”
“I think we’ll be vindicated when we discover the weapons of mass destruction and when we liberate the people of Iraq.”
“we can remove Saddam because that could start a chain reaction in the Arab world that would be very healthy.”
Edwards Surges In Polls- A New Highpoint in Iowa
December 28, 2007
Democrat nominee John Edwards is turning on the after burners in the run up to January 3rd. New polls are showing that Edwards, who just weeks ago was practically written off, is currently in a statistical three way tie for the lead with Sen. Barack Obama, and Sen. Hillary Clinton neck and neck with him.
Edwards has the support of 28 percent of likely Democratic cacucusgoers, his best standing in Iowa over the past six months. Edwards now trails Clinton by only one point and Obama by two points, well within the poll’s margin of error of 4.5 percent.
Edwards is in good shape as the primaries draw near, and being a Edwards supporter I am crossing my fingers hoping that he can keep his ground game together and continue to gain support from undecided voters. As long as he continues to get his message out in a clear and concise manner, the way in which he has been, I am confident in his chances both in the upcoming primaries and next years general election.
Myths Surrounding Universal Health Care
December 28, 2007
Universal Health Care in the United States is a hot topic, from presidential debates to award winning documentaries the issue of socialized medicine has become a frequent victim of misinformation. With topics such as socialized medicine, misinformation is extra harmful to the those being subjected to it. As I noted above everyone has heard the idea of a Universal Health Care Plan, however the same majority are very unclear about the important structural details and statistical findings surrounding it. So when they hear a false argument, either for or against Universal Health Care they are unable to recognize it for what it is– wrong. Through various publications and with the help of others, I am going to try to debunk some of these socialized medicine “myths”. It is vital that no matter which side of the argument you find yourself on you have a full understanding of the facts involved with whatever the topic is– which today happens to be Socialized medicine.
Myth #1: Government run Health care programs are bureaucratic and inefficient. Private health insurance increases competition, which then leads to higher efficiency numbers.
Truth: Evidence taken from all OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) Countries that the private sector is far more bureaucratic and much less efficient than the public sector when it comes to providing health care. In the U.S. which has the most privatized health care system of any OECD country, spends 14% of its GNP on health care, compared to 9% for Canada. The study goes on to show that in the U.S. -administrative costs are $911 per person per year, much higher then the Canadian total of $270 per person per year.
Myth #2: Americans may pay more for health care but it results in higher quality treatment.
Truth: A survey of 10 OECD countries showed that Canadians were the most satisfied with the care they received (for those who don’t know Canada practices a Universal Health Care system), while Americans were the least satisfied. In fact, Canadians are more than five times as likely to be satisfied with the health care they receive than Americans. Infant mortality, maternal mortality, and life expectancy were worse in Canada than in the U.S. before the introduction of medicare. Canada’s infant mortality rate is now only 70% of that in the U.S., while American women are almost twice as likely to die during childbirth as their Canadian counterparts. The average Canadian now lives two years longer than the average American. With all this known I find it hard to believe that people can still argue that our system is better. Now, private profits for those in the medical community up north in Canada are probably not what they are here, but when you look at the actual treatment and their results it is clear that they out-do us is almost every category.
Myth #3: It’s the Cheeseburgers.
Truth: Americans don’t have a bad health system, say the apoligists, they’re just un-healthy. While bad habits may partially explain America’s low life expectancy. But the big question isn’t why we have lower life expectancy than Britain, Canada or France, it’s why we spend far more on health care without getting better results. And lifestyle isn’t the explanation: the most definitive estimates, such as those of the McKinsey Global Institute, say that diseases that are associated with obesity and other lifestyle-related problems play, at most, a minor role in high U.S. health care costs.
I truly believe that given some time, and the correct information, the vast majority of Americans will come around to liking the idea. Morally speaking- the choice between health care for all, and the current care for profit system is an easy one.
I usually seek out people think I am wrong, I try to always include a message along the lines of “To those who feel differently, let me know. I love the chance to see other viewpoints on issues such as socialized medicine.”
One reader took me up on this offer, and suggested I read “The Ugly Truth About Canadian Health Care” by David Gratzer.
When I was done I have to admit I found myself surprised at what a good case he made against Socialized medicine. So I decided to research David Gratzer to see what else this guy has out there. Minutes into my search I came across startling information which made it quite clear why Gratzer feels the way he does– he is paid to think and write that way.
David Gratzer is is a practising psychiatrist and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute,an ultra conservative think tank that also believes there is no reason to raise the minimum wage or protect labor rights because:
poverty in America results increasingly from the choices that people make, not our economic system’s supposed shortcomings”
And deplored calls to expand social services for babies and children as:
a pathetic diversion,as if the last
40 years of poverty policy haven’t proven the futility of such money sinkholes.”
Gratzer also happens to be one of Rudy Giuliani’s policy advisers. An article written by Gratzer was the source for a statistical comparison in success rates of cancer treatment between the U.S. and Great Britain that were used by Rudy Giuliani in certain radio commercials. However the stats did not support the claim, which ended up leading to quite a bit of criticism for Rudy Giuliani. So as much as I enjoyed the suggested article, I am forced to believe that portions of it’s content were either A) flat out wrong or B) influenced by the authors both social and/or employment situation.
It is clear as day, the reality is that the best foreign health care systems, especially those of France and Germany, do as well or better than the U.S. system on every dimension, while costing far less money.
As I mentioned before I plan on coming back to the Universal Health care topic sporadically and would love input– good, bad, or indifferent– from readers so I can see where others stand on the issues, and why they feel the way they do.
JUST IN! Allan Colme’s Loves to Blog
December 28, 2007
Allan Colme’s of Fox News show “Hannity and Colmes” play’s the role as Mr. Liberal, this to compliment Sean Hannity’s extreme right wing views. Well it turns out that Colme’s isn’t just playing a liberal on T.V. he’s in fact a liberal in real life. Colme’s has secretly been running a left leaning blog for quite some time now, well it’s not a secret anymore.
He uses his blog; http://liberalland.blogspot.com to air personal feelings on Political issues and shares hate mail he has received from viewers of the show. The blog holds absolutely no affiliation with Fox News what so ever, meaning Colme’s should avoid any flak from the network.
New Poll Shows Democrat Race Tight as Ever.
December 28, 2007
The gifts have been exchanged, the ham has been eaten, and the decorations are starting to come down. Christmas is behind us, and the campaigning is back in full swing. The most recent post-Christmas numbers show the Democrat race tighter then it has ever been, with John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton all neck and neck in Iowa.
In a recently released Bloomberg/LA Time’s poll, Sen, Hillary Clinton was up three percentage points in Iowa over rival Sen. Barack Obama, 29 percent to 26 percent respectively. The two were closely trailed by former Sen. John Edwards, who registered with 25 percent support in the first-in-the-nation state.
In New Hampshire, which follows Iowa on the electoral map, Obama finds himself in the lead with 32 percent to Clinton’s 30 percent. Edwards trailed the bunch with 18 percent support. In both states Obama and Clinton are within the surveys margin of error.
On the Republican side, the Bloomberg/LA Times poll shows a presidential race in disarray. In Iowa, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has 37 percent support among voters, polling fourteen percentage points ahead of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. In New Hampshire, however, Romney has opened up a 13-percentage point margin with Arizona Senator John McCain, 34 percent to 21 percent respectively.
The next few weeks are going to be incredibly interesting (if you are involved with Politics), and clearly neither party has a clear cut winner, with three candidates, on each side holding a real chance of receiving their parties nomination.
