Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Ahhh... how fast they backtrack, twist and turn

Obama Seeks Revision of Plan’s Abortion Limits
President Obama suggested Monday that he was not comfortable with abortion restrictions inserted into the House version of major health care legislation, and he prodded Congress to revise them. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/health/policy/10health.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1257861630-KWoOSd0ZZph1Is4Dpm4pUA

Anyone surprised????

Thursday, November 5, 2009

CREW Asks for Investigation Into Why Wall Street is Getting H1N1 Vaccine Ahead of Those Who Most Need It

Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) asked Health and Human Service (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to investigate why the Center for Disease Control (CDC) approved the distribution of the H1NI vaccine to Wall Street firms at a time when the vaccine is unavailable to most Americans.

Recent news reports indicate 13 companies, including Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and Time Warner, have been cleared to receive the vaccine.

The CDC is distributing the much sought-after vaccine to Wall Street firms despite reports of vast shortages. In fact, just yesterday CDC Director Thomas Frieden informed Congress that only 32.3 million doses are available, far less than the 159 million needed to cover those at the highest risk. Given the scarce supply, the CDC has recommended the vaccine be directed only to those at highest risk: pregnant women, infants and children and those up to 24 years, those who care for infants, health and emergency services personnel, and adults with compromised immune systems or other chronic health problems.

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said today, “Although CREW has been unable to uncover the demographic makeup of Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and JP Morgan Chase, it seems safe to assume the vast majority of their employees are not pregnant women, infants and children, young adults up to 24 years old, and healthcare workers.”

State officials are concerned about the shortages. The head of Alabama’s Department of Public Health testified that 62% of the vaccines ordered by the state will not be available until after December 1, 2009 and the director of Minnesota’s St. Paul Ramsey County Department of Public Health said he is expecting only 7,800 doses for more than 20,000 children. Los Angeles County’s three public hospitals ordered 110,000 vaccines, but have received only about 18,000 doses, and UCLA’s two hospitals received 1,000 doses for 10,000 staff and 35,000 patients.

This situation is echoed around the country, leaving most of those seeking the vaccine unable to receive it with no remedy in sight. Frieden admitted, “It is quite likely the current wave of influenza will peak, crest and begin to decline before there are ample supplies of the vaccine.”

Sloan said, “In what world do Wall Street employees deserve to be vaccinated ahead of high-risk children, pregnant women and health care workers? Unfortunately, for the thousands being turned away in clinics across America, the CDC has decided to prioritize the millionaires over the masses. The public has a right to know how and why this has happened and when it will stop.” Sloan continued, “First, the bailout, then the bonuses, now the vaccine. When will Washington start putting the needs of Main Street above those of Wall Street?”
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/43232

Friday, October 23, 2009

From The "Having Your Cake and Eating It Too" Department

It never ceases to amaze me how our elected representatives can rationalize away even the most blinding glimpses of idiotic economic logic.

Case in point occurs in a story reported in the St. Paul Pioneer Press this week titled "A rare condition in Minnesota - a bipartisan agreement. [Click here]"

What caused this miracle of cooperation? -- the move by the Senate Democrats to approve a $40 billion fee on medical device makers over the next ten years.

According to the pioneer press, fourteen Democratic senators sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and other top Democrats recently, including our own Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, urging them to moderate the levy [on medical devices], which they said will "threaten the existence of some manufacturers" and cause "significant job reductions" for those that remain."

"The issue here is that these are very good jobs in our state and in our country," Klobuchar said in an interview with the Pioneer Press, acknowledging that she is among a group of "strange bedfellows" rallying around the industry. "You want to be very careful when you start assessing taxes on an industry like this."

Really? Does the economic principle that excessive taxes "threaten the existence of some manufacturers" and cause "significant job reductions" for those that remain only apply to medical device manufacturers? Is that principle somehow suspended when we tax other industries and their employees?

Democrat or Republican, legislators can't have it both ways. Either excessive taxation is bad for business or it is not. Either it puts businesses at risk or it doesn't. It threatens people's livelihood or it doesn't. The principles of economics, specifically the impact of excessive taxation, can't be suspended on a whim any more than one can repeal the law a gravity to combat obesity.

And while conservative Republicans will shake their heads at obvious irony of the irony-deaf Klobuchar, let us not forget the "interest-group liberalism" [Click here ] inherent in the "Job Creation through Entrepreneurship Act," which included Eric Paulsen's amendment ensuring benefits for veterans were attached to a bill that also included specific government largess for women, Native Americans and a new grant program for Small Business Development Centers. Seems that "stimulus" is okay when it stimulates the right people.

When elected officials get to have their cake and eat it too, only the government gets fat.

Craig Westover is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Minnesota Free Market Institute

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Rats who attack America

The rats who go after our military wanting them to publicize photos of alleged abuse of prisoners --- when those who perpetrated the nastiness have already been punished --- are the kind of people who would collaborate against our country with any regime that wanted to take over and abuse US.

What's the purpose? To make our soldiers, to make Americans look bad.

These slimy rats go after our guys for the tiniest thing but don't have anything to say when our guys are beheaded or tortured.

These dirt bag ratty rats may not just be the kind who our enemies love. They use them, fire them up, fill their nasty rat brains with garbage and then set them free to wreak havoc.

Rats. Stinking slimy rats.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

17-year old's allowed morning after pills

A judge has ruled that 17 year old kids should be allowed access to the morning after pill. They can't drink but they can abort babies. They can't buy a home or rent an apartment without their parent's signature, but they can abort babies without parental input. They don't even have to go see a doctor, no prescription needed.

Abortion rights types: "Today's ruling is a tremendous victory for all Americans who expect the government to safeguard public health," said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which brought the lawsuit against the FDA.

Love the government, love the judge, yuk, yuk, yuk. Hate babies, eeeuuuwww, yuckky.

Uh, duh, explain to me how we're safeguarding the health of kids by promoting unprotected sex because they know they can take that little pill and voila, no after affects like an unwanted pregnancy? Sure, let's teach our children to pop a pill for everything. Let's teach them that the government is going to protect them, coddle them, keep them from harm.

We're handing more and more over to judges and the government. We're losing America.

Brooklyn judge: Morning-after pill, Plan B, should be available to 17 ...
A judge has ruled that 17-year-olds should be able to get the morning-after pill without a prescription - and ordered ... should allow 17-year-old girls to ...

CNSNews.com - Court Gives 17-Year-Old Girls Unrestricted Access to ...
... access to Plan B; also known as the morning-after pill or emergency contraception. Pro-life groups ... Court Gives 17-Year-Old Girls Unrestricted ...

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

What's the difference between a liberal and conservative protester?

The difference between a liberal and a conservative protester is that liberals get paid to protest. Conservatives do it from the heart and mind without pay.

The bus loads of protesters at AIG bonus receivers homes? Paid.
Those guys you see protesting at businesses across the country? Often paid.

Tea Party protesters and organizers? Moms, dads, college kids, business men and women. No pay.