Monday, August 31, 2009

Quick Hits

Jenna Bush Hager sign on as Today show contributor

Via Politico:

In the tradition of Meghan McCain, Liz Cheney and other daughters of prominent Republicans who've waded into the media waters, former first daughter Jenna Bush Hager will try her luck in broadcast on NBC's "Today," AP reports.

The 27-year-old teacher at a Baltimore charter school, who has already penned two books, will serve as a once-a-month contributor on topics such as education, Jim Bell, the show's executive producer, told the wire.

Jenna, Jenna, Jenna, NBC? Even though she won’t be talking politics, she had better watch her back over there. NBC is rabidly pro-Obama.



Carrie Prejean to sue Miss California USA Officials

Via Big Hollywood:

RANCHO SANTA FE, CA - Carrie Prejean’s attorney, Charles S. LiMandri announced today that the former Miss California USA is filing a complaint in the Superior Court of California against Miss California USA officials Keith Lewis and Shanna Moakler, and publicist Roger Neal. The complaint cites damages to Miss Prejean including libel, public disclosure of private facts, religious discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Might as well, that was a hate/hate relationship if ever there was one.



Books and Obama sitting in a tree…

From The New Republic:

"I don't want to sound like I'm bragging," Brooks recently told me, "but usually when I talk to senators, while they may know a policy area better than me, they generally don't know political philosophy better than me. I got the sense he knew both better than me."
That first encounter is still vivid in Brooks's mind. "I remember distinctly an image of--we were sitting on his couches, and I was looking at his pant leg and his perfectly creased pant," Brooks says, “and I'm thinking, a) he's going to be president and b) he'll be a very good president." In the fall of 2006, two days after Obama'sThe Audacity of Hope hit bookstores, Brooks published a glowing Times column. The headline was "Run, Barack, Run."

H/t The Other McCain

No surprise that David Brooks would admire perfectly creased pants. We all know that Mr. Brooks has a very hard time keeping the creases in his pants, since he allows all that inner thigh rubbing during dinner parties.

Sarah Palin, back by popular demand

Politico is reporting today that former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin is beginning to look at over 1,000 offers for paid speaking engagements and public appearances. Politico goes on to report that there are 120 candidates for office seeking her to stump for them.

MSNBC has an AP story (Note: AP stories about Palin should be taken with a huge grain of salt) that Palin will have her first paid speaking engagement in Hong Kong at the CLSA Investors Forum.

As much as the left would love to have us believe that Sarah Palin is irrelevant, especially after stepping down early, the proof says otherwise. I hope Sarah makes a truckload of money on speaking fees (rumored to be six figures per speech) just like Bill Clinton does. She and her family have more than earned it.

I further hope that while at the CLSA Investors forum, Palin uses the opportunity to skewer the Obama administration for its ridiculous spend your way out of bankruptcy economic policy. That foolish policy certainly hasn’t received nearly enough attention.

Via: Politico

Via: Memeorandum (Invitations)

Via: MSNBC

Via: Memeorandum (Hong Kong)

Music to my ears: Dems could face double digit losses in 2010

From Politico:

After an August recess marked by raucous town halls, troubling polling data and widespread anecdotal evidence of a volatile electorate, the small universe of political analysts who closely follow House races is predicting moderate to heavy Democratic losses in 2010.

Some of the most prominent and respected handicappers can now envision an election in which Democrats suffer double-digit losses in the House — not enough to provide the 40 seats necessary to return the GOP to power but enough to put them within striking distance.

Read more http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/26393.html#ixzz0PmE46qVr

No surprise here. The Democrats are living out almost every stereotype conservatives have ever uttered about them. Elitists – check, spend thrifts – check, tax hikers – check, closet communists – check and on and on they go.

I never thought Americans elected the Democrats because the nation shifted left. That is why all that earlier chatter this year about the GOP needing to move to the center was total bunk. The reason why Americans dumped the Republicans was because Americans wanted a better class of Republicans, ones who actually support conservative principles like cutting spending, lowering taxes and not supporting new dictates from Washington. The only way to get there was to usher in more Democrats, albeit temporarily.

Unless Democrats can get a hold of themselves and cut spending, reduce the alarming debt and create new private sector jobs, they are going to take a major drubbing in 2010.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Politco

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Rep. Diane Watson: A damn fool and a useful idiot.

Fidel Castro has found an absolute gold mine of useful idiots in the Congressional Black Caucus. His newest useful idiot is Rep. Diane Watson (Dumb-Dumb - CA), who has been extolling the virtues of Cuba’s health care system. In addition to that bit of stupidity, Watson tries to accuse those who oppose Obama’s agenda as racists.

Perhaps if Ms. Watson were half as smart as she pretends to be, she would have realized that Cuba, the great socialist paradise, has institutionalized racism.

I wish Ms. Watson could live in Cuba for a year and not as a special guest of Fidel, but as an ordinary Cuban citizen. I bet after a year of Cuba’s socialized medicine and racism, Ms. Watson would be blowing up her own inner tube to float her stupid ass back to the United States as fast as she could.

You can listen to the useful idiot Watson in her own words in the audio clip below.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Michelle Malkin

America is looking to clean house!

Rasmussen Reports finds that 57% of Americans would like to replace the entire Congress. No surprise here, with Congress chock full of self serving opportunists, Democrats that all but come out the closet as full blown Marxists and Republicans who could not find a conservative principle if it bit them on the ass, it is no wonder America is mad as hell.

What was nice to see what that Independence are wising up:

While Democrats have become more supportive of the legislators, voters not affiliated with either major party have moved in the opposite direction. Today, 70% of those not affiliated with either major party would vote to replace all of the elected politicians in the House and Senate. That’s up from 62% last year.

Congressional Republicans had better get with the program as well because the base ain’t happy either:

Republicans, not surprisingly, overwhelmingly support replacing everyone in the Congress. Their views have not changed. But Republican voters are disenchanted with their team as much as the Congress itself: 69% of GOP Voters say Republicans in Congress are out of touch with the party base.

I say start talking to your friends, family and neighbors. Make sure they are all registered to vote, if not help them. Then come November 2010, take as many of them to the polls with you and lets Clean House!

By the way, here is a bit of inspiration I found on The Astute Bloggers about how Japan cleaned out their government.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Rasmussen Reports

Via: The Astute Bloggers

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Another Black Conservative's FMJRA for 08/29/09


Welcome to another weekly installment of Another Black Conservative’s Full Metal Jacket Reach Around (see Rule 2). As always we start out with those bloggers who have shown some Linky Love to Another Black Conservative:

Reaganite Republican Resistance writes about the emerging consensus that Democrats are doomed and links to my post about Obama’s All Wee Weed Up statement.

The Lighthouse Patriot reaches back into ABC’s archives to link Rick Perry’s willingness to stand on 10th Amendment rights to oppose ObamaCare.

We have video hat tips from According to Nikki for the Stossel video on health care reform and We Rush Daily for the Trust Common Sense ad.

The demise of Glenn Beck has been greatly exaggerated, because everyone was linking to Beck posts. We have The Conservative Lady, The Wisdom of Solomon and Booker Rising all linking to Beck Fights Back.

Oh, by the way, go take a peek at The Other McCain and see who has the Full Metal Jacket Reach Around Award today, looks familiar? :-D

This Week’s Must Reads

I found a lot of interesting items on my blog roll this week. First we have The Conservative Lady again. She has both a post on the race card and the complete Glenn Beck series. So if you missed an episode of Glenn this week, The Conservative Lady is the place to go to catch up.

Gary Jackson over at A Time For Choosing will enlighten you on the whole Jeff Jones Weather Underground/ Obama connection. The perfect follow up if you have been following Beck this week.

Over at Elohssanatahv we are reminded about that Afghan girl with the haunting eyes and pointed to a very old blog from that time.

The Working Class Conservative gives us an answer to that age-old question “Where did all the anti war protesters go”?

How about a little political tarot and astrology? Perennis gives us some tarot on Obama and Psychic and the City has an audio clip from ace astrologer Archie Dunlop on Obama.

From my fellow black conservatives we have two must-reads. First is from The Black Sphere. Kevin Jackson gives us his musings on ObamaCare and religion. Meanwhile over at Digital Publius gives us the meaning of Uncle Tom and Sambo.

The New Additions

Here are some new blogs I found that I would like to share with all of you. Hope they become your favorites too.

It Doesn’t Make Sense

M Conservative Operative

One’s Observations

Conservative Congruence

This concludes this week’s reach around. Hope you enjoyed and found something you liked. As always, think about getting Technorati for your blogs, it makes tracking links oh so much easier!

Friday, August 28, 2009

The Obamanet? Bill will give White House emergency control of Internet

Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.

They're not much happier about a revised version that aides to Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773 (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency...

Are you kidding me? This administration is the worst opportunistic infection this nation has ever known. Every little “crisis” perceived or real is just another opportunity to give government more control and steal away our freedoms. What I find unbelievable is that this administration has yet to prove itself competent enough or trustworthy enough with the control it has seized thus far.

Remember these are the same bungling or lying folks who told us the stimulus would keep unemployment at 8%. These are also the same bungling or lying folks who were off in their 10-year deficit projections by $2 trillion. So we are now suppose to just trust them and turn over control of the Internet in the event of a cybersecurity emergency? Methinks not!

The private sector is fully capable of defending itself from cyber attacks. It was the private sector that gave us encryption and anti viruses in the first place, not the government. If anything, the government should employ the private sector to come up with ways to harden the government systems.

You can read an excerpt from the actual bill (S. 773) here.

The Full article can be read here.

Via: Lucianne.com

Via: CNet News

State run media ABC and NBC will not run anti-Obamacare ad.

ABC and NBC are refusing to run this ad nationally by the League of American Voters. Is there any surprise, considering the close ties NBC has to the White House and after ABC did an infomercial for Obamacare.

After Americans are done defeating Obamacare, we really need to turn our wrath on the mainstream media. Their decision to completely choose a political side over the public good has endangered this nation greatly.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Fox News

Via: Broadcasting and Cable

Boycott makes Beck bigger!

In going after Glenn Beck’s advertisers, Color of Change has cause Glenn Beck’s audience to grow to new heights. On Wednesday, Glenn Beck hit the 3,000,000 mark aided by a telephone interview with Rush Limbaugh and an endorsement of Sarah Palin.

If the whole concept behind Color of Change’s boycott was to get Beck off the air, then they have suffered an epic failure. More people are tuning in than ever and to make matters worse, many of Beck’s lost advertisers have simple shifted their advertising to other Fox News programs. So in the end, Beck could loose all his advertisers but still be of great value to Fox by bringing in new views to the Fox News Channel.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: LA Times

Via: Politico

Via: TV By The Numbers

Thursday, August 27, 2009

John Stossel: Sick In America Parts 1 - 6

The other day I posted a John Stossel clip on health care in America. I have found the complete series for those of you who may have missed it. It is pretty good. Stossel address many issues regarding health care in America that are not being addressed by either side in the current health care debate.

Enjoy the clips while you can. I am not sure how long YouTube will allows these videos to remain.

Backbone: Palin supports Glenn Beck!

From Sarah Palin’s Facebook page yesterday:

An Invitation:

FOX News' Glenn Beck is doing an extraordinary job this week walking America behind the scenes of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and outlining who is actually running the White House.

Monday night he asked us to invite one friend to watch; tonight I invite all my friends to watch.

-Sarah Palin

I am hard pressed to remember the last Republican who stood up for a conservative commentator. Remember the White House’s failed attempt to go after Rush Limbaugh earlier this year? Remember how many Republicans ran the other way when asked if they supported Rush during that time?

Well now that the White House, by means of Van Jones’s organization Color of Change, is going after Glenn Beck. It is refreshing to see Sarah Palin supporting Beck at this time. Lord knows with the left demonizing Sarah Palin daily, she would be well within her rights to sit back and shut up, but instead she chooses to stand boldly and firmly by asking her supporters to tune in to Glenn Beck and listen to the very important questions he is asking this week on his show.

I have always been perplexed how conservative commentators like Rush, Coulter, Malkin, Levin, Hannity, Ingraham and Beck are out there everyday fighting the liberal agenda and informing conservatives, yet so many Republicans shy away from supporting them. Instead of building on the strong ideas put forth by these commentators, many in the GOP choose to mouth absurd liberal talking points and say these commentators are “divisive” or “over the top”. When was the last time you saw Democrats run from divisive and over the top statements made by Maddow, Olbermann or Matthews?

Whether it is knocking down bogus ethics complaints, calling out Obama for his death panels or standing with Glenn Beck during this assault, Sarah Palin has proven time and again that she has a backbone of steel. Hopefully her example will become contagious with the rest of the GOP.

Senator Mitt Romney?

US News has an interesting article by Peter Roff on the possibility of Mitt Romney running for Ted Kennedy’s vacant senate seat. Personally, I like the idea a whole lot better than Romney for President in 2012.

While many in the media and the GOP leadership seems to be working overtime to sell us on Romney for 2012, in reality there are a few pitfalls for a second Romney presidential run.

First there is the GOP base. After enduring RINO McCain, confused Congressional Republicans and out of the closet Socialist Democrats, the conservative GOP base is in no mood to be trifled with. In 2012 the GOP conservative base will be looking for someone who lives and breathes conservative principles plus has a very health respect for the Constitution. Mitt Romney may have a little trouble fitting this mold with a past of Pro-Choice, Pro-gun control and RomneyCare. Should Romney run for the senate, these issues would be less important to the very left leaning Massachusetts electorate. Once elected, Romney could then go about creating a solid conservative record to run on in 2016 or beyond.

Another big issue for Romney making a presidential run in 2012 will be RomneyCare. ObamaCare is stinking up the joint with much of America. How would America feel about voting for someone who actually passed legislation similar to ObamaCare? As a senator, Romney could say he has seen the error of his ways on Health Care and go about promoting more conservative and acceptable reforms like tort reform or removing interstate restrictions.

Right now, Romney is also the only big name Republican 2012 hopeful without a platform. Jindal has his governorship; Huckabee has his show, and Palin blowing up Facebook. If Romney wants to stay in the game until 2012 he needs a platform to promote his ideas and policies. As a senator he could do just that, even promote his own legislation.

Finally there is the issue of Obama 2009 vs. Obama 2012. Right now, Romney holds up well against Obama in polling. However, three and a half years is a lifetime in politics. Today the main thing sinking Obama is that he is pursuing some crazy Cloward and Piven type strategy because of his ideology. But the White House changes people. Should Obama love being president more than being a leftwing ideologue he need only go about significantly reducing our debt and really creating jobs. Would Romney still be that appealing against a more fiscally responsible Obama? As a senator, Romney would be able to stay in the public eye for six years, plenty of time to stay relevant in the event (God forbid) Obama is not beatable in 2012.

It is no secret that Romney covets the Big Chair, but in his case, maybe a brief respite in a senate seat might go a long way in making his dream come true.

Via: US News

Via: Memeorandum

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Ted Kennedy dead at age 77

Senator Ted Kennedy died today in his Hyannis home succumbing to his brain cancer. Kennedy’s death will be a huge new story for days to come. Look for him to have a send off that will rival Reagan’s. The media will spare no superlatives for Kennedy’s life. Mary Jo Kopechne will get the short shift, if she is mentioned at all. Also, look for all that messy news about Obama totally misjudging the deficit and Holder going after the CIA all to be swept aside, as we stop and pay tribute to Ted.

Look for tremendous DNC pressure to be brought to the Mass. Legislature to change its laws, so that Deval Patrick can appoint someone to Ted’s senate seat. Paging Caroline, here is your second change at a senate seat.

Sadly the worse part of Kennedy’s death will be how Democrats will shamelessly use it to push ObamaCare. If you thought the way Democrats used Paul Wellstone’s funeral for political gain was tasteless, you ain’t seen nothing yet. No doubt we will be told that we should honor Ted Kennedy’s life by writing ObamaCare into law. Never mind the fact that Old Teddy would never have been caught dead on the Public Option.

Via Breitbart

Via Memeorandum

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

John Stossel on socialized medicine

H/T Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

Glenn Beck fights back

As some of you might be aware of, there is a boycott against the Glenn Beck show. An organization by the name of Color of Change has be going after Glenn Beck’s advertisers to get him off the air, because they charge that Beck called Obama a racist. Color of Change’s efforts has been questionable at best.

On Monday, Glenn Beck fired back by going after Color of Change founder (and Obama’s Green Jobs Czar) Van Jones. I suspect that since Beck had run several pieces on Van Jones prior to the supposed “Obama racist” comment, that this boycott has more to do with shutting Beck up on Van Jones’s radical past than any anti Obama comment Beck made.

In case you missed Beck today, here is the video he ran delving deep into Van Jones’s radical past. Keep in mind Obama picked this guy to be his Green Jobs Czar.

H/T to And So it Goes In Shreveport for the video


H/T: And So it Goes In Shreveport

H/T: Right Pundits

Via: NewsMax

Sunday, August 23, 2009

What’s $2 Trillion between friends?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration will raise its 10-year budget deficit projection to approximately $9 trillion from $7.108 trillion in a report next week, a senior administration official told Reuters on Friday…

Well lets see, Obama underestimated how high unemployment would rise, he underestimated the severity of the recession and now he has underestimated the 10 year budget deficit projection by $2 trillion. Despite this extremely poor track record, Obama wants us to believe him when he tells us that his health care overhaul will help cut our future deficits with all the savings it will generate.

Yeah, right!

To believe Obama at this point one would have to be a certified sucker or one of those “retard adults” skanky Garofalo has been yammering about.

God help us, these are going to be four very long years.

Via: Reuters
Via: Memeorandum

Jeanane Garofalo: I see racist people

Here we go again! Filthy skank Jeanane Garofalo cannot fathom anyone being extremely displease with Obama’s irresponsible spending, liberty stealing policies or apologist foreign policy. Nope, for Jeanane, the only reason to oppose Obama must be racism!

"Do you remember tea baggers?" Garofalo said. "It was just so much easier when we could just call them racists. I just don't know why we can't call them racists, or functionally retarded
adults."

If Garpfalo wants to see what real retarded adults look like, she need only stand in front of a mirror. Did it ever dawn on this half baked pop psychologist that her theory is completely baseless since a majority of whites voted for President Empty Suit? Seeing how poll after poll are now showing that the very same whites who voted for Obama are now moving away from him. Are we to believe they all of a sudden found racism in their hearts or is something else a foot, like his liberal policies really sucks?

My advice to Ms. Garofalo would be for her to wash her greasy hair, because all that greasy build up is clearly seeping into her limbic brain!

Here is the audio of Garofalo’s fully tirade.
LANGUAGE WARNING!



Via NewsBusters
Via Memeorandum

Hannity 2012?



WASHINGTON – Talk-show host Sean Hannity, a
vocal opponent of Barack Obama's policies, said today he would not rule out a
bid for the presidency in 2012.

Egged on by radio colleague Bill Cunningham, Hannity said he would consider entering the front lines of the political fray if God directs him.


"I've never made a decision in my life without – whatever destiny God has you've got to fulfill it," he said. "I'm not sure that's my destiny."


I am not sure Hannity knows what he is getting into. The left has been demonizing him professionally for years, they have largely left his personal life alone. Should Hannity throw his hat into the ring, he had better be ready for the hungry jackals to tear into his personal life the exact same way they have torn into Palin’s. If he can survive that process, then he should go for it.

Hannity reminds me of a Jack Russell Terrier. Once their jaws latch on to something they just don’t let go. Can you imaging him latching on to a nasty negative aspect of The Won? Pure joy!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Another Black Conservative’s FMJRA

Greetings readers and welcome to Another Black Conservative’s weekly Full Metal Jacket Reach Around (FMJRA). I have a little confession about this week’s FMJRA. I actually prepared this post Thursday night, because I am currently visiting family in Virginia. So if anyone linked to me after Thursday and I did not give you a shout out, let me know so I can include you in next weeks FMJRA. With that out of the way, here is this weeks Reach Around.

Linky Love

This week’s first bit of Linky Love comes from Reaganite Republican Resistance blog. Reaganite links to the Trust Common Sense ad. Next both Texas For Sarah Palin and The Book of Sarah linked to my post on the power of Palin on Facebook. A very interesting blog, that I recommend you checking out, Valley of the Shadow, links to my post on 44 New Jersey politicians getting caught in a sting operation. Chicago News Bench links to the Obama Joker Poster video (sadly the video was removed from YouTube, I MUST find another copy somewhere). Last but never least, My Voice on the Wings of Change blog links to MSNBC’s manufactured racism.

Black Conservative Linky Love

This week I only have one, but it is a really, really good one. Conservative Like No Other, has a must read on why she no longer identifies herself with the term “African American”. This is a topic I readily identify with and state why in my profile.

Blog Post of Interest

These are the posts that caught my attention this week.

Conservative Scalawag has a first hand account of the Centennial Park Health Care Rally complete with pictures!
Fatscribe, gives an excellent explanation on political street art and the Obama joker poster. This is way better than some of the stupid and biased explanations being offered by the MSM. I actually learned a lot!
Left Coast Rebel has made a very interesting find about a possible plant working with Barney Frank. Keep your eye on this one.

New Kids On The Block

These are new blogs that I have added to the blog roll. Check them out and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Ration Nation USA
The Wisdom of Solomon
Eppler Effect

Sarah Palin: No Health Care Reform Without Legal Reform


President Obama's health care "reform" plan has met with significant criticism across the country. Many Americans want change and reform in our current health care system. We recognize that while we have the greatest medical care in the world, there are major problems that we must face, especially in terms of reining in costs and allowing care to be affordable for all. However, as we have seen, current plans being pushed by the Democratic leadership represent change that may not be what we had in mind -- change which poses serious ethical concerns over the government having control over our families’ health care decisions. In addition, the current plans greatly increase costs of health care, while doing lip service toward controlling costs.

We need to address a REAL bipartisan reform proposition that will have REAL impacts on costs and quality of patient care.

As Governor of Alaska, I learned a little bit about being a target for frivolous suits and complaints (Please, do I really need to footnote that?). I went my whole life without needing a lawyer on speed-dial, but all that changes when you become a target for opportunists and people with no scruples. Our nation’s health care providers have been the targets of similar opportunists for years, and they too have found themselves subjected to false, frivolous, and baseless claims. To quote a former president, “I feel your pain.”

So what can we do? First, we cannot have health care reform without tort reform. The two are intertwined. For example, one supposed justification for socialized medicine is the high cost of health care. As Dr. Scott Gottlieb recently noted, “If Mr. Obama is serious about lowering costs, he'll need to reform the economic structures in medicine—especially programs like Medicare.” [1] Two examples of these “economic structures” are high malpractice insurance premiums foisted on physicians (and ultimately passed on to consumers as “high health care costs”) and the billions wasted on defensive medicine.

Dr. Stuart Weinstein, with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, recently explained the problem:

”The medical liability crisis has had many unintended consequences, most notably a decrease in access to care in a growing number of states and an increase in healthcare costs. Access is affected as physicians move their practices to states with lower liability rates and change their practice patterns to reduce or eliminate high-risk services. When one considers that half of all neurosurgeons—as well as one third of all orthopedic surgeons, one third of all emergency physicians, and one third of all trauma surgeons—are sued each year, is it any wonder that 70 percent of emergency departments are at risk because they lack available on-call specialist coverage?” [2]

Dr. Weinstein makes good points, points completely ignored by President Obama. Dr. Weinstein details the costs that our out-of-control tort system are causing the health care industry and notes research that “found that liability reforms could reduce defensive medicine practices, leading to a 5 percent to 9 percent reduction in medical expenditures without any effect on mortality or medical complications.” Dr. Weinstein writes:

“If the Kessler and McClellan estimates were applied to total U.S. healthcare spending in 2005, the defensive medicine costs would total between $100 billion and $178 billion per year. Add to this the cost of defending malpractice cases, paying compensation, and covering additional administrative costs (a total of $29.4 billion). Thus, the average American family pays an additional $1,700 to $2,000 per year in healthcare costs simply to cover the costs of defensive medicine.
Excessive litigation and waste in the nation’s current tort system imposes an estimated yearly tort tax of $9,827 for a family of four and increases healthcare spending in the United States by $124 billion. How does this translate to individuals? The average obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) delivers 100 babies per year. If that OB-GYN must pay a medical liability premium of $200,000 each year (which is the rate in Florida), $2,000 of the delivery cost for each baby goes to pay the cost of the medical liability premium.” [3]

You would think that any effort to reform our health care system would include tort reform, especially if the stated purpose for Obama’s plan to nationalize our health care industry is the current high costs.

So I have new questions for the president: Why no legal reform? Why continue to encourage defensive medicine that wastes billions of dollars and does nothing for the patients? Do you want health care reform to benefit trial attorneys or patients?

Many states, including my own state of Alaska, have enacted caps on lawsuit awards against health care providers. Texas enacted caps and found that one county’s medical malpractice claims dropped 41 percent, and another study found a “55 percent decline” after reform measures were passed. [4] That’s one step in health care reform. Limiting lawyer contingency fees, as is done under the Federal Tort Claims Act, is another step. The State of Alaska pioneered the “loser pays” rule in the United States, which deters frivolous civil law suits by making the loser partially pay the winner’s legal bills. Preventing quack doctors from giving “expert” testimony in court against real doctors is another reform.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry noted that, after his state enacted tort reform measures, the number of doctors applying to practice medicine in Texas “skyrocketed by 57 percent” and that the tort reforms “brought critical specialties to underserved areas.” These are real reforms that actually improve access to health care. [5]

Dr. Weinstein’s research shows that around $200 billion per year could be saved with legal reform. That’s real savings. That’s money that could be used to build roads, schools, or hospitals.
If you want to save health care, let’s listen to our doctors. There should be no health care reform without legal reform. There can be no true health care reform without legal reform.

- Sarah Palin

[1] See
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204409904574350370729883030.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
[3] Id.

Friday, August 21, 2009

“All Wee-Weed up”? Whatchoo Talkin ‘bout Willis?

"There's something about August going into September where everyone in Washington gets all 'wee-weed' up," the president said.

This has to be the strangest thing Obama has said to date while trying to sell his hunk of junk health care program. While at the DNC during an online forum on health care, Obama blamed the Republicans and the media for his current woes.

This is total nonsense. The Republican have been and still are powerless to prevent Obama and the Democrats from passing health care reform. Blaming the media is laughable when you have the like of MSNBC manufacturing racism to fight back health care opponents.

If anyone is “wee-weeing up" the joint it is Obama and his own party. It is the Democrats control freakish bill that is turning everyone off. It is Obama’s own rhetoric that doesn’t match the bill’s content. It is the Democrats inability to let go of the very unpopular public option. It is the Democrats increasingly arrogant tone toward voter’s concerns. It is the Democrats own decision to shut out Republicans early on. It is the Democrats willingness to thwart the will of the people and use reconciliation to pass the unpopular bill. All this an more is why Obama and the Democrats’ health care reform is getting all wee-weed up!

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The Hill

H/T No Sheeples Here

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