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29 Jul 2009 21:02

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U.S.: Wheelin’ + Dealin’: Concessions made to push through health care

  • If your business makes less than $500,000, you don’t have to provide insurance for workers. Before, the barrier was $250,000. source
  • If you’re poor and paying premiums, you can now get subsidies after paying 12% of your income for premiums. Before, it was just 11%. source
  • Medical providers (like doctors) will work with the Secretary of Health and Human Services on rates, instead of rates being tied to Medicare. source
  • The public health plan won’t be the only option states can offer – a co-op medical plan is in the works. Details are currently being hashed out. source
  • Medicaid isn’t completely on the federal government’s back anymore – in the updated deal, states will help pay for it, too. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Jul 2009 13:11

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U.S.: Senate panel Democrats give Sotomayor 13 big thumbs up

  • 13 votes endorsing the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sotomayor, 12 from Democrats source
Posted by Nathalie Heiberg • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Jul 2009 23:55

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Politics, U.S.: Just when we stopped caring, Joe the Plumber offers his opinion

  • Does the Republican Party represent anything I stand for right now? Absolutely not. Right now the Republican Party doesn’t even know what it stands for.
  • Joe Wurzelbacher a.k.a. “Joe the Plumber” • Regarding the party which used him as a talking point during last year’s presidential election. Wurzelbacher is well-known for not pulling punches in his political opinion – he got into this whole mess by criticizing Barack Obama’s economic policies to his face – and remains a fierce conservative-leaning independent. His biggest issue remains the economy: “Instead of spending more of our money, they should cut back like ordinary Americans are having to. Why do they think they can spend their way out of this mess?” Since we last spoke to the the outspoken plumber, he’s aligned himself with the tea partyin’ wing of conservatism. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Jul 2009 22:14

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U.S.: Everyone makes out like a bastard in the N.Y. State Senate drama

  • The defector Sen. Pedro Espada, who sided in the Republicans in a coup a month ago, finally agreed to side with the Democrats once again – but not without perks. Espada, who was one of two drama-creating Democrats to defect, is now the party’s majority leader in the Senate. Nice deal, bro. source
  • The defector Sen. Pedro Espada, who sided in the Republicans in a coup a month ago, finally agreed to side with the Democrats once again – but not without perks. Espada, who was one of two drama-creating Democrats to defect, is now the party’s majority leader in the Senate. Nice deal, bro.
  • The defectees While the Republicans didn’t get control of the State Senate like they tried to, they did push some reforms through in June which are staying put, as part of the agreement to stop the gridlock. All this stuff happened a day after Richard Ravitch was appointed lieutenant governor. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jul 2009 21:59

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U.S.: Who’s to blame for California’s IOU budget crisis, Ahnold or the Dems?

  • Ahnold sez the Democrats Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger isn’t very happy that the state’s budget situation has gotten so bad that they have to hand out IOUs. “We don’t have the money to pay our bills,” he said. “It’s a sad story.” The Governator blames the Democrats in the legislature for hewing too closely to labor interests at the cost of the state. source
  • Ahnold sez the Democrats Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger isn’t very happy that the state’s budget situation has gotten so bad that they have to hand out IOUs. “We don’t have the money to pay our bills,” he said. “It’s a sad story.” The Governator blames the Democrats in the legislature for hewing too closely to labor interests at the cost of the state.
  • The Democrats say Ahnold On the other hand, the lefties that the man who once was pregnant in a movie is blaming claim that his demand that the budget be fixed all at once caused the crisis. “I think the first priority is fixing the deficit,” said Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, “and it seems the governor’s first priority now is fixing his legacy.” Ouch! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Jun 2009 11:04

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U.S.: The NY State Senate cluster&#^% continues to cluster&#^%

  • One of the two Democrats the Republicans in the State Senate managed to convince to switch, sides, Hiram Monserrate, has decided to switch back, creating even more confusion. source
  • So what’s next? Well, the state senate turns into an even 31-31 split, which means that nobody has power. The Republicans’ attempt at a power grab sure backfired, didn’t it? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Jun 2009 11:14

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U.S.: Who’s behind the N.Y. state senate upheaval? Some rich bastard.

  • He gave money. Tom Golisano, a billionaire business exec, paid lots of money to help the Democrats take over the state senate last November. It was the first time they led the state senate in 40 years. source
  • He gave money. Tom Golisano, a billionaire business exec, paid lots of money to help the Democrats take over the state senate last November. It was the first time they led the state senate in 40 years.
  • He felt slighted. However, when Golisano heard the Democrats wanted to tax the wealthy, and feeling slighted by a meeting with majority leader Malcolm A. Smith, he helped lead the unprecedented takeover. source
  • He gave money. Tom Golisano, a billionaire business exec, paid lots of money to help the Democrats take over the state senate last November. It was the first time they led the state senate in 40 years.
  • He felt slighted. However, when Golisano heard the Democrats wanted to tax the wealthy, and feeling slighted by a meeting with majority leader Malcolm A. Smith, he helped lead the unprecedented takeover.
  • Our take How can one guy have this much power? He doesn’t control the state senate – the people who voted for the candidates do. This strikes of corruption. The whole thing feels ethically unsound. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

19 May 2009 21:13

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U.S.: Obama’s Guantanamo closure plan just hit a big, fat wall

  • $80 million Amount Obama wants to close the detention center by next year; there’s 240 inmates there source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 May 2009 13:02

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U.S.: Congress wants to encourage you to live healthy

  • Prevention and wellness should be a centerpiece of health care reform.
  • Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa • Who is taking the lead with legislation that encourages employers to implement wellness and prevention programs, a program supported by tons of other senators as well as President Barack Obama. Harkin, by the way, is the example-setter – he regularly climbs up the stairs to his seventh-floor office. Way to be a show-off, dude. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 May 2009 10:42

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Politics, U.S.: The GOP’s big problem: The Dems’ YouTube ads are funnier

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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