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12 Aug 2009 21:19

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Politics: Crazy town hall moment of the day: Rosa Parks + ripped poster

  • The video
  • The recap A black woman is sitting at a town hall hosted by Claire McCaskill yesterday. A reporter, whose interest has been piqued, checks out her Rosa Parks poster. Some guy sees the poster, steals it from the woman, and rips it up. Guess who gets booed and taken outside? Obvious question: How is this not racism? At some point, you have to watch these videos and shake your head. This is democracy? This isn’t people just being jerks? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Aug 2009 11:16

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Politics: Ooh, burn: Congressman compares town hall protesters to the KKK

  • Well, the last time I had to confront something like this was when I voted for the civil rights bill and my opponent voted against it. At that time, we had a lot of Ku Klux Klan folks and white supremacists and folks in white sheets and other things running around causing trouble.
  • Democratic Rep. John Dingell, the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives • Talking about the protests that have cropped up at town halls across the country, including in his own district. One man notably said to Dingell, “your healthcare plan is going to take healthcare away from my son and kill him!” Whew. Can’t we all just get along? As much as Dingell has a point, he’s clouding that point by saying something designed to anger the other side. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Aug 2009 11:08

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U.S.: Polls: Obama’s health care support numbers are dwindling

  • 43% of Americans support this crazy health care plan source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Aug 2009 10:52

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Politics: Princeton professor: Interest groups damage the political process

  • Interest groups have clearly eroded the quality of our democratic process. The most obvious way has been through outright corruption. There are many historical examples of how powerful interest groups tried to buy their way to success.
  • Princeton professor Julian E. Zelizer • Discussing the damage that interest groups have done to political discourse. He’s not simply talking about the current situation with town halls and health care, although that’s part of it. He says that in general, interest groups have too much power: “Lobbyists and politicians on the left and right have been guilty of these sins.” He refers to the underrated movie “Bulworth,” which attacked this issue head-on. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Aug 2009 09:57

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Politics: In a move seemingly designed to incite, Pelosi writes an op-ed

  • These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades.
  • Democratic House members Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer • Talking about town hall meetings in USA Today. In their opinion, the more fiery people at the meetings drown out actual discussion on health care. They want it to stop so that people can have an actual dialogue on health care. Of course, Pelosi merely posting this means that those very types of people have loaded the comments up with torrents of spew against her. We’ll gladly take some of that spew off your hands, Nancy. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 3 Comments • Permalink

08 Aug 2009 11:06

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U.S.: Obama’s weekly address: Defendin’ his health care stance

  • In this week’s address, Obama tried to dispel rumors about the health care plan that seemed to focus on little details: “This isn’t about putting government in charge of your health insurance; it’s about putting you in charge of your health insurance.”source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Aug 2009 20:34

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Politics, U.S.: Example No. 2 of GOP Obama fury: Nazi comparisons

Rush Limbaugh, among others, have made this logo comparison. We get it. You don’t like it. But can we keep the level of discourse a little higher than this? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

31 Jul 2009 11:22

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U.S.: Congressmen can’t stand the heat of holding town hall meetings

  • I had felt they would be pointless. There is no point in meeting with my constituents and listen to them and have them listen to you if what is basically an unruly mob prevents you from having an intelligent conversation.
  • New York Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop • On his decision to suspend town hall meetings with his constituents after a June event got incredibly out of hand. Bishop was forced to run to his car under police escort after some of the people at the meeting got out of hand in their opinions on energy, health care, and the auto bailout. He’s not alone, but the targets tend to be House Democrats who supported the $787 billion stimulus. YELLING ISN’T GOING TO SOLVE ANYTHING, PEOPLE! • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

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

24 Jul 2009 10:09

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U.S.: Not coming in the immediate future: Massive health-care reform

  • The Obama administration anticipated having a sweeping health care bill out the door by Congress’ August recess. source
  • A deadlocked Senate and confusion over what the president wants means it’s gonna have to wait ’til later this year. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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