Does anyone notice that with almost no exceptions, people who enter politics with integrity and ideals get sucked into the system and are spit back out rancid? Just askin’.

Might the conclusion be that governance of this country is exceptionally good in theory but breaks down somewhere in reality? Reps AND Dems. “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” or something like that. Lord Acton.

I wasn’t particularly political when Bill was trying to push healthcare through, but I thought the problem was more a successful shouting down by the Rethugs and Big Pharma rather than anything to do with the actual merits of the proposal. Kinda like the Clarence Thomas nomination in reverse…

How is it possible to have checks and balances when the game that’s afoot is to cover one’s own ass at all times? And yes, barbara is sizzling on caffeine (coffee only, no tea).

My company just switched to a provider called “Colonial Life.” Anyone know anything about it? Was looking over some of the bazillions of policy paper and one thing stood out, a waiver saying they won’t pay for any treatment not deemed “medically necessary” even if a doctor recommends or prescribes it. WTF?

Or something like Ben Franklin’s “a republic, if you can keep it.”

Case in point. I was absolutely jazzed by Tim Walz (MN CD1). Not even in my district, but he was the most sincere, idealistic, grounded person imaginable. Just a terrific candidate.

A few months after he was elected, I went to visit him in his MN office. And my takeaway was rooted in immense sadness. Even at that early point, Tim was already talking in carefully rehearsed sound bytes and circumnavigating questions with vague, middle-of-the road answers. Is he better than most? Sure. But I am no longer optimistic that he will come out of his congressional experience whole. Damn shame, that.

“Rust never sleeps.”

Himes, who beat out the last R congresscritter in New England, and a Blue America candidate, has returned to his Goldman, Sachs alum status.

Neil!!!!

That is a problem (the “cover one’s own ass” business, not the caffeine).

Really? I thought he was pushing hard for reform. At least he was a few weeks ago.

“This issue is in my heart. It’s in my head. It’s in my soul.”

But now, it’s in my wallet.

This shows one of the fallacies of the right’s objections to single payer healthcare. They complain about a “government buracrat” deciding whether you can get the care you need instead of a doctor. Never mind that, in the current system, there is a corporate buracrat with a profit motive deciding whether or not you get the care you need.

To quibble: aluminum “rust” forms a coating which then protects the metal from further deterioration.

He was here for a visit a short time ago and spouting the usual support of securitization, i.e. that it did a great job of boosting homeownership. Which is not at all supported by the data. I inferred from that that he would not favor much change. Perhaps I leapt to an unwarranted conclusion?

Hi Jane. Thanks for the headsup.

So many of these pols… the more they strive, the more they let the country and its people down. Blergh!

Indeed.

“Blergh” ??? Are you unwell ?

Heh. ;)

welcome to the ranks of the teeming masses. oh sigh.

The solution is TERM LIMITS

Once in these guys now must answer to both sides and don’t want to alienate the other side. And then the lobbyists show up with cash for their next election and they’re all ears.

It’s down hill from there.

Practicing medicine without a license, or without seeing the patient – I like it. Instant lawsuit.

SPOTLIGHT, people, please use it — send a letter to the editors at NYT and tell them what a piece of crap the article by John Harwood is; where’s the news here, after all, that a pharma lobbist thinks we should expect less from health care reform, or that Gephardt has succumbed to the corrupting influence of pharma money and compromised his cred? The NYT’s Harwood should have done a better job with this; I know I’d have cuffed him along side the head if I’d been his editor.

unless and until money is out of politics you will have money as the main constituent every time – no exceptions

You talking to me?

sick yes, sick at heart over teh rampant greed and disregard for plain old ordinary citizenry’s needs. Why should u ask? I used to have a tad of respect for Gephardt. He just lost that lil’ speck, and a whole lot more.

that was my impression also. but like you, i wasn’t paying much attention then. sure am now though.

also, i don’t see the necessary contradiction between thinking everyone should have health insurance and being a corporate kiss up.

the only difference is that before he was for insurance corp give aways and now he’s working for big pharma.

maybe he’s angling for health care reform like MA has? does anyone know about that?

We’re supposed to be meeting with a “representative” from the company to sort through all this policy rubish. My first question will be “who deems what is medically unnecessary?” and why should I give them a dime if I can’t expect treatment that a doctor recommends?

I think pharmaceuticals should be considered a public utility. Nationalize Pharma!

Not rust. Rust is the result of corrosion of iron & steel. Rust won’t happen without water.

Oooh, thanks…I’ll bring that up as well!

Opposition to Single payer is more insidious. The right (big insurance, big pharma, big hospitals) don’t want any single payer system becuase it exposes the lie of the “free market” delivering care less expensively.

It’s also the camel’s nose in the tent. What’s next for “Single Payer”, Banking?

Fair enough, but rust as usually applied to iron, is just the oxidation of the metal, and that oxidation works differently for different metals.

from the Wall Street Journal article last month announcing Gephardt’s appointment to Ford Motor Company’s board of directors:

“Mr. Gephardt’s extensive Congressional experience already has opened other boardroom doors, giving him a new career as a professional director. He serves on the board of United States Steel Corp., Spirit Aerosystems Holding Inc., Dana Holding Corp., Centene Corp. and Embarq Corp.”

So in addition to his other transgressions, Gephardt has become a poster boy for corporate bad governance. Most governance experts would agree that it is impossible for an individual to do a proper job as board director of six different companies, while also holding down a full-time lobbying job.

The fact that both both Ford and US Steel are huge, troubled corporations with complex problems makes matters that much worse.

I love your spirit and stubborn. You’re surely helping more than just yourself. Good on you! Good luck.

Would appreciate your keeping us posted. I strongly suspect these “reps” are NOT at all used to being questioned right sharply over their shameful policies buried in all the fine print.

yeah. i’d never heard a “blergh” before. didn’t sound so good. gephardt used to always be there for organized labor. or almost always.

Paging kindly chemist to sort the rust from the chaff. Hello?

some of this dither is hopelessly awash in sludgerific reasoning.

I lost my insurance for “allergies.” Nice. Practicing insurance with a license is no good for the insured.

Sure thing, Adie, and thanks! I’ve signed up for a Monday morning slot next week and will keep y’all posted.

I never encountered “blergh” until joining the pack at FDL. Several pups used it rather effectively, and I was hooked. Beware. It’s highly addictive. heh.

Rust is iron oxidation. All metals oxidize depending on their valance electrons. Gold does not oxidize very easily.

right. bums me out something considerable to see a guy like him lured by the siren of [epithet of choice]

Lawsy! What with his guvmint pension, Gephardt needs THAT much more, THAT badly?
Seems as if he’s sold his soul.

I guess I was naive all those years. No more. My respect for Gep. just evaporated.

I’ll save more for the honorable Senator Ted Kennedy, as a counterbalance. All his good work, and a puppy for the Obama “kids” to boot. What’s not to love?!

thanks.

platinum even less?

Since the topic of metals has entered the conservation, what about silver?

Surely Gep got more than 30 pieces for his efforts…

Mr. Gephardt, you are disgusting as you are played like a broken violin for the insurance company bucks you stuff away as you tell the people they can all die as far as your concerned. Please, begin rotting so your eulogy can be prettied up by the insurance lobby.

I think what Gephardt means is that until all healthcare like medicare and medicaid is completely cut out and only insurance companies can manage our health, it’s a no-no.

Revolting. Here is the list of board members at Centene Corp.:

Board of Directors

Michael F. Neidorff
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Centene Corporation

Steve Bartlett
President and Chief Executive Officer
The Financial Services Roundtable

Robert K. Ditmore
Former President and Chief Operating Officer
UnitedHealthcare Corporation

Frederick H. Eppinger
President and Chief Executive Officer
The Hanover Insurance Group

Richard A. Gephardt
Chief Executive Officer
Gephardt and Associates

Pamela A. Joseph
Vice Chairman
U.S. Bancorp

John R. Roberts
Retired Regional Managing Partner
Arthur Andersen LLP

David L. Steward
Chairman of the Board
World Wide Technology, Inc.

Tommy G. Thompson
Former Health & Human Services Secretary
Former Governor of Wisconsin

Gephardt never was a liberal.

I guess the urge to run for office is a bad sign. Things could improve, if said office were made unsuitable for careerists. How to do that?

you know something? My parents were staunch R’s their whole adult lives, and would never EVER have put up with being called liberal.

But they were HONEST, FAIR, CARING and GENEROUS in giving of what they had to those less fortunate.

I’m sure they wouldn’t recognize their Rep. party these days. They would be in agony if they could see what it has become. They probably would, value by value, stack up as closer to the Dems at this point, even though they wouldn’t be able to accept the label change.

The Rep. party has become a front for big league greed with seemingly no limit to their grasping ways.

Some Dems, though, are no less shameful in their policies, even if perhaps less cruel deep down. I’d like to think Gephardt hasn’t turned into a twin of that wretched TX bug-zapper Delay, but he still appears to have lost his bearings from what he used to pretend to be. I hope the shame hurts, as he is called to account.

Do you deny Senator Ted Kennedy has had an exemplary career of “giving back” and fostering fairness?

How about Russ Feingold? Paul Wellstone?

I think that in some venues, it’s more important to focus on the individual trees, instead of only treating an entity as an impregnable forest.

The good people are there. But perhaps sometimes the electorate doesn’t encourage them enough. If you strive to serve well, it seems that being a politician is a tougher job than ever, these days.

Yes, that sounds about right. My husband has lymphoma, and his doctor prescribed a protocol that would have involved giving him two treatments that are usually given on a recurrence with his first series of treatments rather than waiting to see if the rather virulent type of cancer he has returns. This was part of a study being done by the government to better treatment for this type of cancer. Medicare would have paide the majority of the cost, but his secondary provider refused. He’s not looking so hot these days…..will probably have to have those treatments is he is having a recurrence. It will cost a lot more, but hey, he might have died in the meantime and the secondary would save money.

That’s what that clause in your new provider’s contract means for you and your family, my friend.

I will probably see an attorney about this if all goes to hell, as I suspect it might.

I liked Dick Gephardt. He’s a local fellow and I thought he did a good job in the House. I am so sick of this revolving door, get rich deal, though, that I could puke. Dick was in government forever, and should be getting a fabulous retirement. I know that he’s at least 68 or 69 years old, and needs to go on a cruise, or take up woodcrafting or something. Enough of amassing a fortune as a lobbyist. He’s not going to end up on the dole any time soon.