I demand that schools teach the “fair and balanced” theory that the earth is flat! I mean, those photos taken from space are obviously photoshopped.

Also. Who said germs cause disease? Break out the leaches!

Mornin’, BT.

So how many more weeks, months before we don’t have HCR to kick around any more and can get on with pushing Medicare-for-all via challengers to incumbents.

Wow. Am I first?

Good morning, pups from sunny (yes, you read that correctly!) NW Indiana.

EDIT: Not first. The rest of the sentiment applies.

And we complain about the Taliban wanting to take the Muslim world back to the 12th century. We didn’t have to go all the way over there to fight ignorance.

Where are my manners? Good morning, all. The sun is out in northern Virginia, too.

Just loved Rachel’s takedown of Judd Gregg and the other “not embarrassed” Repukes last night. Anyone else getting tired of O’Donnell on Countdown? He’s better in many ways than the extended fill-in by Richard Wolffe and David Schuster, but not by much.

We’ve had three — count ‘em, three — sunny days in a row. Yesterday I discovered about 2 inch daffodil leaves poking up in a warm spot near my front steps. Life is (temporarily) good.

Brokaw hyping his Boomers special on MoJoe this morning. CNBC at–ack!–same time as Rachel. Whazzup with that?

Also, Tom Hanks, Time coverguy, tomorrow on MoJoe talking about Pacific, his upcoming series. One of today’s panelists likens current wars to Pacific theatre. Ears perk up. Daddy was a Marine in WW2 Pacific.

I did like the observation that Clinton, Bill shows how boomers can “retire” … with a meaningful life in public service.

Just out of curiousity, what similarity did a panalist see between the two current wars and the Pacific Theater campaigns in WWII?

Medina’s 18 percent of the Republican primary vote was much more than most observers expected her to get when the campaign season got under way, the champion of the Tea Party/libertarian insurgents failed to force a runoff.

She was gaining momentum until she acknowledged being a Truther. Lost all credibility with most Tea Partiers.

reply to crosstimbers@9

They didn’t really go into a deep discussion, more of a passing comment…I took it to mean the basic “difference” of the Pacific to the European theatre… dots of islands all over the place, the pockets of warfare….

Dad never talked about his experiences with us, so I don’t have the context to presume further.

Okay. Of all the campaigns in history, I just wouldn’t have thought of a huge island-hopping and naval war as being most similar to those going on now. I was curious to see if somone was constructing more absurd WWII comparisons, like Republicans did with Obama and Munich.

OT: interesting piece by Paul Starr in today’s NYT on the HC mandate.

I have mixed feelings about the (possible) fizzling of the Tea Party movement. The Teabaggers were doing the Repubs some harm, which is more than we can say for the Democrats.

A Health Care Mandate With A Choice

Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.

US KIA Irak: 4,380

US KIA Afghanistan: 1,012

Iraki and Afghan casualties: estimates vary to over 1.5M

US MBS 2010: 7,688 and counting

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things.

Namaste

“We didn’t have to go all the way over there to fight ignorance.”

Best line concerning the “endless war”, so far. Period.

Good morning, SD, and and the rest of you fire-breathing citizens.

DW

Maybe I’m just dense this morning, which is entirely possible, but I don’t see how this option addresses the lack of relatively young and healthy people in the pool of insureds, which (I thought) is what is supposed to help keep premiums lower. Doesn’t allowing a 5-year opt-out still leave the pool with fewer healthy people?

The mandate to buy insurance from private companies is abhorrent, but I don’t understand what this does.

Spencer has a great post up.

Is Iraq a democracy? Good question explored and a worthwhile read.

I just linked to it cuz the commenter who mentioned it didn’t provide a link. I’ve not read it.

Mornin’, DW.

I’m gettin’ gnarlier by the day with these fuckin’ politicians.

Gnarl on, SD, not only is it one of your “tasks”, you are most supremely good at it.

Right to the gist!

My continuing appreciation.

;~DW

It is an interesting theory. I just can’t figure out how it helps anything.

Yes, it’s the truth and a lot less than the truth, so help me God.

Yes, reconciliation was used for welfare reform and the other items mentioned, but in each of those cases, the measures had overwhelming bi-partisan support. For Welfare reform, something like 78 votes yes. One of the other items mentioned had 80 votes yes.

So, yes, reconciliation was used, but it wasn’t an item that was jammed down people’s throats. In fact, welfare reform was Clinton’s initiative.

In this case, Democrats are putting something through with only their votes because they can’t get the votes any other way. To boot, they are putting through something the public doesn’t want!! Survey after survey shows the public does not want THIS bill. On both sides.

If would be one thing to end run Republicans on an issue the public is overwhelmingly in favor of–you know 65% or 70% yes, etc. That, even I might support. But, this is not the case here.

Yes, a few ideas or provisions are popular, but NOT the bill proposed. The public is way against it.

Pass Medicare for all now with a rider that says it must be voted on again in 2013 or it ends and see which Repuk has the balls to repeal it