Head Reform rabbi: Israeli society is falling into a deep pit of racism - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

Head Reform rabbi: Israeli society is falling into a deep pit of racism - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News: "The head of Israel's Reform Judaism movement on Tuesday harshly criticized a letter by 30 rabbis' wives calling on Jewish girls not to date Arabs, work with them or perform national service in the same places where they work.

'Israeli society is falling into a deep, dark pit of racism and xenophobia,' said Rabbi Gilad Kariv, who two weeks ago also vocally condemned a move by a number of leading rabbis who signed on a ruling to forbid renting homes to Arabs."

Remember my earlier screed about Anglicans? Here's one possible future for them, too.

The Fix - Judge dismisses Miller lawsuit in Alaska Senate race

The Fix - Judge dismisses Miller lawsuit in Alaska Senate race

Further evidence of the Tea Party's irrelevance. I think the TPers reached their expiration date November 3, 2010. A new batch won't be needed for a year or so, in time for 2012.

Joe Miller was Tea Party and Sarah Palin endorsed, yet lost to the first successful write in candidate for Senate in a half century in Palin's home turf. Other TP Purity Over Practicality "wins", like Christine O'Donnell in the east and Ken Buck in the west, assured Democratic control of the Senate.

A ramp-up of Tea Party frothing in selection of a GOP Presidential candidate seems, at this point, to be a boon for Obama. With a new election to energize the Beckian fringe it's possible a resurgent Tea Party might give the House back to the Dems, too.

For this admittedly speculative scenario to unfold, the Tea Party will need to rise once more to the GOP siren call. I don't think that's unlikely. The TP is really not much more than the old Religious Right resurrected for one more sodomy session. The weirdest thing about old white Christians is their complete willingness to be taken advantage of over and over again.

Joe Miller and his patroness Palin have made a specialty of exploiting the Tea Party for mostly personal gain. And the Tea Party has mostly been a willing accomplice to its own seduction. It looks like the winter of 2020-2011 might be a rest period before the franticism of 2012.

You're a Bishop in the State Religion & You Feel Oppressed...

UK Bishop Laments Discrimination Against Christians | Christianpost.com

It's a pretty humorous day. The Bishop of Winchester laments a lack of "religious literacy" that has led British courts to rule as though religion didn't deserve special consideration!

Since the Church of England is a state-sanctioned religion, you'd think it already gets about as much support as any religion should reasonably expect. The fact that British judges are annoying Anglican hierarchies is probably a healthy sign for the British judicial system and a wakeup call to the Church. A religion that fails to evolve with its society is fairly quickly a fringe religion.

Atheist Bus Ads Rattle Fort Worth - NYTimes.com

Atheist Bus Ads Rattle Fort Worth - NYTimes.com:

"The Fort Worth group is affiliated with the United Coalition of Reason, whose local chapters have bought bus ads in Detroit, northwest Arkansas, Philadelphia and Washington, as well as billboards in more than a dozen cities, among them Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Seattle and St. Louis. Most show a blue sky with variations on this message: “Don’t believe in God? You are not alone.”

The ads have incited anger in some places. Vandals destroyed two bus ads in Detroit, ruined a billboard in Tampa, Fla., and defaced 10 billboards in Sacramento. One billboard in Cincinnati was taken down after the landlord received threats."

God Is Love. His followers, however, often resemble demented monkeyfuckers.

Government Workers Ordered Not to Read Cables - NYTimes.com

Government Workers Ordered Not to Read Cables - NYTimes.com:

"“Classified information, whether or not already posted on public websites or disclosed to the media, remains classified, and must be treated as such by federal employees and contractors, until it is declassified by an appropriate U.S. Government authority,” said the notice sent on Friday afternoon by the Office of Management and Budget, which is part of the White House, to agency and department heads, urging them to distribute it to their staff"

Looks pretty much like the declassification has already taken place. OMB might want to spend a little time thinking about why so much of these gossipy little bits of snark deserved classification to begin with.

Florida Follows Arizona's Lead With New Bill Cracking Down on Illegal Immigrants - FoxNews.com

Florida Follows Arizona's Lead With New Bill Cracking Down on Illegal Immigrants - FoxNews.com:

"and would punish some legal immigrants who aren't carrying proper documentation."

Charming. Florida now has Getapo re-enactors.

See, This is Where Your Analysis Fails

Pam's House Blend:: American Family Association will not confront reason why its considered a hate group:

"You cannot continue to cry 'victim' when there is a paper trail showing you to be a bully."

Sure you can; in fact, you must. A persecution complex is essential to modern American fundamentalists.

Colorado GOPer Wants to Replace Tax Breaks for Farmers & Ranchers

Google Reader (21): "“We are the one industry that does not have the ability to pass the cost on. It’s one of the dilemmas in agriculture.”"

Darn. If only there was some way to form collective bargaining or maybe cooperative marketing organizations . . .

David Corn Misses the Point About Earmarks

Tea Partiers vs. GOP on Earmarks: A Sucker's Debate:

"Earmarked funds represent a teeny percentage of the overall budget."

The point isn't that earmarks represent a minuscule percentage of the budget. It's that an earmark is more than enough to buy a politician.

Email. I Get Email

Fellow Patriot,
As you're all well-aware, we were unable to dethrone Harry Reid and get Obama's right-hand man out of Washington.
Desperate to save themselves in time for the next election, Obama's best supporters of Amnesty are doing EVERYTHING THEY CAN to advance the cause of Amnesty in order to gain millions of Latino votes by November 2012.
And we're fighting back!!!
Minuteman PAC is rallying Patriots across the country to petition Congress and to continue to show support for Anti-Amnesty Legislation.
AND, we here at Minuteman PAC are doing EVERYTHING WE CAN to see that the Amnesty hounds fail and that our borders are secured and our country and way of life are FINALLY protected!
After all your hard work and support to try and rid Washington of radical Obamnesty supporters,we have to keep fighting and we have to tell our Senators exactly what we think about Amnesty!
Minuteman PAC is firing a "shot across the bows" of every Member of the House and Senate.
HELP MINUTEMAN PAC STOP THE LAME DUCK! SELECT HERE!

I love the Minuteman PAC, and I want to meet its contributors. Those people have entirely too much money to give away, and I can't think of a more useless gesture than to send it to me. 

Seriously, if you're the sort of dim-witted paranoid that thinks "amnesty" is equal to automatic citizenship, there's not a lot you won't fall for. 

Maybe if I pretended to be a Nigerian prince...

Southern Colorado Tea Party Dreams On

No cakewalk for the Colorado Tea Party - The Pueblo Chieftain: Local:

"Bloedorn said last week's election was successful enough to recharge the Tea Party activists who started working together in 2009.
'We're not a political party — we're a movement,' he said. 'We're not going away and if the candidates we elected this week don't deliver on the promises they made to us, we'll replace them, too. The 2012 election is just around the corner.'"

Let's review the bidding: the Tea Party fielded about 150 candidates nationwide, and 2/3s of those were defeated. This includes such high profile names as Sharron Angle, Christine O'Donnell, Ken Buck and Carl Palodino. In effect, the Tea Party saved the Senate for Democrats.

Locally, the profoundly flawed Dan Maes retained his support from the SC Tea Party while more rational members defected to Tom Tancredo's quasi-independent run for Governor. SC Tea Party lost there, as well as in the success of Scott Tipton, who prevailed over TP-annointee Bob McConnell. And we haven't even broached the topic of the SCTP's investigation by the Secretary of State's office for allegations of campaign funding violations.

And with this record, SC Tea Party boss Bloeddorn threatens to do more of the same in 2012. Can't help but be seen as good news for progressives.

Douglas Bruce on Loss of 60, 61, and 101

Douglas Bruce: Voters were 'bamboozled' in anti-60, 61 and 101 campaign | douglas, bruce, colorado - Public Affairs - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO:

"People were just basically hypnotized and brainwashed"

Doug Bruce once again articulates his respect and admiration for the people of Colorado.

The Merger Context in Keith Olbermann's Suspension

MSNBC Suspends Keith Olbermann | The Nation: "Interesting take by Jeff Bercovici at Forbes:� 'Another question in all this is whether the looming acquisition of NBC Universal by Comcast played any role in [MSNBC�President Phil] Griffin’s response. Whether he was disparaging his colleagues in public or blurring the roles of anchor and commentator, Olbermann has always required a great deal of special care and handling, and Griffin has always been careful to give it to him.� But with the merger now facing a potentially difficult approval process in a Washington suddenly swarming with Republican lawmakers, NBC can hardly afford to be giving ammunition to its conservative critics.'"

Muslim Group Sues Okla. Over Sharia Ban | Christianpost.com

Muslim Group Sues Okla. Over Sharia Ban | Christianpost.com:

"Estabrooks believes it is legitimate to say that “women are not treated equal with men” and Christians are threatened with death under Sharia."

Umm, yeah, lemme check with Pope Betty and Scott Roeder on that.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor: "After reading about the organ donation process and some of the testimonies at the Life Guardian Foundation website, I could never, ever agree to organ donation for any of my loved ones.� The organs are harvested while vital signs are intact, and therefore family/friends are not permitted to be with their loved one at the time of death or during the process of dying.�"

Let me get this straight: this pro-life fuckwit has now chosen, a priori, to withhold life-saving organs, condemning unknown numbers to continued disability and death, because of some irrational sentimentality.

Pro-choice! As long as it doesn't cost anything. Yeah, that's some commitment.

Let's Appeal to "Tea Party Dumb Asses"

To paraphrase Ken Buck, there's a lot of political mileage to be had from the "dumb ass" Tea Party crowd, especially if you're a state GOP Attorney General looking to keep a government job. How else to explain the same AGs suing the feds over Affordable Care Act  now piling on to Gov Jan Brewer's self-funded defense of SB 1070

 

Maes Disappoints - and Educates - His Base

Dan Maes continues his pointless campaign, holding onto his legal right to represent the Colorado GOP in the governor's race. Except for the charmingly out of touch Lu Busse, Maes' Tea Party support is fast eroding.

 

Jennifer Bailey, president of the Western Slope Conservative Alliance, was an early supporter of Maes and hosted events for him. On Thursday, she called him "disappointing."

"That's the reason the grassroots got going, because we don't make excuses for someone," Bailey said. "I wish we weren't screwing around with all this."

Read more:GOP, Tea Party leaders back away from Maes - The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15979509?source=rss#ixzz0yT6jvZRT

 

"We don't make excuses..." Well, you do now.

 

Welcome to grownup politics.

Colorado GOPer Fails to Grasp the Problem

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter has unveiled a federally-subsidized program that aims to offer health care coverage to citizens with pre-existing conditions. Supported by a $90 million fund, the temporary plan is intended to offer support to people who have been rejected by insurers. In 2014 those insurers will be required to cover pre-existing conditions and this program will end.

This does not make everyone happy, but state legislator Cindy Acree gets the prize for stupid responses. Claiming "free-market solutions" would fix everything, she ignores the fact that the "free-market" has already spoken. It said "No." 

link

Colorado Constitutionalists are Puzzling

That’s as an incredible twist on freedoms promised by our Constitution as is the repugnant turn on Jefferson’s words where “Separation of church and state” are now used to infer meaning that is the opposite of that intended by our Constitution.  

I'm dense today. How does Jefferson's phrase in a private letter apply to the 1st amendment guarantee of right to redress? 

Tea Party 1 Year In

"On July 3rd, 2010, we held a Tea Party in Cole Park in Alamosa, CO. There were about 80 people there to enjoy the beautiful weather and a couple of truly inspirational speeches by local citizens and candidates. This marks the one year anniversary of the Tea Party movement in Alamosa and the San Luis Valley"

A year after its raucous inception, this is it? 80 people? 

I hear a lot about the "enthusiasm gap" between Republicans and Democrats.  The thinking seems to be the GOP's  numerical disadvantage will be overcome by a high voter turnout rate. Since midterms attract even fewer voters than quadrennial elections there is a possibility that the Tea Party energy may translate into more voter participation. 

But I wonder how that would play out. 

Take our Alamosa TP event. On the major political holiday an estimated 80 folks showed up. Assume better-than-average voter turnout in November, say 50%, which means 40 of these folks will actually cast a ballot. Will that translate into electoral victory? By any measure, the Tea Party types are a minority inside Republican ranks, ranks that account for less than one third of registered voters. The expectation that TP enthusiasm will somehow balance their numerical disadvantage seems unrealistic. Being excited about your vote is great, but it's still just one vote. There's not an enthusiasm dividend. 

Colorado Primaries are in a month, the general election in four. There's lots of time for event to unfold and minds to be influenced. Increasing voter participation may tip some balances, but it seems unlikely that the faux angry "I Am the Mob" faction will be a major factor. 

"When is a military service lie not a lie?"

Daily Kos: State of the Nation: "When is a military service lie not a lie?"

From my military experience 3 decades ago:

What's the difference between a fairy tale and a sea story?

A fairy tale begins with, "Once upon a time," and a seas story starts with "This is a no shitter!"

It Seems a Harmless Request

'99.9pc certainty' of Noah's Ark discovery on Mount Ararat | News.com.au

A documentary team is claiming fresh evidence of Noah's ark. As part of the group's report, they quote a 99.9% certainty that they have the authentic ark.

The interesting part?

Local Turkish officials would ask the central government in Ankara to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status so the site could be protected while a major archaeological dig was conducted,

Why not? Apparently it takes considerable effort to reach this location, it's described an uninhabited. So let someone be allowed to dig around in peace. If they find something, terrific for them, for science, for all of us. If not, well, at least it did create a few jobs and gave focus to a few careers.

It seems a harmless request.

Fake Cop Car? Check. Weapon? C heck. Innocent Name? Uh...

Man arrested after Obama leaves North Carolina – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs: "Police in Asheville, North Carolina, arrested a man they said was impersonating a police officer at the city's airport after President Obama flew out of town on Sunday.

Joseph McVey, 23, was being held on a charge of going armed to the terror of the public, according to the Buncombe County jail's booking office. McVey's bail was set at $100,000, Officer Donna Player told CNN."

Jesse Ventura: Catholic Church like the Mafia

The chronically-appalled christianists at Lifesitenews.com are up in arms over comments made on last Friday's Real Time with Bill Maher. Seems guest Jesse Ventura thinks the ongoing criminal enterprise operated by the Catholic Church deserves criminal investigation and charges under the RICO statutes.

Sounds reasonable to me.

However, the aghast agape-ons at Lifesite leap automatically and autistically to the defense, noting that, after all, Bill Maher has described the Pope as a "Nazi."

Well, he was. Hitler Youth membership counts, doesn't it?

To cap off their spirited defense of Papa Ratzi, the indignant writers at Lifesite quote the estimable Bill Donohue of the Catholic League (defined by Kathy Griffin as "some guy with a computer").

Well, that settled that, I guess.

Women with cancer can be denied Medicaid funding by going to wrong place - The Denver Post

Women with cancer can be denied Medicaid funding by going to wrong place - The Denver Post

As usual in this bizarre health care system, the poor and uninformed get left out of the system.

Funded by voluntary contributions from license plate sales, Colorado offers a program to pick up the tab for needy women diagnosed with breast cancer - but only if they are diagnosed at designated facilities.

The consequences of being correctly diagnosed at the wrong facility can be worse than economic.

"We do a good job saying, 'Go out and get your mammograms,' but then people pick up the phone and their insurance won't cover it," said Jill Fricker, director of mission initiatives for Komen in Denver.
The Komen mission is particularly important in Colorado, where one in seven women develop breast cancer — higher than the national average of one in eight.
Uninsured cancer patients are 60 percent more likely to die from the disease within five years, compared with people with insurance, Fricker said.
"Who lives and who dies depends largely on access to health insurance," she said.

Rep. Dianne Primavera, a Broomfield Democrat and breast cancer survivor, is sponsoring a bill before the Colorado Legislature to expand the program's eligibility rules and cover the cost of care for more Colorado women.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14833876#ixzz0kVQiIPYR

Don't touch my brain!

Eligibility challenger: Don't touch my brain!

Don't worry, Col. Lakin, there's little or no likelihood of anyone being more than casually interested in your brain, or its contents, if any. You've now risked your reputation, your career, and your pension in what has become another chapter in a pathetic melodrama designed to primarily line the pockets of Joe Farah, World Net Daily publisher. Seriously, you've just been rudely fucked by Farah in his mission to make money. Don't think so? Here's the last paragrapg of the story about YOU, Col. Lakin:

Your donation – from as little as $5 to as much as $1,000 – can be made online at the WND SuperStore. (Donations are not tax-deductible. Donations of amounts greater than $1,000 can be arranged by calling either 541-474-1776 or 1-800-4WND.COM. If you would prefer to mail in your contributions, they should be directed to WND, P.O. Box 1627, Medford, Oregon, 97501. Be sure to specify the purpose of the donation by writing "billboard" on the check. In addition, donations of billboard space will be accepted, as will significant contributions specifically targeted for geographic locations.)

Scott Roeder Gets Max Sentence for Tiller Slaying

Scott Roeder Gets Max Sentence for Tiller Slaying

The reliably rabid anti-choice site Lifesitenews.com has weighed in on the Scott Roeder conviction and sentencing. Not surprisingly, some distance is maintained, as in defining Roeder's "mix of anarchist ideology with pseudo-Christian beliefs" as inconsistent with the real prolife movement.

Hard reasoning to accept in light of daily reports of death threats by prolifers against elected officials.

Jon Stewart Torches CNN and Redstate’s Erick Erickson | Mediaite

Jon Stewart Torches CNN and Redstate’s Erick Erickson | Mediaite

Tommy Christopher comments on the Daily Show's treatment of CNN hiring Redstate.com raver Erick Erickson. Christopher inserts a quasi-defense of Erickson's admittedly juvenile commentary:

Without original reporting, there are only a few ways to draw the eyeballs, and stepping over the line is a reliable one.

Therein lies the issue, "without original reporting." Which raises the question again, why is CNN further diluting its journalistic cred with Erick Erickson?

ObamaCare: The Beginning of A Total Takeover? - darsb1@gmail.com - Gmail

ObamaCare: The Beginning of A Total Takeover? - darsb1@gmail.com - Gmail

The folks at ConservativesAlerts are just relentlessly behind the news, pumping up donor anxiety with every cliche imaginable. This morning's email included the usual dishonesties: Abortion funding is included in PPACA, Obama's nefarious scheme to "take over" the country (psst - he already won the election). ut today's message also contained one o the most twisted metaphors I'ce seen recently:

America must not and will not become like the seduced German people in 1933. We will not stand by and watch Obama turn our country into Frankenstein’s laboratory, shredding our constitution, bill of rights and freedom as Hitler did with his country.

Priceless.

Internet porn is 'sexual revolution times 1,000,' ex-official says - Salt Lake Tribune

Internet porn is 'sexual revolution times 1,000,' ex-official says - Salt Lake Tribune

A former Reagan/Bush I anti-porn crusader holds forth at a conference in Utah.

porn leads to sex parties and prostitution and "hijacks our brain" to make users never satisfied, always seeking more deviant images.

The sponsoring coalition includes the expected, like law enforcement and religious officals, but also the private sector.

The coalition's board includes Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, the
Utah Catholic Diocese, LDS Church members and companies that offer counseling and Internet filters.

The definition of worrisome signs of teen porn consumption?

warning signs of teen porn use, including using vulgar and sexual language, extreme religiosity or avoidance of church activities.

Which sound a lot like the worrisome signs of puberty.

Planned Parenthood presses Colorado lawmakers to support maternity coverage � Colorado Independent

Planned Parenthood presses Colorado lawmakers to support maternity coverage � Colorado Independent

A bill to require maternity coverage in Colorado, HB 1021, is headed for the Senate this week. Already diluted in favor of the insurance companies, it faces an ideological hurdle.

House sponsor Beth McCann, D-Denver, told the Colorado Independent weeks ago that she expected her bill would have trouble making its way through the Senate, where conservatives would argue it placed an unfair burden on insurance companie

It's difficult to imagine what an "unfair burden" to insurers might be. We are, after all, talking about an industry that still has access to arbitrary rate hikes, denial of payment for pre-existing conditions, and recission, all of which bid fair to impose
an "unfair burden" on pregnant women.

Colorado Democratic Party suggests questions for Norton � Colorado Independent

Colorado Democratic Party suggests questions for Norton � Colorado Independent

Some suggested questions from the Colorado Democratic Party boss, Pat Waak:

Questions for “Not-Sayin’” Norton:

Many of us have been disappointed by your extreme rhetoric during this campaign, including your comments that you would now oppose Referendum C, which you helped pass in 2005. Will you tell Coloradans where you really stand, and why you’re changing your mind during a competitive primary?

The Denver Post praised Scott McInnis and John Hickenlooper for taking a position against Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101 – which would be catastrophic for our state’s already strained finances. Michael Bennet also opposes them. Will you finally tell Coloradans where you stand on these measures?

You directed the lobbying division of a large trade group, and the Rocky Mountain News in 2001 reported that you were “previously a medical lobbyist.” Will you come clean and admit that in between your jobs in government you were a lobbyist for five years?

You called for a 20% “across the board cut” in discretionary spending. What would you cut from the Defense budget? Body Armor? Troop Pay? How about the COPS program which provides vital funding for police departments in Colorado? Would you cut Cancer research programs?

Do you still favor abolishing the U.S. Department of Education?

At another forum, you said you’re “not convinced” global warming was caused by humans. Yes or no question Jane: Do you believe in global warming?

You said the federal government should have “no place” in health care. Do you still believe that? If so, will you pledge to repeal Medicare coverage for the 574,263 Colorado seniors and repealing Medicaid coverage for the 374,200 Coloradans who receive quality health care through government-run programs?

On Fox News you said the job creation bill passed by the Senate was “too small.” Then your spokesman offered a confusing clarification. Where do you really stand on jumpstarting job creation?

Ms. Norton has campaigned in a remarkably opaque fashion. My suggestion for one additional question, "Ms. Norton, why is your current campaign ad directed at President Obama instead of your Democratic opponents?

The trouble with John Mayer... - Keka - Open Salon

The trouble with John Mayer... - Keka - Open Salon

Well, OK, maybe Mayer's not quite the giggadouche he sounds like.

Burlefest 2010

Burlefest 2010
Benny "Burle" Galloway is one of those guys that has all the talent and damn little of the luck. An excellent songwriter, damn fine bassist and really nice guy, he's facing lots of lost time & revenue. "Burlefest" is meant to help him through this really rough patch.

Wiley Drake Misses the Irony

Praying for Obama's Death - Page 1 - The Daily Beast: "if they continue to deny God and do unrighteous things to our country we then agree with God that He take them out."

Here's the thing: this crazy Baptist preacher prays for the deaths of public figures, and takes credit when someone he doesn't like dies. Not that he personally takes a part, but he & his cult pray for the deaths of those he dislikes, most prominently Barack Obama.

Under federal law, of course, threatening the life of the President is a crime and will get you a personal visit from the Secret Service. You may recall the fuss last year over a Facebook poll asking about the desirability of an Obama assassination. Rev. Drake has been spared arrest and prosecution.

The conclusion is inescapable: nobody believes this crap, except Wiley Drake and a handful of his co-loons. By holding forth about his faith so publicly, he has also clearly demonstrated just how ineffectual and irrelevant his religion actually is. Judging by the lack of law enforcement attention to his fringe threatmaking, the government thinks so, too.

Them Catholics Are Amazing

Some days the stories are so, fitting.

Pro-Life Billboard Campaign in Poland Links Abortion to Nazi Occupationn

By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

POZNAN, February 17, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new billboard campaign by the Polish branch of the U.S.-based Center for Bio-Ethical Reform (CBR) links the introduction of abortion in Poland to the Nazi occupation of the country during the Second World War.

The English translation of the sign says: “Abortion for Polish women introduced by Hitler on March 9, 1943.”

A 1942 Nazi policy statement on "racial hygiene" said, "In view of the large families of the Slav native population, it could only suit us if girls and women there had as many abortions as possible. We are not interested in seeing the non-German population multiply.

Meanwhile, in Rome, we find this fascinating statement by former Nazi Pope Benedict:

ROME, February 17, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Pope Benedict XVI told a group of visiting Romanian bishops on Friday to resist the “scourges” of abortion and artificial birth control.

The pontiff said the Church should set up “parish consultancy services” for young people to help them combat the “scourges of abortion, corruption, alcoholism and drugs, as well as birth control by methods contrary to the dignity of the human person

Well, I guess he'd know.

Buena Park pastor prayed for Murtha’s death - Total Buzz : The Orange County Register

Buena Park pastor prayed for Murtha’s death - Total Buzz : The Orange County Register: "Southern Baptist Pastor Wiley Drake of Buena Park sent out an email Monday night, saying that perhaps his prayers had been answered with the death of Rep. John Murtha yesterday."

If people really believed in "the power of prayer" Rev. Drake would be in jail for murder. But since it's make believe, he is free to continue accepting donations from his playmates.

Pastors Challenged to 'Ordain' Every Christian, Not Do Ministry for Them | Christianpost.com

Pastors Challenged to 'Ordain' Every Christian, Not Do Ministry for Them | Christianpost.com: "Dave Ferguson, pastor of Community Christian Church in Chicago, recounted to conference attendees a bold call he recently made to his mega-congregation.

Preaching from the New Testament, he told members of the church, 'You are a royal priesthood. ... You're a priest. As a priest there's a particular people or there's a particular place that God has called you to.'

The Chicago pastor invited those who felt God's calling to come forward to be anointed. A couple thousand people came forward, named the people or place (neighbors, co-workers, underprivileged children, etc.) they felt called to go and share Christ with, and were 'ordained.'"

Next up, comedic fun when these "ordained" people begin to start their own churches, deal with the IRS.

Bill Planned to Ease In-Home Care Restrictions - Nursing Link

Bill Planned to Ease In-Home Care Restrictions - Nursing Link

Another presumably well-intended government intervention in healthcare. This time, the state of Georgia wants to shift responsibility for professional nursing activities to the least-trained members of the healthcare team.

The bill will allow an unlicensed person who is trained by a Registered Nurse (RN) to perform some services — such as administering medication and keeping watch over a home patient on a ventilator — that now require RNs.

Not surprisingly, the bill's backers share a justification. The bill, sponsored by Representative Jimmy Pruett (R-Eastman, is estimated to effect 800 Georgians who would be turned out of their current skilled nursing placement, saving the state hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. The bill has been endorsed by an employment agency that provides certified nurse assistants for as little as $10 per hour.

Provider organizations have thus far declined to comment on the bill until they've taken sufficient time to read and comprehend the proposed legislation.

As I've noted in another post, there is a reason current regulations and standards of practice require professional level skills. Patient safety is the primary and perennial consideration. Before he became known for his opposition to healthcare reform, Iowa Senator Charles Grassley made periodic headlines with hearings into the shortcomings of nursing homes. While the Senator's reports tended to inflame rather than inform, specific rules addressing real problems did result, and the safety of patient care did improve.

The Georgia proposal attempts to cope with budgetary issues but risks compromising quality of care. I hope the consideration of this bill begin to center more on the welfare of the vulnerable than the bottom line of the budget.

A Database To Compare Health Care Costs At Colorado Hospitals | Colorado Health Insurance Insider

A Database To Compare Health Care Costs At Colorado Hospitals | Colorado Health Insurance Insider: "State Representative John Kefalas (D – Fort Collins) is�planning to introduce a bill next month that would create a website where Colorado residents could research the price of various medical procedures at hospitals across the state. �If passed, his bill would set up a committee that would spend 18 months determining what procedures should be included in the price comparison database."

This isn't a bad idea but it's already been tried. Look up Colorado Health Data Commission. A nice idea scuttled by insurance and HMO interests.

But the fundamental flaw is the assumption that the consumer cares about cost. Healthcare coverage insulates the consumer from financial considerations. I'd always buy a Beamer if a 3rd party picked up most of the costs.

Larimer legislators seek to balance bills, budget

Larimer legislators seek to balance bills, budget: "Lundberg also will make another run at a bill offering greater flexibility for those requiring medical care or living assistance under the Medicaid program.

Currently, he said, such services can be provided only in Medicaid-approved facilities by approved providers. With a federal waiver, Lundberg said, his bill would allow such services to be performed by family caregivers or smaller care facilities at a greatly reduced cost."

It's hard to think of any other single step that would do so much to increase fraud and abuse.There are reasons certification of providers as a condition of participation in public funds is mandatory.