Would Jesus treat someone with a pre-existing condition ?

Shame that this dives the point home.  I think if the court overturns the healthcare law, insurance companies denial of service to those who need it most is more harmful to society than any of the so called socialism scares the right is conjuring.   As bad as those who hate Obamacare hate the government running things, the grip of insurance companies MUST be loosened somehow.

Obamacare death will be due to partisanship, NOT common sense

There was a SNL skit during the healthcare debate before congress where the players imitating the Republican members indicated that they could indeed support Obama if only he would change HIS position.  It was comical...but it was true....as their is often truth in the best comedy.

President Barack Obama: Sen. McConnell, as the Senate Minority Leader, I want you to have a voice too. Now, uh, what can I do to bring the rest of the Republican Party into the conversation.

Mitch McConnell : Well, uh, Mr. President, maybe I can explain the Republican position -- it's not that we don't want health care to fail. We don't! We just want you to fail. And defeating health care reform is the best way to do that.

[ President Obama clenches his jaw. ]

Mitch McConnell : Because if you fix health care, that would be a big victory for you and that's bad for us.

[ The President rubs his neck over and over. ]

Mitch McConnell : With that said, I could see us supporting health care but only if you switch your position to AGAINST it. 

Does anyone see the point ? Who on earth could be for giving the insurance companies even MORE dominance over our lives. Letting them continue to deny people who have indeed paid premiums all their lives to enrichen the insurance companies...DENY them life saving coverage when they may need it most because of pre-existing conditions.  Republicans can do that ..checking their moral character in the mirror on the way out the door, somehow telling themselves they saved the country from the socialism they so preach about.  I will consider the irony of the fact that I am now not required to buy medical insurance the next time I am at the DMV where the State of Virginia requires me to buy auto insurance, but somehow THIS doesn't threaten a cloud of socialism to anyone who has gone along with that program all along.  Republicans have been claiming they will defeat Obamacare at the ballot box.  Now with a partisan group of the 9 most powerful men and women in the world, MORE powerful easily than the congress, senate, or president (just ask Al Gore), about to drive the dagger into the most incredibly needed piece of legislation that has been passed in my lifetime. 

I am sad that partisan politics has come this far.  Ruining a good idea for the sake of that it wasn't their idea.   

Who Said It ..Romney or Burns

Limbaugh Lies and Offends EVERY Woman

Recently, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) angrily walked out of a congressional hearing on the contraception coverage rule last month because the one female witness the Democrats brought,  was not allowed to speak because a republican deemed her  "unqualified" to contribute to the issue at hand.  She was to add the young woman's perspective, as a college student at Georgetown.   Basically, she could relate to a fellow student who lost an ovary because the birth control she needed for a medical condition was not affordable.  Sounds like many would say she DID have something to say. 

But Rush Limbaugh says she is a "slut" and a "prostitute."    Her name is Sandra Fluke.  She is a law student.  She is most certainly not a prostitute, and no woman deserves to be called the other name Limbaugh called her.  He also insulted young women by saying he would by aspirin for Georgetown girls to put between their legs. 

My problem is not a First Amendment problem...Mr. Limbaugh has the right to say whatever he feels and believes. But what this blog is becoming about, this discourse that it acceptable to some, is just poison. Because Limbaugh will certainly continue to be hated by his haters, but, a great many people will tune right in again to him, unoffended by this.  I think, personally, that broadcasters have been fired for less.  I'd like to see him pay with his job.  But, that won't happen, because he is basically self employed.  The only way to get rid of him is to complain to the station that broadcasts him and demand his removal ..but it will never happen.   What bothers me is that nobody walked out of the room Limbaugh was speaking to. 

Some of the poisonous diatribe in politics today is muddy half truths.  But, all too often, and dare I say all too often from the right, its just lies ..and in this case, a young and bright woman, a future lawyer, being the brunt of very hurtful lies, as Limbaugh said on his show about her,  "What does it say about the college co-ed Susan Fluke [sic] who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex -- what does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex."


Mr Limbaugh  ..and Mr Limbaugh's listeners and supporters, that is just undefendable BS.

As I always say on this blog ..go ahead and disagree and use whatever the facts are to back up your positions, and you probably can get accomplished whatever your agenda is.  But, folks, we with common sense, MUST begin to stand up against dialogue like this ....the half truths and the lies must exit from the conversation, or we are sunk as a society, because it makes the great idea of democracy, to ugly to stomach in it's current form.

Gas Prices Media Coverup ? Some say yes ..not me

I just checked my Facebook and a person whom I like very much says that he thinks the media are purposely not reporting gas prices going up. ..And that the reason for this blatant ignorance of the gas price rise story is that the media is hiding the rising gas prices to help Obama.  And he punctuates his belief that he hasn't heard anything by saying the media is just trying to blame George W.  Now here is the thing...as absolutely preposterous as I believe his Facebook status statement to be, and furthermore indicative of how furious so many Virginians and Americans are with the job the president has done (or not done), I am amazed that as of this moment 8 people "like" his statement.

So, I for one have heard LOTS of media coverage about the gas prices, and while the media didn't go out of their way to praise Obama when prices were 3.00, they also haven't ignored the story as the Facebook friend claims.  Nor did they laugh hysterically when a candidate claimed if he were elected gas would be 2.00 a gallon.  This is just another example of how civility has left the great pastime of political discussion and disagreement.  I am amazed at how the audacity of some to make unsubstantiated statements is unchecked by certain some of us who see things with a bit more intellect and with less haze. 

I watch NBC news as well as the local ABC affiliate and Washington DC stations, WUSA 9, NBC 4, plus web news from cnn.com. foxnews.com, the very liberal Huffington Post, Time Magazine online to name a few.  I feel the media is bombarding us with news on gas prices.  And having worked in media for awhile, I think these entities talk about gas prices so much because media endeavors to talk about what everyone is talking about ..and EVERYONE is talking about gas prices. 

Even Jeb Bush wants COMMON SENSE in politics

Jeb Bush as quoted on the Time Magazine web site.
Sounds like he could come write for this website if he wanted.
 

“I used to be a conservative, and I watch these debates and I’m
wondering, I don’t think I’ve changed, but it’s a little troubling
sometimes when people are appealing to people’s fears and emotion
rather than trying to get them to look over the horizon for a broader
perspective, and that’s kind of where we are.”

Jeb Bush

Republicans - Your Rhetoric & Hype is dishonest & embarrassing

Jon Stuart playing a clip of Republican Trent Franks of Arizona  saying in 2008 that if Obama were elected, no doubt we'd have a socialist economy and that it would be impossible to stop this.  Stuart commented that the only thing Obama did that was kind of socialist was to redistribute wealth in the form of tax payer dollars going to the banks...a kind of dyslexic socialism.  We were warned!   Then a clip of Rep. Steve King of Iowa, who warned in 2008 that if radical islamists would be "dancing in the streets."   Stuart commented that the only dancing was dancing to get out of the way of drone attack hellfire missiles.  Then for the trifecta, in 2008 we were warned that if Obama were elected, nothing you could do to defend yourself because the "dictator," Obama, would have thought out a plan, as John McCain's clip pointed out as he spoke to the NRA, that the rights of law abiding gun owners would be at risk.  Turns out the only legislation dealing with 2nd amendment rights Obama has signed actually permitted gun owners more freedom to carry concealed weapons into national parks and Amtrack trains.   Newt Gingrich in 2008 said an Obama presidency would "eliminate freedom of speech for Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity."  

We are hearing the same rhetoric.  He's been in office for four years and we are not socialist, we have not had gun rights taken away, and the terrorists have not been embolden by anything more than the war in Iraq, which he got us out of.   And last I saw, Limbaugh still had a chance to run his half truths and out and out lies to his zombie followers without impedance.
Here is some of the blatantly ridiculous rhetoric spewed as of late.
Newt Gingrich -Feb 12th..."The morning after he is reelected, he will wage war on the Catholic church."
Dec 22  2011 Mitt says if Obama is elected "you will not be able to get a job."

Dec 28th 2011 Trent Franks "We will step into this night of European Socialism."

Feb 6th Rich Santorum -"America will not be the land that believes in free people and free enterprise."

Nov 12 Mitt Romney -"If we re-elect Barack Obama Iran will have a nuclear weapon."

Michelle Bachman -"There is no future, there is no hope"
 You've lost your damn mind.

The President of the NRA , Wayne Lapierre  told his followers that the Obama strategy, a" massive Obama conspiracy"  as he said, his 2nd term strategy which was "crystal clear, to deceive voters and hide his true intentions to destroy the second amendment," which as Stuart says was preposterous as if the whole first term was just to "set the trap."

It's too much and this rhetoric machine needs to be laughed at.  Without serious, factual, intellectual debate, we can't solve our problems.  Even with those things I guess we aren't sure it's possible, but lets be honest, if these wild accusations and falsehoods were bandied about in an elementary school atmosphere instead of the national media, the Republicans parents would be called after a long sit down in the Vice Principals office.   It's just crazy talk, and though the dems have their faults, does anyone see quite the same disconnect from reality from them ?

Demand more! ..demand common sense from our politicians.  Tell your friends ...even if you think that Obama has not been that effective of a President, even if you think his leadership has failed, that the way to show him the door should be more about merit or lack thereof, which can be documented with civility, and not THIS kind of egregious and delirious ..and if I were republican I would add embarrassing diatribe. 

Please share this on FB, email, and twitter ..and the other ideals of common sense may someday prevail.

A Call for Common Sense in Presidential Race -A Rant

It's just the audacity of some... like Newt ...that's a good example ... who have the audacity to think that even though their skeletons are going to get exposed, they have enough narcissism to believe they should not only run for president, but dupe thousands upon thousands of contributors  into  giving up the money it takes in an act that I can only deem as fraudulent, and though not currently, should be prosecutable, and to also dupe hundreds of thousands of voters and volunteers into wasting their time and energy and votes on what should never have been considered for any reason whatsoever.  Newt isn't the only one.  It defies common sense, and the common sense middle of us demand more accountability from politicians and their actions.  Not democrat or republican?  The common sense middle will someday organize, and should rebuff attempts at either party to claim them (us).   Jon Stuart missed a good chance to unite the middle, and we most hope that the disbelief we have in our system that comes across as apathy can be overcome and find a leader....one without the audacity to defraud believers. Obama wasn't afraid to acknowledge the outrageous self confidence it takes to step up ...let someone do it and soon ...this is important. It can be done with integrity and character and a sense of humor.    Shine a light on what they audacious ones wish to hide in the shadows, and start a path (as George Carlin used to say ..."you have to hold down the grass at first") . 

If you, who are reading this, are not the leader ...then here is what to do.  Tell your friends that you are neither Republican nor Democrat.  Tell them you are in the middle, and proudly independent, until another term for it becomes existent.  Tell your friends to to join you to rebuff the prevailing Us vs, Them mentality that contradicts common sense and the human decency to find compromise for the greater good.  The very first step is no longer remaining silent.  It's time for a third party to rise in America ...lets call it the Common Sense Party.

Cain endorses fellow philanderer Newt

Just a thought ... Herman Cain has endorsed Newt Gingrich, in an amazing plot similarity to the George Clooney movie Ides Of March, Not surprised as the candidate that the alleged philanderer Cain would support is another philanderer in Newt. First thing to check when you decide to run for president is whether or not your marriages overlap.

Gingrich and the History Lesson from Brokaw and NBC

Let us speak of Gingrich, of hypocrisy, of the unmitigated gall of a man who thinks he should be president after his marriages overlap while prosecuting Clinton for infidelity, and who proclaims his integrity in the hope that, as this Tom Brokaw NBC News History Lesson from the Mitt Romney Campaign proves, he has little or none. We may still not know who exactly is the right man to lead the country as much as we are SURE it is not Newt Gingrich after his ethical violations when he was Speaker of The House.

Obama's common sense

Obama now says its time to realize that the divide in our country isn't Republican, Democrat, 1% nor 99%ers, its AMERICAN.

"This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class," Obama said. "At stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home and secure their retirement."

His speech at OSAWATOMIE, KANSAS of all places, where he paid homage to Teddy Roosevelt, in a small town gym, seemed ready to right the ship and point us in the right direction . . . and portray anyone who doesn't see it that way as clearly on the wrong side of history that could be made and needs to be made.

The republicans are missing a chance to compete...but that comes up in another post another time.

Best spoof of Rick Perry from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Taking Rick Perry TOO Seriously

There is no such thing as a lesbian, just women who have not met Rick Perry.
Fact: Rick Perry's tears cure cancer. Unfortunately, he's never cried.
Rick Perry's cereal never gets soggy. It sits there, staying crispy, just for him.
Rick Perry's organ donation card, also lists his hair.
4 out of 5 doctors recommend Rick Perry. Also, in totally unrelated news, 20% of doctors die unexplained, needlessly brutal deaths.
Instead of having a cigarette after sex, Rick Perry heads outside and brands his cattle.
Rick Perry has never lost a sock. Ever.
There is no "Control" button on Rick Perry's computer. Rick Perry is always in control.
When somebody yells "Last one in is a rotten egg," Rick Perry is never, ever the rotten egg.
Rick Perry came and he gave without taking. But you pushed him away. Oh, Mandy.
When Rick Perry was born, the only person who cried was the doctor. Lesson learned. Never slap Rick Perry.
Aliens DO exist. It's just that they know better than to visit a planet Rick Perry inhabits.

Rick Perry lives vicariously through himself.

Rick Perry once visited the Virgin Islands. They are now referred to simply as "the islands"

When Rick Perry opens a pack of Twix, there are three.

As a boy, Rick Perry interrogated his parents on Easter until they revealed the precise location and contents of each hidden egg.

Rick Perry has to maintain a concealed weapon license in all 50 states in order to legally wear pants.

Rick Perry really likes the movie 101 Dalmatians. No one knows why.

Some kids urinate their names in the snow. Rick Perry can urinate his name into concrete. He just chooses not to.

Rick Perry does not "style" his hair. It lays perfectly in place out of sheer terror.

Rick Perry did all the make-up on the Planet of the Apes movies.

Rick Perry understands the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Rick Perry ghostwrites all the articles for Garden & Gun magazine

Rick Perry was born with the right to party. Unlike the rest of us who have to fight for it

Rick Perry impaled over 40 horses to make what he calls "an authentic" Merry-Go-Round.

Rick Perry's blood type is WD-40

Rick Perry can peel potatoes with his eyelids.

Rick Perry shoots dangerous wild animals on his jogs.

On his birthday, Rick Perry randomly selects one lucky child to be thrown into the sun.

Rick Perry just saved a kitten from a tree while Jon Huntsman was talking

Time slows down whenever Rick Perry speaks

AT&T does not drop Rick Perry's Cell Calls

Perry's car once ran out of gas. After pistol whipping it for 10 min it started back up. He's never had to fill it up since

Jon Huntsman won the 09-07-2011 Republican Debate

I watched the republican debate from the Reagan Library on September 7th, 2011 and I am a bit perplexed as to why Jon Huntsman hasn't gained traction in the presidential polls.

He is the embodiment of what this blog is about as the campaign heats up. COMMON SENSE.  At this point I'd add, COME ON SENSE, meaning, Come On ...what are you not getting about Huntsman ?

I think the groundswell of Perry support will crumble in the face of his backwoods hick "don't tell me how to think or what to say" mentality.  The firm beliefs of the Texas governor are admirable for being just that, but if it  doesn't come back to bite him in the ass I will be very surprised and will begin to believe the GOP is hell bent on handing Obama the chance ice cubes chance in hell he so desperately needs.

If they would elect a common sense moderate, the republicans would get the votes of all the pissed off Dems and currently right swinging and fed up with Obama independents.  The man the GOP needs seems to be John Huntsman in every way shape and form.   Huntsman is correct that if the Tea Party gets so enamored with Perry or anyone else that embodies the current "anti-science" stance of some, they will appear uneducated and dogmatic, and become a laughing stock that loses in 2012, and can make history for missing a wide open slam dunk of an opportunity. 

In my eyes, Huntsman may not have gotten the biggest applause, and perhaps isn't as charismatic as some, but was the clear winner for anyone who watched and scored on honesty, integrity, and appeal to a mainstream, common sense middle.

The President's Revenge on Donald Trump

Here are the words of Donald Trump after being skewered by Seth Myers and President Obama at the Correspondents Dinner Saturday night...   "Well, I really understood what I was getting into, I didn't know that I'd be virtually the sole focus," he said. "But I was certainly in a certain way having a good time listening.  I had no idea it would be to that extent, where you know, it was just joke after joke after joke," Trump said on Sunday morning. "It was almost like, is there anyone else they could talk about?"

Did ya think they'd let it go ?   After the media blitz from the demands ?

Obama said Trump has made the tough decisions, for instance firing Gary Busey on  "Celebrity Apprentice" instead of Meatloaf. "These are the types of decisions that would keep me up at night. Well handled, sir."  Obama also showed a photoshop White House where Trump had turned the home into a casino.
Obama thinks now The Donald can focus on serious issues, like if the moon landings were faked or "where are Biggie and Tupac?"
Said Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Anchor Seth Myers about Trump,  "Donald Trump often talks about running as a Republican, which is surprising, I just assumed he was running as a joke."

So Trump walked into the Lions Den and was dispatched easily.  After drinking in two weeks of publicity in demanding the President's Birth Certificate, he had to wonder at some point what would happen should Obama actually produce the document ...how would he be mocked ?  Now, he knows, up close and personal, and how gratifying for him to be brought to within a few feet of Obama himself to do the skewering. 

Who was in bed with Haley Barbour when he was a lobbyist ?

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is a former Washington's  lobbyist.  And you might think this is a joke, but it's not ..he believes that is an ASSET as a presidential candidate.  SERIOUSLY.  Just who is advising the former RNC chair ?

The issues he was lobbying for include some that might not sit well with the GOP base.In any republican debates it will be brought up that Barbour Griffith & Rogers Inc., according to Huffington Post "represented foreign governments on trade and immigration issues, advocated for a fuel additives association that was working in opposition to the ethanol industry dear to Iowa voters, and helped a number of universities get federal funding through a tactic that is anathema to cut-spending conservatives."  He built a Wall Street who's who of influential clients including  Bristol-Myers Squibb, CBS, Comcast, Delta Air Lines, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft and Qwest Communications.

He says that the job of President is very similar to lobbyist.  Anyone want to beg to differ ?  Especially republican faithful and even more especially, the anti tax and spend Tea Party.  This may be the swan song for the would be candidate. 

Obama Relection Ramps Up

 President Barack Obama is poised to make it official and tell the world he will run for re-election.   Papers will be filed as soon as this week with the REC, and he will announce his intention with email to supporters and texts as well.  Its just the formality for what everyone already knew...and the fundraising is already underway, as Obama raked in a million and a half at a NY fundraiser this past week.  Already on his schedule is Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
It doesn't look like any Dems plan to challenge the incumbent.  Keep in mind that republicans with the power to do so on Capitol Hill may exploit the best weapon they have against Obama...and that is keeping the economy from rebounding, which would strenghten the Presidents case for re-election.   THAT my friends, is NOT common sense, and in fact, hindering recovery, should in my opinion, be viewed as treasonous.  

Which Republican hopefuls will get up to speed quickly ?   The race for 2012 is underway and common sense must prevail !

Pendulum Swinging Back on Tea Party

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/30/cnn-poll-unfavorable-view-of-tea-party-on-the-rise/

Not quite the end of the Tea Party but the news from CNN says that more people think that the Tea Party, while most can agree that SOMETHING must be done about taxes, took the wrong tac blaming our country's financial woes on Obama ...and by blaming him, I mean painting Hitler mustaches on his likeness.  So, yes, get worked up about something you believe in, but no, don't take anything to that extreme, especially when the country hadn't had time yet to forget the driving the US financial bus into the ditch was done by Bush.

Tea Party now carries a 47 point unfavorable rating according to CNN.  Always amused me that the party was founded on hatred of TARP, started by Bush, and evolved into Obama haters. Silly Tea Party, facts are for serious people. 

Pawlenty on Laura Ingraham - Let the Flip Flops begin

Republican hopeful from the great state of Al Franken and Jesse Ventura,  Tim Pawlenty, went on Laura Ingraham to say he is sorry for his past support for cap-and-trade legislation on the "Laura Ingraham Show."
"I've said, 'Look, I've made a mistake,'" explained Pawlenty of his position shift, according to Politico. "I think cap-and-trade would be a ham-fisted, unhelpful, damaging thing to the economy. ... It's misguided. I made the mistake. I admit it. I'm not trying to be cute about it. I just come out and tell you it was a mistake."
Pawlenty is changing his tune on that issue, but says he won't be the only Republican flip flopper.  In fact, don't be surprised if it isnt the only issue he and others flip flop on, or even flip, flop, flip. 
"Everybody in the race, at least the big names in the race, embraced climate change or cap-and-trade at one point or another," he said.
According to TIME, a few other  potential presidential contenders will play it safe during the campaign on the issue climate change .