Baucus Health Care Bill DOA

USA Today -- Sen. Baucus Unveils Health Bill Without Republicans

Politico -- Health Bill Puts Heat on Snowe

Max Baucus releases his version of Health Care, one that does not contain a public option to compete against the insurance biz, and Republicans show that their opposition has more to do with the "game" of politics than the issue of health insurance for all Americans.

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Question: If a less than perfect bill crafted by a group of Republicans and Democrats cannot garner any bipartisan support, than what hope is there for passing any meaningful health care reform in Congress?

Little to none.

Question: Can "Birthers" and "Teabaggers" define socialism, communism, fascism, liberty, republic, or democracy?

No, they're just fun to say.

Question: Shouldn't the debates and exchanges over issues and ideas on Capitol Hill be more academic, high minded, and quid pro quo than those I have with my two year old?

One would like to think so. Serious issues like health care reform are more important than partisanship and no one should be able to use an excuse that basically boils down to "because I don't want to" screamed at the top of their lungs.

Prediction: The United States will have nationalized health care, but things need to get a lot worse before they can get better.

... And the noisiest Americans will make sure of that.

Front Porch Musings from NY

Mentality

New York City brings together a diversity in spoken language, skin hues, and culture. But there is one thing most New Yorkers share, a manufactured obliviousness to other people.

It is interesting to witness a person fain ignorance to your presence as you pass them on the sidewalk, even when the two of you are the only two people within eyeshot... in any direction... in a residential area. The possibility of a person not noticing another enter within three feet of him/herself is infinitesimally small, even if he/she happens to have the triple handicap of being deaf, blind, and stupid. But then take the scenario a step further. If you issue a friendly, "Hello," or "Good Morning" to this stranger, there is a hitch in their response, as if you have wrenched them back from the recesses of their inner-mind where perhaps they were tirelessly calculating the the value of their own self-importance,... or perhaps they're just surprised that someone broke the code of silence.

"Huh, whaaa.... Oh, Hi."

Aggressiveness

New Yorkers are notoriously aggressive, whether it be the in-your-face style of ordering at the corner sandwich shop or driving on the expressways, a fact that makes my blood boil every time I enter the expressway or order a turkey sandwich. But you don't appreciate the full extent of NY aggression until you've nearly been run over by two octogenarians pushing shopping carts in the dairy aisle.

Diversity

It is entertaining to walk into the local deli and observe the variety of "english" accents co-mingling. Bronx, Jersey, thick Irish, Indian, Spanish, etc. - all equally foreign to a born Midwesterner, but a pleasant change from the ethnic uniformity of Montana where diversity is measured in shades of white and Republican red.

Summer's End

You don't need to eyeball the calendar to know that summer has turned a corner. You can sense the trees beginning to withdraw, sequestering sugars back to their roots, readying themselves for a long winter. An event that is punctuated by a fanfare of color.

Gone is the heat and humidity that saps any motivation and makes sleeping an impossibility. The days are comfortable and the nights crisp.

Kids disappear from the playgrounds and teens no longer loiter in the streets and malls. School is starting, a sure sign that fall is near.

Fall, my favorite time of year.

Craziness to a Whole New Level

USA Today -- Planned Obama Speech to Students Sparks Protest

Lesson plans sent to schools originally suggested that students write letters to themselves "about what they can do to help the president." That language prompted conservative radio host Glen Beck to say the White House goal is the "indoctrination" of children.

No, Glenn. "Indoctrination" is the goal of FauxNews.

...but seriously, everyone knows that brainwashing and the indoctrination of children are really the roles of parents - very angry, narrow minded, self-serving parents.

...and of course, if you can't out-reason the competition, you out-breed them.

I Got Mine! Screw You!

How many of them do you think don't have health care?

That's Why I Read the Ravalli Republic

It's difficult to find news of any consequence anymore on the morning & evening news programs, because most of the air time is devoted to the latest celebrity death or reality star fiasco (Kate who? Michael, who cares?) But every morning I give The Big 3 the benefit of the doubt and allot them 15 minutes to convince me that they are serious for my attention. Most mornings the 15 minutes end with me flipping the channel to "Sid the Science Kid" for my daughter and taking my cup of joe over to the laptop to find out what's really going on in the world.

I peruse quite a few sites. General news comes from the Times and USA Today, regional news from NewWest, political coverage from Politico, and sports from ESPN. For local yokel coverage (which doubles as entertainment), I read the Ravalli Republic. Today was a particularly entertaining issue.

The Good.

11 year-old Hamilton boy, Joe Johnson, is reunited with his lovebird after it escaped and spent a couple nights experiencing the freedom and chill of a Montana summer night.

Ya, even I like a feel-good story every once in a while.

The Entertaining

Alan Berenzy was cited for misdemeanor disorderly conduct for not minding the "No Shirt, No Shoes, Not Service" signage and shopping full monty. Officer Oster comments that Berenzy is "new to the area."

Which begs the question: Where the hell is Berenzy from? But I'll give him some credit, if you're going to break the rules, you might as well go the whole nine yards.

The Crazy

Outspoken local, Kathy Kulonis, mixed a little politics into the Creamery Picnic in Stevensville this past weekend and was met with disdain from the crowd. It seemed to even ruffle the feathers of a few fellow Republicans. The outrage - Kulonis holding a sign that read "No Mo Bro" referring to her outrage in the direction President Obama is taking the country.

I don't agree with Ms. Kulonis's message, but for a valley filled with hoards of conservative crazies, this was pretty mild.

Of course, she couldn't help herself and decided to respond.

Good Sense on Politics and Science

USA Today -- Report Urges Separation of Science and State

The "Science for Policy Project," headed by the former House Science Committee chief Sherwood Boehlert, a retired Republican from New York, and Don Kennedy, former editor of 'Science,' suggests conflict over stem cells, climate and other science "has left the U.S. with a system that is plagued by charges that science is being 'politicized.'"

For example, President Bush's decision in 2001 not to sign a climate treaty on economic grounds inflamed charges that science was being ignored. The discovery that a Bush administration lawyer had edited climate science summaries (critics argued he softened the certainty of global warming) in 2005 further alarmed scientists.

Science is one of the most important subjects a student covers in school. It provides a balanced and grounded method to analyze our world and understand how people's actions affect our environment. The study of science improves our ability to reason, a trait that is important in every facet of a person's life. Since science classes are compulsory in all accredited schools, this makes me wonder at what point religious fanatics and global warming nay-sayers stopped paying attention.

Obama in the Hoosier State

MSNBC -- Obama: 'Unleash prosperity for everybody'

The President is in the Elkhart, IN area discussing reinvestment in America. Elkhart has been particularly hard hit during the downturn, experiencing a 15% rise in unemployment and is a microcosm of the much larger issue playing out across the U.S. Every state in the union will receive a portion of the $787 billion economic stimulus funds.

Right Wing Nut response - "Sounds like SOCIALISM!"

Everyone Else - "Yep, and it's about time"

A small dose of socialism does the body good ( just like a pinch of free-market).

On Health Care

"The free market economic principles practiced in the United States provide Americans with the best health care in the world."

Supporters of unregulated, unfettered business practices are, undoubtedly, ardent supporters of this statement. Of course, the honest response to the above statement is, "Well, yes... sort of... if you can afford it."

It's true that the United States has one of the most modern and most technically advanced health care systems in the world, but is also the most expensive. The United States spent $4178 per capita in 1998, more than twice that of the next closest industrialized nation. And the United States does not get a lot of bang for it's buck. The United States 2009 infant mortality rate is 6.26 deaths per 1000 live births, behind Singapore's 2.31, and nations such as Japan, Iceland, France, Germany, UK, Canada, all four Scandinavian countries, and, oh... Cuba. The United States also ranks but 50th in the world based on life expectancy. The average American lives 78.11 years, fewer years than the citizens of Japan, Australia, Canada, France, Israel, Iceland, U.K., and all four Scandinavian countries. Oh, and Cuba is only few places lower on the rankings at #55. Japan, Canada, Cuba, Singapore, Israel, the majority of the European nations, and all of the Scandinavian countries have universal health care. The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not have a universal health care system.

But we're America and we have to be unique, right? Perhaps we could lay our pride aside for a day and take a few lessons from that poor, communist country just south of our border. We just might learn something.