The Best Offense is a Great...Opposition?

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Mike Tate needs to keep talking to help further advance the prospects of Scott Walker’s gubernatorial campaign. Here are bits of Tate’s brilliance over the past several days since the recent TEA party at Milwaukee’s Lakefront, presented in three movements:

I. Attack Attendees

"These are extremist elements pulling together, distinct vocal minorities
that frankly don't believe in this country," Tate said. "They don't want to see
more people have access to quality affordable health care; they don't want clean
air and water. They fundamentally don't understand how the American government,
economy and capitalism work." (Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

II. Attack Scott Walker (emphasis mine)

Scott Walker joined right-wing extremists in
Milwaukee on Saturday to participate in a hateful, fear-based
rally aimed at preventing progress for Wisconsin families. Walker was
joined by right-wing commentator Michelle Malkin and known tax cheat Joe
“The Plumber” Wurzelbacher at the rally, which was sponsored by corporate-backed Americans for Prosperity.

“Scott Walker’s open association with radical,
right-wing extremists further demonstrates the divisiveness of his
politics,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate. “While Democrats
in Wisconsin and across the country have debated important issues in a civil
manner, Walker and others on the right have attempted to turn the debate into a
shouting match.”

Although organizers claimed the protest was peaceful, one man
was injured and taken to the hospital [Editor's note: the man was injured
and taken into custody after attempting to assault an officer]. Other
protestors used scare tactics, name-calling and false claims of socialism to get
their point across. “Wisconsin has a history of open and honest debate,” said
Tate. “The fact that Scott Walker would endorse this behavior should be a clear
sign to voters across Wisconsin that Walker is too extreme to represent
them.”

III. Beg For Money

Fellow Democrats,

Over the weekend I was asked to comment on the self described
“tea baggers” who held an angry mob gathering in Milwaukee.

Here is what I said: "These are extremist elements
pulling together, distinct vocal minorities that frankly don't believe in this
country. They don't want to see more people have access to quality affordable
health care; they don't want clean air and water. They fundamentally don't
understand how the American government, economy and capitalism work."

I meant what I said, and I'm not afraid to say it
again.

Just because you throw the biggest temper tantrum doesn't mean
you can silence the majority of Americans who want fundamental change in this
country.

History is riddled with examples of vocal fringe groups that
have risen to oppose progress and success. From the red-baiting McCartyhyites to
the Know-Nothings and the KKK, we have seen this story unfold many times in the
past. Fueled by ignorance, racism and intolerance, these groups have done
everything in their power to obstruct progress – often resorting to intimidation
and violence.

We will not be intimidated, and we won't back
down.

This moment is too important. The American people voted for
change in November, and our President is fighting to implement that change. We
will not sit idly by while these extremists pretend to be mainstream Americans.
Their views couldn't be any more out of touch with average, working
people.

One sign at the protest in Milwaukee over the weekend
read “Obama, Osama: Both bombed the American people,” while
right-wing, anti-worker pundit Michelle Malkin told those gathered “I've never
been so proud in my lifetime to be part of this angry mob.”

What do Wisconsin Republicans think of this extremist
rhetoric? As Republican candidate for Governor Scott Walker said over the
weekend, “I'm with them.”

I have a message for Scott Walker and his extremist
allies: You will find out soon enough that Wisconsin is not with
you.

You and I know that hate speech and misinformation isn't what
Wisconsin families need, and it's not what America needs.

We need fundamental change in this country. And with your help
the Democratic Party of Wisconsin will continue to fight back against this
right-wing extremism.

Your gift of $5, $25, $50, $100, or whatever you can afford
will help us cut through the incendiary rhetoric and move Wisconsin
forward.

Together, we can rise above the scare tactics, temper
tantrums, name-calling, and false claims to bring about the change we
need.

Sincerely,

Mike Tate

Chair, Democratic Party of Wisconsin

……….

Please keep talking, Mike. Please? The best part is the sophomoric use of “tea baggers” as if he is not giggling like a middle-school aged boy. Then again, he is 30, and in Democrat years, that’s about the equivalent.

Paying for our own Healthcare?

John Stossel (who works for ABC, of all places) put together one of the best segments on the current debate over healthcare and insurance coverage:





Stossel raises a few interesting points:

1) If an insurance carrier covers more things, then people will not really care what those services cost (why would anyone care if one place charged $50 more for a flu shot if he or she is not paying for it anyway?). This then reduces the competitive market and the buying power of the individual.

2) It is impossible to cover more people for more services for less money.

3) Insurance is a safety umbrella to protect against the staggering costs of medical emergencies.

The first two points are the two absolute daggers in idea of a public option that covers everyone will be less expensive to Americans. The phantom number of uninsured people thrown around by the powers that be used to be 46 or 47 million people (now it is 30 or 31 million, depending on the source). How can all of these people be added to insurance coverage that has reduced co-pays, reduced deductibles, and additional services that would be covered?

The average person can likely estimate with pretty good accuracy what college tuition would cost. This is true also for a car or smaller things like a TV or a kitchen appliance. Who outside of an insurance agent or actuary would be able to accurately predict what a physical would cost (both on the low end and on the high end)?

Insurance companies already cover too much which artificially raises insurance premiums. As an aside, I previously had a prescription for taking medication for my persistent heartburn. The medication I was taking, omeprazole, is available over-the-counter, but my insurance was covering all but $5 of the cost. My prescription gave me a course of 30 tablets of 20 mg of the treatment. The final time I was going to pick up my prescription, I found that since my insurance had changed, I would have to cover it out-of-pocket. The pharmacist calculated the cost minus the insurance coverage I previously had and it came to about $75 for the one month course.

My jaw just about dropped. I excused myself from the counter and picked up a box of the same omeprazole (also known as Prilosec), which also has 20 mg of the active drug per tablet. It, at the time, ran for about $35 for 42 days of treatment. I asked the pharmacist if there was any difference between the omeprazole in the bottle that she had on the counter and the omeprazole I had in the box of Prilosec tablets. She told me there was no difference. I asked her why my previous insurer was paying for such a high markup. She shrugged and said that she honestly had no idea. I thanked her for her information and said I would be using the over-the-counter option. I can now get 42 tablets of the same treatment for just over $20.

I remember walking out of the pharmacy that day wondering why the insurance I had covered something that was that unnecessarily expensive. I viewed and still view it as a microcosm for the problems relating to healthcare.

Changes in healthcare and insurance coverage do need to occur, but the current plan is only going to make things worse and more expensive because it is only expanding the existing flaws in healthcare and insurance.

Gee, What Could go Wrong Here?

The United States is facing a potential overhaul of the health care system that would take a step toward a single-payer system that many in Congress have supported in the past (as has President Obama, by the way). To ignore that a single-payer system is not the goal is to ignore virtually every signal given by Democratic leadership concerning health care in the past.

This bill is to be written by a committee that has Charlie Rangel (who suggested to an inquisitive visitor to D.C.: “Why don’t you mind your own G**d***ed business?” when questioned about his tax problems) as its chair, signed into law by a president who smokes, bankrolled by an IRS headed by a tax cheat (Timothy Geithner), and enforced by an administration that has this to its credit in staffing:

1) Timothy Geithner: Secretary of the Treasury - Failed to pay about $40,000 in payroll taxes…oh Timothy!
2) Bill Richardson: Secretary of Commerce Nominee - Evidence of pay-to-play politics…doh!
3) Hillary Clinton: Secretary of State - Husband’s foundation has received donations from a wide variety of international sources…oopsie
4) Tom Daschle: Secretary of Health and Human Services Nominee - Failed to disclose more than $300,000 in income in addition to a car and driver for three years…aw, shucks, Tom!
5) Kathleen Sibelius: Secretary of Health and Human Services - A list of “unintentional errors” led to a tally of nearly $7,000 being owed in back taxes over a space of three years…whoops!
6) Hilda Solis: Secretary of Labor Nominee - Nearly $6,400 tax lien for failure of husband paying for taxes relating to his business…doh!
7) Nancy Killefer: Chief Performance Officer Nominee - Nearly $950 tax lien for failure to pay property taxes from back in 2005…doh!

What could go wrong with this? If Cash for Clunkers is any indication, then the estimates of this plan may have to be tripled and the staffing may have to be tripled in order to accommodate this new program.

No problems here, though. No reason to debate it, just pass it and worry about it later!

Ha-Ha

Apparently Joe Wilson has raised over $1 million for a seat in the House of Representatives that has not elected a Democrat since 1964, when the Democrats steamrolled that election cycle in a similar way to the mid-term election of 2006 and the most recent 2008 election. Wilson’s biggest challenge was the aforementioned 2008 election, where he defeated Democrat Rob Miller 54% to 46%. While Rob Miller may have raised more money to date (he broke $1 million this past Friday), it has not been the insurmountable slew of contributions that some would like to believe.

Wilson eclipsed $1 million in contributions as of Saturday. A source in his campaign revealed that Wilson had received $1,005,021 from 18,859 contributions. He has also toughened his stance among rising criticisms of his actions. While he does not condone his outburst during the President’s speech, he has already apologized for his breach of Congressional decorum and has stated he will not apologize to Pelosi or to Congress (even as they threaten with a censure).

Further reading:

Rep. Joe Wilson won't apologize again. No way, no how.
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/19923

Source: Wilson breaks $1 million
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0909/Wilson_campaign_Fundraising_breaks_1_million_passes_Miller.html

Remembering 9/11: Personal Reflections

I must beg your pardon for a little personal reflection. I was a high school senior when the 9/11 attacks took place. I was on the cross country team and since all athletic practices were cancelled; my teammate and best friend in high school went for a run at his place on our own. It seemed to be the only thing that made sense. It was something normal on an extremely abnormal day. It was a beautiful day outside as well. I made my trip home from his place listening to the various stations that were tracking some of the events of the day and what President Bush’s location was. As I got close to home, President Bush was just getting back to Washington and according to the commentator (I’ve long since forgotten who it was), he looked not morose or depressed, but determined and serious. I felt better knowing that he was back in Washington because I knew he could help. I didn’t have any true political bearings at that age, but I knew that President Bush would protect us.

My parents were both very upset and shaken as well when I got home. I was hearing grisly details of the attacks’ aftermath bit by bit and I was amazed at the difference between the relative tranquility of where I was compared with the hell occurring in New York City and at the Pentagon. I had been watching from the comfort of my classroom when the second tower (the first one struck) fell. It was a sick feeling watching hundreds of people die like that and I, in my second hour Chaucer class, cried with my head in my hands.

Getting home that quiet night, I had the people of Washington and New York City in my thoughts and many fervent prayers (along with countless other Americans and others around the world). I did not know anyone that died in the attacks and did not have any relatives or friends living in New York City or Washington. But as I went to bed I thought of the night setting in on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Ashes, mortar, steel, bricks, flying papers, and burning fuselage dominated their night while I heard crickets outside my bedroom window. It was only 24 hours ago that the buildings still stood and the now deceased were sleeping in preparation for going to work that Tuesday morning.

I thought of the Fire Department of New York, the New York Police Department, and the emergency responders in Washington. Most of the responders had never met any of the victims and were working well past their normal hours. They kept going because Americans could still be saved. I felt incredibly weak and helpless in my bed that night. I still do today from time to time.

Tonight I remember how awful that night must have been in New York City and in Washington. I was and still am incredibly thankful for the police, firefighters, and emergency responders. Be thankful that they are in your respective communities. They are protecting us every day and night. I felt a little safer that night knowing that. This along with knowing that President Bush would do everything in his power to protect us helped me and many Americans sleep that night.

September 11, 2009: Time heals all Wounds

Gallons of ink no doubt have been dedicated to the attacks on September 11, 2001. That attack eight years ago marked one of the darkest days in American history along with December 7, 1941. However, that day also marked one of the brightest days in American history in that people were, quite simply, Americans. American flags were everywhere. The national anthem, God Bless America, and many other patriotic musical settings were played, sung, and performed by people of all colors, creeds, sexual orientations, occupations, etc. in the days following the attacks.

Americans felt vulnerable and very scared. It was a sickening day where the disturbing visuals were on television all day and tears were shed by millions of Americans, this writer included. Airports were closed, sporting events, concerts, and even outdoor sports practices were cancelled. AM radio was not the only place to find in-depth news coverage on the radio. Most of the FM stations also went to affiliates that were covering the developments. When Americans were frightened, they turned to their leaders. Two men rose to this occasion and did not blink when staring directly into the eyes of those that hated them and wanted the death of even more Americans. These men were Rudy Giuliani and George W. Bush.

In the face of these attacks, Mayor Giuliani could have been panicked and disorganized in what was an unprecedented event for New York City. Instead, he assisted the Fire Department of New York and the New York Police Department in some of the most daring and valiant rescues in American history. Giuliani took action and worked the problem.

George W. Bush was reading to a group of schoolchildren when the attacks occurred. He finished reading to them before being briefed on exactly what was occurring and then issued a brief statement before leaving Florida on Air Force One. All of America looked to the White House in one of America’s darkest hours. President Bush also did not blink. He did not panic. He denounced the attackers as cowards and vowed to bring them justice or to bring justice to them. He visited the rescuers at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and organized the efforts to hunt down and get rid of the people that wanted to kill Americans. His approval rating was nearly 90%.

Time tells an interesting story. Eight years ago, who would have cried foul at enhanced interrogation techniques used against terror suspects who may have been involved in the 9/11 attacks or planning another one? Who would have been opposed to tracking the bank records and tapping the phones of suspected terrorists that wanted to create another 9/11? Who would have wanted to prosecute CIA officials that used enhanced interrogation to gain information that would thwart future attacks? Who would want to apologize for American actions of the past to the very people that either approved or did not disapprove of the 9/11 attacks?

Rudy Giuliani did not make it out of the 2008 Republican primaries. When President Bush heard “Hail to the Chief” the final time as the president at Barack Obama’s inauguration, he was booed. President Bush became unpopular while doing exactly what he said he was going to do: protect Americans from another attack. His domestic policies alienated both liberals and conservatives while his foreign policies alienated liberals who soon forgot the horrific attacks of 9/11.

Time tells an interesting story. Many other attacks have been thwarted as a result of policies enacted during President Bush’s administration both in the United States and abroad. Al Qaeda has been severely weakened because of the unrelenting determination the administration had in finishing the fight in Iraq. Al Qaeda may not have been in Iraq when America went in, but they came in later and were beaten to a pulp. The Taliban no longer controls Afghanistan, although the war has changed since the beginning of the year with the unrest in neighboring Pakistan. Bush’s anti-terror policies grew to be unpopular, but they worked. When it came to protecting his countrymen from fanatics that wanted to murder them, Bush succeeded and never relented, no matter how unpopular it was.

Who would have thought that the men that were there when we needed them are demonized today? Bush was even called a war criminal and a terrorist himself.

It is said that time heals all wounds. Apparently, for some, this is true even for something as awful as 9/11. Others believe it to be a myth. George W. Bush believed it to be a myth. The current president and Congress believe time has healed this wound.

"You Lie!"

Last night during President Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress, South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson had two choice words to say to Obama, “You lie!” Those that have read HR 3200 could not agree more.

This was after President Obama had attempted to quell points of harsh contention that he labeled as untrue:

“The best example is the claim, made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens. Such a charge would be laughable if it weren’t so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple. There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false – the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.”

“You lie!” yelled Joe Wilson. Given the context of this comment where The One had been calling his political opponents liars and irresponsible, one cannot necessarily fault Rep. Wilson for being disgusted with the President’s finger-pointing. In the text of HR 3200 as it existed, there was no airtight safeguard to prevent illegal immigrants from reaping public option benefits. Two amendments were proposed to ensure that illegal immigrants would not be able to receive these benefits, but both were rejected on a party line vote. If one is in Wilson’s position and is unjustly called a liar by the nation’s highest public official on national television in front of a joint session of Congress, he or she would be justifiably annoyed.

Joe Wilson is currently being raked over the coals for disrupting The One’s speech. Apparently, both the Republicans and Democrats in Congress as well as media figures, commentators, and bloggers alike have short memories:

George W. Bush was speaking to a joint session of Congress for the 2005 State of the Union Address on February 2, 2005. During this address, President Bush noted the increasing concerns regarding the potential demise of Social Security:

“By the year 2042, the entire system would be exhausted and bankrupt. If steps are not taken to avert that outcome, the only solutions would be drastically higher taxes, massive new borrowing, or sudden and severe cuts in Social Security benefits or other government programs.”





President Bush’s statement was met with boos from many on the left side of the aisle. This must have been out of order as well. No doubt many of the same Congressmen and women are the ones crying foul at Joe Wilson’s outburst last night.

Some other thoughts on the address last night:

Notice the change of language regarding the insurance coverage regarding employers. He now says that employers and individuals will not be “required” to switch to the public plan. What if the employer switches plans to the public option even though the individual likes the current plan? Then that worker will have to, in effect, buy two plans (one through taxes, the other on his/her own).

Obama is obsessed with throwing bricks at the Bush Administration. He had to blame the Bush Administration for the trillion dollar deficit he inherited. He cited the Iraq war (that he is still fighting) as well as Bush’s “tax breaks for the wealthy” (which will expire next year) as some of the factors for his disadvantages in crusading against deficit spending. He then added that the cost of this “plan” (which still does not exist) is estimated at $900 billion, less than the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (again, which he is still fighting) and the “tax cuts for the wealthiest few Americans that Congress passed at the beginning of the previous administration.” President Obama, this is your term. You are in charge now. Bush is not in office anymore, you are. You have a Democratic House and Senate. Your party controls everything. Are you still blaming Bush because it is convenient and easy to do so? It worked when you were a senator, but that does not work when you are the president.

Another observation: there is no bill. Obama’s details were very scant. Where is this bill?

Also, Obama stated that he is directing his Secretary of Health and Human Services to look into state demonstration initiatives for tort reform to protect doctors against frivolous malpractice suits. The very mention of tort reform was met with enthusiastic approval from House and Senate Republicans. Few Democrats rose to join them. The Democrats will write the bill because they control the House and the Senate. President Obama has not met with Republicans since April regarding health care and the Democrats do not need to meet with Republicans in the drafting process. The bill will not include tort reform because the Democrats are funded by the deep pockets of the trial lawyers that would be hurt by restrictions on malpractice suits filed against physicians.

Finally, many on the left have criticized Republicans and conservatives for criticizing the plan without presenting a viable alternative. This is not true. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) has sent his proposed legislation, The Patients’ Choice Act, to the President and has been virtually ignored by the White House. Tort reform along with allowing insurance companies from other states to compete with each other will decrease insurance costs. Providing a tax incentive (such as not taxing the income used by an individual to purchase his/her own insurance) would also lower the prices of insurance coverage and health care as a whole.

The Republicans are “the party of no?” Joe Wilson may be taking a beating today, but he voiced what many informed observers have been thinking all along. He was right, President Obama. “You lie!"