As It Guts Medicare And Medicaid, White House
Claims U.S. Has ‘The Best Health Care In The World’

post from Think Progress on 04 February 2008 05:34:00 PM. © Think Progress

In 2000, the World Health Organization ranked the United States 37th in health care out of 191 countries. Nevertheless, in December, President Bush proclaimed that “we have fabulous health care” compared to “other systems around the world.”

Today, OMB Director Jim Nussle echoed Bush’s inaccurate claim while explaining Bush’s new budget. Despite almost $200 billion in Medicare and Medicaid cuts over the next five years, Nussle alleged the United States still has the “best” health care:

So beneficiaries, I don’t think, will see the differences. … We have the best health care in the world. And our seniors especially get great health care. And that will not be affected by this small drop in percentage increases over the next five years.

Watch it:

In reality, Bush’s harsh budget cuts will make the dismal state of U.S. health care even worse.

The budget cuts Medicaid by $18.2 billion over five years, essentially “shifting costs to the states” and forcing “states to institute even bigger program cuts or tax increases,” according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). On Medicare, Nussle claimed that “access and quality should not suffer at all.” But as CBPP noted:

Many of the proposed cuts go well beyond the reductions that MedPAC, Congress’ expert advisory commission on Medicare payments, recommended and considers safe. These reductions could drive some health care providers to limit the number of Medicare patients they see or drop out of the program entirely. That, in turn, would jeopardize health care for significant numbers of people who are elderly or have serious disabilities.

Much of the Medicare savings would be achieved “by reducing the annual update in federal payments to hospitals,” many of which serve “large numbers of the uninsured poor.”

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) noted the irony of preserving Bush’s tax cuts “at a cost of $2.2 trillion” while proposing hundreds of billions in health care cuts. “We believe that is a very odd sense of priorities. That is not a sense of priorities that are shared by the American people,” Conrad said.

Transcript:

Read The Full Article:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/04/nussle-health-care/

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National Townhall with Hillary Clinton

post from Taylor Marsh on 04 February 2008 05:33:23 PM. © Taylor Marsh

National Townhall with Hillary Clinton It will be broadcast on the Hallmark channel, reaching all across the country, beginning at 9:00 p.m. eastern - 6:00 p.m. pacific.This is a first ever event. So many firsts. A remarkable outreach from Clinton to[...]

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http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=26946

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Brokered Convention

post from Firedoglake on 04 February 2008 05:29:48 PM. © Firedoglake

Stoller and Bowers both say it's unlikely anything will be decided tomorrow.[...]

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http://firedoglake.com/2008/02/04/brokered-convention/

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Echoing GOP attack line, Blitzer referred to "the
class warfare argument that the Democrats make"

post from Media Matters for America on 04 February 2008 05:27:39 PM. © Media Matters for America

On the February 3 edition of CNN's Late Edition, host Wolf Blitzer describedopposition to President Bush's 2001 tax cuts on the grounds that"so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us at the expenseof middle-class Americans who most need tax relief" as "almost likethe class warfare argument that the Democrats make." Blitzer's reference echoes a Republicanattack line that Democratic positions on taxes and theeconomy amount to "class warfare."Blitzer's remarks came during an[...]

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http://feeds.mediamatters.org/~r/mediamatters/latest/~3/229173579/200802040006

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Black Voters - Super Tuesday Rap Up with African
American Political Pundit

post from African American Opinion on 04 February 2008 05:26:00 PM. © African American Opinion

Calling it the way I see it!

AA Political Pundit

Calling it the way You See it!

Two Events on One Night! Super Tuesday!

First Event
Live Blogging starting at 6PM on Super Tuesday HERE!

2nd Event Super Tuesday Rap Up with African American Political Pundit

Live event: 2/5/2008 11:00 p.m. E.T.

Call-in Number: (718) 508-9867

African American Political Pundit

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AfricanAmericanOpinion/~3/229319440/black-voters-s
uper-tuesday-rap-up-with.html

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2 1/2 to 2. Wow, What A Game!!

post from Whimpy Liberal on 04 February 2008 05:22:00 PM. © Whimpy Liberal

So the the big football game is over. While everyone is proclaiming this as one of the best ever, just remember the final score was 2 1/2 to 2. And they say soccer is low scoring. Anyway, here are some fun facts about the game:

National Anthem = 2 minutes and 8 seconds
Coin toss ceremony = 1 minute and 30 seconds
Actual playing time of the first quarter = 2 minutes and 25 seconds
Playing time of the second quarter = 3 minutes and 38 seconds
Total of playing time in the first half = 6 minutes and 3 seconds
Patriots offense played (first half) = 2 minutes and 4 seconds
Giants offense played (first half) = 3 minutes and 19 seconds
Tom Petty performed for 12 minutes
Actual playing time of the second half = 7 minutes and 1 second
Grand total of 13 minutes and 4 seconds of actual playing time
Grand total of singing/performers 14 minutes and 8 seconds

So, as meat-heads around the nation crown football as the most explosive, exciting sport in the world, keep in mind that the combined playing time was less than the amount of time the working stiffs of America are allowed to take for a break.

Read The Full Article:
http://whimpyliberal.blogspot.com/2008/02/2-12-to-2-wow-what-game.html

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Straight Talk

post from Eschaton on 04 February 2008 05:19:00 PM. © Eschaton

Sam Seder goes to a McCain campaign event.

video details and more

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/bRuz/~3/229172016/2008_02_03_archive.html

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An Endorsement for Change

I must warn you that this is a very personal blog for me. There is nothing I take more seriously[...]

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http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2008/02/an_endorsement_for_change.html

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Sub-Prime(Time) Meltdown Hits Fox News Where It
Hurts

Over the past year there has been a broad array of economic and political indicators that have been trending generally downward. In the U.S. jobs having been declining, as have exports. Construction has pulled back and property values have fallen. Wages[...]

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http://www.docudharma.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4264

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YOUR WORLD IN CHARTS: "OH THAT WASTEFUL
GOVERNMENT" EDITION.

Megan writes, "Comprehensive health care program costs much, much more than the government anticipated. Not shocked? You must be one of the rare few who knows that government health care plans tend to double their costs in short order, and then keep[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=02&year=2008&base_name
=your_world_in_charts_oh_that_w

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