Open Thread / Caption this photo

post from Crooks and Liars on 26 January 2011 11:30:06 PM. © Crooks and Liars

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Ah, in happier times. Time to play caption this photo, and as usual, C&Lers, keep it classy, keep it clean.

Open thread below....

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Late Night: The Courage to Talk Crap

post from Firedoglake on 26 January 2011 11:03:56 PM. © Firedoglake

Ross Douthat babbles something about Martians, which is a bit of a relief since he’s not talking about sex (shudder), but is still kinda silly: If you were a visitor from Mars, watching and Paul Ryan?s Republican response, you would have no reason[...]

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GOP Senator Lugar criticizes Tea Party

post from AMERICAblog News on 26 January 2011 11:00:16 PM. © AMERICAblog News

But more importantly, is there anything this "movement" believes that isn't simply conservative Republican doctrine? Uh, no. They're not a new movement - they're FOX News viewers organized by Glenn Beck and Dick Armey. As if this were a surprise to anyone.

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cizes-tea-party.html

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C&L's Late Night Music Club With The Louvin
Brothers

post from Crooks and Liars on 26 January 2011 11:00:00 PM. © Crooks and Liars

Genre: The Louvin BrothersTitle: If I Could Only Win Your Love

Country legend Charlie Louvin died today at 83 from pancreatic cancer. Charlie's music was influential across time and genres, and The Louvin Brothers were one of the greatest duos in country music history. Charlie continued to record and tour after the tragic death of his brother Ira in 1965, and his cancer diagnosis did not diminish his work ethic. He played shows as recently as December and was booked for future dates. He will truly be missed here in Nashville and across the world.

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A few last comments on the SOTU

post from Where's the Outrage? on 26 January 2011 10:46:07 PM. © Where's the Outrage?

I just finished watching the State of the Union. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and[...]

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National Academy of Sciences finds lack of
insurance, access to care lowers American life expectanc

post from Daily Kos on 26 January 2011 10:30:05 PM. © Daily Kos

Via ThinkProgress, the National Academy of Sciences reports on the very real cost to America that a lack of universal access to health care has created. Along with smoking and obesity, being uninsured lowers life expectancy and is killing Americans.

Over the last 25 years, life expectancy at age 50 in the U.S. has been rising, but at a slower pace than in many other high-income countries, such as Japan and Australia. This difference is particularly notable given that the U.S. spends more on health care than any other nation. Concerned about this divergence, the National Institute on Aging asked the National Research Council to examine evidence on its possible causes.

Three to five decades ago, smoking was much more widespread in the U.S. than in Europe or Japan, and the health consequences are still playing out in today’s mortality rates, the report says. Smoking appears to be responsible for a good deal of the differences in life expectancy, especially for women. The habit also has significantly reduced life expectancy in Denmark and the Netherlands, two other countries with lower life expectancy trends than comparable high-income countries....

Obesity’s contribution to lagging life expectancies in the U.S. also appears to be significant, the report says. While there is still uncertainty in the literature about the magnitude of the relationship between obesity and mortality, it may account for a fifth to a third of the shortfall in longevity in the U.S. compared to other nations, the report says. And if the obesity trend in the U.S. continues, it may offset the longevity improvements expected from reductions in smoking....

Lack of universal access to health care in the U.S. also has increased mortality and reduced life expectancy, the report says, though this is a less significant factor for those over age 65 because of Medicare access.

The "best health care system in the world" isn't creating the longest-lived or healthiest people in the world, by a long shot. It's a known fact that universal access to healthcare makes for a healthier population. While the Affordable Care Act doesn't achieve universal access, it still makes a significant improvement upon the status quo. Full repeal takes that access away, and dooms millions of Americans to an earlier death. Full repeal would also mean that widespread programs promoting healthier lifestyles--like smoking cessation and weight control programs--would be nothing more than a memory. They like to call the ACA the "job-killing" law. One could more truthfully call repeal the "American-killing" bill.

(An aside for the Social Security reform zealots who insist that we have to raise the retirement age because our population is aging and is going to be living so much longer: Oh, really?)

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ciences-finds-lack-of-insurance,-access-to-care-lowers-American-life-expectanc

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January 25, 1951 - There Was Korea To Think
About.

post from Crooks and Liars on 26 January 2011 10:19:31 PM. © Crooks and Liars

enlarge Even in 1951 people were sick of hearing about it.
January 25, 1951 - There Was Korea To Think About.

Click here to view this media
News on this day in 1951 was mostly about the economy, partly about wage and price controls and pretty much all about the Korean War and what was going on, or not going on.

In this broadcast of Edward R. Murrow And The News from January 25, 1951, Murrow lays it out how the public was feeling:

Edward R.Murrow: ?In this reporters opinion, there has been considerable time for clear thinking. It has been just about two months since General MacArthur, announcing the arrival of massive Chinese formations in Korea said ?the United Nations forces now face a totally new war?. Generally, a new war involves a new policy and some change in grand strategy. If there has been any change in policy or grand strategy it has escaped our notice. There mere labeling of China as an aggressor, even if we?re able to bring that off at the U.N. isn?t a policy, it?s a gesture. Meanwhile, we have the testimony of General Marshall that we require replacements at the rate of 15,000 a month for Korea. It is important to understand that this does not mean reinforcements. It means 15,000 bodies to replace those who have, in one way or another been consumed by the fires of war. We have at the same time increasing evidence in public opinion surveys and in the mail to Congressmen that the American public believes that we should get out of Korea.
It is also clear beyond doubt that the majority of the free world will not participate in effective steps to repulse Chinese aggression in Korea. I have seen this whole situation no better put than by Walter Lippman in his column of today where he says; ?our people feel that it is intolerable that American soldiers should be suffering in a war which can no longer be won, which can no longer achieve the aims for which it was begun yet, a war which was undertaken, not for a national purpose but for a principle. They feel, continues Mr. Lippman, naturally and rightly that there is something decisive that should be done about it all. What the decisive something is, they do not know. They cannot be expected to know. They have a right to expect their government to tell them what it is. Their government tells them nothing. Day after day the casualties continue and the young men are called up to replace them?. That?s the end of the quotation from Walter Lippman?s column of today. Two months ago we were confronted with what General MacArthur called a ?wholly new war?. The record does not show that we?ve expounded or adopted new strategy or new policy. Mister Truman says today, obviously this is no time for rash or unwise action. This is a time for clear thinking and firmness. Admirable sentiments with which most of us would agree. But two months of firmness and clear thinking ought to produce, perhaps not a solution, but at least a new policy to meet a new situation. We cannot fight todays wars with tomorrows weapons. And we cannot pursue in a new war the old policies.?

And some things just never change.

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Accountability: Who Else Will Go the Way of
Congressman Bobby Rush

No member of Congress is beyond reproach. Every member of Congress should be open scrutiny of their record, and every member should be judged by his or her record. It's critical to an effective democracy.Last week, Congressman Bobby Rush's record of[...]

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Putin's $1 billion palace

This even puts to shame any perks that retired US presidents have received after leaving office. Either way it's a form of corruption, though $1 billion is a seriously large number. Too bad money can't buy taste because this palace is tacky.