Health Care Realities

Today's column by Paul Krugman is a must-read:

At a recent town hall meeting, a man stood up and told Representative Bob Inglis to “keep your government hands off my Medicare.” The congressman, a Republican from South Carolina, tried to explain that Medicare is already a government program — but the voter, Mr. Inglis said, “wasn’t having any of it.”

It’s a funny story — but it illustrates the extent to which health reform must climb a wall of misinformation. It’s not just that many Americans don’t understand what President Obama is proposing; many people don’t understand the way American health care works right now. They don’t understand, in particular, that getting the government involved in health care wouldn’t be a radical step: the government is already deeply involved, even in private insurance.

And that government involvement is the only reason our system works at all.

Governor Beshear's weekly address

Click here for a version of this video with closed captioning for the hearing impaired.

Robin Webb for State Senate

This doesn't directly affect us here in Kenton County, but there will be a special election for the 18th district state senate seat on August 25. The Democrats have a very good chance at winning this race and getting one seat closer to taking back control of the Kentucky Senate. The Democratic candidate is Robin Webb, who is currently serving her sixth term as state representative.

Robin's website is RobinWebbForSenate.com. Please help her in whatever way you can. And if you have any friends or relatives in the district (Bracken, Robertson, Mason, Lewis, Carter and Greenup Counties), be sure to encourage them to vote for Robin Webb on August 25!

Editorial comic roundup

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New DNC radio ad

The Democratic National Committee has a great new radio ad targeting Mitch McConnell. Click here to listen to the ad.

(H/T Bluegrass Politics)

Recovery Act Funding to Support Law Enforcement

Vice President Biden issued this press release today:

Philadelphia, PA – Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder today announced $1 billion in grants to fund the hiring and rehiring of law enforcement officers all across the country under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The grants will be awarded to 1,046 law enforcement agencies from all 50 states and will provide 100 percent of the approved salary and benefits for 4,699 officers for three years. Police departments receiving the grants will then be required to retain the grant-funded positions for a fourth year. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, Delaware Governor Jack Markell; Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley; Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter; Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey; and law enforcement officers from mid-Atlantic states joined the Vice President and Attorney General at the event.

"A big part of the Recovery Act is about building communities – making them as strong as they can be, allowing every American family to live a better life than the one they are leading now," said Vice President Joe Biden. "And we can’t achieve the goal of stronger communities without supporting those who keep our streets safe."

The Recovery Act grants, which will be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) through the federal agency’s COPS Hiring Recovery Program, provide much needed financial support to state, local and tribal governments, and will help the nation’s law enforcement agencies add and retain the manpower needed to fight crime more effectively through community policing. The Department of Justice received over 7,200 applications for more than 39,000 officer positions, representing a total of $8.3 billion in requested funding.

"These Recovery Act funds will pump much needed resources into communities through a program with a proven track record," said Attorney General Holder. "The tremendous demand for these grants is indicative of both the tough times our states, cities and tribes are facing, and the unyielding commitment by law enforcement to making our communities safer."

"Our sworn officers are the front line of defense against crime and disorder in our nation’s communities," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey. "These Recovery funds are essential in helping local law enforcement agencies fulfill their mission of making the places in which we all live and work as safe as possible."

The Recovery Act includes $4 billion in Department of Justice grant funding to enhance state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts, including the hiring of new police officers, to combat violence against women, and to fight internet crimes against children. In addition to today’s COPS awards, to date the Department of Justice has awarded $1.7 billion through formula state and local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, $95 million through the Victims of Crime Act Formula Grant Program, $41.5 million for Internet Crimes Against Children initiatives, $127 million in Office on Violence Against Women Recovery Act funds and $8.6 million for assistance for law enforcement along the Southern Border and in high intensity drug trafficking areas.

For more information about the COPS grants, or to learn which law enforcement agencies received funding, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.

The GOP: Playing Politics With Health Insurance Reform

What You Might Not Know About the Recovery

Vice President Joe Biden wrote an op-ed in yesterday's New York Times:

SIX months ago, when President Obama and I took office, we were confronted with an economic crisis unparalleled in our lifetime. The nation was hemorrhaging more than 700,000 jobs a month, the housing market was in free fall, and the fate of the financial system hung in the balance. Credible economists were handicapping the probability of a depression. The actions we took — passing the Recovery Act, stabilizing the banking system, pressing to get credit flowing again and helping responsible homeowners — brought us back from the precipice. Monthly job losses are down, financial markets are improved, and economic contraction has slowed. We still have a long way to go, but clearly we are closer to recovery today than we were in January. The Recovery Act has been critical to that progress.

Notwithstanding this progress, the nature of the Recovery Act remains misunderstood by many, and misconstrued by others: critics have suggested that the entire $787 billion is being spent on pet programs. As the person leading the administration’s efforts to put the Recovery Act into effect, I want to set the record straight.

The single largest part of the Recovery Act — more than one-third of it — is tax cuts: 95 percent of working Americans have seen their taxes go down as a result of the act. The second-largest part — just under a third — is direct relief to state governments and individuals. The money is allowing state governments to avoid laying off teachers, firefighters and police officers and preventing states’ budget gaps from growing wider.

Ads for health insurance reform

Several good ads have appeared this week; here's a sampling:

Editorial comic roundup

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President Obama's weekly address

The President discusses a key factor that has been considered in the development of the health insurance reform proposals that are being considered: the impact of reform on small business.

Obama Cabinet Members Publish Energy Op-Eds

Today the White House issued this press release:

WASHINGTON – On the heels of their testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, four members of President Obama’s Cabinet have published op-ed columns in regional newspapers throughout the country. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack each draw on their respective areas of expertise to make the case for a comprehensive energy plan that will free America from the grip of foreign oil while creating millions of jobs and reducing harmful pollution.

Excerpts from and links to the op-eds are below:

Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu
Richmond Times-Dispatch
"Cleaning Up: Energy and Climate Bill Will Boost the Economy" (7/22)

Over the next few months, Congress will decide on historic energy legislation that would create a generation of clean-energy jobs here in America, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and prevent the worst effects of climate change. I believe passing a strong energy and climate bill is the single most important step we could take to secure our economic prosperity and leave a healthier planet for future generations…

President Obama is committed to signing comprehensive energy and climate legislation that will position America where the puck is going to be. The government can't solve this problem alone, but it can provide the right incentives for America's entrepreneurs, industries, and innovators to transform how we produce and use energy…

We have talked for decades about the energy problem; it is time to solve it. By passing a comprehensive energy bill that spurs a revolution in clean technologies, the United States can position itself to lead this new industrial revolution. This is our opportunity to shape our energy destiny, and we must seize it.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson
Philadelphia Inquirer
"Agreeing on energy choices" (7/23)

Our nation's clean-energy future has been one of the most debated issues in Washington in recent months. As Congress works to pass a landmark energy and climate bill, the conversation has often fallen into a familiar pattern of right against left, and Democrats against Republicans - partisan divides that threaten to hold back necessary change.

But when I travel beyond the environs of Washington, I hear a different discussion.

People across the nation ask me about clean-energy jobs in their communities. They want to know how we can cut pollution. They are concerned that the changing climate means they won't be able to vacation on the same beaches in the years ahead, and they are eager to know if the factories in their cities can be saved by manufacturing wind turbines or solar panels. I meet Democrats and Republicans who agree that our dependence on foreign oil jeopardizes our economy and security...

Clean energy needs strong incentives and support if we are to lead the new global economy, and that's what the clean-energy bill before Congress provides. It's up to Democrats and Republicans across the nation to let lawmakers know that we need to confront economic, environmental, and security issues that affect us all. When it comes to clean energy, the American people need to show they aren't concerned about whether we follow Democrats or Republicans, as long as we lead the world.

Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
Denver Post
"The way to a new energy future" (7/19)

...The choice is clear, and the economic opportunities too great to miss. Will we rise to the challenge?

It is time that Washington step up to the plate, just as states like Colorado and local governments are already doing. Congress must pass strong and effective legislation that will steer our nation toward a clean energy economy that creates new jobs and improves our energy security...

American business is responding to these new opportunities. Companies are investing in wind farms off the Atlantic seacoast, solar facilities in the Southwest, and geothermal energy projects throughout the West.

We need comprehensive legislation that will create new jobs, promote investment in a new generation of energy technology, break our dependence on foreign oil, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Let us rise to the energy challenges of our time.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
Des Moines Register
"Addressing climate change could revitalize rural America" (7/21)

...This issue is too important for agriculture and forestry to sit on the sidelines. The opportunities it offers farmers and ranchers through a carbon market and a new energy economy are too promising to delay. Because, when we address climate change, we will not only fend off a looming climate crisis, but we will revitalize rural America.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed and the Senate is considering legislation to create a viable carbon-offsets market - one that rewards farmers, ranchers and forest landowners for stewardship activities. An offsets market represents a significant economic opportunity for farm communities. Addressing climate change also has the potential to play a very important role in helping our country wean itself from foreign oil. Landowners can play an important role in providing low-carbon renewable energy...

Governor Beshear's weekly address

Click here for a version of this video with closed captioning for the hearing impaired.

President Obama's press conference

Did you miss Obama's press conference last night? Here's the video:

Editorial comic roundup

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Unhealthy agendas

Today's Courier-Journal spells out the Republican health-care strategy:

Some Republicans do not try to mask their partisan agenda. Sen. Jim DeMint,R-S.C., said recently that defeat of health care reform would be President Obama's "Waterloo" and that Republicans must not lose this opportunity to cripple him. That is their notion of service to the country?

Other Republican leaders are more circumspect but fuel opposition to reform with misleading and alarmist arguments. Unfortunately, the Senate minority leader, Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, falls into that category. He told National Public Radio on Monday, for example, that "government bureaucrats shouldn't be able... to determine what treatments Americans can or cannot get. That's a decision we currently leave between a patient and his or her doctor. And that's where it should remain."

Who is he trying to kid? Sen. McConnell knows full well that insurance companies (which fund Republican campaigns lavishly) routinely make decisions about the treatments that patients will be able to receive — if patients are lucky enough even to be insured. He is defending a system that doesn't exist, and he's doing it simply to defeat the President.

Governor Beshear in NKY

WCPO has the story:

Health-care costs bankrupting us

A good editorial in today's Herald-Leader:

Sen. Mitch McConnell says that determining medical treatments is "a decision we currently leave between a patient and his or her doctor. And that's where it should remain."

This pronouncement will astound many Americans who know all too well that an insurance company also decides what medical treatments they'll get.

...McConnell and other Republicans are playing on fears of health-care rationing, which they warn is a likely dire consequence of the reform plans making their way through committee.

The reality is that health care is already rationed in this country, just not on any rational or humane basis.

Governor Beshear visiting NKY

Governor Beshear will be making an appearance in NKY tomorrow to announce his intention to seek reelection and to introduce his running mate, Jerry Abramson. They'll be at the Cincinnati/NKY Airport at 1:30 pm on Wednesday, July 22. Hope to see you there!


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McConnell as sapper

Today's Courier-Journal hits the nail on the head:

Mitch McConnell will vote "no" on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. He says her "record of written statements suggests an alarming lack of respect for the notion of equal justice, and, therefore, in my view, an insufficient willingness to abide by the judicial oath." That just proves that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was right in predicting the Judiciary Committee's hearings would be "mostly about liberal and conservative politics more than anything else."

Kentucky's junior senator, Jim Bunning, will vote "no," too, but out of mugwump conviction.

Ms. Sotomayor's 17-year record on the federal bench actually reveals her to be, as even some Republicans have had to admit, a "mainstream" judge. First nominated to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush, she has been confirmed by the Senate twice before and will be again, with support from responsible Republicans like Indiana's Sen. Richard Lugar.

What is the Republican healthcare plan?

Watch the reaction when this Republican spokesman is asked about the Republican health care plan:

Healthcare battle 'isn't about me': Obama

President Obama tried to remind the Republicans that the healthcare debate isn't about scoring political points. AFP has the story:

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Monday shot back at Republicans who have suggested they can win political ground by opposing his healthcare reform proposals.

"This isn't about me. This isn't about politics. This is about a health care system that is breaking America's families, breaking America's businesses, and breaking America's economy," Obama said on a visit to a Washington hospital.

...Last week, South Carolina Republican Senator Jim DeMint predicted the Obama plan would not pass Congress, and said such a failure could be Obama's "Waterloo," referring to the battle that effectively ended Napoleon Bonaparte's military career.

"It will break him," DeMint said.

'We Like Things Just the Way They Are'

An excellent comic from Ed Stein:


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President Obama's weekly address

The President calls on Congress to seize this opportunity - one that may not come again for decades - and finally pass health care reform. It's about every family unable to keep up with soaring out of pocket costs and premiums rising three times faster than wages. Every worker afraid of losing health insurance if they lose their job, or change jobs. Everyone who's worried that they may not be able to get insurance or change insurance if someone in their family has a pre-existing condition.

Governor Beshear's weekly address

Click here for a version of this video with closed captioning for the hearing impaired.

Editorial comic roundup

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Letterman - Top Ten Dick Cheney Excuses

'It's time for health care reform'

Contact Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning, and tell them it's time for health care reform.

Mitch McConnell's NKY office: (859) 578-0188
Jim Bunning's NKY office: (859) 341-2602

Whose Identity Politics?

Today's column by Eugene Robinson is great:

Republicans' outrage, both real and feigned, at [Supreme Court nominee Sonia] Sotomayor's musings about how her identity as a "wise Latina" might affect her judicial decisions is based on a flawed assumption: that whiteness and maleness are not themselves facets of a distinct identity. Being white and male is seen instead as a neutral condition, the natural order of things. Any "identity" -- black, brown, female, gay, whatever -- has to be judged against this supposedly "objective" standard.

Thus it is irrelevant if Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. talks about the impact of his background as the son of Italian immigrants on his rulings -- as he did at his confirmation hearings -- but unforgivable for Sotomayor to mention that her Puerto Rican family history might be relevant to her work. Thus it is possible for Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to say with a straight face that heritage and experience can have no bearing on a judge's work, as he posited in his opening remarks yesterday, apparently believing that the white male justices he has voted to confirm were somehow devoid of heritage and bereft of experience.

The whole point of Sotomayor's much-maligned "wise Latina" speech was that everyone has a unique personal history -- and that this history has to be acknowledged before it can be overcome. Denying the fact of identity makes us vulnerable to its most pernicious effects. This seems self-evident. I don't see how a political party that refuses to accept this basic principle of diversity can hope to prosper, given that soon there will be no racial or ethnic majority in this country.

Rebuilding Something Better

President Obama had a column in yesterday's Washington Post. Here's an excerpt:

I am confident that the United States of America will weather this economic storm. But once we clear away the wreckage, the real question is what we will build in its place. Even as we rescue this economy from a full-blown crisis, I have insisted that we must rebuild it better than before. For if we do not seize this moment to confront the weaknesses that have plagued our economy for decades, we will consign ourselves and our children to future crises, sluggish growth, or both.

There are some who say we must wait to meet our greatest challenges. They favor an incremental approach or believe that doing nothing is somehow an answer. But that is exactly the thinking that led us to this predicament. Ignoring big challenges and deferring tough decisions is what Washington has done for decades, and it's exactly what I sought to change by running for president.

Now is the time to build a firmer, stronger foundation for growth that not only will withstand future economic storms but that helps us thrive and compete in a global economy. To build that foundation, we must lower the health-care costs that are driving us into debt, create the jobs of the future within our borders, give our workers the skills and training they need to compete for those jobs, and make the tough choices necessary to bring down our deficit in the long run.

Cheney told CIA to withhold information

From the New York Times:

The Central Intelligence Agency withheld information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years on direct orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, the agency’s director, Leon E. Panetta, has told the Senate and House intelligence committees, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said Saturday.

The report that Mr. Cheney was behind the decision to conceal the still-unidentified program from Congress deepened the mystery surrounding it, suggesting that the Bush administration had put a high priority on the program and its secrecy.

Mr. Panetta, who ended the program when he first learned of its existence from subordinates on June 23, briefed the two intelligence committees about it in separate closed sessions the next day.

President Obama's weekly address

The President explains how the Recovery Act helped end our economic free fall, and how his agenda is helping to set a new foundation for our economy. From health reform, to energy, to creating the jobs of the future, the President's proposals will make our economy stronger for both the current generations and our children, all in a way that will get our deficits under control.

Stand with Sotomayor

Organizing for America received thousands of photo submissions through their Court Action Center to rally support behind Judge Sotomayor. To go to the Court Action Center and support Judge Sotomayor, please click here: http://my.barackobama.com/sotomayor

Palin on the comics page

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Biden Highlights Recovery Act Progress Locally

Vice President Joe Biden issued this press release today:

Cincinnati, OH — In a visit to the American Can Building in the Northside neighborhood of Cincinnati, Vice President Biden this morning highlighted the many ways in which the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is supporting Southwest Ohio. The American Can Building, a formerly abandoned factory that is being converted to a multi-use economic development project, is just one of thousands of Ohio projects and facilities to benefit from the act. Vice President Biden was joined at the site by Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory.

"Roads plus teachers plus cops plus jobs equals a community — and that equals paychecks and prosperity," said Vice President Biden. "In other words, it equals a better future right here in Southwest Ohio."

So far, $4.4 billion in Recovery Act funds have been obligated to Ohio, including $2 billion for education, $1 billion for health care and $445 million for transportation. These investments are already lifting up Cincinnati by funding health-care research, strengthening police officers and our armed forces, cleaning area parks and contributing to many other local goals.

Today, to add to that list, the Vice President announced the approval of the City of Cincinnati’s plan to use a $3.5 million federal grant to help stabilize and revive local neighborhoods, rehabilitate affordable housing and improve key public facilities. Funded through the Recovery Act and run through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program will support state and local community development while stimulating employment at sites like the American Can Building, which is receiving $1.6 million of those funds.

"The President’s Recovery Act allows us to invest in local solutions to the many challenges our cities and counties are confronting," said Secretary Donovan. "I’m pleased to stand with the people of Cincinnati as they work to build a real and lasting recovery for themselves and their children."

Overall, the Recovery Act is touching upon all aspects of Ohioans’ lives, from affordable housing and transportation to education and job creation. Taken together, these improvements mean a more competitive Cincinnati that will attract businesses, families and jobs.

Across the country, $174 billion of the Recovery Act have been committed in its first 130 days, including $43 billion in tax cuts. One third of the act’s total funding is devoted to tax cuts for 95% of Americans. The act is also on pace to save or create 750,000 jobs in its first 200 days, or more than 3,000 jobs per day.

For additional information on the Recovery Act, including breakdowns by category, state and agency, please visit http://www.recovery.gov.

Governor Beshear visits Kenton County

WCPO has the story:

Biden to visit Cincinnati Thursday

According to the Enquirer:

Vice President Joe Biden will come to Cincinnati on Thursday to see how $1.6 million in federal stimulus money will be put to work at a Northside development project.

Biden will arrive at Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport Thursday morning and travel by motorcade to Northside, where he will see the Factory Square development at the former American Can Co. factory in the 4100 block of Spring Grove Avenue.

...Biden, appointed by President Obama to oversee the spending of federal stimulus dollars, has been traveling the country in recent weeks for first-hand looks at federal stimulus projects.

HELP Is on the Way

Today's column by Paul Krugman is a must-read:

The Congressional Budget Office has looked at the future of American health insurance, and it works.

A few weeks ago there was a furor when the budget office "scored" two incomplete Senate health reform proposals - that is, estimated their costs and likely impacts over the next 10 years. One proposal came in more expensive than expected; the other didn’t cover enough people. Health reform, it seemed, was in trouble.

But last week the budget office scored the full proposed legislation from the Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). And the news - which got far less play in the media than the downbeat earlier analysis - was very, very good. Yes, we can reform health care.

Palin Resignation Leaves Republican Party 'Weaker'

Bloomberg has a good article about the sorry state of the Republican Party:

July 5 (Bloomberg) -- Sarah Palin's decision to quit as Alaska governor makes her the third Republican in less than three weeks who may have derailed a promising political career, adding to the woes of a party struggling to redeem itself with voters.

...Regarding the Republican Party's future, former McCain adviser John Weaver said the party has failed to adapt to changing demographics and hasn't come up "with a message that resonates with people beyond our core base."

"We've entered into a rudderless period" with no clear leader, Weaver said.

President Obama's weekly address

The President recounts America's great history of overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges, and pledges to lead America in continuing that tradition. Focusing on creating a clean energy economy, comprehensive health reform, and revitalizing an education system in need of change, the President pledges not to leave these decades-old problems to yet another generation to solve.

Biden to appear on 'This Week' on Sunday

Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to appear on ABC's This Week this Sunday, July 5. Locally, the show can be seen on Channel 9 at 9:00 am. Please tune in!

It's time for Mitch to be part of the solution

Here's a great new ad from the DNC:

"It's Time"

Health Care Reform. Now.

A great new ad from Families USA and the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America:

Most Americans Support Public Health Care Option

Bloomberg has the story:

July 1 (Bloomberg) -- Sixty-nine percent of Americans support creation of a government-run health plan to compete with private insurance companies, a new poll found.

In addition, 52 percent of those surveyed by Hamden, Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University said such a plan would keep the private insurance companies honest. Thirty-two percent disagreed. Twenty-six percent said they opposed a government-run insurance program. Some health-care overhaul plans proposed by Democrats in Congress would include a government-run plan, while Republicans are leading the fight against such a program.

...By a margin of 53 percent to 33 percent, respondents said they trusted Obama over congressional Republicans to handle health care.