Tag Archives: Health care

It’s Painful, But Rush Is Right


Posted by Omnipotent Poobah
He Told You So

WHEN HE'S RIGHT, HE'S RIGHT - Most things Limbaugh says are indefensible, but sometimes even serial liars are right. It's a pain to admit it, but this time he was.

There are fewer or bigger pompous gas bags than Rush Limbaugh. He’s top dog in the pantheon of charlatan hucksters. It’s sometimes difficult to believe he’s telling the truth even when he signs on and identifies himself as, well, Rush Limbaugh.

But, every nimrod has his day. And on this day, Rush was quoted out of context.

Responding to a specific question about where he would go for treatment if health care reform passed, he said, “I’ll just tell you this, if this passes and it’s five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented — I am leaving the country (for treatment). I’ll go to Costa Rica.”

To hear many news and commentary outlets tell it, his original quote only said, “I am leaving the country. I’ll go to Costa Rica.” Rush is pissed, as well he should be…in this specific instance.

I have no doubt that much of what he says is patently untrue or grossly exaggerated. I have no doubt he’s more incendiary than almost anyone else on the air. In fact, he frequently quotes out of context himself, leaving him looking disingenuous at best and a serial quote maker-upper at worst. But when the guy is right, he’s right . When news and commentary sink to Rush’s sub-basement level of truthiness they damage their credibility, and by extension, the credibility of anyone who has ever sighted those outlets as sources or argued for fairness on this behalf.

However, the many outrageous in-context lies he spews are no excuse for the left to pummel him when he’s caught being right.

Based on Limbaugh’s disputed quote, one enterprising group started a collection to Flush Rush down to his Costa Rican capitalist paradise – which, BTW, has honest-to-goodness government health care that is far more “socialist” than Obamacare.

In fairness, he said he would see a private doctor down south of the border too. However, he didn’t explain why he’d need to do that when Obamacare doesn’t outlaw private doctors here. He also forgoes an explanation about his ability to jet down to the Rich Coast when nearly all the people directly affected by Obamacare aren’t members of the Cuban stogie, cheese and wine crowd.

I’m all for attacking the crapulent bastard when he deserves it. I’m even in favor of the good folks over at A Ticket for Rush, if for no other reason than he’s more menace than good-faith dispenser of truth. Besides, the money goes to Planned Parenthood if Rush – not unexpectedly – decides the comforts of home outweigh the pleasures of a trip to the Land of Ecotourism.

So mea culpa Rush. Everyone can go back to ridicule now – provided you have a good, honestly-quoted reason.

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Waaah! We Are Not Going to Cooperate!


Posted by Omnipotent Poobah
The Repliphants Always Forget

GIVE UP! NO, YOU GIVE UP! - The Republican ideal of cooperation is to do exactly what they say, whether they win elections or not. Otherwise, don't expect help from them. It hurts their feelings when you don't genuflect.

“Waaaaah! You’re a pootiehead and I’m taking my ball and going home!”

Clearly, Republicans are in an uber-snit over health care reform and they’re spoiling for a fight through infinity and beyond (or when the Democrats leave power, whichever comes first).

As Lindsey Graham says, “The first casualty of the Democratic health care bill will be immigration reform […] that will, in my view, pretty much kill any chance of immigration reform passing the Senate this year.” In other words, he’s willing to block an issue that’s probably of more interest to Republicans than Dems – Lou Dobbs be damned.

Lindsey, if you’re looking for your nose it’s there in the gutter where it fell after cutting it off your own face.

What is This ‘Cooperation’ of Which McCain Speaks?
Famously prickly John McCain goes Lindsey one better. “There will be no cooperation [on anything] for the rest of this year. They have poisoned the well in what they’ve done and how they’ve done it.”

What’s this “cooperation” of which you speak? I must have missed it in the middle of the biggest pie fight since the Three Stooges held a bachelor party for Moe.

The Democrats, especially Obama, nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with almost Bushian elan. Still, their incompetence and malfeasance is piddly in comparison to the Republiphants that always seem to forget they lost the election.

Republicans were saying no before there were even proposals on the table. Obama came into negotiations making concessions even before Congress began talking about the issue. Congress followed that up by trying to placate every crybaby who bellowed socialist without even knowing what the hell one is.

Poor Little John

WAAAAAAH! - There's nothing sader than the sight of a Republican crying because he didn't get his way.

The Party of NO and their spelling-challenged, protest sign swinging, tea-tossing kin held town halls where non-existent death panels and a host of other half-and zero-truth charges were bandied about as Limbaugh, Beck, and Hannity spewed fuel on the fire (Palin did a beauty pageant stroll in support). They refused to offer proposals of their own, claiming it wasn’t their job.

Eleventy-Billion Chances to Cooperate
Every procedural move met resistance not seen since the Tet offensive. They complained about closed-door meetings as their allegedly moderate colleagues sat in several and chewed more concessions out of Dems afraid of their own shadows. They held up debate for over a year and then complained when Dems used procedures they’ve found perfectly acceptable in the past to get the show on the road. Now, after finally losing, they vow to repeal the law and fight a guerrilla war to get it repealed.

Democrats aren’t without their blame, they stretched truths and at times needlessly angered Republicans. Moreover, you can’t say much good about Obama’s deals with Big Pharma, Big Insurance, and Big Everything. Too many Democrats demanded side deals having nothing to do with health care. And, Dems showed their jellyfish DNA long after they should have called a stop to things. The result is a flawed bill that only time will tell just how seriously.

To suggest with a straight face that Republicans cooperated when they clearly turned down eleventy-billion chances to do so is disingenuous at best and craven snotitude at worst. Saying they’re planning even more intransigence over important issues having absolutely nothing to do with health care is just smearing feces on a festering, sucking wound.

That polls show Americans don’t want health care reform at the same time the same polls say they do want each of the constituent parts is a reflection of how monumentally both sides have failed.

Everyone in this sad episode should be canned now, but that’s not an option. If both sides don’t stop this incessant whining and get on with the business of the people, there will be hell to pay. If you think the angry tea baggers are pitchfork-wielding crazies, remember you’re pushing the rest of the country to the same position.

Now STFU and get back to work before I have to stop the car and thump your dumb asses to within an inch of your lives.

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