Do you believe that Health Care Reform legislation should extend
full coverage to illegal immigrants* just the same as for U.S. Citizens?
All to be treated equally, subject to exact same criteria, benefits and options.
And lest we forget, illegal immigrants can be from any country. (*Any
who are here who are considered to be in violation of current
immigration laws.)
 
   (Never mind the present legislation that mandates no person, regardless
 of citizenship or legal status, can be denied access to emergency medical
 care.  This is a stand alone, separate issue.)
 
  If you believe yes, HCR should cover all equally or no, should not - please
 also note the rationale for your decision.

   This is intended as an interesting and provocative query that hopefully
 will provide the premise for a positive, productive and civil discussion.

   And now it begins anew....

   It is apparent that once again, the TPM site is being hijacked. 

   Numerous recommends from unknown (?) or nefarious sources are
 skewing the site's blog listings.  This interferes and disrespects
 the efforts of valued bloggers and participants here.

   With the weekend upon us, as it was one before last, we will likely
be subject to the ongoing systemic efforts to denigrate and negatively
impact the TPM Cafe.

   Many have sent e-mails to TPM requested some input and hopefully
resolution to these assaults.  I never received a reply, have any of
you?  If so, please post the information.

   Please contribute any solutions/resolutions.

   Thank you.

 
 A message for those who:

 Deny medical resources to the millions of us who suffer and die
 needlessly.

 Send our men and women to be killed and maimed but will not
 respect the truth and value of their lives.

 Validate the acts of torture by negating our laws and the victims while protecting those  who criminally sanctioned and executed the orders.

*****************

I cannot compose a different message
With words not already written

I cannot embark upon the same, old rutted road
Shod in the same shoes, but now with holes in my soul

I cannot share with you the path
Of a journey you've never traveled

I cannot reach out and draw you closer
Because you only cower and scurry into the darkness

I cannot hear any words of compassion and understanding
Amidst the lies of your deafening rhetoric

But, IF I were to beseech you one more time, I would ask....

When you say your prayers .....

Do you acknowledge that in this moment it is you who has the power
to heal the sick, stop the pain and right the wrongs?

When you turn away, is it because.....

You and yours do not suffer from untended wounds, needs unfulfilled
and rights denied?

 
Yet, I really have no need to ask,as I already know....
Because of you and yours
Too many more lives will be, as too many have already been
Shattered into jagged fragments, never again able to form a whole

Not only our bodies....
But also our nation will continue to suffer
As you deny the balm of healing
To sustain your own being

But if you were to ask me
I cannot lie......

So with voice sure and strong
Without hesitation or equivocation

I would tell you that my greatest fear
Is not terrorists from afar

It is the chaos and destruction
Wrought by You and Yours

********************

We cannot succumb to their hate, but instead must continue our surrender to the love for our country as we continue the ongoing battle to secure equality and fairness for all who share our homeland and beyond.

 Pass a Positive Healthcare Public Option

 Stop Don't Ask Don't Tell

 Demand Truth and Consequences for those who enacted Torture!

Together we can and we will!

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY....

  Make this not about the romance of a lifetime nor the one who, sadly, you were never able to well, you know.......

   I'm talkin' politics. (We'll clean up the waxy buildup from candles and old flames long since extinquished along with the crushed roses and residual romantic regrets later.)

   With all our angst over and under the happenings of the big election this past year, the fearful demise of the economy and now the perilous plight of our long awaited and sorely needed healthcare reform...

   Well, it got me wonderin' about the rocky path too oft traveled by so many.  Come to think of it, there are similarities much like grieving a lover lost and passions unfulfilled. 

   Consider the...

   Unanswered communiques, anxious moments waiting for the phone to ring that never does and the quickening of your pulse as you gaze upon the objective of your attention.  Of course, instead of unrequited love/lust for a comely lady or gent, these are the calls and messages sent to politicos and others about the legislation and candidates you supported emotionally and tirelessly.

   Our tears and wails for the candidates who were runner-ups instead of victors and for the laws/bills never enacted are also of unrequited fervor and the perceived loss of what might have been.
 
   Anyway, to the point of this post...

   Have you worked vigorously for legislation not realized? Or a candidate who lost the election?  (Local, state or national.)

   If so, what do you believe would be different today if the legislation was enacted?  Or if your candidate had won?

   And how did this endeavor impact your life?  lessons learned? Discouraging or encouraging?  In retrospect, was it a positive or negative experience?

   I believe in the value of experience. I hope you will share yours and maybe, just maybe, it will help all here who care so passionately about our homeland and constitution to achieve a better future for us and ours.

   C'mon, I've got a boxful of tissues, sublime chocolates and a bit of the grape to get us thru the saga.  We're listening, so please tell us your story - 'Cuz we haven't lost that lovin' feelin' for our sense of each other or our country's field of dreams rife with red, white and blue blooms.
 

   (Whenever or Wherever I hear our National Anthem - it still makes me tingle. Sigh.)
  

Make the following changes in our government processes.

  Immediately, if not sooner!

(No particular order, just some of today's base abbreviated list.)

1.)    Stop all healthcare insurance benefits for House and Senate until they
        pass positive public healthcare reform legislation.

2.)    Mandate term limits of 16 years for Supreme Court (every two years - one
        leaves  and new one is seated) and 12 years for every member of Congress.

3.)    Cease 'Don't ask Don't Tell' policy in Military.

4.)    Issue federal law affirming the rights of ALL couples (without regard
       of gender) to obtain a marriage license.

5.)    Amend the IRS code to be more equitable and 'user friendly'.

6.)    Improve regulatory mandates of audit requirements (only general
        review of  financial records now required) for government entities
        (municipalities,  counties, cities, etc.).  Mandate full audits to
        ensure auditing for fraud and other malfeasance of public funds.

7.)    Enact legislation for annual reviews on quality of military medical
        facilities and assistance programs for military families.
        Include Military family members on board of oversight to ensure better
        resources for support of military personnel returning from combat zones.

8.)    Establish (greatly) reduced postal rates for packages sent to our
        military personnel overseas.

9.)    Create Truth Commission on Torture with power to subpoena and depose
        under oath, with first report due in six months and all findings
        in 12 months. (Adequate budget with, of course, oversight of same.
        Members should be non-political such as academia, law enforcement,
        retired military/medicalpersonnel, etc.  All findings made public
        within sixty days of issue of all submmitted reports.)

10.)   Deliver tax credit to those who donate (no compensation) 40 hours
        annually to authorized public service entities (i.e. Shelters,
        Food Banks, Habitat for Humanity - too many to list.  This would
        serve as incentive for new public service program.)

       This is a start (have many more).  But, go ahead - add on and/or pile on. 
       

It's so interesting to me how so many are so quick to make non-fact based
declarations based only on assumptions on the Gates issue.

None of us were there. None of us KNOW the words, nuances and/or actions of
any of the principals. All we can do is assume and choose to use our
assumptions as a springboard to blame and/or support one over the other.

When choosing to do this - we are making unfounded preconceived judgments
based not on this specific issue but on our own perceptions and
opinions, not on reality founded in factual knowledge.  Thus are the seeds of
irrational prejudices sown!

Dare I ask, no matter which assumption we make in this case, isn't it just
another form of airing our own biases?   Giving credence to media hype?

What if the policeman had been black and Gates white? Would that change
your perception/assumption? What if.........ah, too many to list.

Is it possible Gates, due to his past experiences, projected malice where
in this instance there was none?  Is it possible that both were right? And
wrong? 

We'll never really know - we can only assume! Make irrational rationales!

In my opinion, none of us have any valid right to make any judgments in
this matter, because we do not have factual knowledge of all that transpired.
We do not know the individuals nor their motivations.  

And perhaps most important, it only serves to support the negative
agendas of those who strive to destruct, not construct!

Now, that said, can we please use our time and energy in working towards healthcare reform and other positive issues that we can   utilize facts to promote and make informed decisions about? 

(Partially posted in comment form on other posts.)

Charles Gibson of ABC, in televised appearances this week, acknowledged that
media (no, I will not use the term News) coverage is oft decided by what the
public wants to review.  To ascertain this 'fact', he states the media references
the Google search engine.  Thus, the topics with the top google searches are
addressed by the media programs who dare to have the term 'News' in their titles. 

He advises it's a combo dish offering of what the public wants and what the
public needs (as decided by the media demagogues).  But hey, they have twice
yearly specials on current topics such as Iraq and other timely issues!

There is so much wrong with this approach that it would take me hours of rants
and a fistful of a combo of drugs, chased by multiple slugs of booze, to
enable me to address all that's sick and wrong with the majority of our
media 'News' and their coverage of healthcare reform mandates.

And then we have the 'set-up' (gotcha factor) of the media.  Much like the,
'when did you quit beating your spouse' bit.  Everything from, 'How
irresponsible do you think the President was in the manner he addressed
the Gates issue?' to the inane 'What kind of message do you think it
delivers to African American women when the recently appointed
Surgeon General is overweight?'. These were actual headers from national
media programs.

Ah, but I digress......so,

I'll tell you what I'm gonna start googling and researching (Please, join me!)...

How much ad revenue is acquired annually by the media outlets from
drug companies,  healthcare insurance entities and others who rely
on their ill-gotten (pun intended) profits to prosper?  (Interesting
that PBS has published this info repeatedly!)

And is this revenue the basis for how each and every 'News' outlet
'covers' our current healthcare reform processes? Why aren't the applicable
contributions for all the public office holders who are rallying against
a vitally needed public healthcare (reform) program reported loudly and often?

 
Why aren't they being confronted by the ol' microphone in the face with these facts?

Lest we forget, 99% of those who 'decide' what is and isn't to be published
via both print and televised media have above average incomes with health
insurance benefits most of us cannot obtain. Of course, they share this
common self interests with these politicians and are aware they all sup
from the same trough. 

Please, let's join together and start researching factual data on the financial
rewards being delivered to both public office holders and the media outlets by
those who have the most to gain by ensuring healthcare reform is minimal and
without a much needed viable public option.

We can rant and rave - but I believe it would serve all better if we utilized
our time time and energy to 'Follow the Money'and who is deriving the
benefits from opposing and/or negating  public option healthcare .

Exposing all who benefit from these ill gotten gains may help cure what ails us.

And please, publish your findings here and wherever you can.

Is it true the FBI has taken on the monitoring of TPM Cafe spammer attack!?!

Several federal laws have been violated according to sources. 

Anyone have current update on this?

Our Supreme Court ruled today that convicts have no constitutional right to test DNA evidence in hopes of proving their innocence long after found guilty of a crime. (The high court ruled 5-4 against an Anchorage man convicted 16 years ago of vicious attack on woman.)

I subscribe to FindLaw e-mail notifications for Supreme Court Cases and this is link for this case: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=08-6.

I am hoping that someone out there (attorney perhaps) has some pertinent facts to post as to this ruling.   Right now I am so busy, I am meeting myself coming and going - so don't have time to do research. I did skim the findings and found much of the legal rationale to be, at the very least, the polar opposite of the foundation of the (as I understand it) intent of our public justice system. 

However, I hope that all are as appalled and disgusted with this ruling, as well as 'frightened' by the precedent.  This is about much more than this individual case and/or person.

Appreciate any insight and/or thoughts on this issue.

     When dd (yes, that guy over there in the plaid pajamas) asked me to do a post on pie and/or recipes for pies, my initial response was to 'fess up that while I love to cook and bake, I have never succeeded in the quest to make a decent pie crust (no, please, don't send me any hints, advice or products as I no longer seek to discover this particular treasure). 
    
      But then I recalled that long heralded adage - As American As Apple Pie!....

     And now here we are together, twixt Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, seemingly there is no more appropriate time to celebrate our celebrated rights and rites of Freedom of Speech (of which we are renowned).  Let's enjoy our own personal slices of Americana and converse about topics oft as forbidden as some believe the apple was - Politics, Religion and Personal Finances!  The recipes I guarantee to be tasty, but the flavor of the discourse is up those who choose to contribute. 

Read more »

   The advent of Mother's Day always evokes memories of my own childhood and evolves into the awareness of my own experiences as a mother.  Ironically, these recollections have delivered me to now declare my own views on the torture issues. (Not just about President Obama's hesitation to prosecute the architects, but the use of torture itself.)

   Before entering into the foray to defend or condemn any of the principals, I've attempted to research (including reading many posts here) and review sources relative to the many facets of this issue.

    As I toiled, touchstones my Mother espoused came to mind....

    'Let your conscience be your guide.'

    'Two wrongs don't make a right.'

    'There's always someone worse off than you.  Remember the man who wept because he had no shoes until he saw the man with no feet.'

    'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'

    'Be mindful, the Truth of your actions leads to the Consequences of your actions.'

Read more »

   (Posted with apologies to those who create and post their wonderful, true poetry.)

               JUST FOR A DAY

Seeking the sun behind the clouds is a worthy endeavor

to achieve, just for the day, a shimmer of light - a sense of warmth

Is this not the best adventure?

If we discard the worst and strive for the best

not just for us, but others too

For just a day, is this not the most glorious quest?

If we strive only to reject

those and that which are not of our choice or ideal

How, just for a day, will our goals ever be met?

To, just for the day, not to scorn or malign

or ignore, discard or condemn

But instead bestow regard for both yours and mine

This is not a hopeless wish or silly aim

but one that we can both enjoy

If only, just for a day, our wish is the same

And when the day passes

the choice will be ours to continue this quest,

Or opt to be asses!

     I know that hanging in the back of his closet, in a plastic bag, is a robe of white, complete with hood and various accessories. He hasn't worn it for several decades, but is loathe to discard it.

     When I asked why he still keeps it, he replied curtly, "A reminder."

Read more »

I think we all could use a little laughter and respite from all the stress and tension of worrying, ranting and pontificating over our current concerns - political, personal or professional.  We all care about the economy, healthcare, taxes, people losing their jobs; but whether Repub or Dem or whatever political party affiliation you do or do not enjoy, we can (hopefully) come together and share some humor. 

So, anyone that has a good joke (not mean spirited) that made them chuckle, please post here.  Consider it doing your part for universal healthcare, as laughter is the best medicine.

I'll start with:

A woman calls her boss one morning and tells him that she is staying home because she is not feeling well.

"So, what's the matter?" he asks.

"I have a case of anal glaucoma," she says in a weak voice.

"And what the hell is anal glaucoma?"

"I just can't see my ass coming into work today."