"All of our plans, like tort reform, just took off and flew away," said RNC Chairman Michael Steele. ...."

Once again it can be shown that Steele did not understand what he was talking about. [I know you made up the quote, at least I think you did, but bare with me] The ability of helium balloons to rise in the atmosphere is based on laws of physics. The size of a balloon capable of lifting the weight of the boy thought to have been in this balloon can be calculated. A balloon that could lift the boy would be capable of reaching some maximum altitude and increasing the size of the balloon would increase that altitude. Now, because I don't know the dimensions of the balloon in question, I will speculate, but keep in mind that the dimensions were available since the father built the thing.

I did see pictures of the balloon with a person in the picture to give an idea of its size. Based on playing with helium balloons many times and on seeing many pictures of balloons that did carry a payload, I don't think this one was nearly big enough to carry the boy away. I believe that relatively simple arithmetic could have told the would-be rescuers that the boy could not be in the balloon because he would have been too heavy for it to rise from the ground. The fact that after losing just a couple of compartments of helium the balloon could not keep its own empty weight aloft pretty well confirms my speculation. The same use of math could have shown within a fairly small range how high the balloon could rise from the ground if it could rise at all. One report said it reached fifteen thousand feet. The air is mighty thin at that altitude. The rescuers should have known they were chasing a wild goose, so to speak. It kept the bobble heads of the news busy for a day, though.
Is any of his pertinent to your blog? I think so. Simple math shows that the Republican non-plans do not add up but the weight of the BS their arguments are made of should, SHOULD, keep them from ever getting off the ground. Republican scare mongers just want us to believe they have a plan floating but people who understand simple laws dealing with cause and affect should see this and disregard the Republican's scary stories out of hand. We shouldn't have to chase down and expose how empty are their trial balloons which are meant only to panic people.

So that old airdale Johnny 'Mac' McCain was right 'bout that, they are juss goin to have to start all over! And after so many years, all the GOP plans gone to waste!

If you've never seen the movie "Danny Deck Chair," rent it! It's Australian, and it is really great -- about a guy who flies away in a deck chair hoisted by helium balloons. You'll be surprised - you'll be thinking about it for days after seeing it!

Homemade helium balloon?

Um... actually that was just Rush Limbaugh a little fuller of hot air than usual.

Maybe he is their health care plan. Certainly a poster child for how 'not' to be healthy.

Given that the Democrats are running this circus, it really doesn't matter what the Republicans have to say on the matter. Nevermind people like Paul Ryan and his attempt to provide alternatives through things like the Patients Choice Act.

The legislature ultimately passed by Congress will fail on three key objectives people have laid out:

1) Keeping your current insurance if you want to
2) Making sure all Americans have insurance
3) Lowering the cost of insurance

The answer is to take the money that we're already spending, and spend it more efficiently. The answer isn't to just lop on more spending to a system that's already spending too much.