October 6, 2013

Government Shutdown: Republicans Make For A Disingenuous Negotiating ‘Partner’

The Senate passed a comprehensive budget plan back in the spring that would have ended the sequester cuts. It’s no surprise the Senate budget was dead on arrival in the House. Republicans refused to negotiate until a last minute offer by Speaker John Boehner to appoint a conference committee the night before the government would shut down. It was literally minutes before midnight. This was something they could have done for the past six months, but instead Republicans now blame Democrats and President Obama for failing to negotiate over the budget.

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September 30, 2013

Republicans Need A 12-Step Program To Kick Their Anti-Obamacare Addiction

On the eve of a Republican-precipitated government shutdown, I think we need an intervention. Republicans need to check themselves into a 12-step program to kick their anti-Obamacare addiction. And it’s quite likely some Republicans may require simultaneous treatment for the very dangerous Obama Derangement Syndrome (ODS). Let me kick off the process by offering these essential steps.

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September 25, 2013

Canadians Baffled By U.S. Health Care System, And By Extension, ‘Breaking Bad’

The show Breaking Bad is about Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who is diagnosed with lung cancer in the first episode of the series. Because he does not want to be a financial burden to his family, he uses his chemistry skills to produce and sell a super pure methamphetamine, and in the process become “Heisenberg,” his menacing alter ego. During the course of the series, we watch the Walter White character transform from seemingly meek and innocent to astonishingly scheming and rancorous. But it didn’t have to be that way. Had Breaking Bad taken place in say, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada), it would have looked more like this:

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September 24, 2013

The Fake-Filibuster: Because Senator Ted Cruz Loves The Sound Of His Own Voice

When this article was published, Senator Ted Cruz was still fake-filibustering on the Senate floor. His reason for fake-filibustering is to denounce Obamacare and call for it’s defunding. This will never happen of course, but a little thing like reality won’t stand in the way of delusion for Republicans like Cruz. And I say this is a fake filibuster because Cruz has no power in this situation to hold the Senate hostage.

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September 23, 2013

Obamacare Derangement: Republicans Look To Fulfill Their Own Prophecy

It seems many Republican policy positions are based on a short-term outlook. They appear unable to see past tomorrow in their decision-making. Cut food stamps now, deal with higher fiscal costs later. Sequestration now, reduced economic growth later. And so on. But their forward-looking blind-spot has not hindered their willingness to dabble in Obamacare prophecies.

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September 23, 2013

Contrary To Republican Hot Air, Most Americans Against Defunding Obamacare

Beware the person who one hundred percent of the time speaks with authority and great confidence. Such is the case with Republicans. While the rest of us try to do what’s right, but know we will sometimes get things wrong, Republican self-deception leads to confident proclamations to the rest of us about how something should be done, and authoritative “lessons” for all of the country to learn. And this is what you are seeing with Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Republicans “know” it’s bad for the country (even though it won’t fully kick in until January), and they “know” most of the country is with them. But the reality is, while Americans are quite cynical about government in general, and that includes Obamacare, they are not nearly as brazen as Republican lawmakers.

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