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Memo to Paul: Because he is a Freepucking Uckpublican
The Agonist - thoughtful, global, timely —
Dear Doctor Krugman
Krugman asks why nothing on health care from Obama. Do we really need to answer this question? Obama's priorities are:
1. Middle class tax cut (check)
2. War in Afghanistan (escalating!)
3. Slash Social Security and Medicare (summit on "entitlement reform" coming soon!)
Obama is what the Village wanted Bush to be, a "compassionate conservative." He's a Republican who doesn't hate gay people any more than is absolutely necessary for political purposes. Thus he can give on things like torture, Gitmo, the global gag rule, that is: ...
the next catastrophe looming...healthcare
skippy the bush kangaroo —
or rather lack there of. lose job...lose healthcare. no money...no doctor access. the whole world is in recession. but the united states is the only wealthy country in which the economic catastrophe will also be a health care catastrophe — in which millions of people will lose their health insurance along with their jobs, and therefore lose access to essential care. - paul krugman at nytimesthose bankers who gave themselves billions of dollars in bonuses can afford healthcare, but the rest of us can't.
Top Thinkers on the Global Economy: Your Daily Briefing
The Washington Note —
... enemy
Samuel Brittan, Financial Times, 29 January 2009
A sustained period of falling prices has sometimes been associated with falling output, but not always, writes Samuel Brittan.
Why this hysteria about sterling is misplaced
George Magnus, Financial Times, 29 January 2009
Sterling may decline further, mercifully. But it is hysterical to imagine that a debt default and currency crisis are likely, writes George Magnus.
Health Care Now
Paul Krugman, New York Times, 30 January 2009
Why has the Obama ...
Yoo Hoo, Mr. President!
Suburban Guerrilla —
... Krugman’s right - the time is right to push for universal health care. I mean, I’ve been unemployed since July, have several pressing medical problems, and have been paying through the nose for COBRA. (The money’s about to run out.) There’s a new COBRA subsidy - but I got laid off one month too early to be eligible. Oh well! ...
So what about health care reform?
The Reaction —
By Michael J.W. Stickings As is so often the case, Paul Krugman makes a compelling point today: The whole world is in recession. But the United States is the only wealthy country in which the economic catastrophe will also be a health care catastrophe — in which millions of people will lose their health insurance along with their jobs, and therefore lose access to essential care. Which raises a question: Why has the Obama administration been silent, at least so far, about one of President Obama's key promises during last year's campaign ...
ARGH
Shakesville —
... I also like this: "Chieftains are offered health checks before being offered Viagra to ensure the excitement is not too much for them." Meanwhile, Krugman writes today that "the United States is the only wealthy country in which the economic catastrophe will also be a health care catastrophe—in which millions of people will lose their health insurance along with their jobs, and therefore lose access to essential care." ...
Krugman: Obama Should Push for Health Care Now
Crooks and Liars —
... Krugman's right - the time is right to push for universal health care. I mean, I've been unemployed since July, have several pressing medical problems, and have been paying through the nose for COBRA. (The money's about to run out.) There's a new COBRA subsidy - but I got laid off one month too early to be eligible. Oh well! ...
I Don’t Understand People
Comments from Left Field —
People like Kimberley A. Strassel, anyway:
It began one week after the swearing-in, when Nancy Pelosi whipped through a big expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. The Schip bill was Democrats’ first stab at stealth expansion, unveiled in 2007, though vetoed by George W. Bush.
Initially designed for children of working-poor families, this new Super-Schip will be double in size, and even kids whose parents make $65,000 a year will be eligible. The program will also now cover pregnant women and automatically enroll their new arrivals. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 2.4 million individuals ...
Bipartisan stupid
The Sideshow —
Greg Palast may like Obama this week, but Stirling Newberry doesn't: Obama isn't a Democrat giving things up to get Republican votes, he's a conservative mugging liberals for a conservative agenda that includes: 1. War in Afghanistan 2. Paulson's version of TARP where taxpayers buy all bad assets. 3. Slash social security and Medicare 4. Tax Cuts 5. No Comprehensive Health Care, but huge subsidies for Health Insurance companies instead. Taken as a whole, Obama is offering small concessions to the left, in return for trillions of dollars that are ...
And the unity pony drops another steaming load
Corrente —
Go read Stirling immediately. Read more…
Don't Make Healthcare Sicker
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan —
Atul Gawande is wary of healthcare utopianism: American health care is an appallingly patched-together ship, with rotting timbers, water leaking in, mercenaries on board, and fifteen per cent of the passengers thrown over the rails just to keep it afloat. But hundreds of millions of people depend on it. The system provides more than thirty-five million hospital stays a year, sixty-four million surgical procedures, nine hundred million office visits, three and a half billion prescriptions. It represents ...
Pia Sawhney: Where the Devil is Dr. Dean?
Politics on HuffingtonPost.com —
... Even Paul Krugman agrees health is important to tackle at the earliest stages. In a recent OpEd, he ended his column demanding health care reform be delivered "now!" Guess a lot of us are getting pretty tired rehashing the same old arguments when lawmakers have a hard time listening to them. ...
