The Republican Thread

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Conn. Dem misstated military record

 

WASHINGTON - Richard Blumenthal, the early favorite to win retiring fellow Democrat Christopher Dodd's Senate seat from Connecticut, never served in the military in Vietnam despite his public comments indicating he had done so, the New York Times reported on Monday.

 

If these revelations harm Blumenthal's campaign, they could help Republicans pick up a Senate seat now in Democratic hands as they try to gain control of Congress in November elections.

 

Blumenthal, Connecticut's state attorney general, received at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970, the newspaper said, citing his military records. It said in April 1970, Blumenthal landed a spot in the Marine Corps Reserve but never actually was sent to serve in Vietnam during the war.

 

Blumenthal, 64, often has used misleading language in public comments about his military record, the newspaper said.

 

His campaign attacked the report, and The Politico website reported Blumenthal planned to hold a rally Tuesday attended by veterans.

 

Blumenthal's campaign manager Mindy Myers described the report as "outrageous distortion" of the candidate's record.

 

"Unlike many of his peers, Dick Blumenthal voluntarily joined the Marine Corps Reserves in 1970 and served for six months in Parris Island, S.C., and six years in the reserves,” she said. “He received no special treatment from anyone.”

 

'The days that I served in Vietnam'

The newspaper cited a 2008 speech in Norwalk, Connecticut at a ceremony honoring veterans and others who sent gifts to U.S. troops overseas in which Blumenthal said, "We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam."

 

"And you exemplify it. Whatever we think about the war, whatever we call it -- Afghanistan or Iraq -- we owe our military men and women unconditional support," Blumenthal added, according to the Times.

 

The Times said the Marine Corps Reserve unit to which he was assigned was known for performing tasks like collecting and distributing toys as part of Toys for Tots holiday drives.

 

The Times said it obtained Blumenthal's Selective Service records through a Freedom of Information Act request.

 

The unpopular incumbent Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, announced in January he would not seek re-election this year, prompting Blumenthal to enter the race.

 

Public opinion polls have shown Blumenthal comfortably leading the front-runner for the Republican Senate nomination in the race, Linda McMahon, the former chief executive of professional wrestling company World Wrestling Entertainment Inc, in a hypothetical head-to-head contest.

 

McMahon leads former Republican U.S. congressman Rob Simmons in polls in the race for the Republican nomination.

 

And as a side note, the Republicans are seriously gonna put up Linda McMahon as their nominee? Ugh.

Edited May 18, 2010 by ChiSox_Sonix

[NorthSideSox72]

Conn. Dem misstated military record

 

 

 

And as a side note, the Republicans are seriously gonna put up Linda McMahon as their nominee? Ugh.

Tha's just incredibly stupid. I mean putting aside the moral issue of being such a fake, did he not think that in a Senate race, there was a decent chance this would come out?

 

[BigSqwert]

What a moron.

[Balta1701]

"I've been to war. I've raised twins. If I had a choice, I'd rather go to war."

George W. Bush

[mr_genius]

Conn. Dem misstated military record

 

 

 

And as a side note, the Republicans are seriously gonna put up Linda McMahon as their nominee? Ugh.

 

LOL

 

busted. he can still probably beat Linda McMahon though.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

George W. Bush

 

Whoops my bad.

 

Forgot you were of the "well they did it first so it doesnt matter this time" crowd.

[Balta1701]

Whoops my bad.

 

Forgot you were of the "well they did it first so it doesnt matter this time" crowd.

Please point out your extensive criticism of his exaggeration of his military service to me.

[StrangeSox]

Any amount of hypocrisy from Republicans doesn't make that any less stupid/ dishonest/ sleazy.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Please point out your extensive criticism of his exaggeration of his military service to me.

 

Please point out my extreme criticism in this situation.

 

Also, while at it, please point out my defense of the Bush situation. Please do.

 

And finally, i'd also like you to point out your extreme criticism of this Democrat for me as well.

 

Thank you.

 

 

[kapkomet]

Please point out my extreme criticism in this situation.

 

Also, while at it, please point out my defense of the Bush situation. Please do.

 

And finally, i'd also like you to point out your extreme criticism of this Democrat for me as well.

 

Thank you.

 

 

You won't, don't worry.

[mr_genius]

Rand Paul defeats Trey Grayson per AP

[Rex Kickass]

Rand Paul defeats Trey Grayson per AP

Rumor has it, Paul refused to take Grayson's concession call.

 

Stay classy Rand!

[Balta1701]

Rumor has it, Paul refused to take Grayson's concession call.

 

Stay classy Rand!

More than rumor.

[mr_genius]

More than rumor.

 

did you read the link you posted?

 

Paul's campaign manager, David Adams, tells 9 News, "Paul did not refuse Grayson's call. He was in transit and could not take the call."

 

Adams went on to say, "This sounds like a made up problem."

 

but anyways, it wouldn't surprise me if Rand Paul was still mad about some campaign ad and was being a baby and wouldn't take the call.

[southsider2k5]

Dear President Obama,

 

 

 

I'm planning to move to Mexico for my health, and I would like to ask you to assist me.

 

I'm planning to simply walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico , and I'll need your help to make a few arrangements.

 

I plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws. I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do here. So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Calderon, that I'm on my way down?

 

Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:

 

1. Free medical care .

 

2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.

 

3. Please print all Mexican government forms in English.

 

4. I want my grandkids to be taught Spanish by English-speaking (bi-lingual) teachers.

 

5. Tell their schools they need to include classes on American culture and history.

 

6. I want my grandkids to see the American flag on one of the flagpoles at their school.

 

7. Please plan to feed my grandkids at school for both breakfast and lunch.

 

8. I will need a local Mexican driver's license so I can get easy access to government services and be able to vote.

 

9. I do plan to get a car and drive in Mexico , but, I don't plan to purchase car insurance, and I probably won't make any special effort to learn local traffic laws.

 

10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from their president to leave me alone, please be sure that every patrol car has at least one English-speaking officer.

 

11. I plan to fly the U.S. Flag from my house top, put US. Flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals

 

12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, or have any labor or tax laws enforced on any business I may start.

 

13. Please have the president tell all the Mexican people to be extremely nice and never say a critical things about me or my family, or about the strain we might place on their economy.

 

14. I want to receive free food stamps.

 

15. Naturally, I'll expect free rent subsidies.

 

16. I'll need Income tax credits so although I don't pay Mexican Taxes, I'll receive money from the government.

 

17. Please arrange it so that the Mexican Gov't pays $4,500 to help me buy a new car.

 

18. Oh yes, I almost forgot, please enroll me free into the Mexican Social Security program so that I'll get a monthly income in retirement.

 

I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all his people who come to the U.S. From Mexico .

 

I am sure that President Calderon won't mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.

 

Thank you so much for your kind help. You're the man!!!

[southsider2k5]

And there goes some of the greatest lines of crap we got fed during the health care debate, and continue to get fed during the immigration debate... No wonder the vote had to happen when it did... We couldn't have the truth screwing things up.

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64I78X20100520

 

One in five people in the United States visit an emergency room every year, and most of them have health insurance of some kind, according to a U.S. government survey released on Wednesday.

 

U.S. | Health | Healthcare Reform

 

The survey contradicts a common perception that emergency rooms are packed with uninsured people and illegal immigrants. It also rejects some claims that people are using the emergency department for routine care -- just 10 percent of visits were for non-urgent causes.

 

"In 2007, approximately one in five persons in the U.S. population had one or more emergency department visits in a 12-month period," the report from the National Center for Health Statistics reads.

 

"Among the under-65 population, the uninsured were no more likely than the insured to have had at least one emergency department visit in a 12-month period."

 

Tamyra Carroll Garcia and colleagues at the center used two large national surveys of healthcare use in 2007 for their study.

 

"Since 1996, demand for emergency services in the United States has been rising," they wrote.

 

"While the number of emergency departments (EDs) across the country has decreased, the number of ED visits has increased. As a result, EDs are experiencing higher patient volume and overcrowding, and patients seeking care are experiencing longer wait times," they added.

 

"As national health care costs continue to rise and policymakers become increasingly interested in ways to make the health care system more efficient, it is important to understand the characteristics of those individuals who use EDs -- often in place of other sources of ambulatory care."

 

They found that the more income people had, the less likely they were to ever visit an emergency room. People over 75 and blacks were the most likely to visit emergency rooms.

 

The American College of Emergency Physicians published a survey this month showing that 61 percent of emergency doctors surveyed believe U.S. healthcare reform will send even more people to emergency departments.

 

Only 1 percent of the 1,800 doctors surveyed thought visits would decrease. And 47 percent said the reforms signed into law in March would worsen overcrowding in emergency rooms.

 

"It's important to note the report finds that having a usual source of medical care, such as a primary care provider, does not affect the number of times people under age 65 visit the emergency department," Dr. Angela Gardner, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, said of Wednesday's report.

 

(Reporting by Maggie Fox; editing by Julie Steenhuysen and Mohammad Zargham)

[Jenksismyhero]

Racist. Uncompassionate. Ugh. Just awful. Typical white man. Don't you see that you have the opportunity responsibility to provide for everyone else in the world?!

 

 

 

 

[Balta1701]

There's some interesting things written there but not commented on or highlighted.

"While the number of emergency departments (EDs) across the country has decreased, the number of ED visits has increased. As a result, EDs are experiencing higher patient volume and overcrowding, and patients seeking care are experiencing longer wait times," they added.

 

So, why is ER patient volume increasing?

 

Why is there such a strong correlation between income and ER usage?

 

Why is there such a strong correlation between race and ER usage?

 

Why are Medicaid recipients so much more likely to use the ER than people with private insurance or Medicare?

 

There's one possible explanation for all of that data...that people without primary care providers/insurance/high incomes/pale skin color wind up putting off treatment longer and thus are more likely to wind up in the ER with actual serious conditions because of the delay. Raw study is here.

[southsider2k5]

There's some interesting things written there but not commented on or highlighted.

 

 

So, why is ER patient volume increasing?

 

Why is there such a strong correlation between income and ER usage?

 

Why is there such a strong correlation between race and ER usage?

 

Why are Medicaid recipients so much more likely to use the ER than people with private insurance or Medicare?

 

There's one possible explanation for all of that data...that people without primary care providers/insurance/high incomes/pale skin color wind up putting off treatment longer and thus are more likely to wind up in the ER with actual serious conditions because of the delay.

 

There is one much easier explanation, and one I have heard first hand... Doctors hate medicare. The extra work, plus lower pay = fewer people willing to accept it. It is a complete disaster.

[Balta1701]

There is one much easier explanation, and one I have heard first hand... Doctors hate medicare. The extra work, plus lower pay = fewer people willing to accept it. It is a complete disaster.

So why would Medicare recipients not be more likely to end up in the ER?

[EvilMonkey]

"While the number of emergency departments (EDs) across the country has decreased, the number of ED visits has increased. As a result, EDs are experiencing higher patient volume and overcrowding, and patients seeking care are experiencing longer wait times," they added.

 

There's some interesting things written there but not commented on or highlighted.

 

 

So, why is ER patient volume increasing?

You answered your very first question with the blurb you posted. Number of ER's goes down, so number of people going to the remaining ones goes up.

[Balta1701]

You answered your very first question with the blurb you posted. Number of ER's goes down, so number of people going to the remaining ones goes up.

That's not what it says, it says the total number of ER visits has gone up, not just the number of visits per ER.

[southsider2k5]

http://www.twiceright.com/2010/5/20/union-...us-news/by/alex

 

Union members storm private property and terrorize teenager

 

For those of you who haven't heard, SEIU brought 14 buses filled with union members to the front lawn residence of Greg Baer, a lawyer for Bank of America. To make matters worse Greg wasn't even home, but his 13 year old son was. The child who was unaware why hundreds of people were pounding on his door, screaming, etc. was so scared that he locked himself in the family bathroom out of fear.

 

For starters what they did was illegal. A mob cannot simply storm someones private property, and depending on the state it's trespassing even if you are not invited, and even if you're not asked to leave.

 

This union mob is a bunch of thugs who think they can intimate their way into anyones lives and decisions. Thugs who President Obama loves.

 

Onto the teenager situation. The young boy locked himself into the bathroom and called his father out of fear. His dad was returning from a little league game and was just around the corner with his other younger son in the car. He called the police, but realized it would be awhile before they got there so the father told his son in the car to lock the doors and stay in the car, he was going to help his other son.

 

Imagine you get a call from your scared child begging you to help them, you come around the corner and see this on your lawn:

 

 

 

The father worked his way through the crowd, being shouted at, insulted, even while saying, "There's a very scared child inside the house, please stop."

 

Once inside the house the father was followed into the house by some members, who didn't leave until the father threatened them.

 

From there the police arrived, the mob left, and no arrests were made.

 

Where the hell is the press on this?!? Imagine for a moment if a Tea Party crowd had done this? Imagine if ANY conservative group stormed someones house and took a child "hostage" in the process. It would be on every media outlet for months, and every single person involved would be arrested.

 

This is what we are dealing with in America. President Obama loves SEIU, he has no problem promoting them in fact. Let's take a look at how much Obama loves SEIU shall we?:

 

 

Let me make this clear to any union members who may be reading this. If you were to do this to my child on my private property, you would have one, maybe two warnings before my 2nd Amendment entered your body.

 

Spread this post around people — this one can NOT fly under the radar.

[southsider2k5]

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/spains-green-...singlepage=true

 

Pajamas Media has received a leaked internal assessment produced by Spain’s Zapatero administration. The assessment confirms the key charges previously made by non-governmental Spanish experts in a damning report exposing the catastrophic economic failure of Spain’s “green economy” initiatives.

 

On eight separate occasions, President Barack Obama has referred to the “green economy” policies enacted by Spain as being the model for what he envisioned for America.

 

Later came the revelation that Obama administration senior Energy Department official Cathy Zoi — someone with serious publicized conflict of interest issues — demanded an urgent U.S. response to the damaging report from the non-governmental Spanish experts so as to protect the Obama administration’s plans.

 

Most recently, U.S. senators have introduced the vehicle for replicating Spain’s unfolding economic meltdown here, in the form of the “American Power Act.” For reasons that are obvious upon scrutiny, it should instead be called the American Power Grab Act.

 

But today’s leaked document reveals that even the socialist Spanish government now acknowledges the ruinous effects of green economic policy.

 

Unsurprisingly for a governmental take on a flagship program, the report takes pains to minimize the extent of the economic harm. Yet despite the soft-pedaling, the document reveals exactly why electricity rates “necessarily skyrocketed” in Spain, as did the public debt needed to underwrite the disaster. This internal assessment preceded the Zapatero administration’s recent acknowledgement that the “green economy” stunt must be abandoned, lest the experiment risk Spain becoming Greece.

 

The government report does not expressly confirm the highest-profile finding of the non-governmental report: that Spain’s “green economy” program cost the country 2.2 jobs for every job “created” by the state. However, the figures published in the government document indicate they arrived at a job-loss number even worse than the 2.2 figure from the independent study.

 

This document is not a public report. Spanish media has referred to its existence in recent weeks though, while Bloomberg and the Washington Examiner have noted the impact: Spain is now forced to jettison its plans — Obama’s model — for a “green economy.”

 

Remarkably, these items have received virtually no media attention.

 

An item which has been covered widely, however, is that President Obama is now pressuring Spain to turn off its spigot of public debt in the name of averting a situation similar to that of Greece.

 

Also covered widely is Obama’s promotion of the American Power Act — the legislation which would replicate Spain’s current situation in the United States.

 

Put simply, Obama is currently promoting a policy in the U.S. which is based on a policy that he wishes to see Spain abandon. Welcome to Obamaland, the particulars of which are explained in a fashion grandly more illuminating than this Obama-Zapatero dance in Power Grab: How Obama’s Green Policies Will Steal Your Freedom and Bankrupt America.

 

 

A translation of the leaked Zapatero government internal slide presentation: “Renewable Energy: Situation and Objectives April 2010”

 

1) Renewable Energy: Situation and Objectives April 2010

 

2) Renewable Energy Situation: The price of electricity affects household welfare

 

According to EuroStat data, the cost of electricity for households in Spain moved from below the European average to slightly above the average (+5% higher)

 

3) Renewable Energy Situation: The price of electricity determines the competitiveness of Spanish industry

 

Energy is a key input in industrial production processes. In basic industries (cement, industrial gases, metals, basic chemicals and steel), energy costs are three times the labor cost. The electrical cost for the Spanish industry is well above the European average (+17% higher).

 

4) Renewable Energy Situation: The price increase is mainly due to additional costs of renewables

 

The price of electricity determines the competitiveness of Spanish industry

 

Historical evolution of the prices of light and pool price [Appears above a graph showing a 77% price spike in industry's price for electricity]

 

A price increase cannot be explained by the evolution of electricity market price (pool), which has even fallen since 2005

 

5) Renewable Energy Situation: The price increase is mainly due to additional costs of renewables

 

The increase in the over-cost paid for renewable energy explains more than 120% of the variation of the electric bill, and has offset the reduction in production costs of conventional electricity (25%)

 

To these direct costs of renewables must be added indirect costs, as the need for additional investment in networks to integrate renewables (about 10% of planned investment in the planning) and capacity payments to the modular backup facilities (coal and gas) that are running a smaller number of hours

 

6) Situation of renewable energy: renewable energy has had a positive impact …

 

Thanks to the increase of renewable energies in the mix:

 

The rate of energy supply has increased by 3 points since 2005, to 23%, and the import of energy products has been reduced 5.500M Euro (including hydraulics).

 

Emissions have been reduced significantly, thanks primarily to the mix of electric generation being much cleaner (less than 120 tons of CO2 emissions per GWh of oil produced).

 

7) Situation of renewable energy: but its evolution in recent years has been too fast

 

From 2004-2010 the amount of premiums [over-cost paid for renewable energy; the subsidy] has increased fivefold. Only in 2009 it doubled over the previous year to reach 5.045M€, equivalent in amount to the entire public investment in R + D + i in Spain. [The renewables subsidy equaled the entire cost of producing electricity in Spain]. The forecast for 2010 is 6.300M€ (although 5.800M€ budgeted in January). This should add 1.000M€ for cogeneration.

 

With operational facilities, the renewable sector will receive in the next 25 years more than 126.000M€. In this factor, it adds a commitment to continue providing input to the renewable energies in the mix to meet the European objectives, which will increase this figure significantly.

 

8 ) Situation of renewable energy: Heterogeneity of renewables: costs

 

In 2009, the solar photovoltaic technology accounted for 53% of the extra cost of renewables, while they contributed only 11% of energy generated from these sources.

 

9) Situation of renewable energy: Heterogeneity of renewables: Impact on the external sector

 

Exports: Net exports of Spanish wind industry 1.300M€ contributed to the trade balance in 2008 and, besides, wind generation avoids fossil imports of 3.6M€.

 

Imports: By contrast, the PV industry growth was not gradual, hampering the formation of an auxiliary Spanish industry. In 2008 imports of photovoltaic cells and modules in Spain amounted to 5.182M€ (28.6% of net imports of crude and derivatives) as long around the 62% were imported.

 

10) Situation of renewable energy: Heterogeneity of renewables: Technical problems

 

Network Management. The proliferation of small plants and fluctuations in the availability of technologies hinder the management of the network.

 

11) Situation of renewable energy:

 

Regulatory mechanisms to support renewables have been:

 

– Pioneers in the world, which has allowed us to stay ahead of the industry, learn from the experience and finding some excesses.

There are numerous examples of these high returns: analyst reports, premiums accepted in other countries, over-subscription in the pre-records, facilities willing to accept lower premiums, “paper market” …

 

– Overly cautious about the ability of cost reduction technologies

 

– Inflexible, thereby preventing adjust remuneration to market signals and technological advancement

 

– Hardly told them by the administration in setting prices initially and have no control over the amounts … Which has caused a “bubble effect,” such as seen with photovoltaics in 2008 and the emergence of the thermal bubble (which would have continued in 2010 and successively had it not been for the pre-registration requirement imposed), as well as a sharp increase the over-costs [subsidies] paid to renewables in the form of a feed-in tariff.

 

12) Situation of renewable energy: Heterogeneity of renewables: International comparison

 

In wind power, our rates are in line with Europe. However, solar photovoltaics, Spanish retribution has been the most high, despite the higher number of hours of sun and more solar radiation.

 

Spain Wind € 75-84/MWh Solar €265/295/350/450/MWh

 

China Wind € 56-67 Solar € 121/MWh

 

Japan Wind € 73-89/MWh

 

Germany Wind € 92/MWh Solar € 287-395/MWh

 

France Wind € 82/MWh Solar €310-380

 

Italy Wind € 85/MWh Solar € 350-390

 

Poland Wind € 90/MWh

 

13) Situation of renewable energy: Recent technological developments

 

The investment costs of renewable energies mainly depend on its technological learning curve

 

The plots have experienced tremendous technological development in recent years, reducing their investment costs

 

Not being mature technologies, have much future room for improvement, which informs a decision to slow its current expansion

 

14) Situation of renewable energy: What have we done?

 

The Government has adapted the following initiatives:

 

– A new framework for PV in 2008 (RD1578/2008) that brings order to the pace of installation and marking signs ecstatic that transfer with May fast technological development gains to consumers

 

– Creation of a technology pre-registration for the remainder of May 2009 has allowed us to avoid the “bubble” that was generated in thermal and prevent the system being made even more untenable in 2010.

 

– Package of measures for the reduction to the tariff deficit with input from the traditional electric companies, consumers and government (without the contribution of renewable energy).

 

15) Situation of renewable energy: Difficulties in reducing the tariff deficit

 

– The Government is committed by law to eliminate by 2013 the tariff deficit

 

– Despite the evolution of the wholesale market (pool), the balance of certain items (the Iberian peninsula, nuclear waste) and higher light, the rate deficit was only slightly reduced.

 

16) Objectives

 

– Reaching 20% of final energy and 40% of electric generation from renewable sources by 2020.

 

– Reducing the deficit and preserve the competitiveness of industry and household welfare.

 

– Transfer gains in technological developments to consumers.

 

– Avoid speculation caused by excess profits, which damages its image and retards the construction of the plants pre-assigned (with an adverse effect on the industry).

 

– Mitigate the incentive for fraud that can generate the current differential between the rate and the price of the pool.

 

– Promote technological improvement and cost reduction, advancing the attainment of “grid parity,” which will allow greater installation of renewables until 2020.

 

Christopher Horner is a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

[Jenksismyhero]

http://www.twiceright.com/2010/5/20/union-...us-news/by/alex

 

Jesus. I dunno that I'd have given them more than one warning. A couple of shots in the air and the next aimed at someone ala Clint Eastwood.

 

But you know, these guys are spreading the progressive message, so it's fine and acceptable.

 

Edit: interesting fact about that guy:

 

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/19/news/compa...rotest.fortune/

 

Of course, HuffPost readers responding to the coverage assumed that Baer was an evil former Bush official. He's not. A lifelong Democrat, Baer worked for the Clinton Treasury Department, and his wife, Shirley Sagawa, author of the book The American Way to Change and a former adviser to Hillary Clinton, is a prominent national service advocate.

 

In the 1990s, the Baers' former bosses, Bill and Hillary Clinton, denounced the "politics of personal destruction." Today politicians and their voters of all stripes grieve the ugly bitterness that permeates our policy debates. Now, with populist rage providing a useful cover, it appears we've crossed into a new era: The politics of personal intimidation.

Edited May 20, 2010 by Jenksismybitch