The NY Times Goes Into the Tank For ObamaCare

In the previous post we caught Paul Krugman failing to correct for confirmation bias, the natural human tendency to embrace new information that affirms our predispositions.  The Medicare trustees released a report with a headline lauding the fiscal impact of ObamaCare, and Krugman fell for it hook, line and sinker.  Anyone who plunged into the report discovered that the chief actuary was much less optimistic that legislated cost savings could actually be achieved.

In their coverage of the same report, Robert Pear and Jackie Calmes of the Times don't seem to have deceived themselves, but they do open with a glaringly slanted lead:

Medicare Stronger, Social Security Worse in Short Run, Report Finds

WASHINGTON — Medicare will remain financially solvent for 12 additional years, until 2029, because of the cost-cutting measures in President Obama’s recently enacted health care legislation, the program’s trustees projected on Thursday.

Hmm - no caveats at all?  Here is the AP coverage of the same report:

Medicare fund will last extra 12 years - maybe

WASHINGTON – Medicare is in better shape because of President Barack Obama's sweeping health care overhaul and will stay afloat a dozen years longer than earlier projected, trustees forecast Thursday. But that depends on cuts in care that the system's top analyst says are highly doubtful.

The annual report by the trustees who oversee Medicare and Social Security, led by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, gives backers of the new health care law evidence of a positive impact on government entitlement programs, but it also undercuts the findings with a host of caveats.

In what amounted to a dissenting opinion, top Medicare actuary Richard Foster warned that the report's financial projections "do not represent a reasonable expectation" for the hospital fund for America's elderly.

Did the two earnest toilers at the Times actually overlook those caveats?   Not at all, but their casual readers will!  After a segue to the implications for Social Security, we wait until the eighteenth paragraph for this conclusion:

The new law squeezes nearly a half-trillion dollars from Medicare spending in the next 10 years. The savings are based on an assumption that hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers will become more efficient, increasing their productivity to match productivity gains in the overall economy.

If that does not happen, the trustees said, Medicare will pay many hospitals and doctors less than the cost of the goods and services they purchase, and providers may “eventually become unwilling or unable to treat Medicare beneficiaries.”

The report also assumes that Medicare will cut payment rates for doctors’ services by 23 percent on Dec. 1 and by a further 6.5 percent on Jan. 1, as required under existing law.

This assumption is unrealistic, the report said, because “Congress is virtually certain to override” the scheduled cuts, as it has done in recent years.

The report makes clear that Medicare still faces major financial problems. If, as expected, Congress overrides the cuts in doctors’ fees, the cost of Part B of Medicare, which covers physician services, will grow about 8 percent a year in the coming decade, and Part D, which covers prescription drugs, will grow 9.4 percent a year — much faster than the economy, the trustees said.

About one-fourth of the people on Medicare, new beneficiaries and those with relatively high incomes, “will be subject to unusually large premium increases next year,” the trustees said. But, they added, the other three-fourths of beneficiaries will not face a premium increase in 2011.

Never do they mention that the chief actuary actually wrote that "the financial projections shown in this report for Medicare do not represent a reasonable expectation for actual program operations" and provided detailed alternative (and much less optimistic) projections.

I am not accustomed to the chief actuary providing a rebuttal to his own report, but this was news the Times did not see fit to print (and which has not yet reached Paul Krugman, we fear.)

For another comparison, the WaPo began the grim backpedaling from the Team Obama talking points with the third paragraph:

The relatively bright picture of Medicare's future triggered immediate debate over whether the forecast by the trustees, all members of President Obama's Cabinet, is realistic.

The trustees cautioned that the improved outlook for Medicare hinges on a sustained commitment by the government and the health-care industry to rein in medical costs.

The Medicare program's chief actuary was far more skeptical, contending that the report's predictions "do not represent a reasonable expectation" of its finances. In a two-page letter accompanying the trustees' report, Richard S. Foster, a non-partisan official who has been the Health and Human Services Department's top financial expert on Medicare for 15 years, said he doubted that health-care providers will become as efficient as the new law envisions. As a result, he said, the program is unlikely to slow payments for treating patients as much as the law anticipates and, as a result, will be unable to save as much money.

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

And of course none of this has one whit to do with the remarkably insulting federal intrusion into our daily lives.

[anduril]

Just for the record, TM just violated fair use against NYT, AP and WaPo--at least as I understand it from the earlier link.

[anduril]

Also for the record, I don't give a shit.

[matt]

are these the same trustees who have been running the system for the past 40 years, or are they magical new trustees who found a huge bag of money hidden in a janitorial closet near the 4th floor men's room?

even their own actuary has called BS on them, but they will still attempt to blow smoke up our backsides in the middle of a gale. Do they even read the reports or just sit in a room and make shit up?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Speaking as an editor, I think you've got a mistake here. "Goes into the tank" would imply there has been a change of condition.

(This editing thing really gets to you: I just corrected a typo in my gastroenterologist's business card.)

[Danube of Thought]

How about we cut a deal, Anduril: TM gets to violate fair use, and you don't.

[macphisto]

goes into?

[Rick Ballard]

"I am not accustomed to the chief actuary providing a rebuttal to his own report"

To be fair, the chief actuary is not accustomed to dealing with such blatantly dishonest thieves and liars.

Geither in the NYT on Recovery Summer provides an excellent illustration and there are strong hints that Romer's real reason for leaving town was aversion to the vile stench of corruption emanating from all those with whom she had to deal.

[narciso the harpoon]

How do get the Avatar back with the narcisolator

[Jane]

Let's take bets on when Geitner steps down. I say next Thursday.

[Danube of Thought]

That little tax-cheating shit Geithner is very high on my list of people in this administration that I genuinely hate. Holder is close, but he's so stupid that I almost feel sorry for him.

[glasater]

I kinda thought Geithner was pretty decent compared to the rest of the crew in this administration...

[Clarice]

I say we make Krugman's future health care dependent on what is affordabe from his individual share of the savings occasioned by Obamacare, not what his NYT or Princeton health care plans will pay.

[lyle]

I second the general loathing of Geithner and Holder.

I'm a team player like that.

[MarkO]

I'll see your Geithner and raise you an Alexrod [and if that doesn't sound naughty, then you're not playing along].

[Ignatz]

--I kinda thought Geithner was pretty decent compared to the rest of the crew in this administration...--

I suspect it would be a fruitless search attempting to find fainter praise anywhere, glasater.

[Rick Ballard]

GS delivers a hearty crotch kick to the BOzo Maladministration's "Recovery Summer".

10% unemployment through 2011 is what is known as a "death knell" for any hope of the Chicago trash continuing to stink up 1600 Pennsylvania beyond 2012. Couldn't happen to a slimier guy.

[Boatbuilder]

Bravo for the chief actuary. He obviously is looking at the long run, and choosing to maintain his reputation when the history of this epic charade is written. I assume that he's told his wife not to expect any more invitations to DC dinner parties, however.

[Jane]

I second the general loathing of Geithner and Holder.

Plus Geitner is down right creepy - every time I picture him he is picking his nose.
(sorry)

[Ranger]

http://reason.com/blog/2010/08/06/good-riddance-christina-romer>Good Riddance, Christina Romer. Now How Will You Get Your Soul Back?

(via Instapundit)

[cathyf]

10% unemployment through 2011 is what is known as a "death knell" for any hope of the Chicago trash continuing to stink up 1600 Pennsylvania beyond 2012. Couldn't happen to a slimier guy.

I dunno, Rick, it got FDR 4 terms, and my mother-in-law still believes that he saved the country.

[Rick Ballard]

cathyf,

Didn't help Hoover much though. We're heading toward the "we have nothing to fear but Obama himself" stage at the moment and I'm having a tough time finding a rationale for trend reversal. He might have a chance if unemployment dropped under 8% but if the GS forecast has any validity that would be impossible coming off of a 10% rate in 2011.

It takes 100K new hires per month just to tread water and ex-Census, we're not anywhere close.

[Carol Herman]

Maybe, a Duranty joke would be in order?

What's the NY Times,now? The journalistas don't even have to pay the subscription price. They get there's FREE. (But no mattress.)

[Danube of Thought]

Consider: in the three-plus years the Dems have had the congress, and the 18 months that Obama has been in the White House, everyone in America has known that the Bush tax cuts will sunset on January 1, less than five months from now. Yet no one knows what the tax rates on ordinary income, interest income and capital gains will be in the new year.

No borrower, no lender, and no investor knows what will and will be legal, and they will not know until the completion of 214 rule-making proceedings by 11 different agencies who have not yet been formed.

And they sit around and scratch their heads wondering why banks aren't lending and employers aren't hiring.

What in God's name have we done to deserve this>

[centralcal]

"Plus Geitner is down right creepy . . ."

No kidding, with his arched eyebrows that look as though they have been plucked, I picture him as a cross-dresser and have worried for some time now, that Zombie will post picture proof on his/her blog one of these days.

[Ignatz]

--I'm having a tough time finding a rationale for trend reversal.--

Since many on the left pronounced supply side economics and even the free market dead less than a couple of years ago it's humorously ironic watching the doomed ship of Keynesianism plowing straight for the iceberg of the coming disastrous results from their insane spending and higher taxes (which even Keynes probably wouldn't have supported).
Their only hope is that the Repubs retake Congress and then they can blame it all on them; not an impossible to imagine scenario considering the MSM spinmeisters and the Repubs depressing inability to defend themselves.

[Pagar]

"11 different agencies who have not yet been formed."

Every single one of which will be headed by a far leftist or pure communist, non of whom will ever have successfully ran so much as a lemonade stand.

A childhood experience that is fading away as more and more bureaucrats find it much easier to harass 7 years old than to arrest illegal immigrants.

[Boatbuilder]

FDR didn't (at least in public) sneer about the majority of his constituents as "bitter clingers" and racist reactionaries.

Lloyd Bentsen's famous put-down of Dan Quayle seems particularly apropos here--this young man is no FDR.

[cathyf]

No kidding, with his arched eyebrows that look as though they have been plucked, I picture him as a cross-dresser

Yeah, but the cross is human-hobbit.

[Ann Mongrel]

King Obama now wants to tell us where and how to live: Senate Bill Marks Next Step in Federal ‘Sustainable Communities’ Plan

I'm with Dot, What in God's name have we done to deserve this!

There are no local governments, state governments just obamagovernment.

[hit and run]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100806/ap_on_re_us/us_health_overhaul_lawsuit>Esesntially 2/5ths of the several states:

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Twenty states and the nation's most influential small business lobby demanded Friday that a federal court in Florida hear their challenge to President Barack Obama's health care overhaul because they face imminent harm from its mandates.
...
Other states that have joined the lawsuit [in addition to Florida] are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.

[Danube of Thought]

Less than three months before the election, and the Dems are racing back to Washington to spend another $26 Billion for the benefit of the public employee unions. How dumb do they think we are?

[narciso the harpoon]

Anybody know about this fellow, now to be the new CIA IG, yes that's going to work well, he did once work for Harman, so there's that

[Porchlight]

Yeah, but the cross is human-hobbit.

Heh. I think I'd like him better if he was half-hobbit!

The weird thing to me is the strange Eraserhead/Lyle Lovett-like pile of hair on top of the eternal forehead.

[daddy the wanna' be heretic]

Good news sports fans!

Tonight is the opening of our High School Football season.

Since winter comes early up here the teams have been practicing for a month or so even though School doesn't start for about another 10 days, all so that they can get it in before blizzard season arrives.

Naturally I'm pulling for ">http://www.sawolverines.com/"> The Wolverine's of South Anchorage High School.

Go to Hell Juneau Crimson Bears!

[Danube of Thought]

Just discovered that the federal judge hearing the twenty state cases in Florida, Roger Vinson, is a Naval Academy classmate of mine. Can't remember him; I'm off to look him up in the yearbook right now.

[Porchlight]

Ruth Marcus thinks it's just sooo mean that people are mad about Michelle O's glitzy trip to Spain.

Unfair attacks on Michelle Obama's Spanish vacation

Ruth's getting schooled in the comments.

[DrJ]

OT:

HP CEO Hurd resigns amid sexual harassment allegations

[Jim Miller]

DoT - Nor does anyone know for sure what the rates will be for the estate tax, which the Democrats allowed to expire this year, and which will jump up to old levels in January. (As I understand it, it was allowed to expire for a year because the chairmen of the House and Senate committees couldn't agree on what to do next.)

There are a few rich folks who are considering suicide to beat the December 31 deadline.

[narciso the harpoon]

Here's a really quick look, at Vinson, in the LUN

[daddy the wanna' be heretic]

Porchlight,

In comparison to ">http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20012904-503544.html"> Obama today using a Helicopter to fly him 6 miles away to give a speech in DC on the Economy I suppose Michelle's Marie Antoinette act may actually appear fiscally responsible.

It's great the commenters at the WaPo are giving the reporterette the ration she so richly deserves. Thanks for posting that.

[Extraneus]

How do get the Avatar back with the narcisolator

Tools...Greasemonkey...Manage User Scripts...

Edit

Go to the bottom of the file, where it says:

//If you don't want to hide the colorful avatars...

[hit and run]

Once again,http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2010/08/wedgeapalooza.html>iowahawk to the rescue.

Undocumented Imam's Refusal to Perform Interracial Gay Handicapped Wedding Leads to Charges of Racism

NEW YORK - Charges of racism, sexism, and religious discrimination filled the air this afternoon outside the just-completed Cordoba House, the gleaming new $100 million 15 story mosque and Islamic cultural center near the ruins of New York's World Trade Center, following a tense 5-hour standoff prompted by the mosque's refusal to host a wedding between a lesbian African-American woman and her blind white transgendered partner.

Over 200 NYPD officers and multicultural crisis counselors were bused to the site to quell the simmering 17-way tensions between Muslim, Black, LGBT, immigrant, disabled, and lawsuit community activists. The scene was punctuated by outbursts of pushing and shoving, including a brief confused intramural scuffle among members of Reverend Louis Farrakan's Nation of Islam, but the only serious injuries reported was a hernia suffered by a legal aide distributing plaintiff's briefs. The incident resulted in one arrest, a http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/08/06/2010-08-06_health_inspector_shuts_down_7yearolds_summer_lemonade_stand.html>7-year old girl who was seen operating a lemonade stand without a permit.

And he's just getting warmed up with that...

[Ignatz]

Mitt Romney driving a pick em up truck is such an inveterate, clutzy panderer I find it nearly impossible to envision him as the Republican nominee. He apparently just can't help himself and has no capacity for seeing himself as others do.
May have been linked before but the guy's cluelessness just amazes me.

[anduril]

hit, that paste job was a deliberate provocation. as soon as this posts i start navigating for the opensuse online manual and user guide. enuf is enuf.

[Captain Hate]

Ruth's getting schooled in the comments.

Wow, I'll say. She may have to go to Spain herself to avoid those scorchers; assuming the WaPo can still afford to send her there.

[centralcal]

No kidding, Iggy. Long ago and far away, before McCain for certain, before Palin, I was kinda/sorta leaning toward Mitt. Since those faraway days, however, he has only continued to slide downward in my opinion of him.

I am afraid the pickup truck is the final straw. It is so obviously phoney.

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

(narciso, your avatar is visible here, at least to me.)

Geithner looks like a shifty, disgusting shnook bit player from the Dead End Kids neighborhood untrustworthy.

[Ignatz]

--Long ago and far away, before McCain for certain, before Palin, I was kinda/sorta leaning toward Mitt.--

cc,
I want to like him. I like the idea of him. But the real him is not only unlikable I'm afraid it's unknowable, even to himself.

[Thomas Collins]

Mitt in a truck? That's "better" than Dukakis in a tank!

[Nope, good move. Sarah in a truck next. It's an icon and a fine one.]

The trooper approached the good ole boy in the F-100 and asked him if he had any id. After pausing for awhile, the good ole boy replied: 'About what?'
============

[Extraneus]

Frau, narciso is using the narcisolator, which is a Firefox utility brought to us by bgates that is able to suppress any commenters one wants to disappear, and also can hide the avatars. narc's just asking how to get the avatars back while continuing to hide the commenters he doesn't want to see.

[They seem to be able to take the battering and keep on keepin' on.]

Keep on trukkin'; yes, we can. Get used to the idea that Sarah and Mitt will share the ticket.
================

[Trucks are as American as apple pie, baseball, and politickin'.]

Tea and Truckin', let's get shuckin'.
==================

[Pagar]

When you think of the government running Obamafraud, Remember--

[Don't you recognize a culture war when you see one?]

Mitt in a truck; Obama on a bicycle.
================

[Extraneus]

I'll put $5 on Palin-Giuliani.

[Chubby]

Mitt has no credibility re health care, that's his biggest problem.

Back in the day when I favored him though, I read about him being a handyman, get-out-the-ladder, repair-the-roof, hands-on kind of guy, so I don't think the truck is inauthentic.

[Pagar]

In my 06:20 PM the following was left out.

"A random spot check by state inspectors in April found that in all 10 cases work done by contractors for Concho Valley in San Angelo had deficiencies requiring remedial work."

Are you willing to take a chance that 100%
of your healthcare may be unsatisfactory?

"$5.6 million federal stimulus contract halted in Abilene, subpar work found statewide in Texas' weatherization program"

[Chubby]

that was the funniest Iowahawk ever

I think even lefties would get a laugh out of it

[In marvelous contrast to Obama.]

Mitt can get past the health care bit simply by admitting he made a mistake.
==================

[Danube of Thought]

I think even lefties would get a laugh out of it

They're not known for being able to laugh at themselves.

[PDinDetroit]

HP CEO Hurd resigns amid sexual harassment allegations

DrJ - Hurd was removed by the board with a $12.2M Golden Parachute (READ: allowed to resign). It resulted from the sexual harassment probe, which was proven to be without merit (performed by outside counsel), but found numerous other violations that were against HP’s standards of business conduct.

LUN

[Chubby]

((Mitt can get past the health care bit simply by admitting he made a mistake.))

he did that re his former pro abortion beliefs, and while I believe his change was genuine, a lot of people did not

[Captain Hate]

They're not known for being able to laugh at themselves.

Just how easy do you think it is to laugh at the center of the universe?

[Chubby]

I'm interested in the age discrimination suit against Google that I read about on Drudge this morning; the callow lot working there treated a 50-something year old vp like he was practially senile, and I hope he gets a huge settlement off them ... I hate the generation that has no respect for its elders

[Pagar]

"Mitt can get past the health care bit simply by admitting he made a mistake."

While the people of Mass, are stuck with the results.

I'm not convinced that one can just say I made a mistake and everyone should be expected to forget it. Best not to give him the opportunity to make another one, IMO.

[Captain Hate]

I want Mitt to head up the RNC where he can do for the rest of the country what he did for Scott Brown. Unfortunately for his political career, he got the reputation in the 2008 campaign, rightly or not, of being a flip-flopper. Once you're stained with that you're pretty much toast as a national candidate (see Kerry, John).

[glasater]

Mitt certainly has a grass roots campaign going and will be a force for 2012.
He really cannot say he goofed on healthcare in Mass but he can lay the groundwork for getting out of the mess we're now in nationally with Zero.
I'm watching and waiting.

[Mebbe Giuliani is vaccinated, too.]

He's a moderate and can run successfully on competence. He is probably the one Republican who the media cabal can least damage.
=======================

[Jim Miller]

On the Ruth Marcus column: Apparently, that area, while expensive, is famous for high levels of crime, and lots of drugs.

The area is also, though our news organizations haven't stressed this, in Granada, that is, in the last part of Spain to be reconquered from the Muslims, or, to put it another way, the most Muslim part of Spain.

And, of course, at least half of the married women, and more than a few of the single women, in America will wonder why she is taking a vacation apart from her husband -- on his birthday.

Sometimes I half suspect that some clever Republican operative is bribing Michelle to sabotage her husband.

[narciso the harpoon]

That where at least part of my family is from on my mother's side of the family

[Pagar]

"He's a moderate and can run successfully on
competence." Only if the press doesn't investigate those claims of competence, IMO.
I don't have the instant recall of some but there was an article a few weeks ago addressing the issue. I'll look for it.

-------------------------------
Kim, have you seen this EU Referendum Article explaining how Europe is self destructing and no one seems to care.

[macphisto]

Mitt Romney: Plastic Man. everything about the guy screams "FAKE." i don't believe a thing he says, and that includes "a," "an," and "the." he reminds me of the creepier sort of late-night TV preachers. i lost all respect for Hugh Hweitt when he developed his mancrush on Mittens.

[Porchlight]

Apparently, that area, while expensive, is famous for high levels of crime, and lots of drugs.

Not just crime but organized crime. Apparently entire towns had been taken over by rival mob organizations (with attendant government corruption) until just recently when (supposedly) things got cleaned up a bit.

As was brought up on an earlier thread, organized crime, government corruption, expensive yet tacky - sounds like an ideal spot for Michelle & coterie.

[macphisto]

Hewitt. sigh. you can tell it's Friday.

sounds like it belongs right next door to Hyde Park, all right.

[Jane]

I picture him as a cross-dresser and have worried for some time now, that Zombie will post picture proof on his/her blog one of these days.

I think Wiki-leaks has that pix, along with Obama's birth certificate.

[Pagar]

Looking for reasons Romney isn't what you Want.

This is not the article I mentioned but it definitely takes Romney out of a public office consideration, IMO.

[Pops]

Has anyone else noticed that the media changes on a dime once the government has taken control of something.

Before Obamacare it was all about YOUR healthcare, and getting YOU healthcare from the mean, nasty insurance companies and dirt bag doctors that chop off feet to make an extra buck.

Now that Obamacare passed and you have all become wards of the state, now YOU are sacrificed for the common good of the government PROGRAM. YOUR health no longer matters, what matters is the health of the PROGRAM regardless of how much YOUR health suffers.

If the Republicans cut 500 Billion from senior citizens care and transfer another trillion from seniors I doubt the media would be swooning over the great strenght added to the PROGRAM. It would be all about how Grandma has to eat dog food because the mean Republicans cut her healthcare.

[centralcal]

Oh, Jane, Jane - if only it would come to pass! Seriously, though, I can see the National Enquirer with this picture of Timmy in full makeup (badly applied), foo-foo wig, an outfit only Michelle's stylist could create, and poorly fitting stiletto heels.

From the first tv interview where I first knew who he was, in his almost falsetto voice, opining on the economy - I had an instant vision of him. I feared one day the obove vision is what I would see on a visit to the supermarket checkout aisle someday.

I still fear that image.

I blame Zombie and his/her San Fran pictures (so many of "them" are in the financial district) for my nightmare.

[Pops]

I would also like to say I hope the 'illegal aliens' are no harm and simply get us coffee and tend are yards crowd are proud of themselves for their complicity in the death of Sister Mosier.

If you have supported the look the other way while are laws are violated you are directly responsible for her death, along with thousands of other Americans killed or injured over the last two decades.

[Ann Mongrel]

A reminder:

Ridicule and Disdain: The Reagan-Palin Connection

and this is cool. Type in a keyword or topic and listen to Reagan

I bet you guys would vote for Mitt if the choices were Newt, Pawlenty or Mitt. What... you don't think Steele is up to the job?

[centralcal]

Yep, Ann - you have identified some choices rather well. That is why we love you. Cut to the chase, girlfriend.

[Pofarmer]

Let's see, the only person I would be less enthusiastic about voting for than Mitt Romney is------yeah, I got nuthin. Maybe Huckabee.

[centralcal]

Po - definitely, Huckaschmuck.

In other news - woo hoo! Liz Cheney in for Sean Hannity! Talk about classing the place up a lot . . . YES!!!!

[Jane]

Well if it ends up being Mitt, at least we know he understands business. That would be a billion % improvement.

[Ann Mongrel]

CC:

Honestly, I am so afraid of what our choices will be in 2012. They recently changed the primary rules but I have not looked at them. (Anybody here know what the changes are?)

If the demorats and the republicans agreed to something with Steele in charge.......we are most undoubtedly screwed. (Reason I have not looked)

Then we have to worry about the old Republican guard that won't stick up for tea party values or even acknowledge that we exist. For all we know, they will promote Lindsay Graham like they did with Dole. He is in line dontcha know.

Nov 2, 2010 is the first skirmish.

[narciso the harpoon]

They moved up some contests a little, Ann, they still have done nothing about open primaries, which is the big thing. Wth happened with Lindsey, btw

[narciso the harpoon]

Here's a summary in the LUN

[matt]

Mitt doesn't understand business, you see. He knows how to buy companies, pump them up with debt and sell them off to the rubes, leaving them to pay off the incredible amount of debt incurred. This was his MO at Bain. Then again, he was as much front man as anything else. He has never had line responsibility and doesn't like to leave fingerprints.

Even in Salt Lake he stepped in just a year before the Games began when all of the heavy lifting was done and took credit for the job done by his predecessors. He is a master of being in the right place at the right time and of situational ethics.

[centralcal]

Ann, I am a nervous norvous, as are you. And, even more distressingly, I live in the state of California - totally hopeless, doncha know. I don't have a clue what has happend to OUR primary. MayBee was all gaga over it, DoT was looking into last I heard, and me - just scared.

Yet, I have faith - not in man, but in God, that things are playing out according to a greater plan. And, I think - as does our Jane - that the once "silent" majority are more than simmering, they are steadily at a roiling boil and ready to erupt right out of the pot.

The end result - we really don't know yet. Plus, there are still more than 2 months for The Won to turn up the heat even higher.

Revolution? or Fizzle? I am hoping for the former.

[bunkerbuster]

Just as Reagan predicted, Medicare ushered in communism and government control over every aspect of our lives. I type this from my nationalized hospital below a giant picture of Stalin as a chomp down my communist cabbage biscuit. And Medicare is ALREADY bankrupt, and has been for decades, we don't need no actuaries to tell us that, we have Fox News Channel.

[Rick Ballard]

"Plus, there are still more than 2 months for The Won to turn up the heat even higher."

cc,

My bet is that BOzo and the clown posse are expecting a big payback from indoctrinators teachers from the time school starts until the last dead Dem votes. Think CAC but national. Millions and millions of teachers turned into Autumn Obots and trying to get a real Obamajugend organized.

I doubt that it will succeed but I hope that parents pay more attention than usual to the tripe being dished out in the indoctrination centers and that they do a bit of community organizing on their own should they see the schoolhouse turning redder than usual.

[matt]

It has been a very long week for the president, and I do not envy him. That his IED's (improvised economic disasters) are of his own doing is less important than the long term destruction they are doing. LUN

[Melinda Romanoff]

Rick-

I disagree.

Now will come full throttle theft of elections, they've been practicing. The Sec. of State project is probably in place, after 2008. Certification of the loser is probably the next step.

This would be the "Full Alinsky", where All votes are invalidated and the courts MUST decide.

It all works until they run out of other people's money.

Oh, did I mention? The City of Chicago is out of cash, again.

Ann, mail.

[Ann Mongrel]

narciso:

I just threw out Lindsey's name as a reminder of how bad the republican D.C. insiders pick our candidates. McCain and Graham are best buds, so it wouldn't surprise me if he is blessed with their approval.

Jesus didn't tell him to vote for Kagan. Lindsey Graham: My vote for Kagan was inspired by Jesus Compromising his principals (if you think he had any) for votes did.

He didn't get the name, Mr. Grahamnesty, for nothing. He was also ready to cut a deal on carp and trade just for votes. We need a letter campaign to tell him not to even think about it.

CC: I pray to God a lot these days. Like bad, I decided we need to keep our sense of humor, and believe that we are blessed and there is some reason for the American republic finally waking up to the fraud. I am encourage that so many have.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Details, details..

Did anybody ever declare the recession over? Like the normal referee, the NBER?

Aaaah, no.

We never left the hole. Funny, that.

Does that mean what we've been told is just a smidge different than reality?

I can't imagine.

[Move to cash. Have a Canadian Bank as your source for cash/checking for month to month.

And don't expect the cash on hand at your local ATM to be available for you.]

[Clarice]

Net week I will give lessons on how to sew your money into mattresses and industrial diamonds into the lining of your coats.

[Melinda Romanoff]

This will be bad.

[narciso the harpoon]

Nothing surprises me on that front, it's all maskirovna (sic) and Potemkin villages, if the NBER can be bought off, who can you rely
on anymore