Reality 1, Obamacare 0

Via Glenn we see that health insurers are doing what common sense said they would:

Some of the country's most prominent health insurance companies have decided to stop offering new child-only plans, rather than comply with rules in the new health-care law that will require such plans to start accepting children with preexisting medical conditions after Sept. 23.

The companies will continue to cover children who already have child-only policies. They will also accept children with preexisting conditions in new family policies.

Nonetheless, supporters of the new health-care law complain that the change amounts to an end run around one of the most prized consumer protections.

Well, it is an end-run around the fantasy being promoted when the ambiguous health bill was signed this spring.  Let's cut back to the NY Times from March 31:

WASHINGTON — Under pressure from the White House, health insurance companies said Tuesday that they would comply with rules to be issued soon by the Obama administration requiring them to cover children with pre-existing medical problems.

“Health plans recognize the significant hardship that a family faces when they are unable to obtain coverage for a child with a pre-existing condition,” said Karen M. Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, a trade group. Accordingly, she said, “we await and will fully comply with” the rules.

...

The White House immediately claimed victory.

In a Twitter message, Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, scored the tug of war as “Kids 1, insurance 0.”

The Administration announced this as a big win at the time, although normally an announcement that companies will comply with the law is not the stuff of headlines.  Skeptics (including yours truly) duly noted that the insurance companies were simply avoiding an awkward public scuffle, with the rug-pulling to come some time in the future.  Apparently, the future is now.

Rick Ungar at Forbes ponders the issue; outrage grows on Capitol Hill, where legislators are shocked, shocked!

Comments

[NK]

THE FUTURE IS NOW for OBAMANOMICS:
October 2010—Fed health care mandates kick in, Blue Cross/Shield and other minimal coverage insurance plan premiums skyrocket 20-40% (based on new costs to provide the coverage mandated by Obamacare)so smaller employers either drop benefits for all employees or drop employees – RESULT- unemployment worsens and MEDICAID spending skyrockets—BRILLIANT!!

November 2010—dems in congress after getting killed on Nov 2, for spite pass an income tax rate extension only for lower/mod income taxpayers, higher taxpayers (including the small businesses that make money) are hit with income and cap gains tax increases so they spend less and save less RESULT unemployment WORSENS FURTHER and interest rates rise —BRILLIANT!!!

Autumn 2011 – 11% unemployment, Obama recession of 2011 (BLAME BUSH!!!) now in its second quarter Barry O announces he won’t seek re-election and will instead start the National Workers Party, an outright socialist party– BRILLIANT!

[matt]

gee whiz, reacting to market conditions. Who woulda thunk it?

[Jack is Back!]

This is an issue that the Republican/Tea Party/Conservative political melange needs to put front and center - repeal it. Once this news hits Main St. and the soccer mom suburbs it there will be hell to pay. Nancy Pelosi was right - they had to pass it so we could learn what was in it. Now that we are learning what's in it the push back will begin and won't stop until it is repealed or de-funded. I think someone posted that it should be the singular issue for the republicans to run on (regardless what Lindsey Graham says).

[bgates]

If a citizen can be forced to buy a product, I don't see any reason why a corporation can't be forced to provide it. And if the corporation is merely doing what the government instructs, then it's superfluous anyway. And if the government ignores the wishes of the citizenry, then either it's superfluous or we are.

[Pagar]

"instead start the National Workers Party, an outright socialist party– BRILLIANT!"

Why waste what's all ready in place. Just change the name from Democrats to National Socialist Party and keep right on trucking the nation into a 3rd world hellhole.
If you took all the socialists out of the Democrat party, there wouldn't be enough people left to fill a phone booth.

[PDinDetroit]

I had major surgery and was down for the better part of a month - today is my first day back. Thank God I had it done prior to ObamaCare!

[Captain Hate]

Welcome back PD; I shudder to think of your fate under Dummydontcare

[rse]

A Cato post this morning pointed out that BCBS of NC was distributing a payout to all policy holders that they would have kept to use to pay anticipated bills for the sick without Obamacare. It was thus a distribution from the sick insured to the healthy.

PreObamacare service mattered and skrimping on paying meant insureds moved on.

Post-bad service makes the most business sense. You save the money and there's no real recourse for lousy service.

[Pagar]

Glad to see you back PD, hope all is well now.

[lyle]

Embrace the suck, people!

[iqvoice]

The beatings of the health care industry will continue until the coverage improves! Congrats Obummer, on the first of your many successes in destroying the health care industry in order to save it.

[NK]

igvoice--

the purpose of Obamacare IS to destroy the private healthcare insurance industry. As Reynolds says destruction is a feature not a bug. When the insurance companies pull out of the healthcare market or are bankrupt..... SINGLE PAYER!!

[lyle]

In a Twitter message, Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, scored the tug of war as “Kids 1, insurance 0.”

It's so comforting knowing we have these infantile wads running this country.

[Clarice]

Glad you're back, pd.

Someone (the prosecution, of course) is buiding a pyre under Jesse Jackson Jr.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/2731160,CST-NWS-jackson21.article>Like father, like son

[Danube of Thought]

For some reason, every time another readily foreseeable fiasco arises under this nightmarish law, I picture the grinning face of the idiot Edward Markey. No particular reason, except that I recall about twenty years ago reading that some organization had named him the dumbest person in congress. And I just think of that dimwitted fool actually believing that he and his companions can craft a 2,000-page bill that will improve everything for everybody. Make no mistake, he actually believes it!

[JM Hanes]

Michelle Antoinette is looking good compared to tweets and slurpees. Well, not good exactly. Maybe more mature. Well, not mature exactly.....

[narciso]

He's had a hand in crafting telecommunications
legislation, and that phantom cap n trade bill
that Castle and co, were so proud of. But it's a tough competition, I would say to paraphrase O'Toole 'a Confederacy of Dunces'

[Ignatz]

--In a Twitter message, Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, scored the tug of war as “Kids 1, insurance 0.”--

Was he wrong?
Seems we're on our way to kids having 0 insurance.

[DrJ]

to paraphrase O'Toole

That's "Toole" narciso -- John Kennedy Toole.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

PD - glad you are back. Hope you feel okay.

I guess this explains my 21% rate increase at the 6 month mark of my policy. I didn't think they could do that, since I have a contract. Of course I refuse to read the damn contract since it is about 1000 pages long.

[Old Lurker]

Mrs. L told me last night (she pays our bills) that oddly our BCBS bills, always for three months at a time, are now coming one month at a time.

Gee. That makes us feel secure...

[Pagar]

"since it is about 1000 pages long.".

Would anyone be surprised if they learned that Jane knows far more about what is in that policy than the average politician knows about the Obama fraud care bill that they voted to pass? Has any politician ever claimed to have read it?

[JM Hanes]

In case nobody else has posted it, I got a real charge out of Gangsta Government Rap.

Among other encouraging signs, the polls are looking good in the Gubernatorial Races:

On the basis of current polling, Republicans stand to gain roughly a dozen governorships, and possibly more. Right now, 26 of the nations governors are Democrats and 24 are Republicans. Our trend estimates based on public polls in the 37 states holding elections for governor this year show Republicans on the verge of gaining at least 11 seats.

I've been pushing the importance of Governors and State Legislatures for a long time now, and this looks like the best news out there to me. A Republican majority in the House may be able to nibble around the edges of sundry legislative travesties. but things like repealing Obamacare will not be simple in the best of circumstances.

Governors and states are really the only ones with the clout to take on the Feds directly and push back decisively. Washington politics are seductive, but from a genuinely conservative perspective, we should be looking to the states for salvation in any case. Arizona has done more to set the stage for border security than any confab in DC. It's state Attorneys General who have standing to challenge DC in court. Etc. & &. Redistricting would be a plus too, if I weren't so anti-gerrymandering, no matter who's doing it.

[MikeS]

The size and complexity of ObamaCare offered many ways to take political cover when it was passed. Supporters would confuse and obfuscate. They claimed it created lower cost health care for all people. They claimed it would reduce the deficit and create jobs, etc..

That same kind of political cover remains for those who will resist repeal of ObamaCare.
Opponents of repeal will claim that evil, greedy, special interests are behind repeal, and those special interests don't care if repeal hurts the chilruns and the po folks.

A more limited repeal aimed first at just ObamaCare's mandated insurance purchases would neutralize many of ObamaCare supporter's arguments. Mandates are more easily understood, and probably the most hated part of the legislation. On top of that, without the mandates ObamaCare would be crippled.

[Ignatz]

--Of course I refuse to read the damn contract since it is about 1000 pages long.--

Jane for Congress!!
You had to sign the contract to find out what's in it. :)

[glasater]

Last month my health insurance went up the best part of twenty per cent and I have a pretty healthy deductible--which really doesn't mean anything but still....
My better half's Medicare part D went up exponentially and he's not happy about either ticket item increase.

I don't believe we're alone in thinking sticker shock and the light must be dawning in millions of americans minds as these bills come rolling in.

A small ray of light in this link:

US Sen. Roberts wants hearing to examine whether health care reform is increasing premiums

[Clarice]

Jesse Jackson Jr

Chicago Sun Times:

"U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) said Tuesday he is “deeply sorry” for having “disappointed some supporters” regarding his relationship with a female “social acquaintance.”

But the congressman vowed to stay in office in the wake of a Chicago Sun-Times report that a major political fund-raiser has told federal authorities that Jackson directed him to offer former Gov. Rod Blagojevich millions of dollars in campaign cash in return for an appointment for Jackson to the U.S. Senate, to succeed President Obama.

The allegation by Oak Brook businessman Raghuveer Nayak regarding fund-raising runs counter to public statements Jackson has made as recently as last week that he never authorized any deal to attempt to trade campaign cash for the Senate appointment, which ultimately went not to Jackson but to Sen. Roland Burris.

“The allegations about fund-raising and the Senate seat are not new,” SNIP

“The very idea of raising millions of dollars for a campaign other than my own is preposterous,” Jackson’s statement said. “My interest in the Senate seat was based on years of public service, which I am proud of, not some improper scheme with anyone.” SNIP Sources said Nayak also told authorities that Jackson asked him to pay to fly a Washington, D.C., restaurant hostess named Giovana Huidobro — described as a “social acquaintance” of the Democratic congressman — to Chicago to visit him. Nayak did so twice, according to the sources.

Jackson didn’t address Nayak’s allegation involving payment for those flights, which could raise ethical questions under the U.S. House of Representatives’ gift ban act.

But Jackson acknowledged knowing Huidobro and that the relationship was something he an his wife, Ald. Sandi Jackson, have had to deal with."

[JM Hanes]

Here's a stroll down memory lane, on passing Obamacare, for the folks who have been calling John Boehner a squish. It's all good, but the first 3:45 minutes are among his most memorable.

Of course, he had me at this earlier exchange with Henry Waxman, when he took to the floor for a walk through the 300 page Manager's Amendment to the Cap 'N Trade bill. He ended up speaking for an hour, which you can find in 10 minute clips on YouTube, in case you need to persuade anyone just how lethal a bullet we dodged, when Cap & Trade died in the Senate. Hopefully, it will stay dead after November.

[tommy mc donnell]

don't you think their plan was to destroy private enterprise in the first place? when the price of insurance goes up they with the aid of american tass will blame the evil insurance companies. everyone on the dole will be condemming the evil insurance companies and call for their abolition.

[centralcal]

Politico is touting Michelle Obama's plans to go on the campaign trail. Interesting the candidates she is gonna try and help (with her roaring popularity):

Michelle Obama will be hitting the campaign trail across the country for Democrats in October, with eight fundraisers and a campaign event planned. Here’s what’s scheduled, according to her office:

On Oct. 13, the first lady will visit Milwaukee to attend a fundraiser for Sen. Russ Feingold. Then she’ll go to Chicago for an event for Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias and a separate DCCC fundraiser for Reps. Debbie Halvorson, Bill Foster and candidate Dan Seals.

On Oct. 14, she’ll stop by Denver to stump for Sen. Michael Bennet.

On Oct. 18, Obama will head up to New York for a DNC fundraising dinner for the Women’s Leadership Forum.

On Oct. 25, she’ll do two fundraising events: One in Seattle for Sen. Patty Murray and a DCCC event for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

On Oct. 26, Obama will stop attend another DNC fundraising dinner for the Women’s Leadership Forum in Los Angeles. And on Oct. 27, she’ll headline a fundraising event for Sen. Barbara Boxer there.

For a few of these (maybe more), it may take something more than Michelle Antoinette to help them.

[Frau Krankenkasse]

"Confederacy of Dunces" = New Dem Logo

[Danube of Thought]

I can imagine only very few things that would delight me more than a federal criminal indictment of Jesse Jackson Jr. (One of those few things would of course be a federal criminal indictment of Jesse Jackson Sr.$

[Frau Krankenkasse]

Things are going "as planned."
Remember, Barry told a few select groups that he favored single payer.

Of course, it's the insurance industry that must die in order to cure the problem.

[Old Lurker]

Glasater "...light must be dawning in millions..."

Unless of course those are incandescent lights.

[Danube of Thought]

Unless this thing is repealed or ruled unconstitutional, single-payer is inevitable, as it was intended to be all along.

[Jane]

I predict that every candidate Michelle Antoinette stumps for, loses.

Same with her hubby come to think of it.

[Clarice]

Feingold ran away when Obama came to Wisconsin.

[Rick Ballard]

Perhaps that's why they're sending Michelle? Nobody escapes the Big Caboose.

[Porchlight]

I think they're sending Michelle because Michelle insists on going. Nobody gets to tell FLOTUS where she's not wanted.

[Clarice]

I think they're sending her because it's all they have left. And it's not going to help them.

[MayBee]

ABC says she's doing fundraisers, not rallies. That makes sense.

[Jane]

Larry Summers is stepping down

[Neo]

Democrats Reid, Prior and Lincoln voted against ending the filibuster
Murkowski did not vote

[matt]

Obama truly has demonstrated his utter moronity with his statement on Mexico and Mexicans.....so first Rohmer, then Summers....and the markets are not reacting well to further pump priming by the Fed....We're in the best of hands...

[Sue]

Whoa...Feingold down by double digits. November can't come fast enough for me.

[Sue]

If November is as sweet as we are hoping, I want everyone to stand up at an allotted time and scream towards Washington...CAN YOU HEAR US NOW? I stole that last line from over at Hot Air, for the record.

[sylvia]

"Blue Cross/Shield and other minimal coverage insurance plan premiums skyrocket 20-40% "

So predictable. The corporate propaganda machine is churning out the proganda again. Insurance premiums have been rising, probably 20%- 40% per year, for probably about the last ten years already, BEFORE any hint of Obamacare. What's different?

The main reason for that is that the insurance industry lost big in the investment game, gambling it did with your money, and had to raise premiums to make up for their losses.

And to deny coverge for pre-existing childern with a slipepery dodge is disgusting.

As someone posted here before, children are a smaller percent of the population to beign with, children are generally pretty, healthy comprared to the old folks, and the percent of preexisting condition children without coverage is smaller still. So probably a very very small percent of overall costs to cover this small group of vulnerable children.

And the insurance companies are dodging even that? Disgusting. Insurance companies are mafia lite, just like some in the banking industry. Good work if you can get though, I guess. But too bad for the rest of us.

[sylvia]

And no Tom, it is NOT reality. There is no inevitability of this. We need to make LAWS to stop this vile behavior and pilfering by insurance compnies. Then it won't be the reality any more. Simple.

[Melinda Romanoff]

We need more Yoda, and less...

[Rick Ballard]

Sue,

That PPP poll showing Johnson up by 11 over Feingold has rather peculiar sample demographics. I don't doubt that Johnson is up by at least 7 but the PPP sample skews 'old Republican'. If turnout for the general matches that skew then the Reps will take the Senate.

I would note that PPP is not skewing California in the same manner at all. I can't come up with a rationale for the degree of difference.

[JM Hanes]

"We need to make LAWS to stop this vile behavior and pilfering by insurance compnies."

What? Two thousand pages weren't enough for you?

[sylvia]

Obviously it wasn't enough.

[JM Hanes]

Rick:

I don't know if it's relevant to the question, and you probably already know this, but I think they are basing their demographics on the split between McCain & Obama in different states, and then doing some additional state-based tweaking.

[Buford Gooch]

It's good to see Sylvia back to her totally uninformed maundering

[Clarice]

I think PPP knows hat I plan to salt the road from Chicago to Milwaukee with thumb tacks on election day.

[NK]

Sylvia-- I'll hazard a response. We can debate Single Payer versus private insurance, I for one welcome that debate. BUT, the country never had that debate, because that's the last thing the Dems wanted, because they knew they'd lose. Instead, they engaged in lies and deception in order to pass 2000 page bills, and then they are shocked that insurance companies respond to the new law, and then try to blame the insurers and their customers. I really don't mind socialists like you, we can debate and disagree. I detest lying scheming fascist politicians who seek to expand their personal power at the taxpayers' expense. At the moment, virtually all Dems in Congress and the Obama Admin are that that type of politician, so I detest them, and do everything I can to lawfully take power away from them. Cheers

[Old Lurker]

Oh NK...you bit.

DFTT

[Rick Ballard]

JMH,

Wisconsin split 56/42 for Obama. The current poll splits 48/48, under weights 18-29 and over weights 65+. The model may be correct based upon adjustments for enthusiasm. The 65+ cohort is very reliable for midterms and the 18-29 cohort is unreliable (unless whipped to a froth). I get the rationale for Wisconsin but I can't fit Boxer +8 and Feingold -11 in the same package. It may be that the Boxer/Brown poll is just an outlier. The rest of the Senate polling for the past few days is reasonably consistent.

[daddy]

Anecdotal talk radio stuff:

Fagan just started off saying that a good friend, local Pollster Dave Ditman, was at Lisa's Headquarters when she lost the election. Ditman I have listened to plenty in the past and I trust and respect him.

Fagan said that Ditman said that a Nationally known lefty female correspondent for the big networks (who we would all know but who Ditman doesn't want to identify) came up to him and said "Dave did you see this coming?"

"He said "No, I really didn't, I'm as surprised as you are."

And he said her response was "If only we had known it was going to be anywhere even close to Lisa losing, we could have done something to prevent this."

Again, all second hand hearsay, but they won't make that mistake again now that Lisa's back in the contest. Breaking story today is that Miller took Farm subsidies in the 1990's for his farm in Kansas.

[Extraneus]

Do we have pics of Huidobro yet? (JJJr's aquaintance.)

[Rick Ballard]

Ex,

Check 'Equipment Rental' on Craig's List.

[Ranger]

Do we have pics of Huidobro yet? (JJJr's aquaintance.)

Posted by: Extraneus | September 21, 2010 at 06:28 PM

WLS radio said they found pics of a model with the same name and a "strong resemblance" on a peruvian web site.

[Mike Huggins]

Oh boy, Look who the Slimes is foisting on us, once again: My Op-Ed Moment Series, 'What I Didn’t Find in Africa'
(cue "Frontline" music) Former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV recounted the story behind his Op-Ed from June 2003.

Oh, please, Tom. You must!

[narciso]

THey had what was assumed to be her picture up on Ace, earlier

[bgates]

Do we have pics of Huidobro yet?

Here, and that's the last time I'm getting you cheesecake pics.

(Bonus Conspiracy-Mongering: that link is to "cincouno.com", "cinco uno" being of course Spanish for "5 1". A connection to the Park 51 project?)

[daddy]

About Jimmy Carter humbly saying he is a more superior ex-President than anyone else in history;

I just want to humbly say that my criticism of Jimmy Carter for saying he is superior is way the heck more superior than any other JOMer's criticism of Jimmy Carter because I got more humbleness in my little finger than you guys got in your whole frickin' body; ergo I'm superior.

But at least I'm damn humble about being superior-- just like Jimmy Carter.

[Extraneus]

Thanks, guys. :-)

[Rob Crawford]

Ya know, I have to agree with Carter. The country is much better off with him as an ex-president.

Now, if we could only get rid of his "multiplicity" clone.

[hit and run]

children are generally pretty, healthy comprared to the old folks

Eats,shoots and leaves.

And no Tom, it is NOT reality.

Really,just because TM won't return your email (even though we know [because you told us] you are the type of person others spill their guts too),that's no reason to get all snippy and yell at him. Sheesh.

[PD]

OT: Odd mention of Tea Party

[maryrose]

No wonder Carter had only one term-his arrogance reminds me of Obama. Bill Maher loves Carter as he said on Hardball. Matthews also was doing damage control with the African-American woman who was disappointed in Obama and said so at his now ludricous forum. I can imagine the phone call from Gibbs to Matthews-"Get that woman on your program stat!"

[Danube of Thought]

Is there any chance that the costs of the things against which the companies insure have skyrocketed? Just a chance? Is there any evidence that their profit margins exceed 5 or 6%?

[Danube of Thought]

"Long before America was even an idea, this land of plenty was home to many peoples. The British and French, the Dutch and Spanish, to Mexicans, to countless Indian tribes. We all shared the same land," President Obama told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

OK, you tell me: is this man an ignoramus, or is he not?

[MayBee]

DoT-I think he got that quote from Winston Churchill, via Andrew Sullivan's blog.

[Jay]

President Obama told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Realty 2, Obama 0

He is a total embarrassment.

[Rick Ballard]

It's a simple mistranslation from the original Austrian.

DoT,

I believe MarkO's observation be more accurate.

[Queen Isabella]

After Christopher Columbus returned from the expedition I sent him on to discover the new world, he told me about these Mexicans. He even taught me their language, Spanish. I quite liked it.

[caro]

Sue, that was my sign at the DC march,Can you hear us now?

But this was my favorite that we saw

[Clarice]

He is, DoT, and I expect I'm starting to look really smart to all those of my over educated neighbors that I chided abut their support for him before the election.

[matt]

the only problem with winning in November is, well, winning in November. Our government is going to be hit with an economic S#*tstorm in the next year and somebody better have a plan and a clue.

The up side is that the Repubs may be able to check the Obamagenda, but someone is going to have to restore calm in the markets; prime the manufacturing pump, create jobs, and reduce the deficit while having all the monkeys in the MSM zoo throwing merde at them every step of the way.

The Left is going to use any and all national trials as clubs against the Tea party and repubs if they win, and they had better be ready for it,

We can already see that smilin' scumbag WJ Clinton teeing off in his good ole boy, aw shucks way, and you can bet it's just going to go downhill from there.

If there is anyone media savvy within the Tea Party they should be portraying this as the crooks, liars, cheats (gotcha Jesse Jr.) and leftists versus common sense, apple pie and the American Dream.

A Youtube video comparing Crazy Nancy, Jesse Jr, Rangel, Frank, Dodd, Maxine, Franken and Harry to our American heroes who actually accomplished something with the caption "Is this the best we can do?" might be sufficient this year.

[Hernando Cortes]

President Obama. You use the words "Sharing the land". I do not think it means what you think it means.

[Captain Hate]

Ya know, I have to agree with Carter. The country is much better off with him as an ex-president.

Speaking of Dhimmi Earl, am I the only person that finds the voice that he (and Clenis to some extent) now has annoying as hell? Both of those codger hicks sound like they're talking in baby talk. Don't get me wrong, I come from Southern stock so I'm not poking fun while lacking an appreciation for a rich southern accent. I had an uncle who talked that way (Mother Hate's brother; complete POS) so maybe it's guilt by association.

Mark Levin's now talking about how Dingle's seat is in jeopardy. Please God; I don't ask for much....

[Extraneus]

I would think plucking some corrupt Democrats, one by one, like roaches in a Raid commercial, and hauling them before the American people will help keep the focus where it belongs through 2012. Getting some strategic villains before a House hearing or two. Holder on vote fraud. Some of the Inspectors General on stimulus and other fraud. Maybe a few GE bond-holders and health insurance executives to explain the Mafia-like coercion.

Offense, not defense.

[sylvia]

To: Tom Maguire

"Really, just because TM won't return your email (even though we know [because you told us] you are the type of person others spill their guts too),that's no reason to get all snippy and yell at him. Sheesh."

Now see Tom Maguire, these are the types of posts you need to start deleting. Any posts that are personally abusive in nature do not belong here. Also and posts that threaten personal knowledge obtained sureptitiously, such as "we have your social security number", any threats to track you down you, or find out where you live "I am stopping near your home town" are stalking threats.

And Tom Maguire, you need to take them seriously. You make money off this blog and you need in turn to live up to your responsibilty to the people who support you. You canot just wash your hands of this.

You have to start deleting posts and banning commentors who threaten in a personal way. Obviously a lot of these names are fake, and if banned, they will just start posting under other names. But then you need to start deleting and banning those too, until the guy gets tired. It might not work completely but at least you should make an effort.

I don't know how else to make this clear to you Tom. If you don't take action, you are then a part of the problem.

[Danube of Thought]

So Rahm is gonna leave, and speculation must begin concerning his successor.

Is it to be David Rodham Gergen once more to the rescue?

[Captain Hate]

The Cat in the Hat? That should work well...

[Extraneus]

HotAir quotes a PPP poll of "conservatives" that gives Romney 18%, Gingrich 22% and Huckabee and Palin 21%.

We have a few conservatives here. Is anyone supporting Gingrich?

[PD]

And Tom Maguire, you need to take them seriously. You make money off this blog and you need in turn to live up to your responsibilty to the people who support you. You canot just wash your hands of this.

Sounds like "If I come here as an immigrant, you have an obligation to make me a citizen."

sylvia, you're here voluntarily, and you're free to leave. TM has no obligations toward you whatsoever. The very idea is fatuous.

[Stephanie]

hit, the ATL meetup is Oct 6. Contact me at StephanieGAATL at yahoo if you are interested.

We are also joining forces with a few folks over at PW who also post over here or at least lurk.

For anyone who's interested, we are playing golf that afternoon - before the event at Emory - at my club.

So far we have 6-8 anticipated attendees.

Let me know.

[Jane]

Shut up Sylvia. Leave if you don't like it. We won't even notice.

[Old Lurker]

See? Now that was really funny. Satire can work for you.

[Old Lurker]

I don't think so, Ext. But compared to Huckabee...

[centralcal]

I don't want sylvia to feel silly, or ignorant, or like her brain is fried or anything, but I post under a "fake" pseudonym. Watch out Tom Maguire, we are taking over your blog!

::eyeroll:: (trademark of another fake name - Sue)

[sylvia]

"Shut up Sylvia. Leave if you don't like it. We won't even notice."

Uh no. That is not how it works. The abused do not need to leave. The abusers need to leave, especially as stalking is illegal in this country. You as a "lawyer" should know that.

Tom Maguire has a legal responsibity to protect his patrons. There has already been legal precedents for this. If logic and good faith don't work, sometimes lawsuits do. And he has been adequately warned. Hopefully he will take action before it gets any worse.

[Old Lurker]

What??? C'Cal's not your real pseudonym? I feel so...cheated!

[sylvia]

". TM has no obligations toward you whatsoever. The very idea is fatuous."

Wrong. This blog is in effect a "public place". Any customer has the right to expect the patron to tke reasonable steps to protect their patrons from harassment in the estrablishment they direct. It is not the duty of the harassed patron to leave.

For the patron to neglect his duty opens him up to a lawsuit. There have already been sucessful lawsuits just like this about blogs. So Tom needs to take this seriously.

Why do you think all the major publishers have an "abuse" or "flag" tag next to each post? Because they know about their legal liability. They wouldn't put it there if there weren't any. And Tom needs to learn about his as well.

[PD]

If logic and good faith don't work, sometimes lawsuits do.

Based on that, I suggest that you stop complaining about people making threats.

[Captain Hate]

We have a few conservatives here. Is anyone supporting Gingrich?

bwak lollers. You're such a kidder, Ext.

[caro]

LOL,OL

[PD]

For the patron to neglect his duty opens him up to a lawsuit. There have already been sucessful lawsuits just like this about blogs. So Tom needs to take this seriously.

You do know that the easiest way for TM to prevent "abuse" of you would be to simply ban *you*?