Stand In
Why Obama should make George W. Bush his Mideast envoy.
Wow! I don't think I could come with a stupider proposition on a bet. Why would someone think that this was a sane idea?
Why Obama should make George W. Bush his Mideast envoy.
Wow! I don't think I could come with a stupider proposition on a bet. Why would someone think that this was a sane idea?
But there is someone who does—someone who could use a job, someone who argued straightforwardly for a Palestinian state, and yet someone who has the implicit admiration and regard of Israel. President Obama needs a new envoy to the region who can get results—and George W. Bush is his man.
Of course, while Bush was in office, Isreal did all those things, but if he were a special Middle-east envoy, well sure, he could get them to stop.
Obama has ruffled feathers in Israel by calling for a halt to settlement growth and talking openly about an equitable fate for East Jerusalem, which both Israelis and Palestinians claim as their capital. He has elicited deeply felt unease about how much the American president can be trusted to safeguard Israel's basic security.
Why is it the American president's responsibility to safeguard Israel? Israel is 50 years old, shouldn't they be able to stand on their own two feet now? And maybe they wouldn't need so much protection from Uncle Sam if they weren't constantly building new settlements on other people's land, just saying.
But, as odd as it sounds, channeling Bush wouldn't be such a bad thing. To help get Israelis behind the new American president, it would behoove the White House to show more urgency on the Iranian threat—and to openly press Arab countries for their own concessions, such as more diplomatic relations with the Jewish state. Having collected political capital, it's time Obama began spending it.
Right, no need to spend political capital on health care, or fixing the economy, or repairing the nation's infrastructure. No, the top priority has to be getting Isrealis to like him. And this could be accomplished by sending the bumbling chimp as an envoy? Hey, Gregory Levey, stop writing. You've lost your having-your-viewpoint-heard privileges. Seriously, this is the stupidest idea I've heard since New Coke.
Sen. Paul Stanley, R-Germantown sent a letter of resignation to Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey this afternoon after allegations that a Clarksville man had tried to blackmail the senator with nude photos of an intern taken in Stanley’s Nashville apartment.
Earlier today, Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris told a Memphis TV station that Stanley should “do the right thing for his family’s sake and for the sake of his constituents” and step down so a new election for his seat can be held.Norris said in a statement released Tuesday that Republican leaders have been working behind the scenes for about a week to get Stanley to step down. Stanley told agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation that he had a sexual relationship with the intern, McKensie Morrison, a 22-year-old Austin Peay student from Dickson, but has declined to speak publicly about the matter. He may be doing an interview with a Memphis radio station within the hour.
Just another right wing family values creep gets exposed. Sex for him but not for thee. How long will it be until he starts quoting the Bible? Maybe he should email Mark Sanford for some spiritual advice. Unfortunately for him, Sanford already took the ever popular "God is on my side," line. I'm sure he'll find another.
Ooohh, That makes way more sense. Sorry Good Paul Stanley!They use these delicate, tiny, very talented celebrity starlets, they use Alaska as a fundraising tool for their anti-second amendment causes. Stand strong, and remind them patriots will protect our guaranteed, individual right to bear arms, and by the way, Hollywood needs to know, we eat, therefore we hunt.
Many Alaskans would face starvation if not allowed to shoot wolves from a helicopter!
but nothing, nothing could have succeeded without my right-hand man Kris Perry. She is the sharpest, boldest, hardest-working partner. Kris is my right-hand man and much success is due to Kris.
Oh, was I not supposed to mention that she's a man? Sorry Kris!
Population: 302 million
Life expectancy at birth: 78.1
Health spending as part of GDP: 15.3%
System type: Employer-employee based (54%) and government funding (46%). Government covers all older adults and the disabled (Medicare), the poor (Medicaid), veterans, government employees and Native Americans.
Coverage: 82% of people under 65; 100% of people 65 or over.
Average annual per-person spending:
Total: $6,402.
Breakdown: $2,884 by government; $2,676 for private insurance, with 52% paid by employers, 48% paid by employees; $842 by consumer out-of-pocket
Population: 61 million
Life expectancy at birth: 79
Health spending as part of GDP: 8.3%
System type: Tax-funded, government-run.
Coverage: Universal coverage. All citizens and legal residents.
Average annual per-person spending:
Total: $2,723.
Breakdown: $2,371 by government; $352 on supplemental private insurance, OTC drugs, direct payments to doctors.
Population: 127.7 million
Life expectancy at birth: 82.1
Health spending as part of GDP: 8%
System type: Universal coverage. Compulsory employer-employee financed national health insurance (52%); government-paid program for people over 70, the poor and small businesses.
Coverage: 100 % -- all citizens and legal residents.
Average annual per-person spending:
Total: $2,358
Breakdown: $1,927 by government; $71 on private insurance; $360 consumer out-of-pocket
Population: 61.7 million
Life expectancy at birth: 80.3
Health spending as part of GDP: 11.1%
System type: Universal coverage. Employment-based system, with supplemental private insurance.
Coverage: 100%
Average annual per-person spending:
Total: $3,374.
Breakdown: $2,693 by government, $448 on private insurance, $233 consumer out-of-pocket
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is bending on the pre-recess deadline for a health reform bill.
"The Republicans have asked for more time, and I don't think it's unreasonable," Reid said at a noon press conference.
You're Pathetic!
You must know that no matter how accommodating you are to the righties, they will still portray you like this:
While actually seeing you like this:
And you know what, they've got a point, you miserable little weiner.
Why don't you start acting like you lead the majority party and give us a fucking health care plan! You have a filibuster-proof majority and you still feel the need to kiss Republican ass at every turn, hoping that the redneck yahoos of Nevada won't be tto mad at you and you might get re-elected. well guess what? There's no point in getting elected if you're not going to do anything when you're in charge. Let someone else be the majority leader if you can't handle the pressure.
Hey Harry, Guess What?
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - The white police sergeant criticized by President Barack Obama for arresting black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his Massachusetts home is a police academy expert on racial profiling.
Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley has taught a class about racial profiling for five years at the Lowell Police Academy after being hand-picked for the job by former police Commissioner Ronny Watson, who is black, said Academy Director Thomas Fleming.
"I have nothing but the highest respect for him as a police officer. He is very professional and he is a good role model for the young recruits in the police academy," Fleming told The Associated Press on Thursday.