Verbatim

Newsflash: Founders favored "government run health care"

By Greg Sargent

Forbes writer Rick Ungar is getting some attention for a piece arguing that history shows that John Adams supported a strong Federal role in health care. Ungar argues that Adams even championed an early measure utilizing the concept behind the individual mandate, which Tea Partyers say is unconstitutional.

I just ran this theory past a professor of history who specializes in the early republic, and he said there's actually something to it. Short version: There's no proof from the historical record that Adams would have backed the idea behind the individual mandate in particular. But it is fair to conclude, the professor says, that the founding generation supported the basic idea of government run health care, and the use of mandatory taxation to pay for it.

Here's the background. Ungar points out that in July of 1798, Congress passed "An Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seaman," which was signed by President Adams. That law authorized the creation of a government operated system of marine hospitals and mandated that laboring merchant marine sailors pay a tax to support it.

Read the whole story...

Quite a few Tea Party spokesheads have rather badly misused our Founders in their misdirected effort promoting one pet argument or another (witness Balloon Head Barbie's recent song and dance that even mainstream GOPers seemed to reject.)

While the Ungar piece and Sargent's follow-up perhaps aren't a complete debunk of the anti-healthcare reform argument, it certainly pokes holes. 

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Thanks to Valerie!

Even the intolerant can't always tolerate intolerance

What do you do when nobody loves you?

The oldest and grandest of American Good Old Boy's clubs seems to be a bit choosy with whom they hang.

Is there no longer any honor among thieves?

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My analysis

President Obama is still preaching hope and change... 

In the Republican response, Paul Ryan (R. Wisconsin) continued the danger Will Robinson, fear and change message that has been central to that party's line since 2008. 

Then, in the unauthorized Tea Party version, Michelle Bachman (R. Twilight Zone) sang a lovely rendition of Yes, we have no bananas. It was painfully obvious that whoever wrote her speech didn't allow for listening to the Obama speech.

Yep. Tonight certainly underlines our current State of the Union.

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Governor Goodhair sure has Helen stirred up

And well she should be. Every Texan should be stirred up. The crap this Governor has elevated to emergency status is beyond imagination. 

Texas is facing a $27 billion budget shortfall, the balancing of which will inevitably cripple public schools, post secondary education, the ability of nursing homes to care for the elderly, and even of the highway department's ability to repair roads. The first budget proposal calls for cutting 9,600 state jobs, and will undoubtably to the loss of thousands more due to collateral damage to private sector industries and support services.

But this is not an emergency, according to Rick Perry. He just kind of brushes it aside and gives another speech railing against Washington excesses. Goodhair pretends the true emergencies in Texas don't exist, and that he and his wingnut cronies are not responsible for anything.

But what does Goodhair call an emergency deserving of the full and undivided attention of our state legislature? ...a bill requiring every woman seeking an abortion to view a sonogram of the fetus.

Helen does not understand. Texas is crumbling around our ears and Goodhair is only concerned with social issues. Read Helen's commentary HERE first, and be sure to read the comments. There are some doozies. Then read HERE where Helen addresses one of those comments. 

Priceless.

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I'm certainly on board

Washington bipartisan group working to change status quo... moving forward.

No Labels hopes to steer political discussions back to the middle ground.

"It's a noble endeavor, but one whose success is certainly questionable," said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "Hyper-partisanship is cooked into American politics at this point. It has developed over the past three decades, and now it's the standard operating procedure for politicians."

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...about as much sense

With a tip of the hat to PZ, the following is offered. As PZ says, it is subtle and powerful... for those willing to see.



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We thought he was the last, best hope for mankind

Oh wait, wrong story line...

Oh well, even if the man has turned out to somewhat of a nutjob, at the the very least we can say he has done some of the best, most popular and influential films of modern times.

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