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New York, 11:17 PM
Wed Dec 9
57 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of unclevanya unclevanya
    03:50 PM

    In reply to Naked Guy Wins GOP Nomination For Kennedy Seat
    So they're trying to win by giving us their version of John-John? I like the drop of of dry wit this holds -- 5 points to Slytherin.
     Reply
    unclevanya was starred unclevanya was unstarred
    Image of Btwbfdimho Btwbfdimho
    02:14 PM

    In reply to Naked Guy Wins GOP Nomination For Kennedy Seat
    In order to win, he'd rather show his Chapunpackurdick.
     Reply
    Btwbfdimho was starred Btwbfdimho was unstarred
    Image of rmric0.wedding.photographer.and.manny rmric0.wedding.photographer.and.manny
    02:00 PM

    In reply to Naked Guy Wins GOP Nomination For Kennedy Seat
    I'd laugh more about this but I'm still guffawing over how much money Steve Pagliuca paid to lose.
     Reply
    rmric0.wedding.photographer.and.manny was starred rmric0.wedding.photographer.and.manny was unstarred
    Image of Trai_Dep Trai_Dep
    12:59 PM

    In reply to Naked Guy Wins GOP Nomination For Kennedy Seat
    How convenient that Republicans are running candidates who are already mostly naked.
    Makes for MUCH more efficient launching of sordid-sex scandals when they inevitably erupt.
    I guess the #2 guys DO try harder!
     Reply
    Trai_Dep was starred Trai_Dep was unstarred
    Image of Lincolnsbeard33 Lincolnsbeard33
    01:46 PM

    @Trai_Dep: god I hate people who think only one party has sex scandels.

    Both parties are equally dirty when it comes to sex.
     Reply
    Trai_Dep promoted this comment Lincolnsbeard33 was starred Lincolnsbeard33 was unstarred
    Image of Trai_Dep Trai_Dep
    04:00 PM

    @Lincolnsbeard33: Except Dems aren't the finger-waggers trumpeting their superior moral values to Real 'Mericans.
    It's the hypocrisy that makes the lede, sluggo, not the activity.
     Reply
    Trai_Dep was starred Trai_Dep was unstarred
    Image of Lincolnsbeard33 Lincolnsbeard33
    04:29 PM

    @Trai_Dep: so you are saying one party is now more hypocritical then then the other.
     Reply
    Lincolnsbeard33 was starred Lincolnsbeard33 was unstarred
    Image of intime intime
    12:50 PM

    In reply to Health Care Compromise Reached: Public Option Not Really a Public Option Anymore
    2014??? Did I read that correctly???? Why do people have to wait until 2014 to get the federal subsidies for health insurance??? Arrrrrgggghhhh!

    Medicare for EVERYONE. That's the simplest and most sensible option. It's a public option that has already been proven to work and if it is also used to insure healthy young people it will make it possible for the govt. to up it's reimbursement schedule so that it actually covers the docs and hospitals expenses and they will stop their kevetching about how they aren't getting reimbursed enough to stay in business.

    Wow, did I do that in one sentence?

    It will be interesting to see how the House responds.
     Reply
    intime was starred intime was unstarred
    Image of intime intime
    12:43 PM

    In reply to Naked Guy Wins GOP Nomination For Kennedy Seat
    But is he a sex deviant like all good Republicans?
     Reply
    intime was starred intime was unstarred
    Image of BadUncle BadUncle
    12:50 PM

    @intime: His safeword is "Helen Gurley Brown."
     Reply
    BadUncle was starred BadUncle was unstarred
    Image of intime intime
    12:59 PM

    @BadUncle: Oh, you just cracked me up - thanks!
     Reply
    intime was starred intime was unstarred
    Image of BullfightsOnAcid BullfightsOnAcid
    12:59 PM

    @intime: His gag ball has the cover to 'Atlas Shrugged' on it.
     Reply
    BullfightsOnAcid was starred BullfightsOnAcid was unstarred
    Image of intime intime
    01:02 PM

    @BullfightsOnAcid: In that case he'll get a good whipping from me!
     Reply
    intime was starred intime was unstarred
    Image of Lymed Lymed
    01:04 PM

    @BullfightsOnAcid: at least he gets his condoms from Planned Parenthood.
     Reply
    Lymed was starred Lymed was unstarred
    Image of Beau Nerd Beau Nerd
    01:13 PM

    @Lymed: Actually he wears Aaron Schock as a condom, but I don't know why he bothers, what with all the oil-based lubricant sliming up the GOP.
     Reply
    Beau Nerd was starred Beau Nerd was unstarred
    Image of Lymed Lymed
    11:21 AM

    In reply to Health Care Compromise Reached: Public Option Not Really a Public Option Anymore
    Wasn't a major point of the exchanges and the public option to have one large pool that includes younger, healthier people that are a lower cost? People age 55-64 are an extremely expensive group to insure. It doesn't make sense from an actuarial standpoint to separate them.
     Reply
    Lymed was starred Lymed was unstarred
    Image of Six and a Quarter Six and a Quarter
    11:36 AM

    @Lymed: I thought about that too, but perhaps they're trying to address the rapidly increasing number of people who are falling into that older age group. Since the elderly and the young make up the largest groups of the uninsured, and since the elderly are typically the greatest users of health care, it seems like working on creating the greatest number of benefits for both groups would make the most sense.
     Reply
    Lymed approved this comment Six and a Quarter was starred Six and a Quarter was unstarred
    Image of Lymed Lymed
    11:43 AM

    @Six and a Quarter: Yes, but the cost of those benefits will be astronomical. And if it is hoped to be a first step to expand Medicare, then I think the fact that the costs will be so high for this group will prevent a further expansion.
     Reply
    Lymed was starred Lymed was unstarred
    Image of Six and a Quarter Six and a Quarter
    11:50 AM

    @Lymed: I agree, but am cautiously optimistic that when they are meting out the technical details for implementing these changes, that they'll have figured out a way to adequately finance it all. CHIP seems to be doing pretty well (although it is an imperfect program it does further the goal of providing children with health care), which might be a good indicator of the level of success this expansion program could hope to achieve.
     Reply
    Six and a Quarter was starred Six and a Quarter was unstarred
    Image of Lymed Lymed
    11:57 AM

    @Six and a Quarter: But it shouldn't just be about finding the financing. What about the people age 55-64 who will never qualify for a subsidy? They will be stuck paying the high premiums. Compared to other options on the table, I'm not impressed by allowing this group to buy into Medicare without a public option for younger adults.
     Reply
    Lymed was starred Lymed was unstarred
    Image of Six and a Quarter Six and a Quarter
    12:26 PM

    @Lymed: I get what you're saying, and my support of this plan is definitely measured.

    I focus on the financing because that is a huge factor in the whole process. Not to keep harping on CHIP, but the program was in threat of going bankrupt before Obama approved its expansion and refinancing back in February. If that had happened, even more children would be uninsured. We have to consider that these bills, once implemented, will require future reauthorization for their continuation. If there is any hope of a Republican run government continuing the measures taken by this government in the future, a show of financial success and health will help the cause.

    Filling in the cracks so that the truly needy and worthy don't slip through and addressing the needs of even greater segments of our population is an admirable goal and hopefully the next step. I'm not advocating for throwing more money at failing programs, or for ignoring the truly disenfranchised. But I'm also not for reinventing the wheel when something that has been tested over time has endured.

    I've personally watched as laws meant to help revise entire benefit systems end up crippling them in the name of serving the public good. This is too important an issue to have that happen.
     Reply
    Six and a Quarter was starred Six and a Quarter was unstarred
    Image of intime intime
    12:56 PM

    @Six and a Quarter: Hey, people 55-64 are not "elderly!"

    A big reason the Senate Democrats want to include the 55-64 age group into Medicare is to get their foot in the door to eventually cover everyone with Medicare.

    The second reason is that lots of people 55-64 are getting laid off in this recession and are unable to find new employment - and when/if they do they have difficulty getting insured because of "pre-existing conditions." Obviously when you've been alive 55+ years you've had ample opportunity to gain some "conditions." Also, some employers discriminate against older people because they are fearful their health insurance will cost them more than younger people's insurance.

    Putting the 55-64 age group on Medicare will encourage employers to hire them and will help those who are unable to find full-time employment with health insurance.

    Also, it will probably allow many in that group who'd like to retire from full-time employment but couldn't afford health insurance to do so - and this will free up jobs for young people.

    I see this as a win-win for the older vs. younger worker.
     Reply
    intime was starred intime was unstarred
    Image of Lymed Lymed
    12:57 PM

    @Six and a Quarter: The difference between this and CHIP is that CHIP is heavily subsidized. Even if a family has to pay a premium, it is discounted. Even for those higher income children for whom they may have to pay the actual cost or close to the cost, the cost of insuring children is much much lower than the cost of ensuring somebody age 55-64.

    I'm not talking about the government costs. I'm talking about the actual premium cost to the individual.
     Reply
    Lymed was starred Lymed was unstarred
    Image of Lymed Lymed
    01:01 PM

    @intime: The health bills will get rid of pre-existing condition exclusions, so that won't be a worry anymore.

    When Medicare was first passed, it was expected to be expanded to cover everybody. How many decades has it now been? I have absolutely no faith that covering age 55-64 under Medicare would be a first step to covering everybody under Medicare.
     Reply
    Edited by Lymed at 12/09/09 1:02 PM Lymed was starred Lymed was unstarred
    Image of intime intime
    01:03 PM

    @Lymed: I do. But it may take another 40 years before it happens. *sigh*
     Reply
    intime was starred intime was unstarred
    Image of eatsshootsleaves eatsshootsleaves
    05:17 PM

    @Lymed: I thought so to, but the Congressional Budget Office disagrees:

    [voices.washingtonpost.com]
     Reply
    eatsshootsleaves was starred eatsshootsleaves was unstarred
    Image of Lymed Lymed
    05:24 PM

    @eatsshootsleaves: I was talking about 55-64 compared to people 18-54, not to people already in Medicare. This group will be healthier than the current cohort in Medicare. And if they get coverage and start taking care of conditions now, they will be less expensive down the line in Medicare. So I can see how Medicare would save money. But I still think the premium will be more expensive than if there was a public plan opened to all ages.
     Reply
    Lymed was starred Lymed was unstarred
    Image of Jim Topoleski Jim Topoleski
    11:05 AM

    In reply to Health Care Compromise Reached: Public Option Not Really a Public Option Anymore
    Its not great, but this is what HuffPost has gotten out of Senators

    --Medicare expansion 55-64

    --Public option with a trigger ("Insurance companies will have the option of creating nationally-based non-profit insurance plans that would offered on the exchanges in every state." If the insurance don't offer such plans it will trigger a national public option.)

    --Health care exchanges

    --Extend a verson of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan to all (what Congress has)

    --Program that would create several national insurance policies administered by private companies but negotiated by the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees health policies for federal workers

    --Medicaid expansion to 133% of poverty (insuring about 18 million people who DON'T have insurance now)

    --Private insurance companies required to spend at least 90 cents of every dollar they collect in premiums on medical services for their customers.

    --Subsidies for middle class and lower class families to pay for insurance."
     Reply
    Jim Topoleski was starred Jim Topoleski was unstarred
    Image of Helio Helio
    11:11 AM

    @Jim Topoleski: "Private insurance companies required to spend at least 90 cents of every dollar they collect in premiums on medical services for their customers."

    How the hell did they get that? It seemed not long ago that JD Rockefeller was struggling to get 85%. If they can enforce this one, I'll be a happy camper.
     Reply
    Helio was starred Helio was unstarred
    Image of Lymed Lymed
    11:18 AM

    @Helio: Isn't the figure of what is actually spent on medical services about 70% of premiums collected? They will have to offer more comprehensive plans because it will be the only way they can get enough profit.
     Reply
    Lymed was starred Lymed was unstarred
    Image of Helio Helio
    11:23 AM

    @Lymed: I believe that's for plans that have smaller pools of people (the correct terminology is escaping me at the moment). The average pay out, for individual, small/large group plans, is ~85%.
     Reply
    Helio was starred Helio was unstarred
    Image of AmbiguouslyUbiquitous AmbiguouslyUbiquitous
    12:25 PM

    @Lymed: They can do that, OR they can continue to raise premiums even more so they don't have to take a cut from their profits.

    I vote that they'll go with the second option.
     Reply
    Lymed approved this comment AmbiguouslyUbiquitous was starred AmbiguouslyUbiquitous was unstarred
    Image of Lymed Lymed
    01:09 PM

    @AmbiguouslyUbiquitous: But if they have to spend 90% of the premium collected on medical services, then if they raise premiums they also have to increase benefits. So people will have to be on more comprehensive plans.
     Reply
    Lymed was starred Lymed was unstarred
    Image of Trai_Dep Trai_Dep
    12/08/09

    In reply to In Defense of Throwing Tomatoes at Sarah Palin
    One key point missed in all the veggie chucking is that it's traditionally something done by everyday people to (economic) Royalists.
    "Just Plain Folks" don't get pelted by produce: the overly privileged divorced from the lives of the everyday do.
    THAT is why it strikes such a chord: it resonates the truth.
     Reply
    Trai_Dep was starred Trai_Dep was unstarred
    Image of Steverino Begins Steverino Begins
    12/08/09

    In reply to Presenting the Worst Health Care Issue Spot, Ever: 'I Guess I'm a Racist'
    You can tell the black guy at the end just absolutely despises himself for participating in this.
     Reply
    Steverino Begins was starred Steverino Begins was unstarred
    Image of Rozelle’s Bagman Rozelle’s Bagman
    12/08/09

    In reply to In Defense of Throwing Tomatoes at Sarah Palin
    You all are American unsophisticates: food throwing (esp. eggs) has a special place in European electioneering.

    [www.rferl.org]

    So don't dignify the idiot by throwing food at her.
     Reply
    Rozelle’s Bagman was starred Rozelle’s Bagman was unstarred
    Image of Novaload Novaload
    12/08/09

    In reply to In Defense of Throwing Tomatoes at Sarah Palin
    Well, sure. So long as you have the same fun and games spirit when the veggies and eggs start flying in Obama's direction.
     Reply
    Novaload was starred Novaload was unstarred
    Image of fuckingoldman fuckingoldman
    12/08/09

    @Novaload: Palin is too easy, she really is a fool. I wonder how commenters would react if Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, Charles Rangel or Barney Frank got pelted. Maybe everybody who disagrees with a politician should just start throwing food at them? I'm down with that.
     Reply
    fuckingoldman was starred fuckingoldman was unstarred
    Image of Novaload Novaload
    12/08/09

    @fuckingoldman: I'm first in line for Pelosi.
     Reply
    Novaload was starred Novaload was unstarred
    Image of fuckingoldman fuckingoldman
    12/08/09

    @Novaload: Oky, you can have Pelosi, but can I have Rangel?
     Reply
    Edited by fuckingoldman at 12/08/09 12:35 PM fuckingoldman was starred fuckingoldman was unstarred
    Image of Lysergic Asset Lysergic Asset
    12/08/09

    @Novaload: Bring on the veggies and eggs. It's the bullets that concern me.
     Reply
    Lysergic Asset was starred Lysergic Asset was unstarred
    Image of Novaload Novaload
    12/08/09

    @Lysergic Asset: Water balloons, anyone?
     Reply
    Novaload was starred Novaload was unstarred
    Image of gawkimo gawkimo
    12/08/09

    In reply to In Defense of Throwing Tomatoes at Sarah Palin
    In Defense of Throwing Tomatoes at Sarah Palin? How about: In Defense of Nominating Sarah Palin as the GOP Presidential Candidate! That would be a win-win, because she would most likely lose, but if she didn't America would deserve her as president.
     Reply
    gawkimo was starred gawkimo was unstarred
    Image of Mediahohoho Mediahohoho
    12/08/09

    In reply to In Defense of Throwing Tomatoes at Sarah Palin
    Let's not forget that George HW Bush threw food on the Prime Minister of Japan. After it had sat in his stomach for a while.
     Reply
    Mediahohoho was starred Mediahohoho was unstarred
    Image of fuckingoldman fuckingoldman
    12/08/09

    @Mediahohoho: Let's not forget that Bill Clinton threw cum on Monica Lewinsky after it sat in his balls for a while.
     Reply
    fuckingoldman was starred fuckingoldman was unstarred
    Image of Lysergic Asset Lysergic Asset
    12/08/09

    @fuckingoldman: Eeeeeeeeew.
     Reply
    Lysergic Asset was starred Lysergic Asset was unstarred
    Image of fuckingoldman fuckingoldman
    12/08/09

    @Lysergic Asset: *smile*
     Reply
    fuckingoldman was starred fuckingoldman was unstarred
    Image of econdave econdave
    12/08/09

    In reply to In Defense of Throwing Tomatoes at Sarah Palin
    I don't know anything about John Ritchie, but if I hear "Say You, Say Me" one more time, I'm going to throw a tomato at Lionel Ritchie.
     Reply
    econdave was starred econdave was unstarred
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