Republicans take Ted Kennedy’s seat

Republicans scored an historic victory overnight that put President Barack Obama’s agenda in jeopardy exactly a year after he took power – and which could kill his plans for healthcare reform.

A little-known Republican state legislator won Edward Kennedy’s old seat in the US Senate Read more

Shot or Not, Dead or Alive? Two Men’s Fate Lost in Chaos

A motionless body lay on the pavement. Perhaps 20 riled-up police officers milled around. On the shoulder of the road, an RTA bus was parked at a crazy angle, like a dislocated elbow. Nearby was a long white limousine, crashed into a pole.

What had we stumbled upon?

Then there were guns aimed at us, and my face was pushed against a wall. I heard lots of shouting and cursing. Read more

A health care plan so flawed even some Democrats have

From Salon.com

More than 1.5 million vets don’t have it, and 2,200 vets die every year because of it

It’s Veterans Day, and members of both parties compete to show service members the most respect. How about passing health insurance reform?

Two Harvard researchers chose today to release a study showing that 1.5 million American veterans have no health insurance, and more than 2,200 die every year Read more

America the jobless-Ron Paul wins, Timothy Geithner loses

From csmonitor.com

Frustration at how Washington has managed the ‘jobless recovery’ is turning some members of Capitol Hill against Treasury Secretary Timothy Gauthier – and in favor of a controversial measure by Rep. Ron Paul.

America is angry about the economy, and the biggest winners could just be Congress’s odd couple: Reps. Ron Paul (R) of Texas and Alan Grayson (D) of Florida… Mr. Paul, the far right former presidential candidate, and Mr. Grayson, the far left rabble-rouser who said the Republicans’ healthcare plan was for ill people to “die quickly,” are Congress’s two biggest critics of the Federal Reserve – [read more…]

By Mark Sappenfield |  Staff writer for www.csmonitor.com | Posted: 22  November  2009

Take Two Kickbacks

From motherjones.com

So your doctor says it’s time to consider that hip replacement. Trouble is, more than a dozen firms make artificial hips, and there’ve been plenty of recalls—no small inconvenience when the recalled product resides in your pelvis. So how do you know which implant—or arterial stent, or prosthetic knee joint—performs best? Can you trust your doctor’s judgment? We’ve been left jaded, after all, by the endless reports of drugmakers’ seducing physicians with golf and spa weekends, expensive gifts, and lucrative consulting contracts. Well, now that federal investigators have quietly turned their sights on the makers of medical devices—a $200 billion industry [read more…]

By Peter Stone | From motherjones.com | posted: 02 November 2009

Senate healthcare reform vote: ‘Now, the real debate can begin’

From The Christain Science Monitor

The Senate voted Saturday to open debate on its healthcare reform bill. But it was just the first of a series of difficult votes facing Democrats going forward.

Washington — With no Republican votes – and no votes to spare – Senate Democrats opened debate on historic overhaul of how the US healthcare system delivers services and how Americans pay for them. Read more

Grading the Public Options That Already Exist

Pundits and politicians from both sides of the fence have been hollering themselves blue about a potential public health care option. Instead of relying on private insurers, the government would insure people itself. The idea is that if a government-run option were offered to compete with private insurers, it could help keep pricing in check and ensure quality.

Two of the three health care reform bills in Congress have a public option. What might a public option look like in practice? One way to find out is to look at what’s already out there. Read more

Clinton: ‘We are winning’ Inside 42’s lunch with Senate Dems

From Politic.com

Former President Bill Clinton told a room full of Democratic senators Tuesday that passing health care reform — which he failed to do 15 years ago — is not only a moral issue but also “an economic imperative.”

Clinton argued that even “the most cold-hearted person” ought to support health care reform simply from an economic standpoint. He reminded Democrats of the political Read more

Catholic Bishops Call the Shots on Health Care Reform

From MotherJones.com

We now know that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which in the end run reports to Rome, was involved in the crafting and promotion of the Stupak Amendment, the provision that transformed a tepid health care victory for the Democrats into a serious loss for women’s reproductive rights. Hard as it is to believe, this sober conclave seems to have outstripped even the screaming fundamentalist Protestants in wielding influence over Congressional policymaking in this instance.

The Stupak Amendment was promulgated by a devout Catholic Democrat from Michigan, who is now being celebrated as a pro-life hero. [read more…]

By James Ridgeway | from motherjones.com | posted: 09 November 2009

Will ‘perfect storm’ of problems doom Black radio?

NEW YORK – - Activists and advocates recently failed to stop movement on a congressional bill related to the radio industry.… With Michigan Democrat John Conyers’ success bringing the legislation, “H.R. 848, The Performance Rights Act,” out of committee and a step closer to congressional vote, Black station owners and their defenders say the bill will help push the already struggling stations out of business.… Read more

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