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Obamacare's Advisory Board Could Be a Real Killer
Tweet Share on Facebook June 28, 2011 Comment (8)A critical part of President Barack Obama’s new healthcare initiative, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—commonly known as Obamacare—is the Independent Payment Advisory Board.
Composed of members to be appointed by the president without Senate confirmation, IPAB’s explicit purpose is to reduce the rate of growth in Medicare without affecting coverage or quality.
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Blagojevich, Trump Show Politics and Reality TV Don't Mix
Tweet Share on Facebook June 28, 2011 Comment (3)In a world where entertainment and politics are becoming too intimately aligned, there have been some hopeful signs of sense and justice besting the powerful strength of reality TV.
Donald Trump’s departure from the presidential race (if he was ever seriously considering a candidacy) was the first sign that Trump’s "brand," while profitable in bad TV, doesn’t translate to political power or popularity. And the conviction of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges deals another blow to bad-behavior-as-celebrity.
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Colorado Dems Hope to Follow New York's Gay Marriage Success
Tweet Share on Facebook June 28, 2011 Comment (19)Lakewood, COLO.—The gay marriage law that passed in New York late Friday night has its origins in Colorado politics—and Centennial State political implications for 2012. Colorado software entrepreneur and gay rights activist Tim Gill’s team was a major player in the effort, an effort that should continue in Colorado next year on both the state legislative and electoral fronts.
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The Media Will Soon Turn on Michele Bachmann
Tweet Share on Facebook June 27, 2011 Comment (22)The Des Moines Register poll showing Republican Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann in a tie for first place with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney among likely Iowa Caucus goers has turned the presidential race on its ear.
At least for the moment.
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Democrats Must Be Adults as GOP Redefines 'Tax Increase'
Tweet Share on Facebook June 27, 2011 Comment (5)OK, this isn’t exactly asking what the meaning of “is,” “is,” but it is close.
What is a tax increase? Is it letting a previous, temporary tax cut expire and go back to the earlier tax? Is it the “closing of a loophole” to remove a favorable tax break put in place for a specific industry? Is it the imposition of a fee or the increase in a fee? Is it really anything that results in an increase in revenue?
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Time to End the Wave of Campaign Pledges
Tweet Share on Facebook June 27, 2011 Comment (12)Here’s a pledge worth considering as election season heats up: no more pledges.
Presidential candidates for many cycles have been asked to "take the pledge" in New Hampshire, the site of the first primary. That pledge has been not to raise taxes, although it’s not always been kept.
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FDA Musn't Restrict Freedom to Use Avastin to Fight Breast Cancer
Tweet Share on Facebook June 25, 2011 Comment (14)The health debate in America is more about saving money than it is about saving lives. And, in case you were wondering, this is not a good thing.
There are a lot of people to blame for this—including politicians, trial layers, so-called “community” organizers and pressure groups, the media, and everyone who focuses on making healthcare "more affordable" rather than making it better—which is not always the same thing.
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Asking Voters for ID Is Not a Race Issue
Tweet Share on Facebook June 24, 2011 Comment (66)So I was sick last week and went to the emergency room, where I had to show ID before I was seen by a doctor; he thought it might be appendicitis and sent me for a CT scan. Again, I had to show ID before being scanned. (By the way, I’m fine, just a bad stomach bug.) As I think about it, over the last month I’ve had to show ID to rent a car, fly on a plane, and get a hotel room. I’ve been asked for ID at the grocery store in order to buy a six-pack of beer, at office buildings in Washington so I could get past the lobby security guard, and at the bank to get a cash withdrawal. We all know what a hassle it is to have your wallet stolen—it’s not that the canceling of the credit cards is so bad, it’s the losing of the ID that makes it a crisis. These days, you have to show your ID for just about everything.
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House Republicans Stop Pesky Food Safety Regulations
Tweet Share on Facebook June 23, 2011 Comment (16)Folks, it’s with great pleasure that I report more good news from the House of Representatives. I know, it’s hard to imagine the House getting any better, but a few days ago they did something that can only be described as delicious: They stopped the government from getting all mixed up in food safety.
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Sarah Palin Is Becoming the Paris Hilton of the GOP
Tweet Share on Facebook June 23, 2011 Comment (70)It seemed unremarkable, at first, that Sarah Palin would abandon her much-covered subsidized family vacation-slash-presidential exploratory tour halfway through. After all, that’s how she approached her commitment to the governorship.
Now, Palin tells us the real reason—she’s been called back to her home state for jury duty. And in true Palin form, the former half-term governor used the speculation about her abbreviated trip to slam the media (of which she was once a member).
