A big "Thank You" to the people voting in PA's primary

Thank you for showing Arlen Specter the door last night in you in the Pennsylvania primary. It was much deserved. After all, as he said so many times, he was only using the Democratic Party to get re-elected. And the Democratic Party only used him for the votes they could wring out of him.

Seems he failed to learn the lesson Joe Lieberman learned in 2006 - you only have friends in the Democratic Party if a) the Party wants something from you; and/or b) you can do something for the Party. If the Party doesn't think you can do anything for them, they abandon you. After all, Chris Dodd called Joe Lieberman his good friend on multiple occasions, but when the going got tough for Joe in the Democratic Party, Dodd ran away from him (as did the rest of the Party) as fast as he could. I guess Joe gets the last laugh now.

Where were all Arlen's good Democratic friends yesterday? Like President Obama, who promised his "full support" of Specter, was only a few miles away in another state and couldn't be bothered to do a little stumping for Arlen in PA? Heck, he couldn't even do a little stumping for Arlen while the press was covering him in Ohio. What about Arlen's good friend Joe Biden? Again, he was far away in Iowa, rather than the state in which he was born, PA, to stump for his good friend. http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100519/us_time/08599199018500 Really, with "friends" like these, you seriously need to question your choice of friends Arlen!

Well, I guess when you lie down with weasels, you can't expect them not to turn on you. After all. they are "very aggressive when [their] territory is invaded" and they tend to eat small rodents.
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/longtailedweasel.htm

In any case, so long Arlen, enjoy your retirement. I only wish that your retirement income wasn't placed so squarely upon the backs of hard-working, tax-paying American citizens.

A Blumenthal supporter no more.

I used to think Richard Blumenthal was a good, not great, but a good Attorney General. After today's New York Times story, in which it was revealed that Blumenthal on at least one occasion, claimed to have served in Vietnam during the war, when, in fact, he received numerous deferments and ultimately served in the Marine Reserve and did not even get close to Vietnam, I no longer have respect for the man.

According to the Times, in March, 2008, Blumenthal said: "We have learned something important since the days that I served in Vietnam”. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/nyregion/18blumenthal.html On other occasions he parsed his words in such a way that would mislead most of us into thinking that the fact that he "served during the Vietnam war" meant that he was in active duty and fought in the war itself. As far as I am concerned, it would not have mattered to me one way or the other if he had served in the war; however, it matters greatly to me that he would mislead people into believing he served and fought in the war.

He has lost my vote. I do not need yet another prevaricator in this particular Senate seat.

For more information see the following: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100518/pl_ynews/ynews_pl2113 and http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/nyregion/18blumenthal.html

Memo to Conan O'Brien: Stop your whining already!

Enough, Conan, really. This is all my opinion of what transpired and you can't change my mind or take action against me for stating my opinion.

I am so tired of listening to variations of "I would never do to anyone else what Jay did to me." Seriously? Really? You don't see the hypocrisy in saying that? You did what you claim Jay did to you (in reality, what NBC did to you), not once, but twice.

Let's see, the first time was back in 2004-2005, when, in my eyes, you stamped your little feet and threw a temper tantrum telling NBC that you would leave the network if you didn't get The Tonight Show, effectively forcing Jay out of The Tonight Show when he didn't want to go.

Then you took over The Tonight Show, lost half the viewers that Jay had, turned over the king of late night ratings title to David Letterman, king of inappropriate work-place conduct (again, in my opinion), and then were upset when NBC fired you and offered the job back to Jay, who promptly brought back all the viewers and was number one in the ratings again.

After that, not only did you force George Lopez out of his early time slot on TBS, you required that George call you and tell you he was okay with it (effectively making George beg, on behalf of TBS, for you to join the cable network). In my eyes, Jay did nothing wrong - NBC forced him out first (at your behest), and then earlier this year, NBC forced you out (due to losing half the audience and probably money), and then you forced George out of his earlier time slot.

I see only two bad guys here: You and NBC. And, as far as I am concerned, you aren't even funny (the best part of your show was Triumph, not you!).

So please, stop whining about Jay. Try to do a better job on your next show so that George (who is funnier than you are as far as I am concerned) didn't have to grovel in vain.

Truer words were never spoken

Thomas Jefferson was quite the radical in his day, but he seemed to know where our country was headed when he spoke these words:

"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases." ---Thomas Jefferson

It's time to stop the growth of government and return liberty to the people in accordance with our Constitution.

Great bumper sticker!

Walking into work today, I saw a great bumper sticker which merited repeating here. It said "Save America - Don't re-elect anyone". I love it.

In the more common vernacular, vote the bums out! No matter what party they are in, please, please vote out all the incumbents. They work for their political party and not the people and it's time to show them that we the voters are still their bosses and they report to us, not the other way around.

"it's the economy, stupid."

I'm not one who cares much for name-calling, but it seems I have to stoop to the level of the Democratic Party and speak to them in terms they can understand. After all, the phrase, "It's the economy, stupid", was coined by Democratic strategist James Carville during Bill Clinton's 1992 run for President. So, since Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats can't understand why Americans are so angry abut the Democrats having rammed this ill-conceived so-called health care bill down our collective throats, let's start with talking to her and the others in Carville-ese: "IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!"

We have too many people out of work to pay for this monstrosity of a bill. It does need to be repealed and replaced. And, Nancy, dear, since you have so much trouble understanding why Americans are so angry with you and your party, let's take a moment to stop and think. Did you even stop to listen to what the majority of Americans wanted? That's a rhetorical question, you don't need to answer, as the answer is a resounding NO! You didn't listen to the American electorate, and to quote from Network, "we're mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore."

Hopefully this will clear things up for the Democrats in language the party can understand and explain to them why so many in Congress will be seeking other employment in mid-November this year.

"Murphy Must Go"

I was heading to my car after work today when I saw a Kelly green bumper sticker saying "Murphy Must Go". Now that we no longer need the "Dump Dodd" bumper stickers and signs due to Dodd's falling on his proverbial sword at the behest of the Democratic Party, I must say, this is my favorite bumper sticker now. I presume of course, that it is referring to the so-called elected "representative" of the fifth Congressional District of Connecticut, Christopher Murphy. I say so-called, because he has made it clear that he is in office solely to represent the Democratic Party and himself, and not his constituents. So, yes, I agree whole-heartedly with the bumper sticker that reads "Murphy Must Go" and I applaud the person showing it off proudly.

Of the people, by the people and for the people. . . .

It seems that our Congress and President have forgotten the immortal words of our greatest President, Abraham Lincoln, who closed his Gettysburg Address with these immortal words: ". . . .that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

The folks in DC need to read those words until they are burned into their brains and their collective subconscious (I can't help but think of the Borg when looking at the Democratic Party lately) and note that it does not say that the government of the Democratic Party, by the Democratic Party, and for the Democratic Party shall not perish. For, indeed, if the Democratic Party rams this mess of a so-called health care reform bill down the throats of the American people, against their will, no less, ignoring the calls of the majority to begin again and do it right without trickery, pork and outright buying of votes, then the Democratic Party will be ousted from power, not only in 2010, but in 2012 as well.

Call Congress now - (202) 224-3121 - and register that you are displeased with this vote, especially if they do an end run around voting and "pass" it by the so-called "deem and pass" (or, should we call it what it is - a "demon pass") measure, which appears unconstitutional on its face.

And, finally, to quote one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security." I would paraphrase it to say "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary health care run by an inept government, deserve neither liberty or temporary, inept and limited health care."

What a mess Congress and the President have gotten us into again. . .

I tried to send the below comments to President Obama, but his website limits our freedoms of speech and to petition the government to 2500 characters or less - he must have missed that day in Constitutional Law class too. Below is my full and unedited letter to the President regarding the improper behavior going on in D.C. at this time over the health care bill.

This mess of a bill that you and members of Congress call health care reform is a failure. Congress (both houses) has made an absolute mess of the whole thing. As an attorney, I could easily write a bill that would take up less than 20 pages that would provide that
1) insurance companies not exclude for pre-existing conditions;
2) insurance companies do not decline coverage for their insureds;
3) health insurance be sold across state lines; and
4) the approximately 15 million American citizens without insurance who need insurance either get covered under an expanded Medicare system, or get approximately $10,000 credit with which to buy insurance.

Not only would my bill be shorter and sweeter, it would cost the overburdened American taxpayer, 20 million of whom are unemployed or underemployed (I fall into the latter category), much less.

For the first time in my life I am happy that I was unable to have children - because this mess of a bill you are trying to ram down the collective throats of the American people will not only be a burden to present generations, but to future generations as well.

Kindly advise me - what similar "model" has the government actually managed to run, if not at a profit, at a break even point? United States Postal Service - deficit; Medicare - deficit; Medicaid - deficit; Social Security - deficit - it would have a lot more money if Congress and the White House would not have raided the "lock box" that it was supposed to have been; Amtrack - deficit. Why in the world should I trust you, Congress and the bureaucracies you will undoubtedly set up to handle the most important aspect of my life - indeed matters that could affect whether I live or die - with this mess of a bill? And why in the world have Student Loan provisions been inserted into this bill?

Let me tell you, my vote can not be bought and paid for by some large amount money given to the State of Connecticut to spend on the UCONN Health Center. From the perspective of an Independent voter (and we make up more than half the voters in the state of Connecticut), too many votes appear to have been bought and paid for on this bill with pork to various states. Not only that, your delaying of your previously planned trips (whether I agree with whether such trips are even necessary is another issue) in order to stay here to "strong-arm" Congressmen and the American people has nothing more than the appearance of bullying. And I will not be bullied and you cannot bully me. Such behavior in order to garner the votes this failure of a bill needs is not only immoral, and unethical, but it is disgusting, and we will have our say in November at the polls if you and Congress insist on ramming this mess of a bill through against the will of the American people.

The high cost of health care

So many times I hear medical professionals rant about how the evil insurance industry and the evil legal profession raise the cost of health care, but the doctors take no blame for the high costs themselves when they greatly contribute to it. Case in point:

I haven't been blogging much because I had a ruptured disc. I went to my primary car physician's office around December 8 because of lower back pain that was cramping my muscles and running down my left leg (all classic signs,as I found out much later, of a herniated disc at L4-L5 and L5-S1). Since this muscle spasm (as I had been diagnosed), had been going on for a while, my primary care physician sent me to a physiatrist, supposedly the best around. For those who don't know, physiatrists are supposedly "rehabilitation physicians,... medical doctors who are:
Experts at diagnosing and treating pain
Restore maximum function lost through injury, illness or disabling conditions
Treat the whole person, not just the problem area
Lead a team of medical professionals
Provide non-surgical treatments
Explain your medical problems and treatment plan
Work not only on treatment but also prevention"
At least according to the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. http://www.aapmr.org/condtreat/what.htm

While being examined by this doctor, I had to listen to him go on and on about the book he was writing - perhaps if he paid more attention to my examination rather than his book writing, he would have noticed my drop toe - also a sign of the L-5 S-1 nerve being impinged as I later found out. Nope, he just sent me on my way for physical therapy without ordering an MRI.

During my second physical therapy session, the therapist noticed the dropped toe and was in a panic trying to reach said physiatrist (it was a Saturday). She knew it was a bad sign. My husband had to wait for over 4 hours to receive a prescription from said physiatrist. December 15, I was supposed to go for my third physical therapy session, but I had to call the office to tell them that I could not move - my back and legs had totally locked up. The nurse/receptionist said she could hear the pain in my voice and while the doctor was presently with someone, she would get him as soon as possible and get me some relief. Would you believe I never heard back from that doctor's office that day? I ended up spending 5 hours in the emergency room of the hospital that night in excruciating pain because this physiatrist, as I later found out, instead of calling me back or giving a nurse a prescription, left prescriptions for me on a nurse's desk after closing hours and everyone had gone home for the evening.

Meanwhile, I received my EOB (explanation of benefits) yesterday, and the hospital charged $1,201.00 for my visit in which a physician's assistant examined me, they took my temperature, they took a blood test and they gave me valium and percocet and the prescriptions my physiatrist should have given me. The hospital too, failed to perform an MRI, relying upo the physiatrist's treatment of me. So, because this physiatrist couldn't be bothered to get back to me, he cost me a full day of excruciating pain, loss of a day of work (as a consultant, I only get paid when I work) and cost the medical system $1,201.00 in unnecessary emergency room costs.

When I called the physiatrist's office the next morning to let them know what transpired, the nurse receptionist apologized to me and related the story of the prescriptions being left after the close of business. My husband and I demanded an MRI and the physiatrist's office said "We don't schedule those - patients do - here are some phone numbers." Funny thing is, all the phone numbers provided to my husband were WRONG numbers. My husband finally got through to one of the places and they asked for the prescription - what part of me the doctor wanted scanned. Well, apparently the physiatrist's office either doesn't do that or forgot. How helpful and yet another waste of time and money and energy.

By that time I was on the phone with my chiropractor, explained what was going on and within hours, thanks to my chiropractor and his office, I had an MRI scheduled, and within hours of the chiropractor seeing the MRI, I had an appointment the next day with the chief of neurosurgery of the local hospital my condition was so bad. I've since had to have spinal surgery and still walk with a limp.

So, in addition to an unnecessary emergency room visit, I ended up needing approximately $40,000 plus in surgery costs due to a doctor who was too busy writing a book to pay attention to a patient.

So, please, don't think that doctors are the "white knights" in the health care debate. There are some excellent ones (my chiropractor gets multiple gold stars for getting me the tests I needed, into the doctors I needed to see,and for his follow-up concern and care , but unfortunately, he is the rare doctor. Without my chiropractor, I would be in far worse shape than I am now, I am sure.). Too many doctors, due to a lack of care and concern, run up medical costs needlessly as well as cause their patients needless pain as well.

There is more to this story but this should suffice for now. Rest assured I will NEVER recommend this physiatrist to anyone. My chiropractor, however, will be getting more recommendations than he can possibly handle.

Just remember, doctors do needlessly run up health costs - do not believe them when they say that only the insurance industry and the legal profession are responsible for costs. I am living proof of a doctor causing unnecessary pain and costs.

NEWSFLASH: Dump Dodd has Succeeded!

According to CBS Early News this morning (4:00 am Eastern time), Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd (whom, as you may recall, during his latest term, changed his residency to IOWA, accepted sweetheart loans from Countrywide, among other things), is expected to announce today that he WILL NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION IN 2010! For some further information as it develops, check here: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-naw-senators-retire6-2010jan06,0,6882638.story

Apparently, he is badly trailing his numerous Republican opponenets, and I can only speculate that the Democratic Party had a hand in calling for his "retirement", something for which I have been calling for years.

I will believe it when I see it, but this certainly buouys my spirits.

Now, if only political parties would focus on choosing candidates that are worthy of the electorate, as opposed as to those whom the parties believe can keep their own party in power, I will be ecstatic.

Let's get some qualified people in the race and give us a choice - a real choice- as to someone who will represent the people and not any political party!

Hypocrisy at its finest

Well, leave it to Yahoo news to print headlines screaming doom and gloom again: "The last best chance: UN climate conference opens"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091207/ap_on_sc/climate

According to this AP story, "The largest and most important U.N. climate change conference in history opened Monday, with organizers warning diplomats from 192 nations that this could be the last best chance for a deal to protect the world from calamitous global warming."

Okey-dokey, let's take a look at this thing: "diplomats", and, undoubtedly, their assorted entourages from 192 nations, as well as "organizers" and their flunkies, traveled to Copenhagen for this two week boondoggle. What was their carbon footprint in making this so-called environmental pilgrimage? Really, was it necessary for so many people to use up so much of the world's resources to travel to Copenhagen, and spend taxpayer money for travel, room and board when there are modern technological advances such as teleconferencing, web conferencing, etc.?

I'll believe these so-called experts about the environment being in such dire shape when they themselves practice what they preach (that means you, Al Gore. What was up with traveling to accept the Nobel prize when it would have been much more environmentally friendly for you to have had them ship it to you and you could have had your little presentation via webcam?). Start actually saving the environment by working on minimizing your own carbon footprint. First step would be to stop spewing all this hot air; second would be to minimize your boondoggle travel to such conferences that could easily be attended without burning jet fuel.

Another fine mess!

it never ceases to amaze me. We have some people serving in our government who just don't give the impression that they actually paid attention in class during law school. Case in point today: The President of the United States, and his Attorney General, Eric Holder, both have opined today that there will be convictions and executions in the 9/11 cases. Way to go and prejudice the jury pool! Headlines are all over the internet are screaming things such as "Obama, Holder predict conviction in 9/11 case"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091118/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_sept11_trial
And "Obama: Alleged 9/11 leader will be executed" http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34015727/ns/us_news-security/

Here's a part of the interview: "In an interview with NBC News, Obama said those offended by the legal privileges given to Mohammed by virtue of getting a civilian trial rather than a military tribunal won't find it 'offensive at all when he's convicted and when the death penalty is applied to him.'
Obama quickly added that he did not mean to suggest he was prejudging the outcome of Mohammed's trial. 'I'm not going to be in that courtroom,' he said. 'That's the job of the prosecutors, the judge and the jury.' " http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34015727/ns/us_news-security/ Too late, now, but it looks like you already prejudged and announced it, thereby tainting the jury pool.

Now, personally, I believe that these defendants, committed an act of war on the United States, and should be tried in military tribunals. But, the President and his AG, in their infinite legal wisdom, decided they should be tried in our criminal courts, where, in the United States, there is a presumption of innocence. The burden of proof is on the Government. Even if they both missed that specific day of law school class on the presumption of innocence, how could they watch TV and not learn that simple precept? Okay, I'll admit, I may have an edge over these two as I actually did attend that class at law school (and, indeed graduated from law school), so maybe I am a bit too hard on them. Just joshing, there, no, I am not being too hard. Once again, we have what appears to be a rush to judgment (anyone remember how the President defended his buddy, the Harvard Law professor, before he knew all the facts? See my prior blog about this - Friday, July 24, 2009.). Now we have him convicting and executing the so-called mastermind, but months go by and he is unable to make a decision about Afghanistan and the general's request for troops.

Frankly, if I were a defense attorney for these defendants, I'd be doing a happy dance today. The jury pool from the whole country has now been tainted (come on, you cannot use your position as President of the United States to discuss convictions in trials that haven't even started and expect not to have your followers march in step with you on this issue too. IT'S JUST COMMON SENSE!). Additionally, if these defendants are convicted, and if they are placed on death row, the President and his AG have just wrapped up a lovely holiday present for their attorneys with multiple grounds for appeals.

Kudos, guys. Here's another fine mess you've gotten us into.

An open letter to Senator Lieberman

I've supported Senator Lieberman for many years, although I do not always agree with what he says or does. However, I am convinced that, unlike other elected representatives who, once elected, only serve their party masters, Senator Lieberman thinks for himself and votes his conscience. That's why I have to thank him here, and I already sent to email below to him, for his stance on that 2000+ page monstrosity. Stay strong Senator, and don't back down. We have a doctor-patient privilege, and the government has no right to either break it, or to tell my doctor how to treat me (which is what the government is doing by fining doctors, under these bills, for treatment plans that exceed what the government deems appropriate).

Senator Lieberman:
Please continue to stand up against this ridiculous excuse of a bill for so-called health care reform (actually, all the incarnations of the different bills have been pretty ridiculous). As an attorney, I am appalled at the mess Congress has made drafting this legislation. The American people do not have the funds to pay over a trillion dollars to insure 15 million people. It's an appalling plan. It would be far more cost effective to give those 15 million uninsured American citizens the money to buy their own health insurance. After all, the various bills floating around the Capitol do absolutely nothing to reduce the cost of health care. Cutting the amount of money people can contribute to their health flexible spending accounts results in a tax on the middle class - sadly, too many of your colleagues think that the American people are too stupid to realize that.

Your colleagues need to be reminded that they neither work for Nancy Pelosi, the President, themselves, nor the Democratic Party. All the elected representatives work for the American people.

There has been enough reckless spending on the part of Congress. The federal government has failed at all businesses it has tried to run: USPS, Medicare, Medicaid, Amtrack, Social Security, etc. There is no way the government can be trusted with the health care of the American people.

Health care reform should start with allowing people to buy insurance across state lines in order to reduce costs; it should require insurance companies not to deny coverage for "pre-existing conditions"; it should encourage people to have health care spending accounts. All of which could be handled in a bill of 20 pages, not 2000 plus.

Again, thank you for standing up against these atrocious plans. Please continue to do so.

It has to be said. . . .

Congratulations to the New York Yankees on number 27!

Yes We Can - Take Back Our Country !

Tomorrow, November 3, 2009, is election day. Now, yes, it is an "off-year" election for most of us, but if that's the case for you, I urge you to vote anyway. Spend today reading up about your local candidates. Choose the candidate you will vote for not based upon party affiliation, but upon their qualities: intelligence, character, fitness for the job. Please, never again vote a party line. This country is presently being run by people who think they work for the political party, and not the people who elected them, and that is why the country is in its present condition.

As for those voting in larger elections, I urge you too to vote, and to make your choices carefully. It would be truly wonderful if the independent candidate for governor could win in New Jersey. Can you imagine how great it would be to have someone running the state who was beholden to no political party? And, Virginia has the ability to send a message to Washington DC and put the breaks on its spending the country into unprecedented deficits - elect the Republican candidate for governor, please!

Go vote tomorrow. Exercise your freedom to vote and protect your freedom to vote. And, please, let's all work to get the incumbents who can't seem to listen to their constituents out of office.

Enjoy your freedom!

Utterly despicable and uncalled-for behavior.

Our elected officials never cease to amaze me with their totally deplorable behavior. Latest case in point: Representative Alan Grayson of Florida (8th District, including Orlando). Last night, on the floor of Congress, he opined that the Republican health care plan was as follows: "1. Don't get sick"; 2. and if you do get sick (sic) 3. Die Quickly." You can see the utterly distasteful display here: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/30/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5353632.shtml

I thought that, as Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States requires that all those elected to the House of Representatives be at least 25 years of age, we would be electing mature adults to the House of Representatives. However, Representative Grayson's display certainly proves that presumption wrong.

This utterly childish and reprehensible behavior does nothing to advance a civil discourse on the health care issue. In fact, it sets it back - way back. Show me where one single Republican said such a thing. This rant is, in my opinion, all the product of a very fertile and childish imagination.

While Representative Grayson remains in office, I for one will not be spending my hard-earned dollars vacationing in Florida (and for me not to visit Walt Disney World is quite difficult). As this Representative, in my eyes, is not worthy of the office, I will be boycotting Florida as a vacation destination for my family until he resigns or is voted out.

People, we really need to elect officials who are worthy of the office and who deserve to represent us. Not people who only try to advance partisanship with vitriol and misrepresentation (at best).

We the People take precedence over political parties.

Within the past few weeks there have been unbelievable examples showing that politicians just don't understand their jobs as our elected officials. We the people, the tax payers, the voters, elect them; not their political party. Once the elections are over, however, the politicians continue to worship at the feet of their political parties and the leaders of those parties.

Case in point - the State of Massachusetts. By now, everyone must have heard about Ted Kennedy's letter to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, requesting that Massachusetts law, which required a special election of his successor within 5 months of the vacancy in the office, be damned, and that the Governor appoint an interim Senator, for which there was then no provision in Massachusetts law. http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/08/kennedy_headlin.html
http://news.aol.com/article/paul-g-kirk-jr-to-be-ted-kennedys-senate/639791 You may recall, that the law requiring a special election was enacted by the Massachusetts legislature in 2004, when the Democratic Party there had high hopes that Senator John Kerry would be elected President. In order to thwart Republican then-Governor Mitt Romney from appointing *gasp* a Republican should Kerry have been elected President, the Democratic legislature passed the law requiring the special election. Now, within the past few weeks, not only has the Democratic legislature told the people of Massachusetts that the Democratic Party and Ted Kennedy's wishes are more important than they are by changing the law and allowing the Governor (a Democrat) to appoint an interim Senator (a Democrat), because the legislation did not take effect immediately, the Governor himself signed an emergency letter so he could make the appointment immediately. How does anyone in their right mind not see this any anything but self-serving for the Democratic Party and detrimental to the people?

And the presumption to manipulate state politics appears to have continued with certain people contacting the Governor of Massachusetts with their endorsements of long-time friend of the late Senator, not to mention executor of his will, Paul Kirk. http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/09/23/ted-kennedys-friend-paul-kirk-now-favorite-for-senate-seat/ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/09/kennedy-successor-its-kirk.html How many regular tax paying citizens of the State of Massachusetts would have been able to personally contact the Governor and express their "choice" for the interim appointee? As you know, Mr. Kirk was indeed appointed, and was sworn in late last week by Vice President Biden.

I am so glad that I no longer live in Massachusetts. Had I remained a resident, you can believe I would be even more appalled at, and embarrassed by, the antics of the elected officials than I am now.

Now, you have the White House (via White House political director Patrick Gaspard according to numerous reports) meddling in New York State affairs by presuming to pressure New York Governor David Patterson not to run for election in 2010. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/white-house/paterson-white-house-adviser-h.html?wprss=thefix http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/09/white-house-tells-gov-paterson-he-shouldnt-run-for-reelection.html http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/nyregion/21paterson.html Patterson was Lt. Governor under former Governor Eliot Spitzer who resigned from office in 2008, and was sworn in as Governor after the resignation took effect. Once again, Democratic Party interests appear to be overriding the right of we the people to choose our elected officials. Good for Governor Patterson for vowing to stay in the race. If you truly put the people of the state of New York first, then do not kow-tow to the pressure from the political party. Joe Lieberman didn't and we independents re-elected him to the Senate.

It's time elected officials remember that "we, the people" employ them - their political parties do not. Our elected officials have forgotten that they serve at our will, and not the will of their political parties. It's time to put the people over the interests, and demands of the political parties. And it's time to demand that our elected officials show us the respect we deserve.

A Cautionary Tale of Government Health Plans

Pancreatic cancer is an awful, terrible and painful disease. In my family, we lost two women, about 14 years apart. Both my grandmother and my second cousin died within five to six weeks of diagnosis. My grandmother was on Medicare; my second cousin was likely on public assistance, as she had not been able to work in years. My second cousin was sent home, without any support, with instructions to try drink Boost or Ensure, to die. The so-called medical professionals had tried to do that with my grandmother, too, but, because of their failure to treat her to keep her from forming blood clots, she suffered a stroke while they were moving her, and she couldn’t leave the hospital. The important lesson here: without treatment, pancreatic cancer kills in an extremely short period of time (generally five to six weeks).

Now, let’s juxtapose the above cases with two other high profile cases: Patrick Swayze and Carnegie Mellon University Professor Randy Pausch (who co-wrote “The Last Lecture”). I do not begrudge these men the treatment they received – in fact, I think it’s the type of treatment all people suffering from and fighting pancreatic cancer should receive. These men apparently had private insurance and were not on any form of public assistance or Medicare. And they did indeed receive treatment. As a result of the treatment they received, Patrick lived approximately 20 months after diagnosis; and Randy lived approximately 23 months past diagnosis. These men were given the chance to come to grips with their diagnoses, accept them, get their affairs in order, and most importantly spend time with their families. There was also a public benefit to the treatment they received. With each victim of pancreatic cancer who fights, we as a society are benefited by learning what treatments work, and which don’t, which ultimately will lead us to a cure for this devastating disease. So, I have respect for these men, and thanks for them for fighting and for helping science improve its knowledge of this disease, what makes it tick, and how to fight it.

Finally, let’s compare the above cases to that of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg, who was diagnosed, thanks to our tax dollars paying for her ultimate health care coverage, with pancreatic cancer early this year. Ginsburg, 75, was undergoing a CAT scan” during a routine annual check-up at the National Institutes of Health” when the small tumor was spotted. How many taxpayers get CAT scans during our routine check-ups, whether we are insured or on Medicare or Medicaid? I have never heard of such a thing. If I go to my primary care physician and request, during my routine annual checkup, to have a CAT scan performed, I can just imagine the hysterical laughter that would greet me in response. Yet, Ginsburg, older than my grandmother was at the time of her diagnosis, was not sent home to die, like my grandmother, for all intents and purposes was. Instead, she is getting treatment, state of the art treatment, no doubt, starting with surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York this past February. http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/02/05/understanding-justice-ginsburgs-pancreatic-cancer/ All at taxpayer expense, thanks to the extremely generous health care package our elected officials have awarded themselves, the President and his family and the Justices of the Supreme Court, and others.

When and if the federal government rushes through a health care plan for Americans, rest assured it will never resemble the health care plan that Justice Ginsburg has. It won’t even resemble the health care Patrick Swayze and Randy Pausch had. You can bet on it that it will resemble what my grandmother and second cousin had, and you should pray that you never suffer from pancreatic cancer, because under any health care plan the government promulgates, you *will* be sent home to die. Our federal government, when it comes to health care, has acted like the pigs in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, saving the milk and cream for themselves, and giving us, the taxpayers, who do the work for the country, only poor and dwindling rations. Unless and until the Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court Justices, as well as any other officials covered by that plan, give up the “ultimate” health care plan, as I call it, and join their fellow Americans in the proposed health can plan, you can be sure that any plan they propose for taxpayers will be monumentally subpar to their own.

Still weeks behind

So, Fifth District Representative Chris Murphy finally changed his web page. Today, Sunday, September 13, he indicates that his meetings with his constituents are as follows:

"Congress on Your Corner
Chris' Public Events on Health Care Reform

Over the last few years, I have held dozens of supermarket office hour sessions, known as "Congress on Your Corner" events, and town halls across Connecticut's Fifth District. At every stop, we had the opportunity to talk about what was going on in your community, and what you wanted Congress to work on to improve our lives here in Connecticut.

I can't do my job without hearing from you, so I hope you can join me for breakfast Tuesday September 1 through Friday September 4, from 8-9am, to talk about health care reform. I'll bring the coffee, you bring the conversation.

Tuesday and Friday - Library Park, Waterbury

Wednesday and Thursday - CityCenter Danbury Green, Danbury

And I will be hosting a town hall meeting in Washington, CT, on Wednesday, September 2 from 5:30-7pm. The meeting will take place at Shepaug Valley High School, 159 South Street, Washington."
http://www.chrismurphy.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=274&Itemid=33

Once again, it's great to see that these appearances are listed well in advance and are timely (NOT!). These appearances were very poorly publicized (never saw anything about them in my local paper), and as you can see from today's entry and the postings below, it is worthless to check Representative Murphy's website for timely updates as he doesn't update this particular web page often (ex: today is September 13, the last meeting listed above took place almost 2 weeks ago).

Once again, at the next election, I urge all voters to vote incumbents out, no matter what party they are in of you are in. It is time to make sure Congress hears the voice of the people.