On Wednesday’s Radio Show…

• Guest host Ellis Henican fills in for Alan.…

Why The Public Health Care Option Is So Important

As the New York Times writes Wednesday, co-ops, some of which will be small, won’t be able to compete with big insurance companies.

While a public plan has been demonized by opponents as a big-government takeover of health care, the idea is to increase competition among insurers and give consumers more choices.

One alternative would be to create nonprofit, member-owned cooperatives to compete with private insurers. They are unlikely to have the purchasing power of a government plan. And Republicans are already saying they will oppose cooperatives too.

And Howard Dean blogs at Think Progress about why the …

Arizona GOP Runs Doctored Obama Photo

AZGOP News had this fine smear of President Obama, with the caption “Hopefully Obamacare Includes Smoking Cessation Classes,” and the words:

Broken promises, rampant government spending, and Chicago-style politics have marred the first 200 days of the Obama Presidency according to Arizona Republican Chairman Randy Pullen.

The original photo (right), was taken in 2004 by photographer Kwame Ross.…

Just Who Are The Birthers?

And how dumb are we, statistically?  Public Policy Polling has some startling numbers.

62% of Americans think Obama was born here, while 24% think he was not and 14% are unsure. 10% of the country thinks that he was born in Indonesia, 7% think he was born in Kenya, and 1% think he was born in the Philippines…

6% of poll respondents think that Hawaii is not part of the country and 4% are unsure.

As for the birthers:

-62% are Republicans, 20% are Democrats, and 18% are independents

-57% are conservatives, 33% are moderates, and 9% are …

Barney Frank To Crazy Questioner: Talking To You Is Like Talking To A Dining Room Table

Congressman Barney Frank told a woman who asked him why he continued to support a Nazi policy (ie health care reform), “It is a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, detestable nonsense is so freely propagated.”

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On Tuesday’s Radio Show…

Guest host Sam Greenfield fills in for Alan.…

Man With Gun At Obama Event Staged By Radio Host

Ernest Hancock, a libertarian activist who does an online radio show, told Rick Sanchez, “It’s more planned than you think.”  He’s referring to the man with the gun who refused to give his name at the time to others who asked him, at an Obama event in Phoenix. The man was seen doing an interview with Hancock as though he just happened to be a random protester who showed up. Hancock now says “Chris” was never more than 4 or 5 feet away from him and accompanied by law enforcement.  He believes, “We’re up against a radical government that will …

Gibbs Says Obama Not Backing Off Public Option

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says reports that President Obama is moving away from supporting a public health care option are overblown.

The rash of reports began after Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (seh-BEEL’-yuhs) appeared to signal the president was open to health care cooperatives as an alternative.

Gibbs said there was no intention to indicate a change in policy. He said, “If it was a signal, it was a dog whistle we started blowing weeks ago.”

So, maybe they’re blowing dog whistles to see who sits up and takes notice, only to retreat …

267 Pound Matzoh Ball Eaten In New York

And you think we don’t need good health care?  And it happened, where else? On the Lower East Side. The thing measured 29.2 inches in diameter, which is also how many inches you add to your waist when you consume such a dish.

The iconic Jewish delicacy was made to raise awareness of an upcoming charity basketball game between the New York Knicks and the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 18. Profits from the game will go to Migdal Ohr, an orphanage in northern Israel.

It was quite an effort getting …

Light Posting This Week

Enjoying the waves.

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Conrad’s Health Co-Ops Wouldn’t Drive Down Costs Says…Conrad

One of the key objectives of Obama’s health care reform effort is to bring down the cost of health care. Word is that the administration is ready to give up the public option in favor of North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad’s idea of health co-ops.  But in an interview Tuesday morning, Conrad admitted his plan would not bring down costs.

Conrad also says co-ops would drive competition, but as Howard Dean has noted, most co-ops wouldn’t be big enough to compete.…