Top stories, 2009: Economy, health care

There wasn't much interest in Sarah Palin? Silva, you need to count your post on her.

"there was a general correspondence between the stories that attracted the most interest... and those that received the most coverage.'' I wonder if it ever occurred the folks at Pew that the interest was generate by the coverage?

As far as big company's and bailouts - it was reported in the WSJ that the BO administration will cover an unlimited amount of losses by Fannie and Freddie. Each company could receive up to $200 billion a piece. So how did the executives of these GSE's get compensated - only with multi-billion dollar bonuses. I wonder if Barney Frank is objecting?

So Where's the Right Wing 'Outrage' Now?

A good question from Spencer Ackerman at The Washington Independent:

"So Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the alleged would-be bomber of Northwest Airlines flight 253, is being detained and questioned in a federal prison in Michigan. He’s expected to appear in court today, after federal authorities indicted him yesterday. If convicted, he’ll be imprisoned in a federal prison. A federal civilian prison. Just like the one that Republican politicians said would leave American communities vulnerable if Guantanamo detainees were sent there."
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http://washingtonindependent.com/72190/why-no-gop-outrage-over-failed-plane-bombers-detention-in-michigan
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So, where's the outrage, Wingnuts? Or do Republicans now concede that we are capable of meting out justice while at the same time maintaining the security of both our citizenry and suspected terrorists? Because it's either that or it's time for them to admit that all of their pearl clutching calls for the smelling salts regarding imprisoning and prosecuting terror suspects in America were nothing more than cheap politicizing and fear-mongering....(of course we knew that all along).

REPUBLICANS AND DICK CHENEY - PATRONS OF THE ARTS!

How many times have we seen Republicans and more specifically Dick Cheney's mugs plastered across our TV screens over the past 12 months, spewing garbage about the Obama administration putting the lives of the American people at risk?

"Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November, 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Northwest bombing in a Monday statement that vowed more attacks on Americans."
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"American officials agreed to send the two terrorists from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia where they entered into an "art therapy rehabilitation program" and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials."
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http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/men-believed-northwest-airlines-plot-set-free/story?id=9434065

Somehow this brings to mind what Cheney had to say just weeks after President Obama took office:

"When we get people who are more concerned about reading the rights to an Al Qaeda terrorist than they are with protecting the United States against people who are absolutely committed to do anything they can to kill Americans, then I worry."
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090204/pl_politico/18390;_ylt=Ahvbq_ybCi6Pn2GGAvpcO7Ks0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFpZjlhZ3A1BHBvcwMyNARzZWMDYWNjb3JkaW9uX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDY2hlbmV5d2FybnNv

So, how's that protecting America one painting class at a time working out for ya, Dick?

Of course the question now is, will Cheney again be booked on every corporate media Sunday talk show to peddle more criticism of President Obama, or will this little "oops" moment mean that The Dick will be slithering back to his undisclosed location?

CORPORATE MEDIA FINALLY NOTICES GOP LIES AND HYPOCRISY IN HEALTH CARE DEBATE!

Good morning from the land of Reality! I'm not sure what they put in the Holiday Punch over at AP and USA Today, but someone had their sense of Oh! Snap! heightened just recently because there is an actual story being carried by an actual newspaper this that points out that not only are members of the Republican Congress hypocrites when it comes to their opposition to the Health Care debate, but it even points out real reasons as to why!

"Republican senators attacking the cost of a Democratic health care bill showed far different concerns six years ago, when they approved a major Medicare expansion that has added tens of billions of dollars to federal deficits.
The inconsistency — or hypocrisy, as some call it — has irked Democrats, who claim that their plan will pay for itself with higher taxes and spending cuts and cite the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office for support".
"By contrast, when Republicans controlled the House, Senate and White House in 2003, they overcame Democratic opposition to add a deficit-financed prescription drug benefit to Medicare. The program will cost a half-trillion dollars over 10 years, or more by some estimates"
"With no new taxes or spending offsets accompanying the Medicare drug program, the cost has been added to the federal debt."
"All current GOP senators, including the 24 who voted for the 2003 Medicare expansion, oppose the health care bill that's backed by President Barack Obama and most congressional Democrats. Some Republicans say they don't believe the CBO's projections that the health care overhaul will pay for itself. As for their newfound worries about big government health expansions, they essentially say: That was then, this is now."
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http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-12-26-health-care-deficit_N.htm

Yes, my friends, there is a Santa Claus and he finally delivered a gift of the telling of the state of things as they actually exist.

Of course Republican Senator's interviewed for this story are quite sure that when they spend money that was never accounted for when considering the actual repayment of that money, it's all good! But when Democrats spend money that the CBO shows will be an investment in the country and will pay for itself, that is BAD!! VERY BAD!!

Let's take a look at what Senator's Hatch (R-UT), Voinovich (R-OH) and Snowe (R-ME) have to say on the subject:

"Six years ago, "it was standard practice not to pay for things," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. "We were concerned about it, because it certainly added to the deficit, no question." His 2003 vote has been vindicated, Hatch said, because the prescription drug benefit "has done a lot of good."
"Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, said those who see hypocrisy "can legitimately raise that issue." But he defended his positions in 2003 and now, saying the economy is in worse shape and Americans are more anxious."
"Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said simply: "Dredging up history is not the way to move forward." She noted that she fought unsuccessfully to offset some of President George W. Bush's deep tax cuts at the time."
"But for now, she said, "it's a question of what's in this package," which the Senate passed Thursday in a party-line vote. The Senate bill still must be reconciled with a House version."
"The political situation is different now, Snowe said, because "we're in a tough climate and people are angry and frustrated."
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http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-12-26-health-care-deficit_N.htm

So, in a nutshell (heavy on the Nuts) Senator's Hatch, Voinovich and Snowe are telling Americans that A) Back in the dark ages, like 6 years ago, nobody could have forseen that stuff needs to be paid for and B) Times are tough now, not like back then, so we shouldn't, um, well, um, Americans are anxious, and angry, and frustrated or something.

In other words, as usual, Republicans are full of crap. That is the reality of the situation and it's about damned time someone in the media followed that obvious story back to it's roots.

GOP SENATORS ENDORSE DOMESTIC TERRORISM ADVOCATE!

On November 16th, 2009, Lou Engle led Republican senators Sam Brownback and Jim DeMint, and Congressional representatives Michelle Bachmann and Randy Forbes, in a nationally televised November 16 religious event, organized by the Family Research Council, a "Prayercast to stop Health Care Reform."
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http://www.talk2action.org/story/2009/12/22/75524/593
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THIS IS HILARIOUS!

Teabagger Calls C-SPAN, Worried His Prayers For Byrd To Die Got Inhofe Instead
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http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/tea-partier-calls-c-span-worried-his-prayers-for-byrd-to-die-got-inhofe-instead.php?ref=fpb

Bigest Obama lie of 2009- "Open Goverment"

The Economy is great, everyone has free health care, the administration foiled a terro er um I mean a man made disaster brought about by a person of no particular religion. Yeeeeah Team BO whooooo Hoooooooo