Bad Deeds for:9-1-2009

 

CNBC Anchor Asks 44-Year-Old Congressman: If Medicare Is So Good, Why Aren’t You On It? – Earlier today, MSNBC’s Carlos Watson hosted Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) and CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo for a discussion on health care.

At one point, Bartiromo was critical of the government-managed health care system in the United Kingdom. “How do I know the quality [of health care in the United States] is not going to suffer” with a public option? she asked.

Rep. Weiner reminded her that there already is government-managed health care in the United States — namely, Medicare, the system created for Americans 65 years and older — and that patients with Medicare report very high satisfaction rates.

Bartiromo’s response to this argument was a true head-scratcher. In a mocking tone, she pressed the congressman: “How come you don’t use it [Medicare]? You don’t have it. How come you don’t have it?”
Rep. Weiner, who turns 45 this week, tried to walk Bartiromo through it. “Because I’m not 65.” But she was insistent. “Yeah… c’mon!” she exclaimed, laughing incredulously.

 

Money-Driven Medicine – The film MONEY-DRIVEN MEDICINE reveals how a profit-hungry medical-industrial complex has turned health care into a system that squanders millions of dollars on unnecessary tests, unproven and sometimes unwanted procedures and overpriced prescription drugs.

 

Rasmussen Games Polling on Health Care – Rasmussen Reports, which often skews its presentation of polling for conservative media pickup, has a funny new poll that’s clearly designed to suggest public opposition to Dems going it alone on health care.

…Take a look at the wording of the question:

Suppose that Democrats agreed on a health care reform bill that is opposed by all Republicans in Congress. Should the Democrats pass that bill or should they change the bill to win support from a reasonable number of Republicans?

The first problem is not quantifying what constitutes “a reasonable number” of Republican supporters. Clever, eh? And linking the words “reasonable” and “Republican” is not unbiased, either.

 

Back to School Advice – Hi, kids.

Well, I don’t need to tell you that the school year is starting up real soon (maybe it already has where you live), and you’re going to be getting all kinds of advice from grownups about studying hard and paying attention in class and thinkin’ about your future and helping others and “Carpe Diem!” and all that.

It’s crap. Crap, I tell you.

Yes, you need to listen to your elders. But…you must carefully choose the elders to which you listen. If you choose wisely, you can party you’re a@@ off and glide through life on a fluffy cloud of ignorant bliss. If you choose poorly, you’ll be doomed to a life of thoughtful analysis and good works and fact-checking and reality-based reason. Yick!

As far as I’m concerned, there’s only one man whose words you should heed. A man of power and prestige and wealth. A man who basks in the adoration of his base (the birthers and Big Oil), and gets under the skin of his foes, the poopy-headed brainthinkers.

I’m speaking, of course, of that broad-shouldered, steely-eyed United States Senator, James Inhofe of Oklahoma. When your teacher asks you a question about important material covered in your textbooks—stuff that might enlighten, inform and improve you—you just look him or her in the eye and repeat the magic words of Senator Inhofe (that I believe will one day be enshrined on a monument in Washington):

I don’t have to read it, or know what’s in it. I’m going to oppose it anyways.

I’m tellin’ ya, use that line whenever you can…and the world is your oil rig, baby. You may even graduate early. I can virtually gahrenteeyit!

James Inhofe, kids. That’s your Yoda. Let me know how quickly your teacher gives you an A when you use that line in class. I look forward to hearing your stories of scholastic domination!

Regards,

Jim