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Tuesday, October 9, 2007
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Political Wire: 'Four of the leading Democratic presidential nominees have removed their names from the Jan. 15 Michigan presidential primary,' the Detroit Free Press reports. Sen. Barack Obama, John Edwards, Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Bill Richardson all filed paperwork to have their names withdrawn with the Michigan Secretary of State's office. As for Sen. Hillary Clinton, Time reports she will not campaign in the state but will keep her name on the ballot."
6:35:17 PM 
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Talkleft has the inside skinny on todays preliminary injunction granted to a Guantanamo detainee.
"2008 pres"
6:31:02 PM
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Don Surber: "The Wall Street Journal reported in an editorial today that tax revenues keep beating congressional estimates. In just 4 years, federal tax revenues are up 44%."
"2008 pres"
6:23:12 PM
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International Herald Tribune: "Turkey took a step Tuesday toward cross-border military action in Iraq, as a council of the country's top political and military leaders issued a statement allowing troops to cross the border to eliminate separatist Kurdish rebel camps in the mountainous border area of northern Iraq. The Turkish move toward military action comes in the face of strong opposition by the United States, which is anxious to maintain peace in that area, one of the rare regions of stability in Iraq. Offices and institutions of the Turkish government have been ordered 'to take all economic and political measures, including cross-border operations when necessary, in order to end the existence of the terror organization in a neighboring country,' said the statement, which was issued by the office of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan."
"2008 pres"
6:16:21 PM
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Josh Marshall: "You've no doubt seen this morning's article in the Post in which key Iraqi government leaders say that political reconciliation is not possible and, in fact, no longer even the goal. Writes the Post, "Iraqi leaders argue that sectarian animosity is entrenched in the structure of their government." In other words, the strategic goal of the Surge -- creating the breathing room for political reconcilation -- is one the Iraqi government no longer appears to believe is either credible or realistic. So what we've signed on for is being the permanent armed mediator in the Iraqi domestic quarrel, or perhaps protracted divorce."
"2008 pres"
7:05:30 AM
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Captain's Quarters: "Israel today offered support for a division of Jerusalem to address the demands of Palestinians, but only in exchange for concessions among Arab states and an end to fighting. A deputy of Ehud Olmert gave this public concession as a means to get Arab states into an American-sponsored peace conference, showing that real progress could be made on peace.
"2008 pres"
7:02:07 AM
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Political Wire: "Republicans 'remain deeply distrustful of the national news media -- in sharp contrast to Democrats, who have a great deal more trust in the media's accuracy,' according to a new Gallup poll. 'Overall, less than half of Americans, regardless of partisanship, have a great deal or a fair amount of trust in the mass media. Nearly half of Americans -- including over three-quarters of Republicans -- perceive the media as too liberal while fewer than one in five say the media are too conservative. Americans are less likely to perceive bias in their local news media than in the national news media.'"
"2008 pres"
7:00:22 AM
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Here's a look at healthcare from the point of view of Iowa voters, from Social Funds. From the article:
The state where voters have the first say in U.S. presidential primaries has also weighed in on a critical 2008 campaign issue: health care. According to a survey conducted by a national, nonpartisan citizens' group, a solid majority of Iowa voters agree the current health care system is broken-and they don't trust politicians to fix it.
Those surveyed also believe health care services should stress disease prevention over high-technology cures, more public accountability is needed in how health care dollars are spent, and "basic" health services should include access to any licensed health care professional. And while the survey results revealed no solid consensus among voters on how to pay for services, they also indicated no strong preferences for either government run health care or personal responsibility, leaning instead for shared responsibility.
CodeBlueNow!, a nonpartisan, nonprofit, citizen organization formed to build public consensus and find common ground on health care reform, hired The Gilmore Research Group, a Northwest market research firm, to conduct the survey, known as the CodeBlueNow! Pulse. This CodeBlueNow! Pulse focused on key principles and core values that could form the foundation for a new health care system.
While the Iowan respondents identified key elements they would like to see in the health care system, they have little confidence in the very groups that have the power to change the system. Only 22 percent said they would trust the federal government to fix the system, and only 12 percent thought the Presidential election would help chart a new vision for health care in the U.S.
When it comes to the candidates' proposals, respondents thought the Democrats had the most meaningful plans (38 percent). Just 15 percent said Republican candidates have the best proposals, and 29 percent chose to remain neutral regarding health care plans provided by either party. When asked how they vote, 28 percent indicated they were independent or their vote varied.
When asked who should be in charge of designing a new system, a majority of Iowans surveyed said they would pick health care professionals and non-profit organizations before choosing business professionals, federal government, or academic institutions. A resounding 65 percent of respondents said they would support a non-partisan, non-profit civic organization composed of regular citizens.
The Moderate Voice: "Of all the ills of American health care, least visible is the pervasive fraud it encourages in everyone involved[^]doctors, patients, labs, hospitals and, most of all, the insurers who manage the mess. One small symptom can be seen in a New York Times report of 91 Medicare audits showing 'widespread violations of patients' rights and consumer protection standards' in private drug plans for the elderly that were supposed to save them money but, in some cases, are endangering their lives."
"2008 pres"
5:32:17 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/15/09; 1:32:47 PM.
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