Alone Time

A month ago yesterday my mother came home from the nursing home where she was having rehabilitation.

As usual in such situations, the nursing home gave very little warning that her Medicare coverage was being withdrawn because she had "stopped progressing" in her rehabilitation. There was a "family meeting" on a Friday and I was informed that she had to leave by the following Wednesday, March 24, and oh, by the way, she needs 24/7 care now.

I don't mean to be cranky about this; it is the way things work, and nursing homes can get in trouble with Medicare if they let a patient stay longer just because it isn't convenient for them to come home so soon.

Be that as it may, it basically gave me two business days to set up care for my mother and make arrangements for whatever she would need when she returned to her apartment.

Luckily, with the help of information supplied by the nursing home administrator, I was able to line up overnight care for my mother through an agency, and did receive all of the necessary equipment in time for her return to her studio apartment. She needs to be on oxygen, so that included an oxygen concentrator machine, as well as a wheelchair, a walker, and a hospital bed so her feet could be put up at night.

At first I had the overnight aides coming at 9 p.m. and leaving at 9 a.m., but that meant I had to rush over there by 9 a.m. every morning, seven days a week. If I wanted to get away for an hour here or there I had to get my long-suffering husband or my aunt (who luckily lives one floor above my mother) to come Mom-sit. I am so grateful to both of them for all their help. My husband has come over to Mom's apartment and made us all dinner or we've brought her to our house and had dinner together a number of times, and he is always ready and willing to lend a hand.

I eventually changed the aides' hours to 11 p.m. to 11 a.m., which gave me back my mornings, and hired another aide privately three evenings a week so I could escape by 7 p.m. for a more normal evening.

The rest of the time I've been spending with my mother. And I'm happy to report that mentally she has improved remarkably since she got out of the nursing home. It makes me realize how important it is that health coverage for seniors should include at-home care instead of only nursing home care.

No matter how good a nursing home may be (and the one she was at was lovely and the people couldn't have been nicer) it is still not the same as being in familiar surroundings. Some people do well in a nursing home, if they're naturally gregarious and enjoy having a lot of activity around them. My mother isn't one of them. She found the ongoing commotion confusing and the soap operas her roommate favored on television made her think people all around her were in terrible predicaments. Her roommate also watched the Catholic Mass on television and I'd come to visit my mother and she'd be expecting me to take her to church. So I'm so grateful she was able to come home and is getting back to her normal self. And I'm lucky I was able to retire just when my mother needed me.

However, I had no idea how all-consuming being a caregiver can be. I figured if I did the daytime care, I'd be able to sit and blog or play on Facebook or read a book, chatting occasionally with my mother and making her meals. No such luck. For one thing, my mother's eyesight has gotten too bad for her to read, so she is only able to watch (mostly listen to) television, so I feel kind of bad reading while she can't. The other reason is that just as I might be getting into something, either in a book or on the computer, Mom has a request..."Could you please put another pillow behind my back?" or "I need to go to the bathroom." She can walk by herself but needs help.

Sometimes she'll take a nap but inevitably just as I'm settling in to watch one of my own personal guilty pleasures (such as one of HGTV's home makeovers or a cooking show) she'll wake up and want to get up again.

Mom loves MSNBC and CNN so that's what's on most of the day. I am now more well-informed on political issues than I ever was before. And I'm grateful that she is into politics because we have that in common and now that she's coming around again mentally we can discuss the issues, and it's great.

But the only problem is these programs are all covering the same Big Stories every day, multiple times. One day they kept showing a speech by Sarah Palin campaigning for John McCain that nearly drove me insane. If I had to hear her screechy annoying voice once more I might have lost control. I finally had to switch to a public television station and watch a cooking show, much to my mother's dismay.

The other thing that takes up a lot of time is dealing with the comings and goings of the aides, and the visiting nurse who comes twice a week but I never know when until a half hour before when she calls to say she's on her way. Plus there was a physical therapist who came three times a week for the first month. And on top of that I had to get Mom to two different doctor appointments during this past month when she was still quite unsteady and needed the wheelchair.

At first I was doing fine with all of this, but then it started to wear on me and as my mother got better and I was no longer expecting her to die at any moment, I found myself getting cranky to her by the late afternoon, and then of course feeling really guilty about it.

I found the cocktail hour was getting earlier each day. I'd go home for an hour while my aunt sat with Mom and I would walk the dog and then sneak a glass of wine on the deck, sitting in the sun. Or I'd bring a bottle over to Mom's and have two or three glasses of wine while she'd have her evening sherry, which she is now able to enjoy once again. I'd get an evening off and go out with friends and drink way more than usual just to de-stress.

I started having trouble sleeping, waking up in the middle of the night confused, worrying about my mother, sometimes not even sure if I was in my own house after being at her apartment all day.

I finally realize what my problem is - I'm not good at being with anybody all day long. I was brought up as an only child and I need my alone time!

So I'm finally having some this weekend. I managed to get two aides to cover the daytime with my mother, and the usual overnight aides are covering the nights. And we headed off to our cabin in the Adirondacks for three nights.

On the way up Route 22 from Whitehall to our turnoff there was a large male turkey in the middle of the road, strutting his stuff, showing off for a modest female who was at the side of the road, studiously pretending to ignore him. We had to wait while he ambled off the road.

Then came the turn toward our cabin, and then we were going up the familiar gravel road. As we pulled into the property in the early twilight we saw our personal Great Horned Owl fly across the pond from one tree to another. Later that night we heard him calling in the woods.

This weekend was the first time we were able to get to the cabin since the first weekend in December, and we were pleased to find it just as we left it. No one broke in, no trees fell on it, and it didn't burn in our absence. Within a half hour of arriving, we had the propane flowing, the generator generating, the well pump pumping, and the water running.

We've managed to have beautiful weather even though at home it is now raining. Somehow we always manage to get lucky with the weather.

Ed's dad joined us on Saturday and he has been enjoying his own escape - from visiting the nursing home where Ed's mom is every day, twice a day. No matter how much you love someone, you need time away in order to get back to them again with your patience intact.

When I return to the "real world," I'll need to reconsider the care my mother is getting, as the expense is untenable. We will be getting her on Medicaid shortly, but it won't cover the amount of care she has been receiving.

Somehow there has to be a balance achieved between leaving her alone some of the time but not endangering her welfare. I don't know yet what that balance will be. As she has improved I think she may be able to stay alone at night but won't know until I stay there myself and see how she is.

Long-term care is another area of our health care system that desperately needs reform. As the Baby Boomers age, I am hoping our generation will take on this task because you know we will not be willing to go gentle into that good night without making some major changes in how we are treated on that last journey!

Naturally from my constant exposure to news programs over the past month, I have a lot of fodder for commentary here but first wanted to let you all know why my posts have been so few and far between.

I am incensed about the new immigration law in Arizona, am glad that President Obama will get to appoint another Supreme Court Justice, and have lots of other opinions on various subjects to share. Baxter too is waiting patiently to get his turn to blog, so either he or I will be back soon to do so!

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. Many Apologies, over a Week has passed since the last Post here. My Female Human has been busily making Arrangements for her Mother, who came home from the Nursing Home yesterday. My Human's Mother is Very Happy to be back in her Own Apartment and seems to be doing Very Well, considering her Age and Condition. A Nurse's Aide comes in to watch her at Night, and during the Day my Female Human will be there helping her.

All this is All Very Well, and I have Nothing against the Female Human's Mother. But for Me it is NOT an improvement. I was just getting used to having more Company around Here, and whenever That Dog was out in the Yard or Asleep I got to cuddle up on the Couch with my Human. Now she is gone All Day again just as she was in the Old Days when she did what she called "Working." From what I understand, she says what she is doing NOW is Work too!

That Dog is probably not Happy either. She is stuck in the House. However, at 4 p.m. the Female Human's Aunt comes down to her Mother's Apartment and sits there while my Human comes home and walks That Dog. Still no help for Me, but what can you do.

But I digress! You don't come here to hear about my Female Human's Personal Issues. You expect More from an intelligent Feline like Myself. So without Further Ado I will launch into my usual News Summary.

Of course, the Big News is the Passage of the Landmark Healthcare Legislation. Or Historic Healthcare Legislation, however you want to put it. As Most of You are already Well Aware, on Sunday night the House passed the Senate Health Care bill that had already passed before the New Year. They then went ahead and passed a bunch of amendments to it, which the Senate then had to Approve. And, with a few changes, they did. The last step was that the House then approved the slightly changed Reconciliation Bill that will put those amendments into Effect.

The Best Moment before President Obama spoke at the Signing Ceremony was when Vice President Biden uttered the Now-Famous Phrase, "This is a Big F*cking Deal" in the President's ear just before he turned the mic over to him. T-shirts are being sold as we speak.

Right Now my Ears are twitching and my Whiskers are bristling, however, because MSNBC is televising the speech Sarah Palin is making at a big Rally for John McCain. I must say, that Woman's voice goes right through Me! "Send the Maverick back to the Senate!" she says. Ugh.

In Other News, the Radical Organization, PETA, has enlisted the So-Called OctoMom to support their cause of promoting Spaying and Neutering for Pets. It's Bad Enough that this Female Human had, via Artificial Means, eight babies at once when she already HAD six kids; now she's so desperate for Money, she's willing to let PETA put a sign on her lawn? Check it out:


In return, OctoMom gets $5000 a month and some veggie burgers and dogs to feed her "Litter." No, I am not being Crass. The word "litter" was on PETA's BLOG for Heaven's Sakes, with a line drawn through it. Go see for yourself.

In other Animal-Related News, a video is Making the Rounds on TV and the Internet that shows a Pitbull Mix (reported in varying ways by the Media, including calling it a Bulldog, a Pitbull, a Pitbull-Boxer mix and a Pitbull-Bulldog mix) attacking a Police Car and ripping off the Bumper and wrecking the Tires. Here is a news Clip with part of the video, if you have been Living Under a Rock and haven't seen it yet:


Now, as you All well know, as a Cat, I am not a Fan of Dogs, but would never wish them Harm. So I'd like to commend the Police in this situation for trying pepper spray and a Taser to stop the dog instead of just shooting him. The dog's name is Winston and he is actually very nice to People and didn't even attack the Officer who got out of the car to spray and Taser him. (Please note, the Taser hardly slowed him down at all - so don't expect one of those Electric Fences to ever work on your pet Pitbull.)

The story does have a Happy Ending because the Dog is just under probation and the Owner is to get him Obedience training to get his Canine Good Citizen certification.

As for the damage to the Squad Car: I would be Concerned, if I were the Police, that their Squad Cars are so fragile the front bumper can be totally removed by a Dog! Shouldn't vehicles be a little more Sturdy than THAT? I'll bet the Dog wouldn't have made a dent in my Humans' old 1955 DeSoto that they used to have! That was when Cars were Cars and were Meant to Last!

Speaking of Cars, there is Good News out of Trollhattan, the location of the Swedish Headquarters of the new Saab-Spyker company. They have started shipping their first Batch of New Cars under the new Ownership! Plus, they're cutting Prices! It just might be time for a New Car for my Humans. We'll see if they are Tempted.

So, that is the News for this Week. I know I haven't covered Every News Item but these were the Things I wanted to share with You personally.

Until Next Time, hang in there, try to ignore the Republicans, and keep your Catnip at the Ready!

Kucinich Comes Through

Dennis Kucinich announced today at a press conference that he would support the health care legislation when it comes to a vote.

Although he still prefers a single payer option, he has agreed to support the bill in its current form. I applaud the courageous stance he has taken to try to establish universal health care in this country. I also applaud his pragmatism in realizing that, in the current climate, that kind of health care bill would never pass this Congress. To quote his prepared remarks (from Common Dreams):

"In the past week it has become clear that the vote on the final health care bill will be very close. I take this vote with the utmost seriousness. I am quite aware of the historic fight that has lasted the better part of the last century to bring America in line with other modern democracies in providing single payer health care. I have seen the political pressure and the financial pressure being asserted to prevent a minimal recognition of this right, even within the context of a system dominated by private insurance companies.

I know I have to make a decision, not on the bill as I would like to see it, but the bill as it is. My criticisms of the legislation have been well reported. I do not retract them. I incorporate them in this statement. They still stand as legitimate and cautionary. I still have doubts about the bill. I do not think it is a first step toward anything I have supported in the past. This is not the bill I wanted to support, even as I continue efforts until the last minute to modify the bill.

However after careful discussions with the President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, Elizabeth my wife and close friends, I have decided to cast a vote in favor of the legislation. If my vote is to be counted, let it now count for passage of the bill, hopefully in the direction of comprehensive health care reform. We must include coverage for those excluded from this bill. We must free the states. We must have control over private insurance companies and the cost their very existence imposes on American families. We must strive to provide a significant place for alternative and complementary medicine, religious health science practice, and the personal responsibility aspects of health care which include diet, nutrition, and exercise.

The health care debate has been severely hampered by fear, myths, and by hyper-partisanship. The President clearly does not advocate socialism or a government takeover of health care. The fear that this legislation has engendered has deep roots, not in foreign ideology but in a lack of confidence, a timidity, mistrust and fear which post 911 America has been unable to shake.

This fear has so infected our politics, our economics and our international relations that as a nation we are losing sight of the expanded vision, the electrifying potential we caught a glimpse of with the election of Barack Obama. The transformational potential of his presidency, and of ourselves, can still be courageously summoned in ways that will reconnect America to our hopes for expanded opportunities for jobs, housing, education, peace, and yes, health care."

Thank you, Dennis. I know it wasn't easy for you to give up your ideals in order to vote for something you cannot fully support. Some may say you have caved to pressure, others may say you have sold out.

But I say you have done the right thing, the only thing you could do, in order to make sure more Americans receive the health care they deserve. It is not the end of the fight; it is only the beginning.

The Real Reason to Pass Health Care Reform: It's the Right Thing to Do

President Obama has been storming the countryside trying to round up support for the health care legislation he is championing. Simultaneously, the GOP and their minions have been spreading their own propaganda explaining why health care legislation should not be passed. The legislation itself is not ideal, and is being attacked from both the right and the left. It doesn't go far enough for the left (hence Dennis Kucinich says he will not vote for it), and for the right, anything is too far.

I read an opinion piece in yesterday's Star Ledger that was sourced from the Washington Post columnist, Robert J. Samuelson. In his column, which was entitled in the Ledger, "The Great Miseducation on Health Care," he debunks a number of arguments that are often made in support of health care reform. They include:

Uninsured people use the Emergency Rooms of hospitals for their medical care, which is more expensive. Thus, the idea goes, if everyone had health care, costs would decrease since there would be fewer people accessing the ER for their primary care.

However, according to Samuelson,

"A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that the insured accounted for 83 percent of emergency-room visits, reflecting their share of the population. After Massachusetts adopted universal insurance, emergency-room use remained higher than the national average, an Urban Institute study found. More than two-fifths of visits represented non-emergencies. Of those, a majority of adult respondents to a survey said it was 'more convenient' to go to the emergency room or they couldn't 'get [a doctor's] appointment as soon as needed.' If universal coverage makes appointments harder to get, emergency-room use may increase."

Insuring the uninsured will improve the nation's health. Again, Samuelson denies this claim, citing a number of studies showing conflicting results from previous health care improvements such as Medicare. His explanation:

"How could this be? No one knows, but possible explanations include: (a) many uninsured are fairly healthy -- about two-fifths are age 18 to 34; (b) some are too sick to be helped or have problems rooted in personal behaviors -- smoking, diet, drinking or drug abuse; and (c) the uninsured already receive 50 to 70 percent of the care of the insured from hospitals, clinics and doctors, estimates the Congressional Budget Office."

He goes on to say that the real problem is cost and uncontrolled spending, and criticizes the current bill for not addressing this issue. He concludes:

"He's telling people what they want to hear, not what they need to know. Whatever their sins, insurers are mainly intermediaries; they pass along the costs of the delivery system. In 2009, the largest 14 insurers had profits of roughly $9 billion; that approached 0.4 percent of total health spending of $2.472 trillion. This hardly explains high health costs. What people need to know is that Obama's plan evades health care's major problems and would worsen the budget outlook. It's a big new spending program when government hasn't paid for the spending programs it already has."

Of course, the fallacy of his conclusion is that "Insurers are mainly intermediaries; they pass along the costs of the delivery system." No, the main problem with the insurers is they are geared toward making a profit, and they try to get out of covering anyone who really needs the insurance, such as, say, sick people. Maybe profit isn't that large a percentage of overall health care costs, but it is certainly the motivating factor behind insurance company policies which result in sick people being unable to become insured, or if insured, not being covered for their illnesses.

The other problem with the insurance industry when there isn't universal coverage is, that people who have the insurance get a much CHEAPER rate than those who don't. So uninsured people are hit from two sides: One, they have to pay out of their own pockets for medical care, and two: their medical care is much more expensive than that of people with insurance.

If anyone can show me this is not true, I welcome it. But I've seen my bills from medical procedures. They show one, very high, price, then the "adjusted" price accepted by the doctor from my insurance, and then what my insurance pays, leaving a small amount for me to pay. I can only assume the uninsured pay the first price. If everyone were insured, there would be only the "adjusted" price. And that alone would be a vast improvement.

OK, so where does that leave us with President Obama's arguments in favor of health care? Is he really lying to us and not telling us "what we need to know"? No. He is giving the arguments that will pass muster with the portion of the population who have drunk the Kool-Aid of the right wing and think the main problem is they will lose something in this bargain. They will get screwed somehow if their uninsured neighbor manages to get the same benefits they have. They will have to pay more. They will lose something they had. It's all about them.

So to reach those people, he has to give them cost-related, "them"-related arguments. The rest know that health care for all is the right thing to do and don't care as much about those arguments.

Think I'm being unkind to those opposed to the health care legislation on the right? Check out Nick Silver's post on fivethirtyeight.com on the two sides of the health care debate. In his post he analyzes the results of a recent Gallup poll that included the verbatims (what people actually said, for those who don't know market research-speak) from the survey. The results showed that the nation is almost equally divided on the current legislation, with a slight tip against the bill, 48% to 45%.

Among those who support the legislation, 29% say it is because "people need health insurance/too many are uninsured." In addition, 12% said it is "a moral responsibility." 12% also felt it would reduce costs and 10% said it would make health insurance more affordable. Several key reasons included the word "help" as in, "help senior citizens," "help the poor," and that they or a family member lacked insurance.

Among those against the legislation, the top reason was it would increase costs of insurance (20%) and another 5% said it would cost the government too much. 15% were opposed to government involvement in health care or "big government" in general. 7% mentioned being against "socialized medicine" -- even though Obama's plan is not socialized medicine -- or the "public option," even though the public option is not currently in the bill. 6% said that health care is a privilege, not an entitlement and 4% were worried it would affect their own insurance.

To be sure, some of the pro-health care people are concerned about costs and are thinking this would be a way to reduce them, and if this isn't true, they have perhaps been misled. However, that does not seem to be the most important issue to them.

When you look at the verbatims themselves, the pattern is more noticeable. FiveThirtyEight.com provided "word clouds" showing the prevalence of certain words in the actual comments the respondents made to the survey.

Pro-Health Care respondents focused mostly on words like "People," "Need," "Everyone" "Insurance."

Anti-Health Care respondents, in contrast, focused much more on words such as "Government," "Pay," and "Cost," as well as "People" and "Insurance."


When you look at some of the actual comments, which Silver posted a link to on his site, "Pro" people said things like:

"THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY IS AN ABOMINATION. BECAUSE THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD HAS A DISMAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. HEALTHCARE IS A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE.

BECAUSE THIS COUNTRY IS TERRIBLE FOR US. THE BIGGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD NOT TO HAVE HEALTHCARE FOR THEIR PEOPLE. I'M SET BUT MY CHILDREN WON'T BE. THEY NEED TO GIVE IT A START.

I THINK WE ARE IN A FIRST-WORLD COUNTRY THAT SHOULD HAVE HEALTHCARE INSURANCE. I AM FORTUNATE TO HAVE INSURANCE BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW OTHER PEOPLE MAKE IT WHO DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE. MEDICARE DOESN'T COVER EVERYTHING. MEDICARE ONLY PAYS 80 PERCENT AND SOMEONE HAS TO PAY THE DIFFERENCE.

IT'S OUR BASIC DUTY TO PROVIDE HEALTHCARE FOR THE POOR AND ELDERLY.

SO PEOPLE CAN GET HELP.

BECAUSE I THINK IT'S NEEDED TO CHANGE TO SAVE MONEY FOR SOME PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE IT BECAUSE EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE HEALTHCARE.

I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR FOR PEOPLE TO BE WITHOUT HEALTHCARE COVERAGE.

BECAUSE I FEEL EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE REGARDLESS OF INCOME, EMPLOYMENT, AND WHERE THEY LIVE."

Among the "Anti" respondents, comments skewed toward these:

"I BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO SCREW EVERYTHING UP WITH THE GOVERNMENT GETTING INVOLVED. YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THE CARE YOU NEED. PEOPLE WILL BE TURNED AWAY.

I FEEL THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO LEAN TOWARDS WHAT EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. NONE OF IT WORKED. ALL FAILED. EVERYBODY THAT'S TRIED HAS FAILED. IT WILL HURT ME. I'M DIABETIC AND IT WOULD PUSH ME INTO SOMETHING. I HAVE A DOCTOR WHO TAKES CARE OF ME. IF THEY GO WITH THE REFORM, I CAN'T CHOOSE MY DOCTOR.

GOVERNMENT CONTROL.

GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER AND INCREASED DEBT.

IT WILL BE SOCIALIZED MEDICINE.

THE COST TO ME, AND THAT PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO HAVE UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLES, LIKE DOING DRUGS AND SMOKING, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR.

I DON'T THINK PEOPLE SHOULD GET THINGS FOR NOTHING.

I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S HEALTHCARE, THAT'S WHAT WELFARE IS FOR. I CHOSE A CAREER THAT PAYS FOR MY HEALTHCARE.

I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD WORK AND SUPPLY THEIR OWN INSURANCE.

GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER AND INCREASED DEBT.

BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA HAVE MONEY TAKEN OUT OF MY CHECK TO PAY FOR PEOPLE WHO WON'T WORK"

Yes, I cherrypicked these comments. However, let me be clear, the "Pro" people had no verbatims that talked about "I don't want to pay for someone else" or "I don't want to pay for people who won't work."

If you want to look at the entire list, please go to FiveThirtyEight.com and click on "verbatim responses" in the first paragraph.

I felt this was a very telling survey result, and an example of how looking at the verbatims can really take you behind the numbers and understand the mindset of the people responding to the survey.

It is obvious that the "Anti" respondents are highly influenced by the right-wing talking points and have a much more egocentric outlook on the subject. The "Pro" respondents, while still concerned about costs in general, appear to be much more altruistic in their outlooks and talk much more about helping others.

So is it any wonder that, in order to convince people who are not currently on the health care bandwagon to support his initiative, President Obama has to appeal to the cost side of the equation and not the altruism side?

In reality, I don't know whether expanding health care coverage to the uninsured will increase or decrease overall costs. I think it remains to be seen. But that is not the real reason we should be increasing coverage of the uninsured. It's just the right thing to do.

As for the left-wing opponents of the bill, all I can say is what one pro-health care respondent said:

"THEY GOTTA MAKE ONE STEP AND THEN ANOTHER AND THEN ADJUST IT IF YOU NEED TO, BUT YOU CAN'T SIT ON YOUR THUMBS AND DO NOTHING."

Dennis Kucinich, I love you and think you are ideologically pure. But opposing this bill will not be helpful. The result, if it fails, is that nothing at all will be done; and in addition, President Obama will have a very difficult time getting anything else accomplished. The Republicans will feel they have won and have the upper hand. And that would be a disaster. I'm not saying the bill is perfect as it is, far from it. But it will help insure more people, and will accomplish part of what needs to be done. Rome is never built in a day.

Go Ahead and Die!

Great song by the Austin Lounge Lizards. "Yo Ho, Go Ahead and Die!" They pretty much sum up the attitude of the health insurance companies and the GOP.

Keith Olbermann on "Life Panels" and Health Care

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I didn't catch this last night but saw it posted on Momocrats.

Olbermann speaks of a very personal situation - his own father's illness and the choices that he has had to make - and relates it to the current debate on health care, pointing out the claim by members of the GOP that there would be "death panels" to be absurd, and also showing how lack of insurance can taint decisions that should only be between the patient, his or her health care proxy and the doctors.

It is very moving; you'll need about 10 minutes of free time to watch it if you haven't already seen it, but it's worth the time spent. Naturally this seemed very pertinent to me given my recent (and ongoing) situation with my mother.

I didn't get to see much of today's health care summit, but did catch the last part when President Obama wrapped it up. From what he said it sounded as if the GOP did not yielded on any major points, which certainly didn't surprise me. They also all looked very sulky as the President talked.

I hope he and the Democrats in Congress will go forward without them and use reconciliation to pass as much of the health care bill that they can. Something has to change because our health care system is broken.

Nice Going, Democrats

Here we are, just one year after Barack Obama was inaugurated, and the Democrats have made a mess of things. While there have been many accomplishments since the President took office (as I mentioned in my previous post) the Democrats in general, as a group, don't seem to know how to run things once they're in charge.

The latest example of their ineptitude is Massachusetts. They took Senator Edward Kennedy's vacant seat for granted, ran a less-than-stellar candidate who went on vacation during a large chunk of the latter part of the race, and didn't get worried about the race until it was too late.

Now, the magic 60-vote filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the Senate is gone, and the health care bill is in peril.

TomCat over at Politics Plus has a great summary of what happened and why, and what the Democrats will need to do to pull their chestnuts from the fire.

As he points out, the problem is bigger than just Massachusetts and just the health care bill:

"When Barack Obama campaigned for President, he promised 'bipartisanship' and 'change we can believe in'. Readers of the previous incarnation of this blog will remember that I repeatedly said that the two are mutually exclusive. One cannot effect change while attempting bipartisanship with an entity that refuses to compromise on anything. Obama had a choice. He could choose bipartisanship or change, but he tried to have both. The result was “business as usual”, not “change we can believe in”. Now I’m not saying that Obama accomplished nothing. He accomplished quite a lot. But his attempts at bipartisanship foiled the major items on his agenda."

Although I'm not a fan of Peggy Noonan, she has summed up the President's problems pretty well in her recent column. Basically she says that President Obama has misread the mood of the country and is not listening to people's biggest concerns.

"There is a disconnect, a detachment, a distance between the president's preoccupations and the concerns of his people. There's a disconnect between his policy proposals and Americans' sense, as expressed in polls, of what the immediate problems are."

At a time when the economy and job losses are paramount in people's minds, the Democrats have gone full tilt toward health care reform, which is kind of esoteric to most people. They want a concrete feeling of security, that jobs are coming back, that the economy is on track and all is well so they can start buying things again without feeling nervous about it.

While President Obama has stabilized the economy, he isn't getting credit for it, since he isn't talking about it as much as he's been talking about health care. And many people are still out of work and unemployment is still high. As the sign on the wall during Bill Clinton's presidential campaign used to say, "It's the Economy, Stupid!"

The President can still help salvage the midterm elections if he is able to focus on the economy, make people feel as if he is on their side, and prove he is listening to them.

Congress, in the meantime, will need to be working to save the health care reform legislation now that they don't have 60 votes. It is crucial that they accomplish something - even if they have to scale it back. (In fact, that might be an improvement - get some reforms in without the baggage and earmarks that were added to the bill to get the 60 votes).

Because if it doesn't pass this will be a huge setback for the Democrats and a rallying point for Republicans in the fall.

Of course, if it does pass and is unpopular, the Republicans will use it as a rallying point in the fall.

Democrats, as usual, are between a rock and a hard place - and as usual will probably be allowing the Republicans to define them to the American people.

It's going to be a long year.

January

January is always a difficult time for me. I tend to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, and even though the hours of daylight are actually increasing now, the cold weather makes me glum and I just want to hibernate. In fact, the colder it gets, the earlier I go to bed. We went to bed before 9 p.m. three times last week! I just want to be cozy and warm and in my bed and doing nothing but watch TV.

I've also been trying unsuccessfully to write a New Year's post looking back on the past decade. I thought about all the things that had gone on in my own life during that decade, and all the things that had gone on in the world during that same time. I noticed many of these things were bad things that I didn't really want to think about or dwell upon, so I never finished that post.

So then I started thinking about more recent times and still felt glum. In fact, I read Bob Herbert's column last Monday and felt as if he kind of summed up what I was feeling, that a big opportunity was passing us by, that things weren't going the way I had expected. In fact, I felt a sense that the new decade was going to be much like the old decade. It didn't give me a lot of hope for the future. Here is the gloomy ending of Bob's column:

"If America can’t change, then the current state of decline is bound to continue. You can’t have a healthy economy with so many millions of people out of work, and there is no plan now that would result in the creation of millions of new jobs any time soon.

Voters were primed at the beginning of the Obama administration for fundamental changes that would have altered the trajectory of American life for the better. Politicians of all stripes, many of them catering to the nation’s moneyed interests, fouled that up to a fare-thee-well.

Now we’re escalating in Afghanistan, falling back into panic mode over an attempted act of terror and squandering a golden opportunity to build a better society."

"Ah yes," I thought to myself. "Exactly how I feel. No wonder I'm depressed about the future!"

I was also quite disheartened by the New Jersey Legislature rejecting the proposed gay marriage bill last week.

But, all is not lost. There are actually good things happening, it's just that no one, particularly the GOP and their mouthpieces (such as Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and now, horror of horrors, Sarah Palin on Fox) wants you to know about them. The media doesn't cover the good things that have happened; that's bad for ratings.

So I was most heartened to read Annette's post over at Just My Little Piece of the World which points out that actually, Obama has been even more successful than LBJ in getting his agenda passed in Congress. Referring to LBJ's accomplishments, she says:

"Even so, it was still hard for him to get Medicare and Civil Rights legislation through Congress and the bills he got through, were not the bills we have now. They have been added to many times to make them what they are today.

That's the way all big Omnibus Legislation is done. That's the way this Health Care Bill is going to be. No, it isn't what we all wanted, no it isn't everything it maybe could be.. But the President, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have to work with the members they have to pass what they can."

I couldn't agree more. I know many chafe at President Obama's practicality, but there was no one more practical than LBJ and he knew how things had to be done in Washington. He was castigated for his escalation of the Vietnam War, but no one could deny that he accomplished a great deal in the areas of health care and civil rights and that without his leadership on these issues, we would be even further behind in these areas.

Sherry from After the Bridge posted a great link on Facebook that also gave me encouragement. Listen to Rachel Maddow point out all of the President's accomplishments to date. She does also hold him accountable for not closing Guantanamo or ending "Don't Ask Don't Tell," but she gives credit where credit is due - and a lot is due. (You have to get through a short bit with Sarah Palin in the beginning but hang in there, Rachel will get to the accomplishments after that).

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Among the accomplishments she cites:
- Taxpayers actually MADE MONEY on the stimulus package - $52 billion in profit!
- Because of his actions we have NOT had a second Great Depression.
- Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Act for fair pay.
- He appointed the first Hispanic woman to the Supreme Court.

In addition:

Job losses actually are heading in the right direction compared to the last two years of the Bush administration. Rachel shows a similar chart to this one. As you can see, job losses have been lessening since just after President Obama took office, particularly after the stimulus bill passed:


Rachel also references an article by Jacob Weisberg in Slate, which talks about Obama's "brilliant first year." He points out that one of the key accomplishments will indeed be the health care reform bill now being worked on in Congress.

"The case for Obama's successful freshman year rests above all on the health care legislation now awaiting action in the Senate. Democrats have been trying to pass national health insurance for 60 years. Past presidents who tried to make it happen and failed include Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton. Through the summer, Obama caught flak for letting Congress lead the process, as opposed to setting out his own proposal. Now his political strategy is being vindicated. The bill he signs may be flawed in any number of ways—weak on cost control, too tied to the employer-based system, and inadequate in terms of consumer choice. But given the vastness of the enterprise and the political obstacles, passing an imperfect behemoth and improving it later is probably the only way to succeed where his predecessors failed."

So after reading Annette's blog and the Slate article, and listening to Rachel Maddow, I am feeling more positive than I was last week.

And hey, at least New Jersey passed the Medical Marijuana Bill.

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. Please, make it STOP! This has been a Very Bad Week and I am Cranky.

I'm Sick of those Republicans being so Obstructionist about Health Care Reform.

My Male Human just doesn't understand how they can be against giving Unfortunate Uninsured Humans health insurance. In My Personal Opinion, what it really comes down to (other than their being on the Payroll of Big Pharma and Big Insurance) is that they will oppose ANTHING that President Obama is for. For instance, if President Obama said he was Against Killing Innocent Kittens, the Republicans would be totally in FAVOR of Killing Kittens, and would probably say that NOT Killing Kittens would be what the Nazis would do, and if we don't Kill Kittens then we will Lose Our Country. (Doesn't matter if it Makes Sense, you understand).

Despite the Watered-Down nature of whatever the Final Bill may be, though, the Senate should go ahead and pass SOMETHING. As a Cat, I am one of the Uninsured, since my Humans never bought that Pet Insurance stuff. So I am a Little Worried about what will happen after my Humans retire and are not rolling in that Money stuff they rely on. Will they still be able to Afford to take Me to the Vet? I have Great Sympathy for the Uninsured Humans. It must be Scary to have to choose between Health Care and, say, Food.

If you Disagree that the Bill should be passed, please go read Paul Krugman's op-ed piece in the NY Times, entitled "Pass the Bill." He points out that, when Everything is Said and Done, the Bill does at least do a couple of Good Things:

It would "prohibit discrimination by insurance companies on the basis of medical condition or history: Americans could no longer be denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition, or have their insurance canceled when they get sick. Second, the bill would provide substantial financial aid to those who don’t get insurance through their employers, as well as tax breaks for small employers that do provide insurance.

All of this would be paid for in large part with the first serious effort ever to rein in rising health care costs."

Perfect? Certainly NOT. But better than before? This Cat thinks so. As Paul Krugman puts it:

"Whereas flawed social insurance programs have tended to get better over time, the story of health reform suggests that rejecting an imperfect deal in the hope of eventually getting something better is a recipe for getting nothing at all."

I also liked this line in his Column:

"...some of those senators seem motivated largely by a desire to protect the interests of insurance companies — with the possible exception of Mr. Lieberman, who seems motivated by sheer spite."

That Lieberman Human is a real Piece of Work. I don't understand him One Bit. So Spite seems like about the only reason he could have for acting the way he does.

Let's see, what else has my Fur in a Knot? Oh yes, General Motors. What a Bunch of Incompetent, Selfish Boobs. Once again they can't come to an Agreement to sell my Humans' favorite Car Company, Saab, so it looks as if they're going to close it down. Now, as a Cat, I don't care about Cars. But I know my Humans are going to be Very Sad about this, so I am Sad too. We Cats also Frown upon Inefficiency and Stupidity. And the way G.M. handled the whole Saab brand was Reprehensible. They never Understood who the Saab buyer was and they came out with Cars that didn't appeal to them, nor could they compete for the Mainstream Person. Stupid G.M. They deserve to go Bankrupt but unfortunately, as Usual, they've been Saved, while poor old Saab, and over 3000 jobs in Sweden, go down the Tubes.

Then there's this Climate Summit thing going on in Copenhagen. Apparently they came to some kind of Watered Down Agreement but these countries couldn't even manage to put in a Deadline to Finalize a Treaty by Next Year. That's Finalize a Treaty, not Solve Global Warming.

"The accord drops the expected goal of concluding a binding international treaty by the end of 2010, which leaves the implementation of its provisions uncertain. It is likely to undergo many months, perhaps years, of additional negotiation before it emerges in any internationally enforceable form."

Months? YEARS? I'll be Long Dead by then. And my Humans' house will probably be Waterfront Property by then - and New York City will be the new Atlantis! What is wrong with Humans anyway? Why can't they just Agree on Anything? We Cats don't always Like each other, but if we have to Live Together, we can Manage to develop an Understanding and not Fight all the time.

Well, I'm Sorry to have Vented so much today. There are a Few Good Things happening in My Life, so I should be a Little Grateful for them.

For One Thing, my Humans are Back for Good it seems. They aren't going Away every weekend anymore. I don't quite understand it, but from what I can Tell, that Cabin they go to can't be used in the Winter. They're kind of Grumpy, but it's Good for Me, anyway. Now I finally have some Company on Weekends, which is a Nice Change. I make sure to get up in front of the Computer every chance I get to make sure they have plenty of Time to Pay Attention to Me.

Of course, on the Negative Side, That Dog is here All the Time now. Day and Night, Weekends and Weekdays. She just doesn't Go Away. But I'm getting Tougher. I don't let her take advantage of Me.

I'll end This Week's News Roundup with a little Good News.

Let's see. Here's a good story. This Guy is getting a Kidney Transplant because his Son posted the request on Facebook. How Cool is That? I guess Facebook does have its Uses. A lot of people, including my Female Human, spend most of their Time playing Games, posting Useless Information about Which Movie they would be if they were a Movie, and telling people what they had for Lunch, but now and then it Serves a Purpose!

More Good News: Scientists in the UK have decoded the entire DNA of two deadly cancers: Malignant Melanoma and Lung Cancer. This should lead to a Cure at some Point. Interesting Factoid: For every 15 cigarettes you smoke, One Error occurs in your DNA. Glad I, as a Cat, have not had the Opportunity or Temptation to Smoke. However, my Female Human smoked for several years and had WAY more than 15 cigarettes. I'm Keeping my Toes crossed that she Escapes any Dire Consequences.

So that's it for This Week. I hope you Enjoy your Weekends and have Lots of Catnip stored up. I hear it's supposed to Snow on the East Coast over the Weekend so we may be Stuck Indoors a lot!

A Cat's Eye View - Special Thanksgiving Edition

Baxter here. I have to tell you, I am Rather Grouchy today. I had a Difficult Night's Sleep. Last night That Dog was already on the Bed, and as usual I snuck up on the Bed without her noticing and ensconced Myself in the comfy hollow between my two Humans' pillows. I was Sleeping Nicely when Something woke Me up. Yes, a Jingle. The sound of That Dog's dog tags rattling. This usually means that she is about to Wake Up and start Bothering Me. So, logically, what would I do, but let out a good Growl to let her know I know she's Awake and she should Watch Her Step?

Unfortunately it had a Different Result than I'd hoped. It attracted her Attention. But by this time I couldn't stop myself and kept Growling Fiercely. Finally That Dog could stand it no longer and Pounced on Me! The Humans both woke up and Fended her off. I wouldn't Budge. I was Hunkered Down and not going Anywhere.

This went on for awhile, Dog watching Me, Me growling, until finally the Humans were Wide Awake and fed up with the Situation. So, what happened next? You'd think they'd kick That Dog off the Bed, wouldn't you? Well, no. That isn't what happened. They held onto her and pushed ME off the Bed. Me! Of all the Nerve!

At this point everyone was Awake and the Humans went into the next room and got on that Computer thing and paid some bill on line. I jumped up to help and sat in front of the Screen so they'd be sure to see how much I Helped. That Dog settled down on the Couch and went back to sleep.

Finally the Humans went back to Bed, and I joined them in my cozy spot. I punished them for kicking Me off the Bed by having myself a good Wash. This Annoyed them but they Deserved It. Then That Dog came BACK! Sigh. No Rest for the Weary. I had to Growl again but finally we all Settled Down for the rest of the Night. I spent ALL DAY on the Bed in My Spot after everyone got up, just to Prove a Point. The Nerve, kicking ME off the Bed.

Well, enough of All That. I suppose you are expecting one of my Excellent News Reviews. I'm afraid I don't have a Lot to Impart. It is a Holiday Week and things are just Too Annoying lately to deal with.

The Senate Democrats managed to get their Health Care Bill to be debated on the Floor but now I hear things are being Gutted out of it. It doesn't sound All That Promising. On the Other Hand, the Dems can't give the Republicans the Satisfaction of NOT having something pass. 'Tis a tangled web indeed. Gail Collins and David Brooks have some Thoughts about it on their New York Times blog site. Basically Gail Collins comments that David Brooks is the kind of Republican it would have been Nice to try to be Bipartisan with - if any of the Republican politicians had been willing to be Bipartisan. Which they're Not.

Speaking of the New York Times, Maureen Dowd had some Less Than Positive stuff to say over at Her Place. She has a few things to say about a Certain Lack of Loyalty. She is also thinking Obama doesn't have that Up Close and Personal Charisma that Bill Clinton managed to project on a one-on-one Basis. She says:

"Bill Clinton may not have cared any more about contributors than Obama does, but he was such a talented politician that he made them feel as though they were in “a warm bath,” as one put it.

Obama is more like a cold shower."

As a Cat, I can sympathize with President Obama. He is very Catlike in his way of doing Things, and I can't really Complain about that. Bill Clinton is more like a Big Friendly Dog, maybe a Golden Retriever. The Kind you just can't say No to, you just have to throw the Ball for them when they Ask.

But if Obama can't Charm people into being Happy with him, he'd better get on the Stick, as Humans say, and make sure he makes his Constituency happy by keeping his Campaign Promises. We need to see DODT and DOMA repealed, we need to see Gitmo closed, and we need to see him Live Up to some of his other Promises as well. Let's get this Show on the Road!

So let's see, what Else is going on? Here's a Story that the Dog Lovers among you (shudder) will Appreciate. Apparently a Bassett Hound ate a Whole Box of Nails and survived. This is not the First Time I have heard about a Bassett Hound eating some Strange Things. Apparently it is something they do Often. So if the Dog in your House is a Bassett Hound, I'd suggest not leaving Anything Around for him or her to Eat. In Fact, in our Own Household, That Dog managed to Mangle the Mi Fi Thingie that the Humans use to access the Internet at the Cabin. The Humans had to go buy a new one! Dogs are really Annoying if you ask Me. But no one does.

Moving on. Since this is Thanksgiving Eve, I thought it would be Appropriate to post something about Cholesterol. Yes, that's right, even Cats worry about Cholesterol at Thanksgiving. In fact, so should Dogs. I remember one year when the Previous Dog lived here (who was a lot less Annoying than the present one), she got into the pan that had the Grease from the Goose in it. Boy, was that a Big Mistake. She kept the Humans up all Night as a Result. I won't go into any Gory Details, but they ended up changing TWO sets of Sheets.

Anyway, about the Cholesterol. Here is an Informative Article about it. Some interesting Tidbits: Cholesterol can actually be TOO Low (either as a cause or effect of Certain Conditions). And despite the So-Called Obesity Epidemic, national Cholesterol Levels are actually going DOWN. So all news is not Bad News.

With that, I shall close out this Thanksgiving Eve post with Best Wishes to All of You out there. Have a Wonderful Thankgiving, and be sure to save the Cat or Cats in your life, some Turkey Tidbits. I will end with a List of things I am Grateful For:

A Warm Bed (despite it being Shared with That Dog)
My Food (always plentiful)
Having a Box Indoors (That Dog has to go out in the Cold to do Her Business! I do have Some Advantages!)
My Health (and Humans who take me to the Vet as Needed)
and of course....
Catnip!

Best wishes to All of You and have A Wonderful Day tomorrow!

Opinions on a Lot of Stuff

You may think that because I haven't posted anything here this week that I have no opinions on the various things that have been happening. Oh no, that isn't true. It's just that whenever an opinion struck me about some topic, it was not the right time to be blogging. And by the time I had time to blog, the will to blog had become weak.

So I thought I'd spend today catching up with the various things that I've wanted to post about all week.

Let's go backwards in time starting with the most recent news first.

In regard to the decision to try the 9/11 masterminds in civil court in Manhattan:

I'm totally in favor of this decision. It shows that the our country will stand up for its principles of justice and try these men fairly in a court of law. Of course, not everyone is in favor of this decision. According to the NY Times, opponents included members of Congress, some 9/11 victim's families, and neighbors near the courthouse.

"They argued that Qaeda suspects did not deserve the protections afforded by the American criminal justice system, that bringing them into the United States would heighten the risk of another terrorist attack, that civilian trials increase the risk of disclosing classified information, and that if the detainees were acquitted they could be released into the population."

TomCat over at Politics Plus has a good post about this. As he says,

"While it is true that these terrorists do not deserve the protections afforded by the US criminal justice system, look at the statement that giving them these protections anyway makes about the US before the world. Dispensing justice in full transparency can go a long way toward undoing some of the damage that eight years of torture and abuse of prisoners under Bush and the GOP did to our world prestige."

He also points out how the GOP, represented by Boehner, is once again showing no support for the American principles of justice. Sure, these people aren't citizens. But their crimes were committed on our soil and they should face our type of justice.

And if anyone is worried they may just get off and be released into the United States? Think about it - if you let them go in downtown Manhattan, how far do you really think they'd get? No worries there. (Yes, I know that is not a nice way to think about it. But I can't help it).

Onward to the health care debate.

I am glad the health care bill passed in the House. I know there are many progressives who feel as if this is a Pyrrhic victory, given Nancy Pelosi was forced to allow the Stupak Amendment that will effectively eliminate the possibility of coverage for abortion for a large number of women.

I understand and agree with the disappointment and outrage on the part of progressives and women. But I am practical, and believe that "the best is the enemy of the good." Sometimes it's better to get part of what you want even if it's not perfect. Opposing the bill and refusing to pass it is probably not the right answer.

First of all, this is not the final bill. The Senate needs to pass their version, and then the two versions have to be made into one. A lot can happen during that process.

Secondly, even if the final version includes these abortion restrictions, providing all Americans with health care will still do more for the greater good than if the abortion amendment were left out, but the legislation didn't pass. Having health care coverage will save money for poor or currently uninsured families if someone in the family became ill and incurred large medical bills. Ongoing well care will also ultimately help them stay in better health overall.

Third, whatever passes is not set in stone. When Medicare originally passed, it wasn't the same program as we have today. Later legislation can amend the terms if we have the will to force this to happen.

That said, I have grave concerns about the way the right wing and religious groups are slowly but surely chipping away at a woman's right to choose. Please, go over to Utah Savage's place and read what she has to say on the subject. She has forcefully reminded me of what it was like in those dark days before Roe v. Wade and also made an impassioned plea to the current generation to take up the cause and not take women's rights for granted. Please, read her most recent three posts (starting with the one entitled "My Abortion in 1968"), as she tells it better than I ever could.

The last issue I'd like to talk about today is the defeat of gay marriage in Maine on Election Day. Naturally, I was very disappointed that the voters of Maine voted for this miscarriage of justice. To me, it is ridiculous that basic human rights for our citizens are being put to a majority vote. If this had been done in the past, there would still be a number of states that would have had miscegenation laws on the books - and be enforcing them. Heck, there might even still be slavery!

Why should the majority get to rule on the rights of a minority? It doesn't even make sense. This is a constitutional issue and rightly should be decided by the courts. This is not activist judges at work - this is exactly what the courts are meant for - to enforce civil rights even when it's not something the majority may want.

Of course, the real solution would be for the government to get out of the marriage business altogether. Civil unions for all - let your religion dictate whether it's called marriage. That way religious groups that didn't want to marry gay couples wouldn't have to, and those that do, could. Either way, you could be married, whether you were gay or straight.

This evenhandedness should extend to benefit designations as well. If a person has medical or other coverage from their company or organization, they should be allowed to designate anyone as their beneficiary: spouse, domestic partner (male or female), relative, even friend. We pay extra to add spouses/families to our benefits anyway - why should the company care who you designate? It's all ridiculous to keep basing everything on whether someone is married or not, in this day and age when there are so many different types of households. It is time to move past this antiquated way of judging everything.

That said, the interesting thing is that we are even having these conversations today about gay marriage. A decade ago the idea of domestic partnerships or civil unions was what was setting off the right wing nutjobs. Now even they are hedging and saying that civil unions are OK, but marriage is another story. Change is happening - too slowly, yes - but happening nevertheless.

So, I think I'm all caught up on being opinionated. Baxter will be back next with his own thoughts on the latest news. In the meantime, I'll start trying to catch up with all the blogs I'm behind on reading!

Haiku Thursday

Live from the Adirondacks, this is Haiku Thursday!

Spending time up here provides new perspective on current events. I start noticing little things instead of worrying about big things. A small blue wildflower peeping up from the grass, a shaft of sunlight brightening the goldenrod; tracks in the soft dirt - whose? Somehow the rest of the world seems far away - and I know it will still be there when we get back. But in the meantime I think I'll just watch the ripples in the pond and listen to the geese call. I think they still migrate up here, unlike in New Jersey where they remain all winter long, fat and happy in the well-landscaped office parks.

So, without further ado...Haiku (yes, that rhymed!)

GM killed Saturn
But Jupiter still remains
Up there by the Moon.

I heard some sad news
Earthquake in Indonesia,
And a tsunami.

Roman Polanski
Is being extradited
After thirty years.

Michael Vick endorsement
Being denied by Nike
"We just give him stuff."

The healthcare debate
Continues in Washington
But news is not good.

Democrats will fight
To get a public option
Against all the odds.

Diplomats meeting,
Discussing nuclear bombs,
Progress being made?

Here it is chilly
And autumn winds are blowing
The leaves are turning.

Red, yellow and gold
Contrasting with cloudy skies
And a patch of blue.

The leaves on the ground
Will camouflage the chipmunk
As he scurries by.

Squirrels are furtive
Gathering nuts for winter
Under the bushes.

Birds still flit in trees
But now they are quieter
Mating is over.

Frogs' voices are still;
But the owl is still calling
Deep into the night.

Things are different here
Life passes by the seasons
No news is good news.

Obama Should "Welcome their Hatred"

I haven't been weighing in that much on the health care debate since so many others have been blogging so effectively about it these past weeks. I thoroughly support universal health care, and like every sane person, realize that the Republicans are opposing it just because it was Obama's idea - and of course to curry favor with their corporate sponsors. If Obama were against it, they'd be for it.

There is no middle ground here - the Republicans will find fault with any proposal the President comes up with. It's time for Obama to give up on his Bi-Partisan Dream and face reality. The Republicans are not going to support his middle ground, they will not respect his wish for civility and honest discourse, and it has become clear that no real change will occur in a bi-partisan way, on any issue whatsoever.

There were several interesting articles in the news recently that make this clear. In yesterday's New York Times, Jean Edward Smith writes,

"President Obama's apparent readiness to backtrack on the public insurance option in his health care package is not just a concession to his political opponents — this fixation on securing bipartisan support for health care reform suggests that the Democratic Party has forgotten how to govern and the White House has forgotten how to lead."...

...and then goes on to compare this attitude to that of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who never made an effort to be bi-partisan in pushing through the legislation that was the foundation of the New Deal. In fact, according to Smith, Roosevelt felt that "majority rule did not require his opponents' permission."

Smith points out that Roosevelt successfully promoted regulatory legislation and other key programs over howls of protest from his opponents and corporate interests. As Smith writes,

"Roosevelt relished the opposition of vested interests. He fashioned his governing majority by deliberately attacking those who favored the status quo. His opponents hated him — and he profited from their hatred. 'Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today,' he told a national radio audience on the eve of the 1936 election. 'They are unanimous in their hatred for me — and I welcome their hatred.'"

President Obama is in a very similar situation to Roosevelt during the Depression. His party is the majority, he was elected with a solid majority of the votes, and the country is ready for a change after eight long years of Republican rule that left the country in a mess. But he hasn't grabbed the opportunity the way Roosevelt did, and this Congress hasn't risen to the occasion as that Congress did.

Many may claim that the so-called "grass roots" protests at the health care forums around the nation are signs that the population is not in favor of the President's proposal to provide universal health care. But as E.J. Dionne points out, the media have not been covering the forums where there was civil discourse and support for health care reform.

"There is an overwhelming case that the electronic media went out of their way to cover the noise and ignored the calmer (and from television's point of view "boring") encounters between elected representatives and their constituents.

It's also clear that the anger that got so much attention largely reflects a fringe right-wing view opposed to all sorts of government programs most Americans support. Much as the far left of the antiwar movement commanded wide coverage during the Vietnam years, so now are extremists on the right hogging the media stage -- with the media's complicity."

So, if it turns out that in reality the public isn't against health care reform and is hungering for real facts, then the President's reluctance to tilt against the forces opposing him are doing that public a disservice.

In Edward Kennedy's upcoming memoir, True Compass, he discusses his feelings about President Jimmy Carter. According to the Times,

"Some of his most critical words are directed against Jimmy Carter.

He said that while they had found common cause on a few issues, their relationship had broken down over health care. He accused Mr. Carter of timidity that had doomed any chance of meaningful health insurance reform...."

Perhaps this "timidity" was due partly to President Carter's deep religious convictions, that he did not want to promote anger and dissent. Similarly, it may not be that President Obama wants everyone to like him, as some have said, but that he truly is trying to "turn the other cheek" and follow his Christian beliefs. But to paraphrase Barry Goldwater, "extremism in the defense of universal health care is no vice." While Obama's efforts toward bi-partisanship and civility are admirable, they don't get legislation passed and don't effect the real change that he was elected to provide.

The President would do well to remember that, while Jesus said "turn the other cheek," he also got angry and threw the moneylenders out of the temple. It's time Obama did the same. Sometimes no matter what your good intentions for peace, you have to fight. Edward Kennedy understood that.

I hope that the President's speech to the joint session of Congress next week is successful in getting his proposals on health care on track and wresting his message away from the GOP and back under his own control. This will be his last chance to push through meaningful reform. He cannot fail on this issue.

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. Good Lord, when will my Female Human learn not to make Stupid Remarks on how she has such "Peace of Mind" lately. You would think she would Learn that just Jinxes her. A few days after she posted That Bit of Sentimental Drivel, she and the other Human were up in the Adirondacks at That Cabin of theirs and got a Phone Call that the Female Human's Aunt had hurt herself by Falling. She's OK but Once Again my Female Human has been very Tied Up this Week taking Care of Things for her Aunt.

On the Plus Side for ME (which of course, is the Most Important Thing), the Humans are spending this Weekend at Home for a change instead of going to That Cabin.

So, here I am, finally Blogging again. And may I say, it's About Time! I was overdue to Blog and was not Given the Opportunity until now.

Well, I don't even know where to start. All this Ruckus about the Health Care System is driving me up the Wall. On one hand, of course, it would be Nice if everyone had Health Care. I am certainly very Lucky that my Humans take me to the Vet when I need it and can afford to Pay for Me. There are plenty of Pets that don't have the Opportunities I have and I've seen that they don't live as long or as Well as Pets that get regular Care. I'm sure that is true for Humans too.

But I am becoming Very Concerned that the Way this has been handled has not been Ideal. I really thought the new President would be better at this than he has been. There have been too many Rumors that were allowed to get Out of Control, and not enough Pushback on those who are spreading them. Despite efforts to get the Truth Out, the rumors continue to spread and are Poisoning the Discussion.

And on top of that, Fellow Democrats aren't even all pulling for this. And then the Latest Thing is there has been a lot of Confusion over whether or not the "Public Option" is Dead or Alive!

This could really be a Bad Thing for President Obama; his Popularity is waning in a lot of places because of this Mess. If You want to read a Lot about the Subject, please go over to Watergate Summer. Enigma4Ever has been keeping track of this All Along and has done a Much Better Job of it than my Human or I can do. Not to be all Gloom and Doom - there are some Encouraging Signs out there - Barney Frank has really Pushed Back on the Protesters at his Town Hall meetings and now President Obama is Hosting a Forum (See Enigma's site for details). Maybe things can still Turn Around.

Onward to another subject - Fuel Efficient Cars!

In my Web Surfing, I just saw a video on CNN.com about the World's Cheapest Car. It's the Tata Nano, made in India - but soon coming to Europe and ultimately, the U.S. Here is the video about it:

Apparently the Base Model sells for $2,500 without the Amenities that the American Humans have come to Expect in a Car. It has a Manual Transmission, no Air Conditioning or Power Anything at that price. (Of course, for about $3,500 you could Have It All). It gets 50 miles per gallon and they're going to come out with a Diesel too.

Since the smallest cars in America still sell for Big Car Prices, if the Nano comes here, it will Revolutionize the Industry. For instance, the Smart Car starts at almost $12,000. And a Mini Cooper is even more, starting at nearly $19,000. Let's all keep our eyes on this one! For that price, even Gas Guzzling Die-Hard SUV Owners might be willing to shell out $3,500 on a Nano for at least driving Locally. This could be Good News for our Environment.

You may Wonder why a Cat would be so interested in Cars. But You have to Understand that I have Little to Do all day except stare out the Window. And I Notice Cars. They have become a Hobby of Mine. After all, One must keep Busy.

Of course, a News Roundup wouldn't be Complete without mentioning the release of the Lockerbie bomber. This was Way Before My Time, but my Humans remember when Pan Am Flight 103 blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland, back in 1988. Apparently the Perpetrator, who had been Serving a life sentence, is being released on compassionate grounds because he has Terminal Cancer. Some feel this is Terrible because his Victims didn't get to live out their lives with their Families. On the Other Hand, it depends on whether the purpose of Jail is Revenge or Deterrence. If the Latter, it is probably OK to let him out as he is Unlikely to do More Harm. If it's Revenge, that's a Whole Other Story. What do You All think about this?

Goodness Me, I'm being rather Too Serious today. When I Blog, I usually like to Post a few more Lighthearted Items. How about ending with this, from I Can Has Cheezburger? It pretty much Sums Up How my Female Human and I Feel Lately about the Political Scene!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Till Next Time, have a Great Week and don't forget to Share your Catnip. We can All Use Some!

What I've Been Thinking About While I Was Too Busy to Blog

I've been a bad blogger - over a week without a post. But that doesn't mean my mind was not fomenting opinionated polemics about various subjects all week. Just not enough to spur me to sit down at the computer and write about them.

As you know, Baxter tries to keep a relatively objective point of view when he reports the news; in fact, thanks go to Dave Dubya for kindly comparing him to Walter Cronkite! Baxter was "Very Pleased." He also thanks everyone else for their comments as well.

Unlike Baxter, I am more apt to let my feelings show about the news and so I'll subject you all to a short barrage of opinions on a bunch of different things that I've been reacting to this past week. So here goes:

The Birthers: I am sick to death of mainstream news outlets actually giving any air time to the ridiculous accusation that President Obama was not born in Hawaii on this date in 1961 or that he is not eligible to be President. It's just one more example of the right trying to distract from real issues and de-legitimize the President. This kind of thing has been going on since Bill Clinton was elected and this is just one more example of the kind of wing-nuttery this country has become prey to. At least when the Democrats claimed George W. Bush was illegitimately elected by the Supreme Court they had a reason to feel that way, since the Court overstepped its bounds.

But our whole country needs to get a grip and understand that "it is what it is" - once a President is sworn in, he's the President and that's that. Get over it and get a life. Also, stop saying he's the AntiChrist. It's just silly. Who ARE these people anyway? And why are we talking about them?

Michael Vick: NFL Commissioner Goodell reinstated Vick conditionally after Vick finished serving his sentence for running the horrific dogfighting operation, Bad Newz Kennels. (And he didn't just sponsor the ring monetarily - he participated in the abuse of innocent dogs. "Vick pleaded guilty after his three co-defendants had already done so. They told of how Vick participated in the killing of dogs that didn't perform well in test fights by shooting, hanging, drowning or slamming them to the ground.")

According to the conditions of Goodell's reinstatement of Vick, Vick "agreed to undergo psychiatric testing, which determined that he was capable of returning to the NFL but needed continuing counseling." In addition, Vick said he had matured as an individual, has re-evaluated his life and fully understands "the terrible mistakes I have made in the past and what type of life I must lead moving forward." He also happens to be bankrupt so has a great self-interest in being able to play again.

So far no NFL team has offered him a job since the reinstatement - but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Some people feel the world should forgive Vick for his crimes and let him make a new start. Some have said there are guys playing who have done "worse" things than hurting and killing dogs (spouse abuse, drugs, DUI manslaughter, etc.) and are still playing. Well, maybe so. But maybe they shouldn't be playing either.

I am not convinced of Vick's remorse. I want to see him pledge to give an ongoing percentage of his future salary to pitbull rescue organizations or to help break up dogfight operations - or even go work for an animal rescue organization to truly make up for what he has done. I'm as forgiving as the next person but when it comes to exploiting and torturing an animal that is only trying to please its owners, or a child who is at the mercy of his torturer, these crimes I can't forgive. Why should Michael Vick go on with his high-paid career after what he has done? I know many will disagree but I can't help but feel this way.

Thankfully almost all of the dogs rescued from Vick's operation are doing well and will probably eventually find homes. Here is a video from the rescue organization BAD RAP, which has participated in rehabilitating some of the Vick dogs.



Healthcare Reform: So far the House Energy and Commerce Commission has passed one version of a healthcare reform bill and the Senate has another one in the works that is different. Neither of them will make everyone happy. According to the linked article, President Obama stated, "'The bill that they have passed will strengthen consumer protections and choice, while lowering costs and improving care, underscoring the broad consensus among all of the bills that have emerged in Congress,' he said.

The bill would make more low-income people eligible for Medicaid, the federal healthcare program; provide health insurance subsidies for middle class Americans; and offer a government-sponsored plan as an alternative to private insurance."

Of course, the concern on the left is that the public option will be stripped out in the final legislation once the rest of Congress has a go at this after the August recess. On the right there is continued fearmongering regarding "Socialism" and "government run healthcare," while on the left there is fear of a watered-down version of reform that just makes things worse without solving the real problems.

We don't know yet how this will turn out but my feeling is, it is likely at least some good will come out of it. We on the left may not get everything we want, but there will be improvements. Even President Bush's Medicare Part D prescription coverage, flawed though it is, was an improvement over no coverage at all. The "doughnut hole" system at least allows a good amount of prescriptions to be covered before the "hole" kicks in - and then picks up again when the expenses become more catastrophic. It's not perfect. But it's better than not having it. "The best (or perfect) is the enemy of the good" is one of my favorite sayings. Often good is accomplished in an incremental way. By holding out for the perfect, sometimes we don't get any good at all.

When these healthcare reforms get closer to final, let's all take a good look at what is truly being proposed and ask ourselves, "Is it better than what we have?" If the answer is yes, then it is worth doing.

Plaxico Burress: The former NFL player for the NY Giants was indicted for gun possession stemming from an incident in a nightclub last year when he accidentally shot himself in the leg with an unlicensed gun. According to the linked article, "Burress was at the Latin Quarter nightclub Nov. 29 when a gun tucked into his waistband slipped down his leg and fired, shooting him in the right thigh." On the radio I had also heard this, and that he was wearing sweatpants at the time. Sweatpants. Not even a real pair of pants with a belt that might have held the gun in place. Someone could have been killed and he's lucky he wasn't more badly wounded himself. My main reaction to this story, however, was WTF? Who goes into a nightclub with a gun loosely stuck in their sweatpants WITH THE SAFETY OFF? Hello?! How stupid is that? This is the reason people shouldn't be allowed to carry concealed weapons. Because some of these people don't have the common sense the good Lord, if there is one, gave them.

OK, I'm done now. I'll be back with any further diatribes if the mood strikes!

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. It's been Some Week around here. My Humans have been Very Busy, so they left Me in charge of paying Attention to the News.

The Big Story of the Week, of course, was the Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Arrest, which Unfortunately eclipsed what President Obama wanted us to be talking about.

In case you have been Living Under a Rock, Mr. Gates, an African-American Professor at Harvard, was arrested by Cambridge police when he had been sighted trying to get into His Own House by a Passerby...who happened to be White...and she called the Police. A Cambridge Policeman, who also happened to be White, showed up, and because Mr. Gates got Understandably Annoyed at being Accused of being a Burglar of his Own House, arrested him for "disorderly conduct."

Not sure who is right or wrong in this Mess, I'm sure there may be Blame on Both Sides, but there is a Tendency among Humans to still harbor Racism even if they don't believe they feel that way. Ask any African-American and I'm sure he or she will Regale you with Many Tales of being treated unfairly by Humans Who Are White, I'm Sorry to Say. This analysis shows how both sides may have interpreted everything Differently because of their Different Backgrounds. But in My Opinion, this situation would not have happened had Mr. Gates been an older White Man.

Be That As It May, President Obama had an Unguarded Moment during his recent Press Conference and happened to let slip what he REALLY felt about the case - said the Cambridge Police acted "Stupidly" - and all Hell broke loose. Suddenly the Conversation about Health Care became a Non-Issue and the Henry Gates thing became The Big Issue of the Week.

I think Jon Stewart explains both the Health Care Issues and the Gates debacle all in one good clip:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
White House M.D.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day

Of course, the Loyal Opposition known as the GOP (and their Minions) are Making a Big Deal out of this to Distract the Public from wanting Health Care. And in the Meantime they are trying to Scare Everyone by talking about Bureaucracy and the Government Making Your Health Care Decisions for you - as if the Insurance Companies don't do that already.

I'm glad, as a Cat, that my Humans make all my Health Care decisions. But as my Female Human's mother likes to point out, she has a Government Health Care program - called Medicare - and she's never been denied anything she needed done.

Moving On. My Female Human's mother told her about an Ad she just saw against taxing Soft Drinks. So I searched on Youtube and found it, being an Enterprising sort of Cat. Sure enough, there it is; an ad by "Americans Against Food Taxes," whoever They are, complaining about Congress plotting to take our "Simple Pleasures" away. I wonder who Really Paid for that ad? Lobbyists for soft drink manufacturers is My Guess. No one is trying to take anyone's Simple Pleasures away. They're just trying to think of ways to pay for Health Care so Poor People don't die in the Streets from lack of care. Anyway, what more does Anyone need than to have a Purring Cat in their Laps? That is the kind of Simple Pleasure that is always free! Here is the Ad in case you are Interested.

Let's see, what Else can I tell you about? Oh yes, my Humans went up to that Place they call the Cabin again a couple of Weekends ago and while they were there they bought and had delivered a Propane Refrigerator and a Propane Stove. They also put up some Shelves and other stuff. Then this Past Weekend, the Male Human and That Dog went up there By Themselves to await delivery of some Rustic Furniture that the Humans had ordered. I am a Suburban Cat so am not sure what Rustic means but I think it means the stuff is made out of Logs or something.

My Female Human stayed home because her Aunt had an operation on Friday. She is doing well but my Female Human had to visit her and also take care of my distant cousin, Geoffrey, who is the Cat that owns her.

Anyway. My Female Human and I had the House all to Ourselves on Friday night. It was Wonderful. I slept on the Bed with her all night and That Dog wasn't there to chase me off. We had a Lovely Time and I Purred a Lot. Unfortunately the Male Human (who is fine by himself but he usually has That Dog next to him) and That Dog came back the next Night.

My Humans did want me to share a few pictures taken up at the Cabin so you can see how it is all coming along. So Here they Are.

The Bedroom - with new corner shelves added (the only Things that Fit in that Little Space).

Bathroom - with Propane-Powered Lights, new Medicine Cabinet with Mirror, and new Shelf over Toilet.
Views of new "Rustic" Furniture Below and farther Below:
Propane-Powered Refrigerator and Stove:
That Dog relaxing on the Deck:

From what I Understand, the Cabin still does not have Running Water. The Humans brought Water with them last Weekend when they stayed there. The only step left is to have the Generator hooked up to the Well Pump and then they can Stay There for a Long Time. They keep telling Me that if they go for a Week they will bring Me up there too.

I have Mixed Emotions about this. I am a Cat that likes Routine and does NOT like to have it Disrupted. However, I might enjoy looking out the Windows at Strange Birds that may come by the Cabin. We shall See.

In the Meantime, enjoy your Catnip and I will see you Next Week. Let's all hope that President Obama can get Congress and the Nation back on Track to finalize some Health Care before the Autumn sets in. I think he is at a Precarious Moment in his Presidency and needs to get a Victory. I am hoping that he has been Playing with the Opposition the way we Cats like to play with Mice and that in the end he will get what he Wants.