Day: October 1, 2009

Die Quickly–An Update

Florida’s representative Grayson has angered the House GOP (so what’s new?) and they have demanded that he apologize for his comment that the GOP health plan was for Americans to die quickly.

He caved, but not exactly what the GOP was looking for….

“I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven’t voted sooner to end this holocaust in America,” a defiant Grayson said on the House floor Wednesday.

The “holocaust” Grayson was referring to was the 44,000 Americans that a recent study says die each year because of inadequate access to health care. The representative cited the Harvard study (PDF) in what appeared at first to be an apology, but quickly turned into a retort.

The number of dead “is 10 times more than the number of Americans who have died in Iraq and who died in 9/11,” Grayson said. “But that was just once. This is every single year. That’s right. Every single year.”

The GOP has seized on the “holocaust” comment, not only did he NOT apologize to the House for his comment he took them to task.  He did just what Wilson did….he apologized to the people that he wronged…Wilson’s only apology was to the Prez and Grayson’s was to the people…I would say that it was done and all should be forgotten….the GOP thinks Wilson did the right thing, then Grayson has done the right thing.

BTW, lat week “Balls of Steel” award went to Sen. Rockefeller….continuing a new tradition, this week’s winner is Rep. Grayson of Florida.  Kudos…….

Putting The Country At Risk?

I have heard just about all the BS there can be on the Prez trip to Copenhagen.  That he is putting the country at risk by going to use his influence in the behalf of Chicago and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

First of all, this is a yawn and something that does not need 24/7 coverage.

Second, the chairman of the RNC, the moron Steele:

Steele began a brief telephone news conference by criticizing Obama’s lack of focus on the biggest problem facing the country: weakness in the economy, which Steele said is still in recession.

The former Maryland lieutenant governor said he had watched Obama push an economic stimulus plan, then “lurch into cap-and-trade, and then into health care,” and now he’s “pitching the Olympics in Copenhagen.”

In answer to a reporter’s question during a telephone news conference, Steele said it was “a noble idea for the president to pitch his home city, Chi-town,” but that “at a time of war” and recession, “this trip, while nice, is not necessary for the president.”

And then there is FOX News…..the newest political organization or should I say the “official” news media of the moronic Right?

In recent days, Fox News hosts, contributors and guests have used President Obama’s promotion of the United States bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics in Chicago as an excuse to attack him, while Michelle Malkin and Matt Drudge have baselessly linked the murder of a teenager in Chicago to the Olympic bid. Attacks on Obama’s efforts include Sean Hannity saying that “it sounds” like Obama “is more concerned about bringing the Olympics to Chicago than winning the war in Afghanistan,” Brent Bozell claiming Obama’s trip to Copenhagen to promote the Chicago bid “is evidence that this man just cannot stay away from the klieg lights,”

(Thanx to mediamatters.org for the info above)

Cute little swing in words…..the Prez is basically taking a day off and do something to help his town and possibly aid in its recovery.  Where is the crime?

I will give the GOP bullshit machine something to reply to:

Would you, the GOP and RNC, begrudge the Prez if he took a Sunday off and went to church?  Then would you say that the Prez was more concerned with his soul than winning the war in Afghanistan?   After all that is NOT the business of the nation?  Maybe you dipsticks should spend more time thinking of ways to save a party stuck in a MANURE pile and stop making up crap that has NOTHING to do with the reality the country faces in this time of global recession.

Maybe the RNC should look for someone who can expand the party’s membership, not shrink it.  Just a thought.

Afghanistan: Law Of Diminishing Returns

I admit it…I am an economic and political geek…and I am always looking for ways to link the two together…. I may have found my connection……

In economics, the Law of Diminishing Returns relates to….. The more you have, the smaller is the extra benefit you get from having even more.  Or after a certain point each additional unit will yield less and less of a positive result.

I know…I know…just what in Hell does that have to do with Afghanistan?

I will attempt to explain……the Prez is struggling with the request for more troops, about 40,000, to be deployed to Afghanistan or face the possibility of a failure in the country.  As I have said before, this was the argument made by Westmoreland to Johnson in the mid 60’s concerning Vietnam.  And how did that work out for the US?

If the troops are sent to Afghanistan, how long will it be before more troops are needed?  And on and on…….if we apply the Law of Diminishing Returns there will come a point that no matter how many troops are in the country the outcome will begin to diminish, meaning that the result will be a bust and a possible failure anyway.  The addition of troops will do little to change that, just postpone it for awhile.

Now the argument will be that a “surge” in troops in Iraq worked wonders and the same will be true in Afghanistan.  First of all, two completely different situations….because bad guys are shooting at the troops does not make it the same situation with the same solution.  Second, Iraq we had 2 distinct factions to deal with and in Afghanistan there are somewhere in the neighborhood of twent factions.  Third, the more Americans in the country the more chances of civilian deaths and with each one any support we have will lessen.  It is hard to win hearts and minds when killing women and children.

The generals will most likely get their troops, but I suggest that the Prez spend a little time thinking about the Law of Diminishing Returns….it will apply!