Let me see if I’ve got this straight: Back in the 1990’s a Republican came up with an alternative to “Hillary Health Care” (aka: “Socialized Medicine“), which was promoted by a conservative think tank (the Heritage Foundation), and which was tested in the real world by a Republican Governor (Mitt Romney in Massachusetts). This same health plan was adopted by a Democratic Presidential candidate, who was elected. The health care law was passed by both houses of Congress in March of 2010 (over three and a half years ago), with a phased implementation so the market place (and States) would have time to set it up in an orderly fashion. The law was signed by the President and later approved by the Supreme Court (as Constitutional).
In 2010, Republicans took advantage of an off-year election (that is, no President running for office) to use (normally) low turnout to take over some state houses, most governorships and the House of Representatives. Locally, they ran the advertised message as “Jobs, jobs, jobs!” and Republicans know how to “put people back to work”; their real promise was to make “this” President a failure and defeat him in his re-election.
Since 2010, the House has made NO effort to introduce ANY jobs bills, but has voted over 40 times to repeal “Obamacare”. The Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare” is the signature piece of legislation to come out of President Obama’s first term in office.
In 2012, the sitting President was re-elected specifically running a pro-health care campaign with a five million vote majority (5,000,000) against an opponent who pledged to introduce a bill to overturn Obamacare his first day in office. The House was retained by the Republicans by virtue of controlling a majority of state houses and thereby “gerrymandering” their districts so traditionally Republican districts were even more biased, yet if you totaled all the votes for all seats for the House, they “lost” the popular vote by over five hundred thousand (500,000) votes. The Republicans DID lose seats, just not enough to lose the majority. The Democrats picked up seven (7) seats, but they needed twenty-five to turn over control of the House. By the way, the Democrats also picked up two (2) seats in the Senate. Statewide voting for Senators is not subject to gerrymandering by the state legislatures and governors because each state is only allowed two seats.
Please watch the following opinion piece on what is happening regarding the current government shutdown and what it means to be a “conservative” in today’s Republican party…
— The video is from YouTube, but originally appeared on: “The Cycle” on MSNBC with Krystral Ball, who is one of the four hosts.
Romney / Ryan ran on a budget proposal which would have “slashed” the budget to a level ($967 Billion) which the nation soundly rejected. “Soundly” here refers to the Electoral College landslide (332 vs 206), not the actual popular vote which was “only” 3% (five million votes) in favor of President Obama.
The column on the far left ($1203) is what the President’s budget asked for. The column on the far right is the “Ryan Budget” proposal ($967). The column next to it, second from the right, is the amount the Democratically controlled Senate is willing to pass as part of a “clean” Continuing Resolution (CR, $986). Now, seriously, does this look like the Democrats are unwilling to negotiate? Or, does it look like the Democrats have already capitulated and are willing to accept that even when you win an election, you still don’t get to run the country the way the people voted?
— Image is from the MSNBC show: “Chris Hayes, All In“
The next time you hear the “the American people” have spoken and we don’t want Obamacare or the Democrats don’t want to negotiate or that elections have consequences, understand the truth. We The People have already decided in two Presidential elections and two of three House elections that we DO want the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and as far as the budget goes, there’s not much more to negotiate because we’ve already surrendered the whole pie to the Republicans. Don’t look behind the curtain because the powers that be are getting what they want regardless of how We The People voted.
Obamacare will survive because one out of seven blacks, one out of ten Hispanics and one out of twelve Italians (thank Fumento) have HIV/AIDS. Do you really want them biting you on the street corner if you refuse to donate?
Well, it’s taken over four years but I’ve finally gotten my first racist comedic comment…
At least I hope it’s an attempt to be comedic!
Let’s take a quick look at “reality”: The Center for Disease Control (CDC) – the government agency tasked with tracking these things – estimates there are (rounded) 1.1 million Americans over the age of 13 living with HIV. That’s about 1 out of every 300 people living with HIV. The African American population makes up approximately 12% (about 36 million) of the total U.S. population (roughly 300 million). If one out of every seven African Americans has HIV, that would be roughly 5 million people with HIV. If 100% of the population living with HIV (1.1 million) were African American, the count would still be four million short of the commenters statement. The other numbers, for Hispanics and Italians are even less likely to be remotely accurate.
Facts are a funny thing…
The sad part about all this is that the impact of living with HIV does fall heavily on all minorities as does the impact of poverty. Poverty has a direct correlation with lack of heath insurance and lack of health care in the U.S. Because of THIS correlation, it is cheaper to pay for the poor to have health care insurance than it is to not do so, have the poor go to the ER’s for health care and then everyone with health insurance pay the bill after the fact. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Society either pays for preventive care (via insurance) or we pay for Emergency Room care (which is FAR more expensive). Of course, we could just as easily change public policy and say if you don’t have health insurance you don’t get ER care unless you pay up front. But then WWJD?
I’m not sure what the reference to “Fumento” is meant to imply. The only Fumento I know about is Michael Fumento who was long considered a “right-wing” and “corporate” “shill”, until he disavowed all connections with the Republican Party (in May of 2012). Nominally this rejection was for a lack of civility in political discourse, his real objection is that the Republican Party is no longer a “Conservative” party. Fumento’s claim is he stopped being a Republican when Reagan raised taxes back in the 1980’s. While I “think” I disagree with Mr. Fumento’s political policies (I can’t be sure because I have not read them in the original), I don’t disagree with him on his objections to the current Republican Party.
I’m just curious as to why a site like yours wants to reblog any of my posts? I’ve had a a quick look at your site and the majority of postings are not “just” conservative, they are down-right paranoid “birther” non-sense. I would have thought if you were trying to balance them, you’d have picked a crazy, socialist lefty… (…which I hope I don’t come across as!)
Hello Mr. Barrett,
My site was nominated for 3 awards you are the only bad comment I have received. Upwards of 15 countries read what I write.
I am not going to defend myself but only wonder what crawled up your kazoo today?
Why are you so bitter and hateful when I did you a favor and shared your content with my readers?
I guess you havent elevated to the point of triple win yet.
I will remove your post and delete it and avoid you like the plaque next time.
No need to write me back.
Paulette Motzko
Hi Paulette,
First off, I am not concerned about the number of awards you have received or the number of followers or comments you have received or the numbers of countries which follow you. I personally do not acknowledge awards, nor do I pass them on. The site: “Totally Inspired Mind” appears quite artistic and it is easy to see why you have been nominated for a few awards.
I write my blog for me. If people stumble upon it and enjoy it or get some value, that is nice but beyond my control.
Second, I was not asking you to defend yourself. I was just curious because the site didn’t seem compatible with my posts.
To tell the truth, I’m not even sure which site is yours: “Totally Inspired Mind” or “The Political Think Tank”. I can only imagine they are both yours. When I clicked on the link on the former, it opened up a page on the latter. The former seems to be an interesting site similar to many I follow. The latter seems to be an anti-Obama hate site with a sprinkling of center and left postings (I’m not sure why). That is the reason I asked why my posting was being shared there (on the latter not the former).
I am neither bitter nor hateful. I am dismissive of hate-sites (by and large), not because they are “hateful” but because they rarely have any facts to back up their stated positions and opinions. I do follow a number of conservative blogs, but that is neither here nor there, as the ones I follow are thoughtful, reasoned and polite (as well as intellectually challenging).
By the way, I don’t believe you are doing me “a favor” when you share my content. You are filling out the content on your site for your own reasons. The fact someone “may” click through to my original site is not a favor to me.
I see my post has been deleted from the “Political” site… and it is probably for the best.
As for you avoiding me, that is your choice, but my question remains: “Why was my post included on a site which appears contrary to the purpose of the site?”
If you’d taken the time to read my comments you’d have seen it was neither an insult to your work nor did I say it offered “nothing constructive or showing intelligence in any way”. What I said was the first site looks exactly like the type of sites I follow, while the second is the type I normally ignore. I also stated why I typically ignore those types of sites: because they post radical opinion without supporting facts. I did not complain that you added my post to your site. I simply asked why it was included because it was out of character for the site. I did imply my presumed assumption for your including my post – as a counter-balance. My point in that statement was that my posting was not far enough to the left to be an effective counter point to the majority of postings on the site because it (my posting) is not particularly radical.
The fact I made the mistake of reblogging yours was the only and I mean only negative thing I have run into. Go get a life and quit emailing me here.
You are harrassing me.
If you dont like or approve of what I do, you know the answer, it doesnt take a Rocket Scientist to figure it out. Dont waste your time going there and dont waste mine communicating with you.
What is your point in doing so?
Do you have one?
I will find a way to block you on Word Press because this is getting rediculous.
Paulette,
I have blacklisted your name, email and IP so you are no longer able to comment on ANY of my posts.
Please do the same for me and my site. The instructions are: Comment Blacklist – on page > Settings > Discussion you have the ability to comment blacklist. This will send all comments from that individual directly into your spam queue.
It doesn’t REALLY stop someone from commenting, but it does move their comments directly to your spam queue so you don’t have to read them.
I know there is almost no chance anyone will ever stumble on this exchange between myself and “paulettemotzko”, but just in case anyone has a problem with another person who won’t stop replying on your blog, this “blacklist” suggestion (above) does work. She is continuing to try to get the last word in and they are continuing to go to spam!! LOL!!!
Have a good life but I really dont want to have your argumentative conversations. I have more on my plate going on now every moment I talk to you it takes away from time I can communicate with people who support my work. PLM
Actually, the expression is: “You only have one time around to make a good FIRST impression…”
I am not here (in the blogosphere) to pass or fail anyone’s “test” and I hope you do not feel I am “testing” you. I am in the marketplace of free ideas. I state mine and I read / listen / examine the ideas of others. Some change my opinions. Most do not. All “touch” me whether I agree with them or not. This is why I frequent blogs like your first blog – because I choose inspiration over isolation.
If this “means” I have somehow failed a “test” you have set, I can live with your choice.
As I stated in one of my earlier replies, I believe in “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations” (IDIC).
Kevin Barrett's Blog 
Obamacare will survive because one out of seven blacks, one out of ten Hispanics and one out of twelve Italians (thank Fumento) have HIV/AIDS. Do you really want them biting you on the street corner if you refuse to donate?
Well, it’s taken over four years but I’ve finally gotten my first racist comedic comment…
At least I hope it’s an attempt to be comedic!
Let’s take a quick look at “reality”: The Center for Disease Control (CDC) – the government agency tasked with tracking these things – estimates there are (rounded) 1.1 million Americans over the age of 13 living with HIV. That’s about 1 out of every 300 people living with HIV. The African American population makes up approximately 12% (about 36 million) of the total U.S. population (roughly 300 million). If one out of every seven African Americans has HIV, that would be roughly 5 million people with HIV. If 100% of the population living with HIV (1.1 million) were African American, the count would still be four million short of the commenters statement. The other numbers, for Hispanics and Italians are even less likely to be remotely accurate.
Facts are a funny thing…
The sad part about all this is that the impact of living with HIV does fall heavily on all minorities as does the impact of poverty. Poverty has a direct correlation with lack of heath insurance and lack of health care in the U.S. Because of THIS correlation, it is cheaper to pay for the poor to have health care insurance than it is to not do so, have the poor go to the ER’s for health care and then everyone with health insurance pay the bill after the fact. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Society either pays for preventive care (via insurance) or we pay for Emergency Room care (which is FAR more expensive). Of course, we could just as easily change public policy and say if you don’t have health insurance you don’t get ER care unless you pay up front. But then WWJD?
I’m not sure what the reference to “Fumento” is meant to imply. The only Fumento I know about is Michael Fumento who was long considered a “right-wing” and “corporate” “shill”, until he disavowed all connections with the Republican Party (in May of 2012). Nominally this rejection was for a lack of civility in political discourse, his real objection is that the Republican Party is no longer a “Conservative” party. Fumento’s claim is he stopped being a Republican when Reagan raised taxes back in the 1980’s. While I “think” I disagree with Mr. Fumento’s political policies (I can’t be sure because I have not read them in the original), I don’t disagree with him on his objections to the current Republican Party.
Reblogged this on The Political Think Tank.
I’m just curious as to why a site like yours wants to reblog any of my posts? I’ve had a a quick look at your site and the majority of postings are not “just” conservative, they are down-right paranoid “birther” non-sense. I would have thought if you were trying to balance them, you’d have picked a crazy, socialist lefty… (…which I hope I don’t come across as!)
Hello Mr. Barrett,
My site was nominated for 3 awards you are the only bad comment I have received. Upwards of 15 countries read what I write.
I am not going to defend myself but only wonder what crawled up your kazoo today?
Why are you so bitter and hateful when I did you a favor and shared your content with my readers?
I guess you havent elevated to the point of triple win yet.
I will remove your post and delete it and avoid you like the plaque next time.
No need to write me back.
Paulette Motzko
Hi Paulette,
First off, I am not concerned about the number of awards you have received or the number of followers or comments you have received or the numbers of countries which follow you. I personally do not acknowledge awards, nor do I pass them on. The site: “Totally Inspired Mind” appears quite artistic and it is easy to see why you have been nominated for a few awards.
I write my blog for me. If people stumble upon it and enjoy it or get some value, that is nice but beyond my control.
Second, I was not asking you to defend yourself. I was just curious because the site didn’t seem compatible with my posts.
To tell the truth, I’m not even sure which site is yours: “Totally Inspired Mind” or “The Political Think Tank”. I can only imagine they are both yours. When I clicked on the link on the former, it opened up a page on the latter. The former seems to be an interesting site similar to many I follow. The latter seems to be an anti-Obama hate site with a sprinkling of center and left postings (I’m not sure why). That is the reason I asked why my posting was being shared there (on the latter not the former).
I am neither bitter nor hateful. I am dismissive of hate-sites (by and large), not because they are “hateful” but because they rarely have any facts to back up their stated positions and opinions. I do follow a number of conservative blogs, but that is neither here nor there, as the ones I follow are thoughtful, reasoned and polite (as well as intellectually challenging).
By the way, I don’t believe you are doing me “a favor” when you share my content. You are filling out the content on your site for your own reasons. The fact someone “may” click through to my original site is not a favor to me.
I see my post has been deleted from the “Political” site… and it is probably for the best.
As for you avoiding me, that is your choice, but my question remains: “Why was my post included on a site which appears contrary to the purpose of the site?”
I guess I’ll never know…
Infinite diversity in infinite combinations! 🙂
Your post was deleted an hour ago.. if you email me again you will talk to yourself.
Hi Paulette,
It would seem that I am unable to get you to answer the simple question, so I believe I have been talking to myself from the start!
By the way, being the site owner means as long as I choose to respond, I ALWAYS get the last word…
Live long and prosper! 🙂
I put your story on to show a difference in opion and hope it would start a discussion
There now. That didn’t hurt much, did it? A simple explanation. Not a defense…
You insulted my work and called it mindless blither I believe. Nothing constructive or showing intelligence in any way.
If you’d taken the time to read my comments you’d have seen it was neither an insult to your work nor did I say it offered “nothing constructive or showing intelligence in any way”. What I said was the first site looks exactly like the type of sites I follow, while the second is the type I normally ignore. I also stated why I typically ignore those types of sites: because they post radical opinion without supporting facts. I did not complain that you added my post to your site. I simply asked why it was included because it was out of character for the site. I did imply my presumed assumption for your including my post – as a counter-balance. My point in that statement was that my posting was not far enough to the left to be an effective counter point to the majority of postings on the site because it (my posting) is not particularly radical.
The internet is huge and vast
It is indeed. And yet you stumbled upon my site and tried to use my posts to generate traffic to your site??
I dont need you to generate traffic to my site. I more that quadrupled readership on my sites by the things I write
I am sorry you base the value of your site based on its readership.
I don’t.
The fact I made the mistake of reblogging yours was the only and I mean only negative thing I have run into. Go get a life and quit emailing me here.
You are harrassing me.
Please stop replying on MY site!
I will report you to Word Press.com if I see any more notifications from you past 6p.m. CA time. Understood?
Paulette Le Pore Motzko
I repeat. Please stop replying on my site.
If you dont like or approve of what I do, you know the answer, it doesnt take a Rocket Scientist to figure it out. Dont waste your time going there and dont waste mine communicating with you.
What is your point in doing so?
Do you have one?
I will find a way to block you on Word Press because this is getting rediculous.
Paulette Le Pore Motzko
All YOU have to do is STOP replying on my blog. As I don’t follow your blog(s), you will never hear from me again!! That’s the ways it works…
Thank you. The last two words I will ever reply.
Paulette,
I have blacklisted your name, email and IP so you are no longer able to comment on ANY of my posts.
Please do the same for me and my site. The instructions are: Comment Blacklist – on page > Settings > Discussion you have the ability to comment blacklist. This will send all comments from that individual directly into your spam queue.
It doesn’t REALLY stop someone from commenting, but it does move their comments directly to your spam queue so you don’t have to read them.
Live long and prosper! 🙂
I know there is almost no chance anyone will ever stumble on this exchange between myself and “paulettemotzko”, but just in case anyone has a problem with another person who won’t stop replying on your blog, this “blacklist” suggestion (above) does work. She is continuing to try to get the last word in and they are continuing to go to spam!! LOL!!!
Think about what you say and how you say it
I do think about both what I say and how I say it.
“When words are used precisely they mean exactly what they say.”
I hope you will do the same…
Have a good life but I really dont want to have your argumentative conversations. I have more on my plate going on now every moment I talk to you it takes away from time I can communicate with people who support my work. PLM
Lol! 🙂
You only have one time around to make a good impression and you failed the test
Actually, the expression is: “You only have one time around to make a good FIRST impression…”
I am not here (in the blogosphere) to pass or fail anyone’s “test” and I hope you do not feel I am “testing” you. I am in the marketplace of free ideas. I state mine and I read / listen / examine the ideas of others. Some change my opinions. Most do not. All “touch” me whether I agree with them or not. This is why I frequent blogs like your first blog – because I choose inspiration over isolation.
If this “means” I have somehow failed a “test” you have set, I can live with your choice.
As I stated in one of my earlier replies, I believe in “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations” (IDIC).
Namaste 🙂