Americans Away From Home

Sonia Sotomayor formally became a U.S. Supreme Court Justice at her investiture ceremony.

Chief Justice Roberts, Attorney General Holder, all eight current Supreme Court Justices, members of Congress were there, along with the full complement of Sotomayor's former colleagues from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and naturally, Sotomayor's family and friends.

Good Luck, Justice Sotomayor! Please be wise, and compassionate

Carole

Bob Herbert thinks we do. He's asking if the U.S. is so whacked out we need therapy.

Might be.

The President wants to give the U.S. a health care system, to bring it in line with almost every other country in the world. People who know we need help obstruct it in every way possible.

The President wants to tell school children how important school is, to work hard and do well. Parents complain that it's socialism.

Republicans offer no new ideas, while the party has no one or no thing to rally around except for the talk radio entertainers who do rants endlessly.

Fox News is permitted to be ultra-partisan while bragging they present news that is fair; the FCC, charged to protect equality and fairness, is limp.

Our duty to support the President? It was, when Bush was President and Republicans said so. Now, they tolerate comparing the President to Hitler, and do nothing.

Extreme unemployment (15 million; black unemployment over 15%); wars we are not sure why we're fighting; and oh yes, the deficit (please see the deficit counter in the right column of this page, climbing without end even as you read this).

Houston, do we have a problem? (Bob Herbert's column here).

Carole

"The cause of my life"

That's how Ted Kennedy described providing health insurance to all Americans.

Without Ted Kennedy's vote, who'll cast the crucial 60th vote on health care reform?

At the same time Ted Kennedy's funeral arrangements are being made, political plans are being hatched for maneuvers to protect the vote Kennedy wanted to cast.

Why is the magic number is 60? That's how many votes are needed to defeat Republicans efforts to block reform.

Massachusetts law leaves Kennedy's seat open for five months, when a special election could be held. A dying Kennedy asked Massachusetts legislators to let the Governor name a temporary replacement.
(NY Times story here).

Carole

                    
                      "The bottom line, then, is this:
                        the irresponsibility of the Bush years has left us poorly positioned
                        to deal with the current crisis, turning what should have been an easily
                        financed economic rescue into a more difficult, anxiety-producing process."

Question: Where would we be without 8 years of gross fiscal irrseponsibility from the Bush administration?

Paul Krugman calls it "Bush's Legacy."  He blames Bush for our trillions deficit, pointing to the tax cuts and the Iraq War. (Paul Krugman column here).

Carole

For 20 years, Wendell Potter, a top executive large insurance companies, did everything he could to scare Americans about health care. Then, he says he saw the film "Sicko" to get propaganda, but seeing it changed him.

His conscience ruled. He testified to Congress about the tricks health care companies play to block health care reform.

A month later at a county fair, Mr. Potter saw patients in long lines waiting for free health care in stalls used for animals.

He quit his job and went public with insurance industry tactics to obstruct any chance of fixing U.S.health care.

Nicholas Kristof writes:

                                                                            Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times


                                                              Photo: Associated Press


                     Photo: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times


                                                                    Photo: Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times


                                                                                 Photo: Pool photograph by Martin H. Simon

Right now, I'm too choked up to write much here.

Senator Kennedy's obituary, story of a privileged and compassion-filled life, reads like the Hollywood movie we know it will become.

Only six days ago, he wrote to the Governor of his state asking to change laws about selecting his successor if he were to die while in office (Please see story below).

Sigh.  Sigh.

He tried hard to be a good man.  And was. (NY Times story here).

Carole

President Obama stated:

Michelle and I were heartbroken to learn this morning of the death of our dear friend, Senator Ted Kennedy.

For five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts.

I valued his wise counsel in the Senate, where, regardless of the swirl of events, he always had time for a new colleague. I cherished his confidence and momentous support in my race for the Presidency.

And even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness, I've profited as President from his encouragement and wisdom.

An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time. And the Kennedy family has lost their patriarch, a tower of strength and support through good times and bad.

Our hearts and prayers go out to them today--to his wonderful wife, Vicki, his children Ted Jr., Patrick and Kara, his grandchildren and his extended family.

Six days ago, newspapers reported that Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy was trying to change the laws about replacing U.S. Senators.

If Mr. Kennedy were to die before his term expired, current law requires that his seat (and vote!) would still be vacant when the health care bill he cared so much about came up for a vote, according to the NY Times. His seat would be empty until a special election, which would be held 145-160 days later.

On August 20, Sen. Kennedy wrote to the Governor of Massachusetts and leaders of the State legislature, saying he wanted Massachusetts to be represented in the Senate during those five months.

What he didn't say explicitly: passing health care reform needs all the Democratic votes possible. If he were not well enough to vote or died before the vote on health care, and the Governor appointed a Republican, the bill might lose a crucial vote.

Massachusetts law gave the governor the right to appoint a temporary replacement before 2004. Ironically, it was a Democrat-controlled legislature that changed that to holding special elections, with the time requirement. That was done when Senator John Kerry ran for President, with the thinking that if he won and vacated his Senate seat, the governor (Republican Mitt Romney) would name a Republican successor. (NY times story here).

Now it's backfiring. Political ball games have consequences.

Or, be careful what you wish for.

Carole

Update:  (Who'll be the next Senator? Issues here)

British people can't believe what Americans are saying about their National Health Service.

On Twitter, around 30,000 people have signed an online petition called "We Love The N.H.S." They urge Americans to ignore the bad things they're hearing about the NHS, which many believe are spread by U.S. companies profiting from health care. (NY Times story here).

Carole

Older Americans, expressing fears about Health Care reform: imagining horrors, or seeing the facts?

Here's an interesting discussion on this question. (NY Times story here)

Carole