Lady Bird's legacy

She carved out an impressive legacy of environmentalism at a time when the term was not in the national lexicon. Her elevation of the cause of highway beautification helped lead to congressional legislation. Her efforts to upgrade the nation's capital led to the creation of a suburban Virginia park in her name. She founded a National Wildflower Research Center in Austin, Texas.

Michael Moore forgot something in his film.

The State of the Art USA Healthcare. What next, outsourcing?

He wasn't the first person to propose a "Single Payer, Universal Health Care Provider System" for the USA.

Nope.

In 2003, the Physicians Working Group of the American Medical Association was the first to propose it for the USA. Kindly click title above.

Physicians for a National Health Program (click here)

Single-Payer National Health Insurance
Single-payer national health insurance is a system in which a single public or quasi-public agency organizes health financing, but delivery of care remains largely private.
Currently, the U.S. health care system is outrageously expensive, yet inadequate. Despite spending more than twice as much as the rest of the industrialized nations ($7,129 per capita), the United States performs poorly in comparison on major health indicators such as life expectancy, infant mortality and immunization rates. Moreover, the other advanced nations provide comprehensive coverage to their entire populations, while the U.S. leaves 46 million completely uninsured and millions more inadequately covered....

News Release

Expanding coverage for the uninsured and increasing access to care (click here)

...HCCU participating organizations include AARP, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Catholic Health Association, Families USA, Federation of American Hospitals, Healthcare Leadership Council, Johnson & Johnson, Kaiser Permanente, Pfizer Inc., United Health Foundation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce....

The Final Draft (click here)

Expanding Health Care Coverage in the United States:
A Historic Agreement

A diverse group of 16 major national organizations
with an abiding interest in accessibility to
quality health care have reached a consensus on
policy approaches to expand health coverage to
as many people as possible as soon as possible. In
formulating the proposal, the participating organizations
agreed upon key principles: (1) emphasizing
making coverage available to those least
able to afford it, (2) relying upon incentives and
voluntary approaches, (3) building upon the
employer-based system and not weakening incentives
for employers to offer coverage, (4) using a
combination of public and private approaches to
expand coverage, (5) recognizing the budget challenges
facing most states, and (6) recognizing the
importance of consumer outreach and education
on health coverage options.

I got all my tickets for the Traverse City Film Festival...ha, ha, ha...

...and I was able to secure a ticket to every movie I wanted to see...ha, ha, ha...if you think that is not an accomplishment, I dare you to try it.

Okay, so Bush and Gates are getting serious about doing the country's business. Look, Iraq can do what it wants. The 'Benchmarks' are American definitions to maintain a military presence in that country while they transition only a 'path' recognized by the USA Executive Branch as necessary to establish a country called Iraq post illegal invasion based on 'You broke it, you bought it.'

Iraq does not have to achieve any of the Benchmarks. Those Benchmarks are not Iraqi Law. If the Parliament in Iraq wants to go on break for a month as does the pampered USA federal government that is their right. If they take time off than it should give the people of the USA a very clear understanding of where they prioritize the importance of the USA initiative and the Benchmarks.

The USA cannot legislate Iraqi law. It has no power within that sovereign country except what it is granted by the people of that country and considering the violence that isn't much of an invitation.

So. Although the American government recognizes through legislation Benchmarks, it is to 'measure' the 'purpose' of the USA military within Iraq. The USA cannot and will not forever occupy and support Iraq. Just that simple.

In actuality, the Benchmarks are more important to the American people than they ever will be to those in Iraq. It's time to leave Iraq. There is a resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan because they are taking advantage of the quagmire of our military in Iraq and don't think for one minute that isn't a strategy by the Taliban and al Qaeda. You betcha it is.