The Republicans are shutting down rural health clinics.

U.S. Sens. Baucus, Grassley work to protect rural health clinics (click here)
8/25/2008
WASHINGTON – Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Committee on Finance, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member, are concerned that a proposed change to the existing Medicare requirements for rural health clinics would force some clinics to close. The senators are seeking an extension of the public comment period on the proposed changes to allow states and clinics more time to weigh in.
Baucus said, “If finalized, this CMS rule would undermine access to care in rural areas. The method CMS has proposed for certifying rural health clinics doesn’t make sense and will jeopardize the sustainability of crucial clinics in Montana and throughout the country. I call on CMS to extend the comment period so that the effects of this ill-conceived proposal can be thoroughly considered.”
Grassley said, “Rural health clinics are often the only health care option for people in rural communities. That’s especially true with high fuel costs that make it harder to travel long distances to cities for health care. An additional 60 days for public comment on the proposed changes would allow states and clinics more time to evaluate the effects on health care access in Iowa and other rural states.”
A proposed rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on June 27 would change many of the existing requirements for rural health clinics. Comments on the proposed rule are due August 26, 2008. Baucus and Grassley are asking for an extension of the comment period for an additional 60 days to allow states and clinics more time to analyze the likely effects of the proposed rule and its potential for closing rural health clinics in many areas of the country. Separately, Sens. Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden, also members of the Finance Committee, sent a letter, co-signed by 12 other senators, asking for additional information and requesting an extension of the comment period.
The text of the Baucus-Grassley letter follows here....

September 2, 2008

(202) 224-4515
BAUCUS TO CONTINUE HEALTH CARE REFORM SERIES WITH SEPTEMBER HEARINGS (click here)
Finance Chairman says panel’s study of reform topics
will remain an important focus this fall
Washington, DC – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) today
announced the next three hearings in the panel’s year-long review of issues in heath care reform.
Baucus said the September hearings will focus on health care quality, delivery system reform, and
insurance market reform. Throughout 2008, Baucus has convened hearings, roundtables, and
events to prepare for congressional action on health reform next year. Baucus said today that he
intends for the panel’s comprehensive examination....

NFIB Commends Sens. Baucus, Grassley for Holding Healthcare Summit (click here)

06/16/2008
CONTACT: Stephanie Cathcart, 202-314-2056
Looks forward to continued dialogue on healthcare reform
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Dan Danner, executive vice president of the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation's leading small business association, issued the following statement in reaction to the Senate Finance Committee's "Prepare for Launch: Health Reform Summit 2008:"

"The National Federation of Independent Business applauds Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley for calling attention to the urgent need for healthcare reform. Americans realize that bipartisan cooperation is necessary if we are ever to achieve affordable coverage that is available to all. Small business owners and their employees are acutely aware of the challenges in finding affordable, accessible healthcare coverage. In fact, this issue is the top concern for small business owners and employees and has been for many years....

Long Term Care Leaders Praises Senator Baucus For Protecting Senior's Access To Therapy Services (click here)

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP

Also Included In: Seniors / Aging

Article Date: 07 Jul 2008 - 6:00 PDT

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Association for the Support of Long Term Care (NASL) praised Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) for urging that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) maintain the exception process to Medicare Part B therapy caps. "We thank Senator Baucus for leading the fight in Congress to protect seniors' access to critical rehabilitative services," stated Bruce Yarwood, President and CEO of AHCA. "On behalf of the millions of Medicare beneficiaries cared for by AHCA members, we echo Senator Baucus' call for CMS to delay implementation of the onerous therapy caps." "More than 700,000 Medicare beneficiaries will exceed their limit on Part B outpatient therapies this year, and it is critical to extend the exceptions process to allow these individuals to continue receiving the care they need and deserve," stated Peter Clendenin, Executive Vice President of NASL....

Janet Napolitano, the Governor of Arizona on John McCain

GM Chairman and CEO Richard Wagoner listens as Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) testifies via video conference before a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing about the state of health care in the U.S. on Capitol Hill in Washington, on July 13, 2006. (UPI Photo/Roger L. Wollenberg)


..."He got everybody riled up," she said about McCain's speech before the Republican National Convention.
But, she added, ``A little short on specifics."
Napolitano, a Democrat and staunch supporter of Democratic nominee Barack Obama, asked, ``What exactly is he going to do for the economy? What is he going to do for health care? What is he going to do for the price of gas?"...

"...Chosen by Time Magazine as one of America’s Top Five Governors, Janet Napolitano’s hallmark is common sense – she does what makes sense and what works...." (click here)

She continues to fight for quality schools, affordable health care, sensible and forward-thinking economic development, a safe homeland, and has taken extensive measures to create fiscal responsibility and to end bureaucratic waste.
Governor Napolitano championed voluntary full-day kindergarten, available for all Arizona children. She pushed for a historical teacher pay raise – an acknowledgement to those who have chosen the most valuable of professions. She also provided record financial support for Arizona’s universities and community colleges, recognizing the need for a well educated work force to ensure the success of Arizona’s future.
She fought to preserve health insurance for our state’s entrepreneurs, while putting into place steps that will help ensure all Arizona children have health care.
Napolitano leads the nation in addressing illegal immigration, and was the first governor to call for the National Guard at the border at federal expense. She continues to be a national voice in calling upon the federal government to accept their responsibility for our nation’s borders.
Governor Napolitano leadership has expanded to outside our state’s boundaries. She recently concluded her term as the first woman and first Arizonan chosen to chair the National Governors Association where her groundbreaking Innovation America platform will continue to move forward.
Prior to her election as Governor, Napolitano served as U.S. Attorney for Arizona and as Arizona’s first female Attorney General.
She’s one of Arizona’s brightest stars who will continue to shine a light on the issues affecting not only Arizona, but the nation.

And what is Hillary up to? On the campaign trail for a better America.

By Bill Rufty

Ledger Political Editor
Published: Monday, September 8, 2008 at 6:13 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, September 8, 2008 at 6:19 p.m.
LAKELAND

Hillary Clinton paid a surprise visit today to more than 60 volunteers at the Polk County Obama for president headquarters in Lakeland .

“This is marvelous to see so many people hard at work,’’ said Clinton who decided to pay the spur-of-the-moment visit while enroute from an appearance in Kissimmee to a rally tonight in Tampa.
It is the second time since Clinton has toured Florida, a state she won handily in the Democratic primary, to campaign on behalf of Barack Obama, who defeated her for the party’s nomination for president.
Clinton walked into the office at County Line Road and Gateway Boulevard as adults and high school student volunteers were calling local voters....

What the Democrats are Saying - Energy

September 8, 2008
...Sen. Barack Obama is proposing a simple maneuver -- called an exchange, or swap -- that will help lower the price of oil for consumers, increase the amount of oil in the SPR, increase energy security, and leave taxpayers better off by about $1 billion. His proposal deserves to be adopted....


"Clean Energy in Ten Years."

There is a stack difference between the Republican Energy Plan under McCain and the Democratic Energy Plan with Barak Obama.

The Democratic Plan calls for converting to 'clean energy' while freeing ourselves from fossil fuels.

The Democratic Energy Plan calls for standards to meet those set in Senate Bill S.309. The Republican Plan doesn't even try to meet those standards and completely discards the importance of controlling greenhouse gases in their energy proposals.

John McCain is not endorsing Senate Bill S 309.

S. 309: Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (click here)
1/16/2007--Introduced.
Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to set forth provisions concerning global warming pollution emissions. Directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) set milestones to reduce the aggregate net levels of emissions (authorizes EPA to establish market-based programs to achieve such reduction); (2) require each fleet of automobiles sold by a manufacturer beginning in model year 2016 to meet emission standards; (3) contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study the potential contribution of the non-highway portion of the transportation sector towards meeting the emission reduction goal; (4) require that electric generation units meet an emission standard that is not higher than the emission rate of a new combined cycle natural gas generating unit; and (5) establish a low-carbon generation trading program...

What the Republicans are saying - energy.

"Energy Independence in Ten Years"

The McCain plan is the same as the Cheney National Energy Policy. McCain continues with all the same fossil fuels, such as oil, gas and coal. McCain also believes in building more nuclear plants.

There is no difference between McCain's plan and that of Cheney's Energy Committee. There was call for alternatives in Cheney's plan as well, but, just as with McCain it is not the focus of change in the nation's energy strategy.

McCain's misguided carbon policy (click here)

Monday September 08 2008
John McCain's plan to cut carbon emissions will simply increase profits for America's biggest polluters

After eight years of inaction, carbon emissions policy may finally take a reality-based turn. Both Republican senator John McCain and Democratic senator Barack Obama have proposed "cap-and-trade" (CAT) plans. While McCain's running mate, Alaska governor Sarah Palin, recently declared she doesn't believe climate change is "man-made", I'll assume that McCain continues to support his plan....

Aerial Hunting compliments of Novice Governor Sarah Palin

..."Sarah Palin's positions against America's wildlife could put her to the right of even the Bush administration," said Schlickeisen. "She is a promoter of one of our nation's most ugly and cruel wildlife hunting programs and Americans deserve to know her views on such matters before they vote."

With the larger image, peripheral 'mini' vortices can be noted. Possibly tornadoes.

Ike slams Cuba, Haiti death toll passes 600
September 9, 2008 - 2:34AM


September 8, 2008
1930z
UNISYS Water Vapor hemisphere satellite (12 hour loop here)

Hurricane Ike assaulted Cuba on Monday with torrential rain and gale-force winds demolishing houses, crushing crops and threatening Havana after killing 61 people in Haiti, where a series of vicious storms has triggered a crisis.
Cuba carried out mass evacuations of residents and tourists before Ike -- the second hurricane to slam the island in just over a week -- made landfall Sunday night at Cabo Lucrecia in the east, pounding buildings along the coast with seven-meter (23-foot) waves and flooding coastal villages.
More than 1.5 million people were moved away from coastal areas in eastern and central Cuba and more than 9,000 foreign tourists were evacuated from the resort of Varadero east of Havana, officials said, as the storm tore a reckless path down to Cuba's southern coast before churning towards the capital.
Civil defense forces put Havana, a city of 2.2 million people where thousands of centuries-old building pose a hazard, on full hurricane alert ahead of an anticipated major hit on the city Tuesday.
Ike's devastation followed widespread destruction wrought by Hurricane Gustav which charged into western Cuba August 30 and destroyed or severely damaged 140,000 homes and buildings.
"In all of Cuba's history, we have never had two hurricanes this close together," lamented the head of Cuba's meteorological service, Jose Rubiera, on state television.
At 1500 GMT, the center of the storm was about 70 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of Camaguey and 465 kilometers (290 miles) southeast of Havana, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
With sustained winds near 160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour, it was moving west at 22 kilometers (14 miles) per hour, with a turn northwest forecast later in the day.
Rubiera meanwhile reported that Ike's eye had moved out over the Caribbean Sea off the central province of Ciego de Avila, where it could regain force before making landfall again.
Hours earlier Ike sent huge waves spraying the tops of five-storey buildings in Baracoa, where hundreds of homes were destroyed.
"I have never seen anything like this," said one Baracoa resident of 57 years.
In Holguin, Ike washed away homes and power lines and trampled crops, according to local reports.
"It's raining heavily here and power has been cut since early at night," Alvaro Cruz, a resident of the city, told AFP by telephone.
With Ike weakening slightly as it made landfall, the NHC downgraded Ike to a category two storm on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale. But it threatened to ramp up again off Cuba's southern coast Monday.
It is then forecast to cross the island on a northwest track and into the Gulf of Mexico sometime Tuesday and train its sights on the US Gulf Coast, where much of the oil produced and consumed by the United States is refined.
The New York crude oil futures contract edged up 71 cents to 106.94 from the opening bell Monday, with an analyst attributing the gain to concern about the storm.
Ike plowed across the Turks and Caicos Saturday as a category four storm, causing injuries and extensive damage on the British territory and tourist haven.
It also raked the Bahamas island of Great Inagua, forcing many of its 1,000 people to seek emergency refuge and jeopardizing tens of thousands of West Indian flamingos.
Worst-affected is Haiti , where four storms in three weeks have killed more than 600 people and left hundreds of thousands in desperate need of food, clean water and shelter.
Officials continued aid operations in the flood-stricken town of Gonaives, where hundreds died in devastating floods from Tropical Storm Hanna.
Another 61 people perished in Haiti, including 57 in the village of Cabaret near Port-au-Prince, in flooding caused by Ike, officials said. Many of the victims were children younger than seven, they said.
"What has happened here is unimaginable," member of parliament Pierre-Gerome Valcine told AFP from Cabaret, 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of the capital.
Hundreds of bodies were found in Gonaives, a town of 350,000 in northwestern Haiti, after a five-meter (16-foot) wall of water and mud engulfed much of the town.
UN peacekeepers on Saturday evacuated several thousand residents from Gonaives, a local official said, but thousands more are still awaiting relief.
More stormy weather hampered relief efforts Sunday. Heavy rains brought down a key bridge which severed the only viable land route to Gonaives, forcing trucks loaded with emergency supplies to turn back.

My family did not have these issues and now we are being required to pay for the faux economy that floated Bush's Re-election.

Why is it, that the people in the USA that saw through the irresponsiblity of so many now have to be part of the solution?

This is outrageous!

...``This is a disaster for anyone who bought the stock,'' said Jack Ablin, who helps manage $65 billion as chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank in Chicago. ``Based on what we know so far it seems like the stock is worth virtually nothing.''...

Bush/Cheney/Paulson have just sunk the USA economy. With insoluable debt now and no job market to create 'good paying' jobs; how do you think the newly acquired National Debt is going to resolve?

It won't. That is the best part as far as Paulson is concerned. Because as soon as the USA is so stressed over the debt load left behind by Bush/Cheney, it will be forced to sell all the 'interests' including massive amounts of real estate of all varieties as cheap government surplus auctions.

Except for real estate with prestigue and good local schools, the value of houses will continue to deteriorate. There are too many houses and too few buyers. The exception are places like Boston where 'old money' continues to support a very healthy market place.

It is all a false sense of security, regardless of what Wall Street is doing. No jobs. No purchasing homes. This 'increase' in the stock market is no different than the other 'money grabs' Paulson and Berneke, Bernanke or what ever his name is, put together. They bounce the market for a short run, but, there is nothing sustainable about it.

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN !!!

Dollar Rises to Highest Since October on Fannie, Freddie Plan (click here)
By Ye Xie and Agnes Lovasz
Sept. 8 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar rose to the highest level since October against the euro as the U.S. government's takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac boosted confidence in financial markets in the world's largest economy.
The U.S. currency also touched the strongest this year versus the Swiss franc after the government vowed to support the two agencies that account for almost half the country's $12 trillion home-loan market. South Korea's won surged the most in a decade on reduced concern that a global credit-market slump would make it difficult for Korean companies to pay their debts....

Cherry Picking the Facts. Shame on everyone. I mean really now. McCain wants to come across as honest. The Commander and Chief of all C&Cs.

Then lets speak the ENTIRE truth, shall we?

When McCain and Palin appeared at a rally whereby she stated Barak agreed with the surge, she took it completely out of context. But, hey, cut her a break, she only read what was handed her.

I never thought I'd hear O'Reilly actually ADMIT that al Qaeda showed up in Iraq after the illegal and immoral invasion into Iraq, but, he did. He qualified the question to Barak with the statement, "...the Al Qaeda came there after we invaded, as you know....". Do you believe that? Bill O'Reilly actually ADMITTED as a lead in to a question with Barak that al Qaeda did not exist in Iraq before the Bush/Cheney invasion.

Is that what Palin said? No. She structured her words as if Barak Obama were making a new revelation. That isn't what Barak did. He praised the 'work' of the USA soldiers in the field. He didn't agree that the surge was a good idea, but, he stated due to the good work of the soldiers under orders, there was a 'quieting' of the area.

That is what he said. As a side note, there were a lot of civilians killed in Iraq, so just because there was an increase in troops that resulted in lesser street violence, doesn't mean it was achieved in a way that benefited anyone except Bush/Cheney and the USA military in reducing casualities. That is for history to tell after the USA is deployed out of Iraq.

As a matter of fact The Surge was an abject failure when it is noted that the political circumstances of Iraq, which was supposed to blossom with The Surge, is still in shambles. Okay? As recently as a few days ago, the Iraqi military was chased out of Kurdistan. So The Surge is a failure in the goal it was supposed to obtain.

But that isn't what completely astounds me about this revelation.

...All right. Let's go to Iraq. I think history will show it's the wrong battlefield, OK? And I think that you were perspicacious in your original assessment of the battlefield.

OBAMA: I appreciate that.

O'REILLY: I think you were desperately wrong on the surge, and I think you should admit it to the nation that now we have defeated the terrorists in Iraq, and the Al Qaeda came there after we invaded, as you know. We defeated them.

OBAMA: Right.

O'REILLY: If we didn't, they would have used it as a staging ground. We've also inhibited Iran from controlling the southern part of Iraq by the surge, which you did not support. So why won't you say, "I was right in the beginning. I was wrong about that"?

OBAMA: If you listen to what I've said, and I'll repeat it right here on this show, I think that there's no doubt that the violence is down. I believe that that is a testimony to the troops that were sent and General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated, by the way, including President Bush and the other supporters. It has gone very well, partly because of the Anbar situation and the Sunni awakening, partly because of the Shia military. Look...

O'REILLY: But if it were up to you, there wouldn't have been a surge....

What is completely obvious is that Reilly admitted the war into Iraq was wrong. Completely and without reservation, the war was wrong. How did he admit that? By stating the circumstances in Iraq worsened with the arrival of al Qaeda after Bush/Cheney invaded a country that was of no consequence to the national security of the USA.

Now, come on. If O'Reilly is willing to state al Qaeda manifested after the invasion, he is also admitting there was a lot wrong with that invasion, including anarchy, ethnic civil wars and we could go on and on. Reilly admitted Iraq's circumstances got worse.

What does that mean?

That means Barak Obama's vote against the invasion is profound. McCain voted to wage an unnecessary war that even O'Reilly admits worsened the circumstances of the Iraqis after the invasion.

Simply put.

Barah Obama has far more insight into foreign affairs and especially where it comes to war.

McCain and Palin owe Barak Obama an apology for victimizing him for his depth of insight in his vote to oppose the invasion.

The NEW Republican Celebrity - Palin for President

And why shouldn't she be.

She is a living SOAP Opera. Macho man, Todd. Illegitimate pregnancies and more to come. She can field dress a moose in the time it takes to boil water. Beats "Days of our Lives" hands down.

So, Ms. Celebrity Supermom didn't go back to Alaska to see her son off (click here).

The very sad thing is she can't seem to keep her facts straight.

She is deceptive.

As a matter of fact, she and McCain owe Barak Obama an apology.

There is a disparity in the media of coverage of Joe Biden. Why? Because the Repubs are scared of Joe !

The Repubs are scared of The Truth !!!