I’ve been goofing off this morning trying to use this time to rest and read. Now I need to get moving, get over to the Farmers Market and pick up our CSA package.
This morning I am going to limit myself to links since I have been omitting them recently.
1.G.O.P. Filibuster of 2 Obama Picks Sets Up Fight – NYTimes.com
Politics as usual. GOP shoots down appointments. Democrats test the water with reasonable candidates. First time a sitting member of the House has been denied a confirmation since the Civil War. Progress.
2. In Alabama Race, a Test of Business Efforts to Derail Tea Party – NYTimes.com
This article also mentions a Michigan race: Ellis and Amash. Both Republicans. One coming from the Chamber of Commerce, one from the Tea Party. Will be interesting to see what happens. In Western Michigan the Republican usually wins so the only way to influence a race is in the primary. I have voted in Republican primaries. But those days are over. I can barely vote Democrat. Republicans seem incoherent to me. Even more than Democrats.
3.Jonathan Rauch Reminds Us That Truth Can Only Be Achieved Through Free Expression – Forbes
Relativism as the kiss of death when applied to ideas.
Young man falsely accused returns belt and swears never to shop there again.
5. Homecoming at Howard – NYTimes.com
Moving father/son story.
6. The Iraqi Prime Minister’s Plea to Americans – NYTimes.com
Wow. I’m always interested when the actors in international affairs put their ideas in writing. Always good to factor in large amounts of bullshit. But still.
7.As It Denounces U.S. Spying, Europe Delays Privacy Protection at Home – NYTimes.com
This story about NSA basically spying on everyone confuses me. Surely this is common knowledge among educated people.
PolitiFact | David Axelrod says ‘vast majority’ of Americans will keep their health insurance
It seems that once again the fourth estate has totally failed the public by not bringing this contradiction to light, say three years ago when the law passed. Even now it’s hard to get a straight answer.
This guy was on the News Hour (the TV news show I can watch the longest before giving up). His claims are obviously couched in propaganda language. He neglects to tell us WHY he lost his health “Gold Standard” health insurance. On TV he cited statistics about people losing their insurance despite its quality. I haven’t found any accurate reporting on that. Only that insurance companies are dropping people because they do not want to provide the full coverage that is now required under the law or the timing is bad (grandfathering in coverage doesn’t work if one has recently switched coverage).