Tuesday, August 4, 2009

THEY'RE FREE!!!

The two American Journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee have been pardoned by North Korea and will be finally coming home. They had been prisoners since March 17.

Thank you former President Clinton.

52 comments:

Christopher D said...

Now to get to work on the three American "hikers" in Iran...

shirley baird said...

exactly

Anonymous said...

Haven't heard from Prof. Eric lately. I suspect he's been busy today cleaning sewer backup from his basement while cursing the $2/mo. rate increase to make sure the sewer doesn't back up too much more.

Anonymous said...

10:49 You're joking right? Come on, you can't be serious. I mean, seriously. Your post almost sounds like you mean what you wrote.

Okay, okay. Good one. You almost had me there.

Wow...I was about to get all fired up.

Anonymous said...

these two got much better that they deserved; they deliberately put themselves in harm's way and gave N.K. a bargaining chip it didn't have; they could have seriously compromised the country; as it was, they were traded for a photo op with Bill; it could have been worse; we would have been justified to leave them where they were

Anonymous said...

Latest F.O.S. slop:



A SPECTACULAR RESULT:
Once again, President Bill Clinton's action makes other people believe that he can heal the world.

.....

Hey Bill, how about now going to Obama and put some sense into him about what he is doing to us Americans...



Should we tell "Eric" the fact that all the details of the visit were worked out in advance by the Obama administration, and only after a deal was reached did the Obama team call Clinton and tell him the North Koreans would release the girls if Clinton went over for a photo shoot?

Anonymous said...

The hand in the "Prof. Eric" internet puppy is a racist's hand. Grow up and get over it.

Anonymous said...

Daniel Sneider, associate director of research at Stanford University's Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, said the journalists' release followed weeks of quiet negotiations between the State Department and the North Korean mission to the United Nations.

Clinton "didn't go to negotiate this, he went to reap the fruits of the negotiation," Sneider said.


See http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_us_nkorea_analysis

A real academic would print a retraction. I'll wait (likely forever) for "Eric" to do the same.

F.O.S., do you know the meaning of "truthiness"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truthiness

shirley baird said...

If all it took was for Clinton to show up for a photo op, good for him and those two women.

I'm just glad we didn't have to give anything away. But even so, we are talking about 2 American citizens. We know they are journalists and not spies. Kim Jong Il just wanted to get back in the spotlight before he died.

shirley baird said...

What worries me about the hikers is that Ahmadinejad isn't going to be so easy.

Anonymous said...

I find it remarkable that F.O.S. oppposes everything and everyone having to do with a tax or fee increase, yet F.O.S. praises Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.

Bill Clinton, unlike Reagan, Bush Sr. or Bush Jr, BALANCED THE FEDERAL BUDGET. He did it in part by raising income taxes on those making over $120,000/year.

Obama to my knowledge HAS NOT RAISED ONE TAX. He campaigned to raise taxes only on those making MORE THAN $250,000. You'll recall that Clinton also campaigned on only raising taxes on those above $250,000 but broke that promise. The Obama administration stated AGAIN THIS WEEK that they do not intend to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000.

F.O.S. makes NO SENSE. Obama hasn't raised a tax and hasn't even suggested raising any taxes to levels that Clinton had.

Anonymous said...

10:41 don't think for one minute Obama will raise taxes on people like you and me.

At least when Clinton was in office we had jobs.

I'm with Shirley on this one: if all it took was for Clinton to be there, who cares.

Don't think for one minute Hillary didn't play a part and her staff along with Bill pulled off their release.

The end results is all that matters,they are home and free.

Anonymous said...

We could have negotiated a trade, and give them Baylor for Ling and Lee. He would have felt right at home there and fit in well.

Anonymous said...

At least when Clinton was in office we had jobs.

I'm with Shirley on this one: if all it took was for Clinton to be there, who cares.

Don't think for one minute Hillary didn't play a part and her staff along with Bill pulled off their release.


But it didn’t JUST TAKE Clinton being there to get the release. It took many negotiations from the administration before Bill Clinton got involved. Please read my post again. I never said Hillary didn't play a role. I never said Bill didn't either. I was responding to F.O.S.'s incorrect assertion that this was ONLY Bill Clinton to the rescue and that Obama had nothing to do with it. Obama's team, which includes Hillary (she works for Obama, remember?) put this deal together before they ever picked up the phone and asked Bill to be a part of it.

As for us having jobs, Bush is the one who screwed up the economy. The market was tanking and unemployment was on the rise WELL BEFORE the elections. Remember that? Get a business newspaper from the second half of 2008 and read the headlines? It was all bad news, and Obama hadn’t been elected. If you and your ignorant racists buddies want to pretend that the high unemployment rate is Obama's doing, then change your blog's name to Freedom to Live in a Dream World.

Say the stimulus isn't working? The economy shrank at less than 1% annual rate last quarter. Without the stimulus, it would have been closer to decline of 6%. Yes unemployment is up, but without the stimulus, unemployment could be at 15% or 20% now, instead of 10%. Without assistance to auto companies, how many more assembly line workers, suppliers and car deals would be jobless? Without assistance to the banks, how many more small business could have closed up because they couldn't get a loan to make payroll.

Obama’s plan is working. The economists agree. The only ones who don’t agree are the Republicans and the fake professors.

shirley baird said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
shirley baird said...

I got an email from the Washington Post.

Judge Sotomayor has been confirmed 68-31.

(I had to delete & post again since I spelled her name wrong the first time. You never want to make a judge mad, especially a Supreme Court Justice)

Anonymous said...

12:53 anonymous. A week ago, we saw Rasmussen's Presidential Approval index (PAI) reach new lows. He's dropping like a rock, so enjoy that change he promised you.

Then there's the economy.

As the economy keeps shreading jobs, Obama's creditability with the American people continue to crash.

To put it concisely, everyday more of us Americans are awakening to the fact that we were conned into enacting the largest spending binge in American history for nothing more than ideological purposes.

Promised jobs are not materializing, they're are evaporating. Our deficit continues to climb with nothing positive to show for our expenditures.

And in light of the obvious failures of his policies thus dar, Obama and his cronies continue their fear mongering cries to garner support of more of his sure-to-fail "reforms."

The unemployment rate, already higher than Obama predicted it would have been without passage of his pork filled "stimulus" plan, continues to climb.

Anonymous said...

2 the last poster, maybe obama's ideas about solar, wind energy and mandating companies start making electric cars (being in reality over WHAT we SHOULD BE DOING) will create new KINDS of jobs and, alongwith biodiesel, hey, our generation must be doing something right!

Another way of looking at things in a positive manner. lol

Anonymous said...

the depression went on for more than a decade. anyone who is judging obama's economic policies on 6 or 7 months doesn't understand economics.

Anonymous said...

Today's F.O.S. Slop:

TO OUR 9 COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Try asking us before you raise our rates...

Btw, who do you work for: the taxpayers or Mayor England?


I'm a taxpayer and the council should work for me. I wanted the $2 fee increase because I'm sick of:

1. Raw, Human sh*t in my basement,
2. Tort claims that will cause our insurance premiums to increase, and
3. EPA fines.

If Ms. Fake Professor is so happy with the backed up sewers, then she can come over to my house with a mop and start mopping, and then maybe she can replace my new and newly ruined wood floors.

If the smart prof. has an idea of how to fix the sewers without additional money, THEN TELL US HOW TO FIX IT. Otherwise, I expect to either pay to pay for additional, badly needed services, or I expect to have more sh*t in my basement every time it rains.

UNLESS THE PROFESSOR WANTS TO TELL US HOW TO FIX IT, I EXPECT THE PROFESSOR TO S-H-U-T U-P ! ! ! !

Anonymous said...

Since WWII, the President with the lowest approval rating has NOT Nixon at the end of Watergate. The President with the lowest approval rating was Truman.

History has been very, very good to Truman. Plus, presidential approval ratings historically fall the longer the President is in office, no matter who it is. If you're going to say Obama is a bad President since he's only at 50% approval, than you obviously don't know your history.

Anonymous said...

Shirley, how can you support Congressman John Conyers? Conyers recently said, "What good is reading the bill if it's a thousand pages long?"

Some of these Members of Congress are suffering from delusions of grandeur.

We need to re-introduce them to reality - the reality that we are their bosses, not their serfs.

"Section 1233 of the house-drafted legislation encourages health care providers to provide their Medicare patients with counseling on 'the use of artificially administered nutrition and hydration' and other end of life treatments."

How can you Shirley be in support in "telling seniors how to end their lives sooner?"

Do you have an elderly parent?

Should this be the governments choice or the patients choice?

What policymakers need to do is fix what's broken, not create a whole new system that will end up adversely affecting the hundreds of millions of Americans (like myself) who are happy with our current system.

We all agree we need to find ways to expand access to health care for the uninsured, their are other ways to accomplish that.

I recommend that you Shirley pull up this health care draft and read it, then let's see if you still hold true to the Obama plan.

Surely NOT!

Anonymous said...

DID YOU VOTE FOR OBAMA IN THE LAST ELECTION? I BET YOUR ASKING YOURSELF, NOW - WHY.

WAS IT THE HOPE, OR THE CHANGE, OR BOTH.

IF YOU VOTED FOR OBAMA, YOU ARE THE REASON OUR COUNTRY IS IN THE MESS IT'S IN.

DO US ALL A FAVOR, AND SKIP THE NEXT ELECTION AND NOT VOTE.

Jeff Gillenwater said...

How can you Shirley be in support in "telling seniors how to end their lives sooner?"

Do you have an elderly parent?

Should this be the governments choice or the patients choice?


It is the patients' choice and it has nothing to do with ending anyone's life sooner. All it does is pay for Medicare patients to speak with a doctor of their choice about their treatment preferences should they become incapacitated during an emergency situation. They are not required to do so. It extends an additional benefit to seniors that's not available now.

The legislation seeks to provide seniors with counseling that will educate them about all of their options. This provision does not mean that seniors will be denied otherwise available end-of-life care, nor does it mean they will be forced into "physician-assisted suicide."

As Rep. Blumenauer's office explains, "Advance planning consultations are not mandatory; this benefit is completely voluntary. The provision merely provides coverage under Medicare to have a conversation once every five years if – and only if – a patient wants to make his or her wishes known to a doctor. If desired, patients may have consultations more frequently if they are chronically ill or if their health status changes." Additionally, "There is no mandate in the bill to complete an advance care directive or living will. If a patient chooses to complete an advance directive or order for life sustaining treatment, these documents will help articulate a full range of treatment preferences, from full and aggressive treatment to limited, comfort care only. Patients that choose to have these documents and can customize them so that their wishes are appropriately reflected." And finally, "There are no government-chosen professionals involved. The legislation simply allows Medicare to pay for a conversation between patient and their doctors if patients wish to talk with their doctor about end of life care preferences." The provision has been endorsed by the AARP, American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, American Hospice Foundation, Consumers Union, Gundersen Lutheran Health System, Medicare Rights Center, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, and Providence Health System.


http://ourfuture.org/healthcare/healthreformfactcheck

Iamhoosier said...

"W" inherited a budget surplus. In eight years he totally screwed it up. He IS THE ONE who is mainly responsible for the economic mess that we are in. Not to mention being responsible for more American deaths than occured on 9-11.

If you voted for "W", at least have the courtesy to hang your head in shame and apoligize to the rest of us.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...Unemployment rate fell in July.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/business/economy/08jobs.html?_r=1&hp

Anonymous said...

What do Economists say about the stimulous? Read it here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/business/
economy/07stimulus.html?em

Economists say the stimulus is working. However, the tax cut parts of the stimulus aren't the part of it that's helping since during a recession people save (and don't spend) tax cut money.

Wanna debate? Is "Eric" and economist too?

shirley baird said...

Dear Anon 8/7 8:30 There is a difference between HR676 and HR3200

The plan Mr. Obama is supporting is not the one that Mr. Conyers and others including myself are supporting. HR676 is basically Medicare for everyone. He does not advocate euthanasia for older people or anyone else.

Mr. Obama's plan has huge deductibles and has the private insurance companies competing with the public plan. It is not economical for anyone, especially the working poor. Please check it our at http://www.centerforpolicylanalysis.org/id41.html

For an explanation of HR676 just Google HR676. You can read about both plans and decide for yourself.

And yes, I do have an elderly parent and she is on Medicare. My father was on Medicare also before he passed away. His physician, Dr. Richard Gardner, had an excellent letter to the Tribune in last night's edition. You might want to check that out also.

There are many physicians who support HR676. As a matter of fact, there is a group "Physicians for a National Health Plan" or "PNHP" The leader of this group, Dr. Robert Stone, is an ER physician in Bloomington.

Many people have been working tirelessly for years trying to fix the broken system before we all go broke or bankrupt trying to pay our medical bills.

I hope your health care plan is as good as you say. You might want to check it out before you have surgery, many plans have been cut back by the employers to keep costs down. The premium is about the same but the deductible and out of pocket expenses have exploded.

Anonymous said...

CLUCK!

Anonymous said...

bluegull, have you ever heard of a living will? That's how simple that solution is.

next

Anonymous said...

Democrats and Obama supporters will say anything. What the hell does Eric have to do with this?

Gee Louise

Iamhoosier said...

6:22,
I didn't bring Erika up, just former President Bush. Refute the fact that he inherited a budget surplus. Refute the fact that more Americans(not to mention Iraqi citizens)have died than died on 9-11 because of him and his trumped up war on Iraq.

I don't know if Obama's economic plans are going to work. I know that he inherited a financial mess and a fair amount of what his administration has done has been a continuation of what the Bush administration had started to try to save the economy. That does trouble me.

Hey, you wanna talk property tax abatements some more?

Anonymous said...

Is there a doctor in the house?

Anonymous said...

8;27 IAMHOOSIER, your excuse and blame for Bush is old stuff. This is Obama's 2 Trillion dollar deficit, not Bushes.

Anonymous said...

no, this is bush and reagan's $10 trillion dollar debt. some "conservatives."

does professor erica know how to add?

Anonymous said...

Shirley,

Some comments were added under the rain posting. More Info LOL

The Tribune should do an article about you and fellow Dems going to WA. Most interesting!

Everyone should know Obama and Cabinet let Bill Clinton do what he had to do; guess a lot of people still like him. Must be a charisma thing.

Anonymous said...

Also, happy Hillary made it clear to the North Koreans THIS MEETING AND ACTIONS have NOTHING to do with NUCLEAR PROLIFERATIONS.

A few thoughts, neither here nor there, lol. Thanks for letting me share.

Anonymous said...

haven't heard from erica lately. must be too busy astroturfing elsewhere.

fake professor.

fake grass roots movement.

fake political arguments.

Christopher D said...

locally the Family Health Centers see an average of 7500 patient encounters annually.
This is with out any outreach other than patient word of mouth.
Currently the Clark COunty Location is adding up to 35 new patients per week on patient orientation day at 8:30 monday mornings.
This trend has continued for the last 4 1/2 months. And we are stretched to maximum capacity.
Some patients are having to wait months for optometry, some are waiting a month or more for dental services other than routine screenings and cleanings by the dental hygenist.
Other than hig risk patients (Y.O.P.I.'s) {very Young, Old, Pregnant, Immune Comped} are having to wait weeks for general medical appointments and wellness checks.
Each counties municipal hospitals generously donate diagnostics to each counties clinic patients, and a network of very caring community physicians and specialists (thank you Shirley and Co.) donate appointments for patients, some even donate surgeries, or long term follow ups on complicated cased, and all they "get" is the ability to claim it on taxes.

Anyone who feels thaty we are NOT in need of changes to our current health care systems need look no further than any of the Family Health Centers of Southern Indiana, if you need a more drastic look, do some research on the Family Health Centers of Metro Louisville.
FHC's of Southern Indiana rely on private donations, Metro United Way Grants, State Grants, and Federal Grants to keep the doors open, and even with that we operate in the red, at the end of each fiscal year we get jittery that the funding will not make it in time and we will have to shut down.
There is NO fundamental excuse why every citizen of this country does not have affordable, dependable access to comprehensive healthcare.
But we sit back and get in political squabbles and listen to half truths, misinformation, and scared to death that we may have to pay $5 more bucks on FICA per pay check.
A society is judged by the way it treats its weakest, and we as a nation have been too wrapped up in what we think is best for ourselves and NOT thinking about what is best for ALL.
Until we can come together as the elective power behind our representatives and say enough is enough, we will never salve this problem.
As it stands now we have all become the puppets of the big insurance companies, who have recently posted record profits, and puppets to the big pharmaceutical companies, and the cost is probably more than any of of would truly care to admit to.
Those who are suffering are our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, friends and family, and many of us dont even realize it.

Iamhoosier said...

And you expect Obama to fix in 6 months what "W" screwed up over 8 years? Get real.

Anonymous said...

Does "Prof. Eric" still think the stimulus was a waste? Here’s an article from a real professor, one who also has a Noble Price in economics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/
opinion/10krugman.html?em

The New Albanian said...

Most of the comment posted here by (predictably)anonymous at 11:08 pm on August 6 was lifted word for word from a tiresomely fascist blog:

http://americasbestchoice.blogspot.com/2009/07/obamas-approval-rating-comes-crashing.html

Little people play by the "rules" except when it comes to following ones, like the proper attribution of sources.

The New Albanian said...

Actually I had chance to go to Pynongyang in 1989 to attend the internation youth and student festival. The reason I didn't go was that the youth wing of the CP-USA seized the accreditation process and excluded me because ... yes, because I wasn't a card-carrying Communist.

All in all, I'd rather be in Bavaria.

Christopher D said...

25 new patients to for "new patient orientation"
A good percentage of them had health insurance up until a month or two ago, when their job was lost so was their insurance.
By the way, what is this "bill" that everyone is screaming that they read and are against, I didnt think there was a bill yet?
We need a stop gap, and affordable option for those who fall between the cracks of medicaid and private insurance.
It time to think out side of the box.

Iamhoosier said...

So when did you actually get your card? VBG

Anonymous said...

Christopher D. we do think outside the box, that's why we are fighting back.

Anonymous said...

Saying that you think outside of the box doesn’t mean that you actually do think outside of the box.

Plus, screaming down a congressman isn’t a “debate.” Healthcare reform opponents don’t want a debate.

That reminds me, Roger’s offer to debate still stands. No one, professor or otherwise, has accepted.

I’m sure Roger will debate healthcare reform with the good professor, assuming anonymous other fake professors don’t scream and boo every time it’s Roger’s turn to give his point of view.

Anonymous said...

ROGER COULD NOT DEBATE HIMSELF OUT OF A PLASTIC BAG. THAT'S A REAL "NO BRAINER."

The New Albanian said...

Yo, anon 4:05 - screaming is impolite, especially coming from inside a paper (not plastic) bag 'round your noggin'

Christopher D said...

"Christopher D. we do think outside the box, that's why we are fighting back."

Organizing screaming sessions is not fighting back.

Yelling about what is contained in a "bill", when they are just proposals at this point is not fighting back.

Nothing is being solved, the gap is merely being widened.

While the Democrats and GOP squabble over things that are just in the proposal phase, more and more Americans are losing health care coverage.

To be honest with you the best solution at this point is offering a government backed insurance option with affordable premiums based on household income, that can be offered to individuals and families who have lost their insurance due to loss of work, and as a stop gap to provide coverage between having coverage and getting state sponsored coverage in the event of disability.

Anyone who has coverage available through employment should not be allowed to simply drop their coverage electives at work to obtain the gov. plan.

All we need is a a healthcare "spackle" to fill in the cracks to stop millions of families from falling through those cracks.

But since it has been politicized, we will not accomplish a damn thing, period.

Iamhoosier said...

Roger,
You know how I hate to disagree with you, but that is not a paper bag. It is a white pillow case.

Anonymous said...

With a pointy top, Mark?

I'm waiting for F.O.S. to burn a cross in the White House Rose Garden.