Some “balls and strikes”
July 13, 2009
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: I have only been able to catch bits and pieces of the opening statements by Senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee on the first day of confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor. The best I have heard so far has been by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a former prosecutor, who denounced Supreme
President Obama selects Alabama doctor as next Surgeon General
July 13, 2009
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Regina Benjamin poses for a portrait in the waiting room at her temporary clinic in Bayou La Batre, Ala., in 2008. (AP Photo/The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Bill Starling) h/t New York Times From the White House blog Dr. Regina Benjamin: Nominee for Surgeon General: The President announced
Monday is D-Day for the Accidental Governor
July 13, 2009
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Monday, July 13 is "Decision Day" (D-Day) for the Accidental Governor. She has until the close of business on Monday to decide the fate of dozens of bills: whether to sign the bill, veto the bill, or allow the bill to become law without her signature. Expect to see a flurry of
State Budget “Collateral Damage”
July 13, 2009
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: When the Accidental Governor vetoed the package of budget bills on July 1, her intent was to create "collateral damage" to state agencies (and GOP policies embedded into budget bills) to force compromise on a budget more to her liking. No urgency at Capitol as budget woes loom What is some of
Special Session Update: GOP legislators trying to run out the clock?
July 12, 2009
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: I had an opportunity to speak with some of our Democratic legislators over the weekend about the status of negotiations on the state budget. In short, "it doesn't look good." There will be a pro forma session of the Legislature to comply with the rules on Monday, but there are no other
Nixon and Ehrlichman: our failed health care system and how it all began
July 12, 2009
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: For those of you who appreciate history, I ran across this link to a bit of history about our failed heath care system and how it all began. Damn you Nixon and Ehrlichman! The Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia provides this transcript and audio of a discussion
Is access to health care a fundamental right?
July 12, 2009
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Is access to health care a fundamental right expressly or implicity guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution? Short answer: No. And neither is a public education, I would hasten to add. There are two types of governmental action which will cause the U.S. Supreme Court to depart from its usual "rational basis scrutiny"
“The hottest places in Hell”
July 12, 2009
by David SafierA few days ago, a friend of mine granted faint praise to the recently deceased Robert McNamara, saying, at least he understood the Vietnam War wasn't winnable militarily, something others around him didn't grasp. I disagreed with my friend. McNamara deserves great blame, not muted praise, for seeing the situation clearly yet keeping
