Before I get very far with this, Wendy will be here to help with assorted tasks and fumigate the TomCat. It’s just in time too, because the authorities were about to evacuate the Squatch north of the Arctic Circle for her own defense, if the wind had shifted. Tomorrow will be my last day in the saddle, before my cataract surgery. I hope to be back in the saddle on Thursday, but we’ll see how I see. Later: Wendy has left and we have everything ready for Tuesday.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 2:41 (average 4:42). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Daily Kos: The former chief G W Bush speechwriter has a column in today’s Washington Post that shows the spreading impact of people processing the events since Saturday when the story of Trump Jr. , Kushner, and Manafort met with the Russian lawyer broke into the public consciousness. Titled In Trump’s world, innocence is proved by guilt, it is very much shaped by the release of the email chain earlier this week.
Yes, it is true the Gerson was never a fan or supporter of Donald J. Trump, but this piece is very pointed, and given who reads Gerson likely to have an impact on a some of the “more reasonable” Republican officers.
Click through to read his take down. I’m sure I disagree with him on many other issues, but seeing a Republican express an ethical position is so rare, I have to applaud it, when I do. As for the rest of the Republican Reich… RESIST!!
From NY Times: A powerful rule finalized last week by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will allow consumers to join together in class-action lawsuits against banks, credit card companies and other lenders over price gouging, predatory lending, abusive loan terms and other mistreatment.
Some congressional Republicans have vowed to use special legislative procedures to repeal the rule, which could take effect next year. A quick kill would be of a piece with other efforts to weaken financial regulation and allow firms to operate without accountability to customers or judges.
It’s unclear whether a congressional majority will vote to overturn a rule of such obvious benefit to consumers. What is certain is that killing the rule would be an injustice.
Liz Warren’s CFPB may be the only thing Republicans hate as much as ObamaCare and voting rights. I suspect they will overturn the rules in short order. RESIST!!
From Commonwealth Fund:
|
|
AUS |
CAN |
FRA |
GER |
NETH |
NZ |
NOR |
SWE |
SWIZ |
UK |
US |
|
OVERALL RANKING |
2 |
9 |
10 |
8 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
1 |
11 |
|
Care Process+ |
2 |
6 |
9 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
10 |
11 |
7 |
1 |
5 |
|
Access+ |
4 |
10 |
9 |
2 |
1 |
7 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
3 |
11 |
|
Administrative Efficiency+ |
1 |
6 |
11 |
6 |
9 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
8 |
3 |
10 |
|
Equity+ |
7 |
9 |
10 |
6 |
2 |
8 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
11 |
|
Health Care Outcomes+ |
1 |
9 |
5 |
8 |
6 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
10 |
11 |
Click through to read the entire report. What better case could there be for Medicare for all? RESIST!!
Cartoon:
Republicans in Congress refuse to allow the residents any power to govern themselves.
14 Responses to “Open Thread – 7/16/2017”
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4:24 I’m not even going there on the scientific name.
Wish you all the best – surgery going smoothly, and recovery straightforward and FAST. But take the time you need! The speed I’m wishing it for your benefit, not for ours.
DKos – Yes, this was amazing. I must add that if Gerson has been reading C. S. Lewis, he has at least been exposed to how a genuine Christian thinks, which alone separates him from most other Republicans. In general, their values are neither ethical nor moral, but hierarchical.
NYT – The whole Bureau is on the chopping block. I was surprised to learn that it still exists, let alone that it was pushing as hard as this. We should be (and, I trust, are) grateful.
CF – But, TC, these are facts. Republicans don’t recognize facts.
Cartoon – Heaven knows power to the people here is too little and too late. But that’s becoming true just about everywhere in the US.
DK: Gerson didn’t mince his words nor did he minced those of C.S. Lewis in his last two paragraphs. Potent stuff and a must read for all Republicans indeed. And Daily Kos’ Teacherken is spot-on with his review: Gerson may not be our favorite columnist, but he has written this column for the Washington Post, which isn’t the most liberal of medias, so there’s actually a chance he woke up a Republican or two who now may stop pretending everything’s all right with America and its current president.
NYT: Hmmm…Republicans are still very busy with repealing the ACA and replacing it with TrumpCare even though it’s the least popular piece of legislation in 30 years. So will they also go for the jugular of this new rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? If they’re pressured hard enough by their masters, if they’re offered a bit more than usual and if they can do it as sneaky and stealthily as possible…yes, they will. So here’s another item on the growing list of things to keep a sharp eye on for the RESISTENCE
CF: Yes, those numbers speak for themselves. America ranks nr. 11, i.e. last, on the list and that’s only because of the implementation of Obamacare. I’d hate to think where America will rank in reality after Obamacare is repealed and replaced by Trumpcare. Probably somewhere on another list, behind a third world country.
Cartoon: This was new to me
.
DK: Wow. One alone standing in the mist! Shame others don’t/won’t get on board with him. “The president and his men are incapable of feeling shame about shameful things.” The R party is hypocritical, and without a backbone against dt, and claps and smiles with him, rather than standing up for our nation’s citizens.
NYT: Of course, they’ll try. Hope they (repugs) don’t. ugh!!
CF: Sad we’re at the bottom. Yea, I’m with you….Medicaid for ALL !!
Cartoon: Isn’t that the truth?? Sad.
Best to you this week, and of course, for your surgery. Take all the time you need, to recuperate. Relax and rest, and take good care. Thanks, Tom.
DK: “Putting a future president in the debt of a foreign power — and subject, presumably, to blackmail by that power — is the height of sleazy stupidity. It is not a mistake born of greenness; it is evidence of a vacant conscience.”
NYT: The CFPB rule is golden, but, I’m afraid,TC, that you are right, and the GOPigs will go after it with all burners flaming!
I had cataract surgery aa few years ago. The effects are immediate and there was no downtime.
Nice to see you, Critter. Thanks for the info. The last person I knew to have the surgery was my Mom, and that was almost 20 years ago. Sounds like procedures have improved (which would not be surprising.)
Hi, Joanne.
Thanks Jerry. One of my fellow prison volunteers had it done about five years ago. She was blury and woozy for about a day.
Housekeeping Note:
There will be NO “Friday Fun” next Friday.
I’m heading up to Illinois tomorrow to take my Mom to her eye doctor appointment and refill all her meds for the next couple of months and go out to lunch w/ my REAL aunt.
I’m taking peaches and tomatoes from the KCMO City Market so Mom and I, and some of her Assisted Living friends – and my Aunt – can enjoy a summer treat!
Have a great trip!!
Puzzle — 3:42 It’s all yours but take care, I don’t know if they are edible by Puddy Tats.
Resist and Persist!!!
I keep doing face plants so I’m off to bed. Didn’t sleep much last night. Good night. BTW, I have lived near the Yukon border — almost 4 years worth — so there is no way I’m being evacuated to the Arctic Circle.
Then breathe at your own risk.
Daily Kos — I wonder if we could force Republicans to have Gerson’s piece tattooed on their foreheads? That way, every time they look in a mirror they would see it. Maybe eventually, they would read AND understand his comment. I can dream can’t I?
NY Times — Excellent news, but with a Republican dominated Congress and a Republican pResident in the WH who is hell bent on destroying anything Obama did, this will likely be gone before it gets off the ground. Too bad!
Commonwealth Fund — I have long said that my wish for my American friends is universal healthcare at least equal to that in Canada. I know our system is far from perfect, but it works. And the over all chart above shows that the Canadian system could be better, but also the Americans could benefit even from our system. In the report, the very first graph shows something that should make Americans sit up and take notice — all the other countries show healthcare costs as between 8% and 11% of GDP. The US system is ~16.5%. If Republicans succeed at their health care revamp, that percentage of GDP may go down but the mortality rate will skyrocket. Also, the effects of poor health will show in unemployment rates and workforce productivity rates, just to name two areas.
Cartoon — I knew that DC did not have a lot of say in how the area is governed and that is not only sad, but it should also be unconstitutional. The DC population should have the same rights as the individual states. Perhaps Republicans are worried that DC residents will blockade the area from Republicans entering!
Resist and Persist!!!
I did get a lot of sleep last night thankfully and feel decent today. I hope everything goes well tomorrow with the eye surgery. Is Wendy going to drop by to make sure you’re OK afterwards? . . . or at least someone checking on you? I hope so.
Thanks all. Hugs. Gerson’s use of CS Lewis gave me the idea for the current poll.