Thanks to E.A. Blair for suggesting this wonderful new product...and illustration. We're planning on introducing more of your favorite wingers on Flakies boxes because...well, because every wingnut deserves the recognition.
Let ...
Is there not an ounce of sanity left anywhere in the Republican party?
Barely 36 hours after the caustic New Year’s Day vote, Boehner faced a coup attempt from a clutch ...
From The Onion:
Saying that she’ll be gone soon anyway so she might as well, Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann introduced H.R. 259: The Homosexual Decapitation Act, which would give the United ...
Surprise, surprise. Stupidity is alive and well in the racist wing of the conservative movement.
Eagle Forum’s Phyllis Schlafly is riled up about comprehensive immigration reform, and she has hardly been ...
All good bad things must eventually come to an end.
Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann, who last year ran for the Republican presidential nomination, announced on Wednesday that she will stand ...
The best of late night political humor via Daniel Kurtzman’s Political Humor.
Happy Friday.
___
"During a Senate hearing yesterday, Senator John McCain said it was too hard to always have to update ...
John McCain has finally had enough of his Republican teabagging cohorts, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.
In the latest expression of Republican frustration with conservative GOP colleagues, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) ...
Our friend, John Liming, wonders how God might deal with two conflicting prayers of a political nature.
I have been reading an article on the website, Raw Story, where it is ...
Item 1:
The Oklahoma tornado disaster has killed at least 24 people, left hundreds injured and caused millions of dollars in damage. But that has not stopped a senator from that ...
If you're new to right-wing think, here's an easy to remember rule of thumb to help you along; any and all evil in the world can be attributed directly to ...
From a political party overflowing with sociopaths and creeps, none other than Dick Cheney encapsulates to a greater degree what it is the Republican party has become. The blood of ...
It can be debated as to whether the filibuster came about as a political accident or was created to give minority parties a stronger say in opposing specific legislation they ...
While gun nuts sink a little deeper into madness with each passing day, Seattle is turning guns into bricks.
The Seattle Police Department collected more than 700 guns during a buyback ...
Had enough of right-wing political crap and find yourself with a deep desire to get as far from the madding crowd as you can?
Read on...
The opportunity to travel to Mars ...
Here's the full quote from Charles P. Pierce.
If your "way of life" involves handing deadly weapons to five-year olds, your way of life is completely screwed up and you should ...
A guest post from James Fidlerten.
___
After September 11, 2011, America became united, as it grieved the loss of so many lives on American soil. The tragic event also changed so ...
I'm not sure that 'crazy' is strong enough an adjective to describe the many (or few) who go to the absurd lengths they do in defending America's out-of-control gun culture. ...
During an interview with Kaiser Health News Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) said he opposes Obamacare because every single American already has the health care.
“There is no one who doesn’t have health care in America. No one. Now, they may end up going to the emergency room. There are better ways to deal with people that need health care than this massive new program.”
No one except the 49 million who don’t have insurance and therefore do not have access to regular health care. The best they can hope for is to wait until their health deteriorates to the point where they require emergency services. How wonderful.
Tell me again how the U.S. has the best health care system in the world…a system that allows thousands of its citizens to die needlessly each year because they are unable to afford health insurance…a system that has allowed medical costs to become one of the leading causes of personal bankruptcy…a system which has the U.S standing out as the only developed country in the worldwithout a universal health care plan for its citizens.
Disgraceful.
I can think of no better reason to ensure that as few as possible of these sadistic conservative pricks win back office in 2014. If ever there existed a political party that deserves to be wiped off the electoral map, its the soulless, backward thinking, ignorant and heartless Republican Party.
It really takes no effort to hate their guts and everything they stand for.
If you gave it some thought, you’d know that Bryant is right. Everyone in this country has access to the best medicine in the world. No one gets refused care at a hospital regardless of their status. And I doubt that “thousands” die each year because they can’t afford healthcare insurance.
Marcus, Your lack of understanding of the meaning of healthcare is appalling. The ability to go to the emergency room when you are dying is not the same thing as healthcare. Going to the doctor for preventative measures before you are in such a state is healthcare. Try that without insurance!
Republican thinking is like the death committee that they denounced during the health care debate.They did protest too much. Republicans believe that if you let people die then you will control the growth of the population and as long as there are births you will always have people who will work for cheap and make profits for the rich 2% of America.
I never claimed that not having health insurance is as good as having insurance. That is one of the consequences of being poor. What I am saying is that everyone has access to healthcare in this country in one form or another. Also, what better incentive is there to finding a job than knowing that your new job comes with health insurance.
Marcus – pretend you notice some odd syptoms. You have health insurance and you go to your doctor. He does a test, based on your symptoms – and finds you have cancer, etc. It is early, you get treated and knocked it out.
Now pretend the exact same thing BUT you don’t have insurance. I really don’t think that if you showed up in an emergency room, they would run a diagnostic test for you. Your cancer progresses. You check the internet ad it may or not be cancer, but you don’t get tested because #1) you can’t afford the test and #2) if it is cancer, what are you going to do? You don’t have the money anyway to fight it.
Thousands do die every year because of this, many more people than those who died on 9/11.
If you continue to deny this, it’s simply that you do not want to believe it.
Gee – I seem to remember the country is still trying to make up for all those lost jobs. I had not heard that we are awash in those. Thanks for the info.
Lots of the poor have jobs – some have 2 or 3 – and none of those jobs have insurance.
There are many businesses that rather than hiring workers full time and providing health insurance, prefer to hire many more on a part time basis so there is no obligation for insurance. Ah…the benevolence of the wealthy, it just warms my heart.
Obviously both Bryant and Marcus are referring to the right to “emergency” care which the law says hospitals must provide.
There are so many things WRONG with this type of thinking all mostly propagated by IGNORANCE !
It is apparent that these people have never been to an emergency room for treatment and have never endured the hours of waiting just to be seen.
Apparently they’ve never heard of the significant number of human beings that have DIED, WAITING to be seen AT an emergency treatment facility.
AND lastly they surely DO NOT know that the sole purpose of an emergency treatment center is to stabilize the person that medical personnel deem to be seriously injured or sick – there is no further treatment given.
Information easily gathered from websites on this subject may enlighten these most ignorant of idiots such as Bryant and his ilk:
The Law says – “It says any hospital that receives Medicare dollars (and nearly 90 percent of hospitals in the United States do) must “provide a medical screening examination” for an emergency condition “regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.”
The American College of Emergency Physicians defines an emergency as “a condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in placing the individual’s health (or the health of an unborn child) in serious jeopardy, serious impairment to bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of bodily organs.”
If the patient’s symptoms qualify as an emergency, the law says “hospitals are required to provide stabilizing treatment for patients.”
So what does “stabilizing treatment for patients” mean in practice?
Matt Fenwick with the American Hospital Association says it means “your condition has been stabilized. (Medical providers) have done everything they can do to make sure your condition is not getting any worse.”
But there’s no guarantee a hospital will provide some level of treatment, even if a person is really sick, says George Washington University health policy professor Sara Rosenbaum.
“For example, you bring a child who is running a fever and has a sore throat. They say that’s not an emergency. But If it turns out the sore throat is very fast-moving strep, which can happen with little children, your child could be dead by night.”
Dr. Arthur Kellermann, a health analyst with the Rand Corporation, a policy think tank, echoes that sentiment. He says a patient “will be stabilized and if necessary hospitalized. They are not entitled to primary care, they are not entitled to preventive care, they are not entitled to followup. That is more humane then letting people die in the gutter. But it is a ridiculous way to try to manage a health care system.”
Emergency room care is not the proper care for many diseases. Diabeties, COPD, heart desease, cancer, obesity, mental health, high blood pressure and others need continuing monitoring and many times are not even diagnosed without routine check ups in a doctors office or clinic.
Why does one of the poorest states in the union keep on electing republicans who do nothing more than undermine their well-being?
@speedbump They don’t know any better. They’re just doing what Fox and Limbaugh tell them to do.
If you gave it some thought, you’d know that Bryant is right. Everyone in this country has access to the best medicine in the world. No one gets refused care at a hospital regardless of their status. And I doubt that “thousands” die each year because they can’t afford healthcare insurance.
Marcus, Your lack of understanding of the meaning of healthcare is appalling. The ability to go to the emergency room when you are dying is not the same thing as healthcare. Going to the doctor for preventative measures before you are in such a state is healthcare. Try that without insurance!
Republican thinking is like the death committee that they denounced during the health care debate.They did protest too much. Republicans believe that if you let people die then you will control the growth of the population and as long as there are births you will always have people who will work for cheap and make profits for the rich 2% of America.
Republicans=death=jury
I never claimed that not having health insurance is as good as having insurance. That is one of the consequences of being poor. What I am saying is that everyone has access to healthcare in this country in one form or another. Also, what better incentive is there to finding a job than knowing that your new job comes with health insurance.
Marcus – pretend you notice some odd syptoms. You have health insurance and you go to your doctor. He does a test, based on your symptoms – and finds you have cancer, etc. It is early, you get treated and knocked it out.
Now pretend the exact same thing BUT you don’t have insurance. I really don’t think that if you showed up in an emergency room, they would run a diagnostic test for you. Your cancer progresses. You check the internet ad it may or not be cancer, but you don’t get tested because #1) you can’t afford the test and #2) if it is cancer, what are you going to do? You don’t have the money anyway to fight it.
Thousands do die every year because of this, many more people than those who died on 9/11.
If you continue to deny this, it’s simply that you do not want to believe it.
Gee – I seem to remember the country is still trying to make up for all those lost jobs. I had not heard that we are awash in those. Thanks for the info.
Lots of the poor have jobs – some have 2 or 3 – and none of those jobs have insurance.
There are many businesses that rather than hiring workers full time and providing health insurance, prefer to hire many more on a part time basis so there is no obligation for insurance. Ah…the benevolence of the wealthy, it just warms my heart.
Obviously both Bryant and Marcus are referring to the right to “emergency” care which the law says hospitals must provide.
There are so many things WRONG with this type of thinking all mostly propagated by IGNORANCE !
It is apparent that these people have never been to an emergency room for treatment and have never endured the hours of waiting just to be seen.
Apparently they’ve never heard of the significant number of human beings that have DIED, WAITING to be seen AT an emergency treatment facility.
AND lastly they surely DO NOT know that the sole purpose of an emergency treatment center is to stabilize the person that medical personnel deem to be seriously injured or sick – there is no further treatment given.
Information easily gathered from websites on this subject may enlighten these most ignorant of idiots such as Bryant and his ilk:
The Law says – “It says any hospital that receives Medicare dollars (and nearly 90 percent of hospitals in the United States do) must “provide a medical screening examination” for an emergency condition “regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.”
The American College of Emergency Physicians defines an emergency as “a condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in placing the individual’s health (or the health of an unborn child) in serious jeopardy, serious impairment to bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of bodily organs.”
If the patient’s symptoms qualify as an emergency, the law says “hospitals are required to provide stabilizing treatment for patients.”
So what does “stabilizing treatment for patients” mean in practice?
Matt Fenwick with the American Hospital Association says it means “your condition has been stabilized. (Medical providers) have done everything they can do to make sure your condition is not getting any worse.”
But there’s no guarantee a hospital will provide some level of treatment, even if a person is really sick, says George Washington University health policy professor Sara Rosenbaum.
“For example, you bring a child who is running a fever and has a sore throat. They say that’s not an emergency. But If it turns out the sore throat is very fast-moving strep, which can happen with little children, your child could be dead by night.”
Dr. Arthur Kellermann, a health analyst with the Rand Corporation, a policy think tank, echoes that sentiment. He says a patient “will be stabilized and if necessary hospitalized. They are not entitled to primary care, they are not entitled to preventive care, they are not entitled to followup. That is more humane then letting people die in the gutter. But it is a ridiculous way to try to manage a health care system.”
Thanks for your input GoldenSun, you explained that in terms that anyone should be able to understand, maybe even Bryant.
You are an “Officer and a Gentleman” – thank you kindly Mr. Sommers – I too, have often enjoyed your informative comments. – GS
Emergency room care is not the proper care for many diseases. Diabeties, COPD, heart desease, cancer, obesity, mental health, high blood pressure and others need continuing monitoring and many times are not even diagnosed without routine check ups in a doctors office or clinic.