Pretty Darn Impressive.

"Bottom line: The current legislation is not “pro-abortion,” and there is no, repeat no, federal funding of abortion in the bill." (Via Yglesias)

I think it's funny how, EVERY TIME there's a complaint about the bill, it's normally well documented that its not the case... Sure, the legislation probably was a bit stronger, but, as was said in the same post (or links thereinto)... You can't prevent your dollars, regardless of how you spend them, from going into the hands of abortion supporters. Boycott probably half to three quarters of the current marketplace, because, funding ends up from their hands, into that which you disapprove of. It's the principle of the matter? Well. Be consistent with your principles.

Secondly, how about the cost? It's been already stated that the plan, as is will save the government billions over the next 10 years, and save ALL OF US, money over the same time period by cost controls to insurance companies for the same reason. Amazing. Fiscal conservatives should be all over this... except... they're not? Man, if the Democrats were as well organized and marshalled and as staunch as the Republicans, this would have been done sometime last year.

A bit from Forbes quoting:

"Rep. Tim Ryan, an anti-abortion Democrat from Ohio, said through a spokesman that he, too, is siding with the nuns and hospitals and will vote for the bill.

On the House floor Friday, Ryan took issue with several arguments Republicans have used against the bill. He said the GOP argues that "seniors are against it, but then AARP endorses it. Our friends on the other side say doctors are against it, but the American Medical Association endorses it."

"You say that this is pro-abortion," he continued, and yet "you have 59,000 Catholic nuns from across the country endorsing this bill, 600 Catholic hospitals, 1,400 Catholic nursing homes endorsing this bill.""

The USCCB (Catholic Conference of Bishops) are again, on the wrong side of the bill. Why? It's politics. It's politics. It's always been politics. Even if it's NOT politics, it's ALWAYS politics.

That said. Stupak needs to get his head out of his bottom and realize, like Ryan, the benefits, and the support are there.

We're getting this shit done for everyone, even if it's kinda bad, even if it's still a private system... It's a step.

A step to hopefully a public system where the goal is wellness and not profit margins.

Glenn Beck just blows my mind.

Being a Republican would blow my mind.

Prime Example

Yeah.

I don't understand how my friends, as intelligent as they may be seem to submit to the Limbaughs, the Becks, the Hannity's, the Malkins, as being anything but remotely substantive?

Fly By Night

I find it absolutely hilarious that, after much hullabaloo... the health care will come silently in the night. Every delay, every stoppage, every deceptive moment, it will pass.

Maybe I'll be able to pay a decent amount for health insurance now.

For the record: Ad Hominem attacks are my least favorite way to argue.

The DC Catholic Church

Okay, big shocker. I'm Catholic.

Do I have a problem with what the Church is doing? Yes.

If you're unaware of the situation... Here's a quick fill in.

Recap: Catholic Charities decides to stop giving spousal benefits because of the recent amendment in DC that allows Gay Marriage.

To clarify: Catholic Charities is NOT the distinct opinions and laws of the Catholic Church as a whole. Sure they may be badgered by the USCCB (the governing body of Bishops in America, which are based in DC) and the DC Archdiocese... the blame lies on them. I do not see them turning down support to those outcased by society in the work they do, they don't turn down addicts, prostitutes, single mothers, divorcees, rapists who embody poverty... because, for CHRIST SAKE, Christ never did...

Why do they do it to the people who work for them?

Why is this totally bogus: Because, for one, this sounds just like a power play to me. I'm going to flex my might to get my way, or else... And in reality, they went to an or else situation. The part that gets me most is this, if the CHURCH has a problem with gay sex, is it possible to be married and celebate... and as a gay catholic, consummate the marriage, atone, and then be in full communion with the church again. If the sin lies in the act, then, how is the Church going to regulate the act? It makes no bloody sense... because the church doesn't prosecute adulterers, those out of wedlock, those who use birth control, those who sin... if there is NO SIN that's greater than another, there should be no difference in the eyes of the church between someone who lies to evade

Is the Catholic Faith to blame?

No, because it's less the morality of it, than the rampant conservatism running through the catholic church lately. Its full on turned to straight up republicanism over my lifetime to my dismay. One BIG catholic tenant is that there is no one worse sin than another. If you actually investigate the Church's Catechism (aka, the book of rules), there is a list of mortal sins that EVERY DAY PEOPLE COMMIT... and if one mortal sin is no worse than another, gay sex, theologically, is no worse than bearing false witness... Certainly there's different levels of 'gravity' of sins, but, one mortal sin isn't any worse in the sense that it breaks your communion with the holiest of holies. Living in sin pulls you away from God.

Now, I'm not trying to pull a holy card here, as I haven't been to Church in years, but... I know a fair amount of theology from my time in college. But I know something isn't fundamentally right when I hear of this kind of disenfranchisement.

It's not like they are going into the bedroom and checking out the moral relationships of everyone outside the office.

Catholic Charities in their ethics training course stresses (ppt format):
- A call to live in harmony with an emphasis on human dignity and community and the common good

A great start for working with the poorest of the poor...

-[to be] Universal and inclusive – addresses all humankind (not just Catholicism)

which means, be respectable inside and out to every person you work with, not just in a catholic way, and not just to catholics... all inclusive...

-Catholic Charities respects the religious beliefs and values of all clients, staff and volunteers

WHOA WHOA WHOA... okay. it's my religious belief that two gay people can get married and love each other, and adopt children, who, incidentally, can grow up and be great catholics... and you're going to tell me that staff members values are STILL BEING RESPECTED with this?

-Catholic Charities does not provide services that are contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church

Sure, you won't provide abortions, or birth control, but is health care and benefits contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church? Hell no, you've been doing it for years for heterosexual couples.

-[Catholic Charaties values] Non-discrimination

I think what we have here is a failure to communicate the policies to some overzealous leaders.

Aye. So, I think we've come to realize that, for the most part, this is a rogue move that's going against the grain of everything Catholic Charities stands for.

I don't see the need for such drastic condemnation, you work with people who exemplify the tenents of Catholic Social Teaching, but you cannot give the same respect to your employees? Despicable. There's no reason, no option, no given implications if you're 'giving gay couples health benefits' that you're saying 'hey, it's totally cool if you marry'. No, A does not mean B. You're not implicitly or explicitly saying you support gay marriage if you give financial support to a gay couple. You're supporting a person, not a 'thing', this person, according to the Catachism again is "not just something, but someone. They are capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving themselves and entering into communion with other persons. And they are called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer them a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in their stead."

I wish that the straight people would be able to sue for some discrimination against Catholic Charities, that they're being discriminated against because the LGBT crowd is being discriminated against.

American Pride

Watching US vs Canada this weekend made me less proud to be an American, not because of the way we played, but because of the way we as Americans have come to handle ourselves.

I watch the national team hang their heads dejectedly. I saw no reason for any sort of dejection during the celebration. Losing is part of the game they play, yeah, tough loss, but, you played a hell of a game, you tied it up with 20 seconds left, you played great defense... even the cliche "they left everything on the ice".

And yet, they weren't proud. They weren't proud of being competitive, they were pissed because they lost, 1v1 with one of the best scorers in the league.

And then, the people started railing, my twitter abuzz with 'fuck you crosby's and comments of that nature... Not a single person said 'damn, that was a great game'... It was, in fact, professional sports... not the olympics. Sure, it was competitive, but, some teams, some athletes would dream of Silver... The Americans? Fuck no. We're too good for Silver. Go Big or Go Home.

That shouldn't be our attitude. When it matters most, the US gave everything it had, pulled shit out of thin air to put the biscuit in the basket (that and a great rebound shot...), and they should be glad they gave every ounce they had... now, they played a bit too passively in OT, didn't have the same finishing aggression they had in the last 10 minutes of the third.

*shrugs*

I sorta wished it went to a shootout, but, I was proud of the Americans for playing the way they did, not the way they handled themselves.

Quoting Someone.

"People keep saying we have the best health care system in the world etc. But evidently it is nearly a government program already. Why not just do it the way we handle national defense?
People say we have the best military in the world, bar none, and not a dime is wasted.
Why not a National Department of Health?"

Do you really know the costs of being unemployed?

They're awful.

I feel a bit more informed every day since reading media matters for america and Markos Moulitsas (aka daily kos). But, this is something I know first hand.

I've learned that everything that's distorted, everything that's fake, everything you hear, you need to see the facts... when they say 'but these are the facts', you have to look harder. Even when the liberal media says it, even when the conservative media says it, you have to fact check. Don't take any slant at face value, because it's all slant.

I've come to the conclusion that the lies and the liars who lie about the lies are just being shifted up to the right... and i'm not sure why? why must they live under this thin guise of disruption?

I don't claim that people are smart, but I do believe that people can eventually determine if there's enough truth in things... but the liars... they've gotten to the point where they appear to be right, where they sound so convinced of the lies they're spewing... i don't know if they actually believe it.

I support smaller government, i support self-governance... i do not support the republican party and the sheer disruption they're doing to destroy things...