Category Archives: Politics
Calling Dr. Berwick
The president used a recess appointment to slip Donald Berwick by the senate in order to run the health care program Obama rammed through congress. David Axelrod insisted the president was simply trying to avoid a “circus in the senate“. Axe has a point. Dr. Berwick would have been performing without a net while explaining why he’s “romantic about the NHS (British National Health Service),” what he means by “the darkness of private enterprise,” and why excellent health care is “by definition redistributional “.
And physicians would have thrilled to his doctor defying comment, ” I would place a commitment to excellence – standardization to the best known method – above clinician autonomy as a rule for care.” You can read about this and other sayings of Dr. Beriwick in Daniel Henninger’s WSJ column.
Mission: Moon, Mars, Muslims
Thought this was a parody when I first saw it. NASA chief, Charles Bolden, says Obama’s foremost charge to him is to help Muslim nations feel good about their historic contribution to science, math and engineering. Here’s the whole interview on Al Jazeera. And here’s Charles Lane in the Washington Post with more links.
Variation on the theme 
It’s a Surprise
Chris Dodd and Nancy Pelosi explain here that you have to pass their 2000 page bills to find out what’s in them.
William Saletan has an interesting piece in Slate detailing how Kagan, while working in the Clinton White House, doctored a report on partial birth abortion by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynocologists. He points out that the report was taken as expert opinion in court rulings. If she gets on the Supreme Court and overturns a ruling because it was based on her original lie, would that make her an activist judge?
Rub a Dub
Here’s the rub on Al Gore. The National Enquirer uncovered a 2006 Portland police report in which a masseuse says Gore assaulted her like a crazed sex poodle. The mainstream media avoided the story. Claims erupted that Gore was being protected. If, instead of Gore, Cheney had been the sex crazed poodle (wrap your brain around that image) it would have been immediate page one news. Or it could be that the facts just weren’t there. Anyway, the cartoon is here. The Week has all sides here. American Spectator version is here .
