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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
July 31, 2009
/ 10 Menachem-Av 5769
An old dog keeps his teeth
By
Wesley Pruden
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
No wonder the Democrats are dazzled, frazzled and confused. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are sitting on enormous majorities, but they're at the mercy of an obscure conservative congressman from rural Arkansas and a tiny band of Democratic dogs, some blue and some ol' yaller posing as the more fashionable blue. Bow, wow.
The Democrats are trying to stuff a health care scheme down the throats of Americans who clearly don't like it, don't want it and can't pay for it, and Mr. Ross and his Blue Dogs have stalled it, forcing changes that might make it palatable, or at least less toxic. But now that maybe it's not as bad as it could be, the liberals who want to be called "progressive," having ruined the label "liberal" say they don't want it, either.
President Obama, who insisted for months that he had to have his health care "reform" by Aug. 7 or Saturn would collide with Pluto, suddenly insists that there was never anything magic about a date in August. Everybody is free to toil at leisure. Any time in October will be perfectly OK with him. But his leige men in Congress are singing hymns in a different key. Harry Reid, the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, met reporters Thursday and risked bustin' his galluses, such was the chemical purity of his dudgeon.
"That is a deadline that you created," he told the reporters, his face weary with worry, fatigue and frustration. "It's not like we don't have a product ... the mere fact that this wasn't done by last Friday or by 5 o'clock doesn't mean we're not going to get a quality product."
For her part, Nancy Pelosi, who a fortnight ago mocked the Blue Dogs with a boast that "we've got the votes," rails that "the insurance companies are the villains."
Sen. Richard Durbin, a Reid deputy, dutifully agreed. "There are people out there with a lot of money at stake in this debate," he said, darkly. "The health insurance companies are some of the most profitable businesses in America. By fighting 'change' they're protecting the bottom line." (A business making a profit is practically unAmerican this season.)
Her handsome Democratic majority has flushed and scattered completely out of Mzz Pelosi's control. The "progressives," who thought that by the Fourth of July they would have America remade in the image of France, or at least look at lot like Luxembourg, can't understand why they haven't.
"I don't think it would pass the House," says Rep. Barney Frank of the compromise. "I wouldn't vote for it."
Neither would Rep. Steny Hoyer, the Democratic majority leader, if he means what he says. "We signed a pledge to reject any plan that doesn't have a robust public option," he says, "and this plan doesn't have a robust public option."
What Messrs Frank, Hoyer and their likeminded colleagues want is a government scheme that would eliminate private insurance, later if not now, and this is what Mike Ross and his Blue Dogs appear to have stalled, for now if not later.
Like his congressional partisans, the president has been stung by the common sense that has become a rising tide not so slowly sinking the Democratic scheme. Like the effective pol he is, the president understands that once Congress goes home for its long summer recess the tide of common sense will gather lethal force.
"First of all," the president told a selected audience in North Carolina, "nobody is talking about some government takeover of health care. I'm tired of hearing that. I have been as clear as I can be. Under the reform I've proposed, if you like your doctor you keep your doctor. If you like your health care plan, you keep your health care plan. These folks need to stop scaring everybody, you know?"
That sounds promising, but growing numbers of Americans just don't believe him. A poll for the New York TimesCBS News, out Thursday, shows public skepticism of the Democratic health care scheme and worse, skepticism of the president's ability even to shape the debate, growing significantly. An earlier Gallup Poll showed the president's approval rating dropping to 53 percent, and Rasmussen puts the president's approval rating at 48 percent, the first time his approval rating has fallen below a majority.
It's just hard to trick an old dog.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Wesley Pruden is editor emeritus of The Washington Times. Comment by clicking here.
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