Archive for the 'Health & Well Being' Category

Inequality For All

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 3rd October 2013

Good morning!

Coming To A Theatre Near You!

BY CAP ACTION WAR ROOM ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2013 AT 4:38 PM

Inequality for All: Coming To A Theatre Near You

Today, opening in theaters across the country is a new documentary Inequality for All that explores the widening income gap in America. Narrated by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, the film profiles people from different walks of life – Costco employees, wealthy venture capitalists and middle class professionals – to demonstrate how our economy is set up to work for the wealthy few but not for all of us.

From Secretary Reich: “This movie is critically important. It exposes the heart of our continuing economic problem. The problem has been growing for over thirty years, but we’re coming to a tipping point. The problem is widening inequality. We’re still in the gravitational pull of the biggest economic slump since the Great Depression because so much of the nation’s income and wealth are going to the top. The vast middle class doesn’t have the purchasing power to get the economy back on track.”

Inequality today is as extreme as it was right before the Great Depression. The valley in between those two peaks of inequality, which shows up repeatedly on screen in Inequality For All, represents a time of broad prosperity from which the country can draw lessons. The Great Recession has not produced the same kind of policy shift Reich points to as a key to that prosperity, and inequality is only getting worse. Eroding investments in education and children undermine the future workforce, low union membership undermines present-day workers, and weak financial industry oversight allow the sector that drives inequality and creates economic crises to regain its footing while leaving the middle class behind.

inequality-graph

To find theaters and times near you, click here.

Watch the trailer here.

Facts on Income Inequality:

The top 5 percent made $191,157 or more in 2012, while the bottom fifth made $20,599 or less.

The top 10 percent of earners took home half of the country’s income, the largest amount on record.

The gap between the employment rate for the highest income Americans and the lowest income ones is the widest in a decade.

Income for households in the top five percent of American earners have grown by more than five percent over the past three years.

From 2009 to 2012, income for the 1 percent grew by 31.4 percent, while everyone else only saw it grow by 0.4 percent.

Income inequality in the U.S. is worse here than in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, the Ivory Coast, Pakistan, and Ethiopia.

Through the 2000s, the richest 20 percent of Americanssaw their incomes grow by $2,550, while the bottom 20 percent just saw $1,330 in growth.

The top 10 percent now has 15.9 times the income of the bottom.

The progressive plan to grow the economy from the middle class out stands in marked contrast to the failed and even dangerous “trickle down” tax cut and draconian austerity spending plans championed by conservatives. Conservatives want to cut even more from education, medical research and infrastructure in order to give even more tax cuts to the rich and huge corporations in the hopes that it trickles down to the rest of us.

Instead of continuing the trickle down policies that created income inequality in the first place it is time to put policies in place that will create an economy that works for everyone.

Policies to grow the economy from the middle class out:

Investments in growing the middle class: Investing in education, infrastructure, energy, and innovation boosts the economy today and helps create the job creators and strong middle class that will fuel economic growth tomorrow.

Everyone paying their fair share: Tax cuts for the wealthy and huge corporations don’t grow the economy. If the wealthy aren’t paying their fair share, we simply cannot afford to make the investments in the middle we need to in order to grow the economy.

Minimum wage: Nobody who works full time in America should have to live in poverty. Raising the minimum wage will lift people out of poverty and create more consumers to help fuel the economy.

Health security: Millions of Americans will soon have access to quality, affordable health care for the first time and the 85 percent of Americans who already have health insurance are seeing new benefits and better coverage as a result of Obamacare.

Retirement security: We need to strengthen both Social Security and our private retirement system so middle-class Americans can afford to retire and live with dignity, a promise beyond the reach of too many.

Affordable housing: The housing market is recovering, but we need to implement additional policies and reforms to help those who are still underwater and the millions who can’t get a loan to buy a home today.

*******

Readers: Hey there…thoughts? What’s up? Let me know if you go and see this and then blog me your opinion.

Social Butterfly: Done. Thanks.

Aurora: Right on sister. I admire her too.

Zen Lill: Yes he does. Too funny.

Peace out baby.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Posted in Health & Well Being, Human Rights and Equality | 13 Comments »

A Fair Shot

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 2nd October 2013

Good morning!

Readers: My opinion on the government shut down is this…Yes, we can blame the republicans because they are the ones that refuse to work with the dems and their biggest goal is to make Obama fail and take over the White House. However, the dems are really the ones to blame because if we hadn’t gloated over Obama’s win in 2008 and got lazy at the last midterms, and basically handed the keys over to the repubs because dems didn’t show up at the polls, we would’t be in this position.

Now…since we are here, I HOPE this shut down lasts until at least the 17th of this month so that people can really feel the negative affects of this. And when they do, then…perhaps they will smart up and not do the same same thing during these next very important midterms.

Now…onto today’s topic. This is a girls blog so here’s a write about us girls:

A Fair Shot

BY CAP ACTION WAR ROOM ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2013 AT 4:58 PM

Women and Families Deserve a Fair Shot to Get Ahead and Not Just Get By

There is no question that the role of women in the United States has changed dramatically over the past few decades. More and more women have entered the workforce, won public office, earned victories for their health rights, and accomplished many other advancements. But substantial inequalities remain in all of these areas. As we rebuild our economy and seek to rise to the challenges of the future, we cannot afford to leave women behind.

With that in mind, last week our friends at the Center for American Progress, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Service Employees International Union, and American Women joined together to launch theFair Shot Campaign: A Plan for Women and Families to Get Ahead. The campaign focuses on three interrelated goals:

1. Economic security: 40 percent of women are breadwinners, yet women still earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. Women deserve a fair chance to succeed in the workplace, and deserve to have workplaces that are more responsive to the needs of working families.

2. Leadership: Women hold 52 percent of all professional-level jobs, but only 4.2 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs and 18 percent of Congress members are women. It’s time to promote women’s leadership in the workplace, government, and elsewhere.

3. Health: It’s been 40 years since Roe v. Wade, but women still contend with restrictive laws, rules, and regulations meant to challenge their rights and freedoms. And far too many women remain uninsured. Women deserve laws, led by the Affordable Care Act, that protect their rights and make affordable health care more accessible.

Women nationwide face inequalities, but there is also wide variance in how women fare across the 50 states. A new CAP report out todaydetails these disparities. The report ranks all 50 states along 36 factors related to women’s economic security, leadership, and health. Check out the interactive map below to see how your state stacks up:

BOTTOM LINE: An overwhelming majority of people–women and men, Republicans and Democrats–support policies such as equal pay, paid sick days, and paid family leave that would increase the opportunity for women and families to get a fair shot at success. So what are we waiting for?

*****

Well? Good question. What are we waiting for? Blog me your thoughts.

Thanks for being here with me!

Peace & Love…

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

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Posted in Health & Well Being | 7 Comments »

Just Noticing: Observations Of A Blogger

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 29th September 2013

Good morning!

Every once in awhile I click over to the Peta banner that I have posted in the lefthand column of my blog to see what news is being posted about my animal friends. It is hardly ever a pretty sight and most times I am left in tears and feeling sick to my stomach over the abuses toward animals that I read about and see.

I realize that many people will turn a blind eye when it comes to their food and knowing exactly what happens to the animals before they are tortured, slaughtered and cut up – their meat wiped clean from any signs and put neatly in packages and sent to the grocery store – Many would rather not know.

This video tells it like it is and let me warn you, it is brutal to the gut. But what you will feel is not even close to the suffering these animals go through in the last minutes and sometimes torturous months and years before they are finally killed.

This video is not going to stop many from eating meat. They might be sickened by the video but after it is over, they will go on with their day and at some point it will be forgotten. I already know this.

But perhaps for some, they will think about the animals and perhaps eat less meat, or buy humanely raised, or give more time and attention to one particular animals that pulls at their heart strings, and do something. I HOPE so.

Readers: Thanks for being here with me. Blog me.

I send lots of Peace & love…for all on this planet.

xoxo

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Animals, Health & Well Being, Just noticing: Observations of a blogger | 7 Comments »

Monsanto: The Good News…

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 26th September 2013

…And the bad news.

Good morning!

Social Butterfly: Nice to hear from you! Thanks for the update on Monsanto. And I too am so grateful that Sen. Merkley did fight the good fight, as well as all the others who helped him avert the extension. I am not sure I found the write you were talking about but I did find this one on the Huff Po: ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ To Expire, Won’t Be Part Of Continuing Resolution,’ that pretty much says the same thing. This is good news.

What I did find is a write from a few weeks ago. I am posting it as a reminder to everyone of the true horror that would have been, should the bill have gotten extended. The title seems to be confusing but non the less the horrors are very real. It is also a reminder that we need to stay on top of these kind of things or they could possibly get quietly snuck in by being attached to other measures.

Here’s the write:

‘Monsanto Protection Act’ quietly extended by Congress

Published time: September 12, 2013 02:23
Edited time: September 13, 2013 10:37

AFP Photo / Nicholas Kamm

A budget provision protecting genetically-modified seeds from litigation in the face of health risks was extended for three months in an approved US House of Representatives’ spending bill on Tuesday evening.

Called “The Monsanto Protection Act” by opponents, the budget rider shields biotech behemoths like Monsanto, Cargill and others from the threat of lawsuits and bars federal courts from intervening to force an end to the sale of a GMO (genetically-modified organism) even if the genetically-engineered product causes damaging health effects.

The biotech rider first made news in March when it was a last-minute addition to the successfully-passed House Agriculture Appropriations Bill for 2013, a short-term funding bill that was approved to avoid a federal government shutdown.

The current three-month extension is part of the short-term FY14 Continuing Resolution spending bill.

The Center for Food Safety, a vocal opponent of the rider, released a statement expressing dismay that the measure once again avoided proper legislative process while usurping the power to challenge GMO products in court.

“The rider represents an unprecedented attack on US judicial review, which is an essential element of US law and provides a critical check on government decisions that may negatively impact human health, the environment or livelihoods,” they wrote. “This also raises potential jurisdictional concerns with the Senate Agriculture and Judiciary Committees that merited hearings by the Committees before its consideration.”

Following the original vote in March, President Barack Obama signed the provision into law as part of larger legislation to avoid a government shutdown. Rallies took place worldwide in May protesting the clandestine effort to protect the powerful companies from judicial scrutiny.

“It is extremely disappointing to see the damaging ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ policy rider extended in the House spending bill,” said Colin O’Neil, director of government affairs for Center for Food Safety. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans called their elected officials to voice their frustration and disappointment over the inclusion of ‘Monsanto Protection Act’ this past spring. Its inclusion is a slap in the face to the American public and our justice system.”

Largely as a result of prior lawsuits, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is required to complete environmental impact statements (EIS) to assess risk prior to both the planting and sale of GMO crops. The extent and effectiveness to which the USDA exercises this rule is in itself a source of serious dispute.

The reviews have been the focus of heated debate between food safety advocacy groups and the biotech industry in the past. In December of 2009, for example, Food Democracy Now collected signatures during the EIS commenting period in a bid to prevent the approval of Monsanto’s GMO alfalfa, which many feared would contaminate organic feed used by dairy farmers; it was approved regardless.

The biotech rider “could override any court-mandated caution and could instead allow continued planting. Further, it forces USDA to approve permits for such continued planting immediately, putting industry completely in charge by allowing for a ‘back door approval’ mechanism,” the Center for Food Safety said.

M*O*N*S*A*N*T*O*M*A*D*N*E*S*S

Readers: How are you all doing this morning? What are your thoughts? Blog me.

Zen Lill: I needed that laugh this morning, Thanks for the comic relief.

Peace out.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Posted in Health & Well Being, Long Live Planet Earth!, Political Powwow | 30 Comments »

Obamacare Will Not Be defunded (Thankfully!)

Posted by Michelle Moquin on 25th September 2013

Good morning!

But some GOP are still trying. And a number of the key GOP players are not so keen at “defunding at all costs.” Did they finally get smart? Or are they just trying to protect their party because almost six in ten Americans oppose defunding the health care law if it means a government shutdown, while just 19 percent support? And a poll released last week found that only 23 percent of Americans want to make the health care law fail. I think the previous stat says it all.

Here’s a write from The Progress Report:

$#!^@#%!

BY CAP ACTION WAR ROOM ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 AT 5:01 PM

GOP Takes Obamacare Meltdown To A Whole New Level

A mere seven days remain for Congress to pass a spending bill in order to avoid a government shutdown. But Republicans are farther away than ever from agreeing to a reasonable plan that would keep the government open.

On Friday, the House GOP continued its march toward shutdown by passing a bill that ties keeping the government open to–surprise!–fully defunding Obamacare. Once again, Republicans refuse to do the hard work of actual governing in favor of playing political games that threaten to sabotage the economy. But while the vote only solidified the GOP’s ideological and dangerous strategy, it opened the floodgates for more infighting among its owns members. Here is what a number of key GOP players and establishment thinkers have to say about the “defund at all costs” plan:

GOP Sen. John McCain (AZ): “I can tell you that in the U.S. Senate, we will not repeal or defund Obamacare. We will not. And to think we can is not rational.”

GOP Strategist Karl Rove: The GOP defunding strategy is “self-defeating…It is an ill-conceived tactic, and Republicans should reject it.”

Fox News Host Bill O’Reilly: Defunding Obamacare is “fanaticism on the right,” O’Reilly says. “There’s no way Obamacare is going to be defunded. It’s not gonna happen.”

GOP Sen. Tom Coburn (OK): “Tactics and strategies ought to be based on what the real world is, and we do not have the political power to do this.”

GOP Sen. Rand Paul (KY): “I’m acknowledging we can’t probably defeat or get rid of Obamacare.”

GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte (NH): “I don’t believe they should shut down the government to [defund Obamacare], and I don’t think that is a strategy that is good for America.”

GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson (GA): “It’s total atrophy. We’re earning our 11 percent popularity. It’s easier to talk about Obamacare than the major sources of our problems.”

Wall Street Journal Editorial Board: “Kamikaze missions rarely turn out well, least of all for the pilots… The kamikazes could end up ensuring the return of all-Democratic rule.”

Now, they all may just be trying to protect their party’s interests. But they seem to know what most Americans already do: the extreme demands by the GOP to push a narrow ideological agenda are out of touch. A new bipartisan CNBC poll released today proves that point. Almost six in ten Americans oppose defunding the health care law if it means a government shutdown, while just 19 percent support. A poll released last week found that only 23 percent of Americans want to make the health care law fail.

BOTTOM LINE: Republicans’ political games are threatening our nation’s economic recovery. Americans don’t want to shut down the government and want an end to the hostage-taking political tactics that place ideology over practical solutions for stability and growth.

And if that isn’t enough GOP saying Obamacare cannot be defeated, here is a write that I read this morning on the New York Times. Sen. Ted Cruz (R) is one who is persistent in his efforts to defund at all costs, and his party isn’t exactly applauding him.

Senator Persists on Health Law, Irking Many in His Party

WASHINGTON — Senator Ted Cruz, the Republican from Texas who took to the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon and declared he would speak “until I cannot stand,” was still standing about 21 hours later as he pressed ahead with his impassioned and often lonely verbal assault on President Obama’s health care law.

It is a fight he will almost certainly lose later on Wednesday when Republicans and Democrats are expected to vote overwhelmingly to move ahead so the Senate can begin considering a bill, approved by the House last week, that would finance most of the government but not the Affordable Care Act.

Around 11 a.m. Mr. Cruz was looking weary, his eyes slightly droopy. He had loosened his tie. Stacks of thick three-ring binders — containing his notes and other materials he read aloud — were scattered around his feet and on the desks near where he stood.

A spokesman for Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, said Wednesday morning that Mr. Cruz had not left the Senate floor since he began speaking on Tuesday. He has had intermittent breaks from talking while other senators like Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky have posed open-ended and sometimes long-winded questions that allowed the senator from Texas to pace around and stretch his legs.

Mr. Cruz will be permitted to talk until noon, when the Senate convenes to officially start its new legislative day. At that point, senators will recite the Pledge of Allegiance and Mr. Cruz’s microphone will be cut off. Then, if he maintains his stamina, he will be allowed to carry on until 1 p.m. but no longer. That is when the Senate is scheduled to vote.

The scene inside the Senate chamber in the late night and early morning hours was sometimes an unusual one for the staid body, especially when Mr. Cruz paused briefly in his attack to read his two young daughters a bedtime story — “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss.

At other times, he compared his fight to efforts by leaders who stood against the Nazis, ended the cold war or started the American Revolution.

“Everyone in America knows Obamacare is destroying the economy,” said Mr. Cruz, who began speaking at 2:41 p.m. “Where is the urgency?”

His speech was already rivaling some of the longest Senate filibusters on record, including those by Robert M. La Follette, who spoke for 18 hours and 23 minutes in 1908 and Alfonse D’Amato, who went on for 23 hours and 30 minutes in 1986. The record was set by Strom Thurmond at 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957.

Mr. Cruz called on his colleagues to stonewall the House measure they technically supported, arguing that Senate Democrats would be successful in stripping the health care provision from the funding bill once the way was cleared to a Senate vote on the issue. His basic demand was an agreement that a final vote require 60 supporters, a demand Democrats rejected.

Other Republicans said they saw no reason to oppose debating a measure they actually backed.

“We’d be hard-pressed to explain why we were opposed to a bill we’re in favor of,” said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader.

Others warned of political repercussions if Republicans, who hope to regain control of the Senate in the elections next year, were seen as contributing to a shuttering of the government. “Getting the majority in the Senate in 2014 is possible, and we don’t want to go down roads that make it harder,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, who is up for re-election next year. “Repealing Obamacare is a goal all Republicans share,” he added, “but the tactics of achieving that goal can have a backlash.”

Mr. Cruz’s critics have said that he is not engaging in a filibuster in the sense it is most commonly understood: a tactic meant to block legislation from moving forward. But Senate historians said that there is, in fact, no hard-and-fast definition for the word.

After 21 Hours, Cruz Ends Senate Speech

Yeah and that speech included reading a Dr. Seuss book “Green Eggs and Ham” to his children.

Senior Senate Republicans pushed Mr. Cruz on Tuesday to give up his stalling tactics and let the Senate take its final votes as soon as possible to strip out the health care language and other policy prescriptions, then approve new language to keep the government operating until mid-November. An early vote would give the House speaker, John A. Boehner, more time to plan his next move: whether to put the Senate-passed bill up for a vote and ensure no government shutdown or to add new Republican-favored language and send it back to the Senate.

Some Senate Republicans suggested a quick vote on a stopgap spending measure could allow the House to attach a measure related to the Affordable Care Act but one that could split Democrats and possibly become law. The obvious target would be a tax on medical devices that helps finance the law, but which has strong opponents in both parties. House Republicans are also considering adding a one-year delay in the individual mandate.

Such procedural niceties carried little weight with the conservative activists backing Mr. Cruz, and the conservative advocacy groups egging them on. Phone lines were jammed by Cruz supporters. E-mails flew, encouraged by organizations like the Tea Party Patriots and the Heritage Foundation. The Senate Conservative Fund, a group that has been running advertisements attacking Republicans who are not supporting the “defund Obamacare” effort, called Mr. McConnell and the No. 2 Senate Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, “turncoats.”

But most Republicans showed little fear of a backlash for voting to take up the House bill. “If this is what you wanted, consideration of this bill, I don’t know how you can be against taking it up,” said Senator Richard Burr, a Republican from North Carolina.

Mr. Reid moved Tuesday to change the House-passed bill, shortening the stopgap spending measure so it would finance the government only through mid-November instead of mid-December. Senator Barbara Mikulski, the Democrat from Maryland who leads the Appropriations Committee, requested the change to raise pressure on the House to address the automatic spending cuts that are squeezing federal programs and are reflected in the spending plan passed by the House.

But such narrow issues took a back seat to Mr. Cruz’s crusade, with bit parts granted to his Senate Republican supporters. They included Mr. Rubio, Mike Lee of Utah, Pat Roberts of Kansas, David Vitter of Louisiana, Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Mr. Paul, whose own filibuster this year over the government’s use of lethal drone strikes lasted 12 hours and 52 minutes.

Topics Mr. Cruz addressed included his affection for the little hamburgers at White Castle, the fast-food chain that says its growth is slowing because of the health care law, and a tough-love speech by Ashton Kutcher. He doled out insults to the Washington establishment, blasting politicians in “cheap suits” and “bad haircuts,” and branding journalistic fact-checking as a “particularly pernicious bit of yellow journalism.” At one point, he read some of his daughters’ favorite stories.

Under the current timetable, the Senate will vote Wednesday to cut off debate on a motion to take up the House bill and vote Thursday to actually take up the House bill. Mr. Reid will then introduce his version of the stopgap spending bill, stripped of the health care language and other policy measures.

The real showdown vote will probably come on Saturday, when the Senate votes to cut off debate on Mr. Reid’s version of the bill. If that receives 60 votes, a final vote would come on Sunday, leaving the House one day to act before much of the government closes its doors.

That would give Mr. Boehner a stark choice: pass a short-term spending bill with Democratic votes and risk the wrath of conservative activists or try again to take a bit out of the health care law with no time left on the clock and ensure a shutdown.

“I don’t know what all the scenes are, but I’ve seen how this movie ends,” said Senator John McCain, a Republican from Arizona. “We will end up not shutting the government down, and we will not defund Obamacare.”

*****

Readers: What say you? Blog me.

Ruth: McClintock like most republicans are either too stupid or know exactly what they are saying and hoping that you don’t. So yes, he has redefined “e pluribus unum” to fit his needs. Just like the repubs have rewritten history to fit their needs. It’s all the same same lies and deceit.

Peace out.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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Archive for the 'Health & Well Being' Category

Inequality for All: Coming To A Theatre Near You

Women and Families Deserve a Fair Shot to Get Ahead and Not Just Get By

…And the bad news.

GOP Takes Obamacare Meltdown To A Whole New Level

After 21 Hours, Cruz Ends Senate Speech

Yeah and that speech included reading a Dr. Seuss book “Green Eggs and Ham” to his children.

Peace out.