"I worship the ground Paul Ryan walks on. I hope he doesn't run for president because that would ruin a good man who has a lot of work to do." -Dick Cheney, May 2011.
Hopefully this endorsement from snake-oil salesman Dick Cheney will be the final death knell for Ryan and his budget proposal to reduce taxes on the rich while at the same time eliminating Medicare. The recent congressional election in New York, in which a Democrat won for the first time in decades, could be a sign that the tide is definitely turning. If Republicans are going to continue pushing this Medicare-killing agenda, expect them to be completely decimated in the 2012 election.
I wonder how Cheney would feel if he weren't a federal employee, receiving free, taxpayer subsidized health insurance. In the days before "Obamacare", would he even be able to get health insurance? Normally, once you've already had five heart attacks, insurance companies won't even go near you with a ten-foot pole. After all his heart attacks, the guy would either be bankrupt or drowning in debt. If the guy had a heart (which he doesn't), he would realize that Ryan's proposal (giving insurance vouchers to seniors), is preposterous, and would leave the frailest members of society without care.
I'm not even sure you can call the GOP a party of "conservatives" anymore. This is a party of radicals. Extreme, right-wing radicals. A party that attacks teachers, education, unions, the elderly, the poor, and the environment (to name but a mere few.) They are anti-civilization, and need to be stopped.
Imagine a world...where the Ryan budget has become the law of the land. Your sick Grandma, after languishing in pain for weeks, finally receives a piece of long-awaited mail with information about her upcoming surgery. She opens it, and all it is is an already expired coupon for 10% off. In small print at the bottom, it reads, "pre-existing conditions are not applicable to this special offer..."
ReplyDeleteDick Cheney is no longer a federal employee. Currently, he is writing a book. However, his resume of public/political service in addition to his private sector employment is impressive to say the least - congressman, Chief of Staff for the POTUS, Secretary of Defense, VPOTUS, and CEO of Haliburton. Whatever your opinion of Mr. Cheney, he is, in fact, a man of high intelligence and achievement who believes in what he has done and is doing; his whole life has been one of persistence and action. He has always spoken his mind with candor; you never had to scratch your head to figure out where he stood on any issue. He walked the walk to match his talk. In the real world, that counts for something. And whatever health insurance he has, which is, without question, the best there probably is, he has most definitely earned it. Hard work = Earned reward.
ReplyDeleteI like your blog Ken, I truly do, but your post reflects a level of vitriol, ignorance and blatant naivety that is astonishing. The GOP is a party of "extreme" right-wing radicals that "attack" teachers, education, unions, the elderly, the poor and the environment (to name a "mere" few)??? Anti-civilization???
Why in the world would any person or party want to destroy the lives of people or be "anti-civilization? Jeez, I am a conservative, yet I would be remiss if not just plain stupid to suggest that the Democrats are out to completely destroy life as we know it. Think about it.
Well, if that is how you see the world, I am loath to try to change it. All I can say is that it is easy to point fingers, libel people whose philosophies and actions you disagree with with allegations and name calling, but it is quite another thing altogether to think positively and find workable, common-sense solutions; it is truly hard work and requires more than belching blame and then following up with... nothing.
Dick Cheney is a hypocrite. If he wants to give praise he should praise the government that provided him with health care. He should be the most vocal person to support affordable health care for all. He should be the loudness voice for people with pre-existing condition being able to get health insurance coverage.
ReplyDeleteDick Cheney is selfish. He has his the hell with the rest. Or by the way, Cheney how about coming out and supporting insurance coverage for IVF for families with medical conditions.
Cheney has an interesting history with insurance companies. You can google it if you are interested. He had been cancelled for his pre-existing condition with a private insurance company provided by the government plan he had. They didn't realize who they had canceled
Cole,
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you all a story. I did three tours in Iraq, two with the marine corps, and one in the Army as reconnaissance. The Forward operating bases in Iraq and Afghanistan was supported by Halliburton's subsidary company KBR. These companies have been given billions of your dollars to provide these services and during my first tour I didn't mind at all because American faces were preparing our meals, handling our logistics, helping with base security, repairing vehicles, and issuing gear to us. My second tour I would saw less and less American faces working on our fobs, KBR was not renewing their contracts and hiring cheap foreign labor (when they were already making billions of dollars.) By my third tour we were surrounded by foreigners on our own installations, because of KBR's outsourcing. I saw very little American faces my last tour. War isn't good for the country if Americans aren't benefiting from it. You conservatives want to support men like this who give away American jobs just to keep a few extra bucks in their pockets when they are already making billions. It saddens me. Cheney and all his corrupt buddies are traitors to America. And in my opinion all of you conservatives who want the likes of him back in office are race traitors as well. I love my people so much that I wish Cheney's heart gives out on him. So justice can be served.
Nelson
FTL... or is it Chris?
ReplyDeleteA few days ago, I read a comment identical to yours on the Huffington Post. Copy and paste is a terrible thing to waste, right?
Mr. Cheney had good health insurance before his heart condition was detected. It is highly unlikely his policy was ever cancelled for any reason.
Anonymous, A.K.A. Nelson,
Dick Cheneey can hardly be indicted as a traitor because Haliburton or KBR outsourced the services they provide. Whether they out-sourced or not is irrelevant; services were provided regardless of what race or nationality performed the work. The purpose of a corporation is to make a profit, not to pander to the vulgar, misinformed opinions of a few disaffected people.
So, anyone who is a conservative is a traitor in your eyes? And when Dick Cheney's heart gives out, justice will be served? What warped sense of justice can wish someone dead for scuttlebutt? An authentic Marine (yes, I am dubious), would be more tempered and thoughful in his choice of words. You should be ashamed of yourself.
I guess right now I just have one thing to say. THat's where Cole suggested that Cheney deserves fabulous insurance due to his hard work. I have family members and friends who have no insurance who work VERY hard and have worked very hard. Does Cheney deserve the very best while other hard working people go without entirely?
ReplyDeleteCole,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the blog, and I'm glad you post comments. You and Taylor seem to be the only ones who post here that represent the "conservative" side. It's good to hear from both sides. I have to give you some credit for defending Ryan and Cheney. I believe if you scan the blogosphere, you'll find more people who wish him ill-will than will defend him. Even a middle-school here in the US ranked Cheney as #5 on their "Worst People" list (just below Hitler and Osama Bin Laden.)
I don't mean to come off as vitriolic in my blogs, but when I read something that angers me, I let my feelings be known. I'm not in any government "entitlement" programs and I won't be eligible for Medicare for at least another 25 years, so I don't really have any horse in this race, as they say. But I hate to see the little guy get picked on, and that's what I feel the GOP is doing to the poor, the sick and the old.
I find it amazing that so many of these conservative politicians consider themselves Christians. They go to church on Sunday, then on Monday they are voting to cut home-heating assistance for the poor.
The definition of "civilization" is: "an advanced state of human society, in which a high level of culture, science, industry, and government has been reached." Can we really say we meet this, when we have a political party that only cares for 10% of its population? To say they're "anti civilization" doesn't seem that outrageous.
The Republican party has stopped being conservative. There's nothing conservative about the huge debts they ran up under the Bush administration. There's nothing conservative about the war of aggression in Iraq. There's nothing particularly conservative about their attitudes to environmental conservation.
ReplyDeleteThe Republican party has devolved into two things:
First and foremost it is a tool for aggregating wealth for the very richest Americans.
Second it is a culture war statement for people who have always felt mocked and looked down on and desperately want to see themselves as the only "real Americans."
Nothing "conservative" about either of those things.
I've voted Democrat for most of my adult life and I consider myself far more "conservative" than your average tea party Republican.
J.S.
Janet,
ReplyDeleteHard work is hard work no matter how you look at it, but there are also other coefficients in the equation that sum up the total value of a person’s labor and the resulting benefits derived from it. For example, level of education, skills, natural talent and intelligence. Some people are more gifted and/or productive than others. It is a person’s ability to create a value for society that defines what rewards and benefits a person receives for their labors. Who deserves it or not is irrelevant. A person who strives to get through Harvard law or medical school and graduates with honors is naturally going to command more rewards and benefits for his work than someone who graduates from a state university with a liberal arts degree... Unless the liberal arts major is very clever and invents a new widget that he markets and makes a million with. On the other hand, a person with a high school education and mediocre intelligence who shuns and scoffs at higher learning, has little motivation to improve him/herself and ends up digging ditches or cleaning rooms at the Holiday Inn might physically work much harder than any of the above, yet they perform a job most anyone with average smarts can do. Of course they are not going to command as much reward/benefits for their work. A person makes a living by selling his time and skills or product. Some people have skills or products that are like gold or platinum. Other have the same that are like copper or iron. Yet others have skills that are like lead or tin. That it is fair or not is again irrelevant. It is just the way things are. The quality and availability define the market price.
Janet,
ReplyDeleteThe one variable in this caculation has everything to do with personal initiative. If your family and friends are dissatisfied with their lot in life and want more in the way of better health insurance, then the way to do that is to improve their skills or up the ante on their educations. It is that simple.
Sitting around and complaining about what is fair or who deserves this or that is a formula for failure and continued frustration. Making excuses or reasons for not improving yourself is a cop out; anything can be accomplished if you have the will.
It is not the job of government to alleviate anyone’s financial shortcomings. It is not the responsibility of government to confiscate or discount a health professional’s livelihood to provide anyone with health-care. It is our responsibility as free citizens to make our way.
Additionally, I never said Dick Cheney "deserves" fabulous health insurance or imply that your family and friends do not. Yet, when it comes down to their skills and talents, the statement is objectively true when you compare the choices they made in life paths and how much effort they have put into developing their life skills. Like it or not...
Think about President Obama’s health insurance. If Dick Cheney can be condemned for having a Cadillac health plan, then the same logic must also apply to the president’s or any member of congress, Republican or Democrat.
Ken,
ReplyDeleteI might have said I was atonished, but I will never say I disapprove. Write what you will. Even if I disagree, I will never object. As a right of center conservative, I am not close-minded as many hard-right or hard-left people are. Like you, I appreciate the wiews of the opposing camp because sometimes I am enlightened by a thought or idea I might not never have considered before. And it keeps me on my toes.
However, I think the Republicans care for a bit more than 10% of the population. If what you stated were true, the electorate would certainly be aware of it and the Republicans would never ever be elected to office. There are plenty of "little guy" conservatives.
Just watched Gasland, a documentary about fracking and the manner in which natural gas companies are destroying large parts of this country and contaminating drinking water supplies with full knowledge of the ramifications. Cheney pushed through a law in 2005 making natural gas companies exempt from all environmental protection laws (you know, LIKE THE CLEAN WATER ACT). Thanks to Cheney, the EPA has no oversight over these companies.
ReplyDeleteWater so polluted residents can light their tap water on fire. Guess whose equipment they use? Halliburton's. Shocking!
Cheney truly is a monster
Why is it that when people watch a movie like this, they accept it as gospel without questioning any part of it whatsoever. On top of that, they affect a short-lived indignity over the subject matter that rarely goes beyond the misinformed, unlearned chat circle in which it was discussed.
ReplyDeleteRead the article, published February 24th of this year titled "Groundtruthing Academy Award Nominee 'Gasland'
By MIKE SORAGHAN in the New York Times. It is a pretty fair examination of the facts. And that is saying a lot as it is the NYT, which is generally a very liberal newspaper.
If Cheney is truly a monster, you'll be surprised to learn that Senator Obama voted for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 in his state. Is he a monster too? What is true for one must be true for the other.
Guys like Josh Fox and Michael Moore make controversial movies like this because controversy makes money. They make a stink over their topics as long as the film revenues keep coming in. When the cash flow stops, they find a new controversy to stir up. Their intentions are not sincere.