COULD THE AMERICAN HEALTH BILL YET FAIL?

I’m lucky; I have my own personal Alistair Cooke.

My good mate Danny just sent me an email with his usual collection of news stories from the other side of the Atlantic. Always interesting and at the same time amusing, Danny manages to mix serious stuff with trivia. I had a good laugh over the irony that George Bush, who had made such a complete mess of organising the disaster relief in New Orleans after the Katrina Hurricane, had been jointly appointed with Bill Clinton to oversee the co-ordination of American aid to Haiti. Of course the post may be largely 'for show', with Secretary Clinton having already visited Port au Prince, but Presidents Clinton and Bush with their huge influence certainly show the world, and Haiti, that America is involved at the very highest levels, and who knows how many of the "haves and the have mores" will part with money for President DubYa!

A much more worrying issue followed. Here it is as Danny sent it.....

“....An unbelievable story is unfolding in Massachusetts. Teddy Kennedy's Senate seat is being contested there in a by-election next Tuesday. And the polls now say it's a toss-up. The Republicans may actually get it.

BEYOND BELIEF....the Kennedy seat IN MASSACHUSETTS....going REPUBLICAN???!!!!

And if it goes Republican, the Democrats will only have 59 seats in the Senate. This would almost surely kill the health bill when it comes back out of the conference committee for final vote of the two houses of Congress. The vote will be 41-59 in the Senate and a Republican filibuster will kill it. And imagine what this would mean for any future Obama administration bills in the Senate. So all eyes are on Massachusetts this coming Tuesday....”

It is hard to believe that after all the work that President Obama and the Administration leaders in the House and the Senate have put into this bill, which would extend health care to the working poor in the world’s richest country, that it could all be lost because of the death of one of its greatest proponents.

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RELAX, KICK BACK, AND ENJOY A WEE LAUGH AT DUBYA

Danny, 1st Earl of the Ozarks’ great post on this blog yesterday reminded me that a couple of years ago, while George W Bush was President of the United States, I bought a calendar with a countdown to the end of his reign. On each of the days there was a quote from the man himself, a lesson on how to mangle English, sometimes to such an extent that it is rendered completely meaningless. England has John Prescott, the USA has DubYa.

From time to time I’ll share a quote or two with you, especially when I can’t find anything interesting to post on, or when I’m too busy (or too lazy) to do any research. I hope you’ll enjoy them.


Washington D.C.: September 19, 2005: “If it were to rain a lot, there is concern from the Army Corps of Engineers that the levees might break. And so, therefore, we’re cautious about encouraging people to return at this moment in history.”

Aboard Air Force One: June 4, 2003. “I’m the master of low expectations.”

Washington D.C.: May 31, 2001: (Remarks to the University of Nebraska Women’s Volleyball Team. National Champions 2001) “It’s important for young men and women who look at the Nebraska champs to understand that the quality of life is more than just blocking shots.”

Des Moines, Iowa: August 21, 2000: “I don’t know whether I’m going to win or not. I think I am. I do know I’m ready for the job. And, if not, that’s just the way it goes.”

Washington D.C.: December 11, 2002: “There’s only one person who hugs the mothers and the widows, the wives and the kids, upon the death of their loved one. Others hug but, having committed the troops, I’ve got an additional responsibility to hug and that’s me and I know what it’s like.”