Bush Sits on His Hands on Health Care

President Bush noted the Democrats desire to cover more people today as businesses continue to renege on their traditional health insurance benefit commitment and the government refuses to take up the slack. George spoke derisively of the second S-CHIP bill to pass Congress. He called it a "trick" on Americans by moving the country closer to a federalized health system.

"Halloween's an appropriate day to talk about it because there's a bill moving through Congress that's disguised as a bill to help children, but I think it's really a trick on the American people."-G.W. Bush

I think Americans are tired of the seven year trick George and Company have played on citizens. We went from 40 to 47 million uninsureds on his watch, even as he lauded health savings accounts and tax credits in smoke and mirror fashion. As the political will grew to address the problem, Karl Rove tried to frame it as "an illegal immigrant problem". Biased studies by the Rand Corporation and the Center for Immigration Studies hit the shelves the fall of 2005. However, the stain didn't stick as most Americans had suffered from over a decade of increased employer cost sharing and declining coverage via higher co-pays and deductibles.

Clueless George tried to say people having "gold plated coverage" was the problem. Only his CEO friends backdating their stock options have such rich insurance benefits nowadays, but what do Al Hubbard or Mike Leavitt know? They're the ones advising the President on S-CHIP. Here's what they and George want for you, the opportunity to fund your own health insurance and pay your own health care bills.

If employers continue their 8 year trend of covering less of the American population and government won't step up in any substantive way, who does that leave to foot the bills? Look in George's smoky mirror for the answer. It's you. I hope you hate socialized medicine enough to pay those free market bills.

Cheney's NY Hunt Club Helping Endangered Species?

Yesterday, I incorrectly interpreted the finding of a Confederate flag at Vice President Cheney's New York hunt club as a sign of global warming. I assumed its hanging indicated a northward shift in the Mason-Dixon line to incorporate New York.

After considerable research, I must revise my theory. I now believe evolution has given our country a magnificent new species, the Rebel butterfly. Due to its endangered natural habit of Southern capital cities, the stars and bars butterfly must fly farther and farther north for appropriate camouflage.

The Clove Gun and Rod Club was simply doing its part to provide natural habitat for this rare and endangered species. So hail to the Vice President for visiting a patriotic site working to keep alive the most recent evidence of evolution.

Oooopppss! Run butterfly run! Shooter's coming. Blam, blam, blam....

SOD Offers to Help Mukasey

As an active water boarder, State of the Division freely offers to give Justice Department nominee Judge Michael Mukasey lessons in the challenging sport. Call me Mike? West Texas has plenty of wind this time of year. But it could be chilly, as opposed to the hot air regularly emanating from the White House and Capital.

A huge plume of smoke arose from the White House as President Bush called Congress on the carpet for inaction, for incompetence. The problem is the President's personal effluent lies in the corner in the form of his Lessons Learned report after Hurricane Katrina. While he castigates others on healthcare, George left out the hospital with the largest patient death toll, LifeCare. What kind of investigative report omits 24 patient deaths? Some might say a nearly two year old incomplete report has no bearing today, but alas, it still reeks. The private equity firm in charge of LifeCare during Katrina plans to buy 550 facility Manor Care. If they can fail patients in one of 21 LTAC's, what can they do with 550 mostly nursing home sites when a disaster strikes? It's directly pertinent, but as usual no one's talking. That might mess up The Carlyle Group's good name.

But back to the issue of water boarding. When the Judge shows up for his lesson, I'll ask him what it's like after a particularly long dunking. Getting a foot caught between the mast and board can cause one's head to remain underwater for quite some time. Without a wet suit, one's skin might turn blue as the mast grinds against their ankle and shin. How ya' feeling Judge? Nearly everyone says their first day waterboarding is torture. Afterward, I'll ask him to put a small lie detector on President Bush, preferably one that makes a farting noise when George W. lies. I can't wait for him to say $83,000 again when giving his double S-CHIP veto. Ffffrrrrrppppppp!

(For those questioning my patriotism, I refer you to my Elephant hat and red, white and blue tie. All good Repugnicants have such items in their closet! Damnocrats are already out of the closet...)

Global Warming Shifts Mason-Dixon Line Well North

Vice President Dick Cheney's hunt at a private club revealed something the administration has long tried to hide (other than the V.P. is a bad shot). An enterprising photographer from the New York Daily News captured the above picture at a hunt club hours outside New York City, which happens to be the same place that manufactures salsa lingering on grocery store shelves in the desert Southwest.

The good news is expanding global warmth allowed the Vice President a magnificent hunt on the 2,500 acre estate, known as the Clove Valley Hunt and Rod Club. Always the intrepid games man, Dick had to figure out a way to bag farm bred pheasants released on the property just the day before. Each had the facial outline of Harry Whittington painted on their side to aid Mr. Cheney's aim.

The photo is clear scientific evidence of global warming. It indicates the northward movement of the Mason-Dixon line, previously located on the northern border of Maryland. As the Arctic loses Connecticut sized ice fields, the "Constitution is a Goddam Piece of Paper" State stands next door to the new line of demarcation between the chilly cold, liberal, gay loving north and the friendly, warm, redneck family values south. Connecticut is also known as the Nutmeg State, but if Vice President Cheney has anything to do with it, the Clove Valley Gun and Rod Club will soon incorporate the spice state to its east. Everything should be privatized!

Fortunately, the flag remained hidden from our country's most secretive elected official. A Cheney staffer noted ""The VP did not see the flag and neither did anyone on staff." They were too busy lining up their sights. Ready, fire, aim! Another day in the Bush administration, where the open season on peasants never ends...

John Edwards and Left Behind Games

Two groups recently took actions to have news stories and opinion commentaries pulled from the public airwaves. Lawyer Gordon D. Katz sent letters to numerous bloggers asking they remove false and misleading statements about Left Behind Games video game, Eternal Forces. I received one.

The John Edwards political campaign asked a Univesity of North Carolina professor to pull a student report on the location of his campaign headquarters. It seems candidates and corporations want to control the news. Add the Pentagon's Blogger Roundtable and the fake FEMA newsconference and who knows what news is real vs. propaganda?

When government and corporations control citizens, fascism is here. Let's not let that happen.

Thomas Axelson Leaves Left Behind Games Board of Directors

The ex-CFO of Left Behind Games officially ended his relationship with the company when he resigned from the Board of Directors. His resignation letter indicated his commitments with the Campus Crusade for Christ as the reason for leaving. Mr. Axelson serves as their Foundations Relations Manager. Earlier he converted his deferred compensation into stock options. SEC filings state:

Mr. Axelson converted $126,043 of deferred compensation into 938,534 shares of our common stock

Thomas' total holdings amount to just over 1.1 million shares. I wonder if he'll get any grant funding to purchase Left Behind Games software for various Campus Crusade for Christ ministries? CEO Troy Linden is projecting banner sales in the near future and young college kids with gaming skills certainly looks like an attractive market segment.

Bush Reveals his $83,000 Lie

Funny how Congress acted explicitly on President Bush's major stated concern and he still plans to veto a bill providing insurance coverage to more children without coverage. They called him on his own lie and George has the gall to blame the House of Representatives. That's one pathological perspective. But in America it takes two to tango and the donkeys bring their own dysfunction to the beltway. If Democrats felt gored by George why would they pass his judicial nominee, Leslie Southwick? Why not filibuster?

There's a funny game of political theater going on. Each side has its few issues to parade in front of the blue curtain for the voters entertainment and outragement. Meanwhile behind the scenes, top Repugnicant and Damnocrats orchestrate the contracting out of America to the government industrial monstrosity. We're left with funding our own retirement and health care. Ain't democracy a grand illusion?