Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Tuesday's Chatters
Argentina's Dirty War and Dr. Kissinger * Tony Blair * Health Coverage, The Enzi Bill
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Another shameful period in our nation's history when the evil Dr. Henry Kissinger, as President Nixon's secretary of state, pursued a policy of aiding and abetting dictators in Latin America to torture and kill dissidents. In Argentina's dirty war in the 70's as many as 30,000 people were reportedly killed. "Argentina has requested the extradition of six men from Uruguay over the 1976 disappearance of the daughter-in law of a famous Argentine poet, Juan Gelman. The accused, five ex-military officers and an ex-policeman, have already been taken into custody in Uruguay. Nineteen-year-old Maria Claudia Garcia was seven months pregnant when she was abducted in Buenos Aires 30 years ago. "
Prime Minister Tony Blair is facing demands to relinquish his position before the expiry of his full term. Some call him Bush's Poodle. That is too harsh a term. Tony Blair, even on a bad day, stands way above George Bush when it comes to eloquence and intellectual brilliance. "It would not end this distraction but take it to a new level," said Blair, the Bush administration's closest ally in Europe. He was addressing reporters for the first time since a weak showing by Labor in local elections on Thursday and a controversial cabinet reshuffle on Friday." Why Blair hitched his star to Bush and the neocons is a mystery. Could be the God thing. Perhaps Blair,too, received message from up high to launch a war against Iraq.
Dana Milbank's column in the Post brings up the Republican lawmakers' tireless battle to protect their friends in the health care industry. "When it comes to health care, the Senate has developed a repetitive stress injury. Five times in the past five years, Republicans brought medical malpractice limits to the floor -- and five times they lost. Yesterday, they brought two more medical malpractice bills to the floor and, to nobody's surprise, lost twice more."
HIMMA, the bill sponsored by Mike Enzi (R-Wyo) is up for consideration. Editorial in the Post: "TODAY THE Senate will consider a bill that would radically change the nation's health insurance market, shifting power from states to the federal government and to a regulatory regime lighter than nearly all states have now. Given that nearly 46 million Americans lack health insurance, it's clear that the status quo isn't working well. Yet the proposed bill is risky. Its preemption of state authority might stifle creative experiments in health policy that could help solve the long-term crisis of health costs." Well, when Senator Enzi is the sponsor one can be sure whose interests are on his mind.
