Scandals make for migrains!

9 "scandles" in 48 hours, is that some kind of record?

1) The news that Palin once backed the Bridge to Nowhere went national.

2) It emerged that Palin has links to the bizarro Alaska Independence Party, which harbors the goal of seceding from the union that McCain and Palin seek to lead.

3) The news broke that as governor, Palin "abused" an earmark system she now opposes--to the tune of $27 Million. Earmarks + Bridge = Fiscal Reformist?

4) The news broke that Palin's 17-year-old daughter became pregnant out of wedlock at a time when the conservative base had finally started rallying behind McCain's candidacy.

5) Barely moments after McCain advisers put out word that McCain had known of Bristol Palin's pregnancy, the Anchorage Daily News revealed that Palin's own spokesperson hadn't known about it only two days ago.

6) It came out that Republican lawyers are up in Alaska vetting Palin -- now, more than 72 hours after it was announced that she'd been picked.

7) Palin lawyered up in relation to the trooper-gate probe in Alaska -- a move that ensures far more serious attention to the story from the major news orgs.

8) Palin *nearly* had her position as Mayor recalled, due to some "unusual" reason(s) for firing the Police Chief.

9) The lawyer for Palin's "Troopergate" investigation wants to have the state Personnel Board handle the proceedings/investigation. It's sure couldn't hurt that this 3 member board was appointed (i.e. hand picked) by the governess herself. Say it with me, kids: conflict of interest.

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Now, I have tried...really I have...to be fair in my criticism of members of both the Republican and Democratic party. I don't want to spill the beans about one side vs. the other, but quite honestly, the Dem's are making my job difficult.

On the other hand, the Replublicans are the China of the political process: they've won the most gold medals in the "scandal count".

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There are a few unfortunate things about this entire situation:

First, her daughter is now a "public figure" and her pregnancy is no longer a "private" matter. Regardless of her decision to marry, adopt, abort, whatever...it is now more than just a family decision. It's going to be scrutinized and criticized by everyone that hears about it. Everyone will have an opinion, even if it never passes their lips.

Second, if (when, in my view) the McCain/Palin ticket comes in 2nd place, a promising political career will have been "de-railed" for several years. If the Republicans were so "high" on her, they really "tipped their hand" by rolling the dice so early with her career, just to *try* and win the votes of some "disenfranchised" Hillary supporters. Palin's choice is not going to swing the vote McCain's way, and in fact, has created a series of more headaches than necessary.

Palin: The Hot Topic

Sarah Palin is the hot topic of today's political news.

Unless you live under a rock, or in a cave next to Bin Laden, you've probably heard that John McCain has tapped Sarah Palin, the first-term Governer of Alaska, to be his Vice Presidential candidate.

I am mildly surprised at the pick, but I can see some reasons for it.

1: She's a she. Because HRC isn't in the Dem's spotlight anymore, McCain is hoping to woo the HRC supporters that may still feel disenfranchised by saying "I believe a woman can be VP, and possibly President when if something bad happens to me."

2: She's young. At 44, she is definitely the youngest person on either side of the ticket (Barack is 47). It's a way to address those who are critical of his age (his 72nd birthday is today).

3: She is a "maverick" just like McCain claims to be. She was a relative "outsider" as far as political circles go.

4: She has built her reputation upon maintaining high ethical standards, fiscal responsibility, and investing in education.

All well and good, however one needs to also look at one of the largest negatives:

She is inexperienced.

She began her political "career" in 1996. City council, mayor, and then Chairperson of the commission that regulates Alaska's oil and gas industries.

The Republicans have attacked Obama over and over and over again about his lack of experience when it comes to...well...everything.

Now, when the choice for VP is made, they tap a clearly inexperienced person....? Where's her foreign policy experience? Where is her national affair experience? Where's her....well...experience?

Don't Drink and Speak: Beck has been tipping too much Beck's

"She also missed, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, that 37 percent of the uninsured live in households making more than $50,000 a year, most of which can afford health insurance. "

Glenn Beck has no clue what he is talking about. All he is doing is regurgitating some statistic and then tacking on his misguided, misinformed, and completely mistaken opinion.

My wife is one step away from being one of those 45 to 46 million people without health insurance.

Four years ago she developed a D.V.T. (clot) in her left thigh (pregnancy related). She was in the hospital for 5 weeks because of it. She dealt with some residual effects for about 2 years, but thank the Lord, hasn't had any issues with it for awhile now.

One of the aspects of my profession is to sell Health Insurance plans. Fortunately for me, I work for a company that will pay my individual portion of health care costs. My family portion, however, is all mine.

So, over the past few years, we have tried to get my wife onto an individual plan, to cut the expense to our family (reflected in my commissions).

Guess what?

There is absolutely NO COMPANY in the healthcare industry that will even consider, for one minute, insuring my wife.

At 34 years old, she is considered Un-Insurable by the wonderful health insurance industry.

But wait! There's a savior!

The HIPIA program provides guaranteed health insurance coverage for those that cannot get insurance on their own.

Sign her up! What a wonderful plan! They'll take her without problem---I hear you all saying.

Well guess what, folks, we can't AFFORD to sign her up for that plan.

For a $2,500 deductible plan, the monthly cost is a whopping $346 per month. That's $4,152 annually.

Add into the equation our 3 children, who we could insure for about $55 / month (each) under a $1,750 deductible HSA plan. That's an additional $1,980 annually.

Don't forget, fair readers, that under an HSA plan, you are responsible for all charges up to the deductible. There is no "copay" or "coinsurance". If you go to the doctor and they charge you $80 for a visit, you pay $80 and your deductible gets credited. For a Family plan (which is what the 3 kids would be, together) the deductible is $3,500, with at least one person needing to reach the $1,750 level before benefits kick in for them.

So let's do some math!

$4,152 + $1,980 = $6,132

That's just for the premiums.

Over $500 / month.

Thankfully, I don't have a cost (yet) associated with my own health insurance. But, if my employer, like so many other small businesses, decides to make me pay all (or a portion) of my health premium....that just adds to the above total.

How much would that be? Well, an HSA would be an additional $155 per month, bringing our grand total to $655+ per month for premiums.

So theoretically, if my children and I were on an HSA we would have to spend $6132 + $1,750 to get coverage for 1 of us. To get coverage for more than one person, the Family Deductible needs to be met: $6,132 + $3,500 = $9,632.

That's before taking into consideration anything that might happen to my wife. Tack on another $2,500, for a total of $12,132 -- JUST IN DEDUCTIBLES & PREMIUM.

Co-insurance after the deductible is met is an entirely separate issue.

We are squarely in the "Middle Class". Our income is between $50k and $60k.

Having to fork-out over $9,600 to get coverage for my family is not feasible. That's 17% of our income.

Let's see where we can cut...

* Modest housepayment
* Modest carpayment
* 2x Student Loan payments
* Auto Insurance
* Home Insurance
* Life Insurance
* Gas
* Groceries / Food

Mr. Beck, and Mr. and Mrs. Against Universal Healthcare.....you tell me exactly HOW we can afford $800 / month to insure my family. You tell me where all this extra money is going to come from.

Please, I urge you Mr. Beck...don't talk about things that you really have no grasp of.

Your reality is so far removed from what TRUE Middle Class reality is, that you just make yourself look like an even bigger idiot than you already are.

Our first post: Shedding the Light on Limbaugh

So there I was, driving home this afternoon along the "long and lonesome highway" albeit west of Cedar Falls.

Not much on the radio was piquing my interest, so I switched over to AM talk radio.

I happened upon a familar voice whom I hadn't heard in quite some time: Rush Limbaugh.

I can't say I've ever been a "regular" listener to Rush. In fact, it's probably been 2 years since his voice has graced my car stereo speakers with its presence.

Not that I haven't, on occasion, agreed with some of the things he has professed to believe in. In general, though, his ranting and raving about how marvelous the "conservatives" are and how "demonic" the liberals are is just plain...annoying.

With the DNC going on, I was....sickly curious....as to what his thoughts were.

As expected, he spewed forth his diatribes against Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, disputing everything that they said in their speeches last night and professing how everything was a "lie".

Then, read from an ABC news article discussing Biden's role in the foreclosure crisis facing our nation.

He read verbatim the first 6 paragraphs....and then like a rabid, incensed idiot, he attacked...the wrong people.

The fact of the matter is, which Rush never once mentioned, is that his "angelic" Republican party was the driving force behind the BAPCPA of 2005--ever since it's inception in 1997.

Yes, Joe Biden was on board and helped push through the BAPCPA. There is no disputing that. His hands, therefore, are not completely clean.

Rush Limbaugh, though, in his haste to point his finger at Joe Biden, has failed to notice that he has 3 fingers pointing back at himself and his beloved Republicans!

Of course, you will never -ever- hear Rush speak the whole truth about a situation that negatively affects the Republican party, or which negatively impacts the Democratic party. He simply twists it to fit the agenda that he is stuffing into the ears of those willing to listen to him.

Hopefully, though, you'll take a second listen to what he says--then start thinking for yourself and questioning what he says, rather than taking it as "gospel truth".