The Sorry State of VA Hospitals

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Saturday April 25, 2009 · 10:50 AM PDT

2009/04/25 · 10:50

Retired General Shinseki has his work cut out for him as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, particularly in the area of Veterans hospitals and facilities.

An Associated Press article reports that the full extent of dirty equipment at VA hospitals is still not known. Several months ago nearly 11,000 Veterans treated at three Veterans Affairs hospitals in the Southeast were notified that they could be infected with HIV, Hepatitis and other diseases because of the reuse of unsterilized and dirty equipment. Unfortunately, the Veterans have not been told much more than that.

More seriously is the length of time that this problem has existed. In two of the three hospitals the problems with the way that equipment is cleaned has been going on for five years; in the other hospital the problem has existed for at least a year. This would seem to indicate that the problem could well be systemic throughout the Department.

Kdawg1012

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Thursday April 23, 2009 · 10:26 AM PDT

2009/04/23 · 10:26

Ryan Grim over at Huffington Post has an article about House Minority Leader Boehner's use of the term torture. In that article Boehner continues to echo the Republican and Right Wing mantra that releasing the torture memos would give valuable information to our enemies.

Boehner and his Republican colleagues simply don't get it.

Kdawg1012

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Wednesday April 22, 2009 · 1:17 PM PDT

2009/04/22 · 13:17

Originally posted in Baldwin Park Democrat

There seems to be a big brouhaha going on (primarily from former Vice-President Cheney) about the value and results of torture; in other words, does torture produce any valuable information or intelligence.

It doesn't matter. That's not the point.

The point is that torture of any kind is not legal in the U.S. system of laws. Period. Whether it works or not is irrelevant. It is illegal according to United States law (as well as international law agreed to by the United States).

The United States has consistently opposed torture throughout it's history - that is, until the Bush/Cheney Administration. We have accepted as a guiding principle, and as a inherent part of our laws, that torture is not acceptable in any situation.

Kdawg1012

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Sunday April 19, 2009 · 10:53 AM PDT

2009/04/19 · 10:53

Originally posted at Baldwin Park Democrat

President Obama has not yet reached his 100th day in office. Yet in that short period of time he has already accomplished much; perhaps more than most Presidents in the first moments of their Administrations. However, like all mere mortals he is not perfect and he is wrong on occasion. This is one of those times.

Kdawg1012

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Saturday April 18, 2009 · 11:59 AM PDT

2009/04/18 · 11:59

As originally appeared at Baldwin Park Democrat

President Obama will ask his Agency and Department heads to propose cuts in spending. One good place for each Agency and Department to start looking is the number of contracts which they administer and the number of civilian contractors which they employ.

Government contractors began to proliferate during past calls for downsizing government. Government officials publicly eliminated Federal Civil Service jobs and quietly moved the work over to contractors, while still growing government. Congress and the various Administrations (it happens in all Administrations, regardless of Party) could then claim that they have reduced the overall number of Civil Service Full Time Equivalents (FTE - the number of Civil Service employees) and thus the size of the Federal Government.

Kdawg1012

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Wednesday April 08, 2009 · 7:51 AM PDT

2009/04/08 · 07:51

As originally appeared in Baldwin Park Democrat.

It's time for the progressive blogosphere and rank and file Democrats to begin putting serious and unrelenting pressure on President Obama and Congress to remind them that they have a moral and constitutional obligation to investigate the alleged wrongdoings of the previous Administration. It is one of the principal reasons why the Democrats were voted into office.

Yet, for reasons not entirely understood, President Obama and many members of Congress do not seem to want to engage in this critically necessary action.

True, the President may want to concentrate on the enormous crises currently facing the nation and may want to, in his words, look forward and not back. President Obama may feel that he needs to avoid the backlash for what Republicans most certainly will call a "witch hunt" for investigating and holding accountable the previous White House. The President may feel that conducting such an investigation may hurt his chances for achieving some semblance of bi-partisan support for his agenda.

Such reasoning is flawed and must be repudiated by those who voted for this President and the current Congress.

Kdawg1012

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Saturday April 26, 2008 · 8:47 AM PDT

2008/04/26 · 08:47

The Fourth Estate. In the 19th Century and later it referred to the Press. Today, it refers to all forms of media (newspapers, television, radio, etc.). It was considered one of the cornerstones of freedom. What happened to it? Where is it today?

Poll

57 votes Show Results

Is it Time to Boycott the Main Stream Media?

57 votes Vote Now!

Is it Time to Boycott the Main Stream Media?

Yes

54 votes

3 votes

It's Time for The Superdelegates to Commit

Kdawg1012

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Wednesday April 23, 2008 · 10:48 AM PDT

2008/04/23 · 10:48

The Superdelegates need to stand up and be counted and they need to do it now.

Hillary Clinton won the Pennsylvania Primary last evening as expected. It appears she won by 9.3 percent or so - not the clear and convincing numbers she needed but enough to convince her to stay the course.

That is, unless the Superdelegates stand up now and decide the nominee. They need to do that and do it right away for the good of the Party. John McCain and the Republicans have had a free ride for way too long while the Democrats continue to bitterly fight each other. This prolonged primary battle is seriously hurting the Democratic Party and could cost it the election in November. The Democratic Party can not afford to let that happen.

Kdawg1012

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Monday April 21, 2008 · 1:48 PM PDT

2008/04/21 · 13:48

Some reasons why voters should choose Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania Primary and in the Primaries after Pennsylvania.

Kdawg1012

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Wednesday April 16, 2008 · 3:38 PM PDT

2008/04/16 · 15:38

Hillary Clinton has a problem being viewed as honest and trustworthy. It's a problem of her own creation. But, should she somehow manage to get the Democratic nomination, it could well cost the Democrats the White House in November.

RSS

The Sorry State of VA Hospitals

Boehner and the Republicans Just Don't Get It

It Doesn't Matter Whether Torture Works or Not

My President is Wrong

A Good Place to Start on Budget Cuts

It's Time to Put Pressure on President Obama and Congress

What Ever Happened to the Fourth Estate?

It's Time for The Superdelegates to Commit

Why Vote for Barack Obama?

Hillary's Honesty and Trust Problem