Romney Praises Israel's Universal Health Care (with Mandate!)

Newsweek says "wimp," I say "douche."
 Image from source, Think Progress.

Really, how does Mitt Romney fit all of the cognitive dissonance in his head?

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Romney Praises Israel’s Universal Health Care System, Which Includes Individual Mandate

Throughout his presidential campaign, Mitt Romney has been running away from the individual insurance mandate in the Affordable Care Act — even though a mandate is a cornerstone of the former Massachusetts governor’s health care reform law. “If I’m President of the United States, we’re gonna get rid of Obamacare and return, under our constitution, the 10th Amendment, the responsibility and care of health care to the people in the states,” Romney said during a GOP presidential debate. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Chris Christie Takes Israel

Favorite quote from Wonkette comments section: "Whaling Wall?"--Extemporanus

It has been some time now since there were rumblings of a Chris Christie for president movement. And we can't mention Christie and rumblings in the same sentence together (or a host of other words) without stumbling into a discussion of his weight. That's because Christie isn't merely overweight. Hell, I've been overweight. Rick (don't Google me) Santorum is overweight, but nobody noticed until the unflattering swimsuit photo. It isn't because Christie is fat. Newt Gingrich is fat, but it is several steps down the list of negative things about him.

No, Christie is morbidly obese. And I find it peculiar that a person so heavily (there I go again) in the public eye, for so long, hasn't done something about it by now. Surely he has a gym at his disposal. Surely he also has access to nutritionists, personal trainers, lap band surgery. . .I'm just saying, he knows he's really big, he's acknowledged he really needs to lose weight. But these long months after he was prominently thrust into the public consciousness, he's as big--and on display--as ever. So, pardon me if I don't believe any of the Christie for VP rumors.

Or, maybe Christie is counting on a constantly growing America to see him as one of their own? I doubt it. I really don't think that America will vote for an extremely overweight president.

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Chris Christie Does Jerusalem: Vacation Pix!

The Good Governor Sandwiches of New Jersey, Chris Christie, is in Israel, on his first official overseas trip as head of an American state. (He’s making up for President Obama, who refuses to visit Israel because he Hates Jews.) How many unionized public school teachers will he yell at on YouTube while there? We await the final tally. Until then, let’s check out some photos from his visit to the Western Wall. . .

Read more at: Wonkette

Rachel Maddow Show: History of Conflicts in Gaza

If you're like me, Israeli politics are one big mystery, and one squabble there sounds pretty much like any other. Not being Jewish, or even remotely religious, I don't think about Israel much when they're not in the news. And I don't really "get" it when they are in the news. I don't side with either Palestinians or Israelis, because I don't understand how either side's claim to the land is valid, just because of their respective religions. And I don't really understand why either side wants to claim it, given all the strife, and death and destruction occurs there on a regular basis.

That's why I'm glad there are smarter people out there, like MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, to explain it to me. Watching this program makes my brain swell like the Grinch's heart. Unfortunately, even though Ms. Maddow and her guests do a great job explaining the stuff, it doesn't always sink in the first time. So maybe I'll watch this again, along with you. . .

Israel, Hamas, Gaza and the Clueless WASPy Blogger

Photo from source, Huffington Post

It's amazing how fast "blog time" goes compared to real time when you're on vacation. My intention has been to post a couple of things every day, even in these dog days of blogging over the holidays. But Sunday just slipped right by me! Of course, we had friends over, and were entertaining most of the day. Still, I was surprised to find that I had posted almost nothing for Sunday.

The biggest story going right now is the Hamas/Israel Gaza fight, and I'll confess to it being sooo far off my radar, I have nothing particularly wise or sage to add. I don't know why anybody wants to live there, so I'm puzzled why people put themselves in harm's way. There are many things about deeply-held religious feelings and beliefs that I'll never understand. Still, it is important enough that I feel some mention be made of it, so here you go.

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ISRAEL WIDENS AIR OFFENSIVE, HAMAS FIRES LONGER-RANGE ROCKETS

Israel widened its deadliest-ever air offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers Sunday, pounding smuggling tunnels and government strongholds, sending more tanks and artillery toward the Gaza border and activating thousands of reservists for a possible ground invasion. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Barack Obama Backs Lieberman Against the Wall

Image from MSNBC

Thanks (yes, one more time) to Stupid Monkey Planet for this link, a sort of exciting little rumor-ish thing about Barack Obama not taking any guff from Democrat Independent Republican Senator Joe Lieberman. Now that's the kind of push-back I want from a candidate! John Kerry who?

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Obama backs Lieberman against the wall (literally)

[D]uring a Senate vote Wednesday, Obama dragged Lieberman by the hand to a far corner of the Senate chamber and engaged in what appeared to reporters in the gallery as an intense, three-minute conversation.

While it was unclear what the two were discussing, the body language suggested that Obama was trying to convince Lieberman of something and his stance appeared slightly intimidating.
Using forceful, but not angry, hand gestures, Obama literally backed up Lieberman against the wall, leaned in very close at times, and appeared to be trying to dominate the conversation, as the two talked over each other in a few instances. . .

Read more at: The Carpetbagger Report