Posted Without Comment: Mitt Romney's Press Conference

Mitt Romney Manages to Argue FOR Individual Insurance Mandate

Clueless 1%-er. Image from Wonkette.

The whole idea behind the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act (known derisively as "Obamacare" because conservatives previously used "Hillarycare" and are out of tricks) is to do a little arm twisting so that people not likely to consider getting health insurance do so. Kind of like automobile insurance. Except that not everybody needs a car, but nearly everybody will eventually need health care, or they will die prematurely or live miserably. Rare is the "never sick a day in his life, never broke a bone, cut himself, sprained an ankle, or got a burn, and lived to be 100" person.

All of those cuts, breaks, burns and diseases need treatment, and if they're uninsured, they'll go to an emergency room. Which we all end up paying for anyway. So, you tell Joe-I'm-24-and-Invincible that he has to get at least a minimum level of insurance, since he just might get cancer or gonorrhea even though he doesn't think he will. By the way, ever get chemo in an emergency room? Yet another issue that health care reform can help out with.

Now, I don't know about the individual mandate's Constitutionality, though I'm pretty sure you could call the fine for not getting insurance a tax. That's what I'd do anyway. But I do know that the individual mandate was a Republican idea, and it only became unconstitutional when President Barack Obama proposed it. Telling, that.

Which is a long way to go to tell you that Mitt Romney went on The Tonight Show starring Jay Leno and basically argued for the individual mandate. Because if he's saying that a 45-year-old can't just jump into the insurance market when he gets sick, and that people need to be long-term enrolled in insurance to get more of it, and. . .well. . .do you see where I'm going?

[Excerpt]


Human Monopoly Logo Mitt Romney Explainers Jay Leno: Uninsured Poors Should Die Already (VIDEO!)

Monocled toff Mitt Romney went on the Jay Leno Ha-Ha and Teevee Newz Hour to explain some cold hard FACTS to The Chin: You cannot wait until you are ill to buy insurance, gentles, even if there is no human way to afford it on your sad loser unemployment check! It just doesn’t work that way, good fellow! And if you work in a brake shop, and are uninsurable because you work in brake dust all day, the owners of the shop have already bought you insurance so just what is your problem, kind sir! (It is cute that Mitt Romney thinks that just because you work full-time, your job gives you “benefits.”) . . .

Read more (with video) at: Wonkette

Wikipedia and Others to Shut Down for 24 Hours on January 18

In this image, logos of other companies were used to
illustrate the ABC stories. Would that be a violation,
or fair use? What about here?

Don't be surprised if you try to go to your favorite website and find it unusable on Wednesday. Some of them, notably Wikipedia, will be protesting a couple of intrusive "anti-piracy" bills in the House and Senate. In the worst case, if the bills were enacted into law, blogs like this one would be in danger of being shut down. Anything that could be considered someone else's intellectual property could be a violation, and it looks like corporations would be the arbiters. Sounds sort of like a corporatocracy or something, doesn't it? I don't like it, and I don't really care if it's left, right or bipartisan. And the big question: if site owners are responsible for content posted by others, how fast would Facebook and Twitter be out of business?

[Excerpt]


Wikipedia Blackout: Websites Wikipedia, Reddit, Others Go Dark Wednesday to Protest SOPA, PIPA

Do not try to look up "Internet Censorship" or "SOPA" or "PIPA" on Wikipedia, the giant online encyclopedia, on Wednesday. SOPA and PIPA are two bills in Congress meant to stop the illegal copying and sharing of movies and music on the Internet, but major Internet companies say the bills would put them in the impossible position of policing the online world. . .

Read more (with video) at: ABC News

Rep. John Fleming Only Has $400,000 Left After Feeding His Family

Horrors! The worst part of this Congressman's story is that he nets $600,000. . .but after "feeding his family," he's only got $400,000 left! He must shop an Whole Foods! And the poor guy then has to get by in Louisiana on only 400G per year.