A WOMAN has been denied an operation on the NHS after paying for a private consultation to deal with her severe back pain.
Jenny Whitehead, a breast cancer survivor, paid £250 for an appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon after being told she would have to wait five months to see him on the NHS. He told her he would add her to his NHS waiting list for surgery.
She was barred from the list, however, and sent back to her GP. She must now find at least £10,000 for private surgery, or wait until the autumn for the NHS operation to remove a cyst on her spine.
“When I paid £250 to see the specialist privately I had no idea I would be sacrificing my right to surgery on the NHS. I feel victimised,” she said.
First off, what AllahPundit is griping about is this:
In response to this, AllahPundit politely objects:
“When conflicts break out, one way or another, we get pulled into them.” True enough, and I don’t always “like” that we’re pulled into them. For example, I don’t “like” the fact that we have 30,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as cannon fodder in case the lunatic to the north ever attacks Seoul. But I accept it because I understand it’s an effective deterrent that saves millions of lives. I don’t “like” the fact that we’re forced to take the lead on Iran even though their military capabilities are more of an immediate threat to Europe and the Sunnis, but I accept it because the stick we wield is so much bigger than everyone else’s that we’re most likely to bring them to heel. I don’t “like” the fact that American troops have spent the past seven years dodging — and, sometimes, not dodging — IEDs in Iraq, but I accept it because I think having a democracy in the region will eventually put pressure on local autocrats to liberalize and held deflate jihadism. Disagree with my position on any or all of those if you like, but I don’t see how it’s controversial or demeaning to suggest that the world’s policeman, like any policeman, doesn’t always enjoy his job. In fact, less than six months ago, Pew found for the first time in 45 years that those who believe the U.S. should mind its own business abroad outnumber those who don’t. I think that isolationist impulse is nutty and a de facto invitation to malign powers to expand their influence, but then so does The One — which, I take it, is why he ordered the surge in Afghanistan, is going slow on withdrawal from Iraq, is stepping up drone attacks in Pakistan, and is keeping the troops in Korea and elsewhere in place.
I give AP credit; he is absolutely right. Sometimes, it just sucks to have to be the leader of the free world. I mean, the United States, not Obama. This is filed under the “Stuck on Stupid” business, that my Blog’s subtitle refers to. Unfortunately, on the far right; there is this effort, a foolhardy one, but none the less, an effort; to castigate President Obama —- No matter what he does. I refer to it as that “Sean Hannity bullcrap.” I mean, I respect Hannity, most of the time. But I cannot stand watching that show; because all his show is about — is bashing Obama, no matter what he does.
I mean, say what you want, but, Obama might be a socialist, Obama might be a wealth redistributor; but, like it or not, Obama does have his rather pointed head on straight when it comes to Foreign Policy and when it comes to Islamic Terrorism. I mean, as AP alluded to in his article, the President could be like Ron Paul. (Shudder!) I am; as I am sure AP is, very grateful that President Obama has his head on straight about the middle east and the danger that Islamic Terrorism poses for this Nation. President Obama might not handle things the way that Bush did; but this does not mean that he does not see and want to deal with the danger.
For this, I am willing to give President Obama a pass in this department. But, only in this department.
Another thing I will say is this; where I see the most Anti-Obama rhetoric, when it comes to terrorism, is from certain protected ethnic classes on the right. (I think you can figure out, what I mean….) This, I believe is fueled by this idiotic notion, that Obama is some sort of secret Muslim. This sort of thing is, in this white man’s opinion, absolutely idiotic. I mean, how ironic is it, that the same class of people, who were subjected to horrific atrocities by a German madman, are now themselves engaging in the same bigoted behavior? Quite, I would say. I will not mention any names, but I think you can guess to which players I allude.
Again, just more of that stuck on stupid, that I refer to…
Thanks to AP for, once again, being “The skinny guy, at fat camp.”
Update: There’s always a smart ass in the crowd. 😉
Though Election Day is still months away, pundits have already begun to speculate on possible outcomes for this year’s midterms. There’s a general consensus that Democrats will lose seats in November, but beyond that opinions vary widely on how big those losses might be. Some argue that because of the advance notice, passage of health care, and an improving economy (or some combination of all three), Democrats will be able to limit their losses significantly. Others are predicting a repeat of 1994, when Democrats lost 50+ seats and control of the House.
[…]
That said, I think those who suggest that the House is barely in play, or that we are a long way from a 1994-style scenario are missing the mark. A 1994-style scenario is probably the most likely outcome at this point. Moreover, it is well within the realm of possibility – not merely a far-fetched scenario – that Democratic losses could climb into the 80 or 90-seat range. The Democrats are sailing into a perfect storm of factors influencing a midterm election, and if the situation declines for them in the ensuing months, I wouldn't be shocked to see Democratic losses eclipse 100 seats.
[…]
President Obama’s policy choices to date are wreaking havoc on the brand that Democrats cultivated carefully over the past twenty years. Bill Clinton worked long and hard to make it so that voters could say “fiscal conservative” and “Democrat” in the same sentence, but voters are finding it difficult to say that again.
If brand damage is truly seeping over into Congressional races – and the polling suggests it is – then the Democrats are in very, very deep trouble this election. There is a very real risk that they could be left with nothing more than Obama’s base among young, liberal, and minority voters, which is packed into relatively few Congressional districts. It would be the Dukakis map transformed onto the Congressional level, minus the support in Appalachia. That would surely result in the Democratic caucus suffering huge losses, and in turn produce historic gains for the GOP this November.
As I have said on here many times. Elections have consequences, so do bad policy decisions; this is a result of that. When you poke your finger in the eye of the American people and you try and tell them, what is good for them, this is what happens. President Obama and his goons in the Congress have basically disrupted the status quo in American heathcare and many Americans were against this Healthcare bill; including those on the left, who felt that it did not go far enough. So, Obama and the Democrats are going to be hurting come November. It will be very interesting to watch, and I will be there, writing my fool head off about it. 😀
I will say this; if the G.O.P. runs Ron Paul as their candidate, they will be trounced in the general election. Because nobody and I mean, nobody is going to vote for Ron Paul, I mean looking at his controversialpast ought to be proof enough. The funny part is; when confronted, the Paul-bots like to say that Ron Paul did not write those newsletters. My response to that is; who in the hell, in their right mind, would lend their name to a newsletter, which would be authored by people who have such feelings about Blacks, Jews and so forth? Someone who obviously agrees with such idiotic mentality. Sorry Paulites, but your idiotic attempt to distance Ron Paul from his own damned newsletters, is not flying with this guy. I am just not that stupid. I will not even get into the 2008 campaign monies donated by the founders of Stormfront and former Klansman David Duke and Don Black, that was never returned.
I realize that this poll is a hypothetical one; but if I were Jewish, I would be very worried. If Paul was elected and I were Jewish, I would be looking into real estate in Israel. Because if that bastard got in as President, it would only be a matter of time before the Jewish persecution started. However, being the realist that I am, I know better; because there is just no way that the G.O.P. senior leadership will allow a person like Ron Paul to run for President.
Edited because some Paul-bots do not understand the concept of snark.
They should have done this to the first jackass who tried to pull this kind of stunt. Maybe a decade of hard labor will nip this stupidity in the bud, although what will probably happen is the wingnuts will be mortified our Kenyan preznit is prosecuting American HEROES.
So says former-conservative turncoat and now liberal traitor; who is also a Blogger, John Cole.
Why?
All because some member of our Great Military decided that Obama was unqualified to be President of United States.
It just shows you just how tolerate of dissent your liberals really are. 🙄
Which is why I will never, ever vote Democrat again.
Now before I quote this news article, imagine with me a cage full of little white mice. There’s about 100 or so of ’em in there. Now outside that cage is a big block of nice American cheese. Said mice spot said cheese and proceed to open said cage. Now the last mouse out, named Louie, who’s a bit of a fat ass drunk, accidentally bumps the cage’s door and it locks behind them. Well, the mice don’t seem to notice, all they see, is the cheese. Well, outside that cage also a huge cat, and a hungry one at that. 😯 😮 Panic. Keep this rather humorous thought in mind, while you read the following.
“It is unclear whether members of Congress and Congressional staff who are currently participating in F.E.H.B.P. may be able to retain this coverage,” the research service said in an 8,100-word memorandum.
And even if current members of Congress can stay in the popular program for federal employees, that option will probably not be available to newly elected lawmakers, the report says.
Moreover, it says, the strictures of the new law will apply to staff members who work in the personal office of a member of Congress. But they may or may not apply to people who work on the staff of Congressional committees and in “leadership offices” like those of the House speaker and the Democratic and Republican leaders and whips in the two chambers.
These seemingly technical questions will affect 535 members of Congress and thousands of Congressional employees. But the issue also has immense symbolic and political importance. Lawmakers of both parties have repeatedly said their goal is to provide all Americans with access to health insurance as good as what Congress has.
Congress must now decide what steps, if any, it can take to deal with the problem. It could try for a legislative fix, or it could adopt internal policies to minimize any disruptions.
In its painstaking analysis of the new law, the research service says the impact on Congress itself and the intent of Congress are difficult to ascertain.
The law apparently bars members of Congress from the federal employees health program, on the assumption that lawmakers should join many of their constituents in getting coverage through new state-based markets known as insurance exchanges.
But the research service found that this provision was written in an imprecise, confusing way, so it is not clear when it takes effect.
The new exchanges do not have to be in operation until 2014. But because of a possible “drafting error,” the report says, Congress did not specify an effective date for the section excluding lawmakers from the existing program.
Under well-established canons of statutory interpretation, the report said, “a law takes effect on the date of its enactment” unless Congress clearly specifies otherwise. And Congress did not specify any other effective date for this part of the health care law. The law was enacted when President Obama signed it three weeks ago.
In addition, the report says, Congress did not designate anyone to resolve these “ambiguities” or to help arrange health insurance for members of Congress in the future.
“This omission, whether intentional or inadvertent, raises questions regarding interpretation and implementation that cannot be definitively resolved by the Congressional Research Service,” the report says. “The statute does not appear to be self-executing, but rather seems to require an administrating or implementing authority that is not specifically provided for by the statutory text.”
The White House said last month that Mr. Obama would voluntarily participate in the health insurance exchange, though the law does not require him or other administration officials to do so. His participation as president may depend on his getting re-elected in 2012.
Representative Jason Chaffetz, Republican of Utah, said lawmakers were in the same boat as many Americans, trying to figure out what the new law meant for them.
“If members of Congress cannot explain how it’s going to work for them and their staff, how will they explain it to the rest of America?” Mr. Chaffetz asked in an interview.
Go on over there and read that; I’ve never seen so much rat panic in my life. Thus proving that you should always READ THE FARKING BILL! 🙄
Near the end of the third day of this year’s Southern Republican Leadership Conference, it was time for Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) to take the stage. Paul, fresh off his victory in the CPAC straw poll, gave a characteristically fired-up speech that took on the views of the Republican party establishment.
“The question has been raised about whether or not our president is a socialist,” Paul said. “I am sure there are some people here who believe it. But in the technical sense, in the economic definition of a what a socialist is, no, he’s not a socialist.”
“He’s a corporatist,” Paul continued. “And unfortunately we have corporatists inside the Republican party and that means you take care of corporations and corporations take over and run the country.”
Paul said examples of President Obama’s “corporatism” were evident in the heath care reform bill he signed into law last month. He said the mandate in the bill put the power over health care in the hands of corporations rather than private citizens. But he said the bill wasn’t the only place where corporatism is creeping into Washington.
Perfect example of Ron Paul’s idiotic tin-foil hat stupidity. Yes, I know also about his straw poll defeat to Mittens. To be be quite, and brutally honest; I cannot stand Mitt Romney. To me, Mitt Romney is the perfect example of the arrogant, rich-boy attitude that permeates some of the G.O.P. — A perfect example is Mitt Romney’s treatment of John McCain during the 2008 election debates. I thought Romney snickering at McCain was childish and unbecoming of someone of Romney’s background. Not to mention Romney’s Mormonism, which is a BIG ISSUE with me. However, seeing Ron Paul’s background. past and present associations; I will happily take a Mitt Romney victory any day of the damned week.
However, because I am realist; allow me to throw a wet blanket on this little victory. Straw polls are one thing, actual winnability and true Conservative victories in actual elections are another. As the 2008 Primaries proved, Mitt Romney just does not have the winnability in a primary. Heck, the only state that actually gave him any sort of percentage was Utah; and we all know why that is the case. Not to mention, does anyone actually remember, Romney-Care? Barack Obama’s biggest talking point is the fact that Obama-care is, in fact, based upon the Romney-care model.
The point is that Mitt Romney is a Liberal Republican, if he did actually win the primary and I highly doubt he ever would; the Republicans and Independent Conservatives would simply stay home and not vote or would cast votes for a third party.
There are some who believe that Sarah Palin is the perfect solution. Well, allow me to throw a wet blanket on that one too. There are many who believe, including myself, that Palin would never make it out of the Primary. I happen to agree with that. While she might be pretty, most people, with any kind of sense and who are not Palin-bots; believe that Sarah Palin just does not have the proper experience to be President. But, dear God, if you say this to one of her fan-boys, you are accused of being a sexist, a woman hater and so on. Which does sound like the liberal left, does it not? Gender-baiting in the G.O.P.? I thought I had seen it all. 🙄
Be that as it may; the mid-terms are going to be an interesting time, and I can assure you, 2012, is going to be even better. I cannot wait.
Television showed chunks of flaming fuselage scattered in a bare forest near Smolensk, where the president was arriving for a ceremony commemorating the murder of more than 20,000 Polish officers by the Red Army as it invaded Poland.
The governor of Smolensk region, Sergei Antufiyev, said the plane did not reach the runway but instead hit the treetops and broke apart. An official with the Russia’s Investigative Committee said possible causes were bad weather, mechanical failure and human error.
The crash came as a staggering blow to Poland, killing what may be a tenth of country’s top leadership in one fiery explosion. In the numb hours after the crash, leaders in Warsaw evoked the horror of the massacre at Katyn, which stood for decades as a symbol of Russian domination of Poland.
Why this is so horrible:
Photo from the crash site In Russia
“It is a damned place,” former president Aleksander Kwasniewski told TVN24. “It sends shivers down my spine. First the flower of the Second Polish Republic is murdered in the forests around Smolensk, now the intellectual elite of the Third Polish Republic die in this tragic plane crash when approaching Smolensk airport.”
“This is a wound which will be very difficult to heal,” he said.
Former president Lech Walesa, who presided over Poland’s transition from communism, cast the crash in similarly historic terms.
“This is the second disaster after Katyn,” he said. “They wanted to cut off our head there, and here the flower of our nation has also perished. Regardless of the differences, the intellectual class of those on the plane was truly great.”
Poland is a good friend of the United States, and President Kaczynski went out of his way to honor Ronald Reagan for the fight to free Poland from communism when he visited the United States in 2007 (photo above right from Reagan Library).
Kaczynski also worked to acknowledge the Holocaust and the extermination of millions of Polish Jews during World War II, including honoring Poles who risked their lives to save Jews, and just recently giving a Polish national medal to the head of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Israel:
On January 27, 2010, during a ceremony marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day held at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland, Polish President Lech Kaczy?ski awarded Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate Avner Shalev with the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
During the ceremony, which marked this year 65 years since the liberation of Auschwitz by the Soviet Army, speeches were delivered by the President and Prime Minister of Poland, the Prime Minister of Israel, international delegates and figures, and Holocaust survivors. Polish President Kaczy?ski also awarded decorations during the ceremony to United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Director Sara Bloomfield and Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Director Dr. Piotr M.A. Cywi?ski.
The three decorations were awarded for “eminent services in educational and museum work commemorating the victims of the Nazi German labor camps, concentration camps, and extermination centers, and for their accomplishments in the development of the Polish-Jewish dialogue.”
I can only fathom what the people of Poland are going through this day. My prayers are with the families, and with the people of Poland this evening. If there was ever a time, for President Barack Obama to show some class and leadership; this would be that time.
More information will be posted, as it becomes available.
A special message to the people of Poland:
Do dobrych ludzi Polska.
Uprzejmie informujemy, ten pisarz serce jest podzielone na wie?? o swoje straszne straty. Prosz? wybaczy? z?e t?umaczenie, jak ja jestem przy pomocy Google Translate.
Mam nadziej?, ?e ten komunikat ma sens dla mieszka?ców Polska.
Nie mog? tu siedzie? i wyobra?a? sobie co to smutek przechodzi. Jednak wiem, ?e jest to tragedi?.
Uprzejmie informujemy, ?e modl? si? za was wszystkich i ?e modlitwy, Comfort, Wszechmog?cego Boga i Jego Syna Jezusa Chrystusa b?dzie z wami wszystkimi. To jest moja nadzieja i wyrazi? moje osobiste modlitwy, ?e pokój, który pochodzi od Boga tylko w niebie, b?dzie tam komfort was wszystkich, w momencie utraty.
Niech Wszechmog?cy Bóg w niebie, Bless i przechowywa? ka?dego z was.
-Patrick
W?a?ciciel
politicalbyline.com
English Translation:
To the good people of Poland.
Please know this writer’s heart is broken at the news of your horrible loss. Please excuse the bad translation; as I am using Google Translate.
Hopefully this message makes sense to the people of Poland.
I cannot sit here and imagine what sort of sorrow you are going through. However, I do know that this is a human tragedy.
Please know, that I am praying for you all and that I prayer that the Comfort, of the Almighty God and his son Jesus Christ would be with you all. It is my express hope and my personal prayer, that the peace that only comes from God in Heaven; would be there to comfort you all, in your time of loss.
May the Almighty God in Heaven, Bless and Keep each and every one of you.
