Saturday, October 30, 2010

Miscellaneous 36

1) While I like Charlie Crist and probably WOULD vote for him if I lived in Florida, I do have to admit it here, folks, some of the stuff that they've been saying about him (i.e., that he's a weasel, an opportunist, etc.) may in fact be true. For instance, I was watching part of one the recent debates down there, and Mr. Crist went on to say that, even if he had won the Republican nomination, he still would have left the Republican Party....Now, I don't know about you people, but, to me, that just doesn't pass the smell-test (leaving a political party right after you had won the nomination of that party). And, yes, me-buckos, add to that the fact that he STILL won't tell the public which party he intends to caucus with. I mean, I really hate to say it here, but, yeah, damned if it isn't starting to smell like some rank opportunism - or at least that's the way that I'm beginning to see it (though, yes, like I said, I'd still probably vote for him).............2) I saw an interesting "60 Minutes " piece a few weeks ago. They had this expert on who was saying that Medicare fraud has now eclipsed drug dealing as the number one crime in all of Southern Florida. I don't know, I guess that Medicare has basically become little more than a check-writing enterprise. You've got a lot of these fly-by-nights/bogus store-fronts who are literally billing Medicare for nothing. And they don't get caught because a) Medicare still has very little in terms of fraud prevention and b) by the time that suspicion does arise, the bastards have moved on to yet another scam/neighborhood. President Obama said that Medicare fraud was going to be one of his priorities. Hopefully, folks, it will continue to be so....P.S. But just for some added inducement here, hows about this one? If President Obama can significantly reduce Medicare fraud, not only will I vote for him again, I will personally carve his likeness onto Rushmore.

14 comments:

Rusty Shackleford said...

As you may remember Will I warned you months ago about your fondness for Charlie Crist.Having spent considerable time in Florida the past few years I can attest that Crist is nothing but a sleezeball.That stunt he tried to pull two weeks ago,trying to get Kendrick Meeks to pull out of the election was just the latest in a stream of shady things he's attempted.The good people of Florida have grown tired of Charlies sense of entitlement and tomorrow he will finally be on his merry way.
Will,I suggest you go to Marco Rubio's bio page and take a look at him,his ideas and his life.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

I'm sure he's decent fellow, Russ....I just don't think that either party has been totally straight with us. The right thinks that we can simply tax-cut our way out of everything (yes, they do talk about spending cuts but rarely, if ever, are the specific). This, while the left thinks that we can simply spend our way out of everything. It's basically become a pander-fest that the American public has foolishly been willing to lap up.

Oso said...

I think they'd reduce Medicare fraud by funding it.From what I've read there's not enough resources to pursue fraud charges.That could be done by lowering buy-in to 55, premium might cover it.

I'm so sick of people deifying Obama.IMO the guy was given a pass by following Bush.Pretty much anything he did would have been an improvement-except for continuing essentially the same policy as Bush.

The only thing a freaking liberal hates more than a tea partyer is another liberal telling the truth about Obama.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

This is one program, Oso, where I wouldn't mind if the administrative costs went up. This, in that, yes, we absolutely have to get a handle on this (yet another area where the 2 parties SHOULD be able to work together).

Rusty Shackleford said...

Well kids,its upon us.The time is here.

Rusty predicts a house pick up for the rebublicans of 67 seats.And eight seats picked up in the senate.

Oso said...

quite a swing in the house. Senate seems about right.
I don't know much about Rubio, but $ from Koch and Goldman-Sachs speaks volumes as to what type of individual he is.Koch and G/S aren't quite Satan but will do till something even worse comes along.

Rusty Shackleford said...

Oh Oso,you should read Rubio's story.His acceptence speech was moving.You dont think the Obama and a number of the dems have'nt taken money from GS.
One thing you need to remember Osi...it takes money to run for office.How much did dems get from the SEIU and AFL-CIO?

Rusty Shackleford said...

The big question is what does Obie do now? Move to the center ot dig his heels in?

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

The thing is, Russ, if he DOES move to the center (which, yes, would obviously be my recommendation), will that even be good enough for Bachman, Demint, etc.? It sounds to me as if they're going to be out for him no matter what.

Oso said...

Rusty you're right and good point-Dems took as much or more from G-S, I didn't mean to throw stones but rather only in comparison between Crist-Rubio.

Oso said...

Rusty and Will-when you're already in the center, how can you move to where you already are?
To see Obama as anything other than a center/right politician is to completely overlook his policy and instead speak from a partisan position.
He could and probably will move farther to the right, he could conceivably but won't move to the left. He can't move to where he already is, though.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Oso, I've always said that these demarcations are highly subjective. As a centrist myself, I see Obama as somewhat to the left of center (certainly not a radical or socialist but, yeah, a liberal). As an ultra-liberal (and, no, I'm not saying that as a knock, btw), you see him as a moderate. As a right-winger (again, not a knock), Rusty sees him as radical lefty.....In the words of the great Van Morrison ("Domino"), "It depends on wherever you're at."

Dervish Sanders said...

I agree with Oso about Obama already being in the center. I disagree with his claim that "the only thing a freaking liberal hates more than a tea partyer is another liberal telling the truth about Obama".

If you recall, it wasn't that long ago the WH press secretary criticized the "professional Left" "for wanting to eliminate the Pentagon and pursue Canadian-style health care reform".

I think most Liberals (myself included) are a little disappointed with Obama. Dennis Kucinich is a Liberal. Obama isn't. This is a fact, and not at all "subjective".

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

As far as I know, wd, there aren't any precise metrics and/or textbook definitions here. It's pretty much ALL perspective, in my opinion.