Patriotic quotes of the day:

“It’s really American to avoid paying taxes, legally,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, on Tuesday.

I bet Graham would like a take-back.

Mitt Romney in MT, regarding his reception at the NAACP: “…If they (Obamacare supporters at the NAACP) want more stuff from government tell them to go vote for the other guy — more free stuff. But don’t forget nothing is really free. It has to paid for by people in the private sector creating goods and services.”

Government creates zero value, so it’s not a part of the economy. Government workers don’t pay taxes, so they’re not really working. All public goods and services are welfare. Obamacare is all about handouts – except when it’s about health insurance exchanges and “taxes.” (Hey, now. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he’s only referring to the subsidy portions of the act–tax credits towards the purchase of insurance for those earning less than four times the poverty line , and expanded Medicaid eligibility. OK. Now recall who he’s referring to in this statement. Doh.) 

Patriots, fellow Americans. Gronk, too.

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…Tomato.  Just learned about this wonderful story here.

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Paul Krugman is “either an ancient species or a new species” of unicorn because Joe Kernen “tries to understand where he’s coming from on some of this stuff.” Kernan then proceeds to demand Krugman define himself, and then laughs condenscendingly when Krugman describes himself as “free-market welfare state guy.”

Oh, and taking Medicare away from billionaires should take care of the problem. And death panels.

 

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I’m sometimes taken aback by the confidence some scholars bring to published book reviews. I could never do this:

Books that purport to explain Kenya’s inner dynamics in the hope of shaping public perceptions of what is and should be their outcome can be interesting. The latest in this line is Daniel Branch’s potentially authoritative study. This potential is undermined by inaccuracies, minor and major, and a tendency to gloss over events, thereby hiding the essence of the story. As a result, the running theme of Kenyan politics appears to be Kikuyu acquisition and abuse of power and the sidelining of the Luo.

In the process, the book ends up reading like a refurbished version of Kikuyu-bashing scholarship that can be traced back to Z. A. Marsh and G. Kingsnorth’s Introduction to the History of East Africa (1957, third edition 1965)… (Macharia Munene in African Affairs)

Even if I hated it–I wouldn’t, because Branch’s knowledge of Kenyan history vastly outweighs mine–I’d probably bumble around for a less direct way of expressing my hate. Does that say something about my academic prospects?

No, I’m not that cynical about the academy.

In fairness to Branch–whose journal work I’m familiar with–a couple other reviewers are much more positive.

Philip Murphy squeaks out a modest critique:

Nevertheless, one sometimes yearns for a more sustained analysis of the forms of social organization below the level of the state, which make daily life possible in the face of such a comprehensive failure of political leadership. Branch gives a glimpse of this parallel world, when he describes the ‘astounding generosity and instinctive humanitarianism’ encountered by many of those who were displaced in the wake of the 2007 elections. This is the other side of the depressingly familiar story of state failure in post-colonial Africa, and is, perhaps, where hope will ultimately lie. That Branch does not pursue this aspect in greater detail is not, however, to detract from his achievement. He has written a scholarly, challenging and highly readable history of Kenya since 1963.

E. Ike Udogu is looking for a high five:

In all, this book provides an extraordinarily meticulous description of the political and historical activities that transpired in Kenya from pre-independence, self-rule up to last year (2011). The author’s scrupulous approach to details sometimes makes reading some of the chapters somewhat cumbersome. Nevertheless, the comprehensiveness of the research makes the volume very useful to students of African political history in general and, certainly, Kenyan political history in particular.

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Of course I have a horse in Montana’s senate race. As a body, Senate Republicans are______, intent on leaving the economy in the lurch. So flattop Jon it is.

More importantly, I’m interested in how brazenly Crossroads GPS is peddling what border on outright lies in states with hotly contested elections. In Montana’s case, they’re targeting (trying to piss off/scare the pants off) seniors–to whom I ask a simple question: Do you believe that you deserve affordable access to medical care while tens of millions of your under-65 fellow citizens don’t? Crossroads’ talking points are fermented. Again, they’re basically lying to you.

(1) Obamacare cuts Medicare spending by $500 billion

Clearly, “reigning in government spending” is a principle of convenience.

Is the claim true? Well, did you know that they’re intent on stealing your freedom and the American dream is lost unless we rise up they want to take away your guns and Solyndra?

Experts?

Yes, the law does reduce Medicare spending by roughly $500 billion less than it would have been without the law. That’s over 10 years, by the way, and Medicare will cost a little under $500 billion this year. But none of that comes out of benefits guaranteed under the law.

The biggest single chunk comes from reducing what had been overpayments to private HMOs and other health plans that serve about 20 percent of Medicare patients.

The next biggest chunk comes from hospitals and other providers of health care that hope to get that money back because more people will have insurance.

As to other changes to Medicare, there are actually some new benefits. The doughnut hole, that gap in coverage for prescription drugs, is being gradually closed. And Medicare patients are now getting new preventive screenings, like mammograms, without having to pay a deductible.

(2) Obamacare gives a board of unelected bureaucrats the power to restrict seniors’ care

Forget Medicare spending–Death Panels!

KKF:

Starting in 2014, if projected per capita Medicare spending exceeds targets set in the law, the board must recommend ways to reduce Medicare spending, while maintaining quality and access to care for beneficiaries.

CRS:

The Board’s charge is to develop proposals for the Secretary to implement that reduce the per capita growth in Medicare expenditures, not to reduce Medicare expenditures. Therefore, while the Congressional Budget Office projects that the cumulative impact of the Board’s recommendations from 2015 through 2019 will reduce total spending by $15.5 billion, during the same period, Medicare expenditures will total $3.9 trillion with average spending per beneficiary forecast to increase from $13,374 to $15,749. While the Board’s potential impact on total expenditures is likely to be relatively small compared to overall Medicare expenditures, its impact on particular Medicare providers or suppliers may be significant, particularly if the Board alters payment mechanisms. Finally, the Board’s impact may be larger if private insurers continue to track Medicare payment policies and adopt similar reductions in payments to their providers and suppliers.

Didn’t the House already vote to abolish the Independent Payment Advisory Board? Thankfully, they’re just one member of the dysfunctional legislative family.

(3) Obamacare raises taxes by half a trillion dollars

In other words, Individual Mandate. And broccoli.

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The Very Best has a new album. It’s wicked. You can stream it here for a week or two. I’ll be purchasing it after that.

Here’s a single off the album, “Yoshua Alikuti.” Not my favorite track, but the video is great–filmed in Nairobi, it’s a play on Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” video.

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10-1 she was drunk and/or high when she announced this to a LOS ANGELES TIMES REPORTER.

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I’d have this taped to the bridge of my glasses.

Too bad the clock is ticking towards a U.S. clean energy bust.

Congress, your priorities are so totally and tragically wrong.

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Post Shredded Hweet.

Hwat?

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