Saturday, November 16, 2013

Why Ruin a Good Weekend?

A few things to get off my chest so as not to let them ruin a beautiful weekend in São Paulo.

Janet Yellin, in her confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee a couple of days ago, was challenged by several Senators on the matter of income inequality and what she was going to do about it, as if that were primarily a result of Federal Reserve monetary policy. The Senators themselves can do more to start reversing that reality than can the Head O' the Fed. I think these questions reflected a bipartisan idiocy.

John Boehner can still, with a straight face, claim that the U.S. has “the best health care delivery system in the world.” And, of course, Obamacare, assuming it every gets up and running, will destroy it. This is strictly partisan idiocy.

A week ago on Bill Maher's Overtime segment on “the internets,” a viewer sent in a question for David Avella, the President of GOPAC. What would a Republican alternative to Obamacare would look like? He hemmed a little bit and then came up with two possible characteristics: (1) people would be able to buy insurance across state lines, and (2) tort reform. Yep, that's it. Tort reform is going to provide better medical care for the millions of uninsured.

GOPAC, by the way, claims on its website masthead to be “educating and electing a new generation of Republican leaders.” 'Nuff said.

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