WE Blog

Support our troops? Not if Dick Cheney can make money, you don’t . . .

Water reportedly sickened U.S. troops in Iraq

By Larry Margasak, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — Dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq fell sick at bases using “unmonitored and potentially unsafe” water supplied by the military and a contractor once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney’s former company, the Pentagon’s internal watchdog says.
A report obtained by The Associated Press said soldiers experienced skin abscesses, cellulitis, skin infections, diarrhea and other illnesses after using discolored, smelly water for personal hygiene and laundry at five U.S. military sites in Iraq.

The Pentagon’s inspector general found water quality problems between March 2004 and February 2006 at three sites run by contractor KBR Inc., and between January 2004 and December 2006 at two military-operated locations.

It was impossible to link the dirty water definitively to all the illnesses, according to the report. But it said KBR’s water quality “was not maintained in accordance with field water sanitary standards” and the military-run sites “were not performing all required quality control tests.”

“Therefore, water suppliers exposed U.S. forces to unmonitored and potentially unsafe water,” the report said.

YIPES! Thanks for the update Mary!

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) — A longtime Republican district fell Saturday to the Democrats when a wealthy businessman and scientist snatched former House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s congressional seat in a closely watched special election.

Democrat Bill Foster won 53 percent of the vote compared to 47 percent for Republican Jim Oberweis. With all 568 precincts reporting, Foster had 52,010 votes to Oberweis’ 46,988.

“Tonight our voices are echoing across the country and Washington will hear us loud and clear — it’s time for a change,” Foster told cheering supporters Saturday evening.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen said Foster’s win is a rebuke of the Bush administration and of the GOP’s apparent presidential nominee, John McCain, who helped raise money for Oberweis.

“This is going to send a political shockwave across the country in this election year,” Van Hollen said.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who made a TV ad praising Foster, said in a statement that voters “sent an unmistakable message that they’re tired of business-as-usual in Washington.”

An irony – I used to live in Hastert’s district. I worked on his freshman campaign when Grotweill (sp?) retired due to poor health.

Healthcare for the uninsured will be made up one way or the other. Either buy hidden cost or by direct cost. The choice is ours.

phantom,

The foreign account thing is probably nothing. Iraq doesn’t exactly have a stable bank system and is not known for their investment opportunities.

Sometimes established banks are just the ticket.

Thanks for sharing the news, Reg. I join you in the salute!

Mary Caruso: Turkey, Mexico and the US are the only three top 40 countries supporting the free market system and have representative governments whose patient care that isn’t based on providing care SOLEY ON NEED and not the ability to pay. All 3 have a much higher costs for health care as a % of GDP or per capita expense, than those who have universal coverage. Having stated that, the socio-economic conditions in the US are vastly different from all but a few of those countries, and may not work in America.

American Way:Suppose you work 2 jobs and still haven’t got enough to make ends meet. No waste just rent, food and clothes. Never lucky enough to get a good education and wasn’t able to pull myself up by my boot straps because I didn’t have boots. Suppose everyone isn’t upper-middle class or above and suppose you get screwed around by clauses, small type and gawd forbid a pre-existing condition you didn’t even know about. Suppose you ignore real medical problems by reason of getting a bill you can’t pay? It is nice that you can budget accordingly, but what about lots and lots of folks who are not the position of budgeting because every dime is spoken for and always will? Why do you assume lack of money means waste and imprudent spending? What I have described is a very, very large minority in this country, hard working, prudent and minimum wage. Still gonna tell me about means and lifestyles?

American Way doesn’t have to work 2 (or more) jobs. He grills steaks, drinks beer, and goes fishing on his boat after work.

http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2008/03/so-daylight-saving-time-burns-energy/#comment-309935
“I can come home from work and have time to grill in the daylight. Throw on some steaks, crack open a bottle of Shiners Bock, and enjoy the day light.
…
And myself? Crappie are starting to wake up and I can get the boat out for a few hours after work, and enjoy a longer day on the lake on weekends.“

Alright…………………. it’s too damned nice outside to be in here…………… just needed to check up on the news, etc……………

Bad news – Bush is still president.

Good news – it won’t be for much longer.

Todays menu is very pedestrian, hot dogs on the grill (Nathan’s – not that Nathan but the one from New York) deviled egg potato salad, cheese curls (’cuz everybody is a kid at heart) sauerkraut and chili for the dogs. We’ll have a few fresh veggies for sides, tomatoes and what ever else that I can find in the fridge. I bought a chocolate pie on sale for dessert.

I have pretty much worked off this morning’s breakfast, so I should be ready in an hour or so.

I hope you all are enjoying this beautiful day – thank God for Springtime – even if it is fleeting.

Later, boys and girls……

“In all, since entering the U.S. Senate, Senator Obama has written 890 bills and co-sponsored another 1096. An impressive record, for someone who supposedly has no record according to several of you.
He’s not just a talker.
He’s a doer.”————–::

————-

Written or co-sponsored 1,986 bills since January 2005? Holy crap, IF that were true, that’s way more than one a day! He’s been busier than a set of jumper cables at a redneck family reunion.

Oooops Sorry Outlander… Obama has only written 890 bills in slightly more than 1095 days… That doesnt equal even ONE per day…

Cant count those co-sponsored ones that way… Those are just “sign on” bills… :-)

Chas: How many days per year is the Senate in session?

IF it were true, which it isn’t, it would reflect worse on Obama. There is no way that those bills could have been well considered.

Outlander — Put up or shut up… if it isnt TRUE, PROVE it FALSE!!! You will be taking on the official record of the U. S. Senate, but, hey, have at it, hot shot!! You think you are so damned smart!! Go for it!!

Maybe there could be a few million mental lobotomies performed…. SHOW the idiots that they are full of bovine fecal material… I mean actually PROVE it to them — Too bad more of the DNC cant seem to help out with that project…

Thanks much NN… good information… But, alas, the Blog Disrupters will likely call you a liar, or tell you that you must be totally mistaken… LOL

“Where basics are provided by universal coverage”

Don’t hold your breath waiting for that Sursum, it isn’t going to happen. Not only are all the candidates getting campaign funds from a myriad of healthcare providers – but so are most members of Congress.

And why would they change?

Of the 300,000,000 Americans, some are saying 49,000,000 don’t have health insurance. This figure is the highest those suggesting universal (socialized) medicine can try to alarm us with. But reality is something less than that. For instance, that 49 million includes illegal aliens. That’s a big chunk. But it also includes Americans who HAVE access to health insurance – but elect NOT to pay for it. There does remain a few million that are too poor to pay.

However, let’s keep the democrats 49 million just for the sake of argument (even though it is inflated for fear factoring).

That means that of the 300 million Americans, there are 251,000,000 of us who HAVE health insurance. That’s like 83 percent of Americans have coverage.

No one is going to throw out the present healthcare system, to satisfy problems a small minority that is less than 17 percent of the population (including illegals).

The crying and whining are falling on deaf ears.

However, from what I HAVE seen, I believe a few of the candidates will MANDATE, that those on the lower end be FORCED to participate in health insurance plans 1) if available with your employer 2) some national plan. In other words, the government will force you to pay. That’s what’s being proposed. Sorta like the Feds just did with 401K’s. They forced employers to automatically enroll new hires (they must decline in writing to stop it).

Great idea and it will cut the rolls of those who trully need help.

But for me, and MOST Americans, the government will leave what is not broken alone.

Looks like School Superintendent Winston Brooks is on his way to Albequirkee

“I can’t help it there are deadbeats who can’t or refuse to pay now and refuse to save for a rainy day.”

AW, you think that only the deadbeats don’t have health insurance and that the health care system isn’t broken…you are so out of touch with the real world. I’ve been in the healthcare industry for over 22 yrs and I can tell you the whole system is in crisis. Even if you HAVE private insurance, don’t count on them to pay your claims when you get a major illness, they love to play games in order to deny claims and increase their bottom line.
It’s obvious you haven’t had a serious illness or been involved in the health industry.
My sister just lost her husband…he was in the hospital for a week before he died…the hospital bill ALONE was over $80,000. Now if he didn’t have Medicare (subsidized by the taxpayers), it would have wiped out their life savings.
Just because you have a little money in the bank, AW, don’t think you’re safe from financial disaster should you get sick…unless of course you are covered by government subsidized health care.

“It’s obvious you haven’t had a serious illness or been involved in the health industry.”

You don’t know anything about my private life Mary.
I have enjoyed over half a century on this earth. I have family who practise in medicine. Mom was a LPN, later RN. Two sisters-in-law are nurses. And more, but I won’t get into it.

You are venting about a “crises” that the government will not resolve. We should provide healthcare insurance to the minority who do not have it. The screening should be rigorous. Where help is needed, provide it.

But no candidate is ready to “reform” healthcare to resolve the crises you are viewing from the inside and your own position in medicine.

A great book to read, “The House of God”. Buff and turf patients, and terrible mixups.

But most providers, I believe are like you: honest, hardworking, and professional. But EVERY profession has their 10%. It is not limited to medicine, and unfortunately, without public disclosure of doctors performance and hospitals, it probably never will be.

Deadbeats: Those who would rather not pay what they are capable of paying or those who could work and find it easier not to work. Not everyone meets that criteria. But they are part of it.

The government helps set up the present problems with pushing HMO’s and intervention. They won’t bring us back to Marcus Welby, MD. Ever.

NN >>> What did I tell you???

“American Way
Posted March 9, 2008 at 8:37 pm | Permalink
“No big deal though as I recall.”

It IS a big deal NN. Someone is paying the price.
Healthcare is not being delivered on the cheap – and it is not free. As for you “not noticing” anyone who doesn’t pay attention to payroll deductions being withheld from their paycheck, really is not qualified to speak on such an important subject.

Chas, if you believe you will get something for nothing, you are going to be very disappointed.
There really is no money tree. And please, refrain from posting about the USDebt ever again.”

So, our NN friend provides some information on health insurance costs in his country, and just as I predicted, Amway attacks, and acts as if the Canadian himself doesnt know what he is talking about… as if AmWay KNOWS what health insurance costs in Canada…

Again, Amway, WHY do you feel the egotistical need to LIE about everything you post, to attempt to win an argument that isnt even an argument???

This discussion is about cost of health insurance, and ultimately health care costs…

It isnt about deadbeats… whoever deadbeats are… There are plenty of hard working people, Amway, who simply cannot AFFORD the cost of health insurance… There are not all that many employers who provide such a thing as a benefit… perhaps the availability of health insurance… but not the real deal….

Just because somebody cannot AFFORD IT… does not by any stretch of even YOUR defective imagination… make them deadbeats… it just means they need their entire Income just to GET BY… You know, rent/house payment; utilities; gasoline for work; groceries for the household; clothes; clothes for kids in school; etc., etc.

Chas,

WGAS…

Bridges — It is after 11 p.m. Do you know where your Trolls are?? Try searching the WE Blog… There are plenty here!! LOL

Chas:I told you I hesitated to get into any discussions about US health care. As for not noticing how much was dedicated for health premiums, I also had trouble figuring out exactly how much of the deductions were dedicated to-wards my Canada Savings Bonds, Taxation both Federal and Provincial and the Social/Bowling Club dues, even though a nice lady in the payroll dept made numerous efforts to try and explain. I figured the lump sum wasn’t that bad… I just don’t do math at all. My kids got smarts though!

American Way: Why the fuss? Don’t rest on your case to much for it will decay further if you can’t detect humour.