U.S. Fears Iraq Won't Keep Up Rebuilt Projects

Nov 21, 2009 - BAGHDAD — In its largest reconstruction effort since the Marshall Plan, the United States government has spent $53 billion for relief and reconstruction in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, building tens of thousands of hospitals, water treatment plants, electricity substations, schools and bridges. But there are growing concerns among American officials that Iraq will not be able to adequately maintain the facilities once the Americans have left, potentially wasting hundreds of millions of dollars and jeopardizing Iraq’s ability to provide basic services to its people. The projects run the gamut — from a cutting-edge, $270 million water treatment plant in Nasiriya that works at a fraction of its intended capacity because it is too sophisticated for Iraqi workers to operate, to a farmers’ market that farmers cannot decide how to share, to a large American hospital closed immediately after it was handed over to Iraq because the government was unable to supply it with equipment, a medical staff or electricity. - 11 Comments

The Absolutely Worst Bill Ever

Nov 11, 2009 - The Absolutely Worst Bill Ever By Peter Ferrara on 11.11.09 @ 6:08AM "The Worst Bill Ever." That is the title the always calm and rational Wall Street Journal put on its editorial on November 1 about the government health care takeover bill that passed the House last week on virtually a party line vote, 220-215. But even this label doesn't fully communicate the outright assault on the American people involved in this legislation. - 1 Comment

Details emerge about Fort Hood suspect background

Nov 06, 2009 - This is just interesting, so I thought I'd share. WASHINGTON – His name appears on radical Internet postings. A fellow officer says he fought his deployment to Iraq and argued with soldiers who supported U.S. - 86 Comments

Health care businesses at risk in House overhaul

Oct 30, 2009 - WASHINGTON – The health care overhaul bill produced by House Democrats would impose an array of new taxes, fees and government mandates on major players in the health industry, including insurers, doctors and drugs and medical devices makers. In most cases, the pain has been meted out with an eye toward raising the money needed to finance President Barack Obama's plan for reshaping the health system but also with careful regard for gaining the votes that will be needed to pass a final bill. Democrats hope to vote next week on the measure, which would extend health coverage to tens of millions of Americans who don't have it, impose sweeping new restrictions on private insurers and create a government-run insurance plan to compete with them. - 14 Comments

Metallica joins FBI in hunt for missing student

Oct 26, 2009 - It has been more than a week since a 20-year-old college student called her friends at a Metallica concert to say she was outside the arena and would find her own way home. Now the famed heavy-metal rockers are participating in the search for her, adding $50,000 to the reward for information leading to her whereabouts. While investigators attempt to discover what happened to a young woman described as open, beautiful, artistic and giving, Morgan Harrington’s parents, Dan and Gil Harrington, have been keeping a high public profile, trying to focus attention on the disappearance. - 5 Comments

Obamacare...a personal look.

Oct 25, 2009 - I am going to give you my personal look at Obamacare from a perspective which may seem a bit strange but in reality it should be alarming.  The interesting thing is that most of all of my childhood I went without even some of the basic things people assume most everyone has.   The only healthcare I had as a child was Medi-cal...which is the program upon which Obamacare was designed.     My father worked several part-time jobs as well as his full-time job as a Baptist minister.  He did everything possible to provide for us, worked his fingers to the bone and still managed to comfort the people in our church and help them deal with their own problems.  Not once did any congregation we served bother to possibly consider that making sure the minister and his family had any healthcare or even some of the basic necessities in life was one of their priorities. They did however call at any time of the day or night for his help and he was there for them.    Sometimes our whole family was there for them.  I was a very experienced babysitter, cook, and housekeeper before I was even 11.  This is not bitterness I speak from---it is my attempt at revealing to you that many who are among the uninsured are hardworking people often working in service-oriented positions which simply aren't offered healthcare.   So....let me get back to Medi-cal......the mentor of Obamacare.  When I hear people on the Obamacare bandwagon I think they probably don't really understand what they are supporting.   Many have never been on medi-cal. - 4 Comments