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Lanka troops in last Tamil Tiger Towne
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Page 6: Politix
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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Ted Kennedy to receive knighthood
"I dub thee Sir Rhosis!"
Veteran US senator Ted Kennedy, 77, is to be awarded an honorary knighthood. The Queen has agreed the honour for the brother of former US president John F Kennedy for services to the US-UK relationship and to Northern Ireland.

Gordon Brown is to formally announce the award during his address to both houses of Congress on Wednesday. The prime minister's speech comes on the second full day of his visit to which featured brief talks with President Obama on Tuesday.

Mr Kennedy, who has been a senator for his home state of Massachusetts for more than 46 years, is being treated for a brain tumour. The most senior living member of the famous Irish-American political dynasty, he was diagnosed with brain cancer in May last year after being rushed to hospital with stroke-like symptoms. He has since had chemotherapy and radiation to treat the malignant glioma, an aggressive type of brain tumour.

The father-of-five was elected to the US Senate as a Democrat in 1962 following the election of his brother as president.

Apart from his famous family connections, he is probably best known in the UK for his work on the Northern Ireland peace process. He has been intricately involved in politics there, meeting Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and other politicians during and beyond the Good Friday agreement.

He famously snubbed Adams during the latter's St Patrick's Day trip to the US in 2005 following the brutal killing of Robert McCartney. The IRA, closely allied to Sinn Fein, was accused of involvement in his murder.

Mr Kennedy joins a select band of overseas nationals given an honorary knighthood. Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, former president George Bush senior, former mayor of New York Rudolph Giuliani and the film director Steven Spielberg have also received the honour.
I am sure he will do just swimmingly in that crowd.
Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy || 03/04/2009 06:16 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I certainly hope there's a... 'no moat crossing' clause in his knightly contact.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/04/2009 7:27 Comments || Top||

#2  First he will spend an entire night veiling the arms and praying. Then he will kneel in front of the queen and will be handled two vigorous blows with the flat of his sword. The he will mount on his horse and will go looking for damsels in distress to save and the wine in the Holy Grail to drink.
Posted by: JFM || 03/04/2009 7:50 Comments || Top||

#3  the Brave Sir Robin Teddy...
Posted by: Andy Ulusoque aka Broadhead6 || 03/04/2009 8:38 Comments || Top||

#4  Question: if they removed everything malignant in Teddy, would he still exist? I normally refrain from mocking the dying, but in his case, especially with his attempts to install his wife in his seat, I make an exception
Posted by: Frank G || 03/04/2009 8:57 Comments || Top||

#5  So it a nutshell a Knighthood means exactly nothing. Next in line: Sir Jesse, Sir Billy, Sir Barney, and Lady Nancy. Well done UK.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge || 03/04/2009 9:04 Comments || Top||

#6  During Vietnam, Teddy once demanded that the US withdraw, then invade Northern Ireland to drive out the British army.

Old Joe Kennedy so hated England that as a reward from FDR, he was made ambassador to England prior to US entry into the war. He kept a known German agent on his staff, as an intelligence pipeline of US-British diplomacy, straight to Berlin.

Posted by: Anonymoose || 03/04/2009 9:06 Comments || Top||

#7  For saving drowning damsels?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/04/2009 9:34 Comments || Top||

#8  Yes. In one occasion a damsel fell in a barrel of whiky and he saved her by drinking it.
Posted by: JFM || 03/04/2009 10:18 Comments || Top||

#9  Just out of curiosity I googled "joe kennedy gerry adams". Interesting. One of the first things I found is that there are some
conservative MPs who are none too happy about this.
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 03/04/2009 12:01 Comments || Top||

#10  Lost me at Sir Elton John. Too Low for Zero indeed.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 03/04/2009 12:22 Comments || Top||

#11  Apparently, all you need to be knighted these days is a pulse.
Posted by: mojo || 03/04/2009 12:46 Comments || Top||

#12  Does the suit of armor come with it? Because that could bankrupt Britain. Might provide a lotta shipyard jobs though...
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/04/2009 13:03 Comments || Top||

#13  I always thought to be Knighted, you had to do something supremely noble,
not something supremely ignoble.
Posted by: Redneck Jim (WMOF) || 03/04/2009 13:09 Comments || Top||

#14  he must have set the new record for drinking
Posted by: rabid whitetail || 03/04/2009 15:24 Comments || Top||

#15  Can a serving member of Congress *accept* this sort of faux ennoblement? It seems vaguely unconstitutional... let me see, Article 1, Section Nine:

No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.


Yep. Definitively unconstitutional, unless they're waiting on his retirement, or Brown's going to fucking ask Congress for permission during his verkakte speech.

Monarchist wanker son-of-a-bitch!
Posted by: Mitch H. || 03/04/2009 16:15 Comments || Top||

#16  If nobody sues he will get away with it. If somebody, some organization does (eg the Repunlican Party) then the court will have to enforce the law.
Posted by: JFM || 03/04/2009 16:24 Comments || Top||

#17  It's an honorary knighthood. He's not gonna be asked to swear fealty to the British throne. He's not gonna get a stipend.

They did the same for Dwight Eisenhower and some others, IIRC. Although generally with much more cause.
Posted by: mojo || 03/04/2009 17:48 Comments || Top||

#18  There are some interesting comments in the thread about this over at The Volokh Conspiracy.

My favorites:

"I can only hope that this is an exceedingly polite request by the Queen for Lord Chappaquiddick to retire at once."

"Perhaps Mary Jo Kopechne can be made 'Lady of the Lake'..."

"As for the wisdom of Kennedy being given this title by the Brits, Mary Joe Kopechne had no comment."

:-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut || 03/04/2009 19:00 Comments || Top||


Britain
President Barack Obama just plain rude to Britain. Don't call us in future.
Why couldn't President Obama have put on more of a show for his British guests? He looked like he simply couldn't be bothered.

Number 10 may be content that they just about got away with the visit to the Oval Office yesterday, as Andrew Porter reports from Washington.

But on this side of the Atlantic the whole business looked pretty demeaning. The morning papers and TV last night featured plenty of comment focused on the White House's very odd and, frankly, exceptionally rude treatment of a British PM. Squeezing in a meeting, denying him a full press conference with flags etc. The British press corps, left outside for an hour in the cold, can take it and their privations are of limited concern to the public.

But Obama's merely warmish words (one of our closest allies, said with little sincerity or passion) left a bitter taste with this Atlanticist. Especially after his team had made Number 10 beg for a mini press conference and then not even offered the PM lunch.

We get the point, sunshine: we're just one of many allies and you want fancy new friends. Well, the next time you need something doing, something which impinges on your national security, then try calling the French, or the Japanese, or best of all the Germans. The French will be able to offer you first rate support from their catering corps but beyond that you'll be on your own.

When it comes to men, munitions and commitment you'll soon find out why it pays to at least treat the Brits with some manners.
Posted by: Yosemite Sam || 03/04/2009 11:24 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The French will be able to offer you first rate support from their catering corps ...

That, my friends, is how you do snark.
Posted by: Steve White || 03/04/2009 11:31 Comments || Top||

#2  It is strange, isn't it: Gordo should be a natural ally for Bambi. He replaced Tony Blair, he's getting the Brits out of Iraq, he says all the 'right' things about global warning and the financial crisis, and he's a proven tax-raiser. You'd think Gordo and Bambi would get along famously.

And yet Bambi really snubbed him, and snubbed him openly. Couldn't do the presser because of snow? I thought Bambi was a flinty Chicagoan who laughed at snow.

It's curious. I wonder if Bambi's Kenyan blood just plain hates the Brits?
Posted by: Steve White || 03/04/2009 11:33 Comments || Top||

#3  Barry will eventually have to go over there. And we all know what payback is...
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/04/2009 11:37 Comments || Top||

#4  Dammit Barry, how ya gonna make Oceania without the isles?! Can't do a GD thing right.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 03/04/2009 11:44 Comments || Top||

#5  Sorry Nigel. You wanted him. You bought him. All sales final.
Posted by: ed || 03/04/2009 11:51 Comments || Top||

#6  Yoicks. That *is* a bit frosty. Obama has also declined the continuing loan of an expensive bronze bust of Churchill that has graced the Oval Office since the end of WWII.

I don't like this treatment of our true ally, but I must admit that the stories we run nearly daily here at the 'Burg are giving me much confidence in the ability (or desire, frankly) of the UK to stand against the Islamist tide.

Although of course rudeness and alienation will not do much to help the Brits either.

But the saying goes that nations do not have friends, or even allies pre se, just shared interests.

And perhaps Obama percieves our interests to be ... diverging.
Posted by: Seafarious || 03/04/2009 12:14 Comments || Top||

#7  He wants a bust of the OTHER "Winnie" I'm sure.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/04/2009 12:20 Comments || Top||

#8  Now, now. Gordie did get to bask in the radiance of The One for a few moments. That should have been enough for a mere mortal, right?

(Memo to our British friends, he's just indulging in a little "payback" of his own. It's for when you didn't let him have the photo op he wanted in London last summer. Remember his performance of "Triumph of the Swill" in Berlin? The French kissed the royal posterior properly and you didn't. Silly peasants should have stroked The One's ego when you had the chance....now he doesn't feel that he needs you. Now get out of the bloody Oval Office before you harsh his mellow.)
Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie || 03/04/2009 13:28 Comments || Top||

#9  Prime Minister Brown and his government have been insulting the U.S. with great enthusiasm, starting when Mr. Bush was president and continuing even after Mr. Obama took office. PM Brown has made it clear they are not fond of America, so why should President Obama treat him as if the two countries are BFFs? As ye sow, so shall ye reap, and all that. Perhaps PM Brown should start earning the kind of treatment he and the British press desire.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/04/2009 13:41 Comments || Top||

#10  In particular, Brown has publicly announced that the US is responsible for all Britain's financial woes - and oh, by the way, he was coming to meet Obama so that they could jointly kick off a brand new international financial regime that is more to his liking.

He's lucky he wasn't met by a Tea Party, especially since we're bailing out AIG in part to keep his banks more or less afloat.
Posted by: lotp || 03/04/2009 14:08 Comments || Top||

#11  Hopefully someday soon Mr. Brown will have a choice of which successor state to These United States he wants to be friends with: the one who insults him while shovelling large amounts of money in his direction, or the one who will do neither.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 03/04/2009 15:02 Comments || Top||

#12  he did this because it wasn't a middle eastern country
Posted by: rabid whitetail || 03/04/2009 15:23 Comments || Top||

#13  Barack is just pissed because Teddy is being knighted first.
Posted by: Darrell || 03/04/2009 16:02 Comments || Top||

#14  But... but... America needs... (wait for it) allies!

(Don't they?)
Posted by: Grenter, Protector of the Geats || 03/04/2009 16:14 Comments || Top||

#15  Just read the Telegraph and the Times. Their focus is on Brown's address to Congress and calls to avoid protectionism, which you can consider veiled criticism of Obama and Dem trade protectionist sentiments.

But then Brown can and has played the competitive (currency) devaluation game in a way the USA and the Eurozone can't.
Posted by: phil_b || 03/04/2009 16:52 Comments || Top||

#16  So much for the donks restoring the tarnished diplomacy which they claimed existed around the world because of the Bush administration.
Posted by: JohnQC || 03/04/2009 17:03 Comments || Top||

#17  ION BRITAIN, CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > BRITAIN IS CRUMBLING - LONDON TO BECOME ANOTHER BASRA?
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 03/04/2009 18:31 Comments || Top||

#18  If we went protectionist now, who would buy our T-bills?
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 03/04/2009 18:53 Comments || Top||

#19  "The welcome wasn't warm enough, we'll take our ball and go home"

Did you need the extra fluffy crying towel?

Posted by: flash91 || 03/04/2009 19:01 Comments || Top||

#20  If we went protectionist now, who would buy our T-bills?

We might be able to afford to buy them ourselves then. Or not.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 03/04/2009 19:46 Comments || Top||

#21  Yep, Obambi is as skilled at diplomacy as he is at economics.
Posted by: DMFD || 03/04/2009 19:46 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Rush to Obama: Come on my show!
...I have an idea. If these guys are so impressed with themselves, and if they are so sure of their correctness, why doesn't President Obama come on my show? We will do a one-on-one debate of ideas and policies. Now, his people in this Politico story, it's on the record. They're claiming they wanted me all along. They wanted me to be the focus of attention. So let's have the debate! I am offering President Obama to come on this program -- without staffers, without a teleprompter, without note cards -- to debate me on the issues. Let's talk about free markets versus government control. Let's talk about nationalizing health care and raising taxes on small business....

Just come on this program. Let's have a little debate. You tell me how wrong I am and you can convince the rest of the Americans that don't agree with you how wrong we all are. You're a smart guy, Mr. President. You don't need these hacks to front for you. You've debated the best! You've debated Hillary Clinton. You've debated John Edwards. You've debated Joe Biden. You've debated Dennis Kucinich. You've debated the best out there. You are one of the most gifted public speakers of our age. I would think, Mr. President, you would jump at this opportunity. Don't send lightweights like Begala and Carville to do your bidding -- and forget about the ballerina, Emanuel. He's got things to do in his office. These people, compared to you, Mr. President, are rhetorical chum.

I would rather have an intelligent, open discussion with you where you lay out your philosophy and policies and I lay out mine -- and we can question each other, in a real debate. Any time here at the EIB Network studios. If you're too busy partying or flying around giving speeches and so forth, then send Vice President Biden. I'm sure he would be very capable of articulating your vision for America -- and if he won't work, send Geithner, and we can talk about the tax code. And if that won't work, go get Bob Rubin. I don't care. Send whoever you want if you can't make it. You don't need to be leaking stories to Politico like this thing that's published today. You don't need to have your allies writing op-eds and all the rest. If you can win at this, then come here and beat me at my own game, and get rid of me once and for all, and show all the people of America that I am wrong....
It's a great idea, but he won't do it. Buck-buck-Baraaaaawk!
Posted by: Mike || 03/04/2009 16:36 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I'll predict now, that even with the MSM in his back pocket, obambi will be several times more embattled by the middle of his first only term than they ever hoped for with Bush in their sickest dreams...
Posted by: M. Murcek || 03/04/2009 17:43 Comments || Top||

#2  Going after Rush was always a hair-brained idea.
Posted by: Iblis || 03/04/2009 18:58 Comments || Top||

#3  "Going after" ANYONE who hails from Cape Girardeau, Missouri should be done with extreme caution.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/04/2009 19:39 Comments || Top||

#4  My folks used to say ignore someone if you want them to go away. Bambi's admin violated a basic kindergarten maxim.
Posted by: Whineper Prince aka Broadhead6 || 03/04/2009 22:26 Comments || Top||


Gibbs Takes Off Gloves to Challenge Reporters, Hosts Who Cross Obama
Jim Cramer. Rush Limbaugh. Rick Santelli.

What do they all have in common? Most likely, none of them is getting invited to the White House Christmas party.

All three media personalities have been singled out by President Obama's press shop in the course of less than two weeks. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, in doing so, has shown an unusual willingness to spar with cable and radio hosts who take shots at his boss. The rebuttals have ranged from playful ribbing to disdainful scolding.

Talk show host Limbaugh has drawn the most ire from the White House. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel called him out on Sunday for saying he wants Obama to fail, after Obama told Republican lawmakers not to listen to people like Limbaugh several weeks ago.

Gibbs followed up Monday, calling on conservative pundits to challenge Limbaugh on air. "Do they want to see the president's economic agenda fail? You know, I bet there are a number of guests on television throughout the day and maybe into tomorrow who could let America know whether -- whether they agree with what Rush Limbaugh said this weekend," Gibbs said. But then he took a shot at those who applauded Limbaugh during his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington over the weekend.

"You know, I'd like to think, and I think most people would like to think, that we can put aside our differences and get things done for the American people. We'll say, in watching a few cable clips of Mr. Limbaugh's speech, his notion of presidential failures seemed to be quite popular in the room in which he spoke," he said.

Gibbs repeated his call for Republicans to speak up on whether they agree with Limbaugh Tuesday. Limbaugh has said that while he wants Obama to fail, he doesn't want the economy to fail.

Donald Rieck, executive director at the Center for Media and Public Affairs, said the Obama team, which studies have shown received far more favorable press treatment during the campaign than its rivals, is apparently having trouble acclimating to a more critical press post-Inauguration Day. "If they're going to do this, to jump like that every time someone says something provocative about them, it's going to be an awfully long tenure for Gibbs, because there's a way to let this roll off your shoulders," he said.

Gibbs didn't stop at Limbaugh, who Democrats eagerly claim speaks for the Republican Party in the absence of a clear leader. (House Republican Leader John Boehner asserted Wednesday that the White House was intentionally elevating Limbaugh to distract from their budget.)

On Tuesday, Gibbs also responded to a question about CNBC host Jim Cramer's claim that Obama's economic policies represent the "greatest wealth destruction" by a president. "If you turn on a certain program, it's geared to a very small audience, no offense to my good friends or friend at CNBC," Gibbs said.

Gibbs tried to hedge at first, saying, "this is where I have to probably be careful," and "I'm not entirely sure what he's pointing to," and "I'm going to get in a lot of trouble."

That was almost certainly a reference to the last time he went after a CNBC reporter -- Rick Santelli. In late February, Gibbs responded at length to Santelli's on-air rant at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, in which he stirred up traders by shouting that the government was promoting "bad behavior" with its mortgage rescue plan. "This is America," he said. "How many of you people want to pay for your neighbor's mortgage that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills?"

Asked about the segment, Gibbs said: "I'm not entirely sure where Mr. Santelli lives or in what house he lives. But the America people are struggling every day to meet their mortgage."

He said Santelli argued "quite wrongly" that the plan was ineffective and concluded by inviting him to the White House for a cup of "decaf" coffee. "I would encourage him to read the president's plan and understand that it will help millions of people, many of whom he knows. I would be more than happy to have him come here and read it. I'd be happy to buy him a cup of coffee -- decaf."

The press in the room laughed at the quip, but Santelli later said he felt personally threatened by the White House.

Still, Gibbs said Tuesday he did not actually get in a "lot of trouble" for singling out Santelli. "There are very few days that I've had more fun," Gibbs said.
Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC || 03/04/2009 15:30 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Yup, wondered if Santelli felt that way, "I don't know what house he lives in" then lizard lick seemed ominous to me. At any rate, so what if Santelli lives in a nice house - I would trust a finance man in a crappy house as much as I would trust a thin chef.

Mr. Gibbs, think thats fun why don't you get out your bubble and visit real America and say your lines - got a great little watering hole here, I'll even buy. We'll even be a bit easy on you and keep the obama shirt wearers out - well they were wearing them up to a week ago and now they are pissed.

Let me start. Gibbs - you are talking point coward who panders to a stacked audience like groupies at a P. Diddy concert. Obama is a jellyfish avenger with his inflamatory dialogue but in comparison your 3rd rate dancing bear in the 3rd ring of a 3rd rate circus attempt to replicate what he told you to say. It is a bad imitation and you are a Peter Principle hack.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 03/04/2009 19:11 Comments || Top||

#2  ...Limbaugh, who Democrats eagerly claim speaks for the Republican Party in the absence of a clear leader. (House Republican Leader John Boehner asserted Wednesday that the White House was intentionally elevating Limbaugh to distract from their budget.)


Obama is making Rush mainstream and will regret it.
Posted by: DoDo || 03/04/2009 19:21 Comments || Top||

#3  Wrestling with Rush is like wrestling with a 275 lb Duroc. All you get is muddy, and the pig loves it!
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/04/2009 19:47 Comments || Top||

#4  Get used to it, bad boy, because it's going to get worse. It won't be BDS-type criticism, either - it'll be richly-deserved, measured criticism of your boss's policies and beliefs, backed up with facts.
Posted by: OId Patriot || 03/04/2009 20:11 Comments || Top||

#5  Gibbs is a lightweight, sniveling pu$$y. My prediction he'll be unterbus'd within the next 30 days. Rahm says, dump da phuech'r, Barry wills it.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/04/2009 20:14 Comments || Top||

#6  I can't say that I ever recall the Bush administration actively engaging their detractors in the media, at least not to this extent.
Posted by: eltoroverde || 03/04/2009 22:44 Comments || Top||


Bambi Brushed Back
Russian President Won't "Haggle" Over US Missile Defense Plans

The US missile shield plans have been vehemently opposed in RussiaRussian President Medvedev has said he's willing to discuss the proposed US missile shield with Washington. But he added that any deal linking those talks with negotiations regarding Iran would not be productive.
The White House spin team will have to kick in the afterburners to put a pony into this pile of crap!
Posted by: Uncle Phester || 03/04/2009 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The Russians smell weakness in the US, like many of our adversaries in the ME. They are going to make silly putty out of this Administration. The Russians respect power. The US projects weakness. Events are gonna accelerate.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 03/04/2009 0:31 Comments || Top||

#2  You'd think they'd learn. The American system is not linear, buy cyclic. They played this game in '76 with Carter to the point of the disastrous adventure in Afghanistan creating the 'interesting' world we now have. Chechnya just a barrel of fun isn't it Putie? Carter begets Reagan. How'd that work out for Moscow in the end. Take the opportunity when the taking is good. But no, they've got to play the Paleo political theater of 'always taking the opportunity to miss an opportunity.'
Posted by: Procopius2k || 03/04/2009 7:17 Comments || Top||

#3  You're 100% correct, Paul, but it's not just Russia. Arabs/Persians/Muslims respect power. The US projects weakness. Events are gonna accelerate.
Posted by: Parabellum || 03/04/2009 8:25 Comments || Top||

#4  Unlike Obambi, the Rooskies are not dumb enough to give something away if they don't have to.
Posted by: Spot || 03/04/2009 8:26 Comments || Top||

#5  On the other hand, AP, given Russian history, they tend to be extra careful with megalomaniac leaders.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/04/2009 9:25 Comments || Top||

#6  The foreign policy of wishful thinking...Well, OK, extend the olive branch. But is it too much to ask if there's a Plan B? A lightening bolt in the other hand? Hmmm?
Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 || 03/04/2009 12:14 Comments || Top||

#7  Why would Russia haggle when Obama already indicated he was willing to give up the missle shield for free.
Posted by: DK70 the Scantily Clad7177 || 03/04/2009 12:23 Comments || Top||

#8  Brushed back hell, he jumped out the batter's box for a lazy curve down the middle.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 03/04/2009 12:44 Comments || Top||

#9  "Smart" diplomacy, forsooth!
Posted by: mojo || 03/04/2009 12:46 Comments || Top||

#10  Scouting report on Barry: Brush him back and then get him him out on knee buckling curve balls.
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/04/2009 12:51 Comments || Top||

#11  how about a hit too the head with a major league fastball
Posted by: rabid whitetail || 03/04/2009 19:39 Comments || Top||


Home Front Economy
NY State Slaps Down Efficient Non-Government Health Provider
The state is trying to shut down a New York City doctor's ambitious plan to treat uninsured patients for around $1,000 a year.

Dr. John Muney offers his patients everything from mammograms to mole removal at his AMG Medical Group clinics, which operate in all five boroughs. "I'm trying to help uninsured people here," he said.

His patients agree to pay $79 a month for a year in return for unlimited office visits with a $10 co-pay. But his plan landed him in the crosshairs of the state Insurance Department, which ordered him to drop his fixed-rate plan - which it claims is equivalent to an insurance policy.
Pro'ly is, but that's not the point of course ...
Muney insists it is not insurance because it doesn't cover anything that he can't do in his offices, like complicated surgery. He points out his offices do not operate 24/7 so they can't function like emergency rooms. "I'm not doing an insurance business," he said. "I'm just providing my services at my place during certain hours."

He says he can afford to charge such a small amount because he doesn't have to process mountains of paperwork and spend hours on billing. "If they leave me alone, I can serve thousands of patients," he said.
Plenty of other doctors have figured this out. Try it sometime with your private doctor: offer them $50 cash for a routine office visit versus doing the usual insurance paperwork.
The state believes his plan runs afoul of the law because it promises to cover unplanned procedures - like treating a sudden ear infection - under a fixed rate. That's something only a licensed insurance company can do. "The law is strict on how insurance is defined," said an Insurance Department spokesman.
And the Insurance Department is creative in how it applies a strict law ...
A possible solution that Muney's lawyer crafted would force patients to pay more than $10 for unplanned procedures. They are waiting to see if the state will accept the compromise. Still, Muney is unhappy because, he said, "I really don't want to charge more. They're forcing me."

One of his patients, Matthew Robinson, 52, was furious to learn the state was interfering with the plan. "The whole point is, he [Muney] found a way of paying his rent, paying his workers, and getting to see patients for the price," said Robinson. "How can the state dictate you've got to charge more?"
Boy howdy, there's the question. And the answer with the current government is obvious.

I don't know who originally said this but it's true: nothing, nothing moves faster than a bureaucracy that has been threatened.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 03/04/2009 09:21 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Many doctors are now "jumping ship" from HMOs, Medicare, Medicaid and insurance bureaucracies, because they have found they can charge 50% less and make more profit by offering cash services.

But the bloated bureaucracies don't like competition.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 03/04/2009 9:26 Comments || Top||

#2  The US needs an amendment to the constitution that allows a 2/3rd majority of states to suspend another state for callous and reckless behavior against the taxpayers of the 2/3rd majority. Under this rule NY would be the first state left standing alone...providing ample opportunity for the other states to admit one of the Mexican provinces...preferrably one with a Carribean view.
Posted by: Spiny Gl 2511 || 03/04/2009 10:36 Comments || Top||

#3  Canada had a conniption fit when the Firt Nation (read Indian) reservations started installing MRI machines on tribal-controlled property...
Posted by: Seafarious || 03/04/2009 11:05 Comments || Top||

#4  Er, First Nation. PIMF.
Posted by: Seafarious || 03/04/2009 11:05 Comments || Top||

#5  Change you can bereave in.

- Determination of health care distribution for only those of value to the state. Redneck Jim, standfast.

- Euthanizing of those considered infirm, incompetent, and of no value to the state

- Child rearing by communal action as directed by a central education authority

- Airing of only those subjects/shows/debates considered appropriate to the public well being (fairness doctrine) No Rush on this one.

- Guaranteed employment based on affirmative action program priorities.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/04/2009 12:13 Comments || Top||



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Tue 2009-03-03
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Sun 2009-03-01
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