* * * *
 |
| In Kansas, no less! |
Secondly, the Republican Party is still in the hands of those who support
the defeated former president and believe his lies. Most of
those Republicans who did not fall for his lies were defeated in primary elections
by candidates who supposedly believe them, or in any event, convinced the
voters that they do. Even in Kansas, despite the referendum to ban
abortion on the same ballot being defeated, the Republicans nominated a
candidate for governor, Derek Schmidt, who believes the lies of the defeated former
president. This is a paradox that will have to be resolved on November
8.
Some Democratic candidates are pleased by this
because it means that they will not be running against a reasonable,
perhaps conciliatory Republican, making the voters’ choice more difficult, instead
of one who is standing fast with the defeated former president’s lies, an
easier target for Democrats. There are
flaws in this strategy.
On November 8, there very well might be, as shown by the turnout in the Kansas
abortion referendum vote, an enormous number of pro-choice women’s votes, cast throughout
the nation for Democrats. But this will happen ONLY if their Republican opponents can
be clearly identified as approving the repeal of Roe vs. Wade and for the
restriction of abortions.
It is essential that every
Democratic candidate for any office whatsoever repeatedly demand that
their Republican opponent clearly state his position on this issue, and not be
permitted to equivocate or sit on a fence regarding abortion. Only then will the enormous power of the
pro-choice women’s vote come into play.
I would hope that Speaker Pelosi and Senate
Leader Schumer are frequently on the phone personally with all candidates
making this point strongly. Unless they
devote their energies to this, the women's vote might not materialize and a
potent weapon would be defused.
Even if women turn out in great numbers
throughout the country, motivated by the abortion issue, that alone might not
guarantee enough votes to increase or even maintain the Democratic majorities
in Congress. They
can contribute mightily to that result, but along with them must be the voting
power of persons of color, whose interests the Republican Party has
ignored since the 1870s. Issues such as voting rights protection,
gerrymandering, childcare benefits, schools, health insurance and equal opportunity must
be addressed in order to mobilize these voters.
In 2020, South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn
brought these votes to Joe Biden, giving him both the Democratic nomination and
the presidency. In 2022 and in 2024,
more Jim Clyburns will be needed. The pro-choice votes
of women might not be enough.
JL
* * * *
To How Many People Have You Forwarded This Blog Posting?
* * * *
Right Wing Mud Slingers Attack Dr. Fauci
Let’s not get carried await by
right-wing media digging up Dr. Anthony Fauci’s speculation thirty-nine years
ago that AIDS could be transmitted by close personal contact other than
sexually. When he wrote this, he even
specified that such a possibility should be approached with caution.
Scientists often speculate but go
on further to prove or disprove theories. Dr. Fauci’s speculation was never
proven and scientific evidence since then has proven it to be inaccurate. It is really a far reach by right-wingers,
including Floriduh’s governor, to latch on to Dr. Fauci’s 1983
speculation to disparage the work he went on to do at the government’s
Communicable Disease Center in regard to the spread of other diseases,
including the Coronavirus. But they never have anything constructive to say, ever!
It is certainly no reason to shun
his support of Covid 19 vaccinations which the right-wing is attempting to do. People tend to believe what they want to
believe, despite solid evidence to the contrary. Such evidence shows that vaccination, while
not necessarily providing permanent immunity to infection, does afford some
protection and also significantly lessens the severity of those infections that
do occur. That has been proven. Get vaccinated, even if you believe Floriduh’s governor who, for political reasons, won’t indicate
whether or not he has been vaccinated and opposes Covid19 vaccination for
children. (Forty-nine states accepted Federal aid for such vaccinations. Guess which one didn’t.)
JL
* * * *
To How Many People Have You Forwarded This Blog Posting?
* * * *
Wolves Deserve Your Help, but ...
I receive many dozens of emails every day, asking for donations to the campaigns of Democratic candidates throughout the country. I get them because I have contributed to several candidates (Demings, Fried, O’Rourke, for example) and having done that, my name gets added to the mailing lists of other candidates. I don’t object to this because such contributions must be solicited to financially support candidates who will further the cause of preserving democracy in our country. The ‘other guys’ have greater sources of money, sometimes from ‘dark' sources. If you can afford to donate, please do.
 |
| Help me, but only after Nov. 8 |
What I do object to are solicitations for organizations that have nothing to do with the election less than three months away. A particular one asks to support an organization backing legislation to preserve the nation’s diminishing wolf population. Ecologically, that may be a good cause, but right now, it should take a back seat to financing candidates who can keep human wolves, intent on chewing up our democracy, out of office.
JL
* * * *
To How Many People Have You Forwarded This Blog Posting?
* * * *
Medicare Advantage Plans Pushed on TV
If you watch TV, you certainly have seen red, white and blue advertisements for Medicare Advantage plans. Here is a brief description of what
they are, quoting from government (Health and Human Services Administration) publications:
‘A Medicare Advantage Plan, (like an HMO or
PPO) is another Medicare health plan choice you may have as part of Medicare.
Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes called “Part C” or “MA Plans,” are offered
by private companies approved by Medicare.
If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, the plan will provide all
of your Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) coverage.
Medicare Advantage Plans may offer extra coverage, such as vision, hearing,
dental, and/or health and wellness programs. Most include Medicare prescription
drug coverage (Part D).
Medicare pays a fixed amount for your care every month to the
companies offering Medicare Advantage Plans. These companies must follow rules
set by Medicare. However, each Medicare Advantage Plan can charge different
out-of-pocket costs and have different rules for how you get services (like
whether you need a referral to see a specialist or if you have to go to only
doctors, facilities, or suppliers that belong to the plan for non‑emergency or
non-urgent care). These rules can change each year.’
Medicare Advantage plans can save you a
lot of money, especially if you also have purchased private Medicare Supplement
insurance (not an official part of Medicare) to fill the gaps traditional
Medicare Parts A and B leave unpaid, along with paying for a separate prescription
plan (Part D) on your own.
The biggest trade-off you make when
choosing a money-saving Medicare Advantage Plan is that you lose the ability to
make certain choices in regard to your medical care and leave it to the Plan to
make such decisions for you. These plans do this to a greater extent in HMOs (Health Maintenance
Organizations) and to a lesser extent in a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization),
which might cost somewhat more.
Retired quarterback Joe Namath and actor
William Shatner often appear in TV commercials for Medicare Advantage
plans. Frankly, I doubt if either of
them have signed up for a Part C plan and get their medical care through it,
putting their medical care on the line. If I had to venture a guess, I would
suspect that both are covered by traditional Medicare Parts A and B only, and
are wealthy enough to fill its payment gaps and pay for prescriptions out of
pocket.
More information on these Part C plans and the TV advertisements for them may be found in an informative article in a Hudson Valley (NY) newspaper published last November. You can find it at https://www.recordonline.com/story/opinion/2021/11/05/steve-israel-celebrities-pitching-medicare-plans/6297275001/ or by CLICKING HERE.
JL
* * * *
To How Many People Have You Forwarded This Blog Posting?
America Afloat
(A
poem always worth repeating in blog postings. To learn more, visit this blog’s
posting of July 30, 2022.)
Jack Lippman
The greatness of America
Is
that it does survive
Attacks
upon democracy
Whose
flame it keeps alive.
The
laws that blossom from the words
The
Founding Fathers wrote
Still
serve us well today to keep
America
afloat.
This
doesn’t happen by itself,
We
cannot wish it true,
The
bottom line, my friends, is that
It
all depends on you.
JL
* * * *
To How Many People Have You Forwarded This Blog Posting?
That’s Not Enough!
No comments:
Post a Comment