Joust The Facts

Perspective, And Appropriateness

2009-11-06T23:08:37-05:00

I spent today at a medical education conference, reviewing and updating my knowledge base on low back pain, workman's compensation, and behavioral signs related to musculoskeletal issues. I know, sounds like a hoot. But as the opening salvo of lectures was ending the moderator called for questions from the audience,...

Anyone Can Write For The NY Times, Really

2009-11-05T18:48:41-05:00

Because intelligence is obviously not one of the requirements. Gail Collins demonstrates that today (although Maureen Dowd, Frank Rich and, yes, Paul Krugman may well do so on other days. YMMV). How? Just check out this opening paragraph. In Ohio, citizens marched to the polls on Tuesday and voted to...

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

2009-11-04T17:26:54-05:00

You've passed a $787B 'stimulus', and no one is seeing any results from all those dollars. Unemployment is 2% higher (or more) than you predicted it would be with the 'stimulus'. Before anyone sees the wool over their eyes it's vital to get the word out that, yes, indeed, the...

Name That Party, Alcohol Violation Edition

2009-11-04T10:34:58-05:00

A New Hampshire State Rep was arrested for underage drinking. (hat tip, Patrick Hynes) Bedford – Brian Poznanski, a Nashua state representative and St. Anselm College junior, was arrested Friday morning by Bedford police for underage drinking. Poznansk was one of 22 people arrested at a party at [redacted], and...

The JTF "Quote Of The Day"

2009-11-04T09:01:00-05:00

From Glenn Harlan Reynolds, exactly one year after the election that brought us the Obama presidency, discussing faded Obama magic. The truth is, Obama wasn’t ready to be president when he ran in 2008. When he started, he probably thought he had no real chance — he himself admitted upon...

I Wonder When This Will Be Changed?

2009-11-03T22:08:49-05:00

Liz Sidoti of Associated Press, on the large Republican tide in today's off-year elections: WASHINGTON – Republicans wrested Virginia from the Democrats Tuesday in a one-sided sweep of top offices, and New Jersey's unpopular Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine fought for his political life as independent voters swung behind the GOP...

Another Echo, At 'Big Government'

2009-11-03T15:15:24-05:00

Mike Flynn at Big Government tells us that, in the case of Dede Scozzafava and other DIABLOs and RINOs, it's not the social issues that were the problem. Rather, there also were no Republican/conservative principles as well in spending, governance, or taxation. The media and the national Republicans who backed...

Thomas Sowell Echoes Joust The Facts

2009-11-03T06:43:59-05:00

First Mr. Sowell today, on the "costs" of healthcare: There is a fundamental difference between reducing costs and simply shifting costs around, like a pea in a shell game at a carnival. Costs are not reduced simply because you pay less at a doctor's office and more in taxes-- or...

The Wall Street Journal Echoes Joust The Facts

2009-11-02T17:30:05-05:00

Today's WSJ editorial: "The Worst Bill Ever" All of this is intentional, even if it isn't explicitly acknowledged. The overriding liberal ambition is to finish the work began decades ago as the Great Society of converting health care into a government responsibility. Mr. Obama's own Medicare actuaries estimate that the...

A Halloween Tragedy

2009-11-01T22:41:35-05:00

Most parents worry about their kids on Halloween night, but they worry about other adults with not-so-innocent motives, or cars, or pets that should have been chained, or what their kids might do themselves. They don't usually worry about the wind. A 10-year-old boy was killed when he was hit...

It's Past Time To Weigh In On NY-23

2009-11-01T08:30:28-05:00

We all know what happened. A conservative third party candidate captured the imagination of the conservatives in the Republican party, and support was pulled from the actual Republican candidate to the point that, clear that she would lose, she pulled out of the race yesterday. This leaves it a two-horse...

What About The "Promise" Of Tort Reform?

2009-10-31T07:20:33-04:00

From President Obama's speech to Congress on health care reform: Now, finally, many in this chamber -- particularly on the Republican side of the aisle -- have long insisted that reforming our medical malpractice laws can help bring down the cost of health care. (Applause.) Now -- there you go....

Feigned Disappointment, Thinly Disguised

2009-10-31T06:22:41-04:00

Erica Werner of the Associated Press writes that, darn it, that House health care bill is just way too centrist for the taste of House progressives. But, gosh, kicking and screaming they're willing to support it, even though it just caters way to much to the concerns of moderates and...

That's Not A Bug, That's A Feature

2009-10-30T15:19:09-04:00

I'm a UConn basketball fan, more for the men's game than the women's, though I do follow both. Occasionally when I'm not thinking current events I slip around to see what's going on with the Huskies as both teams head toward their season openers. I found this little nugget at...

Creating Scarcity In Medicine The Easy Way

2009-10-29T21:55:59-04:00

Over at Firedoglake a writer named "Scarecrow" attempts to convince that the 1990 page behemoth House health care bill unveiled this morning doesn't go far enough in expanding Medicaid coverage. Rarely have I seen something so clueless on the day to day economics of medicine for those who work in...