TEDDY WON’T SWALLOW HIS OWN MEDICINE
Re: Robert M. Goldberg’s
The Kennedy-Orszag $700 Billion Fix:
Robert M. Goldberg writes of Senator Ted Kennedy that “he truly
believes that only government can ‘move from a system that
rewards doctors for the sheer volume of tests and treatments they
prescribe to one that rewards quality and positive outcomes.’”
Goldberg then cites as Kennedy’s example:
“In Medicare today, 18 percent of patients discharged from a
hospital are re-admitted within 30 days — at a cost of more
than $15 billion in 2005. Most of these re-admissions are
unnecessary, but we don’t reward hospitals and doctors for
preventing them. By changing that, we’ll save billions of
dollars while improving the quality of care for patients.”
Senator Kennedy is 76 years old. He has been hospitalized
multiple times in the past year due to his brain cancer. Senator
Kennedy is going to die.
Therefore, his hospital readmission was unnecessary? Though
Senator Kennedy has lived a long and privileged life, he has made
lifestyle choices that are not conducive to good health. At what
point would President Obama, as Commander in Chief of
Medical Forces, tell the Senator that he’s not getting the
surgery, only a painkiller? By Senator Kennedy’s definition,
shared by President Obama, succumbing prematurely would be a
good outcome.
— Dan Martin
Thanks, Mr. Goldberg, for another incisive analysis. I have to
fight against rising anger every time that huge hypocrite Teddy
Kennedy opens his mouth.
Here’s why. You wrote, “Kennedy’s legislation would rob Americans
first of choice, then of progress, and ultimately of victory
against diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and stroke.”
Error. It should read “most Americans.” Kennedy and his family
will always have access to the best care available. He, his
family, and his friends in the very highest places will never
allow the restrictions they will place on everyone else’s
healthcare to have a whisper of an effect on their own.
We’ll get painkillers instead, and euthanasia when they’re ready
to foist that off on us and expect our averted-eyes boot-licking
gratitude.
— A.C. Santore
DO YOU FEEL LUCKY?
Re: Jeffrey Lord’s
The Unbearable Whiteness of Being Maureen Dowd:
Jeffrey Lord in this article made my day. Sorry Clint but I have
a new hero.
— J. Gedroic
Congratulations to Jeffrey Lord — nobody could describe Maureen
Dowd and the New York Times better. As a refugee from a
communist country so many years ago, I started calling the NY
Times “the NY Pravda” back in 1968. As for that hissing
viper Maureen Dowd — I know her opinion on any subject in
advance and will take bets on that. Together with Pelosi, Boxer,
Waters, Feinstein, McKinney and several such others, comrade Dowd
would have made an ideal candidate for a professional Gulag boss
in charge of re-education.
— Marc Jeric
Las Vegas, Nevada
This piece was absolutely one of the funniest I’ve ever read
while at that same time it shredded cheerleaders of the
institutionalized racism that has become the norm in our country.
Thanks for such a great piece!
— Paul Moat
Towaco, New Jersey
I’m white delighted with the white exquisite analysis of the
white Mr. Jeffrey Lord, but still, white am I suspicious of the
white editorial board and white Mo of the Times?
— A. A. Reynolds
FEELING SAARI FOR THE UNBORN
Re: Ken Blackwell’s
Hillary’s Saari Tour of India:
Empowering women with education, health and choices for their
lives is at the very core of any hope for the future. That is
what the United Nations Population Fund does. It saves women’s
lives in childbirth (over 500,000 die each year), and offers
voluntary family planning which saves both women’s and children’s
lives. UNFPA may have made small mistakes in the past, but in the
last twenty years, it has a stellar reputation. Last year, 181
countries supported UNFPA but not our own. This put us way
outside the mainstream and hurt our reputation in the world. This
year Obama has released the $50 million Congress approved.
Although UNFPA is not involved in abortion related activities,
here are some startling statistics. Of the 200 million
pregnancies in the world every year, fully twenty percent end in
abortion, i.e., 40 million. Of these, half are illegal and unsafe
— resulting in about 70,000 deaths and over five million
injuries, hemorrhages and infections. Is that what we want? If
truth be told, when the world takes care of women, women take
care of the world. UNFPA takes care of the world’s women. Its
family planning programs prevent hundreds of thousands, if not
millions of abortions. I am thrilled to be cofounder of 34
Million Friends of the United Nations Population Fund.
www.34millionfriends.org
— Jane Roberts
Redlands, California
BEWARE FALSE PROPHETS
Re: Robert P. Kirchoefer’s
Granting Environmental Indulgences:
The editorial by Robert Kirchhoefer is absolutely right on
target. I have said this to anyone that will listen. How does Al
Gore, for instance, make the planet any cleaner by buying a
carbon credit? And how can I get into that potentially lucrative
field where one can sell “nothing” for lots of money? This is the
most stupid idea I have ever heard. It is a way for the new
Bishops and Cardinals of the world, the uber rich and
politicians, to sell “feel good” to those needing it or as a new
tax for those trying to produce product.
Thank you for the article. I will share it with many.
— Patrick Mandeville
Tulsa, Oklahoma
A SIMPLE CHOICE
Re: Matt Bowman’s
Sebelius and Kmiec Catholicism:
To be a Pro Lifer and to stand firm against abortion is more than
tough. Being called to the Catholic faith is not easy. I
recommend and even challenge readers go to the Catholic Catechism
and read the teachings on Abortion. I believe all will come away
with an understanding of the value of life they never had.
Please, I encourage you to read it — all your readers.
Catholics for Free Choice: Catholics have always had free choice
— God has given us free choice — but the choice is to accept or
reject God’s teachings. We are all challenged with the tough
decisions. Or we choose not to be involved or informed.
A Cafeteria Catholic chooses from the faith items that make life
easier — the tougher decisions require backbone.
Creation of life starts in the 1st book of the Bible, as we read
through the entire Bible, we learn that we are created in the
image of God and God values life… life that He created.
— Kasey
UNDOING THE DAMAGE
Re: Ralph R. Reiland’s
A Nation of One-Eyed Sycophants?:
When the Democrats are swept from power, it will be interesting
to see if the Republicans have enough residual conviction to undo
detrimental Obama policies and, if so, how violent Democrat
“activists” will become.
— David Govett
Davis, California
