Republican California Governor labels his Republican colleagues as Hypocrites on the Stimulus Bill

Today Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) appeared on ABC’s This Week with host Terry Moran where the Governor labeled his Republican colleagues in Washington as patent hypocrites on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more commonly known as the stimulus package. When asked by Mr. Moran if railing against the stimulus bill in public while taking credit for stimulus-related projects and ceremonies in their home districts was hypocritical, the Governor responded “Exactly”, referring that it was.

The Governor noted that he thought it interesting to have all those Republicans running around pushing back on the stimulus money, saying that it doesn’t create any new jobs; and yet go out and do photo ops in their districts and say: 'Isn't this great, look at the kind of money I've provided for the state and this is money to create jobs, and this has created 10,000 new jobs, this has created 20,000 new jobs”.

Schwarzenegger said that his Republican colleagues should be asking themselves on how they can support president in order to stimulate the economy back to good health, instead of solely focusing on trying to gain political advantage for the next election'

The governor laid down a marker to all those who allege that the stimulus hasn't created a job. He said they should talk to the 150,000 people getting jobs in California from both the private sector and the public sector.


See interview here:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/02/schwarzenegger-rendell-republicans-playing-politics-on-stimulus.html

Fox more concerned with optics of huge increases in health insurance costs than impact on consumers

California's Anthem Blue Cross would raise insurance premiums by a startling 39%, analysts considered its impact on consumers.

At Fox Business Channel, the hosts appeared to be solely concerned that it could boost support for health care reform.

On Monday Brad Fluegel, Vice President of Blue Cross's parent company Wellpoint, Inc., appeared on Fox with hosts Stu Varney and Charles Payne to discuss his subsidiary company's recent moves.

Fluegel downplayed the company's $2.7 billion profit in the final quarter of 2009 and insisted the premium jumps were in accordance with rising medical costs. He also lamented the "highly politicized debate" nationally on health care.

White House Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius pointed out that Blue Cross's rate increase is 15 times that of inflation.

The health care advocacy group HCAN alleged in a report this month that such rate hikes are designed to boost the profits of insurers rather than pay medical expenses.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce chairman Rep. Henry Waxman called Blue Cross's decision "deeply troubling" and demanded to "know what possible justification there could be for increases of this magnitude."

Neither Fox host asked Fluegel about the forthcoming increased costs to consumers. They appeared more concerned that it could boost enthusiasm for insurance reform.

"You handed the politicians red meat at a time when health care is being discussed," Varney said. "You gave it to them... You couldn’t see this coming? I mean really, you couldn’t see this coming?"

Anthem Blue Cross spent nearly $9.5 million lobbying against health reforms; the annual salary for Anthem’s CEO tops $10 million.

Bob Barr angrily booed at CPAC for saying waterboarding is torture

Former Republican congressman Bob Barr was angrily booed at the CPAC conference in Washington, DC on Friday when he declared that water-boarding is torture.

During a debate of whether suspected terrorists ought to be tried in civilian courts or read Miranda rights upon arrest, Barr said the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 provided the framework for how to deal with terrorist suspects, and said government officials should stick to that law.

"Either we believe, as lawyers, as lawmakers and as citizens, that there is value in laws, that laws that are passed have meaning and have a purpose, or we don’t," Barr said.

Barr said there's nothing magical about military tribunals, they don't have necessarily better lawyers than in the civilian sector. He went on to say that he has more faith in our US attorneys, who are non-political, than all the many republicans who do not support the use of civilian trials.

Barr said that the civilian courts can try them, and should try them, which is precisely what our laws provide for. He challenged the idea of handing all suspected terrorists to the military to let them torture them for a while. He declared that water-boarding is not an advanced interrogation technique, it is torture.

His comments were met with little applause and gasps among the audience at the conservative conference, which was quickly drowned out by loud jeers.

Earlier in Barr’s debate with Republican Congressman of California, Lundgren got an enthusiastic round of applause when he declared, "I support enhanced interrogation."

Barr served as a Republican House representative from Georgia from 1995 to 2003, before switching to the Libertarian Party in 2006. Prior he served as U.S. Attorney for Georgia during the Reagan and first Bush years.

See portions of the debate here:

http://vodpod.com/watch/3081515-bob-barr-jeered-at-cpac-for-saying-waterboarding-is-torture-raw-story