Senator Bernie Sanders for Single Payer

Senator Bernie Sanders: "How does it happen that after we spend twice as much per capita on healthcare as any other nation we end up being the only major country in the world that does not guarantee healthcare to every man woman and child in a comprehensive way? ...

"The way that we [should] move is to say:

• Every American is entitled to healthcare
  
• It has got to be comprehensive healthcare
  
• The function of healthcare is not to make money for private health insurance company but to provide cost effective healthcare to all Americans....

"The only conclusion that you reach is that a Single Payer system is where we need to go as a nation....The function of health insurance companies is not to provide healthcare, it is to deny healthcare because every dollar they don't spend on healthcare is another dollar that they are making in profits."

-- [As heard on Ring of Fire Radio, May 30 and 31st, Air America Radio, available by podcast via iTunes, but current show playable here.]

Republicans don't help the little guy

Thanks to caller Robert, Thom Hartmann renewed his challenge for people to provide one piece of legislation offered by Republicans to help real people -- not corporations, not rich people. Thom said that he had earlier posed a similar question to then Congressman Tom Tancredo. "Can you please name for me one piece of legislation that the Republicans have sponsored that has become law whose primary beneficiary was the average person in America as opposed to a corporation or the rich?" He couldn't.

Thom said he had a contest for the better part of two years and to the best of his knowledge no one ever came up with an answer. Something that primarily benefits the middle class, the working poor, or people out of work altogether? Can you? Think about it.

Don't Blame Unions For Detroit's Ills

Mike Papantonio does another great Pap Attack, this time explaining who is really behind the failure of the Big 3 (and it isn't the workers!!). Love Pap, Ring of Fire, and Bobby -- catch the full audio on AirAmerica.com but this four minute visual says much.

"Where's the Bush?"

On her Air America Radio show last night, Rachel Maddow pointed out that no where on their website documenting their convention, did the Republicans acknowledge the speeches or even presence there of either George Bush or Laura Bush. The other speakers and speeches were there. Furthermore, NONE of the those speakers or speeches used the word Bush either. "Where's the beef, err Bush?"

Velvet Revolution Interviews Stephen Spoonamore

This is the first segment, but watch the series from the Velvet Revolution of Stephen Spoonamore, former CEO of Cybrinth, discussing Diebold electronic voting machines and their inherent flaws which threaten what is left of our democracy. Mark Crispin Miller was on Thom Hartmann's August 19, 2008, show discussing Spoonamore's whistleblowing on election fraud. Great stuff. Get out there and discuss this issue with friends, associates, and political representatives.

A Question to ask McCain Supporters

"Are you aware that John McCain has nine houses and wears $520 shoes?" I'd love to see their reactions, dear blog friends! And hear what they have to say.

(Thanks to Rachel Maddow for the information.)

As a followup question you might ask did they know if he was dating wife #2 while wife #1 was hospitalized. Character, integrity, Republicans? (Mind you, this doesn't let John Edwards off the hook, but at least he is still with Elizabeth.) Ah, men!

Play and Feed: FreeRice.Com

Thom Hartmann was interviewing someone at the United Nations this week who mentioned a learning/food giving site associated with Poverty.com called aptly FreeRice.com. It is vocabulary building for child, student, adult, and senior, and it will automatically set and adjust your level by how you answer or you can manually adjust the settings.

You are given a word and four definitions. If you are correct, 20 grains of rice are donated by the sponsors whose banners are displayed. (You see the rice mount up.) There is a little speaker which will pronounce the word if you click it, helpful. (I've been mispronouncing or perhaps alternatively pronouncing some words: AARgh!) I keep a running list of missed words or words I want to check further. The FAQ says the highest level is 60 but most don't get past 50. So far my best level has been 48 -- but I've only been playing two days. More important, I've help donate over 4000 grains of rice! Beat me!

I've added a smaller button to my side bar for your/my ease when this post gets buried, but try it now:

Rachel Maddow: They Lied. Can we prosecute yet?

Air America Radio's (and MSNBC's) Rachel Maddow spoke of the Phase 2 results of the Senate investigation of the intelligence leading up to the Iraq invasion. Sure sounds like real grounds for impeachment and indictment of the Bush-Cheney cabal. Dare we hold off until after January 22nd? What if it is President McBush, err, McCain? Hear it for yourself and tell us and your friends what YOU think:

Sam Seder, David Sirota

Sam Seder, David Sirota
Originally uploaded by Kate Anne

Sam Seder and David Sirota- at an event at Red Sky in Manhattan sponsored by Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century. David autographed copies of his book, The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington.






Sam and David, pre-interview

Kate Anne and Kat-in-Manhattan

Kate Anne and Kat
Originally uploaded by Kate Anne

At the David Sirota-Sam Seder event at Red Sky in Manhattan sponsored by Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century. We both bought copies of David's new book, The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington - Photo taken by DFNYC's Josh.





[Edited version until Lucille gives the okay.]
Sederistas and Seder
From left to right, Mysterious Lucille, Sam, Kate Anne, and Kat-in-Manhattan. Photo taken by Sam fan Jessica.

Green Kevin

Green Kevin
Originally uploaded by Kate Anne

The Bacon Brothers performed at Riverkeeper's Shad Fest and Hudson River Celebration, near Cold Spring NY. More pictures on Flickr, including some of Bobby Kennedy Jr., Dan Aykroyd, and fiddler Carrie Rodriguez.

Bush mining fact

Jon Elliott said on his Wednesday This is America radio show that there is a plan to extract uranium from the Grand Canyon -- by a British Bush-crony company! He added that one official has asked, "I wonder how Britains would react if an American company went to drill at Stone Henge?" This was reported not in the American corporate media, Jon concluded, but in the Times of London. Let's all say "Argh" together! [Thanks, Jon!]

Laura Flanders Radio Nation bloggers Unite!

This is a special note to fellow bloggers, that a group of the Air America Radio weekend Laura Flanders' show bloggers still continue to blog together, thanks to MaggiesBoy, at his special RadioNation site. When he's not doing his BlueRootsRadio show, Johnson is blogging with us. Today, MB was in abstentia but YBNurmal was there, as was Nightbird, as was Smnoll and KateAnne. We miss our fellow Laura bloggers. Find us there most Sundays, 1-2 pm (Eastern time). Then onwards to blogging at the Sam Seder Show. Seder you all later!

Theatrical Prelude to Super Tuesday

Following Air America Radio's Rachel Maddow's advice, I took time out from pure politics to enjoy a fun NYC theatrical event, starring her former co-host Lizz Winstead. Shoot the Messenger plays Mondays at the Green Door, 45 Bleeker, New York City. Rachel was the special guest for the Act 2 segment, so there was lots of talk of politics and Super Tuesday. Act 1 is this terrific Morning Talk Show spoof with hosts Davis Miles and Hope Jean Paul: wonderfully entertaining with hoots galore. See it!

Lizz, Carol, and Beth

Hershey's Cocoa Fudge

In between listening to Sam Seder's Seder on Sunday show on Air America Radio, I made half a batch of this:

2/3 Cup cocoa
3 Cup sugar
1/8 teasp. salt
1-1/2 Cups milk
1/4 Cup butter or margarine
1 teasp. vanilla

Combine dry ingredient in 4-quart saucepan; stir in milk. Bring to "bubbly" boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat a little and boil then without stirring to 234 degrees F. (soft-ball stage) Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla. DO NOT STIR. Cool at room temp until 110 degrees F. Beat until fudge thickens and loses some of its gloss. Quickly spread in a lightly buttered 8-or-9 inch pan; cool. Cut. Eat. Enjoy.

NOTE: soft ball - several drops of fudge in cup of cold water forms a ball in the bottom when touched - or use candy thermometer. Mine was a trifle past soft ball when I took it off the heat so I didn't wait for it to cool to 110. Once it lost gloss it quickly solidified! But oh soooo tasty. For hot fudge sauce, make a half batch of the above and use 1 cup of milk instead of 3/4 C of milk. Pour on ice cream and wow!! Reminds me of childhood and my kids probably feel similarly as Little Kat wanted me to find it for her.

Sam Seder and AAR

One of the sweetest, most real, endearing, charming, witty folks on radio is Sam Seder. He is under-used these days by Mark Green's Air America Radio but he is used: his Sunday show, blogging on the AAR website and filling in for various absent AAR personalities. I don't miss Rachel Maddow so much when Sam is her substitute (as for Kent Jones, now that is for another blog).

With the demise of her great two three-hour weekend shows, Laura Flanders' bloggers have flocked to Sam's site to stay in touch and commiserate: maggiesboy, YBNurmal, nightbird, Smnoll, What Now Toons, KateAnne (moi)... But there we are met by a great cast of characters who touch our hearts and make us grow, in particular (but not exclusively): Fernando, Nefferkitti, toniD, bibimimi, Sunshine Jim, pbtrue1, Crank Bait, the list continues.... Loyal Sederistas blog during the Sunday show but other times, too, with public diaries -- called Open Mics -- available. Camaraderie abounds and Sam may only have an occasional visit by his former sidekick Janeane Garofalo but he's been smart enough to groom his producer Lauren Kirchner to show her compatible spirit and help fill Janeane's void. Good show, good blogging. But, Mark Green, please use Sam more so he can make enough money to help support baby Myla and we can keep him a part of our lives. He is such an asset to you -- a goodwill ambassador -- but do you know it? The rest of us do. Sam, we love you.

Obama loyalty pledge

Rachel Maddow on her Air America Radio show was rightly outraged that Obama is requiring that those attending the South Carolina Obama-Oprah event sign a pledge that they will vote for Obama in 2008 -- this before they even hear the candidate!! Isn't this a Republican tactic?

Economy or Society First?

"Does the economy exist to serve society or does society exist to serve the economy?"
-- Thom Hartmann, various times

Thom discusses variations on this topic frequently. Check out his Air America Radio show's descriptions. Essentially, however, the liberal point of view is that America and America's government should be focused on "We the People" -- and not on corporations and the betterment of the economy over the rights of everyday working Americans.

Check It Out: ProjectCensored.org

AAR's Richard Greene had a guest from Project Censored on his Clout show last night to discuss the new top 25 stories overlooked by the corporate media. (Richard would have you not call it the mainstream media, because we are really the mainstream -- support media diversity and internet neutrality to preserve our Clout!) Check it out -- and I will, too!