Monday, December 31, 2007

Huckabee Has Peace Activists Arrested

Protesters ask Mike Huckabee, “Who Would Jesus Bomb?”

After his attack ad press conference, Huckabee returned to his office to discover peace activists on his sidewalk and in his office.

The former Baptist minister had them arrested.

Happy New Year to you too, Huckster.

Anti-War Protest & Arrests at Huckabee's Office


Huckabee is Holier than Romney & His Attack Ad Proves It (Video)


Mike Huckabee called a press conference. Huckabee packed the room with media representatives from all over the world to announce that he's canceling his new attack ad -- Enough is Enough -- because he's holier than all the other candidates. And he's especially holier than Romney. Huckabee wants to run a positive campaign.

After Huckabee announced that he would not air his nasty negative ad, the Arkansas fool announced that he was going to show it to the room full of reporters. They laughed. I predict you will too.

Who knew there were so very many funny Republicans with the brain power of Bush?

Holier Huckabee Attack Ad Press Conference

“We Cannot Recognize Our Country”


As the final year of the horrific Bush regime approaches, the New York Times sums up what we have endured:

There are too many moments these days when we cannot recognize our country. Sunday was one of them, as we read the account in The Times of how men in some of the most trusted posts in the nation plotted to cover up the torture of prisoners by Central Intelligence Agency interrogators by destroying videotapes of their sickening behavior. It was impossible to see the founding principles of the greatest democracy in the contempt these men and their bosses showed for the Constitution, the rule of law and human decency.

It was not the first time in recent years we’ve felt this horror, this sorrowful sense of estrangement, not nearly. This sort of lawless behavior has become standard practice since Sept. 11, 2001. . .

In the years since 9/11, we have seen American soldiers abuse, sexually humiliate, torment and murder prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq. A few have been punished, but their leaders have never been called to account. We have seen mercenaries gun down Iraqi civilians with no fear of prosecution. We have seen the president, sworn to defend the Constitution, turn his powers on his own citizens, authorizing the intelligence agencies to spy on Americans, wiretapping phones and intercepting international e-mail messages without a warrant.

We have read accounts of how the government’s top lawyers huddled in secret after the attacks in New York and Washington and plotted ways to circumvent the Geneva Conventions — and both American and international law — to hold anyone the president chose indefinitely without charges or judicial review. . .

These are not the only shocking abuses of President Bush’s two terms in office, made in the name of fighting terrorism. There is much more — so much that the next president will have a full agenda simply discovering all the wrongs that have been done and then righting them.

We can only hope that this time, unlike 2004, American voters will have the wisdom to grant the awesome powers of the presidency to someone who has the integrity, principle and decency to use them honorably. Then when we look in the mirror as a nation, we will see, once again, the reflection of the United States of America. . . read more . .


Romney v. Huckabee Gay Marriage Attack Ad (Video)


Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are neck and neck in Iowa.

This hilarious ad on the subject of gay family values -- or gay marriage -- could save poor Mittens!



Romney v. Huckabee Gay Marriage Attack Ad

NBC’s Meet The Press -- Huckabee: ‘I Don’t Know’ If People Are ‘Born’ Gay, But It’s A ‘Choice’ To Act Gay

I Don't Know If Mike Huckabee Was 'Born' an Over-sized Dickwad, But It's His 'Choice' To Act Like One.

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Hillary Leads Dems; GOP Deadlocked


Hillary Clinton leads among Democrats in Iowa, according to the latest Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll. Hillary Clinton 31 percent; Obama 27%; Edwards 24%; Richardson 5%; Biden 5%; Dodd 1%; Dennis Kucinich less than 1%.

Among the crazed christian cowboys, Huckabee leads with 29 percent, followed by Romney at 28%; McCain 11%; Thompson 8% [snicker]; Giuliani 8%; Ron Paul 8%.

And a new McClatchy-MSNBC poll puts Edwards ahead of Hillary by one point. Edwards 24%; Hillary 23%; Obama 22%.

An Edwards win, instead of an Obama win, would aid Hillary since Edwards has little national support. It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway. Any one of our Democratic candidates is far superior to all of the lunatic cowboys combined.

Fred Thompson: 'Not Interested in Running for President'


"I’m not particularly interested in running for president."
--Freddie Thompson, 12/29/07,
GOP presidential candidate

Well, that's just too bad for all the folks who gave Freddie money. No one can figure out exactly why, but Freddie Thompson is indeed running strolling for president. He hasn't cut and run yet. The former Tennessee senator (hey, if you're going to blame Tennessee for lazy Freddie, then you have to blame us for Al Gore too!) added that he has better things he could be doing:

"I was doing speaking engagements and I had a contract to do a TV show, I had a contract with ABC Radio like I was talking about earlier and so forth. I guess a man would have to be a total fool to do all those things and to be leaving his family, which is not a joyful thing at all, if he didn’t want to do it."

'Total fool' sounds remarkably like 'dumb as hell.' At long last, Freddie Thompson has said something that makes perfect sense.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Ron Paul Calls Fox News 'Propagandists for War'


Ron Paul has declared war on Fox News. I could never support a Republican, but in this fight, I'm on Paul's side. Heh.

Paul is angry because Fox News is excluding him from an upcoming debate. In Ron Paul's view, Fox News "is scared" of him.

"They are scared of me and don't want my message to get out, but it will. They are propagandists for this war and I challenge them on the notion that they are conservative."

The debate without Paul will be broadcast on Fox News on January 6, 2008 -- the weekend before the New Hampshire Primary.

I'm not sure what he has in mind, but Paul says "[Fox News] will not win this skirmish."

Ron Paul Considers Third Party Bid

Spreading Atheism (Video)

The CBC looks at the rising atheist moment, some call it the atheist pushback. The report includes a group of atheists who share their 'coming out' stories.

Atheists Are Coming Out All Over

This clip is part 1, here are video clips part 2 and part 3

TGW Wins Golden Monkeyfist Award


This blog is honored to be a winner of the coveted 2007 Golden Monkeyfist Award.

My humble thanks go to Monkeyfister for making these awards possible and for being so kind as to write:

The Golden Volunteer Award (enriched with uteri power) To Tennessee Guerilla Women, who have taught me more about this state in which I now (involuntarily) reside, than I ever really wanted to know. These women are POWERFUL, and absolutely righteous in their posts about the Tennessee and National Political situation. If you are stuck living in Tennessee, these women are who you need to read daily.

Monkeyfister, you are too kind! And no offense is meant, but we are glad you are 'stuck' here in Tennessee with us because our best hope of transforming this sad red state into the brightest progressive blue lies with folks like you. And making this state blue is pretty well what we here at the Tennessee Guerilla Women blog are living for.

Happily, the TGW blog once again finds itself among some really fine progressive company. Check out the other winners of the 2007 Golden Monkeyfist Award:

Undeniable Liberal; WTF Is It Now?; Mahablog; Arthur Silber; The Command Post; Down With Tyranny; The Newshoggers; Pax Americana; Pygalgia; Cannablog; Demeur; Your Right Hand Thief; Whiskey Fire; Survival Acres; Blue Girl, Red State

Billy Kristol Gets Gig as New York Times Neocon Columnist


The New York Times plans to hire deceitful warmonger William Kristol as a weekly columnist. The Times is apparently wooing Fox News viewers, or perhaps the paper thinks its readers deserve to be subjected to the views of a lying, warmongering neocon. Someone has to fill Judith Miller's shoes.

David Corn pegs Kristol as the "No. 1 cheerleader for the Iraq war." Kristol is a wannabe world dominator, a loyal Bushie, and 'a regular contributor to Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume.' And that's the positive side of the creep's bio.

Think Progress offers some toxic waste from the mind of Bill Kristol:

-- The U.S. should “put everything” behind Iraq escalation so we can bomb Iran and Syria.

-- Markos Moulitsas is the “left-wing blogger who was not respectable three or four years ago.”

-- “Sober, serious” people want over 100,000 troops in Iraq when Bush leaves office.

-- On SCHIP veto: I’m happy that the President’s willing to do something bad for the kids. ”

-- Al Gore “got the Nobel Peace Prize for bloviating about global warming.”

-- College men are “very happy” that Plan B will now be sold over-the-counter because they can have “a wild night” and “the burden is off them.”

Update -- See: The day the NYT died

Benazir Bhutto: Osama Bin Laden was Murdered (Video)

From Mike Malloy, we learn that on the November 2, David Frost show, broadcast on the Al Jazeera television network, Benazir Bhutto referred to "the man who murdered Osama bin Laden."

Benazir Bhutto: Bin Laden was Murdered

Chris Matthews' Misogynist Quote of the Day


"I don't see a big, beefy alternative to [Sen.] Hillary Clinton [D-NY] -- a big guy. You know what I mean? An ... every-way big guy. I don't see one out there. I see a lot of slight, skinny, second- and third-rate candidates."

If you ever tune in to Chris Matthews MSNBC show, you know that the former speech writer for President Jimmy Carter often centers his show Hardball around his hatred for Hillary Clinton. Specifically Matthews despises all the things about Hillary that mark her as female.

Matthews confessed his hatred for Hillary Clinton back in 2001 when he told an MSNBC colleague, "I hate her. I hate her. All that she stands for."

Friday, December 28, 2007

Hillary, Chelsea & Benazir Bhutto Photo


Benazir Bhutto with Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton after a dinner reception in Pakistan in 1995. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The Caucus: -- Ms. Bhutto held a luncheon in Pakistan in Mrs. Clinton’s honor. The guests included several other high-powered women. Mrs. Clinton, who described Ms. Bhutto as “brilliant and striking,” said the prime minister led a discussion about the changing roles of women in Pakistan and told a joke about her husband’s status as first spouse.

“According to newspapers in Pakistan,” Ms. Bhutto said, “Mr. Asif Zardari is de facto prime minister of the country. My husband tells me, ‘Only the first lady can appreciate it’s not true.’”

Mrs. Clinton apparently found in her a kindred spirit.

“Bhutto acknowledged the difficulties faced by women who were breaking with tradition and taking leading roles in public life,” she wrote. “She deftly managed to refer both to the challenges I had encountered during my White House tenure and to her own situation. ‘Women who take on tough issues and stake out new territory are often on the receiving end of ignorance,’ she concluded.”

Ron Paul Considers Third Party Bid


The Swamp reports that Ron Paul confesses that he is considering a third-party run for the presidency:

If he doesn’t do well in the early primaries, Paul said he would re-evaluate his Republican bid and the possibility of a third-party run depending on how he does in the contests on Super Tuesday, Feb. 5.

"With my staff I’ve never discussed it, but I sort of have that in my mind."


Ah, yes, the final nail in the well-deserved coffin of the Republican Party.

Bring it on!

via Liberal Values

Related post: Ron Paul's Rabidly Racist Writings

Update: Ron Paul Rejects Evolution

Giuliani Camp: Rudy Will Chase “The Muslims. . . Back to Their Caves”


Quote of the Day
from the Testy He-man Party


"…(Rudy Giuliani has) the knowledge and judgment to attack one of the most difficult problems in current history. And that is the rise of the Muslims. And make no mistake about it, this hasn’t happened for a thousand years. These people are very, very dedicated. They’re also very smart, in their own way. And we need to keep the feet to the fire and keep pressing these people ‘til we defeat them or chase them back to their caves, or in other words, get rid of them."

OR -- Rudy could make the world safe for 'civilized' dudes like himself by sending his photo to the cave-dwelling savages and totally scaring the beejezus out of them. After looking at Rudy's photo, we're sure that even Osama bin Laden would be shaking, um, with laughter, in his proverbial boots.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Pizza Hut Ad Trashes Dennis Kucinich

Note to Pizza Hut: Smearing Dennis Kucinich is no way to sell pizzas. I just lost my appetite for all things made by Pizza Hut.


Wonkette jokes that Bill Richardson is behind this ad. More likely, it's Tim Russert.

Update: Here's the contact info for Pizza Hut -- You might tell them that if they're going to trash Democratic candidates, they're going to lose Democratic pizza buyers! For Urgent Matters: 1-800-948-8488 (U.S.) --OR-- email:
http://www.pizzahut.com/ContactUs/OtherFeedback.aspx

Ron Paul's Rabidly Racist Writings


A Republican who is racist? Mon Dieu!! I am shocked!!! But seriously, you should be seated before reading the following sickening RACIST excerpt from a 1992 article in the Ron Paul Political Report:


Indeed, it is shocking to consider the uniformity of opinion among blacks in this country. Opinion polls consistently show that only about 5% of blacks have sensible political opinions, i.e. support the free market, individual liberty, and the end of welfare and affirmative action.... Given the inefficiencies of what D.C. laughingly calls the "criminal justice system," I think we can safely assume that 95% of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal.

If similar in-depth studies were conducted in other major cities, who doubts that similar results would be produced? We are constantly told that it is evil to be afraid of black men, but it is hardly irrational. Black men commit murders, rapes, robberies, muggings, and burglaries all out of proportion to their numbers.


via kos

Naturally, Paul's camp is spinning furiously. Kos reports that the Paulites claim Ron Paul didn't know exactly what was written in Ron Paul's 8 page newsletter. And Ron Paul didn't know exactly what was written under Ron Paul's very own byline. In other words, according to Ron Paul's camp, the GOP candidate is not a racist, he's just really really stupid.

Sexist Freddie Thompson Says ‘No Woman’ Should be President


Sexist Bozo Quote of the Day

"There is no woman on the horizon that ought to be president next year, let's all agree on that."

And why is that Freddie? Oh yeah, that's because you don't like liberal women, especially Hillary, but we knew that.

So how come there is "no woman" on the Republican horizon? How come the Republican Party can't find even ONE woman to put up there on the sexist hairy-chested he-man Republican stage with bozos like you and all those other self-absorbed angry old white men?

Oh yeah, I remember, cause Republican men can't function without a chorus of attentive smiling wives behind them. No wonder you guys hate Hillary.

It's a good thing you're losing big time anyway, and so you don't need all those votes from women that you just lost. And good luck getting hired in Hollywood by all those professional women who are going to take your sexist comments very personally.

Tomorrow, look for Freddie to say, no blacks . . . should be president.

And in yet more embarrassing Freddie Thompson news of the day, the Tennessee stud is flat broke and begging for money so he can afford to run one pitiful ad in Iowa. Also, Freddie's slowness is still an everyday embarrassment to the state of Tennessee.

Huckabee Shoots Small Animals for Votes


Mike Huckabee's Elmer Fudd Moment


The day after Christmas, Great White Small Animal Hunter Mike Huckabee got his gun and went out in search of a photo-op in Osceola, Iowa.

On the subject of killing small animals, Huckabee said: "It's very much ordinary to me."

Three pheasants were killed. And Huckabee bragged that he personally killed one of them.



After the killing, the morbid Republican said:

"These three birds said they weren't going to vote for me on Caucus night."

"This is what happens. You vote for me, you live. You don't, there you go. . . Lunch’ll be at 11:30."

And here we have yet another true to life American political story that should have been an Onion story.

And see the Huckabee/Elmer Fudd video at Wonkette.

It’s the End of the World and Bush Feels Fine (Video)

The biggest asshole in the world maims, kills, mutilates all hope of world peace and generally inflicts harm on the entire planet, but he sleeps nights because he feels just fine, because he's an asshole.



via Truthdig

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Ann Coulter Says Liberals Adore Huckabee


Bonus Quote of the Day

"Liberals adore Huckabee because he fits their image of what an evangelical should be: stupid and easily led. . . I guess Huckabee is one of those pro-sodomy, pro-gay marriage, pro-evolution evangelical Christians."
-- Ann "Batshit-crazy" Coulter


I guess this means Ann is not voting for Huckabee. There's more on the subject of this tantalizing and fantasy-based quotation over at Pharyngula: "Ann Coulter is unhappy with Huckabee, but not for his many failings that rational people see as an obstacle—but because he is insufficently critical of evolution. She really wants a presidential candidate to not just deny modern science, but to advocate a platform that proposes to take action in the schools against it."

Cartoon via Mikhaela.net

Billy Joel: Christmas in Fallujah - 'We Are the Armies of the Empire' (Video)

Wow! Christmas in Fallujah, 'written and performed by Billy Joel, sung by Cass Dillon. This is Billy Joel's first anti-Iraq war song' and it's a powerful one!


Bon Jovi on Women/Hillary in Power


Quote of the Day

"I have no issue with a woman in power. My life has always been run by women. If it wasn’t my mother, it was my wife. And if it wasn’t my wife it was my daughter."
-- Bon Jovi

Via the New York Times: "Mr. Bon Jovi donated $2,300 to Mrs. Clinton this year, as much as he is allowed to under the law. . . He calls her “Mrs. C.” And she calls on him to add a little celebrity gloss to her presidential campaign.

"Jon Bon Jovi and Hillary Rodham Clinton have been friends for more than a decade, uniting for state dinners at the White House and campaign fund-raisers in the Hamptons. . There were dinners in East Hampton with Mrs. Clinton and another Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards. Senator Barack Obama, her fiercest rival for the nomination, asked Mr. Bon Jovi to hear him speak in Midtown Manhattan. And Al Gore caught up with him in London for a photo op."


Krugman: Obama Running to the Right -- Goes 'Harry and Louise' on Health Care


Paul Krugman reports that Obama is still "running to the right" of Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.

Now Obama is running "an ad that bears a striking resemblance to the infamous “Harry and Louise” ads, run by the insurance industry, that helped block health care reform in 1993. Call it the audacity of cynicism."

More at dkos: Obama goes Harry and Louise"; Call it the audacity of cynicism

Related: Krugman on State of the Unions

Graphic: Ranking of health care via Sicko

Chris Matthews Misogynistic RANT Against Hillary - Xmas Episode (Video)


If you missed the holiday episode of the Chris Matthews series of Daily Misogynistic Rants Against Hillary Clinton -- here it is! The first video is Hillary's Christmas ad. In the second video (MSNBC's Morning Joe), Tweety shares his fearful-about-my-manhood interpretation of said ad -- with a little hateful cut and paste thrown in to make his point: The thought of a woman as Commander-in-Chief makes me feel so small and impotent.

Some say that Matthews' hatred of Hillary was born the day he did not get hired as speech writer by Bill Clinton (Matthews was speech writer for Carter). But clearly Matthews is consumed with misogyny, aka castration anxiety. The proof is in the ongoing series of Chris Matthews' Daily Misogynistic Rants Against Hillary.

Hillary's Xmas Ad: Hillary's Gifts to You


Chris Matthews Misogynistic Xmas RANT Against Hillary


Sexist Chris Matthews Plays the Gender Card: A List

Chris Matthews' Fear of Castration by Hillary Makes Fox News Look Rational
Hillary Clinton Will Emasculate Chris Matthews

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Do They Know it's Christmas?

Here's the timeless original 1984 version of: Do they Know it's Christmas? Happy Holidays everyone!!

Do They Know it's Christmas?

Monday, December 24, 2007

Krugman: Obama Attacks Edwards & Labor Unions


The S.E.I.U. is a special interest bogeyman? Paul Krugman reports on yet more troubling talk from 'nonpartisan' Barack Obama. Instead of merely using Republican frames, Obama may well be authoring some new ones. In 'State of the Unions,' the progressive columnist offers explanations for Obama's failure to capture the support of organized labor in spite of the fact that he has "a solid pro-labor voting record."

. . . Mr. Obama has lashed out at Mr. Edwards because two 527s — independent groups that are allowed to support candidates, but are legally forbidden from coordinating directly with their campaigns — are running ads on his rival’s behalf. They are, Mr. Obama says, representative of the kind of “special interests” that “have too much influence in Washington.”

The thing, though, is that both of these 527s represent union groups — in the case of the larger group, local branches of the S.E.I.U. who consider Mr. Edwards the strongest candidate on health reform. So Mr. Obama’s attack raises a couple of questions.

First, does it make sense, in the current political and economic environment, for Democrats to lump unions in with corporate groups as examples of the special interests we need to stand up to?

Second, is Mr. Obama saying that if nominated, he’d be willing to run without support from labor 527s, which might be crucial to the Democrats? If not, how does he avoid having his own current words used against him by the Republican nominee?

Part of what happened here, I think, is that Mr. Obama, looking for a stick with which to beat an opponent who has lately acquired some momentum, either carelessly or cynically failed to think about how his rhetoric would affect the eventual ability of the Democratic nominee, whoever he or she is, to campaign effectively. In this sense, his latest gambit resembles his previous echoing of G.O.P. talking points on Social Security. . .

It may be partisan to say that a 527 run by labor unions supporting health care reform isn’t the same thing as a 527 run by insurance companies opposing it. But it’s also the simple truth.

Read the whole thing. . State of the Unions

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Michael Moore on the Death of Nataline Sarkisyan


"Today I call upon the Los Angeles district attorney to investigate and consider bringing criminal homicide charges against CIGNA Health Care for their role in the death of Nataline Sarkisyan. If their decision was one of incompetence, then manslaughter charges should be filed. If it was a premeditated decision -- where CIGNA knew in advance that Nataline would most likely die -- then their corporate officers should be arrested and the full extent of the law brought to bear upon them.

"This is one more example why we not only need universal health care for all our citizens, but also to eliminate the concept of private, profit-driven 'health care.' Nearly every candidate running for president has a plan that leaves companies like CIGNA in charge. This must not happen and I call upon the democratic frontrunners to show some spine and say so."
--Michael Moore


Fascists for Rudy!


Here's the American Conservative magazine's xmas present for liberals -- Rudy Giuliani dressed in fascist garb on the cover of a right-wing magazine. I know this looks like a liberal photo-shop job, but it is, in fact, Rudy in fascist garb on the actual cover of an actual conservative magazine.

It's not as becoming as Rudy's dresses, but we think it's more appropriate.

Fascists for Rudy!!!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Bush's Last Year, Let the Party Begin: You're So Lame George (Video)

You're So Lame, you won't get that this song is about you. . You're so lame even Republicans know that they should doubt you. . You were never very bright. . Now your time is running out. .


Obama Defends 'Present' Vote on Sexual Abuse Bill (Video)

Many argue that Obama gets a pass from the media or that Obama is the media's darling. But for some reason, the media is now looking at Obama's voting record. Critics argue that voting 'present' 130 times, as Obama did in the Illinois Senate, suggests a leadership problem. Obama offers something of an explanation in this video clip from MSNBC's Morning Joe show. An excerpt from the New York Times follows.

Obama on Voting 'Present'

Obama’s Vote in Illinois Was Often Just ‘Present’ -- He voted “present,” . . nearly 130 times as a state senator. . . Although a present vote is not unusual in Illinois, Mr. Obama’s use of it is being raised as he tries to distinguish himself as a leader who will take on the tough issues, even if it means telling people the “hard truths” they do not want to hear. . .

Mr. Obama did not vote yes or no on a bill that would allow certain victims of sexual crimes to petition judges to seal court records relating to their cases. He also voted present on a bill to impose stricter standards for evidence a judge is permitted to consider in imposing a criminal sentence.

On the sex crime bill, Mr. Obama cast the lone present vote in a 58-to-0 vote.

Mr. Obama’s campaign said he believed that the bill violated the First Amendment. The bill passed 112-0-0 in the House and 58-0-1 in the Senate.

. . Mr. Obama was also the sole present vote on a bill that easily passed the Senate that would require teaching respect for others in schools. He also voted present on a measure to prohibit sex-related shops from opening near schools or places of worship. It passed the Senate.

Friday, December 21, 2007

CIGNA: 'Claim Denied'-'Not Medically Necessary' - Girl Dies (Video)


CIGNA kills Nataline Sarkisyan -- This video condemning morally bankrupt or murderous CIGNA for putting profit before life was posted by Nataline Sarkisyan's brother before the 17 year old girl (pictured here) died because of CIGNA's greed.

There are no words loathsome enough to describe my feelings for CIGNA!

What we need is death to the insurance companies. That's called universal -- not-for-profit -- health care. That's called single payer. To date, not even one of the top Democratic presidential candidates supports single payer. They should be ashamed to call themselves progressive.

Update: The 2nd video is ABC News coverage after the girl's death: CIGNA under fire (via Michael Moore).

Cigna Health Denies My 17 yr old sister's Insurance Claim


ABC NEWS: CIGNA UNDER FIRE

Attorney Mark Geragos said he plans to ask the district attorney to press murder or manslaughter charges against Cigna HealthCare in the case. The insurer "maliciously killed her" because it did not want to bear the expense of her transplant and aftercare, Geragos said.

California nurses group says insurer CIGNA has 'blood on their hands'

Lawsuit Promised in Transplant Case -- Nataline Sarkisyan died Thursday at about 6 p.m. at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. . . Doctors at UCLA determined she needed a transplant and sent a letter to Cigna Corp.'s Cigna HealthCare on Dec. 11. The Philadelphia-based health insurance company denied payment for the transplant, saying the procedure was experimental and outside the scope of coverage.

Health Insurer To Be Charged With Teen's Murder: Geri Jenkins of the California Nurses Association said the teen had insurance, and medical providers felt comfortable performing the medical procedure. In that situation, the the insurer should defer to medical experts, she said.

"They have insurance, and there's no reason that the doctors' judgment should be overrided by a bean counter sitting there in an insurance office," Jenkins said.


PRAVDA, NEWS from RUSSIA: Girl dies due to CIGNA’s decision not to pay for liver transplant . . . CIGNA said in an e-mail statement before she died that there was a lack of medical evidence showing the procedure would work in Nataline's case.

See Michael Moore's SICKO -- start a revolution!
Photo of Nataline before she was murdered by CIGNA.
TGW: CIGNA Health Insurance Company Kills Teen Girl

CIGNA Health Insurance Company Kills Teen Girl


CIGNA turns a profit by letting teen-age girl die, sounds like murder to me.

Seventeen year old Nataline Sarkisyan has become the latest victim of America's greedy for-profit health care-less system.

CIGNA Insurance Company made some money by letting Nataline Sarkisyan die. As you can see, Nataline was a beautiful young girl.

Wasn't the morally bankrupt CIGNA one of the stars of Sicko?

California: A Northridge teenager awaiting a liver transplant died Thursday after she was pulled off of life support. CIGNA Insurance Company initially refused to cover the cost of the transplant for Natalee Sarkisian, saying the surgery was too experimental.

On Thursday, friends, family and members of a nurses association held a protest outside CIGNA headquarters in Glendale, urging the insurance company to reconsider. During the protest, Natalee's mother got word CIGNA had changed its mind and would make an exception for Natalee's surgery.

But the decision came too late for Natalee. Just after six o'clock tonight, her condition worsened. Natalee's family took her off life support and she passed away. Attorneys for the Sarkisian family may pursue legal action against CIGNA HealthCare.

Update: Videos and more, TWG -- CIGNA: 'Claim Denied'-'Not Medically Necessary' - Girl Dies (Videos)

Daily Kos: Cigna Rep acknowledges that our internet campaign made the difference. [UPDATED]
Murder By Spreadsheet: CIGNA Denies Claim and 17-Year-Old Will Die (action needed) BIG UPDATE!
CIGNA, In Switch, To Fund Transplant

Violent Protests in New Orleans Over Housing Demolition (Video)


Violent protests erupted inside and outside the New Orleans City Council meeting on housing demolition. Police used pepper spray and taser guns on the people who were locked out of the city council meeting. The City Hall boasts steel bars to keep 'we the people' out. After the people were locked out, the city council voted to demolish the housing. This is democracy? Below are two scary videos of the New Orleans Housing Demolition Protest / City Council Lockout.

NO Housing Demolition Protests In/Outside Council (5m)

NO Housing Protest Locked-Out of City Council(2m)

LA Times: Fury in New Orleans -- Protesters, police clash outside a City Council meeting where a plan to raze public housing is unanimously approved -- City Council members -- some sipping water, others leafing through file folders -- looked on impassively as a man was tasered, handcuffed and dragged from the council chambers.

Outside, dozens of locked-out people tried to force their way through iron gates and clashed with police, who used pepper spray and stun guns on them. One woman was taken away on a stretcher after being sprayed.

Inside, once it began, the meeting was orderly -- with a SWAT team standing between the City Council and the residents, lawyers, developers, preachers, rappers and sociologists who had come to voice their opinions on the city's public housing. . . Activists and preservationists have sharply criticized the government's proposal to raze the city's biggest public housing complexes when low-income housing is in short supply. . . Many talk of a conspiracy to purge the city of its poorest residents, pointing out the government will not replace all of the 4,500 public housing units it plans to demolish.

Facing South: Police gas demonstrators NOLA housing protest
TennViews: NOLA: police gassing, tasering protesters
WaPo: Battered N.O. OKs Razing Public Housing

Icelandic Woman's Welcome to Police State America: Read it and Weep


A young blonde Icelandic woman writes on an Icelandic blog about her recent police state experience in the United States:

During the last twenty-four hours I have probably experienced the greatest humiliation to which I have ever been subjected. During these last twenty-four hours I have been handcuffed and chained, denied the chance to sleep, been without food and drink and been confined to a place without anyone knowing my whereabouts, imprisoned. Now I am beginning to try to understand all this, rest and review the events which began as innocently as possible.

Ah yes, America the land of leg chains and handcuffs. Like I heard someone on cable news say last night, we now know that George Orwell was a miserable hack in light of what goes on in America today. Many thanks to traitors George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and the loathsome Republican Party.

Read more of Eva Ósk Arnardóttir's story . .

via Andrew Sullivan

Liberty Street: Christmas in New York -- Don't Try It If You're a Foreigner

Matthew Yglesias: Welcome to America
No Fly Zone

Mitt Romney Lies About MLK


Once again, Mitt Romney has been caught telling lies. The GOP presidential contender told 2 national television audiences:

"I saw my father march with Martin Luther King."

But Mitt Romney was either hallucinating or lying. Mitt's dad did NOT march with MLK. So now the bullshit artist says it all depends on what the meaning of "saw" is:

A defensive Romney was peppered with questions today on exactly what he meant when he said -- most recently on Meet the Press -- that he "saw" his father march with Martin Luther King Jr. Recent articles have indicated that his father, the late Michigan Gov. George Romney, didn't march with the civil-rights leader.

Admitting that he didn't see the march with his own eyes, he said, "I 'saw' him in the figurative sense." . . . "The reference of seeing my father lead in civil rights," he said, "and seeing my father march with Martin Luther King is in the sense of this figurative awareness of and recognition of his leadership. . I've tried to be as accurate as I can be," he continued, smiling firmly. "If you look at the literature or look at the dictionary, the term 'saw' includes being aware of -- in the sense I've described."

The questioning did not relent. "I'm an English literature major," he insisted at one point. "When we say I saw the Patriots win the World Series, it doesn't necessarily mean you were there." (He meant the Super Bowl, of course.)

Boston Globe: Romney never saw father on King march
Crooks & Liars: Romney’s tall tale about MLK
The Corner: To See Or Not To See
YouTube: Romney Has A Truth Problem