Doctor's group's mixed feelings on judge's Obamacare ruling

The congressional liaison for a group of physicians that has been pushing for universal health care says she opposes a judge’s ruling striking down the health reform act that passed Congress late last year, even as she strives to replace it with a universal health care plan.

Dr. Margaret Flowers, in an interview with Gary Baumgarten on News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network, decried Federal Judge Roger Vinson’s ruling striking down the law as unconstitutional.

Physicians for a National Health Program, Flowers says, “does not advocate taking away the law that was passed last year.”

But she says, the new law falls far short of her organization’s goals.

“We realize that it doesn’t address the fundamental problems that we have.”

Flowers says her organization of 18,000 doctors supports single-payer national health insurance. Something that it will continue to push for – both on a national and on a state level.

The law remains in effect until Vinson’s ruling is appealed – most likely, eventually, to the U.S. Supreme Court

Egyptians getting mixed signals from the United States

The United States’ decade’s-long policy toward Egypt is coming into focus as massive protests that are calling for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak enter their second week.

Foreign policy expert Robert Naiman, in an interview with Gary Baumgarten on News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network, said that, because of the billions of dollars in aid the United States has given their government, Egyptians view the stabliity of the Mubarak government as being the result of U.S. government policy.

“Last week … Vice President Biden and Secretary (of State Hillary) Clinton … said the Egyptian government was stable,” Naiman said.

“Biden said Mubark’s not a dictator. These statements have been interpretted in Egypt as U.S. support for … maintaining the Mubarak regime.”

More recently, Clinton and President Obama have been using the term “transition” when talking about Egypt, sending a different message to both the government and the people in the streets.

Poll: GOP should listen to Tea Party

By Anna Garcia

About 7 in 10 national adults, including 88% of Republicans, say it is important that Republican leaders in Congress take the Tea Party movement's positions and objectives into account as they address the nation's problems. 


Among Republicans, 53% rate this "very important," a new Gallup poll finds.

Gates releases 3rd annual letter

Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, argues the case for polio eradication and expanded childhood immunization in his third annual letter released today.

The letter, a personal account of his priorities, also calls on governments to invest in foreign aid, even in the face of a tough economic climate.

Will Egypt's next government be controlled by Iran?

ISRAEL TODAY


JERUSALEM - Egypt could soon go the way of Lebanon in becoming a satellite or close ally of Iran if the current street demonstrations succeed in toppling the government of President Hosni Mubarak.

Until now, the week-long protests have lacked a clear leader, someone to take over should Mubarak fall. But Mohammed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency is busy setting himself up as just such a leader.

ElBaradei openly backed and took part in the demonstrations over the weekend, quickly earning him the support and admiration of most of the protesters.

ElBaradei is a clean-cut diplomat with extensive ties to the international community. But Malcom Hoenlein of the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations warned everyone not to be fooled.

In an interview with Yeshiva World News, Hoenlein accused ElBaradei of being a “stooge of Iran.” Hoenlein noted that during his years as head of the IAEA, ElBaradei worked tirelessly to oppose Western sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program. ElBaradei adopted and championed the Iranian line that its nuclear program was purely civilian in nature.

His successors later acknowledged that ElBaradei’s reports were not accurate.

U.S. sanctions Belarus

The United States  today announced measures to respond to the brutal crackdown by President Alexander Lukashenka and the government of Belarus in the wake of the presidential election of December 19, 2010.

"The disproportionate use of force and initial detentions of hundreds of demonstrators; charging of five opposition presidential candidates; ongoing raids against civil society, media and political parties; the closure of the OSCE’s office in Minsk; and a flawed vote count all represent major steps backwards for the country. These actions oblige the United States and others in the international community to act," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a statement. “The people of Belarus deserve better.”

Mother of all snowstorms bearing down on Midwest

If you're in the Southeast - stay there. Because to travel anywhere else puts you in the eye of the next blizzard to hit the United States.

This one started on the West Coast and picked up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. It will unleash its fury mainly across the Midwest - with up to two feet of snow possible west of and into Chicago.

The hard-hit Northeast can expect a mixture of snow and rain and ice.

Dems meet to try to salvage Obamacare

Democrats gathered Friday at a conference that they billed Health Action 2011 to try to find ways to protect the Health Reform Act passed during the last Congress from an assault by the Republican Party.

The GOP controlled House voted to repeal the bill recently - but the Republcans know they lack the votes in the Senate to win a full repeal. So now that they've made their symbolic gesture, they're trying to dismantle it piece by piece.

The conference was called to try to stem that effort.

Talk Radio News Service Washington bureau chief Ellen Ratner, who attended the two-day conference, says organizers are trying to get constituents to influence their representatives in Congress to protect health reform.

Speaking with Gary Baumgarten on News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network, Ratner said that, in her own case, she is precluded from a group plan because of a pre-existing condition, and is paying more than $1,760 a month in health care

"It costs me more for health insurance ... than it does for me to pay my rent in Washington, D.C.," she said. "That's not right."

Kent State Middle East expert: ‘Mubarak has played his hand into a corner’

The continuing protests in Egypt was analyzed by Kent State University political science professor and Middle East expert Joshua Stacher.on News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network.

In an interview with host Gary Baumgarten, Stacher said control of Egypt is in flux.

"The protests are incredible because they are unified under the utter hatred about the way people were treated in Egypt," he said.

Stacher says he found it unsurprising that police officers have been taking their badges off and have been joining the protesters.

"They really were not treated well," he said of the police. "So it's not suprising ... that many of them have jumped ship."

That President Hosni Mubarak was forced to call the military shows a political weakness as well, Stacher said.

"I think Mubarak has probably played his hand into a corner."

Full coverage at www.reportergary.com

Scores of antisemitic books published in Iran

By Daniel Ullrich, Threedots

By GARY BAUMGARTEN

The Iranian leadership can’t stomach saying the word “Israel.” Instead, they refer to Israel as the “Zionist state.”

They do this for two reasons.

First, they don’t want to acknowledge even the existence of the state of Israel. Secondly, if they call Israel the Zionist, rather than the Jewish state, they hope they can avoid being labeled antisemites.

But the proof of the regime’s tolerance for Jews is in, not the pudding, but in the books.

The Aladdin Project, which seeks to build bridges between Jews and Muslims, says that, in the last International Book Fair in Tehran, there were, on display,160 volumes that were strongly antisemitic in content.

The books weren’t all just published last year. They date back to 2005. But their inclusion in the fair symbolizes the regime’s intolerance for religious tolerance.

And yes, among the tones on display, the long-ago discredited and still often referred to by those who wish to justify blood libel against Jews Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

There were more contemporary offerings too, the Aladdin Project notes, like the spiffy Death of a Myth: Views of President Ahmadinejad on the Holocaust. Published by the office of the Iranian Education ministry, this “text book” is being disseminated into schools across the land. To indoctrinate the young minds of Iran into President Mahmoud Ahmdinejad’s revisionist “history” into a Holocaust that he labels a myth.

The Aladdin Project says it took care to only list those books that were particularly egregious in their antisemitism. Many others that had significant antisemitic content were excluded from the list.

Next time someone tries to tell you that Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader didn’t really mean to say that Israel should be eliminated from the face of the Earth, that the people who translated the Farsi were either mistaken, unschooled in the language or had a hidden agenda, remember this report.

–

Gary Baumgarten is news and programing director at the Paltalk News Networkwhere you can talk to him at 5 PM New York time Monday-Friday.

Much more to come from WikiLeaks

By GARY BAUMGARTEN

All’s been quiet on the WikiLeaks front for a couple of weeks now – but that doesn’t mean the whistleblower site has run out of ammunition to leak.

According to the Associated Press, WikiLeaks has only released 1 percent of the U.S. State Department diplomatic cables in its possession.

If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be prudent for the U.S. government to attempt legal action to preclude the further release of what it says is its stolen property?

At least that would clarify, in the minds of us all, the legality of what WikiLeaks is doing.

If it’s legal for it to obtain and release the information – the court will so-rule and its founder, Julian Assange, might no longer fear that he would face criminal prosecution in the United States.

If the court rules it is illegal to release the information – it might constrain WikiLeaks from doing so.

An analogy could be made to the Pentagon Papers. The government challenged, in court, the reporting of the papers, which it similarly argued were illegally obtained by the New York Times. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that to preclude their publication would constitute prior restraint and would infringe on the First Amendment. After the ruling, the Times reported on them.

The nation did not, as the Pentagon had feared, collapse under the revelation of these state secrets. To the contrary, Americans got a better look at how the Johnson administration had lied to the public to better entrench the United States in the Vietnam War.

Our innocence, as a nation, ended with that – and the people became more aware of how government works behind closed doors – how the very people we elect – even those to the highest office of the land – will lie to the people they’ve taken an oath to serve to get their way.

History will judge whether WikiLeaks is providing a service or undermining national security – just as history is judging now the effects on national security of the release of the Pentagon Papers in 1971.

There are differences, of course, between those leaks and today’s. Today there is no Mike Gravel in Congress.

Gravel (D-AK),  read the Pentagon Papers into the congressional record to ensure that they would be  publicly debated. Perhaps if a member of Congress has similar courage today to do likewise, the cables in WikiLeaks possession can be read on the floor  - making them a matter of public record as well.

–

Gary Baumgarten is news and programming director at the Paltalk News Network.

BMA bemoans proposed NHS cuts

                                          

British Prime Minister David Cameron is taking the National Health Service to the chopping block - a victim of the government's austerity efforts due to the financial crisis in the UK. But the British Medical Association is arguing that if cuts are necessary - they should be found someplace else.

“Ploughing ahead with these changes as they stand, at such speed, at a time of huge financial pressures, and when NHS staff and experts have so many concerns, is a massive gamble," argues Dr. Hamish Meldrum, the BMA's chairman.

“The BMA supports greater involvement of clinicians in planning and shaping NHS services, but the benefits that clinician-led commissioning can bring are threatened by other parts of the bill. In particular, the legislation will allow competition to be forced on commissioners, even when they believe the best and most appropriate services can be provided by local hospitals."

Taking these decisions out of the hands of the hospitals and putting them in the hands of commissioners, Meldrum argues, could destabilize local health economies and "fragment care for patients."

Cameron wants price competition to be added to medical conditions in the hope that the market will keep costs down. Meldrum opposes this as well, saying that it would give large companies unfair advantage over local providers - further harming - he says - the local and regional medical economies.

Healthcare repeal and cutting government spending - Air date Jan. 18, 2011

Talk Radio News Service Washington correspondent Justin Duckham talks with Gary Baumgarten on News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network about the Republican's efforts in the House to repeal Obamacare and their attempts to cut government spending.

How to bring civility to public discourse - Air date Jan. 18, 2011

President Obama has asked, and there have been pledges from both sides of the aisle, to bring a degree of civility into the public discourse. But how to achieve it?

Gary Baumgarten speaks with author and behavioral expert Beverly Flaxington about her five secrets about human behavior which - she believes - gives insight on how to get there.

Commentary on 'Kill a Jew Day' - Air date Jan. 17, 2011

Gary Baumgarten reports on the appearance of a 'Kill a Jew Day' even page on Facebook over the weekend and the combined efforts of many people to report the abuse to Facebook and to the FBI - resulting in it being taken down and promises of a federal investigation.

Vandalism of Jewish institutions in Montreal discussed - Air date Jan. 17, 2011

Over the weekend, four synagogues and one Jewish school in Montreal were vandalized - the latest in a series of attacks on Jewish institutions in that city.

Gary Baumgarten speaks on News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network with a caller who is familiar with the synagogues and the attacks.

'Kill a Jew Day' discussed - Air date Jan. 17, 2011

On Sunday, some crazied people put together what they called a "Kill a Jew Day" event on Facebook - the event to coincide with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

On the one hand, there were disgusting comments in support of the idea. But, more encouraging, a flurry of comments posted in protest - and numerous reports of abuse over the page to Facebook and to the FBI

'Kill a Jew Day' page on Facebook taken down

Update:  Site was taken down around 7:30 PM New York time Jan. 16, 2011

A site that promotes the killing of Jews has appeared on Facebook.

Complaints have been filed with the social networking site as well as with the FBI.

The site calls for people to go anywhere Jews congregate on Martin Luther King Day and kill them.

McCain shows support for Obama speech signaling hope for a more respectful tone in DC

By GARY BAUMGARTEN

President Obama called for a more civil tone in American politics in the wake of the Tuscon shootings a little over a week ago.

Now, his Republican opponent in the last race for president, Arizona Sen. John McCain, is not only giving the president’s remarks at the memorial in Tuscon high marks – but he’s calling Obama a “patriot.”

It’s the kind of signal that needs to be set as we enter a new round of electioneering for president.

There are those who will argue that there’s no indication that the shootings in Tuscon were touched off by the political rhetoric in the nation. Fair enough. Even the president recognizes this.

But clearly, he has long been concerned about the tone of the debate.

It started during the presidential campaign – when his citizenship, his religious beliefs and his loyalty to the nation were brought into question.

It reached a crescendo during the debate over health reform. People were shouted down at congressional town hall meetings. Some people protested outside the meetings and events attended by the president, displaying firearms, to make the point that they would protect their 2nd Amendment rights against some unknown and unseen attack.

The Secret Service doesn’t talk too much about these things, but there have been a record number of threats against the president of the United States. Without question, the political rhetoric, even if it didn’t contribute to the Tuscon tragedy, needs to be toned down.

Even those Republicans who have fired vitriolic verbal missiles at Democrats in the past must be getting the message now. A member of Congress is in critical condition. And Sarah Palin is getting death threats in the wake of the shooting.

There are those who are now sounding the alarm that their First Amendment rights are being threatened. No one is suggesting that people shouldn’t argue passionately about their views.  The president is merely suggesting that we be cautious about the words we choose, so as to not be inflammatory.

The suggestion that we can disagree without being disagreeable – that we can have opposite points of view while remaining friends – is a good one. It’s a healthy path to take.

McCain should be applauded for showing a leadership role. So should . Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) who is pledging to cross the aisle and sit with his Republican colleagues during the January 25 State of the Union address.

Let’s hope the rest of the nation – starting with the politicians and talk show hosts – takes a cue from Obama, McCain and Udall.

–

Gary Baumgarten is news and programming director at the Paltalk News Network.

Threats on Sarah Palin's life - Air date Jan. 14, 2011

Threats on the life of Sarah Palin, after President Obama called for more civility in the public discourse, were discussed by callers to Gary Baumgarten, host of News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network.

A new leader for the GOP - Air date Jan. 14, 2010

Talk Rado News Service Washington correspondent Justin Duckham talks with Gary Baumgarten on News Talk Online on the Paltalk News Network about Michael Steele taking his name out of contention in the race for RNC chairman - replaced in a subsequent vote by Reince Priebus.

Duckham also discussed Sarah Palin's video response to criticism of her campaign ads following the Tuscon shootings, and whether her use of the term "blood libel" now makes her no longer a viable candidate.

President Obama's call for civility ignored by those threatening Sarah Palin - Air date Jan. 14, 2011

Some people on both sides of the political spectrum obviously didn't take President Obama's admonition this week for a more civil political discourse following the shootings in Tuscon - some are responding by threatening the life of Sarah Palin

Clearly not everyone has gotten the president's message about civility

White House photo by Pete Souza

By GARY BAUMGARTEN

I guess when you’re president of the United States, everything you say is suspect.

When President Obama addressed the memorial service for those killed in the Tuscon shootings Saturday, he was roundly accused by detractors for taking political advantage of the tragedy.

His uplifting comments about Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ opening her eyes shortly after he and first lady Michelle Obama visited her hospital room was interpreted by some as his declaring himself a messiah or god. And his comments about civility were also analyzed by detractors as an implied attack on the right. Why doesn’t he speak up, they asked, when it’s the left that’s being uncivil.

Yet, his remarks didn’t single out one side or the other. In fact, he was careful to not ascribe political rhetoric for what happened in Tuscon.

Still, his remarks seem appropriate to me. It’s time to bring things down a notch or two, before another tragedy takes place – perhaps one that is sparked by the words of politicians and pundits.

Which brings me to Sarah Palin.

There are those, myself included, who feel that Palin’s campaign piece “targeting” the congressional districts of certain Democrats, including Giffords, with bullseyes, was irresponsible. Not to say that there was a cause and effect. Just saying that this kind of rhetoric could, perhaps, be misinterpreted by an unstable person as a signal to do something horrific.

Palin clearly bristled at that suggestion – and released a YouTube video accusing her critics of “blood libel.” Something that clearly doesn’t endear her to Jewish voters – who all-too-well know the real definition of the phrase.

But now, something’s happening that should cause those Obama detractors who reacted to Obama’s call for civility with disdain, to take notice. Palin has been the target of death threats on Twitter. Direct, unambiguous threats.

One would think that those who criticized Obama would now understand why he made those all-too-important remarks in Tuscon. But sadly many don’t. They just use this now as a reason to say, “see, it’s the liberals who are spewing hate, not conservatives.”

Don’t take my word for it. Just look at the 3,000 comments to the Fox News Channel story about the threats on Palin’s life.

What we are seeing here is partisanship at its worse. At times of crisis and tragedy, the nation typically puts partisanship aside and comes together as one. But not now. Both liberals and conservatives are trying to own this tragedy. To blame the other side for the toxic political atmosphere in the United States.

Some members of Congress are pledging to cross the aisle and sit with members of the other party during the president’s State of the Union address January 25. It’s a good, symbolic first step. Let’s see if they’re still crossing the aisle on January 26.