Jack Cassell = Idiot

Another right-wing idiot unmasked.

CASSELL'S CRASS CONFUSION.... Dr. Jack Cassell, an Orlando-area urologist and part-time Republican crank, probably couldn't have imagined what he was getting himself into.


This week, Cassell's medical office posted a sign for patients and their families: "If you voted for Obama...seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your healthcare begin right now, not in four years."


The ethically-challenged physician told the Orlando Sentinel he wouldn't deny care to patients who support the president, but Casell wants those patients to feel unwelcome and seek medical treatment from doctors who don't care how they voted.


Since the Sentinel's piece was published on Friday morning, news of the doctor who puts his partisanship ahead of his patients spread very quickly. Over the last 48 hours, I've seen reports on Cassell's bizarre antics on CNN, Fox News, the New York Times, the LA Times, and elsewhere. Even in hyper-partisan times, medical professionals aren't supposed to cross lines of professionalism like this, and the story seems to have struck a chord.


But perhaps the most important coverage was an interview between Cassell and Alan Colmes on the radio Friday night. The host tried to get a better sense of why, exactly, Cassell hates the Affordable Care Act so much. The urologist specifically argued that officials, in light of the new law, are "cutting all supportive care, like nursing homes, ambulance services."

Colmes: What do you mean they're cutting nursing homes?


Cassell: They're cutting nursing home reimbursements.


Colmes: Isn't what they're cutting under the Medicare plan what was really double dipping; they were getting credits and they were getting to deduct them at the same time.


Cassell: Well you know, I can't tell you exactly what the deal is. [emphasis added]


Colmes: If you can't tell us exactly what the deal is, why are you opposing it and fighting against it?

What a good question. Cassell struggled to explain himself, saying he'd seen some things "online," and adding that the information he needs to understand the law "should be available to me."

Of course, the information is available to him, and has been for months. Cassell chose not to do his homework before driving patients away -- patients who, it turns out, may know a lot more than he does about the law he claims to hate.

This is painfully common -- some of the loudest, angriest critics of the Affordable Care Act are also some of the least informed, most confused, embarrassingly ignorant observers anywhere. In this case, Cassell has become a national joke because he's repulsed by a health care reform plan that he fully admits he doesn't understand.

It'd be funny if it weren't so pathetic.

Post Script: For the record, Cassell's rhetoric about "cutting nursing homes" notwithstanding, the National Association of Home Care and Hospice praised the Democratic plan.

Go here for the original.

Chuckles

One simply has to laugh. Or go nuts.

The Week's Best Late-Night Jokes

"What a week in Washington. They passed health care, they're talking about immigration reform, it looks like they've ended 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' and they're legalizing marijuana. Let me tell you something, if you're a gay drug dealer from Mexico who snuck across the border for free health care so you could join the Navy, this is the greatest year of your life." -Jay Leno

"Of course, a lot of right wingers are very upset about this because they believe this health care bill will cost a lot of money. You know what I think? Just pretend it's another unnecessary war. You'll feel better about it already." -Jay Leno

"Anti-health care reform protesters outside the Capitol were downright vicious. They yelled the N-word at black legislators, they yelled the F-word at gay legislators, they yelled the W-word at Latino legislators. It was like the Sesame Street of hate." -Jimmy Kimmel

"A new Harris poll found that 57 percent of Republicans believe President Obama is a Muslim -- 57 percent. 45 percent believe he was not born in the United States. 38 percent feel he's, quote, 'doing many of the things that Hitler did.' And 24 percent believe he may be the Antichrist. Oh, like Oprah would date the Antichrist." -Jimmy Kimmel

"Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush traveled to Haiti this week to talk about the country's long-term recovery plan. It was a departure for President Bush. It's unusual for him to visit a disaster of this scope and magnitude that wasn't his fault." -Jimmy Kimmel

'As you can imagine, the Republicans are taking the defeat well. About as well as Tiger Woods took to marriage ...This week was one giant-kid-screaming-in-the-cereal-aisle tantrum. From the right, there were death threats, there were obscene phone messages, breaking windows, cutting gas lines. One congressman walked outside his house this morning and there was a Toyota in his driveway." -Bill Maher

"There's a Democratic congressman, Russ Carnahan. He walked out on his lawn this morning and there was a coffin there. I am not kidding. And if you think that's creepy, when the lid opened, it was Dick Cheney." -Bill Maher

"I want to just take a moment to thank the Teabaggers. Thank you so much for helping us pass health care, for resurrecting the Obama presidency. I know they're saying, 'Why are you thanking me? I was so against it, I marched on Washington with tea bags hanging off my Founding Fathers costume, with a gun on my hip and a picture of Obama dressed as Hitler, screaming about his birth certificate.' And America saw that and said, 'I think I'll go with the calm black man.'" -Bill Maher

"To help sell the health care plan to the American people, President Obama said it's the same plan Congress has. See, I think that's a mistake. I think that's why a lot of people opposed it. Have you seen members of Congress? Do they look healthy to you? Anybody here want to be as fat as Barney Frank? Huh? You want to be as orange as John Boehner? I don't think so." -Jay Leno

"Well, as you know, health care reform was passed by the House last night. Supporters of the bill say the American people now get the same health benefits members of Congress get, which is great. See, if we can just get some of those other perks -- the free travel, the envelopes with the cash in them, the get-out-of-jail-free cards -- oh, all of that could be great." -Jay Leno

"John McCain said that there will be no cooperation from Republicans for the rest of the year. So that should be good for the country. What a shame to see all that cooperating end, you know? This is like the coyote announcing he's no longer cooperating with the road runner." -Jimmy Kimmel

"Oh, hey, are you ready for the 2010 census? It's going to be complicated this year. So the government should have patience. Here's part of the problem: Most Americans count as two." -David Letterman

"Have you filled out a census form? Here's the deal: 10 questions in 10 minutes. That's what they're saying. Coincidentally, that is how John McCain chose his running mate." -David Letterman

"Sarah Palin spoke out this week against the health care reform bill, saying, 'Elections have consequences.' Well, of course, elections have consequences. That's why right now, instead of being vice president of the United States, she's trying to get a reality show on the Animal Planet." -Jay Leno

"The FBI is investigating threats against Democratic members of Congress who voted against the health care bill ... Some Democrats are accusing Sarah Palin of encouraging violence because of her Facebook page. Her slogan is 'Don't Retreat, Reload.' And you can see on the map, she has gun sights targeting the 20 politicians she wants gone in the crosshairs there. One of her advisers today said Sarah Palin has been vocal about condemning violence. Yeah, tell that to the 100 moose, 40 caribou, eight raccoons, and Piper's guinea pig that she shot last week." -Jimmy Kimmel

"Over the weekend, tens of thousands of illegal immigrants rallied across the country demanding a path to citizenship. Don't we have a path to citizenship? It's called the San Diego Freeway." -Jay Leno

"James Cameron, who directed 'Avatar,' is in a feud with Glenn Beck, because Cameron called him a mad man. The two are very different. One makes millions creating fictional stories, and the other is James Cameron." -Craig Ferguson

"Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison said that women senators don't cheat on their husbands because they don't have the time. That's what I love about politicians. There's no moral problem with adultery, it's just a matter of scheduling and multitasking." -Jay Leno

"Well, today, President Obama signed the landmark health care reform bill into law, or as President Obama refers to it, 'The Rush Limbaugh Deportation Act.'" -Jay Leno

"I'll tell you how excited the president is. Today, he changed his slogan from 'Yes, we can,' to 'Yes, we finally did something.'" -Jay Leno

"Of course, the White House is now denying it made any side deals with members of Congress to pass this bill. See, I don't know if that's true. Did you see Mount Rushmore today? They're adding Dennis Kucinich's face to it." -Jay Leno

"Of course, this all couldn't have been done without the help of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. And today, the president thanked her for her unblinking support. Actually, Nancy Pelosi used the Internet to help gain support for this. She reached out to people on her favorite social networking site, Icantmovemyfacebook.com." -Jay Leno

"I have been thinking about the healthcare problem and how to pay for healthcare. If you took all the money the Republicans have spent trying to stop healthcare and all the money Democrats have spent trying to get healthcare, we could afford healthcare." -Jimmy Fallon

"During a fundraising trip to California, some young Republicans took the Republican Party credit card to a club in Hollywood that has nude dancers doing bondage shows. Usually when Republicans find themselves in dark rooms with whips and chains, it's in Dick Cheney's basement." -Craig Ferguson

"Republican donors aren't happy about this. It's not fair that rich Republicans spend huge amounts of money at sex clubs and poor Republicans have to go to airport bathrooms." -Craig Ferguson

"The Republican National Committee is in trouble after it was revealed that they spent two thousand dollars at a West Hollywood bondage themed nightclub with topless dancers and imitation lesbian sex acts. And they are the family values party. Makes you wonder what the Democrats are doing, doesn't it?" -Jay Leno

"President Obama, big surprise visit to see the folks in Afghanistan. ... Obama demanded more accountability. He said we got to have more accountability, we got to have a crackdown on corruption; we have to have a better government. And he said if it works in Afghanistan, we're going to try it back home in the United States." -David Letterman

"Some people aren't sending their census forms because they're angry at the government, which is dumb because the census is how we figure out who gets represented. So if you don't send in your form, your state gets fewer congressmen. Which, come to think of it, maybe none of us should send in our forms because no congressmen seems like the perfect number, really." -Jimmy Kimmel


"President Obama made a surprise visit to Afghanistan this past weekend. I guess after the last 14 months in Washington, he wanted to go someplace where there was less fighting." -Jay Leno

"The healthcare bill finally passed. Now that it's over, I hope the name calling will end. And Congress can get back to what it does best ... sex scandals." -Craig Ferguson

"Hey, you guys, baseball season starts next week. And President Obama is going to throw out the first pitch at the Nationals game. Meanwhile, Joe Biden will be on hand to make the first error." -Jimmy Fallon

"Former Gov. Sarah Palin has been very busy. She's been campaigning for select Republicans, including John McCain, who's in the middle of a tough Senate race in Arizona. How does he introduce her? 'And now, the young woman who cost me the presidency, Sarah Palin!"' -Jimmy Kimmel

"You guys hear about this? Sarah Palin has a new Fox News series, which is being described as a show about people with real-life tales of overcoming adversity. Hey, she should do a story about that guy who became the first black president. That would be a good story. Think about that one." -Jimmy Fallon

Home Repairs

Months ago we smelled something

Unlike any other

Something was dead

You know the smell

It's unique, like everything else

We never knew what it was

Until...

Why is it taking so long?

And they're still damp?

Something was wrong

With our fabulous dryer

I pulled it out

Away from the wall

And crawled behind

Unhook the vent

What is it?

Oh look, it's a bird

A very dead bird

Stuck in the vent
Remember the smell.

This bird no longer smells

No longer smells like hell

As if there was a hell

Which there isn't.

We called up Sears

They sent a guy

He did some tests

"You're dryer's fine"

"You found a bird?

I'm not surprised

I see it like this

All the time"

They use their beak

To open the vent

And climb inside
And build a nest
And lay their eggs

Where they're safe and warm

I bet there's a nest

Inside your vent

Inside the wall

That's 40 feet tall

Our wall is tall

It's 50 foot tall

It ain't too straight

But it sure is tall

The bird in the vent

Had to crawl and crawl

15 feet east

Then an 8 foot drop

Then a twist and a turn

To finally get stuck

At the back of the dryer

And die

What a way to go.

The vent is there

Near the top

Of the 50 foot wall

There's no ladder

To bring

That's safe enough

To reach that high

Unless you're a fireman

Maybe if I told them my cat was in there...

When I was younger

And still in school

I studied it all

Like rapelling a wall

It's something I thought I'd never need to do...
Just for fun.

Now it's the only way

To reach the vent

Unless I hire

A mighty lift

For 400 dollars a day

I heard of this guy

Who's not all there

He likes to hang

Way up in the air

He uses a rope

To go over the side

And lowers himself

On a plank, what a ride.

On the way down

He stops at the vent

He pries it open

And looks inside

It's a really big nest

And fabric and sticks

And ribbons and fur

It's a really big nest
Or it was....

Now, we have our dryer back!

Toon time

Some of the best Toons from 2010 so far...(click them to make them bigger and open a new window)

162K jobs added

Well, well well.  Speaking of "turning the corner," it looks like the economy is finally recovering from the pathetic misadministration of that frat-boy asshole Bush.   The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in March.  I'm sure that the rightwingnuts will find something to condemn in this report: it's not fast enough!  If McCain and Palin had been elected, we'd have MILLIONS of new jobs by now!  Obama is a NAZI!!!  He wasn't born here!  He has a MOLE his face!!  Waaah! 

We still have a long way to go to repair the Bush damage to the economy.   But at least we're moving in the right direction.

Shit, when Bush and Cheney and the scurrilous SCOTUS stole the election of 2000, we on the left cursed, gritted our teeth and rode it out.  We didn't toss bricks through windows, or make death threats to Congresspeople, or mail white powder to anyone, or send a shredded US flag soaked in gasoline to anyone.  We DID have a few peaceful marches and call Bush all kinds of names and deservedly so, the punk, but I have never before seen such childish behavior by so many people as we see coming from the right.  It's shameful and embarrassing.

Obama isn't perfect.  Far from it.  He should have pressed for a single-payer health option, closed Gitmo, prosecuted the Bush Gang of Thugs, slapped some hard new financial regs on Wall Street, etc.  But he is light-years better than Bush.  And yet, these rubes and yahoos on the right want to go back to another Presidency like Bush's.  They are certifiably insane.  Greedily, stupidly insane.

Oh yeah, the story...

162,000 jobs added in March, most in 3 years



Unemployment rate stays unchanged at 9.7 percent for third month in row
 
WASHINGTON - The U.S. economy posted its largest job gain in three years in March, while the unemployment rate remained at 9.7 percent for the third straight month.


The increase is the latest sign that the economic recovery is sustainable and healing in the job market is beginning. Still, the healing is likely to be slow, and most economists don't expect job creation to be fast enough this year to rapidly reduce the unemployment rate.

The Labor Department said employers added 162,000 jobs in March, the most since the recession began but below analysts' expectations of 190,000. The total includes 48,000 temporary workers hired for the U.S. Census, also fewer than many economists forecast.

Private employers added 123,000 jobs, the most since May 2007.


Manufacturers added 17,000 jobs, the third straight month of gains. Temporary help services added 40,000, while health care added 37,000. Leisure and hospitality added 22,000.

Even the beleaguered construction industry added 15,000 positions, though that likely reflects a rebound from February, when major snowstorms may have kept many construction workers off payrolls.

The average work week increased to 34 hours from 33.9, a positive sign. Most employers are likely to work current employees longer before they hire new workers.

The department also revised January's job total to show a gain of 14,000, up from a loss of 26,000. February's job numbers was also revised higher by 22,000.

Still, more Americans said they were working part-time even though they preferred full-time work. When they and discouraged workers who have given up searching for jobs are included, the "underemployment" rate ticked up to 16.9 percent from 16.8 percent.

You can find the original here, with all those beautiful adverts and pop-ups.

April Stargazing

The season is turning, the trees are leafing, the flowers are blooming, and the sky at night is still mysterious and full of wonder.

Happy silly religious holiday everyone!  Let's go hunt some eggs!

Stargazing Summary

The favorite constellations of the season spring into view in the early evening this month. Leo is well up in the east at nightfall, with Regulus, his bright heart, leading the way. A curved pattern known as the Sickle, which outlines the lion's head and mane, is to the left of Regulus. Virgo is low in the sky at nightfall but quickly climbs to prominence, highlighted by Spica. A pair of planets puts on a good show in the west shortly after sunset. Brilliant Venus will remain in view throughout the month, with Mercury scooting close to it in the middle of the month.

More stargazing information: http://stardate.org/nightsky/weekly.php


Radio Program Highlights
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April 1-4: Four plus two. Four planets are visible in the evening sky this week, and we'll tell you when and where to look. And we'll also point out two dippers. Plus stars that are too hot for their own good.

April 2:  Four of the five planets that are visible to the unaided eye are in sight at the same time early this evening. Venus, the "evening star," is low in the west at sunset, with fainter Mercury to its lower right. Orange Mars stands high in the south, with golden Saturn climbing skyward in the east.


April 3: The Big Dipper is high in the northeast this evening. It appears to "pour" its contents toward the northern horizon and into the Little Dipper. This fainter dipper is anchored by Polaris, the North Star, which is at the end of the dipper's handle.


April 4:  Polaris, the North Star, anchors the northern sky. It also anchors the Little Dipper. At nightfall, the dipper stretches roughly parallel to the northern horizon, with Polaris at the tip of the handle and the bowl to its right.


April 5:  The planets Venus and Mercury are low in the west as night begins to fall the next few evenings. Venus is the brilliant "evening star." Much fainter Mercury is just a little to the lower right of Venus.


April 5-11: Hot planets. The two hottest planets in the solar system -- the only two planets that are closer to the Sun than Earth is -- huddle close together in the evening twilight this week. Join us for Mercury and Venus.


April 6:  The planet stands quite close to Venus, the brilliant "evening star," early tonight. They pop into view low in the west not long after sunset. Mercury is just to the lower right of Venus and looks like a fairly bright star.


April 7:  Look for the planet Venus low in the west just after sunset. It's the brilliant "evening star." And it has a bright companion: the planet Mercury, which is just a bit to its right.


April 8:  Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, slides across the southwest this evening. The star is well up in the south-southwest as darkness falls, and sets by around midnight. It twinkles fiercely as it drops nearer the horizon.


April 12-18: Listening in. The first try at hearing radio signals from other civilizations took place 50 years ago this week, and we'll talk about the effort and its target stars. Join us for Project Ozma and much more.


April 19-25: Moon, Mars, and meteors. The planet Mars, which glows bright orange, huddles close to the Moon this week, and we'll have details. And we'll also talk about a faint but fickle meteor shower.


April 26-30: Planets galore. The roster of planets outside our solar system includes several worlds that are sort of like Earth -- including one that's in the right zone for life. Join us for worlds beyond the solar system.


April Program Schedule: http://stardate.org/radio/calendars


Find an Affiliate: http://stardate.org/radio/affiliates.php