Joe Conason Cuts Through Some of the Hackery on Lou Dobbs' Show
I really don’t know how Joe Conason can manage to sit through these panel segments on Lou Dobbs’ show, but it’s nice to see him on there to dispel some of the right-wing talking points being thrown around by Dobbs and the other guests. He does a good job countering KellyAnne Conway on the Republicans' newfound love of Medicare, and Dobbs for downplaying some of the profits of the larger insurance companies.
He may not have known that Dobbs was parroting Glenn Beck at the end of the segment. Dobbs needs to just move on over to ClusterFox and get it over with.
CONWAY: The opt out is a canard because if you really want people—if you really want to provide an opt out, allow small business owners to opt out. This administration's policies have been an assault on small business owners, believe me, and or allow seniors to opt out of the cuts in Medicare which are currently on the table.
CONASON: Cuts in the private Medicare.
CONWAY: But Joe it's huge. When people hear it, they think it’s mostly a bad idea.
CONASON: We should discuss what that really is.
CONWAY: Go ahead because, again—explain the differences.
CONASON: It's the $500 billion in cuts. It’s to cut something called Medicare Advantage…
CONWAY: Right, which a lot of seniors rely on.
CONASON: No, it’s a subsidy to private insurance companies to try to compete with Medicare because they can't compete with Medicare. When people complain about a government-run health care program Lou, they're complaining about a program that is very like Medicare which the Republicans now claim to be defending. So it's a very interesting contradiction in their positions. On the one hand, they're trying to save Medicare, that government run program. On the other hand, they don't want anyone else to have it…
LEWIS: (Inaudible) benefits financially from getting rid of Medicare Advantage. So I mean there's a lot of hypocrisy going around. What about the idea…
CONASON: What does that have to do with it?
LEWIS: Because I think that's one of the big groups pushing for this. What about the idea of bipartisanship? I mean Harry Reid and the Democrats had a Republican, Olympia Snowe. That would give them cover that said they would pass a bipartisan, a bipartisan health care bill. They’ve slapped her in the face. I mean, that is a very serious thing. They’ve essentially sold her down the river.
CONASON: They decided she's wrong on the policy issue and they don’t need to cater to her to get one Republican vote
DOBBS: Let me ask you this. The Associated Press reports on the profits of health care insurance companies, a unique report over the weekend. The insurance health care companies have been vilified in this debate by this administration, by this president, by the Democratic leadership about the onerous profits that they're enjoying. It turns out according to the Associated Press survey of these companies that they have averaged 2.2 percent profits, ranked 35 out of 53 industries on the Fortune 500. Has there -- is there just the slightest possibility that the rhetoric has exceeded reality to the point that it can be a problem in moving forward?
PLAUT: I think if they covered pre-existing conditions, they would do a lot to kind of improve Americans' views of them. I think they kind of…
(CROSSTALK)
DOBBS: I'm asking you about the administration's problems in public relations, not that of the insurance companies that have a major problem. They're being vilified by a sitting president with 2.2 percent profits, ranking 35th out of 53 industry groups in the Fortune 500.
CONASON: Do they all have 2 percent profits…
DOBBS: I think I used the expression average Joe.
CONASON: So some of them are very large and have much higher profits than that and you know it.
DOBBS: Joe, please.
LEWIS: I think Democrats went on record saying this industry has the highest profits of any industry. In fact, we're 35th.
CONASON: I don't think the President ever said that.
LEWIS: I didn’t say the President said it. I said Democrats were on record saying it.
CONWAY: There's a huge boogie man they have been trying to vilify along the way and the President has to stop being this tennis referee. He has to jump into the game.
DOBBS: And the President has stopped vilifying and demonizing doctors. He's quit talking about ripping tonsils out of young children and amputating feet. That's to the good. Will we see a similar retreat when it comes to the insurance companies?
CONASON: Well, you know I think they're going to try to make the companies come in and try to make a deal where for example their monopoly...
DOBBS: This sounds like it's not going to lead to a direct response to my question.
LEWIS: That's the Chicago way. If you don't make a deal…
DOBBS: Thank you all so much. Appreciate it.
... talk about a real bitch slap.
LOL.
Bush Co.'s attempt to privatize Medicare. "Plain vanilla Medicare," as it is called, works quite well. Medicare Part D is private insurance. How's that working? It isn't. The reason the GOP wants smaller government is to privatize everything possible so corporations can suck all the money from everyone possible. In 2004, Bush even started to privatize the Post Office. They want EVERYTHING to be owned by private businesses. They care NOT for the welfare of the people. It would be very dangerous to not know this or to know and forget it, even for one minute.
Or to be aware of it, yet be too stupid to understand it's implications - FASCISM!
Unfortunately, about 45% of the people in this country are stupid. Which is why the reality based community has to sit back in anguish and watch red state morons re-elect repukes, even as the are pissing in their faces and laughing about it!
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
Hence my glyph, which reality am I in?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
I am waiting for the Goddess to get even.
Ditto that "policyleft" .
The President, our President, President Obama, the guy currently residing in the White House -- that guy talked about ripping tonsils out of young children and amputating feet after vilifying and demonizing doctors? Really, Lou, please just go to fox..... please, pretty please.
Who is he expecting a retreat from? The President or the insurance companies? Doddering Dobbs. Go away, please.
"Voices In Your Head"...it's the new journalism.
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
.
Harry Reid has a petition supporting the public option. He says he is getting 1000 signatures an hour and wants to be able to show his colleagues how strong the support is. Sign here and let your friends know:
http://harryreid.com/ee/index.php/publicoption
brings this to mind as the best cinematic description of Reid, his proposal, and the responses of Democrats everywhere. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xlf5ucFanpY
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
I did not see a single Mexican scaling a fence.
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
Since I do not watch Mr. Dobbs, is that regular file footage shown sometime during his programs?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
train on jungle gym equipment?
(Note to readers of the previous thread...the answer is not
D. Led Zeppelin.)
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
If we could locate that particular monkey bars, we could scoop up a passel of terrorists trainees.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
.
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Someone explain to me exactly WHY health insurance companies should in anyway be part of the Fortune 500 in the first place? The fact that they are 35Th out of 53 industries on the Fortune 500 and there are almost 50 million American citizens without health care should be a good talking point on OUR side. The idea should be shocking to people that the health care industrial complex is getting wildly rich by denying sick people health care.
We should all be screaming this relentlessly.
You would have to go back and talk to Tricky Dick Nixon about that.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
But if we don't deny healthcare to people so insurance companies can make profits off of the sick and helpless, the fetuses will all die - and that's "socialism."
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
.
Forgive my ignorance, but who is the chick and what's in her background that would make her relevant to this particular conversation?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Her name is Legion.
When Lou leaves and goes to Fox, he should take her with him. She will fit in perfectly. She already has bleached hair and she's dumb as a sack of hammers.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
?
Legions of CNN intern chicks + monkey bars = terrorist footage at eleven!
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
She's another blonde bimbo who was a GOP consultant and pollster a few years back.
She has been programed with all the RIGHT talking points, and would have a hard drive crash and burn if she ever deviated from those talking points.
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
She is a Republican strategists and is also founder and CEO of http://www.pollingcompany.com/
Charles Taylor at Salon.com has described Conway as a Conservative Fembot (CFs).
"The views of the CFs emulsify like a perfect mayonnaise, but what they share apart from ideological consistency is a uniformity of attitude. I don't know the social background of Coulter, Ingraham, Conway or Pinto, but I've encountered their type before. They are the essence of the white, privileged kids at the small New England college I attended during the conservative heyday of the early Reagan years. What characterized those kids and what characterizes the CFs is that they seem unaware that not everyone shares their privileged existence, or seem to believe that anyone who doesn't has only themselves to blame. It's a small world, after all, and the CFs are absolutely secure about their place in it and the rightness of their views."
Lou has to call out CNN security. Nobody should be able to cut through anything when Lou is on the air. Not Conanson through hackery, not Mexicans through chain link fencing, not butter through old geezers, not Geraldo through vaults...
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
with balloons...
Nor pilots flying while using laptops.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
nor football heroes in white broncos...
but that was a major part of his campaign platform! It's why I voted for him....
Cue the Kabuki....
now we have to buy flip flops.
Loserman.
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
So much for the change you can believe in, huh?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
juvenile toe capitation, but I think we should primary his ass if he does.
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
I don't even know what "primary his ass" means, but hell yeah, let's do it. We all know now he is a corporate puppet owned by the flip flop shoe makers.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
...and Big Rubber!
oh wait...
with Big Rubber this wouldn't have happened.
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
when he learned that the office of the Presidency is not in charge of ripping tonsils out of young children....thats why he ran for the office in the first place....
Cue the Kabuki....
just create an electronic data base of it happening.
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
Is that some kind of reference to Tonsil P*rn?
strikes during oral sex?
If the man buys it it is covered. If the woman does, fuggedaboudit.
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
Does that have anything to do with a premature existing condition?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
seconds, not hours. It is not a side effect but, according to 9 out of 10 women surveyed, a normal feature.
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
"average Joe"
anybody else noticed that dobbs didn't say what he said he said? these guys are void of credibility.
My ears turn off if I try.
no! I read the transcript which tempted me to listen, but...I resisted.
Right now fox is getting chuch woolery's opinion on health care reform. Suck that, CNN. Fox is on this thing and they are bringing in old game show guys to get the facts straight.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
but I thought his expertise was in space travel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9H_cI_WCnE
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
From the looks of him, his expertice is in getting face lifts and using dark hair dye. I have seen my dad prepare bodies for viewing in the funeral home that didn't look as waxy as that dude did.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
...getting Chucky w/ it!
Cue the Kabuki....
or are you serious?
I never look at Fox so I really don't know. So what's he saying? Is there a Love Connection between Congress and the PO?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JduEOqVqCVM
Cue the Kabuki....
Believe it or not, I didn't hang around to hear Chuck's take on things. I was mostly just staring at his embalmed looking appearance.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
.
I thought he was made-up for halloween.
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
Truly looked more like he was made up for burial.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M-29_JMzLg
Cue the Kabuki....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
I love Joe Conason, but this is beneath him. No progressive should subject himself to the 4-against-1 treatment of these odious cable news shows.
where they drop money into lagoons of shit.
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
is it the entire healthcare industry that ranks 35 out of 50 industries? Is he conflating the entire industry to be only health care insurance cos? shocking misuse of statistics, I know. Wouldn't this industry also include hospitals, health care providers, nursing homes, etc.?
ass.
Unforunately, I can't get that number using the detailed data the report provides. In other words, you cannot tell where Fortune got its information. It does purport to be only "Health Care: Insurance and Managed Care."
Here's a link to a prior C&L post on the 2.2 percent profit number. Some good info in the comments indicates that the number is a bit of a sham.
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/sen-ro...
Here is a link to the Fortune 500 "report" that is the source of the 2.2 percent profits number.
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortun...
I decided to have some fun and check the numbers provided in the report using Microsoft Excel (right-click a chart and export to the program). It is clear that the report provides incomplete data becuase I can't get to 2.2 percent profits on revenues using just the Fortune 1000 Companies identified in the health insurance section of the report. Using that data, the profit margin is 3.1% of revenue.
That figure is what is divided up among the shareholders. So who cares?
If you are one of the evil bastards who invest money so as to make money off the misery of others, I hope you become one of the miserable.
. . . in order to make a point in a debate, I care enough to check his figure to see if it is meaningful or not.
.
Did I hear right last night? I was in another room and I thought I heard Olbermann say that some idiot congressperson wants to privatize Medicare to insurance companies.
plans are--private Medicare. If you are naive or dumb enough to buy into this scam, you are paying for something you can get for practically free already. Medicare Part D is the privatization of prescription drug coverage. Your choices are pay cash or buy one of these drug plans. Always pay the cash.
Bush Co.
I DO NOT GIVE A FLYING YOU-KNOW-WHAT ABOUT "BI-PARTISANSHIP."
It was sweet for Obama to give it a try, but working with the party of no is like multiplying by zero-- you always end up with nothing.
Give me my damn public option, since you can't seem to stomach true single payer. GIVE ME MY DAMN PUBLIC OPTION!!!
Notice she has something of a smirk there?
And I've seen more alert expressions on Courtney Love.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
I am expecting a story to pop soon , Dobbs hanging out with Limbaugh and they get busted doin crack . I think a black man being elected President has completely blown Lou's circuits , he's beside himself ! Better a white imbecile from Texas who isn't even qualified to run a bowling alley huh Lou ?
The poor guy , a black man being elected President was just too much for him and completely over loaded his circuits . Just give Murdoch a call Lou , he'll hire you , it's where you belong , home sweet home .CNN is a joke anymore but you are as out of place there as a turd in a fish bowl .
never showed the raw data on profits...just gave an average
thing is...show me a company only making 2 percent profit that somehow is able to pay its ceo 100 mil
That's how they do it. I wonder how much of this the average shareholder knows? Corporations have to make money for their shareholders, but the law doesn't say how much they have to make for them. These corporate thieves have it ALL figured out.
Gross profit is measured BEFORE salaries and bonuses are paid.
Operating profit is measured AFTER gross profits by subtracting salaries and bonuses as well as advertising budget, etc. from the
Actual profit (aka "earnings") is what you get AFTER you tax the operating profit.
Fortune magazine is talking about actual profit.
I still don't understand why you think it is important to note that profits are measured after salaries and bonuses are paid when all of the industries being benchmarked are having their profits measured at precisely the same point. If you focus only on the administrative costs of other industries(because health insurance companies don't have anything but administrative costs), it turns out that the some health insurers have relatively low administrative costs compared to other industries (e.g., Cisco, the top company in the No. 1 industry for profit margins, had administrative costs of 25% and a profit of 20.4%, while WellPoint, the number two health insurer had administrative costs of 14.7% and a profit of 4.1%). Thus, the administrative costs of health care insurers are not necessarily outsized compared to other industries, which is something shareholders would (and do) notice, particularly when the shareholders are large institutional investors (WellPoint has 84% of its stock held by institutions).
Something is hokey about the profit picture. It doesn't tell the real story, and we don't even get to the question of how much profit an insurance company really ought to make when it only makes money by denying coverage.
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