SkinsGridiron.com – Independent coverage of the Washington Redskins

It appears that the news media has been so focused on Obama and McCain, that they seemed to have forgotton that there are other offices running for office. For example:

Baldwin/Castle: Constitution Party
Nader/Gonzalez: Independent Party
Barr/Root: Libertarian Party
McKinney/Clemente: Green Party

By the way the Green Party has two women running for President and Vice President. These two women or the first to do this, but yet they haven’t gotton any news coverage. Most people get their election coverage from the news, therefore they would never find anything out. But it would be nice to hear the media discuss at least something about these parties. Instead of the usual Dem and Rep coverage.

You’re right that the mainstream mass media fails to cover third-party candidates. They say that this is because no one has heard of them, but that is because they aren’t covered by the media — it’s a vicious circle. It’s hard to say what it would take to get the media to start covering them.

Here’s something I wrote recently:

Former Republican Bob Barr had a very authoritarian voting
record in Congress. He claims to now oppose many things he
once favored, such as the PATRIOT Act and the war on drugs.
But even if this is the case, he remains at best somewhere on
the fuzzy border between libertarian and conservative. So
libertarians will likely not consider him a strong choice to
represent their views.

In a study that ranked congress-critters by their degree of
libertarianism, Ron Paul predictably topped the list, but other
Republicans are few and far between until you reach the
bottom. Democrats identified with the "left" wing of the
Democratic Party, such as Dennis Kucinich, ranked near the
top of the list. Independent "socialist" Bernard Sanders also
scored near the top of the list.

Another who scored near the top of the list is Cynthia
McKinney, who was booted out of the Democratic Party.
She is now running for president with the Green Party.

(The study is available here: http://tinyurl.com/3oenjh )

(Another reference that libertarians might want to consider
is the Political Compass’s rankings for the US 2008
presidential primaries: http://tinyurl.com/25dj2k )

I would say that Cynthia McKinney is probably the best choice
for libertarians in the 2008 presidential election.

Readers might want to check out a brief article I wrote on who
libertarians should vote for in the 2008 presidential election:

http://tinyurl.com/3l6tds

*****

News & Views for Anarchists & Activists:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo/

Schwarzenegger Mulled Leaving GOP

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and several advisers a few months ago discussed whether he should follow the move of his friend Michael Bloomberg, the New York City mayor who left the Republican Party to become an independent.

But in the end, Schwarzenegger and crew decided that Californians already saw him as independent of the GOP, and there would be no point in a switch, according to Schwarzenegger biographer Joe Mathews, author of “The People’s Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Blockbuster Democracy.”

The governor’s recent battle with GOP lawmakers over efforts to balance the budget, and his criticism of Republicans who opposed President Barack Obama’s stimulus package, are only the most recent examples of Arnold’s alienation from mainstream Republicans:

When he served as President George H.W. Bush’s fitness czar, Schwarzenegger was critical of the administration’s education policy, Mathews reported on The Daily Beast
Web site.

In 1998, Schwarzenegger publicly criticized the Republican Party for leading the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

Schwarzenegger was a tepid supporter of George W. Bush in 2004, and agreed only at the last minute to deliver a speech at the GOP convention, according to Mathews. And he made only one appearance with Bush during the campaign. Four years later, Schwarzenegger skipped the GOP convention altogether.

As governor, Schwarzenegger has appointed about the same number of Democrats as Republicans to state offices, and his vow in his second inaugural address to govern as a “post-partisan” angered some Republicans who had worked for his re-election.
Republicans, for their part, have routinely opposed Schwarzenegger’s budgets, torpedoed his effort to establish universal health coverage in the state, and fought Schwarzenegger initiatives on prisons, water, the environment, and infrastructure investment.

no it wouldn’t matter much, it would just hurt his fund raising, which is really everything, i hate partisanship and am happy when anybody becomes independent

I know that there are several bills out there on healthcare, all of which have good points and bad points (from what I hear). I’m more of a foreign policy buff, but I figured I would start inching my way into the debate here. I downloaded and have been reading HR 3200, which is the bill that Fox News is out to kill (for whatever reason). So when I started reading it, I thought I would find some offensive stuff (I’m more of a financial conservative), but I have found nothing yet (it’s like 1,000 pages, so I haven’t read the whole thing yet) that has offended me or made me think for one minute that I wouldn’t like the reforms brought about by this bill. Some key points I found in the bill itself (these are my notes):

* Protects rights to keep currently held health insurance policies
* Cannot discriminate based on pre-existing conditions
* Limits the allowed methods of varying premiums
* Prohibits discrimination in benefits
* Requires parity in mental health and substance abuse disorder benefits
* Ensures adequacy of provider networks
* Mandates minimum coverage that includes hospitalization, outpatient hospital and clinic services (including ER visits), private practitioner services (regular doctor visits), supplies necessary for treatment, prescription drugs, rehab, mental health and substance abuse disorder services, preventive services, maternity care, well baby and well child care (oral, health, vision, and hearing services, equipment, and supplies for children under the age of 21)
* Requires fair marketing practices by health insurers (uniform marketing standards)
* Requires fair grievance and appeals mechanisms
* Requires information transparency and accurate, timely plan disclosure using plain language
* Mandates timely payment of claims by insurance companies
* Creates a Health Insurance Exchange with Public Health Insurance option
* Prohibits discrimination in healthcare not offered through exchange
* Offers protections to whistleblowers
* In order to ensure value and lower premiums, all group and individual coverage must meet a specified medical loss ratio
* Ends health insurance rescission abuse, which prevents companies from abusing protections created to prevent fraud (companies unreasonably end coverage based on these protections)
* Creates the opportunity for independent, external, third-party review in cases of rescission
* Creates reinsurance program for retirees
* Mandates affordability premium credits for individuals
* “No federal payment for undocumented aliens.”
* Notes that it is an individual’s responsibility to obtain healthcare
* Outlines employer responsibilities should an employee choose to offer health insurance to its employees

These are just a few of the more important points I have found thus far. From the figures I’ve heard, our government wastes more than $4 trillion on healthcare each year anyway, and that pretty much ANY new program would be less expensive (though a cost-neutral plan would be preferred to save taxpayer dollars). From what I’ve seen, any NEW bill would be better than the system we have now (though I don’t think I would support universal healthcare and drastic changes to the health delivery system). Please give me YOUR OPINIONS on this issue, and please do not recite Fox News, MSNBC, or any other partisan hacks. If I want their opinions I could waste my time by watching their shows.
Sorry about the wall of text, lol.

hotnwell… Will definitely put something up if I find the death panels! lol

ObamaCar… if you didn’t notice the quotes… that is a direct quote from the bill… that’s how i can say that.
I see and hear everyday talk about death panels, socialized medicine, etc. attacks against Obama. The bill Obama supports and all the bills I’ve seen so far are not Universal Healthcare, so what is the socialization argument based on? It is sad that these scare tactics DO work on the American people, and it is even worse that you can easily view the bills yourself but everyone is too lazy.

You are wong about the cost. The US spends 2.2 trillion dollars a year on health care (16% of GDP) and federal sate and local governments combined pays for nearly half. or about 1 trillion. However they collect about 4 trillion in taxes so it is about 1/4 of all the money they spend. Without a public option it will not cut cost which is the real problem, it is just insurance reform that will shift cost but not reduce them. If they can not get a public option through Congress I would prefer it fails and try again later. with something less complicated. that people understand.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, appeared as the first guest in a new series of Health Care Reform newsmaker briefings sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Families USA and the National Federation of Independent Business. The reporters-only briefings, designed to inform the public about prospects and options for health reform, feature a short presentation by an influential leader followed by an extended question-and-answer session.

Duration : 0:46:53

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Despite its superficial appeal, this so-called dream ticket could be a nightmare for both:
1)He’s trying to be a unifying force. Obama’s appeal to independent voters and disgruntled Republicans rests on the promise of a nonpartisan approach. Hillary Clinton is a super-partisan figure. Putting her on the ticket would be like John McCain picking Newt Gingrich as his running mate.
2)All but one reason for selecting a running mate don’t apply. Geographic strength (Obama can win New York without her); ideological appeal (she’s just slightly more conservative); and compensating skills (both are senators) don’t favor her. The role of attack dog, however, is one Clinton, among others, could handle.
3)Race would be back. Clinton’s declaring that Obama is weak with “hard-working white Americans” would allow the news media and McCain allies to more legitimately discuss Obama’s race and bigoted voting.
4)Working-class voters aren’t permanently attached to her. Winning blue-collar and older white voters against a black man is one thing; winning them against a white man (and war hero) is quite another.
5)Bad chemistry. Remember Obama’s comment at a debate after she said she liked him? “You’re likable enough,” he replied with what was called the warmth of a divorced man handing over the alimony check. Clinton has since called him “patronizing” and “elitist” and said she would never have stayed in his pastor’s church. All of this can be seen on YouTube, the website that could affect politics in a big way this fall. It’s already made Rev. Jeremiah Wright a source of misery for Obama.
6)Her experience argument worked against Obama, but it doesn’t work against McCain. She said, “I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002.” More YouTube material.
7)Her negatives haven’t gone away. In February, polling showed 49 percent of American voters were favorable toward her, 49 percent unfavorable. Today she’s 46 percent favorable, 53 percent unfavorable.
8)The baggage. Obama doesn’t want to spend 10 seconds discussing Travelgate, Whitewater, the Marc Rich pardon, Paula Jones, Gennifer Flowers, Monica, and donors to the Clinton library. But the Clintons don’t believe in letting anything slide.
9)What about Bubba? If Bill Clinton couldn’t control himself during his wife’s campaign, how can he hold his tongue to “help” the man who beat her?
10)They have differences on some fundamental matters, such as change vs. experience, going to war in Iraq, negotiating with America’s enemies, and making health insurance coverage mandatory.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/05/22/not_the_ticket_of_dreams/

The Field can now confirm, based on multiple sources…Senator Clinton has directly told Senator Obama that she wants to be his vice presidential nominee, and that Senator Obama politely but straightforwardly and irrevocably said “no.” Obama is going to pick his own running mate based on his own criteria and vetting process. And that is all that anybody needs to know to understand the childish and wounded behavior of Senator Clinton yesterday, grandstanding hypocritically to senior citizens in Florida, telling them they should consider themselves under sniper fire in Bosnia, er, Zimbabwe, aggrandizing herself as some kind of civil rights leader (MLK? or LBJ? She didn’t say this time) and attempting to corner 30 members of the DNC’s Rules & Bylaws Committee that will meet on May 31 to resolve the disputes over whether, and, if so, how, delegates from Michigan and Florida might be seated at the convention in August…Senator Clinton, whose spouse just can’t help himself and obviously is not helping her. Through being so indiscreet about his obsession with getting near the levers of state power again that the first major media confirmation of the Clinton vice presidential aspirations involved a report that he’s the one who wants it most, he has definitively reinforced that the “nightmare ticket” is deservedly off the table, and created a monstrous distraction that impedes Senator Clinton from consolidating all she has built for herself this year in the short term…For Bill, it is about wrestling back “the Clinton brand” from his spouse. How’s that for petty?…now that Bill has pushed himself so unnecessarily into the photo, confirming that he is the most compelling reason why an Obama-Clinton ticket will never happen, and you shall know them also even by those who oppose it but who worry, fret and gnash teeth aloud that somehow it could be forced to happen after this latest development.
http://ruralvotes.com/thefield/?p=1248

Duration : 0:3:38

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ABCTV12 coverage of the first independent, national travel book on one of Michigan’s top tourist attractions. Frankenmuth: A Guide to Michigan’s Little Bavaria. www.TouristTown.com

Duration : 0:2:46

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkbXQmkBmvk&feature=player_embedded

Well, if 250,000 Amesh people who refuse all vaccines and have zero Autism amogst their numbers isn’t a good enough statistic for you, then I don’t know what is. Google “Autism and Amesh”

If you haven’t followed the video link above then you’re in for a shock. Big pharma, Like Baxter: A world leader in vaccine production, with the full backing of Government, deliberately and knowingly taint spike and lace your vaccines with killer viruses.

The News Media work in tandum with Big Pharma and Government to black out News coverage because Television and Government are to a large extent funded by those who aim to kill us for profit.

Some independent mainstream News Networks bury the truth in the early hours of the morning and never return to a story as big as vaccines of death.

Somebody, somewhere, in the highest position of power, wants to see us dead.

The question is who yields the power? Is it big business? Big Media? Government? or a combination of all three?

A global trillion dollar cartel group of pharma companies, like Baxter, has the ability to crush intelligent dissent, because they sponsor and own the media.

So who has the ability to speak out against those murderers who pose as our saviours, well, you won’t find those people in the mainstream, that’s for sure.

The best form of advice is don’t have the vaccines at all. From 1988 until 2008, 5,263 claims relating to autism were made to the U.S. court that oversees compensation. One claim was compensated, and 350 were dismissed; the rest are pending. In the one autism-related case, the government conceded that the child had a pre-existing mitochondrial disorder with autism-like symptoms aggravated by simultaneous immunizations against nine diseases, two of which contained thiomersal

Duration : 0:2:11

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The Ickert Teaching Centre, led by Dr. Norman W. Ickert, is an independent and unsponsored learning environment where participants have the opportunity to place implants with their staff on their own patient, using an implant system of their choice.

Duration : 0:2:40

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http://www.01insurance.com/auto-insurance/index.cfm?SSAID=106601 — About Medical Coverage

Depending on the state in which you live, you may have available to you Medical Payments coverage or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage.

While these both work differently, they provide coverage for medical care provided to you as a result of a car accident.

An independent insurance agent can help you determine the price, coverage and service that best meets your needs.

Save up to 35%, quick and easy on Auto Insurance — Click Link Below
http://www.01insurance.com/auto-insurance/index.cfm?SSAID=106601

Duration : 0:1:10

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Director Jim Mercurio discusses classical coverage techniques you can use in making your own feature film. Uses scenes and footage from the independent feature film Hard Scrambled.

Duration : 0:4:50

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