Outrageous Nonsense

For all you praying that Sarah Palin will be President of the United States in 2012, I have a suggestion for your campaign slogan:

I’m with Stupid

___________

Sarah Palin

2012

Catchy, huh?

 

Jesus Hot Spicy Habanero Christ in a stone ground taco shell, every single time this woman opens her mouth the stupid just falls out like a drunken prom queen vomiting up cheap boxed wine all over her homecoming date.

Pin a corsage on her, she’s done now.

 

She bitched and complained and pointed fingers at John McCain’s campaign staff, accusing them of hobbling her, not letting her speak, of “handling” her in the manner that all politicians are managed by their staff – you know, so they don’t say something stupid. 

She has repeatedly accused them of not letting the public see the real Sarah Palin. 

In retrospect, it’s obvious that in this single matter she is actually correct, John McCain’s campaign staff did not let us see the real Sarah Palin. 

For painfully obvious reasons.

Look, I’d like nothing better than to let her fade away into the annuals of history, gone, forgotten, adios and don’t let the door hit you in your Gucci clad keister. By all means go write your little pop-up book or go back to fishing or whatever.  As an American, I’m so utterly sick of this woman.  As an Alaskan, I am so utterly sick of being embarrassed by this woman.  Mentioning her name out loud or in print ought to be like the Swearing Jar, every time you say the words Sarah Palin you’ve got to put a fin in the pot.  But she just won’t go away.  And now that she doesn’t have a staff or a publicist between her and the unprotected public, you are seeing the real Sarah Palin.

And it ain’t pretty.

On her Facebook page – because apparently Facebook is what she meant when she resigned her Governorship “to serve the nation” – she called for civil discourse on national healthcare.  She said “there are many disturbing things in the bill, but that people need to stick to the discussion of the issues,” and not “get sidetracked by tactics that can be accused of leading to intimidation or harassment.” She also boldly demonstrated her leadership skills by admonishing the public “not to give proponents of nationalized health care any reason to criticize us.”

The day before, of course, she called healthcare plan currently before Congress “down right evil,” and wrote about “death panels” – a concept she had apparently just pulled whole cloth directly from her ass.  Seriously shit like “death panels” had to have come spewing from her colon like watery diarrhea, because it sure as hell didn’t come from anything resembling a cognitive organ. In an obvious attempt to stir hysteria and conjure up images of Nazi style eugenics she claimed that in President Obama’s version of healthcare, her son, Trig, who has has Down’s syndrome, would “have to stand in front of Obama’s ‘death panel’ so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their ‘level of productivity in society,’ whether they are worthy of health care.”

What the fuck? No, really what the fuck?

There is only one word to describe this statement and that’s outrageous. It is nothing but outrageous nonsense. Fear mongering and rabble rousing at its absolute worst. And since Palin brought up the Nazi reference, I call Shenanigans on Godwin’s law here and say that if anyone is pulling Nazis out of her ass it’s Palin and her hysterical propaganda and her pandering to the lowest common denominator. 

Let’s review yet again, shall we?

From Title II, Subtitle C:

(hhh)(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the term `advance care planning consultation' means a consultation between the individual and a practitioner described in paragraph (2) regarding advance care planning, if, subject to paragraph (3), the individual involved has not had such a consultation within the last 5 years. Such consultation shall include the following:

`(A) An explanation by the practitioner of advance care planning, including key questions and considerations, important steps, and suggested people to talk to.

`(B) An explanation by the practitioner of advance directives, including living wills and durable powers of attorney, and their uses.

`(C) An explanation by the practitioner of the role and responsibilities of a health care proxy.

`(D) The provision by the practitioner of a list of national and State-specific resources to assist consumers and their families with advance care planning, including the national toll-free hotline, the advance care planning clearinghouses, and State legal service organizations (including those funded through the Older Americans Act of 1965).

`(E) An explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title.

`(F)(i) Subject to clause (ii), an explanation of orders regarding life sustaining treatment or similar orders, which shall include--

`(I) the reasons why the development of such an order is beneficial to the individual and the individual's family and the reasons why such an order should be updated periodically as the health of the individual changes;

`(II) the information needed for an individual or legal surrogate to make informed decisions regarding the completion of such an order; and

`(III) the identification of resources that an individual may use to determine the requirements of the State in which such individual resides so that the treatment wishes of that individual will be carried out if the individual is unable to communicate those wishes, including requirements regarding the designation of a surrogate decisionmaker (also known as a health care proxy).

`(ii) The Secretary shall limit the requirement for explanations under clause (i) to consultations furnished in a State--

`(I) in which all legal barriers have been addressed for enabling orders for life sustaining treatment to constitute a set of medical orders respected across all care settings; and

`(II) that has in effect a program for orders for life sustaining treatment described in clause (iii).

`(iii) A program for orders for life sustaining treatment for a States described in this clause is a program that--

`(I) ensures such orders are standardized and uniquely identifiable throughout the State;

`(II) distributes or makes accessible such orders to physicians and other health professionals that (acting within the scope of the professional's authority under State law) may sign orders for life sustaining treatment;

`(III) provides training for health care professionals across the continuum of care about the goals and use of orders for life sustaining treatment; and

`(IV) is guided by a coalition of stakeholders includes representatives from emergency medical services, emergency department physicians or nurses, state long-term care association, state medical association, state surveyors, agency responsible for senior services, state department of health, state hospital association, home health association, state bar association, and state hospice association.

`(2) A practitioner described in this paragraph is--

`(A) a physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)); and

`(B) a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant who has the authority under State law to sign orders for life sustaining treatments.

`(3)(A) An initial preventive physical examination under subsection (WW), including any related discussion during such examination, shall not be considered an advance care planning consultation for purposes of applying the 5-year limitation under paragraph (1).

`(B) An advance care planning consultation with respect to an individual may be conducted more frequently than provided under paragraph (1) if there is a significant change in the health condition of the individual, including diagnosis of a chronic, progressive, life-limiting disease, a life-threatening or terminal diagnosis or life-threatening injury, or upon admission to a skilled nursing facility, a long-term care facility (as defined by the Secretary), or a hospice program.

`(4) A consultation under this subsection may include the formulation of an order regarding life sustaining treatment or a similar order.

`(5)(A) For purposes of this section, the term `order regarding life sustaining treatment' means, with respect to an individual, an actionable medical order relating to the treatment of that individual that--

`(i) is signed and dated by a physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or another health care professional (as specified by the Secretary and who is acting within the scope of the professional's authority under State law in signing such an order, including a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) and is in a form that permits it to stay with the individual and be followed by health care professionals and providers across the continuum of care;

`(ii) effectively communicates the individual's preferences regarding life sustaining treatment, including an indication of the treatment and care desired by the individual;

`(iii) is uniquely identifiable and standardized within a given locality, region, or State (as identified by the Secretary); and

`(iv) may incorporate any advance directive (as defined in section 1866(f)(3)) if executed by the individual.

`(B) The level of treatment indicated under subparagraph (A)(ii) may range from an indication for full treatment to an indication to limit some or all or specified interventions. Such indicated levels of treatment may include indications respecting, among other items--

`(i) the intensity of medical intervention if the patient is pulse less, apneic, or has serious cardiac or pulmonary problems;

`(ii) the individual's desire regarding transfer to a hospital or remaining at the current care setting;

`(iii) the use of antibiotics; and

`(iv) the use of artificially administered nutrition and hydration.'.

(2) PAYMENT- Section 1848(j)(3) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(j)(3)) is amended by inserting `(2)(FF),' after `(2)(EE),'.

(3) FREQUENCY LIMITATION- Section 1862(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)) is amended--

(A) in paragraph (1)--

(i) in subparagraph (N), by striking `and' at the end;

(ii) in subparagraph (O) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting `, and'; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

`(P) in the case of advance care planning consultations (as defined in section 1861(hhh)(1)), which are performed more frequently than is covered under such section;'; and

(B) in paragraph (7), by striking `or (K)' and inserting `(K), or (P)'.

(4) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by this subsection shall apply to consultations furnished on or after January 1, 2011.

(b) Expansion of Physician Quality Reporting Initiative for End of Life Care-

(1) Physician'S QUALITY REPORTING INITIATIVE- Section 1848(k)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(k)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:

`(3) Physician'S QUALITY REPORTING INITIATIVE-

`(A) IN GENERAL- For purposes of reporting data on quality measures for covered professional services furnished during 2011 and any subsequent year, to the extent that measures are available, the Secretary shall include quality measures on end of life care and advanced care planning that have been adopted or endorsed by a consensus-based organization, if appropriate. Such measures shall measure both the creation of and adherence to orders for life-sustaining treatment.

`(B) PROPOSED SET OF MEASURES- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register proposed quality measures on end of life care and advanced care planning that the Secretary determines are described in subparagraph (A) and would be appropriate for eligible professionals to use to submit data to the Secretary. The Secretary shall provide for a period of public comment on such set of measures before finalizing such proposed measures.'.

(c) Inclusion of Information in Medicare & You Handbook-

(1) MEDICARE & YOU HANDBOOK-

(A) IN GENERAL- Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall update the online version of the Medicare & You Handbook to include the following:

(i) An explanation of advance care planning and advance directives, including--

(I) living wills;

(II) durable power of attorney;

(III) orders of life-sustaining treatment; and

(IV) health care proxies.

(ii) A description of Federal and State resources available to assist individuals and their families with advance care planning and advance directives, including--

(I) available State legal service organizations to assist individuals with advance care planning, including those organizations that receive funding pursuant to the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 93001 et seq.);

(II) website links or addresses for State-specific advance directive forms; and

(III) any additional information, as determined by the Secretary.

(B) UPDATE OF PAPER AND SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS- The Secretary shall include the information described in subparagraph (A) in all paper and electronic versions of the Medicare & You Handbook that are published on or after the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Note the bolded phrases. Note in particular that this section of the act - the section that Palin and her idiot supporters claim equates to government directed euthanasia for seniors and handicapped kids – actually says that end of life care is entirely the decision of the patient. The patient. The Patient. The Patient. (Sorry, but it obviously needs repeating).  In fact, the patient’s express wishes are emphasized no less than five times in three paragraphs.  The consultations are between the patient and the patient’s doctor – not the state, not the Fed, and not some fantasy “death panel.” Between the patient and doctor, as is clearly spelled out.  And the consultation is not required, the patient may refuse, and the consultations may not violate state regulations (i.e. the rights of each state, as defined by its citizens, take precedence. You know, like the Constitution says).   However, should the patient desire information on his or her options when nearing the end of life – not only must the doctor provide such information, the patient may bill his or her insurance for the consultation (The reason for the insurance companies’ opposition should be obvious at this point).

Note, federal law currently requires doctors to provide such information upon request. Yes, the provisions in HR3500 aren’t new, they already exist and have for some time.  The difference is that currently, the patient usually has to pay out of pocket for the consultation because neither the insurance companies nor Medicare are required pay for it. HR3500 would require that the patient be given full information on all available options no matter what his insurance company wants – including full life sustaining measures as specified in paragraphs 4 and 5.  

Go back, read it again, tell me where it says anything about standing before a government panel and bargaining for your life. Go on, I’ll wait.  Instead what it actually says is that you, the patient, get to decide how your life will end – and that right there, is the real reason behind the lies and the hysteria and the Nazi propaganda. Because if there’s one thing the Neocon religious goons don’t want you to have, it’s a choice.  They haven’t trundled out Terry Schiavo yet, but they are sure thinking about her.

Note also that nowhere in the entire bill, and I’ve read every single word of it including the changes that were made today, does it say anything about whatsoever in any way, shape, or form about governmental panels deciding the suitability any person, handicapped or not, based on a subjective judgment of their ‘level of productivity in society’ and whether they are worthy of health care. No where. No damned where does it say that.  

Palin has repeatedly accused the media and her opponents of using her children as tokens in the game of politics – and here she is, deliberately holding up her Down Syndrome son in order install fear and hysteria and images of Nazi atrocities solely in order further her political ambitions. You can’t accuse the media of doing it to her this time, she wrote it in her own hand.  If you’ve got a Facebook account, you can go read it for yourself.

Outrageous I said, and outrageous I meant. The woman’s actions and naked ambition are disgusting at a level that simply defies comprehension.

I mean, you’ve got to be kidding me, right?  We’ve just had eight damned years where the smartest thing in the Oval Office pissed on three legs and wore a collar with “Barney” printed on it, but, my God, George W. Bush is a rocket scientist compared to this bush league bimbo and people actually want her for President?

She called for national discourse.  No shit lady, what the hell do you think we’ve been doing? What the hell do you think the President has been talking about to Americans since before he took office? What have our elected representatives - of which you by your own choice are emphatically not - been busting their asses over for the last six months?  And every time the actual representatives of the people (you know, the ones who didn’t quit) attempt to speak to the American public about it – your mouth breathing followers leap up and start shouting about fucking birth certificates. 

For nearly two years now this woman has screamed hysterical nonsense. She’s still doing it.  She’s done everything but spit in the President’s eye.  She done everything, everything, she can to demonize those who don’t agree with her. She’s called more than half of the citizens the country un-American – people like me who fought for this nation for over twenty years.  She’s accused the President of being a traitor, she’s fanned the flames of hate and fear and ignorance and she’s still doing it with her talk of “death panels.” She has deliberately spewed falsehoods – provably so, all one has to do is actually read the bill which is freely available to the public and which she obviously has not done – in order to inflame the people and deliberately quash rational discussion.  Hell, she basically told senior citizens that their President is going to kill them.

But now she’s calling for civil public discussion?

Seriously, Lady, hypocrite much?

 

 

 

 

 

---

I know I said I was going to talk about blasting insurance executives into outer space today, but then I read Palin’s bullshit.  The insurance executive space program is holding at T-24.