From Newsweek via Kos: (emph mine)
Last week the search for a surefire Dean-stopper (if there is one) reached new levels, NEWSWEEK has learned, with several governors--among them Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania and Bill Richardson of New Mexico--trying to gin up a last-ditch plan: let Dean be chairman, but confine his role to pure nuts-and-bolts duties by layering him with a new "general chairman" spokesman for the party. They abandoned the idea after realizing that they didn't have the votes to change the rules--and because the person they wanted to take the new role, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, told them she had no interest.
Jackass.
Hmmm. He's my governor, too. I really like him, and he was great for Philly, but he does have a certain Vichy quality that comes to the fore when he wheels and deals with the opposition. But remember, he's a genuine politician, with all the good and bad that implies, so while sometimes he can almost perform miracles in accomplishing things, other times he seems to just sell out. I'm still waiting to see what he can do for mass transit. So far, bupkus.
Posted by: Riggsveda | January 25, 2005 at 03:08 PM
I'm waiting to hear what he does for mass transit too. What did you think of his fund for medmal insurance costs? Seems like a weasly solution to me, but it's probably the only one we can manage now. I should research that more.
Posted by: eRobin | January 25, 2005 at 07:14 PM
I don't know much about it. I do know if he researched how CA handled it, he'd know that caps don't work, but insurance regulation does. He's been very quick to cave to the docs on this. I'm a state employee, and they demonstrated in front of our building when they were threatening to leave the state. It seemed as if everyone was buying the line about nonsensical lawsuits.
Let me tell you something. My work involves investigating discrimination complaints, which has sometimes included the medical establishment. I've seen documents generated by state investigations and hospital investigations of malpratice issues involving patients being abused and injured by drunk, senile, or negligent/incompetent doctors. The leeway the medical community gives to incompetent and dangerous doctors is absolutely frightening. It's an aspect of rising malpractice rates that no one wants to touch, God knows why. The God Complex or something.
Posted by: Riggsveda | January 25, 2005 at 07:46 PM
I'm grateful to hear from someone in the industry that malpractice actually exists. The AMA - with help from the tort "reform" people who are cynically using medicine as a way to completely knock down the door to unlimited corporate power - keeps a tight lid on that can of worms.
As for me, my mom's a nurse. I never had any illusions about doctors - or nurses for that matter.
Posted by: eRobin | January 26, 2005 at 07:22 AM