Why Massachusetts Democrats are hunting for another candidate who could beat Scott Brown.
Iowa's Governor is so done with the Ames Straw Poll.
The Obama Administration lays out the rules for implementing health reform.
The nation's largest group of OB/GYNs says birth-control pills should be sold over the counter.
Gen. John Allen reports for duty in Afghanistan.
Myanmar (Burma) is ready to sign a nuclear agreement.
Mitt Romney goes to Disneyland.
If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some (strategically placed and very large) flowers in your hair.
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Making birth control OTC may counter recent advancements in covering birth control prescriptions with insurance. All of the plans that I participated in had a specific exemption for OTC>
And what about women prone to blood clots, doesn't birth control pills put them at a higher risk? Aren't there different dosages? Are there ever negative reactions? Really one pill fits all????
The latest Michigan education "reform" proposal is raising serious concerns. Instead of education finance reform it should be identified as a cookbook to kill public education. Pretty slick how the legislature (AKA private conservative interests) have provided a series of education legislation that collectively privatizes public education. It is the "accountization" of education!
Unfortunate that a real private sector solution, incremental continual improvement at the classroom level managed by teachers, students and parents and funded by the academic professionals and finance experts is never considered. Its the process that Edwards W. Deming used to turnaround a war torn Japanese business infrastructure and many American Companies adopted to overcome competitive weakness (i.e. Ford).
I found this interesting.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/paul-ryans-political-capital-rides-on-fiscal-cliff-negotiations/2012/11/20/9037400e-3328-11e2-bb9b-288a310849ee_story.html?hpid=z2
Making them OTC also makes them NOT covered by insurance, which does not usually pay for over the counter drugs. It won't solve the access issue. OTC drugs are actually MORE expensive for the consumer than prescription drugs because with prescriptions there's only the copay to worry about.
Condoms are not covered by health insurance, so why should the pill be covered? It's the war on men and gays.
REALLY?!
Anyone can go to their local Health Department or Planned Parenthood and get condoms FOR FREE.
The comment "...it's the war on men and gays" is so far beyond asinine it makes my brain hurt.
AND, they can go to the same places and get FREE birth control. Thanks for making my arguement!
Doesn't take much to make the liberal brain hurt. Just say something about vaginas...
Er...what was your point? Birth control pills should be free and available in as many locations as possible. So your argument makes no sense.
Actually, it doesn't take much to make conservatives' brain hurt: they are the ones trying to legislate what women can do with their vaginas.
Point is, you can get free birth control at these places. Will not matter if they are over the counter or not. Actually having to PAY for birth control pills...the horror!!!Just yet another scare tactic from the left.
Actually, you have no point: It is a good thing to make free contraceptives accessible in as many locations as possible.
Actually it is the GOP attempting to control women's vaginas.
Again, why in the hell should it be FREE? Hell, i smoke cigarettes because I want to. They should be free then.
Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, vaginas, health care, abortion, birth control, picture ID, marriage....
Why the hell shouldn't it? Because YOU say so? Because you and those like you have such draconian beliefs that you have the audacity to tell women what they can and cannot do with their bodies?
And the cigarettes argument is a false analogy. Period.
YOU have no right to define what life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness is.
YOU have no right to tell any woman what to do with their vaginas.
YOU have no right to tell anyone whom to marry.
YOU have no right to try to deny others health care.
YOU have no right to deny others their rights to vote.
Go for your own rights to "Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, vaginas, health care, abortion, birth control, picture ID, marriage...." no one is stopping you. But don't you and the likes of you DARE to tell others how to live their lives.
Ha! Too funny. Again with the scare tactics.
WHY should birth control pills be free or paid for by a health insurance company? Why can a woman not reach in her purse, pull out some cash and pay for them? There is NO reason why it should be FREE.
There are no scare tactics here. Only facts. And the belief that women should have access to free contraceptives, and should not have to pay extra for healthcare for simply being born a woman.
For the same reason viagra vasectomies are paid for by health insurance companies. Why can a man not reach into his pocket, pull out some cash and pay for them? There is NO reason why it should be FREE.
They are getting birth control because they wat to have SEX. Plain and simple. I can not walk into my pharmacy and have any portion of Trojans paid for. So why the pill?
There. You finally showed your draconian beliefs for everyone to see. People like you want to control womens' vaginas and are actually ignorant about birth control and its use.
Here are a few facts that you seem to be ignorant about:
Women who use the birth control pill use it for purposes other than pregnancy prevention, including managing endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and other medical conditions. It’s basic preventative care.
What is plain and simple is your sexist beliefs about women and your ignorance about contraceptives.
...and the Supervisor's name is Wiener. Sometimes this stuff just writes itself!
As for the tone of some of our Bay Area nudists, it's less McKenzie's "Flowers In Your Hair" as Merman's "Hey, Look Me Over!" And there have been days when the Castro resembled a Fire Sale at Madame Tussaud's...
OTC BCP..I like that.
But, the AFA, FRC, and the USCCB might have something to say about it.
The link to the Massachusetts article is corrupted
It works for me.
Public nudity,,, a great way to keep muslims out of your country..
Tops in Maine this AM. http://bangordailynews.com/2012/11/20/news/bangor/anchors-away-at-wvii-cindy-michaels-tony-consiglio-resign-on-air/
Is there any coffee left?
Two news stories impressing me today in two completely different ways:
Hillary Clinton shuttling around the Middle East trying to broker a cease-fire. I'm so proud of her I almost want to cry.
And then Jack Taylor at Grinnell and his 138 points. I mean... WOW!
I like it when the news is inspiring!
Yesterday, I read suggestions that Rachael consider the seat in MA
--very interesting!
But if Rachel goes to Congress, she won't have her show. We can't have THAT!
Rachel's journalistic integrity is a huge part of why we love her. It's hard for a politician to maintain that kind of integrity, given the need for constant compromise and fundraising pandering. I'd like to keep her calling the politicians to account nationwide.
But if she ever did run for office, you can bet I'd vote for her!
Just curious is David D’Alessandro related to Nancy Pelosi?
Birth control pills should be easily available and inexpensive and covered by insurance. However, a woman should have a physical exam to determine whether or not she has any counter indications for taking them--high blood pressure, so on.
Rachel should take on the Norguist Tax Pledge and find out if it violates the Oath of Office that the Congressmen took.
http://www.politicususa.com/norquist-pledge-signers-violate-constitution-removed-office.html
You might find this interesting about the dumbest states in the U.S.
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11770367/1/5-dumbest-states-in-america.html?cm_ven_int=obinsite
Not surprised they are all Red States.
I almost feel sorry for Mitt Romney. Two weeks after the election and he has nothing to do but go to Disneyland? Clearly he can't find anything to do with himself.
On the face of it I don't mind the idea of birth control pills over the counter but realistically there are so many dosages and there can be so many side effects that I think you should at least have a doctor tell you which ones to buy. Migraines, blood clots - all kinds of bad things can happen.
You know what my question is about the Health Care bill? I'm on Medicare - will it even matter to me? I mean, you can only be so "covered."
Ed Markey would not be an awful choice, but we need someone of national prominence to head up other areas of policy assault.
Someone who can take point on an outside game* that focuses national pressure on other members of Congress.
A great explainer in chief on foreign affairs and the role of the military- subjects that Markey is deeply weak no, but Rachael Maddow is highly focused on.
Markey is needed where he is. Rachel needs to enter public service.
Now is the time.
.
* A few months ago, Ryan Grim and Sam Stein wrote an excellent lengthy analysis of the failure of the inside game in Obama's first term. I think the speculations about a vigorous role for Obama for America could be true, not so much out of wishful thinking. As a 2008 vigorous campaigner I believed it was baffling and a huge mistake to demobilize OFA after the election. I found it baffling and would like to know a lot more about this idea that the reason OFA was demobilized was due to pressure from congressional democrats not to be organizing in their districts. This is the first I heard of this, and perhaps TRMS could have Sam Stein on to explain that in particular. Perhaps by that time, there will be more concrete reporting on what Messina is doing with OFA, and whether this "outside game" will really materialize.
Think about what Obama will do after his presidency. Do you think he is going to be conducting round tables like Clinton? No. He is going to be organizing. It is entirely plausible that there will be a seemless transition between him as president and him as an outside agitator, the charismatic head of a progressive multi issue pressure group whose political sophistication is light years beyond what the GOP or Dem party apparatus is capable of.
In a sense, Obama will be much more in command of his message as an outside organizer. It won't be much of a retirement for him.
To bring this full circle, it would be an ironic role reversal in the coming decades. Obama as outside agitator, and a Senator Maddow running for President.
A Glorious passing of the torch.
But only if Maddow steps up to offer her outstretched hand in this timeless marathon of progress.
The MA Senate seat belongs to Rachel Maddow, if only she'll run ...
Can someone explain why someone from Bain would even be considered? We just spent 18 months pointing out that their business model destroys companies, jobs, lives . . . obviously he wouldn't make it through the primary, because his opponents could recycle Obama ads. LOL, Romney could run as a "severe liberal". Heh.
I live in San Francisco near the corner of Castro and Market Street, and see (well, try not to see) the Naked Guys regularly. Go ahead and ask these guys why they want to be naked in public and all you get is osterized statements about World Peace and Votes for Women. They are... confused, to put it into words. Yet that is the hill on which they have decided to take their stand and fight. Public nudity.
Good luck with that, guys. The rest of us are busy with stuff.
I'm reading Bede's Ecclesiastical History of Britain. I know, I'm a little behind in my reading...
Hi, Rachel (and friends), great redirects this morning as always. Reflecting on Romney's Disneyland trip - and the other recent photos and news blurbs about his suddenly down-to-earth activities – I had a thought.
If millionaires and billionaires really are such great job creators, how come all their campaign donations couldn't create a job for Mitt? :^)
It has always amazed me that the so called ‘conservatives’ don’t think a thing about using MY tax dollars to buy bombs I don’t want to buy, and drop them on people they don’t even know in places Americans cannot even point to on a globe, and all the time scream at the thought that Tax money possibly be used for birth control. Somebody explain it to me. Confused.
rachel, why isn't anyone on MSNBC covering what is happening in illinois. Governor Pat Quinn is trying to destroy pension benefits for state workers here. we just defeated a constitutional amendment that would require a 2/3 majority vote of the legislature to improve pensions. we have been negotiating since January, but our democratic governor wants dramatic give backs, raises in medical insurance costs. we are now working without a contract. By the way Illinois's constitution forbids any reduction in current employees benefits who are covered by collective bargaining. Is MSNBC afraid to cricisize democratic governors? by the way he welcomed Scott walker with open arms.