The Glade 4.0

I assume people have been hearing about the Senate race in Massachusetts. Basically, if Brown beats Coakley the Dems no longer have 60 votes to pass this. That changes things drastically.


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31647.html




[youtube]yAkfHb5M8SU[/youtube]

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

Since I haven't been following the senatorial races state by state, let me ask something that may be obvious.

Are there any other states which are being relistically contested where the incumbent may lose the seat to the other party? Why is Mass. such a big deal? Surely, there are other senate seats that will also come into play.

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"It's real, grew up in trife life, the times of white lines
The hype vice, murderous nighttimes and knife fights invite crimes" - Nasir Jones

its Kennedy's Replacement

Yeah, this is a special election to replace Ted, effective pretty much immediately.

Thus, it's a bit of a preview of November's wider elections, and that this non-Democrat guy has this tight of a race in *Massachusetts* is being viewed as pretty telling of the political climate.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Yeah Massachusetts is huge for a few reasons, it's a special election for Ted Kennedy's seat. It's absurdly skewed Democrat and a Republican is tied or leading in most polls. Mass already has a form of socialized healthcare on which the Obama model is based. It puts the 60th vote off the table. All that and it's coming out of nowhere.

Democrats have flooded their candidate with money and flew in Obama to campaign for her, Ted Kennedy's widow endorsed her (but I think called her the wrong name), and the story is dominating the blogs for the past week or so. The vote is today so we'll see what happens.

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

It was my understanding that the governor typically appointed a replacement for an "unforseen" vacancy be it due to death, inability to continue to serve, election to other office etc. but I guess that depends state to state?

I don't have much feeling one way or the other - I think this shitty bill is going to go through because the people crusading for it are too blinded by their righteousness to actually stop and contemplate the consequences of what they are doing. That and they possess a gross inability to do so.

For instance, this bill purports to place additional taxes on so-called "Cadillac" health care plans; higher premium plans with inclusion of somewhat elective procedures with higher deductibles but proportionally (for the inclusion of services and procedures) better value. i.e. the plan costs roughly the same or more but with higher deductibles and includes a wider scope of covered services. Which is great for younger, healthier people.

The reason these plans are so desirable is because they are subsidized in the first place as what is essentially a tax write-off for employers. Wouldn't it make sense to just remove the subsidy instead of adding a tax to offset it? No, I guess that makes too much sense.

This is what gives little hope for the future.

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"It's real, grew up in trife life, the times of white lines
The hype vice, murderous nighttimes and knife fights invite crimes" - Nasir Jones

Actually in a bit of historic funny. Normaly the Governor calls the replacement. Ted himself got the Mass Law changed while a Republican was Governor and Kerry was running against Bush, to prevent a R being named. In a fit of "how big are my balls now!" as he was dying he tried to have the law changed back to the old way fearful that the vulgar masses would elect and R to follow him. Oh the funny's just tickle me.

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"Life isn't divided into genres. It's a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you're lucky."
— Alan Moore

That part of the bill has run them against unions who are a reliable democrat voting bloc and financial supporters. Yet without it they cant pay for healthcare. So you're right they'll just ram something through and try to fix it after the fact. What could go wrong!?!

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

I already posted the skinny on "Cadillac" plans. Since everyone missed it, apparently, a "Cadillac" plan is any policy with $8500 or more per annum in total premiums. Total premiums include employer paid portions for group policies. Or, to put this in perspective for everyone ...

$8500 a year includes the policies that minimum wage full time workers at McDonalds can opt into.

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I thought it was $8000 total premiums for individual plans and $21000 for family plans. Either way, it's not that much. And either way, the additional proposed 40% tax (or whatever the number is going to be) will get paid by the worker.

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"It's real, grew up in trife life, the times of white lines
The hype vice, murderous nighttimes and knife fights invite crimes" - Nasir Jones

So basically what you're saying is the "Cadillac" label was slapped on to prevent stupid people from realizing that they would be the ones being taxed when they voted Democrat?

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Buckle your pants or they might fall down.

Actually $8500/year is a hell of a lot of money for an individule insurance plan, this is including how much your company pays for towards it, I went onto the MA health connector web site to see how much it costs for inssurance plans which you pay 100% yourself, no company subsidation, the absolute top of the line plan available was $570/month or $6840/year which is still well under the level to be a "Cadillac" plan, even for someone 50 years old I could only fine one plan that went over $8500/year.

MA is a special case.

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Holy shitsnacks!

http://www.thefoxnation.com/entertainme ... -mass-race


Funny, stewart shows his bias pretty well. Completly ignores that the politcs are also sinking the Dem's not just an idiot candidate.

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"Life isn't divided into genres. It's a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you're lucky."
— Alan Moore

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/ ... model.html

And wonderful editorial from Olbermann

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"Life isn't divided into genres. It's a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you're lucky."
— Alan Moore

It has been amended to $8800 as of Friday.

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"...but there exists also in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to attempt to lower the powerful to their own level and reduces men to prefer equality in slavery to inequality with freedom." - De Tocqueville

http://www.thefoxnation.com/justice/201 ... sachusetts

and some voter fraud

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"Life isn't divided into genres. It's a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you're lucky."
— Alan Moore

http://bigjournalism.com/fross/2010/01/ ... kley-wins/


Boston globe calls it 8 hours before the poll closes!

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"Life isn't divided into genres. It's a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical, science-fiction cowboy detective novel. You know, with a bit of pornography if you're lucky."
— Alan Moore

I dont know. No matter who wins the senate seat the house could just approve as is the senate version and avoid a revote.

However the closeness of this race might have some people wondering if voting for this is a good idea, assuming they still care about reelection.

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"

Considering there are no exit polls in operation, how the **** do they make that call??

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

I pay $137/month for health insurance. That's not through any employer. How does McDonalds make it up to $8500?

You're young and on an individual plan.

Presuming Khross is correct, they're higher because of risk sharing via group insurance.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

Sounds like Coakley has conceded the race. As for what tomorrow holds, only God knows.

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"

Obama realy wants this health deal. He's going to go down the list of Republicans and find one who is ready to retire and offer him something to make it worth his while. If that one flips him the bald eagle, he will keep on going until he finds one who will.

Do any of you truly doubt that somewhere among the 41 senators there isn't one who would sell his party out for a cabinet seat or a plum diplomatic assignment?

If you do, please send me one of those brownies.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

I was thinking about the same thing Micheal, especially with Lame Duck George (Voinavich R-Ohio). I was just afraid to say it aloud.

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"