Glenn Beck loses it on tape [vid]

[Dominus Atheos]

Here's the entire thing:



And here's the dance remix:

[Aaron]

Canada has a lottery to determine who can see a doctor? News to me, this guy's off his nut.

[Prannon]

It'd be interesting to see if this book of his is really what it's made out to be. Very intimidating man for all his anger. As for the thousands of legal immigrants being cut from the health care rolls in Massachusetts, I managed to find this:

July 15, 2009
Massachusetts Takes a Step Back From Health Care for All
By ABBY GOODNOUGH

BOSTON — The new state budget in Massachusetts eliminates health care coverage for some 30,000 legal immigrants to help close a growing deficit, reversing progress toward universal coverage just as Congress looks to the state as a model for overhauling the nation’s health care system.

The affected immigrants, permanent residents who have had green cards for less than five years, are now covered under Commonwealth Care, a subsidized insurance program for low-income residents that is central to the groundbreaking health care law enacted here in 2006.

Critics of the cut, which would save an estimated $130 million, say it unfairly targets taxpaying residents and threatens the state’s health care experiment at a critical time.

“It either sends the message that health care reform cannot be done, period,” said Eva Millona, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, “or it opens the door to doing it halfway and excluding immigrants from the process.”

Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed restoring $70 million to the program, which would partly restore the immigrants’ coverage. But legislative leaders have balked, saying vital programs for other groups would have to be cut as a result. The cut, which would affect only nondisabled adults from 18 to 65 years old, would take effect in August unless the legislature approves Mr. Patrick’s proposal.

“The governor has made a very good and compelling case relative to providing for legal immigrants,” Robert A. DeLeo, the speaker of the State House of Representatives, said Monday. “On the other hand, there is only so much money that we have.”

With tax collections down by $2.7 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30 and still dropping, lawmakers may have no choice but to make further cuts in the $27 billion budget approved this month. That makes Mr. Patrick’s proposal all the more problematic, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a nonpartisan watchdog group.

“It’s bad timing,” said Michael J. Widmer, the group’s president. “This budget casualty may be more under the national microscope than others, but there is no shortage of casualties across the board.”

Because of its three-year-old law, Massachusetts has the country’s lowest percentage of uninsured residents: 2.6 percent, compared with a national average of 15 percent. The law requires that almost every resident have insurance, and to meet that goal, the state subsidizes coverage for those earning up to three times the federal poverty level, or $66,150 for a family of four.

But the recession has made an already difficult experiment far more challenging. Enrollment in Commonwealth Care has risen sharply in recent months, to 181,000, as more people have lost jobs. That increase, combined with plummeting state revenues, made it impossible to maintain last year’s level of service, said Cyndi Roy, a spokeswoman for the state’s Executive Office for Administration and Finance.

In addition to dropping the immigrant insurance program, Commonwealth Care will save an estimated $63 million by no longer automatically enrolling low-income residents who fail to enroll themselves.

Under the 1996 federal law that overhauled the nation’s welfare system, the 30,000 immigrants affected by the loss of coverage also do not qualify for Medicaid or other federal aid. Massachusetts is one of the states, including California, New York and Pennsylvania, that nonetheless provide at least some health coverage for such immigrants.

Laura Porto, who moved here from Venezuela and has had permanent residency for three years, said losing her state-subsidized coverage would end her treatment for bipolar disorder, including weekly therapy, monthly consultations with a psychiatrist and medication.

“I am so afraid — if I lose it, I don’t know what my life is going to be,” said Ms. Porto, 58, who said she lost employer-sponsored coverage when she was fired because of her illness. “If I don’t have it, I am going to be in danger, and I don’t have any other way to have insurance unless I find a job, which is very difficult right now because no one is hiring.”

Mr. Patrick, a Democrat who is up for re-election next year, said Tuesday in an interview that dropping insurance for legal immigrants would send the wrong message about the state’s commitment to universal health care.

“I know we don’t have very much money, but we made a commitment in this commonwealth to embark down this health care reform path,” he said. “We ought to do what we can to keep it intact, and rather than just drop these folks who are good, hard-working, contributing members of our community, I’m just looking for some way to find a compromise here.”

Mr. Patrick said it was too early to elaborate on what form the curtailed coverage would take.

Lindsey M. Tucker, health reform policy manager at Health Care for All, an advocacy group in Boston, said that restoring $70 million to the program might provide some preventive and emergency care.

“It’s in no way the best solution,” she said, “but it looks like we are going to need a compromise given the difficult climate.”

If the full $130 million cut survives, hospitals that provide free care to the poor will need to spend an additional $87 million this year treating immigrants who lose their coverage, according to the Massachusetts Hospital Association. That would come on top of a $40 million cut in the state’s Health Safety Net, which reimburses such hospitals, said Tim Gens, the association’s executive vice president.

What the state needs, said Philip W. Johnston, chairman of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation and a former state secretary of health and human services, is a dedicated revenue stream to protect its pioneering system from cyclical downturns in the economy.

The revenue, Mr. Johnston said, should come from an income tax surcharge on the wealthiest, as House leaders in Washington have proposed for a federal health plan. “Otherwise,” he said, “the program is going to be subject to the ups and downs of the economy forever.”

Note that Beck never mentions the lower rate of uninsured people in Massachusetts, and he doesn't mention that a state in the US doesn't have the kind of debt flexibility that the federal government does in acquiring money for things (printing money, buying debt with dollar dominance to back it up, etc). All you have to do is go look at California, which can't escape its budget mess the same way the feds can. They kinda have to balance the budget or lessen the shortfall to keep losses under control.

[Prannon]

Just out of curiosity, I went to wikipedia, dubious source that it is, and looked at some numbers. According to the page (which does have some cited sources) there were 169,000 people insured through Commonwealth Care in 2008 with an annual budget put at $618 million. Using the $27 billion state budget figure from the article I quoted above, that comes to about 2% of the state budget.

Estimates say that in 2011 there should be 342,000 people covered by Commonwealth Care with a budget of $1.35 billion.

This puts the per capita expense per patient at about $3656.80 and $3947.37 respectively. Originally the government intended it to achieve effective coverage with a per capita expense of $3372.09 (based on original estimates of 215,000 covered and a $225 million budget).

I'm not sure what the US spends on a per capita basis, but I think that would make an interesting comparison. The most unfortunate thing is that just as people need this program the most, they're having to make cuts in it.

[Darth Wong]

Canada has a lottery to determine who can see a doctor? News to me, this guy's off his nut.

That's the kind of outright lie that is very popular among Republicans. They're totally shameless; it never even occurs to one of these guys to check claims like this to verify their accuracy. As far as they're concerned, if they heard it from another Republican, then it must be true.

I've seen this phenomenon in real-time. I've heard talk-radio hosts incorporating "facts" from earlier conservative callers into their arguments as gospel truth a half-hour later, using them to smack down subsequent callers. They will even ignore any challenges to the accuracy of those facts. My favourite example is the one imbecile on a Canadian talk-radio show who kept claiming that Canada had deployed parts of its army to Iraq, based entirely on some rumour he'd heard from another caller. Liberal caller after liberal caller after liberal caller asked him to back up this completely unsourced claim, and he just cut them off and accused them of being naive for buying the government line.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Canada has a lottery to determine who can see a doctor? News to me, this guy's off his nut.

That's the kind of outright lie that is very popular among Republicans. They're totally shameless; it never even occurs to one of these guys to check claims like this to verify their accuracy. As far as they're concerned, if they heard it from another Republican, then it must be true.

The worst one I've heard to date was a Republican 'friend' of mine I know who gleefully told me about how "someone" in the whitehouse had released E-mail from Obama Detailing his plans to institute a Communist state and outlaw religion. Naturally I asked if such documents had been released, who hadn't I seen them in the news?
"Oh Thats your typical Liberal Media forcing the story down."

[Vendetta]

I'm not sure what the US spends on a per capita basis, but I think that would make an interesting comparison.

$7900 per capita in 2007.

[Darth Lucifer]

I don't listen to Glenn Beck much, so...wow.

That caller really took him to town. I'm surprised Beck didn't hang up on her sooner.

[Straha]

He used to be much more moderate, much funnier, and much smarter.

Then he became a Mormon.

[Patrick Degan]

Methinks its time to send somebody with a tranq-gun to Mr. Beck's studio.

[AMT]

Methinks its time to send somebody with a tranq-gun to Mr. Beck's studio.

But he's an alky. Do you really want to get him hooked on drugs again?

[Aaron]

I've seen this phenomenon in real-time. I've heard talk-radio hosts incorporating "facts" from earlier conservative callers into their arguments as gospel truth a half-hour later, using them to smack down subsequent callers. They will even ignore any challenges to the accuracy of those facts. My favourite example is the one imbecile on a Canadian talk-radio show who kept claiming that Canada had deployed parts of its army to Iraq, based entirely on some rumour he'd heard from another caller. Liberal caller after liberal caller after liberal caller asked him to back up this completely unsourced claim, and he just cut them off and accused them of being naive for buying the government line.

The pathetic thing is that he was actually right, if you consider 3 or 4 officers on exchange "parts of the Army". I recall it being in The Maple Leaf (the CF paper) and one of the civvie papers picked it up and there was speculation that they would be pulled out. If he had just bothered to call the PR dudes at NDHQ he might have saved himself looking like a twat.

Mind you, I find this whole Republican talk radio thing bizarre in the extreme. I can't fathom listening to endless crap that just feeds my own opinions, wouldn't that get boring?

[Patrick Degan]

Methinks its time to send somebody with a tranq-gun to Mr. Beck's studio.

But he's an alky. Do you really want to get him hooked on drugs again?

The immediate concern has to be that he doesn't harm himself or others while in the middle of a psychotic tirade. The other considerations would be a worry for after he's in the padded room.

[Straha]

Methinks its time to send somebody with a tranq-gun to Mr. Beck's studio.

But he's an alky. Do you really want to get him hooked on drugs again?

He was a lot saner before he gave up the booze. Maybe that's what's making him crazy now?

[KroLazuxy_87]

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart loves to make fun of all the right wing nut jobs, and Beck is no exception.

Here's a link to a slew of daily show clips tearing into Mr. Beck. Enjoy.

[mr friendly guy]

Australian speaker came to the US to have a prostate operation? WTF.

Oh, I love this part. "I am losing my mind". Geez, he finally admits it.

[Rye]

God, what an absolute twat. As I've said before, his desperation to be hated and considered a top right wing polemicist is the most disgusting thing about him. His views are terrible too, of course, but I could disagree with a BNP member without either of us adding a million sarcastic "uh huhs" while we're talking. That's playground-level bullshit. Jesus fucking Christ, I hope he gets throat cancer.

[dr. what]

Canada has a lottery to determine who can see a doctor? News to me, this guy's off his nut.

I've heard of this before. This is, like, the new meme for the GOP who are screaming against health reform.

Apparently it had to do with this story
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/257099

In May of this year, the community of Gander, NF elected to hold a 'lottery' style selection of patients for two newly arrived Family Physicians. Although innovative, this approach is unlikely to help in solving a worsening shortage of doctors nationwide.

So - 'Small town in Newfoundland tries to come up with some ways to deal with a doctor shortage' turns to 'Everybody in Canada needs a lottery to see one'

btw - and I bet this would be a surprise to Beck, right? - the US has exactly the same problem(if not worse)

Long, long list of stuff - http://wiselaw.blogspot.com/2009/07/can ... ttery.html

Funny how that's never reported on these shows -- simple honest mistake, I'm sure...right?

[Aaron]

I've heard of this before. This is, like, the new meme for the GOP who are screaming against health reform.

Apparently it had to do with this story
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/257099

They did this in a nearby to me as well but Beck made it sound like we had to draw lots when we wanted to see a doc every time. Maybe I'm reading to much into it.

In May of this year, the community of Gander, NF elected to hold a 'lottery' style selection of patients for two newly arrived Family Physicians. Although innovative, this approach is unlikely to help in solving a worsening shortage of doctors nationwide.

So - 'Small town in Newfoundland tries to come up with some ways to deal with a doctor shortage' turns to 'Everybody in Canada needs a lottery to see one'

btw - and I bet this would be a surprise to Beck, right? - the US has exactly the same problem(if not worse)

Long, long list of stuff - http://wiselaw.blogspot.com/2009/07/can ... ttery.html

Funny how that's never reported on these shows -- simple honest mistake, I'm sure...right?

A commenter on that blog sums up every thing on this quite nicely:

I know nothing of Beck but suspect he promotes the "conservative" point of view, which, briefly stated, is that being rich should MEAN something. I am NOT a conservative, but my understanding is, conservatives are offended by the fact that poor people receive education, have food to eat, have housing, and receive medical care. Those things, according to this point of view, should be the exclusive prerogatives of the rich. The "C" word is just a fancy word for "mean spirited," in other words. There is no sense debating people like that because there is no intellectual content there to debate.

Guys like Beck are why I don't even bother with news anymore.

[Lusankya]

Australian speaker came to the US to have a prostate operation? WTF.

A quick internet search managed to pick up the possible grain of truth in that:

http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/arti ... ?id=259324

PETER OVERTON: John Anderson feels right at home in the wide open spaces of Gunnedah, in country NSW, mustering cattle with his family. Until recently, he was Australia's Deputy Prime Minister, but that troublesome male organ, the prostate, changed all that.

JOHN ANDERSON: In 1992 I was in the United States of America, and one night I just felt, all night long, that I needed to go and relieve myself. But when I did, virtually nothing happened. And the level of discomfort, and I have to say the fatigue the next day, really did concern me.

So basically, it seems that John Anderson was in the US for something or other, and the symptoms flared up then. And being in America, he probably went to a doctor in America.

He wasn't the speaker at the time or anything, but he and Wayne Swan are the only Australian politicians who come up on a google search regarding the matter, and Swan seems to have spent his bout with cancer in Brisbane, which is almost America, but not quite.

[The Spartan]

A commenter on that blog sums up every thing on this quite nicely:

I know nothing of Beck but suspect he promotes the "conservative" point of view, which, briefly stated, is that being rich should MEAN something. I am NOT a conservative, but my understanding is, conservatives are offended by the fact that poor people receive education, have food to eat, have housing, and receive medical care. Those things, according to this point of view, should be the exclusive prerogatives of the rich. The "C" word is just a fancy word for "mean spirited," in other words. There is no sense debating people like that because there is no intellectual content there to debate.

Guys like Beck are why I don't even bother with news anymore.

That's not a bad way of looking at it, though the way they tend to talk around here is more along the lines of entitlement. They think everyone feels "entitled" these days and talk about how their parents or grandparents or whomever worked for everything they had and now everyone's lazy these days and doesn't want to work for anything. They just want it.

It's part of, or an offshoot of, the anti-big government line of thinking related to a quote misattributed to Thomas Jefferson. Paraphrasing: a government big enough to provide you with everything is big enough to take everything away.

[mr friendly guy]

So basically, it seems that John Anderson was in the US for something or other, and the symptoms flared up then. And being in America, he probably went to a doctor in America.

He wasn't the speaker at the time or anything, but he and Wayne Swan are the only Australian politicians who come up on a google search regarding the matter, and Swan seems to have spent his bout with cancer in Brisbane, which is almost America, but not quite.

Ha ha ha. How desperate are these right wing loons? How low can they go to stretch that into what Beck is making it sound like.

So we can claim US sailors came all the way to Perth to be treated in our hospitals. Sure they were at a port stop and got assaulted by a bunch of bogans, but hey, with Glen Beck's logic the US sailors wanted to be treated here because they couldn't be treated back in their country.

[Patrick Degan]

Just hit these guys with the phrase "medical tourism" and really watch them melt down when they ask what that is and you tell them.

[Samuel]

I know nothing of Beck but suspect he promotes the "conservative" point of view, which, briefly stated, is that being rich should MEAN something. I am NOT a conservative, but my understanding is, conservatives are offended by the fact that poor people receive education, have food to eat, have housing, and receive medical care. Those things, according to this point of view, should be the exclusive prerogatives of the rich. The "C" word is just a fancy word for "mean spirited," in other words. There is no sense debating people like that because there is no intellectual content there to debate.

No, it is much more insane than that. I'm going to have to review Moral Politics, aren't I?

[Aaron]

No, it is much more insane than that. I'm going to have to review Moral Politics, aren't I?

Well it might help if you explained what that is first.