Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog

• CA-Sen: Carly Fiorina says health-reform bill too complex
  Carly Fiorina has advice for Washington lawmakers as they tackle issues such as health care and immigration reform: Don't take on so much at once.
  The newly announced candidate for the U.S. Senate in California used the nearly 2,000-page health care bill recently passed by the House to make her point before a group of reporters Wednesday. She said the sheer scope of the undertaking has made people wary about how it will affect their access to care and their pocketbooks.

  "What this health care bill does is create a vast new entitlement. It tries to boil the ocean — let's throw absolutely everything we can into this bill," she said. "As a result, it's creating as many problems for people as it is solving problems for people. That's why I think it's in trouble."

  (tags: carly_fiorina)
• Obamacare: Senate bill weighs in at 2,074 pages
  In the Battle of the Health Bills, the Senate wins out, bulk-wise – weighing in at 2,074 pages.

  The House health reform bill was a mere 1,990 pages when introduced.

  That means the Senate bill — like the one in the House — runs more pages than War and Peace, and has nearly five times as many words as the Torah.

  The table of contents alone is 14 pages.

  “Read the bill!” was a rallying cry of some health reform opponents over the summer. And if Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) gets his way, senators will get a chance to hear every word of it. He’s threatening to the read the legislation from start to finish, which by some estimates could take as long as 48 hours.

  (tags: Obamacare)
• Obamacare: Health 'Reform' Gets a Failing Grade – Dean of Harvard Medical School
  As the dean of Harvard Medical School I am frequently asked to comment on the health-reform debate. I'd give it a failing grade.

  Instead of forthrightly dealing with the fundamental problems, discussion is dominated by rival factions struggling to enact or defeat President Barack Obama's agenda. The rhetoric on both sides is exaggerated and often deceptive. Those of us for whom the central issue is health—not politics—have been left in the lurch. And as controversy heads toward a conclusion in Washington, it appears that the people who favor the legislation are engaged in collective denial.

  (tags: Obamacare)
• Obama: 'We've restored America's standing' – All in One Year?
  A little more than a year after his election, President Obama said his administration has laid the groundwork for success on global and domestic matters.

  "I think that we've restored America's standing in the world, and that's confirmed by polls," he told CNN's Ed Henry in a wide-ranging interview this week during his trip to China.

  "I think a recent one indicated that around the world, before my election, less than half the people — maybe less than 40 percent of the people — thought that you could count on America to do to the right thing. Now it's up to 75 percent."
  +++++++
  The world is still a dangerous place, Mr President.

  (tags: barack_obama)
• Obamacare: Harry Reid May Unveil Health Care Bill Today — No Budget Reconciliation?
  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scrambled "to lock down votes" behind a health-care bill that he may present as early this afternoon, the Washington Post reports.

  Reid "would not confirm that he had received commitments from all 60 members of his caucus to overcome GOP procedural objections and bring the bill to the Senate floor."

  Meanwhile, the buzz on Capitol Hill is that Reid will not attempt to move the bill through the budget reconciliation process and will instead need 60 votes to end debate in the Senate — a possible indication that major concessions to moderates are coming.

  (tags: Obamacare harry_reid)
• Poll Watch:Democrats Alarmed as Independent Voters Bolt
  Since then, however, a flurry of new polls makes clear that Democrats are facing deeper problems with independents—the swing voters who swung dramatically toward the party in 2006 and 2008 but who now are registering deep unease with the amount of spending and debt called for under Obama's agenda in an era of one-party rule in Washington.

  A Gallup Poll released last week offered a disturbing glimpse about the state of play: just 14 percent of independents approve of the job Congress is doing, the lowest figure all year. In just the past few days alone, surveys have shown Democratic incumbents trailing Republicans among independent voters by double-digit margins in competitive statewide contests in places as varied as Connecticut, Ohio and Iowa.

  (tags: democrats Polling)
• California budget shortfall to top $21 billion
  California faces a budget gap of nearly $21 billion over its current and next fiscal years, according to the state government's budget watchdog agency, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday.

  The newspaper said California's Legislative Analyst's Office would issue an official report on Wednesday with its shortfall estimate.

  The projection comes less than four months after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers agreed to a budget plan that closed a deficit of more than $24 billion largely with deep spending cuts to respond to plunging revenues amid the worst economic crisis to hit the most populous U.S. state since the Great Depression.

  (tags: California_Budget)

Californian Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina holds a roundtable discussions with reporters in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009

Chalk up another Republican United States Senator endorsement for California U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina.

From the Press Release:

Citing her strong leadership skills, tested business acumen and common-sense approach to politics, U.S. Senator James W (actually his middle initial is M). Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) today enthusiastically endorsed Carly Fiorina’s campaign for U.S. Senate.

“I am honored to receive the support of Senator Inhofe, a dedicated public servant who has spent years defending the principles of limited government, individual freedom and personal responsibility. These are beliefs I’ve held for years, and I look forward to working with Senator Inhofe to create jobs and bring fiscal accountability back to Washington,” said Fiorina. “Over the last 18 years, Barbara Boxer has failed to stand up for California’s families, businesses and communities. Especially given these difficult economic times, Californians need a true advocate representing them in the United States Senate.”

Inhofe, who was recently voted “Most Outstanding Conservative U.S. Senator” by Human Events Newspaper and the American Conservative Union, said, “Carly Fiorina is a true fiscal conservative who has made controlling our federal deficit one of her top priorities. Her common-sense approach and sharp business skills make her exactly the kind of leader we need in the U.S. Senate to help address our ballooning deficit and get our nation’s economy back on track.”

Earlier this month, Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Senator Jon Kyl (R-Arizona), Senator John McCain (R-Arizona), Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) endorsed Fiorina’s bid for U.S. Senate.

From Flap’s count this now makes nine.

And, although Fiorina’s views on climate change and federal enviromental policy differ from Inhofe’s, it is noteworthy that he endorsed her candidacy over Assemblyman Chuck DeVore anyway.

Here is a video clip of Fiorina talking about climate change and energy policy.

• CA-Sen: Carly Fiorina has balancing act in Calif. Senate race
  Fleischman said he came away from an interview with Fiorina thinking they agreed on many issues, such as opposition to abortion and the growing role of the federal government. Fiorina opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is endangered. Her campaign says Fiorina believes marriage is between a man and a woman but also supports domestic partnerships.

  "I don't think there's any way Carly Fiorina out-conservatives Chuck DeVore, but I don't think that's her goal," Fleischman said. "The real question is: Is Carly Fiorina a conservative? And based on my sit-downs with her so far, I think she probably is."

  (tags: carly_fiorina)
• Sarah Palin says bloody primary battles have helped the GOP
  The primary battles plaguing the Republican Party are good for the GOP, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) asserted Tuesday.

  Palin said during an appearance on the conservative Rush Limbaugh show that the primary battles have made the party stronger.

  She praised the GOP for its willingness to "not hesitate duking it out within the party," examples of which most recently played out in New York's 23rd congressional district.

  (tags: sarah_palin)
• CA-Sen: Clint Reilly : Babs vs. Carly Fiorina
  After her victory in 1992, Boxer drew mediocre, under-funded opponents in 1998 and 2004. I have heard Willie Brown frequently describe Boxer as the luckiest politician in the Golden State for this reason.

  But Fiorina is neither mediocre nor poor.
  She earned tens of millions of dollars during her tenure as CEO of HP, and she left her post with a hefty severance package totaling more than $20 million. So, she has the ability to pop substantial money into her own drive.

  What’s more, her advocacy for McCain built ties to national Republicans, corporate elites and Washington insiders whose imprimatur brings credibility and big money.

  There’s more.

  Fiorina is no stranger to bare knuckled fights. Her cardinal sin at HP was to antagonize the families of revered founders William Hewlett and David Packard by engineering the purchase of Compaq Computer Corporation.

  (tags: barbara_boxer carly_fiorina)
• Stupak: I have votes to defeat health bill – Pelosicare
  Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) pledged on Tuesday morning to defeat healthcare reform legislation if his abortion amendment is taken out, saying 10 to 20 anti-abortion-rights Democrats would vote against a bill with weaker language.

  "They’re not going to take it out," Stupak said on "Fox and Friends," referring to Senate Democrats. "If they do, healthcare will not move forward."

  Stupak's amendment prohibits any insurance plan on a potential healthcare exchange from accepting federal subsidies if it covers abortion. Pro-abortion-rights lawmakers say that language is too broad and would drastically reduce access to abortion.

  (tags: Obamacare Pelosicare)
• Jimmy Carter defends his handling of Iran hostage crisis
  Former US President Jimmy Carter said he was pressed by his advisers to attack Iran during the hostage crisis there more than 30 years ago but resisted because he feared 20,000 Iranians could have died.
  Islamist militants stormed the US Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, and seized its occupants. Fifty-two Americans were held hostage for 444 days.

  Carter said Monday that one proposed option was a military strike on Iran, but he chose to stick with negotiations to prevent bloodshed and bring the hostages home safely.
  ++++++
  Poor choice Jimmy that ushered in the era of Ronald Reagan

  (tags: Jimmy_Carter)
• Chuck DeVore Walks Back Birther Flap – Nuance?
  Is Chuck DeVore, the Tea Party candidate in the California Senate race, a birther? In an interview with Dave Weigel, he seemed to hint at Yes.

  * But then his spokesman quickly walked it back.

  (tags: Chuck_DeVore)
• DeMint writes for DeVore – Diversion from Birther Flap
  Earlier today, there was quite a maelstrom based on California Senate candidate Chuck Devore's interview with Dave Weigel.

  In the interview, DeVore didn't endorse the Birther movement, but didn't exactly repudiate it, either.

  “The president is doing himself no favors by spending millions of dollars to block the release of documents surrounding his birth certificate. As long as the president keeps fighting tooth and nail to prevent the release of such things, people are going to remain skeptical.”

  Since then, the DeVore team has been scrambling, first sending an unequivocal affirmation of the POTUS' citizenship via its spokesman; then from DeVore himself.

  Now SC Sen Jim DeMint takes to The Corner this afternoon to pen a post in support of DeVore, whom he's endorsed.

  The post doesn't make any mention of today's kerfuffle, but the timing is interesting.

  (tags: Chuck_DeVore)
• CA-Sen: GOP Senate Candidate DeVore Seeks To Defuse Birtherism Story
  Chuck DeVore, a California state Assemblyman running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in California, is working to defuse comments that seemingly made him out to be a birther-sympathizer.

  "The president is doing himself no favors by spending millions of dollars to block the release of documents surrounding his birth certificate," DeVore said to Dave Weigel. "As long as the president keeps fighting tooth and nail to prevent the release of such things, people are going to remain skeptical."

  (tags: Chuck_DeVore)
• Sarah Palin Book Hints at 2012 Run for Presidency
  Sarah Palin's new book, which was purchased by ABC News at a Washington-area bookstore on Monday, maintains that she wasn't motivated "alone" by an ambition to seek higher office when she stepped down as governor of Alaska.

  She suggests, however, that her resignation has left her in a strong position to run for president by touting comments to CNN by a well-known Republican strategist who thinks Palin's move was "brilliant."

  "One of the only commentators who called it right was Mary Matalin, who noted that my strategy would disarm my opponents and free me up to travel and raise money and awareness for worthy causes," writes Palin.

  (tags: sarah_palin)

From Chuck DeVore’s Twitter Feed

California Republican Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine) REALLY should get his facts straight before he goes off half-cocked about his GOP opponent for the California United States Senate seat.

DeVore accuses and mocks his opponent, Carly Fiorina, of faking her Twitter follower account.

WRONG.

Social-networking site Twitter plans to end a service that links prominent message posters with new users, a service that was criticized in California because of perceived unfairness toward GOP gubernatorial candidates.

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said Monday the San Francisco-based company will overhaul its “suggested users” list, which links Twitter users with a pool of about 500 celebrities, sports figures and politicians they might want to follow.

“That list will be going away,” Stone said at a conference in Malaysia. “In its stead will be something that is more programmatically chosen, something that actually delivers more relevant suggestions.”

Names on the suggested user list are selected by company officials. In California, Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls were placed on the list, a move that greatly boosted their number of followers. Republican candidates were left off until recently.

Former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman, who led the Republican field with 4,160 Twitter followers, jumped to nearly 61,000 followers. Former Congressman Tom Campbell went from 1,660 followers to 57,500, while state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner’s nearly 2,600 followers increased to 56,500.

By comparison, Attorney General Jerry Brown, the presumed Democratic gubernatorial candidate, increased from 960,000 followers to 1 million during the same three-week period.

Twitter also added Carly Fiorina, who is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer next year.

But, it was NOT bad enough that DeVore was wrong and has NOT apologized (as of yet). He has consistently HARPED on the matter by retweeting (reposting on Twitter) the false information.

Like here:

Here:

And, here:

Talk about beating a FALSE drum or spamming one on Twitter.

So, come on Chuck, before you come on here and accuse Flap of DeVore Derangement Syndrome again, how about apologizing to Carly Fiorina for being WRONG, DISINGENUOUS or UNSCRUPULOUS.

Take your pick and apologize before you lose even more credibility.

Update:

Maybe Chuck DeVore should apologize to the National Republican Senatorial Committee as well.

What do you think, Chuck?

From Chuck DeVore’s Twitter feed yesterday