The Morning Flap: August 20, 2012

These are my links for August 16th through August 20th:

• Universal Mediocrity – NHS– In April, the British Medical Journal published “How the NHS Measures Up to Other Health Systems,” a report about two studies conducted by the New York–based Commonwealth Fund that compared the health-care systems of 14 advanced countries. On the 20 measures of comparison, Britain’s famous (or infamous) centralized system, the National Health Service, performed well in 13, indifferently in two, and badly in five. Was this a cause for national rejoicing?If popular satisfaction is the aim of a health-care system, the answer must be yes. According to the report, the British were the most satisfied with their health care of all the populations surveyed; they were the most confident that in the event of illness, they would receive the best and most up-to-date treatment; and they were the least anxious that their personal finances would prevent them from receiving proper treatment. One could doubtless raise objections to these measures of comparison, but let us for the sake of argument take the results at face value. Subjective satisfaction and relief of anxiety are not minor achievements. Indeed, though the free market’s ability to satisfy more needs and desires than any other system is usually cited as one of its principal advantages, here was an apparent instance of the contrary: a nonmarket health-care system that yielded the most satisfaction.
• Obamacare’s unpopularity blunts Obama’s attacks on Romney-Ryan Medicare plans– Obamacare was supposed to be President Barack Obama’s legacy. But it’s looking like a political millstone.The mammoth and unpopular health insurance overhaul weighed down Democrats in 2010 when Republicans helped turn seniors to their side.And now Democrats have unexpectedly had to play defense over Obamacare’s Medicare cuts even as Mitt Romney picked Congressman Paul Ryan as a vice-presidential running mate and drew attention to unpopular Republican plans that cap future Medicare spending.Central to the Republican attack: Obamacare cut $716 billion in anticipated Medicare spending over a decade. Republicans are driving the message home in TV ads and robocalls bashing Democrats.
• Two Weeks to Go in California Legislative Session – Two Weeks to Go in California Legislative Session
• Flap’s Dentistry Blog: Medical Boards Worried About FTC North Carolina Dental Ruling – Medical Boards Worried About FTC North Carolina Dental Ruling
• Todd Akin’s macaca moment? – RT @rachelweinerwp Some Republicans calling for Akin to drop out; @FixSean will have details soon on how it would work
• Claire McCaskill won’t say Todd Akin must quit – Tim Mak – POLITICO.com – DUH, Why would she? RT @politico: Claire McCaskill won’t say Todd Akin must quit: #tcot
• Day By Day August 19, 2012 – No Lie – Flap’s Blog – Day By Day August 19, 2012 – No Lie #tcot
• Niall Ferguson on Why Barack Obama Needs to Go – Newsweek and The Daily Beast – Hit the road, Barack #tcot
• Obama Opens Up to ‘Moneyball’ Writer for Vanity Fair– The White House has granted Michael Lewis, the best-selling author of “Moneyball” and “The Big Short,” extensive access to President Obama for an article in the October issue of Vanity Fair.The magazine confirmed that Mr. Lewis has conducted a series of interviews with the president for the piece. But a spokeswoman for the magazine and the White House both declined to comment on the focus of their discussions or what the article will detail.Generally, Mr. Lewis is said to be writing about leadership, according to someone who knows both Mr. Lewis and the pesident.It would seem to be something of a risk for the White House – which is highly guarded about allowing journalists access to the president for longer-form articles and books – to agree to let in an author who is known for
• Swing-State Voters Say They Are No Better Off Than in 2008 – A majority of voters in key 2012 election swing states say they are not better off than they were four years ago; 40% say they are better off. Swing-state voters’ assessments of their situation compared with 2008 have varied little since last fall.
• Review & Outlook: $6,400 Myth – WSJ.com – RT @PounderFile WSJ Editorial: “The $6,400 Myth: Breaking Down A False Obama Medicare Claim”
• Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-20 – Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-20
• POLITICO e-book: Obama campaign roiled by conflict – Glenn Thrush – POLITICO.com – RT @politico POLITICO e-book from @GlennThursh: Obama campaign roiled by conflict — #tcot
• @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-20 – Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-20 #tcot
• Todd Akin’s rape remark has GOP fretting – David Catanese – POLITICO.com – YES RT @LizMair: The latest Akin can step aside and be replaced is Tuesday. I hope he does, and Jim Talent steps up.
• Dentistry / Edmonton’s Kirsten Zuk may be the first artist to make a sculpture of John Lennon that contains a chunk of the rock icon’s molar – Kirsten Zuk may be the first artist to make a sculpture of John Lennon that contains a chunk of the rock icon’s molar
• Moody’s: More California cities at risk of bankruptcy– One of the nation’s top credit rating agencies said Friday that it expects more municipal bankruptcies and defaults in California, the nation’s largest issuer of municipal bonds.Moody’s Investors Service said in a report that the growing fiscal distress in many California cities was putting bondholders at risk.The service announced that it will undertake a wide-ranging review of municipal finances in the nation’s most populous state because of what it sees as a growing threat of insolvency.The report has both investors and government leaders worried.Three California cities — Stockton, San Bernardino and Mammoth Lakes — have filed for bankruptcy so far this year. They are not likely to be the last, Moody’s said.

  Moody’s reports that some cities are turning bankruptcy as a new strategy to take on budget deficits and avoid obligations to bondholders, an emerging dynamic that could have ripple effects throughout the investment community.

  The municipal bond market has long been characterized by low default rates and relatively stable finances, Moody’s said, but that outlook is beginning to change as bankruptcy becomes a tool for cash-strapped cities.

• The Jaco Report: August 19, 2012 | FOX2now.com – St. Louis News & Weather from KTVI Television FOX2 – Think the odds of GOP Rep. Todd Akin surviving by tomorrow PM are slim to none #tcot
• Todd Akin: ‘Legitimate rape’ victims rarely get pregnant – David Cohen – POLITICO.com – Don’r know how the GOP will win this Senate seat now | Todd Akin: ‘Legitimate rape’ victims rarely get pregnant
• Giuliani: Joe Biden’s a Joke – Flap’s Blog – Giuliani: Joe Biden’s a Joke #tcot
• Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-19 – Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-19
• @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-19 – Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-19 #tcot
• Gregory Flap @ Ronnie’s Diner – foursquare – After 12 very hot miles in Santa Monica and Venice with Alice, Nancy, Tara and Mary (@ Ronnie’s Diner)
• Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-18 – Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-18
• @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-18 – Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-18 #tcot
• Flap’s Dentistry Blog: The Morning Drill: August 17, 2012 – The Morning Drill: August 17, 2012
• AD-48: More Investigations into the Political Affairs of Roger Hernandez – AD-48: More Investigations into the Political Affairs of Roger Hernandez
• Hillary Clinton: Not Interested in Running as Obama’s Vice President – Hillary Clinton: Not Interested in Running as Obama’s Vice President #tcot
• Poll: Obama leads in swing-state Michigan – The Hill’s Ballot Box – Michigan is not a swing state = blue RT @thehill Poll: Obama leads in swing-state Michigan (by @JonEasley) #tcot
• Amanda Bynes: Amanda Bynes Accused in 3rd Hit-and-Run in 3 Months – ktla.com – Oh my! RT @KTLA Report: Amanda Bynes to Be Charged in Hit-and-Run
• California employers add 25,200 jobs; unemployment stays at 10.7% – latimes.com – RT @latimes California employers add 25,200 jobs; unemployment stays at 10.7%
  #tcot #catcot
• Obama Campaign Asks Romney for 5 Years of Tax Returns– The Obama campaign, determined to renew the focus of the presidential race on questions about Mitt Romney‘s taxes, is trying to pressure the Republican candidate to release five years of his returns.Obama campaign manager Jim Messina sent a letter Friday to Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades promising not to demand any additional tax returns if Mr. Romney releases five years’ worth.“Governor Romney apparently fears that the more he offers, the more our campaign will demand that he provide,” Mr. Messina wrote.“So I am prepared to provide assurances on just that point: if the Governor will release five years of returns, I commit in turn that we will not criticize him for not releasing more–neither in ads nor in other public communications or commentary for the rest of the campaign.”Mr. Rhoades, in a prompt response to Mr. Messina, rejected the idea saying, “It is clear that President Obama wants nothing more than to talk about Governor Romney’s tax returns instead of the issues that matter to voters, like putting Americans back to work, fixing the economy and reining in spending.” Mr. Romney, he said, will continue to focus on his plans for “a stronger middle class, to save Medicare, to put work back into welfare, and help the 23 million Americans struggling to find work in the Obama economy.”
• Biden’s ‘good friend,’ donor receives $20M federal loan– In late July, John Hynansky — a longtime friend of Vice President Joe Biden, and a major donor to Biden’s campaigns as well as President Barack Obama’s —was awarded a $20 million taxpayer loan to build a foreign-car dealership in Ukraine.According to a public summary document, the loan, from the federal government’s Overseas Private Investment Corporation, is for “[u]p to $20.0 million,” and is designed to “expand Winner Import Ukraine’s automobile business, [and] construct and operate ‘Winner Autocity,’ which will have two new, state-of-the-art dealership facilities for Porsche and Land Rover/Jaguar automobiles.”Porsche is a German-made luxury and sports car, and Jaguar Land Rover is a British luxury and sports car company owned by an Indian subsidiary.Under “U.S. Economic Impact,” the summary document says, “This project will have a positive developmental impact on the host country, Ukraine. The project will generate a significant number of new local jobs. Running a dealership for premium automobile brands requires a highly trained sales force, mechanics, accountants, communications and advertising specialists, IT specialists, service personnel, warehouse managers, and customer relations specialists.”
• Rasmussen: Florida Fears Obama’s Medicare Plan More Than Ryan’s – RT @BreitbartFeed Rasmussen: Florida Fears Obama’s Medicare Plan More Than Ryan’s #tcot
• An Embarrassment
  – YouTube – RT @PounderFile 44 states saw unemployment increase last month but now we know which super power Obama would like #tcot
• State pays high price for localities to post meeting agendas– In this online age, the decades-old state requirement that local governments alert residents about what will be discussed in public meetings and when they will take place might be fulfilled with a few keystrokes.At the Santa Clara Valley Water District, that function cost $9,152.26 per meeting.The district said it racked up $384,395 in expenses for 42 meetings in the 2010-11 budget year and, like hundreds of other local governments, asked the state for reimbursement.A June decision by lawmakers and the governor to stop localities from submitting such bills for the next year, thereby giving them license to temporarily stop complying with the rule, has generated a lot of buzz among good-government advocates. Lost in all the back and forth about the public’s right to know is the high price some cities and counties are charging to prepare and post agendas publicly.
• U.S. Unadjusted Unemployment 8.3% in Mid-August – RT @gallupnews U.S. Unadjusted Unemployment up to 8.3% in Mid-August…
  #tcot
• Beauty and the Beak on Vimeo – Dentist provides assistance to bald eagle
• Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-17 – Flap’s California Blog – Flap’s California Blog @ Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-17
• @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-17 – Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2012-08-17 #tcot
• Untitled (http://getglue.com/Fullosseousflap/stickers/getglue/getglue_hd_a_new_kind_of_guide?s=ts&ref=Full) – Untitled (… #tcot
• Untitled (http://getglue.com/Fullosseousflap/stickers/getglue/getglue_hd_a_new_kind_of_guide?s=ts&ref=Fullosseousflap) – I unlocked the GetGlue HD: A New Kind of Guide sticker on #GetGlueHD!
• Untitled (http://getglue.com/tv_shows/big_brother?s=tch&ref=Fullosseousflap) – Online East Coast feed #GetGlueHD #CBSBigBrother
• Romney headed back to O.C. to raise cash Sept. 17– Orange County’s Republican money tree continues its allure, as Mitt Romney will return Sept. 17 for his fourth fundraiser since March. Ticket prices range from $1,000 to $50,000 for an evening event at Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. The exact time is being worked out.If you want to step up from the $1,000 price to the $2,500, they’ll throw in a Romney lapel pin. Bump it up to $10,000 and you get two tickets to the photo reception, one photo (two guests can be in it with the nominee), and two tickets to the general reception.For $50,000? Two tickets to a VIP reception and to the photo reception, one photo and four tickets to the general reception.The deadline to RSVP is Sept. 14. Call 949-474-6930 or write stacy@stacy-davis.com
• Nevada Media Calls Berkley TV Attack Ad ‘Laughable’ – Democratic Congressman Shelley Berkley’s Campaign for Senate released a television ad that claimed her opponent, incumbent Republican Senator Dean Heller, was implicated in a $64 million diamond scam. By Monday, every major media outlet in Nevada declared the ad was false.
• CBRT Pepperdine Poll Watch: The November California Propositions – CBRT Pepperdine Poll Watch: The November California Propositions
• Former Asian Boyz gang leader convicted of 4 killings – LA Daily News – Now, tell me why Pierre Mercado shouldn’t receive the Death Penalty when he is sentenced? #catcot #tcot
• California State University: Some object to letting in only nonresidents, who pay higher tuition– If you’re a Californian interested in taking up graduate studies in January at a California State University campus, think again.But if you live in another state or country, check it out and sign your check.Cal State system leaders have told the university’s 23 campuses they won’t be allowed to admit California graduate students for the spring term, which starts in January. Budget cuts made the system in the spring unable to afford residents’ heavily discounted education, campus leaders were told.But nonresident students – who pay considerably higher fees – remain welcome, at least at some campuses. That has become an issue leading some rebellious graduate schools to turn away the non-Californians – and the financial windfall they would bring.We either take both kinds of students or none, one professor said.

  “It’s appalling, and I would never, ever go along with” excluding resident students, said Maria Nieto, a Cal State East Bay biology professor who coordinates her department’s graduate studies. “To say, `You can accept these students at the exclusion of California students’ goes against the mission of CSU.”

  “This is yet another effect of the financial crisis for higher education – a crisis that has reduced Cal Poly Pomona’s state funding by nearly $55 million since the 2008-09 academic year,” said Tim Lynch, a spokesman for Cal Poly Pomona. No decision had yet been made at that campus about non-resident graduate

• Witness: State assemblyman initially refused blood test after Concord DUI arrest – San Jose Mercury News – He is looking for different work RT @RobStutzman: Um, Roger Hernandez, how’s that DUI trial working out?
• Gallup Poll: In U.S., Majority Overweight or Obese in All 50 States – Nearly seven in 10 adults in West Virginia, Mississippi, and Kentucky are either overweight or obese — more than in any other state in the first half of 2012. At the other end of the scale is Colorado, the least overweight state in the union, but even there, 55.1% of residents are overweight or obese.