Dogs at play #1

Dealing with government care issues.

Working with government social services programs for the elderly will absolutely drive you nuts. I’m in the process of trying to get my 71 year old mother who has lung cancer approved for Medicaid the last couple of weeks, and I can tell you from personal experience that it can be a nightmare. There is no “single point” of contact that you can get to work with you to navigate the myriad of paperwork trails, working with LTC facilities, insurance companies, and other myriad of government and private groups to get something accomplished.

Somehow, everyone automatically thinks that the “family” can deal with all this paperwork, interviews, and endless meetings to get things done, when in fact the “family” is typically in a situation that they are barely able to deal with the mental and physical aspects of taking care of a elderly family member in need.

So if any of you out there are currently in this position as well, or perhaps you will need to be in the future, my heart felt sympathies go out to you. My only words of encouragement is “keep plugging away at the walls”, and “good luck”. It is a mentally stressful and physically draining experience to have to go through, and anyone forced into the position of dealing with a serious illness of a family member needs comfort and support as well as the family member that is ill. Often, I have found, that the agencies, both private and government, that you have to deal with, forget what the supporting family members are going through, and act as if they are intentionally forcing them to perform 3 ring circus acts to get anything meaningful accomplished.

Obama puts web site to work for flood relief

I've been a little busy the last few days, and haven't been able to post as frequently as I would like, but I wanted to pass on this information about what Obama is trying to do for the flood victims in the midwest.

Obama has dedicated the main page of his presidential campaign website and is sending emails out to his supporters asking for direct support for the flood victims.

Obama site

Let the economy positions begin

Seems Obama and McCain are both out expounding on their economic plans. Looks like they are going to be doing the rounds over the next couple weeks positioning their stands on the economy. While neither has the "official" title of nominee of their party, the general campaign seems to be gearing up pretty quickly and looks to be substantially different than previous elections.

Time gives a broad brush look at Obama's economic proposals, and CNN does a little comparison shopping between the two.

I can't remember the last time there were two candidates that differed so significantly on such a broad range of issues. Looking forward to watching the debating both in debates and in the point counter point press releases.

Where is that gas tax holiday Sen McCain?

I've looked all over the congressional record and I can't find your proposed gas tax holiday bill anywhere to be found? Please tell us this wasn't a campaign stunt. Of course a week after Memorial day that $30 savings we were going to get is getting smaller and smaller each day.

The Dem race is over, but Clinton still swinging?

I listened to the speeches given tonight by Clinton and Obama. I was listening to McCain's speech and dozed off... sorry.

But I have been thinking about the situation in the Democratic party and the impression that Clinton left with her speech, and what it could mean as far as VP positioning, and party unity. And one of the things that struck me was the tone and temperment of the Clinton speech which I thought was still confrontational to a large degree, and still beating the "I'm the more electable candidate" drum, on a night when Obama had actually passed the required number of delegates to claim the nomination in no uncertain terms.

There has been a lot of talk about Clinton floating the idea that she would be open to being VP, and doing her utmost to help unify the party. My sense is that she probably flushed any possibility of her being on the ticket away with her speech tonight. She is continuing to drive her electablity as the primary candidate. She through the primaries has tried to paint Obama as weak and inexperienced, and basically checked off all the chips she has on the table as leverage to be taken as the VP.

However, by continually painting Obama as weak, and effectively listing the reasons he HAS to pick her as VP she is putting him in a box where he has no choice but to select someone else. After her speech tonight, to select her as his running mate, will provide credence to her assertion that he is a weaker candidate by giving into the pressure of the nomination losing candidate. To take her on the ticket now as an apparent appeasment to political pressure, he would automatically lose any credibility of being able to stand up to foreign leaders. Some one on CNN said as much in their assessment, that if he can't stand up to the Clinton pressure, how can he stand up to foreign leaders.

Unfortunately, I think Clinton passed on a unique opportunity to gracefully exit the race with dignity, and recognize the historic significance of an African-American winning the nomination of a major political party for the first time, and strongly start building party unity, but focused still on why she is the better candidate.

My view is that Obama has no choice now, but to go elsewhere for a VP candidate.

Blitzer preaching the "dream ticket" again

Wolf Blitzer of CNN is once again dreaming of the “dream ticket”. Mr Blitzer has been beating this drum ever since the last Democratic debate that he moderated between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I’ve never quite understood his almost insatiable campaigning for this particular scenario, but I’m pretty sure that it is purely wishful thinking on his part.

The original hoopla over the “dream ticket” of Clinton and Obama being on the same Democratic party ticket started with his last question of that debate, and he hasn’t let it die for more than a couple of days in the intervening time. More and more of the DNC members, specifically Pelosi have stated quite frankly that the possibility of a Clinton/Obama or Obama/Clinton ticket is probably not even a remote possibility. And quite frankly, from a objective political view, it benefits neither Obama, Clinton, or the Democrats in a November general election.

While I give Blitzer leave to voice his opinions and possible wishes, I think the media needs to reflect on exactly what it’s role is in our national debates and elections. I firmly think that Blitzer should stick to the proper role of reporting and analyzing election news, instead of trying to beat a drum to try and direct an outcome, that most political observers see as a non-starter.

Stick to reporting Wolf, that is what you are paid for.

Bush Slam Dance