remind me why I can't afford to have Obama lose.

Perhaps six months ago there was a typically bad tempered exchange here not directly about Obamacare but about the reviewer in the Nation who discussed Paul Starr's Remedy and Reaction

with the sub heading

The peculiar American Struggle over health care reform.

I threatened at the time that I would read it and give you the benefit  of my reaction and in response to a complete ,and understandable, absence of encouragement here it is

according to Martin Wolf.

In the Aug 18 FT.Where he encapsulates Plan Ryan this way

The Ryan plan is (an) example...of the Republican   policy (of) cutting taxes in order to increase deficits and so justify cuts in spending

Then goes on to do what any self-respecting economist could ,and ought to , do ;actually read  Ryan's plan and add up the numbers to see whether it does what Ryan claims.

It doesn't.

US healthcare is no laughing matter

Excerpted from Gary Silverman, Financial Times July 27

Comedy can be dangerous work in the US. I was reminded of this.....when I chanced upon a website seeking donations for...Caleb Medley (a victim) of the shooting in Aurora, Colorado.

The website tells the story of an affable..dreamer who wound up living a nightmare...Medley grew up in a. ...small town called Florence, married his high school sweetheart and put down roots in Aurora so he could try....stand up comedy ...in.Denver.

o just a month before the date scheduled for the Wisconsin governor's recall election , the democrats had a contested primary to chose their candidate.

o in a California district with a massive democratic majority the Congressperson will be a Republican since a multitude of democratic candidates so split the large democratic vote that the two winners were the (only) two Republicans who divided the much smaller Republican one.