Categorized | Healthcare, Politics, ✞ Fucquis Chenem Dicquat✞ ™
Bravo Sen. Al Franken!
by kellygrrrl
Posted on 21 October 2009 | 9:23 am 
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In today’s episode of our favorite reality show, “Al and Al,” Superhero Senators Al Franken and Alan Grayson continue on their mission to save the Democratic Party from the chronic epidemic spine-eating disease.
Here’s Senator Al Franken (that just never gets old) schooling Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Diana Furchtgott-Roth about medical bankruptcies.
FRANKEN: I think we disagree on whether health care reform, the health care reform that we’re talking about in Congress now should pass. You should that the way we’re going will increase bankruptcies. I want to ask you, how many medical bankruptcies because of medical crises were there last year in Switzerland?
FURCHTGOTT-ROTT: I don’t have that number in front of me, but I can find out and get back to you.
FRANKEN: I can tell you how many it was. It’s zero. Do you know how many medical bankruptcies there were last year in France?
FURCHTGOTT-ROTT: I don’t have that number, but I can get back to you if I like.
FRANKEN: Yeah, the number is zero. Do you know how many were in Germany?
FURCHTGOTT-ROTT: From the trend of your questions, I’m assuming the number is zero. But I don’t know the precise number and would have to get back to you.
FRANKEN: Well, you’re very good. Very fast. The point is, I think we need to go in that direction, not the opposite direction. Thank you.
According to a peer-reviewed study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Medicine, nearly 62 percent of all U.S. bankruptcies in 2007 were due to health care costs, and 78 percent of people who were driven into bankruptcy by their medical bills had insurance.
Also appearing at the “Medical Debt” hearing, Elizabeth Edwards and Kerry Burns, a Rhode Island mother who was forced into “financial ruin” by her late son’s medical bills. Keith discussed the Burns’ family case with Senator Whitehouse (D-RI) on Countdown.
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sekhmara: Senator Al Franken (love saying that) being brilliant again in the Senate re: medical bankruptcies http://freerangetalk.com/?p=19763…
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John Thune (R) lamely tries to justify his vote against Franken’s Rape Victim bill
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The other half of the “Al and Al” Superhero Team, Alan Grayson, has launched a website to honor the names of those who have died due to lack of healthcare coverage
http://www.namesofthedead.com/
October 21st, 2009 at 4:06 pm
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He is brilliant, that one. Nothing like getting in their face with it.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:12 pm
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I love when he says “Just get out of the way. We don’t care if you don’t want to help clean up the mess. Just get out of the way.”
October 21st, 2009 at 8:46 pm
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That is brilliant… I really like this guy.
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o/t Tweety shreds the “paranoid patriots” Oath Keepers leader
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
October 21st, 2009 at 2:42 pm
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When Tweety gets going , boy, he creams ‘em. Very good.
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Lincoln Chafee (ex-Rethug) slamming the Rethugs as “hypocrites” now on Hardball
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Chipotle goes Green with Solar panels!
tacos and burritos tonight!
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/10/21/chipotle-rolls-out-rooftop-sola r-plan-a-new-era-of-green-fast-f/
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o/t another “terror arrest” today in Mass.
“BOSTON — A Sudbury, Mass., man was arrested Wednesday on federal terrorism-related charges and accused of planning attacks inside and outside the United States, including an attack that targeted a shopping mall, WCVB-TV in Boston reported.
Tarek Mehanna, 27, was taken into custody at his Sudbury home, according to acting U.S. Attorney General Michael K. Loucks.
Beginning in 2001 and continuing through 2008, Mehanna conspired with Ahmad Abousamra and others to provide material support and resources to terrorists to “kill, kidnap, maim or injure” people, including prominent U.S. politicians, according to a criminal complaint. Loucks said that Mehanna was involved with co-conspirators in a plan that targeted two members of the executive branch and a planned attack on a U.S. shopping mall.”
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Nice to see that the voters in Minn were right – Sen. Franken is the right man for the job!
Hey, World – don’t fuck with Franken unless you are into getting spanked!!
October 21st, 2009 at 1:59 pm
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oh, oh! we’re not back on the spanking topic, are we?
October 21st, 2009 at 2:04 pm
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Si started the spanking…. see below…
October 21st, 2009 at 2:09 pm
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Spanking is fine – unless you break a nail. That can ruin the mood and the fun!
October 21st, 2009 at 2:19 pm
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Best keep to the feather dusters then…………
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Great post, I was delighted to be able to see the videos again. These stories are gut-wrenching.
Al is really making a difference. Great strategy, asking how many medical-crisis induced bankruptcies were occurring in Switzerland and France … that sums it up nicely.
Why are the repubs so anti-average joe?
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NOw if you could see that womans bare ass right at that moment it would be all red from the spanking she just got from the esteemed Senator Franken.
I wonder if Al will let me take a picture of that big swinging set of brass ones just so I can show them to the rest of the chickenshit Dems and reps in Congress.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:07 pm
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Never realised you were so poetic….
October 21st, 2009 at 1:10 pm
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Yeah, I’m a poet and didn’t know it.
Of course if you’re not careful you’ll get me reposting my “Quoth the Rushbo” epic and I don’t think anyone wants that to happen.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:16 pm
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I must have missed it??????
Go on…. repost it…… dares ya!!!!
Hang on…. it doesn’t involve piccies of him nekkid etc?????
October 21st, 2009 at 1:21 pm
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No pics. Just a long poem based on “The Raven”. You asked for it (like I didn’t want ya ta ax
)
October 21st, 2009 at 1:24 pm
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Quoth The RushBo
Once upon an election cheery, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious fact of carbon from Al Gore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping like a crashing boor.
`’Tis some swine,’ I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.’
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in a bleak November,
And each separate Congress member wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; – vainly I had sought to borrow
From my vote surcease of sorrow – sorrow for the Mediawhore -
For the scared and addlebrained, whom HP named crashing boor
Named here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain VP pick shouting “Putin”
Thrilled me – filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`’Tis some oxyhead entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late neocon entreating entrance like a crashing boor; -
This it is, and nothing more,’
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,’ said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was joking, and so gently you came poking,
And so faintly you came stoking, stoking fear you crashing boor,
That I scarce was sure I heard you’ – here I opened wide the door; -
Fatness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that d@rkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no lib’rul ever dared to dream before
But the silence was unbr0ken, and the darkness gave no t0ken,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered “mediawhore”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word once more.
Merely this and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul for O was bvrning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,’ said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what the threat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
‘Tis a windbag, nothing more!’
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a f@rt and sputter,
In there stepped a portly porcine of the neocon days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of a jonesing addy, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and squat, and nothing more.
Then this stoat truly beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,’ I said, `art sure a cr@ven.
Ghastly grim and @ncient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy stup!d name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!’
Quoth the Rushbo, `Mediawhore.’
Much I marvelled this ungainly swine to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning – little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing stoat above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as `Mediawhore.’
But the Rushbo, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered – not a double chin he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other cons have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.’
Then the h0g said, `Mediawhore.’
Startled at the stillness br0ken by reply so aptly spoken,
`Doubtless,’ said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some vnhappy m@ster whom vnmerciful d!saster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of “Media-mediawhore.”‘
But the RushBo still beguiling all my s@d soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of p!g and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this 0minous con of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, paunch, and ominous swine of yore
Meant in croaking `Mediawhore.’
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the hog whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,
He’s not press, this, mediawhore!
Then, methought, the air grew denser, reeking from an unseen censer
Swung by “W” whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
`Wretch,’ I cried, `thy God hath lent thee – by these lie$ he has sent thee
Respite – respite and nepenthe from thy memories mediawhore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this ins@ne boor!’
Quoth the RushBo, `Nevermore.’
`Fathead!’ said I, `thing of ev!l! – fathead still, if bird or dev!l! -
Whether tempter sent or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this blessed land enchanted -
On this home by “W” haunted – tell me truly, I implore -
Is there – is there neocon ideas? – tell me – tell me, I implore!’
Quoth the RushBo, `Nevermore.’
`Fathead!’ said I, `thing of ev!l! – fathead still, if bird or dev!l!
By that Heaven that bends above us – by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden, can we please beget a trade-in?,
Of this bloated, br0ken, fadin’ stoat named Mediawhore -
Clasp a wish so hopeful laden, Is there relief from this boor?’
Quoth the Rushbo, `Nevermore.’
`Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!’ I shrieked upstarting Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!
Leave no cigar stub as a t0ken of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness vnbroken! – quit the bust above my door!
Take thy snout from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!’
Quoth the Rushbo, `Nevermore.’
And the Rushbo, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a dem0n’s that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted – and much more!
October 21st, 2009 at 1:41 pm
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Did you get this from somewhere, or is it one of yours?
Flipping brilliant whoever it was. I wasn’t expecting that.Thought it may have been along the lines of EP’s gross out piccies.
It’s really good SI…. Even better than the Simpsons Halloween parody of it a few years back.(Praise indeed….. BIG S’s fan here)
You really should pursue your writing to the publishing level.
We should have a “Rangers Tales from Work” corner on page 2… though you and Border seem to have exciting working lives……… makes my “Tale of Tiddles the Cat” seem a bit mundane……..but,like I said here last week, I HAVE had a snogette with Gandolph through work!!!!!
October 21st, 2009 at 3:58 pm
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It’s mine. I worked on it for severl months and posted it in sections on Huffy (there are still some alterations for Huffy moderators in the text). When this site went online was when I finally got to post the whole thing.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:46 pm
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Standing O.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:50 pm
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Waxed lyrical did he not?????
Not sure I can pull his leg any more after that ode………….
We have some really talented and informed people on this site…… :shufflesskulksandslinksaway:
October 21st, 2009 at 1:53 pm
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Awesome
hope someone reads it to the gross pig.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:58 pm
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Bravo Swooge!
October 21st, 2009 at 2:12 pm
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I loved it.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:17 pm
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meh….. needs more empathy.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:32 pm
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That is excellent ! Thanks for sharing SI.
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Saying Senator Al Franken never ever gets old.
No wonder the repubs tried so hard to keep him from getting seated. I love Al!
Thanks kelly… I think “Al and Al” should be running show here.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:49 pm
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Superheroes “Al and Al” saving the nation while the evil villains “Pat and Pat” (Boone and Buchanan) plot feverishly from their wingnutdaily underground bunker
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Bless his heart, he showed her. The two Al’s are formidable.
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Suck It, Teabaggers!