October 2004

There were 75 posts published in October 2004 (this is page 1 of 13).

Blair Re-Positions

Two days until the election. World leaders prepare accordingly:

Tony Blair has sent one of his closest advisers on a secret peace mission to mend relations with John Kerry, the United States presidential challenger, The Independent on Sunday can reveal.
News of the confidential meeting comes as the campaign enters its final 48 hours, with the candidates running neck and neck. Mr Blair is concerned that he will appear isolated if George Bush loses in Tuesday’s poll, because of his support for the Iraq war.

I know that Bush and Blair have that Iraq war bond going, but do you think Blair really gets along with Bush the way the two present themselves in public? It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall behind closed doors when some of these foreign leaders candidly discuss what they really think about the U.S. government today.

Early Voting

Early voting has been at record levels both in Tennessee (up 45%) and across the nation. Reportedly, some voters have waited “hours” to cast their ballots. (I thought one of the reasons for voting early was to avoid the lines).
I guess I lucked out; I didn’t have to wait for anyone when I voted. Well, no one other than the two 70-year-old women at the table checking registration. It took them about two minutes to figure out that they didn’t know who had left a $20 bill at the station.
Honestly, seeing some of the people I’ve seen working the polls, I’m surprised we don’t have election problems.

On Both Sides

Here’s one of the lines Bush keeps repeating on the campaign trail in arguing there should be caps on malpractice awards:

Too many people are driving too far to get good health care because these lawsuits are ruining medicine, as far as I’m concerned. You can’t be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-personal injury trial lawyer at the same time. (Applause.) You have to make a choice. My opponent made his choice and he put a personal injury trial lawyer on the ticket.
AUDIENCE: Booo!

Okay, Bush frames the issue to get a gratuitous shot it. Boo those bad trial lawyers. But then Bush adds this:

I have made my choice. I’m standing with the doctors of Ohio, I’m standing with the patients of Ohio. We are for medical liability reform.

That’s a pretty picture, isn’t it? On one side you have Kerry/Edwards and the bad trial lawyers, and on the other you have the doctors, patients, and Bush all working for better health care.
But what if the doctors mess up in treating the patients? Do the two still share the same interests? In the real world (as opposed to Bush world) they don’t; that’s why the trial lawyers enter the picture–to represent the patient’s interests in the dispute with the doctor/insurance company’s interests.
But somehow Bush stands with both sides at the same time.