Suicide Bomber Kills 12 in Attack on Iraqi Police

By Andrew Marshall

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber plowed into policemen waiting to collect their salaries at a police station west of Ramadi Monday, killing 12 people in the latest insurgent attack on Iraq (news - web sites)'s beleaguered security forces. At least 10 people were wounded in the blast, and 90 percent of the casualties were policemen, said Nazar al-Hiti, a doctor in the town of Hit around 125 miles west of Baghdad, where the dead and wounded were taken.

In Baghdad, a roadside bomb exploded as a U.S. patrol went past, killing two American soldiers and wounding three. Thirteen U.S. soldiers and two foreign civilians were also wounded in a mortar attack south of Baghdad. At least 968 U.S. troops have been killed in action in Iraq and 9,000 have been wounded, most of them seriously.

Insurgents trying to drive out U.S.-led soldiers and topple the U.S.-backed government of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi have repeatedly attacked Iraqi police and soldiers.

Reefer Madness: The debate about Medical Marijuana is on!

Does marijuana help people like Angel Raich? Is it illegal if a doctor prescribes it? "The justices refused three years ago to protect distributors of medical marijuana from federal anti-drug charges." Or do people just want to get stoned?

There’s also the argument that says we need the FDA to study it more closely. What about the Vioxx scandal and a supposed coverup by the FDA that David Graham brought to the public? I think all you need to do is talk to someone from the seventies and you'll get all the information that you need to know. Why did it take a study from 2001 to tell us that pot gives you the munchies?

I'm surprised the big drug companies aren't pushing to allow them to distrbute yet another drug legally out into society. There are ads on 24/7 that makes it seem like happiness is a just a pill away!

Yet children are commiting suicide from these Antidepressants that are supposed to be a godsend.

Where’s the outrage?

When has anyone jumped off a bridge after smoking a joint? You might want to eat the bridge, but normally, one wants to lie on the couch with a bag of chips and a subway footlong sandwich and watch the tube.

The side effects for oxycodone, percocet, and vicodin often include addiction and painful withdrawals, yet are almost completely ignored as a deterrent in their prescription by doctors.

The other argument that doctors will write prescriptions blatantly like drug dealers is capricious at best. I don’t think a person will be able to walk into a doctor’s office and say, "I have this twinge, can you write a script for chronic?" They can already go to the mall and do that. If marijuana will help people, then what is all this hubbub? Do we still have Reefer Madness on our minds?

Talk Left has a series of great articles about MM.

Here's an in-depth video clip segment from Aaron Brown on the subject:

Video

First there was Dr. Cassell firing patients. Then there's "dermdoc" bragging on a message board that he has just laid off his first Obama-voting employee. From CBS News' Political Hotsheet:

Last Friday, someone going by the name "dermdoc" posted a thread on a message board for Texas A&M students and alumni with this topic: "Laid off my first Obama voting employee today."

"Our reimbursement rates are spiraling downward, taxes are projected to go up with Obamacare, so I did it," the person wrote. He later added: "I made this decision because I can."

"It is kind of interesting watching their face as you explain to them the economic consequences of the policies of the guy they voted for," wrote dermdoc.

The original message board thread has now been removed, but that didn't deter "dermdoc" from expanding on his original thesis.

"Elections have consequences," wrote dermdoc. "If you vote for someone who raises my taxes and lowers my income, you pay the cost."

"My office manager and med business guru have calculated that this is just the beginning. Tax rates are going to go through the roof with additional Obamacare taxes AND the expiration of the Bush tax cuts," he added. "And most analysts think reimbursement rates for docs will go down about 20-25% the next 2 years, and that is BEFORE Obamacare really kicks in."

(h/t Mugsy)

Before I go sideways ballistic on this guy, I'll try and sort out fact from fiction, just a bit.

Reimbursement Rates for doctors

Reimbursement rates for doctors are part of the famous "docfix" package that Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) is holding hostage along with an extension on unemployment benefits. The House passed the docfix last year, but the Senate is a bit slower on the uptake, largely due to the political obstructions placed on the pathway by the likes of Senator Coburn and his cohorts.

From the name "dermdoc", it can be inferred he is a specialist, probably a dermatologist. Specialists are a bit piqued about the health reform bill because it allows for a bonus to primary care providers, to encourage incentives for more to either return to or enter the field.

As insurance companies took over more health management authority, it was far more lucrative for doctors to skip primary care entirely and jump into a specialty. Medicare and insurance reimbursement rates have always been far in excess of what they pay primary care physicians. There are two consequences to this. First, the number of primary care physicians dropped drastically; and second, health care costs careened out of control as specialists tended to order state-of-the-art testing and treatments.

One of the centerpieces of the health care reform bill is to put primary care providers back in the center of the health care picture. This is good for us and it's good for reducing costs, because most conditions don't require a specialist, and having a primary doctor who knows you, your family, and your specific circumstances means there's a history they can draw upon to make decisions about treatments. This doesn't mean specialists aren't necessary. They are, but not always as a first-line option.

Consequently, specialists are a bit annoyed at the prospect of losing their monopoly over different parts of your body to a more holistic approach.

Beyond that, isn't it time that doctors considered the cost-saving measures in the law? After all, streamlining claims procedures, Medicare codes, implementing electronic health records, and standardizing it all is also part of "Obamacare". Doesn't it make sense that if they save money on these aspects of providing care, it will flow through to them?

dermdoc's real issue: The Bush tax cuts expire 12/31/2010

Make no mistake. When the Bush tax cuts expire, there will be screams from many different corners of the country. All the high rollers will (gasp!) have to pay a reasonable income tax for the privilege of keeping 75 cents on every dollar or so. Pardon me if I don't bend over weeping for those earning in excess of $300,000 when they have to pay extra taxes. That Medicare tax increase for "Obamacare"? An extra $900 or so. Big Frickin' Deal.

And check this comment on the same thread:

But race didn't have anything to do with this doctor's feelings toward Obama, his employee, or the health care bill, did it? None whatsoever. Sure thing.

My personal message to whining doctors

Get over yourselves. It's law, it's staying law, and you're going to make a boatload of money one way or the other so you can fund your racist conservative teabagging buddies in the Southern states. If it's so repugnant to you to practice medicine for the welfare of patients instead of the welfare of your checkbook, get out of the medical profession, get out of the way, and let someone who gives a damn step in your place.

And pass your 35% tax credit for insuring those employees over this way, would you? The most absurd part of this doctor's rant is that he either doesn't give his employees health insurance, in which case he's part of the problem, or he does. If he does, and his practice has less than 25 employees he's entitled to a 35% tax credit on what he pays to cover them. A dollar-for-dollar tax reduction on cost of benefits for employees that he didn't have last year.

In the end, all politics is local, and what dermdoc did was retaliate out of political pique at an employee who now will drive his tax bill up by claiming unemployment benefits. Good job there, dermdoc. Mighty compassionate of you, but not very fiscally responsible.

UPDATE (Nicole): Apparently unused to the wild and wooly world of the blogosphere and the unvarnished criticisms that go with it, "dermdoc" has denied any layoffs and slams the media for not doing any actually confirming before running the story (h/t Scott):

there was no layoff of anyone at my office.

Any of you reddit dweebs can check my employment records or call my office on Monday.

IT WAS ALL A TROLL!

I was merely making a hypothetical because of frustration with decreased reimbursements and future increased taxes.

It is really hard to believe that simply by posting a topic on the internet that I could make newspapers, several national talk radio talk shows-WITHOUT ANY VERIFICATION.

Whatever. What has the US become when you have entire web sites of people sitting around just waiting to screw with people and their families without even checking out the source.

Granted, all of this is my fault but any "Ag" who would screw with other Ags or this website because of one unverified post needs to seriously check out their life.

All you lefties can call off the preemptive strikes on me or my family, my wife actually was the one who made me do this because she feared for our safety.

I am done.

Guess dermdoc should consider himself lucky that his story wasn't one that Drudge, Malkin or Breitbart would have a problem with. If he thought lefties were harsh on him, can you imagine what those readers would have said?

Urologist Jack Cassell has a message for anyone who supports President Obama and health care reform: Find a new doctor. He posted a sign on his front door with the following message:

The sign reads: "If you voted for Obama … seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your healthcare begin right now, not in four years."

As if it weren't enough to put out that particular flavor of welcome mat, there's also this little gem:

In his waiting room, Cassell also has provided his patients with photocopies of a health-care timeline produced by Republican leaders that outlines "major provisions" in the health-care package. The doctor put a sign above the stack of copies that reads: "This is what the morons in Washington have done to your health care. Take one, read it and vote out anyone who voted for it."

Beyond the obvious temper tantrum, I'm at a loss to understand exactly what his problem might be. It's not like he accepts patients from a myriad of insurers. According to his Doctor.com listing, the only insurance he accepts is CIGNA. Since he's a specialist and surgeon, I can only assume he's a little angry that he might get some new patients down the road as more people are able to get health insurance and seek medical treatment?

Oh, and in case you wondered, the answer is yes. He's a registered Republican, and his wife is running for local office. For all of his education, it seems he can't be bothered to read the actual provisions of the law, preferring the Frank Luntz abbreviated version instead.

No warm fuzzies for Dr. Cassell from Rep. Alan Grayson, either.

The outspoken Grayson described Cassell's sign as "ridiculous."

"I'm disgusted," he said. "Maybe he thinks the Hippocratic Oath says, ‘Do no good.' If this is the face of the right wing in America, it's the face of cruelty.... Why don't they change the name of the Republican Party to the Sore Loser Party?"

Seriously. I'll let the medical community sort out the ethics, but if I saw that sign on my doctor's door, I'd find a new doctor. Pissed-off urologists aren't my cup of tea.

UPDATE: Via Huffington Post, a video of the good doctor, in his own words:

OLYMPIA, Wash. – A 66-year-old woman with terminal cancer has become the first person to die under Washington state's new assisted suicide law, an advocacy group said Friday. Linda Fleming, of Sequim, died Thursday night after taking drugs prescribed under the "Death with Dignity" law that took effect in March, said Compassion & Choices of Washington.

The organization said Fleming was diagnosed last month with advanced pancreatic cancer. She would have had to have been diagnosed by two doctors as terminal in order to qualify for assisted suicide.

The group said Fleming died at home with her family, her dog and her physician at her bedside.

"The pain became unbearable, and it was only going to get worse," Fleming said in a statement released by the organization. Read on...

A good friend of mine died recently from pancreatic cancer and I know how devastatingly painful it was for her. I can't even begin to imagine her suffering. Regardless of what side of the debate you're on, the subject always seems to stir a lot of emotions, most recently brought to the surface during the political and media circus surrounding Terri Schiavo's life and death.

The Left Coaster: You can go to a soldier's funeral now, Mr. President

Politics in the Zeros: The unexpected return of class war

Where's the Outrage?: A doctor examines a sick patient.

MediaBloodhound: Leaked memo of McCain camp's future Hail Marys

The E&P Pub: John McCain vs the Des Moines Register

The Story of Stuff: A fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns, exposing the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues. (h/t swimgirl)

And Doctor Biobrain's Response Is...: How McCain stopped the FARCing bullsh*t

Nieman Watchdog: Frustration in the Army officer corps

Sadly, No! Wouldn't G-Dub make an awesome high school government teacher?

his vorpal sword: Trivial Pursuit - Schizophrenic Edition

The Opinion Mill's Weekend Bookchat: Authors speak on Roger Ailes, Karl Rove and the government's imprisonment of dissidents. Plus a peek at the Progressive Book Club launch party, a schoolteacher suspended for using the Freedom Writers in his classroom and Ahmed Rashid talks about the coming change in jihaidsm.

HOLY CRAP: My financial records "belong to God"...Who would've predicted the Religious Right would support the GOP nominee?...Asking God to intervene on gas prices...Bush edits out Jefferson's religious views...Clueless ideologues ...God arrested near Tampa church...Obama sets off debate on ties between religion and politics...Bloggers And Blasphemy...And finally...

I know they're making it harder for vets to get disability, but this is outrageous:

The VA rejected an Afghanistan veteran's disability claim for PTSD last month, citing his membership in VoteVets.org as a reason for the denial.

Staff Sergeant Will King retired from the Army in late 2003, after serving in both the first Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan. As one of the first troops into the Afghan theater after 9/11, Will had been awarded a Bronze Star after participating in fierce fighting in the Shah-e-Kot Valley in March 2002. I know, because I was there with him.

As the months turned to years after his retirement, however, Will started having problems as the Iraq War dragged on. Depressed and unable to sleep, he thought it might be PTSD. Because, as those who study PTSD know, this is perfectly normal: The symptoms of PTSD frequently have a delayed onset that can take months or years to fully materialize. That's why, in April 2007, Will filed a claim with the VA for combat-related PTSD. The VA eventually agreed with Will and diagnosed him with mild PTSD. But Will felt like his condition was worse than that. And to boot, he thought it was getting worse. So Will appealed, and filed another disability claim with the VA in November 2007: He felt his symptoms were serious enough to warrant an increase in his disability rating from "mild" to "moderate."*

Unfortunately for Will, the VA denied his claim six months later, in May 2008. And while I won't challenge the VA's ultimate decision (I'm not a doctor), I find it repulsive that they cited Will's membership in VoteVets.org as a reason to deny his claim.

This is what the VA told Will in his denial letter:

The examiner states your PTSD symptoms are still present but you do not report symptoms at a degree or level which appears to suggest more severity. The examiner concurred with the previous diagnosis and assigned Global Assessment of Functioning Score of 52, stating you have occasional suicidal ideation but are able to cope with these symptoms and continue to function. The treatment reports from Memphis show you are currently involved with VoteVets.org, an advocacy group for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. You indicated involvement with this advocacy group makes you feel coping with your symptoms is worthwhile. The treatment note of March 10, 2008, indicates no homicidal or suicidal ideation and no thought disorder.

No, really. You MUST go read Bill Frist's online "poll" of the VOLPAC constituency. My personal favorite is number 8:

Which of the following accomplishments do you feel is President Bush's greatest achievement?

Oh Doctor Frist! You mean I have to pick just one?

Hat tip, which means where I met it, not where it was born or conceived, folks: House of the Rising Sons, who points out just how important the issue of, well, "teh Mexicans" is to Frist and company. Darn it, I was going to write-in "speaking a couple words of Spanish" as one of President Bush's greatest achievements.

Open Thread below...

The last I heard, the right was feeling quite pleased with itself because there was some evidence to suggest the traffic for the top liberal blogs was trending down, while the traffic for the top conservative blogs was trending up. This item, relying on SiteMeter data from the end of December, argued, “It has long been understood that the largest liberal blogs have generally produced more web traffic than the largest conservative blogs.... After surveying the traffic stats of many major political blogs, I found that web traffic for several major liberal blogs either declined sharply or stayed the same while major conservative blogs saw a sharp increase in traffic.”

Now, apparently, the right is prepared to argue the opposite — liberal blogs are more popular — but with a rationalization to explain the phenomenon.

Erick Erickson, editor of the popular conservative megablog RedState, conceded that progressives currently enjoy an advantage over conservatives online — though he attributed it to an asymmetry in free time, since conservatives “have families because we don’t abort our kids, and we have jobs because we believe in capitalism.”

I’m not quite sure how best to respond to something like this — it’s unusually unhinged, even by the standards of the far-right blogosphere — though I think Matt Stoller is on the right track by relying on simple mockery: “Now, being a doctor who performs abortions is in fact a job, so one might find conflicting narratives in Erick’s quote. And if the way to use the internet well politically is to up the number of abortions, then the GOP is kind of fu**ed.”