Good News, But...

Okay, the good news is that Obama looks like he might be backing off from nationalizing the healthcare industry in our country. And seriously, that is good news. One might talk about a public option "keeping the private sector honest," but once the government gets in there, the private sector would be unable to compete, and then you'd have exactly ONE option for health insurance--the government--and if you don't like that option, you're in deep yogurt, pal.

So here's the opening line from the Associated Press:

Bowing to Republican pressure, President Barack Obama's administration signaled on Sunday it is ready to abandon the idea of giving Americans the option of government-run insurance as part of a new health care system.

Facing mounting opposition to the overhaul, administration officials left open the chance for a compromise with Republicans that would include health insurance cooperatives instead of a government-run plan. Such a concession probably would enrage Obama's liberal supporters but could deliver a much-needed victory on a top domestic priority opposed by GOP lawmakers.

Officials from both political parties reached across the aisle in an effort to find compromises on proposals they left behind when they returned to their districts for an August recess. Obama had sought the government to run a health insurance organization to help cover the nation's almost 50 million uninsured, but he never made it a deal breaker in a broad set of ideas that has Republicans unified in opposition. (Italics mine)

Dear Readers (all 20 of you), I shouldn't need to point this out, but because AP seems unable to tell a straight story anymore, I'll just repeat the obvious: the Democrats control the Presidency and both Houses of Congress. The Republicans do not have the votes to stop anything the Democrats propose. There is no need for Obama to compromise with the Republicans on anything. The only pressure Obama is bowing to would be "Blue Dog" (conservative) Democrats and the number of private citizens showing up at town hall meetings and arguing with their congressmen/women/children about the attempt at nationalization. Describing this report as "disingenuous" is being polite. Very polite.

Potpourri LXXIII

SpaceX successfully launched a Malaysian satellite. The nicest thing I heard some folks at work say was, "Well, he's 2 for 5." Rude.

From Gwen: a "slap-chop" rap.

New from Hu:

• Bobby Block at the Orlando Sentinel has another misinterpretation of what's going on with the Augustine Panel. In plain English, the Augustine people are asking NASA questions--as they should--and NASA is answering. A lot of what you read in Block's work beyond that is arm waving and seal clubbing.
• Frank Morring at Aviation Week, who usually gets things right, makes it sound as if the Augustine people changed their itinerary when it came to visiting sites and asking sites. However, that's all that they've ever had on their agenda. So why portray this as something different?
• Mr. Augustine is holding a press conference on the panel's work Friday.
• And there's a Space Review piece discussing some previous studies.

Other items might come to me, but that's all for now. Salud.

Oh! Here's one more from Melissa: some criticism of the Space Shuttle one year before the first launch. Puts the criticism of Ares in perspective a little bit.

Potpourri XLV

Speculation continues on the if-and-when of nominating Charles Bolden as the next NASA Administrator.

There might be hope for reporters in the mainstream media (that's a conservative term for the "Big Three" networks plus the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and other related liberal-leaning media outlets). If they can't stay employed or hawk their wares in paper-based products, they can always get a job being the official reporters for the Obama White House. They're already in the tank for/with him anyway. Of course, if the newspaper business continues to head down the drain, Obama might bail them out, in which case they'll be nationalized regardless.

Scott had some more sites for buying gold:

• http://www.cmi-gold-silver.com/specials.aspx
• www.golddealer.com

Scott is also insisting that I go see a DC-3 and some other older planes at the Moontown Airport east of Huntsville tomorrow. I just might. It's been a draining week, and I could use the break.

Marshall Space Flight Center has centralized all of their social media sites on one page.

Congressman Parker Griffin is saying that Iran's latest missile test is proof that we need to maintain a missile defense capability. Well, duhhhhh.

A fellow writer and NSS Policy Committee person, Marianne Dyson, has a hopeful blog regarding Obama's space policy.

Want to live in an airplane? I must confess, I had some designs around those lines when I was in high school. Anyhow, there's a site for those of us who dare to dream.

Bjorn Lomborg writes about how some companies are using the "green" movement as a way to merely cash in. Again, duhhhhh.

Alka-Seltzer City, dude! A town in Ohio is about to have carbon dioxide introduced into the briny water below their fair city, turning that water essentially into seltzer water in an effort to sequester carbon. Certainly there are more effective, less ridiculous ways to do this...? Jerry Pournelle also offers a link to some individuals who are fighting the practice. My buddy Scott calls environmentalists "watermelons: green [environmentalists] on the outside, red [communist] on the inside." Gotta wonder sometimes, don't you?

Science fiction writers are continuing to help in the War on Terrorism. Someone's got to, right?