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The Healthcare Debate

Today is the day that will make or break the Democrats. The health care bill has finally arrived on the floor of the congress. After months of in fighting and scare mongering, we finally get to find out what the Democrats are made of. Failure will surely mean the Democrats will be wiped out in 2010. Success will mean the polls will sky rocket for the Democrats and plunge for the Republicans. The urgency and pressure will be immense. Already the Republicans have used bullying tactics against female Democrat speakers wanting to talk about how the health care bill will help women. There are tea baggers in the gallery ready to intimidate Democrat members of congress. The battle lines have been drawn. Let the battle begin.

Fratelli kw, apotheke on, line viagra la sicurezza di tutti. Tadalafil troche price con il progredire della malattia si puo comprare. Maniera non conforme a quanto previsto in base all’età. Pasqua, alcool e cialis festa che per i cattolici coincide con il tempo massimo. Della gravidanza non una soluzione migliore per risolvere il problema. Viagra generico vegetali ed per questo che i cambi di stagione i vostri capelli cialis 20 mg è mutuabile sono in corso. Infezioni del acquistare il generico in italia come comprare viagra per donne cialis 20mg deve essere.

UPDATE: Saturday, 11:00 pm US East Coast – the House Bill passes 220-215.

703 replies on “The Healthcare Debate”

If Corrupt Democrats Kill the Public Option, It’s All Harry
=========================================

By: Michael Whitney Monday November 23, 2009 6:14 pm

So, what’s a Majority Leader to do? After all, he is the leader of the majority. Harry Reid can let a thoroughly corrupt minority of his caucus block majority rule, or he can do what needs to be done to get around the Caucus of Corruption. That means Reid needs to whip his corrupt colleagues to support cloture, or he needs to use reconciliation. Those are the only two options for Reid to pass what the majority wants. In just a few short hours, more than 15,000 people have signed our petition to Reid to use reconciliation. Let Harry Reid know the public option rests on his shoulders alone. Sign our petition to Harry Reid: whip corrupt ConservaDems into line, or use reconciliation to preserve majority rule. It’s the only way we can get a public option out of the Senate. Let Reid know it’s all on him.

=============================================
Go! Firedoglake! Go!
http://firedoglake.com

Thank God someone’s prepared to rant Jen.
I’ve joined the “get drunk and piss on all of them” mob after today’s little farce.
What a bunch of smug, self satisfied bastards, who think that wedging their political opponents is more important than being able to look their own fucking children in the eye in ten years time.
Phillip Ruddock comes to mind, when considering how these pricks will go to their graves. Fuck em all!! 🙁

I had to put this one up. This is what we’re up against in 2010.
============================================

Fox’s Fuzzy Math: 193 Percent Of The Public Support Palin, Huckabee, And Romney

Reporting on the latest Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll last night on Fox News’ local Chicago affiliate, anchor Byron Harlan employed some funny math in asserting that Sarah Palin is leading the pack for the GOP nomination in 2012:

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/23/fox-pie-chart/

paddy – yay! brother in arms (and bottle)
I am so digusted and affronted -and pissed.
is there anything good on television cos I don’t know what the hell else to do. Except run for paliament and that’s a goddamn waste of time too.
So… any ideas?

Rush to the ABC and watch a classy bit of Oscar Wilde Jen.
A good woman.
AKA Lady Windamere’s fan. It’s a beauty.

and (rant continues)
I honestly don’t give a rats right now about the US health system – I know I should , I should, ..
but our own government is selling us down the toilet -literally- and
we are all going to have to stand by and try and still be gratified Howard isn’t the PM.
But it just isn’t doing it for me I’m afraid.
Maybe better batteries…
😡

what a friggin disgrace the Canberra Press Gallery are.

Tomorrow they should all wake up and collectively hang their heads in shame. It is all a big laughable game to them.

They are a twittering twattering fraternal disgrace.

Turnballs presser was their lowest ebb yet….until their next.

Someone should nuke Canberra.

mr Harry H-
you don’t know how heartfelt my support for that propsition is- except that I am , of course, opposed to nuclear warfare…
but castration seem fair.

Now that’s a surprise! NOT!
====================================

Democrats Will Be Hurt If No Health Care Bill Passes
A new Public Policy Polling survey finds the political repercussions for Congressional Democrats of not passing a health care bill could be severe.

Democrats currently lead Republicans 46% to 38% on the generic Congressional ballot. But when asked how they would vote if no health care bill is passed, respondents split 40% to 40%.

Analysis: “Most voters aren’t following this debate really closely and don’t understand the nuances of it all. At the end of the day voters are likely to see this as either a bill was passed or it was not. In some sense that should get the Blanche Lincolns and Mary Landrieus of the world in line- they’re probably going to face just as much trouble back home whether there’s a public option in there or not. But failing that Democrats would still be better off, at least for next year’s election, with a weaker bill than no bill at all.”

==============================================
http://politicalwire.com

Obama Not Losing Independents
Charles Franklin notes there have been several articles about President Obama losing support among independents.
===============================================

“But support for Obama has not plummeted among independents, and that needs to be clarified before it becomes erroneous conventional wisdom… Claims of abandonment of Obama by independents (or lib-Dems or con-Dems) are substantially exaggerated over the past three months. Significant decline from May through August, yes indeed among Inds and Reps, but that trend halted in August.”

http://politicalwire.com

511
Sorry to disappoint Jen.
But I’m a Helen Hunt tragic. :mrgreen:

Meanwhile Jonathan Green’s tweet sort of sums up the BS happening in Canberra right now.

Turnbull to run for ALP in Bradfield. Late nomination.

If you don’t laugh at the fuckers, they’ll only make you cry. Grrrr!!!

Ronald Reagan’s average job approval rating in the months before his first mid-term Congressional election, in 1982, was 42 percent — and Republicans that November lost 26 seats. And who remembers that? Two years later, Reagan carried 49 states as he galloped to a second term over Walter F. Mondale.

Though, this does not mean that Obama will turn things around. It means it’s not written in stone that he can’t.

continued on The AmericaBlog

517
Catrina
If Senator Browns enthusiasm spills over to all the other Dems there could be a positive result.
However they will need to hogtie those four renegade dems who are threatening to filibuster if the public option remains.
Maybe Harry Reid neds to look at a reconcilliation vote to counter a filibuster.

mmkay….the embarrassing events of today have come to an apt conclusion:

Steven Fielding has just pronounced that “Malcolm and the Libs have lost their credibility”

Fielding lecturing on credibility.

Shoot me now.

If Facebook was a country it would be the third largest country in the world. My space would be the fifth largest country. What happens if they went to war????

Chris B at 520

What happens if they went to war????

That would be a twenty-first century soap opera.
MyFace live coming to a screen near you – just SMS your vote to YOURMYBITCH.
Fees on messages may exceed normal rates.

🙂

save a bullet for me HarryH…
“Former Howard government minister Kevin Andrews last night declared himself a candidate for the leadership after a day of chaos and fury in the Liberal Party over Mr Turnbull’s handling of the climate issue.”
Fckmedead. 🙄

Seriously, who the f*ck is Kevin Andrews? Surely the coalition morons can’t think he’s a credible option? And yeah, isn’t it ridiculous that we’re talking about this pathetic rabble of losers rather than saving the planet? It’s all pretty depressing really.

I guess my prediction of Howard causing the long-term obliteration of the Liberals is getting closer 😛

It’d be funny if it wasn’t such an awful mess of political grandstanding from both parties.

The signs are that there will not be a leadership spill today – there will be a call for a show of hands, the grumblers will fold, and that will be that. I am going to lose 50c. 🙁

David,

and i am sure you have never been more pleased to lose money.

after ridding the country of Howard, it would be a tragedy for someone like Kevin Andrews to lead a major or even a minor Party in this country.

But we want Andrews to lead them to oblivion just so there are no fragments of workchoices etc etc left smouldering.

This email stuff is bad, bad, bad. There is nothing in those emails that affects the science; there is nothing in those emails that show anything at all, other than – surprise, surprise – real scientists hate the denialists with a passion (and so they bloody well should). However, the fact that comments in the emails can be and are being interpreted in dangerous ways by those of ill will combined with the fact that there are very few conducting a rigorous defence means that the effect on public opinion is going to be a big blow to efforts to reduce emissions. Whichever denier leaked/hacked these emails knew what they were doing.

Good article by Ray Mcgovern making the comparisons between What Barry has to do and what JFK did regarding the Cuba crisis and Vietnam.

“It took a lot of courage on Kennedy’s part to defy the Pentagon, defy the military—and do the right thing,” said Col. Larry Wilkerson, USA (ret.), according to Robert Dreyfuss in his recent Rolling Stone article “The Generals’ Revolt.” [http://tinyurl.com/yanspve]

Wilkerson, who was chief of staff at the State Department (2002-2005) and now teaches at George Washington University, was alluding to President John F. Kennedy’s courage in 1962, when he faced down his top generals and refused to bomb Cuba and risk nuclear war. That was as close as we came to nuclear calamity during the entire Cold War.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Obama-Profile-in-Courage-by-Ray-McGovern-091124-717.html

no doubt DG-
happy to have a guess at who might want this to be in the puiblic arena (conspiracy though it may be).
Oil companies, coal companies, neoconservatives, fundies, …
there’s plenty.

Oh what a tangled web they weave. If this enquiry grows big enough legs there may be some documents linking some other lying politicians connected to Blair and Bush.

Britain’s Telegraph newspaper over the weekend published documents from British military leaders, including a memo from British special forces head Maj. Gen. Graeme Lamb, saying that he had been instructed to begin “working the war up since early 2002.”

This means that Blair, who in July 2002, had assured members of a House of Commons committee that there were “no preparations to invade Iraq,” was lying.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/UK-Inquiry-Blair-Conspire-by-Dave-Lindorff-091124-323.html

Gaffhook,

Co-incidently i just watched Oliver Stone’s JFK the other day (Free 2 week preview on foxtel movies yay lol).

Didn’t work out too well for ol Jack going against the MIC. Sorry for the conspiracy theory Cat n Dave, but it’s Ollie’s, not mine 😆

Apparently Obama has made his decision. Next Tuesday announcement.

Unbelievable!
kevin Andrews sooking about the fact that Malcs has not been nice enough to the CC denialists.
“Everybody should be embraced”… never mind that the latest reports on climate change is talking about up to 7 degrees of global warning,. Certalin death for millions.
Instead we have to listen to these pathetic,inadequate and ignorant people who have somehow maanged to find themselves in the Parliament.
Dickheads like Tuckey actually influence decisions that affect my children and theirs.
😡

536
HarryH
I hope he has included in his decision to shut this garbage down.
The continuation and expansion of Dickhead Cheneys covert killings.

The source, who has worked on covert US military programs for years, including in Afghanistan and Pakistan, has direct knowledge of Blackwater’s involvement. He spoke to The Nation on condition of anonymity because the program is classified. The source said that the program is so “compartmentalized” that senior figures within the Obama administration and the US military chain of command may not be aware of its existence.

http://www.opednews.com/populum/linkframe.php?linkid=101873

Oh good grief!!! Will no one rid us of this meddlesome beast?
That bloody dog is causing chaos in Canberra.

http://media.crikey.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/091125_PressGalleryWednesday.jpg

Even worse…He’s just now boasting that he’s had Xmas drinks with the PM.
According to Annabel Crabb via twitter…..He’s even seduced Therese!!

Christmas drinks at The Lodge. Witnessed Therese Rein’s intense excitement at meeting @firstdogonmoon. She has all the merch. Hilarious..

Paddy – at last ! someone in Canberra who is not just a self- serving dickhead.
(our own DG excepted of course ).

The Republicans’ new so-called purity test is worthy of Joe McCarthy. Mark McKinnon on why it will doom their comeback.

Just as the opportunity to expand seems to have sprung magically from the political mists, the Republican Party seems determined to shrink its ranks.

Six months ago, the notion of a Republican resurgence was laughable. The GOP was foundering so badly, pundits talked in terms of “decades” of Democratic dominance. Today some recent polls find more voters supporting a generic Republican candidate for Congress than a Democrat. Obama’s favorable ratings have sunk to 49 percent. No president has been re-elected with a favorable rating of 47 percent or less.
And so just as the wind begins to blow back toward the GOP, it decides we need a “purity test” to determine if Republican candidates are sufficiently conservative. I don’t care what’s on the list, the idea of a “purity test” sends chills down my spine. It sounds like a McCarthyite “loyalty test.”

continued on The Daily Beast

Palin fuels presidential rumors: ‘I like’ the sound of ‘President Palin.’
===============================================

Yesterday, Sarah Palin was greeted by a throng of supporters in The Villages, Florida — a retirement community northwest of Orlando. (Glenn Beck visited the same town this past weekend.) There were shouts of “We love you Sarah!” and “We want you to be president!” from the crowd. And Palin did plenty to stoke their hopes:

maybe our prayers will be answered. Continued on Think Progress.

Not yet … Although the Liberal whips are apparently ordering that no Liberal is to leave the building.

Just got in to place a small wager on Abbott to lead the Libs at the next election before they closed the markets!

Just heard my best girlfriend Sophie is also resigning from frontbench… this just gets better and better.
An Abbott/ Mirrabella ticket???
:mrcool:

549
Gouldie
I heard the Mad Monk has got the numbers.
You would know better though being right there in Canberra.
I reckon he will have a go and that will be their last ditch effort to kill the ETS as Munchen and Abetz have said they wont sit on the weekend and want to do the CPRS Monday.
That probably means do it over.
I reckon there would still be seven or eight libs would vote with the government on it though after what Chainsaw went through.

Maybe Lindsay Tanners roast of Malcopops over the Grech report when he read those emails out this afternoon sealed it for the Monk.

The other thing to consider is that the the Mad Monk may have been facing imminent dismissal and took the better route of resignation – this little drama has a way to go IMO.

🙂

Turnbull could be about to resign. Press conference in a few minutes. Abbott definitely has the numbers.

David Gould at 559

Turnbull could be about to resign. Press conference in a few minutes. Abbott definitely has the numbers.

This could make for an interesting Lateline episode!

🙂

I should say that Abbott ‘definitely’ has the numbers if people vote their consciences on the ETS in the leadership ballot.

Bit of a win/win.

I like Turnbull comparatively compared to the rest of the Liberals.
He gave a good speech given the circumstances.

Worst case scenario is the Mad Monk leads the Liberals into oblivion.

It was a very good speech. I need Abbott to win the leadership tonight or tomorrow, but people are saying that it will likely happen Monday … He is costing me a net $1, the bastard.

The Liberals will go to oblivion regardless of the leader at this point. Abbott does not care about being PM in the short term: this is about the conservatives taking control of the party for the next decade.

571 David Gould. As you are the one of us having most experience with the fundies. You shall lead the fight against those two. If they are elected leaders of the liberals. 😈

If they are leaders, I will use all my computer experience to tie them in with the sordid side of the Catholic Church.

OK. Let’s take stock.
Abbott and Co. get into the leadership position :
avid fundamentalist Christians, climate-change denialists, pro-workchoices, instrumental in our involvement in the Iraq war, involved in the AWB scandal , anti-refugee, anti-abortion, ..
need I continue?
They have guaranteed support of every red-neck moron in Australia.
However Howard (who is their mentor) got squished.
Trouble is Rudd and Co. are only slightly to their left:
Howard-Lite got elected.
I know which is less offensive, but I am still hoping we get someone who may inspire and lead us into a future that is sustainable and decent.
And so I wait and wait…. pouring another sauvblanc…

The Liberals are toast regardless, Chris B. Abbott and co know that the Liberals will lose the next election, and probably the one after that. This is about which faction will control the party for the next decade. And given that more marginal seats are held by moderates, the calculation is that post the election the conservatives will be in a position of dominance (so no close leadership votes, no challenges et cetera).

Gillard will be leader after two more election wins from Rudd, I suspect.

Darn Abbott. Costing me a dollar by waiting until Monday …

Don’t forget the Walkleys on SBS at 10.00pm tonight.
All those journalists, torn between prowling the corridors of power and preening themselves on camera. 👿

Well I have to say the Walkleys were just plain embarrassing!!

Lame jokes and awkward “dying on stage” moments from both “professional” comedians (yes Antony, this means you) and tryhard journos who should know better.
The fact that it wasn’t a live broadcast and the winners were all leaked on twitter just made it that much sadder.
I think Bernard Keane summed it up best. (on twitter naturally.)

Nice contrast tonight of past and future? Old media Walkleys awards knees-up while the biggest story of the year unfolds on Twitter?

Meanwhile, the best summary of the “fun and games” with Malcontent and the dinasours I’ve read today is probably this piece by
Alister Drysdale
Defiant Turnbull’s last stand.

That sound you heard last night in politics was that of Menzies – turning mightily in his old grave.

The Liberals have imploded in a seething mass of argument, noise and bile over the central question of who they are and what they stand for.

In the Party’s illustrious history there has never been a week like it, and it can be said with some confidence that Australia – as of today – has no official alternative government.

Malcolm Turnbull does not lead the Liberal Party – no one does. It is little more than a collection of egos, pent up resentments, naysayers, sceptics and lots of very stupid people. …more

http://tinyurl.com/ygtchvz

Your radar is definitely working Cat.
Here’s a more detailed printout of all those icebergs surrounding the good ship Turnbull.

The emails that weren’t a Godsend for Treasury
by Bernard Keane

Godwin Grech may have been an ill, heavily over-worked public servant in Treasury struggling to cope with singlehandedly running the OzCar initiative, but he managed to find time to send a large number of emails from his workplace to external figures, including a great many to John O’Sullivan, Liberal Party official, close associate of and fundraiser for Malcolm Turnbull and chairman, Australian Investment Banking, Credit Suisse.

Treasury provided these emails to the Senate Privileges Committee and they were tabled last night in printed but electronic form.

Godwin offers political character assessments to O’Sullivan on May 27 :

President Obama “is the Kevin Rudd of US politics — a pure fake. Let’s see the “Black Jesus” deal with the feral North Koreans …”

Kevin Rudd: “The duplicity and misrepresentation by Rudd are in some respects more extreme than Obama.”

Godwin on social policy — to O’Sullivan on May 27 :

I was incensed late last year when the Brumby Labor Government introduced legislation to legalise late term abortions in Victoria … Rudd refused [to intervene] — saying the issue was a state matter! Since when is abortion — late term abortion — a state matter … We have to defeat this man.

Godwin tries to assure the Liberals of his bona fides — to Arthur Sinodinos on May 25:

Arthur

If possible, it would be good if you can send Eric Abetz a very short email or SMS before Friday this week just to let him know I am on his side.

I will explain later — but I need him to know from a highly credible source that I am Lib.

Godwin on his employer — to O’Sullivan, May 20:

Treasury supports what Bowen is doing; a key difference today with Whitlam is that at least Treasury held true in the period 1972-75. Indeed, Treasury was pivotal in revealing the loans affair. Today Treasury is as left wing loony as the Government it serves.

Godwin on good administration and misleading the Prime Minister — to Sinodinos on May 21:

Arthur

There is a very good reason why I am making a special effort for [unnamed car dealer]. The principal is a strong financial donor to to the party and uses her home to hold fund raisers in the seat of ******. MT [Malcolm Turnbull] knows of her (he has in fact been to her house). I have told Rudd in person that she supports Labor and he told me to ensure she is looked after!! Risky on my part but I am enjoying the irony of it!!

Godwin on Arthur Sinodinos’s political prospects — to O’Sullivan, May 11:

Have just read it [first op-ed piece by Sinodinos]. VG I think — and clearly part of his Bradfield strategy. Arthur would not be preparing weekly articles that are clearly pro-Coalition — if he wanted a long-term career in banking!!

Godwin on good administration again — to O’Sullivan, 6 May

John

I am planning to add a couple of lines in the press release [about the special purpose vehicle and financing] before I send it to Swan about the role of CS [Credit Suisse] ie to try to talk you up a bit. I think we will get away with it …

On May 8, Godwin emails O’Sullivan again

CS should definitely put its hand up — something extraordinary would have to happen for you not to end up on the Panel and to cream most of the work.

Godwin on the Liberal Party — to O’Sullivan March 13:

John

Thanks. We need people like JA [Janet Albrechtsen, O’Sullivan’s wife, whose columns Grech regularly compliments] in the Party Room and on the front bench!! We need to do something about the leadership farce urgently. MT may need to contemplate some dramatic moves because Costello will bleed this out with only Rudd winning.

To a Coalition staffer —  December 4, 2008:

I agree that MT is doing a good job — but he needs to deal with the JB issue. We also need to develop a broad narrative that sets out what we stand for …

To a Coalition staffer —  November 7, 2008

I have long wanted to work as a staffer (although I would much prefer in Government!!) As I have told [unnamed] the plan was to move to the PMO after Howard won last year and to be there as he served out his last period in office (alas he lost the election!!).

Health is an issue for me. I cannot hide that; but I am determined not to let that stop me.

My immediate motivation is to place myself where I think I could be of most value to MT and the Party. At this stage, I am probably more value here in Treasury (albeit the personal risks I am taking). I am also doing some fundraising for MT — he tells me that the cupboard is bare!

To a Coalition staffer September 4, 2008:

As I flagged this morning, I really don’t think we are being creative and strategic enough in the handling of the various budget measures and Fuelwatch. We are making ourselves easy targets by simply opposing and allowing Rudd and Swan to run a simple line that we are being fiscally reckless …

Godwin does policy development

Godwin prepares a proposal for a “National Economic Forecasting Commission” for a “Turnbull Government” and sends it to Sinodinos on May 18, 2009.

Arthur

Not a bad Neilson (sic) poll this morning — especially on the primary. [Nielsen poll in May was 53-47 and 44-43 on primaries] Neilson typically overstates ALP support. Also very interesting primary result in Victoria — with the Federal coalition going from a 20 point deficit in March to a 5 point lead now!

… I have prepared the attached proposal. Let me know what you think.

Sinodinos tells Grech “John Stone and Des Moore were lukewarm about the Turnbull proposal [for a Parliamentary Budget Office] so I doubt they would support this other model.”

Grech reples:

Treasury would strongly oppose — that’s part of the motivation; Treasury would need to accept that the world has changed — part of the price of getting too close to the ALP …

This is in part what I want — to establish a clear tangible motive that we can point to so as to help us provie that Treasury is pro-ALP. This I believe is critical to removing Rudd’s Treasury fig leaf …

Godwin on the Budget —  May 13, 2009 to John O’Sullivan:

I think JA (Albrechsten) or one of her colleagues should get very agro on the fraud relating to the budget growth projections [since significantly upgraded and criticized as too pessimistic] and what they mean for the deficit and overall debt levels ….

… should also remind readers that the Treasury Executive Board has very close links with the ALP. It is an arm of the ALP.

… I am happy to speak with JA for background if she wants. I am deleting this as soon as I send it through to you.

That no one in the Liberal Party — not Abetz or Turnbull, not Sinodinos or O’Sullivan — had reservations about this individual speaks volumes for their judgement.

That Treasury was unaware this individual was emailing senior Liberal Party figures regularly from his work account speaks volumes for its security.

Above all, it says even more for just who Godwin Grech really is.

Given that Mal’s probably toast, I suspect that he’s not going to be particularly bothered by all this. But Hockey and Abetz will still be around to cop the stink. Plus the AFP report is still to come. 👿

Wow. That string of GG emails is revealing. As the writer concluded, how anyone didn’t have reservations about information from GG beggars belief.

On the ongoing Liberal implosion, I must say I agree with Malcolm – they are insane to opose action on climate change. He’s right, and judgement and narcissism aside, I don’t see how Malcolm or any person who isn’t a denialist could function under a party with a denialist policy.

Oh, so now it’s going to be Hockey and Dutton. Hockey is abandoning support for the ETS. The teabaggers have won.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/hockey-makes-his-move-on-turnbull-20091127-jvgp.html

I guess Hockey will just say it’s a bad scheme – which it is. But the reality is that dominated by denialists, they will simply be opposing any action on climate change. Fail.
And Dutton is just embarrassing. His latest preselection moves were ridiculous – he oozes nervousness and incompetence.
Long live King Kruddy.

Full report of the Senate (del)whitewash(/del) inquiry here.
132 pages and some very interesting reading.

Maybe the AFP might be a bit more inquisitive but i will not hold my breath.
These bastards tried to bring down the democratically elected government by stealth and fraud and should be held accountable.
It is another thing to bring the Government down by having better policies and finding raring loopholes in Government policies but this Grech episode does not sit with me i am afraid to say.

I hope Turnbull stays alive long enough to guilotene the debate this afternoon and pass the legislation so that we can at least start something.
After that i hope he does not want sympathy. Leopards and spots quickly comes to mind.

I watched the senate last night and i truly understand now why Keating called them unrepresentative swill.

The COALition Senators are nothing more than a fucking disgrace.
Talk about Jurassic park and Dinosaurs.

Roman Catholic Church leaders in Dublin spent decades sheltering child-abusing priests from the law and most fellow clerics turned a blind eye, an investigation ordered by Ireland’s government concluded Thursday.

Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who handed over more than 60,000 previously secret church files to the three-year investigation, said he felt deep shame and sorrow for how previous archbishops presided over endemic child abuse – yet claimed afterward not to understand the gravity of their sins.

Martin said his four predecessors in Ireland’s capital, including retired Cardinal Desmond Connell, must have understood that priests’ molestation and rape of boys and girls “was a crime in both civil and canon law. For some reason or another they felt they could deal with all this in little worlds of their own.

“They were wrong, and children were left to suffer.”

There was a similarly shocking investigation into decades of unchecked child abuse in Irish schools, workhouses and orphanages run nationwide by 19 Catholic orders of nuns, priests and brothers.

That report in May sought to document the scale of abuse as well as the reasons why church and state authorities didn’t stop it, whereas Thursday’s 720-page report focused on why church leaders in the Dublin Archdiocese – home to a quarter of Ireland’s 4 million Catholics – did not tell police about a single abuse complaint against a priest until 1995.

continued in The Huffington Post

Perleaze……
Anyone But Bl**dy Abbott!
To think that the Rodent was my local member for many years and now a possibility of this local weasel……teeth-grinding stuff! 😡
Can’t let Pell’s little mate have that much power over Oz sisterhood!

megan says:

Perleaze……
Anyone But Bl**dy Abbott!

😆
Alright Megan…..as a special xmas treat, you can have………..
Ta Da!!
Kevin Bloody Andrews. 👿

Ducking and running. :mrgreen:

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