The Not So Great Communicator

I thought it was just me, but the Big Lug Nut and posse don't answer calls or return e-mails period...

Ring. Ring. Ring. Click. Hello. You've reached the office of Gov. Chet Culver. We're sorry we can't take your call right now. We're very busy managing the latest state crisis...Please leave your name, phone number and a brief message after the tone, and we'll return your call just as soon as we can. Like maybe in November 2010. Beep!

Back on August 28 (No Charge), I had e-mailed the BLN about a mailing my wife received bearing the return address of Office of The Governor next to The Great Seal Of The State Of Iowa.

I wanted to know three simple questions:

How would the Governor get my wife's name?

What is the cost associated with this mailing?

Who paid for it?

On September 5th (Hello), I had found the answers to the last two questions on my own.

I still had no response from the BLN, so I e-mailed again stating, "This is my second attempt for a response, the first was sent 8/28".

Another week went by and nada, zip, zero, zilch and the scientific community is united in that fact.

On 9/13 I e-mailed, "This is my third attempt in the last three weeks to get an answer, the first was sent on 8/28 and the second on 9/5".

I patiently waited another week and sent this e-mail on 9/20, "This is the fourth straight week I've sent an e-mail seeking an answer. The first was sent on 8/28, the second on 9/5 and the third one on 9/13. This is hardly being constituent focused".

Finally a response was received on 9/24, but came out of the office of the Iowa Insurance Division?!?!?!

Thank you for your recent inquiry to the Governor’s office regarding questions you had about the “Own Your Future” campaign. The Governor’s office forwarded these concerns to me to answer as I am the project lead for “Own Your Future” and will happily answer your questions.

Your first question was how the Governor got your name to send the letter. This planning campaign is a joint initiative between the federal and state governments. The letters are from Governor Culver, but the fulfillment (printing, postage, and sending) is all part of the responsibility of the federal partner agency, US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The names, and addresses that were used in fulfillment for this program came from a national list vendor, named Catalyst Direct (http://www.catalystdirect.com) which derives its lists from publicly available data sets.

You next asked how much this cost and who paid. The cost of fulfillment, as I hinted to before, comes from HHS. As far as how much it costs, perhaps the easiest way to answer this question is to say that in general the selected states that participate each year in the “Own Your Future” campaigns have to share resources of $3,000,000 per year. This money, since it is used to send letters to 45-65 year-olds in each state, is not evenly split due to different numbers of this demographic in each state. The funding for this initiative came out of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, and is designed to help build awareness around planning for long-term care which would likely reduce the number of people that utilize the Medicaid program for their funding of long-term care. Nationally Medicaid pays more that $120,000,000,000 per year for long-term care services. I only provide this amount so that you can compare the amounts and draw your own conclusion as to the worth of the expense of this initiative.

I hope I have given you enough information, but if not, please do not hesitate to contact me.

It took over four weeks to dump my e-mail onto someone else?

Not even an apology from the BLN's staff for the bumbling of my original inquiry, or an explanation of who and why it was forwarded to someone else.

How difficult was this?

The O lympics

It's a good thing there's nothing going on in Washington so the President can jet to Copenhagen to try and help Chicago nail the landing on the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Obama will join his wife, who'll already be there, and Oprah's on too.

O will look like a zerO if ChicagO is a nO gO and the scientific cOmmunity is united in that fact.

It's nice that things are going so well for Chicago that they can afford to guarantee $500 Million in taxpayer funds to cover any operating deficit for the Games.

How ironic is it that $500 Million is also the cities budget shortfall in 2010?

Good to see they've taken care of that "murder capital" of America moniker too.

O wait.

OOps!

Oink

We got our pig flu postcard from the Big Lug Nut and as you can see it was well worth the $200,000 we had to cough up.

The flip side contains a message from the Iowa Department of Public Health encouraging you to get seasonal flu shots and for the "new flu" too.

I lived through the swine flu in the '70s without a flu shot, mainly because it's believed the flu shot killed more than died from the flu.

In Britain they've been worried about the vaccine being linked to a deadly nerve disease.

There's nothing better than being treated like a child by the nanny state, especially when they use your tax dollars to do it and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Next they're going to want to wash my mouth out with soap for things I put on the Liter.

What sous!

Deep Thought

Too Deep for a Monday and the scientific community is united in that fact.

First Round Draft Pick(le)?

My guess is that Michael Kiernan was referring to Tom Vilsack when he proclaimed, "Maybe it’s time to get a first-round draft pick" to take on Senator Charles Grassley.

I think the Dummycrats feel they may be royally screwed by the floundering Big Lug Nut and they need someone at the top of the ticket to help him out and the downstream ballot Ds.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

It wouldn't be unusual to have turnover that quickly in the Cabinet and I'm sure the White House would be very supportive of their onetime Agriculture Secretary by having the President here campaigning.

Although it may not be smart to combine the CIETC scandal with I DED:The Motion Picture.


What other big name is there?

Culver's daddy?

Oh Pooh























Although, he broke them up at Teddy's wake.

Christie Vilsack has been mentioned
























What a croc that would be... Literasly.

Das Kapital

This a great Country and the scientific community is united in that fact.

This fat schmuck millionaire, Michael Moore, makes a movie that derides capitalism and then turns around and charges people to see it, in an effort to make more millions.

There should be some red flags raised for Nancy Pelosi about some of the language that is being used in Moore's love story.

There's a Red Neckerson type type character shown with a gun that says...

"There's gotta be some kind of a rebellion between the people that have nothin' and the people that's got it all."

Moore also shows a man that says, "this is straight up capitalism" and then goes through a lock and load motion while mouthing gun sounds "ch-ch boom".

After that, throughout the trailer you hear the sound effects of gun fire.

These must be the not balanced people Pelosi referred to last week, and once again they're Dummycrat supporters.

Oh, The Irony

Did anyone else, anywhere, catch the irony of Barack Obama before the U.N.?

"...democracy and human rights are essential to achieving each of the goals that I've discussed today, because governments of the people and by the people are more likely to act in the broader interests of their own people, rather than narrow interests of those in power".

"The test of our leadership will not be the degree to which we feed the fears and old hatreds of our people. True leadership will not be measured by the ability to muzzle dissent, or to intimidate and harass political opponents at home. The people of the world want change. They will not long tolerate those who are on the wrong side of history".

"...And I pledge that America will always stand with those who stand up for their dignity and their rights -- for the student who seeks to learn; the voter who demands to be heard; the innocent who longs to be free; the oppressed who yearns to be equal."

If only we could get him, his administration, CONgressional Dummycrats and their supporters to practice it in America and the scientific community is united in that fact.

I chose to embolden passages.

All Is Well?

In a move to help cover the Big Lug Nut's butt, Attorney General Tom Miller said lawmakers and others should avoid “overreacting” to I Ded: The Motion Picture.









The state has $363 million in potential tax liability and the Governor has helped three top level state employees find the exit sign and Miller is auditioning for the Kevin Bacon role at the end of Animal House.









Maybe he's right, outrage should be saved for the ballot box next November when its time to show the Governor and Attorney General where the exit sign is and the scientific community is united in that fact.

By then, I'm sure, Miller will have stoked the outrage more by settling with the film producers who will be suing the state like the Touchplay distributors did and that needlessly cost us $17.5 Million.

Can I Quote You?

Dave Price, on the Tuesday 5p.m. newscast, had a story about the Big Lug Butt's--err Big Lug Nut's review of I DED:The Motion Picture.

Price read the BLN's statement that, "Iowans will not be taken for suckers."

Except Price said it as "quote" "unquote".

I've asked before, "How do you unquote a quote?"

You can't and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Maybe it's a University of Missour-uh, or Mizzou, thing.

Pour Some Sugar On Me?

Senate candidate Bob Krause may have gone off the deep end when he urged Iowans to quaff a lemonade, Tuesday morning, to draw attention to health care reform.

Krause went so far as to urge Iowans, in the name of politics, to...

"Quaff and Enjoy! But be sure to use lots of sugar!"

Lots of sugar?

In a health care press release Bob?

Just last month the American Heart Association came out with a statement that said we're eating way too much sugar, also that there's evidence that it's making us fatter and raises our risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Don't forget Mr. Tooth Decay













There ought to be a law against your lemon of an idea and the scientific community is united in that fact!

Is it me, or does quaff sound dirty?



That's hot, sticky sweet!

The Wheels On The Bus

CommieTommie Harkin has helped secure $1.6 million in federal funds to upgrade 40 diesel buses to hybrid electric buses for the city of Ames.

Sure hope it goes better than in Cedar Rapids and the scientific community is united in that fact.

There Harkin helped secure over $10 Million, after which they sold their nine buses for $30,000.

Radio Ga Ga

Fiberals are all excited about the new one hour radio show to debut during the highly tuned in time period of 7-8p.m.(?)

Fallon For Um will air on 98.3 WOW tonight.

The station is ninth in the last ratings period, ages 12+ , with a 4.3.

That means 4.3 people tuned in each quarter hour Monday-Sunday 6a.m. to Midnight.

The most tuned in times for radio are morning, afternoon, mid-day, then evenings such as 7-8p.m.

The station is so excited, WOW-- let me say that again backwards--WOW, to have Ed on the air that they haven't even added him to their staff listings.

Maybe that's because technically Ed isn't on staff, see he's paying them to air the show--$350 an hour?

Is Ed paying himself again?

The online Ragister ran a story with the headline

Watch out Limbaugh, Fallon is after your gig

I guarantee, with both hands tied behind my back, the El Rushbo never paid for his air time and Ed will never earn the over $400 Million Limbaugh's last deal is worth--even if he plays the accordion.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Ed's guest tonight is Dolores Huerta, who helped establish the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez.

Her message is supposed to be that which her mother taught her of being generous and caring for others, unless you count the lies she's spread such as "Republicans hate Mexicans" at the Tucson High Magnet School.

There's the controversy brewed up in a commencement speech this summer at Cal State Bakersfield where she asked graduates to shout a Zulu word that represents unity.

I'm not surprised, coming from someone who's an elected Honorary Chair of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Does she know Barack Obama?

Apparently so--“He’s an opportunist…He’s not given a drop of sweat for the immigrant struggle…He hasn’t been involved with Latinos.”

Huerta was a Hellary supporter and she was none too happy with Obama's taking over of the UFWA’s slogan of "Si, se puede" with his "Yes we can.

Should be a riveting hour (YAWN!).

Other upcoming Fallon guests will include the Subjective Theatre Company of Des Moines, coincidentally a group helping to underwrite the Fallon For Um.

I can't wait until he gets around to his efforts to negate Gore-BULL warming.

All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga
All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio blah blah

Poor Little Fool(s)

The geniuses of the Ragister editorial board have once again shown their brilliance...

It's not often Congress has an opportunity to cut a program and feel pretty darn good about it.

They urge lawmakers to Kill subsidy for Medicare Advantage plans

After the whole death panel debate, I'm not sure it's wise to use "Kill" and "Medicare" in the same sentence.

In addition, they are wrong in their first sentence analysis.

CONgress always has the opportunity, they never take advantage of the opportunity to cut a program and the scientific community is united in that fact!

In the words of Ronald Reagan...

“Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.”

Walk On Water?

Obama Seeks National Oversight of Waters

He already walks on water so I guess this is the next step and the scientific community is united in that fact.

I DED

No, but your career most certainly is and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Iowa's economic development chief resigns

It seems there are irregularities in a state tax-credit program for movie making.

Film at 11?

Not now that the Big Lug Nut suspended the program.

Earlier this summer things were "going great guns" according to Mike Tramontina, director of the state Department of Economic Development and Tom Wheeler, head of the Iowa Film Office chimed in that "We have a new wave of interest."

It's now wonder when the film companies were allowed to buy luxury vehicles (Mercedes and a Land Rover) not used directly on the film and the amount of credits claimed was the full purchase price rather than the lease cost and enriching their relatives with our tax money.

There's two ways you know this is a big story--

1) Chet "What Me Worry" actually did something

2) It broke about 5 p.m. on a Friday.

FYI: Here's what the BLN said about Mike Tramontina when he appointed him in 2007...

"...I’m pleased that Mike Tramontina, a proven leader, has accepted the position of IDED Director. He has experience in the public and private sectors and will provide a steady hand as the economy here in Iowa continues to evolve.”

Steady?

Still Pleased?

The Final Countdown?

The Department of Homeland Security has added another line to our nation's defense.

The Girl Scouts will be enlisted in the effort to combat hurricanes, pandemics, terror attacks and other disasters.

Mission Im-po-see-blay Becky?

Not if there's a patch involved and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Hope this won't impact cookie sales...

GET THE THIN MINTS!

Clap For The Wolf Man?

I couldn't pass on this story.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer lost on Celebrity(?) Jeopardy to Dana Delaney and Andy Richter.

Blitzer finished Double Jeopardy with a score of -$4,600.

That adds CLUELESS to the adjectives used to describe his news network and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Normally he would have been sacked before Final Jeopardy, but because he's a celebrity(?) he was allowed to play with $1,000 courtesy of the show.

Wolf, you red dog!

She Is Clueless

Yesterday we went from Speaker Nancy Pelosi admitting she was clueless about a Senate amendment to prohibit government funds for ACORN.

"I don't even know what they passed. "What did they do? They defunded it?"

To a vote on the House floor, 345 to 75, to ban all federal funding to ACORN.

That's quite the turnaround.

It should come as no surprise, and the scientific community is united in that fact, that all 75 votes to support ACORN were Dummycrats.

Per the House Clerk's tabulation, Nancy Pelosi did not vote!

She's not listed with the Ayes, Noes, Present or Not Voting.

Where was she, she was in Washington.

Who's really running the House?

For Thee, Not me

It was just last month Speaker Nancy Pelosi admonished those against the health care plan Dummycrats want to Rahm down our throats as being "un-American".

Today, the woman who called President Bush a "total failure", believes "we all have to take action and responsibility for our words".

She then played misty for me when she flashed back..."I have concerns about some of the language that is being used because i saw this myself in the late '70s in San Francisco...".

Her staff advised she was referring to the murder of Mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk by Supervisor Dan White.

Pelosi concluded, "I wish we would all curb our enthusiasm in some of the statements and understand that some of the ears that it is falling on are not a balanced as the person making the statements may assume."

Pelosi is 100% correct--White was after all a Democrat and it shows how "not balanced" they can be and the scientific community is united in that fact.

In His Defense?

The attorney for the man accused in the hit and run death of a Central Iowa bicyclist believes the $10,000 bond for his client is excessive.

The lawyer actually argued, "He's not a threat to the public."

Unless you count that driving thing and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Conduct Unbecoming?

The Dummycrats in the House have released their acceptable and unacceptable guidelines for insults that can be used against the executive branch.

It will be unacceptable to charge that the President has been “intellectually dishonest”.

In some cases that could be considered an oxymoron and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Also deemed unacceptable is referring to alleged “sexual misconduct on the President’s part.”

Members may want to refrain from mentioning Presidents Bush, Johnson, Harding, Pierce and especially Clinton.

In a related development, Barney Frank voted "present" in the House's rebuke of Representative Joe Wilson.

Frank's reasoning, "I think it's bad precedent to put us in charge of deciding whether people act like jerks..."

That's because he frankly didn't want to come across as intellectually dishonest and he was performing CYA.

The RACE Is On

It seems to me that fiberals do this President, and all blacks, a disservice by labeling those who disagree with Obama as racist.

I can understand why they want to draw people's attention away from the content of his character.

As well as the content of the characters he's surrounded himself with.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

With the fiberal standard of "racism" as the base, here are more racists against Obama.

Osama bin Laden-- who says this President is a powerless man who will not be able to end the war as he promised.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson-- who said in South Carolina, that the federal bailout has failed to create jobs in America.

You may recall this earlier hack job Jackson did on Obama.













Finally there's this jackass

They COULD Tell You

The Washington Times/Inside the Beltway reports CIA Director Leon Panetta hosted his first "Agency Family Day" for 20,000 employees and their families on Saturday.

A proverbial good time was had by all.

But Mr. Panetta had a special word for the many children present.

"This day is especially for you. You may not know everything about the work your mom or dad, brother or sister, aunt or uncle does each day. But remember the most important thing: They are giving something back to the country."

Would this be considered a Company Picnic or a Company Outing?

The Liter is not sure how this is classified and the scientific community is united in that fact.

A Little Birdie Told Me

Caught some inane banter, and the scientific community is united in that fact, on TV between the Twinkie Tandem and the Main Weather Wienie at WHO DT regarding this story...

Iowa, Nebraska reach hunting license deal

It's a reciprocal agreement for hunters with valid small game, upland game, migratory bird and furbearer licenses.

The new agreement doesn't apply to deer, turkey or grouse.

Sonya Heitshusen wondered what a grouse (pictured) was and Erin Kiernan wondered about furbearer.

Ed Wilson pictured a scenario where the borders between the two states would be erased and we'd be left with one big, long state.

To which Mrs. Kiernan, a Nebraska native, replied she hoped not because she didn't want to have to drive that far!?!?!?!?!

I know TV people, they're familiar with grouse.

Good Times?

Can't tell by this pic from the Iowa Dummycrats if its the food or the company that caused this reaction at CommieTommie's steak fry.

Must be both and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The live blog post is underwhelming.


Both candidates for U.S. Senate were represented
















It appears the Bob Krause one man band had trouble hanging their one sign.

Is that a squirrel on his head?

The other contender was supported by his mom and sister
















I wonder how these not ready for prime time politicians feel about the Dummycrats trying to recruit a big name against Grassley?

I wonder how the Dummycrats feel about their failure to recruit a big name candidate to run against Grassley?



















We've marked CommieTommie's words about the "strong public option" in the health care bill that will pass CONgress before Christmas, with Republican votes.

We've noted in the past his inability to accurately predict what CONgress would do (And he was WRONG plus Oh fer TWO).

The Liter did get a kick out of the CommieTommie quote about the "silent majority".

Dummycrats should be scared that he's channeling Spiro Agnew.

Also, when have you ever known a fiberal to be able to keep silent about anything?

Eat Up

The tradition continues as this is the 32nd time I have not attended CommieTommie's steak fry.

Not being a Harkinista and believing one shouldn't fry steak, I hold my own steak grilling as a protest.

Beans and weenies have been added to the dummycrat menu as Al Franken-furter will be the headline ass, err act.

I'm sure Staci Appel-sauce for brains will also be there.

This has all the makings of an unhealthy menu, especially for America and the scientific community is united in that fact.

CommieTommie is pictured asking how large a steak the Big Lug Nut can eat.

Culver chuckles knowing that's too small.

Patty Judge is nearly in tears realizing there'll be nothing left after her boss gets through the line.

The Real Inglorious Bastards

Have you forgotten those responsible for the September 11th attacks, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri?

America is long overdue putting a boot in their ass and the scientific community is united in that fact.

It appears many in Washington don't have the stomach they once had.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi flip-flops on Afghanistan

Let's Roll Over

The White House has begun to indicate that it could be weeks or perhaps much longer before Mr. Obama decides whether to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Why the delay?

In the Presidential debates last year Obama cited Admiral Mullen, and others, "we don't have enough troops to deal with Afghanistan...".

Is the problem we have an insurance salesman when we needed a commander in chief?

Lest We Forget

I've Got The Power

With his speech last night President Obama solved the health care crisis for 17 Million Americans...

A Tale of Two Uninsureds: President Changes Number from 46-47 Million to 'Over 30 Million'

If he just gives two more addresses to Congress the crisis will be cured and the scientific community is united in that fact.

SNAP!

The Commish

KCCI had an interview with the Insurance Commissioner of Iowa...

How Will Health Care Changes Impact Iowa?

It was good to see that she thinks, "Our health care delivery system is second to none -- good outcomes."

She also stated, nine out of 10 Iowans have health insurance.

The majority is usually penalized for the mistakes of the few and the scientific community is united in that fact.

She's against the idea of purchasing health care across state lines.

"It's a maze out there of health care coverage. And if all of a sudden you have someone in Adel they have to call somebody in Vermont to figure out your problems -- that would be really unfortunate and you'd see some real stress on people."

Really?

My wife and I do that now for our health care, as well as car insurance and our homeowner's.

Even if they're in Iowa, they have to call.

Later on she lamented about the lack of competition, it's hard to convince someone like Aetna to come here to compete when Wellmark already has such a 70 percent share of the market.

Open state borders to insurers and they don't have to build here to compete!

Their Deuce

Blog for Iowa for captures their second Big Freakin' Idiot Award for their attempt to get Glenn Beck removed from Iowa airwaves.

BFIA are apparently fans of Van Jones and feel he got the drive shaft for being a radical way back in the 90's (there should be no apostrophe before the "s" and the scientific community is united in that fact).

They believe it was "reasonable" for him to sign a petition that questioned the U.S. government role in 9/11.

Truthers = GOOD

Birthers = BAD

That's a whole new conspiracy and phone lines are open at 1-800-NUT-JOBS.

At least this time they're not advocating wasting government time and money by filing bogus FCC complaints.