Today's Headlines

I had a chance to catch up on some news today, and a few issues got my attention.

I just have to mention that I'm surprisingly happy with the shake-up Speaker Pelosi is spear-heading in DC. I like the Government Guaranteed Loan plan that will be up for vote shortly. It sure would make it easier for middle to lower class medical students to choose primary care careers. Even more though, the Medicaid bill that just passed is much than the symbolic waste of paper the Republicans are trying to make it out as. It's their arguments that are wasted paper and air.

First, it will give our tax dollars the same buying power as individuals, corporations and other countries around the world have. Second, it will nail those Republicans with their hands in the Pharm cookie jar. Bravo to the New Demos, good move for American tax payers and great strategy for 2008.

Finally, on the Executive Branches' Stimson chastising Law firms for representing Guantanamo Bay detainees, so what? I think it's great that the firms' names are in public, so none of this representation in hiding. Let individual CEOs, Boards and Americans decide if they agree with Stimson. Law firms should be responsible for their actions. If they represent terrorists, child molesters, etc. they should do it openly. Stimson's actions are FAR, FAR less despicable than law firms who, in hiding, represent the worst of humanity in the name of fairness, then talk about how admirable they are.

It is far from admirable that they give away pro bono services to, at least in some cases, terrorists instead of good people who really need them: whistle blowers, single moms, etc. It would like Microsoft wanting to hide their giving PCs and software to the North Korean government in the name of fair education while our illiteracy rate here in the US climbs. It's almost as ridiculous as the 26,000 lawsuits filed against Merck for Vioxx. What a wasteful drain on the American economy at $200+ per hour per attorney. I bet we get ridiculed more for our legal practices around the world than our military actions. And there's no lameduck in legal greed.