A group of high school students attending a conservative leadership conference in Washington, D.C. said they were ordered by a security guard to stop singing the national anthem during a June 25 visit to the Lincoln Memorial. (more)
Oh, Canada. (more)
As nationalistic laws go, the one just passed in Slovakia seems rather tame on the surface. Earlier this month, the Slovak parliament approved a “patriotic act” mandating that every school play the Slovak national anthem on Mondays and that each classroom display a set of state symbols: the flag, the coat of arms, the lyrics to the anthem and the constitution’s preamble. However innocuous this all may appear to be, though, Slovaks are outraged that the government is forcing them, by law, to be more patriotic. (more)
On a recent Fox News debate about health insurance, Democratic political strategist Bob Beckel explained that, “The president needed an enemy, and the insurance companies are it.” (more)
Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington – Congressional Democrats on Wednesday accused the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross of putting profits ahead of policyholders, saying the giant insurer padded its proposed rates while lavishing generous salaries and benefits on top executives. (more)
Two weeks ago, Anthem Blue Cross raised its rates in California rather sharply. To my mind, the move gave a fresh boost to Democratic health care reform, certainly not a positive occurrence—even despite Anthem’s market-based, and quite logical, defense. Furthermore, the federal investigation into the rate hikes gave Obama a bit of a public relations boost, as his administration could now point to “evidence” that their reform was necessary. To paraphrase Nina Easton on Monday’s “Special Report,” Obama’s new health care proposal hopes that the American people dislike insurance companies more than they distrust government officials. (more)
President Obama’s attempt to press ahead with a comprehensive health-care bill on Monday prompted one reaction in Washington more than any other: confusion. (more)
