tagged w/ Kathleen Sebelius
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One of the little secrets Christianity keeps hidden is that our congregations, our clergy, our theologians, and our church do not speak with one voice on abortion.
An even bigger secret: They never have.
http://veracitystew.com/?p=35385One of the little secrets Christianity keeps hidden is that our congregations, our... more
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This week has been an uneven one for those who like to party first and deal with party related consequences eventually. We at Van Full of Candy are known to be fans of both “Party” and “Consequences”. The first is fun, the second is hilarious and the combination of the two is often hilariously fun. That is, as long as those hilarious consequences of party are being felt by others. The amount of fun and hilarity one experiences as a result of party consequences is in direct relation to exactly how much it effects you personally. Party Fact.
First, Wednesday, Party People who like to put their Party Parts in the parts of other Party People got the bad news that the Plan B Party Pill was going to have to stay behind the pharmacy counter. The FDA had ruled that anybody who had $50 and a need to unhappen a late night baby could pick up the pill in their local anywhere without having to let the Pharmacist know how much they like to Party. But “Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius”, thinking of course, of the children, decided that it was best to avoid the impulse buy madness that allowing just anyone to toss a couple de-preggers in your basket would most certainly cause, you know, because it’s best to stock up for those times when you just don’t want to pull on one of those Pesky Pecker Party Ponchos.
I can naturally understand the Human Services Lady’s point of view. Sebelius’ concern was apparently that “girls as young as 11 are physically capable of bearing children and Plan B’s makers didn’t prove that younger girls could properly understand how to use this product without guidance from an adult”. Completely fair and rational and understandable. Eleven year olds like to party. Party Fact. Also a fact, all over the counter drugs that can be harmful to children without proper guidance from an adult must be proven to be properly understandable to eleven year old girls before it can be sold to the public. Never mind that the use of this product, a pill, is covered by one of humanities most basic function, the “forward swallow”, or that said pill can in no way do any sort of damage what so ever to a tween whether taken properly or improperly (unless I guess, ingested into the brain stem through a child’s blow hole perhaps), the fact that the product does not explicitly explain that fact is apparently tragically unsafe and worthy of keeping it off of shelves.
Party People 17 and older that want to exterminate impending womb vermin can still do so without prescription, as before, by simply telling the “doctor” behind the counter that she had a party in her pelvis and everyone was invited. Those under 17 will continue to need a prescription from their local clinic. Don’t mind the van parked outside with pictures of inside out fetus parts or all of the lovers of invisible sky persons calling you a whore, they’re just there to make sure you don’t let the next guy get away with saying that he can’t feel anything when stuffed in his Party Prophylactic. And hey, don’t worry if the doctor calls to inform your parents that you’ve just picked up a life unruiner pill, if one of ‘em’s the reason you’re there, they’ll probably love to hear the news!
But fret not lovers of all things party! The FDA, yes, the same FDA that tried to let you decide for yourself whether or not you knew how to operate a pill properly, just today approved a drinky don’t hurt disk for mass consumption following a night of massive consumption. “Blowfish” an “Alka-Seltzer like tablet” is a hangover cure on its way to a non Plan B stocked store shelf near you!
No longer will you have to pay for your night of heavy drinking with head aches and tummy aches and mysterious muscle strains and bruises that you can not explain and continuously tell your friends not to explain. With its (not at all) patented combination of 1,000 milligrams of Aspirin, 120 milligrams of caffeine and an unspecified (in the article that I found this information at least, and I’ve used up all of my research coupons for the year) quantity of antacid, “Blowfish” is set to take a prominent place in Van Full of Candy’s Party Purse, which is actually a medicine bag that we bought at a gas station inside an Indian reservation that we were assured was not only blessed by the tribe’s shaman, but was very masculine and didn’t at all look weird for us to be wearing. This’ll fit in quite nicely with our embarassingly purchased Plan B pills and notarized consent forms. With a name like “Van Full of Candy” written authorization to consensually violate another human being sets a lot of minds at ease.
Now the “Blowfish” product didn’t actually NEED to be approved by the FDA since it’s “composed of ingredients already aveilable for over the counter sales”, but instead needed approval of its packaging.
“Like all drug packaging, it has a lot of warnings for people with certain conditions,” Brenna Haysom, creator of Blowfish said. “And pregnant women should not take it, but hopefully they don’t need to be taking it!”
An excellent point. Women who are pregnant shouldn’t take a fizzy pill with a cup of coffee’s worth of caffeine, because that would be bad. Oh, and naturally, as Brenna so wryly points out, tongue planted firmly in drunken cheek, pregnant women shouldn’t be NEEDING to take the product in the first place since it’s a hang over cure and as most Party Preggos know, they shouldn’t be drinking beer. It’ll make the baby too fun and charismatic.Party Fact.
So Party People, get out there and have a good time knowing that the consequences that need the most urgent attending to are covered. If bright lights and loud noises make your head an itty bitty bit ouchy, the FDA approved product that can help you will soon be at the 7-11 register next to the energy shots and scratchers. But if you get pregnant inadvertently or against your will, the FDA approved product that can help you will still be un-readily available to you because, you know, God.
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For all of your rickety, primered, windowless comedy needs, visit:
http://vanfullofcandy.comThis week has been an uneven one for those who like to party first and deal with party... more
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by Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger
Is the IV Bag half-empty or half-full? Theda Skocpol, the author of a forthcoming book on President Barack Obama’s health care reforms, argues in the Nation that progressives are underrating reform.
Skocpal urges progressives to get over their disappointment over the lack of a public health insurance option and rally around the president to support health care reform in the midterm elections. Skocpol maintains that, for all its flaws and limitation, the Affordable Care Act will be a powerful antidote to rising inequality in American society:
[T]he White House certainly had to make choices about what to emphasize in the brief time it likely had to make headway. The administration chose comprehensive health care reform and a few other measures with profound economic import—and those will make an enduring difference for millions of ordinary Americans.
Keeping insurers in line
In the American Prospect, Jon Cohn warns of a potential loophole in the health care reform legislation. In theory, health insurers are now required to do various things they find unpalatable (read: less profitable), like making sure that all plans cover a basic array of treatments and limiting out-of-pocket expenses.
However, Cohn notes, the law allows for “grandfathering” of existing health care plans that don’t meet the new standards. It’s up to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, to interpret what the grandfathering clause means in practice.
In June, the Secretary issued an interim ruling that existing health insurance plans will only be subject to the new rules if employers make significant changes in the coverage—such as dramatically increasing deductibles. If employers try to slash benefits or hike rates on their existing plans, they will lose the privilege of the grandfather clause and become subject to the tougher new rules.
The federal government can only do so much. Suzi Khimm of Mother Jones wonders who will keep insurers in line at the state level, the front lines of health care reform. She notes that 13 states don’t have the legal authority to scrutinize excessive rate hikes, like the 39% jump in premiums that insurer Anthem proposed last year.
Some states are taking the new regulations and running with them, but others are still fighting health care reform in the courts. This state-level recalcitrance is a major potential stumbling block. As Jonathan Cohn argued in his Prospect piece, above, health care reform will only work if it changes the behavior of insurers nationwide. State-level foot-dragging could be a serious threat to the success of the initiative as a whole.
Untested dispersants in the Gulf
You can’t see most of the 4 million barrels of oil that BP spilled in the Gulf of Mexico, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Researchers at the University of Georgia estimate that 70%-79% of the oil is still in the Gulf, hidden in the water column or on the seabed. As Kate Sheppard explains in Mother Jones, the oil is invisible because of chemicals known as dispersants.
So far, BP has released over 1.8 million gallons of these chemicals into the Gulf. These substances have never been tested for safety. Sheppard explains that the public isn’t even legally entitled to know exactly what’s in Correxit and other dispersants because the formulas are protected by trade secrets. When pressed, the maker of Correxit admitted that the fluid contains 2-butoxyethanol, a chemical that can cause kidney damage.
Teen Botox
Julie Zellinger of the Ms. Magazine blog reacts to the news that 12,000 American teenagers received botox injections last year, a 2% increase from 2008. Botox is used to paralyze muscles—sometimes for medical reasons like neck spasms and twitchy eyelids, but also for cosmetic purposes, like erasing wrinkles.
Teens don’t usually have wrinkles, but that doesn’t stop enterprising cosmetic surgeons from figuring out how to sell them botox injections to relieve other body image anxieties. Some teens are using botox to make their faces look less round.
As Zellinger says, it’s not so much the procedure itself that’s cause for alarm, but rather the underlying lack of self-esteem that these doctors are capitalizing on. I don’t know if teens are more insecure about their looks today than they were a generation ago, but cosmetic surgeons are busily developing techniques to exploit that insecurity.by Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger
Is the IV Bag half-empty or... more
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by Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger
Does health care reform’s promise of preventive care extend to free birth control? Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services have 18 months to decide whether to require insurers to provide oral contraceptives, IUDs, and other prescription birth control with no co-pay. With pro-choice Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at the helm, HHS is expected to say yes. [Update: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that birth control will not be on the White House's preliminary list of free preventive services, to be issued today. However, as Miriam Perez of feministing explains, HHS will ultimately have the final word. Observers, including Dana Goldstein who covers reproductive rights for the Daily Beast, are optimistic that the pro-choice side will carry the day at HHS.]
At this point in the process, social conservatives are shut out in the cold, quaking with impotent rage. Now that the reform bill is law, HHS has to interpret the rules—and the Obama administration officials at HHS can’t be swayed as easily as elected officials.
Religious right on the warpath
Predictably, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the National Abstinence Education Association, and the Heritage Foundation are up in arms. They’ve picked a deeply unpopular battle. Abortion remains controversial in some circles, but birth control is as American as baseball. The vast majority of sexually active women in the U.S. tell pollsters that they are not trying to become pregnant, and 89% of them are using some form of birth control.
“Seriously,” writes Monica Potts of TAPPED, “a battle over contraceptives?” Over 15 million Americans currently use hormonal contraception. Studies show that the vast majority of Americans are morally comfortable with birth control.
Expanding access to birth control is smart policy because it reduces health care costs, as Suzi Khimm notes in Mother Jones. Birth control is a lot cheaper for insurers than pregnancy and childbirth. Free birth control could change women’s lives for the better. In this economy, $30-$50 a month for hormonal birth control can be a major obstacle for many. As Michelle Chen notes in ColorLines, women of color are among those hardest hit by out-of-pocket costs.
Birth control as common ground?
Many centrists hope that contraception will be a source of “common ground” between the pro-choice and anti-abortion camps. The premise sounds reasonable. If anti-choicers oppose abortion, surely they will support measures proven to reduce the abortion rate, like expanded access to contraception. Political scientist Scott Lemieux argues in TAPPED that conservative opposition to birth control coverage is further proof that the common ground hypothesis is wishful thinking:
The problem with this line of reasoning is that it ignores the broader set of assumptions about women and sexuality on which actual opposition to abortion is based. Consider anti-choice Republicans, who consistently opposed expanding contraceptive use: Given the choice between reducing abortion rates and controlling female sexuality, they will always choose the latter. Thus the idea that contraception can be a means of achieving a ceasefire in the culture wars has always been a fantasy. Liberals and conservatives aren’t just divided by abortion but by broader questions of female equality and sexual freedom.
The USCCB clearly understands that birth control is broadly popular. Its lobbyists aren’t even trying to argue that birth control shouldn’t be covered because it’s sinful. Instead, they are playing semantic games about what constitutes preventative health care. According to the USCCB, birth control shouldn’t count because fertility isn’t a disease. Be that as it may, pregnancy is a life-altering health condition that can kill you. As a matter of fact, the Catholic Church is on the record as saying that pregnant women must sacrifice their own lives for their fetuses. Ergo, pregnancy prevention is preventive health care.
Approving free birth control would go a long way towards restoring the trust between the Obama administration and its pro-choice base, at low political cost. It seems unlikely that the USCCB and its allies have the power to fuel a national backlash on this one. After all, three quarters of U.S. Catholics disagree with their own church’s teachings on birth control.
Conscience concerns
Speaking of the Department of Health and Human Services, Megan Carpentier at RH Reality Check wonders what happened to President Barack Obama’s early promise to repeal the so-called “conscience clause” rule that allows health care workers to opt out of providing reproductive health care that conflicts with their anti-choice principles. The rule is still on the books, over a year after Obama pledged to repeal it.
FEMA Foul
Finally, how did some BP oil spill cleanup workers end up living in formaldehyde-laced FEMA trailers ruled unfit for human habitation? As I report for Working In These Times, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, wants answers from FEMA and the General Services Administration about how these trailers found their way back onto the market.
This post features links to the best independent, progressive reporting about health care by members of The Media Consortium. It is free to reprint. Visit the Pulse for a complete list of articles on health care reform, or follow us on Twitter. And for the best progressive reporting on critical economy, environment, health care and immigration issues, check out The Audit, The Mulch, and The Diaspora. This is a project of The Media Consortium, a network of leading independent media outlets.by Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger
Does health care reform’s... more
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As many as 20 states probably will not operate new insurance programs for Americans who have been denied health coverage.As many as 20 states probably will not operate new insurance programs for Americans... more
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Share Comments 203 "This shocking increase isn't unique," said the report, being presented by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at a news conference Thursday. "Across the country, families have seen their premiums skyrocket in recent years, and experts predict these increases will continue."
With his drive for health care overhaul bogged down, President Barack Obama has seized on the Anthem premium increases as Exhibit A to make his case for sweeping change before a bipartisan White House summit next week. California officials say 700,000 households face increases averaging 25 percent overall and as high as 39 percent for some.Get Breaking News Alerts
Share Comments 203 "This shocking increase... more
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WASHINGTON – A man posing as a U.S. Secret Service agent flashed a fake badge and credentials to con his way past security at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, demanding to meet Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, federal authorities said.
Frederick James Nickerson, 46, was arrested Tuesday and charged with pretending to be a Secret Service Special Agent, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Nickerson appeared in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records.
Sebelius wasn't in the building at the time, and he was eventually captured when employees recognized his name from a list of people banned from federal buildings.
A criminal complaint filed by the Federal Protective Service said Nickerson entered the southwest Washington building on Saturday and went through a metal detector. He told security staff that he was a Secret Service agent and needed to see Sebelius, flashing false credentials and a badge.
"He also motioned to the side of his body as if he had a concealed weapon in his waistband," the complaint said.
Nickerson took an elevator to the sixth floor, where Sebelius' suite of offices is located.
Jenny Backus, an HHS spokeswoman, said employees at the Secretary's Operations Center recalled his photo from a list of people barred from entering federal buildings. Authorities have not said why Nickerson was on that list.WASHINGTON – A man posing as a U.S. Secret Service agent flashed a fake badge... more
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Why must I constantly be forced to defend my state? Oh yeah, guys like this keep giving us a bad name. Bill Otto, a self described "descendant of Ozark Americans" has come under fire after releasing a rap video on youtube that is critical of president Obama. State democrats claim that the video is racist. Unfortunately, I cannot confirm or deny this claim because the video has been removed from youtube. Regardless, after reading this article I am disgraced that a person of his ineptitude is serving on my State House of Representatives. Here are a few lines from his rap:
"Yo, Barack, my man with the plan. You're laying us low with this czar scam. You promise things would be different. It looks like they are, but worse wasn't the change people voted for. Don't send them Gitmo killers in our backyard. Send them to the Internal Revenue Service so they can get tortured real hard."
Check out the whole story at the link and if you can find the video, post the that link please!Why must I constantly be forced to defend my state? Oh yeah, guys like this keep... more
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Democratic members of Congress, party strategists, and even President Obama have tried their best to portray Republicans as obstructionists to health care reform, and that they want us to believe that if the effort fails, it's all because of the GOP.Democratic members of Congress, party strategists, and even President Obama have tried... more
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In a cover story for Business Week earlier this month reporters Chad Terhune and Keith Epstein argue UnitedHealth and other insurers maneuvered to shape health care reform for their own benefit. The story is titled “The Health Insurers Have Already Won” and the authors argue that the insurers have “succeeded in redefining the terms of the reform debate to such a degree that no matter what specifics emerge in the voluminous bill Congress may send to President Obama this fall, the insurance industry will emerge more profitable.” We speak with Chad Terhune, senior writer at Business Week where he"s covered health care for several years.
We begin today with the continuing debate on health care reform. The White House indicated this weekend that it might be willing to drop proposals for a public insurance plan to compete with the private sector.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Sunday on CNN that the public option was “not the essential element” of comprehensive reform. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs also hinted as much when he told CBS’s Face the Nation that the President “will be satisfied” if they could come up with a plan that provided choice and competition in the insurance market outside of a government plan option.
Their comments came a day after President Obama’s own response at a healthcare forum in Colorado. He said “the public option, whether we have it or don”t have it, is not the entirety of healthcare reform."
As the White House seems to be willing to back off from a public option and is considering North Dakota Democratic Senator Ken Conrad"s proposal for a nonprofit health cooperative, we take a look at what"s really shaping the healthcare debate behind the scenes.In a cover story for Business Week earlier this month reporters Chad Terhune and Keith... more
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"So we're sitting there talking prevention measures," he said, nursing the 3rd of many Buds consumed that afternoon, "and Sebelius (the new HHS secretary) asks me if we have enough facemasks in the White House for everyone. I'm like OMG, those f*cking things don't work anyway, let's get back to the real issue. But then everyone starts begging for masks for them and their families, so I listen to the noise for a while and then I snap. Table goes over, paper and pens everywhere. I'm outta there."
http://thestupidtimes.blogspot.com/2009/04/obama-celebrates-100-days-by-resigning.html"So we're sitting there talking prevention measures," he said, nursing... more
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Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius won Senate confirmation Tuesday as the nation's health and human services secretary, thrusting her into the middle of a public health emergency with the swine flu sickening dozens of Americans.Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius won Senate confirmation Tuesday as the nation's... more
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The Senate is on the verge of confirming President Barack Obama's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services. Debate begins this morning, with a vote anticipated later in the day. Kathleen Sebelius is expected to get the 60 votes needed in the Democratic-led Senate.
Congratulations, you got the job. Now fix the Swine Flu problem …
If things go right for Kansas Governor Kathy Sebelius, that’ll be her first task as President Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. Debate begins this morning over her confirmation, and the vote is expected this afternoon.
She needs 60 votes to clear confirmation and it looks like she’ll get the nod.
That’s not to say the forces against Sebelius aren’t making a full-out attempt to derail her. Some 70,000 supporters of Sarah Palin are staging a late-in-the-game rally against her confirmation.
Yesterday, the TeamSarah website sent out an “action alert to its members, asking them to call the office of Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, and urge him to vote against Sebelius’ confirmation.”
“Today’s the day! Our Not on Our Watch! Phone Bank Blast is set for TODAY from 2pm - 4pm ET. Write a note & stick it on your forehead, set your cell phone alarm - do what you have to do to remember to make your calls TODAY!”
Although these are supporters of Palin, it’s not as though she’s leading the charge against Sebelius. “The organization has no formal connection to the governor,” notes the Anchorage Daily News.The Senate is on the verge of confirming President Barack Obama's nominee for... more
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Last week, despite strong citizen and farmer opposition, the Kansas state legislature passed a bill that would limit a farmer’s right to tell their customers about the way they produce milk. Kansas House Bill 2121 included language specifying that, "dairy products promoted as being produced by cows that don't receive injections of artificial bovine growth hormone, also known as rbST or rBGH, would have to include a disclaimer on the label."
The required disclaimer would read: "the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined there are no significant differences between milk from cows that receive injections of the artificial hormone and milk from those that do not." That statement is based on an 18-year-old FDA review; however, FDA’s own publications, as well as subsequent scientific studies have shown that there are significant differences, some of which may affect human health. The Kansas bill also goes against long-established Federal policy as outlined by the FDA in a July 27, 1994 letter to New York Department of Agriculture and Markets: "The bottom line is that a contextual statement is not required...and in no instance is the specific statement 'No significant difference has been shown...' required by FDA."
In addition, the Legislature tacked on the dairy labeling rules of HB 2295 as a rider on HB 2121 without a hearing in the Senate Agriculture Committee. This denied the numerous opponents of labeling restrictions the chance to testify. Even with the lack of proper debate, the bill barely passed the Senate by a 22-15 vote, just two votes short of failing, demonstrating that there is barely a mandate for labeling changes in Kansas.
Due to growing consumer demand, companies are removing rbGH from their dairy products across the country. In addition, over 160 hospitals all over the country have pledged to serve rbGH-free products and the past president of the American Medical Association said in a letter to all AMA members that hospitals should serve only milk produced without rbGH. And, more than half of the 100 largest dairy processors in the country have gone partially or completely rbGH-free to satisfy consumer demand.
Tell Governor Sebelius, our future Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, which houses the Food and Drug Administration, to head into her new position on the right foot by vetoing this unnecessary and unwanted bill!Last week, despite strong citizen and farmer opposition, the Kansas state legislature... more
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WASHINGTON - Senators are expected Thursday to ask Kathleen Sebelius, President Barack Obama's choice for health secretary, more questions about her policies and politics than about the $7,000 worth of mistakes she made on her taxes.
The Senate Finance Committee may well ask the Kansas governor if she thinks the federal government should influence what treatments health insurance companies pay for, or whether she will deal with Republican concerns as she sets out to overhaul the health care system. Her views on abortion rights also might be brought up during her confirmation hearing.
There's a sense that the Senate needs to act quickly on Sebelius' nomination so lawmakers can push ahead with the ambitious schedule they have set for health reform legislation this year. The Finance Committee votes on whether to send the nomination to the full Senate.WASHINGTON - Senators are expected Thursday to ask Kathleen Sebelius, President Barack... more
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Kathleen Sebelius is an abortion radical by any reasonable definition of the term, whatever occasional gestures toward pro-life positions she has made.Kathleen Sebelius is an abortion radical by any reasonable definition of the term,... more
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“Normally, it would be a source of joy and pride to have a Catholic from Kansas named by the President to an important Cabinet post. Unfortunately, I experience neither with President Obama’s selection of Governor Kathleen Sebelius as his choice to serve as the Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),”“Normally, it would be a source of joy and pride to have a Catholic from Kansas... more
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Senator Brownback's cowardly betrayal of his Catholic faith is even more damaging than his political permission for this renegade (Kathleen Sebelius) to take office.Senator Brownback's cowardly betrayal of his Catholic faith is even more damaging... more
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The head of the Roman Catholic Church's highest office overseeing Church law has slammed the nomination of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), calling the nomination "the source of greatest embarrassment" to the Catholic Church.The head of the Roman Catholic Church's highest office overseeing Church law has... more
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Project Youthanize host, Charlie Berens, talks to Millennial youth (ages 16-29) about how they’re coping with the Health Care crisis.Project Youthanize host, Charlie Berens, talks to Millennial youth (ages 16-29) about... more
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