The Past Week: February 15-21, 2009 (“Efficiency” Experts Michelle and “3-Card Monte” Barack Obama…Michelle’s Legacy at U of Chicago Hospital Under Fire by ER Physicians; Hubby Plans to Halve the Deficit via “Efficiency” (Among Other Things…); Spring Garden Prep!

~~By InsightAnalytical-GRL

This is going to be an abbreviated roundup as things still are rather hectic here.

We did get this nugget from our Chicago Correspondent Leslie, who heard a radio report on the local NPR station in Chicago on Friday morning (February 20).

Here is what she passed along:

This morning on NPR (usually the voice of BHO), I heard there is a medical group (I didn’t hear the name) accusing

UofC(hicago) Hospital ER of “dumping patients” with limited ability to pay in order to avoid having to treat them.

This report (by NPR) specifically named Michelle Obama for developing the program used by UofC Hosp. These doctors were quite clear that the purpose of the program was not for “more efficient use of the emergency room” but was expressly developed to move poor patients from UofC Hosp.

I found it pretty interesting that this report on NPR in Chicago did not screen the report more closely. I’ll have to listen the rest of the morning for the replay of this report. Let’s see if they even re-air this one item.

Our intrepid correspondent followed up with the link at the NPR site, surprised that it was even there.

Under the City Room “News Briefs” we find the story about how, in what the Vice-President of the American College of Emergency Physicians calls a “highly unusual” move, the group is accusing the U of C of dumping patients. In fact, Dr. Sandra Schneider says she can’t remember any other time the group has “called out” a hospital like this.

Doctors Slam U of C Hospital

Produced by Gabriel Spitzer on Friday, February 20, 2009

…

The organization singles out the hospital’s Urban Health Initiative, which diverts some patients away from the ER. It’s supposed to make the system more efficient by freeing up ER staff to treat the most urgent cases. But the doctors group likens it to dumping unprofitable patients. SCHNEIDER: We would ask the university to find ways where it would become good business to take care of all patients, not just those that pay. The Urban Health Initiative was developed in part by First Lady Michelle Obama when she was an executive at the hospital. A U. of C. spokesman called the doctors’ criticism, quote:”way off-base,” and said the hospital hasn’t cut back on emergency care.

Back on January 12 we posted the news from CC Leslie about how Michelle’s former job was being cut and how one of Barack’s friends was taking over the duties.  So, the legacy of Michelle Obama lives on at University of Chicago’s hospital…

Reality Check from Our Chicago Correspondent: University of Chicago & Its Hospital “Terminating” Jobs Like Crazy (Michelle O., Guess Shuffling All Those Indigent Patients Elswhere Didn’t Help the Bottom Line That Much? Your “Plum” Job is Going, Too!)

***

Speaking of  making the system “more efficient.”..as I write this post, a story has just come up on the Comcast news feed…talk about an eerie “coincidence”…

Official: Obama wants to halve budget deficit

(SNIP)

And, he has vowed to scale back spending and improve government efficiency by eliminating programs that don’t work.

MORE

It’s that “EFFICIENCY THING”!!  I wonder if the Obamas stay up nights talking about “efficiency”?

Monday we start the next campaign and start seeing what Obama thinks should be cut.  Meanwhile, the money will be flowing with very little supervision to the states and to his favored recipients.

And I’m wondering…how many seniors on Medicare get thrown under the bus?  How many people on disability???  That would seem to fit in in with the policies left behing by Michelle Obama at U of  C very nicely…

UNREAL!  Audacity, hubris, whatever you want to call it…I call it “3-Card Monte”…(another example of  Obama’s prowess with 3-Card Monte” here.)

***

This week in the high-desert garden.  Trees are budding out and the daytime temperatures are getting into the 70′s.  This week I pulled up most of the mustard, which has started going to seed. Same with the arugula.  I also harvested a few more sideshoots of broccoli and those plants have been pulled, too.  I still have to prune the grapes and fertilize. The rock squirrels are beginning to spend more time outside; when I look over the wall, I see one with his head poked out of his hole now all the time.  Today, I saw one of the crew on the wall,  near the feeder where I put cracked corn for the doves, so I know the squirrel was out for a sample.  Every year one of the squirrels tries to dig into my raised bed garden and usually they’ve dug out tunnels up to a couple of feet long before I find out about them!  I fill them in and the squirrels come back!  Then, they seem to get discouraged and stop trying. I’m really afraid that someday they will extend their burrows under the walls into the yard!

THE PAST WEEK

*By American Lassie

Anything More Nauseating that Bill Clinton Shilling For Obama on Greta Thursday Night?? (2/19/09)

El Paso Media Conference Pushes “Newspapers as Change Agents”; Interesting Background of Organizer

Obama World in Pictures: Privates and Flights of Fancy

*Eustace Mullins’ “Secrets of the Federal Reserve”: Read About what Ezra Pound Called “The Great Betrayal”

Family Matters (Politics, Home Style): David & Susan Axelrod and Epilepsy; Bristol & Sarah Palin Interview on Greta (UPDATE 1X: GM Retiree Health Benefits Dropped–the Next “Attached String” Falls into Place?

Wells Fargo Bank Goes Insane! (Antidote: Nice Pictures)

The Past Week: February 8-14, 2009 (Saturday Night Hard HR1 News; Chicago News ["Racial" Comments; Obama Ally Alexi Giannoulis]; “Roots Camp”; Bill Clinton Shills for the DCCC; New Sprouts in the Late Winter Garden)

Drip-Drip-Drip: Obama Top Aides, Associates Named in U.S. Attorney’s Subpoena (Last Friday’s News Dump)

~~By InsightAnalytical-GRL

With the impeachment trial of Gov. Rod Blagojevich lumbering toward its inevitable decision, not much attention has been paid to the issue of subpoenas…

But, in case you missed the news on Saturday, the AP reported that a slew of Obama’s top aides were named in a subpoena issued by the U.S. Attorney’s office and delivered to the Blagojevich Administration on December 8, 2007. The Blagojevich Administration released them this past Friday (January 23).

Top Obama aides subject of Blagojevich subpoenas

By The Associated Press | Saturday, January 24, 2009 11:44 AM CST

UPDATE: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Sweeping federal subpoenas of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration include requests for records involving David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, senior advisers to President Barack Obama.

Among 43 subpoenas released by the Blagojevich administration Friday, one from Dec. 8 seeks notes, calendars, correspondence and any other data that relate to Axelrod, Jarrett and 32 other people and organizations.

SNIP

Neither the prosecution nor the defense is allowed to summon any witnesses whose testimony might interfere with federal prosecutors’ criminal case against Blagojevich. But Blagojevich has not asked to call any witnesses at all, and said he does not plan to participate in any way.

The  story goes on to provide a recap of previous events in the case and a full list of those whose records were under scrutiny. Oh, and it also reminds us that “Obama’s staff released a report in December that said his staff had no inappropriate contact with the governor’s office about the Senate seat, nor was anyone aware of any dealmaking. Axelrod, a Chicago political strategist now in the White House, was not mentioned in the report.”

Gee, no mention of Axelrod in the Obama report?  Just an oversight, I’m sure.  A chance omission.  Yeah, right!

At Doug Ross @ Journal, Ross blogged about the news:

Sunday, January 25, 2009

And on the fifth day, subpoenas were served to Obama’s senior staff

On Saturday morning, the list of subpoenas served by the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Governor Rod Blagojevich case was made public. The list included one major surprise for the new administration.

A veritable “who’s who” of Obama staffers, surrogates and affiliates were among those served with subpoenas.

Aside from Axelrod and Jarrett, the list also includes Rahm Emanuel and Tony Rezko. (Note: I didn’t spot the name of Emanuel on the list in the AP story, but perhaps it isn’t a complete list.)

Ross rightly comments that at the very least, the legal affairs of Obama’s close advisers and associates will eat away at time that could be spent on the nation’s business.

It seems to me that during the campaign we heard an awful lot about the “Clinton baggage” but less than a week into the Obama Administration the drip-drip-drip of Patrick Fitzgerald’s foray into the Blagojevich Administration is already spreading to Obama’s senior staff and associates. Will it be Whitewater all over again?

I don’t know much about Doug Ross except from what I’ve gleaned from his site. He’s been blogging from the conservative side since 2003 and his site has been a Weblog Awards finalist in 2006 and 2007.

I do know for certain, however, that the Doug Ross writing about politics is NOT the same Doug Ross who is coming back for a visit on ER.

Yes, George Clooney, the departed Dr. Doug Ross from the early years of ER, is returning to help close out the show’s last season.

Code Awesome: George Clooney Scrubbing Into ER

• Natalie Finn Natalie Finn – Wed Jan 21, 7:06 pm ET

E! Online – Code Awesome: George Clooney Scrubbing Into ER(E! Online)

Los Angeles (E! Online) – ER paged Dr. Ross—and he answered.

Sources tell E! News that George Clooney will be shooting scenes this week for an upcoming episode of the hit medical series, which is in its 15th and final season on NBC.

The network recently ordered up another three episodes of its stalwart Thursday-night drama, raising hopes that nabbing Clooney for a guest spot was one of the reasons for the extension.

Aw, George. Is there any humanitarian cause he won’t support?

MORE

You can bet that the return of Clooney to ER will soon be getting a lot more attention than some boring old subpoenas involving Obama’s crew! Frankly, I’m wondering how Clooney, a vocal Obama supporter, will react if the subpoena  news ever surfaces in the Obama mainstream media.

Do you think he’ll produce a movie on the subject? Perhaps he could play Rahm Emanuel in the film??

AWESOME!!