Day: June 14, 2010

Rand Paul Exaggerated Medical Board Certification

Buck Banks

Rand Paul
Rand Paul
U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul claims he is a “board certified” ophthalmologist, and he is, kind of, but then, he owns the board called the National Board of Ophthalmology. Paul incorporated the NBO in 1999 and serves as president. His wife is vice president.

According to the Louisville, Ky., Courier-Journal, Paul’s board is not nationally recognized:

But that entity is not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, which works with the American Medical Association to approve such specialty boards.

Lori Boukas, a spokeswoman for the American Board of Medical Specialties, said her organization considers certifications to be valid only if they are done by the 24 groups that have its approval and that of the AMA.

Boukas of the American Board of Medical Specialties said its 24 member groups, including the widely recognized American Board of Ophthalmology, have stricter standards for board certification than the other groups.

The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure does not verify doctors’ specialty training and instead directs people to the American Board of Medical Specialties to determine if a doctor is board-certified.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recognizes board certification only by the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Shortly before the May 18 primary, Paul told the Courier-Journal that he was certified by both boards.

[…]

CA Sen: By Refusing to Apologize, Fiorina Keeps Her Catty Hair Comments in the News

Jon Ponder

Fiorina making light of her chemo-related hair loss
Fiorina making light of her chemo-related hair loss
What Californians and the rest of country have learned about GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina since she got caught trashing the hairdo of her opponent, Sen. Barbara Boxer, in front of a live camera — five days during which she has blamed others (“I was quoting a friend of mine” about the hairstyle) and adamantly refused to apologize (although she “regret[s] this whole situation”) and even tried to deflect criticism of her tacky behavior by bringing up her own treatment for cancer — is that her personality can be summed up in a single word:

Asshole.

[…]

Poll: Democrats Making Gains in Generic Balloting

Buck Banks

For the first time since December Public Policy Polling finds Democrats leading on the generic Congressional ballot by a slim margin of 43-41. The shift appears due to the fact that the party is becoming more unified. Democratic voters are planning to support their candidates by a 76-point margin, 84-8. That represents an 11-point increase since March.

Since the March survey, when the GOP had a 46-43 generic ballot advantage, independents have started to swing away from the GOP. They still lean Republican by a 36-21 margin, but the previous gap was 44-26. More important, 43 percent of independents are now in the undecided column compared to 30 percent during the winter. Those voters are back up for grabs for Democrats to win.

[…]

Mr. President, Please Appoint Sarah Q. Palin Gulf Disaster Czar

Jon Ponder

See the rest of the conversation between the president and Sarah Q. here.
Art by Betty Cracker at Rumproast.com. Click the image to see the rest of the strip.
While regular Americans see the Gulf oil spill as a tragedy that is devastating the lives of people and animals as well as the economy, ecosystems and natural beauty along the shores of five states, Republicans see the disaster as just another opportunity to play political games and criticize the president.

The problem with putting Sarah Q. Palin in charge of anything is that “Quitter” is her middle name.

From day one, the Republicans’ approach to the crisis has resembled a mob of howler monkeys tossing poo at firemen trying to put out a fire at the zoo. Last week, Sarah Q. Palin, the GOP’s putative 2012 presidential nominee, piled on by flinging her poo at the president in the guise of offering advice via her Facebook page:

[…]

Verbatim

Buck Banks

Nooo, I have not had implants. I think a report like that is about as real and truthful that Todd and I are divorcing or that I bought a place in the Hamptons or that Trig is not my own child. And we still put up with that garbage, too.

— Polebrity Sarah Palin, quoted by the New York Daily News.