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Dems Fricassee Lowden For Chicken-Bartering Health Care Plan
Nevada Senate Candidate Sue Lowden and a chicken
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The feathers are flying in the political attacks over Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sue Lowden's declarations that people could control health care costs through the use of barter.
On Monday, Lowden doubled down on the barter idea. "Let's change the system and talk about what the possibilities are. I'm telling you that this works," Lowden said. "You know, before we all started having health care, in the olden days, our grandparents, they would bring a chicken to the doctor. They would say I'll paint your house."
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee rolled out its new satirical website, "Chickens For Checkups," in which readers can send a form letter to Lowden asking how they can find a doctor who would treat various olden-days ailments such as rickets, "ill humours," "the vapors" and others, in exchange for various types of livestock or even "indentured servitude." (Hat tip to Greg Sargent.)
We asked the Lowden campaign for further comment on what sort of policies Lowden might advance in order to facilitate the further use of barter -- that is, how could we incorporate these practices into an economic system in which doctors work for hospitals, which in turn are corporations that interact with insurance companies and process large amounts of money back and forth? And how would the tax implications be handled, with current law requiring that barter transactions be reported to the IRS and taxed at their market cash value?
The Lowden camp referred us back to their statement from earlier today, which declared in part: "Bartering with your doctor is not a new concept. There have been numerous reports as to how negotiating with your doctor is an option and doctors have gone on the record verifying this. Unfortunately, Harry Reid's failed leadership forces us to take drastic measures."
They also referred us to Lowden's issues page on "Health Care Solutions," which details her more general proposals on health care, and does not mention the barter system.
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Brownbagger
April 21, 2010 7:13 PM
Cluckers for Colostomies.
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George C
April 22, 2010 8:21 AM in reply to Brownbagger
Pay the man, Shirley.
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Lovelynina
April 22, 2010 11:42 AM in reply to George C
I can't beleive you peckers... you keep on laying one egg after the other with these Sue Lowden poultry jokes. You've got my feathers all ruffled. I feel like I'm running around with my head cut off.
Yes, this back and forth joking is nothing but an endless game of chicken.
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Lovelynina
April 22, 2010 11:44 AM in reply to Lovelynina
Yes I noticed that "believe" was spelled wrong, but by the time I saw it, the door to the henhouse was already shut.
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Ugg the Repug
April 22, 2010 2:29 PM in reply to Lovelynina
Yes, Ugg notice he spell streak wrong. Strike is what happen at bottom of cliff. Har har har.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 8:12 PM in reply to Lovelynina
Honey as pretty as you are, all spelling mistakes are forgiven.
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Ugg the Repug
April 22, 2010 2:27 PM in reply to Lovelynina
Ugg family invent game of chicken. Two cavemens run at cliff. One who not stop wins. As Ugg recall, nobody ever have winning strike. Ugg never play chicken. That why I can tell story. Har har har.
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jjdjjd
April 22, 2010 4:08 PM in reply to Ugg the Repug
all very clever, but reid is toast, even if i ran against him.
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Ugg the Repug
April 22, 2010 5:33 PM in reply to jjdjjd
Ugg family invent toast. Aunt Gerk and Uncle Grok make boinky boinky on bag of crush grain on cliff, fall off onto goat and laying hen, all roll and roll to bottom of hill where we keep fire. When wake up, presto! Toast! True story. But now need to invent jam. That another story. Har har har.
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njlib
April 23, 2010 7:35 AM in reply to George C
Hey poor people, just give the doctor your food for care, yeah that's the ticket.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 9:23 AM in reply to Brownbagger
Lol...........now that was special. Can you believe this? Rachel showed a clip of an interview that she gave to two people I have no idea who they were but she was dead serious and said she wasn't backing down. This woman is the epitome of a very rich woman who doesn't have a clue what it is to struggle and not be able to go to a doctor. She is a disgrace to the human race. I cannot and refuse to believe that the people of Nevada will vote for her.
I heard Harry Reid issued a statement saying she was out of her mind.
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expat46
April 22, 2010 9:46 AM in reply to chameleon
Hey chameleon, do you have any idea what happened to lousgirl? I haven't seen her around here lately.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 9:51 AM in reply to expat46
You got me....I don't know who that is.
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Brownbagger
April 23, 2010 8:15 PM in reply to chameleon
Eh emmm. Lubbe is back!
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chameleon
April 23, 2010 10:11 PM in reply to Brownbagger
So is Voodoo Woman. They showed up at the same time. Hmmm.......
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Cornelius
April 22, 2010 10:09 AM in reply to expat46
I posted yesterday looking for her, even suggested she was a plant for her Beloved. That should have done it but no sightings yet. Don't want to be the 1st to cross her when she returns. Yosemite Sam got nothing on that girl!
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expat46
April 22, 2010 10:59 AM in reply to Cornelius
LOL...the rootinest, tootinest, shootinest, hootinest cowboy at TPM. I like that girl. I can't believe chameleon's not familiar with her work, she's obviously never criticized the President.
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geofu54
April 22, 2010 11:28 AM in reply to expat46
I first thought chameleon might indeed be the girl herself :), but then again I was drunk...
Seriously, wonder where she is. Hopefully it's just she is super busy now.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 4:53 PM in reply to expat46
Sounds like someone I'd like to know for sure!!
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larsvanness
April 22, 2010 6:41 PM in reply to chameleon
LOL...you are so baaadd!!! RUFFLMAO
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 8:10 PM in reply to larsvanness
Gee expatjoe thinks she's the the rootinest, tootinest, shootinest, hootinest cowboy at TPM. He liked that girl.
I wish someone would say that about me. lol......
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Ugg the Repug
April 22, 2010 8:26 PM in reply to chameleon
Ugg miss lousgirl, too. Hope she OK. No funny.
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larsvanness
April 22, 2010 8:37 PM in reply to Ugg the Repug
I applaude Ugg and expat's taste in women. First time I have ever been in lust with woman I ain't never laid eyes. Politics and brains is a powerful aphrodisiac!
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Ugg the Repug
April 22, 2010 10:03 PM in reply to larsvanness
Lars from Sarasota? Ugg know Lido Beach. Lars go. Relax. Not HARD to find. Har har har.
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larsvanness
April 22, 2010 10:08 PM in reply to Ugg the Repug
No lido beach. Siesta key, better babes!!!
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Ugg the Repug
April 22, 2010 10:11 PM in reply to larsvanness
Ugg prefer Coquina Beach. Redneck redheads in thongs. Grrrrr. Huba huba. Har har har.
p.s. Also plenty parking.
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larsvanness
April 22, 2010 11:40 PM in reply to Ugg the Repug
Good parking at Siesta Key too! Close to Gilligans. Coronas. Crabcake sandwiches...spring break!!! Did I say spring break?
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 11:57 PM in reply to larsvanness
You're making me very thirsty......guess I'll have another glass of wine.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 10:37 PM in reply to larsvanness
calm down......take it easy.....lol...
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 10:35 PM in reply to larsvanness
Wow, I am sure Lousgirl would be flattered!! What woman wouldn't? She must have been smokin!! I'm going to have to try to compete.
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John M
April 22, 2010 10:16 AM in reply to Brownbagger
I wonder if Lowden would still be running for election if Senators were paid with poultry? Chickens probably grow and reproduce at a faster rate than the stock market, so it might be a good deal.
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Sailormarlowe
April 21, 2010 7:32 PM
Dems know plenty about being chicken. They squawk, flap, then run & hide. Also, anisette-sipping, Birkenstock-wearing city Dems have been known to drop their chewing gum in a chicken yard, and think they have found it, until they resume chewing. Heh heh heh. Sue Lowden is sweet & smart, and Nevada's next Republican Senator.
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Michael A
April 21, 2010 7:51 PM in reply to Sailormarlowe
And she was a former runner up for ms. america. That is a primary criteria for you guys. She should be president!
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Brownbagger
April 22, 2010 3:42 PM in reply to Michael A
Repugs know something about being chicken. George Bush, Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Tom Delay, Mitch McConnell, Rick Santorum, Trent Lott, John Ashcroft, Karl Rove, Saxby Chambliss, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Shelby, Newt Gingrich all chickenhawks who failed to serve.
Chew on that, Sailorboy.
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geofu54
April 21, 2010 8:09 PM in reply to Sailormarlowe
Ladies and gentlemen, Sailormarlowe is yet again ejaculating.
(Sorry, I can't resist).
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chimpale
April 21, 2010 9:27 PM in reply to geofu54
Yup. Sailormarlowe always comes rushing to the rescue when one of his 'gals' is getting picked on.
Sarah, Michele, Sue--he sure has a thing for the dumb ones.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 9:55 AM in reply to chimpale
yeah........It takes one to know one - birds of a feather.......
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Ugg the Repug
April 22, 2010 10:36 AM in reply to chameleon
Ugg family invent chickens. First steal pterodactyl eggs. Hatch and keep in small cave. When screach, whack on head, say "you not winged lizard, you chicken, so cluck!" Do this many many times. Whack on head, say "you chicken, cluck." Pretty soon, you got chicken. Problem is, Fox watch and learn this lesson, and today make entire newtork based on repeat lies. Har har har.
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AdAbsurdum
April 22, 2010 11:42 AM in reply to Ugg the Repug
Precious!
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Ugg the Repug
April 22, 2010 1:15 PM in reply to AdAbsurdum
Ugg thank AdAb. We friend now. Call me Ug for short. Har har har.
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Sykon
April 22, 2010 9:19 PM in reply to Ugg the Repug
LOL! Flagged for a 'beaut.
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Ugg the Repug
April 22, 2010 10:08 PM in reply to Sykon
Har har har. Ugg family invent flag ... nevermind. Too late for story. Thank Sykon. Call me Ug.
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Xantar
April 21, 2010 10:04 PM in reply to geofu54
Well, his name would seem to indicate that he's indeed very familiar with seamen.
(I'm sorry. I couldn't resist either.)
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h0db
April 22, 2010 7:51 PM in reply to geofu54
a seaman with semen?
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tiowally
April 22, 2010 12:14 AM in reply to Sailormarlowe
And the flex-straw is ...
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tiowally
April 22, 2010 12:16 AM in reply to tiowally
... in his mouth, again!
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Kuyleh
April 22, 2010 1:48 AM in reply to Sailormarlowe
Only in your wet dreams. That's probably the only kind of dreams you have, though, isn't it Sailor? You don't have enough brain power to think of anything else...
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Prefabfan
April 22, 2010 3:13 AM in reply to Sailormarlowe
Harry Reid should make an ad showing a doctors waiting room full of barnyard animals and patients. Some of course sneezing from their allergies to animals. An of course droppings. and a nice female voice over reminding us how insane such a proposal is, and if you want sanity and health car for Americans, we have Harry Reid to thank.
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OhioMan
April 22, 2010 5:56 AM in reply to Prefabfan
Why do you guys keep responding to this Sailor or whatever it is? He, she, or it seems to crave attention. Why be so accommodating? I don't get it.
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bill57
April 22, 2010 9:47 AM in reply to OhioMan
little man in the boat has been hiding behind the fence calling names at his betters his entire life. He is in hog heaven now with the series of tubes thing.
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Prefabfan
April 22, 2010 3:16 AM in reply to Sailormarlowe
there is a reason your dream job of endless painting gunmetal gray is one where you are not allowed to think for yourself; and you are expected to do as told, and jump when told to. Individuality is the enemy, obedience and submissiveness the order of the day. Roll over and you get a bone. Your dream job is security guard for those of us with money, but at less pay. You seem well suited.
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tiowally
April 22, 2010 5:42 AM in reply to Prefabfan
Marlowe gets plenty of bones. Every afternoon and evening, at Bubba's Shot Stop. He even wears oversize oven mitts to protect his forearms from being burned on the tailgate of the Chevy S10; that's being prepared. But the real entertainment, according to the boys, is when he self-felches.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 9:25 AM in reply to Sailormarlowe
You get more amusing everyday. Now go back to your padded cell.
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Andreams
April 22, 2010 9:30 AM in reply to Sailormarlowe
I love satire.
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Russell
April 22, 2010 9:38 AM in reply to Sailormarlowe
Good gawd Sailor...you're also gonna double down on the stupid too? Tell me Sailor, have you called your doctor to inquire how many chickens is it gonna take per procedure? How many lawns will it take to cover surgeries? How many flat tire will you need to fix for your next rectal exam....though from the looks of it, that procedure must be the one you favor the most, whether needed or not cuz after all, it just "feels so republican"...lol...You clown! I dont know anymore if you are just being silly or you truly believe what you post. I hope its humor for your sake!
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Stephen Daugherty
April 22, 2010 10:16 AM in reply to Sailormarlowe
Barter. Barter, for crying out loud. This is the twenty-first century. We don't pay our employees in livestock anymore. If this is your bloody alternative, Harry Reid's assured reelection.
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Beetlejuice
April 22, 2010 2:07 PM in reply to Stephen Daugherty
I wonder if she pays her casino employees with salt?
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Lizskin
April 22, 2010 10:39 AM in reply to Sailormarlowe
But if Lowden's so smart, why can't she explain the details of her brilliant plan? If I showed up at Kaiser with some vegetables instead of a credit card, how would I convince them to take the vegetables, and how would ten dollars' worth of produce get me the spine x-ray I need? How would my sister come up with an equitable exchange for having the tumors removed from her brain when she's disabled by the tumors in her brain? I really want to know!
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mcjam
April 22, 2010 11:17 AM in reply to Sailormarlowe
WUT?
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AJM
April 22, 2010 1:27 PM in reply to Sailormarlowe
Stop trying to change the subject: we all know that Lowden laid an egg.
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Brownbagger
April 22, 2010 3:40 PM in reply to Sailormarlowe
Repugs know something about being chicken. George Bush, Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Tom Delay, Mitch McConnell, Rick Santorum, Trent Lott, John Ashcroft, Karl Rove, Saxby Chambliss, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Shelby, Newt Gingrich all chickenhawks who failed to serve.
Chew on that, Sailorboy.
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larsvanness
April 22, 2010 8:40 PM in reply to Sailormarlowe
I wear steel toed Redwings. Just keep that in mind marlowe.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 10:42 PM in reply to larsvanness
Ouch!!
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Michael A
April 21, 2010 7:33 PM
Better idea. Dems across the country should make a campaign donation to this buffoon of raw eggs. Just mail raw eggs as a donation. Flood her with them. That would be funny.
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barrelhse
April 21, 2010 7:59 PM in reply to Michael A
Or raw chicken.
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geofu54
April 21, 2010 8:11 PM in reply to Michael A
OK, I imagine, and THAT is funny! Thanks for a laugh.
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tiowally
April 22, 2010 12:19 AM in reply to geofu54
No, no , no: Send her chicks.
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BobCn
April 22, 2010 3:55 AM in reply to Michael A
From now on, at every Lowden fundraiser Dems should show up with wheelbarrows full of chickens to pay for their admittance. It would be good TV.
I'd also like to see the Nevada hospitals and clinics polled to determine where patients are expected to leave their livestock when they show up for urgent care treatment. Call the billing departments and ask how many chickens are required to get various procedures. For example, how many goats gets you your dialysis treatments. Publish the responses.
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CityGuy
April 22, 2010 9:41 AM in reply to BobCn
Or maybe they could the "famous chicken" to show up at her events?
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Rick Jones
April 22, 2010 10:19 AM in reply to BobCn
City ordinances and health codes across the country will have to be changed so stables and chicken coops can be built behind every hospital and doctors office building.
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Rick Shreiner
April 21, 2010 8:06 PM
As I see it, if the "check-up for chickens" determines that the kid's tonsils must get carved out, then you'd better head on back to the homestead, 'cause the Doc's gonna' charge you a goat !
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George C
April 22, 2010 8:24 AM in reply to Rick Shreiner
Wait! Will "paying an arm and a leg for health care" now be taken literally?
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EnnuiDivine
April 22, 2010 9:22 AM in reply to George C
More like "wing and a thigh"
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DavisDem
April 22, 2010 9:23 AM in reply to Rick Shreiner
I think that's a wing and drumstick.
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George C
April 22, 2010 10:14 AM in reply to DavisDem
Kill two tea bags with one stone: "wing and a prayer".
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datora
April 21, 2010 8:54 PM
If folks don't lighten up, Sue Lowden won't get a chance to run for the Senate. That would be sad.
We should be encouraging her to define herself with solutions such as these, and to defend them in public debate during her campaign. Make every press conference and interview an opportunity for her to define and detail these proposals ...
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nova voter
April 21, 2010 10:14 PM
The GOP really is enamoured with the idea of plunging us into third world status. So weird.
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Peter Principle
April 22, 2010 8:48 AM in reply to nova voter
Building a bridge to the 18th century.
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mrdufus2u
April 22, 2010 10:12 AM in reply to nova voter
Exactly, cut services, let infrastructure rot, do nothing about the fact that oil supply will soon fail to keep up with demand and we import more than half of what we use, and spend all we've got on wars on the other side of the globe. It's exactly what Al Qaida would want us to do.
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ejg3
April 21, 2010 10:22 PM
She would probably fly out of the coop better in Delaware or Arkansas. Her proposal has got yolk written all over it but it may go over well with the yolkels. I was afraid she was going to throw in legal fees too and we would have to hear the one about the difference between a rooster and a lawyer-- the answer being the rooster clucks defiance.
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tdispatch07
April 22, 2010 12:09 AM in reply to ejg3
By golly! It's no longer GOP, it's COOP!
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k1maynes
April 21, 2010 10:33 PM
Baby seagulls: they're spotted! They should be worth a lot!
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labman57
April 21, 2010 10:46 PM
"I'll gladly give you a dozen fresh fish on Tuesday for a kidney transplant today."
I suppose prostitutes would have some success getting treatment for services rendered.
Well, it is Nevada after all.
Methinks she is hoping to be elected so that she can usurp Bachmann's title as the most embarrassing Republican in Congress.
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bluestatedon
April 21, 2010 11:40 PM
This isn't Sue's fault. Y'see, a platoon of jackbooted Obamacare thugs kidnapped her and stuck a microchip up her keyster, which allows Obama to control what comes out of her piehole. This will assure the election of the nefarious Harry Reid by making poor Sue look even stupider than she really is.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 9:23 AM in reply to bluestatedon
Hahahahahahaha. omg... that was too funny.....
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Subliminability
April 22, 2010 1:37 AM
The Magnetic Fields' "Queen of the Savages" seems chillingly prescient about now:
My girl is the queen of the savages
She don't know the modern world
and its ravages
Instead of money she's
got yams and cabbages
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durkin
April 22, 2010 2:04 AM
The first derivative of a chicken is an egg (set on the edge of a cliff). The second derivative of a chicken is a health insurance premium (against the egg falling and breaking). The third derivative is a U.S. Senator trained specifically to toss eggs off cliffs. The fourth derivative is an unsuspecting voting populace who confuse Senators, chickens, eggs and health care.
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SqueakyRat
April 22, 2010 7:36 AM
I love the "before we all started having health care" line. Let's get back to those good old days!
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SqueakyRat
April 22, 2010 7:38 AM in reply to SqueakyRat
Plus she's a hawt Republican milf!
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EnnuiDivine
April 22, 2010 9:25 AM in reply to SqueakyRat
She's a conservative, alright.
She wants to take the country back to the days when people could trade a chicken to a doctor for a check-up.
'Course, back in those days...blacks and white couldn't eat at the same lunch counter.
And women couldn't vote. Much less run for the United States Senate.
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kenga
April 22, 2010 8:37 AM
She's a terrorist.
Think about it.
We all know al Qaeda has been seeking biological warfare capability - less known is that Christianist groups have been doing the same. Consider:
- chicken/poultry: avian influenze
- cows/dairy: anthrax, e-coli
- pigs: swine flu
- eggs: salmonella
I didn't understand until recently, but I now realize that gutting the FDA's inspection and enforcement divisions was not simply about cost-cutting or reducing the regulatory burden ... it was a deliberate attempt to remove the safeguards that protect our people from the possible perils within our food supply.
So that the livestock/healthcare barter program can take root!
Bio-warfare will be initiated in the very offices we go to when we seek treatment for illness or injury.
What other possible reason could there be?
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couser
April 22, 2010 10:30 AM in reply to kenga
They are anti-physician - the Docs and their family are on the receiving end of the tainted meats.
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justaJ0e
April 22, 2010 9:11 AM
The Dems mock Lowden ?
What about the insurance companies, banks, Wall Street, pharmaceutical companies ...
There is a long list of Corporations that would be deeply, negatively impacted should Lowden's little fantasy come to life.
I suppose these folks are remaining silent due to the ludicrous nature of the idea.
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George C
April 22, 2010 10:18 AM in reply to justaJ0e
Excellent point. Nothing is "too big to fail" as long as there's a chicken left alive!
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BarbaraGordon
April 22, 2010 9:22 AM
I can only imagine my doctor's face when I tell him that I am paying his $800 bill with a crate of chickens.
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justaJ0e
April 22, 2010 10:53 AM in reply to BarbaraGordon
Imagine his insurance company when he tells THEM he is paying his malpractice insurance with chickens!
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Adrian Browne
April 22, 2010 9:23 AM
I know in Texas there are laws that require people pay taxes on profits from bartered goods.
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jdb316
April 22, 2010 9:31 AM
I know Harry Reid's approval ratings are in the toilet. But if he can't beat this clown, do the Democrats have any hope of staying in power?
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Early Out
April 22, 2010 9:35 AM
A voting opportunity at the hen house: http://www.suelowden.com/
See "Your Opinion," lower right. Time to mess with her.
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Early Out
April 22, 2010 9:41 AM in reply to Early Out
By the way, I tried very hard to donate to her campaign, but the website form will accept only dollar amounts in the "Other" box. It wouldn't accept an entry like "2 pigs," or "a hundredweight of King Edwards."
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 9:58 AM in reply to Early Out
Lol...omg......
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Beetlejuice
April 22, 2010 2:28 PM in reply to Early Out
Here's the Your Opinion poll question from Lowden's webpage:
Unless I'm reading this wrong, it looks like that's a big yes for Harry Reid's HCR package.
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Early Out
April 22, 2010 3:54 PM in reply to Beetlejuice
Yup, and a couple of those votes are mine. Vote early and often!
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CPM
April 22, 2010 9:35 AM
I would hope that the good people of Nevada have the common sense to send someone with more common sense than Lowden to Congress. Gambling with her likely would be a bad bet.
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Beetlejuice
April 22, 2010 2:20 PM in reply to CPM
Pardon me, but they willfully elected Ensign to the Senate. Also, you know about the current Governor Gibbson, right?...he was the House representative for Nevada before running for Governor. That should give you an insight about the voting public in Nevada.
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John
April 22, 2010 9:36 AM
I offered my doctor a bushel of Tea Nuts for a checkup, but he said they weren't worth anything.
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calbearinillinois
April 22, 2010 9:44 AM
Barter and barter networks are routinely touted by anti-tax groups, but they fail legally every time. The IRS doesn't care if you get paid in seashells or specie, if you get anything of value for services it is income. Still, for some libertarians, barter is a dog-whistle, so that might be why her campaign is sticking with the term.
Of course, reaching out to libertarian's isn't really Lowden's problem. Her real issue is that she's too dumb to get that doctors only took livestock or services when the alternative was not getting paid at all, a possibility that doctors eliminate by requiring proof of insurance or up front payment. Plus, it was never something that you could do to pay for specialty care, rather than the GP who was dumb/dedicated enough to be part of the community. The colossal stupidity of Lowden's comments hurts so bad.
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KZ
April 22, 2010 9:47 AM
This could get very complicated. I'm still paying off a $6,000 bill for an emergency room visit after a suspected heart attack (and I have insurance).
The bill listed charges for the ER doc, for a cardiologist consult, for the techs administering a chest e-ray, an EKG, and a CT scan, and then the fees for the radiologists to read all those exams.
So who gets the chicken, and whose house do I have to paint?
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bill57
April 22, 2010 9:59 AM in reply to KZ
You didn't think this one through before posting. The simple solution is to let them share a bucket of Colonel Sanders...
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Beetlejuice
April 22, 2010 2:31 PM in reply to KZ
Go to Lowden's webpage and ask her. It would be interesting if she even acknowledges your question.
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Runaway Horses
April 22, 2010 9:48 AM
TPM has done great reporting on Sue Lowden's chicken comments, but I'm surprised that you guys haven't yet addressed the nub of the problem.
First, the obvious: a chicken-based health care economy will of course lead to a robust chicken futures market. As chicken futures take off, investment from speculators will go into overdrive and a "chicken bubble" will undoubtedly develop. Urbanites and suburbanites will flock to local farms to buy any chickens they can get their hands on. The price of chickens will skyrocket. Supermarkets will sell out of eggs as hapless consumers futilely attempt to breed chickens at home. Farmers will respond by increasing supply, but of course it takes time to breed chickens. Accordingly, supply will lag behind demand until the first several rounds of intensive chicken breeding are complete. We all know the next act of this play: the chicken bubble begins to burst.
The glut of newly-hatched chickens will satisfy the demand in a matter of weeks. Chicken futures will crash through the floor just like mortgage-backed securities before them. But wait! Guess who was shorting chicken futures all along? That's right—Goldman Sachs. They were raking it in from the git-go as the new, chicken-based health care economy turned into a smoldering pile of ash.
Is that what Sue Lowden wants? Does she want to make Goldman Sachs even richer on the backs of the chicken-investing American middle class? Does she know how much damage a chicken bubble will do to our barely-recovering economy and fragile health care system?
There's only one solution: say no to Sue Lowden's proposal to destroy the American economy while making Goldman Sachs even richer. America can't afford ChickenCare.
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Early Out
April 22, 2010 10:05 AM in reply to Runaway Horses
And you haven't even mentioned the inherent dangers in CDOs - Chicken Debt Obligations.
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Runaway Horses
April 22, 2010 10:15 AM in reply to Early Out
An excellent point. CDOs, CDSs (Chicken Default Swaps), and ETCFs (Exchange-Traded Chicken Funds) will no doubt compound the bubble, just as they did during the housing boom. We can expect only obstructionism from Congressional Republicans when Democrats attempt to establish a Chicken Derivatives Unit at the S.E.C. The result? Trillions of dollars' worth of unregulated chicken derivatives, a time bomb waiting to explode.
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davcbr
April 22, 2010 10:11 AM in reply to Runaway Horses
I came in too late.
I think you did a better job than I would have though.
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clemenceau
April 22, 2010 9:49 AM
Will trade talking chicken for Thorazine.
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Cornelius
April 22, 2010 9:58 AM in reply to clemenceau
Could always count on Thorazine when the walls started breathing and the waves on the postcard starting crashing on the shore or when your best bud said "hey man, you only suppose to take half a tab, but, ah, it's cool".
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larsvanness
April 22, 2010 10:17 PM in reply to Cornelius
So, you did the "thorazine shuffle", huh? Well that explains a lot.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 10:41 PM in reply to larsvanness
Sure does!! Wow....Lars did you serve in Viet Nam? Did you tell me that?
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LFC
April 22, 2010 9:51 AM
There are millions upon millions of accomplished women in our country. More than a small percentage are conservative.
So how is it that the GOP picks the most bubble-headed bimbos possible? Palin, Bachmann, and now Snowden? It's the trifecta of ignorance! When do they put Victoria "Obama is Satan" Jackson up for office?
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bill57
April 22, 2010 10:03 AM in reply to LFC
Never happen...Victoria isn't hot enough for conservatards to vote for. She does have the crazy though... so maybe at a local level....?
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SchoolyT
April 22, 2010 9:53 AM
Maybe the good doc or nurse will accept a sample of a yield of good ganja as payment.
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drinal
April 22, 2010 9:54 AM
Sounds like I'll need to build a chicken coop on the roof of my NYC co op if she gets elected.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 9:59 AM in reply to drinal
ROTFLMAO. If nothing else, thanks to the clever comments we will have some good laughs on this one.
Obama Care as opposed to Chicken Care? Lol....
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The Zug
April 22, 2010 10:01 AM
Does Reid have the nerve to press this home? This is a winner. This is macaca.
When that craven jackass George HW Bush wanted to win the presidency, he pranced around in front of every flag factory in the country. It was sickening crap, but he won.
Chickens will get you reelected, Harry.
Chickens.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 4:59 PM in reply to The Zug
Stop with the Reid bashing. Have any of you ever thought about the courage it took for Harry to bring the health care reform bill back to life knowing he was losing in the polls and the passing of same would probably lead to his losing.
IMO that took political courage.
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larsvanness
April 22, 2010 8:14 PM in reply to chameleon
I agree with you. That did take courage and he won't easily be written out of that race. I am not too concerned about the poll numbers right now. There is still six months to go and Lowden is proving to be a PR night mare. No doubt she has big money behind her but she has an amazing ability to walk around with both feet in her mouth. She has'nt been in public office since 1997 and that was 1 four year term in the Nevadda state senate. Reid has been a succesful political force for nearly 44 years and I just don't see him being upset here by one of the barbie triplets. She'll spend an awful lot of money in a state that can sorely use it and it will be all for naught. Her marriage better be solid enough to withstand the financial drain this chicken chase is gonna cost the Lowdens.
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SchoolyT
April 22, 2010 10:01 AM
"This chicken lays golden eggs and and has a fantastic record daytrading!"
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rawresolve
April 22, 2010 10:06 AM
This gaffe of gold could be the only thing that saves Harry's seat.
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Overreach THIS!
April 22, 2010 10:15 AM in reply to rawresolve
It's a good one, no question. My guess is that she's got more where that
came from. She's *really* stupid and there is only so much you can do to
hide that in a protracted campaign.
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mans_best_friend
April 22, 2010 10:28 AM in reply to Overreach THIS!
She makes Sarah Palin look smart. That takes some doing.
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Overreach THIS!
April 22, 2010 12:50 PM in reply to mans_best_friend
I can hear the right-wing talking heads now: "You can't just dismiss this candidate or the people that support her! What she is saying is resonating out there and people are responding in greater numbers to her, so you can't just pretend that is not happening or say that it is somehow illegitimate!" We can count on the Washington Post's fruitcake media critic Howard Kurtz (still beating his Fox-News-was-wronged drum) and Pat Buchanan (who will have trouble keeping a straight face, though, despite admirable efforts to do so) among Coultergeist and many others -- to hawk this malarkey. It will be up to others to show enough professional integrity to laugh right in their faces, and not all will have the courage.
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expat46
April 22, 2010 11:18 AM in reply to Overreach THIS!
She's Scott Brown in a skirt. If she gets elected we can look forward to her answering a question with a question like "you tell me what's wrong the bill?"
No thanks, I'm sending Harry Reid some cash.
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Overreach THIS!
April 22, 2010 12:41 PM in reply to expat46
Good for you, brother!!
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jsdc007
April 22, 2010 1:00 PM in reply to expat46
Scott Brown in a skirt would be way more attractive, albeit just as dumb as this bimbo.
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sethb
April 22, 2010 10:09 AM
Let's see. According to U.S. News, a common medical procedure, angioplasty, is $10,000. Some basic web research shows chickens retailing for about $5. I'd love to see a patient walk into the hospital payment office with 2,000 chickens . . .
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Cornelius
April 22, 2010 10:21 AM
Can't you see Susie Q walking into a medical clinic recently opened by a young doc who just finished med school and is $200,000 in debt. And she's holding a chicken. And she's serious.
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Snig
April 22, 2010 10:24 AM
There's a projected shortage of PCP's in this country. Many smart students are not attracted to the field due to the unneccesary paperwork, bean counting and short shrifting from the insurance companies. Now, doctors are supposed to take time from an already busy schedule to haggle with each patient who feels the fees are too high? Are the docs supposed to examine bank statements and last two years tax forms to figure out need? There's a legal responsiblity for docs to not have a multi-tiered fee system, though they can discount based on financial hardship. But there's too many Leona Helmesley "Only the little people pay taxes" pinheads, while the proud working poor who wouldn't think to haggle end up paying the pinhead's share. Do you really want to see a doctor who just spent twenty minutes keeping his composure while a Rush Limbaugh wannabee whined about his twenty five dollar copay?
Further plans for lowering costs of highway infrastructure include making it seem really, really fun to paint a bridge, and end up charging a one eye cat and a brass watch to the rubes for the privilege.
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chameleon
April 22, 2010 10:35 AM
If you haven't seen this, it is definitely worth the time to watch
http://www.examiner.com/x-40953-Political-Media-Examiner~y2010m4d22-Republican-Sue-Lowden-wont-back-down-from-chicken-statement
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Mateo123
April 22, 2010 10:41 AM
This is where our politics has gone in the age of Sarah Palin and the anti-intellectual right. If Lowden had merely said, "You know, we're going to have a hard time affording the Medicare costs of baby boomers with our current tax structure, let alone another entitlement." That would have been one valid approach. There are conservatives who think that a federal health care program is just too expensive. And, there is an intellectual honesty about that (of course, many of these same conservatives have no problem spending a trillion dollars on a war thousands of miles from our shores, but I digress).
Lowden makes no such claim. In nearly every civilized country, health care costs a lot and the solution is to have some form of government involvement. Yes, we spend more here on health care than other nations do, but there are numerous reasons for this. Sure, administrative costs are one reason. But, so are our world-class health care technologies. So are our cancer-fighting centers and our willingness to treat certain terminal illnesses aggressively.
Lowden belongs running for senate in Somalia. I'm sure there's plenty of bartering going on there.
Reid will win his seat again. . . .
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JoeTheMechanic
April 22, 2010 8:01 PM in reply to Mateo123
Harry Reid grew up poor. He knows what a humiliating insult this is to people who have no health care.
Lowden is finished. It's over.
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kevbo
April 22, 2010 10:41 AM
"Me an' Earl wuz haulin' chickens on flatbed out of Wiggins, We'd spent all night on the uphill side of 37 miles of hell called Wolfcreek Pass, which is up on the great divide."
It all make since now, Earl was driving so fast because he was rushing CW to the doctor!
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lonerock
April 22, 2010 10:49 AM
Do you think she will take chickens as a campaign contribution? Heck you can mail order chicks at like $3.00 a piece. Lets all chip in and make a contribution...
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willia451
April 22, 2010 10:54 AM
For all of you who live in cities, get busy:
http://urbanchickens.org/
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stephen duncan
April 22, 2010 10:57 AM
Unfortunately this is catching on. My paycheck auto-deposit was late. I called payroll and they said to be sure and feed the cow they had delivered to my back yard that morning. I told them one cow wasn't equal to my normal pay. They said "No problem, a truckload of bananas is on the way, too!!" The boss says if doctors are accepting livestock for services rendered so can his employees. Thanks Sue Lowden!!
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Subliminability
April 22, 2010 11:37 AM
Transitioning to a poultry-denominated economy would not be cheep.
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Beetlejuice
April 22, 2010 2:41 PM in reply to Subliminability
And a lot of city ordinances are going to be reworked so people can raise them thar chickens, goats, sheep, ducks, geese and bunnys on their property within the city limits. And special trash containers for the waste, special trucks to pick it up and new landfill requirements to boot too. And that's gonna raise local/city/county/state taxes to offset the costs.
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JoeTheMechanic
April 22, 2010 7:39 PM
I just went to the doctors office this morning!
There was a sign posted on the front door that said "Payment By Chicken Will No Longer Be Accepted."
Apparently, I got there a little too late. There were feathers all over the front office and a trail of blood leading to the cashier.
I also noticed a bunch of homeless people scrounging around in the dumpster, lookin' for leftover bones.
Lowden is about the most disgusting human being I have ever heard of.
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JoeTheMechanic
April 22, 2010 7:47 PM
What I'm saying is that this chicken thing an insult.
Millions of us don't have any health care because it is outrageously expensive. What an insult it is to suggest that we must beg for health care with a fuckin chicken.
It's a good thing I'm not within spitting distance of this politician.
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chriss1519
April 22, 2010 11:31 PM
Perhaps the saddest aspect of this is that I don't find this kind of statement from a Senate candidate at all surprising.
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