A TRADITION CONTINUES - In what has become an annual tradition, last year the 5 largest health insurance companies lost more customers, which can in large part be attributed to job losses and general unaffordability, due in part to the previous year's premium rate increases. To make matters worse, again these companies reduced the amount of premiums going to customer health care in favor of spending more on salaries and profits. And don't forget expenses, the category that accounts for the billions spent on lobbying to convince Americans, or at least politicians, that as far as paying for health insurance is concerned, it doesn't get any better than this. We are to continue to ignore the fact that 33 other industrialized countries, with their longer living citizens, operate not for profit health care industries.

So after losing almost 3 million customers last year, how did the big 5 fare? With a combined profit of 12.2 Billion dollars, up 56% from 2008. Boy, did I miss my calling!

Wellpoint, the most profitable of the 5 insurance giants, is handling this now so typical yearly news in its so typical but still stunning fashion. It has announced planned record rate hikes of as much as 39%.

I will henceforth no longer toast friends or love ones with "here is to your health". Instead, it will be, with all sincerity, "here is to hoping you win the lottery".

P.S. Let me know if you hear Fox News make any mention of the above insurance moves.

TOUGH NEW DEMOCRATS - During his State of the Union address, President Obama announced a planned 30 billion dollar jobs bill. Within days, Republicans offered their "input" in the name of bipartisanship, absorbing half the planned amount with lobbyist pleasing provisions meant to satisfy various business groups. The Republican input also made possible the extension of several provisions of that Republican dictatorial darling, the Bush Patriot Act.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in a refreshing and all too rare bold move, on Thursday, offered a new Neocon free plan, thereby giving Fox News a great reason to focus all weekend on this terrible exclusion of Republicans. It also enables them to further ignore Wellpoints' 39% proposed rate hike.

FLIPOCRAT EXPOSED - Blackwater or Xe, as it likes to call itself now, reportedly has been billing the US Government, aka the taxpayer, for hookers and strippers. These blue collarless workers can be found on Xe's payrolls under "Morale Welfare Recreation". If by chance the name FeFe LeFlipocrat happens to appear on this list in the near future, it is purely coincidental. I was out of the country doing charity work. See www.flipocrat.com for more!

These are the great crooks that Glen Beck and the crybabies would like to turn their futures over to. I hope they get what they want. Then we can read about them on the Spin, one by one, telling how they have lost their jobs and are living on peanut butter sandwiches.

Obammy in his second year will be a lame duck.

I sure do hope so. It would tickle my funny bone to see the republicans get what they voted for. They might not think Sarah is so cute after they dine on Meow Mix.

Who said anything about Sarah?

I did. Didn't you know she's taking Jesus' place?