Wonkette operative “Jeff E.” sends this photo from outside his office in Fat Cat rich person land, 17th Street between K and I. We all know who’s behind that wheel. Will no one tell Alan Grayson to stop pulling these stunts?

Here is your daily White House Healthcare Messaging Update! Having failed at the whole “talk to insured voters about what’s in it for them” approach, various strategists and advisors are now telling the Obama administration to talk about “morals” instead. Good luck with that! MORE »

Oh so is this what that woman was talking about at Obama’s Knife ‘n’ Gun Show yesterday? This one questioner, called upon specifically because she had “concerns,” made the excellent point that if you insure 46 million people who currently have no health coverage, then they might actually go to the doctor once in a while! This may create a “doctor shortage” of some sort that would be terribly inconvenient for those of us who currently enjoy immediate access to doctors of all sorts, due to the fact that we do not have to share them with a large percentage of our countrymen. MORE »

Oh, here’s John McCain in his yard, in Arizona, where he is personally pumping six gallons of crude per day to end our Dangerous Dependence on Arabs and Venezuelans. But it’s hard work, out in the sun, which is why McCain also spent the day shilling for one of his other corporate interests, Big Dermatology. MORE »

Everyone’s favorite Muslims at the Islamic Fiqh Academy in India recently decided that health insurance is not simply a bunch of baloney, but it’s also a sin and immoral. “Representatives from around 300 Madrasas, including Darul Uloom Deoband, Jamiat Islami participated in the three-day meet, where they reached a conclusion that seeking insurance cover was only another form of gambling,” and this is why Barack Obama cannot bring himself to offer a universal plan. [Economic Times] MORE »

Leeland Eisenberg, who Friday took several of Hillary Clinton staff hostage at her Rochester, NH campaign office, was formally charged today and faces a potential 42-year jail sentence. The charges include kidnapping, threatening and possessing a bomb-like device. He’s being held on a $500,000 bail. According to MSNBC, Eisenberg said he wanted to thank the police for not shooting him even though he asked them to. Okay. MORE »

Ever tried to get health insurance from someone other than an employer? Then you know that the system fucking sucks. Every state is different, every company is different, the rules are completely obtuse and the market for self-insured people is so small that we all get screwed on options and pricing. It’s part of the reason there are 47 million Americans (and one Wonketteer) without health insurance coverage. And what do your Republican Presidential candidates want to do about it? Tax breaks!

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Our dear President finally noticed this year that he has the power to veto stuff, and his favorite thing to veto these days is the increase in funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). One of the reasons he likes vetoing that bill in particular is that the Democrats want to fund it with a tobacco tax increase. If there’s one thing he really hates, it’s tax increase because, as he put it, “Raising taxes is habit-forming — once you start in one area, it’s hard to stop in others.” Sir? Please leave the puns to the professionals and stick to mangling words, mmkay? [CQ Politics]

* Build an American embassy and the national infrastructure will follow. [AlterNet]
* Pols should start thinking about the long-term — something to ponder over your next styrofoam cupped latte. [TPMCafe]
* Complication-free coronary bypasses: Giving America the finger Dick Cheney-style. [HuffPo]
* Another list of hurdles waiting to be turned into Rovian ballot gold for ‘06 GOP candidates. [Daily Kos]
* Neoconservatism, unilateralism, the madness of Chomsky. Yawn. [Democracy Arsenal]