Sep 05 2011

Moving Ed Rollins off the front line… a GREAT idea for Bachmann

Category: Uncategorized — harmonicminer @ 8:24 pm

Bachmann campaign manager, deputy stepping down

Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann’s campaign manager, Ed Rollins, and his deputy are leaving their roles, Bachmann’s campaign said on Monday, adding Rollins would remain in a less physically demanding senior advisory position.

“In less than 50 days and with fewer resources than other campaigns, Ed was the architect that led our campaign to a historic victory in Iowa,” Bachmann said in a statement, referring to that state’s Republican straw poll.

“I am grateful for his guidance and leadership, and fortunate to retain his valuable advice even though his health no longer permits him to oversee the day-to-day operations of the campaign.”

Bachmann, a representative from Minnesota, moved into the top tier of candidates for the Republican presidential nomination last month with her win in the Iowa straw poll, an early test of strength in the 2012 race.

“I have great affection for her. I’ll do anything I can to help her,” Rollins, 68, a veteran of many political campaigns told CNN. “I just don’t have the endurance to do 14-hour days, seven days a week anymore.”

As part of a “restructuring strategy,” current campaign strategist Keith Nahigian will assume the role of interim campaign manager, Bachmann said in her statement.

Here is why it’s such a great idea for Michele Bachmann to be getting better advice than she was getting from Rollins.

Ed, go on vacation or something.  Nobody has to publicly announce why.  Just leave.  You’re hurting a good candidate.

Sep 05 2011

Europe is indeed crazy

Category: Europe,humor,Obama,society — harmonicminer @ 10:43 am

I know, you probably saw this news bit already, but since Nearly 40 percent of Europeans suffer mental illness, and it’s now official, I feel constrained to point out that many of us have thought Europeans were crazy for many years.

Europeans are plagued by mental and neurological illnesses, with almost 165 million people or 38 percent of the population suffering each year from a brain disorder such as depression, anxiety, insomnia or dementia, according to a large new study.

With only about a third of cases receiving the therapy or medication needed, mental illnesses cause a huge economic and social burden — measured in the hundreds of billions of euros — as sufferers become too unwell to work and personal relationships break down.

“Mental disorders have become Europe’s largest health challenge of the 21st century,” the study’s authors said.

At the same time, some big drug companies are backing away from investment in research on how the brain works and affects behavior, putting the onus on governments and health charities to stump up funding for neuroscience.

“The immense treatment gap … for mental disorders has to be closed,” said Hans Ulrich Wittchen, director of the institute of clinical psychology and psychotherapy at Germany’s Dresden University and the lead investigator on the European study.

“Those few receiving treatment do so with considerable delays of an average of several years and rarely with the appropriate, state-of-the-art therapies.”

Wittchen led a three-year study covering 30 European countries — the 27 European Union member states plus Switzerland, Iceland and Norway — and a population of 514 million people.

Let’s not kid around. When you’d rather be on the dole than taking care of yourself, you’re nuts.  When you think the world owes you a living, you’ve definitely gone bonkers.  When you think the solution to keeping your government benefits is to import foreign workers who are hostile to your very way of life and basic beliefs, you’re crazy.  When you think it’s natural to  live like a dependent teenager up to the age of 40 or so, you’re positively certifiable.

Of course, the American elite, whether political, social or academic, seems to think that Europeans do almost everything better, and frequently compare the USA to Europe in a way they think is unfavorable to the USA.

I’m pretty sure, though, that only 19% of America is crazy.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 19% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president.

Proving, I think, that only half as many Americans are as crazy as Europeans.