SUB-ROSA NEWS

Some of the News
That may be True

NEWS ITEMS

January 24 In negotiations with the U.S. Treasury Department Secretary Henry Paulson Chinese officials resisted all efforts to have them increase the exchange rate for Chinese currency, the yuan. In addition to prior arguments, the officials stated that any increase was out of the question now that Hillary Clinton has more dollar reserves than China.

January 25 The U.S. Congress has begun hearings on a change of the 2008 Election Day from November to May. Proponents of such a change pointed out that the November date would mean an interminable wait since the candidates for both parties would be determined in February.

January 26 New Hampshire officials again stated their determination to keep the state’s position as the first primary, no matter how many states tried to obtain first position. Candidates and reporters welcomed this news since New Hampshire will be much more pleasant in September 2007 than January 2008.

HEALTH CARE DEBATES?

With Senator Clinton in the race, her earlier views and proposals on health care may well come up in primary debates as well as in a presidential run should she be nominated. Let's hope that we move toward single payer, a la the successful and efficient (compared to private insurance) VA and Medicare systems. There could well be a mix, enabling private insurers to offer special or "gold-plated" plans.

With the concentration provided by a single payer operation, maybe we can, over time, make improvements that will halt the escalating cost of our health care system.

It has always seemed strange to endure a system where, for most Americans, health care service has depended on where a person works.

Homer

OSCAR NOMINATIONS

I'm glad that Al Gore got his nomination for Academy Award. Sorry "Borat" got nothing but it was good to see that "Little Miss Sunshine" was among the nominees for best picture.

Did anyone else notice that, in "Sunshine", the sleazy MC of the sleazey beauty pageant resembled the sleazy former Senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum?