Quote of the day

Don't take my word for it that going with a co-op plan over a public insurance option isn't really going to do anything to stem costs, I'm just a blogger/international demolitions expert. Maybe you should take the word of a guy like North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad. Who's he? Only the guy who designed the co-op plan:

ROBERTS: What would they do to reduce costs? Because that is one of the central issues of health care reform.

CONRAD: Well, the important thing is they’d provide more competition. … Beyond that, I think it’s very important not to over-promise here. [...]

ROBERTS: So nothing really in driving down the costs of service then?

CONRAD: Uhhh, no.

Well then, it's no wonder it seemingly pushed a public plan out of the picture. I mean it's not like dealing with health care costs was an important thing.

Bismark: Where a woman's rights go to die

Above: A North Dakotan

In their defense, I can't see there being much else to do in North Dakota beyond arguing over legislation that would grant a zygote the same rights I have.

BISMARCK, N.D. -- A measure approved by the North Dakota House gives a fertilized human egg the legal rights of a human being, a step that would essentially ban abortion in the state.

The bill is a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that extended abortion rights nationwide, supporters of the legislation said.

Representatives voted 51-41 to approve the measure Tuesday. It now moves to the North Dakota Senate for its review.

Eh, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll accentuate the positive. How nice is it to learn that there are 41 people in the North Dakota House who realize how fucking stupid this is? Surprising, yeah?