C’EST BON
No matter your position on the public option, most of us agree the insurance companies just ain’t getting it done. Some opponents of health care reform say they don’t want America’s health care system run like the post office. Daily Advertiser columnist Bill Decker turns the idea on its head in a recent column, imagining a post office run like the U.S. health care system — that is, by insurance companies for insurance companies. His bullet-pointed scenarios begin with, “The rest of the industrialized world pays 50 cents to mail a first-class letter. Americans pay $1 for slower, more uncertain delivery. If you can afford it, of course, you can use Federal Express.” Nicely played, Bill. Wish we’d thought of it.
PAS BON
U.S. Rep. and senator-wannabe Charlie Melancon managed to get through the August recess without suffering the slings and arrows of angry voters at town hall meetings. The lack of town halls by the congressman might have seemed like a good idea: Why subject yourself to being shouted down by Tea Party people? But in dodging the town halls, Melancon also dodged his constituents and missed an opportunity to frame himself in senatorial terms and counteract next year’s opponent, Sen. David Vitter, who turned nearly two dozen town halls into de facto campaign rallies. The real head scratcher is Melancon, while backing a pair of amendments, voted against the House health care reform bill back in July.
COUILLON
It’s widely acknowledged that the Southeastern Conference is the best in college football (6-2 in bowl games last season including the national championship). Cognizant — cocky even — of its supremacy, the SEC is requiring media to sign a new agreement that tightly restricts online coverage of SEC games in exchange for getting press credentials (The SEC recently signed a contract with an exclusive online content partner). Several newspapers have balked at the agreement and are reportedly considering a lawsuit. Aside from the fact that the SEC is out of bounds in trying to dictate media coverage of public university sporting events, it’s generally not a good idea to pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.