The Maddow Blog - Chronicling Mitt's mendacity

The Maddow Blog - Chronicling Mitt's mendacity: Summarizing Benen's corrections of Mitt Romney's lies, misstatements and factual errors. For more details, read the article:
1. This is both untrue and rather strange.
2. Romney doesn't understand the private sector as well as he thinks he does.
3. That's not even close to being an accurate description of the policy.
4. If you're willing to be fair, then Romney's being deliberately misleading.
5. That's a lie. It never happened.
6. That's not true.
7. No, Obama actually said, in reference to Wall Street recklessness, ...
8. No honest evaluation of the Affordable Care Act could lead a literate person to believe this.
9. Obama has increased defense spending three times in three years.
10. That's not what happened.

New HHS rule requires insurers to present health plan benefits in plain language | Healthcare Finance News

Health insurers will now be required to publish marketing materials in plain language and eliminate the technical or confusing language that can often make if difficult for consumers to understand exactly what they are buying, under a new provision of health reform.

The author writes:

Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports noted that the rule 'takes important steps in demystifying health insurance coverage' and also leaves latitude for making changes and improvements to the coverage disclosures.

Win Without War | Support Ending Combat Operations in Afghanistan

Win Without War | Support Ending Combat Operations in Afghanistan: Your Member of Congress needs to hear from you today. Please take a moment to email them and ask them to stand up for an end to the war in Afghanistan!

I just sent a message to my U.S. representative urging his support for ending this deadly, expensive war as quickly as possible. Irrational war hawks are pushing back strong calling any move towards ending the war "a mistake" and pushing the Pentagon to continue the war for years to come.

Insurance policy writers - watch your language from here on out

The latest move by the Department of Health and Human Services is a requirement that health insurance companies use plain language in describing in describing health plans and their benefits.

The author writes:

The new rules strike at the marketing materials insurers use to advertise their plans and require companies to explain their benefits in 'concise and comprehensible' terms. The guidelines also demand sufficient clarity to allow people to easily compare one plan with another.

Devine Praises Plain Language Law | njtoday.net – Everything New Jersey

Democrat James J. Devine said new regulations published pursuant to the Affordable Care Act – President Barack Obama’s signature health reform law – will require insurance companies to provide consumers with clear, understandable and straightforward information about coverage and costs.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius:

All consumers, for the first time, will really be able to clearly comprehend the sometimes confusing language insurance plans often use in marketing. This will give them a new edge in deciding which plan will best suit their needs and those of their families or employees.

‘Alight?’ How about just ‘Exit?’ - Dr. Gridlock - The Washington Post

‘Alight?’ How about just ‘Exit?’ - Dr. Gridlock - The Washington Post

I worked in communications for decades for the public transit agency serving Seattle/King Seattle--including having lead responsibility for words used on signs and on customer information. We did not use "alight." We used "exit." I believe it is a more common, more familiar, more understandable word.

Rove: I’m ‘offended’ by Eastwood’s inspiring Super Bowl commercial | The Raw Story

Rove: I’m ‘offended’ by Eastwood’s inspiring Super Bowl commercial | The Raw Story

As an active, truly patriotic U.S. citizen, I am offended that Anti-American Republicans like Karl Rove are not inspired by questions and answers like these, from the commercial: "All that matters now is what’s ahead. How do we come from behind? How do we come together? And, how do we win? Detroit’s showing us it can be done. And, what’s true about them is true about all of us."

Garbl's Myths and Superstitions of Writing

Here are three of the 11 myths refuted on this website:

• Never split an infinitive.
• Never begin a sentence with "But" or "And."
• Never end a sentence with a preposition.

Will CNN Suspend Erick Erickson For His Obama Hate Perversion?

Will CNN Suspend Erick Erickson For His Obama Hate Perversion?: How dare he use God’s name as a weapon of hate, how dare he elevate himself to God’s level and determine that he is worthy of judging another’s Christianity and how dare he use his alleged religious beliefs as political weapons of destruction? How dare he divide this country and sow hatred against the President. And how dare CNN pretend it doesn’t hear the dog whistle of faux Christian hate.

Why no lobbyist for creating good jobs in America?

Why no lobbyist for creating good jobs in America?: So who represents the American workforce in Washington? Who is lobbying for a national strategy to create more and better jobs here? The answer is no one. Without bold government action on behalf of our workforce, good American jobs will continue to disappear.

Reich writes: "Lower corporate taxes and fewer regulations won't bring good jobs to America. They might lower the costs of production here, but global companies can always find even lower costs somewhere else around the world. Global corporations - wherever they're based - will create good jobs for Americans only if Americans are productive enough to summon them. ... We're hobbled by deteriorating schools, unaffordable college tuitions, decaying infrastructure, worsening health (along with rising health care costs) and declining basic R&D. ... Yet big American corporations aren't lobbying to fix any of this."