11/22 News: Health Care

Historically Black University To Obese Students: "Take A Fitness Class If You Wanna Graduate"

Lincoln University's requirement that obese undergraduates take a fitness course to receive their degrees has raised the hackles of students and the eyebrows of health and legal experts. Officials said on Friday that the Pennsylvania college is simply concerned about high rates of obesity and diabetes, especially in the African-American community.

The fallout began last week, where seniors - the first class affected by the mandate - began realizing their last chance to take the fitness class would be this spring. Tiana Lawson, a 21-year-old senior, wrote in the student newspaper that she "didn't come to Lincoln to be told that my weight is not in an acceptable range. I came here to get an education." Ms. Lawson said she has no problem with getting healthy or losing weight, but doesn't like fat students being singled out. "If Lincoln truly is concerned about everyone being healthy, then everyone should have to take this gym class, not just people who happen to be bigger," she said.

The mandate, which took effect for freshmen entering in fall 2006, requires students to get tested for their body mass index. Students with a BMI that's 30 or above - considered obese - are required to take a class called "Fitness for Life." Some experts said recent amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act might lead to exemptions for morbidly obese students, who could argue that participating in the class would be dangerous. Also, students need more than exercise, said Marcia Costello, a registered dietitian in the Philadelphia area. The university should make sure its dining halls and vending machines offer healthy choices, she said.

Senate Democrats Frustrated With Sway Held By Moderates

A Democratic senator says moderates in his party shouldn't be allowed to dictate the terms of the health care debate and that the final bill should include a government-run option. That view, expressed by liberal Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio today on CNN's "State Of The Union", suggests the difficulty facing Democratic leaders in coming weeks as they try to rally support for legislation that would extend health care coverage to roughly 31 million people who lack it.

The Senate voted last night to begin debate. Three moderate Democrats and Connecticut independent Joe Lieberman have threatened to vote against the final bill and leave Democrats shy of the 60 votes needed to break a Republican filibuster.

Sarah Palin: Pro And Con

Torrey Spears: "Theatre Of The Absurd"

The conservative Republican blogger writes: "Sarah Palin's book came out this week. 'Going Rogue' sold 300,000 copies. In one day. The media is perplexed and angry, the people are in love, Mrs. Palin's approval ratings are soaring - Obama's Organizing for America is calling it a 'dangerous' movement, we here at the Spears Compound could care less, but we're glad for Mrs. Palin and her success. Personally, I just love the fact at how bent out of shape the media elite get at the thought of Sarah Palin's influence on mainstream America. Talk about the politics of distraction - with the economy, the President's dithering on Afghanistan, the healthcare debate, Recovery.gov fallacy, the falling dollar, our national debt and deficit, etc. etc. etc....the best we can do as a nation is talk about Sarah Palin's book. Really? Try and get focused here, people. Still, I hear Mrs. Palin visited or plans to visit Fort Hood - and I think that's a good thing because as the President of the United States reminded us [last] week... soldiers make good 'photo-ops'."

Clarence Page: "Den Mother To An Orphaned Movement"

The moderate-liberal columnist opines: "What? Another Sarah Palin piece? A lot of people say they're tired of hearing about her. They think the media pay too much attention to Palin. Forget that. We need to pay more attention to her. I am not just saying this because she sells newspapers or draws eyeballs to TV screens. I think we need to know more about why so many people are so crazy about her. We have just witnessed the opening days of Palinfest, her national tour to hawk her book, 'Going Rogue.' Watching 1,500 people happily line up for hours to get her autograph in Grand Rapids, Mich., I wondered: Do conservatives hold government in such low regard that they actually think Palin could run it? Quite a few do, judging by one poll. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll found 17 percent of Republicans said they 'definitely would' vote for her for president and an additional 58 percent said they 'would consider it.' That's more than enough for the self-described maverick from Wasilla, Alaska, to wage a battle reminiscent of a conservative Arizona senator who ran for president in 1964, the year Palin was born. Like Barry Goldwater, who went down in a crushing defeat against President Lyndon B. Johnson, Palin excites her party's base too much to be ignored."

He continues: "They delight in hearing her stick it to their nemesis, President Barack Obama. Palin doesn't have to actually run for president to be a player, as long as she can play den mother to the orphaned political movement popularly known as the 'tea party' protests. Those protesters are angry at what they see as an abandonment of conservative principles such as tax cuts and small government. To her flock Palin is not so much Goldwater as she is Howard Beale, the professional angry man in the 1976 movie 'Network,' who urged his viewers to go to their windows and scream out, 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore.' Palin recently was asked if she would run for president on a ticket with Glenn Beck, the Fox News star who has brought Beale to real life. Like Beck, Palin appears to be having the time of her life, despite her complaints of persecution by liberals. Nothing helps polish up a conservative's career like persecution from liberals, just as liberal talk-show hosts are enhanced by conservative attacks."