Wednesday Afternoon Quickies

The GOP hates the free market and won't allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices on behalf of Medicare recipients. Heaven forbid that the federal government be allowed to use its market power. Instead, Republicans prefer allowing only insurance companies and pharma benefits managers to negotiate prices. Apparently benefits that accrue to their corporate masters matter more than lowering government outlays for prescription drugs.

The theocrats got the Supreme Court they wanted. Upholding the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act is the first step towards eliminating reproductive choice in America. Be sure to thank Holy Joe Lieberman and supposedly moderate Republicans like Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins for their procedural support of anti-choice Justice Sam Alito.