UKIP suspends Down syndrome abortion call candidate

from BBC News:
The party said Geoffrey Clark, who is standing for Kent County Council, would not be a UKIP councillor if elected.
Mr Clark said on his website he did not endorse the abortion idea but suggested it to cut the national debt.
Learning disability charity Mencap said it was disgusted and horrified at Mr Clark's personal manifesto.
UKIP said Thursday's ballot paper would still list him as its candidate but, pending an investigation, he would not be a UKIP councillor.
Chartered accountant Mr Clark, 66, who is also standing for Meopham North ward on Gravesham Borough Council in Thursday's by-election, says on his website his comments are personal and do not reflect UKIP policy.

He calls for a national debate and an urgent government review of the NHS, which he says "risks becoming unaffordable in the future".

The review should look at "compulsory abortion when the foetus is detected as having Down's, spina bifida or similar syndrome which, if it is born, could render the child a burden on the state as well as on the family".
He says the review should also look at medical treatment for those aged over 80, "which is disproportionately costly to the NHS" and might also include "legalising euthanasia and giving free euthanasia advice to all folk over 80".
He told the BBC: "I don't intend to offend.
"What I am trying to do is to provoke a debate in the nation because I am so disenchanted with our politicians."
'Forced eugenics'
Mark Goldring, chief executive of Mencap, said: "Much has been written about the Paralympics this summer changing attitudes towards disabled people for the better.
"Yet in the very same year, a council candidate has proposed forced eugenics against disabled people.
"It is abhorrent that Geoffrey Clark sees disabled people solely as a burden when people with a learning disability lead full lives and make valuable contributions to their communities and families.
"We question if he is fit for public office."

Mr Clark, who describes himself as a member of Meopham Parochial Church Council, Rotary International, the Royal British Legion and the Youth Hostels Association, says population, immigration and threats to the green belt are linked issues close to his heart.

If elected, he promises to promote the Christian ethic and British culture, roll back Islam, contain UK population growth and restrict immigration.
A UKIP spokesman said the party rejected Mr Clark's "abhorrent" views.
"The party was not aware of these views when it allowed him to stand under our name," he said.
"Mr Clark has been formally suspended as a UKIP candidate and will not be standing for the party again.
"We would like to apologise to anyone who has suffered distress as a result of this matter."

Fiscal Cliff: What Is At Stake For Medicare And Medicaid?

from Kaiser Health News:
Jackie Judd talks to KHN's Mary Agnes Carey about the budget negotiation scenarios for Medicare, where the "doc fix" fits into the budget picture, and whether Medicaid cuts are possible.
>>Listen to the audio or read a transcript below:
JACKIE JUDD:  Good day, this is Health on the Hill. I’m Jackie Judd. A year ago this month, negotiations on Capitol Hill to reduce the federal deficit collapsed. A year later, have the political dynamics shifted enough so that there is an opportunity for a deal? And if so, how might that affect Medicare and Medicaid? Here to sort through that question is Mary Agnes Carey, senior correspondent for Kaiser Health News.
Mary Agnes, you’ve spent a lot of time this week listening to what people were saying on Capitol Hill. Are you hearing anything different?  Is the tone different? Could there be a deal?
MARY AGNES CAREY: Everyone seems to be talking about a “balanced approach.” We hear this from the president. We hear it from Democrats. We hear it from Republicans. The president and Democrats are saying to Republicans, “If you move on taxes, if you ask some high-income individuals to pay more on taxes, we’ll move on entitlements, on Medicare and Medicaid.”  People seem very, very open to this idea of avoiding the fiscal cliff, of avoiding these automatic spending cuts that are set to kick in in January.  But the thing we have to remember from watching Capitol Hill for a long time is that this is where folks always are at the beginning of a negotiation.

The Politics of Down Syndrome

From booktrade.info:

Kieron is father to Tanzie (aged 6, who has Down syndrome). He was in the audience at a Frankie Boyle show, and was surprised to hear stereotypes of people with Down syndrome peddled as humour, an altercation took place during the show, and afterwards his wife Sharon wrote a blog about the evening, which resulted in major press coverage.

Are we a more accepting society than ever before? Is there still a 'them and us' division between the disabled and 'everybody else'? The Politics of Down Syndrome looks at how we got to where we are, from the racist roots of its identification to the search for a blood test to screen for the condition today. Down syndrome is the most common form of learning disability, shared by all classes and races, yet it's one we rarely address our feelings about, head on. This book, direct and questioning, takes a view about where we go from here and the opportunity for society to fully enjoy the benefits of being inclusive.
 
Fascinating - at last a concise, well written examination of Down's syndrome which not only presents a historical perspective and political analysis but has the added advantage of deriving from personal experience.
Andy Merriman, Writer and broadcaster, co-author of BBC Radio 4 drama Minor Adjustment
 
This is a timely book that is as important as it is unusual. The 'problems' of people with Down syndrome are often discussed – less so those of the world they find themselves in. Political decisions that profoundly affect (or even prematurely end) the lives of people with Down syndrome are taken by policymakers with little knowledge of the condition and almost always without asking people with Down syndrome what they think. This book highlights many of the prejudices behind these decisions, and many of their consequences. In so doing, it provokes a debate that is urgently needed – one that is not just about Down syndrome but about human differences, human diversity and the defence of individual human rights.
Frank Buckley, CEO Down Syndrome Education International.
 
Author Information:
Kieron is father to Tanzie (aged 6, who happens to have Down syndrome) and was recently involved in the incident with comedian Frankie Boyle. He is MD of The Book Depository, the UK's largest specialist online bookshop.
 
Kieron is a Trustee of Down Syndrome Education International the world's leading academic research based Down syndrome charity http://www.downsed.org/ all royalties from the book will be donated to the charity.