The Political Fish

Has it really been one year?

Sure, we all remember President Obama’s inauguration. Two million people crowded the National Mall, he placed his hand on the Bible, Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed the oath of office, Dick Cheney looked like Mr. Potter from It’s A Wonderful Life, Obama gave a speech, and pundits across the radio and television dial hailed the coming of the Golden Age of liberalism.

Let me check my calendar… Yep, that was January 20th, 2009.  One year ago.

So what happened?  Well, let’s recap:

• ECONOMICS – In the middle of the Great Recession, Obama unleashed the $787 Billion stimulus plan.  Obama’s people said without the plan, unemployment would go up to nine percent.  We should consider ourselves to be so lucky.  Conservatives said that the bill would increase unemployment, and sure enough, they were right.  But hey, we did save / create a few jobs in some Congressional districts.  It’s a shame those districts don’t exist.
• FOREIGN POLICY – I suppose Obama’s big Foreign Policy moment came during his speech in Cairo, where he tried to seek common ground with Muslims.  The speech was well-received by both sides of the aisle.  A short time later, Obama showed his support for freedom-seeking Muslims by delivering a rousing speech where he proclaimed that America stood together with the young men and women of Iran who were protesting the sham elections and… oh wait, that last part didn’t happen.  Instead, while Iran was burning, Obama was silent, but at least he did get the chance  to get ice cream.  It wasn’t the first time that ice cream played a part in Obama’s foreign policy, four Gitmo detainees were sent to Bermuda.  And yes, they were allowed to get ice cream.  But no sprinkles!  By the way, the “ice cream diplomacy” should not be confused with the “hot dog diplomacy”, or the infamous beer summit.  Other highlights from Obama’s first year: saying that we would not abandon our missile shield in Poland if Iran continues to pose a threat.  That worked for awhile, until the Russians asked us to change our plans.  We caved to the Russians.  Right after we found out that Iran could build a nuke.
• WAR – I haven’t heard much about it, but I’m pretty sure we’re still in Iraq.  After spending the campaign telling America how George Bush screwed up that war, Obama carried over Bush’s policy.  He also spent the campaign talking about how Afghanistan was the “good” war, then once elected President, he proceeded to dither.  Months after Gen. McChrystal asked for more troops, Obama complied.  Somewhat.  He pledged 30,000 more soldiers, but added a withdrawal date.  In a related note, if the leader of the Taliban said that he was going to train / send more terrorists to reek havoc on the world, but only for 18 months (and then they’d have to stop), wouldn’t it sound like that, I dunno, like he was dealing from a position of weakness?
• TERRORISM – Unfortunately, the terrorists (as a whole), aren’t dealing from a position of weakness.  One-third of the terrorist attacks against Americans occurred in 2009. We saw two attacks on our soil, at Fort Hood and in on a plane above Detroit.  Thankfully, the Detroit bomber was incompetent (much like another would-be terrorist bomber from 40 years ago.  Yes, I went there).  Both incidents happened because America missed the warning signs.  Let us pray Obama can rectify these mistakes in 2010.  As for the “victory over terrorists front”, kudos to Obama for giving the thumbs-up to an operation that rescued kidnapped sea captains from the hands of the Somali pirates.  We sent the right message, and that was the last we had to deal with them.  Oh wait. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t joke about this.  Piracy is no laughing matter.
• HEALTH CARE – And yes, we’ve reached the elephant-in-the-room.  While Americans lacking health insurance is a serious problem, Americans rejected Obama’s solution (e.g., usurping the entire health care system, creating massive new entitlement programs, and basically saddling our great-great-great grandchildren with a debt they could never hope to repay.  And for a more on this disaster of a bill, I refer you to my older brother’s column on the subject.).  Where would Obama be if he didn’t try to usurp one-seventh of our national economy?  Well, for starters, he probably wouldn’t be sitting under 50% in the approval polls.  Second, he probably wouldn’t have lost his filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.  Third, Democrats wouldn’t be quaking in their boots.

So, I suppose that takes us back to today.  January 20th, 2010.  One year ago, Barack Obama entered the presidency with dreams and visions of a New America.  And one day ago, voters from the bluest of blue states got their chance to say they don’t want to be a part of that vision.  Meanwhile, the rest of the country salivates.  On November 2nd, 2010, they’ll get their chance, too.

Understanding Healthcare Reform

With efforts underway to reconcile the Senate’s healthcare plan with that passed in the House, it seems appropriate to outline briefly the purpose of the bill and what it will mean for America.

President Obama campaigned on a promise to provide universal healthcare coverage to “47 million uninsured Americans.” Shortly after being elected, he amended that number to “31 million,” upon learning that the overwhelming majority of Americans did not consider illegal immigrants to be Americans , as apparently he did. 

Of the remaining 31 million Americans, 9 million earn $75,000 or more; 10 million are already eligible for a government sponsored program (such as Medicare, Medicaid, or SCHIP); and 3 million are in American prisons.  That leaves 9 million Americans without affordable insurance options, or about 3 percent of the population. 

Rather than simply buy private insurance for this 3 percent (a Nixonian idea that fell victim to Watergate), President Obama and company decided it better to overhaul the entire healthcare industry, and with it a full one sixth of the American economy, all in the name of progress.

Obamacare seeks to achieve universal coverage by adding 15 million people to Medicare’s already overburdened rolls, and, in a stroke of genius, forcing the remaining 16 million to either buy insurance or face penalties including fines and even imprisonment.  Additionally, the bill places greater economic burdens on health insurance companies, which will result in a rise in premiums.  Worse yet, the bill does nothing to meet the increased demand for medical care by increasing the amount of providers (doctors, nurses, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, etc.), meaning that rationing of healthcare resources is inevitable. 

But if nothing else, congressional Democrats report that this bill will be deficit neutral.  Unfortunately, that claim is nothing more than fiscal sleight of hand. 

First, to achieve “deficit neutrality,” half a trillion dollars will be cut from Medicare, even though it was already expected to go bankrupt by 2019, and 15 million people will be added to it.  This will destroy Medicare, a program currently relied upon by 45 million Americans. 

Second, half a trillion dollars will be added in new taxes on the rich: which is to say, the very people who provide the jobs that our economy now so sorely lacks.  In other words, the private sector will be expected to provide more jobs with less money. 

And don’t think the middle class and the poor won’t get soaked.  Obamacare pretends to be less expensive than it really is by shifting a greater burden onto state governments to fund Medicaid.  California, for example, which is already running a $20 billion deficit, will have to add approximately $1.4 billion in new spending.  Pennsylvania will had to add about $1.5 billion, and Texas nearly $3 billion, to name a few.  (Nebraska, conversely, will not have to pay anything after Senator Ben Nelson (D) took the courageous position that he simply could not support any bill that funds abortions… unless his state received $80 million per year in kickbacks.  Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu (D), not quite as adept as Nelson, accepted $100 million in federal bribe money, but the increased cost to her state is expected to be $400 million per year). 

To meet these increases, states will have to cut services (which tend to be for the benefit of the poor), and/or raise taxes.  And because states receive a disproportionate share of revenue from sales and property taxes, these tax increases will affect anyone who wants to buy anything or own real property.  So much for Obama’s pledge not to raise taxes on the middle class. 

Even then, the bill is only deficit neutral for the first ten years.  During that time the federal government will collect the new taxes every year, but only pay benefits for the last six years.  At no point are the expected annual revenues generated from the new taxes expected to exceed the benefits paid out, meaning that immediately after the first decade of this bill’s existence it will begin to add to our already crippling national debt.  As it stands, our national debt is already at approximately $12 trillion (which is four times our annual revenue), and is expected to reach $18 trillion in just five years, or about $60,000 per citizen.  Regrettably, it seems the only realistic way for this debt to be satisfied is to effectively wage economic warfare on ourselves: i.e., printing more money to intentionally devalue the dollar, thereby inflating away the debt (and, incidentally, our savings).  Our largest creditors, such as China, have been buying American dollars in order to prevent this, and along with it the total collapse of our currency.  But they can only do that for so long. 

And so, after nearly a year of campaigning, deliberating, negotiating, and late night talk show politicking, this is what the Democrats have given us: healthcare reform wherein half of the uninsured are placed into a Medicare program whose insolvency has been hastened, the remaining uninsured will be forced to buy their own insurance or be penalized, insurance premiums will rise, state budgets will be compromised, and everyone’s taxes will be increased.  Plus, the greatest economic superpower in world history will be even deeper into an insuperable debt, on a crash course with hyperinflation, at the mercy of a communist nation.  No wonder the most recent Quinnipiac poll shows 36 percent of Americans favor the plan, and 53% oppose it.  In their zeal to improve national health, the Democrats have given us a cure worse than the disease.

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Just yesterday, the Hill.com ran a story on Michigan representative Bart Stupak, who has apparently broken rank with House speaker Nancy Pelosi on the health care bill, due to the language in the bill that will federally fund abortions. He noted that the “Speaker is not happy with me” along with some of the other fraudulent blue-dog Democrats who have taken much the same positions on some of the radical proposals in the bill.

Rep. Bart Stupak said Speaker Pelosi is not pleased with his effort to change abortion-related provisions in the healthcare bill being crafted by the House.

During an interview on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” show, Stupak (D-Mich.) said he is undeterred in trying to ensure that taxpayer dollars do not pay for abortions. Stupak, who opposes abortion rights, acknowledged that some in his party are upset with his public campaign to change the bill.

“The Speaker is not happy with me,” Stupak said.

The Energy and Commerce subcommittee chairman said he has been working with Democratic leaders on a compromise, but they haven’t been able to strike a deal. Stupak pointed out that he and Democratic leaders have a fundamental disagreement on whether health plans that receive subsidies from the government should be allowed to provide coverage options on abortions.

Stupak wants a vote on the House floor to strike the language, and predicts he would have the votes to pass such an amendment.

“This has been federal law since 1976,” he said, noting that President Barack Obama has vowed not to allow healthcare reform to pay for abortions.

“We have to have a vote,” he said.

 

Turns out, as is usually the case with most politicians, while he may vehemently oppose federal abortion funding, it doesn’t mean he is willing to vote against the bill. Heritage Foundation released this video this afternoon highlighting the hypocrisy of yet another House Democrat, this is a video of Congressman Stupak at a townhall meeting, discussing with his constituents in northern Michigan the idea of abortion in the healthcare bill.

By the way, one will remember the Obama speech to Congress where he clearly stated that federal funding for abortions would not be a part of this healthcare bill….YOU LIE!! I wonder if he would be man enough, or even principled enough to veto a bill that included such language. Not likely, but a guy can dream for some hope and change in Washington right?

The indecision of President Barack Obama in Afghanistan is starting to make sense now. He is putting the attention of the White House on Fox News Channel and taking the fight to them instead of the sworn enemies of the United States, you might remember them as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

Most of us have seen by now the jaw dropping ignorance of interim White House communications director Anita Dunn a few days ago on CNN declaring all out war on Rupert Murdoch’s wildly successful media conglomerate, declaring them to not be a news station at all, but merely the research arm and communications arm of the Republican party. For those that missed it, here is the video.

Ms. Dunn is clearly unaware of the difference between news and opinion. Clearly Fox has its opinion shows, and there is undoubtedly a conservative bent to those shows. Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity are obviously staunch conservatives. Bill O’reilly falls into more of a moderate conservative mold, Greta Van Susteren the same. What Ms. Dunn has obviously failed to recognize is the numerous voices on the network that fall into the liberal side of the equation. Geraldo Rivera?? Bob Beckel, Pad Caddell and the list goes on of pundits, talking heads and contributors they have on the network to give both sides of the story. Makes for great entertainment. It also is what Americans want. NBC, ABC, CNN, CBS, MSNBC are so ridiculously in the tank for any and all Democrats (especially the Chosen One) that Americans are turning them off. On any given night, Fox beats them senseless in the ratings…Combined!

Neil Cavuto absolutely blasted Anita Dunn on his show with the most common sense logic you could possibly apply to that level of ignorance.

So why is the administration taking on Fox News? What could possibly be gained by this strategy. It is politically ignorant, and sets a dangerous precedent to attempt to intimidate the ONLY news station that is not completely in the tank for you. It really makes CNN and the rest of the sheep media look pathetic, because it simply illustrates the point that they are unwilling to print, opine, or produce any sort of coverage that might be critical of the President, and it appears to be at the behest of the Executive branch.  The reason is clear. Fox News has skyrocketing ratings. They are the highest they have ever been, and only going higher. Which is a clear indication to this administration that there is a growing unease and dissent among the American people when it comes to the force-fed policies of this administration. They see it, and they can’t stand it.  When the MSM even admits that carpet-bombing a news station that doesn’t conform is bad policy, then you know it must be real bad policy and strategy.

So as we continue to watch the Obama administration step up its attacks on American citizens and the place where they CHOOSE en masse to get their news, lets not forget about the soldiers in Afghanistan who have now endured 45 days of indecision on whether or not we want to win the war in Afghanistan.

Time to prioritize Mr. Obama.

Failed Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has once again amazed the residents of the state that she “leads” and I use that term loosely. Apparently, life in Lansing is not a whole lot different from life inside the DC beltway. She is completely detached from the reality of life in her state.

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granhlom, a Democrat, whose state’s unemployment is the nation’s highest at 15.2 percent, said the $3.7 billion in stimulus funds Michigan has already used were instrumental in capping the damage of the crumbling auto industry.
“Clearly the stimulus helped although unemployment is at a ridiculously high level,” Granholm said on “Fox News Sunday.” “What has been really helpful for us has been the stimulus’ efforts to really help us diversify our economy.”

You will remember that Michigan’s unemployment rate is up over 15%, by far the highest in the nation. You would think that after being snubbed for all of the Cabinet positions within the Obama administration she would have ceased being an Obama shill. The reality of the situation Ms. Grahholm is the failed Democrat policies that you have forced upon this state have been a failure. The stimulus has not helped out the state of Michigan one bit. Your lack of leadership has shut down state government twice in the last 3 years due to inability to balance your budget.  Detroit, the largest city in the state has become a third-world cesspool of violent crime, corruption, poverty and a hapless citizenry dependent on the government for its very survival. The unemployment rate inside the city proper is a staggering 28.9%. Yes, that is almost 1 of every 3 residents of Detroit without a job. Those are the people on the rolls, lets not forget those in the city who have quit looking or actually took a part time job. Just the other day, we have seen just how successful the stimulus was in Michigan. Roll the tape.

The stimulus plan that would help roughly 3500 of the estimated 40,000 that showed up in downtown Detroit for help. These people have falled victim to a system that has handicapped them into believing the government is the only way out. They have been handicapped by an school system in Detroit which would rival the education one might receive deep in the Amazon rain forest. Check out this clip for a little bit of light shining on that statement.

It is sad really what has become of this once great manufacturing city, which now is shedding population (now around 800K from its peak of over 1.5 million) and becoming a society almost completely dependent on the state and federal government. Its largest employer General Motors has been taken over by the feds, Chrysler Corporation forced by the federal government into a marriage that surely will not last. Unsurprisingly, the only one of the Big Three, or what used to be the Big Three, is Ford who did not take federal money or the big stick that came with it.

Ms. Granholm, while the stimulus money may have acted as a backstop for your failing state budget this year, what happens next year when that money is long gone? Oh wait, your term limited so what does it matter to you.

Congratulations to team Obama who not only set the record, they actually obliterated the record deficits set by the Bush administration. Obama didn’t beat, or even double it, nay…he tripled our national deficit.

WASHINGTON — The federal budget deficit tripled to a record $1.4 trillion for the 2009 fiscal year that ended last week, congressional analysts said Wednesday.

The Congressional Budget Office estimate, while expected, is bad news for the White House and its allies in Congress as they press ahead with health care overhaul legislation that could cost $900 billion over the next decade.

The unprecedented flood of red ink flows from several factors, including a big drop in tax revenues due to the recession, $245 billion in emergency spending on the Wall Street bailout and the takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Then there is almost $200 billion in costs from President Obama’s economic stimulus bill, as well as increases in programs such as unemployment benefits and food stamps.

The previous record deficit was $459 billion and was set just last year.

The Obama health plan would be “paid for” with new revenues and curbs in spending. But the overhaul effort would eat up tax increases and spending cuts that could be used to bring the deficit down.

Obama has attributed the nation’s dismal fiscal situation to the financial and economic crises he inherited. White House Budget Director Peter Orzsag is overseeing the administration’s efforts to tackle the soaring deficit next year.

“As part of the fiscal 2011 budget, we will be putting forward proposals that return us to a fiscally sustainable path and that have lower deficits in the out-years,” Orszag said in a recent Associated Press interview.

So what is the best way to curb these staggering amounts of red ink flowing from Washington these days?? I am glad you asked. Nancy Pelosi has given us a tremendous answer today.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Confronted with big job losses and no sign the U.S. economy is ready to stand on its own, Democrats are working on a growing list of relief efforts, leaving for later how to pay for them, or whether even to bother.

Proposals include extending and perhaps expanding a popular tax credit for first-time home buyers, and creating a new credit for companies that add jobs. Taken together, the proposals look a lot like another economic stimulus package, though congressional leaders don’t want to call it that.

Democratic leaders in Congress and the White House say they have no appetite for another big spending package that adds to the federal budget deficit, which hit a record $1.4 trillion for the budget year that ended last week.

But with unemployment reaching nearly 10 percent, many lawmakers are feeling pressure to act. Some of the proposals come from the Republicans’ playbook and focus on tax cuts, even though they, too, would swell the deficit.

“We have to do something for the unemployed, politically and economically,” said Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

The House already has voted to extend unemployment benefits an additional 13 weeks for laid off workers in the 27 states where the jobless rate is 8.5 percent or above. Senate Democrats reached a deal Thursday to extend the benefits an additional 14 weeks in every state. Both proposals are paid for by extending a federal unemployment tax.

Also on the table: extending subsidies for laid-off workers to help them keep the health insurance their former employers provided, known as COBRA. The current program, which covers workers laid off through the end of the year, costs nearly $25 billion.

Congressional leaders haven’t settled on the length of an extension, or how to pay for it.

Yes…its brilliant. Another stimulus package (although we can’t call it that) is the way to go. Since the first one worked so well and all, another one could only be better right? Ms. Pelosi stated today that the first stimulus “saved many many jobs, and created some as well” which is actually an extremely weak version of the typical Obama/Biden spin on the stimulus which purports that millions of jobs were created or saved. Since they have no way to come up with the number of “saved” jobs, I will continue to scoff at this incredibly weak assertion as to the success of a stimulus that really aimed at nothing more than pouring money into historically Democrat pet-projects, and money into government agencies. Stimulus starts on Main Street. Always has always will. Small businesses and consumers drive a free market into a recovery. Instead, Stimulus 1 was aimed at big corporations and government bureaucracy. Hence, we have seen no recovery, in fact the news has only gotten worse.

Check out the Heritage Foundations column today on what they view as some of the more wasteful elements of Anti-Stimulating Stimulus 1. We can only dream of more government programs and spending if they really want to shoot for Stimulus 2. (shh, don’t call it a stimulus)

I must admit, I sat and watched this video with mouth open, and not sure what to say. Let me first say with a little tongue-in-cheek that this Miley Cyrus song “Party in the USA” should not be getting this much airtime, but thats just me. But the actual sickening part is that a major news network, and I use that term loosely, would exploit these children on the air to sing a song about Obama and his healthcare plan. Even more disturbing to me is that they clearly learned this song in school, the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta GA. From the website, it would appear that this is a private school, so my disdain is not quite as great as it would be coming from a taxpayer-funded public school, but I still find this to be pretty disgusting.

Our President has really reached down to a new low.  I’ll be waiting on Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton or any of our countries infamous race-baiters to make a statement against black children being used as political props. I won’t be holding my breath. Watch this video, try to block out the lame Miley Cyrus tune, and see what the political debate has sunk to. My personal favorite is the shot they take at Rep. Joe Wilson for his “you Lie!” comment during President Obama’s speech to Congress.

Humana Inc, one of the nations largest healthcare insurers is the new target of the United States Government employing political intimidation and hardball tactics on the private company in response to a letter they sent out to their customers enrolled in the Medicare Advantage program about looming changes coming their way through the new health care reform bill, currently being brokered by Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT). This is amazing by even Obama administration standards to go after a private company voicing its opposition to the Presidents plan. From WSJ.

Earlier this month, Humana sent a one-page letter to its customers enrolled in its Medicare Advantage plans, which offer private options to Medicare beneficiaries. Humana noted that, because of spending cuts proposed by Democrats, “millions of seniors and disabled individuals could lose many of the important benefits and services that make Medicare Advantage health plans so valuable.” The Kentucky-based company also urged its customers to contact their Representatives. Pretty tame stuff, as these things go.

Mr. Baucus took it as a declaration of war. He complained to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal health-care agency, which on Friday duly ordered Humana to cease and desist. CMS claimed the mailer was “misleading and confusing” and told the company it has opened an official probe as to whether the mailer violated laws about how the insurers that manage Advantage plans are allowed to communicate with their customers, as well as other federal statutes.

“Please be advised that we take this matter very seriously and, based upon the findings our investigation, will pursue compliance and enforcement actions,” CMS concluded, ominously. Humana could be fined or booted from Medicare Advantage altogether.

Ah yes, nothing like the government vendetta against a private company, who one might consider the expert on the subject of health insurance reform. Now I am sure all of the haters out there will tell us that the only reason Humana would dare send that type of letter out is because they are the big greedy corporation ready to kill off any and every person on their rolls if it can save them a dollar, its the typical scare tactic from marxist progressives. But check out the facts here, they can after all be stubborn things.

In fact, the Baucus draft legislation slashes $123 billion over the next decade from Medicare Advantage, which Democrats hate despite the fact that almost one-fourth of beneficiaries have chosen it over traditional fee-for-service Medicare. One reason seniors like it is because private insurers focus on quality and preventive care and try to manage benefits, as opposed to simply paying bills.

A new study from America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry trade group, finds that seniors on Advantage in California spent 30% fewer days in hospitals over fee-for-service patients, based on federal data. Democrats say that insurers are “overpaid,” but the cuts—as Humana correctly noted—mean that seniors may lose this coverage.

Mr. Baucus doesn’t want seniors to be educated about these facts, and obviously he’s willing to use his enormous power to punish any private company that doesn’t affirm his, well, creative version of reality. Nearly half of Humana’s yearly revenue comes from Medicare Advantage, and the insurer says that it is complying in full with the CMS investigation. Yesterday, the agency also barred all Advantage insurers from providing similar information to their beneficiaries.

Where are the Republicans in Congress standing up to this sort of over the top tyrannical behavior on the part of Baucus and the CMS. This is clearly part of their overarching strategy of intimidation and stifling of dissent in this country. We have watched it happen with all of the brushing aside of the teaparty movements, the outcry at the townhalls this past summer and every other opposing view of the Presidents healthcare proposal. It seems that once again, powerful Congressman are being allowed to run amock, while their colleagues stand idly by and watch. If Humana broke the law in their communique to their customers, then so be it, prosecute them. But the writing is on the wall here that the plan is to spin around some vague interpretation of a law and make an example.

It is sickening behavior on the part of the Obama administration. It does however fit the character of this Chicago-thugocracy that currently resides in the White House.  Its a non-violent crackdown on the part of the United States Government to silence dissent. Its un-Constitutional and needs to be called out. I am sure we  won’t see it on the DNC’s Call em Out website though.

I guess the term “ILLEGAL aliens” doesn’t mean much to certain Senators on Capitol Hill these days. Obama hasn’t passed out free citizenship amnesty to all just yet, so for the time being illegal aliens are still…ahem…illegal. Check out the story from Judicial Watch.

An influential senior Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee is withholding support for his party’s recently drafted healthcare reform bill because illegal immigrants won’t benefit under the plan. 

The only Hispanic in the U.S. Senate, New Jersey’s Robert Menendez, doesn’t like the way illegal aliens are treated in the bill, recently released by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, and refuses to vote for it until changes are made. This could create a huge problem, according to the congressional newspaper that broke the story, because Menendez has considerable leverage and may represent the committee’s deciding vote. 

Specifically, Menendez objects to the portion of the bill that forbids illegal immigrants from buying health insurance through newly created exchanges that will be set up to cut costs. The senator, once among the highest ranking Democrats in the U.S. House, has joined forces with Hispanic advocacy groups that have denounced the proposed measure’s emphasis on legal and illegal immigrants. 

Sickening how race-based politics gets in the way of that pesky rule of law thing….Shame on you Senator Menendez!

From Glenn Thrush:

An uncharacteristically emotional Nancy Pelosi is warning Republicans — and other groups getting whipped up over the health care debate — not to incite unstable supporters who might repeat acts of violence that struck San Francisco in the 1970s.  

A top Pelosi aide later confirmed reporters’ suggestions that her statement was a reference to the City Hall murder of gay rights activist Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone in November 1978 — an earth-shattering experience for Bay Area Democrats like the speaker.

Pelosi stumbled when asked about Rep. Joe Wilson’s “You lie!” outburst and its impact on civility in the House, momentarily overcome by emotion.

“I think we all have to take action and responsibility for our words — we are a free country and this balance between freedom and safety is one that we, um, have to carefully balance,” said Pelosi, who made no direct mention of Republicans.

A House leadership aide later told me that Democrats have become increasingly concerned by the ratcheting up of rhetoric on both sides — and particularly alarmed by the recent hanging in effigy of Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-Md.) by a tea party activist on the Eastern Shore.

“I have concerns about some of the language that is being used because I saw this myself in the late ’70s in San Francisco, this king of rhetoric. … It created a climate in which violence took place. … I wish we would all curb our enthusiasm in some of the statements and understand that some of the ears that it is falling on are not as balanced as the person making the statements may assume.”

FLASHBACK:

Ironic that right after Nancy Pelosi asserted the non-existent swastikas at the townhall meetings, all of a sudden, they actually did start popping up. Obviously I do not know who is responsible for this graffiti, whether it be an opponent of healthcare, or a proponent of healthcare but this is irresponsible and needs not to happen. Pelosi and her ilk want to silence the dissent by demonizing the dissenters, and if it was one of those dissenters who vandalized Rep. Scotts office, then you have just validated her inane argument. The conversation going on in America about healthcare is good, as long as it remains civil and legal. The beating in St. Louis last week, and this crime this week are not constructive.

This woman is something special, thats for sure. Wait..the video of her statement is even better, you can see the crocodile tears she chokes back, check this out.

As if Madam Speaker herself is not actually using the inflammatory rhetoric that may set someone off towards violence, lets check out what Comrade Obama had to say in his speech to the joint session of Congress last week.

“I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it’s better politics to kill this plan than improve it… If you misrepresent what’s in the plan, we will call you out.”

President Obama

We will call you out eh? That sounds like schoolyard trash talk to me, not the words of a statesmen trying to unite his country around a common cause. By the way, that quote was pulled off the Democrat party’s new website which would be the callout page of Democrat.org.

Ms. Pelosi, put away your fake tears. As long as you continue to insult, demonize, diminish, and inflame regular Americans who disagree on policy, it seems you will have to live with the fear of reliving 70’s era San Francisco, which ironically enough was in the throes of a culture war at the time, very similar to what is happening in our great country right now. Weird, I know.

From Townhall.com

House Republican leader John Boehner says nationwide protests known as “tea parties” are the result of pushback against Democrats’ spending.

Boehner says his Democratic colleagues are “bankrupting” the country.

People are demonstrating and attending town hall meetings because, Boehner says, “we’re in the midst of a political rebellion in America.”

Sorry John, the teaparties are more than just an opportunity for you to play political games against your Democrat opponents.

I like John Boehner, he is truly one of the few conservatives left, but he is dead wrong with that statement. He clearly has missed the entire point.

Boehner (R-OH) is correct on one hand, we are definetely in the midst of a political rebellion in this country, but sorry to say it sir, this has nothing to do with Democrat vs.  Republican and everything to do with out of control government. That would be Democrat AND Republican.  It has everything to do with liberty and freedom from an oppressive government bent on ruling the lives of each American individual.

The discontent (although much quieter) started during the Clinton and Bush years. It has reached a boiling point now, as the American public made the grave mistake of electing a progressive (aka socialist) in 2008. I stood shoulder to shoulder for many hours with a life-long Democrat in DC on 9/12 , who was there voicing his discontent at the government. All of it.

The Constitution is the law that rules our land. Our government has abandoned it as a guide. The GOP and the Democrats are both to blame, plenty to go around John.

Do not use the people to play political games. Your gamesmanship is no longer going unnoticed.

It has been a whirlwind news cycle the last few days as video after video has been coming out exposing the corrupt underbelly of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

Andrew Breitbart and his new website BigGovernment.com has been absolutely destroying ACORN, and for his opening act he started releasing the videos and stories from Hannah Giles and James O’keefe as they sought to expose ACORN for who they really are, and contacted Breitbart to get the word out. And what a massive success they have been. They have travelled to Baltimore, Washington DC, New York City, San Bernadino and most recently San Diego playing the same act as a pimp and a prostitute looking for housing. Clearly, the ACORN employees were well versed in manipulating the system, even if it meant aiding and abetting criminal behavior. Things got really good in San Bernadino California, where the Tresa Kaelke (ACORN employee) admitted on camera to killing her husband, effectively illustrating her street cred to the “hooker” Giles and her “pimp” O’Keefe.  Sean Hannity got the scoop tonight on the newest video to come out, which happened in San Diego. Take a look at the interview with Breitbart and Giles, along with the newest damning video evidence.

Its simply amazing. Even though to look at them, it would seem there would be no way they could pull off the act, they apparently have convinced ACORN employees across the country, even so much as to get a solicitation from the San Diego representative.

This recent scam, which was attempted in San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia to name a few places, had failed for months before the results we’ve all recently seen.
-Bertha Lewis, Chief Organizer, ACORN

Sorry Bertha, it doesn’t look like they failed. It looks like ACORN has been exposed.

THE FALLOUT

And boy has there ever been some fallout. Shortly after the release of the Baltimore video, Senator Johans (R-NE) added an ammendment to HR3288 which is the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. Senate ammendment 2355 cut funding to ACORN, and was passed in overwhelming fashion, 83-7. Believe it or not, yes there were 7 who voted to continue funding ACORN. They are as follows:

NAYs —7
Burris (D-IL) Casey (D-PA) Durbin (D-IL)	Gillibrand (D-NY) Leahy (D-VT) Sanders (I-VT)	Whitehouse (D-RI

I know that I am not surprised by this list. Burris and Durbin jump out at me though, as likely being deeply connected with this organization, as they hail from the very center of government corruption in America, the great state of Illinois.

Also, in the days following ACORNs new found (albeit unwanted) fame, the US Census Bureau decided to cut ties with ACORN as well.  Ben Smith at Politico points out…

The latest ACORN expose, in which a conservative producer and his partner got two ACORN employees to give him advice on running his prostitution business and evading taxes with their underage Latin American prostitutes (really) has dealt the organization a final blow as far as the Obama administration is concerned: The Census has chosen to stop working with the group, with Census Director Robert Groves writing ACORN President Maude Hurd that public “concern” about the group has become “a distraction from our mission” and that recent events — an apparent reference to the expose — has “added to worsening negative perceptions of ACORN.”.

Conspicuously absent in this whole process has been the mainstream media. This expose from Giles and O’Keefe has exposed ACORN for who they really are (1 or 2 times coincidence, 5 is a pattern, sorry ACORN), but it has also exposed the inept main stream media for who they really are as well. They have been all but silent, other than MSNBC and CNN blasting these radical conservative 20-somethings who are on a witch hunt, following the right-wing obsession with ACORN. Actually MSM, they are doing your job…real investigative journalism.  Check out the piece MSNBC put out, including an interview with ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis. Tell me after watching this there isn’t some sort of leftist bias and radical agenda from this news organization. Its so thick in this segment, it cannot be missed.

Classic MSNBC…I was actually waiting for Rachel Madcow or Keith Olbermann to rush the stage and start up with one of their inane right-wing demonizing rants. One can dream I suppose.

I will end with this. We should all lift these two patriots up in our prayers, as the media and this organization has threatened them with lawsuits and other smears, and I’m sure its just a matter of time before more serious threats are levied in their directions. With a little creativity, they have accomplished what millions of decent Americans were hoping for, which is effectively bring down the largest “social justice” aka socialist community organizations in the country. Their website uses this social and economic justice double speak in its “ABOUT” section. Too bad the American public is awake now to what that term actually means.

It will be interesting to see more of the fallout in the coming days and weeks. Potential Congressional investigations into lawmakers ties with this group would be appropriate, and let us not forget that the Obama administration and campaigns have been intricately involved with ACORN. It was after all his first job out of college! Already the White House has thrown ACORN under the bus, by attempting to distance itself from the group. But the American public already knows better than that. Its their typical modus operandi to sell out their friends when times get tough.

This has truly been a shock and awe campaign unleashed by the grassroots in America against corruption.

All Obama, All day long.

Avoid your television set America, or better yet go to church, on Sunday morning. Obama is taking to your airwaves in an unprecedented (and frankly ridiculous) blitz on the Sunday morning talk shows.

President Barack Obama will grace the masses en masse Sunday morning by appearing on This Week with George Stephanapoulos on ABC, Meet the Press on NBC, and Face the Nation on CBS. Assuming you miss any of those three, fear not because our fearless commander-in-chief will be hitting softballs out of the park with interviews on CNN as well as…get this…Univision. Yes, Spanish language television to reach out to that trusty Hispanic constituency. Fox apparently got the snub in this blitz, you go ahead and figure out the reason for that on your own.

Did you think I was done? Well, no…I’m not because President Obama will next be taking the act to the Big Apple to appear on Late Show with David Lettermen. Yes, that is another unprecedented move by a sitting US President. In this case its ok though, because at least it isn’t a part of the Sunday blitzkrieg. You will be able to get the afternoon Obama-free, until the Monday news cycle airs re-runs of every inane lie, half-truth, vaguery, and forked-tongue comment he makes from Sunday. Monday night, its party time on Lettermen. Graciously, Lettermen will devote the entire show to the President, at which time we can expect the teleprompter to teleprompt all the normal talking points that we have heard for 2 months now on healthcare.

Overexposure anyone? I’m thinking this new White House strategy equates to a battle of attrition. Whoever can speak the loudest and longest wins (at least they hope so). Miscalculation though, because the American people (yes, that would be the majority of Americans) are a stubborn lot that are no longer being bought by flowery words and sunshine and kittens promises. You have been overexposed Mr. President, do yourself a favor and head towards the Oval Office and work on that plan you keep touting. Yes, the one that does not yet exist. The plan promises alot, and now the citizens of this great land would like to see your plan.

I’m all ears for that!

Here is a letter to the editor published in the Detroit Free Press today. It about says it all.

Thank goodness for Mitch Albom! Without him I’d have never known I was a racist.

Here, I thought that I disagreed with the president’s policies because he nationalized some of the largest corporations in America (e.g. numerous banks, GM, Chrysler etc).
I thought that I disagreed with him because he has quadrupled the national debt and because he now wants to take over nearly 10% more of the US economy under the guise of fixing healthcare.

I thought that watching co-workers getting laid off by the dozen, and seeing my friends and neighbors lose their jobs as federal unemployment reaches 10% was reason enough to disagree with the President. Now I know better.

Thanks to reading Mitch’s Sept. 13 column (”Yell at Obama a new low but not the last”), I now know that the reason I disagree with the president is that I’m actually a racist.

 At first this news made me feel bad, but then Mitch pointed out that it wasn’t really my fault; it’s the fault of talk radio and cable TV (I should have known that I’m not bright enough to form my own opinions).

 I now know that only Mitch’s talk radio show should be considered palatable.

 Thanks again, Mitch, for straightening me out on this!

This concerned citizen from Michigan (apparently a racist, he now  knows it lol) wrote this in response to Mitch Alboms column published on September 13 in the Free Press where he arrogantly declared that disagreement with policy and ideology actually have nothing to do with policy and ideology. It stems from a deeper need to use the “N” word for a black President, and since we can’t do that, we can use the more socially acceptable terms such as anarchist, socialist, communist etc.

The premise of his argument is tied to the Rep. Joe Wilson story, which of course we have all heard by now the two words heard ’round the world. YOU LIE!  An amazing sentence, a tiny sentence, but a sentence that apparently is not to be used in the Congress of the United States of America. Certainly not during the middle of a speech that was in fact laced with half-truths, deception, and vagueries. Yes, we know that in the bill it says that your not to be able to get the public option if you are an illegal resident. But the following paragraphs and pages leave loopholes so large that a Mack truck could drive through it. No coverage for illegals, but absolutely no check system in place to acheive that statement. In essence, a half-truth or as my mother told me as a child. A  LIE.

For his lack of decorum in the joint session of Congress, Rep. Wilson did in fact apologize to the President. He acknowledged that he was in error by interrupting his speech (frankly, I disagree…if cheers from Dems are ok, why is dissent not ok?).  The President accepted his apology, effectively ending the story right? No, not even close. The silliness has only just begun. Fundraising for Wilsons upcoming election opponent spiked to amazing levels, as he was demonized by the DailyKos kooks, and the faux intellectualism of many lefty reporters. He was a racist, he didn’t disagree with Obama’s statement…he hated the fact that a black man delivered it. Its ludicrous. Race baiters across the country have apparently united to form a wall of separation around this President, to make sure he does not encounter any policy disagreements. After all, it only means your racist right?

So, in its typical useless form, the House undertook the unprecedented step of passing a resolution of disapproval for Rep. Wilsons behavior. It has never been done. It was a monumental waste of time.

The 240-179 vote on the resolution of disapproval reflected the sharp partisan divide over the issue. Democrats insisted that the South Carolina Republican take responsibility for what they said was a serious breach of decorum. Republicans characterized the vote as a political stunt.

Wilson himself would not back down on his position that he owed the House no apology. Surrounded by Republican supporters, Wilson said Obama had “graciously accepted my apology and the issue is over.”

Thank God for journalists like Megyn Kelly, who have been blessed with a measure of common sense and decency.

Here is a doozy from a man who has historically been proven to be one of, if not the most inept of this countries former Presidents. A man who cannot seem to take himself out of the news cycle and stop embarrassing himself. Oh Jimmy Carter, please stop it. You are becoming painful to swallow.
 

Wait, but Wilson isn’t the only racist in town. Over a million protesters took to Pennsylvania Avenue marching to the Capitol to put our racism on display for the world…I mean, everyone saw the pictures of the Patriots in their white hoods right? No..you didn’t. But the attempt to marginalize and demonize the outpouring of anger over government (if you were there, you would know that the majority of anger was aimed at the Congress, not the President).

Racism is a weak argument. You cannot debate the merits, you can’t defend the Presidents indefensable policy. His mindset, his history, his associations, and his actions in the office of the President of the United States are admittedly progressive, which is merely double speak for socialist. Wait, according to Mitch Albom, that statement must be my inner racist coming out again. Ridiculous. Debate the facts.

The GOP has shown its weakness in the face of a radical left agenda, thankfully grassroots conservative voters across the country are wide awake to what is happening with the agenda being driven by President Obama. Sadly, the GOP is behind the curve at every turn. Here are a few examples from tonight….

First, the Republican response to a combative, yet eloquent delivery of a radical socialist agenda…while the content of the speech is decent, the delivery and charisma is enough to put you to sleep.

Ok wake up people!! Dr. Charles Boustany is done putting you to sleep.

The potential big winner tonight was Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina. He said what likely a majority of Americans who have actually read the only bill available to the public were actually thinking. He yelled out “Liar!” in the middle of the supposed clearing up of the right wing smear that illegals would be able to obtain health insurance. It was a crowning moment for Mr. Wilson. It broke with decorum, it may have even been inappropriate. But finally, there was a Republican statesmen who realizes that we are in a literal fight for our very Republic, and he was willing to stand up and speak for all of us with two simple words. You lie!

Enter the poster child for GOP anemia. John McCain shortly after the address had ended demanded an apology from Mr. Wilson.

House Democratic Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) called Wilson’s outburst “embarrassing,” while McCain said it was “totally disrespectful” and that there was “no place for it in that setting or any other.”
 
McCain said Wilson “should apologize for it immediately.”

Shortly thereafter, the hero of the night for conservatives across the country, and really across the world (the rest of the world does not want to see us descend into socialism) digressed into a lame apology for his conduct within the chamber. See, what I don’t understand is you said it, you meant it, why apologize for it? The constant cheering, hooting and hollering in favor or in dissent is appropriate, why not his little outburst?

“This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill. While I disagree with the President’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility.”

Oh yes, speaking of John McCain. This would be the same guy that at the very mention of  his name, and one of his ideas just fell all over himself with glee as we winked, waved and gave Obama the thumbs up. Sickening. These guys really don’t have a clue as to what is happening to the country they grew up in. Falling for flowery words is not the way to govern and legislate. It’s time to clear that chamber of all the ineptness that fills it.

It seems that Sarah Palin may in fact be the only “republican” out there who actually speaks for the people. And she is actually unafraid to take on the Washington power establishment.

Ok, I’ve gotten that out of my system for now…back into the fight to stop the freight train towards socialism.