Health Care Update: It Isn't Broken If Congress Doesn't Take It

In something called the "Dumbest Arguments Against Health Reform" is this gem:

It's not broken: Progressives dismiss this out of hand, but it's "not a practical argument—it's a moral argument," Waldman writes. "If a captain of industry can't buy better health care than the guy who cuts his lawn can, then the world just isn't functioning as it should."

Allow me to rephrase that particular argument in languge even a "progressive" can understand: If a Member of Congress CAN "buy" better health care than the guy who cuts his lawn can, then the world just isn't functioning as it should."

The rest of this guy's list is just as stupid...

RELEASE: LaRose for Senate Financial Report

Release:

(Akron) - Frank LaRose, the lone announced republican candidate for Ohio's 27th Senate District, today filed his semiannual campaign finance report with the Ohio Secretary of State. LaRose reported campaign contributions totaling over $100,000.

"I am truly humbled by the support that I have received thus far," LaRose said. "Today's report is emblematic of the groundswell of grassroots and volunteer support that this campaign has already generated."

Since LaRose announced his candidacy on May 17, 2009, he has campaigned aggressively, meeting with voters across the district to discuss his priorities and listen to their concerns.

"Today's filing represents an excellent beginning to what will be a hard fought and exciting campaign that I believe will culminate in victory next November. As I continue to meet voters, community leaders and business leaders across the district, I become more convinced by the day that my focus on prosperity issues of job creation and economic growth is resonating," LaRose said.

Yet Another Health Care Update: Pelosi Has a Target

The insurance industry had about 2.3 million wage and salary jobs in 2006. Insurance carriers accounted for 62 percent of jobs, while insurance agencies, brokerages, and providers of other insurance-related services accounted for 38 percent of jobs. -- Bureau of Labor Statistics

Quoth Nancy Pelosi (POLITICO):

“Of course, they’ve been immoral all along,” she added. “They are the villains in this. They have been part of the problem in a major way. They are doing everything in their power to stop a public option from happening, and the public has to know. They have had a good thing going for a long time at the expense of the American people and the health of our country.”

If given the chance, she would eliminate all 2.3 million jobs in the insurance industry.

Some of these folks make a little over $11/hour. These are the people Pelosi claims are the problem. Is it immoral to have a job, Madame Speaker?

Don't be fooled...

UPDATE: Of course... Speaker Will Keep 'Villains' Money ...I am shocked -- SHOCKED -- to find gambling in this establishment...

Another Health Care Update: ObamaCare is NOT What Congress Has

Another false talking point that you might hear about ObamaCare is that it is just like the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) that Members of Congress enjoy. NOT TRUE AT ALL...

All federal employees participating in FEHBP receive their coverage from private plans—no so-called “public option” is necessary to create competition or enhance choice.

Federal employees are not required to participate in any FEHBP plan, or to enroll in FEHBP at all— unlike the government-run plan, where bureaucrats could enroll individuals solely in the government-run plan. (Section 205(b)(3), pp. 69-70)

Plans participating in FEHBP have flexibility to determine their own benefits—unlike the government-run plan, where bureaucrats on a new “Health Benefits Advisory Committee” would determine what health coverage all individuals must purchase. (Section 123(b), pp. 28-30)

In FEHBP, plans negotiate with hospitals and doctors to determine fair reimbursement levels—unlike the government-run plan, where bureaucrats would be able to pay doctors and hospitals as little as they want, while denying physicians the right to appeal the bureaucrats’ decision to any board or court for review. (Section 223(f), pp. 96-97)

There are no penalties for non-participation in FEHBP—unlike the government-run plan, where under the Democrats’ new regime, individuals would be taxed if they do not buy coverage that meets bureaucrats’ diktats, whether they want (or need) that coverage or not—and whether they can afford that coverage or not. (Section 401, pp. 136-40)

Because plans within FEHBP operate at arm’s length from the federal government, there is no government pressure for carriers to deny access to life-saving treatments based on cost grounds—unlike a government-run health plan, which would face pressure to deny care to save money. As senior Obama Administration official Sherry Glied has previously written: “Health care waiting lines represent a trade-off between patient costs and capital costs.”

Perhaps most importantly, no provision in any Democrat bill would transition existing participants in FEHBP into either the new Exchanges or the government-run health plan. Neither Democrat Members nor federal employee unions have demonstrated any desire to join a government-run health plan.

If ObamaCare were just like the FEHBP, then Congresscritters would be eager to sign up themselves for ObamaCare...they aren't.

Don't be fooled...

Health Care Update: What is a Co-Op?

I picked this up over at Rep. Michele Bachmann's TownHall blog. The latest attempt to confuse the American people involved the words "consumer co-op" as a means of rebranding the "public option" health care "reform" plan that the Demcorats are pushing and the American people don't want.

"If by health care 'co-op' Congress means allowing private associations to collectively buy health insurance for their members or operate a health insurance exchange, or allowing people to buy health insurance from a non-profit, member-owned private insurer, then those would be positive, pro-consumer developments.

"However, simply slapping the word 'cooperative' onto a new 'insurer,' but then specifying that the government — not the policyholders — picks the board of directors (as Sen. Schumer wants), or that taxpayers will subsidize it, or that it has to pay doctors and hospitals at Medicare rates, would just be an exercise in trying to disguise a 'public plan.'"

Don't be fooled by slick marketing, this is a bad idea...

Green Jobs? It All Depends on What Your Definition of the Word Is Is

There have yet to be any green jobs created by the stimulus. Yet, we have a czar for green jobs. Why no green jobs? Answer: We don't know what a green job is yet, according to Van Jones, green job czar for Der fuhrerChosen One:

President Obama devoted nearly $60 billion of his stimulus package to building a new green-based economy rich in renewable energy and strategies to cut carbon. But despite the price tag, not one green job yet exists.
Why are we still without an objective definition of a green job?
Well, we still don't have a unified definition, and that's not unusual in a democracy. It takes a while for all the states and the federal government to come to some agreement. But the Department of Labor is working on it very diligently. Fundamentally, it's getting there, but we haven't crossed the finish line yet.

Wow, real change and movement there, as unemployment balloons some more. Who is this Van Jones guy? Let's give you some background. He is an admitted communist, and has continued to advocate for Marxist policies. And, he apparently has little idea what he is supposed to be creating. Wow, real leadership and change you can believe in....NOT!

First They Came for People Who Didn't Wear SeatBelts. Then They Came After the Smokers...Now, People who Eat...

They came after people who didn't wear seatbelts or helmets to control more of their lives and get money. Then they went after the smokers. Now, people who eat.

Don't think we haven't fully gotten into the world of Demolition Man and Big Brother? Think again. The head of the CDC thinks government should take over your life to control obesity:

There are multiple accounts this morning of the Centers for Disease Control calling for taxes on food and soda pop in order to pay for health care reform.

They said obese people spend 40 percent more -- or $1,429 more per year -- in healthcare costs than people of normal weight.

"It is critical that we take effective steps to contain and reduce the enormous burden of obesity on our nation," Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a news conference at a CDC obesity meeting where the study was presented.

"Reversing obesity is not going to be done successfully with individual effort," Frieden said. "It will be done successfully as a society."

The CDC outlined 24 new recommendations on how communities can combat obesity in their neighborhoods and schools by encouraging healthier eating and more exercise.

Democratic Senator Tom Harkin, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee and chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Foresty, said the report underscores why prevention and wellness efforts must be part of any plan to reform the U.S. health system.

"Report after report shows that if we fail to take meaningful steps now on prevention of chronic disease like obesity, healthcare costs will continue to spiral out of control," Harkin said in a statement.

Excuse me...if people choose to eat more, then they are making that decision on their own and are accepting the consequences. How does what they do affect all of America if they, as the study says, are paying their own increased care? What are we doing here, really? We are making a case for control of more of your own personal life, and more of you as merely a money engine for social and governmental programming by the oligarchs in Washington! They are already talking soda and fat content taxes:

Key among the "interventions" the report weighs is that of imposing an excise or sales tax on fattening foods. That, says the report, could be expected to lower consumption of those foods. But it would also generate revenues that could be used to extend health insurance coverage to the uninsured and under-insured, and perhaps to fund campaigns intended to make healthy foods more widely available to, say, low-income Americans and to encourage exercise and healthy eating habits.

If anti-tobacco campaigns are to be the model, those sales taxes could be hefty: The World Health Organization has recommended that tobacco taxes should represent between two-thirds and three-quarters of the cost of, say, a package of cigarettes; a 2004 report prepared for the Department of Agriculture suggested that, for "sinful-food" taxes to change the way people eat, they may need to equal at least 10% to 30% of the cost of the food.

And although 40 U.S. states now impose modest extra sales taxes on soft drinks and a few snack items, the Urban Institute report suggests that a truly forceful "intervention" -- one that would drive down the consumption of fattening foods and, presumably, prevent or reverse obesity -- would have to target pretty much all the fattening and nutritionally empty stuff we eat: "With a more narrowly targeted tax, consumers could simply substitute one fattening food or beverage for another," the reports says.

It is not about your health. It is not about helping you or society. It is about control. It is about controlling your life as well making money off of you to support social and governmental spending and experimentation.

Just When You Thought Card Check Was Dead....

Harry Reid tries to sneak it into law.. Well, who cares, who reads the bills anyway? Der Party Democratik knows what is best for you, right?

From Roll Call:

As Senate Democrats struggle to hammer out a compromise bill on union organizing, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is sketching a process for railroading the bill through the floor as quickly as possible to prevent Republicans from rallying a major campaign against it, senior Democratic aides said.
Talks on the bill are ongoing, and with health care on the Senate’s plate, Democrats said no deal on the labor bill is expected until September at the earliest — if at all.

Reid has been thinking through a strategy to pass it that would require not only the support of all 60 Democrats in the Senate, but also the physical presence of ailing Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) for floor votes, since Republicans are likely to filibuster the legislation.

Cutting off debate on the bill would likely ignite a major partisan firestorm, and top Democrats will look to make their move as fast as possible, according to the Democratic aides.

“This is not the kind of thing where we could have a long, drawn-out rollout. We’d have to say, ‘Here’s the deal,’ and then get to the floor and get it passed before anyone can mobilize against it,” one leadership aide said.

Folks, they are getting more arrogant. They are being less sneaky. They are moving forward and are getting more egregious and obvious in their contempt for you, the voters.

Maybe the Feds Will Do This and We Can Evict Obama

The state government in Arizona is so broke....(HOW BROKE ARE THEY?)

They are so broke...they are talking about selling the capitol building....Yes, I am serious. Check it out:

Call it a sign of desperate times: Legislators are considering selling the House and Senate buildings where they've conducted state business for more than 50 years. Dozens of other state properties also may be sold as the state government faces its worst financial crisis in a generation, if not ever

And who was in control in Arizona the past few years? Oh yeah, Janet Napolitano, currently Der Chosen One's Director of Homeland Insecurity. Hmmm....Doesn't bode well for the FBI, CIA, or ICE. Can I buy CTU if Janet's luck continues and she bankrupts homeland security?

More Americans Waking Up to Lies of ObamanationCare

Even the New York Times is being forced to report on the erosion of sheep out there who still want ObamanationCare:

President Obama’s ability to shape the debate on health care appears to be eroding as opponents aggressively portray his overhaul plan as a government takeover that could limit Americans’ ability to choose their doctors and course of treatment, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. Americans are concerned that revamping the health care system would reduce the quality of their care, increase their out-of-pocket health costs and tax bills, and limit their options in choosing doctors, treatments and tests, the poll found. The percentage who describe health care costs as a serious threat to the American economy — a central argument made by Mr. Obama — has dropped over the past month

Wow, even the Pravda of Amerika is being forced to report on the failure of the Thug in Chief....BOO-HOO...OUCH.

Obama Administration Continues to Show Support for Racists

First it was Gates, now it is the Black Panther Party. What am I talking about? From Jon Hurley:

Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli overruled career lawyers at the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division to drop a complaint against three members of the New Black Panther Party of intimidating voters in Philadelphia during November’s election — including one member Samir Shabazz who brandished a nightstick.
Career lawyers wanted sanctions against the Black Panthers who showed and had already won a default judgment against the men.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Loretta King reportedly recommended dropping the case to Mr. Perrelli who is third in command at the DOJ.

By dropping the complaint, the Obama Administration suggests that other groups could show up at polling places with such weapons and military-style uniforms. What if this were the Aryan Nation or Soldiers of God? Doesn’t brandishing a weapon have an intimidating effect on voters?

No, because the guy's great great grandfather was intimidated once, so this guy can intimidate now. It is all about payback! Reparations! Fight the power! F the Police! Blah de blah. And Obama's minions let this thuggery pass....Well, we do have a Thug-in-Chief, so what do you expect?
Hmmm....

Does Obama Hate African Americans?

Because he certainly isn't helping their overall condition. From Esquire:

So far, the first African-American presidency has been one of the worst ever for African-Americans. The economic crisis has predominantly hit non-white working class men; the collapse of the auto industry is threatening to destroy the basis of the Midwestern black middle class. Key matters for African-Americans languish — the overincarceration of young black men that makes a mockery of American justice being the number one example. Government aid? That goes to bankers in Connecticut. If the President were white, there would be riots.

Hmmm...BooHoo...OUCH.

Obama's Science Czar Update: Babies Not Fully Human

Obama's science czar, John Holdren, doesn't believe that babies are human. Rather, babies can eventually develop into humans. I guess this means that we can abort babies post natal up to one year from birth. Gee, doesn't this sound like Mengele to you? Here are the salient quotes:

“The fetus, given the opportunity to develop properly before birth, and given the essential early socializing experiences and sufficient nourishing food during the crucial early years after birth, will ultimately develop into a human being,” John P. Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, wrote in “Human Ecology: Problems and Solutions.”

Holdren co-authored the book with Stanford professors Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich. The book was published by W.H. Freeman and Company.

Der Chosen One is looking out for cutting der healthkare costs in Amerika for der faithful.

Obama Has a Job for Joe Goebbels...Behavioral Science Czar

Obama has a new czar in mind, and Congress is seeking to help him out. There is a bill that was debated on last night. It has to do with the creation of a behavioral science czar to get you to think certain ways. Behavioral science, people. This is a minister of propaganda and marketing! Here is the link to read about this czar. Here are some highlights:

To establish a social and behavioral sciences research program at the Department of Energy, and for other purposes.
The Secretary shall appoint or designate a Director of Social and Behavioral Research to carry out the program established under this section.

(c) Duties of the Director- The Director shall--

(1) develop a research plan in accordance with section 2;

(2) implement the research program under this section;

(3) work with the relevant Department of Energy program offices to integrate the results of social and behavioral research into their work;

(4) develop tools, practices, and information to apply and integrate the results of social and behavioral research into programs that--

(A) design, develop, and demonstrate technologies that supply energy and improve energy efficiency; and

(B) provide information on energy consumption to consumers

This person will be charged with getting you to agree with government programs, to see why we do what we do and what motivates us....and get us to be motivated to follow government directives. It would be set up to identify and understand social and behavioral factors that influence energy consumption to promote the utilization of the results of social and behavioral research to improve the design, development and demonstration and application of energy technologies policies and programs, and it's going to create a director of social and behavioral research.


This is nothing more than a propaganda minister. We get all these ministers, and now we will have a minister of propaganda. When can we start calling Barry the Fuhrer?

Man tasered in Alabama

Man tasered


A deaf and mentally handicap man was tasered in Moblie, Alabama. I watched an interview with this young man, while his brother signed for him. He was taken from a store's bathroom where he would not leave. What the police didnt know was that he was sick and that he couldnt hear the polie knocking on the door. He freaked out because in his mental state he thought the devil was after him. After he was released they dropped him off in a parking lot, not even calling his mom. The interview was with a very nice family who seemed like a simple family. The man was African American.

In listening to this it came to me that how egregious and outrageous it is for this story about Prof Gates to even make national news. This young mans actual rights were violated, and most people never hear about it. The president wont talk about it. He wont say the police acted stupidly. It is a crime to apply "civil rights" where it is politically convenient and allow people who really do have their rights violated are ignored. It is garbage like this Gates crap that waters down true civil rights issues. The president should be ashamed using a very valid issue as a political toy.

Rep. Schmidt on DOE's Piketon Decision

Release:

Washington , D.C. – Today Congresswoman Jean Schmidt, whose district includes the Department of Energy’s Piketon facility, sent President Obama a letter imploring him to keep his word and overturn the Department of Energy’s decision to deny USEC a loan guarantee for the construction of the American Centrifuge Plant. The action by the Department of Energy will cost approximately 5,700 workers their jobs and end the prospect of another 2,300 jobs that had been planned this year.

“Mr. President, you wrote Governor Strickland on September 2, 2008 and said that the current workforce in Piketon and the surrounding areas 'will play a critical role in our national domestic energy supply through private sector and government initiatives.' In that letter to Governor Strickland, you further added, 'Under my administration, energy programs that promote safe and environmentally sound technologies and are domestically produced, such as the enrichment facility in Ohio , will have my full support. I will work with the Department of Energy to help make loan guarantees available for this and other advanced-energy programs that reduce carbon emissions and break the tie to high cost, foreign energy sources,'” Schmidt stated in her letter to President Obama.

Late last evening the White House organized a hastily-arranged conference call with legislators to announce that the Department of Energy would not issue a loan guarantee for the American Centrifuge Plant as it is authorized to do by Congress. This morning USEC announced it was “demobilizing” the project.

“I encourage everyone from the Governor to every resident of our community to call the White House at 202.456.1414 and ask the President, in the strongest possible terms, to reconsider. He is our only hope at this point,” Schmidt concluded.

House GOP Fighting Fascist Censorship by Dems in Franking

From Roll Call:

House Republicans on Wednesday filed a resolution that blasts Democrats for preventing GOP Members from sending constituents a mailing that criticizes the majority’s health care proposal.

The resolution cites the “failure of the Democratic Members of the Franking Commission to ensure that the Commission’s Democratic staff carries out its important responsibilities in a professional, fair, and impartial manner.”

The dispute centers on a GOP chart that illustrates the organization of the Democratic health care plan with a convoluted maze of government offices and programs. Republicans are pressing to use taxpayer dollars to mail the chart to constituents, but their request continues to be reviewed by the franking commission.

“The Democrats’ plan would mean more bureaucracy, more taxes, more mandates, more government involvement in your life and fewer jobs in this struggling economy. They’re trying to restrict Members of Congress from showing it to their constituents, and that’s just wrong,” House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said.

“I think the American people deserve the truth, and that’s why this resolution is important,” Boehner said.

Democrats maintain that sending out the chart as official mail would violate House rules because the information is misleading. Rules for franked mail bar Members from using taxpayer-funded mail for newsletters that use “partisan, politicized or personalized” comments to criticize legislation or policy.

Dems are trying to get the genie back in the bottle, and will try to squash dissent. Don't let them....Join the fight against fascism.

The Dynamic of Competition

Prior to the Redferns being lobbyists (please do not insult my intelligence and try to explain to me that there is some sort of "Chinese firewall" that separates the two of them) I would hazard to guess that probably 80% of the lobbyists were "for" Chris Redfern.

They were either for him because they liked him personally, they were/are dems (who had been hiding their donkey ears under 8 yrs of GVV & 8 yrs of Taft, but dem lobbyists nonetheless) and supported their Chairman/Party or they liked/respected him as someone whom they had dealt with as a former Legislator.

For whatever reason, my point is that prior to Chris & Kim being lobbyists they probably had the vocal, financial, general support of 80% of the lobbying community.

Ask around today and I think you will find that at least 80% of the lobbying community would be fine with the Redferns vanishing from the face of the earth. Get a few drinks in some of said lobbyists and you'll feel like you are hanging out in Hell's Kitchen or on The Deadliest Catch.

Simply put: Competition is a funny thing.

The second Kim put a shingle up as a lobbyist that basically meant that anytime she GAINED a client then someone else was LOSING a client. Everyone was cool with Chris when he wasn't competition, but the dynamics have changed.

They are taking food out of other people's mouths (picture a lobbyist with his/her spouse & kids eat Ramen noodles because Chris & Kim Redfern stole their largest client).

Speaking from experience, I can tell you that winning competitions on a regular basis can be a very dangerous thing. Very dangerous.

"Win" enough and make others "lose" enough then bad things happen...anonymous memos (only cowards take this approach...I know a handful...believe me they are out there), funds for the Ohio Democrat Party start to dry up, people who used to not drag their feet are now dragging their feet & the reception you get from folks just is not quite as rosy as it used to be.

First, it will start to hurt you and then it will start to hurt the Ohio Democrat Party.

Once things start to hurt the Party then people will start talking about "hope" & "change."

Hope & change are all well & good when they benefit you, but "hope" & "change" might turn out to be a real female dog if the hope & change means you losing your seat as Chairman.

Yep, competition...it can really be a funny thing.

Originally posted on http://www.kylesisk.typepad.com/

Working Together For Americans on Healthcare? Dems Say NEVER!

This in from Matt's congressman, House Minority Leader, and a Great American, John Boehner:

The Democratic leadership in Congress appears determined to produce a costly, job-killing health care bill that few outside the Washington Beltway support. For evidence, one need only look at the long list of common-sense changes House Republicans proposed this month while the bill was being considered by the Ways & Means, Energy & Commerce, and Education & Labor Committees. These amendments, which were designed to make the health care bill more palatable to the American people, were unceremoniously crushed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and her committee chairmen with little public attention or debate. Here are 31 common-sense health care amendments that were offered by Republican legislators in committee, but killed by the Democratic leadership

Here are some of the common sense measures deemed bad by the idiotiarian "too stupid to read our own bills" Democrats:

Stop the government-run health plan. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) offered an amendment to improve the Democratic legislation by taking out the section of the bill that would create a government-run health plan to compete with private sector health plans. Reps. Phil Roe (R-TN) and John Kline (R-MN) offered similar amendments in the Education & Labor Committee. The GOP amendments were all killed in committee at the behest of Speaker Pelosi and her chairmen.

Prevent bureaucrats from making personal medical decisions for patients. Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D. (R-GA) offered an amendment in the Energy & Commerce Committee to bar federal political appointees and bureaucrats from intervening in patient treatment decisions. The Gingrey amendment would have ensured patients and doctors remain as the sole individuals responsible for making these critical decisions. Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) led Democrats in opposition to the amendment, which was defeated.

Require all Members of Congress to get their health insurance through the proposed government-run plan. Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) offered an amendment in the Ways & Means Committee that would have required Members of Congress to enroll immediately in the government-run health plan that would be established under the Democratic bill. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) offered an amendment to put his committee on the record in support of enrolling Members of Congress in the government-run plan as well. While the Wilson amendment was approved by voice vote in the Education & Labor Committee, the Heller amendment was killed in the Ways & Means Committee at the behest of Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Rangel.

Keep the federal government out of health care decisions. Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) offered an amendment to prohibit the federal government from conducting so-called comparative effectiveness research, in which the federal government would ultimately help determine which medical treatments are administered to whom in America – otherwise known as government rationing of health care. The Herger amendment was killed at the behest of Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Rangel. Days later, in a July 22 prime-time press conference, President Obama told the nation the health care bill “will keep government out of health care decisions,” despite the fact that the comparative effectiveness language remains in the bill.

Protect Americans from “hurry up and wait.” Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) offered an amendment that would repeal the government-run health plan if wait times exceed the average wait times in private plans. The Brady amendment was killed at the behest of Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Rangel.

Stop the job-killing employer mandate. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) offered an amendment in the Committee on Ways & Means to improve the Democratic legislation by taking out the section of the bill that requires American employers to provide health coverage for all of their employees, and Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) offered similar amendments in the Committee on Education & Labor. Independent analysts agree this Democratic mandate on employers is likely to result in the elimination of millions of American jobs, and it could hardly come at a worse moment for the nation’s economy. The GOP amendments were killed in committee at the behest of Speaker Pelosi.

Check out the whole list. These proposals would lower costs and open up more options for Americans, as opposed to the Ageist Eugenics Final Solution plan under Team Obama.

Obama/Gates/Crowley: Will Biden and Holder's Bribe Hush up the FOP?

Joe Biden and Eric Holder just announced yesterday that the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police are receiving a big ol' grant:

The federal government will give $1 billion in grants to law enforcement agencies in every state to pay for the hiring and rehiring of law enforcement officers, Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder announced Tuesday.

"The tremendous demand for these grants is indicative of both the tough times our states, cities and tribes are facing, and the unyielding commitment by law enforcement to making our communities safer," said Attorney General Eric Holder in a statement.

Biden spoke of the bravery of police officers who never know when they might be shot, even on a simple call.

With rows of police officers standing behind him, he pointed out the hazards and uncertainty of police work.

"It's just astounding to me how much we take for granted what you do, and thankfully how much you take for granted what you do," said Biden.

"We ask you to go out to defend us, and you're entitled to be equipped to defend us," he added.

But evidently they are stupid for following police procedure and for trying to serve and protect the public, and they can be expected to be called out by an ignorant buffoon thug of a president at any turn.

Gosh, wasn't it ironic this was announced after the Thug in Chief stuck his foot in his ignorant and bigoted mouth?

Conyers Too Stupid to Read Bills....If He Doesn't Care, Why Should You?

John Conyers is too stupid to understand the bills Congress writes, so why bother seeing what is in them? It is done by Mistress Pelosi, so it has to be good, right? I mean, we can trust these clowns, right? Uh, no. But here is Conyers, saying it, on tape:


Maybe that IQ test provision is a good idea? Seriously, this is a travesty. If House members can't understand the bills they write up, then it should not pass. The law should not be meant to circumvent or fool the people into submission, but to protect and serve them. This clown is typical of the Washington Oligarchic mentality that we should not dare to question those who rule us from on high....

Newsflash, jerkwad...you serve the people, not the other way around.....

Obama 2004: Don't Hurry Law...Obama 2009: Git R Done Now!

In 2004, Obama railed against rushing laws through Congress without deliberation. In an Air America interview with Randi Rhodes, Obama extolled the virtues of deliberation that he now condemns as being too much of a luxury for this crisis (tm):

BARACK OBAMA: ...When you rush these budgets that are a foot high and nobody has any idea what's in them and nobody has read them.

RANDI RHODES: 14 pounds it was!

BARACK OBAMA: Yeah. And it gets rushed through without any clear deliberation or debate then these kinds of things happen. And I think that this is in some ways what happened to the Patriot Act. I mean you remember that there was no real debate about that. It was so quick after 9/11 that it was introduced that people felt very intimidated by the administration.

Here is the audio in youtube form:


This video also has Chuck Todd talking about Rahm Emmanuel ramming through legislation for Der Bamster. Note the hypocrisy....

Lie after lie after lie....STIMULUS! CAP AND TAX! I demand an investigation!

Hat Tip to Naked Emperor News. Go check it out.

Thomas Sowell Nails it On Obama-Gates-Crowley Issue

Sowell, an American conservative who happens to be black, pins the tail on the Presidential Donkey in this Column:

Those of us who want to see racism on its way out need to realize that others benefit greatly from crying racism. They benefit politically, financially, and socially. Barack Obama has been allied with such people for decades. He found it exp


edient to appeal to a wider electorate as a post-racial candidate, just as he has found it expedient to say a lot of other popular things — about campaign finance, about transparency in government, about not rushing legislation through Congress without having it first posted on the Internet long enough to be studied — all of which turned to be the direct opposite of what he actually did after getting elected.


Those who were shocked at President Obama's cheap shot at the Cambridge police for being "stupid" in arresting Henry Louis Gates must have been among those who let their wishes prevail over the obvious implications of Obama's 20 years of association with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Anyone who can believe that Obama did not understand what the racist rants of Jeremiah Wright meant can believe anything.

Obama is still a thug who probably said F the Police at the urging of a Wright Sermon. He is still the parishoner who probably believes in the concept of the White Devil. Obama is a racist parishoner of a racist church, who was friends with racists. But yet, people didn't want to think that 2+2=4. But, Sowell continues:

As a state senator in Illinois, Obama pushed the "racial profiling" issue, so it is hardly surprising that he jumped to the conclusion that a policeman was racial profiling when in fact the cop was investigating a report received from a neighbor that someone seemed to be breaking into the house that Professor Gates was renting in Cambridge.


For those who are interested in facts — and these obviously do not include President Obama — there has been a serious study of racial profiling in a book titled "Are Cops Racist?" by Heather Mac Donald. Her analysis of the data shows how this issue has long been distorted beyond recognition by politics.


The racial profiling issue is a great vote-getter. And if it polarizes the society, that is a price that politicians are willing to pay in order to get votes. Academics who run black studies departments, as Professor Henry Louis Gates does, likewise have a vested interest in racial paranoia.


For "community organizers" as well, racial resentments are a stock in trade. President Obama's background as a community organizer has received far too little attention, though it should have been a high-alert warning that this was no post-racial figure.


What does a community organizer do? What he does not do is organize a community. What he organizes are the resentments and paranoia within a community, directing those feelings against other communities, from whom either benefits or revenge are to be gotten, using whatever rhetoric or tactics will accomplish that purpose.


To think that someone who has spent years promoting grievance and polarization was going to bring us all together as president is a triumph of wishful thinking over reality.

Read the whole thing!

Michelle Obama: First Diva

Again, ht to my pal Bizzyblog.

From the Canada Free Press:

“In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much,” she said. “See, that’s why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service, “ Michelle Obama

No, Michele Obama does not get paid to serve as the First Lady and she doesn’t perform any official duties. But this hasn’t deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession. Just think Mary Lincoln was taken to task for purchasing china for the White House during the Civil War. And Mamie Eisenhower had to shell out the salary for her personal secretary.
How things have changed! If you’re one of the tens of millions of Americans facing certain destitution, earning less than subsistence wages stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart or serving up McDonald cheeseburgers, prepare to scream and then come to realize that the benefit package for these servants of Miz Michele are the same as members of the national security and defense departments and the bill for these assorted lackeys is paid by John Q. Public

Absolutely disgusting, but typical of liberals. Everyone must cater to them. Everyone else must sacrifice, everyone else must make due with less.
I wonder if she loves her country and is proud of it now....But maybe she has someone on her staff she pays to be proud for her...here is what we are paying for:

$172,2000 - Sher, Susan (CHIEF OF STAFF)
$140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROJECTS FOR THE FIRST LADY)
$113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND WHITE HOUSE SOCIAL SECRETARY)
$102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE FIRST LADY)
Winter, Melissa E. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)
$90,000 - Medina, David S. (DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)
$84,000 - Lelyveld, Catherine M. (DIRECTOR AND PRESS SECRETARY TO THE FIRST LADY)
$75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING AND ADVANCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)
$70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROJECTS FOR THE FIRST LADY)
$65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY SOCIAL SECRETARY)
Reinstein, Joseph B. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY SOCIAL SECRETARY)
$62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING AND EVENTS COORDINATOR FOR THE FIRST LADY)
$60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ADVANCE AND TRIP DIRECTOR FOR THE FIRST LADY)
Lewis, Dana M. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT AND PERSONAL AIDE TO THE FIRST LADY)
$52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY TO THE FIRST LADY)
$50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR SCHEDULING AND TRAVELING AIDE TO THE FIRST LADY)
$45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)
Tubman, Samantha (DEPUTY ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR,SOCIAL OFFICE)
$40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)
$36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (STAFF ASSISTANT TO THE SOCIAL SECRETARY)
Bookey, Natalie (STAFF ASSISTANT)
Jackson, Deilia A. (DEPUTY ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)

How many patients will we dump nationally to fund her expanding coterie of staff?

SENIORS! LISTEN TO THIS REPORT ON OBAMACARE

ht to Bizzyblog.

Fred "The Fred" Thompson and wife interview Betsy McCaughey, who shines the light of truth on what will happen to seniors under ObamanationCare.



I'm reposting this to further extend its reach....

Dems Eating Their Own on HealthCare: Maxine Waters vs. Rahm-bo and Blue Dogs

I guess Rahm Emmanuel is to blame. Or is it the White cracker Blue Dog Dems? It is hard to tell with Maxine "Marxine" Waters, Socialist and black radical member of Congress. But, if I were Rahm, I would be careful opening my mail from Marxine:



Ooooh, she used the chickens coming home to roost analogy...how Malcolm X of her! How stupid. Doesn't this ignorant communist know that without the Blue Dogs, she would still be a loud but powerless minority member of Congress with no power and no mandate at all? What a stupid wench. But is this fun to watch or what?

Liberal Detroit Sportswriter Sees Truth: Obama Nothing More than Class Warfare Agitator

Even though he is typically liberal, I like Mitch Albom. He wrote some excellent books, like Tuesdays with Morrie. He loved Gran Torino. And now, he realizes Obama is nothing more than a class warfare rhetoric using phony with no substance:

In explaining why it was OK to sock a new 5.4% tax on the highest earners in this country — to pay for health care reform — President Obama’s press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said this:

“The president believes that the richest 1% of this country has had a pretty good run of it for many, many, many years.”


Ah. So that’s it. The old “You’ve had it good enough for long enough” policy. That’s why a family earning a million dollars a year should now cough up $54,000 of that — in addition to all the other taxes it pays — to cover health care for people who may not pay a penny of new tax themselves.


Because, after all, those rich folks have had a pretty good run of it.


Now, it is not that I don’t think we need health care reform. We do. It is not that the rich should not pay fair taxes. They should.


But to justify a grossly overweighted tax by saying “You people have had it good long enough” is to engage in the worst and most destructive form of politics: class warfare.


By making a snarky comment like that, Gibbs suggests that the top 1% are a bunch of Bernie Madoffs, that they’ve been scheming their way to riches, evading the system, hiding their money in complicated offshore deals. You know — wink, wink — they’ve had it “pretty good.”


This is every bit as insulting as saying all poor people are lazy welfare cheats. Imagine the uproar if he’d said that. What’s the difference?


Both are dangerous lies.

For a moment, let’s take Gibbs and Obama at their words. “A pretty good run of it for many, many, many years.” OK. In what way? Did those people earn their money? Yes. Did they work for it? Yes. So in that regard they are no different than a schoolteacher or postal worker. They worked, they got paid.

Mr. Gibbs and President Obama should realize they are no longer only speaking to rooms full of giddy campaign volunteers. It’s the nation. All of us are in this together. That means poor and yes, rich — if there are any left once this is all done.

Gee, when a fellow member of the big ol ears club turns on you, it must be a bad day!

ht to Bizzyblog

A Cop Who Won't be Fooled Again....

AWWWWWWWW, SNAP! She is a woman, and black, too. Maybe the svengali effect of Obama has started to wear off. This woman, a fellow officer of Crowley's, is standing with truth and justice over ignorance, racism, and lies. Via Youtube:


And another officer, too, who happens to be black, was none to happy in the video.

Guess not everyone is a disciple of Jeremiah Wright and Prof. Gates, who admires people who hate white people (see Sean Hannity last night).

Like Father Like Son: Dodd is Unbecoming a Senator

Looks like Chris Dodd is in heap big trouble. So may be Kent Conrad. Why? Someone at Countrywide is talking, and they are saying Dodd and Conrad KNOWINGLY TOOK sweetheart deals that no one else could get for mortgages, etc. Is this illegal? No. Is it unethical? Absolutely. While Dodd maintains he didn't know, there is mounting evidence to the contrary that could link he and his father. His father was censured by the Senate for conduct unbecoming a Senator. Both Conrad and Dodd face Senate Ethics Committee hearing where the committee could vote to do nothing, censure, or expel a Senator. It is doubtful they will vote to expel, but censure is a real possibility, thanks to one Mr. Feinberg:

The Senate ethics committee has interviewed a former Countrywide Financial executive who testified under oath that Sens. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) were aware that they were accessing a special program to give below-market-rate mortgages to the powerful and famous when he arranged their loans, according to the executive's attorneys.

The statements from Robert Feinberg, who worked as a loan officer at the mortgage lender, stand in direct contradiction to statements made by Dodd and Conrad, who maintain that they did not know they were part of the Countrywide program created by its chief executive at the time, Angelo Mozilo.

"He always made a big deal about them being in the VIP program. Does he remember the exact words he spoke with Conrad and Dodd? No, but he always made it clear," said Elana Goldstein, one of Feinberg's attorneys.

Feinberg testified for several hours before the ethics committee on June 23. Questioning him were Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), ranking Republican Johnny Isakson (Ga.) and Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho). Dodd and Conrad responded to questions from the committee last year.

Looks like the Dodd apple doesn't fall far from the tree...from Wiki:

In 1967 Dodd became the first Senator censured by the US Senate since Joseph McCarthy in 1954,[19] and was one of only six people censured by the Senate in the 20th century. The censure was a condemnation and finding that he had converted campaign funds to his personal accounts and spent the money.[20][21] Beyond the Senate Ethics Committee's formal disciplinary action, other sources (such as investigative journalist Drew Pearson and Jack Anderson's Congress in Crisis) suggest[22] Dodd's corruption was far broader in scope and there were accusations of alcoholism

Gee, Chris, shouldn't you have learned not to be shady by Daddy's experience? Or did you just learn how to do it slicker? Apparently, neither lesson was fully learned.

This is not translating well for 2010 for Hair Helmet Dodd:

A new Quinnipiac University poll shows that Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) continues to trail former Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons by a margin of 48 percent to 39 percent (AP). Although Dodd’s approval ratings remain in the negative, his numbers have improved slightly since the last Quinnipaic poll, May 27.
In the poll, 42 percent stated that they approve of Dodd’s service (when in May, the number was a 38 percent approval rating), and 52 percent said they disapprove of Dodd (when previously, 53 percent disapproved). Also, as only 37 percent of those surveyed in May had a positive opinion of Dodd, 40 percent in the new poll approved of the senator (AP).
However, the poll also showed that only 35 percent of residents find that the embattled senator is honest and trustworthy, a number unchanged from the May survey.

And we also have this:

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd is still denying getting special treatment when he applied for a mortgage from Countrywide Financial. But a transcript of secret congressional testimony says otherwise.

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd is once again denying he received special treatment when he refinanced two mortgages with Countrywide Financial. According to the Associated Press an executive with the company told House investigators that Dodd was told he was on a special list of "friends" of Countrywide's chief executive.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut: I would never, have never taken a sweetheart deal from any lending institution. The rates that we received when we refinanced the house in Connecticut and my home here in Washington were rates that were readily available in the general marketplace.

Dodd was already in trouble in the polls as this latest news hit. Results released last week show him trailing his Republican rivals by a wide margin. Despite receiving the endorsement of his own party for re-election at least one Democrat says its time for a change. Merrick Alpert is a 42-year-old native of Colchester. The Georgetown Law School graduate and veteran of 6 years in the military is a successful businessman who is trying to force Dodd into a primary. He says the party endorsement does not reflect to mood of most democrats.

And just when these numbers were kind of stabilizing for Dodd, we find more scandal afoot:

As Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut assumes a central role in the debate over health care, the pharmaceutical industry has helped finance efforts to bolster his image back home as he braces for a potentially bruising re-election contest.

The industry’s campaign-style push for Mr. Dodd, part of a larger effort to highlight the work of certain lawmakers around the country, portray him as a defender of ordinary citizens in brochures sent to more than 100,000 homes in Connecticut and in a 30-second television spot that ran for three weeks.

For Mr. Dodd, the support provided by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, the industry’s lobbying arm, comes at a politically sensitive, if not awkward, time. He is trying to combat a perception that he has become too close to powerful interest groups in Washington after 28 years in the Senate.

As part of that effort, Mr. Dodd’s own campaign has produced two videos, “Lobbyists Cry” and “The Blues,” presenting him as a politician who has caused grief for Washington lobbyists. He also sent a fund-raising solicitation asserting that lobbyists do not have access to him.

“The lobbyists can’t get meetings with Chris,” the solicitation says. “He won’t return their phone calls. He even yells at them during hearings.”

But even as Mr. Dodd attempts to distance himself from these special interests, he is clearly relying on their help as he prepares for his re-election, a reality seized upon by his Republican critics.

He has not only benefited from the hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertisement courtesy of the pharmaceutical industry and Families U.S.A., a health-care advocacy group the industry teamed up with. But a few weeks ago, Mr. Dodd attended a $1,500-a-plate campaign fund-raiser sponsored by lobbyists representing U.S. Oncology, a provider of cancer drugs and services.

Chris Dodd loves him some of that out of state lobbyist money:

Dodd was tapped by ailing Sen. Edward Kennedy, chairman of the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee, to take over the panel in his absence as it tackled the sweeping health care overhaul.

Dodd led the committee in recent weeks as it hammered out a bill to expand insurance coverage to all Americans, becoming the first congressional panel to approve a health care reform plan.

More than a dozen health care lobbyists wrote him checks in the weeks before the panel began drafting its bill, Dodd's fundraising report for the second quarter that ended June 30 shows. Some of K Street's most prominent lobbyists ponied up.

The Glover Park Group's Joel Johnson and Susan Brophy each gave $1,000. The prominent firm with Democratic ties represents Pfizer Inc., WellPoint Inc., the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association and United Health Care Services, Inc.

Richard Tarplin, a former Dodd aide who is a health care lobbyist, gave $2,500.

Christopher R. O'Neill, the son of the late former House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Jr., gave $1,000. O'Neill's firm lobbies for the American Hospital Association, which paid them $50,000 during the second quarter. The firm also got $150,000 during the quarter from Partners HealthCare.

Anthony Podesta, one of Washington's best-known Democratic lobbyists, contributed $500. The Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care paid Podesta's firm, the Podesta Group, $120,000 for the quarter.

Podesta's wife, Heather Podesta, hosted a $1,000 per person fundraiser in March for Dodd at the Podestas' home in the affluent Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington. Her firm, Heather Podesta + Partners, was paid $50,000 this year by HealthSouth Corp., one of the country's largest health care service providers.

Two lobbyists for U.S. Oncology, a leading oncology services company, hosted a $1,500 per person Dodd fundraiser in June. The event was sandwiched between a health panel session chaired by Dodd and a later White House event attended by Dodd.

All told, Dodd has collected $436,062 from lobbyists since 2005, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a group that tracks money in politics.

But he is in no lobbyists' pocket....RIGHT....

Space Obeys (Good Lapdog!) on Health Care

That crappy bill I posted earlier today is going to make it out of committee today thanks to Zack Space. You know, the guy who claims to be a Blue Dog conservative Demcorat... He can be reached at one of the following offices:

Dover District Office
137 East Iron Ave
Dover, Ohio 44622
Contact TOLL FREE: 1-866-910-7577
or: (330) 364-4300
Fax: (330) 364-4330

Zanesville District Office
17 North Fourth Street, Suite A
Zanesville, Ohio 43701
Contact TOLL FREE: 1-866-910-7577
or: (740) 452-6338
Fax: (740) 452-6354

Chillicothe District Office
14 South Paint Street Suite Six
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601
Contact TOLL FREE: 1-866-910-7577
or: (740) 779-1636
Fax: (740) 779-2352

Washington DC
315 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
ph: (202) 225-6265
fax: (202) 225-3394

Mark's Remarks

No surprise. Space has no spine, no fiber at all. Dick Morris has been proven wrong, again. On Sean Hannity's show Monday night, he said we should be writing to Zack Space to thank him for standing up against healthcare. I think Mr. Morris owes us all a retraction and an apology for even suggesting this @$$h@t could stand up against anything.

Today's News

My mom just sent this over to me in email...

A Harley biker is riding by the zoo in Washington, DC when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion's cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents.

The biker jumps off his Harley, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch.

Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A reporter has watched the whole event.

The reporter addressing the Harley rider says, 'Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I've seen a man do in my whole life.'

The Harley rider replies, 'Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger and acted as I felt right.'

The reporter says, 'Well, I'll make sure this won't go unnoticed. I'm a journalist, you know, and tomorrow's paper will have this story on the front page... So, what do you do for a living and what political affiliation do you have?'

The biker replies, 'I'm a U.S. Marine and a Republican.' The journalist leaves..

The following morning the biker buys the paper to see if it indeed brings news of his actions, and reads, on the front page:

U.S. MARINE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH

That pretty much sums up the liberal news media's approach to the news these days.

Hilarious if it weren't so true.....

DOCUMENT: House Democrats Health Care Bill

I wanted to get this document out there so that folks could start reading this bill for themselves...

House Dems Health Care Bill

UPDATE: For a long laundry list of the horrors that are contained in this thousand-page-plus stinker, read here.

Columbus City Hall Incumbents Hide from Debate Challenge

Release:

(COLUMBUS, OH) Matt Ferris, candidate for Columbus City Council, called on Priscilla Tyson, Eileen Paley, and A. Troy Miller to answer his challenge to debate the proposed 25% income tax increase. Tyson, Paley, and Miller are all incumbent members of Columbus City Council and are up for election in November.

"Our city is at a crossroads. The tax increase is one of the most important issues facing Columbus and polling has shown that a majority of voters oppose it. If the tax increase passes, these three members of City Council will decide how the money from the tax is spent. Therefore, as incumbent Council members and candidates for City Council, Paley, Miller, and Tyson owe it to the voters to discuss publicly the ramifications of this tax increase."

Ferris issued his debate challenge in a letter to Tyson, Paley, and Miller's homes that he sent on Saturday the 18th and called their offices to re-issue the challenge on Thursday the 23rd.

Ferris has proposed a plan to balance the budget without raising taxes and without cutting police and fire services. The full plan can be viewed at www.TheFerrisPlan.com

Ohio Energy Update

I was asked a question about two candidates for an Ohio Senate seat yesterday and as I was researching the two individuals in question, I came across something that I hadn't heard about and wanted to sahre with you all...

On March 30th of this year, Minority Whip John Adams introduced a bill that would allow the Director of Natural Resources to issue permits and make leases to take and remove natural gas and oil from under the bed of Lake Erie.

HB 110 was assigned to the Agriculture and Natural Resources committee where Democrats who control the chamber have let it sit.

I don't have a dollar figure to provide here, but I would imagine that the fees associated with granting permits and leases to do this sort of business might have an interesting effect on this state's bottom line. We're still having budget problems and once again we see Ohio House Democrats not bothering to even hear an idea that might help us out of the situation.

This bill had 31 co-sponsors. My question is this: We have more than 31 Republicans in the Ohio House, where are the rest of them? The good guys (and gals) are: Representatives Batchelder, Blessing, Jordan, Boose, Burke, Combs, Goodwin, Hall, Huffman, Martin, Morgan, Stebelton, Uecker, Wagner, Wachtmann, Daniels, Bubp, Grossman, Adams, R., Amstutz, Zehringer, Hackett, Balderson, Mecklenborg, Blair, McClain, Snitchler, Maag, Stautberg, Ruhl, and Sears.

Shannon Jones, Bill Coley, and Tim Derickson...where are you?

Church Wants to Drill for Natural Gas

The Dayton Daily News had a really interesting story about a church in Stow, Ohio that wants to drill for natural gas as a way to secure its financial future.

Of course, a couple of NIMBYs in the neighborhood are preventing this from happening.

I'll believe that we have a real energy crisis when those who claim they want us off foreign sources of energy will allow us to explore and exploit our own resources.

UPDATES

UPDATE: Shannon Jones responded on Facebook and I thought it would be smart to post her response here too:

Thanks for asking, Matt. I have been a long supporter of drilling on public lands. I typically don't co-sponsor much - especially when I don't serve on the committee that will hear the bill -- because you can't control how the bill gets changed. Often times it changes so much you don't recognize it and wouldn't have supported it to begin with. So you know, we were successful in getting the drilling language in the conference report of the budget. Sadly it was one of Governor Strickland's vetoes. Since he doesn't support it and the House Ds don't support it we won't get anything done on this issue. Ohio is full of natural resources -- we ought to be extracting them for use of the taxpayers. Speaking of energy, did you read the Riskind article in today's Dispatch on the Piketon plant? Check it out. This is another area where Obama and Strickland have failed us on energy policy. And jobs too. Sad.

I think this is the Riskind story she was referring to...and I'm glad that she brought that up because I was trying to decide if I should include that in this post. The Piketon plant is another in the long line of Ted Strickland failures.

UPDATE 2: In further research, I came across something that might have been a snag...

The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 prohibits a federal or state permit or lease from being issued for new oil and gas slant, directional, or offshore drilling in or under one or more of the Great Lakes (42 USC § 15941). Thus, if enacted, the bill might conflict with federal law.

Of course, had the bill seen the light of day, we could have started an effort to get our Congressional delegation working on fixing it...

UPDATE 3: This is pretty interesting...

Matt, another angle to the Federal limitation is that the Feds have in effect "taken" the subsurface resources of the lakes, without any input from the Great Lakes states - who OWN the lake bottoms and everything below to the center of the earth.

If my emailer is going where I think he is, this might make for an interesting Tenth Amendment type case...

If memory serves, Michigan has been dreadful when it comes to supporting endeavors such as what is suggested in this bill. Canada, on the other hand...

Butler County Update: Sheriff Deputies Nab Illegal Alien Drug Dealer

This just in...

Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones announces today that his newly formed “Highway Interdiction Team” (part of the BURN unit) is scoring points in the fight against drugs in this county. Deputies arrested Juan Alfonso Rivera-Murillo (age 25) during a traffic stop at around 9:30 am this morning on State Route #4 near the by-pass in the city of Fairfield. The officers found approximately 27 grams of Heroine hidden in the vehicle. It is believed such an amount of heroine would have a street value of approximately $5,000.00 dollars.

The illegal drugs were believed to have come from Montgomery County, however, Rivera-Murillo refused to cooperate with officers during investigation. Seized from this incident: a 2000 Ford Explorer and over $600.00 dollars in US currency.

Rivera-Murillo reported that he is in the United States illegally from Mexico and an “ICE” holder was placed against him for deportation proceedings.

Rivera-Murillo was charged with Possession of Drugs (Felony 2) and Trafficking in Drugs (Felony 2).

Time for Voinovich to Shut Up

I've seen references to this Dispatch bit with Senator Voinovich that is just too stupid for me to not pass up...

Voinovich said the deal hatched by Strickland is short-sighted: "This budget will get him through the (2010) election, but then we'll have hell to pay."

The key point there is that the budget deal will get Strickland through the election... Strickland and Ohio demcorats aren't worried about when they will have to pay the piper, all they care about is keeping their power. Short-sighted? Yeah...thanks for that brilliant analysis, Socrates...

Even dumber...

Barack Obama's biggest problem? Two words: Nancy Pelosi.

Not the empty suit? Not the socialism? Not the broken campaign promises...it's Nancy Pelosi. Got it. Thanks for playing...

As dumb as that was, grandpa gets downright crazy in this bit:

The GOP's biggest problem? "We got too many Jim DeMints (R-S.C.) and Tom Coburns (R-Okla.). It's the Southerners. They get on TV and go "errrr, errrrr." People hear them and say, 'These people, they're Southerners. The party's being taken over by Southerners. What they hell they got to do with Ohio?'"

Errrrr, errrrrr? Really, grandpa, is that what they do? Because I though guys like Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn actually ARE fiscal conservatives and a deficit hawks, unlike some people...

By the way, Senator, you might not know this but southerners are STILL Americans. Jack@$$.

You want to know what is wrong with the GOP, senator? I'll tell you: For far too long, we have continued to support people like you who have long outlived their usefulness in Dee Cee. That is what is wrong with the GOP. But we have Hope and Change now because of guys like you and your buddy Mikey DeWine...thanks a lot.

Team Obama's Moving Goalposts and Shifting Goals Obscure Real Healthcare Issues...

Obama says first that he wants everyone to be covered. Then he says, no, the real reason he wants reform is to reduce costs. Then, no, it isn't that, it is about access. He and his team keep shifting goals and focus on the healthcare debate. All that does is keep misperceptions alive and keep us from really tackling the issue. Robert Samuelson delves deeper:

If you listen to President Obama, his "reform" will satisfy almost everyone. It will insure the uninsured, control runaway health spending, subdue future budget deficits, preserve choice for patients and improve quality of care. These claims are self-serving exaggerations and political fantasies. They have destroyed what should be a serious national discussion of health care.

Instead of a serious discussion, we are presented with utopian panacea. We are given this notion of a false nonchoice, that we can have it both ways. And these assumptions are based on myth:

The health-care conundrum involves a contradiction that the administration steadfastly obscures: In the short run -- meaning four to eight years -- government cannot both insure the uninsured and rein in health spending. Here's why. The notion that the uninsured get little or no care is a myth: They now receive about 50 to 70 percent as much health care as the insured. If they become insured, they would use more health care, possibly as much as today's insured. That would increase both government and private health spending, depending on how the insurance is provided.

So here we shoot down at least two myths. One, that the poor and uninsured don't receive treatment. And two, that insuring everyone is going to save money. It won't. It can't. It is a lie.

But changing the way medical care is delivered and paid for would take years and involve disruptive and unpopular measures. Patient co-payments might increase; networks of doctors and hospitals might displace individual practices; the tax exclusion for employer-paid health insurance might be curbed. Obama downplays the obstacles. His "reform" isn't likely to compel needed changes, partly because it's not clear what will work.

That's the way it is with liberals. Who cares if it won't work, it will make us feel better that we tried, that we meant well. Where does the road paved with good intentions lead again?

Evaluations of proposals reflect this reality. The Congressional Budget Office judges that the legislation in the House would, through expanded Medicaid and subsidies for private insurance, reduce the uninsured from 46 million in 2007 to 17 million in 2019. But the cost would be $1 trillion over a decade; of that, $239 billion would add to the budget deficit. Worse, the costs would rise faster than the sources of financing, including a tax on the wealthy. In 2019, the projection's last year, the deficit would be $65 billion. Assuming that the deficit rises 4 percent a year, the cumulative shortfall in the second decade would total about $800 billion.

Now we are talking real money, folks. The ChiComms are really going to be mad when they see this, about how our deficits will rise and how this will affect their investment in our country, since they hold most of our debt. Gee, you would think Obama would give us fact, not fantasy. But not so:

But Obama sees all blue sky. "Here's what reform will mean for you," he said at a recent rally. "It will mean lower costs and more choices and coverage you can count on. Health insurance reform will save you and your family money," he said. (Note: Except for subsidies, it's doubtful families will experience savings anytime soon.) And later: "We'll also change incentives so that our doctors and our nurses can finally start providing patients with the best care and not just the most expensive care. And if we do that, then reform . . . will lower our deficits in the long run."

Contrast Obama's reassuring rhetoric with this exchange at a congressional hearing between Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, and Douglas Elmendorf, head of the CBO.

Conrad: "From what you have seen from the product of the committees that have reported, do you see a successful effort being mounted to bend the long-term cost curve?"

Elmendorf: "No, Mr. Chairman. In the legislation that has been reported, we do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount. And on the contrary, the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs. . . . The (cost) curve is being raised."

Anyone else want to listen to more of Obama's bedtime stories? In the next one, Hillary the Huffer gets North Korea to give up weapons by giving the Frog Prince Kim Jong Il a Kiss......
Check out the whole thing for a reasonable discussion on the perils and pitfalls of Obamination Care.

Rubin: Why Obama-Gates-Crowley Matters....

Jennifer Rubin has an excellent piece up about why the whole flap about Professor Gates v. the Cambridge Police and Officer Crowley and Thug Leader Obama's reaction to it matter. She cites five reasons:

First, it suggests he is an uninformed busy-body. With a paucity of facts and no evidence of racism, he chose to opine on a local matter which otherwise would never rise to the level of a presidential issue. As Steve Chapman wrote:

Barack Obama got to be president because he had qualities Americans were yearning for after the bitter tumult of the Bush years. He was calm, sober, fair-minded, and guided by facts rather than emotions. He didn’t jump to conclusions, he didn’t ignore inconvenient evidence and he didn’t blunder into messes. That was the guy we elected last year, and right now, a lot of people miss him.

The last time we had someone this much of an interloper and busybody, Jimmy Carter was putting the Soviets in Afghanistan and the rise of Islamofascism in Iran aside to decide who was going to use the White House tennis courts....Is this really what we need right now in the economy and world we live in, a man who has no idea about a situation, yet shoots his idiotic racist mouth off about it? And regarding Mr. Chapman, if you actually read Obama's background, you would know what a micromanaging interloper he really was.

Rubin continues:

Second, he sucked the oxygen out of the health care debate at the very moment Democrats were pleading for him to become more involved. On the front pages of major newspapers, on TV news, and on every talk radio show the number one topic was: did Obama mess up on the Gates affair?

Yep, the priority on the table was healthcare and he essentially shot himself in the foot. Over the weekend, most of the news shows were leading with this Gates thing, and if not leading with it, spending the most time discussing it. While healthcare is hopefully dying on the vine, Obama decided to get his Black Panther on and fight The Man. I haven't seen a poorer performance of a guy trying to be tough since Keenan Ivory Wayans in "I'm Gonna Git You, Sucka."

Obama indisputably fanned the flames of racism and rekindled animosity on both sides by assuming or making this all about race. Juan Williams, on Fox News Sunday, did the country an immense service by recounting what exactly occurred: “The president spoke without the facts. You can’t have a ‘teachable moment’ if it’s based on a lie.”As Williams explained, in this case, the neighbor called the police, Gates began to berate the officer (“Do you know who I am?”), trash-talking about the officer’s mother and pursuing him out of the house. The black and Hispanic officers confirmed Gates’ abusive behavior, and Sergeant Crowley took out the handcuffs and warned Gates before finally having to cuff him. Williams asked, “Is this an instance of a poor black kid being beaten by the cops?” No. And in converting this into a tale of police misconduct (he acted “stupidly” Obama said) and racial injustice, Obama only re-enforced the country’s racial divide. Whites often think blacks scream racism at the drop of a hat; blacks think whites are out to get them. Good work, Mr. President.

Dang....if the President has lost Juan Williams....Wow....And the final two reasons:

Fourth, the underlying fault line in Obama’s presidency and his agenda is the growing sense that government is getting too big and is accumulating too much power. It is not just core Republicans who think government is doing too much, but an overwhelming number of independents who are irked by the Washington power grab. Obama, by meddling in a local matter and getting it all wrong, only fed the story line that he is out to boss us around, run our lives, and impose his left-wing perspective on every aspect of American life.

Fifth, Obama has fallen into the unfortunate habit of blaming others. He rails at the “Washington” chatter and doesn’t like the “24-hour news cycle.” His press secretary denies flubs rather than apologize. (What bow to the Saudi king? Nothing to see. Move along.) Once again Robert Gibbs was in full court accusation-mode, sniping at the media for making this story a bigger deal than it was. And again, even when in damage control mode, Obama couldn’t quite walk back his words. As Bill Kristol put it, “He is an arrogant man.” While he has a more sympathetic media than George W. Bush, it soon may sink in that this president is unwilling and unable to take the blame and say “I am sorry.”

Well, Jennifer, you see, being liberal, black, and handsome means never having to say you are sorry....didn't you get the memo? That is what Obama really thinks....

Rasmussen on Obama: -11--More Polarizing than GWB?

Barry Obama continues to drop, which means he will push harder for health care and other socialist measures to come quickly. According to Rasmussen:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 29% of the nation’s voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty percent (40%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -11. That’s the first time his ratings have reached double digits in negative territory. . . . Today is the first update based entirely upon interviews conducted after the President’s prime time televised press conference.”

As my pal Tom Blumer would say, "Boo-yah!"
In related news, more Americans than ever got a good night's sleep during the President's news conference. LOL!

But wait, there is more....Check this out....looking inside the numbers, we find that 4 out of 5 of the people who disapprove of Obama, strongly disapprove. Did GWB EVER, EVER get those type of numbers?

I thought the One would bring us together and unify us. Well, maybe he is....just not the way he hoped.

Outlook for Dem Govs Grim....

Wow, T-Shirt Ted is finally being held to account for his actions, and people are waking up to the idea that Ed Rendell is a joke. Shocking, but apparently true...From Michael Barone:

With polls showing a drop in Barack Obama's job rating and sinking support for the Democrats' health care plans, there is evidence of collateral damage where you might not expect to find it, in the standing of Democratic governors. Pennsylvania's Ed Rendell is suddenly getting negative job ratings in both the Quinnipiac and the Franklin and Marshall polls -- his lowest marks in seven years as governor. Ohio's Ted Strickland, who has spent most of his first term working amicably with Republican legislators, scores under 50 percent in the latest Quinnipiac poll and has only tenuous leads over two Republicans, John Kasich and Mike DeWine, who may run against him next year.

Obviously Mr. Barone did not get the memo that Mike DeWine is running for attorney general, which should tell you something. Just think, if the ORP and "leaders" like Jon "hug me teddy" Husted had stood up against T Shirt Ted and Big Government more, maybe, just maybe Ted would be more in the tank. But no, "hug me teddy" Husted convinced reps like Danny Bubp and others to roll over on the governor's budgets, and bango, no more Republican majority in the House. Just think, if the ORP would do more than talk about lowering taxes and balancing budgets (anyone remember the difference between Bobby Taft's rhetoric and his actual performance?), we might be in even better shape.

However, it is not just these old Dem stalwarts who are in trouble:

In the two governor races being contested this year, Republicans seem to have an advantage. Republican Bob McDonnell has led Democrat Creigh Deeds in all but one poll and picked up the support of Black Entertainment Television billionaire Sheila Johnson, one of the biggest contributors to the incumbent, Democratic National Chairman Tim Kaine. New Jersey incumbent Jon Corzine, who spent more than $100 million on narrow wins for senator in 2000 and governor in 2005, is 15 points behind Republican Chris Christie. Corzine will not be helped by the indictment of multiple Jersey pols, most of them Democrats, in a case initiated by Christie when he was U.S. attorney.

There's an argument that these results hold little relevance to the standing of the national parties. Almost every state faces severe fiscal problems, and standoffs between a governor and a legislature can drag the governor's ratings way down, as in the case of California's Arnold Schwarzenegger. Moreover, a governor's personal strengths and weaknesses can override party identification; one of the nation's highest-rated governors is Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat in very Republican Wyoming.

Even so, these numbers should be troubling for Democrats. Rendell and Strickland are attractive personalities with some penchant for centrist policies. Both were suggested as possible running mates for Barack Obama (both sensibly swatted away those suggestions). Corzine is running in a state that, with a rising immigrant population and an outflow of affluent residents, has been solidly Democratic for a dozen years. Altogether these states have 69 electoral votes, and Obama won all four by comfortable margins last November.

Democratic governors in other important states also have been getting low marks from voters. North Carolina's freshly elected Bev Perdue has only 26 percent of voters willing to re-elect her. Colorado's Bill Ritter, Washington's Christine Gregoire, Oregon's Ted Kulongoski, Wisconsin's Jim Doyle, Massachusetts' Deval Patrick, and Michigan's Jennifer Granholm have been getting submajority voter approval most of the year.

These governors are mostly able and attractive people, and every one of their states voted for Obama. None of them is tarred by scandal or not up to the job, as seems to be the case with the nation's lowest-rated governors, Nevada Republican Jim Gibbons and New York Democrat David Paterson.

Heh....I guess we gave the libs enough rope to hang themselves, and they are doing it....Michael Barone sees that this might be that Americans don't like big government (gee, didn't a former actor turned political genius say that a couple decades or so ago?):

take all this as evidence -- not conclusive evidence, but significant evidence -- for the proposition that economic distress does not predispose voters to favor bigger government. Not all the reasons for these governors' negative job ratings arise from debates over the size of government, but many do -- and voters are clearly not hankering for more government.

When you put these results together with Obama's slide in the polls, they suggest trouble for big-government Democrats. Pollster Scott Rasmussen now shows Obama with only 49 percent job approval; when he asked voters which party they'd like to represent them in the House, Republicans came out ahead of Democrats.

If the National GOP had any real conservative leadership, we would be so far ahead in the polls by now. No, instead, we are still twiddling our thumbs and trying to stick out olive branches to those who stab us in the back (see DeWine, Mike; Powell, Colin; et. al.). No, what we should be doing is educating the public on what conservative solutions look like. The real problem, I think, is that those in charge of our parties have no idea what such things look like, because they just talk the talk, they don't internalize it and apply it. But boy, if only we had some transformational leadership, imagine where we would be. To think that with the joke of leadership on the national (Lindsey Graham? uh, no. John McCain? Hell no. Mitt Romney? You must be joking. Anyone seen Massachusetts socialized medicine crisis?) or the state level (Hug Me Husted and Mike DeWine? Can anyone tell me what these and earthworms have in common besides eating dirt and slithering? Answer: no spines) that we are doing this well so far from 2012, is both heartening and foreboding. I wonder how the GOP will screw it up.

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Allen County Update: Republicans Raising Taxes

Here we go again...

What is it about Republicans at the local level who fail to understand that raising taxes during a recession is BAD NEWS?

Some friends in Allen County are fighting off an effort by establishment Republicans who are determined to raise local taxes. Learn more about the fight by clicking here. This one is time sensitive, so if you live in Allen County, act NOW.

GUEST COLUMN: "August is Child Support Awareness Month" by Rachel Hutzel

By Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel

In recognition of Child Support Awareness Month, the Warren County Child Support Enforcement Agency(CSEA) will be doing a number of the things. The Agency will hold a coloring contest for children who visit The Agency in the month of August. Prizes will be given out at the end of the month to the winners in each age group. Additionally, the CSEA will recognize CSEA employees for their hard work and dedication.

CSEA Attorneys will present continuing education training for the Warren County Bar Association members. The training is free and will focus on child support order practice tips.

The CSEA is also pleased to announce further upgrades to their website. The CSEA is constantly striving to offer convenience and outstanding customer service to the citizens of Warren County. The newest upgrade to the Agency’s website will include an email notification option where customers can provide their email address and receive notifications regarding upcoming CSEA events or announcements regarding important changes to the Child Support Program. The website will also offer an option for customers to update the Agency online with address changes and new employer information.

During the month of August, those individuals with outstanding civil child support warrants from Warren County can call the C.S.E.A. and request a hearing on their case.

Warren County Prosecutor Rachel A. Hutzel, who manages the Warren County Child Support Enforcement Agency said, “financial support is key to maintaining stable families. Our CSEA does a great job of securing court ordered financial support for Warren County families.”

Elizabeth A. Secrest, Director of the Warren County CSEA said, “the success of the Warren County CSEA is a result of the collaboration of several agencies including the Sheriff, the Clerk of Courts, Adult Probation, Community Corrections, Workforce One and the Prosecuting Attorney.” The CSEA works closely with the Juvenile, Domestic Relations, and General Divisions of the Common Pleas Courts to ensure that court cases are presented in a timely and efficient manner.
Additionally, the CSEA partners with several other agencies in an attempt to provide service referrals that can assist our child support payors and recipients.

For further information please contact the CSEA at (513) 695-1580 or visit the CSEA at http://www.co.warren.oh.us/wcchildsupport.