Atlas Shrugs

The Evil on the Hill Passed their Bill

Whatever sick gloss they smear on this monster, "work makes you free," it is a disaster. Obama and his henchmen have declared war on the American people. Welcome to Christmas eve '09.

Did anyone hear the thief and robber baron (with his house in Ireland!) lecture us about America. What I find so painfully amusing is when looters like Dodd or Frank or Pelosi try to evoke American principles and values, they sound like a rejected Hallmark card that never made it to print.

Dodd whined about the acrimonious debate. Uh, what debate? The Republicans were completely left out of the process, and that is reflected in that abortion of a bill.

Dodd blamed new Senators for "not knowing how the Senate works" -- in other words, get with the corruption! He moaned about other unpleasant things, such as questioning the patriotism and integrity of other Senators traitors and seditionists. But Dodd says he 'hopes' when they reconvene in January, it will be in "comity". "Comity'? They have declared war on America, raped her, and that's not enough: we have to say we're enjoying it. The Democrats thugged their way to a ONE PARTY Bill DAMAGING this country and everyone in it.

Choi saw this verbal diarrhea and lamented:

During his verbal acrobatics, he went into his own little nostalgia hour from the 60's (when he was a Senate page), pointing out where LBJ's Seat was, and invoking that "John F. Kennedy was President", and bringing in Hubert Humphrey, Barry Goldwater and Everett Dirksen, and "The 1964 Civil Rights Bill".

It's interesting he would evoke that historical time period. The 60's is when America came under relentless attack by the counter revolution. The left staged a long bloodless coup and won with the election of a radical president.

Dodd went on to quote Thomas Payne:"the times that try men's souls"  followed by him throwing in "the kitchen sink": George Washington, Washington crossing The Delaware, and JFK's assassination,and later quoted Teddy Roosevelt.(I wonder if he was working off a checklist?).

The blowhard, Dodd than went on to tell the Senate that the Vote they're casting at 7am on Christmas eve  "is the most important vote they will ever cast'. WOW! I've seen Political Bullshit, but Dodd is a " Political Bullshit Michaelangelo".

Tracinski in TIA Daily (paid only) said of  the Democrat MOAB on the hill:

I wanted to address the argument that the Democratic victory in 2008 was really a blessing in disguise because it would stimulate a backlash against big government. It certainly has done so. But in this article, I wanted to remind people of all the damage that would be caused in the meantime, damage that will prove very difficult to undo. That seems especially relevant now, with the Senate on the precipice of passing a dreadful, corrupt health-care bill. If we have a trade-off—you get the tea party movement, but at the cost of also getting a big step toward socialized medicine—would you regard that as a beneficial trade? Because that's what the "blessing in disguise" argument turns out to mean in practice.

And as my friend Jack Wakeland has been pointing out to me, if 2009 was the year of Barack Obama's legislative onslaught against liberty, 2010 is likely to be the year of a regulatory onslaught. As his legislative agenda stalls, Obama will begin to use the vast unilateral regulatory power that has been given to the president—starting with his attempt to impose energy rationing by way of the EPA's self-proclaimed power to regulate carbon dioxide emissions. 

On the alchemy of this destruction:

In economics, the broken window fallacy is the idea that destruction—e.g., the breaking of a window—actually stimulates economic activity because of all the work required to repair the damage. The most grotesque expression of the broken window fallacy was a Paul Krugman column in the New York Times shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks, in which he claimed that the destruction of the World Trade Center would stimulate the economy because of all the office space that would have to be rebuilt in lower Manhattan.

Paul Krugman recently received the Nobel Prize in economics.

The "bad news is good" approach to politics asserts something similar. Barack Obama will break so many windows in our culture and economy, this argument goes, that he will stimulate beneficial political activity to repair the damage.

The error in both fallacies is the same.

In the classic expression of the broken window fallacy, a young hoodlum throws a rock through a store window. A crowd gathers and notices that the shop owner has called in a glazier to repair the window. They then begin to reflect on the increased business for the glazier and how his new income will be spent to buy goods from other businesses in town. They end up concluding that the thug who threw the rock was really a benefactor to society because of all the economic activity he generated.

The error is that they see the new economic activity—but they forget about all of the other productive uses the shop owner might have found for his money instead of spending it merely to regain what he has lost.

Similarly, the advocates of the broken culture fallacy see the prospect of congressional Republicans rallying, say, to block a plan for socialized medicine, and they point with excitement to all of this new pro-liberty political activism—but they forget that the purpose of all of this activity is not to expand liberty, but merely to mitigate the damage caused by giving political power to the left.

I do agree that if Barack Obama and the new Democratic Congress attempt to seize a mandate for socialism, they will cause a backlash, and this will indeed stimulate a great deal of pro-liberty activism on the right. But to understand what this means in full context, we should look at the historical record.

There have been several prominent examples of a victory for the left leading to disaster, followed by a comeback for the right. The biggest example is Carter-Reagan. The left took over Congress in 1974 and the White House in 1976, precipitating the fall of South Vietnam, the Communist takeover in Nicaragua, the Islamofascist takeover in Iran, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, as well as double-digit inflation and high unemployment. So the country turned back to the right, electing Ronald Reagan in 1980 on a platform of free markets and strong national defense.

So did bad news turn out to be good?

The actual pattern really went something like this. The left defeated the muddled, compromising old Republicans, and when the backlash came, the country turned to…a new gang of muddled, compromising Republicans—which describes the actual policies of Ronald Reagan, rather than the over-glamorized version now remembered by the right. (This also reminds me of the biggest irony of the "bad news is good" argument. Most of the Objectivist intellectuals who currently make that argument were opposed to this pattern when it actually happened: they denouncing Ronald Reagan and urged Objectivists not to vote for him.) While the conservatives who came to power in the "swing to the right" achieved some good things (defeating the Soviets in Afghanistan, for example, or dramatically decreasing the top marginal tax rate), much of what they did was merely to reverse some of the damage to liberty that had been caused by the left.

And a lot of the broken windows were never fixed. The Islamic Revolution in Iran and the mujahideen in Afghanistan (who were necessary for the fight against the Soviets) laid the foundations for September 11. And government was still much bigger and more intrusive when the whole cycle was completed.

Bad news was bad, and much of the subsequent good news consisted only of making the bad news a little less bad….

There is no conflict between good news for us personally and good news for the cause of liberty. What is good for America in general is always good for the cause of individualism….

Repeat after me: good news is good, bad news is bad. Period.

We Are No Longer a Nation of Laws

We Are No Longer a Nation of Laws. Senate Sets Up Requirement for Super-Majority to Ever Repeal Obamacare

Erick Erickson over at Redstate

If ever the people of the United States rise up and fight over passage of Obamacare, Harry Reid must be remembered as the man who sacrificed the dignity of his office for a few pieces of silver. The rules of fair play that have kept the basic integrity of the Republic alive have died with Harry Reid. Reid has slipped in a provision into the health care legislation prohibiting future Congresses from changing any regulations imposed on Americans by the Independent Medicare [note: originally referred to as "medical"] Advisory Boards, which are commonly called the “Death Panels.”

It was Reid leading the Democrats who ignored 200 years of Senate precedents to rule that Senator Sanders could withdraw his amendment while it was being read.

It was Reid leading the Democrats who has determined again and again over the past few days that hundreds of years of accumulated Senate parliamentary rulings have no bearing on the health care vote.

On December 21, 2009, however, Harry Reid sold out the Republic in toto.

Upon examination of Senator Harry Reid’s amendment to the health care legislation, Senators discovered section 3403. That section changes the rules of the United States Senate.

To change the rules of the United States Senate, there must be sixty-seven votes.

Section 3403 of Senator Harry Reid’s amendment requires that “it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection.” The good news is that this only applies to one section of the Obamacare legislation. The bad news is that it applies to regulations imposed on doctors and patients by the Independent Medicare Advisory Boards a/k/a the Death Panels.

Section 3403 of Senator Reid’s legislation also states, “Notwithstanding rule XV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a committee amendment described in subparagraph (A) may include matter not within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Finance if that matter is relevant to a proposal contained in the bill submitted under subsection (c)(3).” In short, it sets up a rule to ignore another Senate rule.

Senator Jim DeMint confronted the Democrats over Reid’s language. In the past, the Senate Parliamentarian has repeatedly determined that any legislation that also changes the internal standing rules of the Senate must have a two-thirds vote to pass because to change Senate rules, a two-thirds vote is required. Today, the Senate President, acting on the advice of the Senate Parliamentarian, ruled that these rules changes are actually just procedural changes and, despite what the actual words of the legislation say, are not rules changes. Therefore, a two-thirds vote is not needed in contravention to longstanding Senate precedent.

How is that constitutional? It is just like the filibuster. Only 51 votes are needed to pass the amendments, but internally, the Senate is deciding that it will not consider certain business. The Supreme Court is quite clear that it won’t meddle with the internal operations of the House and Senate. To get around the prohibition on considering amendments to that particular subsection of the health care legislation, the Senate must get two-thirds of the Senate to agree to waive the rule. In other words, it will take a super-majority of the people the citizens of our Republican elected to overrule a regulation imposed by a group of faceless bureaucrats and bean counters.

Here is the transcript of the exchange between Jim DeMint and the Senate President:

DEMINT: But, Mr. President, as the chair has confirmed, Rule 22, paragraph 2, of the standing rules of the Senate, states that on a measure or motion to amend the Senate rules, the necessary affirmative vote shall be two-thirds of the senators present and voting. Let me go to the bill before us, because buried deep within the over 2,000 pages of this bill, we find a rather substantial change to the standing rules of the Senate. It is section 3403 and it begins on page 1,000 of the Reid substitute. . . . These provisions not only amend certain rules, they waive certain rules and create entirely new rules out of whole cloth.”    

The Senate President disagreed and said it was a change in procedure, not a change in rules, therefore the Senate precedent that a two-thirds vote is required to change the rules of the Senate does not apply.

Senator DeMint responded:

DEMINT: and so the language you see in this bill that specifically refers to a change in a rule is not a rule change, it’s a procedure change?

THE PRESIDING OFFICER: that is correct.

DEMINT: then i guess our rules mean nothing, do they, if they can re define them. thank you. and i do yield back.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER: the senate stands adjourned until 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.

That’s right. When confronted with the facts, the Senate Democrats ran for cover. The Senate Democrats are ignoring the constitution, the law, and their own rules to pass Obamacare.

To quote the Declaration of Indepedence:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is one of those causes. When the men and women who run this nation, which is supposedly a nation of laws not men, choose to ignore the laws and bribe the men, the people cannot be blamed for wanting to dissolve political bands connecting them to that government.

For your edification, the full transcript of the exchange between Jim DeMint and the Senate President is presented, unedited, below the fold.

Read More →

Democrat Corruption: ACORN Qualifies for Funding in Senate Health Care Bill

It gets worse and worse. 

Weekly Standard Exclusive: ACORN Qualifies for Funding in Senate Health Care Bill

Senator Roland Burris is claiming credit for a provision in Harry Reid's "manager's amendment," unveiled Saturday morning, that could funnel money to ACORN through the health care bill.

On December 9, Burris, an Illinois Democrat, pledged that he would filibuster a health care bill without a public option. "If we have to get 60 and it comes back and it does not have a public option in it, I will not vote for it," he said. Then early last week he said he could vote for the bill if there were changes made to achieve the goals of the public option: "until this bill addresses cost, competition, and accountability in a meaningful way—it will not win [my vote]."

Asked last night before the Senate voted why he was planning to support a bill without a public option, Burris said: "We have a great bill--the best we could get. And it also covers most of our concerns: competition, cost, and accountability." But had anything specifically changed in the text of the bill that helped him change his mind? Burris told THE WEEKLY STANDARD: "It was the disparity provision that was put in, which we had something to do with, in terms of making sure that diabetes and the other diseases that are affecting minorities are really studied by HHS in all of these pilot programs."

The provision he cites, found on pages 240 through 248 of the manager's amendment, requires that six different agencies each establish an “Office of Minority Health.” The agencies are the “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.”

According to page 241 of the amendment:

In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary, acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary, shall award grants, contracts, enter into memoranda of understanding, cooperative, interagency, intra-agency and other agreements with public and nonprofit private entities, agencies, as well as Departmental and Cabinet agencies and organizations, and with organizations that are indigenous human resource providers in communities of color to assure improved health status of racial and ethnic minorities, and shall develop measures to evaluate the effectiveness of activities aimed at reducing health disparities and supporting the local community. Such measures shall evaluate community outreach activities, language services, workforce cultural competence, and other areas as determined by the Secretary.’’

According to a Senate legislative aide, the scandal-plagued Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now could qualify for grants under this provision. ACORN would also qualify for funding on page 150 of the underlying Reid bill, which says that "community and consumer-focused nonprofit groups" may receive grants to "conduct public education activities to raise awareness of the availability of qualified health plans."

Earlier this year, Congress passed and the president signed into law a ban on federal funding for ACORN, but a judge ruled that that law was unconstitutional. If a higher court reverses that ruling, ACORN may be prohibited from receiving funds through the Office of Minority Health earmark. But according to the Senate legislative aide, ACORN would still "absolutely" qualify for federal funding through the provision in the underlying Reid bill because the anti-ACORN appropriations amendment would not apply to funds provided through the health care exchanges.

The Good Jew

This is a harbinger of things to come. This in your face anti-semitism, yet again exposing the left for the monsters they really are.

Is Joe Lieberman a Good Jew? Does the Media Have the Right to Ask That Question? Yid with lid

I was surprised to read David Gibson's Column today in Politics Daily, it was entitled The Joe Lieberman Debate: Good Jew or Bad Jew? Or Not So Bright?, to be honest it feels a bit creepy when someone is trying to determine whether someone else is following their faith. It becomes much more creepy when the person is asking the question about a follower of my faith, and when the questioner is not, as they say, a member of the tribe.

Gibson uses Lieberman's threats to filibuster the Senate health care bill as a bell weather to ascertain whether Lieberman is a good Jew or not. This shows how little the Catholic Gibson understands about the Jewish faith. Jews are taught to conduct buisness with honesty and morality, Lieberman's honest disagreement with the public option and further fanning the deficit, it is his honest opinion which he is making because of his moral responsibility to the people of Connecticut and America. If Gibson believes Lieberman is making a decision for nefarious reasons like a bribe, well then it would call his morality in conducting buisness into question. But there is no verse in the Torah that reads, "Thou Shalt Support the Progressive Liberal position at all times

This is fresh on the heels of these grotesque attacks.

The Washington Post's Ezra Klein writes Lieberman "seems willing to cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in order to settle an old electoral score." Klein referenced a two-year-old think tank paper that estimated 137,000 people died between 2000 and 2006 because they lacked health insurance.

The left's criticism is even extending to Senator Lieberman's wife. Liberal Web site Firedoglake.com  is urging the cancer fighting group, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, to fire Hadassah Lieberman as its global ambassador, in part because of her husband's recent comments about health care reform.

Doctor, Doctor, give me the news ...............

Gratuitous video moment -- my yute! (I shook my tailfeather to this ditty many, many a time!)

No love nobama. :)

Funny. Two months ago, the President invited 150 hand-picked doctors to the White House for a photo-op, and said “Nobody has more credibility with the American people on this than you do.” Fast forward to today, and the California Medical Association (35,000 members strong) is the latest state doctors assn to officially oppose the Senate health care reform bill. Check it out (hat tip Nate)

Fast forward to today, and the California Medical Association (35,000 members strong) is the latest state doctors assn to officially oppose the Senate health care reform bill.

FAST FORWARD!

California doctors group opposes U.S. Senate's healthcare plan

The California Medical Assn. says it would increase costs of services and restrict access for elderly and low-income people.

Mr. President, do our doctors still have “more credibility” than anyone?

These doctors do and did.

NO! NO! 10 TRILLION TIMES NO! NOBAMACARE!

Once again the corrupt party is going to try to ram a healthcare rout down our throats today. It's a vote to vote. More of their convoluted trickery. It's every day now that Americans have to fight for their very lives against the people we elected to represent us.
Please call your Senators and tell them we will meet them with torches and pitchforks if they pull this marxist coup on us. They better snap out of it.

At townhalls and tea parties, rallies, in emails, calls, etc the people have spoken.

Call your Senator here.

UPDATE: Converge on the Capitol to Stop Harry Reid's Health Care Bill!

Harry Reid has introduced the Senate version of the so-called "health care reform" bill.  Just like the bill that passed in the House, Reid's version will increase health care costs, kill medical care in America, and explode the deficit.    Harry Reid knows Americans don't want this bill, which is why he has scheduled the cloture vote for 8 PM on Saturday!      It's not too late to kill the bill -- but you must unite right now with your fellow Americans to show each and every Senator the massive opposition to this latest attempt at controlling your health care.      Patriots from across America will meet on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 1 PM on the East Lawn of the Capitol Building to protest this dangerous bill.       That is across the street from the Cannon House Office Building, along Independence Avenue.  For a map, click here.      If the cloture vote passes, debate will begin on the health care bill, and it will be more difficult than ever to stop the bill from passing.  That's why you must take a stand on Saturday!

A Grieving Nation, A Thieving Administration: OBAMACARE MOB RULE

Under cover of darkness and treachery, a stunned and grieving nation, reeling from the largest terrorist attack on a military base in U.S. history, was victimized and terrorized again -- but this time from a different enemy within, our elected officials. The snakes pulled a fast one on a Saturday night. Despite overwhelming and unprecedented opposition to nationalized obamacare (tea parties, town halls, 912 rallies, Bachmann's call for action) the craven statists in the House of Representatives passed the homicidal healthcare resolution. One more shackle on our necks to enslave the individual.

Instead of passing emergency legislation to protect the American people (the only real purpose of the government) from the infiltration of jihadists in the crucial institutions of national security.

Whatever happens, remember that your elected officials whom you voted for, whom you stood behind, whom you trusted, stabbed you, your children, your country in the neck.

The health care bill hands over 20% of the American economy to the quisling bloodsuckers running the country.

Ayn Rand wrote:  A “mixed economy” [socialism/capitalism] is a society in the process of committing suicide.

A nation cannot survive half-slave, half-free. Consider the condition of a nation in which every other social group becomes both the slave and the enslaved of every other group. Ask yourself how long such a condition can last and what its inevitable outcome will be.

Statism is a system of perpetual civil war. And that war in a “mixed economy” takes the form of “pressure group" warfare, each group fighting for legislation to extort its own advantage by force from all other groups.

STATISM is nothing more than gang rule.

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 887

(Democrats in roman; Republicans in italic; Independents underlined)

      H R 3962      RECORDED VOTE      7-Nov-2009      11:16 PM
      QUESTION:  On Passage
      BILL TITLE: Affordable Health Care for America Act

 

	Ayes	Noes	PRES	NV
Democratic	219	39
Republican	1	176
Independent
TOTALS	220	215

  ---- AYES    220 ---
 

Abercrombie Ackerman Andrews Arcuri Baca Baldwin Bean Becerra Berkley Berman Berry Bishop (GA) Bishop (NY) Blumenauer Boswell Brady (PA) Braley (IA) Brown, Corrine Butterfield Cao Capps Capuano Cardoza Carnahan Carney Carson (IN) Castor (FL) Chu Clarke Clay Cleaver Clyburn Cohen Connolly (VA) Conyers Cooper Costa Costello Courtney Crowley Cuellar Cummings Dahlkemper Davis (CA) Davis (IL) DeFazio DeGette Delahunt DeLauro Dicks Dingell Doggett Donnelly (IN) Doyle Driehaus Edwards (MD) Ellison Ellsworth Engel Eshoo Etheridge Farr Fattah Filner Foster Frank (MA) Fudge Garamendi Giffords Gonzalez Grayson Green, Al Green, Gene Grijalva

Gutierrez Hall (NY) Halvorson Hare Harman Hastings (FL) Heinrich Higgins Hill Himes Hinchey Hinojosa Hirono Hodes Holt Honda Hoyer Inslee Israel Jackson (IL) Jackson-Lee (TX) Johnson (GA) Johnson, E. B. Kagen Kanjorski Kaptur Kennedy Kildee Kilpatrick (MI) Kilroy Kind Kirkpatrick (AZ) Klein (FL) Langevin Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) Lee (CA) Levin Lewis (GA) Lipinski Loebsack Lofgren, Zoe Lowey Luján Lynch Maffei Maloney Markey (MA) Matsui McCarthy (NY) McCollum McDermott McGovern McNerney Meek (FL) Meeks (NY) Michaud Miller (NC) Miller, George Mitchell Mollohan Moore (KS) Moore (WI) Moran (VA) Murphy (CT) Murphy, Patrick Murtha Nadler (NY) Napolitano Neal (MA) Oberstar Obey Olver Ortiz

Owens Pallone Pascrell Pastor (AZ) Payne Pelosi Perlmutter Perriello Peters Pingree (ME) Polis (CO) Pomeroy Price (NC) Quigley Rahall Rangel Reyes Richardson Rodriguez Rothman (NJ) Roybal-Allard Ruppersberger Rush Ryan (OH) Salazar Sánchez, Linda T. Sanchez, Loretta Sarbanes Schakowsky Schauer Schiff Schrader Schwartz Scott (GA) Scott (VA) Serrano Sestak Shea-Porter Sherman Sires Slaughter Smith (WA) Snyder Space Speier Spratt Stark Stupak Sutton Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Tierney Titus Tonko Towns Tsongas Van Hollen Velázquez Visclosky Walz Wasserman Schultz Waters Watson Watt Waxman Weiner Welch Wexler Wilson (OH) Woolsey Wu Yarmuth

  ---- NOES    215 ---
 

Aderholt Adler (NJ) Akin Alexander Altmire Austria Bachmann Bachus Baird Barrett (SC) Barrow Bartlett Barton (TX) Biggert Bilbray Bilirakis Bishop (UT) Blackburn Blunt Boccieri Boehner Bonner Bono Mack Boozman Boren Boucher Boustany Boyd Brady (TX) Bright Broun (GA) Brown (SC) Brown-Waite, Ginny Buchanan Burgess Burton (IN) Buyer Calvert Camp Campbell Cantor Capito Carter Cassidy Castle Chaffetz Chandler Childers Coble Coffman (CO) Cole Conaway Crenshaw Culberson Davis (AL) Davis (KY) Davis (TN) Deal (GA) Dent Diaz-Balart, L. Diaz-Balart, M. Dreier Duncan Edwards (TX) Ehlers Emerson Fallin Flake Fleming Forbes Fortenberry Foxx

Franks (AZ) Frelinghuysen Gallegly Garrett (NJ) Gerlach Gingrey (GA) Gohmert Goodlatte Gordon (TN) Granger Graves Griffith Guthrie Hall (TX) Harper Hastings (WA) Heller Hensarling Herger Herseth Sandlin Hoekstra Holden Hunter Inglis Issa Jenkins Johnson (IL) Johnson, Sam Jones Jordan (OH) King (IA) King (NY) Kingston Kirk Kissell Kline (MN) Kosmas Kratovil Kucinich Lamborn Lance Latham LaTourette Latta Lee (NY) Lewis (CA) Linder LoBiondo Lucas Luetkemeyer Lummis Lungren, Daniel E. Mack Manzullo Marchant Markey (CO) Marshall Massa Matheson McCarthy (CA) McCaul McClintock McCotter McHenry McIntyre McKeon McMahon McMorris Rodgers Melancon Mica Miller (FL) Miller (MI)

Miller, Gary Minnick Moran (KS) Murphy (NY) Murphy, Tim Myrick Neugebauer Nunes Nye Olson Paul Paulsen Pence Peterson Petri Pitts Platts Poe (TX) Posey Price (GA) Putnam Radanovich Rehberg Reichert Roe (TN) Rogers (AL) Rogers (KY) Rogers (MI) Rohrabacher Rooney Ros-Lehtinen Roskam Ross Royce Ryan (WI) Scalise Schmidt Schock Sensenbrenner Sessions Shadegg Shimkus Shuler Shuster Simpson Skelton Smith (NE) Smith (NJ) Smith (TX) Souder Stearns Sullivan Tanner Taylor Teague Terry Thompson (PA) Thornberry Tiahrt Tiberi Turner Upton Walden Wamp Westmoreland Whitfield Wilson (SC) Wittman Wolf Young (AK) Young (FL)

---

Get on it!

Get in the fight against statism. The life you save will be your own (and grandmas's and the kids, and Aunt Bessie .....)

The depraved and degenerate Democrat party is using the "distraction" of the biggest terror attack on a US military base in history to ram through healthcare today. Nazi Pelosi is the poster girl for this century's national socialism. 

Call your representatives today.

Subject: Vote on Healthcare Tonight

Here's a list of the Democrats who are (reportedly) undecided or on the fence. Time to jam the phone lines. If they're not in your district it doesn't matter. Call 'em anyway. Call as many as you can. Someone who wants to force you to purchase health insurance shouldn't get the luxury of not hearing from you just because he or she doesn't "represent" your district. To hell with that.

AK Artur Davis 202-225-2665
AL Parker Griffith 202-225-4801
AR Marion Berry 202-225-4076
AZ Raul Grijalva 202-225-2435
AZ Harry Mitchell 202-225-2190
CA Sam Farr 202-225-2861
CA Dennis Cardoza 202-225-6131
CO Jared Polis 202-225-2161
CO John Salazar 202-225-4761
CO Betsy Markey 202-225-4676
GA Jim Marshall 202-225-6531
IA Leanard Boswell 202-225-3806
ID Awalt Minnick 202-225-6611
IL Melissa Bean 202-225-3711
IL Bill Foster 202-225-2976
ILD aniel Lipinski 202-225-5701
IN Baron Hill 202-225-5315
KS Dennis Moore 202-225-2865
MD Frank Kratovil 202-225-5311
MI Dale Kildee 202-225-3611
MI Mark Schauer 202-225-6276
MI Bart Stupak 202-225-4735
MN Collin Peterson 202-225-2165
MN Jim Oberstar 202-225-6211
MO Ike Skelton 202-225-2876
MS Gene Taylor 202-225-5772
NC G.K. Butterfield 202-225-3101
NC Brad Miller 202-225-3032
NC Bob Etheridge 202-225-4531
NC Heath Shuler 202-225-6401
ND Earl Pomeroy 202-225-2611
NM Harry Teague 202-225-2365
NY Yvette Clarke 202-225-6231
NY Eric Massa 202-225-3161
OH Marcy Kaptur 202-225-4146
OH John Boccieri 202-225-3876
OH Dennis Kucinich 202-225-5871
OH Zack Space 202-225-6265
PA Kathy Dahlkemper 202-225-5406
RI Jim Langevin 202-225-2735
SD Stephanie Herseth Sandlin 202-225-2801
TN Steve Cohen 202-225-3265
TN Lincoln Davis 202-225-6831
TN Bart Gordon 202-225-4231
TX Chet Edwards 202-225-6105
UT Jim Matheson 202-225-3011
VA Gerry Connolly 202-225-1492
VA Tom Perriello 202-225-4711
VA Rick Boucher 202-225-3861
VT Peter Welch 202-225-4115
WA Brian Baird 202-225-3536
WI Steve Kagen 202-225-5665
WI Ron Kind 202-225-5506

UPDATE: Jim adds, You can add to that:

Joseph Cao (Louisiana Republican) 202-225-6636 504-483-2325 HE HASN'T MADE UP HIS MIND YET!

Socialized ObamaCare UPDATE: Let them Eat PeloS**T Cake!

From Palin:

The thing is that nobody wants this abortion of a rout. America has spoken and the autocrats in DC are ignoring the will of the American people. They are steamrolling over "we, the people." The Democrats want to steal 1/6 of the American economy. This is what is so galling. People have to get organized and revolt against this oppression.

Here are the latest news updates on the Marxist assault on the American people, the American economy and the Constitution. This cannot stand.

The Pelosi Health Care Bill: Facts and Finds Continued

It is 1,990 pages long so House Republicans and GOP leadership are still reading through the many details included in the Pelosi health care bill, unveiled last Thursday. We will continue delivering updates here on GOP.gov as more details are revealed. Be sure to check out our three previous entries full of facts pulled from specific pages of the bill. The nuggets of information included in these posts say a lot about what is included in the bill. Read reactions and statements from House Republicans on the bill here.

Over 100 New Federal Bureaucracies Created in Pelosi Health Care Bill

--Find some of my favorites here

Pelosi Health Care Bill By the Numbers (and there are A LOT of numbers you don’t want to miss out on)

House Leader John Boehner Delivers the Weekly Republican Address here

If you haven’t “Let Your Voice Be Heard” by posting Congressman Pence’s new video on your blog, you are behind the curve :)

ACTION ALERT! ACTION ALERT! ACTION ALERT!

Did you know that the House will vote on a health care bill this week?  We have an action plan.  Big events are happening all week!

Dear Fellow American Patriots:

Wow! Has this not been one big roller coaster ride???

The bottom line is we are now in the final countdown.

The entire House will vote on a health care bill this week, as early as Thursday afternoon.

For months we have all been working feverishly to make sure that government run health care legislation is not passed. We have done it all:

We’ve yelled.

We’ve called.

We’ve emailed.

We’ve written.

We’ve rallied.

We’ve even marched on the Capitol.

Still our cries and concerns have not been heard. 

We have cried tears of despair and shouted in frustration, but still many are not listening. 

We know you all are so very tired. We know that each of you work tirelessly each and everyday, trying to do your part, to make a difference.  Each of you has done a great job at speaking your hearts.

Some are calling for more angry protests, even storming the Capitol, but let’s not give the media another chance to falsely portray us as an unruly mob.

INSTEAD, LET’S REMIND THEM WHY WE ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR COUNTRY.

Together, with the doctors of Take Back Medicine and the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, the Patriots of Tea Party Patriots Live, Resistnet, and the Tea Party Express, are going to STAND TOGETHER, speak from the heart, and remind Washington we will stand together to protect this country!

On Thursday, November 5^th, Representative Michele Bachman (MN) will stand on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. She will be joined by other Members of Congress and many Patriots from across this country.  People will be traveling from coast to coast, to stand shoulder to shoulder with other Patriots in Washington this week.   

We know most of you can’t get to Washington again so soon…..

So let’s join Representative Bachman and other Patriots by turning out at State Capitols and Congressional district offices across the country.

Instead of yelling or protesting, let’s sing “God Bless America” at 12:30 pm EST at every location across the country.  Let’s send a message that says “WE STAND TOGETHER!”

ACTION STEPS ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5

1.  GO TO U.S. CAPITOL at 12 noon EST

If you can make it to D.C., stand up with the other patriots who will be standing with Representative Bachman.

At 12:30, everyone will sing “God Bless America.”

After singing with Patriots from across this country, deliver handwritten letters to the Representatives telling them to VOTE NO on government controlled health care.

2. GO TO DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES at 12 noon EST

At 12:30 pm EST, at the exact same time around the country, in Washington, D.C. and at your local Congressional offices, join together and sing “God Bless America.”

After singing with Patriots from across this country, deliver handwritten letters to the Representatives telling them to VOTE NO on government controlled health care.

3.  GO TO STATE CAPITOL at 12 noon EST

At 12:30 pm EST, at the exact same time around the country, in Washington, D.C. and at your local Congressional offices, join together and sing “God Bless America.”

4.Twitter “We Stand Together” and use hashtag #killbill at 12:15pm.

You can update your location and progress throughout the day using Twitter hashtag #killbill.  Please send us your videos and pictures.  There will be live broadcasting of some events throughout the day.  You can broadcast your own event by using Ustream.tv or Next2Friends.com.

5. Call the White House (202.456.1414) at 1:00pm

Tell the White House “We Stand Together."

6.  Call your local Congressional office at 1:15 pm.

You can find the number here or you can dial the Washington, D.C. Congressional switchboard (202.224.3121) to contact the DC office.

7. Email your Representative at 1:30 pm.

You can email your Representative here.

President Contempt

WTF? Can someone read a job description to this divisive clown? He is still running a campaign, and running Americans down -- Americans who love this country, no less. (Have you come to loathe his fake southern accent as much as I do?)

Video: Obama: Democrats think for themselves, Republicans do what they’re told
MoFo Politics (I love the look of that site!)

Obama: Sometimes Democrats can be their own worst enemies. Democrats are an opinionated bunch. You know the other side, they just kind of do what they’re told. Democrats, ya’ll thinkin’ for yourselves. I like that in you, but it’s time for us to make sure that we finish the job here, we are this close and we’ve got to be unified.

Why Obama and Democrats won't give up on the Public Option

I have long argued that Obamacare has little to do with improving health care and everything to do with control. There are no fixes to the weaknesses in an exemplary health care system, the envy of the world.
It's not about making health care healthier, it's about seizing 20% of the American economy. It's about power. Medicine is the keystone of the arch of socialism - Lenin

The Public Option Deception (Big Government)

......more than one critic has wondered aloud why Democrats don’t just give up on the public option – which is opposed by every Republican – in order to reach a more bipartisan outcome. What exactly is so important about the public option anyway? And why do Democrats in particular seem so wedded to the idea?

There is a simple answer to these questions, but it’s an answer you’ve likely not heard from any institution in the mainstream media. The truth is that the public plan is a carefully devised scheme, a sneaky strategy, to deceive American voters. It’s a political marketing ploy designed to move the nation to a single-payer system – like the one in Canada – over the next decade. The public option is the Trojan horse. On the outside it’s all about “choice and competition”, but once it has been dragged within the walls of American medicine it’s true nature will become evident. By that time, it’ll be too late.

You want proof? We’ve got plenty.

Starting in April on our blog at VerumSerum.com, we have uncovered many prominent advocates of health reform revealing the hidden agenda behind the public option. Most prominently Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), but also Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Even Rahm Emanuel got into the act.

More damning still, we uncovered video of the original architect of the public option, Yale professor Jacob Hacker, describing how it was designed to not “frighten people into thinking they are going to lose their private insurance” even though that is the inevitable result. In another clip he denies the plan is a Trojan horse saying, on the contrary, “it’s right there”. In other words, it’s not even a secret. Most relevant of all, Hacker admits in another clip that the real advantage of his plan is that “at least you can make the claim that there is competition between the public and private sectors”. In other words, this is all a marketing strategy designed to get around public resistance to government-run health care.

For his part, President Obama has been an extremely disciplined salesman. The mantra of “choice and competition” has been repeated to the point that it is little more than political background noise. To this day, neither the President nor any of his spokespeople have been challenged by the media about these claims, despite the fact that there is video evidence which directly contradicts what he is saying. So confident is the President that the media will toe his line that, in a speech in front of the American Medical Association, the President explicitly denied that the public option was a “Trojan horse” for a single payer system. On this, and numerous other occasions, he has said that opponents of reform who claim this are not telling the truth. Outside talk radio, the conservative blogosphere, and a couple editorials in the Wall Street Journal, no one has been willing to suggest that the opposite is the case.

With so many proponents of reform caught on tape directly contradicting the President, it almost seems as if the mainstream media has intentionally avoided covering this story. And as anyone who has been paying attention knows, that’s something they’ve been guilty of more than once since Obama took office. NY Times public editor Clark Hoyt admitted in a bombshell statement that the paper had risked appearing biased for its failure to cover the Van Jones and ACORN stories as they broke. The Washington Post was similarly chastened.

And as it turns out, both papers may have an additional reason to avoid touching this story. Because politicians are not the only ones we have exposed admitting the truth about the public option. Back in June, we posted a video of Ezra Klein from the Washington Post revealing how the public option was designed as a “sneaky strategy” to move towards single payer. And we have posted videos of Paul Krugman from the NY Times admitting much the same.

But nothing we have uncovered previously is as comprehensive and breathtakingly direct as a new audio clip of Paul Krugman we discovered this week. Krugman is speaking on health care reform at Hunter College on July 16, 2008. It’s a long clip at ~5:00 (unedited), but if you want to know why liberals are continuing to fight tooth and nail for the public option, here it is in astonishing detail (click below to listen):

Paul Krugman – Single Payer and the Public Option

TRANSCRIPT HERE.

FULL AUDIO PODCAST HERE.

Just a couple of quick points on this. Since I already knew about this hidden agenda, what I found most striking was Krugman’s admission that even without a public option the system would largely look like a single payer system. Based on the subsidies for lower wage earners, and the fact that everyone else is paying for these with taxes on top of their insurance premiums. (And with the bills being discussed in Congress, subsidies are provided up to 300-400% of the federal poverty level).

Also, I should point out that a “Rube Goldberg device”, which Krugman used as a metaphor, is a term for an over-engineered solution to a simple problem. In this case, designed to obscure the solution they are actually looking for, i.e. single payer.

However, the critical point in all of this is the sheer scope of this deception on the part of the Administration – and the media. Paul Krugman and Ezra Klein have been two of the most prominent media advocates for healthcare reform throughout the debate this year. With numerous appearances on television and their blogs at the New York Times and the Washington Post, respectively. And while they are both unabashedly partisan, this should not excuse them from direct and honest reporting. But of course they have not been fully candid, as they were last year, because in doing so they would reveal the dishonesty on the part of the President and his Administration. (Klein has recently added a whole new layer of deceit.)

It’s long past time for an honest broker in the news media to report on the Administration’s ongoing and deceptive strategy with regards to the public option. The President has made claims which directly contradict statements made by numerous of his supporters – people intimately involved with the health reform process. How can we trust our government to reform one-sixth of our economy when a central element of their plan is based on a deception? And how we can trust the accuracy of information reported by the media when by and large they have been complicit in covering this up? It’s time for these questions to be answered. It’s time to let America know they’ve been getting a hard sell, not an honest diagnosis.

The day Obamacare met the death panels

Suitable asshattery for the asshat in chief.

Obamacare DOA: Rx America, A Doctor's Prescription

Here's a  doctor's common sense solution to Obama's nationalised health care debacle. The good doctor provides real answers. Of course, I don't believe Obama is looking for any such thing. He wants to control 20% of the nation's economy. Period. It's all about control, autocracy and "change".

Medicine is the keystone of the arch of socialism - Lenin

Dr. C. L. Gray, President, Physicians for Reform, (above left), writes exclusively for Atlas. Send it to your Congressmen, Senators, Representatives, etc. If they have a genuine bone in their body, they can't say no.

A SEASON FOR CHANGE

For months now President Obama has extolled the virtues of choice and competition—two free market principles essential for efficiency in healthcare. In fact, these two principles comprise the sum total of the President’s argument for the public option. However, there is a problem—we now find stalemate in Congress.

Nancy Pelosi states the House won’t pass a bill without the public option; the Senate doesn’t have votes to pass a bill with one. And the longer the debate goes on, the less average Americans like what they see. Opposition to the President’s healthcare plan now stands at an all time high. Perhaps we need a change of plans.

Physicians for Reform, a coalition of working physicians, patients, and business leaders, proposes an alternative, common sense solution. It is not ours. It is not even new. Bob Moffit wrote about it three years ago and it was not even new then. Mr. President, if you believe so strongly in the principles of choice and competition, introduce them. Let individuals and businesses purchase insurance across state lines.

With one, simple, 25-page bill—no pork, no slight-of-hand, written with clarity the average American can understand—we can have choice and competition without adding a dime to the federal deficit or asking for a penny of new taxes. Mr. President, in your national address before a joint session of Congress you invited alternative ideas. If this debate is really about patient care and not about politics and power, why not endorse such a bill? When Wolf Blitzer posed this question to David Axelrod, one of your top advisors, even Mr. Axelrod could find no objection. In this age of political stalemate there are few ideas that share such consensus.

No, this one idea won’t solve all of the problems with America’s healthcare system. In fact, Physicians for Reform has laid out four such foundational reforms along with seven secondary reforms. But let’s slow down, take them one at a time, and let each idea stand on its merits.

Letting individuals and businesses purchase insurance across state lines would impact the economy far beyond healthcare. True choice and competition would lower the cost of health insurance for many American businesses. This in turn would lower overhead letting businesses either increase wages or hire new people. Given our economic downturn and rising unemployment, there are few alternative ideas that would stimulate the economy more effectively without costing the Federal government another dime.

Mr. President, you invited alternative ideas. America awaits your response.

C. L. Gray, MD

President, Physicians for Reform

Doctors on the march :)

Doctors Protest Against Obamacare on the Mall, 45% of Doctors Would Consider Quitting If Congress Passes Health Care Overhaul

UPDATE: VIDEO!

UPDATE: DOCTORS REMARKS POSTED! SCROLL FOR C. L. Gray, President, Physicians for Reform:

__________________________________________________________

Grandmas, Grandpas, blue collar, white collar, small business owners, vets, patriots and now doctors ..... I have been covering protests, rallies, etc., for years, and what is happening in America is an historical phenomenon. Americans who have never been politically active, who only want to live and let live with as little government interference as possible, are taking to the streets in the spirit of the American revolution and saying NO.

Two of my sisters and their husbands are hardworking doctors, so I know the difficulty and sacrifice the medical profession demands. That doctors would take to the mall a few days ago and rally is an indication of how really terrible government run health-care is. Early in the debate, when the AMA came out in support, I said to my sisters, what up with that? And they looked at me quizzically. They said the AMA does not represent doctors (the actual figure is somewhere under 17% of doctors are members). Apparently the AMA ceased representing doctors long ago. They are a leftwing tool, much the way AARP doesn't rep seniors.

Two of every three practicing physicians oppose the medical overhaul plan under consideration in Washington, and hundreds of thousands would think about shutting down their practices or retiring early if it were adopted, a new IBD/TIPP Poll has found.

Doctors don't march. Doctors don't protest. Doctors work. This protest, more than any I have seen, is a stunning indictment of Obama and his band of thieves, moochers and looters.

Worse yet, 45% of Doctors Would Consider Quitting If Congress Passes Health Care Overhaul

El Marco has the strange and wonderful photos. America the beautiful.

On September 10, 2009, doctors, nurses and other medical professionals came to Washington, D.C. from across the country to show their opposition to Obamacare. This rally exploded the government-created myth that there is unanimity amongst health care professionals for Democrat plans to take over health care. The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons came to D.C. to present a petition from doctors to lawmakers. The AAPS has been a voice for private physicians since 1943. Their motto is omnia pro aegroto, “all for the patient”. The doctors met with the representatives from their respective states and argued for a platform that avoids unnecessary bureaucratic intervention in health care.

UPDATE: C. L. Gray, President, Physicians for Reform, is the physician on the left of the top (first) picture. He  spoke at the physician rally on Thursday and again at the large rally on the West Lawn on Saturday. Dr. Gray wrote me that, "the experience was both humbling and amazing, particularly when the crowd began to spontaneously sing God Bless America".

Here is the good Doctor's remarks at the rally:

FINDING OUR WAY FORWARD
Sept 10, 2009

The central question facing America today is who should control the personal and complex process of medical decision-making? You and your physician? Or Washington? Government compassion sounds so noble, but remember, whoever pays holds the power to choose.

Strangely absent from today’s healthcare debate is a discussion of the patient / physician relationship. This is remarkable because we may be witnessing the end of Hippocratic medicine here in America.

Since the days of Hippocrates physicians have regarded patients in one of two ways. We find the first outlined in Plato’s Republic. Plato’s ideal physician judged patients on their ability to contribute to society. Young, productive patients were given priority, while older or chronically ill patients were considered a burden. For Plato, the good of the State reigned supreme.

Hippocrates took precisely the opposite view. Hippocrates devoted himself to the individual patient. He believed human life was a gift from the gods; that every patient held intrinsic dignity. Hippocrates swore an oath to do no harm. For Hippocrates, the wellbeing of the individual patient stood foremost in his mind.

These two views have endured through the ages. In fact, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, President Obama’s special advisor for healthcare has resurrected the thinking of Plato—even while diminishing the role of Hippocrates.

In June of 2008 Dr. Emanuel challenged the Hippocratic Oath, citing it as one of the primary reasons for the skyrocketing cost of healthcare. (JAMA, June 18, 2008) In January of 2009, Emanuel laid out what he called the “complete lives system” which gave priority to teens and young adults. When resources were limited, this system argued the elderly should forgo care so resources could be used on younger, more productive patients. (Lancet, 2009, 373)

In 1996 Emanuel discussed allocating healthcare resources based on the needs of society. Non-participating citizens, such as those who have dementia, would not be guaranteed the full range of care. (Hastings Center Report, Dec. 1996)

In light of Emanuel’s writing, I worry about President Obama’s proposal to cut $500 billion from Medicare. I fear we are returning to the world of Plato without even knowing it. I fear society is replacing individuality.

Medicine remains one of the most trusted professions in Western culture. For the past 2,000 years the almost sacred relationship between patients and their physician has been the cornerstone of Hippocratic medicine. Patients want to see a physician they trust. They want to know their physician is looking out for their wellbeing—not the financial interests of the State.

As a physician with a keen interest in the history and philosophy of western medicine I’ve see this debate coming for nearly a decade. Three years ago I founded Physicians for Reform to preserve Hippocratic medicine and to protect the patient / physician relationship.

Mr. President, a few days ago you asked of conservatives, “What are you going to do? What is your answer? What is your plan?”

Our plan is to put the patient first! It includes four common sense reforms, all designed to keep the patient at the center of American healthcare.

1) Insurance Reform: Mr. President, let individuals and business purchase insurance across state lines. This will provide the choice and competition we need but will do so without the highly controversial public option that now pits American against American.

2) Encourage low cost / high deductible plans for younger, healthier Americans. This will encourage transparency.

3) Tax Reform: Give individuals the same tax advantages that businesses have. This will increase portability.

4) Tort Reform: This will save tens of billions of dollars every year without government rationing.

Taken together, these four reforms will save $120 billion dollars every year—more than enough to help our fellow Americans who cannot afford insurance.

A system of tax credits can then be used to help these individuals purchase private plans and fund personal Health Savings Accounts. This will give Americans more control over their own healthcare dollars, and in turn give them more control over their own medical decision-making.

My fellow physicians: we must speak with a unified voice and fight for out patients if Hippocratic medicine is to survive. Please join me in this effort. Go to my web site www.PhysiciansForReform.org and review the details of my plan. I cannot do this alone and must have your support to carry on.

The challenges facing our healthcare system are real. But by working together, we can find solutions the put patients, not the government, at the center of American healthcare.

C. L. Gray, MD
President, Physicians for Reform

A Failed Presidency .... and it's only six months, Hundreds of thousands Millions on the mall

UPDATE 6:49: While Obama did the cowardly thing and ducked out of  town, history was made in DC. Video of traffic cams shows 1.5 to 2 million march on 912 rally. (hat tip Chad)

 

 

screen shots Nelson FOX LIVEFEED HERE

Hundreds of thousands have converged on DC - not activists, not professionals, not tools of Soros orgs or mainstream media lemmings. People who have never engaged politically before.

This ain't manufactured.

Down on the mall -- its not "tea baggers" or 'town hallians'. It is Americans.

The line of protesters completely filled Pennsylvania Avenue for blocks, all the way to the capitol, according to the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. People were chanting "enough, enough" and "We the People." Others yelled "You lie, you lie!" and "Pelosi has to go," referring to California congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

Others are waving U.S. flags and holding signs reading "Go Green Recycle Congress" and "I'm Not Your ATM." Some men are dressed in colonial costumes. Police on motorcycles and horses watched as the marchers passed. (more here)

Obama  - you will not get away with the coup. This is America. Not Europe. Or Kenya. Or Indonesia. Or some banana republic. Congress, 2010 is right around the corner.

The left is going down. Nasty tricks:

According to ABC, a man called FreedomWorks office in D.C. and said, “I put a bomb in your building, bitch.” This forced the evacuation of 50 people who were working to prepare for the event and get out the word about it.

A FreedomWorks staffer told ABC News that the organization’s offices at 601 Pennsylvania Avenue were evacuated on Friday afternoon by DC Metro Police because of a bomb scare.

DC Metro police has confirmed to ABC News’ Jason Ryan that the DC Metro police had, indeed, evacuated the organization’s offices after being told by the organization that it had received a bomb threat.

The threat came when a man called the FreedomWorks main line and told the organization’s female receptionist: “I put a bomb in your building, bitch.”

The FreedomWorks staffer who spoke with ABC News said that the organization has received multiple threats but that for some reason, the DC Metro police thought that this one was credible enough to evacuate the building.

Having dispatched units to and responded to countless bomb threats in my military and law enforcement career, I can tell you that this would have shut down FreedomWorks operations for at least an hour or two as police swept the building for a bomb and any other evidence. It also would have hampered FreedomWorks’ resources as staff continued to work with and provide information to police even after the dust began to settle.

UPDATE: Video from the Free Republic National Convention. Speakers are Major Stefan Cook, Lt Colonel Allen West, and Andrew Wilkow.

UPDATE: DC censorship:

 

How nice of the "powers that be" to shut off the web cam at the Washington Mall so that Americans cannot see the hundreds of thousands of people who are there protesting big government and deficit spending. hat tip Don

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

I wanna live there!

Congressman Rogers makes his opening statement on Health Care reform legislation that is under debate in Congress. (July 16, 2009)

Obama's Nazi (National Socialist) Tactics: Organizing for America 9/11 Day Of Action: "Fight back against our own Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists"

Look at your President's community organizing brown shirts. They are talking about .... YOU. What's next? Bricks and bats.
Coming 911

"All 50 States are coordinating in this – as we fight back against our own Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists who are subverting the American Democratic Process, whipped to a frenzy by their Fox Propaganda Network ceaselessly re-seizing power for their treacherous leaders."

"DEFEAT ANTI-DEMOCRATIC FORCES OF HATE WHO CONSPIRE TO REMAIN HEALTHY + WEALTHY WHILE THE PUBLIC LANGUISHES UNDER THE BURDEN OF OUR PRESENT HEALTH CARE SYSTEM –"

* RECLAIM OUR LAND FROM THE HEIRS OF, YES: BIN LADEN *---* YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE *---

Google cache of page (because they have tried to scrub the page) hat tip Kasper



This is the original page here.

Here is the google cache

UPDATE: Punching out Republicans with cameras at a NY Democrat town hall meeting

Lt. Colonel Allen West: "A Conservative Perspective on Healthcare Reform"

Lt Colonel Allen West to the rescue. Support this man - go West for Congress. He is the best of America - the best prospect we have to save this country from collective ruin.

A Conservative Perspective on Healthcare Reform
Lieutenant Colonel Allen B West (US Army, Retired)
Candidate, Florida US Congressional District 22
30 Aug 2009

This year’s August heat has brought more than high temperatures and developing tropical storms to south Florida. Political discourse has reached a fever pitch over the proposed health care reforms Congress is proposing.

Our health care system needs reforms. We must make our system more affordable and accessible to all Americans. These reforms can be instituted within the classic conservative principles of limited government, liberty, individual responsibility and accountability, and free market solutions.

A true Conservative believes in the individual and setting the conditions for their success. I offer that the post-modern liberal approach feels the “collective” is more important than the individual. Our US Constitution plainly states that the preeminent purpose for Government is to protect the Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness of the citizen, we Americans.

Reducing costs of health care can begin by making changes to our legal system which often results in catastrophic litigation brought against medical professionals. How many “tests” are ordered by attending doctors for us only as a precaution against potential lawsuits?

These costs associated with unnecessary lawsuits are real and often have no basis in fact. A 2006 study by the Harvard School of Public Health found 40% of the lawsuits studied had no patient injury and/or no medical error. Mississippi and Texas recently passed legal reform and insurance premiums have decreased by as much as 70%. These are real savings that will be passed on to health care consumers.

However, as former DNC Chairman Howard Dean stated last week in Alexandria, Va at a townhall meeting, the trial lawyer lobby is more influential than doing what is right.

Why is it that healthcare insurance competition is restricted to individual States? Open this up across the country allowing Americans to receive the best possible plan for their needs. This will force insurance companies to compete for our interest, not us being slaves to them. Personal choice for health care coverage should be a hallmark of any reform.

We need government to provide tax incentives for covering of pre-existing conditions and warn the American people about companies that do not provide best coverage for our citizens. We must also provide tax credits for the working poor, who want health coverage but cannot afford. We can also explore the possibility of increasing child tax deductions for families based upon healthcare costs.

And Americans must have the freedom that portability affords them; they should never have to drop an insurance plan. We have to establish the relationship which is permanent and not that which places them at a disadvantage.

Guaranteed renewable individual insurance contracts are a means by which we can provide Americans the ability to purchase long term, future insurance. This initiative would create the individual relationship, promote portability, and preclude denial on pre-existing conditions. Americans who choose this option would be afforded a tax credit.

We should advocate individual Americans receiving the same tax benefits for individual healthcare plans as enjoyed by employer based plans.

Small businesses should be allowed to pool together in groups in order to have better competition with larger companies and corporations. Pooling small businesses together will create economies of scale and more employers will offer coverage to their workers. These associated health care plans can only be propelled forward by Congress taking action today to encourage more competition for our health care dollar.

Flexible health savings plans allow individuals to have money withheld from their paychecks by their employers. This non-taxed money is then refunded to the individual through a claims process. In effect, the government is losing the income tax and social security tax on the money and is setting a condition in which the individual analyzes their annual healthcare needs. In the case of a catastrophic or new condition, an individual’s medical insurance would kick in. Money not spent in a certain year rolls over to the next and the healthcare dollars continue to grow.

Any legal obstruction to this concept should be removed by Congress.

Those who support a single payer, public option plan should recognize this already exists in the form of Medicaid/Medicare/SCHIP. These are government medical programs which are funded by our taxpayer dollars. These programs are intended to cover those who fall within the respective cracks in the system. Just this past January, SCHIP was expanded to beyond the poverty income level to $83K and the definition of a child, according to new legislation was raised to 25 years of age. Those who are eligible for these programs should be encouraged to sign up for this coverage.

My Dad, who passed in 1986, older brother and I are veterans who interact with the VA Hospital system. I know what government run healthcare systems look like. Ask any Veteran, it is not pretty.

It is well recognized the government run systems are filled with waste and abuse. Any health care reform must ensure these pre-existing government medical programs are meeting their intended purposes; effectively and efficiently. I would offer this is one of the first lines of attack in healthcare reform for the government.

No discussion of health care reform would be complete without including the costs of covering illegal immigrants. An administrator at Martin Medical Center recently disclosed one patient who had stayed at the hospital for 760 days. Another patient had incurred over $1.5 million in health care charges.

Our system simply cannot sustain these costs. Stopping the flow of illegal immigration to our country will save all citizens money in our personal health care expenditures.

On Tuesday, August, 18 I hosted a health care town hall meeting in Deerfield Beach. Nearly seven hundred people attended from all walks of life. At the beginning of the meeting, we announced that all who wish to express their opinions would be given the opportunity to do so.

Many of the attendees expressed very passionate views on health care. But all were afforded the opportunity to speak their piece and were polite in listening to the views of others.

After listening to the varied views of those in attendance, I recognized there was a common thread running through many of their presentations:

• • Opposition to any expansion of a government run health care system.
• • Keeping government out of the relationship between the patient and their doctor.
• • Expansion of personal choice in selecting health coverage.

I agree with these solutions. Those in Congress should listen to these citizens in drafting health care legislation.

I served in the military for 22 years and traveled to 13 countries across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. I can assure you we have one of the best health care systems in the world.

Let us never forget that the government is an entity that can run itself at a loss and raise capital by enacting taxation legislation. That is not fair competition between a public option and private sector.

Of course our system needs reforms. We must always strive to make our systems better. But I also believe we can reform our health care system while maintaining the conservative principles that have made our country great.

LTC(R) A B West

The Party in Charge: Video: Democrat Demands Town Haller ID Before Question

This is pathetic. The whole sad little show. The Dems won't take on their pimps, the trial lawyers, because of money, not fear. But they'll take on the questioner!

The Democrats have refused to address tort reform. Lawsuits and legal malpractice have sent the cost of healthcare (among other whole sectors) through the roof, but tort reform is the Democrats' sacred cow. Everyone should starve except the lawyers. 

Bear in mind that the top trial lawyers' donations amounted to $636,000 to Democrats campaigns vs $5,000 to Republicans.

Palin Rules: No Health Care Reform Without Legal Reform

Finally someone is speaking for the little guy. Exhale.  Sarah is in da hous.

The Democrats have refused to address tort reform. Lawsuits and legal malpractice has sent the cost of healthcare (among other whole sectors) through the roof, but tort reform is the Democrat's sacred cow. Everyone should starve except the lawyers.
What hypocrisy. Palin knows it. She calls them out. Bear in mind that the top trial lawyers' donations amounted to $636,000 to Democrats campaigns vs $5,000 to Republicans.
Transparency! Sarah Palin has just hit on the one issue Obama and his death cult do not want to discuss, and that is tort reform - out of control lawsuits, sky high malpractice insurance, and doctors running more tests than needed just to cover their tails, are all part of the single largest expense in American health care that can easily be remedied.

I say good legal representation is a universal right! I need it more than health care. I want me some $500 an hour lawyers. And I want the leftopath liberals in DC and Hollywood to pay for it  :)

Over at Sarah Palin's Accomplishments

Here is Sarah’s statement from Facebook:

No Health Care Reform Without Legal Reform:

President Obama's health care "reform" plan has met with significant criticism across the country. Many Americans want change and reform in our current health care system. We recognize that while we have the greatest medical care in the world, there are major problems that we must face, especially in terms of reining in costs and allowing care to be affordable for all. However, as we have seen, current plans being pushed by the Democratic leadership represent change that may not be what we had in mind -- change which poses serious ethical concerns over the government having control over our families’ health care decisions. In addition, the current plans greatly increase costs of health care, while doing lip service toward controlling costs.

We need to address a REAL bipartisan reform proposition that will have REAL impacts on costs, and quality of patient care.

As Governor of Alaska, I learned a little bit about being a target for frivolous suits and complaints (Please, do I really need to footnote that?). I went my whole life without needing a lawyer on speed-dial, but all that changes when you become a target for opportunists and people with no scruples. Our nation’s health care providers have been the targets of similar opportunists for years, and they too have found themselves subjected to false, frivolous, and baseless claims. To quote a former president, "I feel your pain."

So what can we do? First, we cannot have health care reform without tort reform. The two are intertwined. For example, one supposed justification for socialized medicine is the high cost of health care. As Dr. Scott Gottlieb recently noted, "If Mr. Obama is serious about lowering costs, he'll need to reform the economic structures in medicine—especially programs like Medicare." [1] Two examples of these "economic structures" are high malpractice insurance premiums foisted on physicians (and ultimately passed on to consumers as "high health care costs") and the billions wasted on defensive medicine.

Dr. Stuart Weinstein, with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, recently explained the problem:

"The medical liability crisis has had many unintended consequences, most notably a decrease in access to care in a growing number of states and an increase in healthcare costs.

Access is affected as physicians move their practices to states with lower liability rates and change their practice patterns to reduce or eliminate high-risk services. When one considers that half of all neurosurgeons—as well as one third of all orthopedic surgeons, one third of all emergency physicians, and one third of all trauma surgeons—are sued each year, is it any wonder that 70 percent of emergency departments are at risk because they lack available on-call specialist coverage?" [2]

Dr. Weinstein makes good points, points completely ignored by President Obama. Dr. Weinstein details the costs that our out-of-control tort system are causing the health care industry and notes research that "found that liability reforms could reduce defensive medicine practices, leading to a 5 percent to 9 percent reduction in medical expenditures without any effect on mortality or medical complications." Dr. Weinstein writes:

"If the Kessler and McClellan estimates were applied to total U.S. healthcare spending in 2005, the defensive medicine costs would total between $100 billion and $178 billion per year. Add to this the cost of defending malpractice cases, paying compensation, and covering additional administrative costs (a total of $29.4 billion). Thus, the average American family pays an additional $1,700 to $2,000 per year in healthcare costs simply to cover the costs of defensive medicine.

Excessive litigation and waste in the nation’s current tort system imposes an estimated yearly tort tax of $9,827 for a family of four and increases healthcare spending in the United States by $124 billion. How does this translate to individuals? The average obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) delivers 100 babies per year. If that OB-GYN must pay a medical liability premium of $200,000 each year (which is the rate in Florida), $2,000 of the delivery cost for each baby goes to pay the cost of the medical liability premium." [3]

You would think that any effort to reform our health care system would include tort reform, especially if the stated purpose for Obama’s plan to nationalize our health care industry is the current high costs.

So I have new questions for the president: Why no legal reform? Why continue to encourage defensive medicine that wastes billions of dollars and does nothing for the patients? Do you want healthcare reform to benefit trial attorneys or patients?

Many states, including my own state of Alaska, have enacted caps on lawsuit awards against health care providers. Texas enacted caps and found that one county’s medical malpractice claims dropped 41 percent, and another study found a "55 percent decline" after reform measures were passed. [4] That’s one step in health care reform. Limiting lawyer contingency fees, as is done under the Federal Tort Claims Act, is another step.

The State of Alaska pioneered the "loser pays" rule in the United States, which deters frivolous civil law suits by making the loser partially pay the winner’s legal bills. Preventing quack doctors from giving "expert" testimony in court against real doctors is another reform.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry noted that, after his state enacted tort reform measures, the number of doctors applying to practice medicine in Texas "skyrocketed by 57 percent" and that the tort reforms "brought critical specialties to underserved areas." These are real reforms that actually improve access to health care. [5]

Dr. Weinstein’s research shows that around $200 billion per year could be saved with legal reform. That’s real savings. That’s money that could be used to build roads, schools, or hospitals.

If you want to save health care, let’s listen to our doctors too. There should be no health care reform without legal reform. There can be no true health care reform without legal reform.

Gary opined:

Tort reform is key. To "fix" healthcare, without major tort reform, would be like going in to do open heart surgery on someone, but not actually working on the heart!

We all know the stories of the trial lawyers who have gotten rich with bogus lawsuits. One of the most egregious practitioners of these phony baloney lawsuits is newly minted baby daddy John Edwards. Edwards became a multi-millionaire ambulance chaser by specializing in suing on behalf of children with cerebral palsy.

[...]

Turn on the television. If you watch for any length of time, you will see dozens of ads from big law firms actively seeking defendants for all sorts of cases. Not saying all of them are bogus, but when you see people resorting to advertising nationally for victims, you have to wonder just how big the problem truly is or isn’t, and conclude it’s all about the Benjamins!

Of course, another issue people overlook in this, is the fact that lawyers are so busy chasing high profile, big paydays, that many cases that are real get shoved aside because they won’t make the attorney a huge payday. Small cases don’t add a new wing to the family compound!

As a Texan, I can say that tort reform works. Texas passed major tort reform years ago, capping damages one could get for "pain and suffering." They also beefed the medical boards to investigate doctors suspected of having issues.

The result? As Sarah points out, thousands of doctors have moved to Texas. This has had a huge impact, especially in rural areas. Where there were once shortages of doctors, now there is coverage.

I live in a hospital town, we are home to a hospital that started out in a log cabin, which is still on the grounds, that has grown into a regional system of hospitals and clinics, and even has it’s own health care insurance plan.

Seeing a doctor here is an easy, very friendly process. Even though the complex is huge, the effort is to make sure every patient has their own regular doctor who is able to meet their needs. Very user friendly.

It is also a teaching hospital and is part of the Texas A&M system.

This is what happens when government is responsible, then gets out of the way.

I agree with Sarah Palin 100% on tort reform. For Barack Obama and the rest of his communist party to talk about "health care reform" without tort reform is beyond ridiculous, and it borders on criminal.

Of course, we all know that actually "reforming" health care is the last thing on these people’s minds. This is all a big power grab, and an attempt to completely usurp the Constitution of the United States. Anyone who has actually read HR 3200 knows that monstrosity is nothing more than a gateway to a complete communist state. It is a liberty and freedom stealing document that needs to be burned!

Lets get serious and get behind Sarah Palin. No tort reform, no health care bill.

Obama's Town Hall on Health Care: Staging Montana

Sue in Montana wrote :

By now you have probably heard that President Obama came to Montana last Friday. However, there are many things that the major news has not covered. I feel that since Joe and I live here and we were at the airport on Friday I should share some facts with you. Whatever you decide to do with the information is up to you.

On Wednesday, August 5th it was announced locally that the President would be coming here. There are many groups here that are against his healthcare and huge spending so those groups began talking and deciding on what they were going to do. The White House would not release ANY details other than the date.

On about Tuesday Joe found out that they would be holding the "Town Hall" at the airport. (This is only because Joe knows EVERYONE at the airport) Our airport is actually located outside of Belgrade (tiny town) in a very remote location. Nothing is around there. They chose to use a hangar that is the most remotely located hangar. You could not pick a more remote location, and you can not get to it easily. It is totally secluded from the public.

FYI: We have many areas in Belgrade and Bozeman which could have held a large amount of folks with sufficient parking. (gymnasiums/auditoriums). All of which have chairs and tables, and would not have to be SHIPPED IN!! $$$$$

During the week, cargo by the TONS was being shipped in constantly. Airport employees could not believe how it just kept coming. Though it was our President coming several expressed how excessive it was, especially during a recession. $$$$$ Late Tuesday/early Wednesday the 12th, they said that tickets would be handed out on Thursday 9am at two locations and the president would be arriving around 12:30 Friday. Thursday morning about 600 tickets were passed out. However, 1500 were printed at a Local printing shop per White House request. Hmmmm......900 tickets just DISAPPEARED.

This same morning someone called into the radio from the local UPS branch and said that THOUSANDS of Dollars of Lobster were shipped in for Obama. Montana has some of the best beef in the nation!!! And it would have been really wonderful to help out the local economy. Anyone heard of the Recession?? Just think...with all of the traveling the White House is doing. $$$$$ One can only imagine what else we are paying for.

On Friday Joe and I got out to the airport about 10:45am. The groups that wanted to protest Obama's spending and healthcare had gotten a permit to protest and that area was roped off. But that was not to be. A large bus carrying SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members drove up onto the area (illegal)and unloaded right there. It was quite a commotion and there were specifically 2 SEIU men trying to make trouble and start a fight. Police did get involved and arrested the one man but they said they did not have the manpower to remove the SEIU crowd.

The SEIU crowd was very organized and young. About 99% were under the age of 30 and they were not locals! They had bullhorns and PROFESSIONALLY made signs. Some even wore preprinted T-shirts. Oh, and Planned Parenthood folks were with them.....professing abortion rights with their T-shirts and preprinted signs. (BTW, all these folks did have a permit to protest in ANOTHER area)

Those against healthcare/spending moved away from the SEIU crowd to avoid confrontation. They were orderly and respectful. Even though SEIU kept coming over and walking through, continuing to be very intimidating and aggressive at the direction of the one SEIU man.

So we had Montana folks from ALL OVER the state with their homemade signs and their DOGS with homemade signs. We had cowboys, nurses, doctors you name it. There was even a guy from Texas who had been driving through. He found out about the occasion, went to the store, made a sign, and came to protest.

If you are wondering about the press.....Well, all of the major networks were over by that remote hangar I mentioned. They were conveniently parked on the other side of the buildings FAR away. None of these crowds were even visible to them. I have my doubts that they knew anything about the crowds.

We did have some local news media around us from this state and Idaho. Speaking of the local media...they were invited. However, all questions were to be turned into the White House in advance of the event. Wouldn't want anyone to have to think off the top of their head.

It was very obvious that it was meant to be totally controlled by the White House. Everything was orchestrated down to the last detail to make it appear that Montana is just crazy for Obama and government healthcare. Even those people that talked about their insurance woes........the White House called our local HRDC (Human Resource and Development Committee) and asked for names. Then the White House asked those folks to come. Smoke and mirrors...EVERYTHING was staged!!!!!!!!!!!

I am very dismayed about what I learned about our current White House. The amount of control and manipulation was unbelievable. I felt I was not living in the United States of America, more like the USSR!! I was physically nauseous. Joe and I have been around when Presidents or Heads of State visit. It has NEVER been like this. I am truly very frightened for our country. America needs your prayers and your voices. If you care about our country please get involved. Know the issues. And let Congress hear your voices again and again!! If they are willing to put forth so much effort to BULLY a small town one can only imagine what is going on in Washington DC. Scary!! Sue Bozeman, Montana

Obama and Gamaliel's Freak Show: Faith Hijacking Strategy

The Obama/Gamaliel connection was whitewashed during the election campaign, but no more. The narrative is being re-written. Check out this new "explanation" of Obama's ties to Gamaliel by Greg Galluzo, written with messianic ardor: (hat tip Laura)

And at this time we were just creating the Gamaliel Foundation. I met with Barack on a regular basis as he incorporated the Developing Communities Project, as he moved the organization into action and as he developed the leadership structure for the organization. He would write beautiful and brilliant weekly reports about his work and the people he was engaging. 

Back in September, IBD dug around a bit into this unsettling alliance:

From 1985 to 1988, he worked for a subsidiary of the Chicago-based Gamaliel Foundation, founded on the principles of Saul "The Red" Alinsky. He worked as a consultant and trainer. On the board of Gamaliel sat Northwestern University professor John L. McKnight, a student of Alinsky's radical tactics. While at Gamaliel, McKnight became Obama's mentor in community organizing.

As we have noted, when Obama worked for Gamaliel, he was paid by the Woods Foundation, which supported the radical group. Obama would later serve on the Woods Foundation board with terrorist and socialism advocate William Ayers. McKnight schooled young Obama in the gospel according to Alinsky. He apparently saw much promise in the budding politician, a way to advance Alinsky's radical socialist agenda into the highest levels in government.

OBAMA's WELL-COORDINATED CAMPAIGN FOR OBAMACARE IN MAINSTREAM CHURCHES

Here is a speech from one of the Gamaliel leaders -- matter of note. Alinsky combined his organizing with Church leadership -- hence the creation of Gamaliel. It is more than a little sick, this canonization of Obama to the level of sainthood. It's fascism: the STATE is the RELIGION.

This is creepy beyond words.

July 6th --Gamaliel International newsletter--

Speech--By The Rev. John C. Welch
Chair, African American Leadership Commission
President, Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network

I do not believe God is pleased by what he sees, and so God has put the nation in the hands of a man of mixed decent so no one can claim full ownership, a man of whom it can be said, trusts in the Lord God, who has held fast to the Lord and has not departed from following him.

It can be said that before him there were none like him and, as far as we know, there may not be another. Reform is on his agenda: healthcare, education, immigration and economics.

Bingo. There it is.

He is Gamaliel. He is African American. He is one of us. He is the 44th President of the United States of America!

We are African American. We are Gamaliel. And we have to seize this opportunity of a lifetime in the lifetime of this opportunity. How long are we going to use racism as an excuse rather than using it as a catalyst?

When are the clergy going to understand that there is no option for us but to work together?

When are we going to realize that movements grow and victories come by way of coalitions, be it black-white, black-brown, or black-white-brown?

We are prophets, preachers, priests and lay leaders. We do not speak of false prosperity, but we speak truth to power.

This is our time. This is our moment. This is our season. And, during these two days, let us make sure we leave here informed and equipped, armed and compelled, directed and determined, persistent and powerful, as we begin strategizing on how we are going to help lead the way for the reforms we so desperately need.

We are the African American Leadership Commission of Gamaliel and beside us there is no other! With God before us, who can be against us?

Chris R. posits, "It's not about pragmatic politics, but ruthless spiritual predation. What Gore and now Obama seek, along with others who have had a long-range goal of hijacking Christianity for socialist utopian goals":

"...in the words of the New Age prophetess Alice Bailey is 'the regeneration of the churches.' Her vision was that... 'The Christian church in its many branches can serve as a St. John the Baptist, as a voice crying in the wilderness, and as a nucleus through which world illumination may be accomplished.'

Gorman reveals his new age emphasis in the original purpose of the Partnership:

...how people of faith engage the environmental crisis will have much to do with the future well-being of the planet, and in all likelihood, with the future of religious life as well.

With the help of Vice President Gore's endorsement, the Partnership has sent environmental literature to over 67,000 congregations and 100 million congregants calling for the Church to make the protection of the earth a central message of the Church. Although written in "bibleze," it nonetheless represents a deceptive attempt to create guilt thereby shifting the focus of the Church from the gospel of Christ to one of protecting Mother Earth.

The U.S. Catholic Conference, the National Council of Churches of Christ, the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, and the Evangelical Environmental Network cofounded the Partnership. Not only are the Catholic Church and mainline Christian denominations involved in the Partnership's interfaith pantheistic agenda, but evangelicals like World Vision, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Intervarsity and others are also indirectly entangled in its web of deception through the Evangelical Environmental Network.

Christian and Jewish leaders are fair game for this kind of deception because they believe we are destroying the earth. Like most Americans, distorted reports of environmental destruction are the only thing they have heard. While thinking their Church or synagogue still worships the God of creation, its leadership and members are promoting laws that make earth-not God-the central organizing principle of our society.

Gamaliel links to in this tweet: Download august_19th.doc (610.0K)

Please forward this information to your friends, colleagues, congregants, co-workers, neighbors and family members. Make announcements in your congregation this weekend. Host small group listening/discussion sessions on August 19 to which you invite your local media. This is an historic opportunity to connect with President Obama for health care reform.

UPDATE: Armaros in the comment section:

Pamela you said this in the prev thread on this subject:

"I have no idea what is in Obama's soul...I have no idea how deep his relationship is with his God"

I don't think he has a soul, but do think he feels G-D is there to serve him. He is the hybrid of Ayers and Wright. Radical yet so vain, a tiny prick can burst his balloon. I have never seen such narcissism on display. Belongs in textbooks.

However this church thing can be a gift in disguise. He went to the churches knowing that protesters would not dare disrupt a service...well at least not conservative protesters.

This is something he clearly borrowed from Ortega as well as the Salvadorian communists who used churches to spread their Soviet-Cuban backed revolution. That is how Liberation Theology was created.

In America you cannot preach policy from the pulpit. I know he will walk the fine legal line but keeping record of these events (each of them if possible) will make a great portrayal of Obama if exposed properly.

The way to fight radicals is by deploying methods they did not predict or assume to be in the hands of their opponents.

This is why the Tea Parties worked and this is why the Town Hall debates worked. So now he is off to church. Fine. Lets hit him back right there. Record sermons, investigate the communication lines (as Pamela has already started) and hit back through other churches and whatever media willing to report it. We are in Iran now. Leaders go to the Mosque to announce policy, denounce adversaries, and instill motivation among followers.

<> This is such a desperate move on his part, especially having the Congress in Dem hands that it shows the Dems are divided. So what I suggest is working through churches where Dem seats are up for grabs in 2010 and denouncing the churches who allow themselves to be used as propaganda tools. Just like with the Town Halls, hitting Dems in their own locales, reminding them who elected them will work the same as the Town Halls did. It will be harder for sure. But it is also harder for him. Remember that.

Blaspheme! OBAMA's WELL-COORDINATED CAMPAIGN FOR OBAMACARE IN MAINSTREAM CHURCHES

Barack "we are not a Christian nation" Obama is taking his national socialist healthcare to the churches. The man and his propaganda ministers are diabolical. How low can they go? Aren't these the same Americans Obama held in such utter contempt? You know,"clinging to their guns and their religion". How patently false, depraved ...... they condescend to the believing non-believers. Yes, it irks me when human secularists think so little of the little people that they'll manipulate the belief in G-d to herd the masses onto the trains. They are void of morality and ethics.

One can only marvel at the machinery the left has in place across the broad spectrum of American life. From the unions to the unitarians to the universalists, this land was usurped by the left wing national socialists.

Keep politics out of the church ...isn't that the law?

UPDATE: Gamaliel is important as that explains Obama meeting with Faith based organizations b/c he used to work for one.

Your Faith for Health is sponsored by Gamaliel Foundation (Obama was a former GAMALIEL organizer)  Gamaliel is on the list of sponsors for Faith For Health.  Here is Gamaliel funders.  BTW Gamaliel has been pushing for illegal immigrant healthcare.  BTW, information from Sojourner's (Jim Wallis, a long time champion of communism )  for churches will be passed out to parishioners(hat tip Laura)

The same separatist, anti-American theology of liberation that was so boldly and bitterly proclaimed by Obama’s pastor is shared, if more quietly, by Obama’s Gamaliel colleagues. The operative word here is “quietly.” Gamaliel specializes in ideological stealth, and Obama, a master student of Gamaliel strategy, shows disturbing signs of being a sub rosa radical himself. Obama’s legislative tactics, as well as his persistent professions of non-ideological pragmatism, appear to be inspired by his radical mentors’ most sophisticated tactics. Not only has Obama studied, taught, and apparently absorbed stealth techniques from radical groups like Gamaliel and ACORN, but in his position as a board member of Chicago’s supposedly nonpartisan Woods Fund, he quietly funneled money to his radical allies — at the very moment he most needed their support to boost his political career. It’s high time for these shadowy, perhaps improper, ties to receive a dose of sunlight.

The connections are numerous. Gregory Galluzzo, Gamaliel’s co-founder and executive director, served as a trainer and mentor during Obama’s mid-1980s organizing days in Chicago. The Developing Communities Project, which first hired Obama, is part of the Gamaliel network. Obama became a consultant and eventually a trainer of community organizers for Gamaliel. (He also served as a trainer for ACORN.) And he has kept up his ties with Gamaliel during his time in the U.S. Senate.

Check this out. A conference call with the President and Gamaliel network. No mention of this on President Transparency website, whitehouse.gov. Where is the transparency? There is no phone log posted yet as of 8:16pm central time on White House.gov. Uusally they will post a phone log-- here's the document Gamaliel links to in this tweet: Download august_19th.doc (610.0K)

Please forward this information to your friends, colleagues, congregants, co-workers, neighbors and family members. Make announcements in your congregation this weekend. Host small group listening/discussion sessions on August 19 to which you invite your local media. This is an historic opportunity to connect with President Obama for health care reform.

Hat tip Team Sarah via Faith for Health

You will find that the Left has a very well-coordinated, well-funded and complex campaign that is soon to be launched by almost thirty denominations across the country (many of them, well-established, mainstream denominations...Episcipal, Presbyterian USA, United Methodists). This is important because the media is reporting only the participation of lesser known congregations/organizations.

Here is a sample e-mail that they are urging people to send out to all their friends and families. Folks this is what Community Organizing is all about:

"Our health care system is broken. It’s clear we need a change, but special interests, some claiming to speak for people of faith, are trying to block reform with distortions and distractions.

I just joined “40 Days for Health Reform,” a campaign from the faith community to take back the debate and move real reform forward.

Over the next 40 days, people of faith will run a national TV ad campaign, sign petitions, conduct in-district public meetings reaching over 100 Members of Congress, and even host a national webcast and call to action with President Barack Obama!"

I urge you take a look at the website. It would be one thing if these churches were organizing this effort all by themselves, the fact of the matter is that the White House is working with them, as evidenced by the fact that Obama is conducting a teleconference with the sponsors of the church-based Obamacare campaign. When you go to the website, you will find a complete list of the sponsor churches.

The following is my original post from this morning:

Mr. Obama is going to be using a new tactic to sell his Obamacare. Today, he meets with liberal religious leaders...

I have no idea what is in Obama's soul...I have no idea how deep his relationship is with his God...but I am wildly perplexed how the Left-Wing in this country, who spit on people of Faith, and belittle religion at every turn, now think they have some moral standing on which to preach to us about our own spirituality.

Again, how stupid do they think we are?

I am not going to judge those spiritual leaders and their congregations for whatever role they play in helping Obama use God to sell Obamacare...they are still my brothers and sisters who worship the same God that I do. How they interpret their spirituality is between them and God, but many asked for a list, so I have added one below.

Now, back to Obama..

I just have one question for him...but I am not going to ask it myself.

Rather, I am going to use the words of Sarah Palin, who just the other day begged an answer from Obama regarding one of the moral aspects of Obamacare. Here are her words from Facebook:

"...nationalized health care inevitably leads to rationing. There is simply no way to cover everyone and hold down the costs at the same time. The rationing system proposed by one of President Obama’s key health care advisors is particularly disturbing. I’m speaking of the “Complete Lives System” advocated by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of the president’s chief of staff. President Obama has not yet stated any opposition to the “Complete Lives System,” a system which, if enacted, would refuse to allocate medical resources to the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled who have less economic potential. [1] Why the silence from the president on this aspect of his nationalization of health care? Does he agree with the “Complete Lives System”? If not, then why is Dr. Emanuel his policy advisor? What is he advising the president on? I just learned that Dr. Emanuel is now distancing himself from his own work and claiming that his “thinking has evolved” on the question of rationing care to benefit the strong and deny the weak."

Sarah Palin asked you a very clear question, Mr. Obama. Does your Christ following heart agree with Emanuel? Would the God you worship agree with your other health adviser, Peter Singer, that its okay to end the lives of disabled children who are under the age of two?

Answer those questions Obama. Answer those questions before you preach to us about morality and human dignity.

HERE'S ONLY A PARTIAL LIST OF THE PARTICIPATING CONGREGATIONS (These news snippets were found on the LA Times)

The president will address more than 1,000 leaders of different faiths in two conference calls, hoping they will pass on his ideas about the overhaul to their parishioners.

President Obama has barnstormed the country to sell his healthcare overhaul directly to sometimes-skeptical Americans. Today he will bring his message to a friendlier audience -- faith leaders who see reform as an ethical and religious imperative.

Obama is scheduled to address more than 1,000 religious figures in two conference calls, allowing him to extend his message to legions of faithful in the pews.

First up is a "High Holy Day" call this morning with rabbis from Judaism's Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements. Organizers hope the call will provide fodder for synagogue sermons when the Jewish holidays arrive next month.

The center is a co-sponsor of the second conference call later in the day -- pegged as "40 Minutes for Health Reform" -- with scores of lay leaders and clergy from evangelical, Protestant, Catholic and Jewish traditions.

"My hope and prayer is that President Obama is going to hold firm to his principle of making sure everyone is covered," said the Rev. Jim Wallis, head of the progressive evangelical group Sojourners and a member of Obama's faith-based advisory council. "Holding presidents to promises they have made is a good vocation for the faith community."

Obama's conversations with faith leaders come as major religious groups -- including Faith in Public Life and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, ramp up a national campaign to influence the fall debate over healthcare.

The effort, known as "40 Days for Health Reform," features a national television ad, prayer rallies, meetings in congressional districts where lawmakers are waffling and a nationwide "sermon weekend" at the end of August.

Today's conference call with Obama, which will be webcast at faithforhealth.org, is designed to propel the myriad initiatives.

One figure scheduled on the call, the Rev. Joel Hunter of the 10,000-member Northland Church near Orlando, Fla., said Obama needs to go through religious leaders to sell his message "because that's who has access to the vast majority of people in this country."

Hunter also serves on Obama's faith-based council.

Obama/Democrats to Americans: Drop Dead

 

Drudge is reporting: DEMS PLAN TO GO IT ALONE ON HEALTHCARE... DEVELOPING...

As depressing as it is watching America crumble under the brutal crush of the Democrats' demolition crew, it is strangely satisfying to watch the national socialists reveal themselves for what they are. Thugs, fascists, autocrats and overlords have removed their masks and have told Americans to eat feces and expire.

In an unprecedented phenomenon, millions of good, decent apolitical Americans took to the streets, whether in the form of tea parties, town hall meetings, protests etc, to stand up against autocratic rule: [cap-and-trade energy taxes, $2 trillion deficits, socialized medicine, and higher taxes, with periodic gaffes like the Sotomayor "wise Latina" cut and the Gates "stupidly" fiasco. At some point, they made the decision that hope and change was being trumped by town hall meetings and as a result are making the necessary adjustments on health care  - Hanson]

Imagine if President George W. Bush, in his effort to partially privatize Social Security, had insisted that the "time for talking is over." Picture, if you will, the Bush White House asking Americans to turn in their e-mails, in the pursuit of "fishy" dissent. Conjure a scenario under which then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) derided critics as "evil-mongers" the way Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently described town hall protesters. Or if then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) had called vocal critics "un-American" the way Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) did last week, or if White House strategist Karl Rove had been Sir Spam-a-lot instead of David Axelrod. (Jonah Goldberg, LA Times)

The reaction of the reactionary left. 

All of the bogus ploys the left accused the stand up Bush administration of, they are pulling in spades. And Bush fell into every well placed trap. More's the pity.

Drudge is reporting: DEMS PLAN TO GO IT ALONE ON HEALTHCARE... DEVELOPING...

Its WAR ON AMERICA !! Democrats To Shove Obamacare Down Our Throats

Health Care Amendment Requiring the Congress to be in The Plan: Congressman John Fleming (Louisiana physician) has proposed an amendment that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare plan they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt). Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his website and sign his petition (very simple - just first, last and email).

David Axelrod Still Getting Huge Checks from Pharmaceutical Industry

This is one of the dirtiest administrations in modern history and the media provides the alibi. Breathtaking corruption.

The House Republican Conference digs in today to a fact reported recently by Bloomberg's im Burger: That the pharmaceutical lobby, PhRMA, has hired David Axelrod's AKPD Media -- a fact that raises eyebrows because Axelrod sold the firm under an agreement that left it owing him $2 million, a lot of money for a political media company.

It's hard to imagine a situation in which, say, Karl Rove was still getting checks from a firm that was, in turn, employed by the drug lobby not drawing fire from the left, and Axelrod's arrangement is, a bit belatedly, getting that attention.

Emails HRC spokesman Matt Lloyd:

As the pharmaceutical industry spends hundreds of millions supporting a government takeover of health care—one which drug companies obviously believe will increase their profits, even as it raises Medicare premiums for seniors—some may wonder whether White House senior advisors earning millions of dollars paid for in part by the pharmaceutical industry represents the kind of change Americans can believe in.

Shot of the day

Atlas reader Helen and hubby Richie caught this great American at "a protest at the Smithhaven Mall where we saw this person (and many more)". It's over at Gathering of Eagles with more great coverage.

Huge Payoff for Unions in Support of Obamacare

The vampires who suck the neck of the hard working man have it all locked up.

SEIU INSURANCE: You can have quality health insurance for only $17 a month

Does the Plan Cover Pre-Existing Medical Conditions?

The Trust Plan covers pre-existing medical conditions after a three-month waiting period. The waiting period may be less if you have been insured before.

Good price?

I don't know about you, but my individual plan costs over a thousand dollars a month [individual] (not including the kids - child health plus does not allow adults). No pre-existing conditions, nothing. But I am not a union thug. I am a hard working blogger, and please don't tell me O's plan will help me. I am subsidizing the moochers, the looters, the destroyers. The government is a metastasizing cancer that destroys everything it touches.

The fix is in.

Union members pack Obama's town halls

Members of the nation's labor unions have made up a hefty segment of the audiences that flocked to town halls Mr. Obama held in the past week, and they have played an even larger role in a nationwide campaign for an insurance overhaul. Financially, and with boots on the ground, unions have become the backbone of the president's effort.

Last week, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was part of a group, largely funded by the pharmaceutical industry's lobby, that launched $12 million in television ads to support the president's health care push, and the coalition Americans for Stable Quality Care could spend tens of millions of dollars more this fall.

The AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees are among the partners in another group, Health Care for America Now, which has committed millions more dollars to advertising that is running now in a half-dozen states.

Union Pensions Getting BIG Payoff From Obamacare

It isn’t just out of the goodness of their hearts that Big Labor is gearing up to spend millions to help President Obama to jam Obamacare down the throats of the American people. The unions stand to get a big payoff of $10 billion to supplement their failing  pension plans.

(1).The President of the AFL-CIO recently announced that the union would jump into the healthcare fight to help out “working people.” John Sweeney also said that the healthcare fight is “the next big step in our march to turn around America.”

But unions already have their own healthcare plans and Obama promised—for whatever an Obama promise is worth—that union plans would be untouched by Obamacare. So, what are the unions in the fight for if it doesn’t really touch them?

The answer to that question appears in the House bill on page 65, section 164 where unions are to receive a $10 billion dollar infusion of taxpayer’s money to supplement their failing plans through a program called the “reinsurance plan.”

In his open letter, Sweeney said that one of the union’s goals was to seek “relief for company/union funds providing pre-Medicare retiree coverage.” This would be people that retired from the unions before they are eligible for Medicare. In other words, the union is looking for federal funds to relieve expenditures from his over extended pension plans.

Well, low and behold the House healthcare bill has included in it a “Reinsurance Program for Retirees” (section 164). This section stipulates that $10 billion will be set aside for this program of “reinsurance” for those older than 55 and not yet eligible for Medicare.

This program will reimburse eligible “retirees” for 80% of the costs of their medical care. This would go a long way to help unions defer costs to their own plans.

So, no wonder the unions are so hot to help Obamacare pass. It will be a boon to their overextended pension plans.

Canada Considering Healthcare Overhaul With Private Insurance

As Obama rushes to mimic the failure of dreaded national healthcare, who that suffer under those systems rush to privatize. Ain't life grand?

Nobody does asshattery as smoothly as da big O. Stupid is as stupid does.

AP: Canada Considering Healthcare Overhaul With Private Insurance Newsbusters (hat tip Egyptian Sandmonkey)

As President Obama and his Democrat-controlled Congress try to force healthcare reform on an American population largely pleased with the current system, our neighbors to the north are actually considering improving their structure by -- wait for it!!! -- welcoming additional competition from private insurers.

I kid you not.

Within hours of the Obama administration saying that it might consider a reform package without a government option, the Associated Press inconveniently reported the following:

The incoming president of the Canadian Medical Association says this country's health-care system is sick and doctors need to develop a plan to cure it.

Dr. Anne Doig says patients are getting less than optimal care and she adds that physicians from across the country - who will gather in Saskatoon on Sunday for their annual meeting - recognize that changes must be made.

"We all agree that the system is imploding, we all agree that things are more precarious than perhaps Canadians realize," Doing said in an interview with The Canadian Press. [...]

[Dr. Robert Ouellet, the current president of the CMA] has been saying since his return that "a health-care revolution has passed us by," that it's possible to make wait lists disappear while maintaining universal coverage and "that competition should be welcomed, not feared."

In other words, Ouellet believes there could be a role for private health-care delivery within the public system.

Oh my! Canada's government-run healthcare system is in a state of disarray, so much so that they're considering increasing competition by allowing folks to buy private insurance.

Noel Sheppard quips, "It's going to be absolutely delicious to see how this gets reported by Obama-loving media in the next 24 hours.

Stay tuned."

Lt. Colonel Allen West's Column: “Do unto Liberals as they have done to you”

My great friend and America's best hope, Lt. Colonel Allen West, has penned his latest column. American, if you can make Allen's town hall meeting in South Florida on the 18th of August, GO! Here are the details.

Read what he has written. This is the stuff of magnificence. I would follow West into battle any day ........... a real American, he knows what's at stake.  If you believe in him, support West here.

For those new to Atlas, West has been penning pieces for Atlas for years. His first column appeared here in March 2007 while he was stationed in Kandahar.

Washingtoons

16 August 2009

Lieutenant Colonel Allen B West (US Army, Retired)

“Do unto Liberals as they have done to you”

Greetings fellow South Florida riders, South Floridians, and Americans, here we are for another monthly installment of our Wheels on the Road political assessment. The time just seems to fly between composing these missives, what a month it has been.

Last month’s Washingtoons piece was entitled, “The Breaking Point; Summer of Discontent”. Now I would never consider myself prescient but it does not take a rocket scientist to realize what has occurred this past month. Americans who have been disregarded by members of Congress and Senate have had enough.

They did not want the TARP bill last October. They did not want the stimulus bill. They did not want the Cap and Trade bill. They have seen the national debt, deficit, and unemployment grow. However, in each instance no one listened and all these pieces of legislation were passed; of course Cap and Trade awaits Senate approval.

We mentioned last month that the new target was healthcare and the 1000+ page bill is chock full of mandates that have nothing to do with improving healthcare for Americans. The people have read this bill, something that some members of Congress admit they don’t do……Congressman John Conyers. Americans are not convinced that this proposed plan will reform healthcare, rather just promote more government growth, government control, and tax increases.

As members have come home for their taxpayer funded summer recess, they have been welcomed home by constituents who want answers. These townhall forums have become rather heated, but who can blame the people?

However, what has been the response from the liberal Democrats and the mainstream media?

Concerned American citizens are being called Nazi’s, evilmongers, racists, tea bagging rednecks, and right wing extremists. They have been accused of organized protest and even had an email set up, flag@whitehouse.gov, which enables their “fishy behavior” to be reported. And there have been Americans who received unsolicited emails from David Axelrod with the White House letterhead to their private email accounts. Three of my friends have received such.

We are witnessing something really disturbing in America.

At issue is not the reaction of concerned American citizens but rather the response from the Democrats, liberal media, and the DNC. It seems they are resorting to their normal Saul Alinsky “Rules for Radicals” tactics; Rule #5, Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.

They are lowering themselves to calling American’s a mob and trying to depict concerned American’s as sore losers. What they fail to realize is that in America we live in a Republic where we respect the rule of law, not being ruled. We have a Constitution which affords its citizens rights such as free speech, freedom of expression, and freedom to petition the government.

It is amazing to me that when the opposition to President Obama’s questionable policies expresses their dissent they are demeaned. When I flip over to CNN and MSNBC, not often but to understand what the opposition thinks, I find that they don’t think. They only seek to create a racial confrontation by fomenting the belief that white American’s refuse to accept a black POTUS.

What the liberal socialists had best recognize is that their venom is no longer effective, we are anesthetized to their bite. Seems we found anti-venom and we all have been injected to produce anti-bodies. We are not going to back down.

As well, the DNCs running of insidious advertisements and the White House created “Great American Snitch” program only indicate desperation.

One must find it comical that the same folks who brought you the professional community organizer President are attacking citizens organizing. We have seen anti-war protests by Code Pink, PETA tossing blood on individuals, left wing enviro-terrorist groups attacking SUV dealerships, ACORN and SEIU protests, and even voter intimidation at polling stations (New Black Panther Party, Philadelphia). Yet, concerned American citizens are called extremists?

President George W Bush was constantly attacked from his inauguration in Jan 2001 to the day he departed office Jan 20, 2009. Dare you speak of the anointed one? You are a racist.

Left wing blogs attacked Governor Sarah Palin and made allegations that her young Son Trig is not hers. But when the opposition questions the birth certificate authenticity of President Obama they are referred to in derision as “birthers”.

Left wing news media attacked former First Lady Laura Bush reference a traffic accident when she was a teenager. No one is questioning the law license inactive status of First Lady Michele Obama. And what is up with (22) staffers for the First Lady Michele?

The Bush twins were regularly part of media attacks, dare no one speak of the Obama daughters who attend wonderful Sidwell Friends School. This is an exclusive school where it is not possible for other children in DC, who are just a little less fortunate but qualified, to attend thanks to their Dad’s decision.

What is happening is that some of us read the book “Rules for Radicals” and we are turning the table on the liberals. Here are some examples;

Rule 1: “Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have”

Rule 3: “Wherever possible go outside of the experience of the enemy. Here you want to cause confusion, fear, and retreat”

Rule 4: “Make the enemy live up to their own book of rules. You can kill them with this……”

Rule 8: “Keep the pressure on, with different tactics and actions……”

Rule 9: “The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself”

Rule 11: “If you push a negative hard enough and deep enough it will break through into its counterside”

Rule 13: “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it”

It seems to me that the liberals are great at dishing it out but intolerant of taking a punch.

As for me, well, I am above the name calling. I would never say President Barack Hussein Obama is a thin skinned, inept, malignant narcissist. It is beneath me to call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid a weak spineless wimp. It is unconscionable to refer to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as a maniacal pathological liar.

However, my opponent Congressman Ron Klein, well, does remind me of the Cowardly Lion from Wizard of Oz….before the Wizard gave him courage.

As a 22 year US Army combat Veteran I can smell fear, and the left wing liberals are showing it.

My admonition, be like a shark which senses blood in the water and attack. The left truly felt that since they won, we would lie down and not fight back against their dangerous agenda, wrong!

I will say what may not be politically correct but the future and legacy of our Country is at stake. Get out there and live by the new Golden Rule, “Do Unto Liberals as they Have Done to You”….and watch them crack.

Steadfast and Loyal!

LTC(R) A B West

NObamaCare: Vital information about ObamaCare

If history has taught us anything, it's that evil is always well-funded. But it also shows that good triumphs over evil, and that the individual can change the course of history. That's you. And me :)

Last week Barack Hussein Obama's political allies announced a $20 million+ ad campaign to ram through their socialistic healthcare government takeover. And now this week, the media is reporting that a lobbying group will dump an additional $150 million to boost the Obama-Pelosi-Reid healthcare monstrosity.

Here are the facts you need. Get them out there. And get out there yourself and let your public servants know that if they throw Americans under the bus, they are OUT next election. This awakening is a phenomenon. If I told you 6 months ago that grandma and papa would be taking to the streets, making homemade protest signs and overwhelming town meetings - you would have said I was crazy, as my detractors did when I warned America off Obama. That's what leftists do, ridicule. Now good decent Americans are being smeared and slandered. Every American who isn't drinking the communist kool-aid is a target.

Get educated. It's your life (or death). Much thanks to Robert Bidinotto for putting this comprehensive list together.

THE PENDING BILLS:

Text of HR 3200, the main House bill:  http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3200

(Note that each section listed is a link to the text in that section) 

Text of the initial Senate bill: http://help.senate.gov/BAI09A84_xml.pdf

COSTS OF OBAMACARE:

Here is Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) June 15 letter to Sen. Ted Kennedy analyzing his Senate committee version of the healthcare legislation, which proposes “health insurance exchanges.” It concludes that this would add one trillion dollars to existing federal deficits over a decade, with a net decrease in the number of uninsured of only 16 million out of the 47 million currently claimed to be uninsured:

       http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/103xx/doc10310/06-15-HealthChoicesAct.pdf

Here is the CBO’s more recent letter, demolishing the argument that “preventive medicine” and “wellness” options will lower the overall costs of Obamacare. In fact, says the CBO, these measures will raise costs:

        http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/104xx/doc10492/08-07-Prevention.pdf

Here is the CBO’s July 17 assessment of H.R. 3200, one of the House bills, projecting a net deficit increase of $239 billion over ten years, with far greater costs after 2019. This analysis, of course, is limited solely to financial cost considerations; it says nothing of the other onerous, coercive provisions of the bill, including skyrocketing taxes on “the rich,” and “employer mandates” on small businesses. Nor does it discuss the inevitable negative impact of the legislation on the supply of healthcare (e.g., doctors, hospitals, etc.):

        http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/104xx/doc10464/hr3200.pdf

Here is the CBO’s June 16 letter to two senators, which outlines more generally the budget impact of an expanding federal role in healthcare, after factoring in increased subsidies and universal coverage. Pages 2-3 of the supporting document say this would lead to a “permanent increase of roughly 10 percent in the federal budgetary commitment to healthcare,” and actually “cause national spending on healthcare to increase.” The CBO then assesses an array of potential cost-saving mechanisms. However, some of the most fruitful of these—i.e., changing the tax-exempt status of employer-provided health insurance, and tort reform—have already been taken off the table by congressional Democrats. Nor will the current rush to pass legislation give Congress enough time to properly weigh and assess these options and determine their likely unintended consequences. The potential for real long-term savings is thus bleak, and the CBO projections of budget-busting long-term cost increases remain:

           http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/103xx/doc10311/06-16-HealthReformAndFederalBudget.pdf

OTHER CONCERNS ABOUT OBAMACARE:

A section-by-section analysis and critique of major provisions in House bill 3200:

        http://www.classicalideals.com/HR3200.htm

“Five Freedoms You’d Lose Under ObamaCare,” from Fortune magazine

        http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/24/news/economy/health_care_reform_obama.fortune/index.htm

A concise presentation, in Time magazine, of basic internal contradictions in ObamaCare claims:

        http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914973-1,00.html

A systematic refutation of numerous claims made by President Obama during his New Hampshire “town meeting” on healthcare:

        http://keithhennessey.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/hennessey-memo-debating-portsmouth.pdf

An article explaining that what Democrats are advocating is not insurance, but the elimination of the basic principles of insurance, as such -- and the substitution of a new governmental welfare entitlement for insurance:

        http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/08/05/obamas_war_on_health_insurance_97767.html

A brief compilation of comparative medical care statistics from the

U.S.

,

Canada

, and

Great Britain

, demolishing many myths about the alleged superiority of nationalized healthcare:

            http://www.hoover.org/publications/digest/49525427.html

Links to statements by leading Democrats and prominent Obamacare supporters, all acknowledging that various “public option” proposals, including the “co-op” and “insurance exchanges,” are mere stepping stones toward the eventual implementation of “single-payer” nationalized healthcare, and the elimination of private healthcare insurance:

            http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/08/you_want_context_drudge_will_g.asp  -- President Obama

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/07/30/barney_frank_admits_public_option_would_lead_to_single-payer_system.html -- Barney Frank

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bY92mcOdk  -- Obama, Frank, and Cong. Jan Shakowsky

            http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheri-and-allan-rivlin/5-steps-to-major-health-c_b_249516.html  -- writers in the liberal Huffington Post

            http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=5cb3998e-3ee2-494a-ac7d-763a37a6643c – a senior editor of The New Republic

A Washington Post editorial staff member raises serious, non-exaggerated concerns about the “end-of-life counseling” provision in the House bill:

        http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/07/AR2009080703043.html

OBAMACARE vs. FREE-MARKET REFORMS AND PRIVATE ALTERNATIVES:

A Washington Post report quantifying the huge impact of “defensive medicine” in increasing healthcare costs, yet noting the refusal of Democrats and the lawyer lobby to any efforts at tort reform, which could dramatically reduce these unnecessary healthcare costs:

         http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/30/AR2009073002816.html

Links to comprehensive information about the various government proposals, and also to a host of free-market alternative plans that Obamacare proponents refuse to consider:

            http://healthcare.cato.org/obama-congressional-plans

            http://www.heartland.org/suites/health%20care/

            http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html

            http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203609204574316172512242220.html?mod=djemEditorialPage (what to do about people with pre-existing conditions)

Sarah Palin: "Troubling Questions Remain About Obama's Health Care Plan"

"A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce, or a tragedy, or perhaps both" James Madison

The good news is that we have a go-to leader for straight talk on the socialists' revolution of healthcare. Sarah Palin. Frankly, it's not about health care, it's about control. Say no. To the whole thing. 

We know how the Dems do. They will pass some health care legislation and then add on whatever they want. 

I am so proud of every American who is going out and standing up for America. You will notice that those going to protest government controlled heath care are always the town folk -- those in support are bussed in. The left's army, paid with your taxpayer dollars, and Soros, at work. Wild.

Here's the latest from Sarah Palin. Read it. Get educated.

Troubling Questions Remain About Obama's Health Care Plan

I join millions of Americans in expressing appreciation for the Senate Finance Committee’s decision to remove the provision in the pending health care bill that authorizes end-of-life consultations (Section 1233 of HR 3200). It’s gratifying that the voice of the people is getting through to Congress; however, that provision was not the only disturbing detail in this legislation; it was just one of the more obvious ones.

As I noted in my statement last week, nationalized health care inevitably leads to rationing. There is simply no way to cover everyone and hold down the costs at the same time. The rationing system proposed by one of President Obama’s key health care advisors is particularly disturbing. I’m speaking of the “Complete Lives System” advocated by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of the president’s chief of staff. President Obama has not yet stated any opposition to the “Complete Lives System,” a system which, if enacted, would refuse to allocate medical resources to the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled who have less economic potential. [1] Why the silence from the president on this aspect of his nationalization of health care? Does he agree with the “Complete Lives System”? If not, then why is Dr. Emanuel his policy advisor? What is he advising the president on? I just learned that Dr. Emanuel is now distancing himself from his own work and claiming that his “thinking has evolved” on the question of rationing care to benefit the strong and deny the weak. [2] How convenient that he disavowed his own work only after the nature of his scholarship was revealed to the public at large.

The president is busy assuring us that we can keep our private insurance plans, but common sense (and basic economics) tells us otherwise. The public option in the Democratic health care plan will crowd out private insurers, and that’s what it’s intended to do. A single payer health care plan has been President Obama’s agenda all along, though he isnow claiming otherwise. Don’t take my word for it. Here’s what he said back in 2003:

“I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care plan.... A single payer health care plan – universal health care plan – that’s what I would like to see.” [3

A single-payer health care plan might be what Obama would like to see, but is it what the rest of us would like to see? What does a single payer health care plan look like? We need look no further than other countries who have adopted such a plan. The picture isn’t pretty. [4] The only way they can control costs is to ration care. As I noted in my earlier statement quoting Thomas Sowell, government run health care won’t reduce the price of medical care; it will simply refuse to pay the price. The expensive innovative procedures that people from all over the world come to the United States for will not be available under a government plan that seeks to cover everyone by capping costs.

Our senior citizens are right to be wary of this health care bill. Medical care at the end of life accounts for 80 percent of all health care. When care is rationed, that is naturally where the cuts will be felt first. The “end-of-life” consultations authorized in Section 1233 of HR 3200 were an obvious and heavy handed attempt at pressuring people to reduce the financial burden on the system by minimizing their own care. Worst still, it actually provided a financial incentive to doctors to initiate these consultations. People are right to point out that such a provision doesn’t sound “purely voluntary.”

In an article I noted yesterday, Charles Lane wrote:

“Ideally, the delicate decisions about how to manage life’send would be made in a setting that is neutral in both appearance and fact. Yes, it’s good to have a doctor’s perspective. But Section 1233 goes beyond facilitating doctor input to preferring it. Indeed, the measure would have an interested party -- the government -- recruit doctors to sell the elderly on living wills, hospice care and their associated providers, professions and organizations. You don’t have to be a right-wing wacko to question that approach.” [5]

I agree. Last year, I issued a proclamation for “Healthcare Decisions Day.” [6] The proclamation sought to increase the public’s knowledge about creating living wills and establishing powers of attorney. There was no incentive to choose one option over another. There was certainly no financial incentive for physicians to push anything. In fact, the proclamation explicitly called on medical professionals and lawyers “to volunteer their time and efforts” to provide information to the public.

Comparing the “Healthcare Decisions Day” proclamation to Section 1233 of HR 3200 is ridiculous. The two are like apples and oranges. The attempt to link the two shows how desperate the proponents of nationalized health care are to shift the debate away from the disturbing details of their bill.

There is one aspect of this bill which I have not addressed yet, but it’s a very obvious one. It’s the simple fact that we can’t afford it. But don’t take my word for it. Take the word of Doug Elmendorf, the director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. He told the Senate Budget Committee last month:

“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.” [7]

Dr. Elmendorf went on to note that this health care legislation would increase spending at an unsustainable rate.

Our nation is already $11.5 trillion in debt. Where will the money come from? Taxes, of course. And will a burdensome new tax help our economy recover? Of course not. The best way to encourage more health care coverage is to foster a strong economy where people can afford to purchase their own coverage if they choose to do so. The current administration’s economic policies have done nothing to help in this regard.

Health care is without a doubt a complex and contentious issue, but health care reform should be a market oriented solution. There are many ways we can reform the system and lower costs without nationalizing it.

The economist Arthur Laffer has taken the lead in pushing for a patient-center health care reform policy. He noted in a Wall Street Journal article earlier this month:

“A patient-centered health-care reform begins with individual ownership of insurance policies and leverages Health Savings Accounts, a low-premium, high-deductible alternative to traditional insurance that includes a tax-advantaged savings account. It allows people to purchase insurance policies across state lines and reduces the number of mandated benefits insurers are required to cover. It reallocates the majority of Medicaid spending into a simple voucher for low-income individuals to purchase their own insurance. And it reduces the cost of medical procedures by reforming tort liability laws.” [8]

Those are real reforms that we can live with and afford. Once again, I warn my fellow Americans that if we go down the path of nationalized health care, there will be no turning back. We must stop and think or we may find ourselves losing even more of our freedoms.

- Sarah Palin

Palin Wins! Death Panels/End of Life Provision to Go

UPDATE: I am waiting for confirmation on the new twitter account. Taking down the link.

Finance Committee to drop end-of-life provision Heh. Palin power.

The Senate Finance Committee will drop a controversial provision on consultations for end-of-life care from its proposed healthcare bill, its top Republican member said Thursday.

The committee, which has worked on putting together a bipartisan healthcare reform bill, will drop the controversial provision after it was derided by conservatives as "death panels" to encourage euthanasia.

They are dropping the death panel. But frankly, they will drop it back in once the health care rout is passed. It's not enough. NO OBAMACARE.

Obama's Ration Man: Rahm's brother Ezekiel Emanuel (read the whole thing at Political Evidence):

President Obama’s chief advisor on healthcare is Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. In addition to Dr. Emanuel being a trained oncologist, an NIH Bioethicist and a fellow at the nonprofit bioethics research institute, The Hastings Center, he's also an avowed communitarian who advocates healthcare rationing.

In February 2009, he was tapped by the administration to work on the formulation of a national healthcare strategy. Officially, Dr. Emanuel is a special advisor to the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget for health policy. In February Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that he is "working on (the) health care reform effort." He is "detailed" to the OMB spot and is still officially an employee of the NIH.

In Dr. Emanuel’s writings, he overtly advocates the rationing of healthcare based on age. In January 2009, just one month prior to taking his new position at the White House, Dr. Emanuel co-wrote an article entitled, “Principles for allocation of scarce medical interventions”, in the British medical journal The Lancet. In this article he advocates a particular healthcare allocation system which he calls the “complete lives system.” He declared in The Lancet article that in healthcare, “scarcity is the mother of allocation." He explains, “This system (complete lives system) incorporates five principles: youngest-first, prognosis, save the most lives, lottery, and instrumental value. As such, it prioritizes younger people who have not yet lived a complete life and will be unlikely to do so without aid.”

In other words, Dr. Emanuel places a higher value on a young adult's life, than he would the life of a senior. He goes further. He flatly declares that “Consideration of the importance of complete lives also supports modifying the youngest-first principle by prioritizing adolescents and young adults over infants.” From his standpoint, society has already made an economic investment in the lives of young adults whereas no significant investment has yet been made in the lives of infants, so therefore it’s only “fair” that resources be allocated toward the young adults and away from the infants. He also applies this standard to those that he deems of “no societal worth” such as people with Down syndrome. Sadly, this mindset is eerily similar to that of German National Socialists (Nazis) for the Nazis rationalized their evil attacks against the disabled and vulnerable of their society by throwing out the false notion of "Das Leben nicht lebenswert" or "the life not worth living." This was coupled with claims that the disabled were a financial burden on society. The propaganda poster below illustrates the point well.

Government Controlled Healthcare, a Hand that Rocks, Cradles to Graves
“Medicine is the keystone of the arch of socialism.”
- Vladimir Lenin

GO WEST FOR LEADERSHIP: A Town Hall Meeting You Must Attend

Government Controlled Healthcare, a Hand that Rocks, Cradles to Graves
“Medicine is the keystone of the arch of socialism.”
- Vladimir Lenin

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer Soldier and sunshine Patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his Country; but he (she) that stands now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman"......Thomas Paine, 1776

Please Join

ALLEN WEST F O R C O N G R E S S

For a Healthcare Town Hall Meeting

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
7:00 pm

South Florida Bible College Auditorium
747 S. Federal Highway
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441

Directions: I-95 to SW 10th Street (Exit 41). Go east on SW 10th St. to Federal Hwy/US 1. Turn left onto Federal Hwy/US 1. South Florida Bible College will be less than ½ mile on the west side of the road.

I love West! You have to go. SUPPORT WEST 2010.

The Washington Times has a great piece on Allen West here.

In Montana? Montana Protesters Rally Against Obama Town Hall

Love your country? GO!

Protesters plan to turn out in force when President Barack Obama brings his health care town hall tour to Montana on Friday and puts a conservative suburb of Bozeman at the center of the issue for a day.

UPDATE: Shout out to Colorado! Jen tells me:

He is going to be in Grand Junction, Colorado, doing a town hall on health care tomorrow.

Grand Junction has about 51,000 residents.

It is a FOUR hour drive from Denver

It is an EIGHT hour train ride from Denver

It is about a $300 flight on a puddle jumper round trip.

There are 2.5 MILLION people in Denver

It would appear to me that he really doesn't want anyone to show up at his town hall meeting.

Otherwise, he would hold it in Denver where the people are, where people can get to him easily and quickly.

"they" say that it is a trip to honor the national parks.

And just for the record.....the best known national park in the world - Rocky Mountain National Park - is about a n hour north of Denver. Do you recognize any national parks in Grand Junction??? No! Because there are NO National Parks in Grand Junction!!!

Footnote:>

CORRECTION:  Grand Junction is only 4 hours from Denver on I-70.

There is a very high Immigrant/Illegal Alien population in Grand Junction (Delta/Montrose, etc.) because of all the farmland.

If he is giving free health care to these people, then of course he wants to speak to them in their own backyard.

If he wants to be POTUS forever, he needs to win them over so they will vote Democrap in 2010, 2012, forever.

Straight Talk: Sarah Palin on the Death Panels

Honest and unafraid. That's real leadership. Palin speaks truth to the thugocracy. Sarah Palin on the death panels:

Concerning the "Death Panels"

Yesterday at 10:55pm

Yesterday President Obama responded to my statement that Democratic health care proposals would lead to rationed care; that the sick, the elderly, and the disabled would suffer the most under such rationing; and that under such a system these “unproductive” members of society could face the prospect of government bureaucrats determining whether they deserve health care.

The President made light of these concerns. He said:

“Let me just be specific about some things that I’ve been hearing lately that we just need to dispose of here. The rumor that’s been circulating a lot lately is this idea that somehow the House of Representatives voted for death panels that will basically pull the plug on grandma because we’ve decided that we don’t, it’s too expensive to let her live anymore....It turns out that I guess this arose out of a provision in one of the House bills that allowed Medicare to reimburse people for consultations about end-of-life care, setting up living wills, the availability of hospice, etc. So the intention of the members of Congress was to give people more information so that they could handle issues of end-of-life care when they’re ready on their own terms. It wasn’t forcing anybody to do anything.” [1]

The provision that President Obama refers to is Section 1233 of HR 3200, entitled “Advance Care Planning Consultation.” [2] With all due respect, it’s misleading for the President to describe this section as an entirely voluntary provision that simply increases the information offered to Medicare recipients. The issue is the context in which that information is provided and the coercive effect these consultations will have in that context.

Section 1233 authorizes advanced care planning consultations for senior citizens on Medicare every five years, and more often “if there is a significant change in the health condition of the individual ... or upon admission to a skilled nursing facility, a long-term care facility... or a hospice program." [3] During those consultations, practitioners must explain “the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice,” and the government benefits available to pay for such services. [4]

Now put this in context. These consultations are authorized whenever a Medicare recipient’s health changes significantly or when they enter a nursing home, and they are part of a bill whose stated purpose is “to reduce the growth in health care spending.” [5] Is it any wonder that senior citizens might view such consultations as attempts to convince them to help reduce health care costs by accepting minimal end-of-life care? As Charles Lane notes in the Washington Post, Section 1233 “addresses compassionate goals in disconcerting proximity to fiscal ones.... If it’s all about alleviating suffering, emotional or physical, what’s it doing in a measure to “bend the curve” on health-care costs?” [6]

As Lane also points out:

Though not mandatory, as some on the right have claimed, the consultations envisioned in Section 1233 aren’t quite “purely voluntary,” as Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.) asserts. To me, “purely voluntary” means “not unless the patient requests one.” Section 1233, however, lets doctors initiate the chat and gives them an incentive -- money -- to do so. Indeed, that’s an incentive to insist.

Patients may refuse without penalty, but many will bow to white-coated authority. Once they’re in the meeting, the bill does permit “formulation” of a plug-pulling order right then and there. So when Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) denies that Section 1233 would “place senior citizens in situations where they feel pressured to sign end-of-life directives that they would not otherwise sign,” I don’t think he’s being realistic. [7]

Even columnist Eugene Robinson, a self-described “true believer” who “will almost certainly support” “whatever reform package finally emerges”, agrees that “If the government says it has to control health-care costs and then offers to pay doctors to give advice about hospice care, citizens are not delusional to conclude that the goal is to reduce end-of-life spending.” [8]

So are these usually friendly pundits wrong? Is this all just a “rumor” to be “disposed of”, as President Obama says? Not according to Democratic New York State Senator Ruben Diaz, Chairman of the New York State Senate Aging Committee, who writes:

Section 1233 of House Resolution 3200 puts our senior citizens on a slippery slope and may diminish respect for the inherent dignity of each of their lives.... It is egregious to consider that any senior citizen ... should be placed in a situation where he or she would feel pressured to save the government money by dying a little sooner than he or she otherwise would, be required to be counseled about the supposed benefits of killing oneself, or be encouraged to sign any end of life directives that they would not otherwise sign. [9]

Of course, it’s not just this one provision that presents a problem. My original comments concerned statements made by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a health policy advisor to President Obama and the brother of the President’s chief of staff. Dr. Emanuel has written that some medical services should not be guaranteed to those “who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens....An obvious example is not guaranteeing health services to patients with dementia.” [10] Dr. Emanuel has also advocated basing medical decisions on a system which “produces a priority curve on which individuals aged between roughly 15 and 40 years get the most chance, whereas the youngest and oldest people get chances that are attenuated.” [11]

President Obama can try to gloss over the effects of government authorized end-of-life consultations, but the views of one of his top health care advisors are clear enough. It’s all just more evidence that the Democratic legislative proposals will lead to health care rationing, and more evidence that the top-down plans of government bureaucrats will never result in real health care reform.

Steve Maloney adds this, "It's important to understand the reasons why the death panels will become a reality: the liberals (mostly Democrats) have wildly overpromised seniors. Predictions of the "underfunded" liabilities are up around $50 trillion (and more). These are promises to older Americans, mainly Baby Boomers, that the government has no way of keeping. Many Baby Boomers and those youinger know this is the case, but they somehow can't believe it. To meet the liabilities the feds would have to double taxes ON ALL TAYPAYERS. Confiscating the income of people making $250,000 a year WOULD NOT DO IT. These aren't "my opinons"; they're the view of every actuary that has studied the situation. We are talking economic collapse, folks. The "cuts" Obama and other leftists talk about in Medicare are meat-axe cuts. In short, they are what Gov. Palin called them: refusals to pay for medical services. Doctors are just like us: if they don't get paid for their labors, they eventually refuse to do the work. Translation: patients won't get care. A "private" market will spring up -- even a black market for health care. You'll be paying a pretty price for health care that won't be available . . . unless you pay extra money out of your pocket. That isn't change we "can believe in." Its change we don't even want to imagine.

It's all basic economics. If, for some reason (terrible hurricane? War?) there was no way to get gasoline to your area, that doesn't mean there wouldn't be gasoline available. It might cost $10 a gallon -- or $20 a gallon. Suppliers, looking at hefty profits, would get gasoline to your region by hook or by crook. That would produce shortages in the regions where gas was selling at, say, $3 a region. Good news for them: gas is cheap. Bad news? There isn't any gas.

The analogue to health care? If you're willing to pay $300 extra for a simple office visit, hey, you'll have many doctors willing to take your money. Problem? The people who can't afford to pay extra will find it takes a six-month wait to see the doctor. If you're having chest pains, well, just suck it up.

What I'm describing is the situation for many Canadians. If they need breast surgey immediately, they can get it -- by going to the U.S. and paying out of their own pockets. I get criticized by Obamabots for saying these things; however, they take place in all nations at all times. Michael Jackson wanted a private doctor who would bend the rules for him. The cost to Michael was between $150,000 and $300,000 per month. The old saying that "everything is available at a certain price" is true.

The "public option" will drive private insurers out of the market. The reason is that a subsidized public option will cost "consumers" less than an unsubsidized private option. Yes, there will be "competition" as Obama claims, but it will be unfair competition because government subsidies will make it that way. If you throw enough wrenches in the gears, eventually the gears -- the private plans -- stop working.

At that point, we have exactly what Obama and the leftists want; a government-run, single payer system.

SENIOR ALERT: AARP IS LYING, FULL SUPPORT FOR OBAMACARE

Still Not An Option

AARP is all over the airwaves lying and deceiving the American people, saying Obama "misspoke" and that they are not supporting Obamacare.

I strongly urge you to bolt this fallacious, deceitful organization. They are one of the biggest, if not the biggest, lobby in Washington (second only to the NRA). They are selling you down to river, doing the leftists' bidding. Evil is made possible by the sanction you give it. Withdraw your sanction, withdraw your membership today.

AARP is a special interest group that wants OBAMACARE. Why? Because they want to sell insurance to 50 million uninsured people, that's why. Obamacare is the special interests' wet dream. They are all lined up at the trough - the drug companies, AARP - all of them. Obama campaigned on the anti-special interest meme. His presidency is defined by the special interests.

AARP is double dealing.

LIES! Here is an email (hat tip Choi)

Congress Moving Quickly on Health Care Reform Make Your Voice Heard in the Debate!                 Meet Congressman Steve Rothman and Let Him Know                                    YOU Support Health Care Reform! We need guaranteed access to affordable coverage for Americans 50-64. We need to close the Medicare part D coverage gap or "doughnut hole." Please tell Congressman Rothman that you support health care reform. Congressman Steve Rothman is hosting several town hall forums open to all residents of the Ninth Congressional District. Let Congressman Rothman know: • People age 50-64 are struggling to find affordable, quality health insurance. Many are denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition or charged unfairly high premiums because of their age. AARP supports a strict limit so insurance companies can't charge older Americans much higher premiums -- no more than twice what younger people have to pay. • The agreement between PhRMA and congressional leaders is a good step forward as it will provide discounts to lower drug costs for people who have already fallen into the doughnut hole. However, more needs to be done to close this coverage gap once and for all. AARP strongly supports including both the discounts and the House proposal (Section 1182) to fully close the doughnut hole in any final health care reform bill. • We oppose any health care reform legislation that will mean cuts to Medicare benefits. August 12, 2009 (Wednesday) 7pm - 9pm Rutherford Borough Hall 176 Park Avenue August 13, 2009 (Thursday) 1pm - 3pm Secaucus Municipal Complex 1203 Paterson Plank Road and 7pm - 9pm Hackensack City Hall 65 Central Avenue August 14, 2009 (Friday) 10am - 12pm Teterboro Borough Hall 510 Route 46 West and 1pm - 3pm Fairview Borough Hall 59 Anderson Avenue These forums are free of charge and are sponsored by Congressman Steve Rothman. The September edition of the AARP Bulletin will hit members' doorstep at the end of August and is devoted to health care reform. Look for a story feature on "Myths and Facts" and a full-page advocacy call to action. This email was sent to you by AARP. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add aarpnj@aarp.org to your address book. This e-mail is being sent by the AARP New Jersey State Office, Forrestal Village, 132 Main Street, Princeton, NJ 08540. Visit us at http://www.aarp.org/nj. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people 50 and over ~ http://www.aarp.org/mission/html. Join or renew your membership at http://www.aarp.org/join/. AARP Privacy Policy | (c)1995-2009, AARP. All rights reserved. Click here to unsubscribe. Or visit the email preferences page to manage the types of email you receive from AARP.

Grandma got run over by her healthcare (sing it!)

Political Elites Contempt for the American People: Spotlight Sheila Jackson

Downright rude and condescending.......they have contempt for people and cry like babies when some dare criticize them. (hat tip Armaros)

Watch Sheila Jackson talk on her cell phone at a town hall meeting while a concerned American asks a question.

UPDATE: Debbie sent this on, ".... the story gets better. Apparently, Jackson also had a plant, a woman by the name of "Dr. Roxana Mayer" who said she was a physician and that she LOVED the Health Care plan. Turns out... she isn't a doctor (apparently, she's studying social work at the University of Houston... AND she was a Texas Delegate for Barack Obama."  Full article here.

Obamacare: A Canadian Warns, "Don't do it. It's MADNESS"

A letter from a Canadian reader, Mara (in the comment section at Atlas):

This is my first time commenting on this site, but I've been following for quite a while now. I'm not American, I'm Canadian, and quite familiar with our health care socialized medicine. Now, frankly, it more or less has worked for me most of my life up until recently, when I moved, lost my family doctor, and now can't get a new one. I'm also relatively healthy, although I do have asthma. First attack I suffered, I was sent to emergency by a duty doctor, and "promptly" waited three hours for care. The poor guy next to me with kidney stones only waited, I believe one or two. As a Canadian, I have no idea why I'm so interested in American politics, except, I suppose, that I know where YOU go, so goeth the world. I'm seriously frig htened of what's been happening down south (And all but Alaska is south to me!) and I'm completely baffled as to why any of you would want government run health care. We're constantly fretting about the problems it's causing us. For one thing, many many of our doctors and nurses are heading south, so they won't have to work themselves into exhaustion up here. In my particular province, I am aware that small and not so small town hospitals emergency rooms CLOSE on the weekends, or occasionally, on short notice, simply because there are no doctors. There's even a special emergency colour code that's been used at some of our major hospitals. We're looking at how we can be more like you guys... and you're trying to be more like us? Seriously?

Don't do it. It's MADNESS. And the way your own government is actively trying to ridicule people into silence terrifies me. You're the land of the free. My land is free too... but if you lose your freedom, we will too, and I don't think it will take half as long here as there.

God bless America, and Israel, while I'm at it, and Canada. We need it, and we need you guys. Keep up the good fight, and Godspeed. I am hoping desperately that you keep up your town halls and your blogs and your constitutional given right to dissent. I think you might just have 'em on the ropes. I don't think they were expecting the American people to open their eyes quite so soon.

Mara

Read it again and send it to your congressman.

And then there is this from long time reader Sal:

What no one is talking about is that the protests are not happening at ANY Republican's office because they are united in voting against this bill. These are Democrats in Democrat districts, most of the people are Dems. in strongholds. Tort, fraud/abuse reform = HC reform. Medicare has the most fraud and where are the states--it should be left to the states.

I live and breathe healthcare and have written law in my state (that passed in 2000) along with my hub who is an insurance expert. If you need any info let me know about insurance companies.

Also, I'll throw this out to you: AMA endorsed Obamacare, then the NEXT day he said he wanted to control the Medicare fee schedule rates for doctor reimbursement. WHY would O do that. I will tell you: it allows O to capture the reimbursement rates for workman's compensation and auto insurance injury reimbursement in every state.

UPDATE: From Tom at Bizzy Blog:

This July 24 CNN article by a Fortune editor at CNNMoney.com, which gained NO media traction (I wonder why?) absolutely nukes ObamaCare to the point where the argument is over:
5 freedoms you'd lose in health care reform

Opening:

In promoting his health-care agenda, President Obama has repeatedly reassured Americans that they can keep their existing health plans -- and that the benefits and access they prize will be enhanced through reform.

A close reading of the two main bills, one backed by Democrats in the House and the other issued by Sen. Edward Kennedy's Health committee, contradict the President's assurances.

It gets even more devastating from there.

His blog post is here: Fortune Editor Breaks With CNNers On ObamaCare; Details Freedoms Lost, Inevitable State Control

Obama's Thugs to Visit Your Home to Check on How You're Raising Your Kids

Obamacare, page 838: 'Home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children'... (hat tip Carl)

It's all bad. Get your tuchus to the town hall meetings. Seriously. It's ugly.

Dirty secret No. 1 in Obamacare is about the government's coming into homes and usurping parental rights over child care and development.

It's outlined in sections 440 and 1904 of the House bill (Page 838), under the heading "home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children." The programs (provided via grants to states) would educate parents on child behavior and parenting skills.

The bill says that the government agents, "well-trained and competent staff," would "provide parents with knowledge of age-appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social, emotional, and motor domains ... modeling, consulting, and coaching on parenting practices," and "skills to interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development."

Are you kidding me?! With whose parental principles and values? Their own? Certain experts'? From what field and theory of childhood development? As if there are one-size-fits-all parenting techniques! Do we really believe they would contextualize and personalize every form of parenting in their education, or would they merely universally indoctrinate with their own?

Are we to assume the state's mediators would understand every parent's social or religious core values on parenting? Or would they teach some secular-progressive and religiously neutered version of parental values and wisdom? And if they were to consult and coach those who expect babies, would they ever decide circumstances to be not beneficial for the children and encourage abortions?

One government rebuttal is that this program would be "voluntary." Is that right? Does that imply that this agency would just sit back passively until some parent needing parenting skills said, "I don't think I'll call my parents, priest or friends or read a plethora of books, but I'll go down to the local government offices"? To the contrary, the bill points to specific targeted groups and problems, on Page 840: The state "shall identify and prioritize serving communities that are in high need of such services, especially communities with a high proportion of low-income families."

Are we further to conclude by those words that low-income families know less about parenting? Are middle- and upper-class parents really better parents? Less neglectful of their children? Less needful of parental help and training? Is this "prioritized" training not a biased, discriminatory and even prejudicial stereotype and generalization that has no place in federal government, law or practice?

Bottom line: Is all this what you want or expect in a universal health care bill being rushed through Congress? Do you want government agents coming into your home and telling you how to parent your children? When did government health care turn into government child care?

20 Questions for Your Congressman

Please go to rallies. Please go to town hall meetings. Save your country.

20 Questions for Your Congressman (Thanks to Robert Tracinski for this)

What to Ask at the Town Hall Meeting

Editor's Note: The op-ed below has been added to TIA's new health care page, which gathers together all of my recent columns on health care. From this page, you can get printable versions of the article, or you can e-mail them to a friend. Feel free to send them on to as many people as possible, particularly to your elected representatives.—RWT

The smear against small-government advocates who have confronted their congressmen at town hall meetings is that they are an "angry mob" who just want to shout down advocates of Obama's health-care bill. In fact, these protesters have come to the meetings to ask some tough questions—questions that should have been asked by the mainstream media. So when you head off to a local town hall meeting during the August recess, focus on asking good questions. I don't mean just rhetorical questions intended to make a point, but also real questions that require a substantive answer.

As a guide to help you prepare for your local town hall meeting, here are my suggestions for 20 questions you can ask your elected representatives about the economics, history, politics, and morality of Obama's health-care plan. If your elected representative will answer these questions, it will tell you a great deal about his principles (or lack of them) and his goals. It might also tell you about his method of making decisions: does he just repeat canned talking points, or does he really think about your questions? And if he won't answer your questions—if he doesn't have the guts to do anything but preach to the converted at union-sponsored rallies—well, that gives you all the answers you need right there, doesn't it?

But don't just ask these questions of your congressmen. Ask them of your friends and neighbors, of newspaper columnists and reporters, of local doctors and businessmen and others in positions of influence. These are the kinds of questions we should all be thinking about and trying to answer, if we are going to subject this legislation to the scrutiny it needs before Congress votes on it.

1. The government has been "reforming" health-care for sixty years—tax breaks for employer-provided health-insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, encouraging HMOs and managed care, and government health-insurance at the state level in Massachusetts, Maine, Oregon. Government health-care has expanded until it is now more than 50% of all health-care spending. Yet after sixty years of government "reform," the problems with health-care are just getting worse. So why should we believe that even more government is the solution?

2. President Obama keeps telling us that he's not trying to get rid of private health insurance. But the bill being debated in Congress would require all new insurance policies to be offered through a government-run exchange, in which the rates that can be charged and the coverage that has to be provided will be dictated by the government's so-called "Health Choices Commissioner." Employer-provided health-insurance will fall under the same regulations in five years. How is this insurance going to be "private" if the government controls everything about it?

3. A video on YouTube shows Barack Obama back in 2003—only six years ago—saying that he is in favor of a "single payer" system. The "single payer" is government, so this means he was in favor of socialized medicine. And just a few weeks ago, Barney Frank—one of the Democratic leaders in the House—said that he considers the current bill a step toward "single payer." So when Obama and the Democrats tell us this bill won't lead to a government takeover of health-care, why should we believe them?

4. Medicare is broke. Social Security is broke. Federal tax receipts are falling, and Congress has already voted on trillions of dollars of stimulus and bailouts in the last year. The national credit card is maxed out. So how can you justify voting for a bill that will require even more money that we don't have?

5. The health-care bill that is being discussed includes huge taxes on businesses to force them to provide more health insurance for their employees, as well as a whole set of mandates telling health insurance companies who they have to cover and what they have to cover them for. This is an enormous increase of costs for businesses and insurers. Have you considered how they're going to pay for all of this, or whether they will even be able to pay for it? How many of these companies will go out of business or lay off more workers after the government forcibly increases their expenses?

6. One of the main demands of the health-care bill is that insurers are required to cover people with "pre-existing conditions." That's like getting insurance on your car after you crash it. It's just a way of getting someone to bail you out for something that has already happened. This isn't insurance, it's a handout. So doesn't that mean that the rest of us will have to pay more for our insurance to absorb the cost of those handouts?

7. The health-care bill will mandate what costs insurance companies have to cover. For example, they will have to pay for routine check-ups and physicals, or they will have to provide every woman with maternity coverage. But what if you don't want to pay for that extra coverage? Right now, if you're young and healthy and don't need frequent check-ups, you can save money with a high-deductible insurance that doesn't cover them. Or if you don't want children, or already have children, you can save money by dropping the maternity rider on your policy. By taking those choices away from us, won't this bill actually make our insurance more expensive, not less?

8. A lot of people have been upset about Congress passing bills that they haven't had time to read—and they haven't even finished writing the health-care bill yet. But what I want to know is, with a bill this big and complex, have you taken the time to read it and understand it? Can you really say that anyone has had the time to figure out how all the parts will work together and what all of the consequences will be? With a bill this big, is it even possible to figure out all of that and really know what you're voting for?

9. President Obama and the Democratic leadership are making us a lot of promises about what we will get and what we won't get from this health-care bill. But what is or isn't in this one particular bill is not the end of the story. For example, how many times has Medicare changed over the last forty years? As more and more of us become dependent on the government for our health-care coverage, won't we have to worry about what some future Congress or some future bureaucrat will decide to cover or not cover?

10. The defenders of the health-care bill claim that it's going to lead to all sorts of savings, not by actually cutting any services or denying care, but just by finding "inefficiencies" that will save money. Do you think this is remotely plausible? When has anybody ever said, "This project has to be lean and efficient—let's get the government do it"?

11. One of the ways that has been proposed for government-provided health insurance to save money is by substituting Medicare reimbursement rates for market rates when paying doctors and hospitals. But many private hospitals and medical practices have said that if they have to accept these lower rates, they can't cover their expenses, and they will go out of business. So doesn't this bill guarantee an immediate shortage of doctors and medical services?

12. Medicare cuts costs by paying lower rates to doctors and hospitals, who then shift these costs to those of us with private health insurance, who get charged higher rates. But if the government takes over and starts dictating Medicare reimbursement rates for everyone, who will the costs get shifted to then?

13. When the government starting portraying people in the financial industry as villains and started limiting their pay and subjecting them to more regulations, banks reported a "brain drain" as smart and well-educated people left the industry or went overseas looking for better pay and less stress. But the term "brain drain" was originally coined in the 1960s when doctors and medical researchers left Britain to escape socialized medicine. Aren't you afraid we might see the same kind of brain drain from the medical profession here in America?

14. Do you know the meaning and significance of the term "quality adjusted life year"? (For this question, you will need the answer, which you can supply if your congressman is forced to admit that he doesn't know it—preferable after some stammering and a long, awkward pause. "Quality adjusted life year" is a term used under socialized medicine to determine whether elderly patients are allowed to get expensive drugs or treatments, depending on some bureaucrat's calculation of how many good years they have left. You should ask your congressman: Can you assure us that the same thing won't happen here?)

15. One of the proposals for how the government is going to save money is that it's going to have a panel of medical experts who will dictate from Washington, DC, what the proper medical practices are that should be paid for, and what practices are supposedly "wasteful" and "unnecessary." Won't this mean interfering with decisions that would normally be made by me and my doctor? And won't this discourage innovation by requiring any new idea to get approved by a board of establishment "experts" before a doctor can even try it out?

16. Government-run health-care is not some new, untested idea. In Britain, it has led to a "postcode lottery," where the medical procedures you are allow to get depend on where you live. In Canada, it has led to a shortage of doctors and waiting lists for major surgeries. In America, Medicare ended up costing far, far morethan anyone expected. Massachusetts and Maine spent enormous amounts of money to extend government coverage to very few people. The Oregon Health Plan may not cover your cancer treatment—but it will cover assisted suicide. Given all of this experience, what makes you think that somehow this will be the exception that will avoid all of the problems that government health-care has always led to?

17. Why does "reform" always mean more government? Are you aware of proposals that have been put forward for free-market reforms of health care? Congress has already approved Health Savings Accounts, where individuals buy their own high-deductible health insurance and save money tax-free, which they can use for their out-of-pocket health-care expenses. This gives people more control over their spending on routine medical treatments while keeping them covered for a serious illness, and it allows them to keep their health insurance if they change jobs. But this program has been limited in size. Are you open to ideas like this, for free-market reform of health-care?

18. A lot of doctors say that medical malpractice insurance is what is really driving up health-care costs. Doctors have to charge more to cover their expenses, and they also have to practice "defensive medicine," ordering unnecessary extra tests just to make sure they can defend themselves in court if something goes wrong. So why isn't tort reform—for example, limiting excessive jury awards in malpractice lawsuits—being considered as part of health-care reform?

19. What part of your decision on this bill, if any, is affected by a consideration for liberty, individual rights, and the Constitution? Would you consider opposing this bill for no other reason than because it gives more power to government at the expense of the freedom and property rights of private businesses and individuals? Would you consider opposing it simply because it grants powers to the government that are not authorized anywhere in the Constitution?

20. Thomas Jefferson said, "A wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government." Notice what is not on his list: government-provided housing, or government-provided food, or government-provided health care. And Jefferson's views on the role of government were widely shared by America's Founding Fathers. So my question is: Please explain where you disagree with the vision of our Founding Fathers, and why.

Atlas Vlogs Linda Douglass, Obama's Newest Minister of Propaganda

Here is a copy of the whole Obamacare legislation. Read it if you have a few months.

Nationwide list of list of Obamacare (deathcare) towncare meetings. Every Atlas reader should go.

Atlas Obamacare vlog Part I: The Thugocracy

Atlas Obamacare vlog Part II:Fauxtography

MSNBC Anchor: ''Socialist' Is Becoming the New N-word'

Linda Douglass Admits White House is Breaking the Law

RedState has a great line up of Townhall information with places/times, etc. 

RasmussenPoll: 45% give Obama good/excellent marks as a leader... down 19 points since January...

Arizona Saves Millions Cutting Perks for Illegal Immigrants

-Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN) -- my hometown Congressman — calls those at townhalls “political terrorists.”

 Rep. David Scott Blows Up at Constituent Question on Health Care

In 2003, Hillary Clinton said this: "I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you're not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration." Does she believe the same thing now?

Blue Dog Dems: Fact Sheets by District on Health Care

Attention South Florida readers: The jewicidal Wexler is having a town  hall. GO!

Thursday Aug. 20th at  1pm
South County Civic Center
16700 Jog Rd. Delray Beach, FL.

A Great American!

You must watch this video. Mike Sola (father of a disabled child) hits back at Princess Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi and the rest of the left wing Congress that is trying to foist an evil socialized medicine plan on America.

Just for knowing, Obama's thugs came to his house and threatened this wonderful father of a child afflicted with cerebral palsy.

Pelosi and Hoyer: Being American is "Un-American"

Obama's only experience is as a "Community Organizer," and we get grief because we organize resistance to his nightmare health care "plan". Political hack Pelosi calls us "Un-American".

"I guess all the organized anti-war protesters I meet in the last two years ie..Code Stinks..just bumped into each other on the way to the protest..and eight million names listed on Organize America are for no special reason then someday they might bump into each other when called ?
I guess all the organized anti-war protesters I meet in the last two years ie..Code Stinks..just bumped into each other on the way to the protest..and eight million names listed on Organize America are for no special reason then someday they might bump into each other when called ?," wrote George

You have to love the first class access the usurpers have to the main stream machinery. Pity the newspaper didn't have the integrity to counter the myriad lies Pelosi and Hoyer are spewing with an opposing editorial written by ..... doctors.

The money quote:

"Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American."

Now that's rich. They haven't STFU since Bush won. They whined, stomped, shut good folks down for years. 

They took over the Congress in 2006 and the country went into the toilet. That's the fact. Obama and his lieutenant bloodsuckers are on a mission to dismantle health care and make America more like the rest of the world. He looks to Cuba, Canada, UK, France. Remember how wonderfully the sloven Michael Moore depicted Cuban healthcare in his film, "Sicko"?

Take a look at Cuban healthcare (***warning***  pics)

The whole Pelosi/Hoyer piece is a lie. From the opening shot, "Americans have been waiting for nearly a century for quality, affordable health care". We have quality healthcare - pricey, yes, but it's the best in the world. They are going to destroy it and get rich off it. Their mugs, thugs and criminal orgs are like vultures to carrion.

It's all about insuring illegals (buy the vote!) and denying care to the oldest and most infirm. That's how government health care works. Name one government program that is run better than the private sector. Hell, they had a monopoly on mail - MAIL - and it's bankrupt. And it has been losing  money for decades. You want that to to handle your life?

'Un-American' attacks can't derail health care debate

By Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer

 Americans have been waiting for nearly a century for quality, affordable health care.

Health coverage for all was on the national agenda as early as 1912, thanks to Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose presidential run. Months after World War II came to an end in 1945, President Harry Truman called on Congress to guarantee all Americans the "right to adequate medical care and protection from the economic fears of sickness." From President Lyndon Johnson to President Bill Clinton, to President Obama's winning campaign on the promise of reform, there hasn't been a more debated domestic issue than the promise of affordable health care for all.

We believe it is healthy for such a historic effort to be subject to so much scrutiny and debate. The failure of past attempts is a reminder that health insurance reform is a defining moment in our nation's history — it is well worth the time it takes to get it right. We are confident that we will get this right.

Already, three House committees have passed this critical legislation and over August, the two of us will work closely with those three committees to produce one strong piece of legislation that the House will approve in September.

In the meantime, as members of Congress spend time at home during August, they are talking with their constituents about reform. The dialogue between elected representatives and constituents is at the heart of our democracy and plays an integral role in assuring that the legislation we write reflects the genuine needs and concerns of the people we represent.

However, it is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue. These tactics have included hanging in effigy one Democratic member of Congress in Maryland and protesters holding a sign displaying a tombstone with the name of another congressman in Texas, where protesters also shouted "Just say no!" drowning out those who wanted to hold a substantive discussion.

Let the facts be heard

These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades.

Health care is complex. It touches every American life. It drives our economy. People must be allowed to learn the facts.

The first fact is that health insurance reform will mean more patient choice. It will allow every American who likes his or her current plan to keep it. And it will free doctors and patients to make the health decisions that make the most sense, not the most profits for insurance companies.

Here's more of those unpleasant facts the Dems despise -- how long before dissent is labeled "hate speech"?

Dogs Get The Last Bark

Better To Be A Dog? By Rich Crowther

In the last few years, I have had the opportunity to compare the human and veterinary health services of Great Britain, and on the whole it is better to be a dog.

As a British dog, you get to choose (through an intermediary, I admit) your veterinarian. If you don’t like him, you can pick up your leash and go elsewhere, that very day if necessary. Any vet will see you straight away, there is no delay in such investigations as you may need, and treatment is immediate. There are no waiting lists for dogs, no operations postponed because something more important has come up, no appalling stories of dogs being made to wait for years because other dogs—or hamsters—come first.

The conditions in which you receive your treatment are much more pleasant than British humans have to endure. For one thing, there is no bureaucracy to be negotiated with the skill of a white-water canoeist; above all, the atmosphere is different. There is no tension, no feeling that one more patient will bring the whole system to the point of collapse, and all the staff go off with nervous breakdowns. In the waiting rooms, a perfect calm reigns; the patients’ relatives are not on the verge of hysteria, and do not suspect that the system is cheating their loved one, for economic reasons, of the treatment which he needs. The relatives are united by their concern for the welfare of each other’s loved one. They are not terrified that someone is getting more out of the system than they.

UPDATE:  Nancy Pelosi - Un-American Attacks Can't Derail Health Care - Translation Left Coast Rebel
 

We believe it is healthy for such a historic effort to be subject to so much scrutiny and debate. The failure of past attempts is a reminder that health insurance reform is a defining moment in our nation's history — it is well worth the time it takes to get it right. We are confident that we will get this right.

Already, three House committees have passed this critical legislation and over August, the two of us will work closely with those three committees to produce one strong piece of legislation that the House will approve in September.

In the meantime, as members of Congress spend time at home during August, they are talking with their constituents about reform. The dialogue between elected representatives and constituents is at the heart of our democracy and plays an integral role in assuring that the legislation we write reflects the genuine needs and concerns of the people we represent.

However, it is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue. These tactics have included hanging in effigy one Democratic member of Congress in Maryland and protesters holding a sign displaying a tombstone with the name of another congressman in Texas, where protesters also shouted "Just say no!" drowning out those who wanted to hold a substantive discussion.

Let the facts be heard

These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades.

Health care is complex. It touches every American life. It drives our economy. People must be allowed to learn the facts.

The first fact is that health insurance reform will mean more patient choice. It will allow every American who likes his or her current plan to keep it. And it will free doctors and patients to make the health decisions that make the most sense, not the most profits for insurance companies.

Here's more of those unpleasant facts the Dems despise -- how long before dissent is labeled "hate speech"?

Dogs Get The Last Bark

Better To Be A Dog? By Rich Crowther

In the last few years, I have had the opportunity to compare the human and veterinary health services of Great Britain, and on the whole it is better to be a dog.

As a British dog, you get to choose (through an intermediary, I admit) your veterinarian. If you don’t like him, you can pick up your leash and go elsewhere, that very day if necessary. Any vet will see you straight away, there is no delay in such investigations as you may need, and treatment is immediate. There are no waiting lists for dogs, no operations postponed because something more important has come up, no appalling stories of dogs being made to wait for years because other dogs—or hamsters—come first.

The conditions in which you receive your treatment are much more pleasant than British humans have to endure. For one thing, there is no bureaucracy to be negotiated with the skill of a white-water canoeist; above all, the atmosphere is different. There is no tension, no feeling that one more patient will bring the whole system to the point of collapse, and all the staff go off with nervous breakdowns. In the waiting rooms, a perfect calm reigns; the patients’ relatives are not on the verge of hysteria, and do not suspect that the system is cheating their loved one, for economic reasons, of the treatment which he needs. The relatives are united by their concern for the welfare of each other’s loved one. They are not terrified that someone is getting more out of the system than they.

UPDATE:  Nancy Pelosi - Un-American Attacks Can't Derail Health Care - Translation Left Coast Rebel
 

Pamela Geller, Newsmax: The Conspiracy Against America

Check out my new oped over at Newsmax -- it's got an Atlas Vlog too :)

Go read it all and watch the vid! Excerpt:

America has been sucker punched. The unifier, the great post-racial, post-American president, has adopted the street tactics of Chicago thug politics. His ACORN/SEIU/Union goons are beating up decent American citizens at town hall meetings. And with the violence comes vilification: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has claimed that protesters are “carrying swastikas and symbols like that to a town meeting on healthcare.”

Pamela Geller, American Thinker: Obama's Chicago Thug Tactics

Chicago thug tactics
August 09, 2009
America has been sucker punched. The unifier, the great post-racial, post-American President, has adopted the street tactics of Chicago thug politics. More

Atlas Vlogs Libel Fauxtography and Smear Campaign: "KKK/GOP Leaders are behind the Town Hall Protesters"

The lowest of the low

Pelosi's Leftist Lies and the Propagandists Who Spread Them, Libel blogging A Different Kind of Fauxtography

Video of Part I of the Atlas Vlog Obamacare series here.

We are the mob!

Congressional Performance As Congress Begins Recess, Voters Give It Weakest Ratings Since February

Just 14% of likely voters give Congress good or excellent ratings this month, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

That’s down four points from June, nine points from May, and is the lowest rating measured for the legislators since February.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of voters say Congress is doing a poor job, up nine points since June and the highest level found since October 7, 2008.

KKK/GOP Leaders are behind the Town Hall Protesters

OzyBama Will Meet The Same Fate

Barney Frank. "The Iraq War is why we don't have health Care"

Grandma Got Run Over By Obama-Care (play it again, Uncle Sam!)

UPDATE: Dan Friedman writes:

The Obamedia has changed the subject from the high costs and negatives consequences of ObamaCare to the alleged ill manners, tsk, tsk, of some of its opponents at town hall meetings. According to Keith Olbermann some people are shouting. Can you imagine?

 

Fair enough. For those of us who never raise our voices and insist on keeping our napkins in our laps, here and here are two videos featuring two decorous gentlemen in coat and tie quietly discussing the freakin’ socialist disaster Obama is trying to shove down our freakin’ throats!

Cowards!

Senate Majority leader Harry Reid plans town hall meeting over telephone

Lt Colonel Allen West Warns of the "deliberate and organized attack against America"

Our future leadership speaks. Take heed. Lt Colonel West sent this to me:

Friends and supporters, there is a deliberate and organized attack against Americans enacting their 1st Amendment right to free speech and to petition their government. It is appalling that this week liberal politicians and media accused concerned citizens of being organized, acting like Nazi's, and acting mob-like. Yet it was in St Louis where we saw union thugs, bussed in and encouraged by the left, who attacked a black conservative man physically and directed racist slurs at him.

 

Below you will orders being disseminated from an organized group directing healthcare supporters on how to combat those of us who have a differing assessment. Is this what the Obama, Reid, and Pelosi triumverate call a Free Republic? This is nothing more than Chicago gangster intimidation.

 

I encourage everyone to read the attachment below and ensure it is widely disseminated. We are in a fight for the future of our Country. We cannot back down and never surrender. If these true radicals deem us as a mob, then we have nothing to lose. Do not fear being called names because you are RIGHT and they fear your strength. They will lie and resort to emotionalism, you stay steady and beat them down with truth. And always, have some able bodied fellas around!

 

Prepare yourselves and be armed with the facts, they now seek to demonize the insurance agencies. I recommend you all find out how much financial contributions your local liberal Representative has received from insurance companies, easy to find out. Get the facts, this is not about affordable healthcare, nor accessibility.

 

It is about the government controlling who gets into the cradle and when you go to the grave. This is the ultimate in nationalization of production, this is about literally controlling our lives.

Steadfast and Loyal, Allen

Photo credit: Looking at the Left

The author, Margarida Jorge, is a Director at AHC/SEIU. Formerly she was an Organizing Director at the Missouri Progressive Vote Coalition.

Who HCAN are here. 

From: Margarida Jorge To: HCAN Field Partners
RE: HCAN—Responding to Right-Wing Attacks in the Field - August 4, 2009

Since early February, we’ve seen increasing numbers of militant right-wing activists attending public meetings across the country targeting Members of Congress and President Obama. Now in the August recess, the “tea-bagger” protesters and right-wing activists are showing up in larger numbers with a mission to be as disruptive as possible in the hopes of rattling Members of Congress and halting health care reform through pure spectacle and obstruction.

Our response is shaped by 3 things:

Our targets are Members ofØ Congress who must vote “yes” for this bill. Our targets are not the rightwing extremists. The targets of these attacks are Members of Congress. Those Members are also our targets.
We need to use these attacks as opportunities to work with the Members in ways that build our relationship in the field and bring us together as allies in health care reform. Members may be more receptive to partnering with us if they know we will help them combat the opposition.

Our core message is effective, and we should always come back to it.Ø Our campaign plan has always anticipated opposition. No matter what the right-wingers bring up to distract the debate, we should always circle back to our key message. We are on the side of quality, affordable health care for everyone, and we are against turning over health care reform to the insurance companies and lobbyists who got us into this mess to begin with. We need to educate the press and the public that the protesters are aligned with the corporate lobbyists and insurance companies who are trying to stop reform.

Our ability to put the extremists into perspective helps us frame ourØ narrative. We should be prepared to respond to the other side, but we don’t need to be reactive or feel pressure to answer their accusations point by point. Instead, we should treat them as agents of the insurance lobbyists who want to maintain the status quo. We can dismiss their radical rhetoric by circling back to the basic things that we know most people care about— affordability, access, and quality.

Obama's Contempt for the American People: Roundup

Here is a great link on the overhaul of the health care industry. Dan wrote a guide for attendees of health care town halls on the blog here.

Here is a quick round-up of the scorn and derision your elected officials are heaping on the American people. Your taxpayer dollars at work: my state, New York is looking at a tax rate of 57% . Imagine that high end enslavement. (Link hat tip Laura)

Congressman Blumenauer (Democrat-OR) is the "brains" behind page 425. This man should be recognized for his contribution and his attempts to keep the costs of the health care bill down.

BLUMENAUER: “If people know what their choices are, and think about it in advance, they end up less likely to do expensive treatment they don’t want.” Or maybe expensive treatment that gov doesn't want to pay for (more here). Why are we letting a moron from Portland, Oregon, write end of life counseling to the health care bill?

Here is a link to the article about the man behind this whole hoopla about page 425.

Some gems are:

"Doctors avoid the conversation. Who Doesn't? There is a conspiracy of factors not to talk about. Having [the discussions] would allow more at-home death or hospice care and less invasive procedures."

"If people know what their choices are, and think about it in advance, they end up less likely to do expensive treatment they don't want. I think it'll end up being a wash."

The consultation IS NOT MANDATORY. However, "physicians now receive no financial incentive to have these talks with patients. Blumenauer says the cost of his bill remains uncertain since health care has never paid to have that conversation with patients."

Ummm, ok. I get it. So we pay physicians to tell their patients, "Maybe it's just better you die?"! What warped sense of morality is this?

At least we know the intent of this clause being placed in the bill. This, my friends, is some scary.

View this video of Rep. David Scott, Lose His Temper and  Scream at a Constituent (who is a Doctor! asking a question on Health Care) at Town hall meeting (hat tip Richard)

And below, Congressman Tim Bishop. Tis guy is so arrogant it is disgusting: valid respectful points by constituents and he dismisses them-"You have the right to own a firearm - for now" -- the Dems have big plans.

Congressman Carney's staff in Pennsylvania refuses to meet with group and refuses to allow press to be present during meeting.

Another SEIU sponsored round table -- the people talking are probably members of health care workers international, a subgroup of SEIU.

Iowa Senater Grassley -- pretty vague about his own benefits, a woman had to correct him. His numbers were wrong. Listen to him tell a man to go work for John Deere, as they have full coverage. Hello? Deere has been laying off employees due to recession.

Why don't these guys just answer the question?

Sen. Grassley held a town meeting in Waukon, Iowa. A constituent shared his family's personal struggle with the burden of high health care costs, and asked the Senator why he couldn't get quality, affordable health insurance like Senators get. Senator Grassley advised his constituent to "go work for the federal government" if he wanted quality insurance.

AARP walks out on members -- thanks, guys! "Listening session?" She unplugs the microphone.

We have more creative signs! Dallas Tea Party and MoveOn.org demonstrated in front of Senator Cornyn's office in Dallas. So who is better funded? MoveOn is ASTROTURF! But we have more creative (homemade) signs.

Palin Calls Obamacare Downright "Evil"

I love this woman. She's a hero. Every Republican ought to be following her lead. Not only is Obama's 'health' care plan evil -- his thugs, his tactics, his harassment, his intimidation ..... all of it is evil.

I would follow this woman into battle anywhere.

Palin says Obama's health care plan is 'evil'

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called President Barack Obama's health plan "downright evil" Friday in her first online comments since leaving office, saying in a Facebook posting that he would create a "death    panel" that would deny care to the neediest Americans.

 "Who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course," the former vice Republican presidential candidate wrote on her Facebook page, which has nearly 700,000 supporters.

"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil," Palin wrote.

An e-mail sent to Palin's spokeswoman to confirm authorship was not immediately returned Friday.

Obama, a Democrat, campaigned on a promise of offering affordable health care to all Americans. He has proposed a system that would include government and private insurers.

Republicans say that private insurers would be unable to compete, leaving the country with only a government-run health program. They warn that could leave Americans with little control over their health care.

Republican criticism has included claims that the reform plans will lead to rationing, or the government determining which medical procedures a patient can have. However, millions of Americans already face rationing, as insurance companies rule on procedures they will cover.

Denying coverage for certain procedures might increase under proposals to have a government-appointed agency identify medicines and procedures best suited for various conditions.

In the posting, Palin encouraged her supporters to be engaged in the debate. "Nationalizing our health care system is a point of no return for government interference in the lives of its citizens. If we go down this path, there will be no turning back," Palin wrote.

"Let's stop and think and make our voices heard before it's too late," the posting said.

Palin resigned as Alaska governor on July 26 with nearly 18 months left in her term. She cited not only the numerous ethics complaints that had been filed against her also her wish not to be a lame duck after the first-term governor decided not to seek re-election next year.

Obama to Democrats: 'Punch back twice as hard' -- ALG Calls for Special Prosecutor Re: Obama's Union Thugs "Investigate White House Complicity"

White House to Democrats: 'Punch back twice as hard'

Senior White House adviser David Axelrod and deputy chief of staff Jim Messina told senators to focus on the insured and how they would benefit from “consumer protections" in the overhaul, such as ending the practice of denying insurance based on preexisting conditions and ensuring the continuity of coverage between jobs.

They showed video clips of the confrontational town halls that have dominated the media coverage, and told senators to do more prep work than usual for their public meetings by making sure their own supporters turn out, senators and aides said.

And they screened TV ads and reviewed the various campaigns by critics of the Democratic plan.

“If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard,” Messina said, according to an official who attended the meeting.

I love this! It is long overdue. This intimidation here and here is illegal. The leftist thugs have been pulling this thuggery for years ...........

ALG Condemns SEIU Beating of Kenneth Gladney at St. Louis Town Hall, Calls for Special Prosecutor to "Investigate White House Complicity"

Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today condemned the brutal beating of activist Kenneth Gladney in South St. Louis County, MO, at a town hall event sponsored by Congressman Russ Caranhan (D-MO) by SEIU members who Wilson said "appears to have been sent out purposely to intimidate the crowd and instigate violence.">Wilson said that a Special Prosecutor would need to be called "to investigate the possibility of White House complicity in this union thuggery." The White House told representatives and senators 'punch back twice as hard' against opposition to Barack Obama's government-run health care initiative, and "clearly some of their followers took the message to heart," Wilson said.

According to Kenneth Gladney's attorney, David B. Brown, "Kenneth was attacked on the evening of August 6, 2009 at Rep. Russ Carnahan's town hall meeting in South St. Louis County. I was at the town hall meeting as well and witnessed the events leading up to the attack of Kenneth. Kenneth was approached by an SEIU representative as Kenneth was handing out 'Don't Tread on Me' flags to other conservatives."

The statement continued, "The SEIU representative demanded to know why a black man was handing out these flags. The SEIU member used a racial slur against Kenneth, then punched him in the face. Kenneth fell to the ground. Another SEIU member yelled racial epithets at Kenneth as he kicked him in the head and back. Kenneth was also brutally attacked by one other male SEIU member and an unidentified woman."

According to the statement, "The three men were clearly SEIU members, as they were wearing T-shirts with the SEIU logo."

"This sort of thuggish political violence is what one would expect in Mussolini's Italy by the Black Shirts," said Wilson, adding that, "This is pure fascist aggression. The SEIU is sending out goon squads to beat people up who disagree with ObamaCare.  Only a Special Prosecutor can determine if it was done with the knowledge of the White House and Congressman Carnahan."

After watching the video, Wilson said, "The part where the attackers claimed they were attacked, when Mr. Gladney is clearly on his back, is straight out of the SEIU-ACORN playbook. They train their thugs well. Only, this time, they were caught."

According to Brown's statement, Gladney was being civil when he was attacked: "Kenneth was beaten badly. One assailant fled on foot; three others were arrested. Kenneth was admitted to St. John's Mercy Medical Center emergency room, where he was treated for his numerous injuries. Kenneth was merely expressing his freedom of speech by handing out the flags. In fact, he merely asked people as they exited the town hall meeting whether they would like a flag."

Brown insisted that Gladney "in no way provoked any argument or altercation, as evidenced by the fact that three assailants were arrested."

"This is a sad chapter in American history," Wilson declared, "when a man is cruelly assaulted by political hooligans merely for expressing his beliefs and exercising his First Amendment rights to speak freely and peaceably assemble."Wilson said there was a causal relationship between the White House's call to "punch back" against opposition to Barack Obama's government-run health care initiative and the incident. "The White House sent out millions of emails, as did the DNC, and the SEIU, all calling on supporters to attend these meetings. And now we know why."The SEIU, the Service Employees International Union, was formed by Wade Rathke, also founder of the  group, ACORN, which Barack Obama served as an attorney for. "These are the same people that helped get Barack Obama elected," Wilson explained."Barack Obama has long-time financial and material relationship with ACORN and SEIU. SEIU donated $30.8 million to Obama's campaign, organized volunteers, and campaigned on his behalf.  ACORN is under investigation for crimes in 15 states, and Barack Obama served as their attorney at one point.  He even gave them $800,000 in 2008 for 'get-out-the-vote' efforts.  And now they're carrying out his dirty work," Wilson added.According to the Brown's statement, "This was a truly senseless hate crime carried out by racist union thugs. Regretfully, Representative Carnahan's statements blaming Kenneth for being a disruptive force are wholly untrue and slanderous."Carnahan today stated that "Sadly, we've seen stories about disrupters around the country, and we have a handful of them here in Missouri."

"The only disruption that occurred was of Mr. Gladney's rights to life-and-limb as an American citizen," Wilson said in response, charging that, "Carnahan appears to have been complicit in the incident."

Wilson also condemned press outlets for failing to report on Mr. Gladney's story. "Where is the controlled media?" Wilson asked. "Where is CNN? Where is Olbermann and Matthews? They rave about 'mobs' but turn a blind eye to a man who was beaten by union thugs. They should hang their heads in shame, or else apply for network anchor positions in Venezuela."

Wilson said a Special Prosecutor to investigate the White House, SEIU, and Carnahan was necessary because "The American people have no faith in Eric Holder's Justice Department, which just let two goons off-the-hook who were intimidating voters in 2008 at a Philadelphia polling station with Billy clubs."

"If anyone thinks there was no relationship between Obama's call to "punch back" and this brutality in the streets of St. Louis, we have some nice real estate that runs over the East River in New York we'd think they'd be interested in purchasing," Wilson concluded

UPDATE: how about this assault on our basic freedoms? 

Police Prevent Video Recording of Town Hall

Related: ACORN Using Police To Silence Joker Care Protesters - With Video

I want to know if this Police Chief was acting out of political passions, or political pressures (the mayor and other city political thugs were there), or if that night he was on the ACORN/Obama payroll. Civil court discovery motions and a thorough Federal law enforcement investigation of his civil rights violations will allow for a probe into his personal finances, as well as depositions and sworn testimony from all officers on duty as to the Chief’s orders and actions, both that night and during any other occasions of political activity.

As Matt notes below, the rank and file Womack cops were at odds with Womack’s use of their uniformed authority to support his Democrat’s agenda. The real American cops in Womack have stood up to CAIR. And by the way, we don’t use the term “real American” in some sloppy fashion. ACTIVE defines a real American as one who ardently supports the US Constitution, as Chief Womack obviously doesn’t, given his blatant trampling of it.

Atlas Shrugs: Pamela Geller Vlogs Obamacare's Thugocracy