How to destroy a nation

For those who do not remember that ideological threats are very real:

This leads to this which leads to this

See ya next week...

I'll be gone for a few days, but I am leaving you in the capable hands of BigDog!

I should be back Tuesday.

The Beer Summit

This has to be the stupidest thing ever.

Paul Ryan vs. MSNBC

It's easy to get confused with all the rhetoric on healthcare. Below is a pretty good debate between Congressman Paul Ryan and MSNBC. The hosts clearly want the public option and would rather a vote have happened before the recess, but Ryan does a good job of explaining why the recess is a good idea and why the public option is not.




via HotAir

Washington Could Learn From Texas

From Gov. Rick Perry at The Washington Times:

In Texas, we have long based our approach on individual liberty and initiative, believing that families, entrepreneurs and individual citizens deserve the opportunity to strive and succeed -- with minimal government interference. After regular, 140-day legislative sessions every two years, Texas lawmakers go home to live under the laws they pass.

Limited time at the Capitol not only requires state leaders to focus on the essentials, it also reduces the mischief unrestrained government can do. Limiting state government in Texas has led to balanced budgets, low taxes, a predictable regulatory climate and a fair legal system.

For example, our just-concluded legislative session yielded a balanced state budget, tax relief for 40,000 small businesses, and it left $9 billion unspent for future state needs.

States that have overspent, overtaxed and overregulated have seen greater deficits, job losses and even population loss. Texas proves that fiscal discipline, lawsuit reforms and prioritizing accountable public education can create huge dividends for citizens, taxpayers, employers and government.

...........................

America's Founders would be appalled at the way their federal successors are riding roughshod over individual liberties, contemplating even more tax increases and intruding further into private enterprise.

Who among them could have imagined federal appointees calling the shots at banks and manufacturers, a budget deficit topping $1.7 trillion and an army of federal auditors descending on nearly every community in America to rifle through the drawers of anyone using stimulus dollars? Who today thinks that Congress and the Obama administration's big-government plans are the best choice for our personal health care decisions?

Because Texas has balanced budgets, low taxes, a predictable regulatory climate and a fair legal system, people are flocking here for jobs. And why shouldn't they? In 2007/08 nearly half of ALL jobs in AMERICA were created in the great state of Texas. In 2007 Texas exported more goods than any other state. Chief Executive Officer magazine recently named Texas the Best State to Do Business for the third year in a row.

What Texas understands that Washington doesn't, is that low spending means low taxes. Low taxes means more business. More business means more jobs.

If Washington D.C. would follow Texas's example, then we could all see a growing productive economy.

BigDog's Random Thoughts

People with bumper stickers - political, Cause, group or even that Christian fish on their car identifying themselves with some group or cause really ought to put more thought and care into their driving than the average. Advertising on your car makes you an ambassador of sorts, and bad driving leaves a poor impression.


Republicans, Conservatives, Libertarians and anyone opposed to socialized health care ought to repeat and emphasis that the US has the best health care in the world which is not rationed and accessible to all, that the question at hand is who pays for it and how. Then point out that Obama/Democrats want to ration care and have government pay for it with higher taxes. Its easy to get distracted from this central point.


Birthers are asses.


Republicans are hoping to regain control of the House in 2010. This is an achievable goal. They will not succeed by merely relying on Democrats misbehavior and unpopularity. Republicans must actually offer a viable alternative and articulate it. This does not mean "our plan is just like the Democrat's plan, but not as much. Vote for us!" They have to stop being timid, prevaricating and diffident. They have to start acting like a team and stop being so accommodating to Democrats. Republicans have a long row to hoe, having defecated on their own reputation when they were in power with deficit spending, expanding government, TARP and Bailouts, and failing to rein in government bureaucracy.


“This is a president who needs a vacation”
Perhaps. He seems to golf more than other Presidents. Naturally the media cheers Obama's golf outings whereas they criticized those of past Republican Presidents. Obama is a duffer, and clearly no athlete no matter how much media types flatter him.

Again...What's in a name?

I get e-mail updates from BarackObama.com and even as little as a month ago this is what the e-mails said about healtcare reform:

Kathleen --

The fight to pass real health care reform will come down to one thing: you.

That's because the efforts in Washington, D.C., to fix our broken health care system and provide affordable coverage for all Americans are only part of the battle.


blah blah blah.

The e-mail I received today no longer uses the term "health care reform." It's now "health insurance reform."

Kathleen --

You've probably seen the headlines: Opponents of change are doing everything they can to delay health insurance reform.

blah blah blah.

Changing the wording to "health insurance reform" seems to direct the reform to insurance companies, which we all have problems with, instead of reforming actual healthcare, which most of us don't have a problem with.

The problem is that the change isn't about just about insurance. It's about rationing the actual care we get. Obama showed his hand when he talked about how Doctors supposedly choose to take out tonsils rather than treat the sore throat, because they would make more money that way.

That is absurd and insulting to doctors, but it also shows how a bureaucrat in Washington will tell a Doctor that he cannot take those tonsils out because they think that the treatment of the sore throat would be better. THAT is taking away the Doctor's decision and your decision. It really illustrates what this fight is all about.

As we continue to debate healthcare, don't be misled by those who think wording will fool you.

The Health care crazy continues....

Scroll for Updates!

From NRO


Vote Back On? [Jonah Goldberg]


From Red State:

Head's up: there is a rumor circulating in the House of Representatives that enough Blue Dogs have caved on health care for Nancy Pelosi to get the bill to the floor this week. The memo to Republicans assuring them there'd be no vote could have been a ruse to turn down constituent heat enough.

Democrats are growing fearful that August recess will turn the Blue Dogs cold and want something out by Friday.

It appears they may have the votes to do that.


Who knows if this is true or not, but I think it would be a big mistake. Every day Democrats even agree that this is something that shouldn't be rushed. Something this big and this life changing for so many people needs to be looked at in a manner that doesn't include votes being bought or coerced. This is too important for that. It will only hurt Democrats in the long run. Pelosi doesn't want time for Americans to be able to take a good long look at this. That is why she is rushing it. And that's just wrong.

Update: The Hill is hearing differently. But I think something is up. We shall see.

Here is a list of the Blue Dogs. It wouldn't hurt for them to hear from you today and let them know how you feel!

Update: (12:20Pm) Mark Knoller (of CBS) just tweeted that Pres. Obama says there's won't be a real vote on health care bill til after the summer and Congress will “have more than enough time to read it.”

He also tweeted this interested tidbit: "Obama says he'll go over health care bill "line by line" with any member of Congress who wants to come to the WH."

Now THAT's the way to pass a bill. READ IT FIRST.

One more update. Fox News says the blue dogs cut 100 billion dollars from the bill and exempted small businesses with a payroll greater than $500,000 from paying for any government-sponsored health coverage. Doctors and other health care providers will be allowed to negotiate their payment rates with the government-sponsored health care arm. And the public option will be optional. Not sure what that means since if your company chooses the govt plan it's not optional for you anymore.

Also, Jake Tapper of ABC tweeted that the CBO preliminary report shows this Committe bill will reduce deficit, cover 95% of Americans and cost less than $900 billion over10 yrs.

** **In 1965 when Medicare was conceived the govt report said that it would cost 9 billion dollars (cost of living and inflation adjusted)by 1990. The actual cost by 1990 was 67 billion dollars.

Keep that in mind when you look a the "projected' costs of healthcare.

Thank God for Blue Dog Democrats!

From Politico:
Democratic leaders have apparently thrown in the towel -- telling their Republican counterparts that there will be no health care vote on the House floor before the August recess starts this Friday, according a Republican memo obtained by POLITICO.

The memo:

From: Cavicke, David
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 4:51 PM


To: REDACTED
Subject: Schedule

Democratic Leadership has told Mr. Boehner’s staff that there will be no vote on Health on the Floor before recess and we will leave Friday.
We still have no confirmation of plans to resume or end the Committee Markup.

David L. Cavicke
Republican Chief of Staff
Committee on Energy and Commerce

"5 Freedoms You Will Lose In Health Care Reform"

From CNNMoney.com:

NEW YORK (Fortune) -- 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. To be sure, it isn't easy to comb through their 2,000 pages of tortured legal language. But page by page, the bills reveal a web of restrictions, fines, and mandates that would radically change your health-care coverage.

.....................

In short, the Obama platform would mandate extremely full, expensive, and highly subsidized coverage -- including a lot of benefits people would never pay for with their own money -- but deliver it through a highly restrictive, HMO-style plan that will determine what care and tests you can and can't have. It's a revolution, all right, but in the wrong direction.

The following are the 5 key freedoms you will lose under Pres. Obama's plan. Read the whole thing for details. This is the best overall view I have seen that explains plainly how our freedom will be taken away in our health care if this plan succeeds.

1. Freedom to choose what's in your plan

2. Freedom to be rewarded for healthy living, or pay your real costs

3. Freedom to choose high-deductible coverage

4. Freedom to keep your existing plan

5. Freedom to choose your doctors

Update on Gates Controversy II

Reading through news reports and blogs, it is clear that this story has blown up out of control. Pick the person you want to blame. Obama, Crowley, or Gates. I cannot believe that a police union demanded an apology from the President. I can't believe the President is even involved with this. I can't believe Obama is having a beer with the men involved. I can't believe the 911 caller felt the need to get an attorney. I can't believe some Republican introduced a resolution calling for the President to apologize.

I can see now that just as in every stupid story like this, everything about it will be nitpicked to death. Many on the left won't rest until they have proven St. Crowely of being a racist power hungry lowbrow lying police officer. Many on the right won't be satisfied until Gates is proven to be an elitist narcisstist communist and race baiter.

Now we will soon learn about Crowley getting in a fight with a black kid in 3rd grade. His ex-wife will say she heard him say the "n" word once and that he loved drowning black kittens. People will find where Gates lectured once that America would be better as a communist nation, and that black people have a inherent right to be dictators of it.

This is the kind of ridiculous crap that this kind of discussion brings and frankly I'm sick of it. On both sides.

The simple truth is that a police officer shouldn't have arrested the guy and the guy shouldn't have lost his temper at the police. It's a shame this has turned into a racial incident, when I don't think color had anything to do with it at all.

A brief discussion on race

I was talking to a bunch of my 16 yr old son's friends last night about race. One of his best friends is half black, half Iranian. Another one is from Morocco. Both are often mistaken at school for Mexicans.

The thing that I have written about before, and detest in this younger generation is the common practice of making jokes about ethnicity. This generation grew up listening to Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle. Racial jokes are sooo funny to them. His black friends tell black jokes. They all tell what I see as inappropriate jokes, regarding just about anything, girls, race, and religion.

I always challenge them (and I don't let my son tell them) but it's common practice and I've seen it with my older two's friends as well.

So I asked them how they saw themselves in these jokes, and how they saw race in general. I did find it interesting that they reject the common definition of what is black and what is white. They didn't see mixed race kids as "black." They didn't see them as "white" either, but really didn't see a reason why they should be pigeoned holed one way or the other.

So, in one way I see this generation looking past color, but it's still disturbing to me that the racial jokes remain.

Read the Bill....

By BigDog

John Conyers, Democratic congressmen and - get this - chairman of the House Judiciary Committee muses on the value of reading legislation that he votes upon.




I think Americans should demand more from our elected representatives. What kind of citizen votes for a person like this? He is admitting that he is irresponsible and not diligent. It says a lot about the Democratic party that they would make him a leader.

I read contracts before I sign them, don't you?

h/t CNS News

Gates and Crowley Update

In case you are at work and not able to watch the news, the Cambridge Police released the 9-11 tape and dispatch tape to the officers regarding Prof. Gates home and possible break in.

In neither the 9-11 tape or dispatch tape is "black" ever mentioned. The 9-11 operator asked the woman if the men were "white, black, or hispanic." The woman says one might be hispanic but she wasn't sure and that she didn't see the other one.

She also says "the gentlemen" may live there because there are suitcases on the floor, but they did bash in the door to get in.

So much for racial profiling.

Pajamas Media has excellent an article on why the Gates controversy matters.

What's in a name? That which we call a rose.....

Get this. Congressman Kevin Brady on the Joint Economic Committee created this chart to show what kind bureaucracy one will have to navigate through if the new health care bill passes (Click on link for bigger picture). The Democrats, in their power, have banned members of Congress from using the chart when discussing the healthcare bill.

Human Events reports that "Republicans are no longer allowed to use the words 'government run health care' in the communications to their constituents." The report says Rep. John Carter (R-TX) received a notice from the Franking Commission censoring his use of "government-run health care," saying he "must" instead call it a "public option health care plan"

Umm....Free speech anyone? I'm wondering if this has ever happened before, where a Congressman is forced to use the language of the opposition.

The left loves to change wording to mask the truth or reveal it's real intentions. "Global warming" has become "climate change" since the warming thing wasn't exactly happening any more. Obama's Homeland Security Secretary no longer uses the term "terrorism" but "man-caused" disaster. It softens it up a bit, doesn't it? We are not suppose to feel as much fear when she talks about "terrorism" now. When it became clear "The Stimulus Bill" wasn't stimulating anything, the administration went back to calling it "The Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

Now that "government run" brings to mind inefficiencies that we have all come to know when the government runs...well anything, the Democrats now don't want the word "government" involved in the discussion. Better to use the term "public option." It just sounds so much more benevolent, doesn't it?

They can call it whatever they wish, but it doesn't change the fact that the healthcare bill is a disaster for Americans.

While we are talking about healthcare, Read about the GOP plan here.


via The Freedom Project

The Scary Truth

The Health Care bill is over 1000 pages long. No wonder most of Congress haven't read it. But Right Soup has put together a look at some provisions in the bill. They are from Peter Fleckstein, who is reading the entire bill and tweeting provisions that we might want to think twice about.

Scratch that.

We might want to FREAK OUT about.

Pg 22 of the Health Care Bill MANDATES the Govt will audit books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self-insure.

Pg 30 Sec 123- THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get.

Pg 29 lines 4-16 - YOUR HEALTHCARE IS RATIONED.

Pg 42 - The “Health Choices Commissioner” will choose your Heathcare Benefits for you. You have no choice.

PG 50 Section 152- Heathcare will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise.

Pg 53- Severability (KEY GEM)

“If any provision of the Act, or any application of such provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of the provisions of this Act and the application of the provision to any other person or circumstance shall not be affected.”

Pg 58 - Govt will have real-time access to individual’s finances & a National ID Healthcard will be issued.

Pg 59 lines 21-24- Govt will have direct access to your bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.

PG 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in Unions & community organizations (ACORN).

Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Govt is creating an Healthcare Exchange to bring private Healthcare plans under Govt control.

Pg 84 Sec 203 - Govt mandates ALL benefit packages for private Healthcare plans in the Exchange.

Pg 91 Lines 4-7- Govt mandates linguistic appropriate services. Example: Translation for illegal aliens

Pg 95 Lines 8-18 The Govt will use groups i.e., ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt Healthcare plan.

PG 85 Line 7 - Specs of Benefit Levels For Plans. #AARP members- Your Health care WILL be rationed

PG 102 Lines 12-18- Medicaid-Eligible Individual will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.

pg 124 lines 24-25 No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No “judicial review” against Govt Monopoly.

pg 127 Lines 1-16- RE: Doctors- The Govt will tell YOU what you can make.

Pg 145 Line 15-17 An Employer MUST auto-enroll employees into public option plan. NO CHOICE

Pg 126 Lines 22-25 Employers MUST pay for Healthcare for part time employees AND their families.

Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Employer with payroll $400k & above who doesn’t provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll.

PG 150 Lines 9-13- Businesses with payroll between 251k & 400k who doesn’t provide public option pays 2-6% tax on all payroll

Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesn’t have acceptable Healthcare according to Govt will be taxed 2.5% of income.

Pg 170 Lines 1-3 Any NONRESIDENT Alien is EXEMPT from individual taxes. (Americans will pay)

Pg 195 -Officers & employees of Heathcare Admin (GOVT) will have access to ALL Americans financial/personal records.

PG 203 Line 14-15- “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” Yes, it actually says that.

Pg 239 Line 14-24-Govt will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor will be affected. Expendable.

Pg 241 Line 6-8- Doctors, doesn’t matter what specialty you have, you will all be paid the same.

PG 253 Line 10-18 Govt sets value of Doctor's time, professional judgment, etc. Literally sets the value of humans.

PG 265 Sec 1131-Govt mandates & controls productivity for private HC industries

PG 268 Sec 1141- Fed Govt regulates rental & purchase of power driven wheelchairs.

PG 272 SEC. 1145- TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!

Page 280 Sec 1151- The Govt will penalize hospitals for what Govt deems “preventable re-admissions.”

Pg 298 Lines 9-11- Doctors, treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission? Govt will penalize you.

Pg 317 L 13-20-PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Govt tells Doctors what and how much they can own.

Pg 317-318 lines 21-25,1-3: PROHIBITION on expansion- Govt is mandating hospitals cannot expand.

pg 321 2-13: Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input required.

Pg335 Lines 16-25, Pg 336-339 - Govt mandates establishment of outcome based measures. Heahcare the way they want. Rationing.

Pg 341 Lines 3-9: Govt has authority to disqualify Medicare Adv Plans, HMOs, etc. Forcing people into Govt plan

Pg 354 Sec 1177 - Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of Special needs people.

Pg 379 Sec 1191- Govt creates more bureaucracy - “Telehealth Advisory Committee.”

PG 425 Lines 4-12 Govt mandates “Advanced Care Planning Consultations.”

PG 425 the Federal Government will require EVERYONE who is on Social Security to undergo a counseling session every 5 years with "end of life counseling."

Pg 425 Lines 17-19: Govt will instruct & consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!

PG 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3: Govt provides approved list of end of life resources, guiding you in death.

PG 427 Lines 15-24: Govt mandates program for orders for end of life. The Govt has a say in how your life ends.

Pg 429 Lines 1-9: An “advanced care planning consult” will be used frequently as patients health deteriorates

PG 429 Lines 10-12: “advanced care consultation” may include an ORDER for end of life plans. AN ORDER from the Government.

Pg 429 Lines 13-25 - The govt will specify which Doctors can write an end of life order.

PG 430 Lines 11-15- The Govt will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life.

Pg 469 - Community Based Home Medical Services = Non profit organizations. Hello, ACORN Medical Services here!!?

Page 472 Lines 14-17: PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORG. 1 monthly payment to a community-based org. Like ACORN?

PG 489 Sec 1308: The Govt will cover Marriage & Family therapy.

Pg 494-498: Govt will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, rationing those services.”

This is only half the bill so far.

Get ready. The left is going to use August to lie and spin this health care bill:

but labor leaders and other administration allies told POLITICO that they’re gearing up to spend millions on television

advertisements and grass-roots organizing. And, judging by spending already reported by some of these groups, they are off to an impressive start.

Don't be fooled. Learn more about the healthcare bill. The more we know, the more certain it is that this would be the absolutely wrong way to reform healhcare. Americans need to make Congress reform in a way that helps consumers, not give the government more power!