I was in the car most of the day, so I haven’t had a chance to post on the Ben Nelson sellout. So here are some initial thoughts:
- Yes, it is that bad. The Democrats are about to put in place the legislative, regulatory and bureaucratic infrastructure for a complete government takeover of health care. Just read the comments from the supporters and you will see a common theme — this is just the beginning. They know it, we know it, and Ben Nelson knows it but doesn’t care because he scored some pork for his home state, just like Mary Landrieu
- This is the worst of Washington. Payoffs, lies, deceit, and deception. Oddly enough, I’ve come to have more respect for the left-wing advocates of single-payer than the so-called moderates who will sell their principles for money. At least the left-wing has principles, even if I disagree with those principles. The moderates like Nelson and Landrieu have no principles, at least none that cannot be sold.
- Where is Evan Bayh? His silence has been deafening.
- How amazing is the number of circumstances which caused this perfect storm, without any one of which we wouldn’t be on Obama’s precipice: Massachusetts changes its rules for a second time to allow appointment of a Democrat in Kennedy’s place rather than having to wait for the special election; Al Franken outmaneuvers and out-litigates Norm Coleman to steal the Minnesota race; Rahm Emanuel recruits “blue dog” Democratic wolves in sheep’s clothing and people fall for it; the media covers up the Obama agenda during the campaign, portraying Obama falsely as a moderate; [added] George Allen says “Macaca,” and so on.
- Democrats do not care about the 2010 election cycle, or 2012. Obama has said it. He’d rather get his restructuring of society in place and be a one-term president, than be a two-term president and not succeed in perfecting our imperfections.
- There is a slight, slight chance this legislation can be stopped in the House, so don’t give up until the last vote is taken.
This perfect storm likely never will be repeated. But it only takes one storm to wreak havoc and cause damage which will take years or decades to undo, if it can be undone.
The only ray of hope is that most of the provisions will not kick in until well after November 2010. I’ve said it before, this is the political fight of our lives for the future of the country.
Rescinding Obamacare needs to be the organizing theme of the 2010 election. And throwing out the bums who voted for it.
Now I remember why, as I saw the Obama wave rising last fall, I named this blog Legal Insurrection. That’s what’s needed, now more than ever.
Update: A couple of commenters correctly have pointed out that I should have included Ted Steven’s defeat as another element in the perfect storm. Remember that Steven’s conviction later was dismissed due to prosecutorial misconduct, but the Democrat who won the election remains in office, as I posted previously, Ted Stevens Conviction Reversed, But What About The Election? I noted the implications in that post: “Without the Begich vote, Obama would have a much more difficult time passing his agenda.”
And, now we know why Evan Bayh was relatively silent in public. Behind the scenes, Bayh was a moving force in closed meetings to put the plan together:
Lawmakers who attended a private meeting between Mr. Obama and Senate Democrats at the White House on Tuesday pointed to remarks there by Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, as providing some new inspiration.
Mr. Bayh said that the health care measure was the kind of public policy he had come to Washington to work on, according to officials who attended the session, and that he did not want to see the satisfied looks on the faces of Republican leaders if they succeeded in blocking the measure.
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Comments
You're absolutely right, that this will be the fight of our lives, and quite possibly literally perhaps – according to some of the end-of-life provisions in prior versions of the bill we've all heard about.
I know so many who have prayed this "obamanation" of a health care bill will not pass. And by God's grace, maybe it still won't.
This administration is intolerable. And this is the first time in my 57 years I have not been proud of my country.
Prof Jacobson – You are correct that this is the worst of Washington on display: bribes and legislation in contrast with the people's desire. Sadly, thsi will probably cause the US sovereign default much sooner than expected. As a resident of Indiana, I made contact with Sen Bayh's office to inform him if he votes yes that two votes in my household will be going against him as well as all our energies and monies in the upcoming elections.
As a graduate of Cornell (College of A&S; 2002), I am still trying to figure out how you fit in on campus.
I'll keep fighting this thing if you do. To paraphrase Barack Obama: "Hey Congress… don't think we're not keeping score".
I will not take years to undo. It will take a backlash of anger from middle America and the election of people committed to restoring the Republic. Then, after the bums lose their office, the trials can start. demo-rat or "republican", those who sought to damage this country will pay. They want to put Bush and his policies of trial, so they opened the door for it.
Want to win in 2010/12? run on one issue, restoring the rule of Constitutional law. That means the dismantling of government worker unions, removing activist judges and scaling back the federal machine to what it really takes to make the trains run on time.
Pie-in-the-sky? Maybe. But why not Aim High?!
Ben Nelson has found out something about himself, he does have a price that he'd sell out principal for. Considering what this will cost the American People, Ben Nelson and Mary Landrieu sold us for nickels on the dollar, bought with tax money. Harry Reid is a thief of tax money, might not be a crime but its a shabby and treacherous thing to do.
Amen, Toaster!!!
Excellent observations, the perfect storm has been blowing hard for nearly a year now, the damage is done to a large extent. It never fails to amaze me that people can be so trusting of our politicians?
Hopefully the health care bill can be held up in revision and amendment, if not, we as a nation have surely bought a "pig in a poke". On another note thanks for the trackbacks, Moonbat Patrol is new and getting off the ground slowly, you have been a big help, Merry (insert here) Kynikos
I was thinking exactly these same thoughts tonight. Either we fight or the threads that held us together like voluntary tax paying end. We will be like Italy or Chicago will people hiding income and assets because they no longer trust the government to do more than steal it to give to their friends and supprters.
A health care bill that includes huge payoffs to groups like ACORN and La Raza; that excepts the insurance plans of Longshoremen, that buys critical votes..In fact, a bill not written until after the votes are in for heaven's sake!!!
Hey I have a Google redirect blog, that was attached to my last comment, my main blog is on wordpress, sorry for the confusion. Kynikos
http://wp.me/pxg8T-f6
Isn't bribery a cime? Where are the lawyers and judges and the Supreme Court on all of this??
Wait until it warms up, whenever that happens. You are going to see more tea parties, more marching on Washington, more yelling at members of the House and Senate during public meetings.
And not just the independents and Republicans who opposed Obamacare. Yes, the nutroots, the Kossacks, and the Deaniacs will be out there screaming about why they can't have Socialism now.
It's going to be nasty. It's going to be violent. I hope so! This Congress deserves everything thrown at them.
I hope every one of them has to put on a Kevlar vest in the morning.
Just wait until November. Democrats are going to be permanently ruined for a generation or longer.
Harry Reid and Bob Nelson has basically put taxpayers in the other 49 states on tap to pay 100% of Nebraska's Medicaid in PERPETUITY…the price of the 60th vote.
This is what our treasured legislative process has come to… bribes, extortion and larceny.
As of today, these Pretenders, Marauders of our Economy and Arsonists of the Constitution no longer have my consent to be on Capitol Hill. We must not give up this fight to rescue the Republic.
I have a feeling "Repeal the Bill" will be a common campaign slogan next year. Unfortunately, it won't have teeth because there is no way we can get a veto proof senate next year. Maybe we can get the worst parts of this disastrous legislation repealed, but not the whole enchilada.
On another note, this Congress has caused me to change my mind about two positions that I used to feel strongly about:
1. Public funding of campaigns. I used to think it was stupid to have taxpayers pay for campaigns. Now I see that is the only way to keep the bums from becoming beholden to the special interests.
2. Term Limits. I used to be opposed to term limits. As a conservative libertarian I didn't want my choice artificially restricted. No longer. I now see these career politicians get drunk on power which corrupts them. Plus it's ridiculous a 92 year old man has to be wheeled onto the senate floor to vote. He should be in a West Virginia nursing home, not a member of the U.S. Senate.
In Congressional legislation, if you exempt one state from requirements every other state must meet (i.e. Nebraska having it's state portion of Medicaid picked up by you and me), does that not constitute something…unconstitutional?
Something every governor of every NON-exempt medicaid state can bring suit for?
Jesus, I hope so.
Once again, the GOP loses by one vote. At least with the Dems in control, it didn't take the "Gangs of McCain" to snatch a landmark liberal victory out of the jaws of defeat. THIS Republican party acoomplished what it set out to do: they maintained the long tradition of commity and good fellowship in the Senate. Just because we are losing our freedoms, apparently Republicans see no need to lose their composure.
Linked you, sir.
I posted this over at my site.
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Harry Reid finds Nelson’s price. This reminds me of a joke I heard once…
Posted December 19th, 2009 by admin
First Mary in Louisiana, then Bernie in Vermont, now Ben “I have my principles” Nelson. It is said that everybody has their price, and I guess the men and women in Congress are no exception. Kind of like Tiger’s women, some a little more expensive, some on the cheap, even his wife signed up for 20 million for ten years (sounds like a professional athlete contract doesn’t it?) But we hoped for better. They all know this bill is a monster that will destroy their nation, but they will still vote the party line, for a price. As Mary puts it, (I won’t call her Senator any longer, when I worked the street I didn’t call the street walkers by their last name either.) it was three hundred million not one hundred- so there!
Years ago I heard a joke that puts all of this in perspective. As I was working in my shop, I remembered it and though it was worth sharing. Here goes:
“Once there was a man who was rather crude but direct. One of his co-workers was a haughty-taughty female who found him somewhat repulsive. During one of their constant sharp tongued back and forths the man asks her a question. “Look, be honest. Would you sleep with me for a million dollars?” The woman paused, sizing the man up and down, thinking about her response. Finally she said, “For a million dollars, I would.” The man looks at her. “Would you sleep with me for twenty dollars?” The woman threw her head back and smirked. “Of course not, what do you think I am, a whore?” At which the man said coolly, “We have already established that. What we are doing is haggling over the price.”
If someone had asked me if I would witness a time where not only are the politicians we elected to protect us being bought off so easily, but that the same politicians would do it in the open with an arrogant disregard for us, I would have laughed out loud and said, “At least they would have the common sense to do it where we couldn’t see it. They can’t be suicidal!”
Boy was I wrong.
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I would have never expected overt corruption at the level we are seeing now. But then again, I've been reading about Mao's last cultural revolution (like he hadn't killed enough of his own in the first couple of them) and have had my eyes opened. You'd be surprised to see the similarities between the agenda of this crew and Mao's. It is all about power and control. The difference is this crew has a dash of European statist thrown in.
Even if the federal government achieves a complete take-over of the medical system, Americans won't stand for it. The same thing that happened when Prohibition passed will arise: a black market for health care, a black market for health insurance, and a black market judicial system to mediate disputes. Every doctors that is tired of government B.S. to get paid will start a side business, on a completely separate set of books (which a black market accountant will manage), and they'll pay their taxes, fair and square, on their new life counselling/psychic/fashion adviser side-line. Businesses interested in their bottom line will drop all health care from their benefits package, pay the fine per employee, and give everyone an immediate raise to compensate, and still end up ahead.
There will be speakeasy medical clinics that the chief of police won't admit that he knows anything about.
There will be an Al Capone of health care and an Elliott Ness of health care. There will be a Valentine's Day Massacre of health care. There will be a War on Bootleg Medicine, and it'll work out about as well as the War on Drugs and the War on Poverty.
UHC could have been blocked or modified using this plan.
Did this blog, major bloggers, or any pundits or personalities promote anything like that plan? No, they didn't. Some of those sources did encourage people to go throw tantrums at public meetings but – as we can see – that wasn't effective.
If you don't like the bill, blame those who helped bring it about, including its incompetent or corrupt opponents.
This has been my own biggest fear, especially since (until last week anyway) Rush Limbaugh has always conceded the "unrepealability" of the health care "reform" bill, if signed.
That is why the upcoming lawsuit, announced on the Neil Cavuto show – http://naturalborncitizen.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/our-lead-plaintiff-james-anderer-on-fox-business-news-announcing-the-case-on-dec-4th/ – holds my greatest hopes because it also includes a Quo Warranto action to be filed in D.C. which would, if Obama is found to be ineligible for his officee (not to do with the Kenyan birth speculation, but based on the statement on his own website of his being born a British subject) INVALIDATE anything Obama has ever signed!!!
This is a fuller explanation of this lawsuit which involves the Chrysler dealerships:
http://www.therightsideoflife.com/2009/12/16/donofrio-on-ippt-v-chrysler-tarp-still-in-play-with-dealers/
And, then this:
"…one of the primal fears of most Americans is that once a government program is enacted, it is forever.
Republicans can make it crystal clear that nothing is forever, especially anything which has the capacity to undermine two hundred and thirty three years of individualism, freedom and prosperity."
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading".
http://jewishworldreview.com/1209/ahlert.php3
PRAYER. Perhaps our only hope at this point…
Unfortunately, I think we're stuck with this for the foreseeable future.
To repeal this thing, Republicans will need the House, 60 votes in the Senate and the Presidency. The first & third conditions are doable, the second – I just don't see that happening anytime soon.
The Supremes ruling that the individual mandate is unconstitutional is more likely, IMO.
Prayer, huh? I think it's time for something with a little more bang than that! This is a rogue congress. No longer accountable to the people. Just as Barry said "the time for talking is over" I can't believe I am saying this, but must we amass thousands like a Tea Party and just bum rush the Capital when they are in session? The images alone of tear gas and such would bring this administration and congress down to earth. God forgive me for this, but I think the only thing that will stop this is the image of the Federal Government firing on it's own people. I do not ever propose violence or anything like that. But what is left? Our voices have been effectively silenced by them not listening. Poll after poll shows the vast majority do not want this. Most politicians wouldn't touch this, now they hail it as a thing of pride. They have a back up plan, all politicians do. I think they plan to grant citizen ship to as many illegals as possible to buffer them in upcoming elections. Hence they can have their cake and eat it too. Watch for this and mark my words.
"don't give up until the last vote is taken."
Right. Democrat politicians have had a hell of a time dragging and pushing this monstrous bill along, and this Congress already has suffered terrible losses of goodwill that cannot be entirely replaced with money from the public coffers, even huge amounts of money. You never know what little straw will weigh the scale past the tipping point. Every little impediment, every little delay, every little argument, no matter how seemingly inconsequential, weakens their ability to get the bill through and buys a little more time for their opposition. Every letter that lands on one of their desks and every phone call or conversation that persuades another friend or neighbor that this bill is a bad idea makes it harder to get this bill passed. The harder it gets, the bigger the bribes that Congress Critters extract for their yes votes, and the angrier America gets. The angrier America gets, the harder it gets to drag and push this bill over the finish line.
And, in the words of the Cambridge don, "There's always the unexpected."
Great post. I'm sad to say, but it looks like it will be time for a full-scale revolt soon.
Fruit basket turnover. I emailed my Senator, the charming and trustworthy Mary Landrieu, today that I intend to do whatever it takes to unseat her and her unscrupulous colleagues on Capitol hill. http://moogiep.blogspot.com/2009/12/senate-goes-off-deep-end-and-i-not.html
Insurrection smells pretty good right about now.
Home run. Grand slam. Clean out of the park, Professor Jacobson. You ripped the hide off it and deposited the debris somewhere out in the parking lot on the far side of the center-field stands.
Fight the Health Care to the end! Fight Cap and Trade and Union take over of sheriffs offices and firefighter. On Jan 19, the Dems could lose another seat in MA special election if we get behind Scott Brown. That would be a real blow!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fl9fESYVFY
"Rescinding Obamacare needs to be the organizing theme of the 2010 election."
This is right, but it will take expert legal and political tacticians to rescind this monstrosity. This is like a bomb in a episode of 24, designed by the villain to explode upon detection of any attempt to defuse it. The complexity of our health care delivery and insurance markets, and the need for private and State-level entities to plan for years in advance, will require a squad of health care analyst geeks from the industry – and from think tanks such as Cato and Heritage – just to get the planning right. And it will require politicians who are able to communicate that we are not taking away your health care; rather, we are increasing your options, enabling greater medical innovation, and making the final product cheaper.
Perhaps the best overall strategy would be to advance affirmative changes to the structure and enabling regulations of this law (if it passes), thus step-by-step repealing it in substance, before the law itself is technically repealed.
E.g.,
1) Allow insurance companies on the "exchange" to sell across State lines, thus creating giant risk pools, that will allow these companies to remain solvent and profitable when the individual and business mandates to purchase insurance are repealed (or, in the case of individuals, is declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.)
2) Allow basic, catastrophic health insurance (i.e., insurance against financially devastating occurrences such as cancer or getting hit by a truck) to be allowable in the exchange, thus providing basic security for millions of uninsured at a radically cheaper price than the present law would require.
3) Simply give or even increase direct subsidies to the poor to purchase private insurance on the exchange, but limit such subsidies to catastrophic insurance. This goes against the grain of the libertarian sentiment animating today's populist revolt against oppressive government, but it's a good deal more liberty-preserving than the present regulatory regime, or the proposed government takeover of the health-care sector.
Greater direct subsidies steal more of the fruits of a productive person's labor. That's bad. But such subsidies still leave intact an individual's ability to freely contract with insurance companies and doctors to get optimal health care. The present regime – and the one likely to become law – dictates the terms of the relationship between patients and insurance companies and doctors, to the point where quality health care is unaffordable or unavailable (as doctors drop out.) I personally would pay a tribute of another 5% of my income, to be an otherwise unmolested free man.
The commonality here is to incorporate elements of liberty within the upcoming oppressive regime, in order to preserve and strengthen markets and institutional structures, thus allowing us to legally repeal the essential, coercive elements of this regime: the individual mandate, and the interference with private contracts. Such an approach would, I hope:
a) preserve our health-care delivery and insurance system in the interim,
b) be feasible legislatively, and,
c) would be effective politically, because all along the way the propagandistic focus will be on positive healthcare-providing reform, which would then muscle out the oppressive elements of the upcoming regime.
I don't want to hear one more person say that the crap these Marxists are shoving down our throats can't be undone. Of course it can!! It IS time for a full scale revolt, and I'm ready, willing and able to fight for this country and her values. We are Americans and we don't bow to anyone. Period. NO ONE destroys us. Many have died to protect this nation, her people and Constitution, and I will not have let them die in vain. It's time people, time to take a stand.
how silly and hyperbolic!
you are a professor? why distort and dissemble so much?
go get a majority and pass laws you like, or work to form an honest conservative movement actually interested in governing.
Very nice Blog here…I am now following you.
Feel free to check out my blog if you get the chance. I hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
http://governmentmess.blogspot.com/
In addition to the Mass. and Al Franken shenanigans there's the Ted Steven's trial and where has Robert Byrd been hiding?
You forgot one very important aspect of the storm: Mushy Middle Maine Matron Olympia Snowe's vote gets the Baucus Bill out of the Senate Finance Committee, saying she may not vote for the final product, but sees no harm in Congressional debate of it. She got an invite to the Oval Office out of passing the buck, as well as a lampooning on Saturday Night Live.
RINO hunters have seen this sort of thing before, and knew where it was headed. Remember when George W. Bush signed McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, figuring somebody else (in this case, the Supreme Court) would put him or herself in position to stop it?
i was an 11B once, long ago, when i was young and had a future.
i can, and will, be one again, even as broken down as i am, if necessary, since i'm not planning on running. my legs are trashed, but the arms, hands and eyes can still get the j*b done.
this is my country, and they can only have it over my dead body.
Molon Labe.
My Sharps Rifle and my Enfield Rifle are at your service. I am a cancer survivor, what are they gonna do to me?
My Powder is dry and my blade is sharp.
The Retired Petty Officer is at your disposal, SIR!
A full-scale revolt? From us Republicans?
We'll have to do it on a weekend, because we'll all be working during the week, and we'll have to figure out if there are any gaps in between the kids' soccer, football, baseball, swimming, and basketball seasons, 'cuz most of us will have to drive the kids a couple of times to practices and games on the weekends, and it's going to be tough getting people out on Sundays . . .
See, one of the main reasons we're in this fix is that we're the people who DON'T have hysterical screaming tantrums when we don't get everything we want – we're the people who go to work five or six days every week, and who spend the rest of our time with families and churches and responsibilities and duties.
It's the party of the Ben Nelsons of this country that simply looks to snatch and grab everything it can get, no matter from whom it steals.
No, if we're going to get anywhere, we need to first start educating the idiot "swing voters" who thought they'd vote for the Chicago Thieves just to make some puerile point, that some acts, like voting, should be preceeded by thought.
I still have to work hard to stifle the insults whenever I hear someone say "but we didn't know . . . !" Funny, somehow I knew. You just mean you couldn't be bothered to look.
Don't kid yourself that this is the end (or anything close) of the Democrats.
The MSM and Hollywood will do their best to bury or whitewash any of the problems with this bill.
The 2010 elections are still a year away and 2012 is three years in the future.
There is plenty of time for them to take credit for the economy recovery, or at least to claim a recovery. Evidence means nothing.
They are counting on the historic amnesia that grips the voters. How do you thing GHWB went from 90+% to losing the 1992 election?
Democrats are patient. They think this "tea party" movement will not be able to maintain its momentum in the long run. Liberals and Democrats are much better haters than Conservatives.
Ron Paul was right before, is right today, and will be right next year and in 2012.
Republicans damn well better start aligning behind the libertarian wing of the party or they will risk their demise. Most of them in Congress are afraid of mentioning Paul because their arguments fall apart in the face of truth. Stop the wars. Stop the spending. Stop the Fed.
Why should that punk, Blago, in Illinois be in trouble for wanting to be bribed? Nelson and Landrieu, and who knows how many others, did the same damn thing. Why does it matter legally what use the bribes are put to? Shouldn't a bribe be a bribe, a felony be a felony?
More speculation. How is this bill a government takeover of health care? If health care is so great right now, why do we need telethons and have free clinics for some to get health care. The gov runs the war and I have never seen Jerry Lewis on TV pitching for more money for missiles? What about Lance Armstrong Bikes for Bombs charity ride event? Has anyone heard of that? The gov seems to be able to do wars pretty well, why can't they do health care with the same efficiency? (Assuming the gov does takeover health care.) Please will someone tell me why I have run every year for cancer, donate money for other health care concerns, and yet reform is not needed? Please Mr. Poster, visit a major city ER during a weekend night. If that scene does not turn your stomach and make you realize that health care in America is a farce, nothing will.
Finally, I laughed about your comment about Franken winning over Coleman. If a sitting US senator loses to an unqualified comedian, than that senator has no one to blame but himself.
It seems that everyone forgets Ted Stevens, an egregious politcal use of the justice department that never gets cited.
Buck: Are you serious?
When Medicare passed, it cost $65 million a year. When the law passed, the equivalent of the CBO at the time made projections for what Medicare would cost in 1990. They underestimated the cost by 900%. This year, the government will spend about $500 BILLION for a program that cost $65 million in 1965.
The unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare are now an astounding $107 TRILLION:
http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba662
Rather than fix the existing socialist welfare programs, they want to create a brand new entitlement.
60 Minutes did an expose a few weeks ago in which they estimated Medicare fraud is $60 billion per year. That's right, your government is allowing a fraud the size of the GDP of a small country to go unchecked. And you have confidence those clowns will somehow get this right? Good grief.
Defeated does not equal deflated. Each power grab by the administration results in the strengthening of the resolve of the opposition. Momentum is on our side.
Buck Johnson , you have to be a troll . It is not only a take over of health care it is a takeover of our country ,and freedom of choice .
The Democrats are about to put in place the legislative, regulatory and bureaucratic infrastructure for a complete government takeover of health care.
Unfortunately, despite the compelling work of Kenneth Arrow, this isn't true.
What was political about the Stevens prosecution? It was brought under Bush, and dropped under Obama. Politically all parties would seem to have acted against their own interests except the career scumbags who cut corners in the Stevens case to advance their own careers (fairly typical of prosecutors, btw).
As for rescinding Obamacare: thanks to the GOP's unprecedented use of the filibuster, it will take 60 senators to roll this back if it is enacted. So good luck with that.
30 million people will get a basic right.
No yearly or lifetime caps.
No more bankruptcy from health care costs.
It will reduce the deficit.
This all adds up to WIN and you guys are flat-out barking crazy if you think it can be spun for anything more than (maybe) a couple of pickups next year. You'd be better off praising the Republicans that actually contributed to this momentous bill – Enzi had 41 amendments accepted, for instance – to try to bask in some of the glow that will only increase over time. Seriously.
*biblipeacay said… crapblahblah*
Here is the perfect example of why we are in this mess. Healthcare is NOT a right. Seriously. A right is something that is not given to you, nor can it be taken away. If you have a 'right' to healthcare, that means you have a 'right' to another person's life – doctor, surgeon, etc. YOU DO NOT.
It's that simple. Seriously, get a farking brain. The only 'glow' that will increase over time will be the glow from candles at funerals, that will also increase over time as we enter the Canada/UK healthcare ration and die model. You are a complete and utter uneducated ignorant fool.
(1) Specter's switch was part of the perfect storm, too. Ironically, he switched because he knew he couldn't win the GOP nomination. Would he still have supported this as a Republican? I doubt it. He's a weasel, and would not have risked the wrath of his party no matter which one it happened to be at the time.
(2)While it's good to see so much fighting spirit here in the comment section, the fact is that if this bill isn't stopped in the House, it's over for our medical system as we knew it, and for America as the last holdout nation. The only remaining a beacon of self-reliance. There's no hope short term. Even if you assume the unlikely, and the GOP wins back both the House and the Senate in '10, remember that a repeal would have to overcome not just a filibuster, but a Presidential veto. Impossible. medium term: even if Obama gets voted out (no sure thing) the monstrosity is going into effect as his successor takes office. Government and industry have been preparing for it in good faith. Too much inertia on its side. Long term: the nation is trending big D Democratic. Simple demographics. Just like Ted Kennedy planned it in '65.
America as we knew it was great while it lasted. We've already given Britain back the bust of Churchill; maybe we should return the Statue of Liberty to France.
Biblipeacay = typical Obama lemming. Haven't read a single line in the Healthcare Bill. Your 30 million people + 200 million people (who already have insurance) will be held hostage by mandated IRS Fines. Is this a F@#! RIGHT? "Will reduce the DEFICIT" how when the rest of the country will be paying 100% of NEBRASKA's Medicaid?! "No more bankruptcy.."?!! Hello you advocate-of-Government-robbing-the-economy, haven't you heard about our new Pauper state, California?
Can someone please tell me how it it a takeover of health care? And maybe it is needed. Nobody has explained why we have to have telethons, charities, and free clinics here in USA? Also why no major cancer dsx or other major dsx is has been cured, if the the health care is so great?
Buck: The telethons, chartiy drives etc. etc. are to raise money for RESEARCH!! To "FIND THE CURE"… its not for healthcare!
Wow…the sheer inanity expressed here is truly astounding. It must really suck to wake up every morning knowing that your life is worthless and all you believe in is based on lies and ignorance. I truly feel sorry for you people.
Linked at Bread upon the Waters.
I am stunned–absolutely stunned–that this has gotten as far as it has.
To think that the thoughtless, stupid, and selfish actions of the folks who bought into the "hope and change" lies have come to *this*. It will take two generations to fix this mess.
We continue to battle through the last vote, but have to start organizing for 2010 and 2012. First we throw out EVERY SINGLE PERSON who voted for this abomination, and then we roll it all back–defund it, ignore it, undo the laws completely.
Ignore folks like Larry–they're part of the old thinking and now as irrelevant as the Democratic Party. Focus on the future and let's restore America to its rightful heritage.
"Just keep punching out the outrages, constantly wage scorched earth resistance to any reform of any major problem, find any issue, any appointee, any opening to wage a campaign of brutal oppositionism … and for what? To win against liberals. That's the goal. Yes, that's all they have. And that will make them happy enough. It's a game after all, isn't it?
Healthcare reform? The GOP has no way to insure the uninsured and is now pledging to keep Medicare untouched to foil any cost controls. Climate change? Again, there's no valid alternative, no brave championing of a carbon tax as a better alternative to cap and trade, just an incessant attempt to throw mud and scandal at any of those concerned with global warming. The deficit? If it grows, attack Obama. If it shrinks a little and joblessness rises, attack Obama. There's no real coherence here, just bellicosity, limitless partisanship, profound cynicism and fanaticism."
Now be sure to rage against Sullivan so you can be certain your choir hears your myopic venom.
The thing is, most reasonable people find this rigid ideological attitude of the current right like kryptonite. And it's a shame because there are plenty of republicans with good ideas out there. It's just that they are being shouted down by the lunatics fringes.
You can continue bleating every day that the tide is turning back towards Rovian psychopathology but it's really not true and I think many of you know it and try to drown out those pangs of fear and misgivings about the vacuous right with more anger and more shrieking to replace the absence of actual ideas beyond "less government" and "reduce taxes".
Section 3403: Reid made health care bill REPEAL virtually impossible:
http://lgstarr.blogspot.com/2009/12/section-3403-repeal-of-health-care-bill.html
UNBELIEVABLE
Bibliwhatever, we have no desire to insure most of the people obama claims make up the uninsured – we put forth no "alternative" fix to AGW because it's a damn fraud foisted upon society that has, at last, started its public unravelling – yes, we'll be blaming obama for the deficits and the unemployment records for years, if we can ever repair the effing mess he's made of our country's checkbook – and, no, none of this is simply attitude, it's fact-driven, and I think you need to stop posting because you sound like you're about to cry.
Quoted from and Linked to at:
WASHINGTON DC: THUGGERY IS THE NEW NORMAL
The idiocy of those against Insurance for All is criminal. *A 5 year old boy died of an infected tooth, his family's insurance had lapsed. Practially all of the Western World societies: Western Europe, most of the EU. They've given to much to the Insurance Industry in this bill already, surprised that the GOP isn't behind them.
As far as the election "Shenanigans" with Franken. There were NONE. The state had to recount those that were cast and count those that had been cast via absentee ballot. Best bet on the Kennedy seat in the Senate is that it's never happened to them before, while it's happened to other states and that is why they changed it there. Also the fact that it saved them a bit of change.
Boo,
Nobody's against insurance for all. We'd like everyone to be able to purchase for themselves quality health insurance. That is exactly our goal. The answer to rising health care costs, however, is not to use a bigger purse to pay for it, it's to reduce the cost. In order to do so, the system must be simplified, the parts that add cost but not value removed. Additional gov't involvement will not, cannot add value; only cost.
The state is not the answer.
Can someone please tell, even if it used for research, which I doubt is a major portion of it, why we have telethons, fundraisers, etc… If health care and insurance was so great, we would not need these extra source of finacing
Here is the perfect example of why we are in this mess. Healthcare is NOT a right. Seriously. A right is something that is not given to you, nor can it be taken away. If you have a 'right' to healthcare, that means you have a 'right' to another person's life – doctor, surgeon, etc. YOU DO NOT.
http://www.shemale-cam.net