Article Spotlight 3.5.10

Politics:
Obama signs Bill to Boost US Tourism Promotion: Breitbart
Looking for an edge in the global war for tourism dollars, US President Barack Obama Thursday signed into law moves to attract more overseas travelers. Obama signed the act "which establishes a corporation for travel promotion to encourage international travel to the United States" the White House said in a statement. The effort is to be funded through a matching program featuring up to 100 million dollars in private sector contributions and a 10-dollar fee on foreign travelers who do not pay for a visa, with no money from US taxpayers.

Feds Weigh Expansion of Internet Monitoring: CNET
Homeland Security and the National Security Agency may be taking a closer look at Internet communications in the future. The Department of Homeland Security's top cybersecurity official told CNET on Wednesday that the department may eventually extend its Einstein technology, which is designed to detect and prevent electronic attacks, to networks operated by the private sector. The technology was created for federal networks.

Spy Chips Hidden in 2.5 Million Dustbins: 60 pc rise in Electronic Bugs as Council Snoopers Plan Pay-As-You-Throw Tax: Daily Mail
The growing threat of a stealth tax on the rubbish we throw away was exposed by startling figures yesterday. More than 2.5million homes now have wheelie bins fitted with microchips to weigh their contents. Under such schemes - which are likely to be hugely unpopular - families who put out more waste will pay higher taxes to their local council.

Economy:
Payrolls fall by 36,000; U.S. jobless rate steady at 9.7%: Wall Street Journal
U.S. nonfarm payrolls declined for the 25th time in the past 26 months, falling by 36,000 in February to a seasonally adjusted 129.5 million, the Labor Department estimated Friday. The nation's jobless rate was steady at 9.7% as the number of people employed rose by 308,000, according to the household survey.

Federal Pay Ahead of Private Industry: USA Today

Federal employees earn higher average salaries than private-sector workers in more than eight out of 10 occupations, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data finds. Accountants, nurses, chemists, surveyors, cooks, clerks and janitors are among the wide range of jobs that get paid more on average in the federal government than in the private sector.

Immigration:
Obama Looking to Give New Life to Immigration Reform: LA Times
Despite steep odds, the White House has discussed prospects for reviving a major overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, a commitment that President Obama has postponed once already. Obama took up the issue privately with his staff Monday in a bid to advance a bill through Congress before lawmakers become too distracted by approaching midterm elections.

Foreign Affairs:
Indonesian Students Protest Barack Obama's Visit: AP
Scores of Islamic students staged protests outside Jakarta's parliament and in at least three other major Indonesian cities on Friday against President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to this predominantly Muslim country. The students carried banners branding Obama as an enemy of Islam and an imperialist in downtown Jakarta as well as in the provincial capitals Padang, Yogyakarta and Surabaya.

Dozens Hurt in Clashes at Revered Jerusalem Mosque: Reuters
Israeli police and Palestinians clashed outside Jerusalem's flashpoint al-Aqsa mosque on Friday and at least 35 people were injured, Israeli police and Palestinian medical workers said. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israeli forces of "provocation" and "crossing red lines" in an effort to derail a resumption of peace negotiations expected shortly under U.S. mediation. In a statement, Abbas appealed to Washington to hold Israel back to prevent a "war of religion" in the Middle East.

Other:
Body Scanners Are Headed to 11 Major Airports: USA Today
Eleven major airports will begin using body scanners to screen passengers as the Transportation Security Administration launches a plan to buy 1,000 of the machines over the next two years. The scanners can look under passengers' clothing in order to detect weapons and explosives.

Parents of Pentagon Shooter Reportedly Warned Authorities About Him: Fox News
The Pentagon shooter had been behaving erratically, and his family feared in January that he had bought a gun, a law enforcement official said Friday. San Benito County Sheriff Curtis Hill told the AP the parents of John Patrick Bedell filed a missing persons report and were worried about his mental stability.

Controversies Big and Small Dog Oscars Contenders: Yahoo News
Anti-war, anti-imperialist, anti-semitic, anti-social, racist: this year's Oscars best picture contenders have faced a barrage of criticism from groups and commentators eager to exploit the media frenzy surrounding the Academy Awards to draw attention to their causes. While science-fiction blockbuster "Avatar" and Iraq war drama "The Hurt Locker" have been battling criticism on a number of fronts, controversies have also attached themselves to best picture nominees "Precious," "District 9," "An Education," "The Blind Side" and "A Serious Man."

Movie Milestone 'Avatar' Eyes Oscars Gold: Yahoo News
Win or lose at the Oscars this weekend, "Avatar" is already assured of its place in Hollywood history, a 3-D milestone to rank alongside the arrival of sound in the 1920s or color in the 1930s. Director James Cameron's science-fiction blockbuster has already redefined the art of special effects on its way to becoming the highest-grossing film of all time, raking in more than two billion dollars worldwide since its release.

Harry Reid: Only 36,000 Lost Their Jobs Today

Learned how to shoot a hand gun today...I feel like a responsible Republican!

Today my boyfriend took me to the indoor shooting range and let me fire his .40 caliber Glock hand gun. Today I became a gun-totting redneck Republican...finally!

Of course, I am not saying that you need to have fired a gun to be a Republican but man was that cool...fun...powerful! There is a certain amount of security that come along with something like that. I like to know that, even with my limited 100 rounds of experience, I can now use a gun if I needed too. Probably not quite that effectively but still...I could do it to defend myself. That is a right we all have!

There is no doubt that there are those out there that think what I did today was awful but I have one thing to say to them...its my right and I'm looking forward to being able to do something like that again.

I don't know much about gun control cases or laws so if anyone has any info to share, please feel free. In the next few days I'm going to familiarize myself a little bit with it.

Articles:
The Liberal Case For Gun Control Doesn't Get Far in The Supreme Court: Newsweek
The McDonald v. Chicago Supreme Court case, argued on Tuesday morning, was a good opportunity for liberal advocates of gun rights to present their case in briefs. But they probably won't win the decision. In fact, there is not a single justice that will necessarily side with them.


Starbuck in Crosshairs on Gun-Control Debate: CNN Money
The debate over gun control is heating up at Starbucks. Gun owners bearing arms have been gathering at various Starbucks locations in states where it's legal to do so in public. That's sparked protests from gun-control advocates and kudos from pro-gun groups. The coffee chain says that its stores simply abide by state laws, and it is legal to carry weapons in 43 states. But businesses have the right to prohibit customers from carrying guns in their establishments despite state laws, and that's the crux of this particular dust-up.

Gun-Rights Groups Score Win in National Parks Issue: Poughkeepsie Journal
The National Rifle Association and other Second Amendment advocacy groups can put a check mark in the win column if they are so inclined. As of Feb. 22, gun owners may possess firearms in all but 20 of the nation's 392 national parks. However, this does not relax the ban on carrying them into visitor's centers and ranger's offices. Firearms are banned in federal buildings.

Woolner: How many guns are too many?: NorthJersey.com
Second Amendment fans were at the Supreme Court Tuesday arguing that the constitutionally protected right to bear arms should kill Chicago’s gun law. The court will probably do just that. But Chicago’s ban on handguns, along with one in suburban neighbor Oak Park, are the only laws that are so restrictive. They don’t reflect what is going on across much of the country. The real problem is that state legislators want to give more people the right to buy more guns and carry them into more places.

Video: TERRORIST, WHERE?! by Steve Crowder

Article Spotlight 3.2.10

Gun Control:
Supreme Court Weighs Chicago's Strict Gun Ban: ABC News
Otis McDonald, 76, is afraid for his life in his crime-saturated Chicago neighborhood and he is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn his city's strict ban on handguns in the home.

Economy:
Winter Storms to Distort US Jobless Figures-Summers: Reuters
White House economic adviser Larry Summers said on Monday winter blizzards were likely to distort U.S. February jobless figures, which are due to be released on Friday. "The blizzards that affected much of the country during the last month are likely to distort the statistics. So it's going to be very important ... to look past whatever the next figures are to gauge the underlying trends," Summers said in an interview with CNBC, according to a transcript.

Politics:
Brooklyn ACORN Cleared Over Giving Illegal Advice on How to Hide Money From Prostitution: NY Daily News Brooklyn prosecutors on Monday cleared ACORN of criminal wrongdoing after a four-month probe that began when undercover conservative activists filmed workers giving what appeared to be illegal advice on how to hide money.

One Senator Holds Up Bill, in New Level of Gridlock: Wall Street Journal
The Senate tied itself in knots Monday as it tried to get around a single lawmaker's objection to a spending bill, a showdown that has become emblematic of capital's partisan gridlock.Sen. Jim Bunning (R., Ky.) again blocked a $10 billion bill that would have extended unemployment benefits and other programs after halting its progress last week. And on Monday, the impact of his blockade started biting, with the expiration of benefits to 100,000 people and the suspension of 41 transportation projects across the country.

Administration Blames Bunning's 'Political Games' for Furlongh of 2,000 Workers: FoxNews
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood blasted Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning Monday for blocking legislation to extend several federal programs, a move that triggered the furlough of 2,000 transportation workers Monday.


Harold Ford: Democrats are 'scared': Politico
Former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. said Tuesday that Democrats are “scared” heading into this fall’s election and that he decided not to run for the Senate from New York because he feared his party would lose the seat after a tough primary.

Health Care:
Obama said poised to Offfer more Healthcare Changes: Reuters
President Barack Obama will offer changes to his healthcare overhaul this week, the White House said on Monday, and a leading Democrat said the president was preparing a smaller version of his broad bid to revamp the $2.5 trillion industry.

Video: WAR Helps...a LOT! by Steve Crowder

Article Spotlight 3.1.10

Politics:
Doctors tell Barack Obama to Quit Smoking: Guardian
Barack Obama is still struggling to kick smoking, according to his first medical examination since becoming president. Obama is sensitive about his cigarette habit and tetchy with reporters who raise it. But after his 90-minute medical at the Navy hospital outside Washington yesterday morning, his doctors confirmed he had not yet managed to conquer the habit and suggested he "continue smoking cessation efforts".

Pelosi's Brutal Reality Check: Politco
Asked this weekend to grade her performance as speaker, Nancy Pelosi gave herself an “A for effort.” But Pelosi knows that the real test is still to come. Pelosi is inarguably one of the strongest speakers in modern history — an authoritarian figure in an era of centralized power in the House. But the coming months are a make-or-break period for her, a brutal reality check of her ability to manage all aspects of her job — consensus-building, agenda-setting, vote-counting, fundraising and campaigning.

Pelosi: GOP has had its day; confident Dems can pull together on Health Bill: The Hill
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday that Republicans have left their mark on the healthcare bill and should accept that the bill will go forward. "They've had plenty of opportunity to make their voices heard," she said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday morning. "Bipartisanship is a two-way street. A bill can be bipartisan without bipartisan votes. Republicans have left their imprint."

Democrats' Obama bounce in California disappearing: AP
Hancock's frustration is evident throughout the nation's most populous state. Just a year ago, the Democratic Party looked at California as a base for adding to its majorities in Congress. Now, it could be a the place where it loses them.

Late Night GOP Wars: Letterman Pits Romney Against Leno's Palin: Deadline.com
Jay Leno made news when he announced that Sarah Palin will be among his high-profile guests when he returns to The Tonight Show next week. Now David Letterman's lineup for next week pits Mitt Romney against Sarah Palin on Tuesday night -- and the ratings may well provide clues on which probable GOP presidential contender may be most popular.

Supreme Court scrutinizes state, local gun control: MyWay
Gun control advocates think, if not pray, they can win by losing when the Supreme Court decides whether the constitutional right to possess guns serves as a check on state and local regulation of firearms. The justices will be deciding whether the Second Amendment - like much of the rest of the Bill of Rights - applies to states as well as the federal government. It's widely believed they will say it does.

Debra Medina, New Star of America's Right, Firing up TX Gov Race: Guardian
...Until Debra Medina, that is. When Medina breezed into Lytle's community hall the locals found themselves confronted with a Texan version of Sarah Palin. She wore a sharp scarlet skirt suit, librarian-style glasses and a puffed-up hairdo. More than 60 Lytle residents had gathered to meet her, a hefty turnout on a weekday at 11am for a Republican primary election in the race to be Texas governor.

Farrakhan predicts 'white right' trouble for Obama: AP
Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan, boasting his divine stature, on Sunday predicted trouble ahead for President Barack Obama and urged him to do more to improve the lives of blacks and the downtrodden. The 76-year-old leader said the "white right" was conspiring to make Obama a one-term president, and pointed to his stalled efforts to introduce health care legislation as proof. He said those opponents and lobbyists were trapping him into a future war with Iran that could lead to mass destruction.

Economy:
American Reliance on Government at All Time High: Washington Times
The so-called "Great Recession" has left Americans depending on the government dole like never before. Without record levels of welfare, unemployment and other government benefits as well as tax cuts last year, the income of U.S. households would have plunged by an astonishing $723 billion — more than four times the record $167 billion drop reported last month by the Commerce Department.

California is a greater risk than Greece, warns JP Morgan chief: Telegraph
Mr Dimon told investors at the Wall Street bank's annual meeting that "there could be contagion" if a state the size of California, the biggest of the United States, had problems making debt repayments. "Greece itself would not be an issue for this company, nor would any other country," said Mr Dimon. "We don't really foresee the European Union coming apart." The senior banker said that JP Morgan Chase and other US rivals are largely immune from the European debt crisis, as the risks have largely been hedged.

Foreign Affairs:
Putin: Russia to build new strategic bomber: Breitbart
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia will build a new strategic bomber, a move that comes as the nation tries to upgrade its aging military arsenal. Putin said in televised remarks that work on the bomber must follow the development of a prospective stealth fighter, which made its maiden flight in January and was hailed by the government as a big step in military modernization efforts.


Other:
Some Iraq, Afgan War Vets Criticize movie 'Hurt Locker' as Inaccurate: Washington Post
Time magazine called "The Hurt Locker" "a near-perfect war film," but Ryan Gallucci, an Iraq war veteran, had to turn the movie off three times, he says, "or else I would have thrown my remote through the television."

Survey: 26% of Americans get news via phones: Breitbart
Long Island Bar Fires Pregnant Bartender: ABC

Cartoons: Feb 25-March 1

Courtesy of Townhall.com

Chick Chat: .33% of Americans are in the Military and they do good!

For a while I was just so fed up with the things going on in Washington that I could no longer even follow what was happening. Sorry that I've been gone for a few months now. I just needed a break from being depressed about the state of our union.

I was thinking about what to write about today, while catching up on watching and posting Steve Crowder's videos from You Tube (which we all know that I love) when I came across this particular one called MARINES INVADE HAITI!! Kind of makes me chuckle because for a couple months now I've been dating a man who is in the U.S. Reserves and the video really touched home.

Naturally I've learned a lot more about the military since I started things with my beau. I had never before realized how incredibly multifaceted they are. I always knew in the back of my mind that we did good along with the defense, but as Steve Crowder says, "the only thing the US Military does a bad job of doing is letting everyone know all the good that they are doing." I'm lucky enough to have learned so much more in the last couple of months, specifically since my beau's job in the Army is mostly about doing good.

I didn't know that there were specific area of the military that focus their energies solely on entering areas and creating good will among the people. Departments that focusing on helping others and improving the lives of those touched by disaster or corruption; men and women that enter dangerous areas to earn the trust of villages and elders by enhancing their way of life. Even if in return they are improving the relationship between America and the world, it is a small price to ask for the amount of good that people around the world are receiving from US Military.

I am at least grateful that here in the US people seem to have a better understanding of the good that our men and women do overseas. For some reason the beau was surprised when he recently had to make a trip into New York City in his ACU (I didn't know what those were 2 months ago so for all of us lacking army knowledge those are the camo-patterned uniforms we've all seen) people were so appreciative. Walking around he was asked to take photos with people, given free merchandise and tours, paid special attention too and mostly just thanked for his service to our country.

I thank God everyday that the vast majority of this country appreciates the sacrifice that such a small portion of American are willing to do. Just so we all have a better understanding here: only 1/3 of 1% of our country serves in the military. Such a small percentage defending so many!

When I heard that number, my heart went out even more to all those in the military. Despite where your opinion lies on the wars, we have a responsibility to support the men and women risking their lives for us! I know that I am not brave enough to take the risks and accept the sacrifices that come along with being a part of the military family. Are you?

I’m going to include the Crowder video below of course and if you have a chance to watch it please do. He makes some good points but he also has some touching footage of our military…footage that I am not used to seeing. We don’t get to see those kind of images on CNN, CNBC, FOX etc. Videos of American soldiers doing the good are not as news worthy as the footage of the mistakes.

So I will end this little rant by saying a big THANK YOU to all those men and women that are a lot braver than 99.66% of this country. You risk your lives: mind, soul and body to protect, defend and improve life for the rest of us. As meager as a simple thanks can be for all that you do, it is the least we can give you in return. Thank You and God Bless!

Video: A Look at Detroit.... in RUINS! (Crowder goes Ghetto)

Video: The Great Interrupter

Some Frightening Quotes from Obama's Books

I refuse to read Barack Obama's books! When I go to store I can't even stand to look at them sitting on the shelves. I am constantly turning the covers around or putting another book in front of them because if I can prevent even one person from purchasing them it makes me happy.

But I did have a friend who sent me some quotes that he pulled from Audacity of Hope and Dreams of My Father (which he rented from the library!) And while I know we can't change whose in the White House we should constantly remember the core beliefs of the man that we put there.

Probably the scariest of them all, From Audacity of Hope:

"I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."

From Dreams of My Father:

"I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites."

"I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race."

"There was something about her that made me wary, a little too sure of herself, maybe and white.

"It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names."

"I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa, that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself: the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela."

Putting a Billion into Perspective: A look at Government Spending

A Billion Dollars....
This is too true
to be funny.

The next time you hear a politician use the
Word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about
Whether you want the 'politicians' spending
YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend,
But one advertising agency did a good job of
Putting that figure into some perspective in
One of it's releases.

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain....let's take a look at New Orleans...
It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) is presently asking Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans.

Interesting number... What does it mean on the larger scale?

A. Well .. If you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child)
You get $516,528.

B. Or... If you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C. Or... If you are a family of four...Your family gets $2,066,012.

HELLO! Washington, are all your calculators broken??

Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax (Fed)
Federal Unemployment Tax (FU TA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration T ax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
(And to think, we left British Rule to avoid so many taxes)

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago...
And our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

Can we really say that now?

Health Care Bill Could Face String of Legal Challenges

Organizations and lawmakers opposed to the health care reform package are getting their legal briefs in a bunch, threatening to challenge the constitutionality of the sweeping overhaul should it make its way to President Obama's desk.

Republicans have agreed to allow the Democratic-led Senate to move up the time for a final vote to 8 a.m. Thursday so that lawmakers and their staff can go home for Christmas. But GOP supporters aren't backing down on their threats to put a stop to the legislation using whatever legal means possible.

Two key issues seem to be attracting the bulk of the legal threats: a mandate for individuals to purchase health insurance and the special treatment that states like Nebraska are getting in the bill.

On the first issue, Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., on Tuesday renewed the call to examine the constitutionality of whether the federal government can require Americans to purchase a product.

"I don't believe Congress has the legal or moral authority to force this mandate on its citizens," Ensign said in a statement, raising what's known as a "constitutional point of order." Such procedural challenges are rare and typically lead to a vote.

The non-profit Fund for Personal Liberty, as well as a Virginia-based group called the 10th Amendment Foundation, already have threatened to file suit in federal court over this issue if the health care bill passes.

The Constitution allows Congress to tax, borrow, spend, declare war, raise an army and regulate commerce, among other things. Proponents of the insurance mandate point to the Commerce Clause in arguing that Congress is within its rights to require health insurance and dismiss such potential legal challenges.

But foes say the across-the-board requirement is too broad.

"I personally do not believe the Congress has the authority to enact an individual mandate requiring a person to purchase a product from a private seller," said Kent Masterson Brown, lead counsel with The Fund for Personal Liberty. "I don't think the power is there. This is not regulating anything."

He said his group would be joined by the Washington Legal Foundation in filing suit against the health care bill.

"This thing may be stillborn, even if it passes," he said.

Even though Obama argues that the mandate is similar to laws requiring drivers to obtain auto insurance, opponents cite several key differences. First, the auto insurance mandate is avoidable, since anyone who doesn't want to pay doesn't have to drive. Second, auto insurance is mandated in large part so that drivers carry liability insurance to cover damages to other people and cars -- not themselves. Third, auto insurance regulation occurs at the state level.

When the Congressional Budget Office considered the idea of a health insurance mandate back in 1994 under the Clinton administration, it concluded that the mandate would be "an unprecedented form of federal action." The only congressional mandate close to that was the draft, the CBO concluded.

Ensign cited that finding in his complaint.

Still, the legislation does provide for federal subsidies for those who might have trouble affording insurance coverage, and it provides for exemptions for some individuals.

Other legal objections are emerging in the wake of a concession that Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., won for his state as a condition for his support of the health care bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid agreed to provide for full and permanent federal aid for Nebraska's expanded Medicaid population. It was only one of a slew of hand-crafted sweetheart deals for those senators who agreed to support the bill.

But the Nelson deal swiftly drew the ire of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has asked his state's attorney general to give the issue a legal review. He told Fox News on Tuesday that other states can probably bring a "constitutional challenge" over the issue. He said it's unfair for one state to get special treatment while others pick up the tab.

"I don't believe most senators believe this is OK," Graham said. "I think it stinks. I think it's sleazy."

Graham said his state could file an equal rights suit under the Constitution. The Constitution calls for "equal protection" of all citizens.

Likewise, two Republican state representatives from Tennessee on Monday asked their state attorney general to look into the issue -- they called the Medicaid expansion an "unfunded mandate."

Rep. Debra Young Maggart and Rep. Susan Lynn claimed the Nebraska deal was unfair to other states and asked that Attorney General Robert Cooper take "appropriate legal action" against the federal government if the bill becomes law.

"It is clear by the wording of the legislation itself that not every state would face a similar and equal burden," they wrote. "We see this as a violation of equal protection of the law, an affront to our sovereignty, and a breach of the U.S. Constitution."

The non-profit Liberty Legal Institute is poised to assist states that are considering filing suit against the government over the health care bill. The group would not disclose where the suits might come from, but claimed great interest in putting health care reform to the legal test.

"There are a lot of states that are concerned that this violated the 10th Amendment and they are weighing their options," Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel, said in a statement.

The 10th Amendment declares that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution are "reserved" for the states or "the people."

Still another challenge is coming from Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who on the Senate floor raised concerns about a section in the health care bill that appears to say that the Senate cannot make changes to it in the future.

"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 section says.

DeMint said he found that "particularly troubling."

"We will be passing a new law and at the same time creating a Senate rule that makes it out of order to amend or even repeal the law," DeMint said. "I'm not even sure that it's constitutional."

The overall section the senator referred to applied to the creation of an Independent Medicare Advisory Board.

But a senior Reid aide noted that the language restricting the repeal of the measure only applied to one subsection -- a subsection dealing with the manner in which the proposal for the board is introduced and considered in Congress. The aide said the language DeMint found "troubling" did not apply to board or its duties as a whole.

Plus the aide noted that the language can be waived by a 60-vote majority in the Senate.

"It's really a sign of desperation," the aide said.

I Feel Cuba: Narrated by Andy Garcia

Understand what it feels like to loose a country

Video: Steve Crowder Asks Some Basic Questions

Send the ACLU a CHRISTmas Card

A couple days ago I got this fwd and thought it quite a "clever"! I'm sure it has been circulated before but had to share in case there are those out there that haven't seen it.

...................................................................................................................................................
Christmas cards. This message is coming early so that you can get ready to
include an important address to your list.

Want to have some fun this CHRISTMAS? Send the ACLU a CHRISTMAS CARD this
year.

As they are working so very hard to get rid of the CHRISTMAS part of this
holiday, we should all send them a nice, CHRISTIAN card to brighten up their dark, sad, little world..

Make sure it says "Merry Christmas" on it.

Here's the address, just don't be rude or crude. (It's not the
Christian way, you know.)

ACLU
125 Broad Street
18th Floor
New York , NY 10004

Two tons of Christmas cards would freeze their operations because they
wouldn't know if any were regular mail containing contributions. So spend
44 cents and tell the ACLU to leave Christmas alone. Also tell them that
there is no such thing as a " Holiday Tree". . . It's always been called a
CHRISTMAS TREE!

And pass this on to your email lists. We really want to communicate with the
ACLU! They really DESERVE us!!

For those of you who aren't aware of them, the ACLU, (the American Civil
Liberties Union) is the one suing the U.S. Government to take God, Christmas
or anything Christian away from us. They represent the atheists and others
in this war. Help put Christ back in Christmas!

Cartoons from Townhall

Dean of Harvard Medical School Gives Health 'Reform' a Failing Grade

The changes proposed by Congress will require more draconian measures down the road. Just look at Massachusetts.

By JEFFREY S. FLIER




As the dean of Harvard Medical School I am frequently asked to comment on the health-reform debate. I'd give it a failing grade.

Instead of forthrightly dealing with the fundamental problems, discussion is dominated by rival factions struggling to enact or defeat President Barack Obama's agenda. The rhetoric on both sides is exaggerated and often deceptive. Those of us for whom the central issue is health—not politics—have been left in the lurch. And as controversy heads toward a conclusion in Washington, it appears that the people who favor the legislation are engaged in collective denial.

Our health-care system suffers from problems of cost, access and quality, and needs major reform. Tax policy drives employment-based insurance; this begets overinsurance and drives costs upward while creating inequities for the unemployed and self-employed. A regulatory morass limits innovation. And deep flaws in Medicare and Medicaid drive spending without optimizing care.

Speeches and news reports can lead you to believe that proposed congressional legislation would tackle the problems of cost, access and quality. But that's not true. The various bills do deal with access by expanding Medicaid and mandating subsidized insurance at substantial cost—and thus addresses an important social goal. However, there are no provisions to substantively control the growth of costs or raise the quality of care. So the overall effort will fail to qualify as reform.


In discussions with dozens of health-care leaders and economists, I find near unanimity of opinion that, whatever its shape, the final legislation that will emerge from Congress will markedly accelerate national health-care spending rather than restrain it. Likewise, nearly all agree that the legislation would do little or nothing to improve quality or change health-care's dysfunctional delivery system. The system we have now promotes fragmented care and makes it more difficult than it should be to assess outcomes and patient satisfaction. The true costs of health care are disguised, competition based on price and quality are almost impossible, and patients lose their ability to be the ultimate judges of value.

Worse, currently proposed federal legislation would undermine any potential for real innovation in insurance and the provision of care. It would do so by overregulating the health-care system in the service of special interests such as insurance companies, hospitals, professional organizations and pharmaceutical companies, rather than the patients who should be our primary concern.

In effect, while the legislation would enhance access to insurance, the trade-off would be an accelerated crisis of health-care costs and perpetuation of the current dysfunctional system—now with many more participants. This will make an eventual solution even more difficult. Ultimately, our capacity to innovate and develop new therapies would suffer most of all.

There are important lessons to be learned from recent experience with reform in Massachusetts. Here, insurance mandates similar to those proposed in the federal legislation succeeded in expanding coverage but—despite initial predictions—increased total spending.

A "Special Commission on the Health Care Payment System" recently declared that the Massachusetts health-care payment system must be changed over the next five years, most likely to one involving "capitated" payments instead of the traditional fee-for-service system. Capitation means that newly created organizations of physicians and other health-care providers will be given limited dollars per patient for all of their care, allowing for shared savings if spending is below the targets. Unfortunately, the details of this massive change—necessitated by skyrocketing costs and a desire to improve quality—are completely unspecified by the commission, although a new Massachusetts state bureaucracy clearly will be required.

Yet it's entirely unclear how such unspecified changes would impact physician practices and compensation, hospital organizations and their capacity to invest, and the ability of patients to receive the kind and quality of care they desire. Similar challenges would eventually confront the entire country on a more explosive scale if the current legislation becomes law.

Selling an uncertain and potentially unwelcome outcome such as this to the public would be a challenging task. It is easier to assert, confidently but disingenuously, that decreased costs and enhanced quality would result from the current legislation.

So the majority of our representatives may congratulate themselves on reducing the number of uninsured, while quietly understanding this can only be the first step of a multiyear process to more drastically change the organization and funding of health care in America. I have met many people for whom this strategy is conscious and explicit.

We should not be making public policy in such a crucial area by keeping the electorate ignorant of the actual road ahead.

Dr. Flier is dean of the Harvard Medical School.

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