Control Freaks

"The harsh fact of the matter is when you're going to pass legislation that will cover 300 [million] American people in different ways it takes a long time to do the necessary administrative steps that have to be taken to put the legislation together to control the people."

 - Rep. John Dingell (Michigan)

Anybody who truly believes the goal of Obamacare is to reach out and save the 30 million uninsured Americans, is sorely mistaken. If the government wanted to cover them, why the massive bill with limitations extending to every America citizen?  Why not just give these 30 million people some options and leave the rest of us alone?

I'll tell you why...

It's about control.  It's about preventing the citizens of this nation to make their own decisions.  It's about making a larger government-dependent class. The lower class is already supported through various government handouts, but that's not good enough. Obama is targeting the middle class and he wants us incapable of standing on our own two feet waiting with open arms for our government handout, after which we will bow before him with thanks and gratitude and pledge ourselves to his agenda.

Don't forget what's really at stake.

Source:
As quoted by my friend El Rushbo

Channeling Bing Crosby

"It's just going to be like Christmas, I mean it's going to be great. No worries, you know, the bills, we can go ahead and pay our copay and be all right."

 - DeCarlo Flythe

Mr. Flythe is obviously disillusioned about the provisions of this bill, but do you think Obama will correct him? 

In actuality, premiums are going to go up. Way up. And taxes begin in a few short months. Unfortunately for Mr. Flythe, unless you are on Medicaid a copay just isn't going to cut it from here on out.

I don't know about the rest of you, but my letters to Santa never read like this:

Dear Santa:

How are the reindeer? What about Mrs. Claus? I hope she's still pinching your cheeks in my absence. I'm still perfecting my sugar cookie recipe. I promise they'll be better this year.

I have a few things on my list this year and they are my greatest hopes and dreams, so I hope you can deliver because I have been so GOOD. I swear.
  

(1) Please let a group of government bureaucrats mandate that I purchase health insurance and how much insurance that will be? Please? I'm not responsible enough to make this type of informed decision on my own.

(2) Please let the government decide how much I will have to pay for my coverage. They are always fair and impartial when making decisions about money. They sometimes have trouble with solvency but that's just Bush's fault.

(3) Please allow me to continue to support my boomerang children well beyond their young years before they are really forced into adulthood and big-kid decisions. I mean, at age 26, these babies are not old enough to make health care decisions on their own.

(4) Please ration who will receive care and when.  I know when I'm 90 I might want a better quality of life, but whatever you do, PUH-LEASE don't allow this decision to be made between me and my doctor.  I want men in suits detached from reality and the health care industry knowing absolutely nothing about me making the decisions about how I die.


(5) And even though our country is quite divided on the issue of abortion, please don't allow people to make up their own minds. Just force their tax dollars to support the cause and eventually they'll get the message.

(6) Please bring me a gorgeous pair of Mary Carillo's black riding boots. 

Yours truly all year long,

Reese

Source:
It's Going to be Like Christmas!

Conquering the American People

"But if the Democrats were waging war, 
who were they fighting? 
 If Obama and Pelosi won, who did they defeat?"

 - Joseph Ashby (American Thinker)

Did you see the fanfare today at the bill signing? Was it reminiscent of your high school pep rally? Pelosi was clapping just like a cheerleader yelling "Go, Fight, Win!"

And as you may well know, you can't have a rally without an opponent. The American Thinker identified who that was:

"The real reason socialized medicine has never passed is because the public has rejected it each time it is proposed.  Perhaps Obama, Pelosi and the others have won a war, but if that's true, it is the citizens of this country who they fought against; it is the American people who they have conquered."

Every Democrat who voted for this bill purposefully trampled public opinion. Even if you are an adoring fan of Obamacare you can't ignore the willfull ignorance of the American people. It's inexcusable. It's corruption at its finest...

or is that corruption at its weakest?  

Source:

The American Thinker

Get Your Game Face On

"Fortunately, there are no permanent victories or defeats in Washington."

 - Edwin Feulner, President, The Heritage Foundation

I spent most of today amid my own personal chaos...that's just the life as a stay-at-home mom sometimes.  But periodically as I tried to "check-in" and assess the mood across the country, I surprisingly did not feel defeated. It appears within the corners of this great nation people are ready for a fight. Something never before seen since the colonies declared their independence and our founding fathers set a course for freedom and liberty.  

I love The Heritage Foundation. The President, Ed Feulner, had an inspiring message today.  It brought the fight to the surface. If you are even the slightest bit hesitant about Obamacare, you should get involved. Numerous states are starting on the path to block portions of the new legislation. And while repeal will be difficult, we can assure change by electing officials willing to represent the true voice of their constituents.

And because I can say it no better than Mr. Feulner, I've included some of his direct quotes below.  If this makes you want to stand up and cheer then you are in the majority. Our collective voice is tuned out in favor of power, greed and control in Washington. But we the people have the ultimate say. We can be part of this fight...one that will be worth the effort to save the American dream.

"Large majorities of Americans oppose this legislation because it offends the historic American dedication to the principle of self-government. They understand that this new law will accelerate Washington’s intrusion into our most personal and private decisions."

"Those who supported this bill are our fellow Americans, and we do not question their good will or patriotism. In public policy, however, good intentions alone do not suffice. And let there be no mistake, our philosophical differences with supporters of this bill are profound."

"If there is one good thing about the past year—one in which we have witnessed unprecedented horse-trading, press stunts, midnight votes and political manipulation in both houses of the U.S. Congress—it is that the American people have come away educated as never before about the differences between these two visions for America."

"They understand this health care bill forces individuals and employers to buy insurance policies designed by government bureaucrats. This intrusion is intended to follow us from cradle to grave."

"Instead of empowering families and individuals to make their own choices, Obamacare empowers the bureaucracy to make those decisions for them. It is this unelected bureaucracy, unanswerable to the electorate, that will determine the content of health benefits packages, including medical treatment and procedures, and how much will be paid for those services."

"Americans will not stand for it. The American love for liberty prevailed in our founding, and will prevail once again."

"Fortunately, there are no permanent victories or defeats in Washington. For millions of Americans and for Heritage, Round One of this fight is over. Today, The Heritage Foundation is answering the bell for Round Two...Help us educate our lawmakers, as well as those who aspire to become tomorrow’s lawmakers. Together we can make the persuasive case for repeal of this Intolerable Act and thereby return us to our American destiny."

Mr. Feulner ends his letter with this salutation:

Onward!

My friends.  Do not give in.  Do not be complacent.  We must press onward!!  The fight begins again.

Source:
The Heritage Foundation - Edward Feulner Letter 03.22.2010

Hand ----> Head (deep sigh)

"I am convinced that when you go out there and you are standing tall and you are saying I believe that this is the right thing to do for my constituents and the right thing to do for America, that ultimately the truth will win out."

 - Pres. Obama (to House Democratic Caucus)

No one is listening.  Congress still doesn't get it. In his speech today the President repeated that the vote tomorrow was for the American people.

"Don't do it for me.  Don't do it for the Democratic Party.  

Do it for the American people."

But I find a clear distinction between "for" and "to".  

If it was "for" the American people, the American people would support and back the effort.  

Instead, the vote is "to" the American people. If approved, the legislation will control our health care.
This legislation will change our lives.  

Here are the most recent polling numbers in case he's been aloof to the public outcry:

REAL CLEAR POLITICS POLL

Job Approval	Approve	Disapprove	Spread
Obama	47.2%	47.8%	-0.6%
Congress	19.0%	75.8%	-56.8%
Direction of Country	Right Direction	Wrong Track	Spread
RCP Average	33.8%	60.5%	-26.7%

(Fox News 03.20.2010)

Only 19% of Americans approve of Congress at the moment.  Don't tell me the vote is "for" the American people, when the American people don't want part.   

"If the health care bill was the greatest thing since sliced bread, Democrats would be proud to support it and would be lining up to vote for it instead of lining up to be paid off to support it." 

(Bradley Blakeman)

It's obvious members of the House have been hesitant on the vote. 

Their hesitant because it's the wrong bill, wrong time.

Interesting Note:  Apparently Obama was feeling confident in the vote tomorrow and had time to focus on the NCAA tournament games this afternoon.  There is some speculation his late arrival to the meeting with the Democratic leaders of House was due to the nail-biting upset of St. Mary's over Villanova.  Mr. Robert Gibbs (bleh) was tweeting about the game at the time...read here.

Source:
Obama Transcript
Blakeman Opinion at Fox

Don't Feel Defeated...It's Not Over!

"They are trying to win this with a sense of inevitability."

 - Michael Medved

You've seen the headlines today.  I felt a little defeated this morning when I saw on FOX the House was only one vote away.  Boo hoo.

But I got worked. It's simply not true.

Congress wants you to THINK  it's over. They want the public to accept defeat before the war is really over.

Obama wouldn't have submitted himself to FOX for an interview if he didn't have the votes.
Pelosi wouldn't keep dodging questions on actual votes if she had them.
Obama wouldn't have canceled his already delayed trip on Sunday if he had the votes.

They are scrambling.  They want the public to feel defeated.

But don't go quietly!!!

Here are the numbers again:
1.877.762.8762
202.224.3121
202.225.3121

I called this morning and hit redial probably 30 times before I got through. Take ten minutes.  It matters!!

Thoughts on Baier & Obama Interview

"I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what the procedural rules are in the House or the Senate."

 - President Obama

Well, of course he doesn't!  Obama is "the ends justify the means" kind of guy. And it's been glaringly obvious as he forces health care through this week.

Personally, I enjoyed the Brett Baier interview. Baier posed the questions I personally want answers to and I loved seeing Obama squirm.  

I mentioned yesterday how the entire legislative process feels "dark" and dishonest. Obama's answers regarding the deem-and-pass (Slaughter) rule did nothing to change my opinion. Besides the fact the bill stinks, I utterly despise what the process has turned into. In Baier's analysis of the interview, A.B. Stoddard (Associate Editor, The Hill), said "We're now debating instead of the substance of the bill, the process. And he [Obama] knows it looks terrible." 

Obama continues to talk about his 40,000 emails and the small businesses he's promising to fix, and a sob story from Sue so-and-so from somewhere. He neglects to talk facts and it's maddening!

**I could never be an interviewer...I would get so angry!**

So, yes, it totally bugs me Obama's dodging process questions, but even worse, he couldn't talk specifics about the substance of HIS bill. Steve Hayes (Senior Writer, The Weekly Standard) said, "It's astonishing to me that the president of the United States here three days before this bill could potentially become law couldn't tell you directly what was in it and what was not in it.  I thought that was rather striking."

The Reconciliation bill was released today so we can see for ourselves what's in it. If you want a good summary, go here...The Heritage Foundation. The CBO has scored the bill, which tells us how much it will cost, but they confess the numbers are preliminary. This is from the cover letter of the bill:

"Although CBO completed a preliminary review of legislative language prior to its release, the agency has not thoroughly examined the reconciliation proposals to verify its consistency with the previous draft. This estimate is therefore preliminary, pending a review of the language of the reconciliation proposal, as well as further review and refinement of budgetary projections."

Basically, it's anybody's guess...and I'm guessing it's ridiculously understated.  

Source:
Baier's Follow-up Analysis
Baier/Obama Interview Transcript
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_031810/content/01125106.guest.html