Florida Moves Toward Nullification of ObamaCare

Florida will put ObamaCare to the voters this November. The Personal Liberty News Desk reports that Florida's legislature has voted to allow its citizens to send a message to Washington this November.

In an effort to blunt the impact of the sweeping healthcare reform passed by Congress and signed by President Obama late last month, the Florida legislature has passed an act that aims to protect the state’s healthcare system from interference.

Florida’s Healthcare Freedom Act (HJR 37/SJR 72), sponsored by Florida Representative Scott Plakon and Florida Senator Carey Baker, passed the House and Senate and will appear on the November ballot.

The legislation, which was inspired by the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Freedom of Choice in Healthcare Act, blocks a state or federal requirement for individuals to purchase health insurance.

"Protecting the individual freedom for people to make their own healthcare decisions is a priority," said ALEC health task force director Christie Herrera.

She added that "the amount of support from state legislators and policy makers for this legislation has been tremendous."

ALEC’s Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act has now been introduced or proposed in 42 states.

The Left has been slowly nudging the United States toward a combination of socialism and fascism for over a century. They have done so in small doses, usually masked as a heroic effort to avert some crisis. Liberty-loving Americans should have stood up more quickly, but they are standing now. The Obama administration mistook his carefully crafted electoral victory for an endorsement of a full-fledged move toward unquestioned statism. He was wrong.

Leftists can engage in all the name-calling and demonization they want. Bring it on! The stakes have never been higher. Individual liberty has never been more threatened by any American administration. The American people get it. The Statists are now experiencing the blow back. This November is shaping up as not only a major loss for the Obamacrats, but also a renewal of America's love of individual liberty and limited government.

The text of the Florida Healthcare Freedom Act (HJR37)

Mary Landrieu Believes There Is A Difference Between Call Girls and Streetwalkers

Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu is one of those phony "conservative Democrats" who always pretends to be waffling between protecting liberty and growing the state. Most recently she has pretended to be against the Statist Democrats' desire to nationalize the American health care industry. However, she agreed to vote "yes" to the first procedural hurdle to open Senate debate on the Obama Care assault on the American people. And it only cost taxpayers $100 million. Ooops, make that $300 million. Who says? Landrieu herself, as reported on Newsbusters:

In explaining the latest Hurricane Katrina extortion, Landrieu boasted:

"Our state is still as poor as it was, if not poorer. I am not going to be defensive about asking for help in this situation and it is not a $100 million fix, it is a $300 million fix."

But, she denied that $100 million provision was the reason she had decided to vote in favor of cloture.

"I'm proud to have asked for it," Landrieu said. "I'm proud to have fought for it and I will continue to. That is not the reason I am moving to debate. The reason I am moving to the debate, as expressed - in this statement and in hundreds of statements and speeches I've given over the last year or two on this subject, which should be self-explanatory."

Well, there you go. Four years ago. a natural disaster hit the nation's most corrupt and mismanaged state, therefore all Americans must sacrifice their individual liberty. Landrieu gets to dribble $300 million of pork on the Pelican State while the rest of America gets health care treatment at the whim of Tom Daschle and Ezekiel Emmanuel.

Senator Landrieu seems to believe that selling your integrity for $300 million is somehow more noble than giving it away on the cheap. She can call herself a call girl for the people if she likes. In reality, she is just another low rent streetwalker willing to sell something more precious than her body: the individual liberty of the American people. Hopefully, the citizens of Louisiana are not as cheap in their convictions as is Mary Landrieu.

Mark Warner and Jim Webb Support Harry Reid Over Virginia

From Norman Leahy at the Tertium Quids blog:

Warner, Webb both to vote "yes" on cloture

Both Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb intend to vote "yes" on the cloture motion tomorrow evening that will bring Sen. Reid's health insurance bill to the floor for debate.

Warner makes it clear he's looking for a handout (though probably not in Sen. Landrieu's league...but you never know), while Sen. Webb's office could only muster a spokesbeing, who says he'll vote "yes," too.

So...the debate will come, the taxpayers' checkbook will be opened wide and votes will be traded like shiny marbles on the Senate floor. It's just grand.

Hopefully, Virginians have caught on to the sad fact that Mark Warner and Jim Webb are not old-style "conservative Democrats." In fact, you have a better chance finding a Yeti than finding a "conservative Democrat" in the U.S. Senate. Warner and Webb are both dutiful stooges who answer to the Statist Democrat leadership and Democrat special interests.

Warner and Webb, like most politicians, assume the dumb masses have short memories and will forget all about their involvement in the Kremlin on the Potomac's takeover of the American health care system. Neither is up for reelection in 2010. Webb faces the voters in 2012 and Warner in 2014. Keep these traitorous actions filed away and when these Quislings ask to have their membership in Klub Kongress renewed send them to the unemployment line.

Pelosi and Obama Have Contempt For the Constitution...And You

Dr. Walter E. Williams is one of America's greatest thinkers, but his column "Constitutional Contempt" is not a deeply thought opinion piece. Just horrifyingly accurate! Dr. Williams' premise is a very obvious point that, sadly, not enough Americans seem to get.

At Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Oct. 29th press conference, a CNS News reporter asked, "Madam Speaker, where specifically does the Constitution grant Congress the authority to enact an individual health insurance mandate?" Speaker Pelosi responded, "Are you serious? Are you serious?" The reporter said, "Yes, yes, I am." Not responding further, Pelosi shook her head and took a question from another reporter. Later on, Pelosi's press spokesman Nadeam Elshami told CNSNews.com about its question regarding constitutional authority mandating that individual Americans buy health insurance. "You can put this on the record. That is not a serious question. That is not a serious question."

Suppose Congress was debating a mandate outlawing tea-party-type protests and other large gatherings criticizing Congress. A news reporter asks Nancy Pelosi where specifically does the Constitution grant Congress the authority to outlaw peaceable assembly. How would you feel if she answered, "Are you serious? Are you serious?" and ignored the question. And what if, later on, someone from her office sent you a press release, as was sent to CNS News, saying that Congress has "broad power to regulate activities that have an effect on interstate commerce," pointing out that demonstrations cause traffic jams and therefore interferes with interstate commerce?

Speaker Pelosi's constitutional contempt, perhaps ignorance, is representative of the majority of members of both the House and the Senate. Their comfort in that ignorance and constitutional contempt, and how readily they articulate it, should be worrisome for every single American. It's not a matter of whether you are for or against Congress' health care proposals. It's not a matter of whether you're liberal or conservative, black or white, male or female, Democrat or Republican or member of any other group. It's a matter of whether we are going to remain a relatively free people or permit the insidious encroachment on our liberties to continue.

Where in the U.S. Constitution does it authorize Congress to force Americans to buy health insurance? If Congress gets away with forcing us to buy health insurance,
down the line, what else will they force us to buy; or do you naively think they will stop with health insurance? We shouldn't think that the cure to Congress' unconstitutional heavy-handedness will end if we only elect Republicans. Republicans have demonstrated nearly as much constitutional contempt as have Democrats. The major difference is the significant escalation of that contempt under today's Democratically controlled Congress and White House with the massive increase in spending, their proposed legislation and the appointment of tyrannical czars to control our lives. It's a safe bet that if and when Republicans take over the Congress and White House, they will not give up the massive increase in control over our lives won by the Democrats.

It isn't just that the Radical Left of the Democrat party believes in jamming statism down America's throat. The Radical Left controls the Democrat party and a Radical Leftist is President of the United States. So-called moderate Democrats or "blue dogs" are much closer to the Statists than they are to the Constitution. Ditto the Republican party. If allowed, many Republicans will pursue the siren song of the Statist's utopian dreams, but in "conservative" doses.

If Americans want to keep their liberty, they will begin to fight political battles from that standpoint. Death panels and publicly-financed abortions are sideshows and diversions from the real threat. Our constitutional republic and the protections provided by such a government are under siege. I don't care if the health care bill is 2,000 pages or two sentences. If the result is diminished freedom, the rest is mere detail.

Read the rest of Dr. Walter Williams' "Constitutional Contempt" at The Patriot Post.

Congressman Mike Pence Defends Freedom In The Face Of The Marxist Health Care Takeover

Indiana Congressman Mike Pence defines the stakes in the fight against the Democrats' attempt at a hostile takeover of the American health care industry.



Folks, it ain't over. The fat lady ain't even warming up, but the Statist/Marxist/Progressive Democrats have moved an inch closer to the totalitarianism that their leadership desires. The passage of the Pelosi version of ObamaCare should wake up Americans to this violent attack on individual liberty.

Now, two things must happen. First, intensify the fight against ObamaCare in the Senate. There are already nervous Democrats in the Senate and it is highly unlikely Harry Reid can muster 60 votes to prevent a filibuster. Can 10 Democrats be convinced to uphold their oath of office? Maybe. However, forcing Harry Reid to employ procedural shenanigans to pass this monstrosity will add to the pressure on Dems in 2010. Call your Senators. Email your Senators. Even if the Senate version passes, it is different than the House bill. A conference bill will still have to be put together, meaning that House members will have to cast another vote. That means Real American has more time to makes its voices heard.

Secondly, keep an eye on November, 2010. Democrats who voted to strip American citizens of individual liberty in health care matters and who risk destroying jobs and economic growth in order to carry out a Marxist ideology must pay a price at the ballot box. The Leftist health care and cap-and-trade bills are attacks on the Constitution and the American people. The perps must pay with the loss of their jobs.

This is no time to rest in Real America. The fight is only beginning. Our future and our children's futures depend on our willingness to fight the traitors and tyrants in our midst.

Support Government-Run Health Care Or You Will Be Punished!

At the behest of the loneliest guy in Washington, Democrat Senator Max Baucus, the Department of Health and Human Services is ordering an investigation of insurance provider Humana. Humana informed its customers that the so-called health reform bills floating around the Kremlin on the Potomac could have a negative impact on Medicare services down the road. The Baucus plan cuts Medicare by $500 billion dollars over the next decade. Gee, how could anyone possibly conclude a $500 billion cut will have a negative impact?

Baucus' temper tantrum is truly chilling.

The Senate committee that Baucus chairs — Finance — will vote this week on a sweeping health care plan that he's proposed to expand coverage and try to control costs. It would cut Medicare and Medicaid spending by about $500 billion over 10 years, but Baucus says that would lead to greater efficiency, not reduced benefits.

"The health care reform bill we released ... strengthens Medicare and does not cut benefits," said Baucus. "From lower prescription drug costs, to free preventive care, to better treatment for chronic conditions, seniors have so much to gain from health reform — and I'm not going to let insurance company profits stand in the way of improving Medicare for seniors."

Dem-speak is a magical language. Abortion becomes reproductive health services. Illegal aliens are not really illegal aliens if we can pass a bill to make them legal. The government forcing people to pay for a service is not a tax. A $500 billion cut is an increase in services. Orwell would be proud.

The political double-talk is not surprising. However, the heavy-handed manner in which Democrats have attacked all dissent in recent months is somewhat alarming. Remember President Obama's flag@whitehouse.gov for reporting those who actually read the health care bills and reported what they read? Or the President using the bully pulpit of a speech in front of a joint session of Congress to accuse those who dispute his numbers, assertions, and wisdom of dishonesty and telling the country he will not put up with it? Now, an insurance company is under federal investigation for informing its customers that Beltway Democrats are cooking up a plan that will have a negative impact on them.

It may be time to finally retire the unfair term "McCarthyism" and replace it with a more apt term for intolerance of political dissent: "Obamaism." It is increasingly clear that this White House and the Democrat leadership believe an election win trumps the Constitution. Humana has every right to advocate for the health care reforms that they believe will be most appropriate. They are under no obligation to accept this administration's fairy tale machinations.

Health care in America could use some common sense, free market reforms, but is hardly in a crisis. However, every day that passes brings another piece of evidence that freedom of speech is in grave danger in 21st century America.

Joe Wilson Apologizes To Barack Obama; Will Obama Apologize To Republicans?

Since the end of Dear Leader's public regurgitation earlier this evening, Big Media has been apoplectic over South Carolina congressman Joe Wilson shouting "liar" when Obama claimed illegal aliens will not be covered under his health care takeover scheme. In fact, Wilson already called the White House and apologized for his actions. Wilson's moment may have violated some form of decorum, but when the most powerful individual in America spins a series of rehashed yarns that bear little resemblance to the truth, it is easy to understand the frustration of a patriotic American.

However, Wilson's outburst and later apology brings up another question: will President Barry Vladimir Hussein Soetero Obama apologize to the Republican party and Real America? On numerous occasions during the droning speech, Obama accused Republicans and Conservatives across America of lying about the health care proposals in Congress. He, in fact, misrepresented their arguments time and again in his dishonest oration.

B. Hussein Obama bleats on about wanting bipartisanship and to work together, but the community agitator could not resist delivering the most partisan address I have ever seen from an American president. It was disgraceful and beneath the dignity of the office. Obama owes Real America an apology for refusing to honestly discuss their objections to his nationalized health care scheme and accusing them of dishonesty. Joe Wilson was man enough to apologize. Do you possess the same integrity, Comrade Obama?

CNSNews.com - Study Shows Sharp Increase in TV Ads Soliciting Plaintiffs for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

Leftist Democrats fully reject any proposal to reign in the ambulance chasing predators who drive up medical costs through ridiculous lawsuits. This is more proof that power for government and the Statists' sugar daddies, for instance trial lawyers, is the heart of so-called health care reform. The quality and availability of care is less important than control and political payback.

CNSNews.com - Study Shows Sharp Increase in TV Ads Soliciting Plaintiffs for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

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John Shadegg and Pete Hoekstra: How To Insure Every American

The Wall Street Journal published an excellent op-ed by congressmen John Shadegg and Pete Hoekstra that outlines some common sense health care solutions that do not involve government takeovers. These aren't new ideas, though the Liar-in-Chief and his Leftist-Statist myrmidons continue to spread the lie that Conservatives are the party of "no" and do not present alternatives. In truth, Conservatives have pushed for common sense health care reform for many years, but have been fought tooth-and-nail by Democrats. Hoekstra and Shadegg plainly demonstrate that reform does not have to be the enemy of liberty

•Costs and Control. The health-care reform debate centers on how to lower the cost of care, and who should ultimately control health-care decisions. Under the current system, nobody is focused on controlling costs.

Roughly 60% of all health care in America is employer-provided. This third-party payment structure has divorced the consumer—the patient—from the real cost of services. It encourages excess spending, runaway lawsuits, defensive medicine (doctors ordering unnecessary tests and procedures out of fear of being sued), and huge malpractice premiums.

President Obama and Democrats in Congress say that a new federal health-care bureaucracy and a so-called public plan is the answer. They are wrong.

Government has caused the problems we face in health care. Our tax code incentivizes employer-provided health care, rewards health insurance companies
by insulating them from accountability, and punishes those who lack employer-provided care.

Every night on television there are dozens of commercials from Geico, Progressive, Allstate and other companies offering us better auto insurance at lower costs. But there are virtually no commercials for health insurance. This is because the federal government protects health insurance companies from real competition. Insurers don't have to market to consumers. They only have to satisfy employers. In addition, a person living in New York, for example, is currently only permitted to purchase individual insurance in New York. Allowing competition across state lines would drive down cost tremendously.

We believe the solution to this problem is patient choice. What appears to be a free market in health care today is not. The health-care market is a stacked deck that favors insurance companies rather than patients.

We must stop punishing Americans who buy their own plan by forcing them to purchase their care with after-tax dollars, making it at least one-third more expensive than employer-provided care. Individuals should be able to take their
employer's plan, or turn it down and select insurance of their own choosing without any tax penalty.

•Pre-existing Conditions. Americans agree that no one should go bankrupt because of a chronic disease or pre-existing conditions like multiple sclerosis or breast cancer.

In 2006, the Republican Congress and President Bush passed legislation encouraging states to create "high-risk" pools where those with pre-existing conditions could receive coverage at roughly the same rates as healthy Americans. State-based high-risk pools spread the cost of care for those with chronic diseases among all insurers in the market. The additional cost of their care is subsidized by the government.

Unfortunately, some states have not created high-risk pools, and some need to be restructured to ensure timely access to care. Republicans have proposed fixing this problem by expanding and strengthening this safety net, and by creating reinsurance or risk-adjustment pools so that Americans with chronic medical conditions can get the care they need at an affordable cost.

•Uninsured Americans. Most Americans recognize that the quality of health care in the U.S. is excellent. Thousands of foreigners come to America to get care each year; in 2008, some 400,000 people traveled here for treatment. The five-year survival rates for all cancers beat the rates in Canada, Europe and England. The problem is that some in America cannot access this care.

Republicans and Democrats agree that we should cover all Americans. In large part, we already do. Anyone in the country can walk into an emergency room and receive care regardless of his or her ability to pay.

The political disagreement is not whether to cover everyone, but how to do so. The president and congressional Democrats say we should create a new government-run plan, outlaw the health coverage Americans enjoy today, and let federal bureaucrats control the content and price of health plans. Their bill, H.R. 3200, is filled with more than a thousand pages of new mandates, penalties, regulations and taxes. It is nothing short of a complete takeover of the entire health-care system by Washington politicians.

We believe that all Americans deserve the ability to select health-care coverage that meets their needs—not the preferences of politicians. Republicans in Congress want to empower Americans to make their own choices by providing a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for you to purchase the plan of your choice. Those who cannot presently afford coverage would be able to select and purchase their own plan using a health-care voucher provided by the federal government.

If we give citizens the ability to control their own care, cover pre-existing conditions, and provide resources to the uninsured, we will have fixed health care in America. No bureaucrats. No new czars. No mandates. Just choice and coverage for every American.

President Barry Vladimir Hussein Soetero Obama and congressional Democrats can talk all they want about choice and options for Americans, but they are lying and they know it. The plans floating around the House and Senate are all based on the premise that the federal government has the power and authority to control the health care of every American. The reality is that Americans will have fewer options if they achieve their fascist takeover of health care. They do not care about health care delivery or quality. They care only that government controls the industry.

It is time for Big Media to do their job and present both sides. Real America is already winning. If Big Media decides it wants to resemble a journalistic enterprise instead of a Leftist public relations consortium, nationalized health care will get the burial it deserves.

Tax Cheat Charles Rangel Accuses Free Market Health Care Advocates of Racism

New York congressman Charles Rangel may be the greatest living advertisement for term limits. Earlier this week, the disgraceful ward boss Rangel called for a crackdown on people who underpaid taxes, even if the mistakes were honest and obviously unintentional. This is the same Charles Rangel who is chairman of the overly-powerful House Ways and Means Committee and who "forgot" to report $600,000 of income.

Rangel is under investigation by the House Ethics committee and some Republicans are calling on him to resign his chairmanship. Good luck. Rangel is one of those arrogant limousine liberals who lives the lifestyle of the rich and famous while attacking upper middle class folk who work their tails off creating jobs and opportunities for themselves and others. "Coincidentally," Rangel has contributed money to three of the five Democrats on the House Ethics committee.

Now, the Harlem sleazeball has hit a new low. FOX News reports that, at a health care forum, Rangel accused those who oppose a government takeover of health care of being racists.

"Some Americans have not gotten over the fact that Obama is president of the United States. They go to sleep wondering, 'How did this happen?' " Rangel (D-Manhattan) said Tuesday.

Speaking at a health-care forum in Washington Heights, Rangel said that when critics complain that Obama is "trying to interfere" with their lives by pushing for health-care reform, "then you know there's just a misunderstanding, a bias, a prejudice, an emotional feeling."

If only John "Lurch" Kerry had been elected President, Americans would love the idea of government having absolute control over their health from womb to tomb. We want totalitarianism, but we demand to be ruled by a white guy! Death panels, rationing of care, diminishing competition, and unaccountable boards taking over 20% of the American economy are great ideas, but we just want a full-blooded Anglo-Saxon to sign the bill instead of a half-Anglo-Saxon like Barry Vladimir Hussein Soetero Obama. Ya got us, Charlie!

This buffoon's act has worn thin. He is a perfect example of what Democrats mean by transparency. Even if everyone knows a Democrats is a crook and a con man it is OK because they are "doing it for the children." Big Media isn't going to make a big deal about Leftist Democrat funny money and double-dealing. They will not eat their own.

If you see Charlie Rangel, give him this message: those of us who oppose nationalized health care love liberty and hate fascism. We don't particularly give a damn about the melanin content in one's skin. But, we do get a little testy about self-righteous windbags who believe they have the power to control our lives. Don't worry, it isn't about you and Barry's race. We find Nancy , Steny, Harry, and the rest of the Democrat Politburo every bit as distasteful.

Cruel and Unusual "Health Care": Today England; Tomorrow America

The British health service bureaucracy is doing its part to manage health care costs in the United Kingdom. If they are likely going to die, don't waste care on them. The Daily Telegraph details the widespread dissatisfaction with the cruel program.

In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, a group of experts who care for the terminally ill claim that some patients are being wrongly judged as close to death.

Under NHS guidance introduced across England to help doctors and medical staff deal with dying patients, they can then have fluid and drugs withdrawn and many are put on continuous sedation until they pass away.

But this approach can also mask the signs that their condition is improving, the experts warn.

As a result the scheme is causing a “national crisis” in patient care, the letter states. It has been signed palliative care experts including Professor Peter Millard, Emeritus Professor of Geriatrics, University of London, Dr Peter Hargreaves, a consultant in Palliative Medicine at St Luke’s cancer centre in Guildford, and four others.

“Forecasting death is an inexact science,”they say. Patients are being diagnosed as being close to death “without regard to the fact that the diagnosis could be wrong.

“As a result a national wave of discontent is building up, as family and friends witness the denial of fluids and food to patients."

The warning comes just a week after a report by the Patients Association estimated that up to one million patients had received poor or cruel care on the NHS.

The rest of the article can be read here. Just a little advance preview of the health care plan President Barry Vladimir Hussein Soetero Obama and his fellow travelers have in store for America. Sounds great, doesn't it?

Why is Chris Dodd Hiding The Senate Health Bill?

Statist Democrats including President Barry Vladimir Hussein Soetero Obama keep whining about Real Americans "lying" about what is in the nationalized health care proposals currently floating around both Houses of Congress. Of course, they can't point to any actual lies. Most of what the Leftists are calling "scare tactics" fall into one of two categories:

1. Placing "legal-ese" double-talk into plain language. No, words like "death panel" and "rationing" do not appear, but the provisions of the bill will clearly create such problems.
2. The House bill creates over 50 new bureaucracies that will have the power to make their own rules. So, Statist Democrats are not technically lying when say this provision or that provision is not in the bill. However, the words and ideas that guide President Obama and his health care advisiors present a Draconian vision of America's health care future. Congress may not include these measures in a bill, but unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats will.

The Senate bill is even more of a mystery. The Wall Street Journal reports that Senator Christopher Dodd, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, is refusing to release the details of approximately 200 amendments that were added to the 790-page Senate version that is available. Reports have surfaced about a number of Republican amendments to clarify some of the vauge, but startling, elements of the bill were rejected. So, what is in the hidden 200? Why is Dodd, the man who helped craft policies directly responsible for the banking crisis, keeping these additions under wraps?

Even one of the most partisan Leftists in the Senate spoke out about the Keystone Kops process in the chamber:

The whole process was so haphazard that at one point during the committee mark-up Barbara Mikulski, the Democrat from Maryland, declared: "Giving me language on little pieces of paper on which I'm going to commit the sacred fortunes and honor of the United States for decades, this is not the way to go. We can't do this on the backs of envelopes."

Democrats want to ram a massive government takeover of the American health care industry down the throats of the citizens. Our job was to sit down, shut up, and take it. They reject every proposal that would encourage competition and lower costs without the federal government increasing its power. Their intentions are clear. Tea Partiers and other Real Americans need to keep pouring on the pressure.

Town Hall Constitutional Smackdown: David Hedrick vs. Brian Baird

Last week, Washington congressman Brian Baird got more than he bargained for when Marine veteran David Hedrick took the microphone.




Wow! Hedrick blasted from the hip with a heavy shot of reality. He was right on every point.

• Members of Congress swear an oath to protect and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. They consistently violate that pledge by ignoring the Constitution's explicit limits on their power and seeking greater control over our lives.
• Government schools too often DO seek to indoctrinate rather than educate. That is how dopey concepts such as "global warming" and the "living Constitution" becomes ingrained in children's minds.
• It is not up to Brian Baird, Barack Obama, or any other arrogant blowhard to tell American citizens whether or not they can keep their current health insurance. They do not rule, they serve.
• The Nazis and Fascists were leftist movements. Comparing Real Americans who want nothing more than individual liberty to Brown Shirts is historically inaccurate and blatantly stupid. All of the murderous dictatorships were oriented toward state control, not individual freedom.
• Our soldiers risk their lives to defend the country and the Constitution from vicious enemies. When will the President and members of Congress begin taking their oath seriously and perform their job in a manner consistent with the U.S. Constitution and American values?

Chris Wallace Exposes Lies of VA's "Death Book" Denials

The spectre of government death panels was clarified with Jim Towey's piece in the Wall Street Journal about the "Your Life, Your Choice" program mandated by the Veterans Administration. Today, Towey appeared on "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace where Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Tammy Duckworth also appeared. Duckworth, by the way, wanted to be interviewed separately. Duckworth is one of our wounded warriors (she lost her legs in Iraq) and deserves to be honored as a hero for that. However, today she was simply a dishonest political hack who could not admit she was lying about the VA's use of the controversial materials. Kimberly Morin has been following the "Your Life, Your Choices" story for the Boston Conservative Independent Examiner and has extensive links to the relevant documents.

You can read the transcript of the Fox News Sunday interview here.

In the following segment, Senator Arlen Specter announced his support for Towey in regard to the VA issue, but again attacked the "death panel" straw man. The Dems' strategy for fighting this is to pretend that Conservatives mean that there will literally be a committee that votes on whether or not people will live or die.

There are two very real issues that give meat to the "death panel" concept. First, is the undeniable reality that health care rationing will be a part of any government managed program. This is true in every country with socialized medicine. It is a concept endorsed by Tom Daschle, Dr. Ezekiel Emmanuel and other health care advisors to President Obama, so why are they surprised that Real America is alarmed by the idea?

Secondly, a party with a financial stake in the outcome (the government) would be "advising" people on very serious and personal issues about health care outcomes and their options. Leftists are right when they argue that there is no language in HR3200 that specifically discusses how these choices would be presented to people. That is part of the problem! The American people are being asked to place their faith in the federal government to create an independent bureaucracy that will supply people with information without pressure or suggestion. Yeah, that's how government agencies usually operate, right? The exposure of the VA's use of an "end-of-life" program endorsed by the Hemlock Society rightfully concerns folks that such is the judgment of the government in life-and-death matters.

The lies told today by Mrs. Duckworth will only exascerbate the public trepidation about allowing the federal government to stick its nose in these decisions for all Americans. Our veterans deserve better than to have the usefulness of their life questioned by the government they fought to defend. This practice should not be used to advise our "heroes." And it certainly should not be expanded to included all our citizens at the most vulnerable times in their lives.

No Deal! Nationalized Health Care is Unconstitutional

Well, I don't feel quite so silly now. Actually, I never did feel silly because I am literate so the plain text of the United States Constitution makes sense to me. My objection to the Democrats'(and some Republicans') desire to increase the federal government's role in health care comes down to one thing: they do not have the authority.

Today's Washington Post features an article by David Rivkin and Lee Casey that analyzes the constitutionality of the schemes Congress is discussing and they arrive at the same conclusion: ObamaCare, PelosiCare, LibCare or whatever name you want to give this fascist crusade, is unconstitutional. Congress has tried to use the "commerce clause" in the same way they use the "necessary and proper" clause; to exert unlimited and unrestrained power on any activity they believe they can exploit for political gain. The Supreme Court has, on occasion, stood up for state sovereignty and individual liberty, but too often have given deference to the Kremlin on the Potomac in their never-ending quest to expand their power.

Rivkin and Casey, however, are wrong about one thing. Congress doesn't recognize the presence of constitutional restraints. While they make a strong and succinct argument that nationalized health care falls outside the powers granted in Article I of the Constitution, they assume that Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the rest of the congressional cretins give a rat's rump about their legitimate powers. If they want to do it, they will do it. Whenever questions of constitutionality are brought up by journalists or constituents the arrogant legislators simply laugh or snort. At this point, they simply argue that they have made similar laws and created similar programs for decades, so obviously they can. Much of the Republican party is little better as they argue over the nuts-and-bolts details rather than whether or not it is a legitimate function of government.

Hopefully, Americans are becoming reacquainted with that little thing called the U.S. Constitution. It seems many citizens now want to hold Congress, the President, and the federal courts to account for the oath they all take. They swear on a Bible to protect and uphold the Constitution. Maybe we should send recordings of the swearing-in ceremonies to Obama's Office of Speech and Thought Control as examples of misinformation and lies.

Jim Towey Demonstrates The Death Panel Threat Is Plainly Real

Statist Democrats and their Big Media allies have been in full attack mode since Sarah Palin used the term "death panel" to describe government panels that will be involved with advising patients on end-of-life decisions under their version of ObamaCare. They have whined about the use of the term "death panel" and have claimed that opponents are claiming that euthanasia is written into the bill. The Leftist-Liberal-Progressive-Socialist-Democrats have constructed straw men and have diverted the argument in order to avoid discussing the very real implications of government involvement in such personal decisions.

An editorial by Jim Towey in the Wall Street Journal illustrated this threat. He writes about the "Your Life, Your Choices" program introduced by the Clinton-era Veterans Administration, suspended by President Bush, and recently reinstated by President Barry Vladimir Hussein Soetero Obama.

"Your Life, Your Choices" presents end-of-life choices in a way aimed at steering users toward predetermined conclusions, much like a political "push poll." For example, a worksheet on page 21 lists various scenarios and asks users to then decide whether their own life would be "not worth living."

The circumstances listed include ones common among the elderly and disabled: living in a nursing home, being in a wheelchair and not being able to "shake the blues." There is a section which provocatively asks, "Have you ever heard anyone say, 'If I'm a vegetable, pull the plug'?" There also are guilt-inducing scenarios such as "I can no longer contribute to my family's well being," "I am a severe financial burden on my family" and that the vet's situation "causes severe emotional burden for my family."

When the government can steer vulnerable individuals to conclude for themselves that life is not worth living, who needs a death panel?

One can only imagine a soldier surviving the war in Iraq and returning without all of his limbs only to encounter a veteran's health-care system that seems intent on his surrender.

I was not surprised to learn that the VA panel of experts that sought to update "Your Life, Your Choices" between 2007-2008 did not include any representatives of faith groups or disability rights advocates. And as you might guess, only one organization was listed in the new version as a resource on advance directives: the Hemlock Society (now euphemistically known as "Compassion and choices").

No Conservative leader has suggested the bills being discussed include the word "euthanasia." Nor are they saying that the panel will sit around a table and decide whether each individual lives or dies. Those are the straw men constructed by Leftist ideologues who do not want to discuss the very real implications of government-mandated boards. The VA program pushes folks who have manageable issues to believe they are hopeless burdens on their families. The fear, and a legitimate one at that, is that the boards established under these bills will be able to steer folks toward an early check out.

Mr. Towey is not an opponent of advance directives. In fact, he created the widely used "Five Wishes" program for assisting folks with end-of-life decision making. His work in this field makes him particularly qualified to analyze the possible ills of ObamaCare's provisions.

If President Obama is sincere in stating that he is not trying to cut costs by pressuring the disabled to forgo critical care, one good way to show that commitment is to walk two blocks from the Oval Office and pull the plug on "Your Life, Your Choices." He should make sure in the future that VA decisions are guided by values that treat the lives of our veterans as gifts, not burdens.

Leftists and their Big Media cheerleaders do not want to have an honest discussion about the issue. The bill does not provide a lot of specific information, but it does open some very disturbing doors. That is part of the problem. We don't know what these end-of-life panels would look like. We do not know how they would present the information. The Left tries to use that vacuum in details to make the case that ObamaCare opponents are inventing bogeymen where none exist. In fact, it is this tabula rasa that rightfully scares thinking Americans.

We know that the VA is pushing our patriotic veterans through a program produced by the Hemlock Society. We know that in Oregon's state system, a board can offer to pay for euthanasia as they refuse to pay for care that they do not feel has a high enough probability for success. We know that Obama's health care advisors, including Tom Daschle and Dr. Ezekiel Emmanuel, are proponents of limiting the use of expensive treatments on elderly citizens because they don't have much left to offer society. We know that this is the one area of health care where the government could use its power to dramatically cut costs. We also know that rationing of care is the rule, not the exception in other countries that practice socialized medicine. We also know that, in the Senate, amendments to limit the ability of a government board to behave in this way were rejected by the Democrats.

Whether or not euthanasia or rationing are on the menu, the point is that government should not be in a position where they can influence the life and death decisions of citizens. Over 50 new bureacracies, most of which would be designed later, are included in the House bills. The American people are being told "trust us" by a class of people who are among the least trustworthy on the planet. Real America doesn't trust Congress, President Obama or the Big Government Media. Fear, intimidation, and misinformation will not silence a growing body of patriots.

Obama's Health Care Special Interests Outspending Free Market Supporters

Among the many myths (lies?) being perpetrated by Statist Democrats in regard to the debate over nationalized health care is the canard that the opposition is being propped up by a vast rightwing conspiracy of special interests. However, even that noted "conservative" newspaper The New York Times reported that the supporters of ObamaCare or some other big government reform have outspent free marketeers by a five-to-one margin. According to the Old Gray Lady, pro-government reform forces have spent $47 million on advertising to the $9 million paid for by the defenders of the free market. That doesn't even count the in-kind contributions of Big Media's slobbering, unprofessional shill work for their party.

Patriots Should Shop Whole Foods--Boycott the Boycotters

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, recently wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal in which he laid out some common sense free-market solutions for problems in the American health care industry. The key to his solution set is a free-market approach, as opposed to government imposed regulations. It seems that was an unpardonable sin that Liberal-Leftist-Progressive-Socialist-Statist Democrats cannot forgive. Leftwing loons are pushing a boycott of the Whole Foods grocery chain.

Mr. Mackey laid out an impressive and thoughtful set of reforms that would address a number of health care issues. They may not be a final answer to the problem, but they are a worthy addition to the debate. Of course, he isn't alone. Conservatives have suggested remedies for the problems that ail the industry for years, but have been blocked by Leftists who realize that legitimate reform would be a barrier to the nationalization they desire. The worldwide failures of socialized medicine do not deter Statist ideologues who have a Utopian vision that will not be shaken by facts or evidence.

The closest Whole Foods to my home is about two hours away and I doubt I will drive to Winston-Salem for a grocery run. However, if you live close to a Whole Foods I hope you will give them a visit and maybe buy your weekly stash from them to show support for John Mackey. In fact, while the DailyKos and Democrat Underground lunatic asylums are championing Facebook-based boycott sites, there is also a pro-Mackey and Whole Foods group on Facebook.

It is obvious that we have an element of our population that has an insatiable desire for government involvement in their lives (unless they want to kill a baby or marry someone who uses the same public restroom). These folks do not desire solutions; they only seek to advance a failed ideology. It is increasingly important for the sane, liberty-loving element of American society (which is the vast majority, by the way) to raise our voices and throw our support behind those who take risks to fight back against the Amerikan Bolsheviks.

Beware The Trojan Horse of "Compromise" Health Care Cooperatives

Recent talk that President Barry Vladimir Hussein Soetero Obama and Senate Democrats are willing to forego the socialist "public option" for health care cooperatives is nothing more than a political shell game. They want you to think this idea is similar to your local hippie food co-op. However, there is a big problem. The co-ops most folks envision are totally private and voluntary entities. The government "co-op" would be managed by the government, with insurers approved by the government, paid for by the government (i.e., tax payers), and operate under rules set by the federal government. Yeah, there's your private sector solution.

The idea of health care cooperatives has potential if done correctly. Correctly, of course, meaning individuals and businesses acting in a free and open market without government mandates. Earlier in the summer, the Heritage Foundation wrote about the co-op concept as a way to reform elements of the health care industry without a government takeover.

Reform ideas that increase consumer choice and that facilitate competition have been defeated by Leftist Democrats for years. They do not want genuine reform. The only firm goal of Liberal-Leftist-Progressive-Socialist-Democrats is power. They want the government to control your life from womb to tomb and any reform that does not provide that authority will not be sufficient. Beware of the "co-op compromise"; its a socialist wolf in a free-market sheep's clothing.

Has Anyone Seen Mark Warner?

SWAC Girl posted a call for Virginia Senator Mark Warner to face voters in the Shenandoah Valley to discuss his party's desire to take over American health care (you have to check it out just for the milk carton). For over a week, Warner's Senate website has stated that he will be announcing town hall meetings around the state. Today, I called his Roanoke office and they knew nothing, but said an announcement should be made any day now. It is August 18, so the August recess is ticking away. Of course, Warner has set up a place on his website where you can send your comments or questions concerning the health care issue.

Mark Warner seems a lot like President Barry Vladimir Hussein Soetero Obama. He likes to talk at people rather than with them. He wants to orchestrate events that give the impression he wants to hear the will of the people. In the end, he is a partisan hack. Check out Warner's Senate web site where he tows the party line and dismisses any concerns about the proposals currently in Congress.

If you want to check on the status of Mark Warner's town hall meetings you can contact him at:

Washington, D.C. office: 202-224-2023

Abingdon office: 276-628-8158

Norfolk office: 757-441-3079

Roanoke office: 540-857-2676

Richmond office: 804-739-0247