Gerry Connolly Gets It...?

Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11) had the following comments about the state of passing health care reform.

"One of the worst places a politician can be is to be saying, ‘Open wide and swallow this is good for you,’ even if it is,” Connolly said. “We’re out of sync. I favor health care reform. I favor comprehensive healthcare reform, but not at the price of forcing something down’s the public’s throat that the public finds distasteful and bitter."

This is EXACTLY what a politician should do...know the will of the people. If the public rejects something, you don't do it. Now, I personally believe Connolly is trying to win some votes for November (given he is currently considered vulnerable), but considering he is a "representative" of the people in Congress, he is at least acknowledging that his job is to "represent" the people. For that, I will give him kudos.

(h/t NLS)

How Quickly the Landscape and Mood Changes

Paradigm shifts can be felt in many ways, and sometimes there is no better thermometer than the blogosphere. A quick glance around shows these things...

- Virginia Virtucon reports that MSNBC had it's highest ratings ever. I know that I probably watched more consecutive minutes of that channel than ever before (though I do tune in regularly to take the pulse of the opposition). I watched a bit of that channel last night to simply see the left's reactions, and it appears that many conservatives did the same. From what I saw, Howard Dean was gracious in his admission of party screw-ups all around in Mass. Rachel Maddow was fiery and clearly angry. So angry that even Chris Matthews was taken aback by some of her commentary.

- Many left bloggers think that this is because they did not pass health care "reform". If people are against what you are proposing (which they seem to dismissively admit to), why would they support you if you had already passed said reform? If anything, passing health care reform is like pushing the self-destruct button on all of Congress.

- Bearing Drift is hearing rumors that Rep. Rick Boucher (VA-9) is reconsidering running for reelection (something many Dems are doing, especially after last night's win for the GOP). Given that he is a bit of an oddity in terms of political affiliation vs. district demographics, he would be the only Dem that would really stand a chance in the "Fighting 9th" this year. If Boucher goes, the Dem control of that seat goes with it. Given the vulnerability of Glenn Nye and Tom Perriello in the 2nd and 5th Districts, respectively, and the possibility of a hard fight in the 11th (Gerry Connolly's district), the Dems cannot afford to have to pump a lot of money into a 4th fight in this state, as it will really spread party resources thin.

Coakley: "Catholics Shouldn't Work in Emergency Rooms"

Wow, the gaffes just keep on comin' from the Martha Coakley campaign, this time from Martha herself. Her latest from an interview with radio show host Ken Pittman.

Pittman: "Right, if you are a Catholic, and believe what the Pope teaches that any form of birth control is a sin. ah you don't want to do that."

Coakley: "No we have a seperation of church and state Ken, lets be clear."

Pittman: "In the emergency room you still have your religious freedom."

Coakley: "(......uh, eh...um..) The law says that people are allowed to have that. You can have religious freedom but you probably shouldn't work in the emergency room. (emphasis mine)

Wow, just...wow. This woman is DONE. You don't say things like that in a state as heavily Catholic as Massachusetts. Scott Brown closed the gap on her, and now she has gotten desperate and anxious, and it appears to be clouding her judgment. Talk about a meltdown of a campaign, this is getting really bad really fast for her.

And no, it doesn't bother me one bit :)

(h/t Michelle Malkin)

I Appreciate Directness and Honesty, But...

...this is (pardon my French) f*cking ridiculous.

Apparently, Del.-elect Patrick Hope supports sending people to jail for not having health insurance, because he believes not having health insurance is like tax evasion. He also likes answering his constituents in the most condescending and jack-@$$ed tone possible.

He hasn't even been sworn in, and Patrick Hope has already earned a spot on the "worst Delegates in the House" list.

Rasmussen Ruminations

Some interesting recent polls from Rasmussen Reports (the most accurate pollster around, in most opinions)...

- Massachussetts Senate Race: Coakley 50%, Brown 41%. This is very interesting, because one would think that a sitting Dem AG (which Coakley is) in a solidly Blue state would rabidly support a candidate from the same party as "icon" (their preference in terms, not mine), Ted Kennedy. Brown, a sitting state Senator, could make this interesting as the health care reform bill, while still slightly favored in Mass, continues to sour voters. Brown also has a 39-point lead among Independents...the problem is, Republicans/Independents combined are vastly outnumbered by Democrats in this state.

- 59% of those polled support racial profiling for airline security, and 71% believe it is necessary for proper security. Even minorities support racial profiling for airline security at 52%. A majority of Democrats also support this. I'm not sure where I fall on this, as my love for personal civil liberties and support of solid national security come in conflict here. However, this says a lot about how Americans feel we should change our methods of security. A poll also showed that 49% of Americans feel that their fellow countrymen have forgotten the impact of the 9/11 attacks.

- Generic Congressional Ballot...Republicans 44%, Democrats 35%. Also, the number of self-identified Democrats has dropped to it's lowest level in the 7 years Rasmussen has tracked this. The bigger key is that Republican support is not rising as fast as the Dems are losing it...which the GOP needs to pounce on to continue this wave through 2010 and beyond. Otherwise, they're leaving open voters to return to the Donks or go third party (hey, the Libertarians are generally a good choice, too! I'm really starting to feel the need for a 3rd party in this country)

- 55% of national voters say California should go bankrupt instead of receiving a bailout. Only 27% support bailing out the state.

- 52% of Americans disapprove of Obama's performance...39% strongly disapprove. This is compared to 48% approve and 27% strongly approve. Not good, period.

Transparancy My @$$!

The White House is only allowing C-SPAN 1 hour of coverage of the health care debate that is currently being done behind closed doors in committee. So much for that "most transparent government ever" line we heard in 2006 from Pelosi and company, and echoed in 2008 by Barry from D.C.

Obama Approves Taxing Health Care Plans

This is exactly what he claimed John McCain would do in the 2008 campaign, and promised that he wouldn't do. This is a crock, a sham, and should be the straw that broke the camel's back as far as any "on-the-fence" supporters of the health care bill go.

Barry from D.C. has broken another campaign promise, made another move against the will of the people, and given Americans another reason to realize that electing him was not historic, just a historic mistake.

Obenshain Says Warner, Webb Owe Virginians an Apology

...and he's RIGHT!

Not only did our esteemed senators vote for a gaudy monstrosity of a health care bill, now Virginia has to pick up the tab for Nebraska, some of Louisiana, and non-profits in Michigan (among other things).

Given that Gov. Kaine's regional taxing authorities were unconstitutional, doesn't that instantly call this bill into review due to the fact that it forces some states to foot the bill for others in a discriminatory fashion? But I digress...

Sen. Obenshain points out where Virginia is on the hook for the sell-outs of other states and their senators, then goes after our own U.S. senators, especially Jim Webb.

"What did our intrepid duo in the U.S. Senate do to stand strong for the rights and interests of Virginians? Absolutely nothing. They fell right in line with Mr. Reid and the rest of the Democrats in the Senate and voted for this abomination. They required little coaxing and no incentives. Jim Webb may have been "born fighting," but he did not hesitate to run up the white flag here."

Oooh, that's gotta hurt.

On a side political note, for Obenshain to get this in the Washington Times and have Real Clear Politics post it on their site as well really does raise his profile. Obenshain for AG in 2013, or maybe even a senate run in 2012? I wouldn't mind it one bit.

(h/t SWAC Girl)

Health Care Legislation Killing the Dem Majority, One-by-One

Sen. Ben "Sell Out" Nelson of Nebraska is feeling the heat from his constituents.

He currently has a 55 percent disapproval rating (with the health care legislation at 64% disapproval) in his own state. Also, in a potential 2012 matchup against current Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, he would lose 61-30. Ouch. Nelson is going to air a commerical during tonight's Holiday Bowl game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Kansas Jayhawks. Good luck convincing voters you didn't sell out in 30 seconds, Senator.

With Jim Webb and Mark Warner also seeing their approval ratings plummet within the past year, it seems that that this health care "reform" debacle is not reaping any kind of dividends for the Democrats.

Maybe it's time they actually listen to the public.

REAL Health Care Reform, Without Government Regulation

Outlined by The Humble Libertarian, true health care reform that lowers costs without any taxpayer dollars being wasted. Here is the crux of his argument...

The Solution in One Easy Step:

And there is such a way! The U.S. Congress merely needs to pass a bill prohibiting the states from requiring residents to purchase health insurance from within their state and according to state regulations/mandates.

The beautiful thing is it doesn't take a whole lot of words to say this, certainly not thousands of pages! It's a simple, elegant, and profoundly effective solution.

A Constitutional Health Care Reform

It's also Constitutional. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution says Congress has the power to: "To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes. [emphasis mine]"

This Commerce Clause has been misused for decades as the justification for sweeping Federal powers that clearly do not fall under the scope of the clause.

In Wickard v. Filburn for instance, the Supreme Court ruled that even wheat grown on one's own land for one's own consumption can be regulated under the category of interstate commerce because it affects interstate commerce(!).

Yet in the instance of health insurance, we have a perfect example of exactly what the Founding Fathers wanted the Federal Government to be able to prevent states from doing- interfering with trade across their borders.

The Result:

If Congress were to pass this one piece of simple legislation on just a few short pages, it would create revolutionary changes in the provision of health insurance and grant millions access through more affordable prices.

If an insurance company in Connecticut charges too much or has a reputation for bullying its customers when they need coverage, then its customers can leave and buy insurance from a more affordable, less corrupt insurance company based in Nebraska.

He provides an example of how the current system fails people because of government regulation as well. THL does an excellent job of putting this into simple terms and showing that true health care reform can be achieved easily.

Baucus Drunk on Senate Floor?

Apparently, the Senator who once tried to appoint his mistress to high places may have been drunk on the Senate floor while debating health care, and ended up shouting down Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi. Baucus shouting down Republicans is nothing new, but the slurring going on here is very noticeable.



I must admit, he's pretty coherent despite his slurring. This leads me to believe that either he was not drunk, or he must be a serial or dependent alcoholic (i.e., needs alcohol to function) to be that clear while speaking for that long.

Embattled ex-Congressman Mark Foley made the statement "This is the senator that hired his staffer and then took her on trips...and divorced his wife....and they had me run out of town." (h/t Politico Click)

While Foley did deserve to be run out of town, so does Baucus at this point, plain and simple.

White House, Congressional Dems Playing Hardball on Their Own

Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan states that the White House and Democratic Party leaders in Congress have been pressuring him not to speak out against the "compromise" language regarding abortion in the health care bill. Stupak is one of a group of Blue Dog Democrats and is also pro-life. He was one of the leaders of the Blue Dog stand against the health care bill in the House of Representatives.

Personally, by taking a stand like this against his own party, I believe that his political career (at least, within his current party) is probably done for anyway. If you're gonna go out, then, why not go out swinging and stand by your principles?

GOP Makes an Interesting Move

According to Virginia Right!, the Republicans are forcing a vote of constitutionality on the health care bill. What makes this so interesting is the fact that there will be debate on the constitutionality of the bill, which will bring certain wording and phrasing in the bill to light (such as Harry "The Weasel" Reid's attempts to change Senate rules without a 2/3rds majority).

If they play this right, they can derail this bill...which would be a good thing, because nobody wants it, anyway.

This is why Congress should READ the Bills!

Apparently, part of Harry "The Weasel" Reid's last minute amendment to the Health Care Deform, I mean, Reform Bill was the following that was discovered by Redstate...

"Upon examination of Senator Harry Reid’s amendment to the health care legislation, Senators discovered section 3403. That section changes the rules of the United States Senate.

To change the rules of the United States Senate, there must be sixty-seven votes.

Section 3403 of Senator Harry Reid’s amendment requires that “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 good news is that this only applies to one section of the Obamacare legislation. The bad news is that it applies to regulations imposed on doctors and patients by the Independent Medicare Advisory Boards a/k/a the Death Panels."

I'll bet that there are a few Dems who would not have even voted for cloture unless this had been removed first. This is a classic example of why Congress should read the bills they are passing.

(h/t United Conservatives)

Left-Leaners Against the Health Care Bill

Just a few people and organizations against this debacle of a Health Care Bill...

- Howard Dean
- National Organization of Women
- Markos Moulitsas
- Jane Hamsher and Gregg Levine of FireDogLake

These would be prominent tastemakers of the left, as well as some of the most effective firestarters for the Democratic Party's grassroots. This whole bill should be scrapped, as it would have to go back to the House even if it passes, because it is almost a completely different bill without the public option.

This thing is just going to bounce back and forth, which will simply alienate the Dem base and push the Independents away. I obviously don't have a problem with this, but I don't think that the White House should celebrate the fact that they basically bought off some of the moderates in a not-so-discreet fashion. It's bad public image, and the voters remember things like this.

Reid: Take the Weekend Off so I Can do Fundraising

Senate Majority Leader Harry "Weasel" Reid wants the Senate to "take the weekend off" because he sees no point in working through the weekend while debating the new health care bill.

The real reason...he has a $1000/plate fundraising dinner to attend on Saturday, the funds go towards his re-election campaign.

The Senate GOP has rejected this request, stating that they are ready to debate the health care bill as long as necessary and citing Reid's statement that the Senate would work through every weekend until the health care debate was done.

Unpack those bags, Harry, you've got work to do.

Gov. Kaine's Good Intentions

Apparently, Gov. Kaine is going to attempt to have state employee insurance cover same-sex partners as well, just like married heterosexual couples. This is great in theory, and I whole-heartedly endorse the idea. However, you will run into a problem with this, and Gov. Kaine may create an unintentional legal loophole with this should it pass.

See, if unmarried same-sex couples can get insurance benefits, then unmarried heterosexual couples can get those same benefits. I know that this is not the intention of the Governor's plan, he is simply trying to extend benefits to gay couples who may very well be married if they had the right to do so. Now, if gay couples were able to get civil unions/marriage rights, you would eliminate these tricky legal situations.

Realistically, this is why I'm convinced that the term "marriage" should be defined as a union under God (which each church should have the free will and right to decide if it should be so for gay couples). Define unions under law as just that, a civil union, and allow this for heterosexual and homosexual couples with equal legal rights. This would also create a lot less of a problem in terms of contract law and less problems with propositions such as Gov. Kaine's.

(h/t NLS)

UPDATE

Some have stated that this proposal would simply cover those who are all within the same household as a state employee. Not so sure about how this would not cost the state taxpayers more money, but Kaine claims it won't.

San Francisco Consideres Prostitution Legalization

Article at Breitbart.tv.

I've actually believed that prostitution should be legalized in the Rhode Island sense (legal behind closed doors, still bars "street walking"). The idea does appeal to my libertarian sensibilities on social issues, and if a woman feels it prudent to sell her body for sex, so be it.

I'm sure many social conservatives and proponents of the moral majority will attack this as part of the decline of Western Civilization...but then again, prostitution came long before Jesus, and it didn't cause the decline of Middle Eastern Civilization, did it?

However, I do not believe that this means the Government should provide special health benefits to these workers, either...of course, that's because I don't believe in Government-provided health care.

John McCain on Health Care Reform

The New Hampshire Union-Leader, which has endorsed John McCain for the GOP presidential nomination, carried a column today by the Arizona senator on health care reform and using a conservative, free market approach to tackle this issue.

I agree that a free market approach would be a very good solution to reforming the health care system in this country. Medicare is a mess, people are cheating the system left and right (I know people who are doing this, and freely admit to doing so), and many on the left want to expand Medicare coverage...which will only lead to more corruption of the system itself.

However, is McCain really the man to do this?

He talks about using a conservative approach, but McCain (the so-called "maverick") hasn't always taken a conservative approach to any of the larger pieces of legislation he has created/supported. Look at his immigration reform bill that he co-sponsored with Ted Kennedy, a far cry from conservative (or even common sense) legislation.

Then again, he did vote against Bush's tax cuts in 2001 because he wanted a decrease in spending tied to the cuts. He also was one of the people who exposed the whole Abramoff affair, which qualifies him as someone who supports honest government. He also supports privatized social security accounts, free trade, and has vocally opposed universal health care reform...which, in itself, at least puts McCain on the conservative side of the fence on this issue.

Nonetheless, McCain can talk about supporting free market health care all that he wants, but Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Ron Paul, and Duncan Hunter have all supported this as well, and pushed similar proposals. While I believe that McCain is right to support such a concept as free market health care reform, he's not the only GOP candidate supporting this.

Dems Abandon SCHIP

Now, they're going along with the GOP's plan and will keep SCHIP as it is until March 2009, when the new form of SCHIP that will be debated in the beginning of the 2009 Congressional session will take effect.

That actually dampens the ability of Dems to use SCHIP as a campaign issue, as well as keeps SCHIP expansion from being used as the "knife to the throat" of military funding for operations in Iraq.

Haven't I said multiple times before that Congressional Republicans have traditionally done well when they don't have full majorities in Congress?