Archive for October, 2009

FCC strikes at those that Blog: endorsements under fire

October 6, 2009

We told you that the FCC was about to begin regulating the internet, and no, not just about child porn and terrorism. It seems that endorsements will be targeted, and yes, by means of force and / or fear. For the moment, it appears that only money making is targeted. Soon though I can see them going after political blogs as well. The devil will be in the details to be sure, the new FCC Czar notwithstanding. To be sure, this has been in the works for some time, and in all honesty I simply cannot blame the current administration for dreaming up this authoritarian camels nose.

So? Full disclosure: I looked at my blogroll and sidebar and found, right there at the top, Front Sight Training. Yes they do charge for their services. They also have more give away programs than I can keep track of. Including a certificate that I was sent that is for a free course, of my choosing which to date I have not availed myself of. Then there is the Gun Owners of America, and the National Rifle Association. Both of which collect dues, and accept donations. I receive nothing from them other than using their “contact my representative” tools, and use some of their works on this blog, or in citations. On occasion I receive a hat or some other trinket. But never any actual money.

So there you have it. How long before the FCC uses the IRS to become their attack dog? How long until a pattern emerges where it will become obvious that Conservative, Libertarian, or Constitutionalists blogs are being targeted while left wing hit sheets like Moveon.org and the notorious Hufpo are allowed to spew hate and vindictive unabated?

Read on…

Bloggers who offer endorsements must disclose any payments they have received from the subjects of their reviews or face penalties of up to $11,000 per violation, the Federal Trade Commission said Monday.

The agency, charged with protecting consumer interests, had not updated its policy on endorsements in nearly three decades, well before the Internet became a force in shaping consumer tastes. The new rules attempt to make more transparent corporate payments to bloggers, research firms and celebrities that help promote a product.

“Given that social media has become such a significant player in the advertising area, we thought it was necessary to address social media as well,” said Richard Cleland, assistant director for the division of advertising practices at the FTC.

Full Story

Bloomberg Follies: 450 Mayors Petition Obama To Adopt Broad Gun Reform

October 5, 2009

It would figure that a Straw Purchase Felon and his cronies would seek to get even more money for a rouge agency to hammer their agenda home. Using the same old lies and misrepresentations to forward their warped plan for hegemony over you and yours.

We, the people, need to put a stop to these renegades that have committed treason to their oaths.

Read about this latest threat HERE

To Arms! To Arms! The Canucks are coming!

October 3, 2009

At least that sure appears to a major concern of the impostor in chief. Granted, in this day and age we need secure borders more then ever. Will there ever be a President with the balls to actually do it though..?

The U.S. Border Patrol, part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection, is responsible for securing a total of 8,607 miles of border, including the U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S.-Canada border and some sectors of coastline. Each year, the Border Patrol sets a goal for “border miles under effective control (including certain coastal sectors),” defined as an area in which the Border Patrol detects an illegal border crosser and can be expected to succeed in apprehending that person.

In its May performance review, DHS said the Border Patrol’s goal for fiscal 2009 was to have 815 of the 8,607 miles of border — less than 10 percent — under “effective control.” The goal remains the same for fiscal 2010, meaning DHS does not plan to secure a single additional mile of border in the coming year. On Aug. 31, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report to Congress on the effectiveness of the Border Patrol. Its findings were not exactly encouraging.

For example, the Border Patrol established three performance measures to report the results of checkpoint operations, and while they provide some insight into checkpoint activity, they do not indicate if checkpoints are operating efficiently and effectively. Second, GAO found that a lack of management oversight and unclear checkpoint data-collection guidance resulted in the overstatement of checkpoint performance results in recent reports, as well as inconsistent data collection practices at checkpoints. Furthermore, individuals GAO contacted who live near checkpoints generally supported their operations but expressed concerns regarding property damage that occurs when illegal aliens and smugglers circumvent checkpoints to avoid apprehension.

Here’s the kicker: The U.S.-Mexico border is 1,954 miles long, with only 697 miles under “effective control,” but the Border Patrol plans to decrease the 17,399 Border Patrol agents on that border by 384 agents in Fiscal 2009. Some 414 will be added to the Canadian border for a total of 2,212. Maybe BO is concerned about the Canucks crossing the border for U.S. health care — at least until ObamaCare ruins that option.

SOURCE

Growth, Taxes, and the Economy

October 3, 2009

What follows is nothing more than what anyone learns in Economics 101. What does that tell you about the so-called leaders that we have around the nation..?

What should young adults be thinking about who they support politically?

A report just released by the Tax Foundation has given the unwelcome title of least “business-friendly” states to — no surprises here — New Jersey, New York and California. On the other end of the spectrum is South Dakota, which has the most business-friendly tax system, followed by Wyoming and Alaska. Evaluating states based on taxes that matter most to businesses — corporate income, individual income, sales, unemployment insurance and property taxes — the foundation found that the blue state trio boasts “the most inhospitable [tax structures] to economic growth.” The foundation noted, “The ideal tax system … is simple, transparent, stable, neutral to business activity, and pro-growth.”

Interestingly, a study released earlier this year by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University ranked the same bottom three states among the five least free states in the country in terms of economic and personal freedom as measured by “state and local government intervention across a wide range of public policies.” New Hampshire, which tied for first in freedom, also came in as one of the Tax Foundation’s most business-friendly states.

Unfortunately, the most anti-business states have yet to fully grasp the connection. For example, it appeared to be news to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office when it announced this week that small business regulations have cost the state $492 billion and a whopping 3.8 million jobs, amounting to $134,122 and one job loss per small business in 2007.

So, freedom = economic growth, while burdensome government regulations = economic contraction. Coincidence? We think not.

Young voters went for Barack Obama by a 2-1 margin but they seem to be the generation hardest hit on the job front, with an unemployment rate significantly above the national 9.8 percent mark. Economists and other experts blame the increase in the minimum wage for part of the problem, yet layoffs and decreased hours among older workers have also backed up the job market. Entry-level jobs once performed by youths are being filled by adults who are punctual, polite, professional and simply grateful to have a job, even at minimum wage.

The consequences of this trend may turn out to be severe. Youths who can’t get that first opportunity may be held back economically for up to 15 years, according to a government study. This translates into slower economic growth down the road as a generation handicapped by high unemployment and jobs farther down the economic scale than their parents enjoyed at the same age attempts to scrape together funding to buy a house, a new car, or other needs and desires. Then again, as a demographic group, these young people are reaping exactly what they voted for.

“We’re putting Americans back to work doing the work that America needs done: Rebuilding roads, bridges and new schools, and all manner of construction projects across all 50 states. I’m not going to rest. I know the governors and candidates here are not going to rest, and I know that the American people are not going to rest until everybody who’s looking for work can find a job.” –The One, BO, just before the Labor Department announced another 263,000 lost jobs in September, which raised unemployment to 9.8 percent

SOURCE

Green Weenies;Climate Change This Week: World to Get Really Hot, We Swear!

October 3, 2009

It’s laughable. Despite the mounting evidence to the contrary (and perhaps in an effort to remain relevant on the world scene), the UN continues to outdo itself in perpetuating global warming hysteria. According to The Washington Post, a recent report released by the UN’s Environmental Program claims Earth’s temperature will climb 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, even if nations adopt the most aggressive programs. This is even direr than the UN’s 2007 Intergovernmental Program on Climate Change. That group took home a Nobel Prize, but then again, so did Yasser Arafat, Jimmy Carter and Mikhail Gorbachev.

One thing about the envirofascist movement is that it’s becoming more and more transparent in its push for a “new world order,” and this latest report is just another scare tactic ahead of the December climate change conference in Copenhagen. As former Enron adviser and current New York Times “economist” Paul Krugman frets, “[C]limate change is a problem that can only be addressed through government action.”

The United States has already pledged to cut emissions by 73 percent from 2005 levels and the European Union by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. Yet even this is not enough for the green weenies.

SOURCE

Obamacare: A Public Service Announcement

October 3, 2009

When Hollywood celebrities weren’t busy defending director Roman Polanski for raping a 13-year-old girl 30 years ago (“It wasn’t rape-rape,” Whoopi Goldberg helpfully explained), they were fighting for the government takeover of health care. Funded by MoveOn.org, comedian Will Ferrell and other wealthy Hollywood celebrities recently put together a satirical public service announcement (PSA) in which the shtick was to feign sympathy for insurance executives in order to gain support for the so-called “public option.” Of course, the celebs claim the public option already has the support of “80 percent of Americans.” Such a claim is obvious horse pucky, as we non-celebrity types say down here in Tennessee. And the actors may not have noticed, but many, if not most, insurance executives are lobbying for ObamaCare. Ferrell, who makes about $20 million per film but can’t seem to find it in his heart to buy insurance for a single family, wants you to do it by government coercion.

The PSA contained such over-the-top garbage that it was ripe for parody. A group of conservatives did just that in a spectacular frame-by-frame mocking of these Hollywonks. Examples include, “Celebrities keep us informed so we don’t have to ask silly questions,” and, “If I had a kid and he had a bike and he broke his leg, my neighbor’s kid should have to pay for it” because “how else will our children learn that they’re entitled to other people’s money?” Finally, they conclude, “Join overpaid celebrities in fighting for legislation they don’t understand. They may not be real doctors, but they play one on TV.”

SOURCE

How stupid does Max Baucus think you are..?

October 3, 2009

Siege Warfare & Health Care Reform

Smelling what they rightly sense is their own blood in the water from the public backlash against the so-called “public option,” congressional Bolsheviks (i.e., Democrats) have retreated to lick their wounds from the loss of their erstwhile health care reform centerpiece. Or have they?

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) certainly doesn’t think so. Using a tried-and-true leftist tactic — two steps forward, one step back, gaining position under the guise of “losing” ground — Baucus re-grouped by championing his health care bill, the core of which rests on mandatory health insurance and massive Medicaid spending. How massive? Weighing in at $1 trillion, the bill is threefold the total cost of Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” programs of the ’60s.

Democrats want to cover everyone up to 33 percent above the federal poverty level (about $30,000 for a family of four), adding more than 11 million new bodies to Medicaid rosters by 2019. The total covered would be 70 million people, or roughly one-quarter of America’s population. Oh yeah: “Everyone” includes illegal aliens, or so say at least 21 House Democrats who signed a statement from the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus affirming the same. The Congressional Anglo Saxon Caucus has yet to weigh in.

As an added bonus, those not covered under Medicaid must purchase health insurance (the so-called “individual mandate”) or face fines up to $25,000 and/or one year in prison for tax evasion. You may recall the “individual mandate” as the “not-really-a-tax” tax (an IRS “excise tax,” to be precise), which President Barack Obama lamely defended last week when confronted by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos with his promise not to raise taxes on middle class families “by a single penny.” At $1,900 per person for the tax-that’s-not-a-tax, and not withstanding his creative wordsmithing, Obama would be into most Americans for a couple hundred thousand pennies’ worth of broken promises.

However, since entitlements are leading the charge toward national bankruptcy with the lion’s share of the nation’s $12 trillion debt and $100 plus trillion in existing un-funded liabilities, isn’t it required of citizens to ask whether more entitlement spending is warranted when we can’t even fund existing programs? This question is even more relevant at the state level, where all but two states face either substantial or severe shortfalls. Notably, Medicaid is on average the second largest element of state budgets, trailing only slightly behind K-12 education.

Let’s also not miss the salient lesson from this sordid vignette: The fight for freedom is a constant struggle against siege warfare. In this case, under the guise of health care “reform,” statists would redistribute wealth while accruing power to the government, and if they can’t accomplish their goal one way (the “public option”), they will do it another (Medicaid with the “individual mandate”). The only way to counter this constant siege against liberty is to remain vigilant and vocal against these Trojan horse ruses.

As if to punctuate this lesson, Sens. John Rockefeller (D-WV) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) both promised to raise amendments to the Baucus bill adding — you guessed it — the “public option.”

SOURCE

How Much Will The Anti-gun ObamaCare Bill Cost?‏

October 3, 2009

Senator Baucus Thinks You’re Too Dumb to Understand Legislation
— Don’t let your two U.S. Senators go along with his arrogance

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org


Friday, October 2, 2009

It didn’t seem like such an unreasonable request.  Before the Senate Finance Committee passes one of the most important pieces of legislation in our lifetime, we (the American people) wanted to see two things:

* First, the actual language of the latest anti-gun ObamaCare bill.

* Second, a definitive Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reading of the cost of the legislation, based on its specific language.

But, incredibly, this simple request is too much for Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, who intends to force the committee to vote on the bill with nothing but a “quickie guesstimate” of the cost — a “guesstimate” which CBO will have to reach WITHOUT EVEN HAVING ACCESS TO THE ACTUAL LEGISLATION.

That’s right.  The committee has virtually finished consideration of the health care bill — the most important in our lifetime — AND THERE IS STILL NO LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE.

Shouldn’t we at least have a cost estimate that is based on what is actually in the bill?  Yes, but a full CBO cost estimate would take two weeks — and this is inconsistent with efforts by liberal Democrats to cram this bill quickly down the throats of the American people.

Moreover, don’t you realize that “legislative language is very complex” and the American people are just too stupid to understand it.

Well, are the members of the committee too stupid as well?  And what about the CBO?  Is it too stupid?

A Third World country would be embarrassed by the sleaze, corruption, and fraud being used to pass the most expansive government intrusion into health care of our lifetime.

It’s time to put an end to these disgusting tricks.

ACTION:  Call your two U.S. Senators.  Ask them to oppose any ObamaCare legislation — at least until we have two things:

1. The actual legislative language.

2. A definitive Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reading of the cost of the legislation, based on what’s in the bill.

You can call your two Senators toll-free at 1-877-762-8762.

You can also use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your senators the pre-written e-mail message below.

—– Pre-written letter —–

Dear Senator:

I would urge you, in the strongest terms, to resist considering any health care bill from the Senate Finance Committee until we have at least two things:

* First, the actual legislative language.

* Second, a definitive Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate of the cost of the legislation, based on legislative language.

It has been reported that, incredibly, this simple request is too much for Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, who intends to force the committee to vote on the bill with nothing but a “quickie guesstimate” of the cost — a “guesstimate” which CBO will have to reach WITHOUT EVEN HAVING ACCESS TO THE ACTUAL LEGISLATION.

It is unfathomable to me that the committee has virtually finished consideration of the health care bill — the most important in our lifetime — AND THERE IS STILL NO LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE.

Contrary to Senator Baucus’ assumptions, the American people are not too stupid to understand legislation which will affect whether they live or die.

Neither are the members of the committee nor the CBO.

A Third World country would be embarrassed by the sleaze, corruption, and fraud being used to pass the most expansive government intrusion into health care of our lifetime.

Please vote against the legislation under these circumstances.

Sincerely,


—————————–

Olofson Update

You may recall that Gun Owners Foundation is taking David Olofson’s case to the Supreme Court.  Olofson was railroaded by the federal government.  The feds claim that when David loaned a friend a semi-auto AR-15 that malfunctioned at the range, he was guilty of illegally transfering a machine gun.  A major step on the road to the Supreme Court has now been taken, as GOF has filed its Petition for Certiorari.  You can read that document at: http://gunowners.com/Olofson-Petition-for-Certiorari.pdf

Political Economies: Command and Demand

October 2, 2009

What follows does not address the obamacare debate, however it is directly the center of what is just plain wrong with what is going on in D.C.

By Mike Rosen

Posted: 10/01/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT

There they go again. The latest stop on the world anarchist tour was Pittsburgh, site of last week’s G20 summit of international finance ministers and governors of central banks.While the grownups met indoors to discuss cooperation in the global economy, goons of various persuasions and incoherent causes did their thing on the streets. OK, they weren’t all violent goons. There were also some better-behaved familiar goofballs like Cindy Sheehan and assorted greenies, pacifists and socialists.

But the anarchists were the most committed. They were a mostly youngish mob bedecked in standard revolutionary garb: faded jeans, black T-shirts, bandanas and ski masks to cover their faces. Their contribution to the world economy consisted of throwing rocks, bricks and trash cans at cops, breaking Starbucks windows and assaulting ATMs. Those whose faces were uncovered seemed to be smiling more than scowling. But, of course, this is what these people do for fun.

As anarchist festivals go, this one was relatively tame. Property damage was under $100,000 and fewer than 100 people were arrested. Small potatoes compared to the riot at the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001 and the violence in Montreal, Seattle and Turin, Italy, at other gatherings of world economic and political leaders.

One group of anarchists, apparently auditioning for “American Idol,” taunted police officers with a chorus of: “We all live in a fascist bully state,” sung to the tune of the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.” They probably missed the irony. It’s only because of the civility and restraint of democratic governments like the ones these sociopaths so revile that they can get away with their antics. If they actually lived in a fascist bully state they’d have been shot, carted off to a concentration camp or a reeducation center. Icons of the world’s “People’s Democratic Republics” like Stalin, Mao, Castro and Guevara (the guy on the anarchists’ T-shirts) haven’t been so tolerant of dissent.

Anarchists have only a childish concept of what they’re against and not a clue about what they would have replace it. When better-armed anarchists break into their home, who are they going to call? Don’t bother dialing 911; nobody will be there.

In the anarchist paradise of their dreams, do they imagine that mattresses will replace banks as financial intermediaries? Political economies come in only two forms: command and demand. In a command economy, government decides what gets produced, how it’s done, who does it, and how it’s distributed. In a demand economy, the capitalist alternative, those choices are made freely in the market — with varying degrees of government intrusion. The debate among rational adults is over the degree of government intrusion. Once set in motion, government intervention and control tends to expand, becoming ever more difficult to reverse until it metastasizes into a command economy. History has shown us repeatedly and dramatically that command economies don’t work. They produce neither prosperity nor freedom.

By contrast, the tea party folks who have taken to the streets in the age of Obama understand the danger of excessively intrusive government and are trying to stand athwart it. They know what they’re for. But they’re rookies at protests and demonstrations. They’re not quite sure what to do. They certainly don’t want to break anything and they even clean up after themselves. This is not what they do for fun. Most of them would rather spend weekends with their families and are too busy earning a productive living on weekdays. When they turn out there are no face masks, no confrontations with police and no violence.

Isn’t it curious that the same Democrat politicians and liberal media types who condemned and ridiculed the law-abiding tea partiers haven’t uttered a peep in disapproval of the nasty rabble that made a ruckus and dirtied their diapers in Pittsburgh?

Mike Rosen’s radio show airs weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon on 850-KOA.

SOURCE

Shenanigans, and Obamacare…

October 1, 2009

The so-called health care debacle, I mean debate. Is flush with partisan politics that have little if anything at all to do with health. With a fresh infusion of Chicago style politics this is becoming one of the biggest, if not most widespread scandal that has been seen in American politics in years… So what if ACORN changed it’s name?

The words is out… the game is played… the man behind the curtain has been exposed… and it’s now as plain as the nose on your face.  Obama and the leftists in Congress don’t want you to know what’s in ObamaCare… they just made it clear that they just may try to hide all the sordid details from you.

But what’s even worse, Obama and the leftists in Congress may even be trying to muzzle, and intimidate, those who dare to speak out against ObamaCare.

It’s becoming more and more apparent that Obama and the leftists in Congress don’t want the American people to know… or read… or hear anything negative about ObamaCare… and that they may be willing to shut-down debate by any means necessary.

One thing is certain, Obama and the leftists in Congress are leaving the door wide open to enact ObamaCare in the dead of night… under the cover of darkness… shove it down our throats before any of us are any the wiser.

When Senator Jim Bunning offered an amendment that would have required that the language of the bill be made available to the American people 72 hours prior to a vote, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee squashed it.

Michael Franc, writing for the Heritage Foundation’s blog, The Foundry gives us the sordid and sickening details:

During the Senate Finance Committee mark up of the Baucus health bill … Senator Bunning of Kentucky put forth an innovative amendment. This amendment stipulated that before voting on the measure in Committee, legislative language would have to be accessible to the public for 72 hours and that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) would need to publish an official tally of how much this bill will cost the American people and what the real impact will be on health costs.”

Franc continued:

“The amendment failed 11-12 on nearly a party line vote. Senator Blanche Lincoln (AR) was the sole Democrat to support this attempt at transparency. The bottom line: when the committee completes its work on this re-make of one-sixth of our economy, Senators will have voted on a phantom – a bill that does not exist with costs that are unknowable until, that is, the unelected legislative draftsmen write the real bill in some back room on Capitol Hill.”

If nothing else that has transpired up to this point has convinced you that ObamaCare must be rejected… thrown aside… taken off the table… these shenanigans should.

It’s time to tell our elected officials that no good can come from ObamaCare… that’s it’s rotten to the core… and that it must be scrapped.


We need every person in receipt of this urgent appeal to use the button below and barrage Barack Hussein Obama and each and every Republican Member of the United States Senate with your personalized faxes. Make no mistake, you’re not going to change America with a couple of faxes or letters or phone calls only directed at your two Senators.  Each of us needs to barrage each and every one of these Republican Senators with a mountain of faxes.  They all need to see that the American people are united. Only then will they wake up and smell the coffee.

Tell them that you believe that the only thing keeping ObamaCare alive is the willingness of some Republicans to negotiate and that ObamaCare would be defeated once and for all if they all stood firm in total opposition to ObamaCare. Tell them that no amount of so-called “compromise” will make government-run health care acceptable to the American people. Let them know that if they spent the same amount of energy to defeat ObamaCare as they are spending negotiating, the job would be done. Demand, once and for all, that they stop negotiating and win this fight against socialized health care for the American people.

Sit Down And Shut Up. ObamaCare Is None Of Your Business… When We Pass It, You Can Learn To Live With It.
It’s bad enough when our federal legislators vote on bills they have not even bothered to read….

But to actually start “negotiations” on 200 pages of notes and ideas… on a bill that has not even been written….

To squash an amendment that would require them to give you 72 hours to read what will likely be thousands of pages before they vote on it… what’s going on here?

It’s as if they’re saying, We Ain’t Gonna Read It And We Don’t Want You Reading It Either.

The American people are not children to be scolded or bullied.

This is the United States… not the old-Soviet Union.

And yet, ObamaCare may actually pass because the willingness of some Republican Senators to “negotiate” is keeping it on life support.

It’s possibly the only thing keeping it alive right now.  If Republican Senators simply walked away… if they left it alone… ObamaCare would likely just wither on the vine.

You can only scratch your head and ask why?

Why negotiate over something the American people have soundly rejected?

And furthermore, in consideration of the tactics being employed by the proponents of ObamaCare, why negotiate with a bully… even a 10 year-old knows better than to do that?

But you can do something other than just scratch your head.

You can send all of these Republican Senators a loud and clear message that it’s time to stop negotiations. It’s time to stand firm in opposition to ObamaCare and defeat ObamaCare once and for all.


We need every person in receipt of this urgent appeal to use the button below and barrage Barack Hussein Obama and each and every Republican Member of the United States Senate with your personalized faxes. Make no mistake, you’re not going to change America with a couple of faxes or letters or phone calls only directed at your two Senators.  Each of us needs to barrage each and every one of these Republican Senators with a mountain of faxes.  They all need to see that the American people are united. Only then will they wake up and smell the coffee.

Tell them that you believe that the only thing keeping ObamaCare alive is the willingness of some Republicans to negotiate and that ObamaCare would be defeated once and for all if they all stood firm in total opposition to ObamaCare. Tell them that no amount of so-called “compromise” will make government-run health care acceptable to the American people. Let them know that if they spent the same amount of energy to defeat ObamaCare as they are spending negotiating, the job would be done. Demand, once and for all, that they stop negotiating and win this fight against socialized health care for the American people.

Is Obama’s Department of Health And Human Services Stomping On The First Amendment… Threatening Those Who Oppose ObamaCare.
But Obama and the leftists in Congress are not simply trying to keep you in the dark when it comes to ObamaCare.

It’s worse… they’re actually trying to squash attempts by some who dare to tell the truth about ObamaCare.

Did you hear about what just happened to Humana?

Humana published a letter to its members warning them of potential drastic cuts to Medicare (specifically the Medicare Advantage program) under ObamaCare and urged its members to contact Congress.

Specifically, Humana said; “if the proposed funding cut levels [in the current health care legislation] become law, millions of seniors and disabled individuals could lose many of the important benefits and services that make Medicare Advantage health plans so valuable.”

It was a very valid point to raise… such proposals are on the table… and it makes all the sense in the world to alert people to what is going on and motivate them to call their elected officials… but it didn’t take the long for our government to come down hard on Humana.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiated an investigation and sent an ominous gag-order to Humana:

“As we continue our research into this issue, we are instructing you to immediately discontinue all such mailings to beneficiaries and to remove any related materials directed to Medicare enrollees from your Web sites.”

And Senator Max Baucus demanded that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launch an “investigation” against Humana as well, claiming the letter put forth “false information,” Baucus rhetorically asked, “does the first amendment include lies?”

Of course, there’s just one small problem with Baucus’ ranting accusation. Humana was voicing an opinion that was well grounded in fact. Even the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) made the point.

Bob Ellis with Dakotavoice.com: “Even the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirms what the White House doesn’t want to get out, with CBO head Douglas Elmendorf telling the Senate this on Tuesday.”

The Internet website Blogcritics.com, in an article titled, Obama Violates the First Amendment, goes so far as to say that the HHS action “smacks of fascism.”

“[T]his past week the Obama administration violated its oath to uphold the Constitution by issuing a decree abridging the First Amendment right to speech.”

“In a memo to private health insurers from a senior official at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the Obama administration issued a decree ordering them to stop informing Medicare beneficiaries that health reform legislation before Congress could hurt them and curtail their benefits if enacted. The memo went on to say that the government might take legal action against insurers that are mobilizing opposition to the legislation by sending ‘misleading and confusing’ messages to seniors.

“Say what you will about insurance companies, this is by no means a defense of them. It is instead a rebuke of an administration that is playing fast and loose with basic rights guaranteed to all Americans, including corporations. … Humana has as much right to speak out for or against federal legislation as I do. Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court have no power to abridge Humana’s right to free speech. Obama should know this, given that he is a constitutional lawyer.”

And yet, in spite of these shenanigans, Senate Republicans are still bending over backward to play Let’s Make A Deal.  Are they under some delusion that they can somehow make ObamaCare better or soften the blow if they “negotiate?”

If so, we must disabuse them of that notion here and now. We must tell them that instead of negotiating on ObamaCare, they need to focus their efforts on stopping ObamaCare.

We need to tell them to stand firm… twist some arms… pick-off some Democrats from conservative states and bring them into the fold… dare Harry Reid to shove the reconciliation process down our throats and pass ObamaCare with a simple majority (he’ll do it at the risk of destroying his own party).

The battle to stop ObamaCare is winnable… all these Senators need is a little back-bone.


We need every person in receipt of this urgent appeal to use the button below and barrage Barack Hussein Obama and each and every Republican Member of the United States Senate with your personalized faxes. Make no mistake, you’re not going to change America with a couple of faxes or letters or phone calls only directed at your two Senators.  Each of us needs to barrage each and every one of these Republican Senators with a mountain of faxes.  They all need to see that the American people are united. Only then will they wake up and smell the coffee.

Tell them that you believe that the only thing keeping ObamaCare alive is the willingness of some Republicans to negotiate and that ObamaCare would be defeated once and for all if they all stood firm in total opposition to ObamaCare. Tell them that no amount of so-called “compromise” will make government-run health care acceptable to the American people. Let them know that if they spent the same amount of energy to defeat ObamaCare as they are spending negotiating, the job would be done. Demand, once and for all, that they stop negotiating and win this fight against socialized health care for the American people.

What If They’re Lying To Us Now… What Will Stop Them From Lying To Us Again… And Again… And Again?
It’s clear, someone is not being straight with the American people, and such a display of mendacity simply leads us to ask more questions.

Red Star Can a government that is unwilling to act with transparency… a government that initiates investigations against those with opposing views… be trusted to act in the best interests of the American people… of you… of me?

Red Star If ObamaCare is egregious now, what will it look like in a year… or two years… or five years… will they even bother to tell us… or will every change to ObamaCare be made behind closed doors in a smoke-filled room?

Red Star Do we really want to empower the same government that is fouling-up cash-for-clunkers… the same government that is fouling-up our economy by effectively taking control of private companies… the power to foul-up our health care?

Red Star Do we really want to empower that same government to determine which life-saving treatments we will receive… that our loved-ones will receive… or don’t receive?

Red Star Do we really want government end-of-life counselors who would probably exhibit the compassion of IRS agents counseling us or our loved ones on life and death decisions?

Of course not. But too many of our so-called leaders still don’t get it. They don’t see the bigger picture.

Instead of scrapping ObamaCare… throwing it onto the ash-heap of history… they’re quibbling over what type of government-run health care they believe to be best for you and your family… and no one is fighting for you… for us… for the American people.

When Baucus unveiled his new and improved (and unwritten) version of ObamaCare, legislators (Republicans and Democrats alike) piled on… in no time flat, over 560 amendments (to an unwritten bill that was nothing more than 200 pages of notes and ideas) were put forward.

Senator Lindsey Graham perhaps said it best; “we’re making this up as we go… they’re trying to buy votes… the vision here is to pass something… they don’t give a damn what it is and nobody understands what they’re doing.”

The American people for months have been sending the message loud and clear that they want no part of ObamaCare, period, regardless of what form it takes.

The American people have been telling politicians in Washington that no amount of so-called “compromise” will make Obama’s government-run health care scheme acceptable or palatable.

And yet, these politicians keep talking… they keep amending… they keep “negotiating” … they keep trying to “compromise” and reach “consensus” … in short, they continue to waste time on something that no one wants.

Is that ridiculous, or what?


We need every person in receipt of this urgent appeal to use the button below and barrage Barack Hussein Obama and each and every Republican Member of the United States Senate with your personalized faxes. Make no mistake, you’re not going to change America with a couple of faxes or letters or phone calls only directed at your two Senators.  Each of us needs to barrage each and every one of these Republican Senators with a mountain of faxes.  They all need to see that the American people are united. Only then will they wake up and smell the coffee.

Tell them that you believe that the only thing keeping ObamaCare alive is the willingness of some Republicans to negotiate and that ObamaCare would be defeated once and for all if they all stood firm in total opposition to ObamaCare. Tell them that no amount of so-called “compromise” will make government-run health care acceptable to the American people. Let them know that if they spent the same amount of energy to defeat ObamaCare as they are spending negotiating, the job would be done. Demand, once and for all, that they stop negotiating and win this fight against socialized health care for the American people.

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