12/22/09

ALG Blasts Sen. Majority Leader Reid for Making Health Care Rationing Board Unrepealable

From: ALG News Bureau

For Immediate Release
Contact: Robert Romano
December 22nd, 2009
Phone: (703) 383-0880

“[O]nce passed, any attempt to remove the health care rationing board will be deemed out of order forevermore. People are going to die.” – ALG President Bill Wilson

ALG Blasts Sen. Majority Leader Reid for Making Health Care Rationing Board Unrepealable

December 22nd, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today condemned Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for inserting language into the Senate health care bill that would make it nearly impossible to repeal what Wilson called a “health care rationing board.”

“The Independent Medicare Advisory Board will become the Healthcare Soviet—dictating rules, rates and procedures in America’s health care system with no appeal. That is why Reid has given it the most protection,” Wilson explained.

In the Reid Substitute, under Section 3403 in a section entitled “Limitations on Changes to this Subsection,” it states, “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.”

Section 3403 establishes the Independent Medicare Advisory Board (IMAB), which would “reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending” under the Reid substitute. Wilson said that is “rationing.”

“The whole purpose of this panel is to ration health care to seniors, no question,” Wilson said.

“To hide that, the bill states that ‘The proposal shall not include any recommendation to ration health care’ right after it gets through establishing the power for the IMAB to ration health care,” Wilson explained.

“This is Orwellian Newspeak of the first order,” Wilson declared, adding, “Right in this section, Harry Reid is saying that they’re going to ration health care away from seniors, but they’re just not going to call it that.”

“And then, to lock it in place, Reid goes as far as to require a two-thirds vote in order to amend or repeal the rationing board,” Wilson explained.

The Senate rules change was exposed on the floor of the Senate by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), as reported by the National Review Online. Senator DeMint said, “This is not legislation. This is not law. This is a rule change. It’s a pretty big deal. We will be passing a new law and at the same time creating a Senate rule that makes it out of order to amend or repeal the law.”

DeMint said that under Senate rules, it should take a two-thirds vote of the Senate to invoke cloture on legislation that contains such rules changes. And, that, “[A]s the chair has confirmed, Rule 22, paragraph 2, of the standing rules of the Senate, states that on a measure or motion to amend the Senate rules, the necessary affirmative vote shall be two-thirds of the senators present and voting.”

However, the Senate President ruled that the rules change was not a rules change, but a change in procedure.

“This is completely unconstitutional,” Wilson noted, pointing to Article I, Section 5 of the Federal Constitution, which states: “Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings…”

“Under current rules, the Reid substitute, which includes a rules change making it out of order to amend or repeal a section of the bill, should require a two-thirds vote in order to be enacted,” Wilson explained, concluding, “That has not happened, and will not happen, meaning that once passed, any attempt to remove the health care rationing board will be deemed out of order forevermore. People are going to die.”

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Americans for Limited Government is a non- partisan, nationwide network committed to advancing free market reforms,private property rights and core American liberties. For more information on ALG please call us at 703-383-0880 or visit our website at www.GetLiberty.org.

12/22/09

Chuck Muth’s News & Views – December 22, 2009

By: Chuck Muth
Citizen Outreach

MY, HOW THE MIGHTY ONE HAS FALLEN

“A majority of Americans believe an increased government role in health care would lead to more government corruption, while a plurality of Americans think that scientific data supporting man-made global warming is ‘mostly falsified.’ The poll also shows that 58 percent of Americans believe that decisions by the Obama administration have been ‘bad for America,’ as opposed to 37 percent who think Obama’s decisions have been ‘good for America.'”

CNS News, 12/21/09

IT’S ALL ABOUT ME, ME, ME, ME, ME

“We usually associate presidential leadership with the pursuit of goals that, though initially unpopular, serve America’s long-term interests. Obama has reversed this. He’s championing increasingly unpopular legislation that threatens the country’s long-term interests. ‘This isn’t about me,’ he likes to say, ‘I have great health insurance.’ But of course, it is about him: about the legacy he covets as the president who achieved ‘universal’ health insurance.”

Columnist Robert Samuelson

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12/22/09

Nevada News & Views – December 22, 2009

By: Chuck Muth
Nevada News and Views

TODAY’S NN&V HEADLINES

  • Reid health care plan helps Nebraska, will bankrupt Nevada (Office of Gov. Jim Gibbons) – Just in time for Christmas, Senator Harry Reid once again plans to put his national political ambitions ahead of Nevada, this time on Christmas Eve.
  • Who Got the Gold Mines While Nevada Got the Shaft? (Republican Study Committee) – Just when you thought secret deals with the industry, closed-door meetings and Chicago-style backroom politics couldn’t get any worse…they did.
  • The Six Key Issues the House Must Cave On Before Obamacare Becomes Law (Heritage Foundation) – This morning at around 8 AM, the Senate passed, again on a straight party-line vote, Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) manager’s amendment to the Senate’s version of Obamacare. This keeps the Senate on pace to pass the bill at 9 PM on Christmas Eve despite the fact that Americans overwhelmingly opposed the legislation.
  • Gibbons, Lawmakers Discuss Budget in First “Open Door” Session (Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – Gov. Jim Gibbons and nine state lawmakers from both political parties spent about an hour today informally discussing potential solutions to the state’s budget shortfall, including a discussion of state employee furloughs versus pay reductions.
  • ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas: Two Modern Day Variations

Click here to read these stories at the Nevada News & Views site!

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12/22/09

Links to Visit – 12/22/09

Gateway Pundit – Fistgate XI: Kevin Jennings’ Suggested Reading For Kids Included Sick Book that Promoted S&M to Children- Media Silent

Death By 1000 Papercuts – Obama Executive Order Cedes US Sovereignty, Citizen Rights to Interpol

The Patriot Room – Obama exempts INTERPOL from search and seizure on US lands

Google – Venezuela’s Chavez launches new police force (Hat Tip: Steve Schippert)

Gateway Pundit – Harry Reid Opens Mouth- Lies… Says $1.2 Billion in Sweetheart Deals Were Not Sweetheart Deals …Update: Reid Slams Senators Who Missed Payoff (Hat Tip: Larwyn)

JammieWearingFool – Punchy California Governor Gives Obama an ‘A’ for Effort (Hat Tip: Larwyn)

Continue reading

12/22/09

The Swedish Connection

From: Radical Ron – JammieWearingFool

Auschwitz sign: the ‘Swedish connection’

Police are refusing to confirm reports of a possible international link to the theft of the metal sign that hung over Auschwitz.

Five men are currently being questioned by detectives but Polish media have speculated, without citing any sources, that a Swedish collector might have been involved in the crime.

read more…

12/22/09

Financial News Update – 12/22/09

Obamacare Will Save Me a TON of Money!

America’s Inexorable March toward a Monetary and Inflationary Abyss

It couldn’t be more clear…

Morning Bell: The Six Key Issues the House Must Cave On Before Obamacare Becomes Law

Michigan And Nebraska: The Senate Leadership Has Got A Deal For You!

Young, Invincible, and Now Forced to Shell-Out for Health Care

Why is the AMA Supporting a 20% Pay Cut for Their Members?

Solar Shutdown: Feinstein to Block Energy Projects

Euro in Trouble as Big Economies Falter

Jim DeMint to Force a Vote on Constitutionality of the Individual Mandate

BREAKING: Mitch McConnell Surrenders

Democrats Face Challenge in Merging Health Bills

Forcing a vote on Demcare’s constitutionality

Harry Reid’s Bill Says Parts Of It Cannot Be Repealed (Video)

Oh My… Barack Obama’s Approval Index Plunges After Health Care Rammed Through Senate

Health Secretary Sebelius Praises Mandatory Abortion Funding In Dem’s Nationalized Health Care Bill (Video)

Ford Offers Buyouts to All UAW Workers

“Keep Your Stinkin Gift” Christmas Protest at Claire McCaskill’s Office- Wednesday at Noon

ZOGBY: 84% Say Congress Drafts Long Bills to Hide Spending Deals, Prevent People from Understanding What’s In Them…

Chicago Shuts Down To Save Cash

Carbon prices plunge in wake of ‘disappointing’ Copenhagen summit

Banks with ‘political ties got bailouts’

Recovery not as strong as previously thought

Conn. Dept of Labor servers overloaded with unemployment claims

Small-business bankruptcies rise 81% in California

HARKIN SAYS VOTE BRIBES ‘SMALL STUFF’

Fund Boss Made $7 Billion in the Panic

If It’s Law, Will It Be Legal?

Third Quarter Growth Marred by GDP Slowdown

SurvivalBlog:

Wall Street on the Tundra

Flagler County, Florida, had the state’s highest jobless rate: 16.8 percent

Federal Salaries Targeted As Private Sector Pay Stagnates

Skies Darken For Bernanke Nomination

Luxury Retailers Look To State Christmas Comeback

What People Are Splurging On

Tech Stocks Pull Market Out Of 3-Day Slide

7 US Banks Seized, 2009 Total Now 140

66% Americans Not Confident Their Children’s Lives Will Be Better

12/22/09

TARKANIAN STATEMENT ON SENATE HEALTH CARE BILL

For immediate release: December 21, 2009
Contact: [email protected]

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Danny Tarkanian issued the following statement on the Senate health care bill:

As usual, Harry reid plays Santa Claus for other states but he’s the Grinch Who Stole Healthcare for his own constituents in Nevada. Harry Reid’s bill, which is a tax-hiking big government boondoggle, is a perfect example of why we should permanently ban pork.


Paid for and authorized by Tarkanian for Senate
840 South Rancho Drive, Suite 4-614
Las Vegas, NV 89106
[email protected]
[email protected]

12/22/09

World Government: Nowhere To Run

By: Garry Hamilton

A friend of mine, Duncan, who from time to time sends interesting links to a list of his acquaintances, recently sent out a link to a column in the UK’s Telegraph, and invited comment.

From the article, there are such observations as:

Some of this was sheer hokum: when uttered by Gordon Brown, the word “global”, as in “global economic crisis”, meant: “It’s not my fault”.

. . . and . . .

To the extent that the word had intelligible meaning, it also had political ramifications that were scarcely examined by those who bandied it about with such ponderous self-importance. The mere utterance of it was assumed to sweep away any consideration of what was once assumed to be the most basic principle of modern democracy: that elected national governments are responsible to their own people – that the right to govern derives from the consent of the electorate.

. . . and . . .

. . . if there was no popular choice about approving supranational “legally binding agreements”, what would happen to dissenters who did not accept their premises (on climate change, for example) when there was no possibility of fleeing to another country in protest?

Forget the relatively petty irritations of Euro‑bureaucracy: welcome to the era of Earth-bureaucracy, when there will be literally nowhere to run.

There’s plenty more, and it’s quite well written.

One of Duncan’s readers, whom we’ll call “John,” responded thus:

I think it will eventually happen… we are one world after all. I doubt it’ll be for another 60 – 100 years though as too many people will fight it. The comments are really more interesting than the article…

“. . . we are one world after all.” Really?

I beg to differ. Our “world” has very little in common with the “world” in, say, Zimbabwe or Rwanda.

With this — and recent world events — in mind, I responded myself, to wit:

  • Whereas the USA has generated more prosperity than any other nation on Earth, and
  • whereas the USA enjoys more liberty and personal freedom than any other nation on Earth, and
  • whereas the USA was established as a constitutional representative republic, and whereas the overwhelming preponderance of nations wishing to dictate policy to the USA are tyrannies, and
  • whereas all forms of tyranny assert the rightness of their form of tyranny, and
  • whereas nonetheless, historically and currently, people from all over the world seek to migrate to the USA, and
  • whereas they do not do so because they seek more rules, restrictions, or government, and
  • whereas the United Nations is a collection of many tyrannies, a few democracies, and only one such republic as the USA, and
  • whereas the UN accords equal standing to nations having little to no liberty alongside nations having greater liberty, and
  • whereas to subjugate the USA to a plurality of tyrannies cannot but reduce and abridge liberty in the USA, and
  • whereas an abridgment of liberty in the USA would be accompanied by abridgment of liberty worldwide, and
  • whereas this would result in a worldwide tyranny,
  • Now therefore, be it resolved: a One World Government is necessarily a tyranny and to be avoided at all costs.

(Unless, of course, you think that all the tyrannies would convert, overnight, to constitutional representative republics.)

Conclusion: Unless and until the Free nations of the world outnumber in both number and size the tyrannies of the world, any One World Government would be a really bad idea for liberty and free men.

While there is other, more subtle reasoning to support this same conclusion, reasoning that goes to the motives of anyone who would want the kind of power and authority inherent in a One World Government structure, it seems to me that the coarser, more obvious rationale works just as well.

The “simplicity” implied by “Citizen of the World” is entirely illusory, and the reality would be dark and byzantine beyond comprehension. It is entirely possible that a global government would be a bureaucracy that consumed in excess of 100% of the production of its citizen-subjects, creating a taxation singularity that would suck the entire economy into its black hole.

Autonomous governance by people who can know and appreciate the realities of those they serve will always outperform a large, centralized government, both in terms of liberty and economy.

Mankind may someday be enlightened enough to attempt something like that. Give it another couple thousand years. For the moment, given the state of Man, a Global Government is Global Tyranny.