 |
          
  |
|
|
|
Thomas
Sowell discusses those who would elevate their will above the Constitution
and the will of the people. Excerpt:
The Constitution was not only a challenge
to the despotic governments of its time, but has been a continuing challenge —
to this day — to all those who think that ordinary people should be ruled by
their betters, whether an elite of blood, or of books, or of whatever else
gives people a puffed-up sense of importance.
While the kings of old have faded into the
mists of history, the principle of the divine rights of kings to impose
whatever they wish on the masses lives on today in the rampaging presumptions
of those who consider themselves anointed to impose their notions on others.
The Constitution of the United States is
the biggest single obstacle to the carrying out of such rampaging presumptions,
so it is not surprising that those with such presumptions have led the way in
denigrating, undermining, and evading the Constitution.
See
Thomas Sowell interviewed
by Uncommon Knowledge on NRO.
Michael
Barone explains how Obamacare is unpopular because the American people still
feel more loyalty to the Founders than the progressives.
Reuters reports
that Canada’s government run health care system is having serious problems. Keep this in mind when someone tries to tell
you that Obamacare will be like the “wonderful” Canadian system.
Canadian
health care seems to be okay when you don’t have a serious or life-threatening problem. If you do, you have to go to America. Where will Canadians go when American health
care is like Canada’s system?
House
Oversight and Government Reform committee ranking member Darrell Issa (R-CA) is
continuing the push
to investigate allegations that Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) was illegally
offered a job by the Obama administration in exchange for dropping his primary
challenge against Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA).
Such an offer would constitute a serious violation of bribery law and
could constitute a “high crime or misdemeanor” as require by the Constitution
for impeachment proceedings.
The
AP and NRO
now report that a Colorado state house speaker might have also been illegally
offered a job in exchange for abandoning a primary bid.
Now
there are suspicions that such offers were made in other primary races
across the country.
Ed
Whelan responds to Byron York’s article. Ed explains why Republicans should oppose
Kagan’s nomination as a way to raise awareness of the important issue of the
role of judges.
Star
Parker explains. Excerpt:
Why would a bill that criminalizes abortion
motivated by race not have the support of the NAACP? Or, even more perplexing,
why would the NAACP endorse such a bill and then rescind its endorsement?
This is exactly what just happened in
Georgia.
The Georgia Senate passed a bill that would
make it a crime to abort a child because of its race or gender.
Star
Parker talks about the difference between liberalism and conservatism and
especially in the important issue of Supreme Court nominations.
Daniel
Foster explains the irony of a high-ranking Canadian official fleeing to
America for medical treatment. If government-run
health care is so great, how come you don’t read about Americans going to
Canada for medical procedures? Jeffrey
H. Anderson also comments on this news.
NRO
writers Mark
Steyn and Jonah
Goldberg describe their impressions of President Obama’s recent State of
the Union Address.
Scott
Brown pulled off an amazing
upset victory last night becoming Massachusetts’ first Republican Senator
in decades. His victory is widely seen
as an insurmountable hurdle to the current health care bill that will force
Congress to “return to the drawing board.”
The
editors at NRO weigh in on the significance of this race. As does the
New York Times.
Our
sources in Congress have assured us that the health care ‘reform’ battle is far
from over. Members of both houses will
meet together to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the health care
bill. The House of Representatives will
come back from the holiday recess on January 12 and the Senate will reconvene sometime
in late January.
NOW
IS THE TIME to contact your representative
and both
your senators to voice your opposition to this bill. Tell them that you don’t want your tax dollars
to support abortion, that you won’t accept a phony pro-life compromise, and
that you don’t want the federal government to micromanage the huge segment of
our economy that is the health care system.
The AP reports
the Senate passed the massive and controversial health care bill this morning. Meanwhile, the AP also reports
that abortion funding could still pose a problem for final passage by both
houses of Congress. Bloomberg
reports that the Congressional Budget Office is contradicting
Democrat claims that the health bill would save the Medicare system.
The
final vote is unavailable but will eventually be posted
here. The bill passed on a straight
party-line vote (60-39).
NRO’s
Ramesh
Ponnuru and Jeffrey
Anderson explain that there still is hope that the abortion-funding health
care ‘reform’ bandwagon can be stopped.
Charles
Krauthammer reflects on the health care overhaul legislation. Excerpts:
The United States has the best health care
in the world — but because of its inefficiencies, also the most expensive. The
fundamental problem with the 2,074-page Senate health-care bill (as with its
2,014-page House counterpart) is that it wildly compounds the complexity by
adding hundreds of new provisions, regulations, mandates, committees, and other
arbitrary bureaucratic inventions.
Worse, they are packed into a monstrous
package without any regard to each other. The only thing linking these changes
— such as the 118 new boards, commissions, and programs — is political
expediency. Each must be able to garner just enough votes to pass. There is not
even a pretense of a unifying vision or conceptual harmony.
. . .
The bill is irredeemable. It should not
only be defeated. It should be immolated, its ashes scattered over the Senate
swimming pool.
Then do health care the right way — one
reform at a time, each simple and simplifying, aimed at reducing complexity,
arbitrariness, and inefficiency.
John
Stossel shares his perspective on the House health care vote. Excerpt:
As an American, I am embarrassed that the
U.S. House of Representatives has 220 members who actually believe the
government can successfully centrally plan the medical and insurance
industries.
I'm embarrassed that my representatives
think that government can subsidize the consumption of medical care without
increasing the budget deficit or interfering with free choice.
It's a triumph of mindless wishful thinking
over logic and experience.
See
how your representative voted here.
While
families are struggling to “make ends meet” in this difficult economy, one
Senate committee thinks American families can afford huge
increases in energy prices.
The
editors at National Review comment on the recent elections. Excerpt:
Conservatives scored some impressive
victories on Election Day. In Virginia, Robert McDonnell won the governor’s
race in a landslide that carried other conservative statewide officeholders and
legislative candidates to victory. New Jersey’s Chris Christie won his race by a
larger margin than any Republican had mustered since 1985 — and as a candidate
significantly to the right of previous Republican governors such as Tom Kean
and Christie Todd Whitman. Maine repealed a law that accorded official
recognition to same-sex unions as though they were marriages.
The
AP reports. Excerpt:
After months of struggle, House Democrats
rolled out sweeping legislation Thursday to extend health care coverage to
millions who lack it and create a new option of government-run insurance. A
vote is likely next week on the plan largely tailored to President Barack
Obama's liking.
House
Minority Leader Boehner called
the bill “1,990 Pages Of Bureaucracy.”
Read the entire text of this massive
bill here.
This
bill would allow your tax dollars to be spent on abortions.
The
Politico reports on the Senate Majority Leader’s renewed push for the “public
option” while the
AP reports that the Speaker of the House just wants to rename the public
option something more palatable.
The
Washington Times editorial board explains.
Excerpt:
We know that "safe schools czar"
and "Queering Elementary Education" essayist Kevin Jennings failed to
oppose homosexual man-boy relationships and that science czar John Holdren has
written, without objection, that "laws requiring compulsory abortion could
be sustained under the existing Constitution." We know that one-time
Health and Human Services secretary nominee Tom Daschle had to withdraw because
of a failure to pay his taxes. But what has not been adequately tallied is how
many of President Obama's nominees and appointees are radical or just plain
embarrassing.
When radicalism and ethical shortcomings
reach such a critical mass, it's time to broadcast the dishonor roll.
Therefore, in addition to Mr. Jennings, Mr. Holdren and Mr. Daschle, please
consider the ramifications of an administration manned by the likes of the
following.
Read
the
rest here.
Robert
Knight explains. Excerpt:
The Senate Finance Committee is poised to
vote on a massive health care reform bill on Tuesday allegedly authored by Sen.
Max Baucus (D-Mont.). A glaring, outrageous, unreported fact is that the bill’s
actual text has been kept secret. No one actually knows what’s in it – not even
the senators who will be told to vote for it.
Reuters
reports that the Senate could wait a week before a vote on the
abortion-funding, socialized medicine bill while the Congressional Budget
Office frantically tries to estimate the costs of the bill.
The
Weekly Standard reports. It is
becoming increasingly clear that someone is lying about abortion funding in the
health care overhaul plan, and it doesn’t appear to be pro-lifers.
The
Hill reports how President Obama and his accomplices in the Senate could
use underhanded tactics to force socialized medicine and taxpayer funded abortion
on the American people.
Michigan
Live reports. President Obama issued
a statement in response to the murder of late-term abortion doctor George
Tiller recently but has not yet responded to the murder of this peaceful
pro-life activist.
Aryeh
Spero explains. Excerpt:
Aside from the blatant entanglement of
religion and politics, the President is wrong in asserting that national and
collective health control is a moral and ethical prescription. Everyone agrees
that the President's plan will cause a new rationing of health care. There’s
also the danger that the President’s “comparative effectiveness research” will
set cost-effectiveness standards to be used against Medicare enrollees to deny
them life-extending new drugs or operations because it’s not “worth it.”
The
Telegraph reports. Americans should
take a look at this article before they insist on letting the government run
the health care industry.
FRC
provides helpful information about health care town halls being held across the
country. Click here to find a town hall
near you. Click here to read FRC’s
document “20 Questions to Ask Your Legislator About Health Care Overhaul.”
Fox
News reports. Excerpt:
News outlets that are focusing on the
incendiary rhetoric of conservatives outside President Obama's town hall
meeting Tuesday ignored the incendiary rhetoric -- and even violence -- of
liberals outside an appearance by former President George W. Bush in 2002.
To
see the famous diagram of the proposed health care “reform” in detail click
here.
Watch
the Family Research Council’s hard-hitting
ad on the dangers of socialized medicine and the abortion funding contained
the proposed health care ‘reform’ bill.
Rasmussen
reports. It seems the more the
American people know about the health care “reform” bill the less they like
it. Perhaps the abortion funding
provisions are adding to the disapproval.
Not
long after his embassy staff in Iraq held a gay themed party in Baghdad,
President Obama has declared an official “Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.” It is not known if these “gay pride” events
were coordinated intentionally to coincide with his Middle East tour.
During
the presidential campaign, then-Senator Barack Obama said America’s reputation
in the world (particularly in the Muslim world) had been gravely tarnished and
promised to improve our nation’s image abroad if elected. Perhaps the Obama administration’s public
relations outreach to Muslims needs a little work. The
Washington Post reports that the U.S. Embassy in Iraq recently held a party
in which participants were encouraged to dress in drag or come as their
favorite homosexual celebrity. Though it
comes as no surprise to see the Obama administration promoting “alternative
lifestyles,” the administration's decision to hold a gay party in the heart of the
Middle East seems somewhat ill-advised.
The
AP reports. Excerpt:
Sen. Richard Shelby said Friday the
government should have allowed the marketplace to decide General Motors' fate
and that the huge federal stake in the company puts Washington on "the road
to socialism."
As
The
Hill reports, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee has called
for a thorough and deliberate examination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s record,
temperament, and judicial philosophy.
This is exactly what is needed.
Stuart
Taylor explains at the National Journal.
Excerpt:
Sotomayor also referred to the cardinal
duty of judges to be impartial as a mere "aspiration because it denies the
fact that we are by our experiences making different choices than others."
And she suggested that "inherent physiological or cultural differences"
may help explain why "our gender and national origins may and will make a
difference in our judging."
So accustomed have we become to identity
politics that it barely causes a ripple when a highly touted Supreme Court
candidate, who sits on the federal Appeals Court in New York, has seriously
suggested that Latina women like her make better judges than white males.
George
Will also
examines the identity politics of the Sototmayor nomination.
Ken
Blackwell makes the case for keeping the “three-legged stool” of
conservatism united. Social, economic,
and foreign policy conservatives must work together to ensure our nation and
national values remain strong. Excerpt:
The conservative movement in America must
unite. The movement is often spoken of as having three parts: economic, social
and national security. All three parts of the conservative movement are gravely
threatened by the alliance of President Barack Obama, Congressional Democrats
led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid, activist judges,
and the president’s loyal supporters in the mainstream media. Conservatives
must realize their common interests and unite around a shared agenda to
preserve the core conservative principles of limited government, individual
opportunity, personal responsibility and strong families. The conservative
vision of faith, family and freedom hangs in the balance.
George
Will explains a complicated but important Senate procedure which could be
greatly abused in the near future.
It’s
official, as Breitbart reports, Senator
Arlen Specter has switched parties.
Stiff opposition from conservative former Congressman Pat Toomey in the
Republican primary was likely the main consideration for Specter who was often
criticized for his liberal positions (especially on abortion).
 Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA)
By Daniel Herbster
 I had the privilege to speak to demonstrators at the St. Joseph County T.E.A. (Tax Enough Already) Party in downtown South Bend, Indiana today. Citing the eminent conservative Edmund Burke, I told the crowd that one of the main reasons we were protesting is to stand up for generations “yet unborn.” We have a responsibility to future generations to be good stewards of our finances, tax policy, and free enterprise system, and must not mortgage our children’s futures so we can have irresponsible spending and policies today. This is a pro-family issue because if we make foolish decisions today it will be difficult, if not impossible, to provide tax relief for families in the future.
It was great to see other dedicated pro-lifers and pro-family activists in the crowd exercising their First Amendment rights to peaceably assemble and engage in free political speech.
Cal Thomas explains the importance of the TEA Party events in his column, while the Business & Media Institute quotes CNBC’s Rick Santelli (one of the inspirations for TEA Parties) as saying the events are “about as American as it gets.”
FoxNews
reports on the growing opposition to Obama’s nominee Dawn Johnson, the
president’s radical pro-abortion nominee for the Office of Legal Counsel at the
Justice Department.
Breitbart
reports. Is it just us, or does it
seem that this should not be a major concern of the US Senate, especially during
economic crisis? Although, if this kind
of meddling will delay or prevent that august body from tampering with
marriage, the rights of the unborn, or from nationalizing health care and
private businesses, we are all for it.
My Way News
reports. Unfortunately, name-calling
and intimidation are common techniques used by so-called “gay rights”
proponents such as Barney Frank. Anyone
who raises objections to elements of the homosexual agenda is isolated and
disparaged. A video clip of the
interview can be viewed here.
CitizenLink reports. Excerpt:
During the campaign, then-candidate Barack
Obama claimed he would reduce abortions. Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of
the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said that is a major
reason why he backed the Democratic nominee.
"I believe there is a definitive contradiction
between campaign rhetoric and campaign promises and public-policy
execution," Rodriguez told Family News in Focus.
Rodriguez's frustration stems from Obama
overturning the Mexico City Policy that prevented U.S. taxpayer dollars from
funding international groups that promote or provide abortions. He also
expressed concern about Obama's decision to remove restrictions on tax-payer
funding of embryonic stem-cell research.
Jonah
Goldberg explains at NRO. Excerpt:
Imagine a child falls down a well. Now
imagine I offer to lend the parents my ladder to save her, but only if they
promise to paint my house. Would you applaud me for not letting a crisis go to
waste? Or would you think I’m a jerk, for want of a harsher word not printable
in this space?
I ask because I’m trying to come to terms
with Rule No. 1 of the Obama administration.
“Rule 1: Never allow a crisis to go to waste,”
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel told the New York Times right after the
election. “They are opportunities to do big things.”
By
Daniel Herbster
The
big news today was that Mitt
Romney won the CPAC presidential straw poll for the third year in a row.
Radio
talk show icon Rush
Limbaugh gave a passionate address on the nature of conservatism and
explained how conservatives could leave the political wilderness; by
championing the timeless principles of limited government, traditional values,
and strong national defense.
This
year’s CPAC was a wealth of information and
training. It is also a great forum for
networking to advance the conservative movement.
By
Daniel Herbster
Early
this morning I caught most of House Minority Leader John Boehner’s (R-OH)
address and then headed off for another Leadership Institute class. After class, Newt Gingrich gave a rousing speech
to a packed auditorium. He spoke on the
need to not just criticize the dangerous liberal policies being enacted by
Congress and the administration, but the need for conservatives to champion
positive solutions based on conservative principles. Newt and his wife later introduced a newly
produced documentary about the life and accomplishments of Ronald Reagan at a
special screening.
After
lunch and after checking out some of the display booths my friend and I tried
to get into the main auditorium to hear Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and former Gov.
Mitt Romney speak. Unfortunately, we had
to join hundreds of others stuck in line unable to find space in the room. I only caught bits and pieces of Ron Paul’s speech
but was able to catch Romney’s speech via closed-circuit TV in a nearby ball
room.
In
my opinion, Romney gave the best speech I’ve heard so far at CPAC. He struck a very presidential pose and
championed conservative core principles in a thoughtful and powerful
manner. All three pillars of
conservatism (defense, economic, and traditional values) were highlighted with
particular emphasis on the need to keep Americans safe from foreign threats
(chief of all; radical jihadists). The
crowd was very receptive with much applause and numerous cheers (including a
chant of “U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A” when Romney made a particularly patriotic
statement).
Tomorrow
should bring more great speakers, especially the grand finally with radio talk
show host Rush Limbaugh.
For
more information on today’s events visit CPAC.ORG.
By
Daniel Herbster
Conservatism
in America is alive and well if the record-setting crowd at this year’s CPAC is
any indication. I spent much of the day
in some of the extremely helpful and professional classes put on by the Leadership Institute. LI is famous for training the conservative
candidates and activists of the future, and the instruction I received on
television interviews and public speaking was first rate.
I
did get to hear two notable speakers today.
Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) gave an excellent speech on the need to
stay true to our first principles and to not give up the fight. He used the image of Fort McHenry in the War
of 1812 to illustrate the need for determination and resolve. He cautioned against redefining conservatism
or compromising our first principles, but made the case that free markets and
traditional values were both equally important to the conservative agenda. Pence’s performance led to speculation that
he might make an excellent presidential candidate in the future. (Hopefully I
can get you some good speech excerpts in the future. There really were some great quotes.)
Former
Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AK), after receiving a sweet introduction from his
daughter, displayed his typical folksy charm and homespun humor. His speech seemed to drag a little times and
some of his jokes fell flat, but many in the room showed enthusiastic approval.
I
had a great time talking with friends from other conservative organizations and
friendly Hill staffers, and am looking forward to tomorrow’s agenda.
I’m
hoping to take in one more LI class, listen to Mitt Romney’s speech (and
hopefully meet him), and check out several of the screenings of conservative
films and documentaries. Oh, and it
would be fun to run into my old acquaintance Stephen Baldwin since he’ll be there
signing copies of his new book.
Check
out www.CPAC.org for more info.
Focus
on the Family’s Ashley Horne explains why some people feel nervous about
contacting their elected officials about important issues and gives some practical advice to
overcome this hesitancy. It is
important for concerned citizens to let their voice be heard on important
issues by contacting their elected officials.
This quick article is a great resource.
 Fox News reports that President Obama has stated that he opposes the so-called “fairness doctrine” which would hamper broadcasters with unconstitutional restrictions and endanger conservative and Christian radio broadcasting. However, our friends on Capitol Hill inform us that we are likely to see an incremental strategy to institute the fairness doctrine with increased regulations (including community review boards). Stay alert for updates on the efforts to institute the stealth fairness doctrine and trample real free speech rights.
Michael
Steele talks about ways to provide real
economic stimulus for American families.
Excerpt:
Republicans have a better solution: an
economic recovery plan that lets families and small businesses keep more of
what they earn. By our analysis, the Republican plan would create 6.2 million
jobs, twice the number created under the Democrats' plan, at half the cost. We
favor fast-acting tax relief that will boost our economy and create new jobs
not slow-moving, wasteful government spending.
 Michael Steele
Apparently
many of our leaders in Congress have no concern for free speech (except when it
comes to their excuses for protecting pornography). Investor’s
Business Daily and Politico
have reports documenting the renewed push to reinstate the so-called “fairness
doctrine” which would put onerous regulations on talk radio and virtually put
an end to conservative and Christian talk radio.
Congressman
Mike Pence (R-IN) is leading the way to oppose this authoritarian scheme.
UPDATE: Sen. Harkin (D-IA)
has just called for reimposing
the fairness doctrine.
 Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN)
After obtaining cloture on the stimulus bill with the help of three Senate Republicans (see roll call vote here), the Senate today passed President Obama’s so-called “stimulus” bill. The legislation will now go to a House/Senate Conference committee which will try to resolve the differences between the House-passed bill and the Senate version, and then both houses of Congress must vote to pass what comes out of the conference.
Let’s hope the troubling provisions which undermine religious liberty, move our country toward nationalized health care, and support various left-wing causes at taxpayer expense can be eliminated. Better yet, let’s hope this huge increase in wasteful government spending and debt burden on future generations gets defeated completely.
See how your senators voted on the stimulus package here.
Senate Vote on H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Bill)
February 10, 2009
Full Results | News Story
|
|
|
Yeas |
|
Nays |
|
PRES |
|
NV |
|
Republican |
|
3 |
|
37 |
|
— |
|
1 |
|
Democratic |
|
57 |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
Independent |
|
1 |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
TOTALS |
|
61 |
|
37 |
|
— |
|
1 |
Star
Parker has some harsh
words for the resurgence of socialism in American and its negative effects
on the family, especially black families.
Excerpt:
Instead of solving economic problems,
government welfare socialism created monstrous moral and spiritual problems.
The kind of problems that are inevitable when individuals turn responsibility
for their lives over to others.
The legacy of American socialism is our
blighted inner cities, dysfunctional inner city schools, and broken black
families.
Through God's grace, I found my way out. It
was then that I understood what freedom meant and how great this country is.
Read
her full
article here.
 Star Parker
Rasmussen
reports. It’s no wonder that public
support for the so-called “stimulus” bill is eroding as more information about
its waste and cultural implications becomes known.
The
stimulus proposal in the Senate would heap massive amounts of new debt on the
American people, debt which would make it nearly impossible to provide
much-needed tax relief for American families.
The Heritage Foundation provides some
helpful perspective on the size of the debt this massive pork bill would
create.
Let
both
your senators know what you think of the stimulus proposal and the massive
debt it would place upon future generations.
Be sure to urge them to particularly oppose the elements which threaten
religious freedom and important social values like life and morality.
UPDATE: National Review Online goes through the stimulus bill "chapter and verse" in their new piece entitled "50 De-Stimulating Facts."
Reuters
reports on this potential development which could have drastic repercussions
on American families.
The Star Tribune
reports. Only time will tell what
will happen to Bush’s important pro-life regulations after the Obama
administration “reviews” them.
 New White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel
House
Minority Leader John Boehner is upset about proposed rules changes which would
make it virtually impossible
for the minority to have any voice or input. Excerpt from Boehner’s article at Red State:
President-elect Obama has called for
Congress to move quickly and in a bipartisan fashion on legislation to help our
economy get back on track. The Democratic majority in Congress has responded by
proposing to revoke key elements of the Contract with America — reforms put in
place as part of the Contract in 1995 to make Congress more transparent and
accountable to the people it serves.
Probably
reflecting the earliness of talk about 2012, only a small fraction of our email
subscribers decided to participate in our just-for-fun, absurdly early, 2012
presidential straw poll. However, some
of our die-hard politicos decided to register their views so, for what they’re
worth, here are the results:
Republican
nomination
Mitt
Romney 45%
Mike
Huckabee 27%
Sarah
Palin 18%
John
McCain 9%
Democrat nomination
Barack
Obama 100%
Another
candidate 0%
To
participate in future AdvanceUSA polls make sure you register for our free weekly email newsletter.
|
|
|
| |