Archive for August, 2009

It Ain’t No More, OK?

Posted in Politics on August 29th, 2009

On Tuesday, August 25th, 2009, Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) hosted a Town Hall meeting on ObamaCare at the South Lakes High School in Reston, VA. As could be expected in these times of increased political involvement by the People, the turn-out was large and included both supporters of nationalized health insurance and its opponents.

That’s becoming normal and is certainly a welcome change from the general apathy the electorate has shown in previous decades.

What is also becoming normal, or at least normalized, and is most certainly unwelcome is the behavior exhibited by Obama’s supporters, now including ones who operate under the Color of Law.


Black Thug in Uniform says It Ain’t America No More

School security officer Wesley Cheeks, Jr. took offense to one of the protester’s posters, one utilizing a variation of Firas Alkhateeb’s now-viral Obama-as-Joker imagery. Unlike others who might have disliked the poster in question, Officer Cheeks had the badge, firearm, and misused legal authority to threaten an American into taking down the sign that so offended what passes for his “sensibilities.”

As is clearly demonstrated by this thug-with-a-gun-and-badge, a certain sort of follower of Obama just doesn’t care about the Constitution, especially the 1st Amendment, when the assembly or expression it would protect is counter to the agenda of the First Black President.

Protester – This is America. This used to be America.

Officer Cheeks – It ain’t no more, OK?

The thug, Cheeks must be given some credit for honesty at least. He was blunt and unapologetic in his treason to the ideals and foundations of America. It should only be a modicum of credit though; Cheeks is Black and therefore, due to various programs and laws in the South, shielded from disciplinary action or termination for his action; he’s protected and held to a far lower standard of behavior than a White officer would be.

Frankly, I’m thankful the protester was White. I’m afraid of what Cheeks’ response would have been to a Black who he might have considered a “Race Traitor.”

Don’t expect the Reston, VA Police Department to do anything to Cheeks. Don’t expect the ACLU to help in any civil suit. Certainly don’t expect President Obama to issue a condemning statement. If something is to be done about Officer Cheeks and the forces he’s a stormtrooper for, it must come from we, the People.

No matter what filth like Cheeks jabber, this is still America and it will remain such as long as Americans are willing to to balk the actions of such as him and, if needed and no other recourse is allowed, make an example of him such as will be remembered with terror by others of his foul ilk throughout the years.

Illegals & ObamaCare

Posted in Politics on August 27th, 2009

President Barack Obama looking angry and spitefulIn his most recent (August 22, 2009) weekly radio address, President Obama railed about the supposed “outrageous myths” surrounding his plan for Health Insurance Reconstruction, a plan that is often shilled as Healthcare Reform.

One of the things he attempted to refute was that illegal immigrants would be covered under ObamaCare.

From Reuters (Washington, DC):

Today, I want to spend a few minutes debunking some of the more outrageous myths circulating on the Internet, on cable TV, and repeated at some town halls across this country.

Let’s start with the false claim that illegal immigrants will get health insurance under reform. That’s not true.

That idea has never even been on the table.

In a Rovian sense what President Obama asserted is true, or at least not completely false. Title II, Subtitle C, Section 246 of the bill (HR 3200) – dealing solely with insurance subsidies – states:

SEC. 246. NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS.

Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.

That is very clear and concise verbiage. Under the provisions of HR 3200 illegal immigrants would not be allowed to receive federal subsidies with which to acquire health insurance from the proposed Health Insurance Exchange.

But illegal immigrants are allowed – as anyone should be, irregardless of residency status – emergency medical care under Medicaid and HR 3200 not only expands Medicaid eligibility but also restricts (via Section 1702) inquiries about immigration and residency status. This would make it difficult for state agencies to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving fully subsidized medical care above and beyond what they are currently entitled to receive.

I didn’t quote the text of Section 1702 because it is very long and is not written in anything close to clear and concise verbiage.

So technically President Obama is telling the truth in that illegal immigrants will not be eligible to receive federal subsidies for the purpose of acquiring health insurance via from the proposed Health Insurance Exchange. He is, however, being extremely disingenuous in his statement – hence the above reference to Karl Rove – since HR 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (AAHCA), would grant illegal immigrants greatly expanded access to medical care. Indeed, the provisions in Section 1702 of the bill could allow them access to 100% taxpayer subsidized non-emergency medical care.

Whether or not allowing illegal immigrants such expanded free -to them at least – medical coverage is a right or wrong depends on your worldview.

So is the claim that ObamaCare will cover illegal immigrants an “outrageous myth?” No, but it is an oversimplification of the matter. This is very much the same as President Obama’s “outrageous myth” that ObamaCare won’t cover illegal immigrants.

At His Master’s Knee

Posted in Humor, Politics on August 26th, 2009

When President Obama was taking his crash course in diplomacy and foreign policy it probably looked something like this. Obama is, after all, a student of the Farce.

Obama-Wan Studies Failure under Carter-Yoda
First I’d threaten Iran, but if that failed, I’d grovel like CRAZY!

Ah yes – a return to the Jimmy Carter years of American foreign policy, when even a bunch a frightened Iranian college students can defeat the United States.

Obama’s Holy Rede?

Posted in Politics, Religion, Society on August 23rd, 2009

President Obama, seeing what American support there was for his health insurance “reform” plan crumbling, has decided to branch out from pure politics and utilize religion to cajole or coerce we, the People into supporting his – or is it now “His” – agenda. He has now attempted to enlist the aid of America’s clergy in spreading the “Holy Rede” of ObamaCare to the masses.

Details, such as are available, from FOXNews:

Obama spoke to about 140,000 people of faith in a conference call and webcast Wednesday evening. He and a White House official discussed the moral dimension of health care, telling the mostly Christian audience that “this debate over health care goes to the heart of who we are as a people.”

But earlier that day, Obama went much further, asking about 1,000 rabbis to preach his political agenda in their sermons on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year — one of the holiest days of the year.

The conversation was supposed to be off the record but was captured on the Twitter feeds and blogs of some rabbis who took part in the call, which was organized by the Union of Reform Judaism and included rabbis from other denominations.

“I am going to need your help in accomplishing necessary reform,” Obama said, according to Rabbi Jack Moline of Virginia, whose Twitter feed has since been scrubbed of the information.

Obama told the rabbis that “we are God’s partners in matters of life and death” and asked them to “tell the stories of health care dilemmas to illustrate what is a stake” in their sermons, Moline wrote.

This is of course a useful and utilitarian tactic by President Obama. Rebranding ObamaCare as a “moral imperative,” placing himself on par with Divine Will, and suborning the clergy to push his agenda to their congregations makes the utmost political sense if he can pull it off. It’s a tactic that has been used successfully by many politicians over the millennia. One cannot truly fault him for trying to use it.

One has to wonder though about the great lack of uproar from the Liberals over President Obama’s attempted use of the Church to spread his political agenda. Why are we not inundated by angry rhetoric about the Separation of Church and State. The Left was certainly never shy or retiring about waxing vehement over President Bush’s mere mention of religion.

During the past election I seem to remember a large number of Liberals ranting for various churches to lose their tax-exempt status for mixing with politics and endorsing a candidate’s agenda. But I guess it’s all relative, much like what passes for the Liberals’ morality…

It seems that, as long as it’s President Obama’s Holy Rede that is being spread as the new Gospel, the Liberals find no reason to complain about any possible infringement of the Constitution, the 1st Amendment, or the Separation of Church and State – because when Obama does something, it must be right, proper, and even “holy.”

Big Money Donors

Posted in Politics on August 21st, 2009

In what passes for common wisdom among the Left, the big money donors to politicians are those “evil” corporations that “not-so-secretly run America” and the Republican party is their well-paid tool. This is axiomatic among Liberals. It’s a mantra they chant and was one of the major planks of President Obama’s 2008 campaign.

As is not too surprising given their track record in such matters, the Liberals are either wrong or mendacious on both the source of campaign contributions and the breakdown of the recipients thereof. Thankfully for those interested in the truth, OpenSecrets.org has compiled a summary of the 100 all-time top donors from 1989 – 2008 based upon the data released by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on May 12, 2009. I’ve tabulated the top 25 donors below:

Organization Total Dem % Rep %
AT&T Inc $43,501,240 44% 55%
American Fedn of State, County & Municipal Employees $40,965,173 98% 01%
National Assn of Realtors $35,179,013 48% 51%
Goldman Sachs $31,183,662 64% 35%
Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $30,920,696 97% 02%
American Assn for Justice $30,734,429 90% 09%
National Education Assn $29,908,625 92% 06%
Laborers Union $28,201,600 92% 07%
Service Employees International Union $27,510,257 95% 03%
Teamsters Union $27,402,304 92% 06%
Carpenters & Joiners Union $27,368,258 89% 10%
Communications Workers of America $26,748,746 99% 00%
Citigroup Inc $26,562,905 50% 49%
American Medical Assn $26,213,449 39% 60%
American Federation of Teachers $25,996,071 98% 00%
United Auto Workers $25,767,002 98% 00%
Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union $24,793,477 98% 00%
National Auto Dealers Assn $24,048,808 31% 68%
Altria Group $23,869,891 28% 71%
United Food & Commercial Workers Union $23,742,074 98% 01%
United Parcel Service $23,649,476 36% 63%
American Bankers Assn $21,945,966 41% 58%
National Assn of Home Builders $21,401,355 35% 64%
EMILY’s List $20,984,384 99% 00%
National Beer Wholesalers Assn $20,300,845 31% 68%
Note: percentages of Dem: Rep donations total up to 99% each due to unlisted minor party and independent recipients of campaign donations

In the past 19 years the top 25 donors to political campaigns have given a total of $688,899,706 to politicians’ war chests. $497,435,208 (72.21%) was given to Democrats and $182,961,723 (26.56%) was given to Republicans. So Democrats received almost three times as much in campaign donations from the top 25 donors as the Republicans did during the same 19 years.  So much for the Liberals’ dogma that the GOP is the party who’s “bought and paid for.”

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