Grayson Proves Godwin's Law Applies to Congress

Via Politico - Representative Alan Grayson (D) FL, suggested in an after hours speech yesterday the Republican plan for health care boiled down to the sick should "die sooner". A few Republicans called for an apology, Grayson responded with a bit of theater and a statement that teeters over the edge of reason and sanity:

“I would like to apologize,” he said. “I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven't voted sooner to end this holocaust in America.”

In Grayson's world, this will somehow improve his chances of re-election. Grayson seems to have forgotten the chief tenet of Godwin's Law , arguments of the reductio ad Hitlerum form prove your losing. Perhaps Grayson has no Jewish constituents who might find his invocation of the Holocaust just a bit offensive.

Congressman Tom Price (R) of Georgia had intended to introduce a resolution to admonish Grayson for his false claim the Republican health care plan relies on telling sick people they should "die sooner." Price decided to give Grayson room to apologize on his own. Well, we see now how Grayson handled the matter. Price has not yet introduced the resolution and did not commit that he would in the future. Republicans might want to leave this loon to self destruct on his own volition. He seems to be quite skilled in that respect.
H/T: Memeorandum.

Another Day Another Palin Smear

H/T: Memeorandum

The New York Post has a painfully lame attempt to discredit Palin claiming her lectures are a tough sell.Of course no hard evidence is given as the post cites information from an unnamed "industry insider." The source appears to be about as unbiased and informed as Andrew Sullivan:

Palin's bookers are said to be asking for $100,000 per speech, but an industry expert tells Page Six: "The big lecture buyers in the US are paralyzed with fear about booking her, basically because they think she is a blithering idiot."

Many big lecture venues are subscription series, "and they don't want to tick people off," said our source. "Palin is polarizing, and some subscribers might cancel if she's on the lineup." Other lecture buyers are universities, which have a leftist slant, and corporations, which dislike controversy.

"Palin is so uninteresting to so many groups -- unless they are interested in moose hunting," said our insider. "What does she have to say? She can't even describe what she reads."

Did someone get paid to write this? I see at Memeorandum the author is listed as Victoria Gotti, that would explain the hit job then.  Maybe Ms Gotti should try something new and novel like investigating the truth of the insiders's claims.  An August 31 Politico report mentions Palin had already received 1070 and counting, invitations to speak. This completely contradicts the notion her speeches are a tough sell. This biased unnamed source doesn't even bother to give credible analysis.  He/she appears to be mixing their own opinion with speculation. None of this stops the MSM from running with the garbage as this google search reveals. All this is proof positive the term "journalistic integrity" is the "new black" in oxymorons.

For a great take down on Gotti's hit job see Jammie Wearing Fool who makes a great point with the headline: 'Blithering Idiot's' Book Already No. 1 at Barnes and Noble and No. 2 at Amazon 

Sarkozy Thinks Obama Incredibly Naive and Grossly Egotistical

Jack Kelly has an article in Real Clear Politics that reiterates his insights on French President Sarkozy's opinions on Obama made on Greta Van Sustern last night:



Kelly bases his assessment of Sarkozy's views of Obama on two sources but it was quite plain from Sarkozy's statements at the G20 in Pittsburgh last week, Sarkozy is quite dubious of Obama's ability to lead on Iran. Conservative critics of Obama have witnessed both Obama's naivete and massive ego in play through the seemingly endless health care debate. Despite falling poll numbers and serious lack of support for health care reform, Obama persists as though the fate of the free world depends on his signature issue is passed in Congress.

While Obama has devoted the bulk of his attention to health care, he has merely played at dealing with Iran:

News reports indicated Mr. Obama had been briefed on the site before his inauguration. But he's been conducting his foreign policy as if the mullahs could be trusted.

"Iran has been put on notice," President Obama said in Pittsburgh.

Iran responded to being "put on notice" by testing Monday two ballistic missiles that could carry a nuclear warhead 1,200 miles.

Kelly reports Obama's deadlines are far from firm noting his deadline of Sept 10 to Iran issued at the G8 was quietly extended to December when Iran largely blew him off.

Rep. Howard Berman (D-Cal), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee warned December could be too late according to Kelly:

"Tehran soon could have humankind's most frightening weapon if substantial diplomatic progress is not made in the coming days," Rep. Howard Berman (D-Cal), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Saturday (9/26).

Obama has not called for sanctions, instead he presses for more negotiations and heads to Copenhagen to secure the Olympics for his friends in Chicago in 2016. Not that 24 hours in Copenhagen will make any great difference one way or the other, we all know Obama is not going to be putting that relentless effort he puts in healthcare to work on Iran. Sarkozy has him figured out as well.

H/T: Memeorandum

Charlie Crist Was For Obama Before He Was Against Him

In a half hour segment in February on Meet the Presss, Florida Governor Charlie Crist gave Barack Obama quite an endorsement when asked about leadership in the Republican party:

"I think there is a national leader, his name is President Obama."

Seven months later Crist seems to see things quite differently.  In an interview on CNN, Crist stood by a recent prediction Obama was headed for massive defeat as did Carter in 1980.   Have the scales fallen from Crist's eyes or is he feeling the Florida primary heat?  CNN's John Roberts hits Crist with a few tough questions in the following clip:




Looks like Crist is in some trouble. Even The Huffington Post predicts an upset.

Pre-Order Sarah Palin's Book - Going Rogue: An American Life

Synopsis: from Barnes and Noble

Sarah Palin burst onto the political scene at the height of the 2008 presidential campaign and overnight became a national sensation. Adored by the right, bitterly reviled by the left, she is the most polarizing figure to emerge in American politics in decades. Yet for all the dirt digging and gossip that has surrounded her, very little is actually known about who she is, what she believes, and above all, about her plans for the future. In her new book, Sarah Palin tells the story of her Alaskan upbringing, her marriage and family life, her political career, her religious beliefs, and her meteoric rise to national prominence. With her customary blunt common sense, she sets the record straight about the many myths and lies that have been spun around her and lays out her vision for an America that is strong, independent, and free.

From John Fund in The Wall Street Journal relaying the significance of the title explained by collaborator Lynn Vincent:

Ms. Vincent didn't reveal any details about the book, but did acknowledge it will describe Ms. Palin's frustration over her treatment by the staffers she inherited from the McCain campaign after her surprise pick as the GOP vice presidential nominee last year. Ms. Palin was booked on grueling interviews with hostile reporters while talk-show hosts such as Glenn Beck couldn't even get through to her aides. Mr. Beck tells me he was stunned when he picked up the phone one day just before the election to discover Sarah Palin was on the other end of the line. "She explained that she had been blocked from reaching her audience, so she was now 'going rogue' and booking her own interviews," Mr. Beck told me. "I was thrilled she had burst out of the cage they'd built for her and we were finally talking."

H/T: Texas for Sarah Palin

More Stunning Hypocrisy on The View

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air posted this clip from The View that illustrates perfectly the liberal hypocrisy on feminism, caring for children, and probably just about everything. Whoopi Goldberg tries to make the absurd argument Roman Polanski didn't commit "rape-rape," no he just had sex with a minor. She proceeds to defend his decision to flee the country and live in exile because he was facing "a 100 years in prison." She claims he served time in prison for his crime (48 days) and when he was released decided he had done enough time. As Patterico points out, Polanski was not going to serve another 100 years in jail. His entire sentence would have been 90 days.


If you read the testimony of the victim, Whoopi's argument is almost obscene. To her credit, Sherri Sheppard argues the facts of the case instead of the accepted Hollywood rationalization for Polanski's disgusting behavior. When Hollywood would protect a man who at the age of 45 drugged and sodomized a 13 year old girl, they can no longer pretend to be the protectors of the poor and downtrodden against the evil conservatives.

There are voices of sanity, however, from the liberal community. Eugene Robinson , who I find myself in the rare occasion of agreement writes:

Much has been made of the fact that Polanski's victim, now 45, has said she no longer feels any anger toward him and does not want to see him jailed. But it's irrelevant what the victim thinks and feels as a grown woman. What's important is what she thought and felt at age 13, when the crime was committed. Those who argue that there's something unjust about Polanski's arrest are essentially accepting his argument that it's possible for a 13-year-old girl, under the influence of alcohol and drugs, to "consent" to sex with a man in his 40s. Or maybe his defenders are saying that drugging and raping a child is simply not such a big deal.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a huge deal. Even in France, it should be a big deal. This isn't about a genius who is being hounded for flouting society's hidebound conventions. It's about a rich and powerful man who used his fame and position to assault -- in every sense, to violate -- an innocent child.

Robinson is absolutely right, what the victim feels at age 45 is irrelevant.  This is about 13 year old girls who should not be sent a  message there is any excuse for a man any age, let alone one 30 years older, to give them drugs in order to claim there was "consent."   The message sent to male predators is astounding.  I am still astounded he was only sentenced to 90 days in jail.  Should anyone rightfully argue he shouldn't have served the other 42 days of his sentence?  Michael Vick did 23 months, deservedly mind you, in Leavenworth for his role in the abusive dog fighting racket.  The drugging and raping of a 13 year old gets 90 days and that is somehow too much?  Anyone who claims to be on the side of giving women control over their bodies should be screaming 90 days was nowhere near a just sentence.  Arguing the punishment exceeded the crime tells you all you need to know about Hollywood's commitment to the causes of women and children.

H/T: Memeorandum

Did ACORN Send Franken to the Senate?

Katherine Kersten of the Minneapolis Star Tribune recalls how ACORN held a special fondness for the comedian turned Senate jester Al Franken during his run against Norm Coleman.  The feeling was quite mutual:

 Franken returned the esteem: "I'm thrilled and honored to receive this endorsement," he gushed in a press release. He added that he was "more motivated than ever to work with ACORN."

I'll just bet he was motivated.   ACORN has quite the checkered past when it comes to digging up deceased and fictional voters to come to the aid of Democratic candidates in distress.  As Franken ended up taking his seat in the Senate by a mere 312 votes, he needed any vote ACORN's group Project Vote could throw his way. 

Along with  a few of the many cases prosecuted against ACORN for voter fraud,  Kersten cites the July, 2009 report the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.issued on ACORN as evidence of the troubled history with registration:

To date, nearly 70 ACORN employees have been convicted in 12 states for voter registration fraud, though no federal charges have been filed against ACORN’s directors.  In fact, Pennsylvania judge Richard Zoller – after holding a low-level ACORN employee liable for election law violations – noted that “somebody has to go after ACORN.”

Kersten notes that 43,000 voters were registered through ACORN, representing 75% of the states new voter registrations.  Because ACORN uses strategies meant to overwhelm overworked clerks at the last moment with mass quantities of new registrations at the last moment, detecting fraud is difficult.  In many cases it is only discovered by chance.  Despite assurances from the ACORN endorsed Secretary of State Mark Ritchie that the integrity of the vote was protected in the 2008 Senatorial election in Minnesota,  Kersten doesn't seem convinced. 

While many, myself included,  had real doubts about the votes Franken managed to come up with in the Minnesota recount, Ed Morrissey at Hot Air believes after a thorough review Coleman lost by choosing a less aggressive strategy than did Franken:

None of the people involved, most of them GOP partisans, believed that Franken “stole” the recount or did anything illegal. All of them insisted that the difference came down to two different approaches.  Team Coleman wanted a collegial, Minnesota-style approach, while Franken’s team saw this as an adversarial process that pushed both teams to use every legal advantage available for each client.  Put more simply, Coleman got outboxed, and badly, especially in the early days of the recount.

This assessment makes Kersten's question, though largely moot with Franken at this point, worth pursuing.  It has long been my belief that as Franken was sworn in giving Democrats the 60th vote, American voters felt the straw breaking the camel's back.  Though it could be coincidental, support for Obama, Congress and health care reform started the downward side during the same week.  The recent problems brought to light through the Giles and O'Keefe videotapes, cast a long shadow of suspicion of all things ACORN.  Raising Franken's connection to ACORN casts greater doubt on dubious Democratic modes of operation.  That Democrats managed to swear in another Senator by changing the rules in Massachusettes compounds their credibility problems.  Most importantly, however, these questions need to be raised and investigated to insure that none of this takes place in the rapidly approaching midterm elections. 

A Word of Thanks

Special thanks to Professor William Jacobson at Legal Insurrection for linking my blog in his Blog of the Day spot. 

Welcome Legal Insurrection readers 

Palin "Going Rogue" - Updated

According to the AP 

The 400-page book is the first for Palin, who has been an object of fascination since Republican Sen. John McCain chose her as his running mate during his 2008 presidential bid. The book will be called "Going Rogue: An American Life."

The initial printing is stated to be 1.5 million which is massive.  Considering Palin has close to 900,000 friends on Facebook alone, the book will likely sell the run in no time.  The book is scheduled to be released on November 17, 2009.  Palin completed the book four months after the deal was announced.  An e-book will be released after Christmas to maximize hard cover sales.

The main stream media must be anticipating some negative reviews from Sarah Palin.  In a typically snarky announcement, Andrew Malcolm of the LA Times predicts:

Many in the mainstream media will also be eager to see how the Republican hockey mom praises them for their objective portrayals of her -- and, indeed, her entire family -- all last fall.

First stop on the book promotion tour no doubt: CBS to chat with David L and Katie C. Harper's says it's ordered a whopping advance printing of 1.5 million copies. But that still means that more than 300 million Americans will have to share copies.
Or perhaps they'll print more.

Though I am sure Katie Couric would love the ratings, I am sure Palin will skip Couric's show for something that has at least the potential to reach a substantial audience.

Wonkette  declares the "fake book" to be poop:

Harper publisher Jonathan Burnham should eat a bag of lightly-salted poison rat dicks. That is what he should do. The book is SMEARED POOP. How can we make this any clearer? We cannot. It is poop.

Nice language babe.  So when is Wonkette's 400 page book of poop being published?  Oh wait, it's not.  While announcing the title of the forthcoming book, Wonkette writes:

The title is… wait a second, we’re just getting our cyanide pill ready here, for when the post is over, because that’s what we’re going to do, take a cyanide pill… Going Rogue: An American Life. 

Well don't let us stop you.  There are positives already, imagine that.

UPDATE:  Via Memeorandum,   Mudflats mudslinger Jean Dixon has cross posted a smear attempt at Huffington Post to reach the largest possible audience of people who already dislike Palin.   It looks as  though Meg Stapleton had once used the word against Monegan in the Troopergate circus, what a horror.  Palin must have used the word against her former brother-in-law who, among other things, had tasered  his then 10 year old stepson with a state issued taser.  This is the very best Mudflats has to offer?   They appear to be off their game a bit.  Dragging up the Troopergate circus to point to the word rogue being used twice in that context is, in a word, desperate. 

Hey There, You With the Stars in Your Eyes

ObamaCare is bleeding support; Rasmussen shows approval at its lowest level to date.  Because senior citizens are the age group paying closest attention, they are the age group showing greatest intensity of opposition to health care reform.  Guess which  age group is paying the least attention and yet shows strongest support for ObamaCare?  If you clicked on the links you already know the answer, 18-29 year olds.  Unfortunately for young adults, they are also the group most likely to bear the greatest costs of Obama's health care reform and ostensibly Obamanomics in general.

Let's start with how health care reform hurts today's young adults.  In a Wall Street Journal op-ed authors Hennessey, Leavitt, and Hubbard suggest we "have an honest debate before we transfer more money from the young to the old."  Making the case the current health reform is a redistribution of income from the young to the old, the authors show the individual mandate will result in a 25 year old paying the same premiums as a 55 year old:

Thus a healthy 25-year-old and a 55-year-old with cancer would pay nearly the same premium for a health policy. Mr. Obama and his allies emphasize the benefits for the 55-year old. But the 25-year-old, who may also have a lower income, would pay significantly more than needed to cover his expected costs.

Indeed, Hennessey made this point in his initial evaluation of the Baucus Bill:

All those 20-something staff assistants will be subsidizing their 50-something bosses.

Literally, the only way to insure that no one can be denied coverage because of age or pre-existing conditions is to mandate the younger and healthier purchase health care.  Otherwise, how long would it take for the young to decide they will put-off getting health care coverage until they are older and sicker knowing they can't be denied care and coverage?  To insure this age group participate, the Baucus Bill will carry fines that must be paid at the risk of $25,000 and/or jail time.  Surely, the Obama administration and Congressional Democrats are relieved this age group is the least likely to be paying attention.

Hennessey et al., also suggest the mandate will have the effect of raising premiums for the vast majority of Americans.  Increased premiums will continue to stagnate or decrease wages over time for everyone though they may hurt the young the most.  Ed Morrissey at Hot Air synthesizes two recent articles from The New York Times and The New York Post to show Democratic economic policies have resulted the lowest level of entry-level job openings while unemployment among young Americans has reached its' highest level since World War II.   From the Post:

"It's an extremely dire situation in the short run," said Heidi Shierholz, an economist with the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute. "This group won't do as well as their parents unless the jobs situation changes."

The consequences of this deep recession have both short term and long term effects for the young according to a study cited in the Post article:

A study from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a government database, said the damage to a new career by a recession can last 15 years. And if young Americans are not working and becoming productive members of society, they are less likely to make major purchases -- from cars to homes -- thus putting the US economy further behind the eight ball.

While it may take years to offset the damage to the new careers, those entering the job market will be paying increased premiums to insure their aging bosses, if they are fortunate enough to gain employment in today's bleak job market.  Furthermore, The trillion dollar health care reform maintains the appearance of deficit neutrality largely by shifting costs  to the states that are already facing budget busting deficits according to a WSJ op-ed on the "Mad Max Mandate."  Today's young adults will surely face higher state taxes and higher insurance premiums to fund a health care reform that will benefit everyone but them. 

As Winston Churchill once said, "A liberal is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air."  Though it is often considered a luxury of idealistic youth to embrace liberal policy with feet in the air and stars in their eyes, this luxury is one today's young can ill afford.  It's time for a vat of Espresso Macchiato from one of the giants of capitalism Starbucks to shake the stars from the eyes of today's young voters;  it's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

H/T: Memeorandum and Hot Air

Conspiracy - Would that be the Vast Left-Wing or Right-Wing Version?

Politico has a segment of the interview with Bill Clinton from today's Meet the Press that I find pretty revealing:

Gregory asked: “Your wife famously talked about the vast right wing conspiracy targeting you. As you look at this opposition on the right to President Obama, is it still there?”

The former president replied: “Oh, you bet. Sure it is. It's not as strong as it was, because America has changed demographically. But it's as virulent as it was. I mean, they're saying things about him. You know, it's like when they accused me of murder, and all that stuff they did. … But … it's not really good for the Republicans and the country, what's going on now. I mean, they may be hurting President Obama. They can take his numbers down. They can run his opposition up. But, fundamentally, he and his team have a positive agenda for America. Their agenda seems to be wanting him to fail."

I am not sure Bill is buying the right wing conspiracy nonsense he is peddling here.  It wasn't that long ago the vast left wing conspiracy was working its' tail off to paint him as a RAAAAACIST along with the anyone else who dared to oppose Obama.  Compare his conviction when he answers David Gregory's question to his conviction when he was discussing Obama The Fairy Tale in the following two clips:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

On a final note, Clinton was not asked how effective the supposed "vast right wing conspiracy" was nor did Gregory seem to be leading him there. Still, Clinton brings up Obama's falling poll numbers. Yes he gives "credit" for this to Republicans but that is nothing more than the party line. He is not particularly convincing on the points that Obama will not face what he faced in 94 either. I can say quite a bit about Clinton but he is a pretty savvy politician. I think he knew exactly what he was doing here in this interview and I don't think he went out of his way to be helpful to Obama.

H/T: Memeorandum

Send A Conservative to Cover Kentucky Census Worker's Death

In my earlier post, coverage of  the unfortunate death of a 22 year-old woman showed  how a manipulated, and frankly lazy  television report is picked up and twisted  further by left-wing bloggers to sell a political agenda.  That a few Republicans or the group as a whole are smeared in the process is gravy  to the biased main stream media.  The same old worn-out tactics are being employed in the coverage of the Kentucky census worker found dead with the word Fed scrawled on his chest.

This is currently generating quite a bit of discussion at Memeorandum.  R. S. McCain aka The Other McCain is fed up and heading to Kentucky to cover the investigation himself.  McCain is an independent and could certainly use the support of the conservative community to fund his trip to Kentucky.   Read his thoughts  on liberal distortions  and then donate to cover his costs.  Every little bit helps $5 will cover a meal but I am sure more would be greatly appreciated.  It is time we get more people in  the field as we did with Giles and O'Keefe

Joy Behar on Beck - Pot Meet Kettle

Via Hotairpundit comes this remarkable clip of Joy Behar diagnosing without a diploma Glenn Beck's addiction history:



Dr. Behar makes the amazing conclusion Beck has replaced his addiction to drugs and alcohol with an addiction to publicity. Well what exactly is her excuse I wonder. It just so happens that I have worked as an addiction counselor and have never come across a replacement addiction to publicity. Addictive behavior leads to repeated negative consequences that fail to stop the addicted person from the same self-destructive behavior. No matter how much Behar disagrees with Beck, his contract with Fox and massive book sales doesn't exactly look self-destructive. As Hotairpundit suggests, maybe Behar should become a tad more self-destructive if she hopes to catch up to Beck in the ratings.

H/T: Free Republic

Liberals Politicize Death Based on Manipulated Media Reports to Sell a Failing Agenda

Early on Saturday,  a Think Progress report by Victor Zapanta was linked at Memeorandum . The grossly irresponsible headline, "Uninsured 22-Year-Old Boehner Constituent Dies From Swine Flu," betrayed Zapanta's dishonest attempt to draw a causal relationships between Boehner's opposition to the Democratic effort to overhaul health care and the death of young woman.  Several left -wing blogs quickly followed suit, blaming Republican opposition and our broken system for the death of Kimberly Young. 

Unfortunately for the left, the argument is clearly devoid of reason as Rick Moran demonstrates in a masterful take-down of Zapanta's partisan smear attack. Moreover, it is also devoid of factual evidence, relying instead on a cleverly-edited television news report based on an interview with Young's roommate's mother while ignoring first-hand reports from Young's parents themselves.

Jammie Wearing Fool points to the irrational attack on Boehner and connects it with the same lowering of discourse evidenced in the left's politicization of the death of a census worker.  In an interesting update, Jammie Wearing Fool links a recent report confirming Young did not, in fact, die of complications of Swine flu.  Though this report came later than Zapanta's piece as well as the others that followed, there were several other reports available online prior to the 25th that severely undercut the argument Young died because she lacked health care.

A WCPO news report is cited by a TPM Live Wire report to suggest a potential relationship between Young's death and her lack of insurance.  As you will see in the video Young's roommates mother is the source for the speculation Young either did not receive earlier treatment or the treatment was inadequate and Young resisted going to the emergency room for "proper treatment."  This is quite different than  two separate reports by Cathy Young of the events leading to her daughter's death:

“At first she was talkative, we thought she was going to be OK,” Cathy Young said. “The doctor thought she had a pretty good chance because she had gotten there quickly.”

But, the doctor cautioned, H1N1 is viral. Young was given antibiotics, but only to fight off other infections, Cathy Young said.

Her daughter’s immune system was going to have to fight it off.

Doctors determined Young needed to transfer to University Hospital, a trauma hospital better equipped to care for her. Before an ambulance could transfer her, Young’s condition worsened.

Her oxygen levels dropped. She needed a respirator to aid her breathing. Young was flown by medical helicopter to Cincinnati.

In an updated report The Toledo Blade confirms  that Young's family said she died of complications of viral pneumonia.  The fact that she suffered from a asthma would explain why viral pneumonia posed such a serious threat while Kimberly was receiving treatment.  Based on Cathy Young's timeline of events Kimberly got sick on Tuesday the 15th, sought treatment at a care center on Thursday the 17th and was reported to be feeling better Thursday after she was released.  Tuesday her fever returned and Young showed difficulty breathing, this led her roommate to drive her to the hospital.  According to Kimberly's own mother, the doctor treating her daughter thought she had gotten there quickly after showing difficulty breathing.

A careful review of the WCPO news report, which unfortunately will not embed here, shows the father's statement to be cleverly edited to create a false impression that Kimberly's insurance status was to blame.  The reporter suggests Young's death figures prominently in the national debate on health care then cuts to Bryan Young the deceased's father who is shown saying:

"This is not a joke," he said. This is hitting home to average America. I'm just an average guy

A voice over cuts off Mr. Young at this point and leads onto the discussion of the loss of Kimberly Young to swine flu.  The report then dips back in to Mr. Young saying:

"She's going to be missed by lots of people," said her father, Bryan. "I don't want another family to go through what we've gone through."

This leaves the viewer with the distinct impression Mr. Young blames his daughter's lack of health care for her death.  The voice over cuts out a significant statement that makes Mr. Young's position much clearer, however:

"This is not a joke," This is hitting home to average America. I'm just an average guy in a small town who has just lost his 22-year-old daughter to swine flu. This is a serious threat to America. It might sound a little overblown, but it isn't. I just lost my daughter."

Young is clearly stating the swine flu is the serious threat to America, not inadequate health insurance as the news report would have you believe.  

As mentioned above, this entire account of the events leading to Kimberly Young's death was available online September 23rd.  The WCPO news report on the 25th not only distorted the father's position that swine flu was a serious threat, it ignored other reports suggesting Kimberly took a turn for the worse while in treatment and rely instead on a third hand account by the roommates mother her lack of insurance may have led to her death.  TCM Live Wire and Think Progress base their arguments entirely on this same third-hand accounting of events.

It is worth a mention that under the proposed health care reform, Kimberly would have been forced to buy health care insurance at the risk of substantial fines and jail time. There is absolutely no evidence however, the outcome of Kimberly's case would have been bettter. If Democrats expect to be trusted to overhaul 1/5th of our entire economy, they might start by making honest arguments instead of politicizing the unfortunate death of a young woman.  That they do this while they also politicize the death of a census worker, frankly calls to mind the image of vultures circling the dead and dying.    Thus far, the nation seems reluctant to entrust their health care to vultures, perhaps it is time for a new strategy.

Liberal Hypocrisy in a Nutshell

Via Red State, TobyToons "illustrates" why a picture is worth a thousand words...

TobyToons

On the Bright Side You Get 3 Squares and Health Care in Jail Right?

Yesterday , The Washington Examiner reported that Senator Jim Bunning made a proposal requiring the Senate Finance Committee to post the final legislative language of the nearly trillion dollar health care legislation online for 72 hours prior to a vote. Of course this was rejected in a 12-11 vote; so much for transparency.

Senator Max Baucus admitted this might seem "crazy" to some:

“This probably sounds a little crazy to some people that we are voting on something before we have seen legislative language.”

I am not sure "crazy" quite covers it personally. Baucus complained that it would take nearly two weeks to post the bill online. Really, just how stupid do they think the American taxpayer is exactly?

They fooled us once remember? Way back in February, the fragile nature of the economy mandated a trillion dollar stimulus package. To save the country from the economic abyss the bill had to be passed immediately only to then sit for a few days before Obama decided to sign it. That all worked out so well it looks as though the same strategy is being employed with our health care.

I wonder what they are trying to hide this time. Could it be this perhaps?

Though I am sure there are many more gems like this buried in the Baucus Bill, this one deserves special mention. Politico notes the rarity of such a confirmation. How often do we see handwritten confirmation the 20 something group who will be forced to subsidize the health care costs of the 50 something crew must pay a $1900 fine if they don't buy health care? Worse still, they face a year in jail and/or an additional $25,000 fine for failure to pay the first fine. Good thing the Presidential Propaganda Commission has this age group out designing t-shirts to distract them. Perhaps we could recruit a few to upload the bill on the internet instead.

H/T: Memeorandum

Friday Morning Links and Laughs

First the Links:

Keith Hennessey finally weighs in on Baucus Care, it's not a pretty picture. Here are two of the many startling things Keith finds in the long-awaited bill:

Nobody has asked the question, “Will the Baucus bill increase or decrease health insurance premiums relative to current law?” CBO’s analysis instead blurs the question of how much health insurance will cost, with how much you will pay for your health insurance after new subsidies and taxes. I fear that these bills will increase the cost of health insurance, then shift those costs from premium payers to taxpayers. If I am right, then the Baucus bill cuts wages. If verified by CBO, that should be sufficient to kill the bill. Somebody in Congress needs to ask CBO this question.

The combination of guaranteed issue and community rating mean the bill would dramatically lower premiums for those with predictably high health expenditures, and would dramatically increase premiums for the relatively young and healthy. When combined with an individual mandate, the Baucus bill would force younger healthier Americans to pay higher premiums to cross-subsidize older and less healthy Americans. All those 20-something staff assistants will be subsidizing their 50-something bosses.

More ObamaCare delusions by Karl in The Green Room.

Daily Uprising: Tolerance and the Left: The Root of Madfloridian’s Madness. Excellent read!

American Power Benjamin Netanyahu: 'What a Mockery of the Charter of the United Nations'

Pundit & Pundette: Descent into comedy: Our "safe schools" czar.

Now a much needed laugh:

Free Copy of "Culture of Corruption" for 5000th visitor

WE HAVE A WINNER

I started my blog just about two months ago and now am nearing a bit of a landmark.   I am just 53 visits away from reaching 5000 visits.  While I know there are blogs that get 10 times that number visitors an hour, I am thrilled to be hitting this mark in two months.  I am very close to reaching that number now according to the blogger dashboard that has been tracking visits since the first day.  My sitemeter was added quite a bit later, so that doesn't reflect an accurate count.    I will watch the meter and post the location of the visitor who puts me over the 5000 mark.  The visitor who matches that location can send me their address and I will mail them a copy of Michelle Malkin's fantastic book.

Thanks to everyone who stopped in here to read.  The growing number of readers who come back every day are appreciated more than you can possibly imagine.  Good luck!

The Winner is a reader from Lincoln Nebraska using road runner. If that reader will send me their name and address to msmdesigns08@gmail.com. I will get your copy of Culture of Corruption in the mail today. Thanks to all who came to visit, I will offer more prizes in the future so stay tuned.

Earworm Propaganda

Since Michelle Malkin posted the video of students singing their praise of Barack Obama, I have had the refrain of the the first song "mmmm, mmmm, mmmm Barack Hussein Obama," stuck in my head. The fact that Fox is running this video on every show tonight suggests I won't be getting rid of this earworm anytime soon. You can read the rest of the lyrics at Fox in case you'd like to be sure of the rest of the words that will be stuck in you head for a while.

To my surprise, Fox is not the only one running this video. Contessa Brewer commented on it at MSNBC and agreed that it was disturbing. That fact alone has to be the surest sign of the apocalypse I have seen in a while. Norah O'Donnell ran it as well and of course she saw no problem with it. Here is a clip that Allahpundit linked tonight originally posted by NewsBusters:



Having two kids myself, one in college now while one is still in high school, I have had my share of issues crop up with teachers and politics. There are some teachers, this one included who can't seem to see why teaching a group of kindergardeners to sing the praises of Barack Obama is a problem. Still, the individual instances of bias I have come across don't make them national news events in and of themselves. Overall, I agree with Allahpundit, it is that the video comes in a string of revelations about Obama propaganda that makes it a target for national attention and yes outrage.

While the Obama administration has tried to put some distance between themselves and the efforts at propagandizing the NEA, throwing Yosi Sergant under the Obama bus may not come close to putting a close on the Obama propaganda problem. Sergant, after all didn't work in the White House as did Buffy the Integrity Slayer. The string of Obama appointees and associations with unpopular agendas now using government to achieve those goals seems endless. Every day uncovers a new one, and today is no different. Pat at And So it Goes in Shreveport has the scoop on the latest Bizarre Czar who should give every parent with a school-aged child reasons to suspect their schools are far from safe.

Time for Obama to Call a Foul a Foul With Zelaya

Prof Jacobson has a post up at Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion titled "Zelaya the Insane". Citing a report in The Miami Herald , where Zelalya claims his throat is sore from toxic gases and "Israeli mercenaries'' are torturing him with high-frequency radiation, Jacobson notes the deposed President's insanity is seeping out. Indeed it is. Earth Times has a similar report where Zelaya displays extreme paranoia:

"Groups of mercenaries could enter here to carry out a killing," Zelaya told RNE in a telephone interview from the embassy in Tegucigalpa.

In a telephone interview with the Spanish daily El Mundo, Zelaya said the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS) had helped to foil one plan to kill him and to make it look like suicide.

If the US and OAS were involved in disrupting a plot to kill Zelaya, there doesn't appear to be any evidence of it.  While that neither proves nor disproves the truthfulness of Zelaya's claim, the fact remains it seems credible in light of Obama's continued recognition of Zelalya as rightful President after Zelaya was forced into exile by the  military acting on orders from the Honduran Supreme Court.

 Zelaya's  bizarre accusations his mind and appearance are being altered by the  "Israeli Mercenaries," hired by the Micheletti administration along with Zelaya's assertions the US thwarted a plot by current President Micheletti to kill him suggests the time has come for the Obama administration to reap what they have sown. Zelaya has been legitimized by Obama which puts the US in the position of acting on threats against him no matter how bizarre or delusional they may be. Zelaya's accusations against Micheletti will only escalate as will Zelaya's demands on Washington to end his "torture."  Will the Obama administration continue to "hover through the fog and filthy air" of Zelaya's insanity or take this opportunity to call the foul for what it is?  While I hope for the latter, like Prof. Jacobson, I am not holding my breath.

ACORN Gives New Meaning to the Old Adage "A Fool For a Client"

Here is a copy of the lawsuit filed by Acorn against Hannah Giles, James O'Keefe and Breitbart. The first page has been removed to protect personal information of all parties:


Click on the arrow in the top right corner to expand PDF
Zero Sheep's  has a full analysis of the law involved and assesses ACORN's case.  I won't summarize, it is best to read for yourself.  His conclusion:

My first thought was that ACORN would have some trouble showing standing and damages. After looking at the text of the complaint, my thought changed to, “Are you freaking kidding me?”

My original thoughts are still valid, I think, but the complaint is so bad that I am having a hard time believing that this isn’t all just a joke (albeit a dry and not very funny one only a lawyer would get).

Zero sheep mentions the analysis at NRO that was also linked by Ace.  Zero disagreed on a minor legal point, but agreed on most points.   It's an interesting analysis and worth a read, here is the bottom line:

In short, Learned Hand once said that he feared a lawsuit more than death or taxes. With good lawyering from the defendants (which I'm sure their going to get), ACORN is about to find out what Hand meant. ACORN has very little to gain and a lot to lose.

Far from believing the defendants have anything to fear, Greta Van Sustern actually wishes ACORN would file such a suit against her. She, of course, is thinking as a journalist here but is informed by her legal background:

By filing a lawsuit, ACORN just opened itself up for FULL DISCOVERY!! They are going to get hit with interrogatories, requests for production of documents, depositions etc. And who will get deposed? Just about everybody! And if discovery produces evidence of a crime? You can be sure that the evidence will be fed ex'd to the Justice Department!

As a journalist, she relishes the thoughts of what full discovery of ACORN might produce.   She did have a moments pause, however, when first reading the suit.  Greta was torn as to who was the bigger idiot, "the ACORN official making decisions for ACORN about a lawsuit? or the lawyer who is advising ACORN and who filed suit? or is it a tie?"

I will admit that my first impression was that the defendants may have broken the law but ACORN had more to lose than they would ever gain from a lawsuit. After reading the legal opinions I linked above and hearing Greta Van Sustern literally LOL'ing for 5 minutes tonight with Tucker Carlson over the sheer stupidity of the suit, I changed my opinion. This is only going to give Giles, O'Keefe and Breitbart a higher profile and bring some well deserved self-inflicted heartache to ACORN. Please weigh in with a comment, I would love to hear predictions on the outcome.

Palin Gets Positive Review on Hong Kong Speech

SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES

Cameron Sinclair,  Co-founder of Architecture for Humanity and the Open Architecture Network, gave a surprisingly positive review of Sarah Palin's Hong Kong speech at The Huffington Post. Yes you read that right, The Huffington Post. Sinclair, comments that the speech was "crafted" but contained some surprising criticism of the GOP. Sinclair twittered Palin's speech and joked that perhaps she might do the same for him. These are the excerpts from Twitter:  

• Stimulus failed will keep unemployment high - Palin.

• Fed is immoral - Palin

• Palin calls self common sence consertative - quotes Reagan and Thatcher as 'getting it right'.

• Palin suggests her cost cutting in the Governors house shows her fiscal conservative.

• Palin suggests GOP has sold out since Reagan and are as bad as the liberals. They lost principles.

• Cap and tax (trade) will cause unemployment. Say it will cost $1800 per Americans and cause no change.

• Palin pro Nuclear and energy independance advocate. Tap the god given resources of America and not foreign entities.

• Natural gas IS the future - Palin

• Palin wants 'all of the above' energy policy to ween ourselves off natural resouces. Says we need to 'drill'

• Death panels - governments not being honest. Can't increase healthcare and cut costs - Palin

• Palin says drill. Say death panels were a way to show mainstreet what is wrong w gov plans

• Palin listing all deaths caused by twisted vision of terrorists. 'this is a war' - Palin suggesting the surge pushed the war out of Iraq

• Palin says Pelosi and liberals stopping Obama from making right decision to increase troops in afghanistan

• American defence of Asia has allowed it to prosper - Palin

• American military precense in Asia has allowed it to prosper - palin

• Folks walking out on palin as she's running over Q&A time

• We can help intergrate Asia and India -Palin.

• Palin says China key to global push out of recession. China needs to be responsible stakeholder. (and free)

• China needs to ease off Taiwan and to back off supporting Sudan and Zimbabwe. Notes Tibet issue - Palin (on a tear)

• Palin wrapping up saying local Chinese wanting more freedom in China. 'No one worrys about India and it's growth'

• Last 20 min of Palins talk on china us relationships and free trade. Current US gov are anti-open and anti-growth

• Palin says us must recognize we must lead by example not words. Americans are suffering and frustrated dems exempt themselves from hlthcare

• Palin says tea party movement are democrats and republicans and fighting the good fight.

• Palin notes bush changed view on china - notes we are interconnected and need to put diplomatic pressure on china. Says taxing tires was bad

• Local elected officials need to be heard. GOP will be re borne through locals - palin

• Government need to stay the heck out of salary decisions - palin

• Palin - Chavez is Castro lite. We need to play hardball with Cuba

• Palin on Todd and schedule - 'i needed to have a wife' (ouch)

• Palin on Twitter - I love it!

• Palin - facebook is a success story of US ingenuity. Shows 'we still got it'.

• Palin shows picture of son on stage. Then exits.

• Nothing like being attacked by press leaving 'it was awful and right wing, wasn't it' - ask to comment, I said go on Twitter....
  

What a surprise the press asked slanted questions of those exiting the speech.  Sinclair notes in his article at HuffPo the strongest parts of Palin's speech were those involving domestic issues, those involving Main Street, though he didn't suggest he agreed with her points.   Palin urged Obama to increase troop deployment in Afghanistan then moving on to what Sinclair described as a risky move criticizing China, Taiwan and Tibet: 

Then she took the risky move of criticizing China on Taiwan and Tibet. Noting it need to be a more responsible global citizen and allow greater freedom for its' people.

Please read the entire account at Huffington Post, which was fair for someone who didn't seem to agree with her politics.  Sinclair includes some mention of her jokes and some comments that made an impression on him.  I would still love to read the actual text of the speech to discern any potential differences in Sinclair's interpretation of what was actually said.  Overall, it seems safe to say Palin did well for herself though we aren't likely to hear much of this in the MSM or the comments on Sinclair's piece at Huffington Post.  Thankfully I saw it moments after it was published and avoided the sniper fire from those who frequent the site.

NB:  Sinclair is British and the twitter comments reflect variations in spelling.
From the  NY Times:

“The speech was wide-ranging, very balanced, and she beat all expectations,” said Doug A. Coulter, head of private equity in the Asia-Pacific region for LGT Capital Partners.
“She didn’t sound at all like a far-right-wing conservative. She seemed to be positioning herself as a libertarian or a small-c conservative,” he said, adding that she mentioned both Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. “She brought up both those names.”

Text of a portion of the speech via The Wall Street Journal:

“We’re both young and transient, independent and libertarian,” she said. Here’s more in her own words:“We have a special place in our hearts in Alaska for the Pacific Rim. You are Alaska’s neighbors and partners. Alaska is one of America’s most trade-oriented states and by providing more than 60% of Alaska’s top ten export markets, Asia plays a key role in sustaining Alaska’s economy.

“Personally, I’ve always been really interested in the ideas too about the land bridge. Ideas that maybe so long ago, had allowed Alaska to be physically connected to this part of our world so many years ago. My husband and my children, they’re part [unintelligible] Eskimo, Alaskan natives. They’re our first people, and the connection that may have brought ancestors from here to there is fascinating to me. Making our world seem a little bit smaller, more united, to consider that connection that allowed sharing of peoples and bloodlines and wildlife and flora and fauna, that connection to me is quite fascinating.

“Alaska exported more than $700 million of goods, $700 million in goods to china during my first year in office, and that increased again in 2008. Minerals and seafood, and second only to Japan. No doubt some of the fruits of our labor, even mine and Todd’s, ended up here on dinner tables because we commercial fish in Bristol Bay. And either as whole Salmon or caviar, commercial fishing is really tough business. And in tough conditions, we even used to laugh about this, thinking that we’re putting together such delicacies for the other side of the world, is how we referred to it. Over 70% of our exports came from wild organic fresh Alaska seafood, and our potential for more is massive because Alaska has the world’s richest seafood industry. We have the world’s most abundant salmon spawning grounds right there in Bristol Bay.

“We have much in common with Hong Kong. We’re both young and transient, independent and libertarian. Places that continue to show the world, the power and the resilience of the free market system at a time when too many are questioning it. So for Alaska, which is the air crossroads of the world, to this prosperous dynamic force in the world, Hong Kong, I bring good tidings, wishes for more blessing and vibrant life and even more freedom.”

Also nice write up of the content after reviewing a taped recording of the speech by The Wall Street Journal

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cameron-sinclair/following-palin_b_295686.html

White House, Congressional Dems and AARP Conspire to Keep Seniors From Truth about Medicare Advantage Cuts

The AP reported yesterday the Department of Health and Human Services is investigating Humana at the urging of Senator Max Baucus for daring to inform their beneficiaries of impending cuts to their Medicare Advantage programs. Baucus accuses Humana of misleading seniors:

"It is wholly unacceptable for insurance companies to mislead seniors regarding any subject — particularly on a subject as important to them, and to the nation, as health care reform," Baucus said Monday, disclosing the HHS investigation.

Were there such a  charge as misleading seniors, who was actually doing the misleading?  President Obama denied cuts to Medicare Advantage would result in loss of coverage in his interview with George Stephanopoulos this past Sunday.  A CBO analysis released this evening, however, contradicts the Presidents claim.   Director Elmendorf  states the changes "would reduce the extra benefits that would be made available to beneficiaries through Medicare Advantage plans."  The White House and Congressional Dems appear to have been heavily invested in keeping this information from the seniors who would take substantial cuts in their benefits.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal , GOP  leaders are calling the investigation nothing more than a gag order.    GOP.gov states Humana was actually  in violation of a White House edict preventing insurers from communicating with their beneficiaries, an edict which applied to all but one organization, the AARP:

Yet the Administration's edict prohibiting plans from communicating with their beneficiaries failed to include AARP, which sponsors a Medicare Advantage plan but has been a prime advocate of Democrats' government takeover of health care-quite possibly because AARP has been supporting a health care overhaul from which it stands to gain overall handsomely. Even as AARP advocates for cutting Medicare Advantage plans by more than $150 billion, an analysis of the organization's operations reveals that it stands to receive tens of millions of dollars at the expense of seniors' medical care-with Democrats' full approval.

GOP.gov explains how AARP  will benefit from the cuts to Medicare Advantage at the expense of the seniors they purport to represent:

Because the government-run Medicare benefit is less generous than most private health plans, the independent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission found in June that more than nine in ten seniors not in nursing home settings utilize some form of Medicare supplemental insurance. While many of these individuals currently rely on Medicare Advantage plans for the extra benefits they provide to seniors, many would be forced to purchase supplemental Medigap policies should their existing Medicare Advantage plans be taken away from them due to Democrats' government takeover of health care.

Michelle Malkin  elaborates on this, citing the explanation from a Hill source who also suggests seniors fare better under Medicare Advantage plans while the plans also achieve greater efficiencies and savings.  Be sure to read her entire post where she lists the complete case laid out by GOP.gov in addition to the explanation from the Hill source.  Further evidence the AARP is no stranger to selling out the seniors they represent can be found in a December article by Gary Cohn and Darrell Preston on Bloomberg.com.  Phillip Klein at The American Spectator has an emailed response from the AARP that fails to address specific charges, choosing instead to hide behind claims of scare tactics and "death panels."

Clearly the White House, Congressional Democrats and the AARP have made a concerted effort to keep the seniors who stand to lose substantial benefits in the dark until legislation is passed.  The absurd investigation of Humana suggests there are no limits to the means they will use to achieve that end.   This is far from the transparent process then candidate Obama promised health care reform would be.  Set aside the promises of hearings shown on CSpan that never materialized, gag orders and cozy agreements with AARP can only be the tip of the "dirty little secrets" iceberg.   Each new revelation should give any of the 43% who still support this debacle more than a moments pause to wonder what's next.

Hollywood Hypocrites Bash Overpaid Insurance Execs

Via Michelle Malkin comes MoveOn.org's latest piece of political propaganda targeting insurance companies and their evil profits. Few people can afford to brave the health care industry without insurance save for a few of these grossly overpaid actors. I wonder if it crossed any of their minds that loads of people out there might consider this whole worthless ad the ultimate form of self-indulgent hypocrisy. Of course not, these are the beautiful people who care for the poor, blah, blah blah...

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air lists the unbelievable pay the slob Will Farrell has received for some of his great contributions to the film industry:

* Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006): $20,000,000
* Bewitched (2005): $20,000,000
* Kicking & Screaming (2005): $20,000,000
* Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004): $7,000,000

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Heartache, just two days after my Mad Men post comes this ad ruining my Jon Hamm moment, as it were. Why can't Hollywood people just stick to their overpaid work and keep their politics to themselves? Dan Riehl thinks they should be forced to receive all their care under the public option and sign a binding legal document forfeiting 80% if their personal holdings to the Treasury if they renege. Good idea, maybe they should just redistribute their income before any health care legislation is passed. If the average family policy is $10,000.00, the proceeds of just one Farrell movie could insure two thousand families this year. Let him put his money where his big mouth is for a change.

The Other McCain is Right: Beck is Not the Enemy

Stacy McCain makes a strong argument conservatives should waste neither time nor energy over Glenn Beck's statement to Katie Couric that the country would be worse off with a McCain presidency.   Whether we would or would not have been better off had McCain actually won the race is an argument best left for the luxurious day when there is absolutely nothing left to fear from an Obama administration operating with clear majorities in the House and Senate.

Let's be honest, McCain was a terrible candidate.  He was the Republican equivalent of Michael Dukakis.  If any of the Lattimer quotes are credible, it would have to be that Bush saw McCain's inability to draw a crowd of 500 during his own presidential election as a harbinger of an impending "five spiral crash."   It was only after McCain chose Palin as his running mate he was able to draw crowds that rivaled Obama's greek-columned spectacles.  It was Palin that drew the crowds, however, as McCain himself could hardly deny.

While Palin saved John McCain from an assured "five spiral crash," Palin was not going to be filling the number one job any time soon.  Though the press loved to compare her fitness for the presidency using McCain's age as a factor, last I checked McCain was still alive.  Chances are McCain will be alive in 2012, which means we would have had four years of what Beck described as a "weird progressive like Theodore Roosevelt" in office.  As The Other McCain notes, it is hard for honest men to disagree with that assessment. 

Whether Palin would have influenced McCain or McCain would not have made some of the government expanding decisions Obama has made, is largely irrelevant at this point.  I have heard Beck argue as did many like-minded Libertarians and Independents, the only real opportunity to wake the American people from their zombie sleep was for them to face the repercussions of giving a leftist Senator with no governing experience the keys to the White House and a blank check in a Congress hell bent on taking the country over the left edge of a cliff into the Big Government abyss.  That was a risk I chose not to make and voted against, but it is hard to argue the zombies are still asleep.

Elections have consequences.  Those who paid no attention to who controlled Congress or bought into Obama's soaring rhetoric only to discover empty words, must stand idly by and watch the country sail into the Big Government abyss or speak up.  Conservatives can spend  their days bashing one who has given his massive audience to the brave Giles and O'Keefe who showed the country why they should really fear ACORN, but to what avail?  Beck's focus on the Czars took Van Jones out of action.  Big Government continues to focus on Obama's inappropriate use of the NEA to create propaganda he hopes will lull the zombies back to their sleep.  Beck can be instrumental in getting that message out.  The bottom line reality is this, Katie Couric would not have bothered to interview Beck before any of that happened.  That Beck said something controversial should shock no one.  Disagree with him on that point if you must.  Beck, however, is not the one with his foot on the pedal with the car teetering on the verge of the Big Government abyss.

Clinton's Advice on Health Care: Pass Anything

Taegan Goddard reports on a policy discussion held last night with Bill Clinton.  The topic of health care reform seemed to be the highlight with Clinton predicting Democrats will pass health care, "because they have to."  Clinton thought the hang up on on the public option was foolish and Democrats should pass any bill that increases coverage and reduces costs in order to increase pressure on any future Congress to improve whatever piece of garbage is passed.

Clinton is really only looking out for the prospects for Democrats in the rapidly approaching midterms which according to Sheriff Joe Biden, could spell the end of the Obama agenda.   If Democrats pass health care, particularly the Baucus Bill the repercussions for Democrats are uncertain.  Clinton predicts Obama's poll numbers will increase by 10 points immediately after passing a health care bill.  Furthermore, he predicts his numbers will be up by 20 this time next year when voters see none of the terrible predictions about health care come true.

Should voters be under the mistaken impression that none of the consequences of passing garbage legislation were legitimate, it would only be because they failed to make the case that this or any of the other bills on the floor will be fully implemented until 2013, well after the President has run for re-election.  Passing any health care legislation gives both parties reason to rally voters to the polls.  Republicans can carry a message of undoing the more harmful effects of Baucus/Obama Care while Democrats can rally their base to the polls to protect the gains they've made and possibly promise taking further steps towards universal coverage.

Clinton advises passing any legislation by any means.  Though he prefers going the route of securing 60 votes in the Senate he would absolutely pass it by going nuclear with reconciliation.  The latter will surely secure big GOP gains in 2010, but as Megan McArdle notes any party line vote will likely result in Democrats losing the House.  Americans do not want this massive legislation passed without strong bipartisan support. 

Nevertheless, I agree with McArdle's assessment, health care reform is looking inevitable.  Olympia Snowe seems willing to give the Democrats their 60th vote.  Baucus Care enjoys a tentative CBO seal of approval that is contingent upon Congress making Medicare cuts as written in the bill.  This is not likely, as Director Elmendorf notes himself:

These projections assume that the proposals are enacted and remain unchanged throughout the next two decades, which is often not the case for major legislation.

This could leave a Republican controlled House with the nasty task of making the unpopular cuts Democrats trade away in order to get anything through the House and Senate.  It is entirely possible that negotiations and heavy lifting  still necessary to get health care reform passed will continue to drive opposition to the reform up in the polls to the point that the moderates facing re-election can't stomach giving their vote as the prospect of midterms draws ever nearer.  The pressure will be great, however, within the confines of the DC bubble to follow Clinton's advice.  For those who don't relish the prospect of undoing or making workable lousy legislation, now would be a good time to follow the advice of Samuel Adams:

It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds. - Samuel Adams