Post Election Thoughts

Tuesday night's election brought both joy and sorrow. I am very happy with the tsunami of Republicans that have won. With the support of Tea Party patriots, we have seen several candidates win and send packing many Congressman and Senators that needed to be sent home. I especially was happy with the wins by Rand Paul, Marco Rubio ,Pat Toomey and several other House gains. I was also very happy with the pickups in the Senate and the Governor races. More on the governor races in a bit.

I was also saddened by several things, probably most specifically the loss of Robyn Hamlin and Bill Corrigan. My wife and I are both big supporters of these two politicians. North County and St. Louis County saw fit to support the status quo instead of riding the wave of change. I expect that the union vote really helped Dooley and Clay. While Ed Martin is contesting his race with Russ Carnahan, I am also saddened with the voting issues that we saw in the third district. The issues that occurred statewide and the convenience of the additional votes appearing out of the city are truly suspect. It will be interesting to see what occurs once the vote is counted and completed.

As I write this after a long night I am listening to a replay of Obama's conference this afternoon. He takes little blame for what happened last night and he sputters a feeble attempt at an olive branch to the GOP. He refuses to admit that his administration's overreach is the reason for last nights large GOP gains. If this is what we are to expect over the next few years, it will make for a very interesting two years.

The elections are now, for the most part, over. Let's all take a breath and survey the surroundings. Let's truly look at what's ahead. There are a lot of things to consider now, including:

• Nancy Pelosi and the older house reps - There are indicators that many of the older House Dems will not look at retiring since the Dems lost so handily. Many of them do not want to go back to being the minority. These departures will lead to openings in the House. How will these openings change the dynamic.
  
• The census - The census will greatly effect the makeup of the house. As I discussed in THIS post and THIS one, the census will change the lay of the land. Missouri will probably lose a house seat as will a couple of other states.
  
• The governors races - Governors can help set the political tone of each state. The GOP wins in these races will dramatically help Republican causes. These governors will also help set the new lines for House districts as part of the upcoming redistricting.


• The legislative agenda - What will the House and Senate have as their legislative agenda. With Reid probably retaining leadership in the Senate and Boehner probably taking over the House, there are going to be two different and possibly competing agendas.

The next two years cannot be carte blanche no. Boehner cannot try and legislate from the House. Instead, the Republicans need to push for plans that lower taxes and create smaller government. I think everyone will agree that limited compromise is totally acceptable, but the Republicans cannot be obstructionists, otherwise they will get ousted in two years. If Senate Democrats and the President insist on not compromising or pushing a far left agenda, while the GOP lead House offers compromise and moderation, 2010 will be a warm up act for 2012.

Much like Boehner, Rubio and Paul all said last night, this was not an endorsement of the GOP, this was a call to action and a mandate against the president, Pelosi and Reid. I think Jamie Allman says it best, we are not married to you guys, we are just dating. We will see what happens from here on out. You better not disappoint us.

The two pet projects I would like to see addressed are some gerrymandering restrictions and Congressional and Senate term limits. I will be posting more on that in the future, but DSM over at Reboot Congress has written volumes on term limits and I suggest you take a look.

For Robyn Hamling and my fellow Robyn Hamlin supporters I say this, you put up a very valiant fight. It was a fight that many people have tried to wage. All of you spent countless man hours working the phones, going door to door and educating the public. Robyn had all of the right answers for a public group that just did not care. For some, this Congressional race was just about race. For others, it was about supporting the union machine that Lacy regularly supports. Just take a look at Lacy's FEC filings and you can see the amount of money the unions poured into his campaign. He helps them out by pushing through government spending for Boeing, the Federal Government and other big union shops. This loss was probably a combination of the right candidate at the wrong time. I do take some solace that Lacy got less than 75% of the votes. This district has been gerrymandered to the point where winning would be tough for just about anyone without a D behind their name. Robyn and her team worked hard and were able to accomplish a lot. I hope that this can be the stepping stone for bigger things in 2012. Even though we did not get a win, we can continue to work with the St. Louis Tea Party and other local candidates and representatives to make North County and North City a better place. For all you have done, though, I say thank you and good job.

Get Out and Volunteer While You Still Can

This is a quick post.

I received an email from a friend asking me where I have been. In all bluntness, I am out working the ground. My wife volunteered to work on a couple of campaigns and I am helping her. Even now there are still many people who have not made up their minds. It is our job to inform them of their options and make sure they are informed voters.

As I have said all along, it is now up to each of YOU to make sure you are working with a candidate. Are you in the second district and want to make sure that DC is not being controlled by Reid and Pelosi, then get up off your couch/office chair and volunteer.

This weekend, Robyn Hamlin, ED Martin, Bill Corrigan and the St. Louis Tea Party can all use your help.

If you want to help but don't know how check out these sites

Robyn Hamlin - http://www.hamlinforcongress.com/
Ed Martin - http://edmartinforcongress.com/
Bill Corrigan - http://www.corriganforexec.com/
St. Louis Tea Party - http://www.stlouisteaparty.com/

Also, do you live on or near a busy intersection or street. You can help out by allowing one or several of these campaigns to put out yard signs. Believe it or not, the name recognition helps.

Right now, the Dems are on the ropes and are scared. All of their gerrymandering of districts over the years is not helping them with this election. Carnahan and Clay have both voted for very unpopular bills including health care control, TARP, and the auto bailout. These bills were all passed and have done little to nothing to improve our overall economic condition.

I am signing off for now to go work the campaigns. You should do the same.

The Truth Behind Budget Surpluses

You know how Dems are out there saying that it was Clinton and the Democrats that brought about budget surpluses. Well this great video debunks that myth with the one thing that Dems cannot argue, statistics and facts.

It was not Clinton that brought budget surpluses, but a Republican majority that forced it.

The Dangerous Next Steps of This Administration

Health care passed without one Republican vote. Hundreds of thousands of voters, Republican, Democrat and Independent shout and plead their opposition. Obama, Pelosi and Reid shrug. Why do they shrug? Because they do not understand or care what we think. People, we need to wake up. The leaders within our government think they know better than us. They went to ivy league schools and many of them lived a privileged life or lived a life of politics and academia. Since they do not understand the real world, they are saying, "Let them eat cake."

Barack Obama and his various minions have long said that once health care legislation passed Congress and it was signed into law, the people would rally around it. This is dangerous thinking my friends. These highly educated politicians think the know better than the populace. History has seen this before and it was called an Aristocracy. Aristocracy is close relative to Socialism or a Communist state. These elitist think they know what is best for us and are forcing it down our throats and they are doing so with well though out and funded marketing packages.

Health care is the first step in a well thought out plan to change the way this country functions on a day to day basis. Had the economy not been tanking, there would have been no way for the government to take ownership stake in private industries. With the US in major recession, it was easy to sell the concept of the government owning stock in major corporations, or in the case of GM, a complete takeover of a publicly traded company. Had the recession not been in full effect and GM on the verge of bankruptcy, the first thing he would have gone after would have been health care. Why is that, because it is easy to paint anyone who is against health care for all as uncaring. It is also easy to make comparisons between universal health care and things like civil rights or medicare.

Now that health care has passed, it legitimizes government intervention into other areas. Just look at the student loan process. Even though it had nothing to do with health care, Congress and the Senate saw fit to add having the government run this program. This was done supposedly to save millions of dollars. That is until you find out that the payback program.

The bill will lower the monthly cap on loan repayments from 15 percent to 10 percent. Beginning in 2014 students will not be required to spend more than 10 percent of their income on loan payments. In addition, loans issued after 2014 will be eligible for loan forgiveness after 20 years rather than 25 years. As long as students make their payments in a timely manner for 20 years they can be forgiven of the remaining balance. This has the potential to cost even more money and cause continued job loss in the financial sector. In addition, it is another piece of the pie that the government is now controlling.

Next the Obama administration wants to tackle the financial sector. Of course this is done all in the name of protecting the populace. Consider the comments of VP Joe Biden in an interview with Aaron Task

"It's a simple proposition to us: Everyone is entitled to adequate medical
health care," Biden says. "If you call that a 'redistribution of income' --
well, so be it. I don't call it that. I call it just being fair -- giving the
middle class taxpayers an even break that the wealthy have been getting."

The VP of the United States is legitimizing the redistribution of wealth under the guise of fairness to the middle class. You have to wonder, though, what this administration considers middle class.

This is why it is not too far of a stretch to imagine the government trying to dictate who we can purchase vehicles from. Can't you see the government demand that all new cars be a Chevy Volt as part of some new climate change or green technology government package. What

Representative Michael Burgess had to say this week is not that far off.

The point is, the leaders in Washington are not looking out for us. They believe they know more than each of us and can tell us how to live our lives. The Republicans were just as responsible for maleficence as the Democrats are now. The difference is the Democrats are quickly making up for lost time.

There are many incumbents who are good Congressmen and Senators, both at the state and federal level. We need to support these people as candidates. In this upcoming election, each one of us needs to take a long hard look at the candidates and determine whether or not they are politicians looking to live off of the public teat or are they public servants who want to perform the act of representing the constituency. I do not know about you, but I would rather have a Congressman or Senator that I disagree with, who at least listens to and acts upon the needs and desires of his constituents versus a politician who caters to special interests, their own self interests or what they think is the best.

And since I know that you and or your staff read this website Lacy Clay and Russ Carnahan. Yes I am talking about you two and I look forward to you two being private citizens come January of next year.

My Interview with Candice Britton

There has not been any press that I have heard on this, so I guess you could say you are hearing it here first. Lacy Clay has some competition for the 1st District of Missouri in the House of Representatives. That competition is coming from one Candice Britton or "Britt".

Candice first emailed me after reading a few of my articles on the corruption that is Lacy Clay. I went over to her campaign website and read through her info and stances on the various topics. Since the St. Louis Post Disgrace Dispatch has failed once again to do their job and report the news, I thought I would take it upon myself to reach out to Candice.

The following is an interview I did with Candice online over the course of several days. This is strictly an interview. I am not giving my opinion or am I commenting on anything that Candice has to say. I think it is only fair to let Candice speak her points without comment by me or anyone else. Let you and the people in District 1 make their decisions. While the questions have been rearranged for better reading, all of her answers are verbatim.

Q. Why are you running for the seat currently occupied by Lacy Clay for the 1st District of Missouri?
A. I am running for the seat that is currently occupied by Lacy Clay for the 1st District of Missouri because I feel that Government spending is out of control. Both parties are responsible for the dangerously huge Debt and Deficit. Senators and Congresspersons have forgotten whom they work for…we the people. Democrats and Republicans refuse to work together to set a good example for our children. The deliberate feud between the parties keeps this Country and her people divided. Due to this they are free to do as they please, such as, enact legislation the majority of the people are against. I want to return our Government back to the people.

Q. You said that you want to represent the first district? Lacy Clay claims that he does. how would you go about ensuring you are?
A. Not be an insider. I don’t know all the ends and outs of Congress. What I would like to do if permitted is to set up a special 800- phone line just for the District 1 constituents in the Washington D.C. office and the offices in Missouri.

• I would assign staff to all the different areas that government covers to aide my constituents with their needs.
• I also would answer the phone myself as much as possible (the special constituent phone line).
• I would meet with my constituents one-on-one if needed. (Of course, I would screen for safety matters.)
• I would hold as many town hall events as I could. I would also answer their e-mails in a manner that lets them know what my thinking is on the topic that they e-mailed me about. I will be trying to find the best way to keep communications open with my constituents.

Q. What differentiates you from Lacy Clay in your beliefs and stances?
A. I can’t tell you what Mr. Clays beliefs are because I do not know them. I can only tell you what are my beliefs and stances.

I believe the Government is of the people and for the people of this great country. I believe our legislators are to work for us. Mr. Clay and I are different in the following areas:

• Most, not all, of his votes are along the Democratic Party line. My votes will not be for party or self-political gain. I will vote for the will of District 1 constituents and consider the will of the majority of the Country and use common sense.
• We also differ on many other issues, such as, Immigration, the closing of Guantanamo Military Prison, Healthcare reform and Government Ethics.
• Mr. Clay voted No on H. Res. 895, which establishes an Office of Congressional Ethics within the House of Representatives. I would vote yes.
• Mr. Clay voted No on S 1: A bill to provide greater transparency in the legislative process. I would vote yes.
• I believe my voting record would be very different from his on many issues. Before I would vote on ANY legislation, I would read the legislation with my staff. I would research the legislation to make sure that I have a good sound knowledge and understanding of the legislation before I voted. If the majority leader would not give sufficient time to research and understand the legislation before a vote, I will vote “NO”. I will use common sense and NEVER forget whom I work for.

Q. You are not a Washington or even a St. Louis political insider. What makes you qualified for this position?
A. It’s because I’m NOT a Washington D.C. or Political party insider that I’m qualified. My question to everyone is…how’s Mr. Clay doing? How are the Congresspersons doing? Are you happy with the job that they’re doing for you and our country? Some are Lawyers’, Businesspersons, graduates from Harvard, Yale, Millionaires’, Career politicians etc….

My education is 15 years of school. I have life experience and common sense. I know how every Social Entitlement program works or don’t work. I’m you, just a regular person, who wants to try to make a difference in the lives of the District 1 constituents and my fellow American brothers and sisters. I feel that our founding fathers wanted people just like you and me to represent each other as far as our government is concerned. I think our founding fathers want regular folks like you and me to make the laws and regulations that govern all Americans. I believe that I’m what the founding fathers had in mind.

“We The People Of The United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America”

Each constituent in District 1 will have to decide if they feel I am qualified to represent them and their needs in Washington D.C. I will
respect their decision.

Q. What is your platform?
A. My political platform is democratic with a strong belief that our country can’t survive without a strong manufacturing base. We must produce the majority of our own goods to survive and compete with other countries.

Q. Are there any committees that you would especially want to participate in, should you be elected?
A. I will have no say over the committee assignments. Though, if I could choose, I would choose from the following:

• House Committee on Education and Labor
• House Committee on Small Business
• Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions
• Subcommittee on Rural Development, Entrepreneurship and Trade
• Subcommittee on Regulations and Healthcare
• Subcommittee on Elections
• Committee on Housing

Q. Reading your website, it reads like some of your positions are things we have heard from the St. Louis Tea Party; is that what you are running under or as a part of?
A. I’m a Democrat that has participated in several St. Louis Tea Party events. I agree with some of the Tea Party positions as well as with some of the Republican positions and some of the Democrat positions. I’m an independent thinker. I believe no one group, party or person has all the answers.

Q. How do you feel the President is performing?
A. At this time, I feel that he lacks experience and leadership skills. I currently don’t feel he is governing in the best direction for our country. I don’t agree with the majority of his policies.
What has he done right?

• Asking Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State
• and by also asking George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to handle the Haiti disaster.

What has he done wrong?

• Closing Guantanamo Military Prison.
• Prosecuting Terrorists in U.S.Federal courts.
• Half of the 2009 Healthcare reform legislation is not up to par.
• Bad Economy issue decisions, such as, the Stimulus package, bailing out the Auto manufacturers and banks and T.A.R.P.
• The Cap and Trade legislation would increase utilities.

Q. You said half of the Healthcare bill was not up to par. In which ways do you agree and disagree with the bill?
A. These are just a few things I like and don’t like about the Healthcare bill.
PRO'S

• Provide small employers with fewer than 25 employees and average annual wages of less than $40,000 that purchase health insurance for employees with a tax credit.
• For tax years 2011 and 2012, provide a tax credit of up to 35% of the employer’s contribution toward the employee’s health insurance premium if the employer contributes at least 50% of the total premium cost or 50% of a benchmark premium. The full credit will be available to employers with 10 or fewer employees and average annual wages of less than $20,000. Tax-exempt small businesses meeting these requirements are eligible for tax credits of up to 25% of the employer’s contribution toward the employee’s health insurance premium.
• SEC. 2705 PROHIBITION OF PREEXISTING CONDITION CLUSIONS OR OTHER DISCRIMINATION BASED ON HEALTH STATUS.
• Such rate shall not vary by health status related factors, gender,class of business, claims experience, or any other factor.
• SEC. 2706 PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPANTS AND BENEFICIARIES BASED ON HEALTH STATUS.
• A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage, may not establish rules for eligibility (including continued eligibility) of any individual to enroll under the terms of the plan or coverage based on any of the following health status-related factors in relation to the individual or a dependent of the individual:
• Health status.
• Medical condition (including both physical and mental illnesses).
• Claims experience.
• Receipt of health care.
• Medical history.
• Genetic information.
• Evidence of insurability arising out of acts of domestic violence.
• Disability.

CONS

• Individual mandate. Require U.S. citizens and legal residents to have qualifying health coverage. Enforced through a tax penalty of $750 per adult year.
  Impose a tax on individuals without qualifying coverage of $750 per adult per year to be phased-in beginning in 2014.
• Impose an excise tax in 2013 on insurers of employer-sponsored health plans with aggregate values that exceed $8,000 for individual coverage and $21,000 for family coverage (these threshold values will be indexed to the consumer price index for urban consumers (CPI-U) plus 1%). The threshold amounts will be increased for retired individuals age 55 and up and for employees engaged in high-risk professions by $1,850 for individual coverage and $5,000 for family coverage.
• Impose new fees on segments of the health care sector: $2.3 billion annual fee on the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector; $4 billion annual fee on the medical device manufacturing sector; and $6.7 billion annual fee on the health insurance sector.
• 500 billion in Medicare cuts over 10 years to help offset the enormous cost of providing care to 45 million uninsured Americans.
• SEC. 2701. FAIR INSURANCE COVERAGE. Rate shall vary only by:
• Family structure
• Community rating area;
• The actuarial value of the benefit;
• Age, except that such rate shall not vary by more than 2 to 1.
• United States Preventive Services Task Force.
• Independent Medicare Advisory Boards (named informally the death panel).
• Section 3403 of Senate requires that “it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection.”
• Section 3403 of Senator Reid’s legislation also states, “Notwithstanding rule XV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a committee amendment described in subparagraph (A) may include matter not within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Finance if that matter is relevant to a proposal contained in the bill submitted under subsection (c)(3).” In short, it sets up a rule to ignore another Senate rule.
• No comparative effectiveness research and value-based purchasing.

Q. What is the one thing you want to accomplish should you be elected? –
A. To rebuild our manufacturing base.

Q. How would you go about rebuilding our manufacturing base?
A. I know the above won’t be easy and to get it done will take a lot of like-minded legislators to achieve it. With that said, we must start the process and let folks know how important it is to the well being of the American people.

• I would start by learning everything I can about manufacturing.
• I would visit as many different kinds of manufacturing companies as possible to do the following:
• I would ask them what keeps their company in the U.S.?
• What do they need to compete with China, India or any other foreign countries?
• I would visit the manufacturing companies that have moved their factories to another country and find out why?
• I would ask them what would they need and what would it take for them to return their company back to the U.S.?
• After I gathered all the information, I would then go to work in trying to figure out what I can do as far as with the Federal Government through legislation, tax incentives, tariffs, etc. I then would do what I could to bring our American Companies that left back home.
• Those that left the U.S. to use child labor and create sweatshops for greed will never return. Those companies should be forced to give up their American citizenship.

I will need to educate myself more to gain the knowledge needed to achieve the referenced above.

Q. Running against Lacy Clay, are you afraid that your disease and even your housing and disability will become an issue?
A. No, I’m not afraid. Could the above become an issue for some voters? Yes. Could Mr. Clay make it an issue? Yes. I personally don’t feel it should be an issue. We have many Senators and Congresspersons who have had cancers, strokes and brain tumors while holding office and are re-elected. Anyone including the District 1 voters could become ill (God forbid). President Ronald Regan (who had Alzheimer’s) held the office of the presidency with the very early stages of Alzheimer’s. If I’m not mistaken, Vice President Biden had a brain tumor at one time. The District 1 voters will decide if it is a reason to not vote for me. If that is the case, I will respect their decision.

Q. What is your background? Tell my readers more about you? –
A. My roots are in Sullivan and Bourbon, Missouri. Yes, I’m a country girl.

I grew up on the Meramec River and love outdoor activities, such as, fishing, hiking, boating and all things that growing up on a river can offer a person. I played Varsity softball and volleyball in high school and during my time in high school loved working on my old cars and keeping them running. In my younger years, due to my passion for working and thurst for learning new things, I did various types of work. I have 5 siblings, but none that live in St. Louis.

I attended East Central Junior College and Meramec Community College. When I was 21 years of age, I had to move to the city to find work and have been here ever since. No children of my own. I love life and all the adventures she can offer. Most of all, I love my country (the people) and have a passion that burns deep inside of me to keep her strong for those of us who are here now and for those that are to come in the future.

Writing about myself is the hardest question you have asked me to answer.

Running for Congress is not about me. It’s about “We the People” and giving our government back to its rightful owners, “The People”.

Q. Have you approached or are there any plans for you to debate Lacy Clay? If so, when?
A. I don't know if Mr. Clay knows that he has a Democrat challenger yet. I don't know that he will deem me a threat. I have had no contact with Mr. Clay. I will wait and see how things go. I'm open to debating Mr. Clay. It would be my first debate ever in my life. Mr. Clay would have a huge advantage. If Mr. Clay asks for a debate I will debate him and do my best.

As you can see, Candice has some very interesting points. Please check out her webpage and reach out to her via her website or on Twitter via @Candicebritton.

I hope you found this as informative as I did. Please comment your thoughts on here and let Candice know what you think.

Media Biting the Hand That Fed Them

Back in October, I wrote an article on the media and the slippery slope is was on. I said at that time that the media would eventually bite the hand that fed them. Well it is starting to happen.

From C-Span admitting they were played for political purposes and then asking for open conferences.

You have Jack Cafferty of CNN ripping Obama for his lack of transparency on the healthcare debate.

And the CBS Evening News posting the following headline - Obama Reneges on Health Care Transparency.

On top of that, Madam Speaker, took a swipe at President Obama with this.

With friends like this, who needs enemies. No wonder Obama is going grey with less than a year in office.

Quick Hits and Random Thoughts

While I am looking into something that could be BIG or nothing at all, I just thought I would post some random thoughts and quick hits.

• What happened to waiting 72 hours before voting on bills. Wasn't it Nancy Pelosi who complained about rushing bills to a vote? I do not care what side of the aisle you are on, all bills should wait 72 hours before a vote. This was not a national security or wartime issue.


• So, if, and that is a big IF, healthcare gets to Obama's desk and he signs it, how long will it be before it goes before a Federal Court on the basis that it is unconstitutional? To see my opinions on this, click here.


• Do you know how your Congressman and Senator will vote if the UN Rights of the Child treaty comes up for ratification? If you are not familiar with this, you should be. Read more here. The President has already stated he is for it.


• Is Fox News and the Murdoch news empire becoming the new leader in making and leading news? Just something to think about.
  
• This is old news, but was recently brought up to me, why is it OK for the US to aide Brazil in offshore drilling in Brazil, but not assisting US companies in drilling offshore of the US?


• Will easing the creation of nuclear power plants be enough to get some Republicans to vote for Cap and Trade regulation. Just a thought, just because it gets easier does not mean environmental fascists will not file junk lawsuits to try and block the building of them.


• Have you ever noticed that the government, which is made up of a lot of lawyers and trial lawyers, does a damn good job of protecting trial lawyers? Just a thought.


• And finally, this is a sign I saw this weekend at a car wash in Hazelwood, MO off of Howdershell Rd. I am contacting the owner to see if I can do a quick interview to get his thoughts, as a small business owner, on Cap and Trade, Healthcare and Lacy Clay. If you are in Hazelwood, stop by and get your car washed and support this small business.

Why McCain Not Winning Is A Good Thing

In an interview with Katie Couric Glenn Beck said he was glad that John McCain did not win the presidency. I know that I am a little behind on this but what can I say, we have Cardinals' baseball, apple picking with the kids, the daily grind, and trying to keep up with the healthcare debate and some research on my favorite target, Lacy Clay, so yeah, I am a little behind.

Anyway, I watched this interview online and I have to say that before Glenn even gave any type of explanation I agreed with him. The best thing that could have happened not just for the Republican party, but for America, was the election of Barack Obama. Why is that you may say, well let me tell you.

1. No longer will Pelosi and Reid be able to blame everything on Bush and the Republicans. Anytime something went wrong it was the Republicans fault. Never mind the facts that Bush and many Conservatives tried to end the sub-prime mortgage practices and were blocked by filibustering Dems like Obama. They are being exposed for their hypocrisy and their failed policies. A failure of this magnitude will really make people think when they vote again in 2010 and 2012.
2. This was a splash of cold water to the Republicans. Let's face it, the Republicans got lazy and were really shifting away from the core beliefs. Many in the RNC became to worried about appeasing the left, instead of taking care of the issues and doing what's right. They also became drunk with power and started participating in some massive pork spending. Losing in 2006 and 2008 has made the RNC have to refocus and find their identity. The question really becomes, will that identity be centrist right, conservative or somewhere in the middle.
3. In one 2 - 4 year period, this could create some drastic changes in the House and Senate that would not have happened. Pelosi and Reid are both going to have to run against serious challenges in their home state. Both could wind up losing their seats along with a slew of others including St. Louis' own Russ Carnahan. Add to that the people that work for and with Pelosi, Reid and Obama, people like Van Jones, are being brought to light.
4. The Democrats have overplayed their hand and showing their real far left agenda. People are seeing this and are not feeling comfortable with what they are seeing. Barack Obama has an approval rate between 48-52% and the Congress as a whole has an approval rating of 21%.
5. More people are standing up and becoming active in politics. This is potentially one of the most dangerous aspects to the Democrats. Their refusal to listen and in some cases brazen disregard for their constituents has led many people to stand up and become politically active. Do you think there would be a strong Tea Party movement if McCain were elected. I do not. The activist agenda that is in play right now would not have happened and many people would still be sitting at home, quietly simmering in anger at the government.

So yes my friends, it is a good thing McCain was not elected. Are we hurting, yes. That said, in the end we will be better for this pain. Sometimes you have to walk through the desert to get to the promised land. Now, if we could just bring back Ronald Reagan.

The Problem with H.R 3200 America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009

I have seen quite a bit of traffic lately going into my article on True Healthcare Reform. Specifically, people have come to it trying to figure out why people are against healthcare reform.

Let me first say, I do not think anyone is against healthcare reform. I believe everyone agrees that the system needs some changes. That is just an undeniable fact. When you hear about polls stating that people believe we need healthcare reform, they are agreeing to that generic statement. What I and many other people have a problem with is the way that healthcare reform is currently taking form.

There are some basic principles of the system that are what cause a lot of grief. Sometimes it is not what is exactly in the bill, but what roads it will make us go down. I understand that there are different version of the House bill, so I am not going to talk about all of the proposed amendments and will stick with H.R 3200.

Here are some of the concerns I and others have with this bill:

1. You cannot have an entity participate and create the rules. If the government is one of the active players who can offer insurance, they will have an unfair advantage over all other insurers. Anyone who has ever worked with the government is well aware of a nice little clause they place on all of their contracts. This clause is called “Most Favored Nation”. What this clause basically states is that no entity can get a better price than the government. That means that even if another insurer sends more patients to a doctor, hospital, etc. they cannot get as good of a discount as the government. This gives the government an unfair advantage compared to other insurers. Add on top of that, that there is no requirement that this government sponsored/public plan make money, the government does not have to worry about shareholders, profitability, etc. The only requirement is that the plan is deficit neutral. With everything I said here being true, how can a for profit or even a non for profit company compete with a government entity that always has the upper hand. Add to that, the government can and does change the rules when it sees fit. If you just look at Medicare Part D, the government is changing the way it pays for prescriptions so that they are guaranteed to pay a lower reimbursement for drugs than its non Medicare competitors. Just so you know, Medicare prescription coverage is not the largest insurer out there, so they are not getting the best price because they bring the most customers to the table.


2. Government oversight is a big concern to a lot of people. The idea that a government entity could choose the best treatment based upon an unknown set of codes is problematic at best. Right now, doctors use standards that are set up by professional organizations made up of practicing peers. Insurance companies use a similar standard made up of licensed nurses (who have worked in offices and hospitals), doctors (who have worked in offices and hospitals) and management within the insurance company. There is no guarantee that the government will do the same. If the current standard is any indication, this board would be made up of academics that have never practiced or have not practiced in over 15 years as well as bureaucrats. This is where the whole concept of the death panel Sarah Palin has talked about came from. When President Obama states that he questions the logic of giving a new hip to a terminal cancer patient, that sounds all well and good, but it is what he is not saying that is important. Like many people, I have had and known people who had terminal cancer and were given 6 months or less to live. These same people wound up living for 3 or more years. Randy Pausch is a perfect example of this as he was given 3 to 6 months and lived a year. Randy gave what may be one of the best lectures ever in The Last Lecture. Based upon things Obama has said, a person diagnosed with terminal cancer would cease to get treatments. In other words, a panel would judge your worth and determine if you are worthy of having money spent on you. I do not think anyone wants the government making that determination. That is a slippery slope that a government can go down and one that leads to allusions of Logans Run.


3. Why does this have to be passed so quickly? It sounds great to say that you want to get this passed quickly so every American can be covered. That is completely bogus. To put together a working program to cover a country and population this size, you must take your time and ensure that there are not loopholes. President Obama promised as a candidate, transparency and committed to showing the forums and discussion on C-Span. Where is the transparency? The whole program has been rushed through. Congressmen admit that they have not had a chance to read it, yet Nancy Pelosi and the like want to vote on it immediately. Why? This does not make sense. It is as if they do not want everyone to know what is in the bill. Why not take the time to put together a good bill that everyone can read and reflect upon. This is not a national emergency. We are not in a state of crisis. Many Democrats argued that the Patriot Act was rushed through Congress before everyone had a chance to review it.


4. Why is the standard they asked for during the Bush Administration any different now?
   No one can seem to agree with what is in the bill. If you blog, read the papers and watch the news like I and many Americans do, you will find that anytime a Congressman or Senator get off of talking points, they say things that are contradictory from their peers. Today alone Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren was caught on video admitting that one of the proposed House bills would require the public plan cover abortions, when others state that is not the case. Which is it? President Obama states that you can keep your insurance if you want to, yet on page 16 of the latest version of the healthcare bill it states that no new policies can be enacted after a certain date. Read the bill which you can find here. Which is it. As I stated earlier, why does it have to be passed so quickly, especially when those that are voting on it do not even know what it says.

Let us have a civil debate. I know President Obama promised healthcare reform. We all want to see some sort of healthcare reform, but it does not need to be rushed through. Put together something that patients and healthcare providers can work with. Put together a plan that works piecemeal, with stop gaps. We are talking about a program that would be bigger than any other healthcare plan in the world. Let's do it right the first time.