Big Dogs House

The Health Care Shell Game

Mar 19, 2010 Political

The CBO numbers came out and Democrats are giddy. They believe the numbers reported mean that the health care takeover bill will save money and reduce the deficit. This is far from the truth. The CBO can only grade what they are given and they are only given items that are expected to give the desired result. It is a shell game that all politicians play when they want to hide the true cost of any legislation.

The reality of the health care takeover is that it will increase the deficit. The doc-fix is something that has been going on for a long time. In order to reimburse doctors the amount needed for Medicare patients, a separate bill is introduced each year to fix the problem. The fix is usually added to some other spending bill to reduce the cost of Medicare. Last year it was added to the Defense bill so the cost, on paper, was not borne by Medicare.

The doc-fix was supposed to be a part of the health care takeover bill and it should be. It would have been a permanent part of health care so that there would be no future need for doc-fixes. But that fix caused a deficit so the Democrats removed it from the bill and made it a separate piece of legislation. The money must still be spent but removing it from the health care takeover bill kept the CBO from scoring it against the bill. Keep in mind, this is still a cost that must be borne no matter what bill it appears in.

The CBO states, despite what Democrats claim (Obama made the claim today), that the health care takeover would increase the deficit. This is an assessment based on including the doc-fix in the health care takeover bill.

The Congressional Budget Office said Friday that rolling back a programmed cut in Medicare fees to doctors would cost $208 billion over 10 years. If added back to the health care overhaul bill, it would wipe out all the deficit reduction, leaving the legislation $59 billion in the red.

The so-called doc fix was part of the original House bill. Because of its high cost, Democrats decided to pursue it separately. Republicans say the cost should not be ignored. Congress has usually waived the cuts to doctors year by year. Yahoo News

Republicans are correct in saying that this cost should not be ignored because it is a cost associated with health care. Democrats are deliberately ignoring it to give the false impression that the health care takeover bill will reduce the deficit.

It will actually cause the takeover to be 59 BILLION dollars in the red. That is 59 Billion more dollars added to the deficit.

This is a shell game being played in order to get this takeover passed. The bill is not about health and it is not about care. It is about control. Once the government controls health care it will control the people and this is what Democrats want, control over you.

Keep in mind that VP Biden said that the government would control the health care companies (it is about control) and Nancy Pelosi said that this was the start and that more would be done after this passes. They want the public option and this is what she is talking about. When Obama was being skewered by Bret Baier this week he disclosed that this is a start and that they were working incrementally to get more. He has stated in the past that the public option was the goal and he alluded to that in the interview. He pointed out that Canada did not get where it is all at once, that they did it in steps. This health care takeover is the first of many steps to get to a public option and take complete control of our lives.

To ensure that we are controlled by the government the bill puts the IRS in charge of checking on each of us every month to make sure we are insured. If we do not have insurance they will fine us and take the money from any refund due or otherwise fine us. The government will use the IRS to enforce the dictatorial rules on us and that will cost about 10 BILLION more dollars that will have to be paid but will not be counted against the cost of the legislation even though the expense is a direct result of it.

The process is unconstitutional and it is contrary to what a free people expect. Once government controls our lives we have lost our freedom and this is what Democrats want.

We also need to understand that Obama is in favor of using the same jaded and unconstitutional processes to pass the rest of his agenda. How far will this go? How far does it have to go before Americans revolt?

I do not know the answer but I know that I will not relinquish my freedom without a fight.

And all true Americans feel the same.

We will teach these people that they work for us and that we are not their servants.

One way or another they are going to learn this lesson.

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Tags: constitution, deficit, health care, irs, lies, Obama, shell game

Is The Public Option Back?

Mar 16, 2010 Political

The public option was dead and had a stake through its heart but now, like Jason, it appears to be back. The Democrats have passed a shell bill and will insert items into it. Pam Geller of Atlas Shrugs reports that this language is now part of the bill:

Subtitle B—Public Health Insurance Option

SEC. 221. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF A PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION AS AN EXCHANGE-QUALIFIED HEALTH BENEFITS PLAN.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—For years beginning with Y1, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this subtitle referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall provide for the offering of an Exchange-participating health benefits plan (in this subdivision referred to as the ‘‘public health insurance option’’) that ensures choice, competition, and stability of affordable, high quality coverage throughout the United States in accordance with this subtitle. In designing the option, the Secretary’s primary responsibility is to create a low-cost plan without compromising quality or access to care.

I have no idea if this was ever in the Senate Bill but I am pretty sure the title of Public Health Insurance Option and the the last sentence that states it is the Secretary’s PRIMARY responsibility to create a low-cost plan pretty much means that this is a public option.

The Democrats are using unconstitutional methods to pass the bill, are using sleight of hand to get things in the bill and are lying to the American public. This is how they roll and we cannot trust them. We cannot trust anyone who would usurp the Constitution in order to impose his will on us.

This bill must be defeated and it must be defeated badly.

I am not sure about all of this but I think tomorrow at 10 am we might have a better idea. Dennis Kucinich is scheduled to announce how he will vote on the bill. He has been a firm NO vote all along because there was NO public option. He has been courted and, at the same time, shamed by Obama and now the once adamant Congressman is silent about his plan.

If he announces that he will vote YES then we will know for sure that the public option is back in play.

Never, ever, trust a Democrat.

Big Dog Salute to Jasmine

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Tags: constitution, kucinich, lies, Obama, pam geller, public option

Constitution Slaughters The Slaughter Solution

Mar 13, 2010 Political

By now anyone with a head and who is not trying to rewrite history over this issue knows that the Democrats are working full speed ahead to pass unpopular legislation in order to take control of our lives by controlling our health care. They want to vote for Obama’s signature legislative item but they are worried about the ramifications of passing unpopular legislation especially in an election year.

It is a double edged sword because they need to pass it now because they will lose too many seats to pass it next year. But if they pass it now they will lose even more seats and Obama will have no future agenda because Republicans will not allow anything he wants to pass. It won’t get considered. This will be the price for ramming legislation through without following the Constitution. I bet then we hear Democrats scream about being left out of the process and how ham handed the Republicans are.

Anyone who complains should be locked in the basement so we do not have to hear them again. This would include Obama.

The most recent idea coming from Democrats is to consider a bill voted on and passed if another piece of legislation is passed. This is a way to avoid voting on the unpopular bill but getting what they want passed.

In the Slaughter Solution, the rule would declare that the House “deems” the Senate version of Obamacare to have been passed by the House. House members would still have to vote on whether to accept the rule, but they would then be able to say they only voted for a rule, not for the bill itself.

Thus, Slaughter is preparing a rule that would consider the Senate bill “passed” once the House approves a corrections bill that would make changes. Democrats would thereby avoid a direct vote on the health care bill while allowing it to become law! Doug Ross

According to Constitutional Attorney Mark R Levin, this rule is unconstitutional. The House and Senate must vote on a bill and it must be sent to the president to be signed into law. So far, so good because they are voting on a bill but they are not voting on the bill that will become law and they are not voting in accordance with the Constitution:

U.S Constitution, Article I, Section VII, Clause II.

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively… [emphasis added]

In ALL cases the bills shall be voted on by Yeahs and Nays. They cannot vote on one rule change and say it means they voted on another bill. Every BILL (singular) must be voted on with yeahs and nays. Our Founders set this up for a reason.

Of course the Constitutionality of something has never stopped Democrats from doing what they wanted but I am pretty sure there will be a lot of legal challenges to any process that does not follow the Constitution and the legal process in accordance with the law.

Note to Democrats, just because you change the rules does not mean the rules adopted are Constitutional.

Here is a link to the US Constitution for those who are challenged in this area. It would be particularly nice if Politicians read this.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out because the left is worried about the interpretation of the Senate Parliamentarian when it should be worried about the Constitution.

Can they use reconciliation to fix a bill that has not been agreed upon by both chambers? Don’t know but they cannot vote for a rule and say it counts as voting for a bill.

The other interesting thing that I see is Joe Biden has a big role in this as President of the Senate. This is the guy who scolded Dick Cheney and cited the wrong part of the Constitution when discussing the role of the VP. Seems that Biden was unaware that the VP has Executive and Legislative responsibility and that this is spelled out in the Constitution (it really helps to read it).

In any event, Biden might get a chance to learn what the VP is allowed to do.

Now it would be funny to see them do all of this only to have it nullified as unconstitutional, or declared not a law because they did not vote on a BILL. They would be back to square one and a lot closer to the election. They would never get another chance and that is a good thing.

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Tags: constitution, illegal, joe biden, Obama, slaughter, stock market, usurp

Democrat Transparency Behind Closed Doors

Jan 5, 2010 Political

Henry Waxman and many of the top Democrats have returned to DC to start working on reconciling the House and Senate versions of the health care overhaul. The House does not reconvene until January 12^th and the Senate after that. The reason that these slugs are gathering is so they can work on an end around with the White House.

The House and Senate leaders are working on ways to keep from using the reconciliation process properly to merge the bills. The game will involve bouncing amendments back and forth and working out more back room deals in a fashion that does not allow Republicans to participate and because the normal process would require 60 votes each time the Senate had to vote. They had to bribe a lot of people to get 60 the last time and they do not want to go through that mess again.

This will also allow Pelosi to provide cover for some Democrats in the House but Republicans are not the only ones who are being screwed in this game. Democrats who have certain items they will not waiver on will not be able to ensure what they want is included. Pelosi will likely have the votes she needs and Reid will not have to do anything ethical like follow the Senate rules.

It was Pelosi who promised the most ethical Congress. It was Obama who promised transparency and all Democrats have thrown that word around quite a bit. They were not transparent during the initial work on this disaster and they are even less so now. These slugs are hiding behind closed doors and working on stuff out of the eye of the public.

They are hiding like the cowardly vermin that they are. This is no way to run a government and one can be sure that if the parties were reversed the liberal bloggers and the Democrats would be having a cow and talking about how the process was being hijacked.

Regardless of how one feels about the health care bill there are rules and procedures that must be followed if we are to maintain a legitimate government. This closed door stuff is more in line with Russia, China and a host of other nations that rule in a manner that was never in our design.

The Democrats and their leader Obama have completely shredded the Constitution and the rules that govern the House and Senate. They are hiding like cowards and pushing what they want regardless of the will of the people and regardless of the desires of some of their own members.

Now is the time for a Joe Lieberman to step up and say he will vote against final passage if this is not done properly.

Now, more than ever, we need the Republican to win Ted Kennedy’s seat in this month’s special election. We need these things now because our Republic has been hijacked by a bunch of cutthroat thugs who are moving closer and closer to iron fist rule of the Communists and less in accordance with the Republican form of government we were promised by our Founders and that is clearly spelled out in the Constitution.

I know that the Democrats think losing what they have in numbers is acceptable as long as they get what they want now. That is their choice to make and as foolish as it is, they are moving full steam ahead.

They will have a bloodbath in the next election but are they looking for more than that? Are they begging people to walk into the Capitol and throw them out onto the street and put in place a new government? Are they begging us to overthrow them by force? We have a solemn duty to cast off the bonds of oppressive government. We have a duty to get rid of any government that does not follow the rule of law.

We have elections to do that but it seems as if these morons are begging people to enter the Capitol and kick their asses out.

Nothing would make me happier than seeing them in shackles on a plane to Gitmo but I am content to wait for the next election.

What will come first, the next election or the tipping point?

Source:
US News

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Tags: constitution, corruption, health care, Obama, Pelosi, Reid, usurping

A Party Of One

Oct 31, 2009 Political

Apparently that is as many as you need to get minority legislation passed in favor of yourself, so you can feel entitled and good about yourself, and as I understand it, this is necessary to life- it’s probably a “right”, right? I mean, if feeling good about yourself isn’t a right, it should be, because we are a minority, and we are entitled.

What bullcrap- nowadays, we have been hijacked by a plethora of “minorities” or “oppressed” peoples, each with their own litany of complaints and demands, like a spoiled child who needs his backside warmed to remind him that he is NOT the center of the universe.

This used to be the country where the majority ruled- because it makes sense to go in the direction that the most people are headed. But  we are compassionate people. We have, in the past, accommodated others who might not be of the same faith (other than Christian), of the same dietary needs, people who are, let’s face it, the minority. These are people who make the tapestry that is America much richer for their contributions.

But in recent times- say the last twenty- five years or so, we have bent over backwards to assist others in assimilation into this society, with the aim that they would begin to conform more to the majority in behavior.

Instead, we have begat a segment of society that does not care to assimilate, and doesn’t want to compromise, as if it is they, and not us , who are in the majority. What arrogance on their part. Here’s an example:

The lovely-looking restaurant and bar The Breslin begins lunch service tomorrow, and co-owner Ken Friedman (The Spotted Pig) is planning on serving alcohol despite objections from the Masjid Ar-Rahman mosque across the street. Earlier this month the mosque’s leaders called a meeting with Friedman at The Ace Hotel, where The Breslin is located, and asked, “Can you move the bar?” Friedman’s response makes us want to hurry over to The Breslin right now for a dram of Laphroaig to show our support (and drown out the voices):

I said, “This is the United States of America and we’ll do whatever the f*ck we want.” He said the mosque had suggested it couldn’t control the behavior of “a few bad eggs”; i.e., we could get a brick through our window.

gothamist.com

These muslims sincerely believe that our citizens should conform to their standards- what gross stupidity on their part, but it does illustrate how horribly skewed our society has become when these types of “entitled” spoiled brats actually think they can do this. Our compassion at this point begins to dry up when confronted by supercilious attitudes such as these.

Friedman notified police of the threat, but just to show he’s not a hard-hearted man, that it’s not all dollars and cents, he agreed to put a curtain over the windows so devout Muslims wouldn’t be corrupted by the sight of infidel inebriation. But the curtain hasn’t arrived yet, so over the weekend he actually taped paper over the windows to hide a gay wedding. A volunteer at the mosque says city law forbids serving liquor within 200 feet of a place of worship and that “not more than 200 feet is between the mosque and the bar.”

But Ace Hotel developer Andrew Zobler tells The Observer, “The law is clear that in order for that to apply it has to be an exclusively dedicated house of worship, and at their space they have both residences and a restaurant, so basically, because of those uses the law allowed there to be a bar within 200 feet. Everyone was aware of that when the liquor license was granted.” And Friedman adds, “They can threaten, but they can’t really stop us.” Yeah, heh, what are these devout, pissed-off Muslims gonna do?

gothamist.com

What are they going to do indeed? One never knows, but the greater question is who the hell do they think they are? Granted, I would never think of wandering into their mosque sipping a bottle of Bushmills Black label (although I have heard that it is a rather out of this world experience when you sip enough), because I do care somewhat about their sensibilities- at least enough to be polite, but when spoiled people try and dictate their whims to the majority, they begin to act like children in need of discipline, or worse, like liberals.

The solution to either is the same- slap the snot out of them- it will set them on the road to sanity, and in twenty years or so, after they have grown, they will thank you for that guidance.

And perhaps they will have a mature outlook with which they deal with people.

And, for God’s sake not whine so much about non existent “rights”.

If you want rights, look in the Constitution.

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Tags: alcohol, constitution, entitled brats, Muslims, rights