Instead of Questions, Hillary Plants Questioner

The CNN/YouTube debate for the Republicans was held earlier this evening and I think it was a lively event. The problem with the event is that CNN allowed an activist who is a member of Hillary Clinton’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transsexual steering committee two minutes of talk time. It is absolutely true that CNN allowed a person affiliated with the campaign of a Democrat running for President to ask questions of the Republicans at the Republican debate. Not only was this gay retired Army general’s question one of the YouTube submissions selected but he was allowed to be in the audience and ask follow up questions. Before the LGBT community or the Democrats get their panties in a wad I want to make it clear that this person had a right to ask his question and he had a right to be at the event. However, CNN should have disclosed that this man was on a Hillary Clinton steering committee so that the public would know that he was not a Republican and that he was not unbiased.

I thought it was strange early on when someone asked a question and Anderson Cooper disclosed that the guy was in the audience and asked him if his question was answered. He gave a short answer and sat down. The only other person allowed to do that was the gay general. Now, it might be because he was the only other person to ask a question who attended the event. But it sure appears as if CNN had the first guy there so the second would not seem unusual. It also seemed strange to me that this guy asked why the candidates felt gays should not serve openly in the military and they gave their answers but when Cooper asked if he had been answered he said no and then went on a rant about his gayness and time in the service. It almost seems like it was set up that way.

As I stated, I have no problem with the question or the guy being there. I just feel that his affiliation should have been disclosed. This event makes it look like instead of planting the questions the Clinton campaign is now planting the people who ask them as well because the campaign had to know he was going to be there. CNN had to know who this guy was and it is no secret that he is connected to the Clinton campaign. The Gay general, Keith Kerr, is listed on her website as part of the steering committee and that they support her for president:

Members of LGBT AMERICANS FOR HILLARY [Keith Kerr is listed] have endorsed Hillary Clinton for President in their individual capacity. The names of past or present affiliations are included to assist in identifying the individuals listed and do not indicate any endorsement by that group or organization. HillaryClinton.com

There were well over 4000 questions submitted for the debate so it is unlikely that this guy was selected at random. His question was selected and he was present to show Republicans as people who hate gay people. I thought all the answers were pretty good. They told why they were opposed to gay people in the military. They did not say anything hateful but just that they felt it was not a good thing. The only one who tripped up on it is Romney who flipped from a previous position where he said he could not wait for the day when gays could serve openly in the military. This part of the debate is sure to rile up the gay brigade and have them out in hater mode tomorrow discussing how terrible the Republicans are. Don’t buy it, the answers were fine. People do not have to agree with that lifestyle and that does not make them hateful people. It just means they do not agree.

I wonder why it is that no Republican was at the Democratic YouTube debate to be selected for follow up. Can you imagine how Hillary would be in full conspiracy mode with the VRWC and black helicopters if a person on a Republican steering committee who had endorsed a Republican candidate was there and asked a question in an attempt to make the Democrats look bad? They would go nuts and Hillary, in particular, would be carping about the Republican attack machine. After all those years of being someone’s bitch in private tonight, this guy was Hillary’s bitch in public.

It does seem amazing that the Democrats did not have this happen to them but the Republicans did. Not too amazing because CNN (and they have some explaining to do) is the Clinton News Network but the Republicans allowed a Democratic operative, and a gay one at that, to come to their debate and ask a follow up question.

Who says Republicans are not inclusive?

Want to bet Hillary denies, claims ignorance or blames it on someone else? How about she says it is a coincidence?

UPDATE: Anderson Cooper says they did not know. I guess that means the gay general is unethical. But then again we knew that because if he served for 43 years he answered the “have you ever engaged in homosexual behavior” question and he had to put NO.

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Big Dog

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Maryland Legislative Hit List

The Maryland legislature has voted on the largest tax increase in state history and it looks like the tax increases will become law soon barring any unusual events in conference. WBAL radio has posted a list of the vote and how each Delegate and Senator voted. No Republicans voted for tax increases and some of the Democrats joined them.

However, since the Maryland legislature is loaded with Democrats the votes easily passed. I urge every citizen of Maryland to look at the list and make a not of their elected leaders who voted to increase taxes and then vote those people out of office in the next election. I am glad that those who voted for these politicians and that idiot Martin O’Malley will get to feel the immense pain of not being able to make ends meet but I also realize that we need to make the politicians hurt as well.

Look at the list, print it out and put it on the refrigerator so you will be reminded daily of the people who caused the pain. Get your anger intense by election day and make them pay.

Maryland hit list

Big Dog

Hillary’s Birthday, a Hot Time in California

Media Mogul David Geffen was once a big time Clinton supporter to the tune of 18 million dollars. In 2005 he stated that Hillary was too polarizing and could not be elected. In February of this year Geffen had some harsh things to say about both Clintons. It would seem that Mr. Geffen is fed up with their games and he has decided to back B. Hussein Obama. Now I will not say that this was a wise choice because, as my friend The Bull points out, Hussein Obama cannot figure out how to render proper respect for our Flag (FWIW Hillary probably learned this when she was raised in a Conservative household).

Geffen is another Liberal but he has a good streak to him and this streak shows the sharp contrast between him and the Hildebeast and is best represented by what took place in the hellish inferno that we call California. Geffen has an inn in Southern California and he has opened it to people who need shelter as well as a bunch of firefighters. He has provided them a place to sleep and is not charging them one red cent.

With the outbreak of fire, Geffen opened the inn to two dozen evacuees for free, as well as to 80 firefighters who slept there in shifts.

“Why be empty? I’d rather it go to good use,” managing director Alan Goldschneider said. “They try to throw down money and their credit cards, but we’re not charging a soul. They’re saving our houses.” al-Reuters

While all of this was going on, while hundreds of thousands of people were affected and losing everything they have and while Liberal medial mogul Geffen was putting up people for free what was Hillary, the compassionate, people person doing? She was at director Rob Reiner’s house celebrating her birthday at a fund raiser the ultra liberal set up in her honor. While people were losing everything, she was raking in a half a million dollars from the liberal elite in Hollywood.

I know there are Hillary supporters who will ask what she was supposed to do and that is a fair question because Hillary did not start the fires and she certainly could not put them out. To Liberals, she is not like George Bush who, in their minds, is able to conjure up a hurricane and then a failure because he cannot swoop in and stop a flood or be there on a moment’s notice to bail out the people who were failed by their liberal state leaders, but I digress. If I were running for the office of President and these same circumstances presented themselves (OK let’s be real, it would have to be a Conservative celebrating my birthday) I would have told everyone that I was flattered that they would come out to support me but that I had a better idea. Instead of donating money to my campaign donate it to the relief efforts for the folks affected by the fire. The I would remind them that while there is a limit on how much they may legally donate to me, there is no limit to how much they could give for that worthy cause.

Then again, that is just me but the whole thing begs the question; Does Hillary care about anyone but herself?

I think it was a no-brainer before and this weekend just made it that much clearer.

I guess Hillary is only compassionate when she is giving away other people’s money for social programs.

Source:
ABC News Blog

Big Dog

Clinton Cat Fight?

Will Hillary have to defend her extreme makeover to a softer image now that it has been reported that she gave away Socks the cat when she left the White House? The report is that Hillary got Socks to soften her image and make her look like a good mom while she was in the White House. When she and Bill left 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue it seems the only thing they did not take with them was Socks who they gave to Betty Currie. Is this another instance of Hillary using something for political gain and expedience and then discarding it when it no longer served a purpose? Probably not, but who knows.

Perhaps the Clintons decided that they could not care for a cat with their busy post White House lifestyle. Chelsea was off to college and work and there would not be staff members around to care for it. Given that Bill took Buddy with him one could make the argument that Socks the cat was just a convenient prop that was discarded when no longer needed. Given that Buddy ran in the street and was hit by a vehicle, it might be a blessing for Socks to have been given away.

I believe that Hillary Clinton is cold and calculating and that she does not do anything unless there is a political motive. Getting the cat was probably one of those calculated moves but giving it away might have been nothing more than giving it to someone who liked it and could care for it much better than the Clintons could. Betty Currie was an obvious choice because she had a history of cleaning up Clinton messes.

Socks is better off than Buddy and Hillary can always borrow the cat or get a new one should she feel the need to express her softer side.

Of course, if she wants to look soft she should get a porcupine. Even Hillary would look soft next to one of those.

Source:
Times On Line

Big Dog

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This SCHIP is Way off Course

The Congress will try to override President Bush’s veto of the expansion of the S-CHIP program this week. I do not believe they have the votes needed to override the veto but the Democrats have spent a lot of effort on this expansion and want to pass this costly legislation. Unfortunately, many of those on the left who support this bill seem to lack an understanding of the system and the people this bill would cover. While they claim it is all for the children, the bill would cover people up to the age of 25 which hardly seems like a child to me though I suppose one could argue we are all someone’s child. It would also expand coverage to include families that make up to $61,000 a year. This is hardly the description of a poor family. Of course, if they did not have to pay 25% of the income in taxes [state, local, federal] they might have even more to spend on health care.

I realize that not all employers provide health care coverage but there are many that do. The left uses the argument (as evidenced in comments at And Rightly So) that it is the greedy health insurance companies that cause all the cost. They act as if somehow the government will reduce the cost by running health care for this expanded group and one person cites the “fact” that there is far less paperwork and overhead with the government. I do not know what planet this person is from but the planet is not named Reality. The government has huge overhead for its socialized medicine programs but the government does not include those costs in the calculations of the cost of the benefits. The salaries and such of health care company administrators and the associated paperwork and other overhead is part of the cost of a plan. In the government, these costs are absorbed by the taxpayer but not calculated into the cost analysis. Anyone who has ever filed income taxes knows that the government is paperwork intensive. There is also a track record that people seem to ignore. The government has never run a program at a cost under run. Every program always costs more than they estimate and every program is run with far less efficiency than in the private sector where cost control affects profits.

The left likes to trumpet how heartless the right is because it is taking away from the children. The Democrats paraded some kid out to talk about how the program benefited their family. Later reports indicated that this family sent its children to private schools and had the money for insurance. I do not know what they have, and it is really none of my business. Those who think it is wrong to attack that message should realize that if you parade anyone out with a message, that message is fair game and if one does not want to be part of the attack, don’t speak up (or at least make sure your message passes scrutiny).

There is this talk about how S-CHIP helps families who just cannot afford insurance, and on the lower poverty levels, I know this is true. However, the idea that people are sitting around fire barrels wondering about health insurance for their kids is just ridiculous. The poor in America would be classified as rich in nearly any other country in the world. In fact, the poor own homes, own cars, own color TVs and have air conditioning Heartland Institute. While the poor certainly do not live like Bill Gates they do not live like Tiny Tim (an allusion to a comment at one of the Liberal sites).

Health care is not a right. I know it is hard for the left to wrap its arms around that but it is a truth. Everyone in America has access to health care (why do you think ILLEGALS can get it) but there is no right that it will be provided free of charge. There are programs to help the truly destitute ans S-CHIP has been one to help poor kids but in its new form it helps people who should be able to afford their own health care. Cell phones, computers, cable TV, expensive cars, and fancy clothes are luxuries. I see children in poor neighborhoods wearing expensive sneakers and clothing that, had the parents bought bargain items, might have paid for health care. Living life is about choices and one of those choices is what you will spend you money on. If a parent spends disposable income for the luxuries then they are taking a decision to neglect buying health insurance. The old adage goes, you must pay yourself first. This is the key to saving and it is the key to health care insurance. After this, then what is left may go to the luxuries. The problem is, people have the priorities wrong. That and they believe that it is a God given right for them to have insurance at the expense of others. As an aside, libs will take away your right to own/carry firearms but demand we provide health care. Only one of those is a right under our Constitution.

If we want to reduce health care costs we need to reform the tort laws. Put an end to the lawsuits that stifle the health care industry and drive up costs. Sure, negligence should be dealt with but most of the suits are insane and cost lots of money. When I was in nursing school we were told that 19 out of every 20 dollars in health care goes to lawsuits. I cannot verify that but it would not surprise me. We also need to stop mandating what insurers must include in a package. States require certain items and this takes away choice. A basic package should have wellness visits and regular check ups as well as emergency care. Then, people can add on what they need. If you are going to have children, you can add the OB-GYN package and if you believe in and might have an abortion then you can add those services. It makes no sense for a 50 year old woman who cannot have children to have to pay for OB-GYN just as it makes no sense to have to pay for substance abuse counseling if you do not drink or use drugs. This is, after all, how we buy our cable TV services, and people seem to do fine with their choices.

We also need to allow groups to band together to get group rates. Civic organizations, clubs, and home owner’s associations could be offered group rates for insurance premiums. Those who do not belong could benefit if the Better Business Bureau or some other organization were included under the group plan and people could sign up.

One thing is for sure, there are problems but they will not be solved by throwing more money at them and by getting the government more involved. The educational system has gotten more money and more government involvement over the years and the only thing it has not gotten is better. Health care is the same.

As for those on the left who still think that the government is the panacea when it comes to health care. Keep in mind that the health care our soldiers get is provided by the government. It is not the military that makes the rules or runs things. We have some of the best medical people around doing truly amazing things. All the problems you read about are with access to care, paperwork problems, and cost.

While you libs are out there pretending to be horrified at the boondoggle that our military members face in health care, keep in mind that the boondoggle is caused by the very people you want running your health care. The government has had a long time to get that right and yet, it just hasn’t happened.

If you want your health care to be run like the VA, then you are on the right track.

Big Dog