By Dave Buhlman
Former State Rep.
Our congressmen, Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter, have decided to ignore the clearly expressed will of the vast majority of their constituents and stated they will vote for a health care bill that will lead to rationed care and, generally, a real confusing mess in a vital aspect of our lives.
No amount of letters, phone calls, demonstrations or lawsuits planned by more than 35 states has distracted them from their mission to increase statism.
This arrogance on the part of our elected representatives should disabuse us of the quaint notion that we have a representative republic undergirded by democratic principles.
If Hodes and Shea-Porter want to be members of the elite, some-are-more-equal-than-others vanguard of the proletariat, then perhaps we should just go along with that.
Let's accept this and put aside the passe notion that they work for us. Let us assume the role that they, and many others that haunt the corridors of power in Washington D.C., prefer is that of us as peasants bowing to their awesome noble status.
This subservient demeanor may be difficult to swallow for some, but don't worry about such angst. Maybe treating it will be covered under their nationalized program.
Dave Buhlman
Litchfield
3.28.2010
You can't fix stupid, but you can vote it out.
By former State Rep. Lee Quandt
It certainly has been an interesting past couple of weeks. We not only reformed health care, or was it, health insurance. It is hard to understand just what we did and the congress doesn’t have any idea what they did either and they are the ones who actually did it.
It is so bad congress has been given extra protection because some are being shot at and others have had rocks thrown through their windows. Now the democrat party has decried this violence and encourages their supporters to fight back by sending the party money.
I have to hand it to them, I never would have thought of using violence as a fund raising tool. What will they think of next? Those little rascals are always thinking of ways to get a head. The question arises that how do we know they are not promoting it for financial gain?
I don’t think the tea party supporters are violent; they have been praised by the police that go to their rallies as decent law abiding and non-violent people who are just protesting what the government does.
God bless them; but, how do you protest what congress and government is doing when congress and government does not know what they are doing? I’m still trying to process this so I can give you a better understanding of what is going on.
It is even more comical on a state level where we have legislators who want to cut spending, then a group that wants to institute a sales and income tax, and then we have the pro gambling. Actually, it is the pro gambling legislators that have been paid well for their position and support of the gambling industry. They are now saying how slots are the panacea out of our budget debt. I don’t really care one way or another; but, I don’t support slots or expanded gambling.
First of all the money touted as coming to the state coffers is way over blown. We may get a big chunk of change initially; but, sustainable revenue is way over blown. The word is that the governor is concerned about the amount of money being thrown around the state in the promotion of expanded gambling and because of that has gained political influence.
Unfortunately the democrats, which is the majority party for the time being, have drank the so called political cool aid and follow their leadership blindly and made some stupid votes. The LLC tax which they did with little or no real input from the tax payers and businesses, passed and signed into law by the governor. The governor now wants to repeal it and it has only been in effect for about a year. The campground tax repeal they are still fighting over.
The so called budget cuts and state employee layoffs is a good one; what they did in many cases is simply laid off state workers and contracted out the services for the same cost, or close to it, to the private sector. There are no savings only smoke and mirrors. Then our local senator put in a bill to have a commission to oversee and regulate what hospitals charge. She took so much heat she backed off and is now trying to figure how she is going to save face for looking like a green horn rookie after getting beat back for trying to socialize health care delivery with price controls. My, my, stupid is as stupid does; run Forest, run.
There are some poling numbers that shows congress and certain members in the single digits and low teens; and all this time some of their parents probably told them (as youngsters that they probably wouldn’t amount to much), well they sure showed their parents.
If we the voters do not take back our government and our country, right now in the next election, we will have a new generation of young people who will grow up thinking this is how life should be: high taxes, government running our lives not us running our government, not questioning what is going on in our government and why.
The easiest way to allow this to happen is simply to do nothing. Stay home, do not vote, do not par take in the voting process and then complain about your taxes or the changeover to socialism, the open promotion of the deterioration of the family structure (why listen to your parents government is the answer). There is no questions that if you want to take back our government and country we have our work cut out for us.
DON’T EVER FORGET, “YOU CAN’T FIX STUPID BUT YOU CAN VOTE IT OUT OF OFFICE”.
It certainly has been an interesting past couple of weeks. We not only reformed health care, or was it, health insurance. It is hard to understand just what we did and the congress doesn’t have any idea what they did either and they are the ones who actually did it.
It is so bad congress has been given extra protection because some are being shot at and others have had rocks thrown through their windows. Now the democrat party has decried this violence and encourages their supporters to fight back by sending the party money.
I have to hand it to them, I never would have thought of using violence as a fund raising tool. What will they think of next? Those little rascals are always thinking of ways to get a head. The question arises that how do we know they are not promoting it for financial gain?
I don’t think the tea party supporters are violent; they have been praised by the police that go to their rallies as decent law abiding and non-violent people who are just protesting what the government does.
God bless them; but, how do you protest what congress and government is doing when congress and government does not know what they are doing? I’m still trying to process this so I can give you a better understanding of what is going on.
It is even more comical on a state level where we have legislators who want to cut spending, then a group that wants to institute a sales and income tax, and then we have the pro gambling. Actually, it is the pro gambling legislators that have been paid well for their position and support of the gambling industry. They are now saying how slots are the panacea out of our budget debt. I don’t really care one way or another; but, I don’t support slots or expanded gambling.
First of all the money touted as coming to the state coffers is way over blown. We may get a big chunk of change initially; but, sustainable revenue is way over blown. The word is that the governor is concerned about the amount of money being thrown around the state in the promotion of expanded gambling and because of that has gained political influence.
Unfortunately the democrats, which is the majority party for the time being, have drank the so called political cool aid and follow their leadership blindly and made some stupid votes. The LLC tax which they did with little or no real input from the tax payers and businesses, passed and signed into law by the governor. The governor now wants to repeal it and it has only been in effect for about a year. The campground tax repeal they are still fighting over.
The so called budget cuts and state employee layoffs is a good one; what they did in many cases is simply laid off state workers and contracted out the services for the same cost, or close to it, to the private sector. There are no savings only smoke and mirrors. Then our local senator put in a bill to have a commission to oversee and regulate what hospitals charge. She took so much heat she backed off and is now trying to figure how she is going to save face for looking like a green horn rookie after getting beat back for trying to socialize health care delivery with price controls. My, my, stupid is as stupid does; run Forest, run.
There are some poling numbers that shows congress and certain members in the single digits and low teens; and all this time some of their parents probably told them (as youngsters that they probably wouldn’t amount to much), well they sure showed their parents.
If we the voters do not take back our government and our country, right now in the next election, we will have a new generation of young people who will grow up thinking this is how life should be: high taxes, government running our lives not us running our government, not questioning what is going on in our government and why.
The easiest way to allow this to happen is simply to do nothing. Stay home, do not vote, do not par take in the voting process and then complain about your taxes or the changeover to socialism, the open promotion of the deterioration of the family structure (why listen to your parents government is the answer). There is no questions that if you want to take back our government and country we have our work cut out for us.
DON’T EVER FORGET, “YOU CAN’T FIX STUPID BUT YOU CAN VOTE IT OUT OF OFFICE”.
3.27.2010
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
By Sen. Jeb Bradley
N.H. Dist. 3
Listening to the supporters tout the benefits of federal health care reform during the day long debate, I was struck by the saying ‘if it sounds too good to be true – it probably is. For 219 Democrats who voted for passage, it sounds wonderful: access to health care improves, the patient-doctor relationship is strengthened, insurance premiums drop, and deficits decline.
219 Democrats may be true believers or "incentivized" into voting yes, but the American people clearly do not believe this happy talk. Just as noteworthy, Americans witnessed a totally partisan vote for passage, and significant bi-partisan opposition.
Let’s examine the Democratic spin.
Access to health care -- does it deteriorate or improve? Physicians are already reluctant to accept Medicare and Medicaid patients because of low reimbursement rates. Over $500 billion of Medicare cuts only exacerbates this trend. 32 million people will be newly insured – nearly half covered by Medicaid. How the current medical establishment can absorb 32 million new people without creating long waits is an unanswered question. Ominously, the New England Journal of Medicine recently wrote that one third of physicians “will want to leave medical practice after health reform is implemented.”
For anyone imbued with the hope that access to healthcare will improve consider this: the Mayo Clinic announced in January it will no longer treat Medicare patients at one of its facilities in Arizona as the Clinic considers whether to drop coverage for 500,000 more Medicare patients it currently serves. This should not be a surprise as government-run health care in Canada and England has excruciatingly long waits. Where exactly will Americans go when they can’t get life saving treatments at home?
Will medical decisions be made by doctors and patients? Consider the following: a health czar will determine the parameters of health insurance policies, approve insurance rates, and the extent of reimbursement for medical service. Government mandates and bureaucracy will only lead to fewer patient choices as government controls increase.
Insurance premiums will increase despite the President’s promise that American families would save $2500. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that insurance premiums will be 10% to 13% higher as a result of the bill. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services – the people who actually run these programs and the CBO have both estimated that overall health care spending will increase as a result of the reform.
The real world however, is more instructive than any prediction. Massachusetts mirrors provisions of the federal legislation, in particular the requirement to buy insurance. They have the highest health insurance costs in the nation, major budget problems, and Governor Patrick has proposed price controls. The rest of the country will learn soon enough. Massachusetts already has – it's no accident that an overwhelmingly Democratic state elected Republican Scott Brown primarily because of his opposition to the national healthcare legislation.
Supporters claim the deficit will drop, accomplished through nearly $600 billion of new taxes and over $500 billion of Medicare cuts and accounting shenanigans. Tax hikes will be immediate while the majority of the new spending does not occur for four years. That’s how Democrats miraculously reduce the deficit.
Congress also deferred over $200 billion for physician reimbursement under Medicare so this legislation appears – for now – to be budget neutral.
The real world is again instructive. When Medicare was first implemented in 1965 the annual projected costs were $9 billion by 1990. Instead its costs were nearly $70 billion and the unfunded future liability for Medicare is now a staggering $37 trillion. With deficits as far as the eye can see—what is really at risk is the health of our nation’s financial system and our children’s future.
Health care reform is necessary. That's why we should develop better high risk pools to resolve coverage denial for pre- existing conditions. We need to allow across state border health insurance purchasing to create competitive markets that will lower costs for business and individuals. We need to change the tax code to give individuals the same preferential treatment as businesses. Most importantly, we need to let individuals be in charge of their own care so they can make their own choices when utilizing services. Lastly, tort reform could curtail $80 to $150 billion of defensive medicine costs making health insurance much more affordable. All these measures will significantly improve access to affordable health care --- without a government takeover.
If health care reform was everything its supporters claim -- why in the world did they need a second piece of legislation fixing the first legislation an hour after they passed it? If the legislation is so good – why will the IRS need to hire nearly 17,000 agents to enforce it? And if the legislation was so good then why do its supporters seek to exempt unions from the new tax on so-called "Cadillac" health plans the rest of us will pay?
Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes may drop by New Hampshire in April to campaign for their election in November. They should start thinking now about how to explain to constituents that their vote is unfortunately no April Fool's joke.
N.H. Dist. 3
Listening to the supporters tout the benefits of federal health care reform during the day long debate, I was struck by the saying ‘if it sounds too good to be true – it probably is. For 219 Democrats who voted for passage, it sounds wonderful: access to health care improves, the patient-doctor relationship is strengthened, insurance premiums drop, and deficits decline.
219 Democrats may be true believers or "incentivized" into voting yes, but the American people clearly do not believe this happy talk. Just as noteworthy, Americans witnessed a totally partisan vote for passage, and significant bi-partisan opposition.
Let’s examine the Democratic spin.
Access to health care -- does it deteriorate or improve? Physicians are already reluctant to accept Medicare and Medicaid patients because of low reimbursement rates. Over $500 billion of Medicare cuts only exacerbates this trend. 32 million people will be newly insured – nearly half covered by Medicaid. How the current medical establishment can absorb 32 million new people without creating long waits is an unanswered question. Ominously, the New England Journal of Medicine recently wrote that one third of physicians “will want to leave medical practice after health reform is implemented.”
For anyone imbued with the hope that access to healthcare will improve consider this: the Mayo Clinic announced in January it will no longer treat Medicare patients at one of its facilities in Arizona as the Clinic considers whether to drop coverage for 500,000 more Medicare patients it currently serves. This should not be a surprise as government-run health care in Canada and England has excruciatingly long waits. Where exactly will Americans go when they can’t get life saving treatments at home?
Will medical decisions be made by doctors and patients? Consider the following: a health czar will determine the parameters of health insurance policies, approve insurance rates, and the extent of reimbursement for medical service. Government mandates and bureaucracy will only lead to fewer patient choices as government controls increase.
Insurance premiums will increase despite the President’s promise that American families would save $2500. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that insurance premiums will be 10% to 13% higher as a result of the bill. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services – the people who actually run these programs and the CBO have both estimated that overall health care spending will increase as a result of the reform.
The real world however, is more instructive than any prediction. Massachusetts mirrors provisions of the federal legislation, in particular the requirement to buy insurance. They have the highest health insurance costs in the nation, major budget problems, and Governor Patrick has proposed price controls. The rest of the country will learn soon enough. Massachusetts already has – it's no accident that an overwhelmingly Democratic state elected Republican Scott Brown primarily because of his opposition to the national healthcare legislation.
Supporters claim the deficit will drop, accomplished through nearly $600 billion of new taxes and over $500 billion of Medicare cuts and accounting shenanigans. Tax hikes will be immediate while the majority of the new spending does not occur for four years. That’s how Democrats miraculously reduce the deficit.
Congress also deferred over $200 billion for physician reimbursement under Medicare so this legislation appears – for now – to be budget neutral.
The real world is again instructive. When Medicare was first implemented in 1965 the annual projected costs were $9 billion by 1990. Instead its costs were nearly $70 billion and the unfunded future liability for Medicare is now a staggering $37 trillion. With deficits as far as the eye can see—what is really at risk is the health of our nation’s financial system and our children’s future.
Health care reform is necessary. That's why we should develop better high risk pools to resolve coverage denial for pre- existing conditions. We need to allow across state border health insurance purchasing to create competitive markets that will lower costs for business and individuals. We need to change the tax code to give individuals the same preferential treatment as businesses. Most importantly, we need to let individuals be in charge of their own care so they can make their own choices when utilizing services. Lastly, tort reform could curtail $80 to $150 billion of defensive medicine costs making health insurance much more affordable. All these measures will significantly improve access to affordable health care --- without a government takeover.
If health care reform was everything its supporters claim -- why in the world did they need a second piece of legislation fixing the first legislation an hour after they passed it? If the legislation is so good – why will the IRS need to hire nearly 17,000 agents to enforce it? And if the legislation was so good then why do its supporters seek to exempt unions from the new tax on so-called "Cadillac" health plans the rest of us will pay?
Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes may drop by New Hampshire in April to campaign for their election in November. They should start thinking now about how to explain to constituents that their vote is unfortunately no April Fool's joke.
3.18.2010
Tea party rally
Sen. Humphrey asked me to send this out.
Former State Rep Phyllis Woods
Subject: Join Sen Humphrey on Thurs. in riding Congress out of town on a rail
Following his fiery speech in Rochester last night, former U.S. Senator Gordon Humphrey has called upon all Tea Party patriots and concerned citizens to join him in an emergency rally at the Manchester City Hall Plaza on, Thursday, Mar 18 at 4:00 PM. The purpose of tomorrow's rally in Manchester is to protest the attempt by left wing radicals in the Obama Administration and the Congress to take over the nations entire system.
The main attraction will be the "riding of Congress out of town on a rail." "We've gotten hold of a mannequin and dressed him like a Member of Congress -- well let's call him a dummy, since he looks like a Congressman," said Andrew Hemingway, an assistant to Senator Humphrey.
Last night at tumultuous Tea Party rally in Rochester, in a speech described by Foster's Daily Democrat as "fiery," Senator Humphrey accused the President of lying about the true cost of Obama care and lying about preserving choice of doctors. "The far left is trying to ram down our throats a massive new federal bureaucracy that will run up trillions of dollars in deficits and destroy the finest health care delivery system in the world, subjecting us all to rationing of health care, long waiting lists, and third-rate medicine," Humphrey says.
"The Tea Party movement has rallied public opinion across the nation, but some members of Congress still refuse to listen. Government that ignores the majority is a government of thugs and tyrants,," Humphrey says. "We need to go all out in the next few days to force Reid and Pelosi to back down. To that end, I implore every last concerned citizen to rally with us at the Manchester City Hall Plaza tomorrow. Following remarks, we'll mount up the dummy on a rail and ride him out of town, treating him to the same contempt with which our forbears treated the despised agents of the tyrant King George!"
Riding Congress out of town on a rail will make great television footage that can help swing the last needed votes in Washington. Be a part of history. Join us at Manchester City Hall Plaza, tomorrow, Thursday, March 18, at 4:00 PM.
If you have any "Don't Tread on Me Flags" or appropriate signs or banners, other Tea Party paraphernalia, or colonial costuming, bring 'em or wear 'em.
Former State Rep Phyllis Woods
Subject: Join Sen Humphrey on Thurs. in riding Congress out of town on a rail
Following his fiery speech in Rochester last night, former U.S. Senator Gordon Humphrey has called upon all Tea Party patriots and concerned citizens to join him in an emergency rally at the Manchester City Hall Plaza on, Thursday, Mar 18 at 4:00 PM. The purpose of tomorrow's rally in Manchester is to protest the attempt by left wing radicals in the Obama Administration and the Congress to take over the nations entire system.
The main attraction will be the "riding of Congress out of town on a rail." "We've gotten hold of a mannequin and dressed him like a Member of Congress -- well let's call him a dummy, since he looks like a Congressman," said Andrew Hemingway, an assistant to Senator Humphrey.
Last night at tumultuous Tea Party rally in Rochester, in a speech described by Foster's Daily Democrat as "fiery," Senator Humphrey accused the President of lying about the true cost of Obama care and lying about preserving choice of doctors. "The far left is trying to ram down our throats a massive new federal bureaucracy that will run up trillions of dollars in deficits and destroy the finest health care delivery system in the world, subjecting us all to rationing of health care, long waiting lists, and third-rate medicine," Humphrey says.
"The Tea Party movement has rallied public opinion across the nation, but some members of Congress still refuse to listen. Government that ignores the majority is a government of thugs and tyrants,," Humphrey says. "We need to go all out in the next few days to force Reid and Pelosi to back down. To that end, I implore every last concerned citizen to rally with us at the Manchester City Hall Plaza tomorrow. Following remarks, we'll mount up the dummy on a rail and ride him out of town, treating him to the same contempt with which our forbears treated the despised agents of the tyrant King George!"
Riding Congress out of town on a rail will make great television footage that can help swing the last needed votes in Washington. Be a part of history. Join us at Manchester City Hall Plaza, tomorrow, Thursday, March 18, at 4:00 PM.
If you have any "Don't Tread on Me Flags" or appropriate signs or banners, other Tea Party paraphernalia, or colonial costuming, bring 'em or wear 'em.
3.15.2010
Coffee party debut: Sad to the last "drip"
By Jerry McConnell
The weekend of March 13 and 14, 2010 was hailed as the kick-off time for Coffee Parties all across the country which were “billed as the liberal response to the Tea Party movement” as reported by Alex Pappas in the “The Daily Caller” dated 03/13/10 in an article titled: “Low-key java drinkers in Washington kick off Coffee Parties.”
I think I heard a rumor that two individuals who looked suspiciously out of place went into one Washington, DC designated “Coffee Party” shop looking for a gathering of noisy and speech making revelers and were chagrined to find only two people present, and one was drinking hot chocolate. Robert and Rahm were disappointed and as they were leaving they were heard saying, “Let’s go and give Barry the bad news.”
The aforementioned Alex Pappas was a bit more successful in his search for the Coffee Party merry-makers in Washington, DC when at the Peregrine Espresso of the Eastern Market area he found “a small gathering of five activists huddled at a small table.”
The five present consisted of a woman professor on sabbatical from Berkeley, two younger college buddies, and the two “others said they learned about the gathering from Twitter and from word of mouth.”
Pappas concluded his article by stating that while the TEA Party group is trying to “transform the energy of the movement into results” at polls in November, that didn’t “seem to be the goal of these coffee drinkers who appear to rather just enjoy good conversation.”
Remember the old saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I don’t think those coffee drinkers were in the mood for old sayings and they probably looked like they had been sucking on raw lemons.
That liberal response that was expected probably was more of a soft “Tweet” on “Twitter”.
The weekend of March 13 and 14, 2010 was hailed as the kick-off time for Coffee Parties all across the country which were “billed as the liberal response to the Tea Party movement” as reported by Alex Pappas in the “The Daily Caller” dated 03/13/10 in an article titled: “Low-key java drinkers in Washington kick off Coffee Parties.”
I think I heard a rumor that two individuals who looked suspiciously out of place went into one Washington, DC designated “Coffee Party” shop looking for a gathering of noisy and speech making revelers and were chagrined to find only two people present, and one was drinking hot chocolate. Robert and Rahm were disappointed and as they were leaving they were heard saying, “Let’s go and give Barry the bad news.”
The aforementioned Alex Pappas was a bit more successful in his search for the Coffee Party merry-makers in Washington, DC when at the Peregrine Espresso of the Eastern Market area he found “a small gathering of five activists huddled at a small table.”
The five present consisted of a woman professor on sabbatical from Berkeley, two younger college buddies, and the two “others said they learned about the gathering from Twitter and from word of mouth.”
Pappas concluded his article by stating that while the TEA Party group is trying to “transform the energy of the movement into results” at polls in November, that didn’t “seem to be the goal of these coffee drinkers who appear to rather just enjoy good conversation.”
Remember the old saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I don’t think those coffee drinkers were in the mood for old sayings and they probably looked like they had been sucking on raw lemons.
That liberal response that was expected probably was more of a soft “Tweet” on “Twitter”.
An e-mail recieved
All of us have recieved e-mails from unknown origins and authors. This on is of particular importance. Please pass it on.
Ron
"Unbelievable - Harry Reid. Hidden deep in the Health Care Bill this passage.
They never stop, they will keep trying to shove this down our throats until they get it through...pass this on to everyone..
The impudent tyranny of Sen. Harry Reid!
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is proving once again the maxim that darkness hates the light. Buried in his massive amendment to the Senate version of Obamacare is Reid's anti-democratic poison pill designed to prevent any future Congress from repealing the central feature of this monstrous legislation!
Beginning on page 1,000 of the measure, Section 3403 reads in part: ". 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." In other words, if President Barack Obama signs this measure into law, no future Senate or House will be able to change a single word of Section 3403, regardless whether future Americans or their representatives in Congress wish otherwise!!
Note that the subsection at issue here concerns the regulatory power of the Independent Medicare Advisory Board (IMAB) to "reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending."
That is precisely the kind of open-ended grant of regulatory power that effectively establishes the IMAB as the ultimate arbiter of the cost, quality and quantity of health care to be made available to the American people. And Reid wants the decisions of this group of unelected federal bureaucrats to be untouchable for all time.
No wonder the majority leader tossed aside assurances that senators and the public would have at least 72 hours to study the text of the final Senate version of Obamacare before the critical vote on cloture. And no wonder Reid was so desperate to rush his amendment through the Senate, even scheduling the key tally on it at 1 a.m., while America slept.
True to form, Reid wanted to keep his Section 3403 poison pill secret for as long as possible, just as he negotiated his bribes for the votes of Senators Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Bernie Sanders of Vermont behind closed doors.
The final Orwellian touch in this subversion of democratic procedure is found in the ruling of the Reid-controlled Senate Parliamentarian that the anti-repeal provision is not a change in Senate rules, but rather of Senate "procedures." Why is that significant? Because for 200 years, changes in the Senate's standing rules have required approval by two-thirds of those voting, or 67 votes rather than the 60 Reid's amendment received.
Reid has flouted two centuries of standing Senate rules to pass a measure in the dead of night that no senator has read, and part of which can never be changed. If this is not tyranny, then what is?"
Ron
"Unbelievable - Harry Reid. Hidden deep in the Health Care Bill this passage.
They never stop, they will keep trying to shove this down our throats until they get it through...pass this on to everyone..
The impudent tyranny of Sen. Harry Reid!
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is proving once again the maxim that darkness hates the light. Buried in his massive amendment to the Senate version of Obamacare is Reid's anti-democratic poison pill designed to prevent any future Congress from repealing the central feature of this monstrous legislation!
Beginning on page 1,000 of the measure, Section 3403 reads in part: ". 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." In other words, if President Barack Obama signs this measure into law, no future Senate or House will be able to change a single word of Section 3403, regardless whether future Americans or their representatives in Congress wish otherwise!!
Note that the subsection at issue here concerns the regulatory power of the Independent Medicare Advisory Board (IMAB) to "reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending."
That is precisely the kind of open-ended grant of regulatory power that effectively establishes the IMAB as the ultimate arbiter of the cost, quality and quantity of health care to be made available to the American people. And Reid wants the decisions of this group of unelected federal bureaucrats to be untouchable for all time.
No wonder the majority leader tossed aside assurances that senators and the public would have at least 72 hours to study the text of the final Senate version of Obamacare before the critical vote on cloture. And no wonder Reid was so desperate to rush his amendment through the Senate, even scheduling the key tally on it at 1 a.m., while America slept.
True to form, Reid wanted to keep his Section 3403 poison pill secret for as long as possible, just as he negotiated his bribes for the votes of Senators Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Bernie Sanders of Vermont behind closed doors.
The final Orwellian touch in this subversion of democratic procedure is found in the ruling of the Reid-controlled Senate Parliamentarian that the anti-repeal provision is not a change in Senate rules, but rather of Senate "procedures." Why is that significant? Because for 200 years, changes in the Senate's standing rules have required approval by two-thirds of those voting, or 67 votes rather than the 60 Reid's amendment received.
Reid has flouted two centuries of standing Senate rules to pass a measure in the dead of night that no senator has read, and part of which can never be changed. If this is not tyranny, then what is?"
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