POLITICO MAFIOSO

POLITICO MAFIOSO THE WEEK IN REVIEW - W/E NOV 27TH

2009-11-28T11:21:00.002-07:00

A short week due to the Thanksgiving Holiday! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Click on any story below to read:

Friday, November 27, 2009

Kill the Bills. Do Health Reform Right by Charles Krauthammer

Thursday, November 26, 2009

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OUR READERS, TWITTER, FACEBOOK & NING FRIENDS!

Senators' Thanksgiving Chores: McCain: 'I'm Frying Two Turkeys!'

The Obama's First Thanksgiving in the White House!

Obama's Horn of Plenty by William Warren

We're thankful that Americans are standing up to Obama

Inside the numbers: How Obama has fallen By: Byron York

McCain "confident" the F-35 will be based in Tucson

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

HOMERGOPRANO FOOTBALL PROGNOSTICATOR NFL WEEK#12

McCain criticizes Senate health plan By: Derek Quizon The State Press

THE YOUNG TURN AGAINST OBAMACARE By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

Obama Imitates Carter's Appeasement Diplomacy

Without Their Support By William Warren

Congratulations to BRAD CESMAT - 16th Annual Big Guy Turkey Drive a rousing success

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Obama Debt Now Tops $12 Trillion

Obama's Chicago Style Payoff

Byron York - Why was it so hard for Dems even to start health care debate?

ALG Statement: "Public Option" Defies Representative Government

Health Care Reform - Rasmussen Reports™

Editorial: Senate Must Filibuster "Public Option"

Monday, November 23, 2009

A Conservative Civil War Against the GOP – You Better Believe It! By SJ Reidhead The Pink Flamingo

Valley Citizens League Luncheon – TUES 24 NOV – Noon

SEN. JOHN McCAIN - HEALTHCARE REFORM

DEMS SHOVE OBAMACARE RIGHT UP THE AMERICAN PEOPLE'S ASSES!

Kill the Bills. Do Health Reform Right by Charles Krauthammer

2009-11-27T12:08:00.002-07:00

Friday, November 27, 2009

WASHINGTON --
The United States has the best health care in the world -- but because of its inefficiencies, also the most expensive. The fundamental problem with the 2,074-page Senate health-care bill (as with its 2,014-page House counterpart) is that it wildly compounds the complexity by adding hundreds of new provisions, regulations, mandates, committees and other arbitrary bureaucratic inventions.

Worse, they are packed into a monstrous package without any regard to each other. The only thing linking these changes -- such as the 118 new boards, commissions and programs -- is political expediency. Each must be able to garner just enough votes to pass. There is not even a pretense of a unifying vision or conceptual harmony.

The result is an overregulated, overbureaucratized system of surpassing arbitrariness and inefficiency. Throw a dart at the Senate to me:

-- You'll find mandates with financial penalties -- the amounts picked out of a hat.

-- You'll find insurance companies (who live and die by their actuarial skills) told exactly what weight to give risk factors, such as age. Currently insurance premiums for 20-somethings are about one-sixth the premiums for 60-somethings. The House bill dictates the young shall now pay at minimum one-half; the Senate bill, one-third -- numbers picked out of a hat.

-- You'll find sliding scales for health-insurance subsidies -- percentages picked out of a hat -- that will radically raise marginal income tax rates for middle- class recipients, among other crazy unintended consequences.

The bill is irredeemable. It should not only be defeated. It should be immolated, its ashes scattered over the Senate swimming pool.

Then do health care the right way -- one reform at a time, each simple and simplifying, aimed at reducing complexity, arbitrariness and inefficiency.

First, tort reform. This is money -- the low-end estimate is about half a trillion per decade -- wasted in two ways. Part is simply hemorrhaged into the legal system to benefit a few jackpot lawsuit winners and an army of extravagantly rich malpractice lawyers such as John Edwards.

The rest is wasted within the medical system in the millions of unnecessary tests, procedures and referrals undertaken solely to fend off lawsuits -- resources wasted on patients who don't need them and which could be redirected to the uninsured who really do.

In the 4,000-plus pages of the two bills, there is no tort reform. Indeed, the House bill actually penalizes states that dare "limit attorneys' fees or impose caps on damages." Why? Because, as Howard Dean has openly admitted, Democrats don't want "to take on the trial lawyers." What he didn't say -- he didn't need to -- is that they give millions to the Democrats for precisely this kind of protection. Continued...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OUR READERS, TWITTER, FACEBOOK & NING FRIENDS!

2009-11-26T01:30:00.000-07:00

May all of you have a safe & wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend!

Giving Thanks

For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,

For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,

For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,

For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home --Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,

For the cunning and strength of the workingman's hand,

For the good that our artists and poets have taught,

For the friendship that hope and affection have brought --Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the homes that with purest affection are blest,

For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest,

For our country extending from sea unto sea;

The land that is known as the "Land of the Free" --Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

Senators' Thanksgiving Chores: McCain: 'I'm Frying Two Turkeys!'

2009-11-26T01:15:00.000-07:00

11/25/09

Senators may have assistants in Washington to do their correspondence and driving, but once they get home, many are more likely to be taking orders than giving them, especially when Thanksgiving dinner needs to get on the table.

From three hours of dusting to whipping up a batch of sauerkraut, here are the surprising answers the Capitolist got when we asked senators, "Are you cooking for Thanksgiving this year?"

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.): Yes! I fry turkeys. I fry two turkeys. One you can eat then and one you can eat later. I still haven't burned the porch off. We have a place up in northern Arizona, and the whole family will all be there -- the Marine guy, the Navy guy [his sons], Meghan. . . .

Everybody will be there.

The Obama's First Thanksgiving in the White House!

2009-11-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

Obama's Horn of Plenty by William Warren

2009-11-26T00:45:00.000-07:00

We're thankful that Americans are standing up to Obama

2009-11-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

Obama's Presidential Approval Rating is -15

Rasmussen Reports

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 27% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President.

Forty-two percent (42%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -15.

This is the lowest Approval Index rating yet measured for President Obama.

Fifty-two percent (52%) of Democrats Strongly Approve while 68% of Republicans Strongly Disapprove.

Among those not affiliated with either major political party, just 16% Strongly Approve and 51% Strongly Disapprove.

Forty-five percent (45%) want U.S. troops home from Afghanistan either right away or within a year.

Forty-three percent (43%) are opposed to such a firm timetable.

Fifty-three percent (53%) of voters worry that the federal government will do too much when it comes to reacting to the nation's financial problems.

That's up seven points since President Obama took office. Support for the health care plan proposed by the President and Congressional Democrats has fallen to a new low of 38%. Sixty percent (60%) of voters believe passage of the bill will lead to higher health care costs.

Read More and Comment:

Inside the numbers: How Obama has fallen By: Byron York

2009-11-26T00:15:00.001-07:00

Chief Political Correspondent

11/24/09 10:03 AM EST

We've all seen reports that Barack Obama's job approval rating has recently fallen below 50 percent in the Gallup poll for the first time since the president took office in January. A look inside those numbers -- Gallup publishes a weekly breakdown of its results by demographic groups -- shows that there are a lot of other firsts in the polling:

Among age groups: For the first time in the White House, Obama is below 50 percent with every age group of Americans except those between 18 and 29. He's at 48 percent with people in the 30-49 range; 46 percent with people in the 50-64 range; and 42 percent with people 65 and over. Among those 18-29, he's at 61 percent.

Among racial groups: For the first time in the White House, Obama support among white Americans has fallen below 40 percent. He's at 39 percent among whites; 91 percent among blacks, and 70 percent among Hispanics.

Among income groups: For the first time in the White House, Obama is below 50 percent with every income group except those making less than $2,000 a month. He's at 49 percent among those making $2,000 to $4,999 a month; 44 percent among those making $5,000 to
$7,499 a month; and 48 percent among those making $7,500 and more a month.

Among the bottom income group, those making less than $2,000 a month, Obama's approval rating is 59 percent.

Religious practice: For the first time in the White House, Obama is below 50 percent with everyone who goes to church. He at 41 percent among those who attend weekly and 49 percent among those who attend nearly weekly or monthly. Among those who seldom or never go to church, he is at 55 percent.

McCain "confident" the F-35 will be based in Tucson

2009-11-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

HOMERGOPRANO FOOTBALL PROGNOSTICATOR NFL WEEK#12

2009-11-25T23:51:00.004-07:00

LAST WEEK 13 - 2 (SEASON BEST!)

OVERALL RECORD: 111 - 48

This is the best time of the year for football fans. Three NFL games on Thanksgiving, College games on Friday & Saturday, then more NFL games Sunday-Monday! The ARIZONA CARDINALS will continue their winning ways on the road in Tennessee.

Thu, Nov 26 2009

GB @ DET PACKERS 35 - LIONS 24

OAK @ DAL COWPIES 24 - RAIDERS 14

NYG @ DEN GIANTS 35 - BRONCOS 14

Sun, Nov 29 2009

TB @ ATL FALCONS 35 - BUCS 14

MIA @ BUF DOLPHINS 35 - BILLS 24

WAS @ PHI EAGLES 40 - REDSKINS 14

SEA @ STL SEAGULLS 24 - RAMS 21

CAR @ NYJ PANTHERS 30 - JETS 24

CLE @ CIN BENGALS 40 - BROWNS 21

IND @ HOU COLTS 45 - TEXANS 24

KC @ SD CHARGERS 35 - CHIEFS 27

JAC @ SF 49ERS 24 - JAGUARS 21

CHI @ MIN VIKINGS 40 - BEARS 21

ARI @ TEN CARDINALS 30 - TITANS 27

PIT @ BAL STEALERS 30 - RAVENS 27

Mon, Nov 30 2009

NE @ NO SAINTS 35 - PATRIOTS 31

McCain criticizes Senate health plan By: Derek Quizon The State Press

2009-11-25T01:00:00.002-07:00

Sen. John McCain held a health care town hall meeting with several Valley doctors at North Phoenix Baptist Church on Monday.(Nikolai De Vera The State Press)

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Monday criticized the health care reform bill that was approved for Senate debate on Saturday, saying it raises government spending to unsustainable levels.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

Speaking at a town hall meeting at the North Phoenix Baptist Church to an audience that included doctors and care providers, McCain said he also feared the prospect of health care being rationed by the federal government.

He cited a controversial report released by the Preventive Services Task Force last week that recommends against mammograms for women under 50 as cause for particular concern — a provision in the Senate bill would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to modify benefits to follow the recommendations of the task force.

“One of our greatest fears is health care rationing,” McCain said. “We don’t want the government deciding which procedures would be allowed and which wouldn’t.”

The crowd was made up largely of McCain supporters. During the public comments portion of the meeting, Arizona Medical Association President Beth Perdy criticized mandates that would require small businesses to provide their employees with insurance or pay a penalty, a measure she said would hurt her own practice.

“We ran the numbers, and [the bill] would increase our burden 2.5 times,” Perdy said. “We can’t bear that burden.”

The $848 billion reform bill reached an important procedural landmark Saturday, when the Senate voted 60-39 to open up floor debate. The bill includes a public health insurance option and a provision mandating all citizens purchase health insurance.

McCain criticized the Democratic majority as being uncooperative in bipartisan negotiations and ignoring Republican alternatives to the bill that include a provision to give families tax credits for medical care.

“We’ve had alternatives, but we just haven’t been able to get our message through,” he said.

Economics senior Todd Phillips said he feels the fears surrounding government-rationed health care are unfounded because coverage is already rationed by insurance companies.

“Government-rationed health care is really a misnomer because we already have health care rationing now,” Phillips said. “We already have the markets rationing, [and] we already have insurance companies rationing health care.”

McCain, however, argued that the bill goes too far, which has produced a high level of public backlash in the form of demonstrations and declining support demonstrated by the latest Rasmussen Reports poll. A report released Monday said 38 percent of voters approve of the plan, down from 47 percent last week.

“It’s out there,” McCain said. “The question is, will the Democrats understand that the people don’t want this?”

THE YOUNG TURN AGAINST OBAMACARE By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

2009-11-25T00:45:00.000-07:00

Published on DickMorris.com on November 24, 2009

Printer-Friendly Version

Previously, we reported to you that our national polling showed that the under-30 voters were the strongest supporters of the Obama healthcare initiative. While seniors opposed it by almost 2-to-1 and voters 30-64 opposed it by five- to 10-point margins, the under-30 voters backed his program by 58-30.

So with the funds you have donated, we ran television advertisments and an Internet campaign aimed at young people focused in Arkansas, North Dakota and Maine. The results are incredible!

Now under-30 voters are the strongest opponents of the plan. In the table below, we show you the vote on the Obama plan broken down by age. (We aggregated all three states so we would have
enough interviews to make the age subsets statistically meaningful.)

Support/Oppose Obama plan, combined data for

Arkansas, North Dakota and Maine

Age Support/Oppose Obama Plan

Under 30 25-65

30-49 28-60

50-64 41-50

Over 65 32-55

The polling had predicted that the young would swing sharply and dramatically against the Obama program once they got the key information about it, but we are blown away by these results.These data are from polls the League of American Voters commissioned John Zogby to conduct. Commenting on the results, John said, "These results among 18- to 29-year-olds are striking. It puts in jeopardy the whole theory of the new Democratic majority, because young people are essential to that base.

"Boy, is he ever correct!

At the same time that we are seeing this big shift, the national data on ObamaCare continues to show slippage. Rasmussen shows support down to 38 percent (56 percent opposed) from 45-52 right after the House vote.

Will the Senate listen to public opinion? Damn right they will! At this rate, they would have to face the loss of their entire political base to pass this legislation. Politicians don't work that way! These early procedural votes don't mean much.

As George W. Bush said in the war on terror, "We have to be right all the time. The enemy just has to get it right once." Now it is the opposite. We just need to win one vote to kill the plan. They need to win them all. And at this rate, the plan is in deep, deep trouble.

PLEASE keep the money flowing! We want to run ads along this line in all the swing states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Maine, Indiana, Virginia, Connecticut). To do so for the three weeks before the Senate vote will cost us $1.3 million.

CLICK HERE to see the ad and to donate to keep it running!

Glenn Beck Actively Recruiting: Find Out Details

Your Tiny Thyroid Linked to Obesity, Heart and 49 Other Diseases

Sarah Palin's New Book, Incredible Free Offer

Go to DickMorris.com to read all of Dick's columns!

Obama Imitates Carter's Appeasement Diplomacy

2009-11-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

Obama's Nice Guy Act Gets Him Nowhere on the World Stage
By Gabor Steingart, Der Spiegel

When he entered office, US President Barack Obama promised to inject US foreign policy with a new tone of respect and diplomacy. His recent trip to Asia, however, showed that it's not working. A shift to Bush-style bluntness may be coming.

There were only a few hours left before Air Force One was scheduled to depart for the flight home.

US President Barack Obama trip through Asia had already seen him travel 24,000 kilometers, sit through a dozen state banquets, climb the Great Wall of China and shake hands with Korean children. It was high time to take stock of the trip.

Barack Obama looked tired on Thursday, as he stood in the Blue House in Seoul, the official residence of the South Korean president. He also seemed irritable and even slightly forlorn.

The CNN cameras had already been set up. But then Obama decided not to play along, and not to answer the question he had already been asked several times on his trip: what did he plan to take home with him?

Instead, he simply said "thank you, guys," and disappeared. David Axelrod, senior advisor to the president, fielded the journalists' questions in the hallway of the Blue House instead, telling them that the public's expectations had been "too high."

The mood in Obama's foreign policy team is tense following an extended Asia trip that produced no palpable results. The "first Pacific president," as Obama called himself, came as a friend and returned as a stranger. The Asians smiled but made no concessions.

Read More and Comment:

Without Their Support By William Warren

2009-11-25T00:15:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to BRAD CESMAT - 16th Annual Big Guy Turkey Drive a rousing success!

2009-11-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

BRAD CESMAT - 16th Annual Big Guy Turkey Drive a rousing success!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO!

Thank you Arizona! The 16th Annual Big Guy Turkey Drive was a huge success.

The one-day turkey drive traditionally held the Thursday before Thanksgiving generated 1,935 turkeys and $43,161 for The Salvation Army. The Turkey Drive has raised more than $1 million over the years. Every turkey donated goes to The Salvation Army and then right back into the community. In 2008, the one-day drive netted 1,637 turkeys and more than $88,000 for The Salvation Army.

Brad Cesmat, 3TV’s resident Big Guy, and members of the 3TV family thank you for being a part of the 16th Annual Big Guy Turkey Drive!

But it's not too late! You can still go to any Fry’s Food Store and donate to the Big Guy Turkey Drive. Just pick up a $10 scan card at the registers and the money will go right to The Salvation Army.

And of course you can continue to drop off monetary donations at The Salvation Army, 2707 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix. (27th and Van Buren streets)

Obama Debt Now Tops $12 Trillion

2009-11-24T00:48:00.002-07:00

National Debt Now Tops $12 Trillion

by Mark Knoller, CBS News

It's another record-high for the U.S. National Debt which today topped the $12-trillion mark. Divided evenly among the U.S. population, it amounts to $38,974.34 for every man, woman and child. Technically, the debt hit the new high yesterday, but it was posted on the Treasury Department website just after 3:00 p.m. ET today.

The exact calculation of the debt is a 16-digit tongue-twister and red-ink tsunami:

$12,031,299,186,290.07

This latest milestone in the ever-rising journey of the National Debt comes less than eight months after it hit $11 trillion for the first time. The latest high-point is not unexpected, considering the federal deficit for the just-ended 2009 fiscal year hit an all-time high at $1.42-trillion - more than triple the previous year's record high.

Read More and Comment:

Obama's Chicago Style Payoff

2009-11-24T00:40:00.004-07:00

Chicago Style $300 Million Payoff Secures Obamacare Debate
By Dana Milbank, Washington Post

Staffers on Capitol Hill were calling it the Louisiana Purchase. On the eve of Saturday's showdown in the Senate over health-care reform, Democratic leaders still hadn't secured the support of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), one of the 60 votes needed to keep the legislation alive.

The wavering lawmaker was offered a sweetener: at least $100 million in extra federal money for her home state.

And so it came to pass that Landrieu walked onto the Senate floor midafternoon Saturday to announce her aye vote -- and to trumpet the financial "fix" she had arranged for Louisiana.

"I am not going to be defensive," she declared. "And it's not a $100 million fix. It's a $300 million fix." It was an awkward moment (not least because her figure is 20 times the original Louisiana Purchase price). But it was fairly representative of a Senate debate that seems to be scripted in the Southern Gothic style.

The plot was gripping -- the bill survived Saturday's procedural test without a single vote to spare -- and it brought out the rank partisanship, the self-absorption and all the other pathologies of modern politics.

If that wasn't enough of a Tennessee Williams story line, the debate even had, playing the lead role, a Southerner named Blanche with a flair for the dramatic.

Read More and Comment:

Byron York - Why was it so hard for Dems even to start health care debate?

2009-11-24T00:32:00.002-07:00

The extraordinary thing about the dramatic events surrounding the health care bill in the Senate is that there was any drama at all. Lawmakers were simply voting to begin debate on the Democratic version of health care reform. Just begin debate -- not end it, and not move on to a final vote.

If Democrats, with a 60-vote majority in the Senate, had not been able to begin debate on the top Democratic policy priority in a generation -- well, that would have been a devastating turn of events, both for the party and for President Obama. And yet just starting debate proved difficult, and only on the last day did the 60th Democratic vote fall in place in favor of beginning the process.

I asked a high-ranking Republican Senate source whether it was really that hard to get the Democratic votes together. Could it have been a media-fed story, with reporters looking to inject some unwarranted drama into the proceedings? No, I was told. "It really was that hard for them to get to 60 just to proceed," the source said. "Very telling."

And judging by the statements of four moderate Democrats -- Lieberman, Lincoln, Landrieu, and Nelson -- it will be far, far harder when the process comes to the really important vote, the one that would bring debate to a close and move on to an up-or-down vote on the Democrats' health care plan. On Saturday, all four of those Democrats publicly threatened to side with Republicans and kill the bill before it can move to a final vote, unless their concerns are met.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE

ALG Statement: "Public Option" Defies Representative Government

2009-11-24T00:27:00.004-07:00

November 23rd, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement:

"On Saturday, the Senate voted 60-39 to proceed to the so-called 'public option,' legislation that will cost more than $2 trillion over ten years when fully implemented, ration health care away from seniors, raise the cost of premiums, drive the American people off of private health options, and bankrupt the Treasury.

"This vote, however, is completely out of step with public sentiment about the legislation. In a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Saturday and Sunday, a full 56 percent of likely voters say they oppose this legislation. Only 38 percent support it.

"And yet the Senate is moving rapidly to enact this legislation in direct defiance of the American people's express wishes. They are defying representative government, raising the question: If not the people, who do they represent?"

Health Care Reform - Rasmussen Reports™

2009-11-24T00:20:00.003-07:00

Health Care Reform
Support for Health Care Plan Falls to New Low

Monday, November 23, 2009

Just 38% of voters now favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s the lowest level of support measured for the plan in nearly two dozen tracking polls conducted since June.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% now oppose the plan.

Half the survey was conducted before the Senate voted late Saturday to begin debate on its version of the legislation. Support for the plan was slightly lower in the half of the survey conducted after the Senate vote.

Prior to this, support for the plan had never fallen below 41%. Last week, support for the plan was at 47%. Two weeks ago, the effort was supported by 45% of voters.

Intensity remains stronger among those who oppose the push to change the nation’s health care system: 21% Strongly Favor the plan while 43% are Strongly Opposed.

Rasmussen Reports is continuing to track public opinion on the health care plan on a weekly basis. Next week’s Monday morning update will give an indication of whether these numbers reflect a trend of growing opposition or are merely statistical noise.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

Only 16% now believe passage of the plan will lead to lower health care costs. Nearly four times as many (60%) believe the plan will increase health care costs. Most (54%) also believe passage of the plan will hurt the quality of care.

As has been the case for months, Democrats favor the plan while Republicans and voters not affiliated with either major party are opposed. The latest numbers show support from 73% of those in the president’s party. The plan is opposed by 83% of Republicans and 70% of unaffiliated voters.

Other recent polling shows that Democrats consider health care reform to be the top priority for the president. Republicans and unaffiliated voters see deficit reduction as most important.

Among the nation’s senior citizens, 34% favor the health care plan and 60% are opposed. A majority of those under 30 favor the plan, but a majority of all other age groups are opposed (Premium Members can see full demographic crosstabs).

Support for health care has declined along with President Obama's approval ratings. For the first time in the Obama era, the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Approval Index has been in negative double digits for nine straight days.

Despite the decline in support for the health care plan, 50% still say it is at least somewhat likely to become law this year. That figure includes 17% who say passage is Very Likely.

While Senate Democrats this weekend assembled enough votes to begin debate on the plan, many challenges remain. All Republican Senators and several Democrats, for example, have expressed opposition to the so-called “public option.” Sixty-three percent (63%) of voters nationwide say guaranteeing that no one is forced to change their health insurance coverage is a higher priority than giving consumers the choice of a "public option" government-run health insurance company. Most liberal voters say giving people the choice of a "public option" is more important.

But most moderates take the opposite view and say guaranteeing that no one is forced to change their health insurance is the top priority.

Overall, 46% favor the creation of a government-sponsored non-profit health insurance option that people could choose instead of a private health insurance plan. However, if the plan encouraged companies to drop private health insurance coverage for their workers, support for the public option falls to 29%, and opposition rises to 58%.

As Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, wrote in the Wall Street Journal: “The most important fundamental is that 68% of American voters have health insurance coverage they rate good or excellent. … Most of these voters approach the health care reform debate fearing that they have more to lose than to gain.”

Other challenging issues in the Senate debate include abortion and illegal immigration. Ever since the House's passage of the Stupak Amendment which says the "public option" would not cover elective abortions and that recipients of federal insurance subsidies could not use them to buy abortion coverage, the divide among Democrats has been visible.

Earlier polling showed that 48% nationwide favored the abortion ban, but most supporters of health care reform didn’t want to address the issue. Just 13% of all voters wanted abortion coverage mandated in the legislation.

Editorial: Senate Must Filibuster "Public Option"

2009-11-24T00:14:00.005-07:00

In a 60-39 party-line vote on Saturday, Harry Reid's ObamaCare bill (H.R. 3950) cleared a critical test vote, which allows the bill to proceed to the floor for debate. Senate Republicans needed just one of their Democrat colleagues to vote with them against cloture, and the bill would have been defeated right then and there.

Instead, it appears that for the moment Democrat caucus members are choosing their party over country.

To seal the deal, Reid still needs to keep four of his caucus members in line, each who have their share of problems within their own states: Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Evan Bayh of Indiana, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska. They are attempting avoid a severe public backlash.

That is not to say that some of these Senators do not want to vote for this legislation—most of them probably do—it's that the government takeover of health care is so vastly unpopular that their votes could likely end their political careers. All told, 56 percent of voters in the most recent Rasmussen Reports poll taken just this weekend say they are against the legislation.

The largest problem this proposal faces is opposition to the public option.

Both Senators Joe Lieberman and Blanche Lincoln have said they will not vote for the bill in its present form precisely because of the public option, which Senate Republicans say will cost $2.5 trillion over ten years once fully implemented.

Senator Mary Landrieu had previously been opposed to the "public option," too. She had previously warned Reid against including it, and said it would likely suffer the same fate as Medicare and Medicaid, the other two unsustainable health care entitlements the federal government has already enacted.

She said, "Why don't we fix the two public options we have now instead of creating a third one… I think if you asked, do you want a public option but it would force the government to go bankrupt, people would say no."

But in floor debate she suddenly had forgotten that the "public option" would bankrupt the nation. Americans for Limited Government estimates that the Senate bill will lose some
$361 billion by 2019, setting it on an unsustainable trajectory.

Landrieu is expected to vote both for cloture and in favor of final passage. Why? She got a sweetener of some $300 million for increased Medicaid payments to Louisiana in the bill in what can only be described as a bribe.

On the other side of the aisle, the American people will need Senate Republicans to stick together in opposing political favors that make it easier to pass this bill which will ration health care away from seniors, drive Americans away from private health options, take over the entire health system, and bankrupt the nation.

In particular, Maine's two Republican Senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins may be the American people's only hope. They must not give in to small favors like Landrieu did, which put will put taxpayers on the hook for far more than they will receive from the handout. If they hold strong, with at least Senator Lieberman and perhaps Senator Lincoln voting against cloture on the "public option," this trillion-dollar abomination can be stopped.

A Conservative Civil War Against the GOP – You Better Believe It! By SJ Reidhead The Pink Flamingo

2009-11-23T00:43:00.003-07:00

November 22, 2009

Does the GOP want only “Pure” candidates? If so, they are throwing Ronald Reagan under the bus in a terrifying way that will doom the country to Democrats and turn us into a third rate country. This is SO NOT the vision of Ronald Reagan that The Pink Flamingo has problems with ANY Republican who subscribes to this theory. They are betraying the memory of Ronald Reagan, and they are betraying the country.

The GOP has a chance of doing tremendous damage to the Dems in less than a year. Will the far right behave themselves and not destroy the country? I am terrified that they are going to destroy us all.

One of the worst examples I’ve seen in ages is a

Rasmussen poll suggesting J. D. Hayworth might pose problems for John McCain in Arizona. There is an extreme far right in Arizona who would split their vote between Hayworth and that erstwhile minuteman Chris Simcox. If either man were to win, you can bet your sweet bippie that the seat will swing Dem. There is NO WAY I would vote for either Simcox or Hayworth. This is a recipe for disaster, but that seems to be what the far right wants.

FIRST: When someone uses the epitaph “

RINO” they ARE NOT Republicans. They are Third Party Conservative Losers, but they are NOT Republicans. AJ Strata is right. If these people could decently align themselves with the GOP they could help us win. Unfortunately – there is nothing decent about these people. The worst of it is the fact that Chuck DeVore, who is running against Carly Florino in CA, is going after Lindsey. DeVore is one of those far right idiots you’d better watch. He and his are going to help damn us to Dem rule, forever. Then again, GOD wants DeVore,t from what I gather. Of course we could simply be dealing with more conservative lies. They really don’t give a damn about honor and integrity any more.
Take the way Charleston’s GOP has treated Lindsey:

“…

Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) can’t seem to catch a break, as Kate Sheppard notes for Mother Jones. The Republican Party of Charleston County, S.C. unanimously voted to censure Graham for working with Democrats on a climate bill. Charleston Country Chairwoman Lin Bennett argues that Graham has “weakened the Republican brand” and that “his work on climate legislation is the last straw.” In addition, the American Energy Alliance, a shady industry group that benefits from blocking clean energy, has reportedly spent $300,000 on advertisements to rebuke Graham for his support on climate legislation. Steve Benen of the Washington Monthly argues that Graham’s censure is particularly ridiculous because Graham has one of the most conservative voting records. According to VoteView analysis, Graham is currently the 18th most conservative member of Congress. Evidently, that is still not enough for South Carolina Republicans….”
Purple People Vote responded:

“..

.Senator Graham is hardly a lefty. What he is, is smart and effective. During the latest recess from Congress he served in Afghanistan as a JAG, and he has served in the military since 1982. He has been a prominent member of both the judiciary and armed services committee. Certainly people and parties alike can find issues to disagree with the Senator, but censuring a member for having “weakened the Republican brand” while having done nothing wrong/questionable/immoral is foolish and incredibly myopic considering the current state of the Republican Party…”

SECOND: We must stand together to figh

t ACORN and the SEIU.

THIRD:

Newt is right about a new contract with America. The problem is the lying duplicity of conservatives who think they are better than we Republicans are. Compared to Newt, Beck is nothing but a seriously disturbed little snot who is doing everything possible to destroy this country in order to make money.
Case in point from Allahpundit:

“..

.Actually, he says Steele’s working on a statement of “first principles” which might serve as the seed for a new Contract-type platform. Which is super, except that the GOP’s whole problem right now is that conservatives don’t believe them anymore. They have no credibility with the base, which is why (a) Republican party ID is on life support even as “conservative” self-identification is ticking upwards, (b) CPAC’s handing its keynote slot to the main challenger of the NRSC’s favored candidate, and (c) grassroots conservatives are flocking to self-styled “outsiders” like Palin, Doug Hoffman, and Glenn Beck, who’s got plenty of “first principles” ideas of his own to offer them….”
NOTE TO ALLAHPUNDIT: Beck is a Losertarian. Hoffman is a Beck acolyte, and Beck is out to destroy the GOP. Anyone who works with him is duplicitous in his repulsive perfidy.

Of course, if people like

Eric Erickson have their way, a race war will erupt between the idiots on the right. This is just way too funny – and disgusting, and shows just how pathetic these yahoos really are.

The far right is making a mess in Florida. Then again, Florida could simply be Florida, and the state is suffering because there is no strong leader like Jeb Bush (which also says something about the national GOP and his big brother).
“…

The divide goes beyond former House Speaker Marco Rubio’s challenge to Gov. Charlie Crist in next year’s primary for the U.S. Senate. There are also divisions over party leadership and party message that have resulted in the unusual sight of contested primaries in five statewide contests. Those factions include Crist loyalists, allies of Bush upset with Crist, as well as some who are loudly critical of Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer.
While tensions have simmered since Crist veered onto a moderate, and occasionally populist, path starting from nearly his first day as governor, it was Crist’s decision to forgo a second term and seek the U.S. Senate that has helped move these battles out into the open.

Mirroring a national debate, Florida’s GOP is split over whether to move further to the right, embracing its conservative roots, or to expand its tent to reach more moderates and independents….”

There is a power-play by those in power, who want more power.

“…

Conservatives refuse to back off.. “The real power of the Republican Party right now is in a burgeoning, strong … grass-roots movement,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List. “The more out of touch [the GOP leaders] are with their natural base, the more elections we’ll lose.”
THE GOP NEEDS MODERATES

There is nothing wrong with a moderate Republican. I know, Rush has turned them into The Enemy, but there are places where a Jim DeMint simply cannot win. Fortunately

they are starting to fight back, just a little
“RUDE” CONSERVATIVES

There is no actual civil war within

actual GOP ranks. The incivility comes from those who are NOT Republicans. If the brain dead right is calling the shots, then Mike Huckabee would not continue to be the “front-runner“.

The Tea Party People are now threatening anyone who doesn’t do exactly what they say to do. They are nothing but the usual cyclical populist movement, empowered this time by cable television and the internet. You will find the average Tea Party Person either voted for Ross Perot, Ron Paul, or embraces their philosophy of abject stupidity.

“….

From the perspective of Gingrich and other veteran Republicans, there is deep irony in these untoward developments. Many of the Tea Party types actually hate Republican politicians, unless, like Ronald Reagan or Barry Goldwater, they are already dead. They hate Democrats, too, of course — and lots of other people — but their invective against Republicans is suffused with special outrage.

If they have their way, every Republican who doesn’t adhere to the Beck canon will be driven out at the end of a pitchfork, just like poor Dede Scozzafava.

Fifteen years ago, when Newt rode to power on the resentments of the religious right, the gun lobby and the economic royalists, he celebrated their extremism as the political style of “normal Americans.” Today when he hears the violent rhetoric, the hateful threats and the fanatical intolerance, he knows they are talking about him, too…”

Pink Flamingo friend and confidant, Sally Vee forwarded an email from the Minuteman PAC. They are now going to threaten Republicans:
“…After Minuteman PAC stepped into the race on behalf of Hoffman to expose Scozzafava and Owens’ liberal records, Scozzafava was forced to abandon her campaign and her true colors were exposed to the entire country. . . And Minuteman PAC will continue aiming at key races where brave patriot candidates have enlisted to unseat or defeat anti-American candidates! That’s why we cannot sulk, we cannot rest, we must keep fighting. . .That’s why we’re already re-arming for the next round of primary elections in just a few months. We must begin preparing now…”
Lisa Fabrizio wrote this stupidity on Human Events:

“…

While no baseball team worth its salt would be without switch-hitters, in politics, those who swing both ways are most-often a detriment; to those who have strong convictions anyway. And all too often our team is forced into playing split-squad games with the Elephants on one side and the RINOs on the other. Lindsey Graham had some great success as a rookie in the House Manager’s lineup so masterfully skippered by crafty vet Henry Hyde during the Clinton Impeachment tilt back in ‘96. But since moving up to the Senate squad he has taken to batting lefty in the last few contests, making him and us look bad. There are also gals like Olympia Snowe whose most recent at-bat resulted in her being whiffed by daffy portsider Harry Reid, as she allowed the Senate Healthcare bill to come out of committee….

Republicans CANNOT win if the party is consigned to a group of purists who want ONLY their opinion heard and only their candidates selected to run for office.

You might want to read the WPost piece on Dede Scozzafava.

“...In the summer, Scozzafava and her husband, Ron McDougall, a local labor leader, retreated to their summer house at the end of a dirt road on Sylvia Lake. The place has no TV reception — a good thing, she said, given all the attack ads against her funded by the Club for Growth, the anti-tax group backing Hoffman. Still, she wasn’t entirely isolated. She heard through friends that Palin insinuated she had been “anointed” by a “political machine” because county chairs handpicked her as the nominee. Beck denounced her as “ACORN-supported” and an “Obama-Lite Republican.” Former House majority leader Dick Armey’s group FreedomWorks mobilized against her. She said she heard conservative robo-calls in the district describing her as a “child killer,” a “lesbian lover” and a “homo.” “It was organized,” she said….”
Then start putting things into perspective.

“…

Ultimately… The GOP is and must continue to be a movement of many perspectives, but these perspectives should share some similarity with one another. Nominating a candidate who is only with her party on gun rights in a reliably Republican district is not the way to foster continued support from traditional supporters of the party while also currying favor with those more independently minded. Success in 2010 and beyond is possible if past mistakes are not repeated….”
WANT TO WIN, SHUT BECK UP

We cannot win if LIBERTARIAN Glenn Beck is allowed to continue to call the shots for Elliott Schimel is one of the few reasonable voices getting through the conservative septic tank which is now American Thinker.

“…

What will happen if conservative talk show hosts like Glenn Beck target moderate Republicans in 2010? The election in NY-23 sends a clear message that moderate Republicans are targets for conservative media. This means candidates in democratic districts don’t have a snowflake’s chance in hell to win. If a candidate leans too conservative, he will lose the district; drift towards the center, and risk being attacked by Beck.

If Republican leaders are serious about taking over the House, they need to make sure Beck doesn’t launch his own jihad on moderate candidates in left-leaning districts. It’s always difficult to unseat incumbent congressmen. Republican candidates can’t afford to spend time ducking shots from their own party….”

THE BIG LOSS

Frank Rich has a NYTimes column about the absolute disaster the Tea Party People and the Far Right inflicted on themselves in NY-23. Rich is 100% correct.

“…

This race was a damaging setback for the hard right. Hoffman had the energetic support of Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Fox as well as big bucks from their political auxiliaries. Furthermore, Hoffman was running not only in a district that Rove himself described as “very Republican” but one that fits the demographics of the incredibly shrinking G.O.P.

The 23rd is far whiter than America as a whole — 93 percent versus 74 — with tiny sprinklings of blacks, Hispanics and Asians. It has few immigrants. It’s rural. Its income and education levels are below the norm. Only if the district were situated in Dixie — or Utah — could it be a more perfect fit for the narrow American demographic where the McCain-Palin ticket had its sole romps last year.

If the tea party right can’t win there, imagine how it might fare in the nation where most Americans live. Some G.O.P. leaders have started to notice. Mitt Romney didn’t endorse Hoffman despite right-wing badgering to do so. On Wednesday, Michael Steele dismissed the right’s mantra that somehow Hoffman’s loss could be called a victory and instead talked up the newly elected Republican governors who won by appealing to independents and moderates. Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell are plenty conservative, but both had rejected Palin’s offers to campaign for them. They also avoided the tea party zanies, the fear-mongering National Organization for Marriage and the anti-abortion-rights zealots Hoffman embraced. They positioned themselves as respectful Obama critics, not haters likening him to Hitler….

Should the G.O.P. avoid self-destruction by containing this fringe, then the president and his party will have to confront their real problem: their identification with the titans who greased the skids for the economic meltdown from which Wall Street has recovered and the country has not. If there’s one general lesson to be gleaned from Christie’s victory over Jon Corzine in New Jersey, it’s surely that in today’s zeitgeist it’s less of a stigma to be fat than a former Goldman Sachs fat cat, even in a blue state….”

Fortunately,

there are signs that the Tea Party “patriots” are starting to self-destruct.

“…

“These groups don’t play as well together as they should,” said Kevin Jackson, a St. Louis-based conservative author and activist who has spoken at dozens of tea party-type rallies and is traveling across the South with a convoy sponsored by the national Tea Party Patriots group.
“They’re fractured at the organization level, I think mainly because there are a lot of people who have not had managerial experience who all of a sudden are thrust into the limelight and become intoxicated with it. And when a potential rift comes up, instead of handling it and maybe agreeing to disagree, they splinter and go off on their own.”

The movement is composed of hundreds of independent local groups, many of which are incorporated as nonprofits and have localized names referencing the tea parties, 9/12 or We the People.

Many of their members also belong to national conservative groups, including FreedomWorks, Americans for Prosperity and Grassfire, while the local groups often affiliate formally or informally with loose-knit umbrella organizations, including the Tea Party Patriots and Tea Party Nation….”

Valley Citizens League Luncheon – TUES 24 NOV – Noon

2009-11-23T00:38:00.005-07:00

VALLEY CITIZENS LEAGUE
Mind-Opener Luncheon

No Easy Answer ~ Environmental & Health Concerns vs. Jobs & Cheap Water/Power

Variables: $ One Billion for scrubbers ▪ Source of 95% of CAP power ▪ Jobs & Royalties at risk ▪ Operating coal burning plants ▪ EPA regulations and many more…

To attempt to determine the answer, VCL has lined up a panel of key players involved in finding a solution:

Panelists: Susan Bitter Smith, President, Central Arizona Project Board; Richard Hayslip, Associate General Manager, Salt River Project; Tom Buschatzke, City of Phoenix water advisor; Vernon Masayesva, Member, Hopi Tribe (Invited); Rob Smith, Sierra Club, Grand Canyon Chapter
Moderator: Steve Clawson of public relations firm Moses Anshell

In addition, this is our Annual Meeting & Board Election
Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Time: Noon – 1:30 PM

Place: Burton Barr Central Library, Pulliam Room
1221 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix
(East side of Central, South of McDowell Light Rail Stop, parking on site)
Lunch Served: Hot Buffet ~ $20 members/ $30 nonmembers

We request that you Please:
Click Here to RSVP and Pay on our Secure Website(www.valleycitizensleague.org)

or RSVP to: Peggy Rubach, Executive Director, Valley Citizens League at:
E-Mail: rsvp@valleycitizensleague.org

Reservations will close when 120 RSVPs are received or
at 5:00 PM on Monday, November 23, 2009
Cancellations must be received 24 hours in advance or you will be billed

SEN. JOHN McCAIN - HEALTHCARE REFORM

2009-11-23T00:29:00.003-07:00

Health care accounts for nearly one-sixth of our nation’s economy and affects every family and every household budget. In the name of “Reform,” however, it would be a tragic mistake to turn health care decisions over to the government.

Reform must focus on fundamental changes to the system to reduce costs and to increase access to affordable coverage and innovative care. Coverage options available to families should be more flexible and doctors must be protected from frivolous lawsuit. Malpractice reform has already been implemented in California and Texas, with dramatic decreases in the cost of medical insurance. We should apply those reforms to the rest of the nation.

Legislation currently pending in the Senate fails to accomplish any of these reforms. It would turn control of all health care over to the government’ would increase the cost of health care by $ 1.5 Trillion; and would still leave millions without coverage. It would cost jobs, drive small businesses out of business and drastically delay our economic recovery. It would also, despite what the Democrats claim, reduce Medicare benefits.

Senator McCain supports genuine health care reform – the kind of reform that preserves the high quality of care the American people currently enjoy, while reducing the escalating costs. The President said that he will not sign a health care bill that increases the deficit. The current legislation will. Senator McCain intends to hold this administration to that promise.

Sincerely,

Shiree Verdone
Campaign Manager

Donate Today. Your contribution makes the difference.

John McCain 2010
Mailing address: 1702 E. Highland Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85016
Paid for by Friends of John McCain

DEMS SHOVE OBAMACARE RIGHT UP THE AMERICAN PEOPLE'S ASSES!

2009-11-23T00:15:00.002-07:00

SEE HOW YOUR SENATOR VOTED!!! AND REMEMBER!!!

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 1st Session as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary
Question: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 3590 )
Vote Number:
353

Vote Date:
November 21, 2009, 07:55 PM

Required For Majority:
3/5

Vote Result:

Cloture Motion Agreed to
Measure Number:
H.R. 3590 (Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009 )
Measure Title:
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the first-time homebuyers credit in the case of members of the Armed Forces and certain other Federal employees, and for other purposes.
Vote Counts:
YEAs
60
NAYs
39
Not Voting
1
Vote Summary
By Senator Name
By Vote Position
By Home State

Alphabetical by Senator Name

Akaka (D-HI), Yea Alexander (R-TN), Nay Barrasso (R-WY), Nay Baucus (D-MT), Yea Bayh (D-IN), Yea Begich (D-AK), Yea Bennet (D-CO), Yea Bennett (R-UT), Nay Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Bond (R-MO), Nay Boxer (D-CA), Yea Brown (D-OH), Yea Brownback (R-KS), Nay Bunning (R-KY), Nay Burr (R-NC), Nay Burris (D-IL), Yea Byrd (D-WV), Yea Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Cardin (D-MD), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea Casey (D-PA), Yea Chambliss (R-GA), Nay Coburn (R-OK), Nay Cochran (R-MS), Nay Collins (R-ME), Nay Conrad (D-ND), Yea Corker (R-TN), Nay Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Crapo (R-ID), Nay DeMint (R-SC), Nay Dodd (D-CT), Yea Dorgan (D-ND), Yea Durbin (D-IL), Yea Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Nay Feingold (D-WI), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Franken (D-MN), Yea Gillibrand (D-NY), Yea Graham (R-SC), Nay Grassley (R-IA), Nay Gregg (R-NH), Nay Hagan (D-NC), Yea Harkin (D-IA), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Nay Hutchison (R-TX), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Nay Johanns (R-NE), Nay Johnson (D-SD), Yea Kaufman (D-DE), Yea Kerry (D-MA), Yea Kirk (D-MA), Yea Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Yea Kyl (R-AZ), Nay Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea LeMieux (R-FL), Nay Levin (D-MI), Yea Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Nay McCain (R-AZ), Nay McCaskill (D-MO), Yea McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea Merkley (D-OR), Yea Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Nay Murray (D-WA), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea Reed (D-RI), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea Risch (R-ID), Nay Roberts (R-KS), Nay Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Sanders (I-VT), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shaheen (D-NH), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Nay Snowe (R-ME), Nay Specter (D-PA), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Yea Tester (D-MT), Yea Thune (R-SD), Nay Udall (D-CO), Yea Udall (D-NM), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Nay Voinovich (R-OH), Not Voting Warner (D-VA), Yea Webb (D-VA), Yea Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea Wicker (R-MS), Nay Wyden (D-OR), Yea

Vote Summary
By Senator Name
By Vote Position
By Home State