Courage To See

Missouri voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a federal mandate to purchase health insurance, rebuking President Barack Obama’s administration and giving Republicans their first political victory in a national campaign to overturn the controversial health care law passed by Congress in March.

“The citizens of the Show-Me State don’t want Washington involved in their health care decisions,” said Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, one of the sponsors of the legislation that put Proposition C on the August ballot. She credited a grass-roots campaign involving Tea Party and patriot groups with building support for the anti-Washington proposition.

This is the iceberg of Tea Party patriots, only 10% are above water: meaning that 10% are the patriots which take to the streets protest and are publicly vocal.  The remaining 90% support the basic tenets of the limited government intrusion in our lives, fiscal responsibility and  seek representation that align with the basic values of the Constitution.  Way to go Show-Me State patriots, your voice echoed through the nation with Americans cheering your stand.

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Continually throughout the Health Care debate, if you want to call it that, Democrats insisted that the “penalty” (as described by the language of the bill) was NOT a tax.  The pResident emphasized this very point while being interviewed by ABC’s Stephanopoulos.

A short cut from the interview:

STEPHANOPOULOS:  I wanted to check for myself.  But your critics say it is a tax increase.

OBAMA:  My critics say everything is a tax increase.  My critics say that I’m taking over every sector of the economy.  You know that. Look, we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we’re going to have an individual mandate or not, but…

STEPHANOPOULOS:  But you reject that it’s a tax increase?

OBAMA:  I absolutely reject that notion.  (emphasis mine)

Now the first suit by Virginia is being heard in court.  Virginia has filed suit arguing  that the federal government with the health care reform law is making a power grab beyond what the United States Constitution allows.  Basically the state is saying the same thing many of us have said, no where does the federal government have the power to mandate that any citizen purchase a particular commodity.

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli outlined his basic argument to NPR earlier in the year. “It is our position that the individual mandate is unconstitutionally overbroad under the Commerce Clause,” Cuccinelli, a Republican, said. “You cannot compel someone to buy something from someone else.” As you will recall, nearly every American will be required to purchase health insurance. This will be important for keeping down the ever rising price of health care in this country, according to the Obama Administration.

Commerce clause you say?  Wait one minute, the Obama administration is now arguing that they (the federal government) have a Constitutional “power to lay and collect taxes.”   However in reading the bill, no where did legislators state the levy as a tax, they continually referred to it as a “penalty.”

Oh yes but the administration is saying that since the law will raise an estimated $4 billion a year, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the “penalty” is a tax.  Plus we have the pesky IRS enforcement aspect of the bill.. exactly what does the IRS collect?

Florida, as well as other states have stated:  “Congress is attempting to regulate and penalize Americans for choosing not to engage in economic activity. If Congress can do this much, there will be virtually no sphere of private decision-making beyond the reach of federal power.”

As these suits proceed forward, lets remember that sixty percent (60%) of voters nationwide favor repeal the passed health care law, including 49% who Strongly Favor repeal. How will these individuals feel once they learn, the “penalty” is really a tax and that the pResident lied to them all-along?  Lets get this information out.. IF your congress critters hold townhalls this summer ask them why the pResident explicitedly stated the “penalty” was not a tax and is now arguing in court that it is. As Representative Joe Wilson stated in the face of outright disdain from the pResident over his blatant lack of honesty…

Didn’t we just go through a year plus of health care reform?  You remember.. hearings broadcast daily on C-Span, television cameras filming every closed door meeting, Congress critters putting the interests of their constituents first.  What, you don’t remember this hoopla?  <snapping fingers> That’s right, I was thinking of an episode of the Twilight Zone.

During a town hall forum, I asked my non-representative Pete Visclosky why Dr. Fix was not included in the health care legislation?  Shouldn’t the payment to doctors for medical services provided under Medicare be a basic consideration in any health care “reform?”  Well, payment to doctors was not included in the “reform” law, imagine that.  In order to keep the final tally under $1 trillion, payment to doctors was conveniently forgotten.  But have no fear, on Friday the Senate passed “Dr. Fix.”

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Now we know what Pelosi meant when she stated once the Health care bill is passed “we’ll know what’s in it.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama’s health care overhaul law will increase the nation’s health care tab instead of bringing costs down, government economic forecasters concluded Thursday in a sobering assessment of the sweeping legislation.

A report by economic experts at the Health and Human Services Department said the health care remake will achieve Obama’s aim of expanding health insurance — adding 34 million Americans to the coverage rolls.

During the debate it was often asked how can you increase the numbers of those covered and decreased costs, mathematically it does work.  Finally someone in government is acknowledging that 1 + 1 = 2, not -2.

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Here it comes… who didn’t realize that taxes would be a result of the horrendous health care law they recently passed?  Tax paying citizens can only pay so much before their budget is spread so thin that it snaps… that snap is on the horizon, while the state is currently solvent this fact will become mute as million dollar burdens are hoisted on the backs of Hoosiers.  And Pete Visclosky, the pay-to-play transient resident from Indiana can take the blame for his part in all this.

INDIANAPOLIS | While the most costly provisions of federal health reform won’t take effect until 2014, state officials determined Indiana’s budget will pay a price starting this summer.

That’s because the new health law takes money from prescription drug rebates currently paid to state Medicaid programs and redirects those funds to the federal government.

As a result, Indiana will lose $25 million during the 2011 budget year, which begins in July, and as much as $400 million during the next decade, said Anne W. Murphy, secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.  (emphasis mine)

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I’ve already commented on Pelosi’s arrogant statement regarding the content of the health care bill after it is passed (here).   The American public was correct, when 80% of the people said that Congress doesn’t know what’s in the bill.  After all the hoopla and champagne sipping, it is now being reported that major aspects which the White House triumphed as being cornerstones to the bill are not there.  <gasp>  I know.. what they were wrong?  Didn’t they read the bill?  This should come as no surprise to anyone watching these keystone cops.

Washington— Hours after President Barack Obama signed historic health care legislation, a potential problem emerged. Administration officials are now scrambling to fix a gap in highly touted benefits for children.

Obama made better coverage for children a centerpiece of his health care remake, but it turns out the letter of the law provided a less-than-complete guarantee that kids with health problems would not be shut out of coverage.

Under the new law, insurance companies still would be able to refuse new coverage to children because of a pre-existing medical problem, said Karen Lightfoot, spokeswoman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the main congressional panels that wrote the bill Obama signed into law Tuesday.

However, if a child is accepted for coverage, or is already covered, the insurer cannot exclude payment for treating a particular illness, as sometimes happens now. For example, if a child has asthma, the insurance company cannot write a policy that excludes that condition from coverage. The new safeguard will be in place later this year.

Full protection for children would not come until 2014, said Kate Cyrul, a spokeswoman for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, another panel that authored the legislation. That’s the same year when insurance companies could no longer deny coverage to any person on account of health problems.

Obama’s public statements have conveyed the impression that the new protections for kids were more sweeping and straightforward.

“This is a patient’s bill of rights on steroids,” the president said Friday at George Mason University in Virginia. “Starting this year, thousands of uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions will be able to purchase health insurance, some for the very first time. Starting this year, insurance companies will be banned forever from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.”

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Throughout this debate, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan has been a clear strong voice about fiscal responsibility and the imapct this law will have on the American people.

“Largest entitlement we have ever had in the history of this country.. at a time we can’t afford the entitlements we have right now.”

Yesterday there was a rally sponsored by Northwest Indiana Patriots (NWIP) at the office of the NON-representative Pete Visclosky.

The weather was cold windy and at times sleet pelted the patriots as they braved Mother Nature.  Approximately 50+   turned out for the protest.  We arrived at around 10:50am and immediately bundled up and hit the street. By 11:15, Broadway in front of Pete’s office was lined with flags. Countless (meanings 100’s) thumbs-up signs from passing motorists, accompanied with horns hooking NO to OBAMACARE, which helped warm up the patriots as they voiced opposition against the tyranny of the federal government. Every person was in good cheer, sharing gloves, extra coats, signs and flags; along with excellent dialogue regarding the country, it was pure patriotism.

More pics and further thoughts at break:

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