Category Archives: Medicare

The Top 10 Most Outrageous Media Attacks Against Paul Ryan

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By Randy Hall via Newsbusters

Now that Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has been named Mitt Romney’s running mate in the upcoming presidential election, we can expect the Democrats and the media to set new lows in their attacks on him.

Unfortunately, over the years, liberally biased journalists have had plenty of practice. Here’s our look at the top 10 most outrageous media attacks on Paul Ryan.

10. Ryan, GOP House wasting time making budgets

On the April 1 (no fooling) edition of “The Diane Rehm Show” on National Public Radio, the host could not bear to hear any Republican receive praise — especially Paul Ryan.

After her on-air guest, columnist Doyle McManus, called the Congressman’s budget “a huge, ambitious, bold budget that would restructure the tax system,” the host replied that the proposal is “going nowhere.”

Rehm then denounced Ryan for wasting “precious time” on his spending-cut proposals.

“You know what I don’t understand, frankly, is that everybody knew it was not going to go anywhere in the Senate. Why waste what precious time there is to pass a bill like this?”

Um, maybe perhaps because it is the job of the House of Representatives to create a budget per the U.S. Constitution and because the Democratically controlled Senate has literally refused to generate any kind of budget for the past three years?

9. David Gregory: Is Paul Ryan ‘a little too incendiary’ to be vice president?

During the Sunday, June 24, edition of NBC’s Meet the Press, host David Gregory asked his guest, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), to comment on Ryan’s eligibility to become vice president:

“[T]he question, chairman, is whether a guy like Paul Ryan is a little too incendiary,” he said. “Would the left be able to really go to work on him because of his views about Medicare, because of his budget? Do you think Romney looks at that and says, ‘Boy, he’s attractive, he doubles down on my message, but he’d just be too much of a lightning rod?’ “

Issa’s answer was perfect:

“This is a person of substance that I serve with in the House, I’m very proud to serve with, who has a lot of great ideas,” he stated. “If he’s not the vice president, he still is one of the people on the short list for key cabinet positions.

8. CNN cheers liberal nuns protesting Ryan budget

The Cable News Network praised a group of nuns lambasting the Ryan budget without bothering to include any response from the Wisconsin Congressman, who is a longtime Catholic.

“You go, girls!” CNN’s Carol Costello cheered the “Nuns on the Bus” tour, which received eight different mentions on the network from June 13 through July 3.

“Congressman Paul Ryan. I mean, he is a faithful Catholic, but he’s misguided,” asserted Sr. Simone Campbell. “Many politicians offer deeply flawed justifications for the federal budget. They ought to get some theological help.”

7. CBS anchor laughs in Ryan’s face after he won’t accept her ridiculous premise

During the CBS This Morning program on Friday, July 20, host Norah O’Donnell challenged Ryan’s correct assertion that keeping the current tax rates, instead of raising them as President Obama wants, ought not to be called cutting taxes.

“We’re just talking about keeping taxes where they are.”

“You’re afraid to call them tax cuts now?” O’Donnell laughed when Ryan confirmed his response and she replied: “Oh, Congressman, come on!”

Watch the video here.

6. Radio lunatic Thom Hartmann: Paul Ryan a ‘sociopath’

Liberal radio talk show host Thom Martmann, known for saying things that would have gotten Rush Limbaugh hounded off the air in minutes, decided to engage in a little bit of psycological projection about Ryan this past December:

“I am of the opinion that Paul Ryan is actually a sociopath, and I use that word very, very, very carefully,” Hartmann said. “And sociopaths are people who are typically, you know — Smart sociopaths can be incredibly charming. Ted Bundy, who was a sociopath and a serial killer, his sociopathy came out as a murderer.

“Sociopaths think that everybody else in the world is just an object to be manipulated, and that they’re the only people in the world who actually experience real emotions… and they can be very, very, very charming,’ he added

5. Schultz: ‘Republicans want violence to take place in our society’

Last October, Ed Schultz stated during his hour-long weekday program on MSNBC to accuse Ryan of nothing less than inciting a civil war.

After playing a clip of the Congressman describing the way President Obama is “sowing social unrest and class resentment,” the host stated:

“It’s outrageous what that guy just said! He is inciting civil war! That’s what he’s doing,” Schultz bellowed. “You take his comments, and you see exactly what they mean. It’s almost as if Republicans want violence to take place in our society.”

Schultz’s guest was fellow lunatic and former Florida Congressman Alan Grayson, who added:

“For Paul Ryan or any Republican to talk about this, to talk about the president inciting the politics of division is much like O.J. saying he’s going to devote his life to finding the real killer. They’re the real killers,” he stated.

So in other words, accusing someone else of inciting civil war by promoting resentment and dividing people against each other is actuallya way of inciting civil war. I guess you must need a secret liberal decoder ring to understand the logic.

4. Bill Maher: Ryan a ‘heartless, smirking bastard’

No list of attacks on a Republican would be complete without a comment from self-described funnyman Bill Maher, who discussed Ryan last June:

“On the plus side, he has piercing blue bedroom eyes,” he stated. “On the minus side, he’s a heartless, smirking bastard, and the only people who can stand him are heartless, smirking bastards, and Mitt, you already have that vote locked up.”

Read the rest at Newsbusters

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Collection of Videos of Paul Ryan Taking on DWS, Geithner, Medicare, Obamacare, National Debt

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A collection of videos showing Congressman Paul Ryan taking on the likes of Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Timothy Geithner, Austan Goolsbee, MSNBC and Chris Matthews.  In my previous post, Paul Ryan Schools Obama on Obamacare and Economics in Six Minutes (Video), he took on President Obama.  I think the man will be able to more than hold his own with Joe Biden in future debates and will be terrific as our next Vice President!

Great debate with Debbie Wasserman-Schultz on Social Security reform – Ryan wanted an ‘adult’ conversation:

 

Paul Ryan Destroys Debbie Wasserman-Schultz in Obamacare Debate:

 

Paul Ryan Reminds Debbie Wasserman-Schultz What She’s Already Done to Medicare:

 

Rep. Paul Ryan Slams liberal msnbc- Lets Have An Honest Debate About Healthcare Reform:

 

Tim Geithner to Paul Ryan: “We don’t have a definitive solution… We just don’t like yours”:

 

Paul Ryan corrects those confused on combating poverty :

 

Watch Rep. Paul Ryan Spank Former Obama Advisor Austan Goolsbee:

 

Paul Ryan Takes Chris Matthews “To School” On Deficits and Taxes:

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Has Chief Justice John Roberts Forced Dems to ‘Own’ a Massive New Tax Hike Just Before Elections???

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By Kasey Jachim

Many Conservatives are calling Chief Justice John Roberts a ‘traitor’ for upholding the individual mandate – the backbone of Obamacare.  Unlike many, I was not convinced today would be a slam-dunk victory for conservatives, especially in light of the Court’s immigration decision throwing Arizona under the bus - with the help of Justice Roberts.

Although I am very disappointed, I wonder whether or not there is a method to his apparent ‘madness’.  By striking down the individual mandate as unconstitutional via the Commerce Clause, did he just force Obama and the Democrats in Congress to ‘own’ the massive tax hikes soon to be imposed on many middle class Americans?  If so, has the Court just given Congress unlimited taxation powers?

“If courts agree that Congress can use its taxing authority to mandate the purchase of health insurance, that decision will have huge ramifications, says Randy Barnett, a professor of constitutional law at Georgetown University Law Center. “If Congress could do this for this reason, [it] could do anything for this reason” as long as it can call the consequence for noncompliance a “penalty.”  Congress “could make you have an abortion. They can make you buy a car from [General Motors]. They can make you work in the defense industry,” Barnett adds.”   DC Bar

If individuals don’t ‘purchase’ health care, IRS can withhold tax returns and even impose fines and liens on their homes.  The Obama administration is going to have massive damage control ahead of them, especially since the President vehemently denied the individual mandate was a tax in a 2009 ABC interview.

According to Eric Erickson in Red State:

“…while Roberts has expanded the taxation power, which I don’t really think is a massive expansion from what it was, Roberts has curtailed the commerce clause as an avenue for Congressional overreach.  In so doing, he has affirmed the Democrats are massive taxers.  In fact, I would argue that this may prevent future mandates in that no one is going to go around campaigning on new massive tax increases.  On the upside, I guess we can tax the hell out of abortion now.  Likewise, in a 7 to 2 decision, the Court shows a strong majority still recognize the concept of federalism and the restrains of Congress in forcing states to adhere to the whims of the federal government.”

Most Americans are already aware of the Democrats record of ‘Tax and Spend’.  Those on the receiving end love it because most of them do not pay taxes and are the recipients of the spending.  The Democrats will face a tougher battle in November and can no longer distance themselves from this Obamanation.

Did Justice Roberts just punt the ball back into the ‘political’ arena and out of the ‘constitutional’ arena?  In light of the Court’s decision, Republicans must now decide how to proceed with Obamacare.  There are many options floating around – Should they defund it?  Repeal it?  Repeal and replace it?

Let’s face it, as long as Harry Reid, his minions and Rinos have control of the Senate and there is a Democrat in the White House, none of the above are feasible.  The only way we can get out of this mess is to win them both in November.  I think Justice Roberts just helped pave the way!

Paybacks are hell and I think Justice Roberts just delivered his. If Obamacare had been overturned by the SC we would have seen a tremendous swelling of support and money for Obama and he would have had the momentum heading into November. Instead WE have the support, money and momentum!

Please let me know what you think…..

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Obama Drops His Name Into the Other Presidential Biographies (Is there no limit to his narcissism?)

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By  via Commentary Magazine

Many of President Obama’s fervent devotees are young enough not to have much memory of the political world before the arrival of The One. Coincidentally, Obama himself feels the same way—and the White House’s official website reflects that.

 

The Heritage Foundation’s Rory Cooper tweeted that Obama had casually dropped his own name into Ronald Reagan’s official biography on www.whitehouse.gov, claiming credit for taking up the mantle of Reagan’s tax reform advocacy with his “Buffett Rule” gimmick. My first thought was, he must be joking. But he wasn’t—it turns out Obama has added bullet points bragging about his own accomplishments to the biographical sketches of every single U.S. president since Calvin Coolidge (except, for some reason, Gerald Ford). Here are a few examples:

  • On Feb. 22, 1924 Calvin Coolidge became the first president to make a public radio address to the American people. President Coolidge later helped create the Federal Radio Commission, which has now evolved to become the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). President Obama became the first president to hold virtual gatherings and town halls using Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, etc.
  • In a 1946 letter to the National Urban League, President Truman wrote that the government has “an obligation to see that the civil rights of every citizen are fully and equally protected.” He ended racial segregation in civil service and the armed forces in 1948. Today the Obama administration continues to strive toward upholding the civil rights of its citizens, repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, allowing people of all sexual orientations to serve openly in our armed forces.
  • President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare signed (sic) into law in 1965—providing millions of elderly healthcare stability. President Obama’s historic health care reform law, the Affordable Care Act, strengthens Medicare, offers eligible seniors a range of preventive services with no cost-sharing, and provides discounts on drugs when in the coverage gap known as the “donut hole.”
  • In a June 28, 1985 speech Reagan called for a fairer tax code, one where a multi-millionaire did not have a lower tax rate than his secretary. Today, President Obama is calling for the same with the Buffett Rule.

I imagine Bill Clinton will be especially receptive to Obama’s habit of shoehorning himself into the limelight previously occupied by others. As you can see, the bullet points make clear that while each president has done something historic or notable, Obama is carrying forward every one of those accomplishments since Coolidge. No wonder he always seems so proud of himself.

For more information click here.

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Dictator Obama Issues New Threat to Supreme Court over ObamaCare

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By Sher Zieve via Canada Free Press

In his latest display of his full USA federal government dictatorship over both the American people and the former co-branches of government, Dictator Obama is warning the Supreme Court to either rule in his favor or face severe consequences.

Fox News’ Martha McCallum advised Thursday that the Obama Administration has been quietly sending missives to the Supreme Court threatening that if it doesn’t rule in his favor on ObamaCare, Medicare will face disruption and “chaos.”  Therefore, if SCOTUS rules in favor of the US Constitution, Obama & Co will begin its campaign to either destroy Medicare or make those on it suffer greatly.   The Obama syndicate is said to be threatening to hold off Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals if SCOTUS does not comply with Obama’s demands and submit to him.

As an additional example of Obama’s illegal and (I believe) highly treasonous behaviors, on 1 May and 2 May Obama issued two additional unconstitutional and illegal Executive Orders.  The first E.O., issued 1 May 2012, makes the USA subject to “international regulations” as opposed to looking to and following the US Constitution.   Also, with this new E.O., the US FDA will now be able to be bypassed by International committees—thus, replacing the FDA with any international group which may be chosen.  In essence, Obama is quickly eliminating US Sovereignty and selling the USA to the international “community.”

The second E.O. issued in 2 days was signed by Obama on 2 May 2012.  This E.O. instructs the USA to bow to international regulations instead of the US Constitution and Businessweek reports:  “Obama’s order provides a framework to organize scattered efforts to promote international regulatory cooperation, the chamber’s top global regulatory official said today.

“Today’s executive order marks a paradigm shift for U.S. regulators by directing them to take the international implications of their work into account in a consistent and comprehensive way,” Sean Heather, vice president of the chamber’s Center for Global Regulatory Cooperation, said in an e-mailed statement.”  This also brings the USA closer to becoming a “North American Union” and—also—eliminating its sovereignty—in toto.

Suffice it to say, no one in Congress has issued even the proverbial “peep” over either of these illegal “orders.”  Do the American people really want to continue to live under this blatant tyranny?

The second question is “Will the Supreme Court of the United States of America bow to Obama and give up its co-equal status to the dictator as the US Congress has already done?”  If so,  perhaps its time for We-the-People to recruit the Honduran Supreme Court who, along with their military, ousted its then President Manuel Zelaya who had become a dictator.  Oppression under the Obama syndicate becomes worse each and every day, folks.  Will we ever choose to go back to the sunshine?

“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?”—Revelation 13:4

For more information click here.

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CBO Unravels Obamacare Budget Gimmicks: Cost of coverage increases along with penalties on individuals and job creators

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Press Release from House Energy and Commerce Committee

OBAMACARE WATCH:.....CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFI...

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office today released new estimates on the cost of the president’s health care law, revealing a shocking new sticker price of $1.8 trillion.

According to the report, the estimated gross cost of coverage for FY 2012-2021 has increased to $1.48 trillion, which is “$50 billion higher than last year’s projection.” Some are already trying to present one side of the report and simply highlight a reduced net cost, but a closer look at CBO’s analysis unravels how the Democrats used budget gimmicks to hide the true cost of the health care law. The report continues, “An additional $99 billion in net deficit reduction from penalty payments, the excise tax on high-premium insurance plans, and other effects on tax revenues and outlays—with most of those effects reflecting changes in revenues.” Meaning? The individual mandate penalties and taxes on job creators hid the law’s $50 billion increase in the gross cost of the coverage.

According to CBO, four million fewer Americans will receive employer-based insurance, leading “to an increase in estimated revenues because a larger share of total compensation will take the form of taxable wages and salaries and a smaller share will be in the form of nontaxable health benefits.”

Despite former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s promise that the health care law would create 4 million jobs, CBO explains one of the reasons for the increase in the cost of coverage is due to the weak economy that continues on the president’s watch. The report explains, “the unemployment rate is higher throughout the projection period than it was in last year’s forecast. CBO also now estimates that wages and salaries will be lower than it previously anticipated. Those changes yield an increase in the projected number of people eligible for Medicaid and CHIP as a result of the ACA.” Since more Americans are unemployed than projected, more people will be forced onto Medicaid. Speaker Pelosi was also right when she said we’d have to pass the bill to find out what was in it.

Kasey’s note - to see the White House spin on the report click here.

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Obama’s war on individual liberty

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By William Murray via WMD  H/T Leslie Burt

The mandate drafted under Obamacare which forces church organizations to purchase health-care policies that provide for contraceptives and sterilization and abortifacient pills is just one small step toward Barack Obama’s hard-left goal of establishing a centrally planned society. The effect of the health-care mandates is more far-reaching than even critics first reported.

Under Obamacare, standards are set by bureaucrats, and all insurance policies must supply mandated services. Most likely the issue of contraception was the opening shot for Obama and his administration to soften up the opposition. The goal is rationing of care according to the “quality of life.” The quality of life concept is a leftist central planning goal that calls for “defective” babies to be aborted and care to be withheld in end-of-life situations to save government funds. As with central planning in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, health care will be available only for those who can continue to contribute to society. Moral issues are forgotten as they are not central to government.

Most conservatives point to Friedrich von Hayek’s “The Road to Serfdom” in the context of defending free enterprise. For example Rep. Paul Ryan is an expert on the works of Hayek and the economists of the Austrian School. But the thrust of “The Road to Serfdom” was not economic, but rather the loss of liberty under central planning. On moral issues Hayek wrote:

“What our generation is in danger of forgetting is not only that morals are of necessity a phenomenon of individual conduct but also that they can exist only in the sphere in which the individual is free to decide for himself and is called upon voluntarily to sacrifice personal advantage to the observance of a moral rule. Outside the sphere of individual responsibility there is neither goodness nor badness, neither opportunity for moral merit nor the chance of proving one’s conviction by sacrificing one’s desires to what one thinks right.”

At its heart Obamacare is a worst-case scenario of central planning, putting aside not only the will of religious organizations, but the self-determination of individuals as well.

There is no law forcing church organizations to supply contraceptives; this provision is not in the massive Obamacare law pushed through by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry Reid. The mandate for contraceptives is a “rule” written by the Health and Human Services Department under the authority of the original bill. Obamacare gives HHS the authority to mandate virtually anything regarding health care. In the extreme, HHS could order that all costly attempts to save premature babies be stopped. Medicare already mandates that costly medical care for the elderly be restricted.

There are lists of approved Medicare services, and doctors may not prescribe anything that is not on that list for Medicare patients. This same central control is now becoming obvious in Obamacare. Central planning is not limited to just ordering individuals to buy insurance.

Going back to Hayek’s “The Road to Serfdom”:

“If the law says that such a board or authority may do what it pleases, anything that board or authority does is legal – but its actions are certainly not subject to the Rule of Law. By giving the government unlimited powers, the most arbitrary rule can be made legal; and in this way a democracy may set up the most complete despotism imaginable.”

Pay close attention to this portion of the above quote: “… a democracy may set up the most complete despotism imaginable.”

Canada is defined as a democracy, but there is virtually no freedom of speech in that nation. Individuals have been fined for letters of opinion sent to newspapers. The courts there forced one man who was publicly critical of Islam to work in a mosque as public service. Democracy and liberty are not synonymous. It could be possible for an individual to have greater personal liberty under a monarchy than under a democracy whose bureaucrats have been given unlimited rule-writing powers.

The problem of the loss of liberty through central planning goes beyond Obamacare. Our Congress has abdicated its responsibility in many areas, giving the authority to bureaucrats to write “rules” that have the force of law, “rules” that if violated can bring about not only fines but prison time. The Environmental Protection Agency has jailed innocent land owners for such crimes as cleaning garbage from their property.

Oddly, conservatives have aided in the rush to central planning. Republicans in Congress have sworn off “earmarks,” thus giving Barack Obama and the bureaucrats the full authority to spend trillions of dollars a year as they see fit without congressional oversight. It is now Obama who decides which states get new bridges, not the Congress. Apparently, tea-party members believe that having Obama decide where to spend trillions of dollars is better than the “corruption” of congressmen trying to bring jobs to their districts. The tea party is unwittingly assisting in the creation of even more central planning.

The problem with Obamacare is not Obamacare. The problem stems from both major political parties moving away from the concept of individual liberty and toward central planning, whether it is George W. Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” or Barack Obama’s attempt to control medical care for the entire nation from one central location in Washington, D.C.

We must heed the warnings of Friedrich von Hayek and dismantle the central planning monster we have created in Washington before it devours the last of our liberties.

William J. Murray is the chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based Religious Freedom Coalition and the author of seven books including “My Life Without God,” which chronicles his early life in the home of destructive atheist and Marxist leader Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the woman who filed the lawsuit removing prayer and Bible reading from America’s public schools. Having lived the Ayn Rand lifestyle, he has a unique prospective of the political candidates.

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15 Questions The Mainstream Media Would Ask Barack Obama If He Were A Republican

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By Jeff Carter via Towhnhall Finance

If you deny that there is liberal bias in the mainstream media, you are living under a rock. We saw George Stephanopolos take marching orders into debate questioning.

The only thing they don’t ask Republican candidates about much is economic questions and debt questions. Instead they ask horribly slanted, often irrelevant questions designed to make them look bad and help Obama. We’ve heard questions about contraceptives, religion, Newt’s angry ex-wife, Cain’s employees, Romney’s personal wealth, Gardasil, etc. Newt’s rise was because of the way he attacked the media and Obama in the debates because of the stupid and obviously planted questions.

So, what would happen if the mainstream media treated Barack Obama the exact same way they treat Republicans? The questions might sound a little something like this.

1) Numerous Mexican citizens and an American citizen have been murdered with weapons knowingly provided to criminals by our own government during Operation Fast and Furious. If Eric Holder was aware that was going on, do you think he should step down as Attorney General? Were you aware of Fast and Furious and if so, shouldn’t you resign?

2) In 2010 you said Solyndra, a company that donated heavily to your political campaign, was “leading the way toward a brighter and more prosperous future.” Today, Solyndra is bankrupt and the taxpayers lost over $500 million on loans that your administration knew might never be paid off when you made them. How do you respond to citizens who say this is evidence of corruption in your administration?

3) Unions invested a lot of time and money in helping to get you elected. In return, unions gained majority control of Chrysler, the taxpayers lost $14 billion dollars on General Motors, and General Motors received a special $45 billion dollar tax break. What do you say to people who view this as corruption on a scale never before seen in American history?

4) Through dubious means you and your Democrat allies in Congress managed to force through an incredibly unpopular health care bill that helped lead to the worst election night for the Democrat Party in 50 years. Since the bill has passed, many of your claims about the bill have proven to be untrue. For example, we now know the bill won’t lower health care costs and despite your assurances to the contrary, big companies like McDonald’s say they may drop health care because of the health care reform. Congress has exempted themselves from the health care reform and instead has their own taxpayer-funded premium health care plan. Many large companies (that donate to Democrat political campaigns) have received special exemptions from the health care plan. Since the majority of the American people have rejected your health care reform and it doesn’t do what you said it would, shouldn’t you work with the Republicans to repeal it?

5) When you took office, the national average for one gallon of gas was $1.89 per gallon. Since then, you’ve demonized the oil industry, dramatically slowed offshore drilling, blocked ANWAR, and rejected the Keystone Pipeline. Now, gas is $3.54 per gallon and rising and is expected to reach $5 per gallon by May of this year. How much higher do you anticipate driving gas prices?

6) Occupy Wall Street has been protesting against Wall Street and the richest 1 percent in America. You are in the top 1 percent of income earners in America and you have collected more cash from Wall Street than any other President in history. So, aren’t you exactly the sort of politician that Occupy Wall Street wants to get rid of?

7) How do you decide which foreign leaders to submissively bow towards and why do you think that’s appropriate for an American President?

8) If they could, don’t you think the Nobel Committee would take back the Nobel Peace Prize that you were awarded after serving just one month in office?

9) You made bipartisanship one of the central themes of your campaign in 2008. Yet, you’ve worked to push bills through Congress with almost no Republican support, spent much less time negotiating with Congress than George Bush did, and you’ve said things like, “But, I don’t want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess. I don’t mind cleaning up after them, but don’t do a lot of talking.” Why did you decide to break your campaign promise to pursue bipartisanship?

10) America lost its AAA credit rating for the first time under your watch. What do you think you should have done differently to have prevented that historic failure?

11) You cut more than 500 billion dollars out of Medicare to fund your wildly unpopular health care reform bill. Given that Medicare is running in the red already, don’t you think it’s irresponsible to cut money out of one entitlement program, that millions of seniors depend on — to put it into a risky new entitlement program?

12) Back in July, you said, “Nobody’s looking to raise taxes right now. We’re talking about potentially 2013 and the out years.” Since you plan to raise taxes if you’re elected and you’ve had kind words for a value added tax, shouldn’t every American expect a tax increase if you’re reelected?

13) Why should the American people reelect you when your 10 year budget saddles America with more debt than all previous Presidents combined?

14) Your stimulus bill cost more in real dollars than the moon landing and the interstate highway system combined. Many prominent economists have concluded the stimulus plan was a total failure. What do we have to show for all of that money spent?

15) Members of your administration promised that the trillion dollar stimulus would keep unemployment under 8 percent. Instead, we’ve had 35+ months of 8% and above unemployment. Doesn’t that mean we wasted a trillion dollars on nothing?

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Overreach: Obamacare vs. the Constitution

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By  , The Washington Post

Give him points for cleverness. President Obama’s birth control “accommodation” was as politically successful as it was morally meaningless. It was nothing but an accounting trick that still forces Catholic (and other religious) institutions to provide medical insurance that guarantees free birth control, tubal ligation and morning-after abortifacients — all of which violate church doctrine on the sanctity of life.

The trick is that these birth control/abortion services will supposedly be provided independently and free of charge by the religious institution’s insurance company. But this changes none of the moral calculus. Holy Cross Hospital, for example, is still required by law to engage an insurance company that is required by law to provide these doctrinally proscribed services to all Holy Cross employees.

Nonetheless, the accounting device worked politically. It took only a handful of compliant Catholic groups — Obamacare cheerleaders dying to return to the fold — to hail the alleged compromise and hand Obama a major political victory.

Before, Obama’s coalition had been split. His birth control mandate was fiercely opposed by such stalwart friends as former Virginia governor Tim Kaineand pastor Rick Warren (Obama’s choice to give the invocation at his inauguration), who declared he would rather go to jail than abide by the regulation. After the “accommodation,” it was the (mostly) Catholic opposition that fractured. The mainstream media then bought the compromise as substantive, and the issue was defused.A brilliant sleight of hand. But let’s for a moment accept the president on his own terms. Let’s accept his contention that this “accommodation” is a real shift of responsibility to the insurer. Has anyone considered the import of this new mandate? The president of the United States has just ordered private companies to give away for free a service that his own health and human services secretary has repeatedly called a major financial burden.

On what authority? Where does it say that the president can unilaterally order a private company to provide an allegedly free-standing service at no cost to certain select beneficiaries?

This is government by presidential fiat. In Venezuela, that’s done all the time. Perhaps we should call Obama’s “accommodation” Presidential Decree No. 1.

Consider the constitutional wreckage left by Obamacare:

First, the assault on the free exercise of religion. Only churches themselves are left alone. Beyond the churchyard gate, religious autonomy disappears. Every other religious institution must bow to the state because, by this administration’s regulatory definition, church schools, hospitals and charities are not “religious” and thus have no right to the free exercise of religion — no protection from being forced into doctrinal violations commanded by the state.

Second, the assault on free enterprise. To solve his own political problem, the president presumes to order a private company to enter into a contract for the provision of certain services — all of which must be without charge. And yet, this breathtaking arrogation of power is simply the logical extension of Washington’s takeover of the private system of medical care — a system Obama farcically pretends to be maintaining.

Under Obamacare, the state treats private insurers the way it does government-regulated monopolies and utilities. It determines everything of importance. Insurers, by definition, set premiums according to risk. Not anymore. The risk ratios (for age, gender, smoking, etc.) are decreed by Washington. This is nationalization in all but name. The insurer is turned into a middleman, subject to state control — and presidential whim.

Third, the assault on individual autonomy. Every citizen without insurance is ordered to buy it, again under penalty of law. This so-called individual mandate is now before the Supreme Court — because never before has the already hypertrophied Commerce Clause been used to compel a citizen to enter into a private contract with a private company by mere fact of his existence.

This constitutional trifecta — the state invading the autonomy of religious institutions, private companies and the individual citizen —  should not surprise. It is what happens when the state takes over one-sixth of the economy.

In 2010, when all this lay hazily in the future, the sheer arrogance of Obamacare energized a popular resistance powerful enough to deliver an electoral shellacking to Obama. Yet two years later, as the consequences of that overreach materialize before our eyes, the issue is fading. This constitutes a huge failing of the opposition party whose responsibility it is to make the opposition argument.

Every presidential challenger says that he will repeal Obamacare on Day One. Well, yes. But is any of them making the case for why?

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