History holds no examples of unpopular Washington policy quickly growing in public favor. History is brimming with illustrations of legislation the public came to hate even more than when it passed.

An equally popular theory is the “We Must Close the Enthusiasm Gap” line. Democrats are demoralized. If the White House does not provide its base a big victory, they will sit out the election. [...]

To believe this is to believe that a liberal base that remains furious with the White House on Guantanamo, on Afghanistan, on cap and trade, will turn out in enthusiastic droves because the White House passed a health bill that the same base views as a cop out. That base doesn’t want a health-care victory; it wants a public option. Unless the president is prepared to give it to them, Democrats might not want to bet November on base support.

Next up is the “Democrats Must Prove They Can Lead” theory. Until as recently as January, the party had complete control of Washington. Their main accomplishment has been a lot of spending. Health care is a must to prove to voters that Democrats are competent enough to be left in power.
more…..

By KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL
Why Health Reform Is Bad Politics
http://bit.ly/cR8qqN
http://online.wsj.com

Either one — Schmucky Schumer or Little Dick Durbin — would make a fine leader of the minority Democrats next year; Schumer with his cornrow-style hair-plugs and the other with his infamous halitosis.

And don’t you love the smell of virtual napalm on the Democrat side of the aisle?

Perhaps we are simply different than any other model in which Progressive ideology has overtaken in the history of the world. I am renewed by the overwhelming rejection of national healthcare; the rejection of union stranglehold on the workforce; the rejection of oppressive taxation of job creators; and the rejection of the media’s White Knight narrative of the current Progressive attempt of solving the very problems they have created. Regardless of the media continuing to lay cover-fire for these ideologues, there is a resounding message from America to our would-be overlords

– existing-home sales are down two months in a row to a seven-month low;

– first-time claims for unemployment benefits have risen in six of this year’s first eight weeks;

– and new orders excluding transportation fell 0.6%; orders for capital goods fell 2.5%, while capital spending itself was down a thumping 3.5%.

…the magnitude of the declines noted above suggests a message that should not be ignored… Are there any solutions to this mess?

…In my view, the best solution is a cost-free one: remove the uncertainties facing business such as regulations, costs for health care, energy and the environment, not to mention what their own tax rates will be.

You’d be surprised what this will do for hiring and thus for the economy…

Hey, Irwin: news flash — everyone knows this. Everyone. Including the President and his sycophants in Congress. They don’t care. They’re committed, hard left ideologues trying to reshape our country and destroy the few remaining firewalls in the Constitution.

They’re forcing Democrats to walk the plank on yet another unfunded entitlement.

In fact, the more they crush the life out of the economy with taxes, regulations and uncertainty, the greater the crisis they can precipitate. And that’s what they will exploit to confiscate more and more of your private property while exercising increasing control over every aspect of your life.

A caller to the Mark Levin Show on June 25, 2009 described how what Menendez and La Raza view “health care reform”.

I want to tell you that last week I attended a conference on health care reform sponsored by La Raza. And I will tell you that what they had to say, Mark, is scarier than anything that’s been said so far on the health care plan.

…someone from Menendez’ office [Ed.: Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ] promised that he would make sure that “the useless barriers of citizenship would not be in this bill” and that he would make sure that they would use keywords like “streamline”…

…Yes [they said they would get free health care for illegal aliens], these are my notes, Mark. They actually got up and said “Latino children need health care more than whites”. And then they would say things like “you must go out into your communities, use words like ’streamline’, use phrases like ‘all workers’ and ‘all families’,” because they said — and I quote — “If the American people find out that this bill is about giving health care to non-citizens, they will rise up against it.”


“If the American people find out?”

Gee, what a surprise. A Senator and a group that preaches racial superiority and divisiveness want to enact a stealth illegal immigration bill — not dissimilar from their approach to chain migration. The bill will reward illegal immigration to the direct detriment of all American taxpayers and especially the elderly.

And Democrats are willing to pass this crap sandwich in complete violation of Senate rules — that’s according to Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), not me — which demonstrates just how little interest the oligarchs in Washington have in representative government.

Every poll shows Americans overwhelmingly want to keep the hands of government — which bankrupts everything it touches — off of the finest health care system in the world.

I urge you to contact members of Congress this week (Senate contact page and House Contact Page) and urge them, politely and firmly, to reject this unconstitutional maneuver that defies the will of the American people. And, if they vote for this disastrous bill, tell them they had better have a good outplacement service.

Hat tip: Memeorandum

full post
giving health care to non-citizens
http://bit.ly/ccgY8H
http://directorblue.blogspot.com

though, the union has taken sudden umbrage at Griffith’s voting record. “Parker Griffith, we feel you have swindled us,” Henley said at a recent rally in Hunstville, Alabama.

Henley criticized Griffith for voting “no” on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the stimulus bill and health care reform.

Of course, there is one interesting fact, here. All these votes were made before December of 2009. It is now February of 2010. What happened between December of 2009 and today? Griffith became a Republican. These union folks weren’t complaining about giving Griffith money before he switched parties, were they?

Still, it is pretty obvious that these unions feel that if they’ve given campaign money, then they should be able to get 100% compliance with their orders to that politician. Who wouldn’t see this as an assumption of buying that politician?

(Cross posted at TheUnionLabelBlog.com)

“Humana’s business activities are subject to substantial government regulation. New laws or regulations, or changes in existing laws or regulations or their manner of application, could increase the company’s cost of doing business and could materially affect its business, profitability and financial condition. In addition, as a government contractor, the company is exposed to additional risks that could adversely affect its business or its willingness to participate in government health care programs.”


Within the last few weeks, health insurers like WellPoint, Aetna and United Health have announced thousands of layoffs. And pharmaceutical companies dropped around 8,100 employees in January alone.

If you’re a business owner, it’s virtually impossible to hire in the current environment. How can anyone forecast business conditions and contemplate hiring when the federal government pitches new taxes, new mandates, new regulations, new bureaucracies and new fees every day?

Maybe Kreskin is hiring, because no one else is good enough to predict what this out-of-control, authoritarian, centralized government will try next.

The Obama Recovery In Action:
http://bit.ly/d5yL5i
http://directorblue.blogspot.com

The job is not over until every public union in the country is abolished along with their overbloated pension plans.

The financial blight — bequeathed by the public sector unions to state and local government — is not yet visible to most Americans. Thanks to pragmatists like Governor Christie, these unions are going to resemble cockroaches when the light of day shines on their untenable contracts.

CONTINUED …….. Consider the findings of the auditor: “Over 50% of the sub primes were for cash-out refi’s. Regardless of the loan criteria used to pull random samplings for audits, the majority of the last names were Hispanic. The loans I audited were primarily in CA, NV, AZ, FL, CO, compare those to the states with the highest number of foreclosures & illegal aliens.”

* * * * * * * * *

Now that we — the taxpayers — have ownership stakes in most of the large banks, I have three very simple questions for the new stewards of the banks — our Congress:

1. What’s the total percentage of subprime loans that have defaulted?

2. What’s the total percentage of subprime loans that used a Matricular Consular card as the primary ID that have defaulted?

3. And how is it that Barney Frank — who appears to be at the intersection of every legislative and regulatory failing of the mortgage system — isn’t being investigated by every agency in the country?

The answers to these questions would appear to be critical to the avoidance of a future catastrophe. I would recommend that you contact your own banker and your fine, upstanding representatives in Congress…. more …

Hat tip: Steve Sailer

Doug Ross directorblue.com
http://bit.ly/b8nrGg

Eric Holder, in writing, says he did.

Someone is lying — and an immediate investigation is needed. Eric Holder needs to be put under oath and questioned extensively about his side of this bizarre story. The safety of innocent Americans — men, women and children — hangs in the balance.


Hat tip: Commenter Brian.

Someone is Lying About the Detroit Underwear Bomber
http://bit.ly/bxkOu2
http://directorblue.blogspot.com