New Common Sense West Virginia Ad

Five Bureaucrats With the Godlike Power of Life and Death in Their Hands: Obama's Health Care Star Chamber

That is one of the features at the core of Obamist health care cost cutting, rationing health care and deciding who lives and who dies. These decisions will not rest in the hands of doctors and families, but in unelected presidential appointees in Washington DC.

This sends a chill down one's spine. Deficits spiraling out of control wrecking the country are fearsome, but they do not have the same sinister quality as a health care star chamber.

England in the 15 and 1600s established a court known as the Star Chamber. It had the power of life and death and was accountable only to the king or queen. They saw it as a necessary response to English judges' propensity towards granting writs of habeas corpus even when the accused was in jail for a good reason. It turned into, under King Charles I, an instrument of repression and was abolished later.

Think of that. This commission would have the power of life and death over every individual that happened to get sick. It would decide who does and does not get medical attention. Could this be abused? You bet! Politiicans found the IRS an easy tool to harass opponents. The IRS enabled politicians to mess with your money. Obamacare allows them to mess with your health care.

Very disturbing. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of political wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder (paraphrased from Jonathan Edwards' Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God) You get sick, you get denied care, you die, potentially because of your political beliefs.

Obamacare puts way too much power into the hands of the Executive Branch.

The Newt Gingrich Plan to Cut Health Care Costs

If we can cut costs by focusing on simple, private sector, and commonsense solutions, we can cut insurance premiums and expand coverage to many more who want to buy it. And we don't need a federal star chamber to ration health care to the deserving and withold it from the undeserving.

I add to Gingrich's solutions a seventh step. Assure all illegal aliens that anyone over eighteen that shows up for health care will be turned over to Immigration and Naturalization as soon as they are treated.

1. Stop Paying the Crooks. First, we must dramatically reduce healthcare fraud within our current healthcare system. Outright fraud — criminal activity — accounts for as much as 10 percent of all healthcare spending. That is more than $200 billion every year. Medicare alone could account for as much as $40 billion a year. (Read about our latest CHT Press book, Stop Paying the Crooks, edited by Jim Frogue.)

2. Move from a Paper-based to an Electronic Health System. As it stands now, it is simply impossible to keep up with fraud in a paper-based system. An electronic system would free tens of billions of dollars to be spent on investing on the kind of modern system that will transform healthcare. In addition, it would dramatically increase our ability to eliminate costly medical errors and to accelerate the adoption of new solutions and breakthroughs.

3. Tax Reform. The savings realized through very deliberately and very systematically eliminating fraud could be used to provide tax incentives and vouchers that would help cover those Americans who currently can’t afford coverage. In addition, we need to expand tax incentives for insurance provided by small employers and the self-employed. Finally, elimination of capital gains taxes for investments in health-solution companies can greatly impact the creation advancement of new solutions that create better health at lower cost.

4. Create a Health-Based Health System. In essence, we must create a system that focuses on improving individual health. The best way to accomplish this is to find out what solutions are actually working today that save lives and save money and then design public policy to encourage their widespread adoption. For example, according to the Dartmouth Health Atlas, if the 6,000 hospitals in the country provided the same standard of care of the Intermountain or Mayo health clinics, Medicare alone would save 30 percent of total spending every year. We need to make best practices the minimum practice. We need the federal government and other healthcare stakeholders to consistently migrate to best practices that ensure quality, safety and better outcomes.

5. Reform Our Health Justice System. Currently, the U.S. civil justice system is the most expensive in the world — about double the average cost in virtually every other industrialized nation. But for all of the money spent, our civil justice system neither effectively compensates persons injured from medical negligence nor encourages the elimination of medical errors. Because physicians fear malpractice suits, defensive medicine (redundant, wasteful treatment designed to avoid lawsuits, not treat the patient) has become pervasive. CHT is developing a number of bold health-justice reforms including a “safe harbor” for physicians who followed clinical best practices in the treatment of a patient.

6. Invest in Scientific Research and Breakthroughs. We must accelerate and focus national efforts, re-engineer care delivery, and ultimately prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease and diabetes which are financially crippling our healthcare system.

US Solider defends the Constitution

This US Solider takes his oath to defend the Constitution to heart, both on the battlefield and in the political arena. This is how it should be.

Half Million Credit Cards put at Risk by Security Breach

Network Solutions which owns the Monster Commerce webstore sites notified its merchants when they logged in on Monday that an unauthorized code may have been used to transfer data on approximately 4,343 of their more than 10,000 merchant websites to servers outside the company. The unauthorized code may have captured data on transactions by approximately 573,928 credit card holders.

The breach occurred on cards processed between March 12, 2009 and June 8, 2009. Network Solutions is working with law enforcement on the issue. As a courtesy to Network Solutions customers they are giving each of their merchants affected the option to provide free credit monitoring to their customers through Trans Union. This is at the discretion of the individual merchants.

Those merchants processing orders using Paypal as a payment method are unaffected. As more online merchants switch to Paypal for a payment method they are reducing the risk exposure to both their customers and themselves.

The Russians Would Like to Know Who Runs American Foreign Policy: So Would We!

The rank incompetence of Obama's foreign policy exploded once again in the Maximum Duce's face. This time the object of his policy has a point.

Obama took to Russia with him the language of apology and conciliation, part of the "America is evil" world tour that left him to embrace opponents and ditch old friends. That country, led by Vladimir Putin through a puppet president (no one seems to acknowledge that fact anymore) seemed to accept Obama at face value, just like everyone else.

The next interesting statement came from the Vice President. Joe Biden told an American newspaper (apparently not knowing that Russians read them) that Russia's economic weakness would present Americans with an opportunity to get more national security concessions out of them.

Russians, understandably, reacted with anger and confusion. Which statement reflected real American policy?

As usual, Joe Biden is right in his assessment. The Russians are right in saying that it reflects more of a Dick Cheney style hard nosed approach than Obama's airy apologies. Russians also tend historically to respect blunt hard diplomacy much more than airy platitudes. However, Mr. Vice President, truths need not be told simply to make yourself look intelligent. Russia knows what shape it is in. It does not need you to remind them. This certainly will not help relations.

As usual, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gets the job of sewer cleaner. When Obama, Biden, or the various czars leave a pile of crap, she must don the gloves and clean it up. She called Russia a "world power" on the Sunday shows, but no one believes that she has any input on anything.

The Bush approach lay in occasional expressions of vague concern with, very likely, blunt expressions in private. Russia understands the language and methods of power betterthan most. They are much better off when they respect your country because they only like those whom they find subordinate. Obama's schizophrenic foreign policy complex has undermined whatever his goals are yet again.

Give and Take

Obama's selection for the Supreme Court, likely forever after known as "the wise Latina woman" (time will tell if that will be a statement of admiration or derision) will be confirmed. Republican senators opened their guns on her and pushed her into a series of non statements, but she did not slip enough to warrant her rejection. There is also the idea that with a left wing president and a left leaning congressional leadership, she may be as good as we get even though, objectively speaking, she is awful.

Sotomayor's imminent confirmation also reflects the reality that is shaping up this summer. Obama and other leftists had two priorities in this non election year, health care deform and climate legislation. The costs of both upon Americans would be staggering. Climate legislation, also known as cap and trade, or the National Energy Tax, barely passed the House. With the opposition of Robert Byrd and other Democrats from states that stand to suffer from this bill, cap and trade may not yet be DOA, but with enough pressure from voters, it could be soon. Health care deform, with its horrible high cost and amazingly complex bureaucracy, might not even make it out of the House of Representatives. Majorities in both houses came from traditionally conservative districts voting Democratic so the margin for error for these incumbents going into 2010 is razor thin.

Sotomayor, thus represents a victory for Obama, but one that conservative Democrats will tout as an example of support for the president when they could not vote with him on his priorities. Bush saw the same dynamic when he could not pass controversial legislation on Social Security. Republicans worked that much harder to get his judicial nominees confirmed.

We still need voters to express their disgust over these major and costly initiatives that left wingers want to ram down our throats. Victory, however, is in sight if we keep the pressure up.

GOP Fundraising Outpaces Democrats in 2009 and Ted Kennedy's Mockery of West Virginia

Sunday, the Cumberland Times-News ran an Associated Press story coming out of West Virginia. The title claimed that the Democratic Party had raised more money than state Republicans, no shock there. It also spotlighted many of the factional divisions plaguing the party this year.

It included a curious nugget of information. Per voter, the West Virginia Republican Party took in over twice as much money as the Democrats. When one breaks down the fund raising, the WVGOP took in almost twenty-five cents per registered Republican voter while the Democrats only took in about ten cents per registered Democrat.

Now this is not yet cause to pop open the champagne, bang on the piano, and sing and dance. Happy days are still not here again. However, this must be recognized as progress. One more step forward in a long journey. Not too long ago a huge debt hung over the head of the party. In 2009 the fund raising numbers have accomplished this even in the middle of a recession and continuing intraparty strife. It shows a Republican base that is still smaller than the Ruling Party, but much more mobilized. The WVGOP has taken some advantage of the national political turn against Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and the lefties.

Life provides few magic bullets. Like a coach taking hold of a college football team accustomed to years of losing records, it takes time to construct a program. We have seen strong progress over the last few years as the WVGOP got its house in order. Now it is prepared to build upon a stronger foundation and get back to the priority of electing Republicans to office.

Many kudos to those that have been directly involved in West Virginia Republican fund raising. Stay innovative and keep up the good work. We'll have West Virginia seeing red if we keep at it.

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I don't think anyone should be surprised at this. Ted Kennedy, the all wise moral compass of the liberals, was recorded at least once ridiculing West Virginia. Theodore White in his Making of the President 1968 recalled how at a party full of liberals at Robert Kennedy's house, the moral compass himself indulged in some insulting mimicry of the Southern West Virginia political bosses who enabled his brother to seize the primary in 1960.

We should have learned the lesson a long time ago, through this, through Bill Clinton aides tossing the phrase "trailer trash" around at Paula Jones, that elite liberals in Washington tend to see people like us as sources of votes and ridicule and not much else.

The Ant and the Grasshopper, Updated Version

IN a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”

“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”

“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself suffering from hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:

“IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY.”

But the grasshopper need not have worried. Barack Obama and his magic elves Pelosi and Reid showed up at the first snowfall. They said "Shame on you ant! Your selfishness does not reflect a proper sense of public duty. Can't you see the grasshopper could not have known the disaster that was to befall him?"

The ant protested, "It is natural and inevitable that winter should always follow summer. That is why I stored my food!"

Obama and his magic elves would hear none of it. They waved their magic wand and took almost 2/3 of the ant's food (this is a New York City ant.) The ant said "Now I don't have enough to last the winter! I have at least earned security and comfort with my hard work!"

But Obama and his elves had already left. The grasshopper went right on singing and not working. The ant suffered in silence. Who cared about the ant?

Here's the question. What happens if the ant decides not to work so hard next summer? How will the grasshopper eat then?

Blast from the Past: Tax Man Max

The Natural Born Right to Act Like a Jackass

At first glance even, the arrest of Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr. looks odd. A professor in an upscale neighborhood led away screaming by suburban police does not happen every day. Professors do not normally kick up a ruckuss and police in the 21st century rarely seek trouble with an academic of Gates' standing. But there it is.

We posted the police report yesterday morning just for everyone's perusal. It's not like a famous local gets arrested every day. The Piedmont native, known best by his famous, or infamous depending upon who you ask, narrative Colored People has never shied from controversy. He certainly did not on the day of his arrest either.

Let's take the police report at face value. Police show up at Gates' home because he himself is trying to break into it. He locked himself out of his recently purchased home. Now you and I might have been grateful for the quick response to a perceived break in, we would have produced our driver's license, and thanked the officers for their punctual response.

Gates upbraided the officers for their questions, at first refused to produce identification, and shouted at them. According to the report he threatened them with his influence and called them racists. Eventually he produced a Harvard University identification, but continued making a loud scene. Gates never became physically violent, however. Eventually the police arrested him and took him down to the police station. Gates' mug shot became national news.

Unless the police report is horribly inaccurate, the police appeared to act with restraint. Gates basically, as we say here in the Mountain State, made an ass of himself. Some have speculated that he even tried to provoke an arrest for some reason. After Obama bashed the officer in question, residents rose in defense of the career officer. Apparently he even tried to save the life of Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis by using mouth to mouth rescusitation.

Here is my problem with this situation. Yes, Gates acted irrationally by the accounts of the report and all witnesses. However, he never became violent. Gates is an elderly man with a slight frame. At the time he wore a polo shirt and expensive slacks. The crime with which he is charged is vague in the extreme, something akin to "disturbing the peace." I do believe that the officers acted with restraint, not "stupidly" as the Maximum Duce Obama claims (or claimed before he retracted it, then didn't retract it.) Of course now his press secretary wonders why a topic that Obama mentioned in his own press conference would be covered by the media.

However there is something that bothers me about a loud, but otherwise peaceful and physically non threatening man, being led away in handcuffs for acting like a jackass on his own property. Officers certainly had the obligation to find out that he owned the home whose door he broke down, but after that, why not just leave the old man to gnash his teeth by himself? Gates and any of the rest of us have the right in broad daylight to scream, holler, and cuss so long as we do not threaten or harm others. His dignity remains his personal problem. Acting like a fool is a natural right, especially on one's own land.

Census Counts Illegals and It Changes Congress

Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear a great presentation by a US Census worker on the up coming 2010 Census. The expected questions about Acorn involvement where asked and answered. It was stated that all people living in an area will be counted, even non-citizens. That begged the question as to why were non-citizens and illegal aliens being counted in the US Census. The reason given was a good one, that resources for health care, transportation, etc are allocated on a basis of population and, citizen or not, those resources are being used. While I believe illegals should be deported, I do understand that they are a drain on social resources and I understand the reasoning, but I do not agree with it.

The problem is they should not be counted as part of the population of the US, because they are not citizens and only citizens of the US should be counted. Article I, Section 2 of the US Constitution calls for Enumeration to determine each states Representation in the US House. This was later modified by the 14th Amendment. "Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." It goes on to state, "Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed." It seems quite clear that only citizens are to be counted.

So what does this mean? According to the Department of Homeland Security the "estimated numbers of undocumented immigrants [are]-- California (2.0 million), Texas (700,000), New York (540,000)" By counting these non US citizens in the Census, these states get extra Congressional seats they should not have. An average of 693,000 residents is needed for each house seat. That means that California has at least three extra members of the US House of Representatives and Texas and New York each have one extra. Those five mis-allocated Representatives are at the expense of other states. Utah, Indiana and Mississippi would most likely pick up one each of those five mis-allocated seats.

It is important that the Census only count US Citizens. We are the only ones that are supposed to be voting. The presence of Legal or Illegal Aliens should not come in to play when dividing up the US House of Representatives. Once you become a citizen, then you should be counted and only then you should receive the benefits of citizenship, not before.

Singing the Blues With West Virginia Red

As of this writing, when you Google "Doug McKinney" and "Hatch Act," you only come up with a handful of left wing blogs and West Virginia Red. Only one of the above has launched a serious crusade to split the West Virginia Republican Party by ousting Chairman Doug McKinney, and it is not one of the Democratic or Socialist ones.

For the second time in a row, West Virginia Red has tried to unleash a bombshell against McKinney on the eve of a major state Republican gathering. What was shocking has grown predictable, what is predictable will soon become boring. I asked the question before when discussing this issue with a couple of those ranging themselves against Dr. McKinney, how on earth do you think that a supposed major violation of a well known election law escaped the attention of Secretary of State Betty Ireland, much less the West Virginia Democratic Party? There is no answer to that question unless you believe that state election officials and the Democratic Party willfully ignored a major oversight. Yes it is not Ms. Ireland's job, nor is it the obligation of the Democrats to quote federal laws to the West Virginia GOP Chair. Then again both, for obviously different reasons, would be very inclined to do so. It would be within their interest.

What is the interest here for the cadre in and around West Virginia Red? Sun Tzu's Art of War says "trust in self-interest." Theirs is to tear down Doug McKinney, but why? The 2009 meeting season has ended and it is extremely doubtful that, barring a massive rise in debt or the uncovering of criminal activity, that the West Virginia GOP will remove him prematurely next winter only months before the end of his natural term. If their interest lies in removing Dr. McKinney before the end of his term, that ship has sailed.

Is it someone's interest to capture the chairmanship for themselves? If so, what can be gained by firing torpedoes into the side of the ship? Who wants to be captain of a boat that they themselves sank? Leadership turmoils spell trouble for any candidates running for election next year. Instead of answering questions about their issues, candidates will face a barrage of inquiries about the state party that they neither can nor want to answer. Forget financial or any other kind of support.

With Obama polls falling and the country witnessing the slow collapse of his presidency, Republicans across the land have slowly started to believe again. The evil of socialism and the death of American foreign policy also are a tremendous concerns. Republicans need to attack Democrats and their failed vision, not each other!

I will say something very unfaddish. I love the Republican Party. Behind God, family, and country it has my allegiance. Throughout history from day one to today, it stands for freedom and opportunity. Very few groups can say that, ever. It does not approach our ideal of perfection, but nothing on this earth does. Nothing is perfect and we all have different images of what is ideal. Republican principles have stood the test of history and remain the reason why we care. Our state Republican Party has overcome many obstacles in the past few years in spite of an unfavorable tide. Now we have a chance to ride the tide if we can only get all our oars out and moving in the same direction.

If anyone at West Virginia Red wants to gain the chairmanship, by all means take the next year and lay out your vision. Contact delegates, form a campaign, convince people to vote for your program for positive reasons. This weekend's summit should give the present and future leaders a chance to propose constructive plans. Tearing down what we have does no one any good, except the fellas in blue quietly sitting off to the side chuckling to themselves.

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH): Many of my constituents would LOVE to wait in line for medical care

Police Report on the Arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. in Cambridge Massachusetts

http://www.amnation.com/vfr/Police%20report%20on%20Gates%20arrest.PDF

If I Could Go Back In Time . . .

If I Could Go Back In Time to September 2001 (assuming I could not go back prior to 9/12 that is) I would do the following.

Knowing what we know now about the idea to assassinate terrorists that never was implemented, and therefore never explained to Congress, but is now used as a political tool against the vice president (probably because he dares to speak against the Obamunists), I think the liberals may be on to something, but not in the way they think. Imagine if I could go back and have President Bush do this.

Speak to the nation Reagan style, from the Oval Office, just as Reagan did when he almost turned Moammar Qaddaffi into a crispy critter. President Bush would be brief and say the following:

"My fellow Americans. Terrorists have brought their fanatical hatred of freedom home to us. We will now take it to them. This is due notice that I am giving to the people and Congress of the United States as well as the world. We are sending out the best trained and equipped men and women on Earth. Their job, to locate every individual connected with the organization that murdered thousands of Americans. For some of you who are our enemies, we will find you swiftly, others it could take years. Trust me, you will be found. When found, you will be killed. It could be a silent bullet, it could be a knife across your neck. One way or another, you will die.

To escape certain death, you must turn yourself in to American authorities and cooperate in full.

Thank you and may God bless the United States of America."

Obama Administration Rescued the Econmy?

Health Care Bill Denies new Private Coverage: It's Right in the Bill

The Obama Health Care Bill will deny enrollment in new private care after it is enacted. Below is the text of that section of the bill, H.R. 3200, Section 102, (a), (1), (A). Outlined in yellow is the line denying new enrollment in private insurance. You can find this section and the full version by searching the office record at the Library of Congress.

H.R.3200
America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (Introduced in House)

SEC. 102. PROTECTING THE CHOICE TO KEEP CURRENT COVERAGE.

(a) Grandfathered Health Insurance Coverage Defined- Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, for purposes of establishing acceptable coverage under this division, the term `grandfathered health insurance coverage' means individual health insurance coverage that is offered and in force and effect before the first day of Y1 if the following conditions are met:

(1) LIMITATION ON NEW ENROLLMENT-

(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day of Y1.

60% Taxation Rate Is Looming For Some

That is what experts warn that New York City residents will face if Obama and Congress get their way on health care deform. The rest of us do not fall too far behind.

It's time for a constitutional amendment to clarify what was done in 1913. In that year an amendment was ratified that established an income tax. This amendment was necessary because the Wilson-Gorman law establishing such a tax in the previous century was ruled unconstitutional (Wilson was William L. Wilson of West Virginia, unfortunately.) At the time, voters were promised that only 2% of the nation's wealthiest would pay and even then, not that much.

The property and income of Americans need protection under law. That means that we need a constitutional amendment to prevent Americans from sliding into the lower standards of living prevalent in the more socialized countries in Europe due to heavy tax burdens. Let us have a simple constitutional amendment that says that no individual or corporation may be taxed by the federal government more than 25% every year. This includes income, capital gains, and other taxes. The only exception would be the duration of a declared war. Anything above that amount in peacetime is theft because it is redistribution of wealth.

A cap on the percentage of taxation gives the government an incentive to boost economic growth without inflation through policies that are free market friendly. That way they get 25% of an expanding pie, not increasing percentages of a shrinking one.

West Virginia Republican Summit to be held July 25th

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Shane Wilson

Monday, July 20, 2009 304-768-0493

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - The West Virginia Republican Party will be holding its first annual West Virginia Republican Summit at the Embassy Suites in Charleston on Saturday, July 25th.

"For years now, West Virginia has ranked near the bottom in every good category and near the top in every bad category. As we have watched our children leave the mountain state to find jobs, we don't want handouts anymore; we want hand-ups.” said State GOP Chairman Doug McKinney, “The West Virginia Republican Summit is an excellent venue to get young people involved in supporting Republican principles that as a result provide them the opportunity to positively change their state.”

The Summit will feature a day of grassroots workshops, panels featuring current and former West Virginia politicians, a presidential straw poll, Republican of the Year awards for Teenage, College, and Young Republicans, door prizes, and more.

The Summit activities are designed to both demonstrate that today’s political issues, such as cap and trade and judicial reform, are on the side of Republicans and to educate the next generation of leaders that the West Virginia Republican Party provides the most opportunity in the state to advance them.

Those interested in meeting fellow young Republicans, recognizing young leaders in the community, becoming involved in a Teenage, College, or Young Republican club, learning more about the immense opportunities for local Republicans in 2010 and 2012, or simply wanting to take a stake in plotting the future of our state are welcome to attend the Summit.

While a large youth turnout is planned, Republicans of all ages are encouraged to attend. Visit UnderwoodInstitute.org or call 304-768-0493 for more information and to sign up today.

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Paid for by the West Virginia Republican Party