Health Bill Killing Granny

New York Times economic columnist Paul Krugman stated to another panelist who had interjected, "Death panels would save money," to which Krugman responded:

The advisory panel which has the ability to make more or less binding judgments on saying this particular expensive treatment actually doesn't do any good medically and so we are not going to pay for it. That is actually going to save quite a lot of money. We don't know how much yet. The CBO gives it very little credit but, but most, most of the health care economists I talk to think that's going be a really, uh a really major cost saving.

In the United Kingdom and other nations where such government procedures already are in place, the survival rates for such afflictions as breast cancer or prostate cancer are lower than in the U.S. Critics say it is partly because of denial or delay of treatment.

N.Korean defector, in US, urges 'ideological warfare'

N.Korean defector, in US, urges 'ideological warfare.'

Top 10 tools to create digital books

Top 10 tools to create digital books.

American Patriot Foundation: FTC Terry Lakin Defense Fund

LTC Terry Lakin has tried in vain to get the same verification from our President that he has been asked to provide countless times in his career, for many jobs, and to obtain a security clearance for the trusted positions he has held within the U.S. Armed Forces. LTC Terry Lakin has tried in vain to get the same verification from our President that he has been asked to provide countless times in his career, for many jobs, and to obtain a security clearance for the trusted positions he has held within the U.S. Armed Forces. Risking Court Martial for Demanding Obama Release Original Birth Certificate.

Hissa Hilal revolt غادة مقابلة الهلال Translation

ABC News: The Conversation: Rebellious 'Poet Idol'

Cf. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR8_Pgts5Wg

The British press, Mail Online, ran a story about the Brave Saudi housewife set to win Arabic X Factor after blistering attack on hardline Muslim clerics on live TV.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Last week came the Arab woman Hissa Hilal in the semi finals. And a loud cheer from the audience and the jury read a poem critical of fundamentalist clergy. The result: a place in the finals, but also death threats on the Internet. Hissa Hilal risks to participation in the TV show "Poet of Millions" (the poetic version of American Idol) death threats, because they live in a society characterized by oppression of women .. RoccProduction. Her poem is a diatribe against Muslim clerics "who sit on their mighty pulpits" but people "afraid to make their fatwas 'and' like a wolf lurking" for people who want peace. It earned loud cheers her on.. RoccProduction.. وفي الاسبوع الماضي جاءت المرأة العربية / حصة الهلال في نصف النهائي. ويهتف بصوت عال من الجمهور وهيئة المحلفين قراءة قصيدة الحرجة من رجال الدين الاصوليين. النتيجة : مكانا في نهائيات كأس العالم ، ولكن أيضا تهديدات بالقتل على الإنترنت. حصة بنت هلال المخاطر على المشاركة في البرنامج التلفزيوني "شاعر المليون" (الإصدار الشعري للأمريكان أيدول) تهديدات بالقتل ، لأنهم يعيشون في مجتمع يتسم اضطهاد المرأة.. قصيدتها هو خطبة لاذعة ضد رجال الدين المسلمين "الذين يجلسون على منابرهم الاقوياء" ولكن الناس "يخشون أن تجعل فتاواهم' و 'وكأنه ذئب يترصد" للاشخاص الذين يريدون السلام. وحصل لها على وسط هتافات صاخبة.وفي الاسبوع الماضي جاءت المرأة العربية / حصة الهلال في نصف النهائي. ويهتف بصوت عال من الجمهور وهيئة المحلفين قراءة قصيدة الحرجة من رجال الدين الاصوليين. النتيجة : مكانا في نهائيات كأس العالم ، ولكن أيضا تهديدات بالقتل على الإنترنت. حصة بنت هلال المخاطر على المشاركة في البرنامج التلفزيوني "شاعر المليون" (الإصدار الشعري للأمريكان أيدول) تهديدات بالقتل ، لأنهم يعيشون في مجتمع يتسم اضطهاد المرأة.. قصيدتها هو خطبة لاذعة ضد رجال الدين المسلمين "الذين يجلسون على منابرهم الاقوياء" ولكن الناس "يخشون أن تجعل فتاواهم' و 'وكأنه ذئب يترصد" للاشخاص الذين يريدون السلام. وحصل لها على وسط هتافات صاخبة RoccProduction.

ADP Says U.S. Companies Unexpectedly Cut Payrolls

ADP Says U.S. Companies Unexpectedly Cut Payrolls.

Democrats Advocate the Maldistribution of Income

“Democratic Senator: Health Care Law to Address ‘Mal-Distribution of Income’”

“After the Senate passed a “fix-it” bill Thursday to make changes to the new health care law, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the influential Finance Committee, said the overhaul was an “income shift” to help the poor.

The Senator stated that the legislation would address the “mal-distribution of income in America.”

After the Senate passed a “fix-it” bill Thursday to make changes to the new health care law, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the influential Finance Committee, said the overhaul was an “income shift” to help the poor.

“Too often, much of late, the last couple three years, the mal-distribution of income in American is gone up way too much,” he said. “Wages have not kept up with increased income of the highest income in America. This legislation will have the effect of addressing that mal-distribution of income in America.”

Democratic Governor Howard Dean states that Health Care/Tax is to Redistribute Wealth.

Obama on Birth and Socialism

“There's a part of the Tea Party that actually did exist before I was elected … where there’s some folks who just weren’t sure whether I was born in the United States, whether I was a socialist."

Dick Morris: Wall Street Bill Gives Treasury Secretary Powers Castro Doesn’t Have

Chechen Teen Link to subway blast

This is an image of the teen age "Black Widow" suicide bomber thought to be responsible for this week's Russian underground bombings posing with her dead militant rebel husband. The bomber was Dzhennet Abdurakhmanova, a 17-year-old widow of a Dagestani Islamist rebel killed in 2009, Umalat Magomedov, Russian media reported, cf. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2918482/Baby-faced-teen-is-train-bomber.html#ixzz0jxRktz9a

This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons.

Chechen Link to subway blast

Chechnya is predominantly Muslim. Most of the Chechens belong to the Shafi`i school of thought of Sunni Islam.

CNN's Atika Shubert looks at a possible Chechen connection to attacks in Russia, including twin subway blasts.

We Are All Palestinians Now: Saudis in Control in the Middle East

'President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton adapted a clear Palestinian point of view,' said the anonymous aide. 'This is a sick and insane matter; it is a catastrophic situation. We are facing a hostile administration like never before.'

Navy Admiral: Warning About Cyber China

U.S. Navy Admiral Robert Willard appeared before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee with a strong warning about cyber-threats posed by China.

Thaddeus McCotter on Obama Rationing

Reagan vs. Libya: 1986

Early Reports Indicate that there May Be a Religious Motive at Work

Perhaps this individual is a Muslim who is anti-Semitic.

Convert to Islam: Free from Health Rationing

Amish, Muslims to be excused from Obamacare mandate?

High School Junior and Her Concern for Health Rationing

"Do I Surrender My Rights?"

Dear Society,

I am writing you today to express my deep concern. I am but one of the many silent casualties of healthcare reform. Currently I am a high school junior who is considering my future. One path I am pondering is becoming a doctor. I am an honor student, active in sports, and am taking advanced placement college classes. The fact that I enjoy biology, chemistry, and helping others made me consider the long, arduous journey towards a medical degree.

Recently though, I heard a new phrase in the healthcare debate that gave me cause for concern, "healthcare is a right". My understanding of a right has always been that we were born with it, and it can never come at the expense of others' rights. How can you now lay claim to my hard work and future talents? I now feel that if I choose the medical profession I would become a second class citizen.

My dear American friend, after eight years of intense study, many more years of internship and residency, not to mention the hundreds of thousands in debt, I feel the price I am being asked to pay not just in dollars, but in my freedom is more than I can bear. I ask how many more silent voices in classrooms, from my fellow students with an equal passion for healing the sick, will never be heard in clinics and hospitals across this great country?

Alyssa Z

Government Intercedes on CAIR's behalf

Mike Lackomar of Michigan-Militia.com said he heard from other militia members that the FBI targeted the Hutaree after its members made threats against Islamic organizations.

Although there had been reports the Hutaree may have targeted Muslims, there is no mention in the indictment of any threats against them.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement Sunday asking federal law enforcement officials to release more information about possible threats against Muslims.

"Given the recent sharp spike CAIR offices nationwide have observed in anti-Islam rhetoric, it would not be surprising that an extremist group would seek to turn that bigoted rhetoric into violent actions," said Nihad Awad, CAIR national executive director in Washington.

Government Intercedes on CAIR's behalf.

1 in 4 Americans censoring thoughts under Obama

Confidence in constitutional liberties plunges further still.

Stephen Baldwin: "Mr. Obama is a liar, he's purely a liar, he's gone and done something Larry, where half of the country didn't agree with it"

Barry's World

Andrew Breitbart Describes Harry Reid Supporters on the Attack

Andrew Breitbart witnessed first hand today the violence against him. Harry Reid supporters stood on the highway to Searchlight and held signs pointing TEA party protesters in the wrong direction. Andrew also witnessed these violent leftists attacking the Tea Party Express bus with eggs as it drove by. The Harry Reid supporters then swarmed him, harassed him and made false statements to the police.

Obama Marks End of 'Special Relationship' Between Britain and US

Obama's "more pragmatic tone" has soured connections between the U.S. and Great Britain, marking the end of the special relationship that has existed between the two countries since 1945.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) Lies About TEA Protester/Crowd

In this video age everything is on tape somewhere and the attempt at provoking TEA party activists did not work. The gloating Congressional representatives did not need to walk through the crowd but of course they did in an attempt to capture an embarrassing incident on tape. Second, note that when the representatives walked directly through the crowd an aid has cameras in both hands. The idea must have been to document an infraction. It did not work because other than exercise their constitutional right to address their government for a redress of grievances nothing happened. Nothing intentional happened at least intentionally.

When Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) claimed that a TEA protester spat upon he is shown here to be off base. Clearly an activist is yelling and directly in his face. However, unless the protester wanted to spit into his own hands, not likely, he did not spit upon the Representative. Another odd aspect of the alleged incident is that the two-handed cameraman walked right by the alleged spitee taping him but no documented tape emerged. In addition, despite the direct observation of the incident by a Capitol Hill police presence, there were no charges filed. Cleaver even walked back in attempt to identify the individual, and he is directly in front of him but he could not pick him out of the crowd.

At about 1:15 in the video, you can see a man with his hands cupped and Cleaver walking by. As the man yelled, it appears from Cleaver's body language, at most some saliva "sprayed."

The incident hardly represents "spitting," which would be a conscious act.

Note also that you do not hear a single "N" word shouted although Rep. Carson (D-IN) claims he heard it 15 times.

Sometimes taping backfires; too bad Rep. Cleaver it shows you as a fool.

African-American congressmen were subjected to nothing but "Kill the bill" which is in a citizen's right. However, this is how William Douglas of McClatchy Newspapers described the alleged incident.

WARNING: RACIAL EPITHET AHEAD, AS IT APPEARED IN THE NEWSPAPER:

Demonstrators outside the U.S. Capitol, angry over the proposed health care bill, shouted “nigger” Saturday at U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia congressman and civil rights icon who was nearly beaten to death during an Alabama march in the 1960s…

“They were shouting, sort of harassing,” Lewis said. “But, it’s okay, I’ve faced this before. It reminded me of the 60s. It was a lot of downright hate and anger and people being downright mean.”

Lewis said he was leaving the Cannon office building across from the Capitol when protesters shouted “Kill the bill, kill the bill,” Lewis said.

“I said ‘I’m for the bill, I support the bill, I’m voting for the bill’,” Lewis said.

A colleague who was accompanying Lewis said people in the crowd responded by saying “Kill the bill, then the n-word.”

Did you catch that last part? As Jack Cashill at the American Thinker points out, there’s some sleight of hand going on here. Lewis himself isn’t quoted as saying he heard it. The “n-word” claim is attributed to an unnamed colleague. Who? Apparently it doesn’t matter who.

Somehow this is turned into the headline, “Tea party protesters use racial epithet against Georgia’s John Lewis.” Not “Georgia’s John Lewis claims” or “Colleague of Georgia’s John Lewis alleges.” No, they make a direct statement of fact that is, based on the story itself, tenuous at best. Some guy who was with Lewis claims he heard somebody yell something. Nothing untoward happened.

Two more tapes emerged of the alleged incident that do not contain the "N" word.

Health Care Bill unconstitutional, Constitutional expert speaks out

Why is Obama Ticking Off Ally?

Obama ticking off ally: why?

What Obamacare Means For Americans

Debt will rise to 90% of GDP

CBO report

Reid's Freudian Slip: He Knows its Wrong

Reid casts vote against rationing for the second time.

Obama Health Army Taking Shape

Force subject to 'involuntary calls to active duty' during 'public crises.

SKorean navy ship sinks in waters near NKorea

SKorean navy ship sinks in waters near NKorea.

Social Security to See Payout Exceed Pay-In This Year

The system will pay out more in benefits than it receives in payroll taxes, an important threshold it was not expected to cross until at least 2016.

China and India Polluting the World

Asian pollution circles the globe in stratosphere.

Let's Be "Socialist"

"If we are going to be socialist then let's be socialist all across the board."

MSNBC's Ed Schultz says that he believes we should be government socialists on the airwaves.

Obama Welcomes A Stealth Jihadist

Obama Welcomes A Stealth Jihadist.

Rep. Baucus Admits ObamaCare Breaks Obama tax pledge

Castro Applauds Obama's Move on Health as in Cuba

Castro Applauds Obama's Move on Health as in Cuba.

Gene research reveals fourth human species

Gene research reveals fourth human species.

ObamaCare Disasters on Day One

Companies are already warning about higher health-care costs.

Silence that speaks volumes: blackout as Israel’s leader leaves White House

Another Obama misstep thwarts Middle East peace progress.

The Israeli position was met with anger from Saudi Arabia, where an official criticized its "policy of arrogance and stubbornness in defying the will of the international community."

Billboard on I-70 in Missouri

Chemtrails

Chemtrails CC

Collaboration Nations

Employees Poised to Collaborate More as Enterprises Plan to Invest in Collaboration Technology During 2010.

The research sample for the Collaboration Nation study consisted of responses from IT decision makers and business end users across the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy Russia, India, China and Japan, who completed an online survey in October and November 2009.

IT Decision Makers Plan to Invest in Collaboration to Improve Business Performance

The research found that ITDMs recognize the importance of collaboration tools to the future success of their business, with India and China being the most progressive in adopting the technology. Consequently, many ITDM respondents said that they are planning to increase their spending on collaboration technologies over the next year, identifying video conferencing, Web conferencing and Internet Protocol telephony as primary areas of investment.

3 Reasons you have to be a moron to believe Obamacare reduces deficit

Stupak Admits He Allowed Obama to Fund Abortions With Taxpayer Money

Kelly: What is to stop this openly pro-choice President from reversing himself on this? We’ve seen him on the other deals that were offered to get Senator’s votes in connection with this bill. What is to stop him from reversing himself on this executive order now that he has got your vote?

Stupak: Well that’s why we have asked for it to be public. We will have a public signing of this …

Kelly: The Senate deals were public too …

Stupak: I know. And you’re right, Megyn, there is nothing that would stop this President from a month from now, a year from now, 10 years from now, [from] repealing this executive order.

Bill O'Reilly And Charles Krauthammer On The Next 12 Months Under 'Obama-care'

Health Care Law Signals US Empire Decline?

Rise of China: decline of the West.

Dingell (D-Mich. 15) ObamaCare to ‘Control the People’

The harsh fact of the matter is when you're going to pass legislation that will cover 300 [million] American people in different ways it takes a long time to do the necessary administrative steps that have to be taken to put the legislation together to control the people.

Paul Ryan: ObamaCare a ‘Fiscal Frankenstein’

Patrick Henry: 1775

Britain imposed the 1764 Currency Act, 1764 Sugar Act, 1765 Stamp Act, 1765 Quartering Act, 1766 Declaratory Act, 1767 Townshend Act, 1773 Tea Act, 1774 Boston Port Act, 1774 Justice Act, 1774 Massachusetts Government Act, 1774 Quartering Act, 1774 Quebec Act, and 1775 Proclamation of Rebellion.

On MARCH 23, 1775, Patrick Henry spoke to the 2nd Virginia Convention, which was meeting in Richmond's St. John's Church due to British hostilities: "There is a just God who presides over the destines of nations...who will raise up friends to fight our battle for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave...Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death."

Al Sharpton: A Vote for Obama is a Vote for Socialism

"I think the President and Nancy Pelosi get the credit. I think that this is, he began the transforming of the country, the way the President had promised. This is what he ran [on]... First of all we'd have to say that the American public overwhelmingly voted for socialism when they elected President Obama... The President promised the American people health reform when he ran, he was overwhelmingly elected running on that, and he has delivered what he promised. I don't understand Republicans saying "this is against the will of the American people". They voted for President Obama, who said this was going to be one of the first things he would do, and he has done the first hurdle of that tonight, So I think the American people were heard loud and clear; this was not some concept the President introduced after he won. He ran on this, and the American people won tonight because they got finally, something from a president that they voted for"

China: How Many Jobs Lost?

Chinese take jobs in your area: tech jobs.

Obamacare Coercion

Underemployment At Record 20% According To Gallup

Underemployment At Record 20% According To Gallup

Iran

Sderot (pronounced sderr-ROHT) is the only town and the Western Negev is the only region in the entire world in which missiles are fired towards civilian population in the 21st Century.

Yet in spite of the promise by Hamas (allied with Iran) that they will not fire rockets into Israel again, a promise to the world in fact, missiles have been fired and one exploded inside the city of Sderot.

Nearly 270 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel since the end of last winter's counterterrorist operation on January 18. This is in comparison to more than 3,300 rockets and mortars fired in the year before the IDF carried out the operation, the IDF spokesman pointed out.

In the past month, Hamas terrorists have again slowly begun increasing the number of rocket attacks on Israel, with approximately 15 rockets and mortar shells fired to date.

While 15 is not a large number, they do help to create the atmosphere of terror to Sderot. Sderot is the only town in the world in which between 74% and 94% of children aged 4-18 exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress, says Natal, the Israel Center for Victims of Terror and War.

Five technologies Iran is using to censor the Internet.

American Daughter posted a video wherein the Iranian regime executed five Kurdish students for “political activities” in the Kurdish city of Kermanshan in June.

Iran has sent six warships to international waters, including the Gulf of Aden, to show its ability to confront any foreign threats, its naval commander said on Monday.

Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, quoted by the ISNA news agency, made the announcement five days after Iran said it test-fired a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 2,000 km (1,200 miles), putting Israel and U.S. bases in the area within reach.

The Gulf of Aden is an extension of the Indian Ocean. Located between Africa and Asia, it forms the natural separation between the countries of Somalia and Yemen.

Gulf of Aden waters flow into the Red Sea through the Bab el Mandeb (strait), and because it provides an outlet to the west for Persian Gulf Oil, it's now one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

In that regard, piracy is a major problem in these waters, especially for small sailboats and yachts. Many international sources now warn all small craft to avoid this gulf. Recently, even large tankers have been hijacked and held for ransom.

Terrorism is also a problem. It was here in 2000 that the USS Cole, a U.S. guided missile destroyer, was involved in a suicide bombing attack while harboring in the port of Aden. Seventeen sailors died, with dozens injured.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Ahmadinejad boasted that “those who one day called Iran and Syria part of the axis of evil now want to develop relations with Iran and Syria.”

“Circumstances are changing rapidly in our favor,” Arab media quoted him as saying. “We are on the road to victory.”

Does this mean the Iranians don't want to visit for Nowruz?

Iranian slap

Brigitte Gabriel talks about the Obama message to Iran.

Brigette Gabriel dissects Obama's surrender to the Iranian Mullahs.

Obama never mentions the deaths and dismemberment of U.S. military troops at the hands of Iran in a weak-kneed attempt to curry favor. The anti-Iranian regime and pro-democracy movements are surely to be disappointed in the message.

Nowrūz (Persian: نوروز /noʊruz/ ↔ [noʊɾuːz]; with various local pronunciations and spellings, meaning 'New Day') is the traditional Iranian new year holiday celebrated by Iranian peoples, having its roots in Ancient Iran. Since the Achaemenid era the official year has begun with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and enters the zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox. Apart from the Iranian cultural continent (Greater Iran), the celebration has spread in many other parts of the world, including parts of Central Asia, South Asia, Northwestern China, the Crimea, and some ethnic groups in Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia.

Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed. As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday and having significance amongst the Zoroastrian ancestors of modern Iranians. The moment the Sun crosses the equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year and Persian families gather together to observe the rituals.

Tiversa, a company that monitors peer-to-peer file-sharing networks discovered what it said is a potentially serious security breach involving Marine One’s helicopter.

Engineering and communications information about Marine One was discovered at an IP address in Tehran, Iran.

Bob Boback, CEO of Tiversa, said, ”We found a file containing entire blueprints and avionics package for Marine One."

The company was able to trace the file back to its original source.

"What appears to be a defense contractor in Bethesda, MD had a file sharing program on one of their systems that also contained highly sensitive blueprints for Marine One," Boback said.

Tiversa also found sensitive financial information about the cost of the helicopter on that same computer.

Boback said someone from the company most likely downloaded a file-sharing program, typically used to exchange music, not realizing the potential problems.

"When downloading one of these file-sharing programs, you are effectively allowing others around the world to access your hard drive," Boback said.

Iran is not the only country that appears to be accessing this type of information through file-sharing programs.

“We've noticed it out of Pakistan, Yemen, Qatar, and China. They are actively searching for information that is disclosed in this fashion because it is a great source of intelligence,” Boback said.

Iran has denied a claim by British diplomat, Sir John Sawers, Britain’s ambassador to the United Nations, and his claim that Iranian officials secretly offered to end attacks on coalition soldiers in Iraq in exchange for a stop to interfering in Iraqi affairs while Tehran continued its nuclear program.

The claim is startling since Iranian willingness to acknowledge complicity in the attacks has consistently been denied in public. However, it is entirely plausible and appears to be a credible claim. Iran has miffed Obama's efforts at conciliation.

"It was twenty years ago today" and yet the West still fails to effectively respond to censorship. Twenty years ago Iran ordered the death of British author Salman Rushdie and his publishers for blaspheming Islam. The verdict still stands.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s fatwa (religious edict), issued on February 14, 1989, sent Rushdie into hiding under 24-hour police protection, and triggered attacks on bookstores and assassination attempts-–at least one successful-–against the publishers of his controversial novel, The Satanic Verses.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said this week Khomeini’s death sentence stood. Unlike a political decree, he said, a fatwa remains valid unless nullified by the cleric who issued it.

Khomeini died four months after issuing the decree, but not before declaring in an official statement that “even if Salman Rushdie repents and becomes the most pious man of all time, it is incumbent on every Muslim to employ everything he has got, his life and wealth, to send him to hell.”

Over the years since then, various Iranian leaders have reiterated that the fatwa remains valid, and rewards worth millions of dollars have been offered for Rushdie’s murder.

No other fatwa had played as crucial a role in awakening the Islamic world, said one lawmaker, Heshmatollah Falahat-Pisheh.

“I call on all zealous Muslims to execute [Rushdie and his publishers] quickly, where they find them, so that no one will dare to insult the Islamic sanctity, “he said. “Whoever is killed on this path will be regarded as a martyr, Allah-willing.”

The Rushdie affair has generated considerable debate over the years about freedom of expression, intolerance, Islamic law (shari’a) and Islamic-inspired violence.

For some free speech advocates, the United Nations’ low-key response to the Rushdie death sentence paved the way for Islamic states and organizations to become increasingly forceful in their response to what they view as insults to Islam, and strengthened their continuing campaign for a global ban on religious “defamation.”

Historian and veteran U.N. observer David Littman noted later that it took four years for the world body’s then top human rights watchdog, the Commission for Human Rights, to include a reference to the case in a resolution.

“This attitude of indifference emboldened member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) sympathetic to the enhancement of the shari’a and they proceeded to try to introduce Khomeini-style restrictions on freedom of speech about certain political aspects of Islam to the United Nations itself,” he wrote in the Middle East Quarterly in 1999.

“Thus did the ‘Rushdie rules’ begin affecting U.N. bodies, and especially the Commission on Human Rights, eating away at international norms.”

A year after the fatwa was issued, OIC member states adopted the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam, which says all human rights and freedoms must be subject to shari’a.

Over the ensuing years, the issues raised by the Rushdie fatwa emerged again in more recent controversies involving Islamic sensitivities, such as the furor over the publication in European newspapers of cartoons satirizing Mohammed, and Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders’ provocative documentary linking the Koran and terrorism.

Rushdie and other critics have accused non-Muslim governments, publishers and corporations of practicing self-censorship and appeasement in the face of Muslim threats.

This week alone, an Indian newspaper editor and publisher appeared in a Kolkata court accused of hurting Muslims’ religious feelings after reprinting an opinion piece from a London newspaper that argued for the right to criticize religion; and the British government barred Wilders from entering the country, charging that his beliefs “would threaten community harmony and therefore public security.”

In a recent interview with The Times of London, Rushdie said the West should have realized that the Iranian fatwa was the beginning of a new era.

“There was a tendency from everybody to believe that it was an isolated incident rather than an indicator or something wider, to believe that it was all my fault,” he said.

It just doesn't get any better. After opening his hand, and looking for an unclenched fist, Obama planned to send a sports team to his new found friends, the Iranians. Yet, Iran refused to issue visas for U.S. Women's Badminton Team because of their late application. So much for the openness to the world for Obama.

John Bolton, former U.S. envoy to the UN, stated that the U.S. has been defeated by Iran. Bolton said Washington has suffered a humiliating defeat in its drive against Iran’s nuclear activities.

In an interview with BBC Persian, Bolton stated the obvious, efforts to curb Tehran’s nuclear achievements have come to naught as Tehran has successfully managed to defend its national interests.

Bolton claimed that if Washington had settled on a military option against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure beforehand, “the threat of Iranian nuclear weapons would not have existed in the world today”.

The former US diplomat said that he seriously advises US President Barack Obama to opt for a military attack on Iran’s uranium enrichment, should three months of direct negotiation with Iran prove to be a failure.

Of course, the new administration will not listen and begun the process of submission to the Islamic Republic.

The former diplomat quit his UN job in 2006 after failing to win Senate confirmation and worked as a senior foreign policy adviser to former president George W. Bush.

Obama's policy of direct diplomacy with Iran may buy Tehran enough time to produce nuclear weapons, Shabtai Shavit, former chief of the Mossad intelligence agency, warned.

"My concern is that until Obama finishes his learning curve of the subject, the Iranians are going to have maybe the first or even more nuclear bombs."

Shavit served as director of the Mossad from 1989 through 1996.

Iran accepted Obama's initial offer of an apology for advocating American interests previously. Now President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants a withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region and an apology for past "crimes" against Tehran. Ahmadinejad was responding to Obama's offer to extend a hand of peace if Iran "unclenched its fist."

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, Iran's top cleric opined: "The world is on a slope of collapse. One is shocked when a president (Obama) sits, smiles and says 'my concern is to find a dog for my daughter.' Shame on you and those who voted for you," he said.

He also added during Friday prayers that Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni should be shot.

"Every time the picture of this woman is shown, I really wish that somebody would expend a bullet on her," he said according to a recording of the sermon obtained by the Associated Press, and a copy of the speech was also translated and published by the Middle East Media Research Institute, a Middle Eastern press monitoring service.
These are the people that Obama wants to meet with and to have no preconditions before for meeting. Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall on that auspicious occasion?

Jannati is the head of the powerful hardline Iranian Council of Guardians which ensures the government remains true to the principles of the Islamic revolution.

He was hand-picked by Iran's top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for the position and is seen by the reformist camp as one of the biggest opponents of democratic reforms in Iran. His council disqualified thousands of reformist candidates during parliamentary elections. At least they have something in common with Obama: they lack qualifications.

The BBC ran an interesting story about Iranian reaction to The Elect's victory. One blogger, cartoonist and blogger Nikahang Kosar who now lives in Canada, likened Obama to the reformist Mohammad Khatami in Iran. Obama's promise of 'change' reminds many Iranians of their own optimism when they elected the reformist Mohammad Khatami as president in 1997. This reflects the disillusionment Khatami's supporters felt when his attempts at reform were blocked by Iran's Islamic hardliners.

Likewise, Tehran journalist Ehsan Taqaddosi echoes this feeling, writing on demokracy.blogfa.com states: "Khatami was our Obama."

And, a third Iranian, Ehsan Taqaddosi, fears Obama cannot deliver what he promises.

Like Obama, Khatami was a pleasant talker and he introduced concepts such as the rule of the people and democracy into our political literature. But what happened in practice?

Nothing changed... Everyone says that Obama will be the same as his predecessors and in practice he may only be able to create a short, sharp shock.

Khatami also created a short, sharp shock and at the end of his tenure, we didn't witness any of the enthusiasm and determination which existed during the initial years of his government's rule.

The Iranian comments were originally in Farsi and translated by BBC Monitoring.

Iranians called for a U.S. "unconditional withdrawal" from all Islamic states referring to Washington as the "main war-monger and cause of insecurity worldwide." Election day USA is the anniversary of the take-over of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran by university students and followers of the Imam Khomeini in 1979. The embassy was known in Iran as the "Den of Spies." The U.S. is seen as the main cause of insecurity in the world and the Iranians should "fight against oppressive and colonial policies of the world arrogance and Western powers led by the US." The U.S. efforts are against Islamic states, especially Iran, and "resulted from the influence of Zionist lobbies on international organizations as well as the US and its allies pressures on international bodies."

The only thing worse for the U.S. is if we brought back Zbigniew Brzezinski, the U.S. Secretary of State during the Jimmy Carter fiasco of a Presidency.

Wait, it could get worse: Brzezinski has backed one of the presidential nominees, and is an important advisor to this individual, and that nominee might get elected tomorrow.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

Graphic source: Pajamas Media

A Humvee interior view of the passenger side door shows how a copper projectile ripped violently through the door, fragmenting the interior door armor and causing significant damage before exiting though the dashboard. This is a typical Iranian-made EFP causing U.S. casualties.

Regardless of any analysis, it is quite embarrassing to hear two people running to be second-fiddle to the Commander-in-Chief not even mention the blood and sacrifice spilled by American troops. Instead, both vice-presidential nominees hid behind the skirt of defending Israel rather than take Iran to task for supplying weapons to kill American troops. It is just despicable. Let Israel take care of their own issues, and we can remain a solid ally as needed, but for God's sake, defend our troops.

Despite abundant evidence outside the mainstream media, in the debate tonight neither candidate mentioned Iran's role in killing our people. Coalition forces have documented how Iran supplys Sunni and Shia insurgents with deadly munitions in the form of explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs.

Their blood and sacrifice is worth more than silence.

Liu: Making Up the Constitution as We Go Along: Supreme Court Possibility

Liu's judicial philosophy as outlined in a book he co-authored, "Keeping Faith with the Constitution." In the book, Liu writes that the Constitution should be interpreted by adapting its broad principles to the conditions faced by successive generations.

M. Edward Whelan III, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, has written extensively about Liu's record on his blog in the National Review online. Of Liu's book, Whelan writes, "What Liu means by 'keeping faith' is evidently adherence to the living-constitutionalist gimmick that judges can redefine the Constitution to mean whatever they want it to mean."

The Google-NSA Alliance: Questions and Answers

The Google-NSA Alliance: Questions and Answers

Even CNN Polls Show Obama Down

CNN poll: Majority disapprove of Obama.

20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms

20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms.

David Plouffe vs. Karl Rove

Islam Rising Trailer

Islam Rising Trailer

Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin Against Rationing

Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin against rationing.

38 States Pro-Constitution

Idaho reaction to the congressional vote on the health care bill

Gov. Butch Otter: “States like Idaho are working hard to create public-private healthcare partnerships and facilitate local solutions. Big federal programs aren’t the answer. It’s even more important now for patients and practitioners, hospitals and health insurers, employers and employees to work together, because Congress and the White House got it wrong. All this will do is keep states and the marketplace from making healthcare more affordable and accessible while imposing a legacy of untold debt on our children and grandchildren.”

Idaho Republican Party Chairman Norm Semanko: “Today’s disastrous vote on the health care bill in the House of Representatives demonstrates how out of touch Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and the Congressional Democrats are with the American People. Instead of starting over and working on a bipartisan agreement, Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi chose to ram through a bill that costs way too much money, puts government in control of personal health decisions, cuts Medicare, and grows government — while doing nothing to control the skyrocketing costs of healthcare. “The American people want true health care reform that isn’t about politics, but rather about the families, businesses and economy of the nation. Obama, Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress have continued to fail the American people, and today’s vote is proof that they still aren’t listening. Democrats can expect to pay the consequences at the polls in November, here in Idaho and across the nation.”

U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick: “I voted no today because I was elected to listen to my constituents, seek the best possible information and use my best judgment to make the right decision for Idaho.

“It was a difficult vote because, like all Idahoans, I truly do care about improving the health-insurance system, about reducing costs and about improving care. But I voted against this bill because it is critical to the long-term fiscal health of the country that we not get this wrong.

“Nevertheless, I remain committed to working on what comes next. We must enact comprehensive tort reform. We must bring more providers to rural communities. We must increase the number of primary-care physicians. We must improve mental and physical care for our returning military veterans. We must work to reduce the costs within the health care system. We must decrease the Medicare rate disparity that hurts states like Idaho. We must shift the basis for medical payments from procedures to outcomes. And I offer my firm commitment to hold the administration accountable for their promise that this legislation will not add to the deficit.

“Whether you supported or opposed this bill, surely you agree that we must now work together to move beyond the rhetoric and anger that has so divided our nation. There are too many important issues facing this nation for us to allow the divisions created by this vote to remain beyond this vote.

“No one should ever be elected to be a blind loyalist to a political party, on any issue, but we owe the people we represent nothing less than our deep commitment to work together on the issues facing this nation. The people of Idaho have such a commitment from me.”

SOURCE: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/03/22/1126443/idaho-reaction-to-the-congressional.html#ixzz0iw5srJyO

The Heritage Foundation Responds to the Health Care Vote

List of Legislators for Health Rationing

ALABAMA

Democrats – Bright, N; Davis, N.

Republicans – Aderholt, N; Bachus, N; Bonner, N; Griffith, N; Rogers, N.

ALASKA

Republicans – Young, N.

ARIZONA

Democrats – Giffords, Y; Grijalva, Y; Kirkpatrick, Y; Mitchell, Y; Pastor, Y.

Republicans – Flake, N; Franks, N; Shadegg, N.

ARKANSAS

Democrats – Berry, N; Ross, N; Snyder, Y.

Republicans – Boozman, N.

CALIFORNIA

Democrats – Baca, Y; Becerra, Y; Berman, Y; Capps, Y; Cardoza, Y; Chu, Y; Costa, Y; Davis, Y; Eshoo, Y; Farr, Y; Filner, Y; Garamendi, Y; Harman, Y; Honda, Y; Lee, Y; Lofgren, Zoe, Y; Matsui, Y; McNerney, Y; Miller, George, Y; Napolitano, Y; Pelosi, Y; Richardson, Y; Roybal-Allard, Y; Sanchez, Linda T., Y; Sanchez, Loretta, Y; Schiff, Y; Sherman, Y; Speier, Y; Stark, Y; Thompson, Y; Waters, Y; Watson, Y; Waxman, Y; Woolsey, Y.

Republicans – Bilbray, N; Bono Mack, N; Calvert, N; Campbell, N; Dreier, N; Gallegly, N; Herger, N; Hunter, N; Issa, N; Lewis, N; Lungren, Daniel E., N; McCarthy, N; McClintock, N; McKeon, N; Miller, Gary, N; Nunes, N; Radanovich, N; Rohrabacher, N; Royce, N.

COLORADO

Democrats – DeGette, Y; Markey, Y; Perlmutter, Y; Polis, Y; Salazar, Y.

Republicans – Coffman, N; Lamborn, N.

CONNECTICUT

Democrats – Courtney, Y; DeLauro, Y; Himes, Y; Larson, Y; Murphy, Y.

DELAWARE

Republicans – Castle, N.

FLORIDA

Democrats – Boyd, Y; Brown, Corrine, Y; Castor, Y; Grayson, Y; Hastings, Y; Klein, Y; Kosmas, Y; Meek, Y; Wasserman Schultz, Y.

Republicans – Bilirakis, N; Brown-Waite, Ginny, N; Buchanan, N; Crenshaw, N; Diaz-Balart, L., N; Diaz-Balart, M., N; Mack, N; Mica, N; Miller, N; Posey, N; Putnam, N; Rooney, N; Ros-Lehtinen, N; Stearns, N; Young, N.

GEORGIA

Democrats – Barrow, N; Bishop, Y; Johnson, Y; Lewis, Y; Marshall, N; Scott, Y.

Republicans – Broun, N; Deal, N; Gingrey, N; Kingston, N; Linder, N; Price, N; Westmoreland, N.

HAWAII

Democrats – Hirono, Y.

IDAHO

Democrats – Minnick, N.

Republicans – Simpson, N.

ILLINOIS

Democrats – Bean, Y; Costello, Y; Davis, Y; Foster, Y; Gutierrez, Y; Halvorson, Y; Hare, Y; Jackson, Y; Lipinski, Y; Quigley, Y; Rush, Y; Schakowsky, Y.

Republicans – Biggert, N; Johnson, N; Kirk, N; Manzullo, N; Roskam, N; Schock, N; Shimkus, N.

INDIANA

Democrats – Carson, Y; Donnelly, Y; Ellsworth, Y; Hill, Y; Visclosky, Y.

Republicans – Burton, N; Buyer, N; Pence, N; Souder, N.

IOWA

Democrats – Boswell, Y; Braley, Y; Loebsack, Y.

Republicans – King, N; Latham, N.

KANSAS

Democrats – Moore, Y.

Republicans – Jenkins, N; Moran, N; Tiahrt, N.

KENTUCKY

Democrats – Chandler, N; Yarmuth, Y.

Republicans – Davis, N; Guthrie, N; Rogers, N; Whitfield, N.

LOUISIANA

Democrats – Melancon, N.

Republicans – Alexander, N; Boustany, N; Cao, N; Cassidy, N; Fleming, N; Scalise, N.

MAINE

Democrats – Michaud, Y; Pingree, Y.

MARYLAND

Democrats – Cummings, Y; Edwards, Y; Hoyer, Y; Kratovil, N; Ruppersberger, Y; Sarbanes, Y; Van Hollen, Y.

Republicans – Bartlett, N.

MASSACHUSETTS

Democrats – Capuano, Y; Delahunt, Y; Frank, Y; Lynch, Y; Markey, Y; McGovern, Y; Neal, Y; Olver, Y; Tierney, Y; Tsongas, Y.

MICHIGAN

Democrats – Conyers, Y; Dingell, Y; Kildee, Y; Kilpatrick, Y; Levin, Y; Peters, Y; Schauer, Y; Stupak, Y.

Republicans – Camp, N; Ehlers, N; Hoekstra, N; McCotter, N; Miller, N; Rogers, N; Upton, N.

MINNESOTA

Democrats – Ellison, Y; McCollum, Y; Oberstar, Y; Peterson, N; Walz, Y.

Republicans – Bachmann, N; Kline, N; Paulsen, N.

MISSISSIPPI

Democrats – Childers, N; Taylor, N; Thompson, Y.

Republicans – Harper, N.

MISSOURI

Democrats – Carnahan, Y; Clay, Y; Cleaver, Y; Skelton, N.

Republicans – Akin, N; Blunt, N; Emerson, N; Graves, N; Luetkemeyer, N.

MONTANA

Republicans – Rehberg, N.

NEBRASKA

Republicans – Fortenberry, N; Smith, N; Terry, N.

NEVADA

Democrats – Berkley, Y; Titus, Y.

Republicans – Heller, N.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Democrats – Hodes, Y; Shea-Porter, Y.

NEW JERSEY

Democrats – Adler, N; Andrews, Y; Holt, Y; Pallone, Y; Pascrell, Y; Payne, Y; Rothman, Y; Sires, Y.

Republicans – Frelinghuysen, N; Garrett, N; Lance, N; LoBiondo, N; Smith, N.

NEW MEXICO

Democrats – Heinrich, Y; Lujan, Y; Teague, N.

NEW YORK

Democrats – Ackerman, Y; Arcuri, N; Bishop, Y; Clarke, Y; Crowley, Y; Engel, Y; Hall, Y; Higgins, Y; Hinchey, Y; Israel, Y; Lowey, Y; Maffei, Y; Maloney, Y; McCarthy, Y; McMahon, N; Meeks, Y; Murphy, Y; Nadler, Y; Owens, Y; Rangel, Y; Serrano, Y; Slaughter, Y; Tonko, Y; Towns, Y; Velazquez, Y; Weiner, Y.

Republicans – King, N; Lee, N.

NORTH CAROLINA

Democrats – Butterfield, Y; Etheridge, Y; Kissell, N; McIntyre, N; Miller, Y; Price, Y; Shuler, N; Watt, Y.

Republicans – Coble, N; Foxx, N; Jones, N; McHenry, N; Myrick, N.

NORTH DAKOTA

Democrats – Pomeroy, Y.

OHIO

Democrats – Boccieri, Y; Driehaus, Y; Fudge, Y; Kaptur, Y; Kilroy, Y; Kucinich, Y; Ryan, Y; Space, N; Sutton, Y; Wilson, Y.

Republicans – Austria, N; Boehner, N; Jordan, N; LaTourette, N; Latta, N; Schmidt, N; Tiberi, N; Turner, N.

OKLAHOMA

Democrats – Boren, N.

Republicans – Cole, N; Fallin, N; Lucas, N; Sullivan, N.

OREGON

Democrats – Blumenauer, Y; DeFazio, Y; Schrader, Y; Wu, Y.

Republicans – Walden, N.

PENNSYLVANIA

Democrats – Altmire, N; Brady, Y; Carney, Y; Dahlkemper, Y; Doyle, Y; Fattah, Y; Holden, N; Kanjorski, Y; Murphy, Patrick, Y; Schwartz, Y; Sestak, Y.

Republicans – Dent, N; Gerlach, N; Murphy, Tim, N; Pitts, N; Platts, N; Shuster, N; Thompson, N.

RHODE ISLAND

Democrats – Kennedy, Y; Langevin, Y.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Democrats – Clyburn, Y; Spratt, Y.

Republicans – Barrett, N; Brown, N; Inglis, N; Wilson, N.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Democrats – Herseth Sandlin, N.

TENNESSEE

Democrats – Cohen, Y; Cooper, N; Davis, N; Gordon, Y; Tanner, N.

Republicans – Blackburn, N; Duncan, N; Roe, N; Wamp, N.

TEXAS

Democrats – Cuellar, Y; Doggett, Y; Edwards, N; Gonzalez, Y; Green, Al, Y; Green, Gene, Y; Hinojosa, Y; Jackson Lee, Y; Johnson, E. B., Y; Ortiz, Y; Reyes, Y; Rodriguez, Y.

Republicans – Barton, N; Brady, N; Burgess, N; Carter, N; Conaway, N; Culberson, N; Gohmert, N; Granger, N; Hall, N; Hensarling, N; Johnson, Sam, N; Marchant, N; McCaul, N; Neugebauer, N; Olson, N; Paul, N; Poe, N; Sessions, N; Smith, N; Thornberry, N.

UTAH

Democrats – Matheson, N.

Republicans – Bishop, N; Chaffetz, N.

VERMONT

Democrats – Welch, Y.

VIRGINIA

Democrats – Boucher, N; Connolly, Y; Moran, Y; Nye, N; Perriello, Y; Scott, Y.

Republicans – Cantor, N; Forbes, N; Goodlatte, N; Wittman, N; Wolf, N.

WASHINGTON

Democrats – Baird, Y; Dicks, Y; Inslee, Y; Larsen, Y; McDermott, Y; Smith, Y.

Republicans – Hastings, N; McMorris Rodgers, N; Reichert, N.

WEST VIRGINIA

Democrats – Mollohan, Y; Rahall, Y.

Republicans – Capito, N.

WISCONSIN

Democrats – Baldwin, Y; Kagen, Y; Kind, Y; Moore, Y; Obey, Y.

Republicans – Petri, N; Ryan, N; Sensenbrenner, N.

20 Promises for $2,500: All Americans Now Await Lower Premiums Promised by Obama

I am holding my breath until the check arrives.

"We'll work with your employer to lower your premiums by $2,500 per family per year!"

38 states preparing challenges to health care reform

Legal Challenges to Health Care Overhaul

What Soviet Medicine Teaches Us by Yuri N. Maltsev.

Yuri N. Maltsev, senior fellow of the Mises Institute, worked as an economist on Mikhail Gorbachev's economic reform team before defecting to the United States. He is the editor of Requiem for Marx. He teaches economics at Carthage College.

Rally of Wrath: Motorists in drive against car tax and corrupt police

Russia Today
March 21, 2010
Thousands of Russians have taken to the streets to participate in so-called Day of Wrath opposition rallies all over the country. Those who oppose the current social and economic policies of the government are demanding protection of their constitutional rights.

Catholics split on health care reform

Catholics split on health care reform.

Jewish People Harassed by Muslims in Sweden

In the Copenhagen township of Nørrebro that has been solidly in Muslim hands for a long time, Jews must hide their faith in order to avoid persecution. In the Swedish town of Malmö, many Jewish families have already fled.

(Contributor: Daniel Katz / Translation: Anders Denken)

IRS Overboard for Health Rationing

Michele Bachmann was interviewed by Sean Hannity on Fox several days ago. She describes over 16,000 new employees being hired by the IRS to enforce provisions of the Health Care Bill.

90 Seconds to Gov’t Run Healthcare

Obama's Cousin (A Doctor) Is Against Health Care Bill

Obama's 2nd Cousin, Dr. Milton R Wolf speaks at the Tea Party Rally in Washington, DC on March 20, 2010. Tea Party members/concerned citizens gathered at the Capitol Building to protest health care reform.

China: “Chinese researchers at the Institute of Systems Engineering of Dalian University of Technology published a paper on how to attack a small U.S. power grid sub-network in a way that would cause a cascading failure of the entire U.S.”

Cascade-based attack vulnerability on the US power grid. The paper has caught the attention of Larry M. Wortzel, a military strategist and China specialist, who told the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the implications of the paper.

"There Are No Rules Here ... We Make Them Up As We Go Along"

The Health Vote and the Constitution—II

The House can't approve the Senate bill in the same legislation by which it approves changes to the Senate bill.

Muslims In UK Call For Murder Of Dutch Politician Geert Wilders On Public Street In London

Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution

Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution requires that both houses of Congress hold recorded yea-or-nay votes on a bill before it can be presented to the president for his signature and before it can become law.

“These constitutional rules set forth in Article I are not mere exercises in formalism,” former federal appeals court judge Michael McConnell told the Wall Street Journal earlier in the week. “They ensure the democratic accountability of our representatives.”

Author and talk show host Mark Levin’s Landmark Legal Foundation plans to file an immediate lawsuit if House Democratic leaders try to use the unconstitutional maneuver to pass the Senate version of Obama’s health rationing.

47 U.S.C. 223: Law to Silence Dissent

47 U.S.C. 223 was used in an instance that a constituent called Rep. John Garamendi’s (CA-10) office in Washington, D.C. The statute cited was not controlling since it only prohibits people from calling with the specific intent to harass. A constituent may voice their concerns with the intent of getting a representative to change their mind, not to harass a staff.

St. Joseph Wants Health Rationing

Americans in the Land of Lenin: Early Soviet Russia

This collection of photographs of daily life in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is drawn from the personal papers of Robert L. Eichelberger and Frank Whitson Fetter, two ordinary Americans who found themselves in an extraordinary place and time.

Will Health Care Lower Costs?

Will Health Care Lower Costs?

Former CBO Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin on the future of health-care reform and why he does not believe the bill will decrease the deficit.

Uncertain Costs, Preliminary Analysis, CBO

Uncertainly emerges from today’s CBO report:

“Although CBO completed a preliminary review of legislative language prior to its release, the agency has not thoroughly examined the reconciliation proposal to verify its consistency with the previous draft. This estimate is therefore preliminary, pending a review of the language of the reconciliation proposal, as well as further review and refinement of the budgetary projections.” (CBO Preliminary Estimate, 3/18/2010)
"CBO has developed a rough outlook for the decade following the 2010-2019 period..."

"The imprecision of that calculation reflects the even greater degree of uncertainty that attends to it, compared with CBO's 10-year budget estimates."

"CBO has not extrapolated estimates further into the future because the uncertainties surrounding them are magnified even more."

Dem Congressman: "If You Don't Tie Our Hands, We Will Keep Stealing"

Dem Congressman: "If You Don't Tie Our Hands, We Will Keep Stealing"

Dems sweeten health bill, set showdown Sunday vote

Dems sweeten health bill, set showdown Sunday vote

Obama Signs New Health Rationing Bill!

A TVPigs sketch created by Carter MacDowell at Diagonal Cows, Inc.
© 2009 Diagonal Cows, Inc.
Distributed by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

Stanford Law Professor (Judge) Says Not Constitutional

Michael McConnell writes in the WSJ: Enter the Slaughter solution. It may be clever, but it is not constitutional. To become law—hence eligible for amendment via reconciliation—the Senate health-care bill must actually be signed into law. The Constitution speaks directly to how that is done. According to Article I, Section 7, in order for a "Bill" to "become a Law," it "shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate" and be "presented to the President of the United States" for signature or veto. Unless a bill actually has "passed" both Houses, it cannot be presented to the president and cannot become a law.

E-mails suggested Fort Hood suspect subpar for Army

Reviews ripped killings suspect.

C-Span Puts Full Archives on the Web

C-Span Puts Full Archives on the Web.

Federal agencies haven't lived up to Obama's promise of a more open government

Federal agencies haven't lived up to Obama's promise of a more open government.

Kingston Questions Economic Policies, Spending in Budget Hearing

Kingston Questions Economic Policies, Spending in Budget Hearing

Obama's budget team came before the Appropriations Committee today for a hearing on the Presidents record-setting budget. Congressman Jack Kingston (R-GA) used the chance to quiz Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Economic Advisor Christina Romer, and Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orzag on the Presidents failed economic policies and out of control spending in Washington.

Obama Aides See ‘Extended Period’ of Unemployment

Obama Aides See ‘Extended Period’ of Unemployment. A joint statement issued today verified the announcement.

Economic News

Gardner Says Fed Likely to Oversee Consumer Protection

Bloomberg — March 15, 2010 — March 15 (Bloomberg) -- Brian Gardner, an analyst at Keefe Bruyette & Woods Inc., talks with Bloomberg's Carol Massar about the outlook for legislation to overhaul financial regulation. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, will unveil an overhaul bill today without Republican backing. Gardner speaks from Washington. (Source: Bloomberg)

Gertler Discusses Federal Open Market Committee Meeting

Bloomberg — March 15, 2010 — March 15 (Bloomberg) -- Mark Gertler, a professor of economics at New York University, talks with Bloomberg's Carol Massar about the outlook for Federal Reserve monetary policy and the U.S. economy. (Source: Bloomberg)

Americans Are Too Stupid To Care About Congressional Procedures

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

“The one thing I am sure of is that the American people don’t know or care much about the sequencing of parliamentary procedures.”

Senior White House Adviser David Axelrod appeared on NBC’s Meet The Press

'The Most Brazen Act Of Political Arrogance Since Watergate'

Unconstitutional Procedure Being Used to Pass Unconstitutional ObamaCare

Unconstitutional Procedure Being Used to Pass Unconstitutional ObamaCare
by Brian Darling

House leaders are preparing to ram through ObamaCare this week without a vote. Not only is the legislation unconstitutional, but the process being used to pass it is unconstitutional. The House is preparing a rule that would consider the Senate-passed version of ObamaCare passed in the House even though members would never directly vote on it. That would violate Article 1, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution.

Here is how the trick would work: In the House, the Rules Committee sets up the parameters for debate on legislation. House leaders are considering a complicated rule that would be structured so that a vote on the rule setting down the structure for the ObamaCare debate would allow the Senate’s version of health care reform to pass without a vote. First, there would be a vote on a rule. If the rule is passed by the House, then the House would vote on a health care budget reconciliation measure that is an amendment to the Senate passed ObamaCare bill. If that reconciliation measure passes, then reconciliation goes to the Senate and the ObamaCare legislation is deemed passed without a direct vote. The plan for the legislation is unclear. House leadership will either structure the rule to either immediately present ObamaCare to the President for his signature or they will hold the bill and deliver it only if the Senate passes a health care reconciliation measure. Either way, the Constitution and the American people are the losers.

Understand that this procedure is drafted in a way so your average American can’t understand it. The simple way to understand the situation is that the House is trying to pass a bill without a vote.

The Constitution states that the House and Senate are supposed to pass identical versions of a bill before the President can sign it into law. One of the reasons for this tricky procedure is to provide cover for moderate Democrats who don’t want to vote for the Senate-passed ObamaCare bill because it includes the federal funding of abortion.

Michael McConnell, Professor and Director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School, explains it this way at the Wall Street Journal today:

Democratic congressional leaders have floated a plan to enact health-care reform by a procedure dubbed “the Slaughter solution.” It is named not for the political carnage that it might inflict on their members, but for Rep. Louise Slaughter (D., N.Y.), chair of the powerful House Rules Committee, who proposed it. Under her proposal, Democrats would pass a rule that deems the Senate’s health-care bill to have passed the House, without the House actually voting on the bill. This would enable Congress to vote on legislation that fixes flaws in the Senate health-care bill without facing a Senate filibuster, and without requiring House members to vote in favor of a Senate bill that is now politically toxic.

McConnell is right. The Constitution says that:

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law.

If a branch does not vote on a bill, then that bill did not pass. This proposed procedure seems to be a clear violation of the letter and spirit of the Constitution. There will be debate on the proper remedy for this constitutional affront, but all can agree that, at a minimum, House members can raise a constitutional point of order against the rule.

Liberals in the House understand that this process is hard to defend. Chris Frates at Politico writes about a leaked memo drafted by Assistant to the Speaker Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) intended to provide talking points to Democrat members when challenged on the unconstitutional process.

The Van Hollen memo also advised members to avoid talking about the process. “At this point, we have to just rip the band-aid off and have a vote — up or down; yes or no? Things like reconciliation and what the rules committee does is INSIDE BASEBALL,” the memo says. “People who try and start arguments about process on this are almost always against the actual policy substance too, often times for purely political reasons.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the House Rules Committee have come up with a very complicated procedure to get ObamaCare to the President’s desk without House members having to vote directly on the bill. This procedure is going to be debated extensively this week and may be the key issue as to whether President Obama signs legislation to provide a de facto government-run health care system.