Homeland Security Clears Terrorists To Fly and Immigrate

Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC) is asking their more than 30,000 national supporters to contact their members of Congress today to demand immediate Congressional investigations to determine why the Department of Homeland Security is continuing to give valid U.S. visas to millions of people on the terrorism watch lists, including the Detroit Flight 253 bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

ALIPAC called for the termination or resignation of Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano earlier this year, when it was discovered her department was instructing police officers to scrutinize Americans concerned about popular issues such as illegal immigration, taxes, and government spending as possible domestic terrorists. Napolitano's "advisories" to police were based on strange Internet blogs and political sources, instead of traditionally accepted law enforcement methods.

"At this time the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government under Bush, and now Obama, appears consistent in efforts to jeopardize the security, prosperity, and freedoms of the American public," said William Gheen. "Existing laws passed by Congress requires Homeland Security and Immigration Services to screen and reject all visa applicants on the terrorism watch lists. The Detroit bomber was just the latest proof that millions of visa applicants are not being properly checked, despite earlier revelations about this problem. That is why we are calling on Congress to investigate and correct this situation immediately."

On 8/23/2006, Sara A. Carter of the Washington Times revealed a major scandal with evidence that 75 percent of applicants for immigrant benefits such as green cards, work visas, and a host of other documents, were not being screened against terrorism watch lists or being denied when they were found on the lists. According to sources from inside DHS and USCIS, millions of immigration documents were issued to people that had not been checked against the lists.

See: Terrorist screening missed 75% of time Green card and visa applications
http://www.alipac.us/article1459.html

ALIPAC is encouraging the public to renew calls for the dismissal of Janet Napolitano, along with demands for Congressional hearings to investigate those responsible for the massive and systematic disregard for existing immigration and national security laws passed by Congress.

"Janet Napolitano has been busy trying to pass Amnesty for illegal aliens and casting suspicion on American citizens who are fed up with Government corruption and failures, instead of doing the job of protecting Americans against terrorist threats," said Gheen. "Each day the evidence all around us grows that the Executive Branch of the U.S. government has been compromised and hijacked by political interests that are not empowered by the Constitution." said Gheen. "Giving aid to militant enemies of the United States at a time of war is an act of Treason, and we need Congress to find out who the traitors are and how many thousands of visas these government employees have given to people on the terrorist watch lists. Those thousands of visa holders who are currently in the U.S. and on the terrorism lists need to be located and removed immediately! Those who are responsible for issuing the visas should be fired and possibly charged with crimes. All new visa applicants must be properly screened."

Americans for Legal Immigration PAC has the archive materials which show the prior disregard of the terrorism watch lists, as well as revelations that TSA has cleared illegal aliens to work in airports, U.S. air marshals have been ordered not to hinder illegal aliens flying into the U.S. in large groups, and illegal aliens have been cleared to work on commercial jet aircraft engines. This latest scandal involving the U.S. visa issued to the terrorism suspect from Detroit is only the latest in a large pattern of high level government officials betraying the American public on numerous laws designed to protect the American public.

For more information, please visit www.alipac.us

Lieberman... gag, arghhh, bleh

Lieberman expresses regret to colleagues over healthcare tension
By Alexander Bolton
Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) told Democratic colleagues at the White House this afternoon that he regretted creating tension within their conference during the healthcare debate.
Read more: http://www.thehill.com/homenews/campaign/72375-lieberman-expresses-regret-to-colleagues-over-healthcare-tension-

Wonder what it took to buy him off this time???

Hate those LOUD commercials?

Who doesn't hate the way the TV blasts commercials? I understand the logic of doing so... they think, they know, that we're going to get up and go to the kitchen, the bathroom, that we'll be talking or doing something during the commercials. They make 'em loud so there's a better chance of having us hear them when we make our side-trips. At least that's the way I've always reasoned it out.

If you're sitting in the room and don't leave then most of us scramble for the remote so we can either turn down the volume or mute the TV. Then, when the program comes back on we miss the first parts while we flip the noise back on to a reasonable level.

Much as I dislike the practice of the ad-makers increasing the decibel level to intolerable during commercials, I do NOT think it is the place of the government to jump into the fray. If enough of us have a problem, if enough of us let them know we're muting the TV, not listening in protest, or whatever, then we can stop the noise.

However, in typical Democrat fashion, they now want the government to get involved in what should be a free-market choice... argggghhhhh...

Eshoo, Whitehouse lead crusade against loud TV ads
By Kim Hart
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) is no longer alone on her quest to bring down the volume of loud TV commercials. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has joined in the crusade to keep ads from blasting us out of our living rooms every 10 minutes. Read more: http://www.thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/72223-eshoo-whitehouse-lead-crusade-against-loud-tv-ads

- jmd

Obama & Religion

When I think of Obama and Religion, I cannot help but see an oxymoron. Bearing a Muslim name & childhood, BO has more in common with Islam than Christianity. In fact, one year after moving to Washington DC, Obama has yet to find a church.

However, for 20 years he attended Jeremiah Wright's "church", if you want to call it that. It's obvious Obama was more interested in listening Jeremiah rant about his hate for white rich people and America than the preaching of the gospel.

It's no surprise, Obama will exclude all Christianity from the White House festivities. Although I must say, how can the leader of the free world be so engrossed in himself, not to realize that one cannot take Christianity out of the holidays - for it's the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. That's why it's called Christmas, stupid.

- fc

Illegal Aliens & the Senate Healthcare Bill -- Better Than the House's, But Still Filled With Loopholes

The Senate health reform bill is better than the House-passed bill, in terms of verification of immigrant or citizenship status. But the Senate bill contains a number of serious loopholes by which illegal aliens can and will obtain taxpayer-funded health coverage. This will provide a net bonus to at least a portion of illegal aliens and may well serve as yet another incentive to break U.S. immigration laws. Read More >>

By Jim Edwards, Saturday, November 21, 2009

“The Broken Door” – How the Lack of Enforcement of Immigration Law Threatens Our National Security

For many of us, the recent announcement that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed - the alleged mastermind of the September 11th attacks - will be tried in Manhattan has brought back painful memories of the worst attack on United States soil in history. These memories are a reminder of how vulnerable our country can be to its enemies. What many failed to address in the wake of the 9/11 attacks was how closely tied immigration is to our national security. Read More >>

By Jenny Magyari, Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Here's some "uplifting" info to get your morning rolling...

Not. Don't read this one if you want to have a good day... For most of us who watch Fox News or listen to talk radio this is OLD news, but hey, CNBC finally got around to reporting on it, so weak kudos go out to 'em. Oh wait, I bet it's because the President said he was going to tackle this tough nut... and that the Dems are now going to start focusing on it since the stimulus has done nothing but make things worse (or, for an alternate bizarro reality: per the Dems it's stopped things from being much worse).

I shudder to hear that the Prez and Dems are wanting to focus on jobs now. I would guess that, among other horrors I can't even imagine, it means more tax hikes for those of us still working to create government jobs.

Step by step they're taking us to a place that we don't want to go. What truly appalls me is that many of those raising their hands in support of the votes that'll take us there 1) know where we're heading, 2) don't want us to go there, but 3) are willing to sell their souls to stay in power, to cover their own butts.

The 'Real' Jobless Rate: 17.5% Of Workers Are Unemployed

As experts debate the potential speed of the US recovery, one figure looms large but is often overlooked: nearly 1 in 5 Americans is either out of work or under-employed.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/34040009?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Heritage%2BHotsheet

Unemployment Claims Data Provide Another Painful Reminder

Democrats Promised Stimulus Would Deliver 3.5 Million Jobs But Only “Stimulated” 3.7 Million More Into Unemployment; “Surplus” unemployment line since stimulus now reaches from Washington, DC to Chicago, IL

In reaction to the unemployment claims data released today, Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) noted that these statistics are “a painful reminder that the Democrats’ stimulus bill has failed to create jobs.”

“Unemployment rates and claims are not just statistics; they represent real Americans who are no longer receiving a paycheck to provide for themselves and their families,” Camp added. “The facts speak for themselves: there are now 3.7 million more unemployed Americans than the President promised. That’s an unemployment line that would literally stretch from Washington, DC to Chicago, Illinois. ”

Income Security and Family Support Ranking Member John Linder (R-GA) added that, “The Obama Administration can continue to bicker about what constitutes a saved or created job, but their definition is irrelevant to the millions of Americans that find themselves jobless. No amount of Federal spending, no White House jobs summit, nor any unemployment check can replace a wage-earning job.”

BACKGROUND: The Obama Administration predicted the stimulus bill it muscled through Congress in early 2009 would “save or create” 3.5 million jobs. Meanwhile, data released on November 6, 2009 revealed the U.S. unemployment rate reached 10.2% in October, well above the 7.8% level the Administration projected would be the case if stimulus passed. Today, due to the failure of stimulus to create or save jobs, there are 3.7 million more unemployed Americans than the President promised there would be with passage of his stimulus bill. Here is the breakdown between the unemployment the Administration projected and the “surplus” unemployment its stimulus plan has actually delivered:


(it's blurry 'cause of the way I added it, sorry...) Source: Ways and Means staff calculations, using BLS data and Administration projections.

• If the 3.7 million “surplus” unemployed stood back to back, they would form an unemployment line stretching 698 miles – the distance from Washington, DC to Chicago, Illinois.
• The 3.7 million “surplus” unemployed are larger than the population of 24 U.S. States (AK, AR, CT, DC, DE, HI, ID, IA, KS, ME, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, ND, OK, RI, SD, UT, VT, WV, W).
• The 3.7 million “surplus” unemployed includes an average of 8,483 for each of the 435 Congressional districts represented in the U.S. House.

House could vote Saturday on health bill

The House could hold a rare Saturday vote this weekend to pass its healthcare reform legislation. Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/66355-house-could-vote-sat-vote-on-health-bill

By Michael O'Brien

Stimulus Funds National Gay Center for the Elderly

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius joyfully announced plans to use $250,000 per year of your money to create a National Resource Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Elders. If you’re over 60 and living an “alternative lifestyle,” you’ll be eligible to receive the special services of this new federally funded center. Yet another example of politically correct government waste -- a “stimulus” we can certainly do without.

From Human Events article: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=34112

We need more people calling, faxing, writing, re: "healthcare"

Senate on Verge of Health Bill
Measure With Stiffer Penalties on Employers and Public Plan Could Come This Week

Top Senate Democrats are close to finalizing their health bill and could unveil a measure as soon as early this week that would include stiffer penalties on employers who fail to provide health coverage.

Senate leaders plan to submit the bill to the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate as soon as Monday, and make the legislation public as soon as Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125651743537907253.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

We all know where this is headed!!! We all KNOW the government has NEVER managed ANYTHING efficiently, carefully, properly, within budget, without corruption, without it becoming another government repository of power-happy bureaucrats. We HAVE to do everything possible to STOP this!!!

Passing a Shell of A Bill: Congress’ Secret Plan to Ram Through Health Care Reform

With the President and Congress’s plan to pass comprehensive health care reform reaching increasingly high levels of unpopularity, and reconciliation becoming an impediment, the leadership of the Senate is rumored to be preparing a new secret plan to railroad the bill through the Senate in record time by using a seldom used parliamentary procedure.

Their plan is to proceed to a House passed non-health care bill to provide a shell of legislation to give Obamacare a ride to the House then to the President’s desk. Sound confusing? We lay out the steps below, but essentially the Senate would pass health care reform as an amendment to a completely unrelated bill so the Senate and House could act quickly and without further debate. Even worse? Nobody really knows what that legislation looks like but they plan on voting for it anyway.
http://blog.heritage.org/2009/09/22/passing-a-shell-of-a-bill-how-congress-plans-to-ram-through-health-care-reform/

Pentagon orders soldier fired for challenging prez

The Department of Defense has compelled a private employer to fire a U.S. Army Reserve major from his civilian job after he had his military deployment orders revoked for arguing he should not be required to serve under a president who has not proven his eligibility for office.

According to the CEO of Simtech Inc., a private company contracted by the Defense Security Services, an agency of the Department of Defense, the federal government has compelled the termination of Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook...

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=104044

Talking pot behind closed commission doors

Little bit of background on this before you read the hilarious, rofl, article below:

In Fayette County, Georgia, one of the County Commissioners was pulled over for driving a car with an expired tag. When the sheriff's deputy walked up to the car, the windows were all rolled down, but the smell of marijuana was still overpowering. Long story short, Commissioner Robert Horgan first lied, said nothing illegal, then gave permission to search the vehicle, then told 'em there was pot under his seat. AND he admitted to smoking pot while driving. Not only wrong, but stupid, too, huh? THEN he wanted to know what he could do right then to make the problem go away. He should have been charged with attempted bribery. What a dufus this dork is.

There's a big stink going on in Fayette but Horgan is refusing to resign. He calls himself a Republican, although according to the friend who sent me this, you have to be Republican in the county to get elected so there are a lot of RHINOs floating around.

This bit below is an editorial in one of the local papers. It is a great piece, excellently written, loved it. It would help to know the people better, but it's still great, and sad at the same time. Can't include the whole article so click the link at the end to finish reading it. (Thanks to my blogger friend JD for forwarding this to me!)

Talking pot behind closed commission doors

Scene: The Fayette County Commission goes behind closed doors for an executive session devoted to “personnel matters.”

Commission Chairman Jack Smith: “Robert, you’ve put me in a bad spot with this pot bust of yours.”

Commissioner Robert Horgan: “Let me light up first. I need to mellow out. My nerves are shot.”


Commissioner Eric Maxwell: “You are innocent until proven guilty, Robert. I’m an attorney, and I sue people. So, who do you want to sue for arresting such a peaceful, upstanding, law-abiding — uh, well, you know what I mean.”

Commissioner Herb Frady: “Zzzzzzzzzzz.”

Smith: “Wake up, Herb! This is serious.”
http://www.thecitizen.com/~citizen0/node/37309

ALIPAC to Obama: It's the Mexican Flu Stupid!

While hyper political correctness tries to hold sway in America as not to offend or disrupt trade with our Mexican neighbors to the south, the official name of the new flu pandemic is Mexican Flu and not the PC terms 'Swine Flu' or 'H1N1'.

Swine Flu and H1N1 are terms that describe large volumes of flu like viruses and not the specific strain at hand. Traditionally, pandemic flu strains are named after their points of origin. The point of origin for the new H1N1 pandemic flu, with swine flu DNA components is Mexico.

"It's a sad day in America, when you can't even call this pandemic strain by it's proper name 'Mexican Flu'," said William Gheen. "We are calling on all members of the media and citizens alike to refer to this pandemic virus as the Mexican Flu."

The World Health Organization (WHO) and several nations are now referring to the new H1N1 pandemic strain from Mexico as the 'Mexican Flu' which is now the official name.

The last three global pandemic flu viruses were named the Hong Kong Flu (1968), the Asian Flu (1957), and the Spanish Flu (1918).

"Clearly, the Obama administration cares more about politics and trade than protecting Americans and telling the truth," said William Gheen of ALIPAC. "The delay in notifying the public about the Mexican Flu, refusing to adequately secure our borders, ordering our border patrol officers to not wear masks, and refusing to call this pandemic by its proper name is lowering confidence in his administration."

Americans for Legal Immigration PAC is now calling for the resignation or firing of Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano due to her refusal to secure our borders and do what any rational American would consider appropriate to slow the progression of this emerging disease. Recent DHS orders for Border Patrol agents near San Diego to not wear masks to protect themselves is causing a stir across the nation.

"The American public told them to secure the borders from non-essential traffic and illegal immigration," said William Gheen. "Even the US Senators told Napolitano to secure the border and she still refuses. It's time for some political heads to role in Washington. It's time for her to go!"

For more information about Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, the Mexican Flu, and illegal immigration, please visit www.alipac.us

Oppressing the press

What a bizarre world we're living in these days. We now have the press trying to shut down the media. John Ziegler was detained, handcuffed and abused at an event honoring Katie Couric for her hatchet job on Sarah Palin.

Watch the video, read Ziegler's account then ponder these questions:

If this happened to a New York Times, CNN or MSNBC reporter, what would the response have been by the media? the left?

Have you heard about this anywhere other than on Greta Van Susteren (if you happened to watch it)?

Can you believe this is happening in the USA? I know, I know... this happened on a college campus in California which means it's not really "mainstream" America, but still... wouldn't you think a college SHOULD be a promoter of free speech? Given the "progressive" bent of most, if not all, of the attendees, wouldn't you think they'd be thrilled to support a little bit of independent thought? Stop laughing. Right now. Stop it. These people are open minded, they love everyone, they... alright, even I can't continue with that silliness. Laugh away.

http://www.johnziegler.com/index.asp

http://www.breitbart.tv/html/320303.html

I bought a copy of Ziegler's Media Malpractice. I highly recommend that you order a copy or two or ten.

Gitmo Welfare? Let's Start an "Adopt-a-Terrorist" Program.

Your tax dollars may soon be paying to house and feed Guantanamo Bay Naval Base terrorists in your own backyard. Seems that no one wants some of them, we feel obligated to release and take care of some of them just so others will consider taking them, and so we'll be stuck feeding them while they plot our demise.

OK, OK, yes we're feeding and housing them now courtesy of the U.S. Military. However, where they sit right now is in a jail where all their plotting and conniving is for naught. They don't have the freedom to walk into your neighborhood mall and shop, or maybe blow it up if the mood strikes.

Once released, who's going to hire them? Demolition crews maybe? How are they going to live in a country that is foreign to them? Foreign to them at the moment... their long-term goal is to clear it of the infidels and call it home.

They don't have to worry about working or where they'll live, their kindly Uncle Sam is going to give them a nice home right next to more malcontents ripe for recruitment.

According to the Pentagon over 60 former Guantanamo inmates are free and are involved again with terroristic activities. Can we not learn?

I know, let's get some of those loud-mouth Hollywood types to start an "adopt-a-terrorist" program. They can give them a nice room in one of their homes, or better yet, give them an entire house on the beach. There aren't that many terrorists left in Gitmo, it should be easy to find a star for each of those waiting their turn to be released.

If they're not willing, how about if those who are waiving their hands saying 'yes, yes, yes, let's let those poor terrorist go' take on a few? Shoot, why can't Obama put up a couple in his Chicago home? After all he has a nice new home in D.C.

I just watched a video in JMac Politics where Harry Reid talked about our tax system being voluntary. If it's voluntary, then I want a bit more control over where out tax dollars are being spent. I want to make sure that none of my hard earned money goes to house or feed any of the freed Guantanamo inmates. I'll gladly pay to keep them there.

During his news conference, [National Intelligence Director Dennis ] Blair also said the Obama administration is still wrestling with what to do with the remaining 240 detainees at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, which the president has ordered closed.

Some of the detainees, deemed non-threatening, may be released into the United States as free men, Blair confirmed.

That would happen when they can't be returned to their home countries, because the governments either won't take them or the U.S. fears they will be abused or tortured. That is the case with 17 Uighers (WEE'-gurz), Chinese Muslim separatists who were cleared for release from the jail long ago. The U.S. can't find a country willing to take them, and it will not turn them over to China.

Blair said the former prisoners would have get some sort of assistance to start their new lives in the United States.

"We can't put them out on the street," he said.

Blair said the U.S. government is building dossiers on each of the prisoners at Guantanamo and is still developing the process that will determine what happens to them. Some may face criminal trials in the U.S. civilian courts and be imprisoned in U.S. jails. Others will be remanded to their home governments for continued jailing or potential rehabilitation.

The Pentagon claims more than 60 former Guantanamo inmates have been released by their home governments and are believed to be engaged in militant activities. It has not released a list of those former prisoners. Two of the top al-Qaida leaders in Yemen are former inmates, according to both al-Qaida and U.S. intelligence officials. And the Taliban's top operations officer in southern Afghanistan was released from Guantanamo in 2007, according to U.S. intelligence and military officials.

The above is from this Associated Press article:

Official: Mexico not in danger of collapse
By PAM HESS – 1 day ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Mexican government is not on the verge of collapse, the top U.S. intelligence official said Thursday, seeking to tamp down increasing alarm over the powerful and violent drug cartels operating in the country that is the United States' southern neighbor.

Obama passing new law to allow searching of PC's, laptops, and media devices???

First I've heard of this one. I will stress this is the first I have heard of this one. Again... OK, 'nuff, right? I will be looking into this to see if there is anything to it. IF it's true, we are truly heading toward Big Brother, socialism and worse.

Give it a break New York Times

Isn't it bizarre the way some libs just can't move on with their lives? I can just picture Carol Kawsuk Yoon sitting around sipping a drink with her friends yucking it up because she slipped this zinger into a scientific piece. It's a cry for acceptance, a cry for inclusion.

Leave your lib leanings at home where they belong when you're writing, puleeze.

Wall Street Journal: Wannabe Pundits

Carol Kaesuk Yoon of the New York Times gets points for creativity in working a wisecrack about George W. Bush into the lead paragraph of a science piece:

After producing superlatives like the world's biggest statue of a jackrabbit and the nation's most unpopular modern-day president, Texas can now boast what may be its most bizarre and undoubtedly its slimiest topper yet: the world's largest known colony of clonal amoebas.

Texas amoebas that get in trouble with the law also face a problem with prison overcrowding. The correctional facility where they are housed has only one cell.

ALG President Urges Senate Judiciary Committee to Reject Drug Czar Nomination

Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging them to reject President Barack Obama's recent nomination to drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske “as a disgrace to the office for which the Senate is being asked to confirm him to.”

“Gil Kerlikowske, who would serve as the nation's drug czar, was soft on crime and soft on drugs as Seattle Police Chief,” said Wilson in a statement.

Wilson cited Kerlikowske's tolerance of marijuana possession, his “soft” police tactics, and his failure to discipline officer misconduct as disqualifying him from the nation's top anti-drug law enforcement post.

“This is a man who 88 percent of the Seattle Police Officers Guild once voted no confidence in after he ordered officers to stand idly by during a 2001 Mardi Gras riot,” said Wilson in a statement.

“Dozens of people were injured, several women were sexually assaulted, and an innocent man got killed amid the violence. When the victim's family sued, the city settled out of court for $1.75 million and was forced to acknowledge that Kerlikowske's police strategy had presented a public safety threat,” said Wilson.

The letter specifically notes that Kerlikowske condoned the creation of an “arrest-free zone” to dispense health information to criminals. Wilson cited an “analysis by the mayor's staff [that] showed the program made little difference in the lives of those it targets.”

Wilson also cited that the NAACP, along with the Minority Executive Directors Coalition, called for his resignation in 2007 after an incident of racial profiling that “Kerlikowske repeatedly refused to discipline officers and gave others only a slap on the wrist…”

Wilson believes that Kerlikowske's nomination “follows a pattern by President Obama of nominating some of the most ill-suited persons for particular posts.”

“Either President Obama is deliberately attempting to lower the bar, or this is simply one the single-most botched series of appointments by a sitting president ever,” Wilson concluded.

President Obama’s Stealth Plan to Socialize Health Care

Campaigning in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this past summer, then-candidate Barack Obama told a 1,800 person town hall meeting: “If I were designing a system from scratch, I would probably go ahead with a single-payer system.” So while President Barack Obama indicated yesterday that he is open to altering his health plan, Americans should always keep in mind what President Obama’s true end goal really is. And after just six weeks in office he has already made two significant steps towards that goal. If Americans hope to retain and expand their right to make their own health care decisions, there are two elements of President Obama’s future health care reform that must be avoided at all costs.

This past August the U.S. Census Bureau released a study the results of which will probably surprise many Americans listening to the rhetoric from yesterday’s White House health care forum. Both the rate and number of people without health insurance declined from 15.8% in 2006 to 15.3% in 2007. The reason for this drop? The percent of Americans with private health insurance is on the decline, mostly as a result of the steady erosion of employer-based coverage, while the percentage of Americans with government insurance is rising even faster. This trend is due entirely to the never ending expansion of government run health care eligibility and the inevitable private sector crowd-out that accompanies government growth.

President Obama achieved an acceleration of this trend when he signed into law an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that removed requirements that participants either be poor or a child. But President Obama’s call to create a public health care plan that will “compete” with private plans is far worse. According to a study by the Lewin Group a public health plan open to all Americans and set at Medicare reimbursement levels would force 118.5 million Americans out of private health care and into socialized medicine.

But the steady substitution of private health care for a government run plan is only half of the socialized medicine equation. As even President Obama noted yesterday, expanding government health care to more and more Americans will be extremely expensive. That is where the health care rationing comes in. President Obama already laid the groundwork for health care rationing by dramatically expanding funding for the Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) council in the stimulus bill, and even without former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) his health care plan will include a Federal Health Board that will turn that research into regulation. There is no reason why private-sector or government officials should not have access to the best information on what works and what doesn’t. Nor is there any reason why such scientific evaluations should not be widely available to doctors and patients alike. But President Obama has made it clear he intends to use the data from CER to control health care costs from Washington in a completely top down fashion. Daschle was frank about this fact in his health care book: “Doctors and patients might resent any encroachment on their ability to choose certain treatments.”

So that is the two pronged approach to the ultimate goal of nationalized medicine in America. Quietly expand the percentage of Americans that are in government run health care and then, when the costs inevitably explode, have unaccountable bureaucrats in Washington ration care. There is an alternative. Some of which the Obama Administration even supports like removing the tax benefit of employer-sponsored health care coverage. Removing this regressive tax benefit will untie Americans health care coverage from their employers and help move the country towards a truly market based consumer driven health care model. Health care coverage can be expanded in a cost efficient manner, but only by empowering Americans to make health care decisions with their doctors.

Heritage Foundation's Morning Bell. www.heritage.org

Declining Defense

For all of his lavish new spending plans, President Obama is making one major exception: defense. His fiscal 2010 budget telegraphs that Pentagon spending is going to be under pressure in the years going forward.

The White House proposes to spend $533.7 billion on the Pentagon, a 4% increase over 2009. Include spending on Iraq and Afghanistan, which would be another $130 billion (or a total of $664 billion), and overall defense spending would be around 4.2% of GDP, the same as 2007.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123595811964905929.html?mod=djemEditorialPage

Yes, we're living in Bizarro World. We'll increase spending welfare programs that keep people on the dole and decrease the money we spend to protect them (and all the rest of the nation). Bizarre.