Government

Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

If Canada’s System is So Great, Then Why…

July 2, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

The left continually holds up the Canadian socialized healthcare system as the best example, one we should strive to emulate. But as each week passes we find more and more reason to doubt the panacea in the Great White North.

Last week news came out that Canada forced an infant to flee its country and into our own to get life saving treatment. A baby was born 13 weeks premature in Ontario, Canada but there were no neonatal intensive care beds open for the child there.

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If Canada’s System is So Great, Then Why…”

Barack Obama - Business - California - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Talk Back: A Reply to the CNA Talking Points

July 1, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Unions are spearheading the attack on our healthcare system and none more so than the Service Employee’s International Union and its sister organization the CNA. The ten talking points that the California Nurses Association has put out in order to rev up its membership to support a universal, single payer healthcare system is interesting, to say the least. In this posting, I’d like to reply to each of them with a little rebuke of my own.

But first I’d like to remark on the ham-handed style in which these talking points were written. The class warfare rhetoric here is more reminiscent of a protest placard than any serious discussion of public policy. But, be that as it may, here we go…

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Talk Back: A Reply to the CNA Talking Points”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

Massachusetts Universal Healthcare System Breaking Down Already

June 30, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

When Governor Mitt Romney instituted a universal healthcare plan for Massachusetts in 2006 he proclaimed it a conservative idea. “It’s a conservative idea insisting that individuals have responsibility for their own health care,” he said. “I think it appeals to people on both sides of the aisle: insurance for everyone without a tax increase.” The plan passed and was put into practice. But has it worked? Has it been successful?

For a time, many thought it might but cracks in the system are already being seen. These cracks are instructive as a lesson on how Obamacare will crash and burn just like Romneycare is now in the process of doing.

One of the early claims that helped push Romneycare through to law was the insistence by its supporters that Emergency Room visits would fall as more and more citizens became covered under healthcare insurance. Since ER care is far more expensive than a doctor’s care, it was thought that more people with insurance would ease the overcrowding of ERs as well as lower the overall costs of healthcare.

However, a flaw in this logic has been seen throughout the state. As more people became insured, more people demanded the care of doctors. These doctors became overloaded with patients and waiting lists for doctors got longer and longer. As a result, ERs in Massachusetts have not seen a downturn in visits. On the contrary, it seems that ER visits are actually on the upswing in the Bay State. In fact, in 2007 they were higher than the national average by 20 percent.

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Massachusetts Universal Healthcare System Breaking Down Already”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - California - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

Democrat Says Gov’t Doesn’t Have to ‘Live Within Our Means’

June 29, 2009 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

So, as a common citizen, what do you do when you are out of money and your credit is used up? Well, you go without don’t you? Like my Mother always used to say, “What are you gonna do, buy something with your good looks?”

Well, we are all getting woefully used to feeling that government can’t seem to understand that fraud, waste, and overspending is not a good idea. In fact, we are starting to realize that government is incapable of fiscal responsibility.

But, even as we realize this truth, politicians at least pretend that they are interested in fiscal responsibility. They pretend at laws that supposedly force government into a balanced budget, they make claims that they are fully funding their new causes, and they act as if they are concerned about the budget.

Well, apparently California Budget Conference Committee Chairman Noreen Evans (D, Santa Rosa) has decided to cast away the mask of fiscal responsibility. She has publicly announced that she believes that government does not have to “live within our means.” In fact, it is a duty to spend on just any old thing that government wants to spend on.

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Democrat Says Gov’t Doesn’t Have to ‘Live Within Our Means’”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Liberals - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Dems Are Liars? Want a Example?

June 29, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Representative Debbie Halvorson (D, IL) was caught at a local meeting telling her constituents that she would “never, ever, ever” cave in to pressure from President Obama to vote for the cap and tax bill last week.

You see, she knows Obama because they palled around together in the old days before he became president. She assured her constituents that she could never be so over awed that the president might call her to pressure her. Talking to gool ol’ Barack is old hat for the tough-as-nails Debster.

She’s a hard woman, dontcha know?

But, wait. It looks like “never, ever, ever” is not so long a time as we thought.

A presidential phone call helped win at least one vote: Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.), a freshman lawmaker and former state Senate colleague of Obama’s, said Thursday evening that after months of indecision, she “feels great” about the bill.

“I think it’s something that I’m going to support,” Halvorson said. “It’s a thousand-page bill. It has a lot of amendments. I wanted to read it, take my time.” Later, she added: “I had a nice chat with the president this morning.”

Never, ever, ever. Give me a break.

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Dems Are Liars? Want a Example?”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Meet Claude Castonguay

June 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

As I have done several times, an instructive way to learn about what might happen if we are so foolish as to institute a national healthcare program like the one president Obama wants is to look to those unfortunate nations that have already trod that path. To understand what could happen here we need to hear from those leaders elsewhere that once thought they had the solutions that Obama seeks.

One such man is Claude Castonguay of Canada, a man that championed national healthcare for his country when that nation first began to explore the concept. It was full speed ahead as far as Castonguay was concerned. He too thought it an emergency.

In fact, he became known ever after as the “father of Quebec medicare” for his efforts. The Canadian government agreed with him and the plan was entered into with back slaps and hearty congratulations all around.

Yet, four decades later, it was Castonguay that declared that the Canadian healthcare system was in “crisis.” Things weren’t as rosy as he first thought they might be.

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Meet Claude Castonguay”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Rights - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

6 States Want to Nullify Obamacare With Opt Out Law

June 28, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Six states are currently looking to add an “opt out” law to their books to protect citizens from the possibility of a national healthcare plan imposed by federal fiat.

Arizona started the ball rolling by introducing the Health Care Freedom Act, a voting initiative that will be put before voters on the 2010 ballot. If accepted by the majority of the voters, Arizona will be able to opt out of any federal healthcare laws passed by Washington. Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming are considering similar measures.

The arrogance of Congress and the president worries many of these state lawmakers, some even consider Obama’s healthcare policies a naked power grab.

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6 States Want to Nullify Obamacare With Opt Out Law”

Barack Obama - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

ABC/Obama Healthcare Special Not so Special in Ratings Game

June 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

For those of you that are curious, Obama’s super special, ultra spectacular healthcare infomercial was a dud in the ratings last Wednesday night.

ABC’s Brarackspactacular Healthcare Extravaganza (I think that was the official name of the show, wasn’t it?) went up against the NBC premiere of “The Philanthropist,” widely panned as disappointing, and a repeat of “CSI: NY” on CBS, widely seen as already once widely seen. Unfortunately for ABC, its prop”O”ganda special got a dismal 1.2 rating to the 2.0 and 1.8 ratings respectively for the entertainment competition.

Apparently the TV show where he’s president but plays a doctor on TV didn’t go over well. The “Super-dooper, Obamalicious, Doctor Spock medicine woman show” was only able to cajole 4.703 million viewers into watching while NBC picked up 7.414 and CBS got 7.393 in the ten O’Clock hour. Remembering that we have 300 million citizens and healthcare is supposed to be the biggest emergency in history, well, that is a paltry number of viewers that Doc Barack got.

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ABC/Obama Healthcare Special Not so Special in Ratings Game”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

How ABC Stacked the Deck for Obama

June 26, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

With the very first question of its prime time special, Questions for the President: Prescription for America, ABC set the tone that essentially confirmed for viewers that the president was right in his desire to radically remake America’s healthcare system. As the infomercial began, “moderator” Charles Gibson asked a seminal question of the doctors and other participants that were about to hear the president speak: “How many of you agree with the president that we need to change our healthcare system?” Naturally they all raised their hands.

Imagine that? This handpicked crowd all agreed with ABC and Obama that “change” was paramount. Surprised? Hardly.

So, as the viewer is introduced to the infomercial, they start off with the unanimous affirmation that the president is right, radical changes have to be made. The premise is set and even the sharp questions to the president later in the show are blunted by the assumption that some major change is needed. And since the president is the only person allowed to offer any plan during this ABC special, the further assumption promulgated is that he is the one that must affect that change.

For viewers of this healthcare infomercial, Obama wins thanks to an assist by ABC. The viewer is deftly led to the desired conclusion.

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How ABC Stacked the Deck for Obama”

Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Crazy Cost of Obamacare Killing Chances for ‘Reform’

June 26, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Polls. I am not a big believer in them. One of the biggest problems with polls are the questions. Poll questions are often practically useless in relaying any real, usable facts. Let’s take the first one asked by Charlie Gibson at the start of the Obama healthcare infomercial on ABC for example. He asked if everyone agreed with Obama that healthcare needed fixing. Naturally everyone said yes. But what does that question really mean?

Think about it. What does “needs fixing” mean? What sort of “change” are we talking about? It means many things to many different people. Some may want only minor changes, most on the left want a socialist system to entirely replace the one we have. Two great extremes that find common agreement that “change” is needed. But the question is nearly meaningless when considering what degree of change is on the table. It’s all a matter of individual perspective.

This is reflected by the polls in a major way because, while everyone seems to agree that “change” is needed, once it comes down to brass tacks, the largest number of Americans shy from pulling the trigger. And that trigger is paying for it through taxes. Oh, sure, everyone says “change” is good in these polls, but when it comes to “ME” paying for it, well, maybe we don’t need that much change after all, respondents say.

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Crazy Cost of Obamacare Killing Chances for ‘Reform’”

Barack Obama - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Rights - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

Did Obama Say We Should Kill the Old Folks to Save Money Last Night?

June 25, 2009 by 5 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

I am wondering when the euthanasia folks are going to start touting this one? I mean, it sure seemed to me as if the most caring, most civil, most intelligent president evah just said that healthcare could be cheaper if we don’t give old folks and the infirm the full measure of care they now get. It appeared that Obama said we should just let them die or suffer because they aren’t worth the effort. Imagine if Bush had said something like this? The left wouldn’t have hesitated to call him any manner of names.

Obama said during the ABC Special on Wednesday night that a way to save healthcare costs is to abandon the sort of care that “evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve” the patient’s health. He went on to say that he had personal familiarity with such a situation when his grandmother broke her hip after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Obama offered a question on the efficacy of further care for his grandmother saying, “and the question was, does she get hip replacement surgery, even though she was fragile enough they were not sure how long she would last?”

But who is it that will present the “evidence” that will “show” that further care is futile? Are we to believe that Obama expects individual doctors will make that decision in his bold new government controlled healthcare future? If he is trying to make that claim it is a flat out untruth and he knows it.

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Did Obama Say We Should Kill the Old Folks to Save Money Last Night?”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - GOP - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Wrapup: Media Ignores DeMint While ABC Gives Away The Store to Obama

June 25, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Here are the odds that Republicans are up against with this healthcare fight. The media have stacked the deck against any GOP idea or plan weighing heavily in favor of Obama’s plaintiveness over our healthcare system. The media gives him all the air time he wants to say that he knows best how to “fix” healthcare and has everyone’s best interests at heart even as he simply refuses to answer any tough questions on his bald-faced untruths. Yet when a member of the GOP puts a plan forward, near silence is heard among the Old Media.

On Wednesday afternoon, Senator Jim DeMint (R, SC) and Representative Tom Price (R, GA) presented their ideas on American healthcare at a panel co-sponsored by several conservative organizations such as the Media Research Center, Americans for Tax Reform, and the Health Care Freedom Coalition.

And what was the response by the media? Essentially this: “Say, did you know Obama’s going on ABC? Oh, and I think some Senator did something today, too. It was John DeMott, er sumpthin.” Yes, the media pretty much ignored Jim DeMint’s event and waited patiently for ABC to sell it’s soul to the White House later that evening.

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Wrapup: Media Ignores DeMint While ABC Gives Away The Store to Obama”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

To Pay for Obamacare, Tax Raises for America… Except Union Members

June 24, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Senate is about to pay off the unions for helping get Obama elected. Senator Max Baucus (D, Mont.) looks to be about ready to propose a plan to pay for Obama’s massive, more than $1 trillion in new government spending on healthcare by instituting a new tax on many employees that currently have healthcare through their workplace (nearly 1 in 8 workers according to Peter Barnes). Never having been “income” before, Senator Baucus is prepared to claim it is and will be taxed accordingly.

… unless, of course, you happen to be a union member. If you are a Democrat supporting, Obama voting union member, why you don’t have to pay this never before levied tax at all. You get off scot free. Fuggedaboutit.

So much for equal under the law. Now, all you have to do is join a union and, voila, you don’t have to pay the taxes everyone else suffers under. Aren’t you glad that Obama is so interested in “fair,” and “balanced” governance? Isn’t it great that the Obama era is the “post-partisan” era? If it weren’t the “post-partisan” era, I’d fear for my life instead of just my tax bill this being an example of Democrat’s “fairness” for America.

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To Pay for Obamacare, Tax Raises for America… Except Union Members”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - Rights - Society/Culture - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Left-Wing Hyperbole: Know what Healthcare is Just like? Slavery

June 24, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

See, we know that it isn’t wild-eyed, hyperbole to say that slavery is “just like” our current healthcare debate because Glenn W. Smith of the extremist left-wing site Firedoglake helpfully tells us that “this is not hyperbole.” See? Conflict solved. I’m glad we settled THAT one, I have to tell ya.

Unfortunately, one would have to cast aside all ability to think intelligently to be assured by so casual a disclaimer. It most certainly is hyperbole to claim that our current healthcare debate is “just like” slavery but not only does Smith indulge in such hyperbole, he also employs some of the sloppiest arguments I’ve seen with any debate for quite a while. On second thought, there isn’t much by way of “debate” in this thing because Smith just assumes the concept as a matter of fact and goes from there. There is no attempt to plumb the logic of the principle at all.

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Left-Wing Hyperbole: Know what Healthcare is Just like? Slavery”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Obama Quietly Pushing Back Healthcare Deadline to December?

June 23, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The folks at HealthcareHorseRace.com have discovered an interesting inconsistency with Obama’s June 20 statements on his healthcare bill deadline and that posted in the “official” transcript on the White House website. As far as the White House website is concerned, the goal is to have a bill before the president by October. But in verbal statement reported by several media sources, Obama himself has said December and not October. So, what we have here is a hint that Obama might realize his bill is in major trouble and he is quietly trying to push back the expectations on his self-imposed deadline.

During the initial stages of the schedule that Obama was expecting to impose on the healthcare debate, he expected a bill to sign by October. This Fall deadline still appears on the White House policy page in its Briefing Room section where Obama comments are supposedly transcribed for the sake of “transparency.”

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Obama Quietly Pushing Back Healthcare Deadline to December?”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Congress - Conservatives - Economy/Finances - GOP - Health - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

A Conservative Case for Healthcare to be Made Wednesday

June 23, 2009 by 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

This week, Senator Jim DeMint will give his reply to Obamacare and it is sure to be a conservative reply as he is being backed by several stalwartly conservative organizations in the effort.

Groups like Americans for Tax Reform, Media Research Center, Americans for Prosperity, Conservatives for Patients’ Rights and Tea Party Patriots will all stand behind Senator DeMint’s presentation in the Cannon Building in the House Budget Committee Hearing room on the Hill this Wednesday at noon.

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A Conservative Case for Healthcare to be Made Wednesday”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Amer. Indians Already Suffer Gov’t Healthcare

June 23, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Let’s talk about a government healthcare plan that already exists. It might help us understand what sort of situation we might see when Obamacare is fairly begun. It’s not Medicare or Medicaid but the IHS, the Indian Healthcare Service.

Few have remembered during this debate that the U.S. government already has a sort of single payer styled healthcare program already and it is for America’s Indian population. Unfortunately, it has not served our native peoples well.

For example, recently it has been shown that the IHS has “lost” $20 million in high tech healthcare equipment bought by the federal government to care for Indians.

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Amer. Indians Already Suffer Gov’t Healthcare”

1st Amendment - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Education - Elections - GOP - Illinois - Jobs - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Fiscal Realism: Adam Andrzejewski Wants to be Illinois Governor

June 22, 2009 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

First of all, I know it looks impossible to even say, so let’s clear up that last name. It’s pronounced An-gee-ef-ski. I know, I know, that means here in Illinois we could possibly go from a Governor Blagojevich to an Andrzejewski. But the difficult last name should stand as the only similarity between the two men, for Adam seems to have some ideas on how Illinois might get out of its fiscal nightmare. I interviewed him not long ago and he had some very interesting thoughts on how to fix Illinois. (adamforillinois.com/)

In fact, Andrzejewski has already made some headway in shining the sunlight of accountability on various sate and local agencies through his self-funded program — self-funded to stay independent, he said — dubbed “For the Good of Illinois.” Andrzejewski has been at the vanguard of encouraging school boards and county governments in Illinois to put their check registries and finances on the Internet for all citizens to see. In fact, his catch phrase is “every dime online in real time.”

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Fiscal Realism: Adam Andrzejewski Wants to be Illinois Governor”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Family - Health - Liberals - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Remember Obama Said we can ‘Keep Our Doctor’? WH Says Don’t Take Him ‘Literally’

June 21, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Once again President Obama sent out his meaningless rhetoric about how, in his benevolence, we will be “allowed” to “keep our doctors” if we like them. On June 19, the Associated Press promulgated the president’s “promises” as a “health plan guarantee.”

The AP duly reported the baseless claims issued daily from Obama and his advocates that he isn’t interested in a single payer plan and that we will be allowed to keep our current healthcare plan if we are happy with it. Further, Obama and his many mouthpieces claim they aren’t trying to destroy the insurance industry and don’t want it replaced with a socialist, government controlled, bureaucrat operated healthcare plan. But even the AP can’t paper over the singular fact that few with any real knowledge of what Obamacare will end up fostering can believe the president’s empty claims.

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Remember Obama Said we can ‘Keep Our Doctor’? WH Says Don’t Take Him ‘Literally’”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Playing Political Games With our Healthcare

June 19, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

These days, government lives to feed itself. It’s the old “nose in the tent” theory. Give ’em an inch, they’ll take a mile. And government never fails to make itself more important with each new generation of self-important pols. Unfortunately and because of this propensity, should we be so foolish as to allow the federal government to take over our healthcare, you and your doctor will find a bureaucrat telling you what to do with your healthcare. Your health will no longer be a matter of what is good for you but will become a political football with an edge toward giving others more and more power over your very life.

There is no end to the examples of the hardhearted, unthinking and foolish decisions affecting people’s healthcare coming from bureaucrats in those nations that were foolish enough to allow a government takeover of their medical sector. We’ve already talked of a few of them here.

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Playing Political Games With our Healthcare”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - Warner Todd Huston

Did Obama Admin. Try to Take Credit for Twitter’s Iran Coverage?

June 18, 2009 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston


Some attention was paid to the fact that the newest social networking website, Twitter, had decided to push off its scheduled maintenance Tuesday morning as the situation in Iran became steadily more embroiled in conflict. As it happened, Twitter was a major source of information coming out of that repressed society as news was happening. Twitter had, though, scheduled a few hours down time just when Iran was at a peak of activity. So, in order to keep the flow of communication to the outside world flowing, Twitter announced it would not turn off its service until Iran calmed down.

This is pretty interesting news, that a mere social networking site was so deeply involved in momentous news of the day and that it became so relied upon by people hungry for news and interested in discussing a major democratic movement is definitely a new thing. It is especially interesting because the U.S. media so badly fell down on its job of reporting activities in Iran making Twitter a vital tool for communication. But what was even more interesting was that Obama’s State Department tried to claim credit for Twitter’s decision to stay in operation during the day.

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Did Obama Admin. Try to Take Credit for Twitter’s Iran Coverage?”

Budget - Business - California - Campaign Finance - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Liberals - Republicans - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Will the Real Republican Please Stand Up?

June 18, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

“I am not beholden to any party.”
California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, candidate for governor

That must be true given Steve Poizner’s history of political donations. Poizner has given, and generously at that, to both Republican and Democrat candidates for office in addition to several Democrat controlled committees, this based on he and his wife’s publicly reported accounts, anyway. Oddly, Poizner’s wife happens to be a registered Democrat who Poizner has “blamed” for many of the Democrat contributions that have his signature affixed. Such donations include: a $10,000 contribution to the Democratic National Committee on 10/02/00; $1,000 to John Forbes Kerry on 02/15/01; and a $10,000 donation he made to the ’00 Gore/Lieberman Recount Committee.

In fact, there is quite a lot of chatter out there that seems to point to Poizner’s less than stellar Republican credentials. He has been termed everything but a conservative for the last 5 years.

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Will the Real Republican Please Stand Up?”

Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

During Healthcare ‘Special’ ABC Refuses Paid Ads That Oppose Obamacare

June 17, 2009 by 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

So, not only is ABC not planning to include opposing voices to President Obama’s healthcare proposals during its special presentation next week — though ABC does claim “those in the audience” will ask questions of the president — it is refusing to even allow groups that oppose Obamacare to purchase paid for advertisements to air during the healthcare special.

Rick Scott, chairman of Conservatives for Patients Rights, contacted ABC and inquired about purchasing some ad time during the Obamainfomercial, but was refused the sale. Scott wanted to air his 60-second ad before the healthcare show started. Though it was refused by the national Network, apparently it is still possible for Scott the buy time on local affiliates should he desire it.

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During Healthcare ‘Special’ ABC Refuses Paid Ads That Oppose Obamacare”

Budget - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - Media Bias - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Capriciousness of Government

June 17, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

What should be isn’t always what is, we all know. For instance, government is supposed to serve its people. However, more often than not government becomes a burden, an iron boot heel on the neck, and if not so egregiously oppressive at the very least it is often capricious. Today I have two examples of the capriciousness of government. One case in Chicago, a place where if government isn’t capricious it’s big news, and Ohio, a land where capricious is government’s middle name.

Let’s start with Chicago. The city of big shoulders, the city that works, the Windy City, the city that Al Capone Built, the city of the 1968 Chicago riot… er Democratic Convention, the city where a serial killer murdered dozens of visiting World’s Fair goers in 1893. Yeah, that city.

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Capriciousness of Government”

Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Free Speech - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Dem. Shill as ‘Attendee’ in Obama’s Healthcare Townhall Audience

June 15, 2009 by 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Back in 2005, the Old Media was all atwitter over a supposed “plant reporter” at a Bush press conference. The Old Media made a big deal out of this guy and used it to try and cast the Bush White House as employing some sort of underhanded control of information. Flash forward to today, President Obama held his Healthcare townhall in Green Bay, Wisconsin and it turns out that Obama’s first “spontaneous question” from the audience sure seems like a “plant” in the same way as the previously mentioned situation in 2005. Will the media take notice?

Naturally, President Obama wants people to think his “townhall meetings” are legitimately open to just any American to attend to ask him the tough questions. The June 11 meeting on Healthcare, of course, was supposed to feature spontaneous questions for the president from the audience about a takeover of nearly 20% of the nation’s economy with his healthcare plans. But a closer look at this townhall in Green Bay, Wisconsin might disabuse anyone of the notion that spontaneous questions really were taken from the audience. Granted many feel that these sorts of events are wholly manufactured, anyway. But that isn’t how Obama has been sold. He’s the “serious” one, the one that doesn’t mess around, right?

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Dem. Shill as ‘Attendee’ in Obama’s Healthcare Townhall Audience”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - President - Rights - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Is Healthcare a ‘Right’?

June 14, 2009 by 5 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

As we all know, the Senate is gearing up to begin the debate on Obamacare. As we move forward one of the first scheduled stops will be in the Senate on June 16 as the Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee moves to begin its mark-up of the Health Care Reform Bill. But what are the basic assumptions that underlie this bill? Let’s take a look at one of them.

In a statement issued by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the HELP Committee, we see at least one assumption that is popular on the left, but one that should give pause to any liberty loving American. (See pdf file)

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Is Healthcare a ‘Right’?”

Barack Obama - Campaign Finance - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Obama’s Own ‘Firing’ Gate

June 12, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Remember the hue and cry that went up when President Bush fired some U.S. attorneys in 2006? Oh, the left was beside itself about how eeeevil it was that Bush was to fire so many U.S. Attorneys… even though he had the authority to do so. Charges that the firings were made for “political reasons” were thrown about and Congressional Democrats clamored for new laws and the head of Bush’s Attorney General on a pike.

Well, last night, clearly for political reasons, Barack Obama tried to fire AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin. Not only is it for strictly political reasons (Short take: “the AmeriCorps IG accuses prominent Obama supporter of misusing AmeriCorps grant money. Prominent Obama supporter has to pay back more than $400,000 of that grant money. Obama fires AmeriCorps IG.”) but Obama does not have the authority to summarily dismiss an IG as he tried to do last night.

Will the left ring the claxon clang of how illegitimate the president’s actions are this time? Should we hold our breath?

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Obama’s Own ‘Firing’ Gate”

Abortion - Anti-Americanism - Conservatives - Crime - Health - Liberals - Religion - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Reason Asks, Why is Killing Abortionists Wrong? Because it is Un-Christian, That’s Why!

June 12, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On a recent Reason Magazine blog called “Hit and Run,” Jacob Sullum asks the tough question of why it’s wrong to kill an abortion doctor if the killer truly believes that abortion is murder? Why would Christian groups, Sullum wonders, denounce the murder of abortionist, George Tiller?

Sullum asks what might appear to be logical questions, but it also seems that he didn’t do much to research the issue before posing them. My cursory look at Christian ethics and the Bible, for instance, shows that there is no way in keeping with a Christian worldview to justify the killing of an abortion doctor by a lone actor outside the duly constituted law.

Still, Sullum asks some salient questions and offers some pointed remarks and they deserve to be addressed.

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Reason Asks, Why is Killing Abortionists Wrong? Because it is Un-Christian, That’s Why!”

Barack Obama - Business - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

Gov’t Healthcare Advocates: No Bi-Partisanship Required

June 12, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

There is no mistaking that I stand against a single payer, government controlled healthcare system. The last thing I want is a person with the same attitude as a DMV worker in charge of my health! By now, everyone here has noticed what direction I lean, I’m sure. Nonetheless, I do like to check out what the other side says about what they want, too. This is a report on one of those voices, that of the folks at OpenLeft.com.

Suffice to say, they want socialized healthcare with no private aspect to the system at all. They want all hospitals run by government, all doctors working for government, all research facilities funded and controlled by government. And, if Mike Lux of OpenLeft can be believed, they also want the Republicans to butt out of the whole debate.

This disinterest in the American system of debate, compromise and governance is a typical aspect of the goals of the authoritarian left that is coming on like gangbusters in this healthcare debate. They want socialist healthcare and that is that. They are not interested in capitalism, not interested in freedom, not interested in debate or compromise, not interested in any sort of bi-partisanship… in essence they want a tyranny of the minority. They want the whole cake and they want to eat it, too.

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Gov’t Healthcare Advocates: No Bi-Partisanship Required”

2nd Amendment - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Guns - Liberals - Media Bias - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

No Guns For Negroes

June 11, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO) is sponsoring a sobering look at how the left is currently conspiring to disarm America’s black population “in order to control them.” Despots throughout time have first taken to disarming a people in order to later control them, of course. Are we seeing that propensity again in America?

In fact, are we seeing carried out on the nation’s larger black population in big cities across the country as an experiment on how to proceed for the rest of America? It sure looks like it to any casual observer. This is an informative and important little film that everyone should watch. It’s a worthwhile way to spend about 20 minutes.