Speaker Pelosi has outdone even her usual departures from reality in political hype, referring to an ardent hope of presenting the American people a Christmas present (that they don't want or need), i.e., the government-sponsored market share grab of health care insurance. There is no way any Democrat can claim that the American people voted a mandate for this wild-card, convoluted, back-room Democratic deal making of doing whatever it takes to steamroll incoherent legislation through Congress, with essentially no meaningful concessions to the Republican opposition.
Some of this Democratic hubris and chutzpah is apparent if we simply go back to a Politico post in early 2008. (Note that the Democrats have been talking about cutting Medicare, something they claimed had no waste prior, of course, to winning the White House, to pay for this fiscal mess.)
Setting the stage for one last budget battle with the Democratic Congress, President Bush plans to propose $178 billion in long term cuts to Medicare in the fiscal 2009 budget he will unveil on Monday.
"It's outrageous to try to balance the budget on the backs of senior citizens given the fact that under this administration we've seen more than a $3 trillion increase in the national debt," said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).The Democrats have exploited fear tactics with senior citizens for years with anything that smelled of Medicare reform. Never mind that we have over $30 TRILLION in unfunded Medicare mandates; notice that the Democrats aren't addressing the intrinsically difficult and politically dangerous issue of what's already on the federal government's plate: the solvency of the Medicare program. (The only thing that Democrats seem to agree on is getting private insurance out of a small percentage of the Medicare program by gutting Medicare Advantage, something they claim is a giveaway to the private sector while, in fact, the number of participating private carriers shrinks every year, noting the profit margins are unattractive.)
This is a gift that we need to reject in no uncertain terms on behalf of America's grandchildren. The fact that Pelosi and her Democratic cronies are wrapping the package in back rooms so the American people can't peek at what's inside is disturbing. This is going to be the political equivalent of Internet spam pop-ups, with cascading booby trap surprises for year after year, freezing the American economy, and we will have no choice but to reboot the American economy and start all over again, this time with government minimalism, free from Democratic Trojan horse proposals, hidden costs, and parasitic "spread the wealth" worms attacking the American spirit of self-reliance, hard work and entrepreneurship. And just what is this powerful antivirus program from conservatives called? The Constitution. It comes free, paid for by American blood and treasure.
William ("Frozen Cash") Jefferson Sentenced to 13 Years on Friday the Thirteenth
The former Democratic Congressman from New Orleans was finally sentenced for the infamous bribery scandal, famously caught storing the cash in his freezer, giving an entirely new meaning to the term "frozen assets". Louisiana political corruption is legendary, perhaps rivaled only by the Chicago machine (in fact, Slate had a subtitled post entitled "Which state is more crooked--Illinois or Louisiana?") Next on tap: the Blagojevich trial. Impeached former Illinois Democratic governor Rod Blagojevich is still in a state of denial, saying that he is getting unfairly singled out for business-as-usual political deal making.
Political Cartoon
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Journey Song
Music can bridge even political adversaries. My liberal friend Tim and I agree that the "real" Journey lead singer Steve Perry has great pipes. One of the best hit singles in the 90's--and, in my opinion, ever.
In my life I see where I've been
I said that I'd never fall again
Within myself I was wrong
My searchin' ain't over... over
I know that
When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes
When you love a woman
You know she's standin' by your side
A joy that lasts forever
There's a band of gold that shines waiting
Somewhere... oh oh yeah
If I can't believe that someone is true
To fall in love is so hard to do
I hope and pray tonight
Somewhere you're thinking of me girl
Yes I know I... I know that
When you love a woman
You see your world inside her eyes
When you love a woman
You know she's standin' by your side
A joy that lasts forever
There's a band of gold that shines, waiting
Somewhere... oh..oh
