Repeal It or Be Replaced

ABC News reports on some disappointing rhetoric from the GOP. For some, ObamaCare is not a particularly big concern:

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who chairs the committee responsible for electing GOP senators this fall, said in an interview, "The focus really should be on the misplaced priorities of the administration" and Congress' Democratic leaders.

"The No. 1 concern of the public is jobs and people losing their homes," he said. "The administration has been obsessing on this health care bill."

Asked if he advises Republican Senate candidates to call for repealing the law, Cornyn said: "Candidates are going to test the winds in their own states.

There are a lot of problems with what Cornyn is saying.

Firstly, if the Government takeover of health care isn't a misplaced priority, I don't know what is. And if the GOP can't show an unwavering commitment to standing in the way of the malignant growth of unpopular and out-of-control government programs, there's really no reason to support the GOP.

Secondly, like most of the Democrats' plans, ObamaCare is a jobs killer. To improve the jobs market, Republicans will need to fight to repeal the Democrats' agenda...including ObamaCare. Let's get government out of the way so that Americans can save and create the jobs they need.

Thirdly, "testing the winds" isn't going to save this country. Republicans need to focus on what's best for our future, not what on seems to be popular at the moment.

The U.S. is on the wrong track; most voters understand that. Americans want real leadership that's focused on the long-term health of this country. We don't need a GOP that promises to keep moving in the same direction ― only at a slower speed.

The GOP needs a strong message. Not "tweak and adjust," not "repeal OR reform."

Repeal and Replace...or BE replaced

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It begins: GOP inching away from campaign to repeal ObamaCare

Why the Health Care Bill Could Be Repealed

John Cornyn and the Eunuch Anencephalic ‘Leadership’ of the Republican Party

Popular Repeal

Discussion: Memeorandum

LL Cool J & Palin Together at Last? Cool J Says No!

Sarah Palin’s Fox News Special to feature L.L. Cool J?

Via Mediaite:

This is not an April Fool’s joke. Sarah Palin will take her first stab at television hosting when she fronts a new Fox News series, Real American Stories, premiering Thursday April 1 at 10pmET.

Guests for the first show include country singer Toby Keith, rapper/actor LL Cool J and Jack Welch. Get excited.

The show will “focus on a range of such stories including a Marine Medal of Honor recipient who gave his live to save his comrades.” But also there will be the celebrity guests – a very broad range of celebrity guests.

But LL Cool J says it not happening. After I sent out a link about this story, Cool J (or someone with access to his verified account) sent me a terse tweet on Twitter claiming the story is false:

That tweet linked to this one:

Interesting. I suspect there are at least two sides to this. I suppose we will hear more about this story soon.

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LL Cool J: Closet conservative?

In case you were fortunate enough to have forgotten: LL Cool J... Mama Said Knock You Out

Another Black Conservative: What's brewing? A big Palin "controversy" involving LL Cool J?

Update: Fox has agreed to cut LL Cool J from the promo.

Discussion: Memeorandum

Welcome, Express Night Out readers.

Obama Contributor Arrested for Threatening to Murder GOP Congressman

Via NRO:

A Philadelphia man has been charged with threatening to kill Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va.) and his family.

33-year-old Norman Leboon made the threats in a YouTube video. The video has since been taken down, but FBI agents included a transcript of the threat in a sworn affidavit:

My Congressman Eric Cantor, and you and your cupcake evil wife. . . .Remember Eric...our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given. You are a liar, you're a Lucifer, you're a pig, a greedy f**king pig, you're an abomination, you receive my bullets in your office, remember they will be placed in your heads. You and your children are Lucifer's abominations.

Left-wingers need to denounce this hate speech immediately and repeatedly.

Norman LeBoon donated hundreds of dollars to Barack Obama, so Obama should publicly distance himself from this dangerous Shia Muslim. Obama should also give up the money.

Obama and his left-wing allies need to soften their violent rhetoric. They’ve created a wave of hatred that will eventually claim lives if we do not act decisively.

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Left Coast Rebel: Norman LeBoon is a Shia Muslim who gave money to Barack Obama.

DNC risks dead GOP Congressman… for $505.

Obama: ‘If They Bring a Knife to the Fight, We Bring a Gun’

Warning: facts are often mixed with satire and hyperbole on this blog; read at your own risk. Follow links for primary sources.

Adopt a Democrat (*Updated 4-12-10)

Amusing Bunni draws our attention to an important issue that has been raised by Dick Morris: What are we going to do about those cowardly Democrats who flipped to "yes" on ObamaCare with their second vote.

Here's the list: Betsy Markey (CO-04), Allen Boyd (FL-02), Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24), Scott Murphy (NY-20), Dennis Kucinich (OH-10), John Boccieri (OH-16), Bart Gordon (TN-06), and Brian Baird (WA-03).

All of these Democrats need to find themselves without a job in November. Follow these people. Follow where they get their campaign money. We need to make an example of them. None of them are invincible:

After we fire them (or when they retire from Congress), watch out for Federal appointments, patronage jobs, and cushy positions at lobbyist firms. Don't let them live the rest of their lives in pleasant obscurity.

We should not relent unless ObamaCare is repealed.

Because he is from my neck of the woods, I'll be paying close attention to Bart Gordon ― I've adopted him, if you will. Would you consider adopting a Blue Dog?

Update 9/26/11:

• Betsy Markey: Defeated in 2010, named to Homeland Security post.
• Allen Boyd: Beaten in 2010, now works as a lobbyist for the Twenty-First Century Group.
• Suzanne Kosmas: Defeated for re-election in 2010.
• Scott Murphy lost in 2010 to the Republican.
• John Boccieri lost his bid for a second term in Congress in 2010. Now he's planning a comeback.
• Bart Gordon: Retired before the 2010 election, now a lobbyist at K&L Gates.
• Brian Baird did not run for re-election in 2010.

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UPDATE (April 12, 2010):
Does Dick Morris follow RightKlik?

Great idea, Morris! You like my idea, I like yours...how about some linky love? Or mention RightKlik on Hannity!

A Provocative Cartoon

Uncensored cartoon here.

Darleen Click has published a cartoon at Protein Wisdom that has received a tremendous amount of flak from liberals. Crude, foul-mouthed, hateful left-wingers who are generally impervious to poor taste have suddenly discovered the boundaries of their tolerance for irreverence:

• "So, the majority rules and this is how the POTUS is treated? F***ing disgusting."
• "The word for Darlene isn't racist. Sad B*tch, maybe."
• "I'm sorry my tweeps, but this sh*t p*ssed me off!"
• "Dude: F***ed up just took on a whole new meaning."
• "OMG Quite possibly the most offensive thing I've ever seen."
• "This is just...just...Christ."
• "This has to be one of the most disgusting cartoons I've ever seen."
• "Jeebus, this is absolutely disgusting."
• "What. The. F**k!?!"

These lefties cited above (some of them quite prominent) use the term "teab*gger" and other intensely vulgar terms in every other sentence, but somehow this cartoon has injured their fragile sensibilities.

Apparently, zealous left-wingers are outraged by the cartoon because it insults their most beloved hero. Remember the murderous jihadists who were mortally offended by cartoons depicting their prophet? What a riot.

Because of its graphic and controversial subject matter, even some conservatives have taken offense to the cartoon.

I don't want to offend sensitive readers, so you'll have to follow this link to see the the uncensored version. It's a provocative cartoon, but I think it is a sincere and truthful depiction of what's happening to liberty in this country.

Obama and the Democrats have abused their majority status to shove legislation down our throats without our consent. Sure...elections have consequences, but "no" still means no.

The Constitution has been violated. Liberty has been raped.

Exit question: Are lefties reacting so strongly to this cartoon because they feel guilty about forcing ObamaCare on an unwilling public?

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After the passage of ObamaCare, conciliatory gestures have been conspicuously absent.

Obama's treatment of Bibi hits home because Obama has treated us the same way…with arrogance & disdain.

We will DESTROY Democrats at the ballot box in November.

Hundreds of people―at least dozens of people―think CNN is a credible source of news.

Smack Down: Pro-ObamaCare Doctor Speaks Up

In yesterday's post I shared some quotes from Massachusetts state treasurer, Timothy P. Cahill. Cahill says Massachusetts is for all intents and purposes already on ObamaCare, and the state is going bankrupt as a result:

Our experience in Massachusetts tells us that [Obamacare] will burden future taxpayers with unfunded liabilities they cannot afford. Health-care inflation will continue. Mandates will increase insurance premiums. And the deficit will reach frightening levels as the law's costs greatly exceed the projections of its advocates.

I took this quote, and a few others from Cahill's Wall Street Journal article, and posted them on a health care website. A physician responded to me thusly:

You seem to be saying that if many American sicken, suffer, and die because they can't pay their medical bills, and if taxpayers object to paying these bills, then you believe these people should sicken, suffer, and die. That's the general feeling of doctors on this forum, and it strikes me as heartless.

With all due respect, good sir, this is one of the most shallow and simplistic arguments I've heard since 5th grade. If this kind of thinking is representative of a significant percentage of educated people, is there any reason to ask how we lost control of the health care system to the Federal Government?

Here's the response I posted on the health care website:

M****,

I'd like to see some evidence that the Democrats' health care agenda will result in less sickness, suffering, and death. Where's the evidence that the federal government can allocate health care resources more judiciously and more humanely than everyone else?

I'd like to know how empowering the Federal Government of the United States at the expense of individual patients is going to improve health care. Are politicians and bureaucrats uniquely virtuous? Are politicians and bureaucrats uniquely wise and knowledgeable?

Please explain how transferring more wealth and more power into the hands of a smaller number of politicians and bureaucrats can be expected to reduce waste, fraud and abuse.

You seem to have an unshakable trust in the Federal Government, M****. What is the basis of this zealous faith? What did the Federal bureaucratic machine do to earn your loyalty?

I think the Federal Government is as fallible as any other institution...and its future capacity to produce systemic failures and to perpetuate corruption will be proportional to its growing enormity.

You might appreciate this short video.

So far, no response from the good doctor. I'll provide an update if a response ever appears.

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Quality of Care Declining? Costs Rising?

A very interesting conversation with Daniel Palestrant, MD on CNBC:

Couple that with these quotes from Timothy P. Cahill, Massachusetts state treasurer:
Massachusetts's health care program has been a fiscal train wreck.
The universal insurance coverage we adopted in 2006 was projected to cost taxpayers $88 million a year. However, since this program was adopted in 2006, our health-care costs have in total exceeded $4 BILLION.
The only reason MassCare has survived is that we have been repeatedly bailed out by the federal government. But that raises the question: Who will bail America out if we implement a similar program?
Our experience in Massachusetts tells us that [Obamacare] will burden future taxpayers with unfunded liabilities they cannot afford. Health-care inflation will continue. Mandates will increase insurance premiums. And the deficit will reach frightening levels as the law's costs greatly exceed the projections of its advocates.

Doctors are Pessimistic About the Future

Here's a sneak peak at the Physician Sentiment Index, to be released today by athenahealth and Sermo:

• 59% of the physicians surveyed believe that the quality of medicine in America will decline in next 5 years; only 18% believe the quality of medicine will improve.
• 64% cited the current health care climate as somewhat or very detrimental to their delivery of quality care
• Less than a quarter believe that more active government involvement in health care regulation can improve outcomes; the majority (54%) feel otherwise.

With over 1,000 physicians polled, the national survey is thought to be the largest of its kind. Physicians were polled before the passage of ObamaCare, in February of 2010.

Will ObamaCare make physicians more optimistic? Probably not, if these unofficial, unscientific survey results from Sermo are any indication:

How does the passage of the health care reform affect your perception of medicine over the next few years?

Less optimistic: 78% (1528)

More optimistic: 15% (290)

Doesn't change: ..7% (132)

Number of respondents: 1950

Results as of March 25, 2010 1:12 AM

Slurs or Slander?

The Tea Party Movement: A multi-ethnic coalition of racist evil-mongers.

By now, most political junkies have heard the accusations:

The media claimed that members of the Congressional Black Caucus were called n*ggers and spat on by tea party protesters as they walked from the Longworth office building to the Rayburn office building. At least one report said that it was “a chorus” of racist hatred. Reporters from ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX News, (including Bill O’Reilly), MSNBC, etc. reported on this horrible story.

These actions have been repeatedly condemned by right-of-center media outlets.

But there's a big problem with these condemnations: We don't know what actually happened...

Rep. Andre Carson, Indiana Democrat, who is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, claims that "tea party" protesters hurled racial slurs at fellow CBC member Rep. John Lewis, Georgia Democrat. Mr. Carson said that "hundreds of people" were chanting, "Kill the bill," and he heard "at least 15 times" the "n – word" being thrown around.

[emphasis added]

Many have suggested that we should take the Congressmen at their word. Really? Congressmen? Their word?

Even if the Congresspeople sincerely think they heard racial slurs from protesters on Saturday, I'd like to know what really happened. Too bad no one has any video recordings. Oh, wait...cameras were everywhere:

In fact, a video was later released that proved that there was no “chorus” of racist hatred and no one screamed the n-word. It was all a lie.

Now here is more proof.

There were several cameras filming the democratic representatives as they walked to the Rayburn Office Building. And, the representatives had at least two cameras filming the entire event. (It was almost as if they were expecting something to happen?)

Is there still a little wiggle room that would allow us to give members of the CBC some benefit of doubt? Maybe. But no one making accusations has named any names...no arrests were made. Many videos of the events, many photos...no slurs captured, no bad behavior chronicled.

NO HARD EVIDENCE.

Accusations as serious as these should not be taken lightly. If the accusations are based on a shred of truth, we need to know who the offenders are and who they are connected with so the blame can be appropriately assigned. Let the good people of the CBC review the tapes. Point out the offenders...or take back the accusations.

No slurs.

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Tea Party protesters deserve an apology.

Guards were right there. Was no one detained? Show me the person who was arrested. Otherwise, I’m assuming it’s a lie.”

Planting major falsehoods has been a favorite Alinsky strategy

Here's Some Bigotry That The New York Times, CNN & MSNBC Ignores

Chris Matthews: Limbaugh is looking more and more like Mr. Big, and at some point somebody’s going to jam a CO2 pellet into his head and he’s going to explode like a giant blimp...we’ll be there to watch.

Rep. Maxine Waters Calls Conservative Protesters “Teabaggers” …Again