Open Letter To Senator Toomey on Healhtcare

The following is an open letter I sent to Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Feel free to share with your own officials in DC.

"Senator Toomey.

"You will find no one more invested in ridding this country of Obamacare (or as is more PC, the Affordable Care Act). When Rep. Pelosi said “you must pass it to find out whats in it”, I immediately went on the defensive. As a veteran, a citizen and a journalist, this is NOT what our country is supposed to be about. Our elected officials are beholden to US, the voter. Not the other way around.

"So, I read the proposed legislation. All nearly 2000 pages. I nodded off on numerous occasions from all the legalese, but I re-read the sections and plowed on.

"Once finished, I realized that only about 25% of the bill had any impact on healthcare, most all of it revolved around insurance and not around caring for the health of the nation, and much of it had to do with how to pay for and tax the people.

"I also realized that most of the things that would actually work at making healthcare affordable to the average American were purposefully left out. TORT reform would have limited the expenses by our doctors and health institutions on such things as compensation and malpractice insurance. These cost savings would have been seen by the average American in their medical bills. Any idea of holding pharmaceutical companies to accountability by limiting how long they can hold patent on a new drug before generic ones can become available, and also limiting how much they can recompense for “research” as other countries do, would be a tremendous boon to those who need these often life saving drugs. Just two examples of things LEFT OUT of the bill.

"Having said all that, having written a book with all of this included, having written many articles and many Opinion pieces on the subject, I am imploring you NOT to go through with any “repeal and replace” attempts.

"Repeal and Replace might be a good election rhetoric line, but the reality is that it is an irresponsible action to take as a legislator.

"Isolate and repair might be a more responsible strategy. Find the bad parts of the legislation. Institute corrective actions and make the “Health Care” of Americans the decisive driver for all you do.

"Yours is a position of responsibility. You are responsible to the American public. Your job is to not only “do what is best” but it is to listen to us. We are, in more than essence, your boss. SO I implore you to listen to the majority of Americans, not the political fringes.

"Repeal and Replace is NOT the way to go. Fix the problem, don't create a new one with legislation that just makes different problems."

Tell Them to STOP on the Replace and Repeal Nonesense

On the issue of Republicans wanting to start the Repeal and Replace thing all over again. ("Repeal of Affordable Care Act Is Back On The Agenda", as reported by the New York Times)

Why?? Because their guy is facing an embarrassment and their leadership is facing calls for them to step down.

But again, why?? Its all a political charade. Its all about THEM and its supposed to be all about US! So here is a quick editorial opinion on it.

OPINION - DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT - Contact your representation in DC! Dem or GOP, doesn't matter, call them, email them, twitter them, Facebook them . . . hell, go stand at the door to their offices! Let them know that the repeal crap they are trying is NO GOOD! The legislation they keep trying to write to "replace and repeal" is NOT THE WAY TO GO! Tell them to work on individual legislation to FIX the problems with Obamacare! The House started doing this with H.R. 372 and 1101! Tell them that THAT is the way to go! Make them understand this is not a thing that is a prize to be won between the political parties, this is something that affects the lives of Americans and it is OUR wishes, not theirs, that need to be listened to!

If you want them to keep doing this instead of their job, if you think that one party MUST prevail over the other no matter what it does to the American people, then go ahead and encourage this bad, immoral activity in Washington DC.

But if you, like me, want it to STOP, then do something about it. Don't wait for someone else to do it for you. Thai is the government of the people, for the people, by the people.

But hey, thats just me Thinking Out Loud!

Money more important than deeds?!

Okay, I am calling out the President, Romney, the GOP, the Democrats, and all the money people out there who are so keen and intent on "buying" the Presidency.

You have all got it so wrong! Its not the money, STUPIDS! Its the deeds!

Obama spent 18 minutes complaining to donors the other day that he will be the "first sitting President to be outspent on his re-election campaign" in modern history.

What!?!? WTF, even!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You all really have your priorities screwed up. And the mainstream media is not helping by pushing these stories and not telling the people the records. Its not money, you frigging dunderheads! It is what you have done, what you have plans on doing and howw that sits with us, the Americans who would put you in office.

Negative campaigns, big dollar fundraisers, PACS, SuperPACS, "outside alllies"!

You JUST DON'T GET IT!!!!!

But what the hell am I saying?! The dolts out there who listen to your BS and spread it around like fertilizer on the farms are just as bad. They actually listen to your whining and complaining and stupid arrogant platitudes.

I am so very fed up with the lot of you.

People are starving in America. That's right. Starving. If you put even a FRACTION of all that money you waste on these stupid things, America would be better off. Whole families rely on food pantries to feed their children. Food pantries! Its unthinkable that in today's America there would even be a need for a food pantry. And you whine about being outspent. Where the hell is your humanity? You patriotism? Your sense of service to the people. Outspent. Jeez! What a little baby you are. Not a man at all. And certainly not a true President of the United States.

People are being forced out of their homes at alarming rates. Foreclosures by banks YOU support and BEG for their campaign dollars. Oh wait, thats right. you expect the people who don't have homes to live in, money for gas and food to put on their table to give YOU money so YOU can keep being President. Or in Romney's case, want to be President. You guys aren't leaders in any sense of the word.

Americans are losing their jobs left and right. SPIN all the numbers you want. It ain't playing at this theater. Just go out onto the streets and ask a random person if they are jobless or know someone who is jobless. I will bet you a doughnut that you will get an affirmative answer every time. And that is not just sad, but it is pathetic. You think you are fit to lead this country? You don't even know what this country is going through. You don't know the struggles faced by AVERAGE Americans, the ones YOU want to donate to YOUR campaign.

In 2008, you all spent a total of over $50 BILLION dollars for the election. DO you know how much that $50 BILLION could have helped average Americans?? Of course not. Its not real money to you. Its not even YOUR MONEY!!!!!! You frighten it out of little old ladies. You cajole it out of people just trying to survive. You trick it out of people who might want just a small piece of history (dinner or lunch with a President or wannabe) so they can find some sense to go on in the misery YOU ALL have created.

Leaders? I think not! You should be ashamed of yourselves. Your priorities are ALL screwed up! Shame on you, Mr. President for your whining! Shame on you, Gov. Romney for your fear mongering! Shame on all the SPIN doctors and politicians and political parties and special interest groups and millionaire king maker wannabes! You have no clue what AMerica is, what America needs and who Americans are.

You only see dollar signs and power.

The lot of you should be thrown to the streets.

Agree or disagree, I don't care. If you can't see these people for what they are then shame on you, too. But what the hell, like you even listen to anyone else anyway. If they are not a celebrity or a big name politician or a person with huge chunks of money, you can't even believe they are someone worth listen to. But if you do listen, just for a brief second and see that they are all screwed up. Maybe you will be able to break out of the cocoon of SPIN and think for yourself. Thats all i can hope for. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

Jail, SCOTUS and Obamacare

I guess it is jail time for me. The Supreme Court, in its 5-4 decision to uphold the Affordable Healthcare Act, just made that evident.

I am a self-employed, one person small business owner, and I cannot afford health care. How is this possible you ask? Didn't the President sign into law the Affordable Health care law so that millions of Americans like me can afford healthcare and not be a drain on society?

Yes and no.

Yes the President signed that 1,990 page monstrosity into law. No, it does not help millions of Americans like me.

There are many – okay, a few – parts of the thing known as Obamacare that are good. The keeping your kids on parents insurance until they are 25 is good. Lots of young people these days are struggling to become employable – college, looking for work, etc – and they cannot afford their own insurance. Covering children. That's a good thing and – believe it or not – a conservative's view of each American's responsibility to take care of those who can't take care of themselves.

But the law does little to address the real problems facing our broken health care system in this country.

TORT reform would have been one thing. If a doctor or hospital or whatever does something wrong they should be dealt with. You deserve redress of the wrong. But saying a person who is the victim of malpractice should be paid $250 million, $1 billion – hell anything over a few million is ridiculous – is just insane. It feeds into the sorry notion that people today will become rich through 1) the lottery, 2) inheritance, 3) litigation. Whatever happened to working hard and reaping the benefits of your hard work? This entitlement nonsense where people think they deserve to be taken care of, cradle to grave, is NOT American at all.

As stated above, limitations on how much you can get would help lower malpractice costs which in turn would lower healthcare costs. Another adjacent issue would be the elimination of frivolous lawsuits. If you buy coffee, and you did not ask for “iced coffee”, then you – YOU – should expect it to be hot. Suing a restaurant because YOU were stupid, is frivolous. This is personal responsibility. It shouldn't take a little warning on the cup “Caution! Contents may be hot!” for you to KNOW that coffee is hot. So don't spill it. If you do, clean it up.

Drug company recuperation of costs is another area of reform that should have been dealt with. In other countries, drug companies who put out the expenses to do research, do trials and come out with new life saving drugs do not charge the outrageous fees associated with getting their investment dollars back. But in America, they seem to feel since we are the “richest country in the world” we can afford to pay enormous costs for drugs in order for them to recoup their investments. This is wrong and should be addressed. Maybe a little of redistribution of wealth idea, but more a redistribution of responsibility and cost sharing. Instead of Burundi only pay 2,929.20 BiF – Burundi francs – (the equivalent of $2 USD) a bottle of life saving drugs and Americans paying $200 a pill, it could be more like everyone paying $10 a bottle.

And while we are at it – a side note, if you will indulge – what is up with all these drugs being developed for impotence and little attention paid to Lyme disease (which millions suffer excruciating pain from every day), Alzheimer, MS, and other less sexy ailments that the not so rich have to deal with? But that is another topic of discussion for another day.

Interstate commerce for insurance companies is an area NOT covered under this law that would do a world of good – and in particular to someone like me – that was absolutely not addressed in this so-called affordable healthcare legislation. Each state has their own insurance regulations. But if the federal government would mandate a set of compatible guidelines across all 50 states, insurance companies could offer their policies in all 50 states. This means that other like minded individuals, such as myself, could join together across the country and form an alliance where we could get a lower rate on health insurance and be covered. And the thing is, due to the interstate commerce clauses, this is an area the Federal government has purview over.

I could join with other self employed writers, such as a group associated with writing for Yahoo, and form a good mid-sized group (I imagine there would be at least 100 people who would go for this idea, if not many many more). Then we could get a group rate for basic coverage and Voilà!, no more depending on the government for our healthcare needs and being a drain on society.

(Funny how the bill's proponents are also the ones against strengthening immigration laws and yet the reason for hospitals across the country closing their maternity wards, emergency rooms and even the whole hospital is due to illegal immigrants coming in for service and unable to pay. N 2005 – 2006, California had 84 of them close. I do not make this up. There was a study reported in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons in Spring of 2005 – Volume 10 Number 1.)

But none of these very important issues were discussed in this nearly 2000 page document that Nancy Pelosi said had to be passed so we could then be told what was in it.

Which is one of the reasons I will be going top jail. This bill may be Constitutional according to the Supreme Court. But that is simply law. How many times do you know a guilty person was set free because the law said they had to be, not because they weren't guilty? So is the case here. The Constitutional issues that were brought before the Court were deemed to adhere to the law set down in the Constitution. But there is a higher issue involved. Obama care is not American.

America is about working hard and getting to be whoever you want to become. It is about the richness of possibilities not available in so many other countries. In India, a small poor from the ghettos of Calcutta could not aspire to be a prominent physician. A girl in just about any Middle Eastern country does not have a path before them to become a successful business owner or leader of their country. But in America the promise exists, thanks to those who founded our nation and those who strive to keep it free and democratic, for anyone to aspire to be anything. So long as they work hard for it. America is not about being lazy, getting a handout by the government and passing along your entitlement beliefs to the next generation – although it has been promulgated to be just this by unscrupulous blowhards who are only after power and wealth.

And this law is definitely not American. Unless you think it is American to force people to buy something they do not want to buy. Unless you think it is American to let the government be a nanny to you your entire life. Unless you think it is American to tax people over and over and over again to pay for irresponsible behavior of others.

I, for one, do not.

Which brings me to the other part of why I will be going to jail. It is actually three fold.

The first, I mentioned. It is simply not an affordable option, no matter how many times you stress, highlight, capitalize or italicize that word. I barely make enough to pay my existing bills, rent and food. It is a tough economy still. So without the law addressing the things that actually would make it affordable to millions like me, I cannot buy it.

The second is that taxing issue. There are hundreds of references in this law about taxes, taxation and penalties. Nothing about making insurance available across state lines. Including penalizing me for not having it to the tune of 2.6% of my annualized pay. What part of my limited budget do you think I can afford to pay that fine out of? My rent, my bills (which allow me to work as it is), my food? You tell me what you would cut out and I might consider it.

That takes care of not buying it and not paying the fine.

The third and final reason I will be going to jail is that I am a responsible American. And I am proud to be an American. And I will not be handed a diaper by my government and told when and how to wear it. There have been times where my existing insurance had gaffs and I could not cover the exorbitant hospital bill, or I was out of work and would have died had I not gone to the hospital or doctor. But in most other instances, I go to the doctor when I can afford it. I pay the doctor when I go. I will not be told by the President, the Congress, the Supreme Court or anyone else that I cannot pay someone for services rendered. This law states that I cannot. And to me, that is definitely not American. And I really doubt it is something that would be approved by those who wrote our Constitution.

(note - In 2009, President Obama said he did not want to classify this as a "tax". But since the Supreme Court of the United States said it could pass BECAUSE it is a tax, he now thinks of it as a victory. Guess if its the only way he can thrust this BS down our throats, he will sacrifice his principles. Pretty sad, Mr President. Pretty sad.)

So, as stated above, I am one American that will be going to jail because of the President's ridiculous political move to pander to the least common denominator instead of striving for the highest standards. And don't be naive, this is exactly what this law and many of this Administration’s policies are, whether they will admit it or not.

Obama has been running for something ever since he entered politics. He ran for state legislature. As soon as he was in, he began running for the US Senate. As soon as he was in he started running for the White House. And as soon as he got there, he started – despite his words to the contrary – to run for re-election. I feel sorry for him when he has nothing else to run for. He will be lost.

But me, I will be in jail, getting three squares a day, free healthcare and free rent.

Thinking Out Loud is a blog of my own thoughts and therefore my own opinion. You can either agree or disagree with me, which really makes no difference to me personally. The only thing I ask of my readers is to take a moment to think for yourselves on this and many other topics that come to my mind. STOP BEING SHEEP and AVOID THE SPIN are two things I would hope for you to keep in mind. Gather all the information about a topic, not just the SPIN from one side or the other. And believe me, it is ALL spin. Anyway, as I say, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

(author's note – this comes to my blog after Yahoo declined the article. My guess is that it is too opinionated for them to put out there and have their access denied by petty politicians who use their media access as a weapon to control the truth. I felt this was just and honest personal observation of how such a wide-reaching piece of legislation is going to affect a large number of Americans. But that, also, is just my opinion.)

The Good, The Bad . . . The Obama

Its been an amazing week for the President. And America.

Today, the President signed a bill he touts as his good idea (even though it is part of the Republican's Job Creation plan) . . . and it is a good one. It will indeed make small business start-up an easier process. And the way small biz can create investment capital a real new era thing. There' some "policing" issues that opponents of the bill are voicing. But DAMN, we need to get this economy going again NOW!!!!!!

And since I have been a vocal proponent to President Obama's lack of understanding HOW THINGS WORK IN THE REAL WORLD as far as business goes, I will say, "Thanks POTUS, for listening to the right people this time. These guys KNOW how to get businesses up and running!"

Hey, I give credit where its due. Okay?

Now for the bad. President Obama showed his "dictator" and Il Presidente stripes this week with his ill-advised coments about the Supreme Court. And least you jump in and say he is right (which, um, he's not), first let me remind you what he said. And then let me tell you why, by example, it is wrong.

Obama said that if the Supreme court overturned HIS healthcare legislation it would be "judicial activism" (lets leave that one alone for a spell) and that it would be "an unprecedented, extraordinary step." AND he added that it would be wrong to overturn "a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress."

First of all, its not unprecedented. Its the Supreme Court's JOB to make sure legislation is constitutional if someone says to them it is not. They MUST review the law and hold it up to the light of the Constitution. (You know, that silly document the LEFT is always saying is OUTDATED . . . you know, they one that was the FOUNDATION OF OUR COUNTRY!) It isn't unprecedented. Try doing a web search "supreme court overturns law" and you will get a bunch of history about it.

UNPRECEDENTED?! Pshaw!

As for overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress"????

Okay, what if that democratically elected congress passes, with a strong majority a law that states we MUST follow Sharia law? We wouldn't like that, would we? Or what if they passed a law that said black and white people could own native American slaves?? We wouldn't like that.

What if Ford came out with THE safest car on the road. "No highway deaths" were a guarantee. What if the Congress passed a law that said every American HAD to buy a Ford this year? What if the law said if you didn't you were a MENACE to American safety and the economy? Would you want the Supreme Court to rule that law was un-constitutional and overturn it?

Now replace "Ford car" with "heath insurance." Does it make a difference. Maybe to some it would and to others it wouldn't. But THAT is not he point.

The POINT is that this is their job. And the President making such comments shows two things. He should be embarrassed as a lawyer NOT to know this. And he should be ashamed as a President for inserting his not-so-lacking-power self into the process. The three branches of government form a series of check sand balances. that is how this country was designed. So that no one branch could be more powerful than the other. That they could keep that POWER to govern in check. So no one in Congress could usurp the people's rights. So that the President could not become a dictator. So that the Supreme Court could not make law and lessen our rights.

Agree or disagree . . . I do care, because I want to show you where lack of self thought can lead to disaster for America - that listening to all the SPIN doctors and lying politicians will lead to a further decline. But in the end, I just want you to listen to all sides, think for yourself, AVOID THE SPIN and STOP BEING SHEEP. Don't listen to the left, the right, the middle ONLY. Listen to everything and then use that thing between your ears - your BRAIN - and start thinking for yourself. But either way, this is just me, Thinking out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

Fighting the stomach bug

Its a government conspiracy.

At least I wish it was, then I could have someone to blame. Really hard to blame a little unseeable virus for how bad I have been feeling the past two weeks. I think I'm getting over it and then it comes back. Being sick relaly sucks. Being sick without a job and health insurance sucks worse.

But I still am against this government run health insurance, one-payer, everyone gets it from cradle to grave BS.

There were sick people before insurance. There will be sick people long after the government crumbles and there is no insurance. You either suck it up and take care of yourself or you suck it up and pay a doctor for the visit. Thats the way it goes.

Take care of old people? You bet. Take care of children? No question. That is one of the founding principles this country is based upon. Taking care of those who cannot. And I don't care if you are a religious person or an atheist. The facts are the facts. The founding principles of this country were based on faith. Religious dictates were considered when the documents were written. It doesn't mean you have to be religious to follow them or believe in them or ascribe to them.

Thou shalt not steal.

A pretty simple concept. Yes, it is one of the ten commandments of the Jewish / Christian religions. And it is the foundation of law in many, many, many countries / cultures / communities. But you don't have to be religious to know its a pretty gfood idea not to steal. And the fact that there is punishment for disobeying this simple statement has nothing to do with religion.

For those who ARE religious, the punishment is meted out by God. But for those not big believers in the Big Guy, its the law and society who mete out this punishment.

But its still there. A fact. Plain as day. The principle this was founded on is religious in nature.

Get over it.

And get over yourself.

Having a moral compass is a good thing. If our leaders did NOT have a moral compass, they might do whatever the hell they want despite the people being governed don't want it. They might say things like "just let me explain it to you better" or "you can't know whats in a law until you let us pass it" or . . . oh wait, yea, they already do that.

Maybe that is why this country is in such disrepair. Not only are the governed a bunch of extremists and deniers of the basic founding principles of America, our leaders reflect this attitude. And that is on both sides of the so-called aisle.

Extreme religious proponents do not recognize the fact that America is not just for them. And extreme religious opponents do not recognize that fact that religion played a significant part in America's founding. And BOTH extremes do not recognize the fact that those of us (you know, the REAL 99%) who are note extreme are getting relaly pissed off at all of them.

Yes, President Obama and his Democratic allies in the rest of government have made really BIG mistakes. And one of their biggest is thinking that we are all so stupid we will let them keep doing all this stuff that is unraveling this country.

Also, the Republican establishment have and continue to make really BIG mistakes in thinking that we're just going to follow their extreme ranting. THEIR biggest mistake is not listening to the country as a whole - GOP, Dems and Independents . . . plus a slew of lesser known groups - which means that when they get their establishment guy on the ballot come November, Obama is going to stay in.

(I would love to think that all the Americans who a getting pissed off at both sides would actually go to the polling place in November and vote in NONE OF THE ABOVE. But not going to happen. They will either stay home of just go in and vote either party line or for the incumbents. People are generally listless and apathetic when it comes to elections. They don't really believe that their one little vote really matters. I wish I could get the whole country to read this little thing I wrote years ago about that, where one vote really has changed the course of history. But they won't. And the NONE OF THE ABOVE option really is just fantasy on my part.)

Anyway, thats all I have to say today. Stomach bug. Hate it. But as usual, you can disagree with me (on the bug, the insurance or the government) or you can agree with me (on all those things I just mentioned). Either way it doesn't matter to me personally. What does matter to me personally is that I want to try to get just ONE person to start thinking for themselves. To STOP BEING SHEEP and to AVOID THE SPIN (I have just got to get those bumper stickers made). If that happens it means there's hope. It means there can be real change starting. And not the empty words kind. But no matter. This is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

Jaw dropping hypocrisy

I have been pretty vocal about my opposition to politicians in general. Yes, I am a conservative American. And yes, I often slam the liberal or Democrat view. But I think I have let it be known that I am opposed to ANY politician who SPINS and lies and just takes the American people as stupid.

But I have to do a Jaw Drop on the recent Democratic Party hypocrisy. NOt that their message is any less valid. But the fact that not only are the Dems showing their stripes, but they have famous SPINners doing it for them.

Come on. WHo the hell is going to believe a word out of James Carville's mouth. I can't believe that even Democrats in the general population can say they believe or even listen to anything this lying sack has to say. But then I forget. These nimwits keep voting these lame asses in govetrnment, so how smart can they be as a wghole right?

But seriously, James Carville, repeating a Pelosi email, has one going out with his name all over it.

"Have you been watching all these Republican men telling women what to do with their health care?

Last week it was a Congressional panel on women’s health with five men and no women. This week, it was the GOP presidential candidates debating what women should and shouldn’t be allowed to do with their own health care choices.

This Republican War on Women has got to come to a stop. My friends at the DCCC want to hit $1 million in grassroots donations before the February FEC deadline to show these Republicans that we won’t let them get away with this nonsense"

Begging for money bootstrapped onto outrage at how the "Republicans and GOP candidates are treating women in discussion of healthcare." . . . .

Okay, have to take a breath now because this is making me want to scream and swear. SO I will do a list. That usually calms me down.

List of Hypocrisies

1) Nancy Pelosi decided to pass rules as soon a the DEMS took over the House so that there would be NO Republican voice in legislation. - Which also meant no AMERICAN voice being represented by those same Republicans. So, Queen Nancy effectively cut off half of America. Toook away their voice in government.

2) "You must pass it to see what's in it" Healthcare Legislation. Obama and Pelosi and Reid made a complete SHAMBLES out of American healthcare, stealing ALL our voices by not having more revelation about this 1900 page monstrosity of a legislation. Legislation which did not FIX any health care problems in this country and had as its sole goal to make universal, government run, single payor healthcare the next step. - They stole all of our rights on this one. Some of the things in there were part of what we wanted as a country, most of it wasn't. And the things that would have made good, affordable healthcare possible, were IGNORED by the Democrats in power.

3) President "I need to get out there so I can explain it better" Obama thinks Americans are stupid. On every issue that we oppose, he just wants us to think he isn't explaining it enough. So he just keeps talking. All President talk a lot, you might say. But he is talking so much he is NOT Listening.

4) Democrats and liberals have been plastering the airways and getting the media on their bandwagon (mostly with threats of loss of access if they don't play along) with the complete BULL . . . okay, not swearing here . . . complete nonsense that if you disagree with the President or if you don't like his policies or just plain don't like him you are a R-A-C-I-S-T! - I can't even go on with this line of thought because it makes me so mad.

Time and time again, in the last three years, these hypocritical have done everything they can to silence those who object to their actions, question their motives and refuse to back down from their threats and insinuations. And they still have the gall to complain when others seem to be doing similar things. AND THEY HAVE THE AUDACITY TO ASK FOR MONEY from the hard working people of America to fight these "injustices."

Wait a minute!

Don't we already pay these charlatans to do just that?!?! Isn't it their JOBS to see to it that people are not cut out of the legislative and governing process??!?!??

UN-BE-LIEVABLE!

Before I go, I just want to say, for the record, that there should be a representative grouping of those affected by legislation to be present during all aspects of that legislation's life cycle.

Agree, disagree, it doesn't matter. Just don't take a middle of the road approach to this sort of thing. Just don't take the word from those who could really care less about you. AVOID THE SPIN! STOP BEING SHEEP! Think for yourselves. Look at everything, mull the facts around in your head (the facts, not the SPIN), and come up with your own thoughts on these things. Don't even take my word as gospel. Look it up. Read on it. Think about it. That's all I ask. But, no matter. This is just me, as always, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

Be Proud, Joe. Be Proud!

"Anvil" Joe Biden, also known as our VP, sent out an email about the things he and Barack are proud of. I'd like to expound on his list, if I may.

"There's a whole lot to be proud of. Of course, the big ones come to mind first:" Joe tells us. "[H]istoric health insurance reform . . ."

Yes, it was indeed historic. But that 2000 page monstrosity that no one read at the time and we are only coming to see ALL the ramifications of over time is hardly something to be proud of. (Remember "San Fran Nan" Pelosi told us that it had to be passed so we could all see what was in it. Didn't that sound backward to anyone with half a brain?!?) Inside this thing are caveats for not applying to ALL Americans. The Union bigwigs who supported Barack and Joe got their special perks. (And we were worried about the Cornhusker Kickbacks! Sheesh, these guys make the mafiosos go "BadaBing BaddaBang! Wow!")

And then there were the "penalties for not buying insurance. That is so very un-Constitutional. Government cannot tell me I HAVE to buy something. It is so not their business. And don't start on the whole car insurance bango. What if you don't own a car? What if you have no NEED for car insurance because you take the bus? You don't HAVE to buy car insurance. But this health care thing says you HAVE to buy it. And that is just plain wrong. And it literally goes against what is IN the Constitution about commerce.

There is the college stuff in the healthcare law. Yes, college. What?!? And the reporting thing. Yeah, the government is having a new thing on your W-2 about what you make, not just in dollars but in benefits. So that $36,000 a year job is going to say it is a $58,000 job and you'll be taxed accordingly. No kidding! Its in this law . . . that no one got to read.

Historic alright. But not something to be proud of, Joe.

He goes on to say that this bill "is reining in the insurance companies and helping control the cost of care for millions of Americans . . . " There were lots of ways they could have done this that would have truly saved Americans money. But you see, they built so many things into this law, that what it really does is stifle insurance companies and businesses and will eventually force Americasns into a single payer government system. And government does such a good job everywhere else.

"Wall Street reform," Joe is proud of. But it isn't there. Wall Street bailouts, yes. Real reform? No. If Joe and his Demo buddies were so into reform, how come they missed all the signs from the previous 8 years about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?? There was reform needed and they turned a blind eye. Stupidity? Or getting their pockets lined? You figure it out. I know where my bets are.

Then there is "the end of combat operations in Iraq, which brought more than 100,000 troops home." Yes, Joe, this is something to be `proud of. Thanks George W. and the surge. You both did a great job getting us to this point. Oh, wait, is Joe saying this is to be proud of because he thinks he and the Prez had any hand in this? Sheesh, what a loon.

Then the list goes on. "We passed the Recovery Act, which saved and created more than 3 million jobs, provided the largest middle-class tax cut in a generation, and made landmark investments in clean energy, infrastructure, and education." LIE! LIE! LIE! Nothing was recovered, no jobs were created. And to use that line about saved, what a load of crap. Anyone else uses that line and the Demos are right out there calling them on it. So here I am, calling Joe on it. LIE! Where was the middle class tax cut??? I didn't see it in MY paycheck. Can't get more middle class than me. And the thing about clean energy, infrastructure and education? Oh come on, cut the crap. I remember the shovel ready thing. Even the Prez admitted there were no such thing. Joe, you're behind the times on this one.

"We made critical investments in General Motors and Chrysler, saving tens of thousands of jobs -- and perhaps the companies -- and spurring a rebirth of the American car industry." Yes, bailed out the automakers, spent OUR dime (whoops, actually China's dime, or, er, yuen), and proved once more you were so "in bed" with the Union that Michelle must have had to sleep on the floor.

"We wrote into law student loan reform and credit card reform, which ended the worst abuses of the banking industries and are making lending fair for American families." Screwed up the student loan system, thank you. And allowed the credit card companies to act worse than the street corner loan shark thugs, arbitrarily dropping good customers, piling on fees, exponentially multiplying rates without warning and denying more and more individuals and small businesses than ever before.

"We put two new Supreme Court justices on the bench -- Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, who bring rich and diverse experience to the Court." Neither of whom has any right to be on the high court. Their "stories," though compelling, are no different than millions of Americans who probably know more about the Constitution than they apparently ever will.

"We have begun to reset America's relationship with the international community, from the ratification of a new START nuclear arms treaty with Russia to tough new sanctions on Iran to strengthening our long-term partnership with a unified Iraq." Resetting international relationships as the poor wimpy Oliver asking for more forgiveness please. And kowtowing to the Russians every demand making us the weaker for it. And they are doing such a bang up job with Iran, who not only refuses to stop their nuclear program but are still holding Americans hikers in prison while thumbing their noses at us and the whole world saying "bite me!"

"And we finally repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which was the right thing to do . . ." First let me say it was the right thing . . . for the military to do. But these nits in Congress and the White House didn't do it for the right reasons. They did it for votes. They did it for social justice and social engineering. And they did it when it was not in their purview to do it. It was, has always been, and should always be, a military issue. It should have been a decision by the military and the military alone whether to continue or discontinue this MILITARY policy. But, as usual, the politicians did it for political reasons only. But it isn't anything for Joe and Barack and the rest of the Demos to be proud of. That’s like me saying because I voted for the red M&Ms as my favorite, I am proud of Hershey for making a special bag with just red M&Ms.

As usual, Biden gets it wrong. And the country suffers while he and all the peacocks inside the Beltway do their collective strutting.

But hey, you know me by now, you can a gree or disagree, and it makes no matter to me. I just want you to look at all sides, ignore what the rhetoric is and see things logically. And just start thinking for yourselves. I'm the wise man, nor am I some fortune teller with a crystal ball. I'm just one man, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.