Clipmarks | Congress Clips

Advance To The Rear!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:53:39 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: (Well, in fairness, even if the president did declare back in 2008 this war was a vital national security interest, and he did signal last spring he was on board with counterinsurgency, and even if he did appoint Gen. Stanley McChrystal to get the job done in May, the general’s recommendations only arrived in August, and the president didn’t look at them until, what, late September, and he’s been really busy this whole time letting Congress bollix his health-care initiative, throwing Eastern Europe under the bus and flying to Copenhagen, that kind of thing, so he’s only been able to squeeze in seven high-level national security meetings, or is it eight? Is it so unreasonable to ask for new options on top of the new options that he asked for on top of the new options that McChrystal gave him? Meanwhile, China’s ass wants kissing and then we’re into the holidays … )

OK, I get that the political piece is vitally important, and for Eikenberry, up to his armpits in scheming

Clip Source: www.julescrittenden.com

But the president raised questions at a war council meeting Wednesday that could alter the dynamic of both how many additional troops are sent to Afghanistan and what the timeline would be for their presence in the war zone, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Obama’s thinking.

Never mind whether he’s going to commit more troops. He isn’t ready to commit to whether he’ll commit to commiting more troops. This part is fun:

Military officials said Obama has asked for a rewrite before and resisted what one official called a one-way highway toward war commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s recommendations for more troops. The sense that he was being rushed and railroaded has stiffened Obama’s resolve to seek information and options beyond military planning, officials said, though a substantial troop increase is still likely.

ha, his resolve to keep dithering has been stiffened! Good one. AP scribbler with a keen sense of irony or AP scribbler without a clue?

Tags: afghanistan, ambassador karl eikenberry says no, general mcchrystal, president karzai

What Goldstone says about the US

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:48:24 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: History is being altered as we speak.

Clip Source: english.aljazeera.net

Opponents of the Goldstone report might well be hoping that after its lopsided condemnation in the US House of Representatives and successful relegation back to the UN's Human Rights Commission, the report will become little more than an historical footnote in a decades-long conflict

But historians can do a great deal with footnotes

When the glare of history is finally shone upon the whole affair, it might well turn out that the reasons for such vehement opposition from US politicians, and only tepid (at best) support for it among other major powers, have far more to do with their own geostrategic interests than with protecting Israel

The report, written by South African jurist Richard Goldstone, has caused uproar in Israel and the US for its alleged bias against Israel and avoidance of serious criticism of Hamas. The condemnation, House Resolution 867, passed by a 344-36 vote

Before the vote on the resolution, Goldstone sent a letter to members of Congress refuting most of the allegations

Tags: politics

The Ruling Elite

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:45:56 GMT

clipped by: mklosinski
clipper's remarks: Not having government run health care gives these people even more reason to get re-elected.
Leave no incumbent in office.

Clip Source: www.cnsnews.com

(CNSNews.com) – More than 200 amendments were rejected by the House Rules Committee ahead of Saturday's vote on the Democrats' health care bill, including 11 that would have required members of Congress and other government officials to be enrolled in the same federal insurance plan proposed for the American people.

Critics of the health care bill said they offered the 11 amendments – including some that would require the president, vice president, and Supreme Court justices to give up their Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) to enroll in the ‘public option’ or Medicaid – to showcase the problems with the massive legislation.

“If it is good enough for American families, then it is more than good enough for Washington bureaucrats,” he said. “Therefore, I decided to offer an amendment which would mandate all members of Congress, their staff, and administration officials to participate in the public option.”

Tags: health care, congress

VIOLATION of the 14th Amendment

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:20:54 GMT

clipped by: mountainpalm
clipper's remarks:
Judge Napolitano deems ObamaCare "unconstitutional at its core"

Clip Source: www.americanthinker.com

To Hell with the Constitution?

Much has been made recently of the unconstitutionality of federal health care reform, especially a government-run system (the "public option") that could devolve into a "single-payer" system. The main objection is that the federal government has no authority to operate a health care system. Indeed, the 9th and 10th Amendments forbid it, according to Larrey Anderson of American Thinker.

In The Wall Street Journal, Judge Andrew Napolitano writes that Congress has been getting around such constitutional bans by invoking its Commerce Clause, "the favorite hook on which Congress hangs its hat in order to justify the regulation of anything it wants to control." Perhaps the most outrageous abuse of this tiny clause is the case of Wickard v. Filburn (1942), where the Supreme Court cited the Commerce Clause in denying a man the right to cultivate his own land for the purpose of feeding his family.

State Journal-Register - CO2 curbs would be devastating

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:58:13 GMT

clipped by: heartlandinstitute
clipper's remarks: Newspaper/Op-Ed

Clip Source: www.sj-r.com

In My View: CO2 curbs would be devastating

Regulations and mandates that force nationwide cuts in carbon dioxide emissions offer only speculative environmental benefits, if any, as a switch to wind and solar power will certainly cause more harm than good to the environment.

But command-and-control forces in Congress are headed in that direction, with the House narrowly passing a bill to cap CO2 emissions, and the Senate taking up a companion bill this month.
Engineers calculate that a stunning 600 square miles of wind turbines would be needed to produce the same 1,000 megawatts of electricity as a single medium-to-large coal power plant. That’s enough to provide electricity to about 10,000 homes.

Tags: heartland institute, environment, dan miller

Go Wild at the World Wilderness Congress—Without Leaving Home

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:58:31 GMT

clipped by: Stumblerz
clipper's remarks: If you aren't attending WILD9--the weeklong World Wilderness Congress (November 6-13) that will bring together many of

Clip Source: environment.about.com

Go Wild at the World Wilderness Congress—Without Leaving Home

If you aren't attending WILD9--the weeklong World Wilderness Congress (November 6-13) that will bring together many of the world's leading conservationists and wilderness experts to debate and take action on critical environmental issues--you can still pull up a chair and join in through a variety of social networking tools that The WILD Foundation is using to broaden global participation in the event.

Jim DeMint Proposes Term Limits For Congress

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:56:49 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Rarely, he gets voted out--and Senator DeMint points out that 90% of all incumbents who seek re-election, win re-election.

Tom Coburn offers greater detail on why incumbents win re-election 90% of the time:

The power of incumbency has created an almost insurmountable advantage for Washington politicians. Incumbency allows politicians to raise millions of dollars in campaign funds in exchange for earmarks. Incumbency gives Congress the power to raise money for itself " Congress just approved itself an increase of nearly $250 million from the U.S. Treasury that members will spend to promote themselves.

Senator Coburn also points out that with redistricting (except for the unlucky Representative who gets drawn out of the House if his State loses one or more seats), a Representative, having good connections with his State legislature, can "choose his voters."

The effect of this amendment would be very simple. Senators would be limited to two terms or fifteen years ....

Clip Source: www.examiner.com

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) today announced his latest legislative introduction: a Congressional Joint Resolution to amend the Constitution to limit the maximum terms of service of Senators and Representatives.

Senator DeMint has three other Senators co-sponsoring his proposed amendment: Tom Coburn (R-OK), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), and Sam Brownback (R-KS).

Senator DeMint is making this proposal in order to remove from Washington the class of "permanent politicians" that represent their constituents only in name, and have every incentive to self-identify as permanent residents of Washington, DC, and not as permanent residents of their respective States or districts. He has a point. A Representative might possibly be forced out of office because his State lost a district in the Census, and he winds up being the one told to sacrifice his seat. That, of course, cannot happen to a Senator. Either type of member of Congress might be removed from office for misconduct.

Tags: congress, constitution, constitutional amendments, term limits

Proclamation of National Thanksgiving, George Washington

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:58:46 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.pbs.org

Proclamation of National Thanksgiving

George Washington

City of New York, October 3, 1789

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be.

ObamaCare: A Bad Deal for Young Adults

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:28:41 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Massachusetts benefits from another type of subsidy that props up its regime of mandates and price controls: large subsidies from the federal government. In contrast, the United States as a whole has no external party it can exploit to subsidize a nationwide Massachusetts-style health care overhaul"unless Congress finances that overhaul through additional deficit spending, which is really just another way of taxing the young to subsidize the old.

by Aaron Yelowitz

Aaron Yelowitz is an associate professor of economics at the University of Kentucky and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute. This paper is based on a lecture delivered to the Undergraduate Economics Society at the University of Kentucky on October 1, 2009.

Clip Source: www.cato.org

One of the most interesting questions about the health care overhaul now moving through Congress is how it would affect young adults. That legislation would force most or all Americans to purchase health insurance (an "individual mandate") and would impose price controls on health insurance ("community rating") that would limit insurers' ability to offer lower premiums to low-risk enrollees.

The irony is that Barack Obama won the presidency with 66 percent of the vote among adults aged 18 to 29. That's a larger share than any presidential candidate has won in decades. Yet his health care overhaul could impose its greatest burdens on young adults.

Those provisions would drive premiums down for 55-year-olds but would drive them up for 25-year-olds—who are then implicitly subsidizing older adults. According to the Urban Institute, many young people could see their premiums double, whereas premiums for older adults could be cut in half.

Tags: 0bamacare, 55-y-o pay lower premiums, young adults pay higher premiums

Dems Rejected 11 Amendments Requiring Congress to Enroll in same Health Plan

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:37:54 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: The Lords & Ladies of Congress are exempt from the sorry bill they are thrusting us under. "Representatives" indeed!!!

Clip Source: www.cnsnews.com

Dems Rejected 11 Amendments Requiring Congress to Enroll in Gov’t-Run Health Plan

More than 200 amendments were rejected by the House Rules Committee ahead of Saturday's vote on the Democrats' health care bill, including 11 that would have required members of Congress and other government officials to be enrolled in the same federal insurance plan proposed for the American people.

“If Congress forces our constituents into a public option plan over time, then members of Congress should be expected to do the same,” Rep. Howard McKeon (R-Calif.)

the second time McKeon had tried to amend the Democrats’ health plan to include legislators in the public option.

The Joe Lieberman Show

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:32:07 GMT

clipped by: zizzy
clipper's remarks: more @ clip source

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Lieberman Pledges To Filibuster House Bill "As A Matter Of Conscience" (VIDEO)

Quick Read |
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Top 15 Lieberman Betrayals: Joe's Worst Double-Crosses

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No Men: The Most Ornery, Obstructionist Senators

Kyl: I've Talked With Lieberman About His Filibuster Threat

Nine Arrested Protesting Lieberman's Healthcare Stance

REPORT: Health Care Reform Advocates Arrested After Occupying Senator Lieberman's Office

Harry Reid Reassures Democrats That Joe Lieberman Is On Board With Health Care Bill

Lieberman: "Nothing" Better Than Public Option (VIDEO)

Congress Assists In Torture Photo Cover-Up, Lieberman At Center Of Controversy

Lieberman Aiming To Weaken Climate Change Legislation

Tags: politics, joe lieberman, us senate, torture, healthcare reform, climate change

Shut Up or We'll Shut You Down

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:04:30 GMT

clipped by: dl211
clipper's remarks: No longer able to sit idly by while the President and his chief minion in the House amateurishly try to revamp one-sixth of the U.S. economy, the health insurance industry released a study they commissioned that analyzes the costs of the Obama-Pelosi plan. The results are quite sobering. The study shows that "between 2010 and 2019 the cumulative increases in the cost of a typical family policy under this reform proposal will be approximately $20,700 more than it would be under the current system." (Emphasis mine.)

Clip Source: www.americanthinker.com

Obama-Pelosi to Health Insurers: Shut Up or We'll Shut You Down

President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and their Democratic followers in Congress have a rather draconian message for the private sector: Speak now, and we'll make you forever hold your peace.

Up until a few weeks ago, America's health insurers were sheepishly on board with the Obama-Pelosi health care reform plan. Perhaps the industry feared that voicing any concern about the plan would unleash the ire of an increasingly rabid Democratic majority on Capitol Hill. As it turns out, the health insurers were right.

Tags: obama, pelosi, healthcare

Obama and The Democrats Want You to Know They Had a Good Week

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:23:25 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: During his campaign, in effect, Mr Obama promised to be the constraint: to oversee Congress and guide it with a moderating hand. That was the difference he promised to make. There were always going to be limits to what he could do, but his failure so far even to try has been total.

He has let nearly every agenda be set by the Democrats’ left-leaning congressional leadership. This comes in a country in which 40 per cent of voters call themselves conservatives, 36 per cent moderates and 20 per cent liberals.

Voters are confused and concerned about the policies coming forward " above all by their mounting cost " but he has made little effort to explain or reassure, let alone influence. He has chosen to act as cheerleader for whatever congressional Democrats cook up.

On healthcare, Mr Obama stood aside during months of chaotic haggling in Congress. By the summer, unsurprisingly, voters opposed to reform outnumbered voters in favour " again, above all, expressing worries . . .

Clip Source: www.ft.com

Barack Obama and the Democrats want you to know they had a good week.

What’s that, you say? Oh, yes, Democrats did lose the governorships of New Jersey and Virginia, with huge swings to the other side, but this was to be expected with the economy in such bad shape. Read nothing into that, say Democratic strategists.

Still joyous over this electoral affirmation, Democrats in the House of Representatives then made history over the weekend, with passage of their health-reform bill

Last week’s elections went badly for the Democrats.

The lesson for the Democrats was almost as clear, but their learning disability is more severe. The centre of the US electorate – loosely attached Democratic voters, self-declared independents and loosely attached Republican voters – decides elections.

Democrats should be worried about what voters think of them right now. The lesson for Mr Obama and his party is simple: listen to the centre. They are not listening.

Tags: ny 23rd bob owens, voters opposed to pelosicare

Only tiny fraction of House plan is "government-run health care"

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:33:00 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Too bad, I say. But Republicans are crowing about nothing.

Clip Source: factcheck.org

For several months, we’ve been debunking assertions that Democratic health care bills call for a Canadian or British-type system in which everyone is insured, or insured and cared for, through the government. None of the bills being debated in Congress call for such a single-payer system.

But Republicans are still recycling "government-run" claims

Boehner told Fox News that the revised House bill is "nothing short of a complete government takeover of our health care system." Boehner partly blamed the federal insurance plan for the takeover, saying, "you’re going to drive every private health insurance company out of business."

The claim that the House bill would amount to "government-run health care" suffered a blow last week, when the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the so-called "public plan" in the revised bill wouldn’t offer much in the way of competition to private insurers. But that hasn’t stopped Republicans from repeating the claim.

Tags: healthcare

From both sides of his mouth!!!!!

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:13:08 GMT

clipped by: mountainpalm
clipper's remarks: This latest move by the administration follows a pattern replicated countless times by Obama since assuming the presidency in January: denounce the lawless behavior of his Oval Office predecessor while continuing, even expanding, the reach of unaccountable security agencies that subvert constitutional guarantees barring "unreasonable searches and seizures."

Clip Source: www.globalresearch.ca

Spying on Americans: Obama Endorses Bush Era Warrantless Wiretapping

by Tom Burghardt

President Barack Obama instructed Justice Department attorneys to argue last week in San Francisco before Federal District Judge Vaughn Walker, that he must toss out the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Shubert v. Bush lawsuit challenging the secret state's driftnet surveillance of Americans' electronic communications.

In a Court filing late Friday night, the Obama Administration attempted to dress up in new clothes its embrace of one of the worst Bush Administration positions--that courts cannot be allowed to review the National Security Agency's massive, well-documented program of warrantless surveillance. In doing so it demonstrated that it will not willingly set limits on its own power and reinforced the need for Congress to step in and reform the so-called 'state secrets' privilege.