Letter from Sen. John Cornyn (R. Tx) regarding the Harry Reid health care bill

Sen. Cornyn's Health Care Reform Alert

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Last night, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid released his 2,074-page health care bill, which Senate Budget Committee analysis shows will cost American taxpayers $2.5 trillion when fully implemented over ten years.

Until we have had a chance to read the full 2,074 page Reid Bill, it’s impossible for Americans to fully grasp what the Majority Leader has cooked up behind closed doors. It is my hope that Sen. Reid will afford all Americans the same courtesy that he had: ample time to study the legislation and deliberate the best way to proceed.

What we do know so far, as reported by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), is that this bill will have a wide, negative impact on Americans across the board – from seniors on Medicare to small business owners to future generations of Americans who will be footing the bill. The bill will increase taxes on all Americans by nearly half a trillion dollars and breaks the President’s pledge not to raise taxes on working families earning less than $250,000—at a time that unemployment is at a 26-year high.

While CBO has not been given time to analyze the Reid bill’s impact on premiums, every other independent analysis to date has found that Reid’s new mandates and taxes will increase health care premiums on American families. The Reid bill increases taxpayer spending and liability for health care over the next ten years—instead of reforming our already insolvent entitlement programs. It will gut the already insolvent Medicare program by $464.6 billion, hurting access to care for seniors. It includes a government-run public option that will, according to CBO, have premiums higher than private plans and cause millions of Americans to lose the coverage they currently have. The largest expansion of Medicaid since it was created means the Medicaid program will be the only coverage option for 60 million Americans. It will also impose $28 billion in punitive taxes on employers who do not comply with Washington’s new job-killing mandates.

These initial findings are troubling, to say the least. My staff and I will be pouring over the 2,074 pages, assuming we are given the time to do so. You can access the full text of the Reid bill from my web site:http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/?p=HealthCareReformHQ.
It is essential that Congress take the time get health care reform right. If the President and Majority Leader are more interested in getting health care reform right for all 300 million Americans than they are in putting a political feather in their cap for the midterm elections, this shouldn’t be an issue.

** Rednex Note – Get involved.  Write your congressman and let them know that the American people want the time to analyse this bill.  Don’t let the government take your rights without a fight. 

Republicans: A historical primer and plead

Many people who know me, know that my libertarian leanings have led me to disagree with the Republican party on many things.  However, when it comes to the two party system in America, the Republican party comes the closest to matching my ideals, and with whom I usually side, on most issues.  That being said, with each passing day, I grow more and more discouraged and distrustful of the current day party.  I can no longer say that they closely represent my ideals, because it’s become almost impossible to differentiate Republicans from the Democrats.  It’s almost impossible to tell where Republicans draw the moral line and where their beliefs actually lie.  It’s for this reason, I’ve decided to give a short historical primer on the party in hopes that people, as well as those that call themselves Republican, will know from where they came.

Democrats and liberals alike love to paint the Republican party as “the party of old rich white men”.  You need only listen to any interview with that nut job Janeane Garofalo to hear how Republicans are nothing but racists and minority haters, as shown in this quote she made to Bill Maher in October:

It's obvious to anybody who has eyes in this country that tea-baggers, the 9-12ers, these separatist groups that pretend that it's about policy – they are clearly white-identity movements. They're clearly white power movements. What they don't like about the President is that he's black – or half black (applause) – and they, what also is shocking is that people keep pretending that that's not really the case with these people.

It's very weird that whenever this comes up in conversation, so few people are willing to say that yes it is racism, straight up racism. And the Republican Party has been willing to carry water for racists in this country since about the 1950s

However, she shows the depth of her ignorance in this statement.  The Republican Party was born in the 1850’s by a group of anti-slavery activists.  The “Great Emancipator” himself, Abe Lincoln, was the first Republican voted into the White House.  It was also the Republican party of this day that passed the 13th (outlawing slavery), 14th (granting African-Americans equal protection under the law), and 15th (securing African-American voting rights) amendments. 

Along with belief of  “Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Speech, Free Men”, the core Republican beliefs are as such (as taken from the GOP site):

• Power and ingenuity of the individual to succeed thru hard work, family support, and self discipline
• Value of voluntary giving and community support over taxation and forced redistribution
• Government must be limited so that it never becomes powerful enough to infringe on the rights of the individual
• Low taxes as individuals know best how to make their own economic and charitable choices
• Free market support of logical business regulation that encourages entrepreneurs to start business to enjoy fruits and satisfaction of self-made successes
• Preservation of national strength and defense while working for peace, freedom, and human rights

These are, at their core, beliefs and values I agree with.  While my libertarian mind may disagree on how best to ensure them, they are the same.  However, it seems to me, that the Republican party has abandoned these principals.  We saw this with George Bush’s implementation of the first auto bailout, the Republican congress’s increased agreeance of tax and spend, and the list goes on.  So concerned with bi-partisanship and political correctness, the Republican party disregarded their core values and deserted those that elected them to represent.  Today, it’s almost impossible to tell who is Republican and who is Democrat on speech alone.  I ask, why is it so important to concede and compromise your beliefs to reach a “middle ground”?  If you stick to your principals, the people will follow.  I believe this is precisely why the party is a shadow of it’s former self.  Having abandoned the values that made the people believe in them, they left the people with no hope.  They went so far off course, that the American people, looking for any method of direction change, placed this socialist Manchurian candidate in power today.  Sure, now they start to unite, but my trust in them is gone.

It’s for this reason that I believe we should remind those in Congress who they work for and vote them all out!!  Democrats and Republicans alike need to be reminded that they work for us, the people.  That they were sent to D.C. to represent our wants and ideals.  With current direction, Republicans are starting to unite and rally against the so called “change” that Obama is bringing, but I fear it may be too little, too late.  A message must be sent, a message that states, We are in control.  Do as we ask or you will be fired!  Yes, there are good Republicans in office today, but cherry picking which stay and which go will not send the resounding message required.  We must turn over the leadership and let them know that we will no longer tolerate their abuse.  Our founding forefathers had the insight to give us the most powerful weapon of all, the power of the vote.  We can take back control of our nation with this weapon, but we have to be willing to use it.

To end, I offer you three quotes:

"Now more than ever, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption."

James Garfield, 1877

“So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.”

Voltaire

“People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote -- a very different thing”

Walter H Judd

I urge each of you to become involved.  The effects of the decisions of today will have impact for decades to come.  It is your duty as an American to openly discuss, question, and comment on all policies and opinions.  Use this forum if you so desire.  If you like what I say, comment and let your voice be heard so that others will know they are not alone.  If you disagree, then I offer you to do the same.  Debate and comparison of ideas is the only way to affect change.  Those who don’t understand the issues, cannot intelligently decide on them.  I am not close minded.  If you believe me to be wrong, then show me where, but be prepared to acknowledge my arguments as well.  As stated by Judd above, it is only the majority that makes themselves heard that decide.  For too long, too many have kept a silent voice and the time for that to change is now.

Universal Healthcare: Is it even constitutional?

There are many things within the healthcare proposal that have seen the limelight of debate: Should there be a public option, will illegals be covered, does a person have the right to keep current insurance, but of all these things, I think we are missing the most important debate.  Is universal healthcare constitutional?

Grounds:  Right to Privacy and due process.

As discussed in a earlier post, Section 1401, Pg 503 gives the government health care center undisputed access and authority to pull information from any government source.  In addition, Section 1651, Pg 734 allows, for law enforcement sake, the Attorney General to receive from the Director of HHS, all medical information when requested and Section 431, Pg 195 allows the HC administration access to all financial and personal records.   What impact do these sections have on a persons right to due process and to privacy?  In Griswold vs. Connecticut, the US Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to privacy.  In addition, Whalen vs. Roe,  the court validated the duty to avoid unwarranted disclosure of personal information is rooted within the Constitution and the right to privacy.  It went on to state that “privacy involves two types of interests: individual interest in avoiding disclosure of personal matters, and an interest in protecting one’s independence in making certain decisions”. (William H. Roach, Medical Records and the law)

So with these two court decisions, we have precedence showing that we have the right to privacy in accordance with our medical information.  If the HHS uses our medical history to substantiate, or adjust, our health insurance allowance under a federal plan, then how is this not considered unconstitutional?  Likewise, with our medical records, financial information, etc being made available without written consent, on what grounds does the US government have access to this information?  If not charged with a crime or illegality, then it would seem that the government has no right.  One could claim that by signing up for the government plan, you provide your consent for access, but under the healthcare plan, subscribing to the plan is not an option, but a mandate.  If we are forced to enter into this plan, then by proxy, we are being forced to provide consent.  Where would this abuse stop?

Grounds:  Usurping of Federal Privilege via the Commerce Clause

Many healthcare proponents have cited Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3, more commonly known as the Commerce Clause.  This specific power granted to the Fed, allows for the “regulation of commerce with foreign nations, among several states, and with Indian tribes.” Using this clause, proponents content that the Fed has the power to regulate healthcare, as it deals with citizens of the US across all state borders; in addition, as health care comprises 1/6th of our GDP, regulation has a direct impact on economic affairs.  However, there are two major issues with this argument.

David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey cited two important court cases in the Washington Post:  United States vs. Lopez (1995) and United States vs. Morrison (2000).  In these two cases, the US Supreme Court rejected the notion that the commerce clause allowed the Fed to regulate non-economic activities, simply because, thru causal effects, they might have economic impact.  Judge Andrew Napolitano, expounds on this in his recent Wall Street Journal interview, by stating that the “practice of medicine consists of the delivery of intimate services.  In most all instances, this delivery occurs in one place and does not move across state lines.  One does not go to a doctor to engage in commerce, but to improve one’s health”. 

In addition, the application of the commerce clause is hypocritical when it comes to this issue.  Judge Napolitano continues in above article, to detail how Congressional regulation has allowed states to erect barriers that the commerce clause was expressly written to tear down.  In all states, Health insurance issuers are prohibited from selling policies to people in other states.  This artificially drives up health care cost, by disallowing the act of competition and individual policy creation.   Thereby, using this definition, its easy to see how the commerce clause would not apply to the health care debate.  How can proponents claim that this clause is the provision allowing the creation of universal health care, while on the other hand, the lack of the clause’s enforcement is a primary reason that health care insurance costs are so high?

Grounds:  Precedence of Roe vs. Wade

Ironically, a liberal agenda piece may actually be the guiding factor in determining the constitutionality of the universal healthcare plan.

In the 1960’s, the US Supreme Court created the right to privacy, and using that right, struck down a series of state/federal regulations of personal conduct, namely, the Roe v Wade (1973) abortion case.

While not abortion specific, the US Supreme Court established a constitutionally mandated zone of personal privacy that must be made free of government regulation.  The court explained this rationale in Planned Parenthood v Casey (1992) by stating:

"these matters, involving the most intimate and personal choices a person may make in a lifetime, choices central to personal dignity and autonomy, are central to the liberty protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and the mystery of human life."

If Roe v Wade upholds that a “right to abortion” holds true as a“choice central to personal dignity and autonomy”, then it would also seem to hold true that a person’s choice in intimate medical care would be covered under the same statue?  How could the inability to regulate fetal life within one’s own body, suddenly be found doable for the inclusion of medical devices, procedures, etc.  If the government cannot interfere or regulate a person’s physical body in the case of abortion, then it would likewise be unable to force a regulation in the terms of health care.

Rivkin and Casey state in another Wall Street Journal article that the weakness of the healthcare debate is shown via the principal of one size fits all approach.  Proper health care is uniquely individual as it is based on unique lifestyle choices, genetics, predispositions.  That under the health care proposal, the government seeks to a regularity in the application of governmental power with regards to health care practice.  By establishing this regularity, it will serve to limit the individual choice, taking primary decision away from the patient and their doctor, thus making the system constitutionally weak.

Grounds:  Improper Taxation

Lastly, within the healthcare bill, Section 313, Pg149-150 provides for a 2-8% tax on any employers who does not provide for the public option, while Sec. 401.59B, Pg 167 provides for a personal tax on any individual without health care.  Given the government’s right under Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 of the Constitution to collect taxes, how could this be an argument for unconstitutional grounds?

First, Ernest Christianson explains to us in a Tax.com article that Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution forbids direct tax that is not apportioned among several states according to their numbers.  In addition, Article 1, Section 9 states that “no direct tax shall be laid, unless in proportion with the Census or Enumeration herein”.  So given this, how is Congress pushing this tax thru with the healthcare bill?

Well, Sen. Baucus has claimed that the tax imposed on the uninsured is an "indirect tax” or an excise tax and doesn’t have to be apportioned.  However, Christian explains to us the error in this thinking, in that excise taxes are levied on a “thing”, not a person.  That a tax imposed directly on a person is akin to an income tax.  In addition, since this tax is levied only on those that fail to come under the plan, it is an unfair tax on action, which is beyond congressional authority.

In Bailey v. Drexel Furniture (1922), the Supreme Court established that Congress could not impose a “tax” to control behavior or conduct that it could regulate under the commerce clause.  In this case, the issue stemmed around the utilization of child labor, but the same precedent could be held for health care.  Since the tax included in the bill is only applied to those that choose not to participate, it is, in essence, a penalty for non-compliance.  Given the above shaky case for health care under the commerce clause, the precedent would hold true here.  As congress has no ability to regulate health care under the commerce clause, then neither does it have the authority to penalize the conduct (inaction) of citizens for non-participation.

Conclusion

For all the arguments against Obama Care, this is one argument that I would like to see more publicized. Lawyers are usually so quick to jump into the fray, but strangely, constitutional lawyers have been silent on this one.  Could it be that the Obama Administration is the lawyers saving grace, or is it that they too are scared to speak out against Pres. Obama for fear of back lash.  I know that the question has been raised to both the President, Speaker Pelosi, and others, but the idea of the bill being unconstitutional is always brushed off.  I find that a travesty and feel that we, the people, should demand an answer.  Why even go thru the debate and arguments if it can be found that the bill would not be legal under our founding documents. 

Of all mistakes, Lack of Leadership is the Biggest

We are a country in trial now.  We are in the midst of a politico cause financial disaster, a unemployment rate of 10.2% to 17.5% (depending on calculation method used), and a nation that now borrows it’s living expenses from foreign countries.  We need a leader!  We need a president that is willing, and able, to guide us thru these times and tribulations, but sadly, we are left with no captain at the helm.

I’m not sure we should be surprised.  America was so caught up by the showmanship and speech of our current president, so excited by his claims of “hope and change”, that they failed to fact check his resume.  They failed to find that, not only was he not qualified for the position, but that he also lacked the leadership characteristics to prepare him for the job at hand.  The American people hired this man because he was “likeable” and “well spoken”.  His victory was one of stardom, not record. 

Pres. Obama’s only claim to legitimacy is his three years spent as a senator and time as a state senator.  During that time, he was absent for 314 of 1300 roll call votes (24%), often putting him in the worst 10% of congress.  As a state senator for Illinois, 129 times, our current President chose to vote “present” .  While, this only represented ~ 3% of his votes, its a flag for his leadership.  These were not insignificant bills, but politically contentious issues which included votes on partial-birth abortions, the ability to seal court records of victims of rape and sexual abuse, and protection of a child if surviving an abortion attempt.  For a man who campaigned on a promise to “tackle and address” the tough issues, I don’t see how this fits his declaration.

One would also assume that at least some foreign policy experience would be needed to fill such an important office, but Pres. Obama has none.  One need only look at some of his recent policy decisions/actions, to see his lack here as well.

Great Britain
As our strongest, most loyal ally, one would expect the President of the United States to treat the UK with respect, but Pres. Obama has snubbed them at every turn.  From the returning of the Churchill Bust, to the undiplomatic reception of PM Brown, to the narcissistic offering of an IPOD of his speeches to the Queen, our president has shown nothing but contempt to our friends across the pond. 

Honduras
In spurn to a Latin American ally, Latin American Honduras, President Obama quickly condemned and sanctioned the country of Honduras for diplomatically, and legally, removing President Manuel Zelaya from power after his attempts at an unconstitutional power grab.  After a 15-0 Honduran Supreme Court decision (of which 8 members were of Zelaya’s own party) to remove the  President  Zelaya under article 239 of their constitution, the Pres. Obama's reaction was to cutoff aid to this invaluable ally and deny political visas to it’s leaders.  As a lone example of democracy in this region, an ally on our war on drugs, and a $5B annual export country, we should take a stand and defend the actions of this Honduras, but instead, we have abandoned them.

Poland & Czech Republic
In an effort to placate Russia, Pres. Obama pulled out of the missile defense shield to be deployed in Poland and the Czech Republic.  In a hopes to win Russia’s support in negotiating with Iran, Obama stated that “”the initiative was aimed at the wrong enemy, Iran” just shortly before we learned of Iran’s development of weapons grade plutonium and enrichment.  Talk about a timing miscue of ultimate proportion!  While this move does not severely harm our allies, due to their involvement with NATO, it is a definite mistake to abandon allies who went to grave political sacrifice to allow this defense.  Leadership is not throwing your friends and allies under the proverbial bus.  Worst off, we made this concession and gained nothing in return.  No promise of help from Russia, no pressure on Iran, no concession on Russia's part at all.  For the return of nothing, we abandoned friends.

Iran
Even French Prime Minister Sarkozy showed public contempt for our president over his handling of the Iran nuclear announcement.  When Pres. Obama called for proposals for dialogue, PM Sarkozy responded with:

"What good has proposals for dialogue brought the international community?" More uranium enrichment and declarations by the leaders of Iran to wipe out a UN member state off the map."

Who thought we would see the day when the French would be lecturing us on taking soft handed approaches to hard subjects?  This may very well be the biggest insult of all.

In addition, Iran flaunts it’s arrogance directly in the face of our leader.  After Obama states “Iran has been put on notice” during a speech in Pittsburg, Iran’s response was to test two ballistic  missiles capable of carrying warheads 1,200 miles.  Pres. Obama:  You threw down the gauntlet and it was picked up and used to slap you in the face.  Where do you leave this country when your words carry no fear, no slight of retribution.  Our country is being threatened, yet you do nothing!

Afghanistan
General McChrystal, Obama’s commander in Afghanistan, has requested an additional 40,000 more troops else America risks failure in the theater.  A request that is seconded by McChrystal’s superiors.  However, our president has done nothing with regards to this request.  For a president who campaigned on the idea that victory in Afghanistan was paramount, how can you go for over 70 days without talking to your military commanders.  You can find time to unsuccessfully campaign to bring the Olympics to your beloved Chicago, to hold town halls with citizens of foreign countries, but yet you have no time to make a decision, when indecisiveness puts the sons and daughters of America in harms way?  You, a man of no military background or service, think you know better than a general how best to handle conflict?  A true sign of leadership is knowing when to defer and trust the decisions of those who know.  It’s time you used your backbone and allowed our military what it requires.  Waffling and delaying on decisions that put this countries sovereignty at risk are not the leadership we need.

Presidential cabinet
Another true sign of leadership, is the people that person chooses to surround himself/herself with.  Again, you fail in this regard.  You have chosen tax frauds and cheats as your top advisors.  Kathleen Sebelius, Tom Daschle, Nancy Killefer, Ron Kirk, and worst of all, Timothy Geithner.  Please tell me how you think it’s a good idea to put a man in charge of the Treasury, who himself is unable to properly pay his taxes.  Have you no vetting process for your advisors?  Do you not consider character at all in your appointments?  My fear is that you do not.  It’s not hard for a man of questionable character to associate with others of the same character.  Again, America was blind and should have seen this with your associations of Saul Alinsky, Rev. Wright, and others.

Failure in your own policies
Lastly, the most appalling lack of leadership, is the fact that you are unable to even usher in your own policies.  You promised this countries people transparency and openness, yet your shoved the $787B stimulus package down our throats via your doom and gloom speeches that drove the Dow below 7000.  You stated action had to be immediate, with no time for oversight, yet when the bill was passed, you went on a three day vacation before signing it into law?  Where was the urgency then?  You preached health care, but you haven’t even guided your team for it’s proposal.  Instead, you allow Pelosi, Reid, and Bakkus to outline YOUR agenda.  You state falsities of “no illegals covered” when there are no provisions to protect against it.  You state that the bill will not cost us one dime, but the CBO states that it would add $249B to the deficit, for an overall cost of $1.5T.  When asked by a blogger “Will people be able to keep their insurance and will insurers be able to write new policies under your health care plan?”, You, yourself, stated “You know, I have to say, I’m not familiar with the provision you are talking about”.  If you don’t understand, or know, the provisions of your own healthcare plan, then how are you leading?  To say I disagree with the policies your agenda is forwarding is a gross understatement, but atleast I would have some respect for you if you stood up and directed the policies in your name.  I can respect someone who leads, even if in opposition to my beliefs, but you sir, have shown no such determination.

Lastly, as the American people start overwhelming uniting in opposition to your policies and direction via tea parties, you aren’t even aware that they are demonstrating.  How can a leader be so out of touch with his people?  However, rather than facing the critics and leading, you choose to attack and start a war with Fox news?  In fact, you release the hounds on anyone that opposes, or speaks out, against you.  You label them racists and bigots.  I don’t care that you are black (half-black?), all I care about is your steering this country towards a cliff.  I guess that makes me a racist, but then again, I was never aware that socialism was considered a race.

This country needs a leader and that is not Barack Obama.  We are at time of crisis and we need someone that lift us out and expounds on our virtues, reminding us of why this country is great, not tour the world apologizing for us.  A leader that will not stand by and politely listen while a dictator bashes his country, but one with the fortitude to walk out or refuse the handshake of a dictator.  A leader that believes in the country he leads, it’s place as a shining light in this world, and not someone who bows before rulers of enemy nations.  We need a leader and I pray that we will find one come the next election.  Just like we hired you with a lack of experience, we can fire you for the same reason.

Universal Health Care: Coverage for all or just governmental control?

There are many things to be worried about it when it comes to the health care proposal that is being debated currently, but I think the most disconcerting of all is that amount of control this bill grants the government over our lives.  I can hear you naysayers now saying “Man, this is the conspiracy theory rants all over again”, but let me break down some of the provisions of the health care bill and let you make up your own mind.

Control of Private Citizens

Sec. 1401, Pg. 503 – Comparative Effectiveness Research

(3) POWERS-

`(A) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA- The Center may secure directly from any department or agency of the United States information necessary to enable it to carry out this section. Upon request of the Center, the head of that department or agency shall furnish that information to the Center on an agreed upon schedule.

`(B) DATA COLLECTION- In order to carry out its functions, the Center shall--

`(i) utilize existing information, both published and unpublished, where possible, collected and assessed either by its own staff or under other arrangements made in accordance with this section,

Notice the important parts here, “may secure directly from any department or agency of the United States”.  There are no exclusions here, it clearly states ANY department.  In addition, it goes on to state that the Center may use both published and unpublished information, again with no restrictions.  You are hereby giving the government unrestricted access into your private lives, allowing them to create a data network of your most private information.  No longer will you rest assured of “Doctor/Patient confidentiality”, the government will have access to all.

Sec. 1711, Pg. 764 – Required Coverage of Preventative Services

`(z) Preventive Services- The preventive services described in this subsection are services not otherwise described in subsection (a) or (r) that the Secretary determines are--

`(1)(A) recommended with a grade of A or B by the Task Force for Clinical Preventive Services; or

`(B) vaccines recommended for use as appropriate by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and

`(2) appropriate for individuals entitled to medical assistance under this title.'.

Here, the bill states, that if a preventive service recommended by a grade of A or B, or vaccines determined appropriate by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), then they will be given to those entitled to medical assistance.  You worried about Swine Flu?  With this section, you need not worry, cause you will have forced immunization regardless of if you want it or not.

Sec. 1801, Pg. 828-832 -  Disclosures to Facilitate Identification of Individuals likely to be ineligible for low-income assistance

(a) In General- Paragraph (19) of section 6103(l) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended to read as follows:

`(19) DISCLOSURES TO FACILITATE IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS LIKELY TO BE INELIGIBLE FOR LOW-INCOME SUBSIDIES UNDER MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROGRAM TO ASSIST SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION'S OUTREACH TO ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS-

`(A) IN GENERAL- Upon written request from the Commissioner of Social Security, the following return information (including such information disclosed to the Social Security Administration under paragraph (1) or (5)) shall be disclosed to officers and employees of the Social Security Administration, with respect to any taxpayer identified by the Commissioner of Social Security--

`(i) return information for the applicable year from returns with respect to wages (as defined in section 3121(a) or 3401(a)) and payments of retirement income (as described in paragraph (1) of this subsection),

`(ii) unearned income information and income information of the taxpayer from partnerships, trusts, estates, and subchapter S corporations for the applicable year,

`(iii) if the individual filed an income tax return for the applicable year, the filing status, number of dependents, income from farming, and income from self-employment, on such return,

`(iv) if the individual is a married individual filing a separate return for the applicable year, the social security number (if reasonably available) of the spouse on such return,

`(v) if the individual files a joint return for the applicable year, the social security number, unearned income information, and income information from partnerships, trusts, estates, and subchapter S corporations of the individual's spouse on such return, and

`(vi) such other return information relating to the individual (or the individual's spouse in the case of a joint return) as is prescribed by the Secretary by regulation as might indicate that the individual is likely to be ineligible for a low-income prescription drug subsidy under section 1860D-14 of the Social Security Act.

 

This one is hard to read, I know, but this bill amends the IRS code to allow access to your personal financial information, and if you file jointly, that of your spouse to determine where you fall on the eligibility scale.  This includes not only wages, but also monies from trusts and partnerships that your family may be involved.

Sec. 440, Pg. 843-844 – Home visitation program for families with young children and families expecting children.

This is a pretty big section that goes into Sec. 1904, Pg. 843-844, so I will spare you the full section, but pay special attention to this:

`(v) provide parents with--

`(I) knowledge of age-appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social, emotional, and motor domains (including knowledge of second language acquisition, in the case of English language learners);

`(II) knowledge of realistic expectations of age-appropriate child behaviors;

`(III) knowledge of health and wellness issues for children and parents;

`(IV) modeling, consulting, and coaching on parenting practices;

`(V) skills to interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development;

`(VI) skills to recognize and seek help for issues related to health, developmental delays, and social, emotional, and behavioral skills; and

`(VII) activities designed to help parents become full partners in the education of their children;

I guess it’s only right.  The government does know what’s better for us and our children than we do, right?  Well this bill says yes.  Notice that this section allows for visitation to provide parents “modeling, consulting, and coaching on parental practices” as well as providing" knowledge of realistic expectations of age-appropriate child behaviors”.  So a stranger gets to come into your home and lecture to you about what is realistic for you to expect from your child?  A person that knows nothing about your family, morals, or way of life?  Yeah, and this system has work so well in the foster care arena.  While I’m not a parent, I think I would have grave problems with anyone telling me what I should expect from my child, much less some government drone that meets with 100 families a week.

Sec 2521, Pg. 1000 – National Medical Device Registry

`(g)(1) The Secretary shall establish a national medical device registry (in this subsection referred to as the `registry') to facilitate analysis of postmarket safety and outcomes data on each device that--

`(A) is or has been used in or on a patient; and

`(B) is--

`(i) a class III device; or

`(ii) a class II device that is implantable, life-supporting, or life-sustaining.

 

Again, another very long section, but as titled above, if you have a medical device used, or implanted, in your person, that device (you!) will be tracked by this national registry.   They state that the purpose of this clause is to examine, and track, the outcome of such devices in patient wellness.  However, how will they be able to determine the effect unless they know how you lived with the device?  Will your moves, lifestyle, and choices all be recorded for the “purpose of outcome evaluation?”  Even if you had a device implanted before enactment of the bill, subsection 4, line (A)(i) would require manufactures of said devices to submit information to the registry, if deemed necessary by the Secretary.  Again, a very scary proposition knowing the government, by virtue of caring for you, now has the ability (mandate?) to track your life thereafter and that the value of your choices may impact the next citizen needing such device.

 

First, by no means am I a lawyer, which you most certainly need to be to really be able to understand the provisions of this bill, but I have picked out the sections of the bill that seemed most easy to understand.  That being said, this is by no means a full accounting of the privacy and control issues that exist with this disastrous legislation, but hopefully, it’s enough to open your eyes and start asking questions.

** Note:  I did not even start getting into the limitations and restrictions that this bill would put on our Doctors and Nurses.  I felt that this post was getting far too long, but rest assured, if passed, the medical profession would cease to be the sought after career it once was due to the suffocating control imposed upon it by our government.  If interested, I will dig into it, but not until.  That said, stay tuned in next few days when I look into other claims of this so-called “health reform act”.

Joe Wilson is my hero!

Why would I consider Joe Wilson (R -S.Carolina) my hero you ask? The answer is simple: On September 9th, 2009, President Obama was giving a speech to a joint session of Congress dispelling the "myths of healthcare" when he made a statement that "Illegal Aliens would not be covered under the current health care plan" to which Rep. Joe Wilson responded with a resounding "YOU LIE!"

Why would this simple act raise this man to hero status in my eyes? It did so because Rep. Wilson spoke the truth, he had passion about the American President lying to the American people, and with those simple words, brought a much needed question to the forefront of this debate, which is "What is the truth?"

Today's leadership tries very hard to spread the falsehood that illegals won't be covered because, due to a Rasmussen poll, nearly 80% of the American population oppose the covering of illegal aliens under any health care plan Critics: Free Health Care means more illegals Many proponents will even state that the bill doesn't specifically include coverage for illegal aliens so therefore the president is correct. They will even go so far as to point out Section 246 of the bill specifically denies subsidies and payments "on behalf of of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States". However, it's important to note, while this provision is included within the bill, there are absolutely zero methods to enforce this section of the bill. In fact, any attempt by the Republicans to ammend the bill so this section is enforceable, have been defeated by the Democrat leadership.

Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) offered up a Republican ammendment to the health care plan that would have provided checks and balances, and a method of enforcement, to prevent illegal aliens from receiving government subsidized health care, however, this ammendment was shot down by the House Ways and Means committee in a 26-to-15 vote following straight party lines. So if the Democrats are so opposed to the covering of illegal aliens, why defeat an ammendment that would ensure it's probablilty? The answer is, they are counting on the fact that Section 246 is unenforceable, providing them their goal of complete coverage, while allowing them to maintain that they opposed it all along. Now are you starting to see the genius of Rep. Wilson's statement?

Jack Martin, Director of Special Project at the Federation for American Immigration Reform states, that by defeating Rep. Heller's ammendment, “there is no system for the verification of identity, and the entitlement to receive those benefits." Urban Grind The Congression Research Service (CRS) itself states "Under H.R. 3200, a 'Health Insurance Exchange' would begin operation in 2013 and would offer private plans alongside a public option…H.R. 3200 does not contain any restrictions on noncitzens—whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently—participating in the Exchange." Washington Examiner The CRS goes on to state that there are no provision requiring those that seek coverage or services to provide any proof of citizenship.

Lastly, the leadership is operating on the principal of "least known facts" to help ensure that they reach their goal of covering illegals. Even under section 246, the standards are so lax, it would not be hard for illegals to meet the standard. According to John Sheils of the Lewin Group, a health care consulting firm for UnitedHealth Group, of the 12 million undocumented aliens (Obama's number given during the 2008 presidential campaign), over half (5-6 million) use falsified documents to obtain employment. Ronald W Mortensen, in a recent Center for Immigration Studies research paper, puts that estimate even higher by stating that experts suggest that ~75% of working age illegals use fraudulent Social Security cards for employment dispelling the misconception that illegals are undocumented. Couple that with the fact that many can use these documents to obtain Driver's Licenses and/or State ID cards, you can start to see how Section 246 of the health care plan will do absolutely nothing to prevent the coverage of illegal aliens under the government plan.

So with all that said, again, Rep. Joe Wilson is my hero for have the courage and fortitude to stand up and publicly call the President out on what he was doing, which is lying to the American people. The only thing I disagree with Rep. Wilson on is that he apologized for his statements. Was the outburst against congressional decorum, yes, but at a time when this country's leadership is doing everything in it's power to bancrupt and move this country down a socialist path, I think a lack of decorum is needed! Sen. John McCain called Rep. Wilson's comments "totally disrespectful" and asked for an apology. Well Sen. McCain, maybe if you would have had showed the same passion and contempt for the lies as Joe Wilson, you might not have lost the election to begin with and we wouldn't be worring about this disaster that is ObamaCare. To all the Congress men and women who felt the need to condemn Rep. Wilson for his comments, take a look around you. See that your constituents do not want this bill passed and that it is bad for America. You condemn the man that "was disrespectful and engaged in childish name calling" but you say nothing about a President who stands before his people and flat out lies about his plans. You are silent while our President leads us down yet another road of broken promises and false statements. You should look in yourself and see, Joe Wilson did what was right for America and called out the lies that are being spoken to us. I would consider this country lucky if we had more representatives like Joe Wilson and less that are willing to sacrifice the good of this country for misguided "respect and decorum".

FT. Hood: An act of Terrorism

Imagine if you will, a police officer sitting in his patrol car on his city streets. This police officer is a decorated gang task force member, well known in his department as a man that has done serious damage to the gangs that prey upon his city. He has been recognized for his efforts and is considered a hero for the work that he does. As he sits in his car, a lone gang member sneaks up behind him, pulls a pistol, and shoots this officer in the head, killing him instantly. Quickly, the perpetrator is captured and taken to jail.

Almost immediately after the shooting, the Police Chief is on TV stating that this gruesome murder is not gang related. Never mind the fact that the man in custody for the crime is a well known for pro-gang speech, wearing gang colors, sports numerous gang tattoos, nor that witnesses to the crime state that the criminal shouted "This is for putting my brothers in jail!" right before the shooting. The police chief still declares that the shooting was not gang related.

Just a short time after the police chief makes this declaration; the Mayor of that city goes to a neighborhood well known as the turf of a specific gang and gives a press conference stating that he will personally ensure that there are no repercussions upon the neighborhoods inhabitants due to this crime. That the criminal was alone and it can't be proven that he had any direct ties to the gang to which the Mayor is now speaking. That the members of this gang should feel safe knowing that all major parties believe that this killing was not gang related.

As you read this story, do you get a feeling that this is farfetched story, one of pure fiction? Well, it's not that much different from what is happening at Ft. Hood now. Almost immediately, less than 30 minutes, after the coward Nadal Malik Hasan butchered 13 American soldiers and wounded 30 others, US officials were on TV declaring that this massacre was not terror related. There is absolutely no way that anyone could have known if it was, was not, terror related in such a short time frame, so why were they so quick to declare it not? Now, as we learn more about this man, we have every reason to think differently.

Never minding the fact that Hasan proudly declared that he was a Muslim first, American second. Foregoing proof that Hasan publicly defended, even stated that he admired, suicide bombers, or that they have emails showing him communicating with Al Qaeda, our leaders cannot admit that this was an act of terror. Ignoring testimonies that this man, charged with the well being of our returning soldiers, often advised these soldiers to convert to Islam and counseled them that they were fighting an unjust war, this man was left alone to commit this crime. Our leaders state that there are no direct ties to terrorists’ organizations, so therefore, this cannot be an act of terror, but we need to look no farther than the words of Nadal Hasan himself to see that it was. Witnesses and neighbors state that Hasan was handing out Koran's that day and stating that he was going to do "God's work" and, just prior to the shootings, he was heard yelling "Allahu Akbar". This is proof that the man who committed this heinous act was doing so in the name of a cause, a cause that is supported by Jihadists around the world, which is to kill infidels in the name of Islam.

My goal here is not to dissect the past and find any person other than Nadal Malik Hasan responsible for these crimes, but to hopefully open the eyes of America to learn from its mistakes. In order to address and resolve an issue, we must first admit that there is one. We can no longer deny that we are involved in a war on terror, a war in which our enemy seeks to completely and utterly annilate us. A war in which there is no middle ground, no compromise, no ending other than to see us, and our way of life, destroyed. Call this cowardice what it was, an act of terrorism, not a "Man Made Disaster". Doing anything other than speaking the truth only emboldens our enemy and causes harm to this country.

Our leaders use word games to down play the threat against us in an effort to dispel prejudice, but by not speaking truthfully, they are only expanding and proliferating the bigotry. By not being honest, these acts lead people to fear any, and all, associated. Not all Muslims are terrorists, but a large majority of terrorists are Muslim. We must face that fact and attack it head on. We are not interested the modern Muslim, but instead, those that are extreme Islamists and Jihadists. Our leaders must draw that line and openly seek to show where that line lay. If you are Muslim who practices your faith, we have no concern with you. However, if you are a Muslim that openly preaches death to infidels, the heroism of suicide bombings, or associate with known extremists, then you are our targets. We will be coming after you to prevent attacks on our citizens. It is the government’s mandate, its goal, to protect its citizens, but being afraid to call out, and honestly speak against, those that do us harm, does an even greater harm. When our leaders go to radical Islamist nations and state that we will ensure that there is no backlash resulting from these crimes, then our enemies grow stronger, knowing that they can attack us at will.

We are at war and our enemy is causing damage! It's time to do your job and protect your citizens, not pander and bow before the threat of political correctness. The greatest threat an enemy can do is to damage those that protect us and this is exactly what happened at Ft. Hood. Our enemy struck a blow to our protectors. They have instilled a fear in a place where our soldiers should find comfort. This is a time for our citizens to stand up for, and protect, those that offer their lives for our freedom. We must demand that our leaders do their jobs and protect our country. We must demand that our leaders stop playing the word games, falsely apologizing for our country, and pandering to our enemies in hopes of a non-violent resolution. We have been attacked, multiple times, and our citizens and soldiers have paid for those attacks in blood. We can no longer ignore the obvious, in that there are people who hate us for our way of life, and we must come to the defense of our freedom. We can no longer worry about "hurting the feelings" of our neighbors when our very safety, and sovereignty, are at stake!! This country cannot afford to go back to a pre-9/11 mentality. We cannot forget that there are those that wish to do us harm, simply because of our freedom, and we must have the courage and the fortitude to stand up for our beliefs.

Kentucky judge overturns ruling on funeral protests

If you have ever wondered why I believe that the American Legal system is a joke, then here is a good example. Today, Kentucky judge Karen Caldwell has suspended a state law banning funeral protests within 300 feet of proceedings as being to restrictive on free speech.

The ruling came about due to challenge presented by the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas who have been protesting military funerals as "God's punishment for America supporting gay rights." The members of the Westboro church believe that god is allowing the killing of our soldiers due to the fact that America has supported gay rights in this country. These so called christians have been seen sporting signs at military funerals with slogans such as "Thank god for IEDs" (improvised explosive devices such as those used by terrorists) and "They turned America over to fags, so you're coming home in body bags".

Now I don't give a rat's ass what side of the Gay rights debate you are on, why can you not allow people to bury their dead in peace? These are men that died for your right to be a complete jackass and you have the gall to disrespect their burial by blaming their sacrafice on the fact that gay rights are supported?

Judge Caldwell, you are the embodiment of what is wrong with our legal system today. I don't disagree with a person's right to protest, even if I disagree with the message they are delivering, but give that message precedent over a families right to bury their loved ones with respect and rememberance is an outrage. As stated, 300 feet is the same buffer zone that is granted to voting precints during elections, but yet this is deemed too far for a solemn funeral event. Loved ones and mourning be damned! Those fuckers in Kentucky have the right to hold their pickets signs and protest as the funeral caravan drives thru.

So Mrs. Caldwell, should someone close and loved by you pass away, I hope you don't mind that I show up at their funeral with pickets signs protesting the idiotic, moronic, and just plain assinine legal "professionals" that our colleges turn out today. My chant of "Lawyers are a joke, so your loved one had to croak" isn't disrepectful, it's just me using my First amendment right. Now thanks to you, I will be able to stand right beside you as I chant it. ;)

-Rednex

Women gamers - Why are men so threatened?

So I was reading my good buddy Major Nelson's blog today and one article got me laughing and pissed off at the same time. So naturally, I decided to come to my own little blog spot and share my ideas on it with you.

The particular entry I was reading had to do with a Podcast that Nelson recently did with some members of the PMS clan. For those of you who don't know, the PMS Clan (Pandora's Mighty Soldiers) is the first and largest group of all-female gamers who concentrate on First Person Shooter (FPS) type games. As they say, "We can be found on any game or platform with a gun". This group was founded to increase the amount of girl gamers in a mostly male dominated community and just lend some support to the girls already out there.

Okay, with the pre-lims out of the way, I can now focus on the meat of this rant. After the podcast, there were tons comments from the community regarding the PMS girls as a whole. While some people were nice, a majority of the guys commenting has less than complimentary things to say about the girls and PMS in general. A specific guy I want to call out is someone who goes by the name Major Newbie on the site.

Now this guy was a piece of work. He was sayin things about these girls that a pimp wouldn't say about a $2 hooker. Then when Trixie, another Xbox Live Celebrity, took a stand for the girls, this guy and others started berating her. Now for those of you who know me, this is when my "big brother" gene kicked in and I responded back, but truth be known, I didn't say enough. So here we go:

Guys, you need grow some nuts, move out of your parents' houses, and learn what it is to be men. Do you think it makes you big to call these girls names and berate them simply because they are better than you at Halo 2? It makes you and all other men look like jackasses is what it does and frankly, I'm sick of being lumped in with you nitwits. It's easy to pretend you're tough and spout this kind of talk when you have anonymity of the internet backing you up, but lets face it, you are a pimply-faced little boy who gets pantsed daily in school and the only way you feel you can have any power is to take it out on the females who are better than you in what you consider to be your only real skill.

It's a video game. They kicked your ass. Nut up and be a freakin man and accept it for what it is; you got owned. Had it been a man that did this to you, you would have said good game, sent them a friend request, and moved on. Why is it so hard to do that with a girl? Does it matter that she's not packing the same equipment as you? I guess for those of you with problems in that area, it does.

I've played with the girls and even met a few of them and they are probably some of the coolest gamers I've ever met. I just can't for the life of me understand why guys have such a problem with this. They say things like, "They are only popular cause they are cute" and "The media only gives them attention cause they wear a skirt". Of course they are cute, they are females. For the majority of men out there, cute females are a GOOD thing. Does that make them play better? About as much as that new $70 dollar controller will make you a sniping prodigy. Does the media give them attention because they wear a skirt. Yeah they do, but it's not only cause they wear a skirt, they are exceptionally good gamers. They are females who excel in a male dominated activity. Of course that will get them coverage. The same way Anna Sorenstam got coverage when she played on the PGA tour or when blah blah qualified for Formula 1 racing.

There just aren't many girls in an area that is fast becoming one of the biggest past times there is and guess what, PMS wants more. So get used to it. Us men will be dying at the video gaming hands of girls from now on. It's just a fact.

It boils down to this: These girls put up with more shit just for the love of video games than anyone should have to. They work 40 hour jobs, take care of families, deal with the men in their lives, deal with countless assholes like Major Newbie online, and still have time to practice and become outstanding in their game of choice. I've heard the trash talk that these girls put up with online and I tell you, they have more grace than I ever would. If someone talked to me online the same way they talk to the PMS girls, I would be a real life scene from from Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, roaming the country with phone book in hand beating respect into people that did not have it. Not these girls tho, they smile, say nice game, and leave. Now if that doesn't earn respect right there, then I don't know what does.

Besides, you are missing a truely valuable point here. These are extremely hot women who have an extreme love of video games. For christ's sake, sign me up!!! I would love to date one of these girls, because personally, I don't think it gets any better than that. A couple that games together will stay together. Well, okay, I don't know that for a fact, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I find out real soon. ;)

So cut the girls some slack and shut your PMS hating holes. Be nice to them, they might be able to teach you how they whip your ass all the time! ;)
-Rednex

Patriotism will soon be unconstitutional

Far fetched you say? I think not! In a ruling by San Francisco Judge Lawrence Karlton, it is now unconstitutional to say the Pledge of Allegiance in schools.

Leave it to a California judge to take a symbol of patriotism and state that it's not constitutional. He based his ruling on the fact that the words "one nation UNDER GOD" violates a school child's right to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God".

The lawsuit was first brought to the court by a Michael Newdow, an atheist, on behalf of his daughter but was later rejected on Procedural grounds from the Supreme Court due to the fact that Mr. Newdow did not have custody of his elementary school daughter whom he sued on behalf of.

It's this type of attitude that really gets my blood boiling. First of all, the pledge of allegiance is not an affirmation of god, but a patriotic pledge to your country. This country was founded on the premise of religious freedom, but was also founded on the ideals of Christianity. What this means is, we are a Christian nation whose starting laws and ideals are based on Christianity, however, if you choose to follow another religion, it will be allowed without fear of retribution or rebuke. However, in recent times, this idea of religious freedom has seemed to take on the theory that there must be a complete abolition of all religious thought.

The answer to this issue is very simple. Follow your ideals, but leave others alone. If you disagree with the words "Under God" simply do not state them. I have had it up to my eyeballs with every minority in the nation attempting to dissolve the very foundations that this country was built on. The concept of God was a corner stone of our founding father's belief system and you will find it in almost aspects of our nation. What is next? Will all things that contain the word God be declared unconstitutional?

Our money contains the words "In God we trust", surely that offends your delicate sensibilities. Therefore, I request Mr. Newdow, that you take every bit of this atheist offending currency and send it directly to me. I will make sure to dispose of it in a way that I see fit so that you shall never have to be so offended as to have anything with the word "God" disgrace your wallet.

Churches can be see on almost any road in America that you choose to drive down. Therefore, Judge Karlton, I request that you remain confined to your home so that you may never have to drive down the beautiful streets of America and be offended by having to look at foundations of American faith. Surely the fact that Christian churches even exist violates your right to be able operate a car without having religion "crammed" down your throat.

I understand the reasoning that our founding fathers had for the separation of Church and State, but it pains me to see every liberal quack in the world using that to tear down the moral foundation of America on an almost daily basis. Our founding fathers wanted to ensure that anyone would be able to practice the religion of their choosing without interference of the government, but the placing the words "God" in a majority of our official documents, etc does not infringe on that right. You have the ability to worship Allah, Buddha, or no one at all to your heart's content, but you must respect the right of the country to practice the belief system it was built on. If you don't want to say the pledge, then don't. You have that right, but to take that away from the children/people who do believe in god is unjust and cowardly.

Once, just once, I would like to see the left actually practice the theory of "tolerance" that they so often preach, but I'm sad to say, their idea of tolerance is "practice only what we want you to practice". ~Sigh~

Jurgen Trittin: Were you born an asshole or did you have to work at it?

Looks like the soldier I wrote about in my last post may be psychic. Sure enough, Hurricane Katrina is all Bush's fault according to German Enviromental Minister Jurgen Trittin according to a brief in USA Today.

A top German official said the United States had itself to blame for Hurricane Katrina. [sic] Minister Jurgen Trittin said President Bush had “closed his eyes” to the dangers of pollution and climate change, blamed by some scientists for adding to the intensity of hurricanes and other severe weather.

While I've never been a big fan of the Krauts, this is an all time low. I honestly don't know if I should be offended by Trittin comments or just laugh them off.

One the one hand, I'm kind of flattered by the amount of power that the rest of the world thinks lies in the hands of our president. Think about it, Germany's leadership believes that George Bush has the power to control the weather! If only Bush would have followed Trittin's "Kyoto II" green plan, we could have avoided all the mayhem and destruction that is now occuring in my beloved south. With his one signature, GWB could have altered the weather and Katrina would have went and picked on some other country.

On the other hand, I'm appalled by the apparent lack of intelligence that this world leader exhibits. To blame one man for the destruction of a natural disaster is ludicris. Are you so offended that America put an end to the German plan of world domination that you will spew out even the most asinine of comments to try and belittle it's leader? Or are you trying to befriend the Islamic Extremists who are stating that Katrina is part of their Global Jihad in an effort that your anti-american ass kissing will buy you a temporary reprieve from the people that you are too afraid to face on your own?

Finally, a question to Chancellor Scroedor. Is this really the man that you want voicing the opinions and stances of your goverment? If so, then you lack even more fortitude than your Environmental Minister.

America will make it thru this tragedy as we have others. While it may test our strength, we will endure thru it as we have all other challenges that have we faced and be made stronger for it. We will overcome and rebuild on our own as we have in the past. We will not beg others for charity, nor critize those that don't offer it freely. I hope that Germany never experiences a natural disaster such as this, but if you do, rest easy knowing that the country that you so strongly critized today will be there to help you through your suffering, as we have for every other country in the past.

Funny statement from a soldier in Iraq

Every week, I get an update on the situation in Iraq from a Marine Reservist who is deployed there. This week, in addition to discussing the reconstruction projects that he has going, he talked about Hurricane Katrina.

He went on to talk about how several of his fellow reservists will be requesting emergency leave to go back home to check on families and their homes. He also said that one good thing about Katrina is that it gave the media something else to focus on besides the war for a little while. I can definetly understand his point. Despite the destruction that was the result of Katrina, this has been the quietest time in the media concerning the "wasted effort in Iraq".

However, the statement that got me rolling was the following:
"We (the reservists) surf the internet daily looking for more updates about Katrina. Ten bucks says some moron will blame Hurricane Katrina on George Bush and demand that we immediately withdraw all of our meterologists from the National Weather Center"

Is this a man that knows the main stream media or what?!?! You keep your $10 brother, cause there is no way I'm taking that bet!

My father is going to Iraq

Just found out today that my biological father is going to be going to Iraq. Robby has been a cop or in a police related field his whole life and has taken a job to go over to Iraq to help train Iraq's new police force as well as help keep order until Iraq is prepared to fully take over.

I have mixed feelings about his going over meaning, that on one hand, I'm extremely proud of him for doing this, but on the other, I worry about his safety. Robby, while getting on up there in age, is extremely fit and is very good at his job. I would match him with just about anyone half his age and wager my bets on him. So I know he will do a good job and I know that the Iraqi police will be better off for having him over there.

Hopefully, he will be smart and stay on the compound, but knowing him like I do, he will more than likely go where ever he is needed and get mixed into something, but know he has the skills and mindset to get himself and his partners out such things safely. Truth of the matter is, this is something he needs to do because he just won't be happy until he has the opportunity to serve his country. He was kept from VietNam due to a vision problem, and I know that he has always regretted that. His brother served, but he was unable, so this is opportunity to make that right with himself.

So good luck and god speed old man. You come back home safely!!!

Welcome the Obviously Absurd

Just wanted to take a second and welcome the Obviously Absurd to the blogshpere. The writers of this blog are close personal friends of mine and I consider them one of the closest things to family I have up here in the great liberal land that is the northwest.

You should go over and check out their site at The Obviously Absurd and give them a read. I eat dinner with them almost weekly and can tell you that they will not only give good insight into today's topics, but will do it with a sense of humor!

Time to help our troops, with Xboxs!!!!

I received an interesting call today from Nadine Gillette who co-founded Operation Support Our Troops with her daughter. She now has three grandsons, I believe, defending our freedom in Iraq and has done countless hours in support of our troops. Anyways, she called to ask me for my help in supplying our boys and girls stationed in Iraq with some Xbox consoles and more importantly, games for the consoles they already have. She has received numerous letters from our soldiers stating that Xbox is one of the ways that our boys pass the time when they aren’t busy defending our nation.

I had the pleasure of meeting Nadine when a group of 35 soldiers wounded in Iraq were invited to tour the Microsoft campus on August 3rd. Nadine is a lovely lady who obviously takes the welfare of our troops to heart and has done great things to support our toops. In the roughly 2 hours I spent with the group, about 30 minutes of that time was spent with my arm around this great lady. Truth be told, she reminded me somewhat of a grandmotherly type, and just being around her made you smile. One of the things that I noticed from this meeting was the overwhelming response of some of the soldiers to Xbox. I heard more stories about their Halo2 adventures than of their real life toils in Iraq, so I can testify that Xbox was seen as a vital pastime to these brave men and women.

So when Nadine asked for my help, I felt obligied to try and rise to her calling. I, along with some of my fellow bloggers, are now in the process of trying to get this started. We haven’t picked out a name yet, but when we do, I will be sure and let all know. The goal is to try and get as many games and consoles as possible into the hands of Operation Support ourTroops as soon as possible. Nadine set a lofty goal of 3000 games and didn’t specify a number of consoles., however, I would like to set that number at 100 consoles to start. Feel free to contact me for more information if you would like to help out with providing our soldiers with a little bit of fun during their stressful times.

Ode to the Fathers

This sunday people every where will celebrate a day that honors those men who do a often thankless but easily the most important job in the world: Fathers Day. This is a day where we get a chance to thank those men who perform the most important service in the world which is only equaled by the mothers of the world. In support of this day, I thought I would take a minute to talk about my father.

When I was very young (2 or 3 yrs), my mother and biological father seperated leaving my mom to raise 3 boys. When you start off with a sentence like this, most people will think how awful that is, and I'm sure that at the time it was awful for my mother. However, things have a way of working for the best, because that's when she met Larry Pike. After a normal courtship, she later married that man and he became the father of not only two boys of his own, but also a father to me and my brothers.

I call my step dad my father for a couple of reasons. One, he's the only dad I've ever really known. I know my biological father and he is a great friend, but Larry was the one that raised me, taught me right from wrong, and provided the foundation for me being who I am today. Second, Larry officially adopted me when I was eight years old and made what we both already knew legal, he was my dad.

One of the things that I find so amazing about this man is that he willing accepted the responsibility for raising 3 boys that were not his own, both emotionally and financially, and as far as I know, he never even balked at the idea. This man took the responsiblity for the livelihood of 5 boys and did a job raising us that any man should be proud of. I don't think that there are alot of men out there that would do this so willingly or put such an effort into doing it right. He never treated us (me and my brothers) any differently than his own sons and I think the reason for that was, that in his mind, we were no different. We were his sons. I consider this man my only father and I know that my brothers feel the same.

Recently I took a road trip with my father which is something that we had never done before. The purpose of this trip was to spread the ashes of my favorite uncle over the land where he and my father had grown up. It started off as fulfilling the final wishes of a beloved family member, but it ended up being so much more. While this trip was a short one of just a couple days, I learned alot about the man who was my father and gained an insight into how he became the man he is today.

The road trip stated off in Arkansas, where my parents now live, and ended in Sudan, Texas, at my father's childhood home. It was 10 hours one way of just my father, me, the radio and the open road. You have to understand that neither me or my father are that much for talking. Our phone conversations are short and to the point. We say what we have to say and we end it, but on this trip, the radio was played infrequently during that 10 hours as we spent that time just talking. I got to hear stories from my dad that I had to swear I would never share with anyone else, especially my mom. All those things that I use to catch hell for when I was kid, I found out that my dad had done as well, or in some cases, even worse. I guess that's how he knew I was headed for trouble and he got on to me, because he had already done those things and knew the outcome. However, the most important thing about those conversations, was that dad had trusted me enough to tell me. As most sons know, when conversations like these happen, you now know that you are a man in your father's eyes. Sure, you are are still his son, but you are also a man, an equal. A man who can be trusted to learn the secrets and inner workings of the man who has long been your hero. I can think of few things that can mean so much to son.

When we arrived in Sudan, it was something to watch the expressions on my dad's face as he looked at the house he was raised in. To most people, they would have just seen this place as a broken down home on a flat, dusty piece of land in a barren spot of Texas, but from the look in my dad's eyes, he was back home. To the right of the house, there was a old cotton gin where my grandfather worked, and where apparently, my father and uncle spent countless hours of play. Dad took the time to explain to me the workings of this decrepate cotton gin, even though it was little more than a junk yard of parts now, but in his explanation, this place was worked just as well as it did when he was a kid. He talked about the stucco work that my grandfather did on the house, how granddad went about it, and the amount of time it took him. I don't think Dad saw the same broken down house that I did that day. I think he saw the house exactly as he remembered it. A home that his father took pride in and in return, my dad had pride. Sure he made comments about how small the house looked to him now that he was grown, but I don't know that he believed that. He looked at house and dusty land the same way I look at my parents house every time I go home. It was a place of happy memories and love shared with family.

After we left the house, we went drove by dad's old high school to let him relive those days. In doing this, we found the office of the local newpaper. On a whim, we walked thru the door and asked the man behind the counter how far back they kept archives of the newpapers. Turns out, they had newspapers all the way back to dad's high school days. We spent the next hour or so looking thru these old, yellowing copies of news for clips about my father and uncle. Dad has always told us boys about his glory days of football, but for the most part, we thought he was full of it. I come to find out that day that dad wasn't as full of s*&t as I thought he was. He never lied to us about his athletic skills, though he may have exaggerated a bit. :) It was nice to watch dad read those newspaper articles about his high school football days and relive that time in his mind. A several points, dad would point out an exceptional journalistic byline of some distant game that documented my dad's football skills and make me promise to remember the wording so I could tell the rest of the boys about how he was "the man" in his day. I wish I could have taken each and every one of those articles home for him just to see him smile the same way he did that day.

I know this story may not be that important to most people out there, but this was the greatest trip I ever took. I think it's important for children to know where their parents come from and the way they lived. I now know why my father believes in hard work and fought to instill that in me. He was raised that way. Hard work was just a matter of survival in his day. They didn't have the luxuries that I had growing up, but you could tell through his stories and expressions, that they made the best out of what they had. Yet another lesson my dad taught to all us boys. Crying about what you don't have never does any good, you have fight and work for what you want.

So take the time this sunday to find about the man you call your father. Ask him about his childhood and sit back and listen to the stories he has to tell you. Those stories will give you insight into yourself. As the old saying goes, "To know where you are going, you have to know where you came from." I now know what that saying means after this trip. You guys can have your Caribbean cruises and European holidays, I will take a trip back to a dried out, sagebrush filled, tumbleweed infested plot of land smelling of cow manure with my old man any day!

Repost: Support our troops

I was asked to republish a rant that I posted on another forum back some time ago. Please keep in mind that this was originally posted approximately three months ago and was the catalyst that got me started on this whole blogging thing. Even though it was written months ago, the relevance is still there today, if not more so.
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WARNING – Tone, attitude, and language in this rant might not appeal to all people. It is a long read and was done more so to get things off my chest. If you don’t read it, I understand, but if you do, you might just agree.

Last night I went and had dinner at a place called the Japan Ginger Teriyaki restaurant in Issaquah. When walking in, I noticed that there were two army sergeants in fatigues sitting at a table talking as friends do. After ordering my meal, I walked over to their table and after excusing myself for interrupting their meal, asked if I could shake their hands and buy their meal for them tonight as a show of my appreciation for them being in the military. After about 15 – 20 seconds of stunned looks from the both of them, they said there was no need to buy their meal, but would I please come join them.

Of course I accepted and a conversation started that took the better part of two and half hours. They wouldn’t stop thanking me for just taking the time to say thank you to them, much less offering to buy their meal. They went on to tell me how rare it was for someone to do that in this part of the country. The things we talked about during that 2 ½ hours really got the fighting side of me riled up. I simply couldn’t believe some of the stories they were telling about how they’ve been treated up here in the “great” northwest.

One of the guys was 30 years old and had been in the Army about 8 years. He was married and had been for about 4 years with a newborn baby not even a year old yet. The other guy was a bit older and said he had been with the army going on his 18th year. He was also married and had 2 kids, one fixing to start high school and the other just starting college.

The younger guy told be about how he had just come home from Afghanistan about 4 months ago and was hurt by the way his wife had been living. Apparently, she hadn’t gone off base for nearly most 8 month deployment. Seems that she refuses to take off a pin that she received from USO when he left that says, “I’m a proud army wife of a deployed soldier”. Well shortly after he left, she went out shopping at the Tacoma mall and was verbally abused by some of the people with the mall when they saw her pin, berating her for being proud of a man who was participating in an illegal war and killing innocents. I didn’t here specifics of what was said to her, but you could see that this soldier wasn’t happy about the things his wife had told him. After that incident, his wife stayed on base for the rest of his deployment. Luckily, these bases are small cities and she could get everything she needed right there. He went on to tell me, that while patriotism was high in the areas immediately around Ft. Lewis, if you got out past the base, he too felt some of the sentiments of the people who hated the war and him for “participating”.

The older guy told a similar tale of how, when he goes out with his family, he always wears a baseball cap to cover up obvious military haircut for much the same reason. He went on to say that he didn’t do it because he was ashamed to be in the military, or that he was afraid of being attacked by the liberal minds in the area. He did it so as not to subject his wife and youngest son to the sentiments of “people who obviously don’t appreciate the freedom he helps provide.” His words, not mine! He didn’t want his son to see and hear people that thought being in the military, serving your country, and being patriotic was a bad thing.

Needless to say, I bought their meals and wished them the best after apologizing profusely for the attitudes of people I couldn’t influence. I went on to tell them that I knew many people that not only supported them, but prayed for them nightly. I wished them safety in their future deployments and again expressed my gratitude for them doing a thankless job. After another handshake and round of heartfelt thank you’s from the soldiers, they went on their way.

When I got home that night, I thought more about the stories they had told me. The more I thought about it, the madder I got. I don’t mean figuratively mad, I mean actually so mad that I wanted to put my fist thru my living room wall. These guys are placing their lives on the line to ensure that we have the freedom and prosperity and they are being treated like 2nd class citizens. These men and women place the freedoms and safety of strangers before their own and that of their families, and they are berated for doing it.

Who is to blame for this? Is it the Liberal media that takes every opportunity to point out the slightest mistake of the military? The same media that sensationalized the “tragedy” at Abu Garhib? Please! Tragedy my a$$. They put panties on their heads and made them stand in a naked pyramid. Was it wrong? Maybe, but certainly not worth the price the military paid for it. No other country has more oversight or regulation in the treatment of prisoners of war than the US. With all the countries out there that deploy actual torture methods like the breaking of fingers, legs, etc to retrieve information, our military is condemned for doing something that caused no physical harm to any prisoner. When the enemy is beheading and sending the video out for the world to see, our media chooses to concentrate on the fact that there were detainees with women’s underwear on their heads. What about the guy that they made stand on a box with electrical leads attached to his testicles saying that if he came of the box he would get shocked? THE LEADS WEREN’T ATTACHED TO ANYTHING! It was a psychological ploy. It’s not any different than a police officer telling a suspect that he is going to jail for life if he doesn’t cooperate. If attaching electrical leads to the enemy’s testicles brings just one of our boys home safe, then by god, I say, red is positive and black is negative. Light him up!

We have a soldier now on trial for murder. A soldier at war on trial for killing the enemy, now someone please explain that to me! This soldier, just the day before, watched 2 of his comrades die, and he himself wounded, at the hands of an insurgent pretending to be dead then releasing a grenade in a room. Did the soldier bow out of the fight after being wounded? No, he was back at his duty the next day. A day that may for ever change his life for the worse. When entering the room, an insurgent was found pretending to be dead. I don’t blame the soldier for killing him. They had just got out of a firefight, there was no way to know if the guy was armed and prepared to do harm. Let us not forget, these are the same people that will walk into a crowded restaurant or bus and blow themselves up to injure and kill others. It’s an honor to them to die in that manner. So god bless that soldier for helping this insurgent be “honored” by his peers. However, there was a journalist imbedded in the unit that happened to get video of this insurgent being shot. That journalist released the footage and I’ll be damned if the liberal America didn’t jump on it and begin to systematically smear this soldiers reputation. How easy it is to judge when you aren’t there! Who really knows if the actions of that soldier didn’t save a life that day? I say to the soldiers still over there, if you happen to be in that circumstance, 2 in the chest and 1 in the head!

We have a navy seal commander also on trial for “abusing” prisoners. This seal commander has been recognized by his peers and commanders as an exceptional leader and soldier. The report that got him in hot water, that he was observed “punching an insurgent in the arm”. For craps sake, I got hit like that in middle school, but none of those bullies were placed on trial. The person that made the report was a seal member that was kicked out of the service for stealing and “underhanded personality”. Yet the media took the story and again used it as a stick with which to beat our military.

I sometimes wonder what side our media is on. With the exception for Fox news, I don’t trust any media outlet, and I’ve even questioned Fox news from time to time. CBS? Man what an appropriate name for that network because I definitely SEE BS every time I turn it on. Newsweek magazine has become nothing more than an anti-American rag. I don’t know when journalism became synonymous with Anti-patriotic, but it is. Our problem is that, as a country, we are too honest and open. We air our dirty laundry for the world to see and our media outlets take that and use it to beat our fellow country men to a bloody pulp. They don’t focus on what we are fighting, they focus on any little thing they can find to demoralize our public. Terror attacks against our people abroad get a small blurb on the back page of the news, but a soldier punching someone in the arm takes front page for weeks. The media keeps a running tab of the soldiers killed in action, not to honor the fallen or express sympathy for the families, but to demoralize the John Q Public. Where is the running tab of the innocents that were taken?

I’m not saying you have to support the war or President Bush for that matter, but for god’s sake support the men and women who are risking their lives so that we can sleep safe at night. Take the time to say thank you to a service member if you see one. Buy them a beer, I guarantee you will get a good story in return. Give them hope that they are fighting for a people that appreciate their sacrifices. Let’s try to make the anti-patriotic in this country the minority. Support your troops cause the life they give, they give unselfishly for you! Take time to write the media outlets and let them know that you, for one, support our military and are PROUD of them. We can’t sit idly by and let only the liberals and anti-military post replies. Our children learn from what they read and see. If we don’t take action and make the other side heard, all they will see is anti-American sentiment, and make no mistake, I see anyone that posts negatively against our troops as anti-American. I see every war protestor that is at an airport or outside a military base as anti-American. We need to take our support out into the public, not just those areas around Military bases. The louder our voice, the more that will hear and be influenced. It’s time we not just take a stand in support of our troops, but rather, get mad at the fact that they are not treated like the heroes they are!

God bless each of you in the military. God speed and safe return to each of you. Look me up when you get here; I will have a cold beer and a handshake for each of you I see!

Call to arms: We must not forget!

Today I was forwarded an article from the Opinion Journal written by Debra Burlingame about the plans of the International Freedom Center (IFC) to turn the 9/11 World Trade Center memorial into a “high-tech, multimedia tutorial about man's inhumanity to man, from Native American genocide to the lynchings and cross-burnings of the Jim Crow South, from the Third Reich's Final Solution to the Soviet gulags and beyond.” I will not go into the full details of what the IFC has planned for the WTC memorial, as Ms. Burlingame explains it far better than I ever could. To learn about it, please go read her telling article here: The Great Ground Zero Heist. What I want to talk about is why this poorly disguised propaganda machine should not be allowed on this site and that any attempts to continue with this disgrace should be twarted by all means.

9/11 is my generation’s version of the Kennedy assassination or Space Shuttle Columbia in that it is a frozen moment in time for people. It is an event that everyone will remember, but not a comparison of the gravity of the events. It is the worst attack against American soil in history and everyone I know can tell you in great detail where they were and what they were doing on the morning of 9/11. I was sitting in my truck waiting for a local golf course to open so I could get a round in before work when news of the first airplane strike came across the radio. At first, I thought this was just a horrible accident, but when news of the 2nd plane came in, I knew that someone had waged an attack on us. I also remember being crammed into that small golf clubhouse gathered around a TV watching the news unfold with about 20 other fellow golfers. I remember the angst that I felt and calling my mother just to check in on her and ensure she was safe, even though I knew she was thousands of miles away from this tragedy. I remember an old man breaking down in tears saying that this reminded him of Pearl Harbor in so many ways and how the thought of it was almost too much for him to bare. All of these memories are permanently burned into my mind and I know that I will never lose them. These memories are as much a part of me as my right arm, and just as important.

Even more than the images of that day, I will forever remember my feelings the days, weeks, and months afterwards. I was angry and wanted to re-enlist in the military. I wanted to take up arms in defense of my country and make those responsible pay for their crimes. I felt extreme pride and sadness at the same time for the heroic members of the FDNY and NYPD who walked into burning, crumbling buildings to try and ensure that those still alive were able to go home to their families. I wanted to go to New York and lend those heroes, who were working 20+ hours a day searching for and saving the survivors, a hand, if only to allow them 20 minutes more rest during thier toil. I wanted to do something, but I just wasn’t sure what should be done. I never did do either one of those things, and that is something I know I will always regret. I did nothing when my country was hurt and needing me. I could have provided help and relief, but I did nothing. I still feel ashamed every time I think about it and that embarassment is something that will haunt me forever.

This is why I so look forward to the completion of the 9/11 WTC memorial. It will provide me a place to go and pay my respects to those that we lost that day. However, more important to me, it will allow me to go and offer my apologies for not doing more when I had the opportunity. I know that not everyone feels the same way I do, and that everyone will have different reasons for wanting to attend the memorial, but for me, it will serve, in some small way, as my penance for letting my country and its fallen children down during its hour of need. I want to see the names of our dead and ask for their forgiveness for not doing my part to ease their suffering and the suffering of their families. I do not want to go to the memorial and be confronted by the political ideologues from either the left or the right. I just want to pay my respects to the lost and honor their memories as I see fit. I do not want a history lesson in all of humankind’s failures, I just want to remember that day and see the names of those heroes that gave the ultimate sacrifice to their country and its citizens. I want to meet other people that are attending the same day as me and listen to the stories of their loved ones as they remember them, not be present during a speech that decries the political policies of the country on that day.

Let us keep the memorial for its true purpose: A place of remembrance for one of our countries greatest losses. Let us keep this as a place for families to go and visit the souls of their loved ones in peace and to remember them in their hearts. If the IFC gets their way, the World Trade Center memorial will be turned into a visual political billboard that showcases ideologies that needn’t be present. When members of the board of IFC make a comparison between 9/11 and the Abu Ghraib scandal, then we have a clear picture of the road that the IFC’s board intends to head down with this so called museum. If you must have a showcase of this sort, so be it, but pick an appropriate location. To place this on the location where so many of America’s mothers, sons, fathers, and daughters lost their lives is a disgrace. America shouldn’t disrespect our lost in this way, we should honor their memories, and the IFC has no intention of doing that.

If you feel as I do, then visit the Take Back the Memorial website. They have provide many links in which you can write the media and our government to voice your outrage at this horrendous disrespect of our loved ones, and I hope you use do use your voice. This is not about politics; it’s about the absence of politics where they have no place. I stood idly by on 9/11 when this site was under attack, I will not do it again. Please do not be mistaken, this is a second attack on the WTC. Maybe it’s not a physical attack, but it is an attack on the memory of what happened there, and an attack on the people who died as well as their families. Do not allow IFC to disgrace their memories. Take a stand and let IFC know that we will not allow them to disrespect our dead by using them as a vessel to push an agenda.