AFP’s Patients First Bus Tour in Arkansas

Teresa Crossland-Oelke, Americans for Prosperity-Arkansas: Next week, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) Arkansas’ Patients First Bus Tour is rolling into your area! The tour has already visited Virginia and North Carolina and you would not BELIEVE the energy and excitement at these rallies! Hundreds of people have come out to show their support for free-market health care solutions, morning, noon and night, and local news media have been all over it.

As it becomes increasingly apparent that some Congressmen and women intend on voting against the will of the people, it is up to us to remind them who they work for. At each stop, we will have a press conference/rally before rolling onto the next city. Everyone will have an opportunity to sign our petition telling the government to keep their Hands Off Our Healthcare! Look at the list of cities below and see which bus tour stop you will attend! By doing so, signing petitions, and voicing your opinion we will make certain that Congress knows that if they continue to ignore us (their employer) they will find themselves without a job in 2010.

Monday, 8/24/09

Cabot – 8:00 a.m. Outside City Hall 101 North Cabot Street Beebe – 9:00 a.m. Knight’s Super Foods 1701 W. DeWitt Henry Drive Newport – 12:00 p.m. Village Mall Parking Lot 2100 Block Malcolm Ave.

Walnut Ridge – 3:00 p.m. Lawrence Co. Courthouse 315 West Main Street Pocahontas – 4:00 p.m. Across from New Courthouse 107 West Broadway Paragould – 5:30 p.m. Greene Co. Courthouse 320 West Court Street

Tuesday, 8/25/09

Jonesboro – 8:00 a.m. Old Courthouse Square Marion – 10:30 a.m. Fidelity National Bank 330 West Military Road West Memphis – 12:00 p.m. Holiday Inn 2007 S. Service Road

Forrest City – 2:30 p.m. Parking Lot N. or Burger King 2400 N. Washington Street Lonoke – 4:30 p.m. The Lonoke Depot 102 SW Front Street

Wednesday, 8/26/09

Stuttgart – 8:00 a.m. Stuttgart One Stop 408 E. 22 nd Street England – 10:00 a.m. William Foster City park Downtown England

Hot Springs Village – 12:00 p.m. Balboa Pavillion Little Rock – 4:30 p.m. State Capital Steps

P.S. If you can’t make it out to a Patients First Bus Tour stop, go online and sign the petition anyway. www.JoinPatientsFirst.com

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Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the nation’s premier grassroots organization committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans.

Liberal Lies About National Health Care: First In a Series

by Ann Coulter at HumanEvents.com

(1) National health care will punish the insurance companies.

You want to punish insurance companies? Make them compete.

As Adam Smith observed, whenever two businessmen meet, “the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.” That’s why we need a third, fourth and 45th competing insurance company that will undercut them by offering better service at a lower price.

Tiny little France and Germany have more competition among health insurers than the U.S. does right now. Amazingly, both of these socialist countries have less state regulation of health insurance than we do, and you can buy health insurance across regional lines — unlike in the U.S., where a federal law allows states to ban interstate commerce in health insurance.

U.S. health insurance companies are often imperious, unresponsive consumer hellholes because they’re a partial monopoly, protected from competition by government regulation. In some states, one big insurer will control 80 percent of the market. (Guess which party these big insurance companies favor? Big companies love big government.)

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Wheels Coming Off the Obama Agenda

by Donald Lambro at Townhall.com

WASHINGTON — The gutsy admonition that “failure is not an option” has turned into the “failed public option” in President Obama’s trouble-plagued, government-run health care plan.

The idea of the federal government operating another health-insurance business to compete with Blue Cross/Blue Shield and hundreds of other private plans has crashed and burned — the victim of a massive grassroots protest movement and deepening fears and divisions among Democratic lawmakers.

The White House gave Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius the go-ahead Sunday to suggest that the administration was not necessarily wedded to a government health-insurance plan for millions of uninsured Americans. But in a bit of good-cop/bad-cop playacting, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs insisted Monday that the president was still behind a government plan and that the news media had misinterpreted her remarks. Other West Wing officials said his positions had not changed, though they left him some wiggle room.

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Why ‘ObamaCare’ is Failing

by Jonah Goldberg on Townhall.com

To listen to the White House and its supporters in and out of the media, you would think that opposition to “ObamaCare” is the hobgoblin of a few small minds on the right. Racists, fascists, Neanderthals, the whole “Star Wars” cantina of boogeymen and cranks stand opposed to much-needed reform.

Left out of this fairly naked effort to demonize many with the actions of a few is the simple fact that ObamaCare — however defined — has been tanking in the polls for weeks. President Obama’s handling of health care is unpopular with a majority of Americans and a majority of self-proclaimed independents.

Focusing on the town halls has its merits, but if you actually wanted ObamaCare to pass, casting a majority of Americans as the stooges of racist goons may not be the best way to go.

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“Twenty Ten”–by Lloyd Marcus

The latest song by patriot Lloyd Marcus, who created the American Tea Party Anthem at the beginning of the conservative awakening that began earlier this year.

NY Times Soft on Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

Thanks to an out-of-state reader for tipping us on a NY Times article published yesterday about Arkansas’ own Senator Blanche Lincoln.  Titled “In Arkansas, a Democrat Navigates the Health Fight“, the article gently describes Lincoln’s activities over the August recess.  The article might have better been titled “Arkansas Senator Hides from Angry Constituents.”

Senator Lincoln has chosen not to give her constituents who oppose President Obama’s government-run health care plan an audience during her break from DC.  Instead of pointing out that she locked out constituents with whom she disagrees, the Times states she “filled the first week of the Senate recess with controlled events before respectful crowds, like business forums and civic club luncheons.“  Rather than state Lincoln is intentionally avoiding facing angry constituents who are rightly concerned about Obama’s attempt at a government takeover of the health care industry, Times’ reporter Kevin Sack states, “The cautious scheduling, avoiding any risk of an ugly videotaped confrontation, underscored the political hazards of the health care debate for centrist Democrats like Ms. Lincoln…“

Sacks describes Lincoln as “caught characteristically in the middle” of the health care debate, which isn’t exactly accurate either.  Unless caught in the middle is synonymous with bouncing from one extreme to the other, hitting both sides numerous times, flipping and flopping so much that no one has any real idea where the Senator really stands on this one issue.  Almost at the end of the article, the author points out that “her opinion has been difficult to pin down.”   Most definitely an understatement considering in a span of little more than a month she went from being for it, to against it, to for it again.  Our requests for a yes or no answer on whether or not she’d support a public option have been met with vague, non-committal responses from which we’re unable to discern her position.  A more fitting description of Senator Lincoln’s position is straddling the fence, waiting until the last possible moment so that she can vote whichever way maximizes her political gain.  Waffling might be a good descriptor for Lincoln’s position.

The article so softly touches on Lincoln’s calling Obamacare protesters “un-American” that the reader almost wants to feel sorry for her.   Sacks almost makes the Senator out to be a victim when he states “Ms. Lincoln quickly issued a statement saying she should not have used the term. But the state Republican chairman, Doyle Webb, accused her of ‘becoming an elitist.’“  The author then fails to challenge Lincoln on her excuse for not holding town hall meetings with her constituents.  In fact, Lincoln again speaks in condescending tones of her constituents.  “If people genuinely wanted to have a constructive conversation, then that would be a different thing.” she said. “But that has not been what we’ve seen.”

So Lincoln has really learned nothing from the uproar that resulted after her original “un-American” comment and her apology was nothing more than empty words.  She obviously still has no respect for those of us who exercise our 1st Amendment right to protest and demand our views be heard on government-run health care.

And the Times seems to be doing more to protect her than to point that out.

Grassroots Arkansas Republican Network Launched

Yesterday the The Arkansas Republican Network was launched. It is a network for Arkansas grassroots republicans and helps to build the Republican Party of Arkansas (RPA). While all GOP organizations, campaigns and support group members are welcome, the network was not initiated by the RPA but the Network fully supports the development of the RPA and individual republicans.

The network was established by Dr. Bill Smith* of Baxter County, Arkansas. The Arkansas Republican Network uses NING, an easy-to-use technology platform, which allows people to belong to other NING social networks with one central personal identity and track their membership and friends via a personal NING page. Others organizations using the NING platform are Team Sarah, Smart Girl Politics, Sovereignty Alliance, the 9-12 Program, Resist Net, FairTax Nation, America Coast to Coast, Team Grassfire, and 1.3 million other networks.

When asked about the reason for the creating the new Arkansas Republican Network, Smith said,

“In Little Rock, RPA Chairman Doyle Webb has put in place an excellent team to promote a consistent republican message and to build the formal structure of the RPA. The RPA is addressing issues of concern to Arkansans and is attracting candidates to run for Congress, State and local offices.

“However, the recent increase in the number of interested candidates is to a large degree also a result of the outcry by Arkansans participating in TEA Parties in our state. These citizens are irritated at the failures of their elected officials on the national level to listen to “we the people” and our grievances. Most are either republicans or potential republicans who have awakened to a desire participate and to do something. These people needed a place to network and to share concerns and ideas.

“To sustain this effort, the Arkansas Republican Network was established to give a voice and a platform to republicans using their computers. The Network allows grassroots republicans to exchange ideas and to establish support groups. The Republican Party of Arkansas relies on its state, district and county committees to carry out structured political operations. However, these same committees are formal structures and offer little opportunity for republicans to hold everyday discussions or to network / link up in efforts with like minded people.

“In 2009, the RPA has made great strides in using the Internet to expand its presence via a new website and social networking on FaceBook, Twiiter, YouTube and Flickr. However, within the traditional structure, the opportunities for interactions, discussions, the building of groups and coalitions within communities and counties are limited. The Arkansas Republican Network provides these opportunities. It gives voice and opportunity to Arkansans to link up and to support events, beliefs, causes, projects and republican candidates of their choosing. Members of the Network may create or join groups that support their County GOP, GOP support groups, caucus groups, candidates, issues, positions, and more. Individuals may post blogs, participate in discussions, share photos, videos, add existing NING friends, invite new friends, message friends and more. And, there is no cost to the members of the network.

“All who generally vote republican in Arkansas as well as non-voting teenage republicans are welcome. To help get the ball rolling, republicans generally fall into one or more of the following generic descriptions — it is a “big tent”:
- Economic Conservatives (i.e., limited government, government transparency, reduced taxes and spending, expansion of access to natural resources like oil, natural gas and coal by private individuals and companies).
- Social Conservatives (i.e., supporting traditional family and community values)
- National Defense Conservatives (i.e., supporting National Defense and the security of our borders from invasion by illegals)
- Constitutional Conservatives (i.e., supporting all of the Bill of Rights, protection of property rights, protection of families and communities, best government is the government closest to the people).
- Libertarian Conservatives (i.e., committed to Republican principles but focusing on the restriction of intrusion by government on personal choices).”

All Arkansas “republicans” with access to a computer are encouraged to join the Arkansas Republican Network. The 2010 elections are fast approaching and every Arkansas Republican voice is important and your involvement is critically needed to stop the rapid expansion of liberal socialism both in our Nation and in Arkansas.
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*Dr. Bill Smith (Ozark Guru) is a retired military officer and retired professor. He is the editor of the ARRA News Service and a contributing author on America, You Asked for It!. He serves as National Political Director for Conservative Solutions and as an adviser to candidates and campaigns. He Twitters @arra and can be found on FaceBook and on 43 Ning activist sites.

How Washington Politicians See the World

by William Warren:

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ARRA News Service

We’re winning folks! Keep up the fight!

UPDATE–White House says Sebelius misspoke.  Public option not off the table!!

Last month we saw a precipitous decline in the President’s poll numbers as he tirelessly pushed to sell his health care plan.  That was the first sign of his vulnerability on the issue.  Until then, with the Democrats in the majority in both houses of Congress, Obama had seemed almost politically invincible.  But now we see the once mighty falling.

When Senator Jim Demint (R-SC) commented this could be Obama’s Waterloo, the President and liberals wailed.  But whining that Republicans were out to get him didn’t do much good.  When polls began to show public support for his plan began to waver, he swung into full campaign mode to turn the tide.  It seems he’s lost his appeal to the American populace, because it didn’t work.  When conservatives exercised their 1st Amendment rights at town hall meetings across the country, Obama through his lackeys attacked them as un-American and encouraged liberal acolytes to collect names and turn them into the White House.  These tactics backfired too.

Yesterday, the President’s approval rating among likely voters Rasmussen’s Daily Presidential Tracking Poll fell to its lowest point of his term, 47%.  The 52% who disapprove of his job performance include 41% who strongly disapprove, the highest since Obama took office.

Yesterday, we had the strongest signal yet that our efforts are beginning to bear fruit.  Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius indicated the administration may be willing to drop the public option–the controversial government-run health insurance plan.  Democratic Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) also said the votes aren’t there for a public option and it should be taken off the table.  This is huge since Obama has publicly stated that no reform without such a plan will receive his support.  We now have the administration retreating from one of their most heavily defended positions in this battle!

But now is not the time for us to let down our guard.  Remember, even if the Senate passes a bill without a public option, the Senate and House bills must be merged.  It’s at this stage we’ll have to be on guard for a flanking maneuver by Democrats.  We must continue to press and press hard against every controversial part of this bill.

It may also be time to attack from a different angle.  Now that we have the momentum, it might be time to start forcing our demands into the debate.  We might begin to demand things like allowing insurance companies to sell policies across state lines, tort, reform, equal tax treatment for individuals who purchase their own insurance, and more.

Whatever we do, let’s keep fighting the good fight.  It’s working!

Obamacare: The House Bill and Obama’s Lies (Part 5)

Rationing & Gov’t Access to Your Money

This bill is so huge, and so bad, sometimes it’s hard to decide where to start. But today we’ll take a look at how the government will be authorized to access your bank accounts any time you seek medical services and to extract what they decide is your financial responsibility at the time services are rendered. As usual, the President and his cronies believe if they lie to you with a straight face you’ll believe them and support this government intrusion into your life. Then it will be too late.

Beginning on page 57 of the bill, under the heading sec. 1173A. STANDARDIZE ELECTRONIC ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSACTION, we find the following:

‘‘(2) GOALS FOR FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSACTIONS.—The goals for standards under paragraph (1) are that such standards shall— ‘‘(A) be unique with no conflicting or redundant standards; (B) be authoritative, permitting no additions or constraints for electronic transactions, including companion guides; ‘‘(C) be comprehensive, efficient and robust, requiring minimal augmentation by paper transactions or clarification by further communications; ‘‘(D) enable the real-time (or near real time) determination of an individual’s financial responsibility at the point of service and, to the extent possible, prior to service, including whether the individual is eligible for a specific service with a specific physician at a specific facility, which may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card; ‘‘(E) enable, where feasible, near real-time adjudication of claims; …” *emphasis mine

Now we don’t know about you, but whenever the government is trying to help us and this great bill that’s going to do all these wonderful things for us promises Big Brother will have “authoritative” powers over us, that’s troublesome.  We mean, if this bill is so benign and so wonderful, it seems lawmakers could count on its beneficiaries voluntarily embracing it, abiding by it.  There’s no imaginable reason why a bill that would truly benefit everyone would need to establish “authoritative” powers over those it purports to “help.”

In the above passage though, paragraph (D) is the really dangerous stipulation.

This bill is being sold by the President’s team as free health care for all.  According to him and his cronies, once his system is in place, all anyone will have to do is walk into any medical facility seeking treatment and, in this most wonderful world of all worlds, and receive the best treatment from the best doctors working in the best system in the best country in the best world in the best universe.  Peaches and cream, cookies and milk, and all the best things you can imagine.  Right?

Wrong.

If this plan is so wonderful, and we’ll be able to walk in and get “free” healthcare everywhere, why does the government even need to determine an “individual’s financial responsibility at the point of service”?  Wouldn’t we all be eligible for all services with all physicians at all facilities?  And then of course there’s the issue of the National Health Card, sort of all-in-one card that can access virtually all necessary information to determine your financial responsibility and your qualifications to determine when, where, and by whom you can receive health care services.  Now how exactly do you think one card can provide such a plethora of information?

The answer’s really pretty obvious.

To determine your financial responsibility, the card can simply access IRS records and determine your income and tax liability for the previous year.  Of course, to determine your eligibility the card would pull data from the electronic medical records system Obama has often spoken of.  He always states the purpose of this database will be to streamline record keeping and save money.  But, hey!  If it serves an additional purpose that’s more bang for the buck.

So here we see the electronic record system may well be designed more to make it easy for the government to determine your eligibility for services than saving money.  Unless…wait a minute…could it really be?  Doesn’t this sound like the electronic records may now be used to limit your access to health care?

Folks, that’s rationing.  Plain and simple.  Don’t let this forked-tongue President fool you any longer!

But there’s even more.  A little more reading in the bill brings us to page 59, where buried in a paragraph titled “(4)Requirements for Specific Standards” (still with regards to financial and administrative transactions) we find the following little gem.

‘‘(C) enable electronic funds transfers, in order to allow automated reconciliation with the related health care payment and remittance advice;

So we have an electronic records database and a machine-readable National Health Card so the government will be able to ration our care and immediately collect electronic automated payments to cover the free health care services we receive.  And exactly how can this supercard collect our payment on the spot, for our rationed health care?

By directly accessing your bank account!  That’s the only way this can work!  Regardless how many times President Obama lies to you and says his system won’t have access to your bank account, regardless how many times he lies and says rationing won’t result from his plan, that’s what this bill says!

There is no reason to support HR 3200.  That is, unless you want rationed care and government control over your bank account to pay for your free health care.