Victory in Massachusetts: What it means

Yesterday, the people of Massachusetts went to the polls and voted for real “change” in Washington.  And change is already coming.  We, the people of these United States, would like to express our appreciation to all those Massachusetts voters who voted for Lt. Col. Scott Brown for US Senate.

Two weeks ago, we began urging readers across the country to volunteer on Brown’s campaign.  At that time, Rasmussen Hundreds of you responded with donations of money and valuable time, and the fruit of your effort was harvested last night when Democrat Martha Coakley conceded and Brown declared victory.  The significance of that victory cannot be overstated.

Your tireless efforts on behalf of the Brown campaign helped the Republican candidate win the seat formerly held by the hard left, liberal icon Ted Kennedy.  Democrats practically declared Coakley the winner of the seat after her December victory in Massachusetts’ Democratic primary, and the majority of pundits and politicians on both sides of the aisle believed likewise.

But Scott Brown didn’t give up.  He didn’t throw in the towel because so many said he couldn’t win.  And you didn’t either!

Voters in Massachusetts served as shock troops in the first battle of an offensive by the American people.  An offensive to take this country back from those who campaigned as representatives of the people, but abandoned their constituents after taking office is now underway.  Massachusetts will now serve as our beach head.

In the year after gaining complete control of both the Executive and Legislative branches of government, Democrats interpreted their historic victory in 2008 as a license by the American people to impose nothing less than Socialism on the electorate.  Abandoning any semblance of bipartisanship, high-level Congressional Democrats met in secret with White House officials to make back room deals on every major piece of legislation crafted in Obama’s first year.  Republican bills, amendments, and resolutions were ignored or voted down without serious consideration.  Democrats had the power to impose their will on a resistant constituency and intended to use it.

Even as polls showed Brown gaining on Coakley and Democrats were forced to consider his victory a real possibility, Democrats continued to insist they would move forward on Obama’s health care legislation regardless of the outcome of this election.  Threats to delay seating Brown or to violate long-standing Senate rules to subvert the will of the American people further alienated voters around the country.

Democrats proved just how out of touch they were.

Now the battle is on for the rest of the country.  One third of the US Senate is up for grabs this fall, as is the entire House of Representatives.  Republican Senator candidates in Arkansas, Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Kentucky are leading their Democrat challengers by comfortable margins.  In Illinois, Missouri, and California, Republican candidates are already polling closer to their Democrat opponents than Brown was to Coakley two weeks before he defeated her.

With the exception of California, these states are certainly less blue than Massachusetts.  Therefore, it’s a real possibility that voters in these 11 states alone could put the Republican party back in the Senate driver’s seat.  Charlie Cook of The Cook Political Report even speculated on MSNBC’s Hardball it’s possible that we might “see no Republican incumbent, House or Senate, lose” in 2010.

A Republican majority in the US Senate is now a very real possibility after the 2010 elections.

Democrat Congressmen were badly beaten up in town hall meetings throughout the summer and early fall as the push for Obama’s government takeover of the US health care system intensified.  But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) squeezed out a 5-vote victory for the Socialization of 1/6 of the US economy in November.  It took every bit of political strength she had to twist the arms of enough Democrats from conservative districts to stand with her and the ultra-liberal wing of her party.  Some of these Dems are already announcing plans not to run for re-election this year, and others who had been recruited by the DNCC to run against Republican incumbents have already dropped out of their races as well.  It’s almost certain that Democrats will lose a substantial number of seats in November, but there may be an even more immediate consequence of Brown’s victory on the US House.

Pelosi may no longer be able to muster her razor thin majority to pass the reconciled bill that will come out of the secret, behind-closed-doors meetings being held to iron out the differences in the two chambers’ health care bills.

President Obama dithered on whether or not to make the trip to Massachusetts to campaign for Coakley until Sunday.  Finally, two days before the election, the President took Air Force One to Boston in an effort to motivate Democrats to get out the vote for Coakley.  After campaigning for losing gubernatorial candidates in Virginia and New Jersey last fall, Obama had to know this was a huge gamble.  All along, he has counted on his political capital to sway Democrats with conservative constituencies to vote for his left-wing policies. Virginia and New Jersey were strikes one and two, Massachusetts proved to be strike three.

Obama’s inability to secure a Coakley victory in the deep blue Bay State has greatly compromised his ability to convince nervous Democrats they’re better off voting with him than their constituents.  He’s now running very low on political capital.

Chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele has already sent out a fund-raising letter calling Brown’s victory “our Party’s first victory of 2010.”  But in his victory speech, Scott Brown was careful not to credit the Republican party, but the independent voters of Massachusetts for his victory. “Tonight the independent majority has delivered a great victory,” Brown said.

Checking the several blogs on the GOP’s website, not one article appears promoting Brown’s candidacy in the past two weeks.  Not one article asking supporters to help elect a Republican candidate to Ted Kennedy’s old seat.  Even RNC press releases over the last couple of weeks make no mention of the critical race.  But now that Brown won, Steele hopes to siphon off some of the energy to convert it to funds for the RNC.

Brown realizes his victory was not an endorsement of the Republican establishment, but a rejection of the Democrat establishment.  Michael Steele and the RNC haven’t yet figured that out.

Although the Republican party did little to help make Brown’s victory possible, conservative activists across the nation did, especially on the internet.  Practically every conservative activist site we keep tabs on was consistently and continuously promoting Brown’s candidacy.  Participants on these sites form the core of the rallies and town halls that slowed down Obama’s wave of Socialism when the Republican party could not.  These are the people who participate in the Tea Parties and organize protests against Congressmen and Senators who refused to listen to their constituents.

The Tea Party movement has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming congressional elections.  The GOP better be careful not to take these conservative activists’ votes for granted, but must instead make concessions to once again win their trust.

In summary, Democrats with conservative constituencies have now been put on notice.  The American people demand to be represented and not ruled!  The Republican hierarchy will be tempted to believe they achieved this victory and seek to exploit it when in fact, the GOP can take very little credit for Brown’s victory.   Tea Party activists should pat themselves on the back and congratulate themselves for a job well don.  But don’t get too comfortable.

Our challenge now will be two-fold.  First, to continue the fight to remove those representatives who have refused to represent their constituents.  But we must also now be careful to hold the Republican party accountable, and avoid being used by the establishment.  The establishment led us into the abyss from which we’ve fought so hard to extract ourselves these past few months.  Those of us who’ve participated in and believe in the Tea Party movement must continue to fight for reform in the Republican party.

For now though, congratulations.  We’ve fought long and hard to achieve this victory.

Many thanks to all who made this possible.  To Scott Brown.  To the Massachusetts voters.  And to all of those across the country who donated their time and money to help achieve this victory!

Obamacare Flyer: Download, Print, & Distribute

Here’s a simple, straightforward flyer to get the message out on Obamacare. We still have a chance to stop this thing, let’s keep the ball rolling.

Here’s an image of the flyer.  You can download and print the pdf version here.

*Originally posted at Save Our Country Now.

Patients First – Vote No on Government Run Health Care — Sign the Petition

John Allison III Cabot, AR US
Visit MyBlogLog and get a signature like this!

Beck Blasts Liberal Loon over Obamacare

Kathy from Massachussetts (a state whose Socialized medicine program is failing to accomplish its goals and costing the state much more than liberals ever imagined) demonstrates the inability of liberal backers of Obamacare to grasp the truth about the US healthcare system.  When Kathy called into Glenn Beck’s show, she got schooled...harshly.

Sometimes it’s necessary to deal harshly with complete imbeciles.

Patients First – Vote No on Government Run Health Care — Sign the Petition

John Allison III Cabot, AR US
Visit MyBlogLog and get a signature like this!

Healthcare: Current system vs. Obamacare

House Democrats finally released their version of Obamacare a couple of days ago–all 1,018 pages of it.  Cost estimates I’ve seen range from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion with huge taxes to be imposed on businesses to attempt to pay for the monstrous program. It’s bad enough they either don’t care or don’t get the fact that raising taxes in the midst of the worst recession in decades is a bad idea, but it gets worse when you see what we’ll get for our $1 trillion plus investment.

Republicans in the House were thoughtful enough to create the following diagram based on the Democrats’ plan.  It shows just how complicated navigation of such a system will be.

Now, I thought it would be a good idea to contrast this with the current system.  Because I’ve paid for my own health insurance for years now.  I don’t get it through my employer because it’s cheaper for me to buy an individual plan.  How do I afford it you ask?  I prioritize.  We have one 27 inch television in the house that I paid ~$400 for.  I buy used cars and pay cash for them–no car payments, only need liability insurance.  I mow my own lawn and basically do just about anything I can for myself instead of hiring it done.  It’s all about priorities.  I’ve known too many people who have bass boats, brand new cars, and 4 wheelers, but can’t afford health insurance.  Yeah right.  Priorities.

Anyway, here’s a look at the current system I deal with when I buy my own health insurance.

I don’t want to navigate the labyrinth and red tape to be created by Obama’s plan.  Do you?

Democrats’ Health Care “Reform”: The Next Job Killer

by John Kline at Townhall.com

There they go again. Democrats have controlled the White House and both chambers of Congress for less than six months, yet already their tax-and-spend ways are hurting America’s economy – and taking away jobs.

Their first act of business was to pass a so-called “stimulus” package they promised would save or create 3.5 million jobs and keep the national unemployment rate below eight percent.

Instead, last week the rate jumped to 9.5 percent, its highest level in more than 25 years.

Rather than reversing course, however, Democrat leaders continued down this perilous path by forcing through the House a climate change bill that would be properly described as a “cap-and-tax” scheme. Experts say its carbon-trading rules will kill millions of jobs in an economy that desperately needs them.

Of course, this wasn’t enough to convince Democrats of the error of their ways.

Next up is health care, which is in dire need of attention. But – perhaps unsurprisingly – the projected effects of Democratic proposals on business and jobs are dismal.

…More

Republicans Gather To Fight Obamacare

by Jillian Bandes at Townhall.com

Republican Members of the in the House Ways and Means Committee will have three days to read a health care reform bill that is being penned by Democratic staffers behind closed doors before a vote will be called. The bill will then be shuttled off to the House Rules Committee and sent to the floor for a full House vote.

“It has been a study in frustration watching this legislation being crafted on the House side,” said Texan Rep. Michael Burgess, M.D., at a town hall-style meeting with six other Republican lawmakers who were also doctors, held Tuesday by the Medical Society of the District of Columbia. The event was broadcast online and on CSPAN, and questions were taken from both an online and live audience.

Burgess predicted that Republicans on the Senate side will be given a bill in the “middle of the night” and the Senators will “have 45 minutes to vote on it” — an apparent reference to the vote called by House Democrats on the 309 pages of amendments added to the cap-and-trade bill at 3AM the night before the vote.

…More

Obama’s Health Reform Ship Flounders

Michael Gerson at Townhall.com

WASHINGTON — Around midnight on April 15, 1912, there were a few minutes when Capt. Edward Smith of the Titanic realized his ship was going down — six watertight compartments breached, less than two hours to float — yet his passengers slept in happy ignorance. A historical fate hardened while most of the participants dreamed on.

The jobs report last week opened a long gash beneath the waterline of President Barack Obama’s legislative agenda. Few yet realize it, but a scramble for lifeboats is about to begin.

On closer inspection, the economic news, which seemed bad, is even worse. Not only did unemployment rise to 9.5 percent but wages fell, undermining the consumption needed for the recovery of a consumption-driven economy. Unemployment increased among “breadwinners” — married men and women who head households — also making major family purchases more difficult. Recent increases in unemployment benefits and food stamps have helped many Americans pay for food and rent. Jobs, however, are what lead to the purchase of furniture, cars and homes. Paired with a decline in business investment, these trends make a second-half recovery less likely.

The stimulus package hasn’t been very stimulating…

…More

Health Care Reform that Puts You in Control

by Terry Paulson at Townhall.com

President Obama seems committed to pushing through his version of health care reform whether we want it or not! Like his stimulus package, Americans wonder whether he will let politicians, much less citizens, read his plan before passing it! Everybody wants health care coverage as long as someone else pays the bill—employers, rich tax payers or the government! Unfortunately, at a time President Obama is promising more, the existing government health care plans and corporate entitlement programs are proving underfunded and unaffordable. But, what can be done?

America was built on personal freedom, personal responsibility, community and resourcefulness. Our self-reliant past can be a radical steppingstone to a more workable health care system for our future. We need a system that lets you take back control of your own health care needs.

Under such a plan, fears about portability would vanish. You wouldn’t be forced to stay in a job just to keep coverage. Prices would come out of the shadows as providers and insurance companies compete for your business. Instead of depending upon politicians or employers to look out for your interests, you’d be in control! You’d pick your own policy, making your health insurance portable, flexible and permanent!

…More

Efficient Nationalized Healthcare? Not So Fast

by Michael Reagan on Townhall.com

President Barack Obama has undertaken the expansion of health care to the roughly 45 million Americans who do not currently have health insurance. Having about one American in seven with no health insurance is undeniably an undesirable situation which deserves our attention and concern.

This is not just a matter of compassion either, but also of practicality. About the most expensive way imaginable to deal with routine illness is to provide it in hospital emergency rooms, yet this is the only alternative for millions of people. In addition, the uninsured commonly defer getting needed treatment, and with the looming threat of infectious diseases to all our families, we are all at risk when millions go without needed treatment.

Our problem, however, lies in the dwindling supply of health care providers. Most doctors are overworked, many are underpaid. The number of doctors is increasing at a woeful 1 percent a year, and the number of available nurses has been flat for years. With an increasing population — and one that is aging as baby boomers move into their 60s — who is going to provide health care to 45 million more Americans, even if we make the wildly optimistic assumption that we could afford to pay for it?

…More

ObamaCare: Plan Lacking

President Obama is pushing for Congress to have a healthcare reform bill on his desk by August, and embattled House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has promised it will happen.  Many are asking, “Why is Obama rushing this?”  The leader of the free world said himself “If we don’t get it done this year, we’re not going to get it done.”  This statement raises the question, why?  Why must a task as gargantuan as overhauling an industry that in 2007 represented 17% of GDP be pushed through in a few months?

A couple of possible answers to that question come to mind?  It could be the President believes the longer the public has to digest the changes he proposes, the less they’ll like the taste of it.  He may simply want to push it through before Congressmen and women begin devoting all their energy on getting themselves re-elected in 2010, which usually begins during the August recess, which coincides with Obama’s deadline.  Or, he could actually fear losing too many seats in the 2010 election if the public adoration of our new President continues to wane.

Whatever the reason, he continues to press and his Democratic lackeys in Congress continue to cling to his coattails as he attempts to take control of almost 20% of the American economy in one fell swoop.  It would be a huge feather in his Socialist cap.  Ford Motor Co. is the only thing standing in his way of total federal control of the auto industry, which represents 3-4% of GDP, but no one knows what will happen to Ford now that it’s being forced to compete the bottomless pockets of the federal government.  He currently has control of a large segment of the financial sector as well.  What an accomplishment it would be for our Socialist President to seize control of approximately 1/4 of the US economy in his first year in office!

The President has now released his plan, if you can call it that.  It’s nowhere near fully formulated.  In fact, immediately following the subtitle we see this note:

[Note: Further revisions are needed to complete the work of integrating provisions into the existing HIPAA structure]

So the President’s long-awaited plan to save the world isn’t even complete. Yet, he expects Congress to approve it in about six weeks (allowing for days off over the July 4^th holiday.) I haven’t had time to fully review the 167 pages of the plan, but what I’ve read doesn’t make me feel better. Just glancing at the restrictions for setting rates and the inability to turn down applicants with pre-existing conditions will force the insurance companies into bankruptcy unless they drastically increase premiums for the young and the healthy. I’ll go more in depth on this in a few days, once I’ve had more time to read it and call insurance companies to get their take on the President’s plan. Over and over in the plan, where the commission didn’t know what to write, they simply inserted brackets containing suggestions followed by a question mark, or even a statement that basically says they haven’t figured out what to put there! In at least one case, the brackets enclose nothing more than blank space. To be filled when?

This plan is nowhere near completely thought out, but yesterday the President launched his campaign to get it passed. It’s been said that there are times when it’s better to do something, even if its wrong, than to do nothing. This is too large a task for this to be one of those times.