So they’ve done it. The Obama Administration, speaking for about a third of the American people, jammed a nationalization of the Health Insurance industry down the American throat.
On the one hand, American people, you were warned. If you voted for Barack Obama and are among the millions getting buyers remorse today as you confront the very real possibility that your health insurance premiums are going to jump like a point guard with a rocket up its butt as your access to service decays into a morass of DMV-like misery, remember – we told you so. We told you Obama was going to do whatever he and his minions could to nationalize as much of the economy as possible. And he said, even during the campaign, that it all started with socializing healthcare. He telegraphed the punch, people!
I got a few phone calls yesterday. “I’m scared”, they said. I saw a bunch of similar comments on Facebook and Twitter.
Don’t be.
In the immortal words of Harry Dean Stanton’s “Jeb Eckert” in that American trash-underground classic Red Dawn, there is a better solution.
Eckert knew everything he needed to about government “services”.
And he had some simple advice for channeling emotions at times like this.
“Let it turn into something else“.
Now is the time for anger. Constructive anger, mind you – partly because the left and media (pardon the redundancy) will be looking for every sign of anger, translating every fit of pique into an indictment of all dissent (even if they have to make it up). But mostly because there is no time to waste. There are only seven good campaigning months until November.
That anger needs to come out – politely, calmly, coolly as a wolf stalking its prey – at your legislators. If your legislator voted against Obamacare – Kline, Paulsen, Bachmann and Peterson? Call to thank them. They need to know – even Democrats, like Peterson – that you appreciate them doing the right thing.
For the “bulletproof” Ellison and McCollum? You may not think it does any good, and it may not flip any seats, but if Congress knows that there’s strong dissent even in “safe” districts, then they’ll know that the less “safe” districts are in trouble.
And in those less “safe” districts? Jim Oberstar needs to know that the political trick he turned – the latest of many in a career built on a generation of pork-mongering – isn’t appreciated. Especially all you Catholics in the Eighth District; he flipped his vote for thirty pieces of political silver. Find him a tree (rhetorically speaking).
And Tim Walz? Does this man represent you, First District? Does his vote to turn the Mayo Clinic into a public hospital make any sense at all? Walz got his office by an upset win in a horrible year for Republicans; there’s no reason the district can’t redeem itself and the country by being rid of him for good.
Franken and Klobuchar? They’re as safe a couple of votes for Obama as exist in the Senate. But if you don’t think an avalanche of “no” calls will flip their votes, remember – Kent Conrad in North Dakota has to run for re-election in 2012. He’s one of the most powerful men in Washington – right behind Byron Dorgan. Who saw the train – you and me – coming, and decided to get out of the way. If Conrad hears that the peasants are revolting in Minnesota, what will he think of his own, conservative, disproportionally Medicare-dependent constituency?
Make your calls. And when (and, in the case of the gutless ones, if) there’s a town hall meeting? Cancel your other plans. Be there. Be polite, but don’t back down. They’ll have their goons there, just like The Man had in Birmingham and Selma. It’s what banana republic tyrants do when they’re scared of those they see as their subjects.
When they have to bring in the goons in the purple shirts, that’s the good news.
So don’t be scared. What’s in the past is in the past. What’s important is that America learns its lesson before it’s too late. We need to not only kick out of office every single person that voted for this abomination; we need to stomp the Democrat party without mercy, until it never gets up again. The urge to socialize America must be not just defeated at the polls; it must be obliterated. It must be beaten into electoral gunk that swirls down the drain of American history once and for all.
Politically, naturally.
Am I asking for too much?
Was Ronald Reagan asking for too much when he spoke in the seventies, at the very lowest ebb of America’s fortunes, influence and morale (so far), of ending the USSR ?
Of course he was. But doing the impossible begins with the impossible dream.
So don’t be scared. Be angry. And let that anger turn into the kind of motivation that wins wars, cures diseases, and sends stupid politicians back to their dingy law offices.
And then be there – at the demonstrations, on the phone, at the town halls.
The Democrats planted the wind yesterday. We need to make sure they harvest a tornado.
Walz should be the easiest one to beat of the bunch. I’d also suggest looking across the St. Croix at Ron Kind (WI-3) and Steve Kagen (WI-8). Both districts with a strong Republican history. Kagen is like Walz, a Class of 2006 dude, and should be a particular target in what was traditionally a strongly Republican district.
Betty will try to hide from the Republican challenger, just like she did against Ed Matthews in 2008. It won’t be as easy this time.
Were I a writer on SNL, the opening skit next Saturday would be a harried Obama at his desk in the Oval Office bombarded by a steady parade of secretaries and bureaucrats coming to ask him things like “Mr. Hanson of Toledo is asking for an MRI on his knee injured while raking leaves. Do you approve?”
But since I’m not, the opening skit will probably be another wretched, raunchy riff on sex where the joke is beaten to death well before the much longed for end of the skit.
Hey Jeff, that’s a great idea! Send that to the folks over at The Half-Hour News Hour. Priceless!
Half Hour News Hour vs. SNL? Distinction without a difference these days.
SNL only survives because it’s accreted a level of tradition up there with Vatican liturgy.
How bad is it? Almost “Mary Gross/Joe Piscopo/Charles Rocket/Tim Krasinski” bad.
The Dems are counting on folks forgetting, it’s not going to happen. The campaign season is now going into full swing. Well more than half of the likely voters aren’t just angry, they’re enraged.
“Illegitimi non carborundum”
Not true, Mitch. SNL does suck, but the vids produced by Andy Samberg are brilliant. Weekend Update and the fake commercials are usually funny too. But I’d guess SNL has sucked more often, historically, than not.
AC, I’m surprised. I thought you were going to sell us on how awesome SNL is because after all it’s (live) from New York…’cuz everything that comes out of New York is The Shit, right?
The most recent unemployment stats are trending downward, showing steady but slow improvement. Investment portfolios are regaining value from where they were at the major lingering low, placing people in a generally better position in that regard – retirement accounts, etc. Housing markets are showing mixed indications, but that is still better than it was with nothing but bad signs in all categories.
I certainly HOPE people remember, remember what went wrong and who was responsible. That memory may not be in your favor, the sharper the contrast of recent and continuing improvements.
As to the purported number of people who polls are supposed to show in opposition…..those numbers don’t hold up so well to the breakdown of the provisions of the legislation, where people polled are showing better response to all the parts than to the whole…a potentially important disparity.
IF you don’t simply cherrypick numbers to support your position.
I think it will be interesting to see what changes between now and September/October. We could be looking at less not more of a mid term election swing this time. I don’t know how much previous electiosn are going to serve as valid indicators this time.
Those supposedly enraged voters may very well not stay that way. Time will tell.
DG,
I keep trying to explain to you the importance of learning to ignore the chanting points the Democrat party gives you. It’s getting to be nearly a crisis.
For example:
The most recent unemployment stats are trending downward, showing steady but slow improvement.
Well, no. There’s a certain dead-skunk bounce – the remaining companies can only lay off so many and still work. And there may be fewer layoffs, but almost no jobs are being created. Geithner himself says we should be ready for 8+% jobless rates for several years.
That’s slow, all right.
And it doesn’t account for the dislocation that Obamacare is going to cause. Hint: do you know how many people work in insurance and medical devices in the Twin Cities? I’ll bet not!
You’re about to find out!
Investment portfolios are regaining value from where they were at the major lingering low, placing people in a generally better position in that regard – retirement accounts, etc.
Right, but that’s based entirely on productivity increases, not optimism about a “recovery”. If actual sales and hiring don’t pick up radically, you may eat those words.
Housing markets are showing mixed indications, but that is still better than it was with nothing but bad signs in all categories.
Hah. “Mixed”. That’s seeing a glass half full!
The only “Mixed” indication is that foreclosures and shortsales are selling like hotcakes. New construction is at its lowest ever ever. Ever, in all the years it’s been measured (which, to be fair, might not include 1933 – but it’s down there).
I certainly HOPE people remember, remember what went wrong and who was responsible. That memory may not be in your favor, the sharper the contrast of recent and continuing improvements.
You mean, like unemployment doubling since 2004? Like taxes and insurance premiums skyrocketing? You mean like jobs being “exported” faster than ever?
Honestly, DG, you need to stop reading left-leaning websites. They all live in a fantasy world.
IF you don’t simply cherrypick numbers to support your position.
Heh heh heh.
Those supposedly enraged voters may very well not stay that way.
And Scarlett Johannson may greet me when I walk in the door this evening, wearing a smile and little else.
But the smart money is betting against both of those ideas.
Oh yeah, the MLL, the Major Lingering Low. Thank you for reminding me of that oft-used market measure.
You keep it between the ditches, keep the shiny side up, and I’ll catch ya on the flip flop Teddy Bear.
Be sure to insist that all GOP candidates run on repealing the bill in toto. Don’t accept any compromising RINOs to let any part of Obamacare continue.
BE SURE TO DEMAND…………
That’s likely to happen!
Ah, the GOP doesn’t have to run on “repealing the bill in toto”. All they have to do is show the public how Pelosi & Co. have essentially dumped the Constitution in a waste basket. The multiple lawsuits over the individual mandate will be gaining steam right around November. The unemployment rate will still be near 10%. All of the new taxes will be kicking in around then. Gitmo will still be open, we’ll still have too many soldiers deployed overseas for even the sycophant media to ignore.
Yep, it’s gonna be a nice November for everyone but Nancy, Harry and their stooge Barack.
Actually, DG, unemployment as measured by the government is going down, but that’s about as accurate as the temperature data out of England. It’s massaged and subject to more interpretation than a piece of modern dance.
Perhaps you need to check the U6 figure?
Or how about something completely independent? How about Gallup’s survey showing underemployment still going up and now hitting 20%?
Things are NOT getting better out there for most folks, they’re just being pushed off the official tally sheets by government rules. Many folks are just giving up and going off the rolls and into the underground economy (like several of my neighbors, who like the idea of making more money off the books and getting Uncle Sugar to pay for their health care an other bennies).
The multiple lawsuits over the individual mandate will be gaining steam right around November.
I don’t mean to question a lawyer on a point of law, but won’t it be hard to find standing when the mandate doesn’t come into effect for four years? I can see the Medicare mandate on the states coming to battle immediately, but I assumed it would take longer for the individual mandate to gain standing.
Kermit:
“the GOP doesn’t have to run on “repealing the bill in toto”.”
With what part of socialism are you willing to live? Won’t you insist every GOP candidate take this position as a matter of principle?
Certainly every Democrat who voted yes will be asking his/her GOP opponent if they support in toto repeal.
Perhaps, Nerdbert, Dog Gone believes that subsidizing Chinese jobs with stimulus dollars has a beneficial effect on the US unemployment rate:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/030510dnbuswindfarms.175e2b0c6.html
I’m not a lawyer, and I demand an apology! Three states (FL, VA and SC) have already prepared their individual suits against the individual mandate. I predict there will be about 47 more (54 if you use Obama math).
The Medicare mandate will be separate, but equally pursued. The bullshit about this bill lowering the fed deficit is based on shifting the cost to the states, much like LGA in Minnesota, except in reverse.
Bachmann thinks that repealing the whole mess (a’ la RickDFL) is vote getter:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn271/repmichelebachmann/Misc/RepealHealthCareBill.jpg
Kermit:
Good luck with the lawsuits, but lawsuits don’t put voters in the ballot booth. Without a promise to repeal, the GOP base will have a real motivation problem.
What is the Medicare mandate?
Terry: I hope every GOP candidate signs on with Bachmann.
lawsuits don’t put voters in the ballot booth
Dammit! He’s right!
Our plan of “nothing but lawsuits in 2010” is dooomed!
What were we thinking?
Dog Gone Says:
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:03 pm
“remember what went wrong and who was responsible”
http://grumpyoldmen3.blogspot.com/2010/02/princess-fairy-pants-picture.html
Mitch, I nominate Dog Gone as the official Princess Fairy Pants of SitD!
I’m glad we’ve got RickDFL looking out for our best interests. He’s so concerned…..
Rick, don’t change a thing. Please.
10 states filing suit and counting…
Hey, RickDFL, when am I going to get that check for $3000 you promised me if healthcare reform passed?
You weren’t lying, were you?
Seems like there is an opening for conservatives to call for the repeal of the bill: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/03/22/rel5a.pdf
24. From what you know of that legislation, do you think the amount you pay for medical care would
increase, decrease, or remain the same if it becomes law?
Mar 19-21
2010
Increase 62%
Decrease 16%
Remain the same 21%
No opinion 1%
25. From what you know of that legislation, do you think you and your family would, in general, be
better off, worse off or about the same if it becomes law?
Mar 19-21
2010
Better off 19%
Worse off 47%
About the same 33%
No opinion *
25. From what you know of that legislation, do you think you and your family would, in general, be
better off, worse off or about the same if it becomes law?
26. (IF WORSE OFF OR ABOUT THE SAME) Do you think other families in this country would be
better off if that legislation becomes law, or do you think that legislation would not help anyone in
the country?
QUESTIONS 25 AND 26 COMBINED
Mar 19-21
2010
Better off (from Question 25) 19%
Better off for other families 42%
Not help anyone 37%
No opinion 2%
27. From what you know of that legislation, do you think senior citizens who are currently on Medicare
would, in general, be better off, worse off or about the same if it becomes law?
Mar 19-21
2010
Better off 20%
Worse off 45%
About the same 34%
No opinion 1%
28. From what you know of that legislation, do you think the federal budget deficit will go up, go down,
or stay the same if it becomes law?
Mar 19-21
2010
Go up 70%
Go down 12%
Stay the same 17%
No opinion 1%
29. In your view, does the Democratic party’s health care proposal create too much government
involvement in the nation’s health care system, not enough government involvement, or about the
right amount?
Mar 19-21
2010
Too much 56%
Not enough 16%
About the right amount 28%
No opinion *
Medicare goes up in cost, down in reimbursement. That’ll do all sorts of nice things as far as trying to get a doctor, and it’s bad now. Since in many cases Medicare doesn’t pay the actual cost of treating many patients already this makes things worse as the Feds are cost shifting more of their responsibilities with what amounts to an additional tax on private plans.
Medicaid goes up to families making $88K/year very quickly, more than doubling the number now eligible. In addition to the cost shifting to private insurance like Medicare (they also don’t pay the actual cost of treatment in general), there is explicit cost shifting to the states since the states have to come up with funding to pay for Medicaid enrollees.
Come 2014 when everything really becomes law, there will be a huge incentive to push everyone making less than about $90K/year off private plans and onto the new health pools since it will be cheaper to foist them off on the government dole with its subsidy than to offer private insurance. If you don’t think that will cause an immense disruption in the employment market, you’re quite mistaken.
One of the bigger advantages the US has had for businesses is that because it’s very difficult to change the laws here the business environment is very predictable. This is one of those discontinuities that will certainly cause a deterioration in the business climate here for many years to come even if you believe that enacting this legislation was a good thing (which I don’t, obviously).
I wonder if my check from RickDFL will show up today?
I can’t wait to spend all that free money!
Looks like the Chamber of Commerce won’t fight for repeal. Guess they can live with Socialism.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/anti-reform-chamber-wont-be-helping-gop-with-calls-to-repeal-health-care.php?ref=fpblg
Not very Red Dawn of them.
As usual, the source document conveys a different message than RickDFl says that it does:
Terry:
That sounds less like Jeb Eckert and more like Mayor Bates. You know, collaborate – makes things work better from the inside.
I am sure just like General Bratchenko, Secretary Sebilius will appreciate their co-operative attitude.
RickDFL-
You understand that you are describing fascism? Business, government, and labor working together to promote the national interest?
Liberals never see the fascism in their policies. Projection is a wonderful coping mechanism.
Terry:
All the more reason to insist GOP candidates stand for nothing less than in toto repeal. So will you be a Woverine or a collaborator like the Chamber of Commerce?
You have a very limited intellect, RickDFL.
Do you think that the only principled opposition to the bill passed yesterday can be to call for total repeal?
The Chamber of Commerce tries to represent the best interests of its members, as they understand them to be.
Unlike Congress.
“You have a very limited intellect, RickDFL.”
Truer words were never spoken. 😉
Obama signed the bill this AM. Didn’t he promise to wait 5 days from a passage of all bills before signing? Or was it three?
Is today Wednesday or Friday?
It is you are !@#$%^ed-day.