Health Care Now! Goodbye Jobs!

I get so sick of hearing the President say, "If you like your current health care plan, you can keep it." It is just not true! The health care reform bills currently being debated in Congress, HR3200 and the Blue Dog compromise version, both contain some type of play-or-pay mandate. Play-or-pay requires employers to contribute 72.5 percent of the premium for individual health insurance and 65 percent of the premium for family coverage for their employees or be taxed up to 8% of each employee's wage for the Health Insurance Exchange Trust Fund. These play-or-pay mandates will have an adverse effect on employment.

The Heritage Foundation is reporting that play-or-pay mandates will put 5.2 million American workers at risk of losing their jobs or having their hours dramatically cut.

"The play-or-pay mandates in these bills, which require employers to offer health insurance to their employees or pay a tax to the federal government, will affect between 95 million and 105 million work­ers, and 509,000 to 1.4 million employers, including up to 1 million small businesses.[4] The mandates will cost businesses at least $49 billion per year and put 5.2 million low-wage workers at risk of unemploy­ment or reduced working hours. The prospect of fewer job opportunities in the future will put another 10.2 million workers at risk of slower wage growth and cuts in other benefits.[5] Up to 382,000 low-wage unskilled workers are likely to lose their jobs.[6] Fur­ther, some of the cost of the mandates will be passed on to American consumers in higher prices for goods and services--an indirect tax on savers and those with fixed incomes."

"Although the employer mandate in H.R. 3200 will result in a net increase of 3 million workers with employment-based health insurance (1.7 percent), according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the mandate will cause 9 million mostly low-wage and part-time workers to lose their employment-based health insurance.[7]"

For those who may doubt that the Heritage Foundation assessment is reflective of the reality
of play-or-pay in practical application, one need only to look at Hawaii's 35 year old mandate. In a 2007 study, the Employment Policy Institute took a look at Hawaii's health care reform law and the resulting effect on employment. The report, Comparing The Effects Of Health Insurance Reform Proposals: Employer Mandates, Medicaid Expansions, and Tax Credits, concluded;

"The results of this paper suggest that while the employer mandate may provide the largest drop in the number of uninsured, it does so at the highest cost in terms of lost jobs, foregone wages, and increased employer spending."

The Charlotte Observer likewise noted that Hawaii's employer health care mandate tended to have an adverse effect on employment as a result of the employers need to offset the additional cost that the mandate imposed.

"Because Hawaii's law covers only those who work more than 20 hours per week, some companies have changed hiring practices to save money."

“ 'Naturally, everybody tries to keep their workers as part-time,' said Jack Schneider, president of J.S. Services, which handles human resources and mandated benefits for about 200 Hawaii companies. 'If you create a law, people find ways to get around it.' ”

The road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but it is also littered with the potholes of unintended consequences. However, the word 'unintended' may not apply in the case of the health care reform effort. The President, as well as the Democrats in Congress are aware, or should be aware, of the effect of their proposals in practical application.

How Divided is America?

The Rasmussen Obama Approval Index for today has America evenly split 50/50 in terms of total approval/disapproval. Since Inauguration Day, President Obama's total approval numbers have diminished by 15%, and his total disapproval numbers have risen by 20%. Clearly, Obama's negatives are rising faster than his positives are shrinking. At this rate, what will the President's approval numbers look like by the end of the year? What will they be at his mid-term? Will the Democratic Party even be able to support a second term for Obama?

The political climate which is negatively affecting Obama, is also negatively affecting every Democrat currently holding office, or seeking office. In the Real Clear Politics generic ballot poll average Democrats and Republicans are separated by less than 1/10 of 1%. This is a huge difference from the polling taken just before the election last year. At that time, Democrats led Republicans by double digits. While the current numbers may indicate that Americans are evenly divided along party lines, in terms of ideology, it is anything but an even split.

According to a new Gallup poll, more Americans identify themselves as 'conservative' rather than 'liberal' in all 50 states, and conservatives outnumber liberals by double digits in 40 states. Only in the District of Columbia do liberals outnumber conservatives. This is not a new trend; America has always been center right. So how is it that liberals seem to have so much success in driving government policy so consistantly toward 'statism'.

The biggest problem in the struggle against statism are those who remain neutral; the so called 'moderates'. While moderates outnumber liberals in every state, they also outnumber conservatives in more than half. Liberal Democrats manipulate the moderate voters by pretending to be center right ideologically, while their center left comrades in the media demonize the opposition. It is also very difficult to convince a fence sitting moderate to choose a side since they firmly believe that by not choosing sides they are occupying the moral high ground. They have to come to that decision on their own.

The good news is that the current political battle over health care may be helping moderates to choose a side; the right side.

Cartoon Open Thread

Stand Down Sen. McCain! The American People Got This One.

In the forth chapter of the book of Matthew, Jesus went out into the desert alone to fast and the devil came to tempt him. Beginning in verse eight thereof, we read;

8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' " - Matt. 4:8-10.

If only John McCain had been there. If he had been, he might have said something like this;

"I think what you two need is someone who knows how to reach across the aisle in a bi-partisan way and work out a deal. I know how to do that! Now, Satan, Jesus has already come a long way in recognizing that there is a place in this world for the Prince of Darkness, and that God has been willing in the past to give you a little leeway; remember Job? Alright, then! So Jesus isn't willing to worship the ground you walk on, worship is over rated anyway. What we all really want is a little respect, right? So, what would you be willing to give if I could persuade Jesus to think highly of you?"

Absurd? Not at all! This is exactly what Sen. McCain was doing at town hall in meetings in Arizona today; stumping to make a compromise with the devil. Bipartisanship is a myth.

What hope has bipartisanship ever offered to us but to slow the rate at which socialist forces have been advancing in this country? The Democrat idea of bipartisanship is that Republicans do all the compromising until the Democrats get everything they want. A good example of the Democrats notion of compromise is the Weiner Amendment. In response to complaints over the length, complexity, and clamour over all the controversial issues with HR 3200, Rep. Anthony Weiner offered HR 676 which would scrap HR 3200 and simply expand Medicare to cover every American.

The American people are winning this debate. We do not need any help, nor do we want any help, from the 'me too' Republicans. As it stands right now, the Democratic Party is 'all in' to receive all the blame for the health care reform bill, why would the Republicans want board that sinking ship? We all know that any serious discussion of 'health care reform' has to begin with 'tort reform'. By making tort reform the 'line in the sand', the Republicans can take the high ground and be out of the path of the destruction which is descending upon the Democrats.

Stuffing Alinsky Down the Democrats Throat

The American left is accustomed to being in the face of everyone that they consider an enemy or an obstacle. It has been a way of life for them since the sixties, and they have become very good at it. I have often referred to the left's modus operandi as the 'squeaky wheel method of political discourse.' It works really well, especially when it is implemented by organized groups with a common tactical strategy. Since 1971, the framework for that strategy has been Saul Alinsky's book, Rules for Radicals.

Now the left finds itself on the receiving end of 'in your face, squeaky wheel activism' and they have no clue as to how to effectively deal with it. Seems they have never developed a contingency plan for the possibility that their opponents would use their own playbook against them by 'astroturf right wing extremists', but that is exactly what has been happening.

Rules for Radicals is in the Top 75 on Amazon.com's best seller list. The retailer has sold more than 1000 copies this month alone. If you go to that page and look at the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought...." section it becomes abundantly obvious that the people buying Rules are conservatives. So does this legitimize the 'astroturf' charge? If it does, so what; and who cares?

As a recovering leftist, I can say that if I were still among their ranks, deluded as I may have been, that I would be very concerned about the future of the leftist movement in America. Times have changed! The left no longer controls the whole of American media. The left has alienated the southern states and they can no longer be counted upon to vote solidly for the Democratic Party. They have pretty much played out the race card, and Americans have been force fed so much bleeding heart 'great society' crap sandwich that they are ready to spew.

The most effective aspect of the 'squeaky wheel' method is not just that it generates interest, but that it generates sympathy. Regardless of how the person felt about the issue before the clamor started, when they see people angry and upset over it, they are naturally compelled to rethink their own position. It is a very effective passive method of conversion. The left knows this, and they know that there is nothing that they can do to counter it. I believe that the Democratic Party is about to experience its shortest tenure of political dominance in their history.

MSNBC is Color Blind?

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King gave his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech. The spirit of one of the most often quoted lines from this speech, has become one of the most ignored, at least by the American left.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Occasionally however, the left leaning media demonstrates that they are capable of exercising actual color blindness. Well, sort of. When it suits the purpose of advancing the political agenda of the Democrat party, the MSM will engage in a lie of omission with respect to the ethnicity of some.

In 1996, University of California Regent Ward Connerly sponsored proposition 209 which amended the California state constitution to prohibit public institutions from considering race, sex, or ethnicity. The media in California ran stories focusing on the opposition to the measure and op-eds demonizing the proponents. The public was left with the distinct impression that prop. 209 was racist measure which would set minorities and women back decades. While carefully trying to shape public opinion against the measure, the media was equally careful not to publish any photos of the measure's sponsor, Ward Connerly.

The ruse was exposed when Jesse Jackson, who had come to California to lead the fight against 209, felt the need to offer a plausible explanation for his refusal to debate Connerly. Jackson explained that he did not wish young black men and women to become confused by the site of two black men debating the merits of affirmative action. Proposition 209 passed with 54% of the vote.

MSNBC attempted much the same deception on Tuesday. During the Morning Meeting program, Contessa Brewer ran a video clip which consisted of only of close up shots of the firearms being carried by a man at a pro-health care rally.

The video clip had been deliberately edited in such a way as to completely conceal the fact that the man in question was in fact an African American. Brewer said, "there are questions about whether this has racial overtones....white people showing up with guns." I imagine that the credibility of her words might have been diminished somewhat, if they had not edited the video.

During the segment, MSNBC pop culture analyst Toure argued: "...there is tremendous anger in this country about government, the way government seems to be taking over the country, anger about a black person being president....we see these hate groups rising up and this is definitely part of that."

I imagine that the man, whose identity is not known at this time, might not be to pleased with being colored (excuse the pun) as white, or of being associated with individuals who may be angry that a black person is President.

There is a reason why in a recent Basic Cable Network Rankings for prime time, Fox news is #2 and MSNBC is #24 out of 30 networks. I believe it is because when it comes to news, Americans have a preference for non-fiction.

Health Care, Free Speech, and the American Way

Have you ever seen someone deftly waving their arms in the air in a futile effort to dissuade a tenacious insect which seems hell bent on getting in the unfortunate person's face? It is analogous to the way in which the Obama administration and Congressional Democrats have been dealing with the town hall 'mobs'. Despite the efforts at all levels of government, including the state run media, to characterize the angry citizens showing up at town hall meetings as a manufactured, racially motivated, fringe effort to sabotage health care reform, the Democrats have lost control of the debate.

A new Rasmussen poll indicates that 54% of Americans now say that passing no health care reform bill would be better than passing the plan now working its way through Congress, and that 51% fear the government more than they fear the insurance companies when it comes to making their health care decisions.

This situation is completely unacceptable to the left wing 'collective', being accustomed as they are, to controlling the debate through Utopian platitudes alone. The left believes that there is a critical subtext connected with the town hall dissent which must be addressed, i.e., unmoderated free speech.

In a recent NY Times piece, James Fishkin explains the problem this way;

"The Congressional town-hall-style meeting, which developed as a cost-effective way for time-pressed members to hear from constituents, also rests on an illusion: that a district of 650,000 potential voters can be represented by the unscientifically self-selected who decide to show up. Instead, these amorphous, unpredictable meetings have become open invitations for interest groups and grass roots campaigns to capture the public dialogue."

I suppose that Mr. Fishkin must not be a fan of free elections. After all, what is a free election but the majority being represented by a minority of 'unscientifically self-selected who decide to show up' at the polls to vote.

Having demonstrated that he has his finger firmly placed on the very pulse of the problem, Mr. Fishkin offers what he believes to be a viable solution;

"But there is a way of organizing town halls that would offer lawmakers representative and informed feedback about their constituents’ major concerns: a deliberative poll. Whereas ordinary polls represent the public’s surface impression of sound bites and headlines, deliberative polls bring together a scientifically selected microcosm of a lawmaker’s constituents under conditions conducive to thinking about issues. In effect, an entire Congressional district really can be put in one room."

"These deliberative polls may, on the surface, look a lot like the current town halls — a lawmaker and constituents sharing their positions and asking each other questions. But a lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes. First, a survey identifies the range of attitudes and demographics in the district, before inviting a randomly selected, representative sample of constituents to attend. A random sample cannot be captured by people with intense interests volunteering themselves. Second, to facilitate discussion, participants are sent balanced briefing materials about the issues to be discussed ahead of time."

"When they first arrive at the deliberative poll, attendees answer a confidential questionnaire assessing their positions, before being divided up for small-group discussions. This is key: in the current town hall format, shrill voices can easily silence the rest. But during a deliberative poll, trained moderators make sure that every voice is heard and that the group carefully and thoughtfully narrows in on its most pertinent and pressing policy questions. When all the participants finally assemble with the lawmaker, the result is a serious and productive conversation well beyond what we’ve seen in town halls lately."

Leave it to a Stanford professor of communications to come up with a brilliant and incredibly expensive way of crushing free speech. In times past, tyrants suspended free speech in a much more cost effective manner; under pain of death. By the time that the American left contrives all of the devious, stealthy, and expensive ways necessary to silence all dissent, the resulting system will collapse under its own weight.

America was born in an argument. The debate over independence was so volatile that in some instances it estranged family members permanently. Independence would never have been declared if the services of 'trained moderators' had been employed to promote mutual understanding in the debate. What has been taking place in town hall meetings across the country is not un-American as Nancy Pelosi would have everyone believe. Nothing could be more American.

Camelot is Burning

President Obama held the second of three planned Town Hall meetings today in Belgrade, MT. Just as in the first town hall style meeting in NH, Obama bravely faced a throng of largely adoring Obamaites and soft ball questions. Despite the concerns over so called 'health care misconceptions' and lagging poll numbers, he who has been dubbed the 'master communicator' continues to spout the same old rhetoric, but expecting a different response.


Barely seven months into this administration, Camelot (Take Three) is in real trouble. The Democrats are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They have run every play in the Rules for Radicals playbook and they are still losing ground. And it is precious ground. You see, Health Care Reform has never been about improving the quality, cost, or availability of health care for Americans. It has been about power. It is the center piece of the Democrats plans to cement themselves in power by forcing us all into dependency upon our government. Democrats hate it when conservatives point out that a government big enough to give you all that you need, is big enough to take away all that it has a want to. They hate it because the simple truth contained there in, is exactly what they have been slowly and stealthily working toward all these years.


But, the Democrats find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Whenever the right has mustered themselves to grassroots activism, the left has been able to demonize them and beat them down. But, not this time. The ground swell of dissension has swept the nation. It began with the Tea Parties, which were dismissed as pure 'racism straight up'. Through TARP, the bailouts, the appointment of a tax cheat to the office of Treasury Secretary, the stimulus bill, cap and tax, cash-for-clunkers, and now, the health care reform act; millions of Americans have flooded their Representatives with phone calls, e-mails, and letters voicing their extreme displeasure. Democratic law makers, who view their commitment to the quest for power above their duty to the people and the Constitution; dismissed, ignored, and demonized patriotic Americans concerned for the future of the Republic.


The people were left with but one choice, to confront their Democratic Representatives and Senators face to face. The Democrats, who are never at a loss for self delusion, have failed to realize that the monster that they now face is one of their own creation. All of their efforts to stem the tide of dissent have served only to enrage and encourage the opposition. Being morally obtuse, as all tyrants are, Obama has begun a campaign of passive intimidation. But, make no mistake, it's passive nature is but temporary.


We must not fool ourselves. The fight we have begun will not be over with the next election, or the one after that. Remember Michelle Obama's words, "Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed." We must think of her words as eerily prophetic.

"Socialist" is the New "N-Word": UPDATED

Almost from the very moment that Barack Obama threw his hat into the Presidential contender ring, the Democrats, Obama included, have failed to resist the temptation to play the race card. I am of course giving them an extreme benefit of the doubt for having tried to 'resist'. Be that as it may, it is obvious to any rational observer that they have played the race card to an incredulous extent. It seems that anyone, be it a group or an individual, who opposes the President on any issue runs the risk of being accused of racism. This is especially true with respect to the TEA party protesters and the citizens who are vociferously confronting their lawmakers at town hall meetings.

In the absence of clear evidence of racial motivation on the part of the dissenters, those making the charge are being forced into contriving loose and subjective interpretations of the signs, slogans, and words used by the protesters. A recent example of this came from MSNBC's Carlos Watson, who, in his "C-Note" segment made these remarks;

"Today I want to talk about a word that we're hearing more and more, and that's the word socialist. You hear it from a lot of conservatives these days, that's usually critiquing the President, or more broadly Democrats. And while that's certainly a legitimate critique, there certainly is an ideology that can and should be critiqued at certain times, it also some times is just a kind of a generic conservative bludgeoning tool. And that's alright, too, because you hear it on the Democratic side as well: rightwingnut, what have you."

"But what concerns me is when in some of those town hall meetings including the one that we saw in Missouri recently where there were jokes made about lynching, etc., you start to wonder whether in fact the word socialist is becoming a code word, whether or not socialist is becoming the new N-word for frankly for some angry upset birthers and others. I hope that's not the case, but it sure does say to you what David Brooks said the other day on T.V. which is that more credible conservatives have to stand up and say that there's a line that has to be drawn, that there's a line of responsibility that's important, and that extends to the words that we choose including how we choose even legitimate words like socialist." (NewsBusters.org)

'Socialist' is a code word? Socialist is becoming the new N-word? By what exercise in interpretive gymnastics or logic does Mr. Watson arrive at such a conclusion? From what he says, it is difficult to ascertain. He does, however make a valid point regarding the importance of being responsible in the words we chose to use in human discourse; perhaps we should begin with that. It might be helpful to examine some time tested rules governing the use and interpretation of the words which we use in human discourse. To that end, I offer the following from Johann August Ernesti, Elementary Principles of Interpretation

• "To every word there ought to be assigned...some idea or notion of a thing, which we call the meaning or signification of the word."


• "For there can be no certainty at all, in respect to the interpretation of any passage, unless a kind of necessity compels us to affix a particular sense to a word; which sense,...must be one; and unless there are special reasons for a tropical meaning, it must be a literal sense."


• "The literal sense of words is the sense which is so connected with them that it is the first order, and is spontaneously presented to the mind as soon as the sound of the word is heard."

Mr. Watson admits that the word 'socialist' is a "legitimate" word. Since it is a legitimate word, it has a literal meaning, which meaning is the primary meaning, unless there is some special reason to interpret it figuratively. There is every reason to believe that the critics of Obama are in fact using the word 'socialist' literally. See here, and here. There is also the fact that conservatives have used the word 'socialist' to refer other Presidents and Presidential candidates (George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, and Clinton, both Mr. and Mrs.) Mr. Watson must have a special reason in this case to interpret the word 'socialist' in a figurative way. He does have such a reason. Because he wishes to do so.

The fact of the matter is that there are individuals who have a problem with race. Mr. Watson is a perfect example.

UPDATE: 08/12/09

Since making his incendiary comments on Monday, Mr. Watson has been receiving a good deal of backlash; so much so that he now feels that his comments are being misinterpreted or somehow taken out of context. On his The Stimulist site, Mr. Watson ineptly tried to defend his absurd assertion.

"I wondered—let me repeat that: wondered—whether “socialist” was being used as a code word for the N-word, an outlet for racist anxiety and anger."

"Over the last 24 hours, I’ve been accused both of trying to silence dissent and race bait. I am interested in neither. Various e-mailers have said they don’t think anyone has literally meant the N-word. Maybe they’re right. But maybe not; just take a look at the hundreds of comments on YouTube. Either way, responsible people need to not kid themselves: there is clearly some meaningful racial animus behind some of the opposition to President Obama. (Again, I said some—not all or a majority.) Pretending otherwise is hypocritical, negligent, and dangerous."

"Again, I am certainly not arguing that criticism is inappropriate, or that critiques using the word socialist are necessarily out of bounds. We’ve seen the word used before, against Hillary Clinton in 1994, LBJ three decades before and many others."

Why is it the these elitists, who like to think of themselves as the smartest people in the room, are unable (or unwilling) to make a well reasoned argument, even in their own defense. Mr. Watson freely admits that the word 'socialist' has been used in its literal sense many times of other politicians, yet still offers no real argument to support his even "wondering" if it is being used figuratively with respect to Obama.

Pelosi and Hoyer Call Concerned Citizens "Un-American"

In a USA TODAY op/ed piece published today, Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer echoed the sentiments of other Democrats that the angry citizens who are disrupting Democrat Town Hall Meetings are un-American. In the piece entitled, 'Un-American' attacks can't derail health care debate, Pelosi/Hoyer make the argument that these citizens are un-American by virtue of the fact that they are disrupting the meetings and thereby preventing a civil debate.

"........, it is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue. These tactics have included hanging in effigy one Democratic member of Congress in Maryland and protesters holding a sign displaying a tombstone with the name of another congressman in Texas, where protesters also shouted "Just say no!" drowning out those who wanted to hold a substantive discussion."

As I pointed out in a previous post, the tactics which they decry now, are the very tactics which they have used in the past to effectively block legislation, change policy, and prevent a civil debate; (which they never, ever really want to have in the first place). What they really want is for the right in this country to shut-up. Oh, yeah! That is the American way, right?

But, we conservatives have always been in favor of civil and constructive discourse. We have always been in favor of having the debate. We have played nice and gotten nothing for it. And then, we played nice again. We have played nice until it was time to not play nice. That time is now.

If Pelosi/Hoyer think that Americans going to Town Hall Meetings and expressing passionately their opposition the the Health Care bill is un-American, what, pray tell, would they consider to be the American way to conduct public discourse? The way Democrats prefer to do it? At farcical Town Hall Meetings where the attendees are hand picked, the questions and answers scripted well in advance, where no dissenting voices are heard, where the public watching on TV see and hear only that which they want them to hear, and all of it at tremendous public expense? Is that what the Democrats consider to be the American way to engage in free political discourse?

If Americans should agree to that, then the Dems might as well pass out the chains and shackles, and we will put them on ourselves.

Flag@WhiteHouse.Gov

There is no limit to the level to which liberal hypocrisy will rise. As average Americans take the time to attend the scheduled town hall meetings of their elected representatives in order to raise, often very passionately, their concerns over the proposed Health Care bill; the left wing media, Congressional leaders, and the White House wasted no time in trying to demonize them as GOP plants, a mob, racists, swastika carrying Nazis, potential domestic terrorists, and un-American.

So what if the protests are organized! Organized dissent is something which the left has practiced for years, and at many of those events, the term 'mob' would certainly be appropriate. However, unlike what is typical of left wing activism, no cars have been overturned, no fires set, and riot police have not been needed.

Pelosi's comments where she describes seeing protesters "carrying swastikas" was so ridiculous that much of the MSM is ignoring the story, and here is a good reason why:

Right Wingers with Swastikas

Left Wingers with Swastikas

Yep, no hypocrisy here, right! Of course, the libs would have to search long and hard to find a right wing sign which embodies the level extremism displayed in this sign;

So much for the 'potential domestic terrorist' charge.

And, on the subject of racially motivated action at the town hall protests, the only clear example of which was actually perpetrated by members of the left. Purple (SEIU) is the new brown (SA).

At this writing, Matt Drudge is working on a story as follows;
"Pelosi/Hoyer op-ed in Monday USATODAY calls townhall protesters 'un-American'... Developing..."

UPDATE 08/10/09: See USA TODAY op/ed here.

In answer to the un-American charge which is being leveled I think Hillary Clinton (gag) said it best;

"I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and you disagree with this administration somehow you're not patriotic. We should stand up and say we are Americans and we have a right to debate and disagree with any administration." - Hillary Clinton, 2003

Hypocrisy aside, the purpose of all of these charges is to direct attention from the complaints of the protesters, to the motives of the protesters. The left has been successful to this end, thanks to their willing accomplices in the press. But, there is a plan B.

On Aug. 4th, in the White House Blog, the WH announced the 'snitch' address where one may report so-called health care disinformation;

"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."

Using a tactic familiar to every dictator throughout history, i.e., inhibiting free speech though the threat of being ratted out by ones neighbors, ol' Purple Lips has surpassed any perceived usurpation of civil rights perpetrated by the Bush Administration.

Obama Health Care Plan Details

Here are the scary details of the Health Care Bill put together by Mat Staver, Dean of Liberty University School of Law:

HR 3200 currently under consideration in the House of Representatives
*HC = "Health Care"

Pg 22 of the HC Bill MANDATES the Government will audit the books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self insure!!
Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC Bill - YOUR HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED!!!
Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC Bill - THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get
Pg 42 of HC Bill - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your benefits for you. You have no choice!
Pg 50 Section 152 in HC Bill - HC will be provided to ALL non-U.S. citizens, illegal or otherwise
Pg 58 HC Bill - Government will have real-time access to individual's finances and a National ID Health Care Card will be issued!
Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Government will have direct access to your banks accounts for electronic funds transfer.
Pg 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions and community organizations (ACORN).
Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Government is creating a Health Care Exchange to bring private health care plans under government control.
Pg 84 Sec 203 HC Bill - Government mandates ALL benefit packages for private health care plans in the Exchange
Pg 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The government will ration your health care!
Pg 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill - Government mandates linguistic appropriate services.
Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The government will use groups i.e., ACORN & AmeriCorps to sign up individuals for government Health Care Plan
Pg 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs of Ben Levels 4 Plans. #AARP members - Your health care WILL be rationed
Pg 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill - Medicaid Eligible Individual will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.
Pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue the government on price fixing. No "judicial review" against this government monopoly.
Pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill - Doctors/ #AMA - The government will tell YOU what you can make.
Pg 145 Line 15-17 An employer MUST auto enroll employees into public option plan. NO CHOICE
Pg 126 Lines 22-25 Employers MUST pay for health care for part-time employees AND their families.
Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Employer w/ payroll 400k and above who does not prov. pub opt. pays 8% tax on all payroll
Pg 150 Lines 9-13 Businesses with payroll between 251k and 400k who do not provide public opt pays 2-6% tax on all payroll
Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesn't have acceptable health care according to government will be taxed 2.5% of income.
Pg 170 Lines 1-3 Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay).
Pg 195 Officers & employees of HC Administration (GOVT) will have access to ALL Americans' financial and personal records.
Pg 203 Line 14-15 HC - "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." Yes, it says that.
Pg 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill Government will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor affected.
Pg 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill - Doctors, it does not matter what specialty you have, you'll all be paid the same.
Pg 253 Line 10-18 Government sets value of doctors' time, prof judg, etc. Literally value of humans.
Pg 265 Sec 1131Government mandates and controls productivity for private health care industries.
Pg 268 Sec 1141 Federal Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs.
Pg 272 SEC. 1145. Treatment of certain cancer hospitals - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!
Page 280 Sec 1151 The government will penalize hospitals for what government deems preventable readmissions. (Incentives for hospital to not treat and release.)
Pg 298 Lines 9-11 Doctors that treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission-Government will penalize you.
Pg 317 L 13-20 PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Government tells Doctors what/how much they can own.
Pg 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3 PROHIBITION on expansion- Government is mandating hospitals cannot expand.
pg 321 2-13 Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception, BUT community input required. Can you say ACORN?!!
Pg335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339 - Government mandates establishment of outcome based measures. Health Care the way they want. Rationing.
Pg 341 Lines 3-9 Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans (Part B), HMOs, etc. Forcing people into Government plan.
Pg 354 Sec 1177 - Government will RESTRICT enrollment of special needs people!
Pg 379 Sec 1191 Government creates more bureaucracy - Tele-health Advisory Committee. Health care by phone/Internet?
Pg 425 Lines 4-12 Government mandates Advance [Death] Care Planning Consultion. Think Senior Citizens end of life.
Pg 425 Lines 17-19 Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!
Pg 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 Government provides approved list of end of life resources, guiding you in death.
Pg 427 Lines 15-24 Government mandates program for orders for end of life. The government has a say in how your life ends.
Pg 429 Lines 1-9 An "advanced care planning consult" will be used frequently as patient's health deteriorates.
Pg 429 Lines 10-12 " advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end of life plans. AN ORDER from Government.
Pg 429 Lines 13-25 - The government will specify which doctors can write an end of life order.
PG 430 Lines 11-15 The government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life.
Pg 469 - Community Based Home Medical Services=Non-profit orgs. Hello, ACORN Medical Services here!!?
Pg 472 Lines 14-17 PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORG. 1 monthly payment to a community-based org. Like ACORN?
Pg 489 Sec 1308 The government will cover Marriage and Family therapy. They will insert government into your marriage.
Pg 494-498 Government will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, rationing those services.
PG 502 Sec 1181 Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research Established. - Hello Big Brother - Literally.
Pg 503 Lines 13-19 Government will build registries and data networks from YOUR electronic medical records.
Pg 503 lines 21-25 Government may secure data directly from any department or agency of the U.S. who have any of your data.
Pg 504 Lines 6-10 The "Center" will collect data both published and unpublished (that means public and your private info).
PG 506 Lines 19-21 The Center will recommend policies that would allow for public access of data.
PG 518 Lines 21-25 The Commission will have input from Health Care consumer reps - Can you say unions and ACORN?
PG 524 18-22 Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund set up. More taxes for ALL.
PG 621 Lines 20-25 Government will define what quality means in health care. Since when does government know about quality?
Pg 622 Lines 2-9 To pay for the Quality Standards, government will transfer money from other government Trust Funds. More Taxes.
PG 624 "Quality" measures shall be designed to assess outcomes and functional status of patients.
PG 624 "Quality" measures shall be designed to profile you including race, age, gender, place of residence, etc.
Pg 628 Sec 1443 Government will give "Multi-Stake Holders" Pre-Rule Making input into Selection of "Quality" Measures.
Pg 630 9-24/631 1-9 Those multi-stake holder groups include unions and groups like ACORN deciding health care quality.
Pg 632 Lines 14-25 The Government may implement any "Quality measure" of health care services as they see fit.
PG 633 14-25/ 634 1-9 The Secretary may issue non-endorsed "Quality Measures" for Physician Services and Dialysis Services.
Pg 635 to 653 Physicians Payments Sunshine Provision - Government wants to shine sunlight on doctor but not government.
Pg 654-659 Public Reporting on Health Care-Associated Infections - Looks okay.
PG 660-671 Doctors in Residency - Government will tell you where your residency will be, thus where you'll live.
Pg 676-686 Government will regulate hospitals in EVERY aspect of residency programs, including teaching hospitals.
Pg 686-700 Increased Funding to Fight Waste, Fraud, and Abuse. Do they mean like the government with an $18 million website?
PGs 701-704 Sec 1619 If your part of health care plan isn't in Government Health Care Exchange but you qualify for Federal aid, no payment.
PG 705-709 SEC. 1128 If Secretary gets complaints (ACORN) on health care provider or supplier, government can do background check.
PG 711 Lines 8-14 The Secretary has broad powers to deny health care providers/ suppliers admittance into Health Care Exchange. Your doctor could be thrown out of business.
Pg 719-720 Sec 1637 ANY Doctor who orders durable medical equipment or home medical services MUST be enrolled in Medicare.
PG 722 Sec 1639 Government MANDATES doctors must have face-to-face with patient to certify patient for Home Health Services.
PG 724 23-25 PG 725 1-5 The same government certifications will apply to Medicaid and CHIP (your kids).
PG 724 Lines 16-22 Government reserves right to apply face-to-face certification for patient to ANY other health care service.
Pg 735 lines 16-25 For law enforcement, proposes the Secretary-HHS will give Attorney General access to ALL data.
PG 740-757 Government sets guidelines for subsidizing the uninsured (That's your tax dollars people).
Pg 757-762 Federal Government will shift burden of payments to Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) to States. (Taxes)
Pg 763 1-8 No DS/EA hospitals will be paid unless they provide services without regard to national origin.
Pg 765 Sec 1711 Government will require Preventative Services including vaccines. (Choice?)
Pg 768 Sec 1713 Government - Nurse Home Visitation Services (Hello union paybacks).
Pg 769 11-14 Nurse Home Visit Services include economic self-sufficiency, employ adv, school-readiness.
Pg 769 3-5 Nurse Home Visit Services - "increasing birth intervals between pregnancies." Government ABORTIONS anyone?
Pg 770 SEC 1714 Federal Government mandates eligibility for State Family Planning Services. Abortion and State Sovereignty.
Pg 789-797 Government will set, mandate drug prices, controlling which drugs brought to market. Bye innovation.
Pgs 797-800 SEC. 1744 PAYMENTS for graduate medical education. The government will now control doctors' educations.
PG 801 Sec 1751 The government will decide which health care conditions will be paid. Can you say RATION!
Pg 810 SEC. 1759. Billing Agents, clearinghouses, etc. req. to register. Government takes over private payment system.
Pg 820-824 Sec 1801 Government will identify individuals ineligible for subsidies. Will access all personal financial information.
Pg 824-829 SEC. 1802. Government sets up Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund. Another tax black hole.
PG 829-833 Government will impose a fee on ALL private health insurance plans including self-insured to pay for Trust Fund!
PG 835 11-13 fees imposed by government for Trust Fund shall be treated as if they were taxes.
Pg 838-840 Government will design and implement Home Visitation Program for families with young kids and families expecting kids.
PG 844-845 This Home Visitation Program includes government coming into your house and telling you how to parent!!!
Pg 859 Government will establish a Public Health Fund at a cost of $88,800,000,000. Yes that's billion.
Pg 865 The government will MANDATE the establishment of a National Health Service Corps.
PG 865 to 876 The NHS Corps is a program where doctors perform mandatory health care for two years for part loan repayment.
PG 876-892 The government takes over the education of our medical students and doctors.
PG 898 The government will establish a Public Health Workforce Corps to ensure supply of public health prof.
PG 898 The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of civilian employees of the U.S. as Secretary deems.
PG 898 The Public Health Workforce Corps shall consist of officers of Regular and Reserve Corps of Service.
PG 900 The Public Health Workforce Corps includes veterinarians.
PG 901 The Public Health Workforce Corps WILL include commissioned Regular and Reserve Officers. HC Draft?
PG 910 The government will develop, build, and run Public Health Training Centers.
PG 913-914 Government starts a health care affirmative action program thru guise of diversity scholarships.
PG 915 SEC. 2251. Government MANDDATES Cultural and linguistic competency training for health care professionals.
Pg 932 The Government will establish Preventative and Wellness Trust fund- initial cost of $30,800,000,000 billion.
PG 935 21-22 Government will identify specific goals & objectives for prevention & wellness activities. That means controlling YOU!!
PG 936 Government will develop "Healthy People and National Public Health Performance Standards" Tell me what to eat?
PG 942 Lines 22-25 More government? Offices of Surgeon General -Public Health Svc, Minority Health, Women's Health
PG 950- 980 BIG GOVERNMENT core pub health infrastructure including workforce capacity, lab systems, health info sys, etc.
PG 993 Government will establish school based health clinics. Your kids won't have a chance.
PG 994 School Based Health Clinic will be integrated into the school environment. Say government brainwash!
PG 1001 The government will establish a National Medical Device Registry. Will you be tracked?

Mathew D. Staver*
Founder and Chairman Dean and Professor of LawLiberty Counsel
Liberty University School of Law

Offices in Florida, Virginia and the District of Columbia, Lynchburg, Virginia
(800) 671-1776 - Telephone (434) 592-5300 - Telephone

http://www.lc.org/

http://law.liberty.edu/