Obama’s Budget Director: Powerful Rationing Panel (Not Doctors) Will Control Health Care Levels

What those who researched the Health Care Plan prior to its passage by Congress realized, but many in the public, hearing only what supporters of the plan told us did not.  This does not bode well for elder Americans who face potential rationing of medical services.   ~~~   S. Lane

Breitbart.tv » Obama’s Budget Director: Powerful Rationing Panel (Not Doctors) Will Control Health Care Levels

Taxes: All Options "On the Table"

So much for the election campaign promise of no tax increases for anyone earning less than $250,000 a year.

Now a spokesman for the Obama administration says that everything is "on the table" and that includes consideration of additional taxes.

~~~ S. Lane

Interesting Observations about Education and Common Sense

Education does not always equal common sense, an observation which, as the writer of this article observes applies to those on both the liberal and the conservative sides of the political spectrum.   

~~~    S. Lane

The A Students And Common Sense

Today on the Right, one side is arguing for what's come to be called a common sense conservatism, while intellectuals on the Right, especially some young ones, whine incessantly because they interpret it as a lack of ideas. So, they're invested in this or that cause of  re-invention based upon everything from shopping at Sam's Club, to eating granola bars. And that is why I give our intellectuals such a hard time. If they're permitted to do on the Right what Obama and his A students are now doing on the Left, common sensemay disappear from American government for all, or a very long, time.

A Plague of ‘A’ Students
Why it’s so irksome being governed by the Obami.

The secret to the Obama annoyance is snotty lecturing. His tone of voice sends us back to the worst place in college. We sit once more packed into the vast, dreary confines of a freshman survey course—“Rocks for Jocks,” “Nuts and Sluts,” “Darkness at Noon.” At the lectern is a twerp of a grad student—the prototypical A student—insecure, overbearing, full of himself and contempt for his students. All we want is an easy three credits to fulfill a curriculum requirement in science, social science, or fine arts. We’ve got a mimeographed copy of last year’s final with multiple choice answers already written on our wrists. The grad student could skip his classes, the way we intend to, but there the s.o.b. is, taking attendance. (How else to explain this year’s census?)

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"Obama's credibility crisis"

Of particular interest in this Washington Examiner Editorial (April 25, 2010) is the writer's observation that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius admitted that "We don't know how much [the Health Care Bill] is going to cost." Really? A careful reading of the bill would have revealed that it will increase spending and therefore add to our national debt. Meanwhile, as Ms. Sebelius was claiming the administration didn't know what their health plan would cost,  President Obama was assuring us that it would "reduce government health care spending." . . . .  Just one of the areas this editorial notes in which Obama's statements do not square with the facts.     ~~~   S. Lane

On Obamacare, the president and his appointees said repeatedly over the last year that it would reduce government health care spending. Yet now comes Kathleen Sebelius, Obama's Department of Health and Human Services secretary, confessing that "We don't know how much it's going to cost." Why is Sebelius only now saying this when her own department just made public a report obviously months in preparation that projected government health care costs overall will go up, not down? That same HHS report also said Obamacare's Medicare cuts could put 15 percent of all hospitals out of business, making treatment harder to get and more expensive, especially for seniors.

Read more at the Washington Examiner

"Something Fishy Is Going On"

What you'll see in this video explains why I don't buy fish and seafood unless it is labeled "Product of USA" and is fresh. There is one store where I live that has a special seafood/meat counter and the "butcher" will answer my questions as to where the products come from and whether they are farm raised or wild, fresh or frozen. Unfortunately we cannot trust unlabeled fish or seafood. And obviously inspection is lax at best. The FDA isn't doing it's job of protecting consumers -- no surprise there of course. Trade policies that over a long period of time encourage importing foreign products and regulations that discourage domestic production also contribute to the increase in unsafe foods and produce in our groceries. Thank you GATT, NAFTA and over zealous environmental policies. ~~ S. Lane

One Point of View

This article from the East Valley Tribune presents an interesting commentary on President Barack Obama's behavior and actions as president.    ~~  S, Lane

Going off the deep end  -  Floyd and Beth Brown

East Valley Tribune  -  Phoenix, AZ  -  April 13, 2010

To read the full article and see comments, click on the link above  ...

A recent analysis by Roger Simon of PJTV Media maintains that Obama is showing signs of mental illness. A wide variety of commentators have observed that Obama displays severe narcissism. Obama is conceited, and he is demonstrating a serious disassociation from reality.

A recent case in point was Obama's bizarre and meandering 17-minute, 2,500-word answer to the simple question about how he could justify raising taxes for ObamaCare during a recession when citizens are already overtaxed. Obama's wildly inappropriate answer left the audience stunned and led commentator Charles Krauthammer to mockingly say, "I don't know why you are so surprised. It’s only nine times the length of the Gettysburg address, and after all Lincoln was answering an easier question, the higher purpose of the union and the soldiers who fell in battle."

This lapse of delusion occurred in front of a friendly audience. Overall, Barack Obama seems to be slipping into a slightly more delusional state these days.

On Monday, following his embarrassing answer on Saturday, Obama stopped by the Washington Nationals home opener to loft an effeminate toss toward home plate constituting the ceremonial first pitch. After this display, Obama was mucking it up in the press booth talking about his love of the Chicago White Sox. The announcers asked Obama which players he supported growing up a White Sox fan. After hemming and hawing for about 30 seconds, Obama responded that he grew up in Hawaii and was actually an A's fan. Again, he avoided mentioning any players by name. Obama seems to believe that he can say whatever he wants, and not reap the consequences or be forced to defend his empty assertions. Obama behaves in a manner so disconnected from reality that he is shocked when someone has the audacity to question him. Obama acts like his word is infallible.

In March of last year Obama was on “60 Minutes” with Steve Kroft. Throughout the interview as Kroft questioned about the economic downturn and people losing their life savings, Obama just kept laughing. A one point CBS’s Kroft stopped him and asked, “Are you punch drunk?" How will the American people react to seeing their president laugh off their predicament? Obama’s inappropriate laughter clearly demonstrated he has lost touch with the pain that people are feeling.

Obama portrays himself as the larger-than-life figure towering above the political fray. At the summit when Obama was pushing his health care package through Congress, he attempted to act as if he were the chief arbiter of truth. With petty insults, he slapped down what the Republicans proposed and audaciously claimed his was a “bipartisan bill.” Obama distorts the truth with such frequency that one must start to question if Obama even realizes he is lying or is so disassociated from the truth that he believes what he says.

A further example of Obama’s delusions of grandeur occurred when he gave himself a “good solid B plus.” Believing that his presidency was an above average success when America is hurting is absurd. Obama went so far as to claim that he would give himself an “A” once health care was passed. Obama is not living in the same reality as the rest of us.

Five More Join in Suit Challenging Health Care Bill

For those of us who believe that we should continue to be free to make choices regarding whether or not to purchase health insurance and, if we purchase it, to freely choose our carrier and type of policy and make our own choices about our health care providers and procedures, it is encouraging to see that states are challenging the Constitutionality of the Obama health care plan.     ~~   S. Lane

UPDATE 3-Florida says challenge to healthcare reform widens

* Five more states joining suit, which will now group 

Reuters   Wed Apr 7, 2010 3:35pm EDT

Poem: A Soldier Died Today

Generally, poetry really isn't my favorite form of literature, but sometimes a poem comes along that is simple, direct and down-to-earth and really "speaks to me." This is one of those so I just thought I'd share it here.   ~~  S. Lane

Just a Common Soldier


by A. Lawrence Vaincourt 1985 

He was getting old and paunchy 
And his hair was falling fast, 
And he sat around the Legion, 
Telling stories of the past. 

Of a war that he once fought in 
And the deeds that he had done, 
In his exploits with his buddies; 
They were heroes, every one. 

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors 
His tales became a joke, 
All his buddies listened quietly 
For they knew where of he spoke. 

But we'll hear his tales no longer, 
For ol' Bob has passed away, 
And the world's a little poorer 
For a Soldier died today. 

He won't be mourned by many, 
Just his children and his wife. 
For he lived an ordinary, 
Very quiet sort of life.
He held a job and raised a family, 
Going quietly on his way; 
And the world won't note his passing, 
'Tho a Soldier died today. 

When politicians leave this earth, 
Their bodies lie in state, 
While thousands note their passing, 
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories

From the time that they were young

But the passing of a Soldier 
Goes unnoticed, and unsung. 

Is the greatest contribution 
To the welfare of our land, 
Some jerk who breaks his promise 
And cons his fellow man? 

Or the ordinary fellow 
Who in times of war and strife, 
Goes off to serve his country 
And offers up his life? 

The politician's stipend 
And the style in which he lives, 
Are often disproportionate, 
To the service that he gives. 

While the ordinary Soldier, 
Who offered up his all, 
Is paid off with a medal 
And perhaps a pension, small.

It's so easy to forget them, 
For it is so many times 
That our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys, 
Went to battle, but we know, 

It is not the politicians 
With their compromise and ploys, 
Who won for us the freedom 
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger, 
With your enemies at hand, 
Would you really want some cop-out, 
With his ever waffling stand? 

Or would you want a Soldier-- 
His home, his country, his kin, 
Just a common Soldier, 
Who would fight until the end. 

He was just a common Soldier, 
And his ranks are growing thin, 
But his presence should remind us 
We may need his like again.

For when countries are in conflict, 
We find the Soldier's part 
Is to clean up all the troubles 
That the politicians start. 

If we cannot do him honor 
While he's here to hear the praise, 
Then at least let's give him homage 
At the ending of his days. 

Perhaps just a simple headline 
In the paper that might say: 


"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, 

A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."