Senate Committee Passes Health Care Bill

While most, including the media, were paying attention to the Sotomayor hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Health Committee approved a version of the socialized medicine bill that allegedly costs $600 billion and will penalize small businesses and include a government-run insurance plan and a mandate on all Americans to get insurance.  Also, yesterday evening the House Democrats issued their health care bill, an over 1000 page monstrosity that would make health care a "right."  The House bill will slam the successful with a 5.4 percent surtax and will be especially hard on small businesses that do not provide health insurance for their employees.  The bill also includes mandates on what the competing private sector plans will need in order to qualify as a health insurance plan and a 2.5% tax on anybody who does not get a qualifying plan.  The Congressional Budget Office has already scored the House bill, saying that it will cost just over $1 trillion over the next 10 years, but that is misleading since 83 percent of the spending will be in the last five years of the estimate.  Obama is willing to give up bipartisanship to get the bill passed.  For a preview of what will happen under ObamaCare, how about the fact that in the United Kingdom there is a 9-month wait for arthritis treatment?

 

The guy who claimed that he shouldn't have to go to Afghanistan has had his orders revoked.  Can anybody say Section 8?

 

There is a battle between some Republican Senators over funding the F-22 program.  I've started to have my own doubts as to whether the F-22 is worth the money.  It seems that it might be a bad design.  Also attached to the Defense Funding bill is the Matthew Shepard hate crimes bill, which could force some Senators to choose between the F-22 and criminalizing thought.

 

At least one liberal is opposed to Sotomayor, and in opposing the nominee he is pointing out the problem with these circus confirmation hearings.  The number of anti-abortion protestors who have been removed from the hearings is up to five.  Congratulations, you are all nuts and you make your position look foolish.

 

How does $9.3 million in rebates for consumers who buy energy efficient appliances stimulate the economy?  How about a ferry for Savannah?

 

In another attempt to make everybody dependent upon government, Congressman George Miller (D-CA) wants you to pay for more people to go to college.

 

The Obama administration is considering allowing unemployed people to rent their homes after being foreclosed.

 

Congress is trying to take control of the automakers by forcing them to reopen closed dealers.  This is what happens when government gets power over business.

 

Ousted leftist Honduran President Manuel Zelaya is calling for an "insurrection" to get himself put back in power.  This is the guy that President Obama is supporting.

 

Hamas claims that Israel is dumping aphrodisiac gum on Hamas to "corrupt the young."