August 24, 2009

The REAL Townhall Mob

I'm sure it occurred to you, as it did me, that the media and congressional digs on the townhall attendees were outrageously uncalled for, patronizing and un-American.

Individuals expressing their concern over major changes in their health care coverage is not only legal in this country, but encouraged by the Constitution. Organized groups, however, brought together to represent big money or big power industries should be a cause for questioning; what exactly are their motives, and should we be concerned that their interests are more valuable to our government officials than ours are?

In the case of the UAW unions, the motive seems obvious. They, as a million-plus person organization themselves, have a huge stake in making sure their health care remains both primo and unaltered. But why should the President and congress give them what they want? The UAW and SEIU unions offer a large voter turnout, as well as the strongman presence that Obama cabinet members has asked them to provide to "quiet down" the naysaying general public.

This could all be my paranoia - and internal ickiness detector of things like unions - if not for the following article (hotair.com) outlining findings of the very sort I'm talking about. It's so important that I'm re-posting it here instead of just linking it. Please take the time to read it; it not only exposes the unions for what they are (benefits-clamoring bullies) but the President as well. And what is he? Well, from this article it seems like he's a bit of a liar.

**********************

Why unions are “Astroturfing” health-care town halls

posted at 2:18 pm on August 24, 2009 by Ed Morrissey

After enraged constituents started showing up at Congressional town-hall forums to oppose ObamaCare, the unions acted quickly to counterdemonstrate on behalf of the Democratic agenda item. In at least one case, union representatives used violence to intimidate and harrass ObamaCare opponents. The same union, which represents a large percentage of government workers and would be presumably immune from any health-care reform action, issued memos demanding volunteers to “drown out” opposition to ObamaCare. But why?

This report from the Detroit Free Press explains that the unions have a good reason — actually, ten billion good reasons:

Antilabor forces say it’s welfare for the UAW and Democrats’ union allies. Labor supporters say it falls short of what’s needed as tens of thousands of union members are pushed into early retirement as employers cut back health care coverage.

They’re both talking about a $10-billion provision tucked deep inside thousands of pages of health care overhaul bills that could help the UAW’s retiree health-care plan and other union-backed plans.

It would see the government — at least temporarily — pay 80 cents on the dollar to corporate and union insurance plans for claims between $15,000 and $90,000 for retirees age 55 to 64. …

Greg Mourad of the National Right to Work Committee called it “a shameless case of political payback,” saying Democrats and President Barack Obama are trying “to force the rest of us to pay billions to cover those unions’ health care.”

The money will be yet another bailout of Detroit, although the Obama administration and the Democrats have it flying under the radar, buried in HR3200:

Thanks to Detroit’s twin auto bankruptcies and other concessions, the UAW’s voluntary employee benefit association, or VEBA, had to take stock of unknown value for $24 billion in claims, while adding thousands of early retirees to its rolls.

Outside experts estimate the funds have about 30 cents in cash for every dollar of future claims, with no guarantee of what its stock assets will be worth. Lance Wallach, a New York-based VEBA expert, says if the funds “don’t get something, they’re out of business in 12 years.” …

Key provisions in House and Senate proposals set aside $10 billion to pay some claims for early retirees covered by employers and VEBAs, before other cost-saving measures kick in. Critics call it a union giveaway, but the union says the money would keep companies from further slashing coverage.

That’s explicitly a bailout. It comes on the heels of tens of billions of dollars committed to GM and Chrysler, as well as politically-motivated bankruptcies that violated the rights of senior creditors in favor of the unions. The unions have overcommitted and underresourced their health plans, and now Congress wants to surreptitiously bail them out from bankruptcy — all while making them more or less immune from the restrictions in the rest of the bill.

That $10,000,000,000 bailout certainly gives the unions a big incentive to crack heads and intimidate people into retreat on ObamaCare, doesn’t it? That’s the granddaddy of all Astroturfing efforts.

Update: My friend Warner Todd Huston wrote about this almost two weeks ago — be sure to read it.

August 21, 2009

Blast from the Non-racially Motivated Past

WHOA DUDE! Here's a fun Friday night watch for you, from the vaults of Hot Air (where do they find this stuff?). It's Obama in a 1995 interview talking about how politicians tend to look for racial scapegoats instead of "focusing on principles."

Irony, anyone?


August 20, 2009

Great Moments in One-Liner History

You can't be a "progressive" without showing any progress!


"Progressive" is yet another word that liberals think they have solitary control of. Yet, none of the programs they introduce as intending to help citizens have allowed them (citizens) to progress beyond the programs! In fact, government-organized and maintained systems of support produce a dependence, making self-sufficiency difficult and, honestly, not at all attractive to people who have become accustomed to living off its benefits.

So who has "progressed?"

Not the people who liberals say they are helping; they've become comfortable, reliant on programs that do not give incentive for paying your own way with the sweat of your own brow. And not the liberals themselves; they have been parading out the same kinds of "solutions" for decades, trying to dress them up in new language when everyone knows it's just clever utilization of buzz words for a different generation.

Thus, the term "progressive." It doesn't mean anything, but it makes them sound good.


August 17, 2009

PJ Media Twofer

Here are two articles from Pajamas Media on the state of the Obama administration. It's fun to find out what other people are saying about him now that enough time has passed for the propaganda slogans to die down in chorus.

To those that are still trying to shout out "hope and change!" over the passionate outcry from town hall meetings over health care reform I must ask, "To whom are you shouting, and why?"

Frank Fleming:
Aren't They Getting Tired of Calling Obama Opponents Racist?
(Quote from article: "It’s pretty mindless, though some try to dress it up to look smart — as liberals love to do.")

Roger Kimball:
Channeling your inner Goldstein: Obama's Renewable Two-Minute Hate Fest
("He doesn’t explain it. He blames others, especially President Bush.")

BLAH - G

I'm thinking about remodeling this whole blog. What do you think? What direction should I go in? I like graphic and bold, that's for sure, but what style should it be?

Thinking... thinking...

Any ideas, shout 'em out.

August 15, 2009

Now Receiving Transmission...

Maybe I mean that blogger will now be receiving my transmissions of posts? Or maybe that the internet is now receiving my messages through my computer?

Er... I think I've confused myself. Not for the first time... nor will it be the last, thanks to the wizardry of Nic and the wireless at the new apartment! I can now blog from the comfort of my own laptop.

Seriously, I thanked Nic profusely for setting this up (which took over three hours to do) because of the ability it gives me to search for jobs and keep myself busy with setting up an etsy account and other things. And, of course, keeping up with my talk radio shows, hotair links and news briefings (what have you people done without me? :)

Everyone say thank you to Nic now in unison for bringing me back into the world. Leave a comment if you like.

Hmm... now all I have to do is think of posts to write...


P.S. Isn't it funny that I'm saying 'the world' when I mean the internet world? I haven't disappeared from the real world! Ah, shows what having friends all long distance will do to your self-perception...

August 11, 2009

New Nephew! *Updated with more pics*

Big sister Maia and Baby Joe.

Yup, he's a cutie.


Hey everyone, guess what? My sister Lea had her baby yesterday!

Joseph Nathan arrived at 7:56 ET right on his due date, 8 lb 13 oz, 21 inches long.

I would like to go on record saying I knew it was going to be a boy!



The proud older sister, Maia. If you've ever seen my sister you'd think this was her as a little girl, they look so much alike!

August 7, 2009

Depends on How You Look at It

All those people attending town hall meetings about healthcare reform really give me the willies! After all, aren't they a bunch of fear-mongering, trouble-creating, special interest-concerned, fakers who don't even really care about uninsured people getting helped? What a bunch of jerks!

But, of course, that's just one side's opinion on the protesters. Are they really who and what they are being media whitewashed to be?

I ask you to remember the numerous protests at the onset of the Iraq war. Remember the vitriolic shouts of anti-war protesters, the puppets and name-calling, the outright hatred of President Bush on display for weeks, in major cities and subsequent newspapers. All the protesting against that was considered healthy and productive, an expected by-product of citizens' good intentions and strong convictions.

So why don't the healthcare reform (a.k.a. government owned and operated insurance) protesters get the same respect? It's to be expected from the majority of the media now, after they've sold their souls to the Obama administration. After all, they've got so much invested in towing the line that to speak on behalf of the protesters' rights (Constitutional) would be career suicide within the new pro-President framework of what used to be independent journalism.

Are you surprised, however, that the President himself calls them (non-supporters of his program) people who are "getting in the way" of progress? Are you surprised that he would agree with Nancy Pelosi that they might be extremists and 'right-wing nuts' for not agreeing with him? I wouldn't be at this point. He's said as much already, and he obviously doesn't respect any citizen, least of all those who disagree with him.

I'm disappointed that a man who throughout his campaign told us he wanted to 'bring people together' and work with 'both sides of the aisle' to come up with 'bipartisan solutions' to our nation's complicated problems thinks so little of some of his citizens that he has 1) enouraged pro-President citizes to report suspicious e-mails or conversations regarding the healthcare reform, and 2) told a group at a rally yesterday that these people (dissenters) should just "get out of the way" so he could "clean up the mess" that has been made (presumably by them) in the health insurance arena.

President Obama should be ashamed, but he won't be. He should see how unwise and un-presidential it is to scoff at and place blame on common citizens, and to agree that they are probably motivated by special interest groups.

He should be ashamed, but he won't be precisely because he doesn't care.
And that is really disheartening.

August 6, 2009

WHAT????!??!?!?!?!

The Supreme Court just nominated Sotomayor.

Can you believe this is the country we live in?

Update on Madison

Tree noise is nice, weather is nice, gardens are pretty.

Finding a job is, as usual, a difficult and arduous process. And I need to find something soon.

Lots of complicated emotions about being here... leaving people... being alone again... fitting in... establishing a routine... enjoying things... being comfortable... staying busy... finding meaning... not getting easily discouraged about not having any of these things...


Trying not to let it all submerge me, even though that is how I feel about it.
Another update to follow, in a week or so...

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