Category: Republican

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Barack Obama Politics Republican United States

Next Step For House Republicans – Cutting Health Care Funding

The push to end President Obama’s major initiative continues in the Republican House of Representative. After voting to repeal the law earlier in January, House Republicans are now talking about their next step in stopping Americans from getting the consumer protection and Health care the law provides. Their next step is cutting off its funding.

As reported by AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the House’s top Republicans says he believes the chamber will soon vote to block spending for President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told reporters Tuesday that by the time the House approves a government-wide spending bill for this year, it will end up prohibiting the use of money for the overhaul. The House is expected to debate that legislation shortly.

That overhaul, which became law last year, is one of Obama’s proudest legislative achievements. Republicans have opposed it as a costly, big-government overreach.

Spending for government programs expires March 4 unless Congress approves new legislation providing extra funds.

Cantor, a Virginia Republican, and other GOP lawmakers want to use the spending bill to cut government expenditures across the board.

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Democratic Mitch McConnell Politics Republican

Is The Teaparty Turning On Scott Brown?

He seemed to be just another ordinary man, driving a pick-up truck, cruising around Massachusetts shaking hands and kissing babies. He was endorsed by the Teaparty and was poised to go down in defeat in a state that was often referred to as a liberal county – and after all, he was running a campaign to replace one of the most liberal members of Congress, the late Ted Kennedy.  At a time when Republicans only controlled 40 seats in the Senate and embraced the label “the party of NO,” Brown was seen as the automatic 41st vote against a Democratic controlled majority. The Teaparty powered his campaign with what seemed to be an unlimited amount of cash, and with the lack-luster effort of his Democratic rival Martha Coakley, Scott Brown won the Senate seat controlled by Democrats for almost 50 years.

The Teaparty rejoiced. Their 41st “NO” vote was in place and this was supposed to be the beginning of the revolution to “take their country back!” But something was different about Brown. He seemed to be putting the people of his state before the wishes of his party. He was not the rubber-stamp they expected and he even sided with Democrats on some very important pieces of legislations, like the New START Treaty, repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, Financial Reform and the Jobs bill in 2010 – bills geared to increase America’s security and economic standing, but vastly different from the Teaparty’s ideas on where they wanted America to be.

Now, because of his stance on these and other issues, the Teaparty is trying to unseat Brown.

Scott Wheeler, a Republican activist whose Political Action Committee invested “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in Brown’s election campaign is livid! In a recent article Wheeler wrote called, “Why Scott Brown Must Be Defeated,” Mr. Wheeler said;

An organization I run, The National Republican Trust PAC, raised and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help Scott Brown win the Massachusetts special election to fill the seat vacated upon the death of Ted Kennedy. That organization will now do everything possible to see that Brown is defeated by a primary opponent when he faces reelection in 2012. Why? Because there is no difference between him and a Democrat.

Brown is caught between a rock and a hard place. His party is turning against him, his Teaparty supporters are turning against him, and with his re-election coming up in 2012, Democrats will prefer seeing one of their own reclaim the seat once held by Ted Kennedy. Mr. Brown is feeling the uprising from all sides.

In a meeting with his constituents, Newsweek describes Brown’s opening statement to the audience as he explains the dilemma he faces;

The strain of walking such a fine line must be getting to Brown, because as soon as he finishes his initial round of pleasantries, he launches into a peevish rant about how unfair conservatives are being when they criticize him. “The Democrats are in charge!” he shouts, his voice reaching the high, strained register that teenagers typically use when they don’t want to take out the trash. “Does that mean I’m supposed to do nothing? That I’m supposed to vote with my party every single second of every single day? Why? I haven’t done it for 15 years in the state legislature. All of a sudden I’m supposed to be an ideologue? I’m not quite sure what the mystery is, folks. When I hear some of the comments…I don’t know what the mystery is. I said I was going down there to be a Scott Brown Republican, not someone who works for Harry Reid—or Mitch McConnell!” It’s as if Brown is no longer addressing the people in the room—again, they’re mostly Democrats. Instead, he seems to be fending off foes in Washington, real or otherwise. Unsure of how to react, the crowd quietly pokes at its meatloaf.

This dilemma is real, and Scott Brown knows it. If he fights for the people and does what he believe is right, then the Teaparty and the Republicans in Congress will continue to do all they can to take away his GOP membership card. If he becomes a Republican rubber-stamp, then it is very likely the citizens of Massachusetts will make their voices heard in 2012 and reward the seat to someone who puts them first. And if he aligns himself more with the Democrats, then Democrats accuse him of playing politics, just to get re-elected.

Scott Brown doesn’t need any advise from me, a simple blogger, but if I were to advise him, I would tell him to continue doing what is right for his constituents. Let the Teaparty, Republicans and Democrats fight among themselves. But knowing how the Republicans demand their caucus stick together in opposition to President Obama’s initiatives, its only a matter of time before they make Brown fall into line.

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Best Ad On Superbowl Sunday

A few years ago, Chrysler was bailed out by the government. At the time, Republicans and Conservatives complained that the entire auto industry should be allowed to fail. Gone was any concern about the millions of jobs that would have been lost had the Obama Administration not bailed out the industry.

Now, two years later, the American auto industry is back. General Motors is almost back to number one in the world, and Detroit is once again hiring and putting out the quality cars they were known for in the early years. And with a patriotic tonel that should make any American proud, Chrysler’s 2 minute commercial on Superbowl Sunday was a hit.

Although these Republicans and Conservatives are still against bailing out this industry, this video is the EzKool’s  pick for ‘Best Ad In Superbowl 45’.

Enjoy!

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Egypt Republican Sarah Palin Sarah Palin United States White House

There She Blows, A Hump Like A Snow Hill. It Is Sarah Palin!

I mean really! Why does anyone take Sarah Palin seriously is beyond my pay grade. She again opened her mouth and my’ ignorance detector’ went crazy! This time, the Republican goddess gave an exclusive interview to Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody, in which she once again, spoke of things she knew nothing of.

In an excerpt given to the media, Palin  answers a question on how she believes the President is handling the uprising in Egypt, and instead of  following her usual cartoon character skit on foreign relations – where she’d  look over Mr. Brody’s shoulder with a confused look on her face, point and ask, “is that Russia over there?” – Palin ventured into unfamiliar territory and once again spoke on a topic she knew nothing about.

This is what she said. No editing needed, just the words of  The Palin;

“And nobody yet has, nobody yet has explained to the American public what they know, and surely they know more than the rest of us know who it is who will be taking the place of Mubarak and no, not, not real enthused about what it is that that’s being done on a national level and from D.C. in regards to understanding all the situation there in Egypt. And, in these areas that are so volatile right now, because obviously it’s not just Egypt but the other countries too where we are seeing uprisings, we know that now more than ever, we need strength and sound mind there in the White House. We need to know what it is that America stands for so we know who it is that America will stand with. And, we do not have all that information yet.”

I’m still waiting for the official explanation of that gibberish. I’ve always believed that Sarah Palin spoke another language. Remember earlier on during her run for vice- president,  she was asked a question on foreign policy? Those very infamous words to the interviewer were;

As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right next to, they are right next to our state.

How could anyone take this cartoon seriously?!

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Barack Obama Republican Ronald Reagan Sarah Palin Sarah Palin United States

My Ignorance Detector Goes Off Everytime Palin Talks

One of the hardest things for me to do is ignore ignorance. And although some have pledge not to cover any news about Sarah Palin for the rest of this month, I’m not one of those dudes. So on Friday when Palin opened her mouth at a tribute to former President Ronald Reagan and said America is on “the road to ruin” because of President Obama and his policies- well- my ignorance detector went off full blast.

According to a report from Reuters;

Palin said Obama had revived the era of big government, and she ridiculed the infrastructure spending and investment he outlined in his recent State of the Union speech. “The only thing these investments will get us is a bullet train to bankruptcy,” the 2008 vice presidential candidate said in a speech at the Ronald Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California, part of two days of festivities marking the late president’s 100th birthday.

Palin, as usual is stuck in one mode: attack mode. Her bullet train to bankruptcy analogy was also heard after the President outlined his plans to invest in America’s future at the State Of The Union Address. But what Palin doesn’t seem to get is that this is exactly what other countries are already doing – investing in their futures. Countries like China and India have realized the need for this and have made large gains in the areas of transportation, education and technology over the years and are now reaping the benefits.

America, once the leader of the world, is now being overtaken by countries like China, and what do ignorance-producing talking heads like Sarah Palin have to say about it? These knuckle heads put it all under the heading of “big government spending”. They attack the very  policies  that will allow America to maintain and surpass it’s competitive edge over the rest of the world.

America cannot maintain 1980 policies in a 2011 global economy. We cannot be the leaders of the world when we can’t see past our own noses. The rest of the world is adapting to a changing world and it’s time America led in this effort. Investing in our future is investing in us.

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Chuck Schumer Politics Republican

Democrats Looking At Other Options Besides Individual Mandate

Mccaskill 220-250
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

They’re pretty certain the provision will hold up against the onslaught of the Republicans and the Supreme Court, but just in case the unexpected happens, some Congressional Democrats are already making other preparations to replace the individual mandate.

One idea floating around is that of Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO). According to her plan, an open enrollment period will be offered where people can voluntarily buy insurance policy. After that period passes, anyone wishing to purchase insurance will incur a penalty, causing their policy to be considerably higher.

The idea is based on existing requirements, where once a year individuals get to choose their insurance policies that best suit their needs. After that period passes, they face an expensive alternative when the need to get insurance arises.

Derek Thompson of the Washington Posts explained it this way;

Let’s say I tell you at the beginning of flu season that you can buy Nyquil for a $2 discount today, but tomorrow the price will go up to $20 forever. What do you do? You stock up on Nyquil, of course! Note that I haven’t required that you do anything. I’ve just weighted the incentives to make you buy the medicine. It’s not a mandate, just an irresistible deal.

Although this plan sounds like a great idea, even Claire McCaskill have reservations. She explains, “the issue is will the research support that approach as workable to still allow us to cover people with pre-existing conditions.”

The advantage of the individual mandate meant that everyone had a responsibility to insure themselves, thus, bringing more money into the insurance industry eventually reflecting in lower premiums for individuals. It also allow for the coverage of pre-existing conditions because more people will be involved in the program. Mrs. McCaskill’s method raises questions about whether pre-existing conditions and other important aspects of the Health reform will be implemented if individuals choose not to participate.

As Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) expressed his concerns with this idea, saying that altering the mandate will weaken the bill. He said;

“You’d have to look at the specific proposals. The bottom line is that if you change the mandate, one of two things will happen: Many of the good things in the bill will not be there, such as pre-existing conditions, or premiums will go way, way up.”

The individual mandate is under attack by Republicans as unconstitutional, although when the idea was first floated in 1993 for then president George Bush, they were all in support of the idea. Mr. Mark Pauly, the original author of the now controversial idea said questioning the mandate’s constitutionality was never the issue when it was first introduced, saying;

“I don’t remem­ber that being raised at all. The way it was viewed by the Con­gres­sional Bud­get Office in 1994 was, effec­tively, as a tax. You either paid the tax and got insur­ance that way or went and got it another way. So I’ve been sur­prised at that argument.”

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Republican Sarah Palin Sarah Palin United States

A Conversation Between Sarah Palin and Thomas Jefferson

In another masterfully produced video, Thomas Jefferson encounters the former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. Their conversation ranges from the Constitution, to Palin’s understanding of the Constitution and how slavery ended.

After hearing what Mrs. Palin had to say, Jefferson has an “Aha” moment!  Hilarious!

This video is a must see.

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Senate Votes on Health Care Repeal

After the Republican controlled House of Representatives approved a measure to repeal the Health Care Reform passed by President Obama and the Democratic controlled congress in 2010, Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate Leader promised a vote will be held in the Senate as well.

Mr. McConnell attached the repeal bill to another legislation for aviation as an amendment, and the vote was held yesterday needing 60 votes to pass. It failed along party lines, with all 47 Republicans voting for repeal, and all 51 Democrats voting against it.

McConnell however, promised to continue his efforts to deny Americans the very same health coverage he and the rest of Congress has, saying;

“This fight isn’t over, we intend to continue to fight to repeal and replace Obamacare with sensible reforms that would lower the cost of American healthcare…

This issue is still ahead of us and we will be going back at it in a variety of ways”

The Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, pleaded with Republicans to work with Democrats on finding “common sense” ways to improve the bill;

“It’s time for Republicans to set aside the battles of the past. It’s time to move on from extreme, ideological plans to repeal a health care law that is lowering prices, expanding access to care and lowering our deficit.”

There was one area of bipartisanship where both Democrats and Republicans agreed overwhelmingly. One provision of the Health Reform Law was repealed through an amendment, and received a vote of 81-17. The provision required businesses to file a 1099 form for every purchase they made over $600.00. That provision has been under heavy attack, and criticized as unnecessary and burdensome additional paperwork. Both parties voted, and the amendment was adopted.

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Featured Mitt Romney New York Newt Gingrich Republican Sarah Palin United States

Rent Is Too Damn High Guy To Sarah Palin – I Love You

The leader of the “Rent Is Too Damn High” party is professing his love for Sarah Palin. Jimmy McMillian made an impact on the national political scene when he ran an unsuccessful campaign to be New York’s next governor in 2010. He has since set his sights on the 2012 Presidency, and conducted an interview with AOL News to discuss his positions.

Asked who he would like to select to be his vice presidential running mate, Jimmy answered “Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich.” He goes on to explain his reasons for picking Newt;

Newt Gingrich has been there before. He is a good liar. People look at him and laugh. That’s why they’re going to vote for him. People look at me now and laugh. But, still, they can laugh. The issues are serious and strong. So, I need someone to take that away from me. I thought about John Edwards. But …

Told that Newt was probably unavailable now, McMillian agreed, saying;

Yeah, he’s unavailable. Because he can’t defend his own rights. [He cheated] on his wife and all this stuff. We know everybody does that anyway. I thought about Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. I like them. I like what they bring to the table. Mitt Romney — good looking guy. It’ll keep the ladies from looking at me with Mitt Romney.

The question was then asked about his feelings for Sarah Palin and whether or not he would like to have her as his vice presidential candidate. He answered, “Love her.” He continued;

Constitution. American citizen. Exercising the right to privacy. Free speech. Haters — those who don’t like Sarah Palin. That’s what they are. Sarah Palin: I love you because America gives you the constitutional right to do whatever you want to do as a woman. And people don’t think you can do because you’re a woman. They try to make a mockery out of you. But you stand up for your rights and stand strong for your rights. And don’t let anyone try to cut you down. Not only are they talking about Sarah Palin. They’re talking about me.

This will be the real Dream Ticket – Mr. Rent Is Too Damn High and Mrs. WTF! How could they loose?

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Democratic Nancy Pelosi Politics Republican

Pelosi to Cantor – No Thank You, I Already Have A Date

The new Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor invited House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to sit with him tonight for the State Of The Union Address, but according to a tweet from Mrs. Pelosi, she turned him down. The tweet read;

“I thank @GOPLeader for his #SOTU offer, but I invited my friend Rep. [Roscoe] Bartlett from MD yesterday & am pleased he accepted.

And maybe it is fitting that Nancy chose another date for tonight’s ball. Reports from The Hill recalls Mr. Cantor as recently as Monday, criticizing Nancy Pelosi for not meeting with him regularly, or as often as he would like. The report quotes Cantor as saying;

“I would love to have the opportunity for her to engage in some type of working relationship so that we can actually deliver results. Thus far it seems she is continuing to drive the ideological agenda just the same as she did over the last four years.”

If asking Nancy to be his date tonight was Cantor’s way of making up, Pelosi wasn’t having it. Her spokesman Nadeam Elshami released a statement defending Mrs. Pelosi, saying;

“It’s important to set the record straight. The fact is, Leader Pelosi has met with Speaker Boehner on numerous occasions both as Speaker and since he became Speaker, and offered to hold regular meetings. Democrats remain committed to working with Republicans to create jobs, strengthen the middle class and reduce the deficit.”

Next time, maybe Cantor should just send flowers!

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democrats House of Representatives Politics Pre-existing condition Repeal Republican United States

What Will A Health Care Repeal Mean For You

Senator Harry Reid Democrat  from Nevada

Republicans in the House of Representatives succeeded today in getting enough votes to repeal the Health Care Act, signed into Law by President Obama in March 2010. They are trying to persuade the Senate – which is still controlled by Democrats and led by Harry Reid of Nevada – to continue the repeal process. Senator Reid has signaled no desire to bring the Health Care repeal to a vote in the Senate, thus, the bill is dead on arrival.

But congressional Republicans are not giving up. They have assured their conservative base and the Teaparty that they will do all they can to take away their health care. So the next step for these Congressional Republicans will be to defund the bill to the point that it cannot be properly implemented.

What does this mean for the average American?

Well, the parts of the bill that have  already been implemented, will get rolled back if  funding is no longer there. Some of these benefits that Americans will lose include:

  • Children with pre-existing health conditions will once again be dropped from their parent’s coverage
  • Young adults under the age of 26 will no longer be able to stay on their parent’s policy
  • Seniors will once again have to split the cost of prescription drugs in half, because the additional funds provided by the Health Care reform will no longer be available
  • Insurance companies will use less of the money they collect in premiums for your health care needs. More of your premium will be used for overhead expenses and CEO bonuses
  • You will no longer have the additional  options given under the Health Care reform bill to appeal health insurance decisions regarding your coverage
  • You will have to pay for preventative care.

These are just some of the measures from Obama’s Health Care reform that have already been in effect, and will be lost if the Republicans get their way.

Oh, and let’s not forget the tremendous  financial implications. See the video below for more…

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Newt Gingrich Politics Republican Sarah Palin

Newt Gingrich To Sarah Palin – Think Before You Talk

Newt Gingrich holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first Speaker of the House to be disciplined for ethics violations while serving in that capacity during the Clinton administration. Mr. Gingrich has also been credited for helping the Republicans win back the House of Representative in November of 2010 with his 527 Group, collecting donations from unknown donors and funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates in various districts throughout the country.

Newt Gingrich

Now today  Mr. Gingrich, who many believe is planning to run on the Republican ticket against President Obama in 2012,  will be immortalized for having a few choice words for Sarah Palin: If you have a brain, use it to think before you talk!

Well, that’s not how he put it, but he might as well have…

Gingrich appeared today on ABC’s Good Morning America, and after host George Stephanopoulos suggested that Palin’s favorability was at an all time low according to a new Gallop poll,  he was asked how she can turn things around. He answered;

“I think that she’s got to slow down and be more careful and think through what she’s saying and how’s she’s saying it. There’s no question that she has become more controversial. But she is still a phenomenon. I don’t know anybody else in American politics who can put something on twitter or put something on Facebook and automatically have it become a national story. So she remains a very formidable person in her own right.“

Yeah, right. Sarah Palin has been criticized by many on the left for her reckless incendiary language, and was even mentioned in an interview by congresswomen, Gabrielle Giffords who claimed that Palin used crosshairs to target her. Giffords, you may have heard, was shot in her head by a gunman and in the hospital in critical condition.

Given a chance to create a more civil tone,  Sarah Palin instead went  on to create a video where she blamed everyone from specific media groups to the public-at-large  for actually creating the national negative atmosphere.  She used the phrase “blood libel”, a term used to defame Jews,  then on Monday did an interview on FOX NEWS, where the blaming continued.

She’s a phenomenon alright.

The poll taken after the shooting in Tucson Arizona shows Palin’s favorability rating at an all time low of 38%.

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