In the Hill Tweet Room, I just noted a tweet from Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley:

Little disingenuous for pres obama to say “hurry up” pass healthCare. Wk here wk there makes little differenc considerin startup is 2013.

Hmm. If the final bill’s statup date is in 2013 that provides us with many opportunities I have been mulling over:

• Assume the 2010 elections sees a number of Democrat seats go Republican in both the House and Senate. Even without a majority or a slim majority and, given the threat of the veto pen from Obama, there may be political stalling tactics and other procedural tricks to slow down or change the current legislation in preparation for 2012.
• Given 2010 will probably see a moderate reduction in Democrat seats, then 2012 is the perfect opportunity. The Republican’s can grab back the majority in the House and Senate with a Republican president replacing Obama. The public, aware the Senate requires a filibuster proof majority, votes accordingly. A subsequent new health care reform bill effectively negates the previous bill and provides for real reform.
• Some states could attempt to assert their 10th amendment rights and tie up the legislation in the courts for as long as possible. They may even win the battle.
• As I live in Texas, I love Rick Perry’s statements concerning succession. Perhaps a succession movement would take hold in this country from various red states. However, this final option produces a high probability of creating a serious constitutional crisis. Still, if all options are closed, then I would personally support such an approach.

I really should replace “Republican” with “fiscal conservative”. As long as there are fiscal conservative, limited government politicians who caucus with the Republican’s, then I think there is a chance that any health reform that includes a public option either overtly or covertly that makes it out this year could be stalled and negated by 2010 or 2012, with the later being more likely. The only downside to this is the damage done to the current system as it prepares for 2013 and how easily reversible that damage is. It is for this reason that I think that anything that would stall progress on whatever liberal bill we get out of Congress is a good thing.

Of course, all of the above is predicated on the belief a bill will be forthcoming. I am still optimistic this can be stopped, although in my darkest hours in know that something will probably come out by the end of the year. And I don’t doubt that any bill which sees the light of day would spell the end of quality health care in this country and the beginning of a socialized, eugenic, pile of crap.

In other news and opinion:

Did ‘Cash for Clunkers’ just put Obamacare on the junk heap?

Hot Air video: Seniors worried about health care removed from Feinstein’s office. Oh those dangerous senior citizens! I live in fear of them every day. They are so prone to violence, running about in their “gangs”. Those vicious thugs! How dare they voice an opinion!

Way to listen there Feinstein. So this is how the Democrats are going to cram health care down our throats – ignore their constituents. That’s 21st century American liberals for you.

One of the differences between a liberal and a conservative is that liberals have no idea how much money it takes to keep a nation in poverty. They sure as heck are trying to find out.

The Wall Street Journal indicates support is eroding for ObamaCare, and there is every reason to believe support will continue its free fall over the August recess. Just keep in mind that ObamaCare is like the killer in a cheap horror film who, at the very end, when everyone is convinced he is dead, suddenly jumps up and continues his reign of carnage. The solution always seems so obvious. Once you think the bad guy is dead, make sure by emptying a shotgun and fourteen rounds of 45 caliber destruction from your Glock 37 into the killer’s chest and head. Then stab him until you find yourself out of breath. End by cutting off his head for good measure.

That is how we must treat ObamaCare. Shoot it, stab it, cut off its head, and throw in a hammer and sickle as bonus weapons to kill off this piece of liberty stealing socialist garbage.

The narrative over the last two months is clear and needs no repeating. The bottom line – support for health care reform of the style that liberals favor is not well-received by a growing number of a population wary of a government takeover of health care. I believe even some liberal representatives may find themselves mightily challenged in the 2010 elections. We just have to make sure they get the message that even they could be in trouble, not to mention the Blue Dogs and Democrats from conservative states and districts and any RINOs contemplating reaching out to assist those whose agenda is the destruction of the some of the very foundations of this country – liberty and individual freedom, not to mention state’s rights.

That is why it is so important to attend your local Recess Rally August 22nd. Don’t forget to contact your senators and representatives now and over the recess. The link for House members includes committee information and Blue Dog identification.

From the WSJ:

Support for President Barack Obama’s health-care effort has declined over the past five weeks, particularly among those who already have insurance, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found, amid prolonged debate over costs and quality of care.

In mid-June, respondents were evenly divided when asked whether they thought Mr. Obama’s health plan was a good or bad idea. In the new poll, conducted July 24-27, 42% called it a bad idea while 36% said it was a good idea.

Among those with private insurance, the proportion calling the plan a bad idea rose to 47% from 37%.

Declining popularity of the health-care overhaul reflects rising anxiety over the federal budget deficit and congressional debate over the most contentious aspects of the legislation, including how to pay for it. The poll also shows concern over the role of government in determining personal medical decisions.

Trying to regain momentum, Mr. Obama is shifting his pitch to new consumer-protection rules for insurance companies, part of a bid to win over Americans who already have coverage.

David Axelrod, one of the president’s top advisers, acknowledged that the White House’s months-long focus on controlling medical costs hasn’t worked. “Consumer protections are a lot more tangible,” he said.

On Wednesday, Democratic leaders in the House reached accord with conservative party members to move their bill through the last of three committees, although the full House won’t vote on the measure until at least September. “Failure is not an option,” said California Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman.

The White House is eager to show progress and build public support before Congress breaks for summer, when opponents plan to continue their campaign. “If this bill hangs out there over the August recess my guess is it will get shredded,” House Minority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio), said.

Shred away people, shred away.

In other news and opinion:

More culture of corruption: Who let the New Black Panther Party thugs off?

Ed Morrissey: Initial jobless claims increase again. But, but, but… I thought the stimulus package was supposed to stimulate!

Byron York: New WSJ poll is bad, bad news for Obama, Democrats. I would like to add, “and great, great news for America”. We’re not the USSA yet.

In other pertinent news critical to the survival of this nation, we have this little gem from the CNN Political Ticker: Beer choice at Obama meeting touches off new debate.

But Sam Adams founder and brewer Jim Koch told NPR if it was up to him he would make a special beer just for the event.

“I’d make a blend of ingredients from all over the world. Which is certainly what’s represented there with the three participants,” he said. “I would blend those ingredients together artfully and harmoniously, because that’s really what we all hope for.”

And they all lived happily ever after, and Iran gave up its ambitions for the atomic bomb, and had free and fair elections as radical Islam found itself magically transformed into piece loving, teddy bear hugging liberals.

Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya….

On again, off again in the ping-pong battle that is health care. First, Blue Dogs agreed to ObamaCare in the House in exchange for $100 billion in cuts to the program. In exchange, democrat leaders in the House agreed to hold off on a vote until after the recess. Not so fast, say the liberal democrats:

House liberals have quickly rejected a healthcare compromise their leaders forged with centrist Blue Dogs, putting the deal on shaky ground only hours after it was announced.

“It’s unacceptable,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “We’re not going to vote for anything that doesn’t have a robust public plan.”

The Progressive Caucus has 83 members. Members are circulating a letter for signatures protesting the deal.

Woolsey said liberals cannot accept that the public plan will not be linked to Medicare, and said subsidies have been cut to the point where the plan won’t help the middle class.

The Blue Dog deal was made with Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), who is also a member of the Progressive Caucus.

Aside from Waxman, there are five members of the Progressive Caucus on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is not enough Democratic votes to block a bill. But there are other members who are dissatisfied with the compromise, including three of the seven Blue Dogs who had been negotiating with Waxman, but did not join the deal.

Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), another supporter of a “robust public option,” was more open to the compromise.

Capps, a member of the business-minded New Democrat Coalition, said it was too early to tell if she and other Democrats on the committee would deliver the rest of the votes to help the Blue Dog amendments pass — despite Ross’s insistence that additional votes would come from fellow Democrats, not Republicans.

Myself, I hope we don’t see a compromise or vote before the recess, although it may be a blessing in disguise, providing the GOP with plenty of specifics to tear apart during the recess instead of working with the generalities of the Obama health care nightmare. Maybe the progressive caucus figured this out.

Don’t forget to contact your senators and representatives now and over the recess. The link for House members includes committee information and Blue Dog identification. Also, please attend your local Recess Rally August 22nd.

More from Ed Morrissey.

Heard this on Bill Bennett this morning and found multiple sources. From the Wall Street Journal – Repealing Erisa (emphasis mine):

One by one, President Obama’s health-care promises are being exposed by the details of the actual legislation: Costs will explode, not fall; taxes will have to soar to pay for it; and now we are learning that you won’t be able to “keep your health-care plan” either.

The reality is that the House health bill, which the Administration praised to the rafters, will force drastic changes in almost all insurance coverage, including the employer plans that currently work best. About 177 million people—or 62% of those under age 65—get insurance today through their jobs, and while rising costs are a problem, according to every survey most employees are happy with the coverage. A major reason for this relative success is a 1974 federal law known by the acronym Erisa, or the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

Erisa allows employers that self-insure—that is, those large enough to build their own risk pools and pay benefits directly—to offer uniform plans across state lines. This lets thousands of businesses avoid, for the most part, the costly federal and state regulations on covered treatments, pricing, rate setting and so on. It also gives them flexibility to design insurance to recruit and retain workers in a competitive labor market. Roughly 75% of employer-based coverage is governed by Erisa’s “freedom of purchase” rules.

Goodbye to all that. The House bill says that after a five-year grace period all Erisa insurance offerings will have to win government approval—both by the Department of Labor and a new “health choices commissioner” who will set federal standards for what is an acceptable health plan. This commissar—er, commissioner—can fine employers that don’t comply and even has “suspension of enrollment” powers for plans that he or she has vetoed, until “satisfied that the basis for such determination has been corrected and is not likely to recur.”

In other words, the insurance coverage of 132 million people—the product of enormously complex business and health-care decisions—will now be subject to bureaucratic nanomanagement. If employers don’t meet some still-to-be-defined minimum package, they’ll have to renegotiate thousands of contracts nationwide to Washington’s specifications. The political incentives will of course demand an ever-more generous “minimum” benefit and less cost-sharing, much as many states have driven up prices in the individual insurance market with mandates. Erisa’s pluralistic structure will gradually constrict toward a single national standard.

Yet a computer programming firm, say, and a grocery store chain have very different insurance needs, and in any case may not be able to afford the same kind and level of benefits. Innovation in insurance products will also be subject to political tampering. Likely casualties include the wellness initiatives that give workers financial incentives to take more responsibility for their own health, such as Safeway’s. Some politicians will claim that’s unfair. High-deductible plans with health savings accounts are also out of political favor, therefore certain to go overboard. If you have one of those and like it, too bad.

The new Erisa regime will be especially difficult to meet for businesses that operate with very slim profit margins or have large numbers of part-time or seasonal workers. They may simply “cash out” and surrender 8% of their payroll under the employer-mandate tax. A new analysis by the Lewin Group, prepared for the Heritage Foundation, finds that some 88.1 million people will be shifted out of private employer health insurance under the House bill. If those people preferred their prior plan, well, too bad again.

The largest employers—though not all—may clear the minimum bar, at least at first. But in addition to the “health choices” administrative burden, the cost of labor will rise because the House guts another key section of Erisa. Currently, lawsuits about employee benefits are barred under the law, allowing large employers to avoid the state tort lotteries in disputes over coverage. No longer. As a gratuity to the trial bar, Democrats will now subject businesses to these liabilities in the name of health “reform.”

If you can’t sue the government, but can sue your employer, the end result is exactly what Obama and his radical allies want – everyone on the public option. Employers, in order to protect themselves against frivolous lawsuits, would dump private plans en masse. One of the reasons for spiraling health care costs is unnecessary extra tests ordered by your doctor to cover themselves and mitigate the chances of a lawsuit. Now the lawyers are going to get to play in a whole new sandbox. Cost savings, eh?

If you think the fight is over, think again.

Read The Road To Waterloo Is Paved With Socialist Intentions. You will find links with information on how to contact your senator and representative. Make use of it now (see below).

Also read Michelle Malkin’s Ghoulish science + Obamacare = health hazard.

Glenn Reynolds: The Press Has Met Their Waterloo and It’s Obama

Can we get ABBA to record that?

CNN Political Ticker: Experts debate proposed ‘big brother’ medical council

Have you heard the latest? Re-branding – Health Care Reform is now Health Insurance Reform. Another example of elitists looking down their noses and thinking we all operate on dim bulbs. I would say a rose by any other name is still a rose, but roses are beautiful and represent love and honesty to me. So how about, a piece of crap by any other name is still a piece of crap.

Another piece from Michelle: Barbara Boxer: My jerkish behavior is great for fund-raising! Apparently, even some Dems are getting concerned about her odd behavior.

Stop the ACLU reports: Obama Warns Against Scare Tactics. He Should Take His Own Advice. Only to a radical liberal would scare tactics equate with truth.

Also of note, The Hill reports that Nancy Pelosi may pull a power play and skip the Energy and Commerce Committee and bring the vote for a bill to the floor before the August recess.

House Democrats, in the faint hopes of getting a vote before August recess, indicated they are considering bypassing the Energy and Commerce Committee altogether, where the bill has stalled, and proceeding right to the floor.

“The preferable course would be to go through the committee,” Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) said Thursday night. “But all options will be on the table.”

Don’t let them jam this down your throat like the cap and trade bill. Contact your representative now.

Well, I certainly find myself more bemused every day that passes. Another “through the looking glass moment”, the New York Times joins the AP in fact checking Supreme Leader Barkus Obama’s truth challenged press conference. Talk about piling on.

If I were a Democrat and not part of the left nutroots, I would pay very close attention to what is happening with health care legislation. The losers in the current debate include not only you, but, if applicable, your children, grandchildren, parents, and grandparents. Think of your parents being punished and pushed aside like so much trash just for being old. If that does not make you mad, I don’t know what will. The previous story all but admits that rationing is the goal of the liberal agenda.

These fact checks, from liberal sources, serve as the wake up call to anyone thoughtful and deliberative. It is time to put aside ideological alliances and not just rubber stamp the congress. It is time for you think for yourself. If this plan were so good, why does the federal legislature not participate in it? Why is Obama not telling the truth to the American people, as apparent in the New York Times and AP fact checks? What is he hiding? What is his real agenda? These are questions you should be asking.

Tom Elia has a list for you to contact. For a more comprehensive list try here for your representative and here for your senator.

From the NTY story, first we have the obligatory liberal bowing to the Fearless Leader:

President Obama showed great fluency in the intricate details of health policy at his news conference on Wednesday night, but experts said some of his points were debatable.

Now to the meat:

Mr. Obama said doctors, nurses, hospitals, drug companies and AARP had supported efforts to overhaul health care.

While it is true the American Medical Association has endorsed a bill drafted by House Democratic leaders, a half-dozen state medical societies have sharply criticized provisions that would establish a new government-run health insurance plan.

Likewise, Mr. Obama said Medicare could save large amounts of money by creating “an independent group of doctors and medical experts who are empowered to eliminate waste and inefficiency” and hold down the annual increases in payments to health care providers.

Far from supporting this proposal, the American Hospital Association is urging hospital executives to lobby against it.

Of the proposed new cost-control agency, Mr. Obama said: “It’s not going to reduce Medicare benefits. What it’s going to do is to change how those benefits are delivered so that they’re more efficient.”

Hospitals say the cuts could indeed cut services in some rural areas and from teaching hospitals, which receive extra payments because of higher costs.

In seeking to portray health legislation as bipartisan, Mr. Obama said that 160 Republican amendments were adopted in a bill approved last week by the Senate health committee. Republicans said many of the amendments involved technical provisions and did not alter the fundamental features of the bill.

The president said that health insurance companies were making “record profits.” America’s Health Insurance Plans, the main lobby for insurers, contends that “for every $1 spent on health care in America, approximately one penny goes to health plans’ profits.”

Mr. Obama said he was not proposing to ration care, but just wanted to coordinate it better. For example, he said, he wants to eliminate repetitious tests ordered by different doctors for the same patient.

Electronic medical records and health information technology, championed by Mr. Obama, could reduce such duplication. But, under his plan, it is not clear who would take responsibility for patients and coordinate care in traditional fee-for-service medicine.

The president continued to take credit for deficit reduction by making a claim that has been challenged by many experts.

“If we had done nothing, if you had the same old budget as opposed to the changes we made,” the deficit over the next 10 years would be $2.2 trillion greater, the president said.

In fact, $1.5 trillion of those “savings” are mainly based on an assumption that the United States would have had as many troops in Iraq in 10 years as it did when Mr. Obama took office. But before leaving office, President George W. Bush signed an agreement with Baghdad mandating the withdrawal of all American forces within three years.

So Mr. Obama is claiming credit for not spending money that, under the policy he inherited from Mr. Bush, would never have been spent in the first place.

Ouch. Two liberal media outlets just ripped BO a new orifice. If this were a boxing match, it’s a one-two punch that’s got Obama heading towards the floor.

The LA Times also chimes in:

During much of the hourlong news conference, Obama relied on jargon that Washington insiders embrace but that might leave the typical television viewer mystified. Discussing government spending, he mentioned “the supplemental” — referring to a war-funding bill. He used the word “incentivize” several times.

The purpose of Obama’s appearance was to regain momentum for proposals to make major changes to the healthcare system, one of his top domestic priorities.

Even fellow Democrats now say that the deadline Obama set for the House and Senate to pass a bill before their August recess is unrealistic.

Still waiting for the CNN Political Ticker to report on something substantial. All they have right now is Oops! Obama calls out reporter for asking out of turn.

Wow, now that’s coverage. How about joining in the NYT and AP in some actual journalism? Wait, did I just say that?

Now comes the obligatory puff piece from the CNN ticker that completely ignores the fact of Obama’s lies during the press conference. Journalism all but dead at the Comrade News Network. CNN, can you say credibility? Bet you can’t. Democrats intensify drive for health care reform.

What a difference a day and a question make. Michelle Malkin: White House flip-flop: Ok, ok, we’ll tell you which health execs we met.

More from Michelle: The fear-mongerer-in-chief. Also check out Dr. Obama applies CPR.

Gateway Pundit chimes in: AP: Obama Lied Last Night About His Health Care Plan

Also check out Megan McArdle via Glenn Reynolds:

If you want to talk about awesome future cost savings, pass them. Otherwise, you have to defend the actual bills we might pass, not some better bills that we haven’t and probably won’t.

From the Hill: Pelosi: I have the votes to pass health bill and Obama: ‘The stars are aligned’ for healthcare now. No, wait: More delays in House on healthcare reform.

Nancy the dreamer, Obama the cosmologist, the realists in the House, and the rest of us. What a soap opera!

And how’s this for transparency? Democrats Block GOP Health Care Mailing

Democrats are preventing Republican House Members from sending their constituents a mailing that is critical of the majority’s health care reform plan, blocking the mailing by alleging that it is inaccurate.

House Republicans are crying foul and claiming that the Democrats are using their majority to prevent GOP Members from communicating with their constituents.

The dispute centers on a chart created by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Republican staff of the Joint Economic Committee to illustrate the organization of the Democratic health care plan.

At first glance, Brady’s chart resembles a board game: a colorful collection of shapes and images with a web of lines connecting them.

But a closer look at the image reveals a complicated menagerie of government offices and programs that Republicans say will be created if the leading Democratic health care plan becomes law.

In a memo sent Monday to Republicans on the House franking commission, Democrats argue that sending the chart to constituents as official mail would violate House rules because the information is misleading.

Best line of the day:

Hiding the truth about wildly unpopular policies is a Democrat specialty,” said one GOP aide. “I’d like to see the flow chart on how Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi plans on implementing the open and transparent government she keeps promising everyone.

I guess the truth hurts. Pain pill, anyone?

BREAKING: From The Hill – Pelosi backs off insistence on recess health deadline

Karl over at Patterico on the Obama’s craptastic presser.

This is in another post, but I felt like this topic deserved its own spot:

From The Hill: Dems at odds on how to turn tide on health. It looks like more than Blue Dogs are getting a bit skittish. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said that if consensus can’t be reached, he expects to send legislators home on schedule. Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) on Tuesday said the House should stay in until it finishes the bill.

They can’t even agree on whether to take a vacation. I suggest a robust debate concerning the vacation!

Nanny State Nancy chimes in saying Congress should work through recess on health bill.

“I think 70 percent of the American people would want that,” Pelosi said. “I want a bill.”

Which would be fine if it were not for those pesky things called polls. Glenn Reynold’s – RASMUSSEN: 53% Now Oppose Congressional Health Care Reform. You don’t say. That math sure must be challenging Nancy. Kind of like “save or create jobs”, or “deficit neutral” – it just doesn’t add up. Last time I checked 53% was just a wee bit smaller than 70%.

Here is a doozy for you. Michelle Malkin reports Exposed: A trial lawyers’ pay-off in Obamacare

From the Washington Post: Senate Panel Takes Careful Approach to Crafting Health Bill. The important part is near the bottom in discussing the Senate Finance committee’s approach (emphasis mine):

Finance members said the committee was leaning against requiring employers to provide health coverage, although it would impose a fee on individuals who do not purchase insurance. They also said the panel had rejected the government health plan that Obama wants to create and would instead adopt a cooperative model, similar to rural electricity providers.

Would that it were true. While premature to raise a glass to the end of government takeover of health care, this development looks promising.

Lot’s of juicy stuff to report today. First, recall when Republican Senator Jim De Mint said if Obama fails to pass health care reform it would be his Waterloo? Remember the High One’s response?

Think about that,” Obama said. “This isn’t about me. This isn’t about politics. This is about a health care system that is breaking America’s families. … We can’t afford the politics of delay and defeat when it comes to health care — not this time, not now.

Now the Whiner In Chief is complaining: ‘You’re Going To Destroy My Presidency’. From National Journal via Jammie Wearing Fool:

A telling episode recounted by Senate Finance ranking member Charles Grassley reveals the Obama administration might be more worried than they are letting on that a Republican senator’s comparison of the healthcare overhaul to Waterloo might be dangerously close to the truth.

Grassley said he spoke with a Democratic House member last week who shared Obama’s bleak reaction during a private meeting to reports that some factions of House Democrats were lining up to stall or even take down the overhaul unless leaders made major changes.

“Let’s just lay everything on the table,” Grassley said. “A Democrat congressman last week told me after a conversation with the president that the president had trouble in the House of Representatives, and it wasn’t going to pass if there weren’t some changes made … and the president says, ‘You’re going to destroy my presidency.’ “

Let’s be frank. Can we be frank? What will be destroyed is His Eminence’s ability to ruin this country, drive us further into debt, make a mockery of our health care system, and finally take over complete control of your life – and death – in the ultimate nanny state coup. Boo frigin’ hoo.

And it’s never been about Obama, has it? I mean, his modesty and humility are unmatched:

Obama Election Night Victory. Greek Columns, God Complex

Michelle chimes in: Not about you, huh?

And check out Michelle Malkin’s video, Politician claims Obamacare saves. Voters laugh out loud.

My favorite parts? Well, all of it. But especially when Carnahan tries to tell the audience that Obamacare will create “efficiencies” and a “surplus” and when constituent Kevin Jackson asks:

“If it’s so good, why doesn’t Congress have to be on it?”

What? Congress eating from the same filthy trough as the unwashed masses. Why the nerve of even suggesting such a thing!

For another great video see CNNs RNC spoofs drug ads in new ‘Reforma’ Web video:

The Republican National Committee has a message for the nation’s health care consumers: “Call your Congressman or Senator immediately” if you are concerned about possible “side effects” of the Democrats’ health care reform proposals.

That’s what viewers are told in “Reforma,” a new RNC Web video that appears to draw heavily from the tropes of pharmaceutical advertising.

The roughly one-minute spot features happy-looking couples in various settings — dancing on the deck of a ship, walking barefoot along a beach, skipping through an open field of green grass, lounging comfortably in each others arms in a field of lavender plants, tossing leaves at one another on a typical fall New England day, and walking hand-in-hand down a tree-covered path.

“The life you want to live, [t]he peace of mind you deserve, [t]he Obama Pelosi prescription for building a government takeover of health care, [a]nxiety and stress disappear, [r]ecommended by more lobbyists than any other health care reform, [n]o worries. No concerns,” an announcer says as the carefree images appear on screen.

Then the video, like a drug ad, lists what the RNC calls the “side effects” of the Democrats’ reform plan: “bureaucratic waste and delay,” “[c]ost to taxpayers may vary and is more than you can possibly imagine.”

Email the video to everyone in your contacts and have them forward it on. Truth in advertising.

From The Hill: Dems at odds on how to turn tide on health. It looks like more than Blue Dogs are getting a bit skittish. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said that if consensus can’t be reached, he expects to send legislators home on schedule. Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) on Tuesday said the House should stay in until it finishes the bill.

They can’t even agree on whether to take a vacation. I suggest a robust debate concerning the vacation!

Nanny State Nancy chimes in saying Congress should work through recess on health bill.

“I think 70 percent of the American people would want that,” Pelosi said. “I want a bill.”

Which would be fine if it were not for those pesky things called polls. Glenn Reynold’s – RASMUSSEN: 53% Now Oppose Congressional Health Care Reform. You don’t say. That math sure must be challenging Nancy. Kind of like “save or create jobs”, or “deficit neutral” – it just does not add up. Last time I checked 53% was just a wee bit smaller than 70%.

The great physicist Richard Feynman once said of time that it is the universe’s way of stopping everything from happening all at once. Thankfully, the universe seems to be doing a fine job. I guess the liberals are going to be mad at the universe now.

Who says there are not a few smart Dems out there? Stick to your guns boys, history is watching and those annoying mid-term elections will be here before you can say “Socialism is for weenies”.

Headline: Obama blames universe, GOP, and really, really mean Dems for destroying presidency and failed health care plan. America yawns. Obama loses crown.

All kidding aside, with the state of our economy, the fact the President himself admits he does not know what is in the House bill, and the fact the current House Bill all but squeezes out private insurers, I think starting from scratch after a long rest would be a good idea. I mean, don’t the American people deserve a deliberative legislative process? Apparently, some legislative liberals (and some plain ole fashion confused liberals) don’t think so because it would put their prized pony – the public option – in jeopardy. Of course, since House and Senate members would not be forced to “enjoy” the obvious benefits of socialized health care (this is sarcasm in case any liberal is reading this – you have to help them along sometimes), then it should be okay for us common folk.

Slightly related and on the creepy horror film Nazi bastard side is Michelle’s The science czar stonewalls:

Can a population control freak holding the prestigious title of “Science Czar” get away with published musings on forced abortion, mass sterilization programs, and a “planetary regime” to re-engineer society by simply stonewalling?

He’s trying his best.

Hot Air has another poll (this time AP) showing Obama in trouble. Calling all senators and representatives, it’s only going to get worse. Not a good time to be clutching on to the Mighty King of All. He’s drowning in his regal attire and will drag you down with him.

Sister Toldjah: Obama administration: It’s not “secrecy” when we hold private meetings. Honest, you can trust us! Move along please, nothing to hide here.

Riehl World View: Dems frustrated with Obama.

Senior Democrats on the Hill are expressing frustration with Obama because he isn’t taking a particular stance on specific issues regarding health care reform. They claim to be “baffled”. Good heavens, do they really expect him to put his name on something that might prove unpopular with the public, … to own it, in a sense? Since when has that been his job? He’s voting Present. What more do you want?

Read the CNN story here. Of note:

The Democratic leadership had hoped the work going on behind closed doors for months could bear fruit in time for the president’s news conference Wednesday night. But multiple Democratic sources tell CNN that’s looking very unlikely, and one senior Democratic source tells CNN there is some frustration among Democratic leaders that Senate negotiators have, “repeatedly missed deadlines.”

Ezra Klein chimes in with some very flawed logic: Filibustering Is Not the Same as Voting “No.”. What he fails to note is that the converse is true, voting for cloture is the same as voting yes – even if you vote no. If the fifty votes are there and you are instrumental in allowing those votes, then you de facto support the legislation, and no amount of posturing, including a subsequent nay vote, will convince the public otherwise. Ezra Klein, in joining the ranks of the Washington elitists, shares company with the likes of Pelosi, Reid, Obama, and the rest of the liberal establishment and rubber-stamp pseudo-journalists in insulting our intelligence. Really Ezra, ya think we be that stoooopppid?

And to any senator thick enough to attempt this CYA, sorry to disappoint you, but we catch on pretty quick outside the beltway. Don’t underestimate us.

Contact your senator and let them know that such a tactic will not go over well; insult our intelligence and we will assault your position.

Right Pundits is cautiously optimistic but warns against complacency: Obama Health Care Reform Appears Doomed in 2009. Ignatius Reilly also seems to note the liberals lack of basic math skills:

All signs are pointing to a Clinton-esque failure for Obama’s health care reform proposal.

Three polls now show that Obama’s support for health care reform has fallen under 50%:

Percentage supporting Obama on Health Care Policy:
CNN: 47%
ABC News: 49%
USA Today: 44%

For certain Obama-supporters who post on this site who cannot grasp basic mathematical concepts, that means a majority of people DO NOT support Obama’s health care policy. The lack of support for his health policy coincides with a noticeable drop in his overall approval rating, which we reported on here. Obama, who just six months ago was being proclaimed as invincible by the left, now has lower approval ratings than either Bush or Jimmy Carter did in their first six months.

President Obama will address the nation regarding health care in a primetime news conference tonight. In that news conference, he is expected to press for health care reform BEFORE the end of this year’s Congressional session. Pressing for this so quickly, Obama’s team seems to smack of desperation. It’s almost like he’s saying, “Let’s get this through before everyone realizes what a complete disaster I’ve been.”

Patterico guest blogger DRJ: Slow Down, You Move Too Fast (Updated x2)

Also read President Prepares An Army Of Bloggers

From the Houston Chronicle: Conservative Dems rebel on health bill:

Conservative Democrats in the House are rebelling against their party leaders and trying to put the brakes on the push to pass a health care overhaul by August.

The fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition plans to present a letter to House Democratic leaders Thursday raising concerns about costs and other issues and asking for more time, members of the group tell The Associated Press.

Democratic Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas says that if the Democrats’ liberal legislative plan came to the floor as proposed, an “overwhelming majority” of his group would oppose it. The Blue Dogs claim 52 members so that could endanger the bill.

The move comes just as House Democratic leaders are trying to finalize the proposed legislation and unveil it Friday.

In other news, Obama dreams he is captain of the Titanic and Barbara Boxer dreams that global warming is actually real. Meanwhile, the rest of us are dreaming of bringing back tar-and-feathering. Traditional solutions for the truly incompetent.

Michelle Malkin has a report from a health care counter protest.

Monica in North Carolina e-mailed me this afternoon: “Just fyi, we heard that moveon.org was promoting a “Public health option” rally today at 12 in front of Kay Hagan’s office- D, NC. We spread the word and outnumbered them more than FOUR to ONE! We had a great time and even used some logic as we sparred with the liberals, which of course, they don’t understand.

Ed Morrissey on the postponement of cap-and-trade in the senate. Sink baby, sink!

Update (7/9/2009): Thanks to Michelle Malkin, who spearheaded efforts to kill Cap-n-Tax in both the House and Senate, we are given the good news that the Pressure’s on: Senate Dems put cap-and-tax on ice. Obama and the liberals attempt to rush the legislation is a strong indicator they are very aware that Obama’s numbers are slipping and the faster they acted, the better the chance of pushing this farce through, further damaging the U.S. economy in the short term and all but wreaking it long term. While I fully believe passage of this bill faces more difficulty as time passes, as Michelle warns about the public pressure, “keep it up”. It has got to feel good to know you have made a difference. Thanks to Michelle and everyone else who called, emailed, blogged, attended tea parties, or screamed from their rooftops. The backs of the enemy now face us and we triumphantly give chase. From Richard Cohen at the Washington Post via Michelle Malkin:

The primary U.S. Senate committee responsible for writing climate change legislation will delay its work until September, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer said on Thursday.

Boxer, who earlier this week said she wanted her committee to finish writing its portion of legislation mandating reductions in carbon dioxide emissions before an early August recess, told reporters that instead, “We’ll do it as soon as we get back” in September.

The delay could be a setback to President Barack Obama, who wants quick congressional action on a climate change bill.

Best quote of the day comes from Michelle in reference to the eight GOP cap-and-traitors in the House:

Hey, GOP Cap-and-Tax 8?ers, feeling pretty stupid right about now?

Up next: health care reform.

:
Original Post (7/8/2009):
:

Cruising the internet this morning, I noted a piece in ABC’s The Note written by Rick Klein that brought a smile to my face. The tide is turning in the battle against the Obamaniacs, the enemy is in retreat, and now is the time to strike the final blow. In Economies of Sale – Obama Agenda Threatened by Economy, Mr. Klein notes:

Look what’s back.

It took a trip abroad, a few Republicans to make some other news, and maybe even one of those once-a-decade funerals that double as international events, but the economy is the big issue again.

It’s never really gone away — though $787 billion in stimulus cash was supposed to have turned things around by now.

But it hasn’t, and here we are. Give us a jobs report, a sliding Dow, a vice-presidential admission, and a presidential certainty that everything was handled right, and we’ve got a fresh dose of the issue that’s always been here — and that’s closer than ever to belonging to the Democrats alone.

(If the domestic divisions weren’t enough, let’s go international: The economy will be a main focus at Wednesday’s G-8 sessions, in Italy, where President Obama spends his day after wrapping up the Russia portion of his trip.)

(And while he’s been away — maybe a bit too much playing by his top aides? So far, President Obama has had to tidy up some mixed messaging coming from his vice president and his chief of staff; it’s only Wednesday.)

On the economy — this time, it’s not as easy to blame the predecessors. This time, the pressure to change course comes from the left and the right.

This time, there’s an ambitious domestic agenda that’s at risk of getting sidetracked.

Now, it’s the president himself on the line.

Read the rest of this entry »