Whoever examines with attention the history of the dearths and famines … will find, I believe, that a dearth never has arisen from any combination among the inland dealers in corn, nor from any other cause but a real scarcity, occasioned sometimes perhaps, and in some particular places, by the waste of war, but in by far the greatest number of cases by the fault of the seasons; and that a famine has never arisen from any other cause but the violence of government attempting, by improper means, to remedy the inconveniences of a dearth. (Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations IV.5.44)
The following comment was made on redstate.com last week regarding Lee donating to the Bennett campaign:
Why did Mike Lee donate $500 to the Bob Bennett election committee October 25, 2008, just after Bennett brokered TARP? I don't know.
We fact-checked this assertion and found it to be true. Section "A" below is the actual donation found at the Federal Elections Commission website:
As for the assertion that Lee's Bennett donation came after TARP, the donation was received on the 25th of October while TARP passed on the 3rd of October, a three-week interval. While we reject the donation constitutes any evidence of a quid-pro-quo, the fact that plenty of time passed after the Bennett TARP vote means that in Lee's mind TARP wasn't a disqualifier for a substantial campaign contribution. The Wyden-Bennett health-scare scheme originated in 2007 and that, too failed to deter Lee's Bennett campaign contribution.
One additional perspective: Lee's Bennett donation didn't come after Bennett had won a Republican primary and was trying to coalesce around the nominee against a liberal Democrat: indeed it was quite the opposite. Lee's donation came at a time long before candidates normally start announcing their bids for a primary race: the effect was to say "Bailout Bob, I love you SO much for your 16 years of "conservative" dedication, socialized healthcare plans, bank bailouts and earmarks to Utah, I'm gonna give you $500 so that just in case someone decides to run against you in a primary, you have my support."
This donation makes Lee the only candidate in the Utah Senate race who has actually funded his or her opponent's campaign and makes for psychedelic politics as Lee has tried to distance himself from Bailout Bob based on Bob's inability to follow the Constitution.
In yesterday's blog we explored the consequences of not getting a conservative through the Illinois GOP Senate primary: we are now supporting Mark Kirk, one of the GOP Cap n Tax 8, or the eight GOP congressman who voted for Waxman-Markey (HR 2454) last year, thus ensuring its passage through the house; the Senate having yet to vote on the bill.
The nomination of Kirk reminds us we must redouble our effort as we have the remaining 6 of the Cap n Tax 8 all yet to face a GOP Primary (one "Cap n Tax 8"--Congressman John McHugh of NY23rd--was appointed Secretary of the Army; the special election held last fall vaulted Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman into national limelight). These 6 must be stopped in their primary elections. The video below highlights the frustration we feel from their betrayal on such an important issue:
Following is a recap of these remaining six and links to the candidates who seem to have all voiced opposition to HR2454:
Congressman Michael Castle (DE) now in play for Biden's old Senate seat against Christine O'Donnell. Primary elections: Sept 14th
Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) running against Dave Larsen and Lon Hosford. Primary elections: June 8th
Congressman Frank LoBiondo (NJ- 02) running against anti-Obamacare and anti-Cap n Tax Republican Linda Biamonte. Primary elections: June 8th
Congressman Christopher Smith (NJ-04) vs. Alan Bateman. Primary elections: June 8th
Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-08) vs. Ernest Huber. Primary elections: June 8th Aug 17th
And lastly, Nacilbupera's former 12-year Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (CA-45) when we lived in Riverside County, California vs. newly Nacilbupera-endorsed Clayton Thibodeau. Primary elections: June 8th
So remains the question on your plate as the reader: how mad are you at the remaining 6 of the GOP Cap and Trade 8? Are you mad enough to follow them on Twitter, Youtube, Facebook and other social media? Are you mad enough to do a write up about them on your own blog? Are you willing to send out emails to relatives or friends who might live in these districts? And most importantly, are you willing to put some of your hard earned money the government has yet to take away from you and give it to these noble candidates?
3/21, the day that Obamacare passed the House based on false promises from the President, inexorable backdoor deal-making, and voted on against the will of We the People, marks a political event that like 9/11 reshaped our thinking for America: indeed it marks the start of Medi-geddon. We have had time to reflect on what we can to do repeal the bill and return American at least to a partially-Capitalistic system we had before instead of passing through the doors of Socialism which this bill is doing to us on its multi-year journey. It seems for now that the #1 priority for 2010 elections is voting for candidates who will embrace repeal--and this really means voting Republican as every Republican currently in the House and Senate voted in unanimity a resounding "H*LL NO"!
So how would repeal work? Realistically, we'll need 60 votes in the Senate, a majority in the House, and a President in 2012 who won't veto repeal. Sixty votes in the Senate is the most difficult to achieve because it takes 6 years to cycle through a single opportunity to change a Senate vote for the bill to against the bill. Nacilbupera believes that the Senate could gain back the majority in 2010--but not if we fail to build coalitions with those who agree with us only some of the time: if repeal is a true priority, we will have to vote for Republican candidates who have won their primaries, yet are moderates. It appears that we need to win 2 of the 3 "big state" Senate seats in order to at least get the majority back in the Senate: California, Illinois, and New York (and preferrably all 3 to set us in better shape for 2012).
If you don't like your GOP candidate for Senate and House, you MUST get involved NOW and you MUST donate NOW to the candidate you like. Primaries are quickly approaching and in the case of Illinois, it has already happened. If you like DeVore better than Fiorina, now is election day. If you like Rubio over Christ, now is election day. If you like Hayworth or Deakin over McCain, now is election day. If you like Eagar, Bridgewater, or Lee over Bennett now is election day. And so the list goes on, state by state, congressional district by congressional district.
Illinois had its day and selected its GOP candidate Mark Kirk. Nacilbupera opposed Kirk. Indeed we indicated we would seek someone else to fill the seat. However, in light of Medi-geddon we are reversing our stance on Kirk for the following reasons:
The sense of urgency to repeal is so great that if we don't repeal now, we may not have our Republic in 6 years when a more conservative Republican could run against a non-incumbent and thus challenge the Democrat incumbent.
Kirk could end up being the difference between a Republican majority and minority in the Senate in 2010. (Election Projection currently has it at 50-48 in favor of the Dems.) This is necessary to put a check on Obama who will sign whatever Socialistic legislation Congress puts forth like amnesty, cap and tax, and endless upward debt ceiling adjustments.
No 3rd-party conservative opponent to Kirk has any traction. Indeed, they are looking for petition signatures at this point to merely make their name on the Illinois ballot. We fear any traction they do gain at this point will end up further solidifying the Democrat and thus put in jeopardy the Medi-geddon war.
In light of these points, we therefore officially reverse our stance of opposition last month on Mark Kirk and wish him success as we fight together the battle of Medi-geddon. This is not a refutation of the wrong sides Kirk has been on in the past, but the recognition that just as we allied ourselves with Russia in World War II to fight world takeover by fascism, we must align ourselves with Kirk in order to protect our country from Socialism. Nacilbupera will continue to monitor Kirk through the election and his victory to ensure that Kirk stays true to his word.
It came to our mind this evening yet another way HR3590 is unconstitutional through the individual mandate: it creates a poll tax.
Poll taxes were used to keep southern blacks from their right to vote and were banned by the 24th Amendment:
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax. Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
If one does not have insurance and does not pay the 2.5% tax mandated by HR3590, they would be guilty of a felony and go to jail, thus losing their voting privileges. Thus the effect of the 2.5% penalty tax is indeed a poll tax. Add this to our list of ways the bill is unconstitutional.
Here is the email we sent tonight to President Obama urging him to veto HR3590.
Mr President:
I strongly urge you to veto HR 3590 as passed yesterday by a small-margined, partisan vote on a day reserved by the majority of Americans as a day to worship God with all polls showing broad opposition among We the People.
With your pledge to sign this bill, you break several promises to the American people you made including: (1) The promise to cut taxes for 95% of Americans (2) To televise the healthcare debates on C-Span (3) To not vote for any bill that negatively impacted the debt (the true costs of this bill are $2T+) And perhaps most importantly you would violate your oath to uphold the Constitution. Never before have Americans been forced to purchase anything as a condition of proper citizenship. The individual mandate is unconstitutional.
Yesterday was proof we are in the midst of Medi-geddon: we are fighting for the very essence of our country, freedoms, prosperity, and Constitution ambushed in the name of health care reform. The battle lost yesterday deepens our resolve to fight harder. We are the Battered Bastards of Bastogne: for us surrender is "nuts". Or below as seen in "A Bridge Too Far": we haven't the proper facilities to take you [Progressives] all prisoner. Sorry."
As Heritage President Fuelner said today: Obama's health care legislation can and will be repealed. The American people are never permanently thwarted.
The Progressives have been working quietly, year after year to pass their evil agenda. Their fight has spanned generations. Ours has been less consistent, but no more. We will fight to the end of our lives. We will raise up our children and their children to fight for our country and our Constitution to take our places when we die so that someday our posterity might enjoy the free country untainted by socialism we never had.
We are redoubling our efforts against those who voted yesterday AYE on HR3590. We will hold accountable all 219 Representatives and 60 Senators who voted for this list. Like the 9/12 terrorist attacks, we will NOT forget our 3/21 and our 12/24.
The House just passed 219-212 HR3590, the 2,700-page Obamacare scheme despite bipartisan opposition (178 GOP and 34 Dem). (HR4872, the reconciliation bill also passed 220-211, but that goes to the Senate with the infamous Bismark Bank Bailout.) Interesting, 219-212 was the same exact vote count that cap-n-tax passed the House last year.
Stupak's Cave-in Bart Stupak caved in on his anti-abortion language in favor of a weak executive order; every pro-life organization is dumping him. As his gang was the deciding factor we estimate the anger against him will be severe enough to jeopardize his re-election. Stupak also recently garnished $1M in airport earmarks (h/t The Lonely Conservative) for his district. This video surfaced, however, showing his true intentions were never to put protection of life above government-mandated insurance:
Summary of other votes Jim Matheson (UT-02) joined his two Utah GOP colleagues in voting NO! North Dakota Rep. Pomeroy of Bismark Bank Bailout fame ignored his constituents and voted for the bill. Some brave patriots voting against the bill included Stephen Lynch of (MA-09), John Tanner (TN-08), and Joseph Cao (LA-02), the last having voted previously for Obamacare. Here is the link to how everyone voted on HR3590.
Some tea party groups are planning candlelight vigils for the seniors and the unborn who will die because of Obamacare as Obama is expected to sign the bill in the next few days.
