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What Does God Think About America’s Health Care Debate?

Posted by Stefano on Friday, August 28, 2009 5:13:20 PM
The following article was written by Doug Merkey of Churches for Life.  It is a scholarly treatment of the current health care debate in the light of Christian scripture.  This might be effectively used for gently enlightening your Christian friends who are in favor of what is being proposed in the House and Senate.  A link to a PDF file is available at the bottom for use in printing the article.
 
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                               What Does God Think About America’s Health Care Debate?
 
All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the people of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, emphasis added) 
“God, do you actually mean that Your Word is relevant to the current work our federal government is doing regarding health care?”
“Well, do you think your government’s work on health care is included under ‘every good work’?”
“Hmm… when You put it that way, I guess so....”
“You got it! My Word actually is more important to this subject than all the polls, trends, global norms, statistics, and economic factors you tend to lean on for guidance. As a Christian, it’s especially relevant for you so you can know your part in the government’s work on health care.”
“Oh… OK. So, what do You have to say about it, then?”
“I’m glad you asked!”
                 
God on the Role for Civil Governments in General
 
God’s design for Israel’s civil government during the Old Testament era was a theocracy.  In this structure, God Himself was King and the church and civil government were intimately intertwined under His leadership to harmoniously fulfill His will. With the first advent of Christ, biblical theocracy as an ordained governmental form ended and the responsibilities and relationship between the civil government and the church changed. In the New Testament era, both the church and the civil government have an interest in the well-being of people. Yet today they operate “as planets moving in concentric orbits.”1 The church’s interest and authority is spiritual, does not include the use of physical force, and is framed directly by the Scriptures. A godly civil government is framed by Scriptural principles, human reason and providence, and includes the use of physical force in carrying out these broad mandates: 
  1. Restrain evil.2 God gives the civil government the “power of the sword” for the express purpose of restraining evil/evildoers as He defines it/them. A government that uses the sword (physical force up to and including death) to perform, promote, or protect evil/evildoers is itself doing evil in God’s sight.
  2. Promote human welfare.3 While the application of this mandate varies, the overwhelming biblical emphasis points to promoting justice, especially for the defenseless and weak. A government that performs or promotes harm to its citizens (as God defines “harm”), especially the weakest in its midst, is doing evil in God’s sight.
  3. Provide freedom.4 Freedom, defined biblically, is the ability to do that which conforms to God’s Word. Though exact methods for carrying this out are not mandated by Scripture, the most God-honoring governments work to foster, not hinder, this type of freedom. A government that curtails freedom or encourages lawlessness (cf. anarchy or relativistic indulgence in individually-defined values) as God defines it is doing evil in His sight. 
God on America’s National Health Care Initiative in Particular
 
If the three tenets above are true, then a God-honoring government can and perhaps should be involved in caring for the health of its citizens, at least to some degree. Yet how a godly government does this must coincide with God’s prescriptions, above. If a government’s involvement in health care is godly, its work must restrain evil, promote human welfare, and provide freedom as God defines such things in His Word. For example, it is obviously ungodly for a government to “care” for its citizens’ health by allowing harm or directly harming or killing its weakest members.  
 
In this light, how does the present health care legislation being considered by America’s federal government measure up? This question focuses on two federal health care bills backed by President Obama: (1) HR3200 in the Federal House of Representatives, and (2) The Kennedy Bill (named for its sponsor, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) in the U.S. Senate. It is predicted that these bills will be revised and brought to the floors of their respective houses for a vote in September, 2009. Together, they would create a national government-run health insurance plan often called the “public plan” or the “public option.” These plans will compete with private insurance providers and will be run entirely by the federal government. Enrollees will pay premiums to the federal government which will subsidize the cost of care through taxes.
 
On the positive side, these 1,017-plus page bills may show that our federal government is seeking justice, welfare, and freedom for its citizens. That is commendable. However, the brand of justice, welfare, and freedom it is seeking is riddled with evil. In fact, while there may be provisions in the present legislation that adhere to Scriptural principles, there are several items which grossly violate God’s mandates for civil government, and are therefore an affront to His character and authority.    
  • In the Kennedy Bill at least, medical services deemed as “essential benefits” or as “medically necessary” include elective abortion.5
  • HR3200’s funding stream does not pass through the Hyde Amendment sieve which would restrict taxpayer funding for abortions. HR3200 allows federal tax funding for abortion. 
  • The Capps Amendment to HR3200 requires that premiums paid by enrollees for the federal health plan include the cost to cover abortions. There is no provision to opt out of this facet of coverage.
  • HR3200 establishes an office called the Health Choices Commissioner that will establish standards for services and providers. Abortion is one of those standards.
  • Section 1233 of HR3200 includes provisions for prescribing euthanasia6 as an end-of-life treatment.
  • There is nothing in these bills that protects a provider’s right of conscience. So, if standards are set by government agencies (e.g. Health Benefits Advisory Committee mandating euthanasia as a “medical necessity”) conflict with a provider’s conscience (e.g. a Christian hospital or medical practitioner whose beliefs disallow providing euthanasia), that provider must either deny his conscience or be denied eligibility under the federal plan. 
What Now, God?
 
Based on the biblical analysis above, the present health care legislation being considered by our federal government violates God’s mandates for civil government. Therefore, it is right and reasonable for Christians to graciously oppose it by remembering these biblical insights: 
  1. Reconnect with the gospel.7 Before expressing your opposition, check the gospel in your own heart. Remember that you, too, violate God’s mandates and therefore deserve His wrath. Remember that God graciously saved you from this self-deserved fate by His free mercy in the gospel of Christ. As this gospel washes over your heart, it will diffuse any creeping self-righteousness, condescension or pride that might lead to inflamed, indignant, or disrespectful words and actions on your part. The gospel-filled heart carries no stones to hurl at others, even those caught in evil.
  2. Honor leaders.8 God installs kings and governments Himself, and commands us to honor them at all times because He has installed them. In fact, how we treat our leaders directly reveals and reflects how we treat God. We are especially called to pray for our leaders.
  3. Speak the truth in love.9 True “freedom of speech” as God defines it is the ability to say what is biblically edifying in ways that are humble and gracious. Whether it is calling, emailing, writing, or visiting legislators, do it in love… to God’s glory!
  4. Equip Others. If you are a pastor, a Life Team, or someone others look to for guidance, share this article with them. It is important for Christians in particular to be equipped with a biblical worldview on such important matters in a way that leads to godly action.
1 PCA Book of Church Order, 5th edition, 1997, chapter 3, see also Matt. 22:21, John 18:362 Rom. 13:1-9
2 Rom. 13:1-9
3 Ex. 23:6, Deut. 24:17ff, Luke 3:14, Rom. 13:1-9, 2 Pet. 2
4 Spiritual freedom – freedom from sin - is in the foreground of Scripture (Rom. 6:14-23, Col. 1:13, John 12:30-33, Gal. 2:4, 4:5, 5:1). Political freedom is not highlighted, but can be deduced from various incidences like God’s delivering Israel from Egypt in Exodus (Ex. 2-14, Isa. 61:1, Luke 4:18), the glory of His Word (Ps. 19, 119) and from His moral character and mandates in general.
5 Abortion is the killing of a human being, and therefore blatantly violates God’s imperative to promote human welfare and provide freedom for an entire class of citizens. To enact a plan that condones by paying and legally endorsing/protecting abortionists (e.g. “evildoers’ in God’s sight), the civil government is using it’s God-given “power of the sword” in ways totally contrary to Scripture. Condoning abortion is particularly offensive to God because it involves a deadly assault on the weakest of all citizens whom the civil government is called to protect.
6 Euthanasia, as defined by Encarta World English Dictionary (1998-2004), is the act or practice of killing somebody who has an incurable illness or injury, or allowing or assisting that person to die. The government’s condoning this practice by listing providers and allowing this act as a “medical treatment” violates all the mandates for godly civil government.  Like abortion, condoning euthanasia is particularly offensive to God because it involves a deadly assault on the weakest of all citizens whom the civil government is called to protect.
7 John 8, Rom. 5, esp. vv. 1 & 8, Rom. 12, Gal. 6:1-2. Also, consider singing the great hymn, Amazing Grace.
8 Num. 16:41-50, Josh. 5, Acts 26, 1 Tim. 2, Heb. 13:17, 1 Thes. 5:12-13, also look at Jesus’ ministry in the gospel and how He spoke with people in general and ignorant leaders in particular.
9 Ps. 82, Prov. 15:1, 24:11-12, Matt. 5:13ff, John 13:34-35, 1 Cor. 13, Eph. 5:11, James 3, 1 Pet. 1:22
 
Here is a link to this article in PDF form for printing: 
 
   http://www.getintolife.org/Portals/3/PDFs/God%20on%20Americas%20Health%20Care%20Debate,%20reprint.pdf
 
 
Churches for Life mission details:

CFL’s Vision - the long-term result of God’s working through CFL

A holistically life-affirming America resulting from a Gospel-driven, holistically life-affirming American Church.

CFL’s Mission - the concise and practical, yet broad summation of what God’s wants to accomplish with and through CFL

Churches for life exists to nourish churches as gospel-driven champions of life.

CFL’s Strategies – specific categories of ministry that contribute to God’s accomplishing His mission and vision for CFL

1. Establish Life Teams (LTs) in local churches.
2. Encourage local pastors and church leaders.
3. Embolden denominational and ecclesial leaders.
4. Equip seminal institutions.
5. Endow life-affirming agencies with skills to partner with all the above.

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AARP Receives Copious Dissent on Health Care from Its Members

Posted by Stefano on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 6:01:23 PM
Today I received a letter from AARP looking for a new member.  I typed up the letter below and put it into the post-paid envelope.  It will go out tomorrow at their expense.  I recommend this to you if you receive a missive from them.  If you don't want to write a letter, just send back an empty envelope or cut their letter in two and return it.  That should increase their expenses at no cost to you. 

August 26, 2009

Dear AARP:

I will not join your organization because of your support of the Obama health care plan. I know that you claim to not be in support of any particular legislation, but your actions speak louder than your words. You have become a pawn of the Democrat Party instead of a voice for your members.

I recently attended a town hall meeting here in St. Louis with Representative Russ Carnahan. The subject of the meeting was senior services and aging. The first speaker, who was a local leader of AARP, gave an in-your-face diatribe in favor of Obama health care reform. It was not only off the subject of the meeting, it was a provocative presentation that incited the crowd to jeer and cheer and disrupt the gathering. This type of representation by your employees gives credence to the fact that your organization is not impartial in this debate. You are, in fact, hip deep in the court of the Democrat Party and a partner in the attempt to foist politician-run health care on the American people. You should be ashamed of your constant regurgitation of the talking points of the Democrats. Supporting a plan that will cut $500 billion from Medicare over the next decade is a despicable thing for an organization that claims to be an advocate for senior citizens.

Take me off of your mailing list NOW.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
If you go to the AARP site and browse around their comments to articles and videos, you will find that the natives are restless with respect to health care.  The letters chastising the organization include about 90% of those submitted. Many folks are asking to be removed from the membership list.  Here's a link to one comment string with large numbers of members dumping on the AARP CEO, Barry Rand:
 
 
 
Here are a couple of typical member letters from the AARP site related to health care:
 
"CapeCodger says:

Where is the map that shows AARP members who are against this administration's assault on our health care rights? We don't want big government telling us what we can and can't do with regard to health care. The elite are attempting to strengthen their power base yet again by stripping individual choice. There are 1.267 million AARP sheep signing on to authorize the government to tinker with our health care rights. Wise up AARP members!!!

Consider these government initiatives and project out a few short years:

Soc Security = bankrupt
Medicare = bankrupt
Amtrak = bankrupt
Post Office = bankrupt
Freddie Mac = bankrupt
Fannie Mae = bankrupt
Blue States = bankrupt
Hospitals = bankrupt
Auto industry = bankrupt
Banks = bankrupt
US Gov’t debt = almost bankrupt

National health care = ???

Is there a trend here?

Sincerely,"
 
"babyjag says: 
The reality of implementing a national health care plan is a disaster waiting to happen. Just think about the magnitude of government employees, subcontractors, systems, facilities and affiliated services required to run and coordinate such an operation. It would take years to design and implement this huge boondoggle, wasting trillions of taxpayer dollars before the program even gets launched. If the UK employs over 1 million people to manage their system, just imagine what it would take here in the U.S. And you can be sure that those millions of government workers would be exempt from the peon plan - they would be entitled to the same gold-plated private-insurer plans now in effect for all government workers and congress. Just think about the screw ups you have now with bureaucracies, the DMV, insurance billing, credit card billing, stolen I.D.s, stolen government computers, etc. This proposed health care reform plan is and will be a nightmare staight from hell." 
Posted: August 26, 2009 1:29PM EDT
Videos on British and Canadian politician-run health care:
 
 
 
For more information and videos on government run health care go to this link:
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Obama, the Status Quo, Boomers and War Babies

Posted by Stefano on Saturday, August 22, 2009 7:29:44 PM
Fred Barnes in the Weekly Standard on-line says that a majority of Americans now prefer "nothing to Obama care."

"For Obama, there's still worse news. Not only has he lost ground, but public support for his health care proposal has collapsed to the point that a majority of Americans prefer no reform at all to his plan. And the more he stumps for it, the less support it attracts. Rather than a peripheral phenomenon, the noisy opposition in congressional town hall meetings turns out to be a reflection of the deep national suspicion of Obamacare."

The President has frequently used the straw man argument that "some people want us to do nothing" or "some would support the status quo" where health care is concerned. Of course, many would like to see a reasonable targeted reform that doesn't use a wrecking ball on our current system, replacing it with a politician-run health care system. So when Obama uses his deceptive "status quo" rhetoric, he now is actually talking about a majority of Americans who prefer nothing to the Democrat proposals in the House and Senate. This is a major setback that may signal an impending defeat for socialist dreams.

Another roadblock to Obama care is rapidly growing among senior citizens. According to Rasmussen Reports, while 44% of Americans strongly oppose Obama care, among seniors, that number rises to 49% strongly opposed. If you've been to any town hall meetings or if you watch closely on TV, you have seen that more than 50% of the attendees of these love fests have been seniors. The Democrat party is beginning to bleed seniors because of a promised Obama care cut of $500-600 billion from Medicare and the strangling of Medicare Advantage. If the Dems keep this up, the baby boomers and war babies of the twentieth century will deep six the progressive socialists to a minority status on a par with what the Republicans experienced after the Great Depresson. We can only hope.


 
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Is Abortion Included in the Politician Run Health Care Bill?

Posted by Stefano on Saturday, August 15, 2009 7:55:01 AM
We keep hearing assurances that abortion services are not mentioned in the different politician-run health care bills being considered in Congress.  I have heard such assurances from Congressman Russ Carnahan and Senator Claire McCaskill here in Missouri.  If you go to this link you will find the two amendments that were considered in the House Energy and Commerce Committee for the House government takeover of health care bill: the Capps amendment and the Pitts amendment. 
 
      http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2009/07/abortion-kabuki-dance-and-heal.html  
 
The Capps amendment was ultimately adopted and the Pitts amendment was rejected.  My take on this is that the Capps amendment basically allows a provider to provide abortion services as long as no part of the premium is used for abortion services.  A "Commissioner" will determine and make sure that providers comply with this provision.  Additionally, if at any time in the future the law restricting use of federal funds for abortion is repealed (Hyde Amendment), the doors will open wide to allow abortion on demand funded by taxpayer dollars. 
 
One Senate talking point is that the Senate bill does not mention abortion and the Senate will not be voting on the House bill but rather the Senate bill.  Of course, the two bills will be brought together in a conference committee after passage in its respective chamber.  Who knows what will be added in the conference committee.  In committee, anything is possible including earmarks for John Murtha's district.
 
 
 
 
Watch this clip of Carnahan.  He is a question dodger but not a particularly agile one.  Did he read the bill?  Does he say he'll come under the bill and its public option?  Is Medicare efficient?  On the subject of abortion, the question is phrased "should abortion be covered..." rather than "is abortion covered...".  This gives him weasel room. Does Carnahan goof on his prepared abortion talking point by saying "no" the first time he states it?
 
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Town Hall, Medicare, Deceptive Politicians, etc.

Posted by Stefano on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 2:33:51 PM
 I attended the Claire McCaskill, Hillsboro, Missouri town hall yesterday where the merits of politician-run health care were discussed.  Although the citizens were loud at times, I thought they were pretty respectful.  It reminded me of British Parliament on C-Span when the Prime Minister is questioned by members of Parliament.  There's lots of yelling and mocking and the Prime Minister doesn't seem to mind.  He gives it as well as he takes it.  Tony Blair was particularly good in this forum.  Our Democrat politicians need to grow a thicker skin.  Some are such wussies that they are cancelling scheduled meetings.
 
It was interesting that yesterday Pres.Obama, Sen.Cardin of Maryland and Sen. McCaskill all used Medicare as proof that government can run a program well.  At least 2 of them also used the UPS, FEDEX, USPS argument.  This is the argument that claims that private companies can compete with money losing U.S. Treasury backed government enterprises.   McCaskill, in at least two of her most recent meetings, has also used a deceptive technique to attempt to sway people.  She asks anyone on Medicare to raise their hand.  Then she asks everyone who wants to give up their Medicare to raise their hand.  Then she says "you see, all of these people love their government run Medicare."  What she neglects to say is that there are no primary health insurance policies for folks over 65 other than Medicare.  Just check esurance.com and you'll see that if you're over 65, you're stuck with Medicare.  In that sector of the health system (age 65+), the public option has driven the free market out of existence.  That's something that they claim won't happen with the public option in the proposed government takeover.  That claim is just more deceptive nonsense.
 
I checked with MO Senator Kit Bond's office yesterday and found that Medicare is an option in the Congressional health program for those over 65. It is part of the roster of HMO's and insurance companies they can choose from.  I would love to know how many Congressmen and Senators over 65 have chosen the Medicare option.  My guess is that there are very few which would give evidence to the assertion that Democrat Congressmen don't really believe in the public option when they make the choice for themselves.  Let me suggest that if you have a Senator or Congressperson over 65, ask that person if he/she optioned into Medicare for their health insurance choice.  Leave a  comment identifying that politician.  That could make for an interesting post.
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You Didn't see what you Saw

Posted by Stefano on Monday, August 10, 2009 6:39:23 PM
I would hesitate to paint all of the left as deceitful, but the temptation to do so after watching the video below is enormous.  I remember seeing a TV skit where a guy is caught in bed with another woman by his wife.  He handles the situation by simply denying every accusation, even though his wife can see the woman with her own eyes right in front of her.  This is the type of blatant wholesale deception that is being foisted on the American people by Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the rest of the truth-challenged Democrats in the Congress and the Obama Administration.  Obama even has a "Minister of Propoganda" type person in former ABC reporter Linda Douglass who in effect says you didn't see and hear what you saw and heard after watching the video of Obama saying that he was a proponent of "single payer" politician-run health insurance.  It's no wonder that people are disrupting town hall meetings across the nation.  Very few people are enthused about the prospect of  Politician-Run Health Care.  Get a load of this video from Verum Serum: 
 
 
Verum Serum              http://www.verumserum.com/?p=7675
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St. Louis Supports Vendor Beaten Up by SEIU Thugs

Posted by Stefano on Sunday, August 09, 2009 7:49:17 PM
A vendor of "Don't Tread on Me" flags and buttons was beaten up by  SEIU union thugs last Thursday night after a boisterous town hall meeting sponsored by Representative Russ Carnahan.  The African-American vendor, a conservative named Kenneth Gladney, was addressed with a racial slur by an African-American male wearing a purple t-shirt with an SEIU logo, the apparent uniform of the day for those sent in by the union.  Shortly thereafter the union thug punched the Gladney in the face.  When he fell to the ground, he was kicked in the head and body by up to 4 people, according to witnesses.  Police arrived after the fight and arrested 6 people on various charges, including assault and interfering with police. 
 
I was at the event which was supposed to be on aging and senior services.  The crowd was relatively quiet, even when Carnahan initally started speaking.  When Carnahan began to introduce folks, cheering and booing from opposite sides of the issues ensued.  The first speaker was an AARP bigwig.  His introduction was greeted by opposing cheers and boos.  As he gave his speech the volume of cheering and jeering increased exponentially.  This was because he gave an in-your-face speech about Obama Care including straw man arguments like "opposers wanting to keep the status quo" and "wanting to do nothing" instead of a presentation on senior services.  This guy was nothing but a shill for Obama Care and the content of his speech may have been a scheme to provoke the protestors and put them in a bad light.  It backfired when envoys from Obama's SIEU union allies severely beat an African-American conservative complete with racial slurs.  You see, it seems that in the eyes of the SIEU and other Obama allies, freedom of speech applies only to black liberals, not to black conservatives. 
 
On Saturday at noon, St. Louis Tea Party sponsored a protest at SEIU headquarters in St. Louis in support of Kenneth Gladney.  More than 200 protestors showed up and conducted a peaceful demonstration.  Gladney, whose attorney is preparing a lawsuit against the union thugs involved in the beating arrived in a wheel chair for the event.
 
 
video of Post Dispatch reporter's arrest:   http://videos.stltoday.com/p/video?id=5489769
 
Post-Dispatch article on Saturday protest.  Be sure to watch the video at the top right where Gladney describes the attack:  http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/7C2B91CFCB7B4D398625760D0008E6EA?OpenDocument#tp_newCommentAnchor
 
 
 
 
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CBO Health Care Bill estimates Shown to be Far Too Low

Posted by Stefano on Sunday, August 09, 2009 3:53:42 PM
An independent study conducted by HSI Network, LLC shows that the House and Senate politician-run health care bills will cost far more than even the Congressional Budget Office has estimated.  HSI Network, LLC has consulted with politicians from both sides of the aisle.  The CBO does not have current models to compute expenses based on innovations in the health care industry that have occurred in recent years.  This has resulted in a downward biased estimate of projected expenses.  The Executive branch under President Obama says that the plans will be revenue neutral.  Who do you believe? 

The Impact of the 2009 Access to Quality Affordable Health Care for All Act - House Bill 

 http://www.hsinetwork.com/HSI_Report_on_HR-TRICOM_07-22-2009.pdf

   The Impact of the 2009 Affordable Health Choices Act - Senate Kennedy Plan

http://www.hsinetwork.com/HSI_Report_on_Kennedy_06-13-2009.pdf

video -first decade cost  

 http://video.foxbusiness.com/6286007/?category_id=8e68cac0753d4e8bd71174d41c674e48f15e1331

video - out year costs  

 http://video.foxbusiness.com/6286007/?category_id=8e68cac0753d4e8bd71174d41c674e48f15e1331#/7931680/health-care-costs-to-reach-2-trillion/?category_id=8e68cac0753d4e8bd71174d41c674e48f15e1331
 
 

 
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Embraces the Memory of Eugenics Proponent Margaret Sanger

Posted by Stefano on Saturday, April 25, 2009 12:01:39 PM
A post by Judi Lake at:     http://www.resistnet.com/group/iresisttheantilifeagenda/forum/topics/hillary-in-awe-of-margaret-1
tells of a recent speech by H. Clinton where she speaks in great admiring hyperbolic terms about Planed Parenthood founder and eugenics proponent Margaret Sanger: 
 
“…Now, I have to tell you that it was a great privilege when I was told that I would receive this award. I admire Margaret Sanger enormously, her courage, her tenacity, her vision. "
 
We can now rest assured that the our government will be borrowing money on the public credit card to fund abortions all across the globe, thanks to the Obama administration and H. Clinton.  The goal of Margaret Sanger to eliminate the poor and feeble through progressive eugenics will go forward with pride and joy and money borrowed in your name.  That's certainly worth going into debt for.
 
"I am also pleased to tell you that we announced that the United States will once again fund family planning through the United Nations. (Applause.) We are going to fund a contribution of $50 million this fiscal year. That's a 130 percent increase over our last contribution, which was made in 2001. Congress has also approved the Administration's request for $545 million in bilateral assistance for family planning and reproductive health programs this year. And this is a significant increase over last year. Because I and the Administration are not wavering in our commitments to development assistance even in these tough economic times. (Applause.)"
 
Should our economic woes slow down our push to abort unborn children across the world?  H. Clinton doesn't think so, even if we must borrow on the public tab to do so.
 
"Now, some might ask, well, we've got problems here at home - and we sure do. Unemployment is rising. People are losing not only jobs but their homes. We're seeing small businesses that were flourishing a few years ago shut their doors."
 
Amazingly, through her cockeyed thinking, international abortions funded by the taxpayer debt tab will help the U.S.A. in areas of national security.  Go here to read the speech and prepare to be astonished:  http://newsblaze.com/story/20090328122708stat.nb/topstory.html
 
In these videos, Hillary Clinton has her feet held to the fire by Representatives Chris Smith and Jeff Fortenberry.  She uses clever misdirection rhetoric to weasel out of the applied pressure.  Shades of Bill.
 
H. Clinton compares Jefferson and Sanger.
 
 
It's quite interesting that when the pro-life folks compare the evils of slavery and abortion, the pro-choicers scream like stuck pigs, particularly when the Dred Scott case is invoked. In this case, H. Clinton uses Jefferson's ownership of slaves as something to condemn him for while still admiring him. She uses that to say that Sanger's eugenics promoting activities, while bad, are not enough to cause one not to admire all of the good things she did.

No pro-lifer would ever support slavery or abortion, or support the choice to have slaves or the right to choose abortion. You can safely infer that H. Clinton supports the choice to have an abortion but not the choice to have slaves. She is inconsistent here if freedom of choice is paramount. She is absolutely opposed to slavery but she supports abortion. In order to reconcile these inconsistent positions, she must on the one hand oppose the Dred Scott decision that declared that Africans were not persons and on the other hand affirm the Roe vs Wade decision that declared that unborn humans are not persons. The key to the argument is the personhood of the unborn. Margaret Sanger is not part of the core argument but invoking her dispicable record can lead one to the inconsistencies of the pro-choice for abortion proponents.

The Creator, science, and ethics are on the pro-life side of the argument. The pro-choice side is stuck with death, blood, destruction, evil and cognitive dissonance.
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Obama Gang is Money Laundering the TARP and TALF Programs

Posted by Stefano on Monday, April 06, 2009 1:48:53 PM
    Now that the Obama brigade has stopped hyperventilating in mock rage at the AIG bonus babies, they are changing course in their approach to compensation of lead executives at financial institutions. Many TARP recipients are planning to return what they owe to the Treasury as quickly as possible and others are intent on avoiding taking TARP money to avoid the legislative restrictions on pay and to avoid the requirement allowing the government to purchase ownership stakes in their companies. The Pelosi/Reid Democrats in Congress put flesh on their mock rage by passing legislation restricting compensation of executives at firms who have received TARP money.  Now Obama needs cooperation from these very institutions to successfully implement the new and improved toxic debt relief program of Treasury Secretary Geithner.  TheWashington Post reports today that many financial institutions will not participate in toxic debt relief if current restrictions apply to them. From The Washington Post:


"Some private investors said, for instance, that they would not help the government buy toxic assets from banks if the congressional restrictions were applied to them. And every major provider of small-business loans has said that it will not participate in the government's program if it has to surrender ownership stakes to the government or submit to executive-pay limits."  
 
    The Obama gang has found a clever way to avoid the new compensation law passed by Congress and signed by the President. They've created "middleman" entities to launder the money passed out by the TARP and TALF programs.  The money comes from the Treasury to the middle man entity and then on to the institution receiving the aid.  By this clever process, the institution doesn't receive the aid directly from the Treasury and the compensation and ownership provisions of the law are avoided.  Congress, so far, is feigning ignorance but this type of evasion may not be legal.  The Washington Post reports:
 
 
"They are basically trying to launder the money to avoid complying with the plain language of the law," said David Zaring, a former Justice Department attorney who defended the government from lawsuits involving related legal issues. "They are trying to create a loophole to ignore Congress, and I think the courts will think that it's ridiculous."
 
 
    I don't have to wonder what the reaction of Congress would be to this type of evasion if "W" were still President.  No doubt it would be screaming and shouting and running abouting and high crimes and misdemeanors forever and ever from Pelosi, Reid, Schumer, Dodd, Frank, and the usual suspects.
 
    The Obama administration and their leader, Barack Obama are again displaying their arrogance and hypocricy in spades.  I say go after them on this nonsense without delay.
 
Here is The Washington Post article:
 
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Toxic Debt and Protecting Our Tax Money

Posted by Stefano on Thursday, March 26, 2009 1:24:15 AM
Obama's Toxic Debt Program
 
The toxic debt problem is a difficult situation made more difficult than it needs to be by the refusal to allow these companies to go into receivership or a chapter 11 pre-packaged bankruptcy. The failure to reform the onerous mark-to-market rules and/or to establish a new ratings system specifically for loans collateralized by real estate has exacerbated the problem exponentially. This new program is an interesting attempt but probably another swing and a miss for the Obama Treasury department. The FDIC guarantees are a major problem, and it seems odd that they will be directly guaranteeing debt in a way similar to that of the FHA. It’s called the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, not the Federal Debt Insurance Corporation. But hey, I'm just a regular citizen.  What do I know?  The stockholders and bondholders of troubled financial and other companies need to take a haircut through prepackaged bankruptcies. That includes the auto companies. When investors bought the equity and the debt, they knew there was a risk and bought it anyway. Now this new giveaway by the executive branch transfers the risk from these troubled companies to the citizens of this country and gives the purchasers of toxic assets a non-recourse loan to purchase those assets. The additional contingent liability will be enormous, but I guess the Fed can just print up, or electronically create more trillions of dollars out of nothing to cover their guarantees.
 
So what is the "bailout total" up to now? Bloomberg has published a chart that shows how much and to whom.  The grand total (and climbing) is now $11,623,630,000,000.00.  This doesn't include the stingy Obama budget projections that will run trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see.  Link to Bloomberg:   http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aZchK__XUF84
 Here's a section of that page: 

                                  --- Amounts (Billions)---

                                   Limit          Current

===========================================================

Total                            $11,623.63     $3,800.18

-----------------------------------------------------------

 Federal Reserve Total            $7,565.63     $1,478.88

 Primary Credit Discount           $110.74        $65.14

 Secondary Credit                    $0.19         $0.00

 Primary dealer and others         $147.00        $25.27

 ABCP Liquidity                    $152.11        $12.72

 AIG Credit                         $60.00        $37.36

 Net Portfolio CP Funding        $1,800.00       $248.67

 Maiden Lane (Bear Stearns)         $29.50        $28.82

 Maiden Lane II (AIG)              $22.50        $18.82

 Maiden Lane III (AIG)              $30.00        $24.34

 Term Securities Lending           $250.00       $115.28

 Term Auction Facility             $900.00       $447.56

 Securities lending overnight       $10.00         $5.59

 Public-Private Investment Fund $1,000.00         $0.00

 Term Asset-Backed Loan Facility $1,000.00         $0.00

 Currency Swaps/Other Assets       $606.00       $417.86

 MMIFF                             $540.00         $0.00

 GSE Debt Purchases                $600.00        $33.58

 Citigroup Bailout Fed Portion     $220.40         $0.00

 Bank of America Bailout            $87.20         $0.00

-----------------------------------------------------------

 FDIC Total                      $1,551.50       $400.30

   FDIC Liquidity Guarantees      $1,400.00       $261.30

   GE                               $139.00       $139.00

   Citigroup Bailout FDIC            $10.00         $0.00

   Bank of America Bailout FDIC       $2.50         $0.00

-----------------------------------------------------------

 Treasury Total                   $2,206.50     $1,621.00

 TARP                              $700.00       $387.00

 Tax Break for Banks                $29.00        $29.00

 Stimulus Package                  $168.00       $168.00

 Stimulus II                       $787.00       $787.00

 Treasury Exchange Stabilization    $50.00        $50.00

 Student Loan Purchases             $60.00         $0.00

 Citigroup Bailout                   $5.00         $0.00

 Bank of America Bailout             $7.50         $0.00

 Support for Fannie/Freddie        $400.00       $200.00

-----------------------------------------------------------

HUD Total                           $300.00       $300.00

 Hope for Homeowners FHA           $300.00       $300.00

Last Updated: February 24, 2009 00:01 EST
 
UPDATE: April 1, 2009: The projection is now up to 12.8 trillion dollars: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=armOzfkwtCA4&refer=home
And that's not an April fools joke.
  
 
Congress and Obama are Protecting Taxpayer's Money? 

You have to laugh out loud when you see our stellar congressional leadership claiming that they are saving taxpayer's money or protecting taxpayer’s money, as if they really care. First, the majority of the money they’re spending this year isn't taxpayer money. It's money borrowed on the credit account of citizens of this country. It's also money borrowed from the Social Security "Trust Fund" and the Medicare fund. The money being printed and electronically created by the Federal Reserve for bailout programs is not taxpayer money. It’s just more money created out of nothing against the value of the money held by U.S. citizens in their pockets or savings. Creation of money in this way debases the value of every dollar you have or will earn for the rest of your life.  It also debases the money your kids will earn and their kids will earn assuming there are any jobs for them.  I guess there should be some jobs shinning shoes for the Chinese folks who will own most everything in this country, if things keep going in the direction our leader is taking us.

It’s also a joke when the Democrats claim that they are protecting the taxes of their constituents. A large percentage of their constituents don’t pay any taxes at all. I guess if Obama is going to redistribute tax money from taxpayers to non-taxpayers, you could call it the non-taxpayers’ money but when can you correctly call it that? Would it be at the moment when the government sucks the taxes out of your paycheck each month, or is it during the micro-second that it sits in the U.S. Treasury? Perhaps it’s when the check is printed to the order of the non-taxpayer or maybe it’s when that non-taxpayer cashes the check.  So maybe Congressional leaders are protecting our non-taxpayer and taxpayer taxes.  Thank goodness for that.  Without their protection, we might get into serious economic trouble.  Rest easy and sleep tight.  Your future is in good hands.

 

 
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Pelosi Drilling Scam

Posted by Stefano on Thursday, September 11, 2008 12:28:36 PM
Read the below linked article from the Institute for Energy Research.  The Pelosi "compromise" drilling bill is a sham and a scam.  It allows drilling only where there is little oil.  It institutes a permanent ban on drilling on the OCS out to 50 miles replacing the current annually renewable moratorium.  It continues the ban in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.  It lifts the ban beyond 100 miles.  States may opt-in to drilling between 50-100 miles by enacting state law. 
 
This bill is a pig with no lipstick and must be denounced as such.  GOP Congressmen and Senators must allow the moratorium expire at the end of the month.
 
http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/2008/09/11/no-energy-nancys-new-energy-plan/
 
 

Countdown Clocks at WishAFriend.com
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Drilling Letter From Russ Carnahan (D-MO 3rd Dist)

Posted by Stefano on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 9:54:33 PM

 
I must say that the Democrats are on message and on talking points when they contact their constituents.  I am just about convinced that they think the citizens of this country are a bunch of morons.  They have been puting out the exact same talking points for the last 37 days since President Bush lifted the executive drilling ban. Anyone who thinks that Pelosi, Reid, and company are going to allow a true vote on drilling needs to read this letter that was just received today.  This is their true position and the poor,  the middle class, working Americans, and retired folks can just "eat cake" as far as they're concerned.  It's damn the drilling, full speed ahead on pipe dream alternative energy and those "hundreds of thousands of good paying green jobs."  It used to be millions; what happened?
 
 
A Message From Congressman Russ Carnahan‏
From: CongressmanCarnahan@mail.house.gov
Sent: Wed 8/20/08 6:40 PM

Dear  

Thank you for contacting me in regard to America's energy needs. I appreciate hearing from you and I welcome the chance to respond.

 When talking with people here in Missouri, I repeatedly hear about the pain at the pump. I, like you, grimace every time I fill up my gas tank.

 In order to address this energy crisis, we need to fundamentally change the way America powers itself. While the United States has almost 3 percent of the world's oil reserves, we use 24 percent of the world's oil. We have more oil wells than any other country on Earth. And no matter how many more we drill, we will never again pump as much as we did during the1970s. In fact, our oil production peaked around 1970. Since 2000, the number of wells drilled on land has climbed about 66 percent - from 3,000 to nearly 5,000 - while the price of gasoline has more than doubled since 2001. Even self-described oilman, T. Boone Pickens said, "This is one emergency we can't drill our way out of." I agree with this statement, and believe that we must address the root of the problem - America's addiction to oil. With high gas prices crippling the American economy, this country needs a long-term energy plan to lower gas prices, make American more secure, create green jobs, and combat climate change.

 While I am not against domestic drilling, I am against giving oil and gas companies more drilling rights, whether in ANWR, on the Outer Continental Shelf, or elsewhere on U.S. soil, when they are not drilling on the land currently available to them. I voted in favor of a bill to require the oil companies to drill on the 68,000,000 acres federal land that is already leased to them for drilling. Moreover, the areas with the vast majority of oil and gas are already open to drilling. According to federal government surveys, 82 percent of the area which contains natural gas in the outer continental shelf and 79 percent of the outer continental shelf with oil is available for leasing. Significantly, this was before Congress opened more space for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in 2006.

 While Americans are spending record amounts at the pump, oil companies are raking in record profits. This past quarter, the top 5 oil companies posted a combined profit of $44 billion in second quarter profits - up 42 percent more than last year. And this year, profits for the top five oil companies are projected to top $160 billion - far exceeding last year's record of $123 billion. Since 2001, the major oil companies have amassed close to $600 billion in profits. These record profits are not being used to invest in alternative and renewable energy, nor are they being used in such a way as to offset the price of gas for consumers. For example, in 2007, ExxonMobil spent only $10 million on renewable energy.

 I believe we need to seek out short-term solutions to bring prices down while developing a long-term strategy to power our future with less oil. We have not sufficiently harnessed our renewable natural resources. Since coming to Congress, I have been working hard for all of my constituents to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, bring down record gas prices, and launch a cleaner, smarter energy future for America that lowers costs and creates hundreds of thousands of good paying green jobs.

 In the short term, I, and other members of Congress, have been calling on President George Bush to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is almost filled to capacity. This has a proven track record of reducing the price of oil within weeks. When President Bush released a small portion from the Reserve in 2005, the price of oil dropped 9.1 percent.

 While continuing to advocate for immediate relief at the pump, I have advocated for increased utilization of our enormous natural gas reserves, as we transition into a low carbon economy. In order to make this transition, we need more investment renewable energy such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass waste, while upgrading our transmission power grid, so that more energy gets from its source to its destination without losing it. We can fund these bold renewable energy investments by repealing billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies for oil companies that are raking in record profits. Lastly, we must curb excessive oil speculation that is causing major market disturbances which prevent the market from accurately reflecting the forces of supply and demand in the energy commodity market.

 In the coming weeks, Congress will continue to debate energy solutions to bring real relief to American families. Please know that I will continue to support and encourage legislation that will lower energy costs, decrease our dependence on foreign oil and protect our environment. Once again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future on this or any other issue of concern.

 
 

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Letter to Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-3rd dist. MO) - Reconvene Congress

Posted by Stefano on Friday, August 08, 2008 10:54:07 AM
Dear Mr. Carnahan:

The United States economy is heavily dependent on energy. It is imperative that the US government not stand in the way of our ability to produce affordable energy to run our industries, our infrastructure assets, our commercial and residential real estate assets, and our individual and corporate transportation systems. I noticed on your website that a component of your long term vision is to "Lower energy prices, create hundreds of thousands of new 'green' jobs, provide incentives for clean, renewable energy and fight potential energy price gouging and price fixing by OPEC". I believe that your long term goal to lower energy prices is commendable but I believe that we need some short term relief right now from the escalation of energy prices. The goal of new "green jobs" is a good one also but many of your constituents in the airline industry, the travel industry, the automobile industry, and the trucking industry are quite concerned about the jobs that they have right now. The high price of all types of transportation fuel is causing increasing layoffs and business failures. Many working class folks are unable to even afford getting to work. I'm all for development of alternative, clean, renewable energy sources but that is a long term vision that will not affect our energy problems for some time to come.

What we need from you and the Congress is an energy policy that includes alternatives like solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal, clean coal and coal to liquids, and also increased domestic oil production. I keep hearing from your caucus that we cannot drill our way out of our energy problems. That argument disregards what I have already said about a comprehensive policy. The production of domestic oil through drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf, ANWR, oil shale in Colorado and other western states, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico is our energy bridge to a future of renewable energy and nuclear energy. Without the drilling, our economy will go into a tail spin. You say on your website that you have "...been working in Washington to make certain the economic challenges facing ordinary people aren’t forgotten." This is your opportunity to put your statement into action. The poor and the working class are hit the hardest by high energy prices. Poor folks spend upwards of 50% of their income on energy. A doubling of prices is devastating to their budgets and their ability to survive. You can do something about that right now.

Twenty-five days ago President Bush lifted the executive ban on Outer Continental Shelf, ANWR, and other oil production. Up to this date Congress has done nothing to lift the Congressional ban on such drilling. In fact neither house of Congress will even allow an up or down vote on such drilling due to the obstruction of Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid. I am personally unhappy that the Congress went on vacation for five weeks without taking a vote on this vital issue. A growing number of members of the House of Representatives has called for Speaker Pelosi to reconvene the House for the purpose of allowing a vote on increasing American-made energy. Human misery is not acceptable when we have the resources in the ground to enable a smooth transition to sustainable energy. I urge you to take a courageous stand apart from the obstructionists in your party for the people of Missouri and the people of the United States. Take a step toward the liftng of the ban on drilling by calling on the Speaker to reconvene Congress for a vote on a comprehensive energy plan. This could be the most important vote you ever make for our economy and our national security.

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Letter to House Republicans

Posted by Stefano on Monday, August 04, 2008 11:36:32 PM
This is the comment I posted on the Blog of Republican leader John Boehner tonight to encourage what they are doing in the absence of the irresponsible Speaker of the House and the irresponsible House Democrats.

August 4th, 2008 at 8:20 pm

Gentlemen: Thank you for taking a stand for your country. This issue is one that crosses all economic and cultural boundaries. It is an issue that will have profound consequences on all aspects of the security of our nation. It is an issue than can have a ground shaking effect on the political landscape if you are steadfast in your efforts.

President Bush led this effort 3 weeks ago by removing the executive order banning drilling on the OCS, ANWR, and other locations. In the 3 weeks since the Democrat leaders of Congress in the Senate and in the House have poked their finger into the eyes of the citizens of this country by ignoring their desire for drilling. They have done absolutely nothing to ease the pain of sky high energy prices. The economy is quaking and they do nothing. The travel industry, automobile industry, trucking industry, and other energy intensive industries are under severe economic stress and the Democrats do nothing. Poor and working Americans find their family budgets and jobs under assault and worry how they are going to pay their heating transportation, shelter and even their food bills this winter, and the Democrats do nothing. Tomorrow will be 22 days since the President did his part and the Democrats are on vacation. How many more days will the American people have to wait for the Democrat leadership to act. Every day that they are on vacation is one day closer to the day of a personal tragedy for an American citizen that might have been avoided. It may be a lost job by an autoworker or airline employee. It may be an American in the northeast whose electricity is cut off for non-payment. It may be a young girl who has to drop out of college because of the strain on her family’s budget. But for the Democrat leadership their spurious explanations and political posturing not to mention their vacations are more important than representing the people who elected them to office. This is irresponsible and borders on malfeasance.

You men of the Republican caucus are men of principle and of courage. Stay the course and stand your ground. You are the champions of those you represent and you are now the true leaders of the House of Representatives. My prayers are with you.
 
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