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The new conservative government in Virginia (Governor, Attorney General, Sec of State) will probably join the ten also when it’s sworn into office in January.

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Ann's annual "Kwanzaa expose" is a tradition dating back to 2001, and the CLINTON administration!

Maybe she's saving it for NEXT week.

Or, maybe her work here is done: Kwanzaa has now been THOROUGHLY discredited, thanks in no small part to HER efforts over the years. :o)

From the MOST COMPLETE online archive of Ann's columns (at www.jewishworldreview.com) -- here is the FIRST in this series:

Ann Coulter
Kwanzaa: Holiday from the FBI
Jan. 2, 2001 / 7 Teves, 5761

Dodd's vote didn't need buying. So I'm sure the request was at the request of Lieberman.

This is seen as a payoff to the unions in CT. Dodd is up for reelection and needs to be able to show some money to his "constituents".

The Alinskyites haven't figured out why their techniques aren't working.

The technique works both ways. As long as we can get participants into critical meetings to expose the tactics. The approaches only work on unwitting targets.

They’re trying to stir the pot to see if any Democrats stand up and say “What about me? My vote shouldn’t be taken for granted either.”

It will only die if the public continues its outrage and opposition to the bill. Otherwise, the RATS can and will cut a deal. BO still wants this.

You’re absolutely right...but the problem is that yes, we DO have @ least ONE Member of Congress who follows “the Constitution and amendments as written”, & his name is Rep. Ron Paul; but he is loathed by many folks, even on this thread, who call themselves “conservative”. Sens. DeMint & Coburn seem to do a fairly decent job, as does Rep. Michele Bachman. 4 down, 531 to go; we’re just about there!

"Feb makes it real difficult now doesn’t it? Primaries in May only 3 months beyond? Start of campaign season? Where are their votes then,when the public is turning their eyes towards the mid terms?

I don't believe the founders envisioned primaries, but they brilliantly foresaw the big picture, didn't they?

"if they play ping-pong between the two chambers, the Senate will require another cloture vote — thus requiring 60 votes to shut off debate".

Yes, if the senate bill is modified in anyway 60 votes would be needed in the senate to open debate and close it (cloture). But a filibuster is not always used or needed. The minority always has the option to filibuster, which forces the majority to go through the 60 vote cloture machinations, but for some issues it's not needed. IIRC and to clarify.

With the wacko lefties in charge, we're seeing it more often as may be the case until after mid-terms.

Thanks for the heads up, backhoe.

Cheers!

I saw that one too; this is one for infiltrating a mass meeting and "spontaneously" persuading the undecided to go your way. Similar tactic -- but it didn't work this summer.

The Alinskyites haven't figured out why their techniques aren't working.

And I won't be the one to tell them why.

Cheers!

BUMP!

BTTT..............

We need not give up on this, we need to fight this if Comrade Zero is going to hold off on this kludge for a Jobs Bill or Package. This and Stupak could nix this for good.

Where the H@!! are all the "talkers" (Rush, Hannity etc) on this? Don't they get it? This is Hoffman on Steroids, we need the fight!

How about a future Amendment stating that:

Not altogether bad concepts but I have a far simpler approach.

First, elect Representatives who follow the Constitution and amendments as written. After achieving that milestone, a productive discussion of additional amendments and possible repeals would be in order. However, a discussion about changing the Constitution that is not followed seems pointless.

All the Dem leadership has to do is remove this provision from the bill in conference committee. They only need 51 senators to pass it now.

Even if the 60th vote was obtained illegally?

Thanks grey_whiskers.

Do we really expect a criminal investigation of backroom healthcare deals......yes, we do. There's more ways than one to skin these rats.

PASS THE WORD: To tea partiers, 9/12 marchers, pro-lifers; defense of marriage, 2nd amendment, anti ObamaCare, anti-amnesty, anti cap/trade conservatives.

FREEPER STRATEGY: I called my US senators and it was an exercise in futility. Why won't Senators tell constituents the reasons why they couldn't get the same deals other lawmakers got for their states?

Put these comments in the form of a letter, add a copy of the following LAT article, and blastmail it to every newspaper editor, every TV station......and friendly lawmakers.

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LA Times | Jim Davenport / FR Posted by freespirited, 12/22/09

The top prosecutors in seven states are probing the constitutionality of a political deal that cut a funding break for Nebraska in order to pass a federal health care reform bill, South Carolina's attorney general said Tuesday. P> Attorney General Henry McMaster said he and his counterparts in Alabama, Colorado, Michigan, North Dakota, Texas and Washington state are jointly taking a look at the deal they've dubbed the "Nebraska compromise."

"The Nebraska compromise, which permanently exempts Nebraska from paying Medicaid costs that Texas and all other 49 states must pay, may violate the United States Constitution — as well as other provisions of federal law," Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said... Nebraska wasn't alone in getting Medicaid breaks. Vermont, Louisiana and Massachusetts also got help with their programs.

Along with Texas, officials in Washington, Alabama, Colorado and Michigan confirmed they were working with McMaster.

North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said he wasn't sure what could be done while the federal legislation remained under debate. Officials in the other states did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Tennessee's Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey called for his state's attorney general to investigate the deal. McMaster is encouraging a South Carolina citizen to step forward to sue to challenge the measure if it is signed into law. "We'll assist anyone to the extent that we're able," McMaster said. (Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...

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

Stocking Stuffers: Payoffs, Kickbacks, Sweetheart Deals Abound in Gov’t Health Care | Republican leader | Dec. 22, 2009

EXCERPT Following are just some of the payoffs and kickbacks Sen. Reid is forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for so he can increase health care costs, raise taxes, cut seniors’ Medicare benefits, and put government bureaucrats in charge of medical decisions:

Sen. Mary Landrieu’s (D-LA) “Louisiana Purchase.” CBS News reports: “It started with Mary Landrieu. When reports surfaced she had been swayed with a $100 million Medicaid deal just for Louisiana, she bragged it was actually $300 million. The deal was so notorious, Republicans gave it a name. ‘We have new words in our lexicon, the Louisiana Purchase,’ Sen. John McCain said.”

Sen. Ben Nelson’s (D-NE) $100 Million “Cornhusker Kickback.” The Hill reports: “Nebraska will receive $100 million in assistance for its Medicaid program under provisions in the Senate's healthcare bill negotiated by Sen. Ben Nelson (D).”

Sens. Ben Nelson (D-NE) & Carl Levin’s (D-MI) Sweetheart Deal for Nebraska/Michigan Insurance Companies. Politico reports: “In addition to the Medicaid carve out, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) negotiated an exemption from the insurance tax for non-profit insurers based in his state. The language was written in a way that only Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, as well as Blue Cross Blue Shield nonprofit plans in Nebraska and Michigan, would qualify, according to a Democratic Senate aide.”

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) Takes Credit for $100 Million Hospital Earmark. The Associated Press reports: “A $100 million item for construction of a university hospital was inserted in the Senate health care bill at the request of Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., who faces a difficult re-election campaign, his office said Sunday night.”

Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL) Inserts Provision for ACORN Funding. The Weekly Standard reports: “Senator Roland Burris is claiming credit for a provision in Harry Reid's ‘manager's amendment,’ unveiled Saturday morning, that could funnel money to ACORN through the health care bill.”

Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Secures $600 Million Medicaid Kickback. The Associated Press reports: “Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., negotiated $600 million in additional Medicaid benefits for his state over 10 years. He said Vermont is due the additional benefits because the state already has acted to expand Medicaid eligibility to the levels now contemplated by the federal government. Vermont would be unfairly penalized if other states are now being helped with that expansion, he said.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) Scores $10 Billion for Community Health Centers. The Associated Press reports: “Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who was angered after a new government-run health plan was dropped from the legislation to win over moderates like Nelson and Landrieu, held out on backing the bill until Reid, D-Nev., agreed to a $10 billion increase in support for community health centers.”

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) Negotiates Special Deal for Florida Medicare Advantage Recipients. The Associated Press reports: “Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., pushed a provision he said will let about 800,000 Florida seniors enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans keep their extra benefits. It also helps seniors in a handful of other states. Elsewhere, Medicare Advantage patients risk losing benefits because the private plans are a major target of planned cuts to Medicare.”

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) Scores Extra Medicare Benefits for Montana Residents. The Associated Press reports: “Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Finance Committee and a key architect of the legislation, put in a provision to help the 2,900 residents of Libby, Mont., many of whom have asbestos-related illnesses from a now-defunct mineral mine. Under Baucus' provision, which never mentions Libby by name, sickened residents could sign up for Medicare benefits.”

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) Wins More Medicare Funding for Iowa Hospitals. The Wall Street Journal reports: “One change won by Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) would increase Medicare payments to medium-size hospitals, including eight in his state. Mr. Harkin said such ‘tweener’ hospitals are short-changed by the current system.”

Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) & Kent Conrad (D-ND) Win Higher Medicare Payments for Rural Hospitals . The Washington Post reports: “The Senate health-care bill has been full of goodies handed out to buy/earn the vote of various senators. … Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad’s higher Medicare payments to hospitals and doctors in the ‘frontier counties’ of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.”

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FREEPER STRATEGY:

FBI TIP PAGE http://tips.fbi.gov/ (you may remain anonymous)

THE IRS SHOULD DETERMINE IF TAXES WERE PAID ON
MONIES, GIFTS, GRATUITIES, ETC, REC'D IN EXCHANGE FOR VOTES

REPORT TAX FRAUD AND TAX LAW VIOLATIONS HERE
IRS TOLL-FREE 1-800-829-0433----you may remain anonymous.

MONIES RECEIVED IN EXCHANGE FOR VOTES IS ILLEGAL AND MIGHT CONSTITUTE TAX FRAUD
EMAIL .......OAAG.Tax@tax.USDOJ.gov

Report fiduciary negligence and signing off on falsified official documents here:
EMAIL enforcement@SEC.gov

Thoughts?

Point taken. However, you have neglected to take into account one of the most important constitutional considerations facing America today.

The Constitution guaranteed the nation a Republican form of government. The founders judiciously chose a Republic over a Democracy with good reason. A Republic is rule by law whilst a Democracy is rule by the majority.

In a Democracy, the majority can ignore the laws and the Constitution as you have observed. Unless America abandons the Republic in favor of a Democracy Socialist cannot prevail. Americans are allowing Socialism to prosper in exchange for favors and you cannot stop it.

Consider these two observations.

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. Edmund Burke

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. Thomas Jefferson

Now link America’s direction with this observation by Theodore Roosevelt.

"The Roman Republic fell, not because of the ambition of Caesar or Augustus, but because it had already long ceased to be in any real sense a republic at all. When the sturdy Roman plebeian, who lived by his own labor, who voted without reward according to his own convictions, and who with his fellows formed in war the terrible Roman legion, had been changed into an idle creature who craved nothing in life save the gratification of a thirst for vapid excitement, who was fed by the state, and who directly or indirectly sold his vote to the highest bidder, then the end of the Republic was at hand, and nothing could save it. The laws were the same as they had been, but the people behind the laws had changed, and so the laws counted for nothing.” Teddy Roosevelt on the Fall of the Republic

This observation may aid you in understanding why your ideas are lost.

"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws." - Tacitus, Roman Senator and Historian (A.D. c.56 - c. 115)

Gov Butch Otter of Idaho was hosting 670 KBOI afternoon show today in place of Nate Shelmann.

Last call I heard before getting home Gov Otter was going on a rant and listing the multitude of ways the Health Care bill was unconstitutional specifically focused on the deal Nebraska and some counties in Florida got.

I would imagine Idaho will join those 10 other States shortly.

“IMHO all who vote yes for this unconstitutional bill should be tried for treason!”
+++++++++++++++

You’d have to have people in the institutions of power that actually respected the USC first. 11/2010 first. Perhaps the SCOTUS first...we’ll see.

**I've wondered how or why the upstanding citizens of Nebraska voted for this scumbag.

--Probably because no one ran against him, and it takes upwards of several million dollars to take on a contested race.
++++++++++

Which is why the NRSC has such influence...argh - we need to get ourselves off this little Habitrail!

**The Senate is voting now on whether this violates the 10th amendment.

—If this weren’t leading to what will likely be very unpleasant circumstances, it would be laughable.
+++++++++++++++

I think the State of Oklahoma’s motions today regarding the 10th Amendment prove this is no laughing matter.

I've wondered how or why the upstanding citizens of Nebraska voted for this scumbag.

Probably because no one ran against him, and it takes upwards of several million dollars to take on a contested race.

The existence of a constitutional rule/provision that would allow congress to make a law unchallengeable for all time would be so absurdly counter to the spirit of our form of governance that it would be common knowledge to both constitutional scholars and laypeople alike. Therefore no such provision exists. It's that simple.

Please, please, WA, unemploy this blithering Homer Simpson look-alike idiot.

She can always get a job working for al Qaeda's Afghan Highway, School and Hospital Development Commission.

Well it is how the NY Times views this country now..blue and red.

Typical of the NY Slimes to forget WHITE.

Can’t WAIT for the civil war. How quick it will be!

I seriously anticipate that if there IS a civil war, it will quickly escalate to rogue nukes.

And will end with gulags and mass executions of leftists.

Pack your potassium iodide.

Cheers!

Michael Reagan was right... she is his father in a dress!

LLS

Yup. 2012 will provide a very rich target list for the NRSC. 2014 too.

Go get them Ann!

this bill should be in court right now being challenged .

We have Jennings shoving homosexual porn on kids, and then open bribery with our money.

I know deals are struck but the way the Dem leadership has gone about this is disgusting and surely has to be illegal.

She sure does, thanks for the bump!

The next three paragraphs of todays column:

In liberals' ideal world, everyone lives in abject poverty and stands in long lines, but we all live in the same abject poverty and stand in the same long lines -- just like in their beloved Soviet Union of recent memory! (Except the commissars, who get excellent health care, food, housing, maid service and no lines.) 

Instead of being honest and telling us that their plan is to make health care worse and more expensive -- but fairer! -- liberals have recently begun claiming that providing universal health care will actually save money. Overnight, they went from wailing about basic human needs being "more important than bombs" to claiming: "Our plan will be cheaper!" 

Hmmm, I didn't make any notes to debate the manifestly insane points. But I'm pretty sure that extending full medical benefits to 30 million people who don't currently have them -- 47 million once the federal health commission rules that illegal aliens are covered -- will not be less expensive than the current system. 

CONT' AT WWW.ANNCOULTER.COM

Do these Republican want to KILL THE BILL or just get a better deal for their states?

When I need a commonsense/reality check, Ann always does it.

Feb makes it real difficult now doesn’t it? Primaries in May only 3 months beyond? Start of campaign season? Where are their votes then,when the public is turning their eyes towards the mid terms?

I did ont know about Medina. I like what I read about her. I’m going to send her $$$ since I would not give a penny to the two other pukes Perry and Hutchinson.

The house can remove all the payoffs? Making passage more difficult back in the senate? Is this then a dance of idiots?

LOL, yea she threw us a curve didn't she!

Heh

And also from last weeks column, she pretty much accurately tagged this as MadoffCare

Only Madoff went to jail for a less expensive ripoff scheme

So obvious that you have to figure he knew that in advance.
Could he or anyone really expect there would be a free pass for one state?
I have to think not and thus the amendment will be stripped but gave him the cover to vote yes in the interim and move the bill along.

At least it would be nice to see that Nelson sold out for squat.

Whether he got anything at all, his vote was never in doubt, that is reality, he could are less about abortion.

I can't even make a snowman - the snow is too soft and powdery.

Enjoy your fishing trip. Catch a lobster for me...

Here's something you might appreciate...

"So this is how liberty dies....

I see a thread has been posted about the new February date I’ve been commenting about.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414086/posts

No way man, the good state of Conn. Never gets that much snow in a year.
Hey, I went sailing today and am going to go again tomorrow.
About 70 + 13 mile an hour wind and No chance of rain.
But I’ll think of ya up ther making a dirty snowman.

Any objections Slaughter has is because it’s not liberal enough.

I thank you so very much for all the clarification. And I understand that this rule about cloture versus simple majority vote works across the board so I consider myself educated and nuanced on the matter.

I hear you about the House and the conference but the White House today, via Politico put out that it would seem that the House is inclined to pass the senate version of the bill, something I think is a lie. This silly falsehood was used to justify the bill not being ready for Obama to crow about at the SOTU...that Obama wasn’t worried, that the House is going to rubberstamp the senate bill, that he would just emphasize creating jobs in his SOTU and the health care bill will likely be rubberstamped by the House in February.

I read, via my longish screed above somewhere, this to mean that the WH is covering the best in case health care dies...a “it’s no big deal” kind of thing. Heh.

Like you, I think the conference will be filled with rancor. Stupak doesn’t like the abortion thing and the last number I heard about 40 other Dems are against it. The Dems have a majority in the House but that thing just barely squeaked by last vote. The LA Vietnam guy’s supposed to be a real Repub this time and we’re supposed to believe that this what squeaked by last vote will sally forth fluidly WITH an abortion provision in the bill?

All this after those goes go home and get their ears filled over the holidays?

I stand by my assertion that it dies. At best, there might be some thing passed like no denial of health care for prior conditions, which will raise the cost of premiums but that’s it...at best.

I think a majority only when voting on passage of actual bills.

From LAST WEEK'S thread:

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Ann!
(no Happy Kwanzaa?)

Since they voted for cloture, do they still need 60 votes for the final vote ? Or just a majority ??

He’s making RINOs. Possibly his legacy.

Nancy has no “you know what”. She removed that 3 facelifts ago ~ it’s about 3 inches below her top button on her blouse.