Obamacare passed

The Charleston Daily Mail ^ | March 19, 2010 | Don Surber

[2ndDivisionVet]

I hate to tell readers this, but Obamacare passed on Thursday at 2:22 PM.

That was when the House approved the Slaughter solution 222-203.

A vote for Slaughter was a vote for Obamacare. It did not “barely” pass because a few of those abstentions and maybe a couple of the Nos were green-lighted by the party’s leadership.

The stories about the House votes all get the math wrong.

It is not about how many votes Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco needs — it is about how many votes she can shed.

Pelosi is going to pass it 216-215 if she can, allowing more than 30 Democrats (mainly Blue Dogs) off the hook. They will be granted Indulgences by Pope Pelosi to officially vote against it so they can keep their seats.

Willie Brown, the longest serving speaker in California’s history, explained all this in his November 15 column in the San Francisco Chronicle: “If there’s one thing the recent health care vote proves, it’s that Nancy Pelosi is the most focused House speaker since Tip O’Neill. I’m not talking about the merits of the bill that emerged from the House – the debate on that subject is far from over. I’m talking about Pelosi’s behind-the-scenes leadership to get the job done in such a way that at-risk Democrats can still win re-election.

“The pundits portrayed the 220-215 tally and 39 Democratic no votes as signs of Pelosi’s weakness. What they missed was that Pelosi got her majority while letting Democrats from conservative districts off the hook. Nancy knows that the first thing on every Democratic House member’s mind is getting re-elected. In turn, as speaker, her first and foremost job is to ensure they get re-elected.

“She also knows that the most important vote they cast once they are re-elected will be to keep her as speaker. And if that means letting them be a Republican now and then, so be it. That’s not weakness, that’s politics.”

Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times is the only reporter I know of who gets it. He reported: “But as the week inches along, with momentum steadily building to a Sunday vote, the party leaders are also beginning to decide which politically endangered lawmakers will be given absolution to vote no.”

Politics is an art, not a science. It requires little brains, but much cleverness.

It is about power and Mrs. Pelosi wields it well.

The one remaining hurdle for Obamacare — and it could be 20 stories high — is whether Obamacare passes muster under the second paragraph of Section 7 of Article I of the Constitution: “Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; if he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.”

In order to make budget reconciliation in the Senate, you need a law. The Senate passed the bill. The House must adopt it and then the president must sign it into law for the Senate to revise it without a cloture vote.

If there is any change — even one word — in the House version from the Senate version, you might not have a law.

[mojitojoe]

Not us, YOU. I have no intention of paying a single cent. I will not submit, I will not comply. end of story.

[Tulsa Jack]

Good question. This power grab to turn the U.S. into a fascist dictatorship is just the beginning. Once these skunks succeed in ruling by fiat, they will stop at nothing. Next up: Cap & Tax, then Mex-Peasant Amnesty. Last stop will come this November, when Comrade Zero dismisses ACORN and SEIU gangsterism at the polls and “deems” the mid-term elections to have returned the sitting Democrat majority.

Democrats are so corrupting America’s political process that sooner or later honest citizens will have to take direct, collective action in their personal defense. The form such action takes remains to be seen; but Obama’s cancerous tyranny will metasticize, and we will find ourselves at the point of no return: liberty or death. I do not advocate violence. I do support effective resistance as necessary to protect our Constitutional government, and through it our lives and freedom, from malicious destruction by this odious gang of thugs.

[patriot08]

TEXAS GOV PERRY IS ASKING FOR OUR HELP TO DEFEAT OBAMACARE.

Please help us. .

Last evening, Governor Rick Perry conducted a telephone town hall meeting.

Our residence was one of the ones chosen to participate with questions re; Obamacare.

My father took the call, and he said that Perry indicated that no way in h*ll was Texas going to be screwed over with Obamacare.

He said that Perry said that the first order of business for the next 72 hours was to go to the governor's site, get a list of representative and call. http://www.rickperry.org/

Please help out!

Show Your Support, Join the Campaign Today! Help Stop Obamacare

Thu, 03/18/2010 - 2:04pm

The time has come to express your rights and remind the federal government that it was created to serve the states and the people, not the other way around. We must stop the government takeover of our healthcare system. One-size-fits-all mandates from Washington will not fix our healthcare industry, which needs tort reform as a start to bringing down costs.

Today, we are asking you to call these Texas representatives and ask tell them to vote "NO" on Obamacare. Together, let's make Washington listen to what the people actually want.

District 25: Rep. Lloyd Doggett Texas office: (512) 916-5921 Washington Office: (202) 225-4865

District 16: Rep. Silvestre Reyes Texas office: (915) 534-4400 Washington Office: (202) 225-4831

District 23: Rep. Ciro Rodriguez Del Rio office: (830) 774-5500 Eagle Pass office: (830) 757-8398 Fort Stockton office: (432) 336-3975 N. San Antonio office: (210) 561-9421 S. San Antonio office: (210) 922-1874 Washington Office: (202) 225-4511

District 27: Rep. Solomon Ortiz Coastal Bend office: (361) 883-5868 Rio Grande Valley office: (956) 541-1242 Washington Office: (202) 225-7742

District 28: Rep. Henry Cuellar Laredo office: (956) 725-0639 Mission office: (956) 424-3942 Rio Grande City office: (956) 487-5603 San Antonio office: (210) 271-2851 Seguin office: (830) 401-0457 Washington Office: (202) 225-1640

___________________________________________________

Texas Metros Continue to Show Strong Economic Indicators Wed, 03/17/2010 -

Governor Perry continues to keep focus on the Texas economy as the most important issue facing our state. With record job creation, low taxes, sweeping tort reform, and the most business-friendly environment in the nation, it's clear that fiscal discipline under Gov. Perry is keeping Texas as an economic driver leading the nation out of recession.

The Brookings Institution today released its quarterly report on the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas. The overall performance rankings are based on indicators like unemployment rates, housing markets, and gross metropolitan product.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Good, glad to hear it. Thank you!

[RAR]

I thought there was a big difference between going along w/a procedural vote and saying yes to what’s coming on Sunday.

[OneLoyalAmerican]

Greetings eccentric:

Another Easter as sickening as the killing of Teri Schaivo and the taking of Elian Gonzalez

Spot on. Needing a puke bucket.

OLA

[OneLoyalAmerican]

Greetings kevkrom:

Thanks for inserting key facts concerning what the purpose of the vote was, into the thread.

Cheers,
OLA

[HP8753]

IMHO, Anyone that voted for either the House or Senate bill whether it passed or not is in danger of losing their seat come November.

Unless they are in a solid Commie district.

I've been swamped with iquiries from friends that have up until this point been totally apolitical asking what the hell is going on and what it means.

My response has been to email them links to FreeRepublic Threads that deal with the issues they inquire about.

[gogogodzilla]

I will be on Saturday.

I figure I’ll stand in front of the Capitol building and ready the Declaration of Independence (from an overreaching Washington).

[proud American in Canada]

“They won’t.”

___________________________________________

From your lips to God’s ears. Tears are filling my eyes as I read this.

What makes me even more mad is that there are many people, educated people such as lawyers and accountants, who are extremely busy this time of year. I’ve spoken to friends of mine who were not aware—too busy. They would otherwise have the time to know about this, to be involved. But April 15 is coming up.

And yet, they’re the ones paying taxes. I’m starting to think this is not a coincidence.

[proud American in Canada]

“I wanted to spend time with my family tomorrow and do some yard work but I feel it is important to go to DC.

No kidding. I’ve written, called, appeared in person multiple times since last summer and my house is falling down around my ears because I just don’t have any more time. I am exhausted, and I am livid at all the summer soldiers telling everyone else to go, but they’re too busy. SO AM I, dammit!!!”

______________________________________________________________

I told my friend earlier that if I lived anywhere near D.C., I’d be there tomorrow, and I don’t even live in the U.S.!

We must stop the destruction of the finest medical system in the world.

Take it from someone who knows. Who’s had to sit with a one and a half-year baby in an emergency room, with an ear infection, for TWELVE HOURS! I am not kidding. It was a rude shock. When we lived in the U.S., if my kids were sick, I could make an appointment that day.

[TeleStraightShooter]

Mr Surber misses the point - "If there is any change — even one word — in the House version from the Senate version, you might not have a law."

That issue was addressed in the SCOTUS 2005 case backed by Pelosi. "Deem and Pass" will be struck down on these constitutional merits it does not meet and the SCOTUS has never reviewed:

But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively.

[mikelets456]

[MHGinTN]

A still no one is building the guillotines ...