Abuse of Power WSJ: Abuse of Power

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704625004575089362731862750.html ^

[cycle of discernment]

The Wallstreet Journal

March 3, 2010

Abuse of Power

An undemocratic disservice to our people and to the Senate's institutional role.

A string of electoral defeats and the great unpopularity of ObamaCare can't stop Democrats from their self-appointed rendezvous with liberal destiny—ramming a bill through Congress on a narrow partisan vote. What we are about to witness is an extraordinary abuse of traditional Senate rules to pass a bill merely because they think it's good for the rest of us, and because they fear their chance to build a European welfare state may never come again.

*** The vehicle is "reconciliation," a parliamentary process that fast-tracks budget measures and was created in 1974 as a deficit-reduction tool. Limited to 20 hours of debate, reconciliation bills need a mere 50 votes in the Senate, with the Vice President as tie-breaker, thus circumventing the filibuster. Both Democrats and Republicans have frequently used reconciliation on budget bills, so Democrats are now claiming that using it to pass ObamaCare is no big deal.

[USCG SimTech]

After they’re thrown out in November, the very next bill is to repeal the whole thing.

[FlingWingFlyer]

The Kenyan is taking us to the brink of a Constitutional crisis.

[Clinging Bitterly]

btrl

[GailA]

OBAMANOMICS—TRICKLE DOWN DESTRUCTION of the economy

SET THEIR LOCAL AND DC LINES ON FIRE!

PLEASE ASK THEM TO REPEAL THE BIG NEW FEES in TRICARE for Life, the retired Military over 65 secondary health ins. which they passed in a DOD bill. They promised our Military these benefits, and our Military have earned them.

Bambi doesn’t keep his promises...so buyer beware!
Sen Scott Brown’s number is 202-224-4543

Capitol Hill switchboard is 202-224-3121

Lots of local demwit phone numbers on this thread

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2408217/posts

Rename, repackage, rewrite it a tad smaller, and sell another pig in a poke. NO COLAs for granny, retired Military or retired fed employees. BIG NEW fees for Tricare for Life retired over 65 Military’s secondary health ins.
(DOD bill already passed, delayed but goes into effect 2011 NEEDS TO BE REPEALED!

OBAMA’s WAR ON SENIORS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2433867/posts/

New Dem mantra: Woof, woof eat dog food granny....ala let them eat cake. http://www.lifenews.com/bio3058.html
Friday, February 19, 2010

Obama says slight fix will extend Social Security
http://townhall.com/news/us/2010/02/19/obama_says_slight_fix_will_extend_social_security

Health Care Rationing for Seniors Another Problem in New Obama Plan http://www.lifenews.com/bio3058.html
Medicare tax may apply to investment income (ObamaCare tax hike)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2460988/posts

SOCIALIZED MED THREAD http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2462963/posts
TRI CARE FOR LIFE This from a google search:

http://economicspolitics.blogspot.com/2009/05/tricare-for-life-is-obama-trying-to.html

This option would help reduce the costs of TFL, as well as costs for Medicare, by introducing minimum out-of pocket requirements for beneficiaries. Under this option, TFL would not cover any of the first $525 of an enrollee’s cost-sharing liabilities for calendar year 2011 and would limit coverage to 50 percent of the next $4,725 in Medicare cost sharing that the beneficiary incurred. (Because all further cost sharing would be covered by TFL, enrollees could not pay more than $2,888 in cost sharing in that year.) http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/99xx/doc9925/12-18-HealthOptions.pdf

http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/hcva09/hcva110609-1.htm
Bill Would Restrict Veterans’ Health Care Options 11/06/09
Buyer and McKeon Offer Amendments to Protect Veterans and TRICARE Beneficiaries

Congress plans to block Tricare fee increases
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w/

By Rick Maze - Staff writer, Oct 7, 2009

Tricare fee increases imposed last week by the Defense Department will be repealed by a provision of the compromise 2010 defense authorization bill unveiled Wednesday by House and Senate negotiators.
Snip The fee increases were announced on Sept. 30 and took effect on Oct. 1, but the defense bill, HR 2647, includes a provision barring any fee increases until the start of fiscal 2011.

Snip

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Bill Matz, president of the National Association for Uniformed Services, said the announcement of fee increases was shocking considering that the Obama administration promised earlier this year to hold off on any new fee Tricare fee increases until fiscal 2011.

“President Obama and DoD assured NAUS and the entire military family earlier this year that there would rightly be no increases in any Tricare fees” in fiscal 2010, Matz said. “We took them at their word, and I can’t believe that a co-pay increase like this was allowed to go forward,” he added.

[silverleaf]

So there are 50 pinheads in the US Senate who have decided to replicate the example of the Roman Senate and vote for what their fiddle-playing emperor demands. What are they really afraid of, and what cause do these democrat senators really serve?

Perhaps next year he’ll require them to put their wives and daughters to work as hookers to pay for it. We’ve seen “Senates” of presumably sane men that complied.

[Halls]

I just posted this article on my facebook.

[livius]

That’s important, but the real point of this is that Obama is essentially trying to destroy our entire system.

[silverleaf]

Good luck pal- just be prepared to pony up thousands next year to pay for your free medical care for life. If you can even find a doctor to accept you.

[livius]

The Kenyan is taking us to the brink of a Constitutional crisis.

Indeed. I'm very apprehensive about how all this is going to shake out. I hope the GOP has some contingency plans.

[Gritty]

After they’re thrown out in November, the very next bill is to repeal the whole thing.

Maybe.

But with a 2/3 override vote needed for an Obama veto, how are they going to get it passed?

[mel]

I doubt they can really get enough

[Auntie Mame]

After they’re thrown out in November, the very next bill is to repeal the whole thing.

Unfortunately, there are a LOT of Republicans who would vote for this bill if they had the guts and didn't mind becoming unelectable. This goes far beyond political parties. And once instituted, it will never be repealed.

Can you recall ONE government creation that has EVER been repealed?

[TMA62]

The $64 question is, is what the dums are about to do is Constitutional??

If they are changing rules willy nilly in the House / Senate just to get ONE piece of legislation passed, and if the Constitutionality of this unprecedented process is challeneded in court, would the entire bill be ruled unconstitutional?

[BigLittle]

[safetysign]

Rats, say goodbye to Washington!!

[CPT Clay]

Has Robert Byrd, who wrote the reconsilliation law, even said ANYTHING?

[calex59]

Unfortunately, there are a LOT of Republicans who would vote for this bill if they had the guts and didn't mind becoming unelectable. This goes far beyond political parties. And once instituted, it will never be repealed. Can you recall ONE government creation that has EVER been repealed?

Well, more than one, but the easiest to recall is prohibition. That took about 10 or so years to do but it happened. Your point is valid, however, it is best to not ever pass something like this. Relying on repeals is tricky.

[throwback]

Oh yeah, very good point. Running off the cliff makes much more sense when you remember that small fact. This could well be an irreversible process. Not good, and I never hear this mentioned by anyone.

[AliVeritas]

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