Free Republic

President Obama's original plan to pay for his health care reforms was to limit charitable contributions and mortgage interest payments that people can deduct from their taxable income. But both proposals were nonstarters from the moment they reached Capitol Hill. They would raise taxes on the two sectors that we need to be encouraging, not stifling. The former would reduce charitable giving. The latter would hurt the beleaguered housing industry at time when it needs all the incentives it can get. So now Democratic leaders are considering yet another sacrosanct tax-free benefit they can tap into: employer/employee health insurance premiums....

IS Barack Obama approaching the end of his masterly run? Starting with his win in the Iowa caucuses in January 2008, he has been, if not the one we've been waiting for, the one best suited to tap the wellsprings of public sentiment and capitalize on political circumstances for his own and his party's benefit. During his golden year and a half, Obama caught a wave of change that propelled him into the White House, a wave that only grew stronger when he took office amid an economic crisis. When challenged, Obama has resorted to his rhetorical prowess to defuse...

A senior Israeli government official said that Israel is “fed up” with American statements against Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, the Hebrew-language Yisrael HaYom (Israel Today) newspaper reported Monday. As Defense Minister Ehud Barak flies to Washington for meetings with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell, the unnamed senior official stated, “Israel will demand that any compromise be part of a wider program of regional peace, and only after agreement on the basic principles outlines by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in his [recent] speech at Bar-Ilan University.”

There is much outrage in the 10th District where I live. My 10th District congressman, Mark Kirk, has the dubious distinction of being the only Republican member of the Illinois congressional delegation, and one of only eight Republicans nationwide, who voted on Friday, June 26, for the Waxman-Markey energy bill (HR 2454), commonly referred to as "Cap and Trade" or "Global Warming" bill. The bill narrowly passed the House with a vote of 219 to 212. I would imagine that the same outrage exists in the congressional districts represented by all eight of the renegade Republicans. It is frowned upon...

Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller. -President Obama (healthcare town hall meeting, June 24, 2009) Like so many of his recently passed multibillion dollar programs, (Stimulus bill, Omnibus bill, etc.), it seems as though President Obama is off to the races regarding the passage of a universal healthcare bill. Although a universal healthcare concept might sound wonderful to many Americans, it is not a new idea. There are numerous nations that already provide socialized medicine and their programs are far from stellar. Among other problems, they suffer from budget crunches that result in rationed...

Excessive Government involvement is what's wrong with our current healthcare system. One prominent example: FDA regulation and Medicare/Medicaid policies are suppressing new drug and device options and increasing healthcare costs. The FDA's approval process for new technologies costs companies between 250 and 800 million dollars. It takes an average of 8.5 years to move through the FDA's clinical and approval phases and there is no guarantee of approval. Out of 5000 compounds discovered in the pre-clinical stage, only about 5 will make it through. The cost of approved and non-approved drugs and devices are passed on to the physician practice,...

<p>This is interesting because there are tens of billions of dollars invested in eurotrash companies doing business with the Iranian government. I like this. Obama can sit on his hands while others do what they can.</p> <p>By DON THOMPSON Associated Press Writer Published: Sunday, Jun. 28, 2009 - 11:12 pm SACRAMENTO -- California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is initiating a review of insurance companies doing business in California to determine their level of Iran-related investments. Poizner, who will officially announce his review on Monday, is acting on two fronts. He wants to ensure compliance with a state law that took effect in January that prohibits California-based companies from investing directly in Iran's government or companies associated with it. He then wants to review investments in certain sectors for all insurance companies operating in California to determine whether they indirectly benefit Iran. The insurers will be required to list any investment in companies that conduct at least $20 million of business in the Iranian petroleum or natural gas sectors. They also will be required to list investments of any amount in companies doing business in the banking, nuclear or defense sectors of Iran. "Our preliminary analysis does indicate there are tens of billions of dollars by companies that do business in California invested indirectly in Iran," Poizner told The Associated Press. "They're investing in companies that it turns out have substantial investments in Iran, in defense sectors and energy sectors. That's what convinced me to take this next step." He will give companies 90 days to report their investments to his office. Depending on the information revealed, Poizner's office might share the reports with the state Legislature or members of Congress. It has not yet informed the insurance industry of the details of the investment review, said Darrel Ng, a spokesman for Poizner's office. Holding investments in private companies that may do business with Iran does not violate California or federal law, and Poizner has no authority to order insurance companies to divest in those companies. Yet he does have broad authority to scrutinize the financial soundness of the investments held by all insurance companies licensed in California. As a consumer-protection measure, Poizner can force California-based insurance companies to divest in any investment he deems unsound. He could, for example, order divestment if he determined that even an indirect investment in an Iranian defense, energy or banking sector was financially risky because of questions about the country's stability. A public hearing is required before such an order could take effect. The state cannot require divestment by companies headquartered outside California. Poizner explained his decision to seek the information partly as a way to determine whether indirect investments in the Iranian economy provide a way for California-based insurance companies to get around the state law that took effect this year. "That might be a major loophole here, where billions might be flowing into Iran," Poizner said. He also said his review could help determine whether insurance companies are helping finance a terrorist threat against the United States or its allies. The U.S. has listed Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism. Insurance companies in general are the world's largest investors, using premiums to invest $3 trillion to $4 trillion, Poizner said. About 250 insurance companies are headquartered in California, while about 1,500 do business in the nation's most populous state. Poizner said he is sending letters to other insurance regulators nationwide asking them to perform similar reviews using their powers to scrutinize insurers' investments.</p>

First official results in Argentina's mid-term legislative elections suggest President Cristina Fernandez's party has lost control of Congress. The results suggest the ruling Peronist party has lost its majority in both the lower house and the Senate. Ms Fernandez' husband Nestor Kirchner conceded a closely-watched battle to win the populous Buenos Aires province. The polls were seen as a referendum on the popularity of the presidential couple, our correspondent says. (snip) With most of the votes counted, Nestor Kirchner conceded defeat to a dissident Peronist, wealthy businessman Francisco de Narvaez. (snip) The elections took place against a backdrop of deep...

Listen to Quinn and Rose on XM Satellite Radio, Channel 158, 6am - 10am EST, or on any of these stations – click You can listen later on podcast at-click For all conservative shows online - click @@

Quote: THE BRIEFING ROOM • THE BLOG MONDAY, JUNE 29TH, 2009 AT 1:14 AM The Declassification Policy Forum Posted by Jesse Lee Over at the Open Government blog, Martin Faga, Acting Chair of the Public Interest Declassification Board, invites you to be a part of the review of declassification policy. Read his introductory post, then read Board Member Herbert Briick’s outline of the kinds of questions they will be looking into and give them your input.

My thoughts...we are still entitled to them, whether you agree with me or not. Thanks!

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) on Sunday said the Senate needs more time to review the record of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor after new material surfaced from her time with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. “Just a day or so ago, we discovered that there are 300 or so boxes of additional material that has just been discovered from her time working with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund,” McConnell said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “The committee needs to have access to that material and time to work through it so we...

Pelosi Won't Give Public a Week to Review Text of Health-Care Bill Before House Votes on It SNIPPET: "At her press briefing on Thursday, Pelosi was asked whether the health-care bill would be handled differently than the stimulus bill, which came up in February. The 1,071-page final text of that bill was posted on the House Appropriations Committee’s Web site late on a Thursday night and then voted on the next day. “When the stimulus bill came out earlier this year, members and citizens had less than two days to review the final version that came out of the conference...

12:24 AM CDT on Monday, June 29, 2009 By DARLA MILES / WFAA-TV WFAA-TV FORT WORTH - A Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission inspection sparked a series of protests in Fort Worth Sunday. Seven people were arrested during a planned inspection by the TABC and the Fort Worth Police Department at about 1 a.m. Sunday at the Rainbow Lounge on South Jennings in Fort Worth. Two TABC officers and six Fort Worth police officers went into the bar to observe how the bar was serving alcohol. The inspection at the Rainbow Room, which recently opened, was one of three checks conducted...

Iran has arrested eight local British embassy staff, triggering London's fury and further exacerbating tensions with the West over the post-election turmoil in the Islamic republic. The latest backlash against what Iranian leaders have branded as foreign "meddling" came as opposition leaders continued to defy the regime, rejecting a panel set up to hold a partial recount in the hotly-disputed presidential vote.

The US economy will feel a substantial boost from the Obama administration’s emergency spending package over the next few months, says Christina Romer, a senior White House official, who has warned against tightening monetary and fiscal policy before recovery is well established. Ms Romer, chairman of the US president’s council of econ­omic advisers, told the Financial Times in an interview she was “more optimistic” that the economy was close to stabilisation. But while hopeful that America could yet experience a V-shaped recovery, she said it was much too soon to begin tightening policy: “We do not want to repeat the...

Protests by the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) forced the Canadian province of British Columbia to remove from its website a “loaded bomb” question that illustrates how anti-Zionism infiltrates into the educational system that often tries to rewrite history. A question prepared for a history examination in the province was posted on the website as part of a practice test until the CJC got wind of it.

Among the recent research grants awarded by the National Cancer Institute is one for a study asking whether people who are especially responsive to good-tasting food have the most difficulty staying on a diet. Another study will assess a Web-based program that encourages families to choose more healthful foods. Many other grants involve biological research unlikely to break new ground. For example, one project asks whether a laboratory discovery involving colon cancer also applies to breast cancer. But even if it does apply, there is no treatment yet that exploits it. The cancer institute has spent $105 billion since President...

The faith-shaped life From Rev. Ian Hamilton: Faith and Disappointment The life of faith is not immune from the disappointments and heartaches of what Paul calls "the sufferings of this present age" (Roms.8v18). God does not exempt his children from unexpected, sorely wounding providences. In 2 Cor.1v8, Paul tells us that the hardships and pressures he and his friends were experiencing were so severe, that "we despaired even of life"! Even in the model life of faith, we find our Lord Jesus Christ experiencing disappointment, opposition, hardships, and bereavement. Nowhere does God imply that his believing children will be...

Out of all the things Obama denounces during his first 6 months in office is the overthrow of a puppet socialist leader who is attempting to extend his presidency beyond the term limits written in their constitution and claims the rule of law must prevail. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Chavez and Castro it's the new Moe, Larry and Curly show. A women is shot dead in the streets of Tehran and this president claims we dont need to meddle in the sovereignty of another nation and how patience needs to prevail in order to see how things play out....