Sen. Jim DeMint(R-SC) notes that language in Sen. Maj. Leader Harry Reid's health care bill makes several changes to Senate rules (which normally takes 2/3 majority to do), and declares that the Independent Medicare Advisory Board (created by the bill) cannot be repealed by future Congresses.
It's no wonder he doesn't want anyone to read the bill before voting on it.
H/T: The Weekly Standard
I am still amazed that it is even legal to vote on a bill that NOBODY has seen or read. I understand that every Senator and Congressman cannot read every bill, but these have not even been to the staffers or been digested into executive summaries. Shouldn't they be published online for a week before voting on non emergency bills? Can we really change the Constitution without having looked at it? Why the hurry? Why are we racing to the cliff? Why must this be done right now? Is there some exam that nobody told me about they are racing to get this in before?
ReplyDeleteI am all for health care reform, but I do not understand the gun to my head.
re: anon and the exam nobody told you about -- 2010 elections. Harry knows he's in deep trouble for re-election, and wants this socialist piece of crap enshrined in law before he has to go and face the voters who are going to throw him out anyway.
ReplyDeleteWell what is wrong with "shredding the Constitution" if it is done for a noble reason like healthcare reform?
ReplyDeleteGhostress - You finally explained why you and I have such different world views. And by the way, reforming anything in this country does not require shredding the Constitution. In fact, it is no coincidence that this country, heretofor directed by that document, became the home of the most capable health care in the world (along with just about every other most capable thing in the world--it's not because American's are a superior race of human beings--it's because we human beings who live in the U.S. have, until recently, lived in a nation where people were willing to die for that document and the principles enshrined therein, and thereby kept our government under OUR control instead of allowing that government to put us under THEIR control. Thusly unleashed, we equal human beings were permitted to use our God-given gifts to innovate, create and achieve unlike most societies with lesser control of their governments.
ReplyDeleteI've been a CW Blog-long fan of yours. I'm really struggling with that, at least for the moment, after your throw-away treatment of our Consitution.
Mudge: WOW, did you really believe and write "home of the most capable health care in the world (along with just about every other most capable thing in the world" Two points: Contrary to FOX reports we do not have the best health care in the world -- those who can afford it do - regardless of location; the American masses certainly do not. Check out UN world health stats. Second point - No wonder the rest of the world hates our extreme Nationalism (some might say fascism)...oh excuse me I meant to say Patriotism; Nationalism went out of style in 1945.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, I believe you missed a third leg of the trinity when you wrote OUR and THEIR control.... RULE OF LAW being the third. Its not merely individual rights or government authority but a blend of all three....
JPH
JPH - I'll reuse CW's seminal question: Quick, you just found out you have a brain tumor that will require urgent and very complex surgery to save your life. And you have the money to travel to the country of your choice. Where are you taking your brain for service?
ReplyDeleteAh yes, JPH resorts to the "reductio ad Fox" argument. Game, set, match--Mudge.
ReplyDeleteCW, Mudge, et al: I did NOT post the comment about shredding the Constitution from whomever called himself or herself "Ghost of Past Halloweens."
ReplyDeleteGhostess--thank you for pointing out the horrible crime of identity theft. I have my suspicions as to who it is that threw the curve at us!
ReplyDeleteGhostress - It is with great humility and a mouth full of hook, line and sinker that I apologize profusely for (1) poor reading comprehension and (2) even worse, imagining that it was possible that you would write such a thing. If you will allow me back in the Conservative Chapter of your fan club, I promise to be more discriminating in my future readings and associated rants.
ReplyDeleteAnd whoever hijacked our eloquent lefty contributor's nom de plume...or is it nom de guerre?...either way, nice job! You got me...and apparently CW too.
I'm not above trying my hand at a Swiftian comment that belies my beliefs to make a sarcastic point (Modest Proposal and all that) in many cases. And I can see why you might for a moment believe that I'd make such a statement, given that I do think that man-made institutions such as religions, nations, marriage and other ideological constructs are fair game for critical assessment and should never be accepted blindly as our guideposts without full understanding and individual assessment.
ReplyDeleteBut the comment from my near-namesake above is pretty obviously written by someone who is adamantly against health care reform and thinks the passage of this bill is at odds with the Constitution. While I have serious issues with the bill as it stands and am very unhappy with its Nelsonification (restrictions on specific legally accepted health care procedures based on religious ideology seem awfully shred-worthy to me), I do want this to move forward, despite those obscenely gutting compromises made to appease blue dog democrats and those across the aisle who'll have a hand in future budget committees. In fact, I'd like to see the House backhand the HCR right up to the President for signature, and very Constitutionally, either in reconciliation proceedings on this bill or on other legislation, implement the public option and get us on back the path to an efficient health care system and possibly even the dreaded single payer approach.
But I really think that spoofing my name (was going to say "good name," but know full well that's not the case in this forum :) ) is pretty dirty politics, guys. I'd not have noticed it if not for Mudge's quite understandable dismay.
Good job JPH, most of you people can't even spell FOX, seeming to prefer the hack "FAUX" spelling.
ReplyDeleteYou cite a UN study on healthcare? Are you serious? What next, a CAIR piece on "Islam, Religion of Peace"?
Maybe CW will allow you to do an expert guest blog on the US healthcare system as compared to the systems you seem to prefer.