Say Anything Blog

Now that the Healthcare Reform movement has been somewhat stalled, (thanks to Massachussetts voters), the Democrats are trying to attack insurers.

In response to a rate hike request from California’s Wellpoint, (a Blue Cross subsidiary), California Senator Feinstein has proposed legislation that would give the Health & Human Services Secretary the authority to oversee and potentially block rate increases that are deemed to be unfair to the consumers.

Wellpoint had asked for a 39% rate increase, only to be blasted by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as being a “greedy company that cares more about profits than people”.

Now, in the immortal words of Paul Harvey, “let’s hear the rest of the story”.  In an article in the Wall Street Journal, the author writes;

“Wellpoint’s rate hikes are the direct result of the Golden State’s insurance regulations—the kind that Democrats want to impose on all 50 states. Under federal Cobra rules, the unemployed are allowed to keep their job-related health benefits for 18 to 36 months. California then goes further and bars Anthem from dropping these customers even after they have exhausted Cobra. California also caps what Anthem can charge these post-Cobra customers.

Most other states direct these customers to high-risk pools that are partly subsidized, but California requires the individual market to absorb the customers and their costs. Even as California insurers have had to keep insuring these typically older and sicker patients, the recession has driven many younger, healthier policy holders to drop their insurance—leaving fewer customers to fund a more expensive insurance pool.

This explains why Anthem lost $58 million in California on its post-Cobra customers in 2009. If WellPoint didn’t raise premiums amid these losses, it would soon be under assault from its shareholders, if not out of business”.

In typical fashion, government meddling has caused a situation that hurts the consumers that it was attempting to protect, and at the same time hurts the business, and then casts the blame on the business calling it a greedy coporation.

Just another fine example of why we don’t need a government managed national health care program.

Or do they?  In a press release on Friday, Republican leadership stated that they beieve Obama lacks up to 18 votes to use reconciliation to pass the Senate Health Care bill.  I honestly don’t believe that for a minute.

Senator Conrad who was once firmly opposed to using reconciliation told a reporter on Friday that he has not closed the door on using recociliation to pass the bill. 

So even though he and his cohorts Dorgan and Pomeroy are suddenly out making all kinds of noise about how we (translation Congress) is racking up all kinds of debt, Conrad has no compulsions about passing a bill that will create trillions more debt and take over one sixth of the US economy.

I really do think that the Democrats have all made the decision to conduct a suicide mission.  Unfortunately, it is not just their careers they will kill.  It will also be the death of this country.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/82421-senate-gop-dems-dont-have-votes-to-use-partisan-tactic-on-health-reform

An article on the Minot Daily News website says that Rep. Earl Pomeroy will seek re-election to Congress and will not try to run for Dorgan’s open Senate seat.

So, who will the Dems nominate to run for Senate?  Some names come to mind such as either one of the Heitkamps, Joel or Heidi?  Or maybe Jasper Schneider?  How about Tim Mathern?  One name that sticks out in my mind is Merle Boucher.  He seems to have been seeking the limelight quite a bit as of late.

No matter who it may be, the best tactic for the Republican candidate is to run against the Democratic party as a whole and splash the candidate as just an appartchik of the party.

http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/535504.html?nav=5010

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091220/D9CN9TL80.html

Upon Senator Nelson’s, (Nebraska Democratic Senator) decieion to be the 60th vote in favor of the Senate version of Obama/Pelosi care, the Stata GOP Chairman declared the action, “the end of Nelson’s career in Nebraska” and immediately launched a website raising funds to defeat Nelson with in 2012.

North Dakota GOP Chairman Gary Emineth needs to do the same.  Byron Dorgan already has millionsof dollars in his campaign coffers.  While we have no nominated Republican candidate yet, there is no question that Dorgan has provided enough rope to hang himself.  The state party needs to capitalize on that and use every possible avenue to raise money for the battle to come.  Starting with the internet. 

The mantra starting today needs to be Defeat Dorgan 1n 2010 - Crush Conrad in 2012.

As if the thought of a new health bill which will allow the government to take over 1/6 of the US economy weren’t frightening enough, this is even more frightening:

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/10/action-alert-obama-to-cede-us-sovereignty-in-December.HTML

President Obama will be attending the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen next month.  Based on his past comments regarding climate change and on the fact that his policy and even his own writings are indicative of his socialist, (some would even call it Marxist) ideaology, it is most likely that he will sign the treaty.

What does this mean?  By signing the treaty, (and ratification by the US Senate), he will be ceding US authority to a one world government.  A government that will be free to tax US citizens and redistribute US wealth to third world nations. 

Of all the things that this administration has done or has stated that they would like to do, this to me, is the most frightening thing of all. 

For 233 years, millions of American men and women have fought and died for one thing;  for the United States to be a free and sovereign nation in which all citizens have a representative voice in the governance of their nation. 

Make no mistake, there will be no United States representation in a one world government. 

We need to take action now by calling Senators Conrad and Dorgan and demand that they TELL, (Not ask), Obama that he cannot sign that treaty.  Also make Dorgan and Conrad commit to you that they will not sign any ratification of that treaty if Obama does sign it.

It appears that the CIA is taking a larger interest in what’s happening on the internet.

Rob, you could be a marked man.

http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?doc_id=183570&f_src=securitysentinel

After it was revealed that NDSU President Joseph Chapman spent $22,000 on a trip to Washington DC, Chapman has decided to resign.  Even as he is going out the door, his comment was; “..whenever I do anything, I always do it with the best interest of the institution in mind”.  How can he say that spending $22,000 to attend a Presidential Inauguration is in the best interest of the university?  Even if it was in his words, “a tremendous opportunity to represent NDSU”, there is no reason why he had to bring his entire family on a chartered jet and staying in $4300 hotel rooms.  He could have taken a lesson from his peer Robert Kelley, UND President, who spent $2175 for the same trip. 
In addition to the family vacation to DC, Chapman has overseen cost overruns in excess of $1 million on the University Presidential Palace.  As if that weren’t bad enough, with an annual salary in excess of $400,000 he just couldn’t seem to stay within budget on his $35,000 discretionary spending account.  And now he says he is resigning because “it just isn’t fun anymore”.  Well, cry me a river!!
The truth of the matter is that Chapman, like many other politicians in all levels of government, just doesn’t get it.  He is an employee of the people of the State of North Dakota.  As our employee, one of his primary responsibilities is to utilize our very limited resources in the most effective manner, to get the maximum return on our investment.  Not to use our money and our facilities as if they were his own private kingdom. 
Whether it is a university president wasting our money, Senators who schedule “listening forums” yet don’t listen, Congressmen who completely avoid their constituents so as not to hear their concerns, or County officials who think that they should be exempt from courthouse security rules, it is clearly evident that this problem of government official elitism permeates through every level of County, State, and Federal government.
We all need to make our voices heard loudly and clearly as we put these elitists in their place.  For those of you elitists who happen to be reading this letter, I will state this as plainly as possible.  You are an employee of the PEOPLE.  If you cannot grasp that fact, it is time for you to find a different line of work!  Take Chapman’s cue and start another career.

I received a personalized email today from Byron Dorgan thanking me for my comments regarding health care.  In the letter, he made a number of promises about things he will NOT support.  Here are a few of those oaths;

“Many North Dakotans are worried that if Congress passes a new health care plan, they could receive less care. There have been a lot of inaccurate charges from critics about what will and won’t be in the bill.

Here’s what I will not support in a health care reform bill.

»»I won’t support a government takeover of the health care system and I won’t support anything that rations health care.

»»I won’t support a health care bill that provides coverage for those who are here illegally.

»»I won’t support anything that doesn’t maintain the current ban on using federal funds to pay for abortion.

»»I won’t support anything that undermines Medicare coverage for the elderly or health care for veterans.”

Hmm.  Interesting promises, but I wonder how he intends to keep them.  The Baucus bill mandates cuts to Medicare spending.  Of course we all know that the only way to cut spending is to limit services.  To me that means rationing health care.

Though neither the Baucus plan or the House bill state that coverage will be extended to illegals, we all know that President Obama and leading Dems are working towards extending amnesty to all illegals.  So irregardless of Dorgan’s oath not to support coverage to illegals, he knows full well that his promise is a moot point.

He promises not to support government funded abortion, yet both the Baucus plan and the House bill absolutely do have provisions to cover abortions.  So will he vote against either plan when they come to the Senate?

And his last promise not to support anything that cuts health care for seniors or veterans is going to be tough to keep.  Both the Baucus plan and the House bill call for drastic cuts to Medicare spending.  Again, the only way to cut that spending is to cut services and ration care.  Seniors and veterans are absolutely going to be affected.

But hey!  I’ve got his promise in writing, so I can just lay back and feel comfortable that he’s got my back, Right?  I think not.  Just more double speak from the king stooge of North Dakota politics.  To borrow a line from Rep. Joe Wilson; “YOU LIE”!

AP writes that July ‘09 is shaping up to be one of the deadliest months on record in the Afghan war, and even approaching the highest death toll of the Iraq war. 

Where is the outrage?  Why are no reporters demanding to be present as they roll the coffins off the planes at Andrews air base?  Why is this not splashed all over the front pages of the major newspapers?  Why aren’t Katie Couric and Brian Williams having meltdowns on their national news casts?

The level of hypocrisy is incredible as the “state run media” continue to protect their Messiah.

At last, it’s official.  It’s been said.  Not a tongue in cheek reference, not a sarcastic remark, not an absurd illustration.  A Newsweek writer came out and said in all seriousness that Obama is a God.

I wonder then, how the Muslim world will react to this news?  I mean, after all,  the Muslims believe that Allah is the one true God.  Anyone who worships any other God is an infidel and should be put to death. 

So how can they accept the word of one god, Barack Hussein Obama, over the word of Allah?  Interesting dilemna.

And even more puzzling to me is why then does Obama need Secret Service protection?  Why does he need Air Force One?  If he is God, he is immortal and needs no protection.  If he is God, can’t he simply just will his presence anywhere in the world and he will just magically appear?  I have this image of Moses and the burning bush in mind.  “Moses, the economy is in a recession.  I need you to go out and spend.  Spend it all, spend your children’s money.  Spend your children’s children’s money.  Go forth and be a socialist”.

Boy, I really need to rethink my religious beliefs now.  Thank God…I mean thank Obama for having Newsweek tell me the real truth.  I’m a saved man now.

If you don’t believe me, just read the recent memo from the Dept. of Homeland Security.  I believe in right wing causes such as the right to life, economic conservatism, low taxes, limited government, the power of the free market, and individual liberty.

Therefore, I must be planning activities that place my fellow citizens in danger and I must be closely montitored.  Does anyone notice the coincidental timing of this memo’s distribution just days before the hundreds of Taxpayer Tea Parties are to be held? 

This is just further proof of how far this administration is willing to go in its efforts to take this country deep into socialism. 

Fellow Americans, our country is in greater danger than we have ever experienced since our Founding Fathers stood up to King George. 

The true terrorists are the ones in Washington who are leading this country to the brink of destruction.

I am proud to call myself a Patriot.