RE-FORM, RE-FORM !! Hey, Where's the Little Man and the Broom ?
No, you're not seeing things. This is an SC6 post... I don't expect to be coming back fulltime to blogging, but thanks to sites like BlogNetNews and SCHotline, when Jeff thinks i'm worthy, my posts get the chance to be read without it being me yelling into the woods. So, I don't have to keep posting everyday to make sure you guys stay loyal to SC6...
The real reason I decided to break my self-imposed hiatus was because it has been an interesting week in politics, both in Washington, and here in South Carolina. First, a short word on Lindsey Graham deciding to vote yes on Sonia Sotomayor's nomination for the Supreme Court. After all these years, we all have a pretty good gauge on how Lindsey Graham will vote on issues. I don't think anyone should be too surprised on his yes vote, and honestly, he's right.
Here's where conservatives will get very discouraged. When it comes to Supreme Court justice nominations, the Democrats are much more successful at attacking candidates than Republicans, and they should be - it's easier for them. Justifying a position that you judge with your heart, even if incorrectly, is a simpler job than hurting people's feelings because you judge by rule of law. But, the fact is that every criticism aimed at Sotomayor's nomination had been used for previous judges who now sit on SCOTUS, therefore a NO vote is a tough call. But, i'm still a little surprise Graham had the guts to do it...
Before you start finding another candidate to run against him in 2014, remember this: Sotomayor was going to get nominated. More importantly, Lindsey Graham is no dummy, and like he said in May, he is a winner. He doesn't give up his vote unless he is working to get something for us in return. My guess is that somewhere, sometime, we will find out that he used this YES to get us in a better position - but hey, maybe I'm wrong.....
Now, onto the Health Care fiasco, and it is slowly turning into that. Let me preface all of this with a disclaimer: I don't have health insurance. Even when I was working, I would have had to pay about 12% of my salary to pay for it. Thanks guys.... If there is anyone who would like to see an affordable paln to cover the uncoverable, I'm it.
There are a few indisputable facts. First, the rising costs of health care are the biggest problem. If you don't cut costs, Universal Coverage is an impossibility. Short of cutting payments to doctors and hospitals, it will be almost impossible. So, if you can't really cut costs, you have one choice - raise taxes to citizens and businesses to cover it. While it may not cost as much to cover the uncoverable, because most of them are like me - they don't need coverage currently - the $1 Trillion price tag makes passing this tough. Even the voters understand this, 85% of whom already have health coverage. Hence, Barack Obama's approval rating on the issue are dropping like a stone. So, he's forced to do what you do when you get desperate - you change the name....
Yep. it's now being called Health Care Reform. You know Reform - it's what you call 'Change' when it's not popular. That's why last year's slogan wasn't 'Reform We Can Believe In". It didn't work for Homer Stokes in 'O Brother Where Art Thou', and it doesn't work here. So, he has now backed off his stance to pass it, and pass it now. In typical DC fashion, now the Democrats are contradicting themselves. One minute, Whipper Jim Clyburn is telling reporters that the House Democrats are planning on staying in DC in August, instead of going home, to finish this. The next minute, Harry Reid is telling everyone that they are going home, and they'll get back to it when it's right. Honestly, that's the right thing. Secondly, it once again proves that NO ONE IN DC LISTENS TO JIM CLYBURN......
Nope, even the Democrats know that you can hang yourself on even well-intentioned issues like Health Care Change - uhhh, I mean Reform. Will it ever happen? I don't know, but my guess is that something to cover some more - not all - will come along. If you can save some, you can cover more. Exactly who, i don't know - certainly not middle class people like me, but that's fine. I don't expect free health care. You do what you can with the tools you have - and DC doesn't have all the tools. Just ask Homer Stokes. In case you don't remember what they did to Old Homer, here's a reminder...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3eTSbC3neA
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22 comments:
This judicial nomination was set up to back the GOP in a corner. Oppose her, lose points with Hispanic voters regardless of if she wins or loses, and in the end, a liberal justice takes the seat, be it her or another candidate that replaces her.
We're not going to get a conservative justice out of this process, so it's time to stop kidding ourselves and deal with it. Our party blew it's majority in '06, so we have to accept the fate we brought upon ourselves, and stop doing stupid things which will keep us on defense.
It's gonna happen. One local business owner I know who has health coverage on his approximately 30 employees summed it up easily. He told me his insurance premiums for his employess is now about 20% of his payroll expense. He said he would jump all-over a 10% "employer tax" and let his employees go through the public option. That 10% savings would be well worth it. Then you factor in the G being able to reduce the costs, like Medicaid and Medicare do and it makes sense. It's got to happen. There are just too many people who are pissed about the way things are now and folks just can't afford the astronomical prices we are seeing.
Just playing Devil's Advocate here, while your example pays 20%, there are businesses like my former employer who pay - uh 0% - I have some concerns that changing health care will cost many people their jobs.
The gov't saving money and cutting costs is a Big If... The only way I see it is cutting payments. Of course, they will have increased customer bases as well, so they might not lose income, they will just have to work harder for it.
I have a hard time seeing America converting it's system of hundreds of private corporations to a Nationalized system. Tough nut to crack there...
Earl, we had our monthly meeting tonight, and Sen. Graham's rep was there to explain the vote. Needless to say, it wasn't very popular, although I understand it - but I'm more reasonable than most. When the first question is "When is he running again?", you're not preaching to a friendly choir...
Mike--first things first--good to have you back.
As far as Sen. Graham goes 2014 is a long way down the road after 2010 and 2012 I think he will be safe.Besides more people in SC agree with him on the really critical issues.
To a more personal note-if Obama's health care plan had been in place I would not have been able to get treatment for my cancer and chrohn's for the last 2 years, yep this Sept would have been 2years. Do you know what the end result would have been? I wouldnt be here to write this. It is this simple Obama's plan is based on survivability and a basis of return on money for the govt. Will they collect back enough in taxes to make it feasible? I my case never..my out of pocket costs were thousands (thats with a comma and the cents dont count).
The end result is they would have denied me the new and experimental treatment I got that saved my life. So yes I am against Obama's reform, the alternative is not a choice I can make for my family...teg
C'mon Tom, quit your bellyaching.. Where's your Rugged Individualism? There are worse things than dying. Kidding, of course...
Mike--there a few things worse; imagine the whole family;3 kids 2 grandchildren and me at the beach this weekend. The phrase"RUN..RUN..GODZILLA IS APPROACHING TOKYO!!" is the first that comes to mind...teg
Welcome back Bubba. I have to agree with Lindsey, you and Earl on the Supreme Court thing. Sorry I missed the Florence meeting last night but I was at The Palms having a Neighborhood Watch meeting.
It is getting interesting - lots of turnover at the top..
Mike--in the last post you are at 30 an earlier post set the record at 63 replies, that should tell you something about the influence and readship you are acquiring. Just keep in mind that with influence comes responsibility...teg
I try to lead everyone down the right path - at least as I see it - but I'm not the most stable and grounded person, so it gets hard sometimes...
Hey, elections really do matter and the democrats won everything in 2008...
So why not just play the game the democrat way, the public does not seem to mind...just smile, be polite and vote "NO" for anything the democrats put up, judges especially. ...thats the way they do it.
I wonder if we conservatives will ever learn how to play this game?
It all depends on the issue. Sometimes, it is best to do nothing, and let the other party shoot themselves in the foot. Other times, being 'the party of No' works best. Other times, you need to put up better ideas and take that leap at being criticized...
In Sotomayor's case, YES or NO wouldn't matter - she has the votes to get in.
"All the problems with the American health care system come from government intervention, so naturally the Democrats' idea for fixing it is more government intervention.
This is like trying to sober up by having another drink." Ann Coulter
The Government is currently practicing medicine without a license....by price fixing in medicaid and medicare...think back to when you went to the doctor years ago...you always peed in the cup. Right? Not lately. That is because Medicare says it is worth $3.00. which means they pay 80%,or $2.40. Because it is not profitable...you quessed it... Doctors have stopped routinely doing them...So who is really practicing medicine.....I think the government is. You like the Post Office, the DMV or public schools go for it.
Should had been in Columbia today man.
Either I forgot about it, or no one told me - probably the former. We already had ours, so Florence didn't really advertise it.
Anon, I'm not sure where you got the impression that I think Nationalized Healthcare would be good. I said if they could control costs and cover everyone, great, but in the end, it will not be workable. Even Jim DeMint - Obama's arch enemy on this - is proposing a plan to cover more people. That's the goal..
As for the other examples you mentioned, the last time I went to the DMV, I had NO ONE ahead of me in line, 44 cents to have someone hand deliver my mail isn't that bad, and 50 years ago, kids learned tougher subjects with less tools than they have now. The problem is that the kids aren't using those tools. We spend plenty, but if you want to send your kids to private school to feel better, then pay for it yourself.
Next you'll be telling me it's time to end the IRS and install the Fair Tax... I'm sure you can get better people to quote than Ann Coulter. Think for yourself..
Mike the County Tech Summit SCGOP was open to any county or state leader that was so to speak proven republican not just local officers of the party or elected officials. I am sure you could had come and should had. It went over voter vault and other stuff such as blogs, facebook, the rules of the SCGOP and county party. It was not all Tech stuff about half maybe and a lot of legal stuff such as insurance also ethics and filing of reports etc. A must for all leaders. Probably a couple of hundred people and the lunch was good. Held at the Radisson in Columbia. Shame on Florence and Richland for not letting their people know more about this. Wesley Donehue, Todd Kincannon, Karen Floyd, Adam Fogle, Mike Green and others spoke. Henry McMaster and Andre Bauer was there also Ken Ard had a booth. York county had 14, Williamsburg 2, Clarendon 7 Sumter 0, Orangeburg 0,Lee 0, Dillon 0 and Florence a few and Richland very few. The SCGOP advertised this very well as there were also several YR people there including the Chairman Ms.Pruett. I hope they hold another on next year before the election as they had a guy from the RNC in DC here to teach us about Voter Vault. Very Good.
Actually Anon. 136 York County had 22 and Clarendon had 6 plus Ms. Pruett was 7 but she came as YR.
Unless you're talking to yourself,I was wrong on the Anon comment, Moye. I thought it was you, but I guess not.
you were wrong there is an imposter out there and you and I plus Earl will figure it out
They didn't say they were you, it just was very detailed and worded kind of like you write. Yep, I was wrong.
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