Yes America, They're Going to Try to Rahm it Through

     This Thursday, President Obama is going to be hosting a "Healthcare Summit" at the White House in an effort to try to save the crown jewel in his domestic Presidential agenda.  The president believes that Republicans, Democrats and everyone in Washington are going to have a "Kumbaya" moment where, as Hillary Clinton said during the Democratic primary in 2008, "The clouds are going to open up, the Messianic choir will sing and everyone will be in harmony".  President Obama needs to get real.  There will be nothing that comes out of this summit except more arguing among the ideological factions in Washington and yet ANOTHER disaster of a health care bill.
     The biggest stumbling block will be the fact that Republicans are not going to bend over and take it.  They will do everything in their power (which at this time in Washington is almost nil except the 41 Republicans in the Senate) to stop this monstrosity of a bill from destroying the American healthcare system.  He will also run into Democrats who are on the fence about this because they have seen the poll numbers back home and see that they are lagging.  They know that if they vote for this that it will be the beginning of their political downfall and so they will play their cards very carefully.
     In my opinion, there will be very little accomplished at this summit.  The Democrats such as Obama, Reid, Pelosi and Biden will recite the old party line concerning health care.  The Republicans will oppose almost everything the Democrats put on the table (unless tort reform is on the table, which it will most likely not be) and the moderate Democrats will be investing in Degree deodorant because they are going to sweat this thing out. They do not want to make waves or upset their already annoyed constituents.  It will be interesting, however, to watch and I'm sure it will make a whole lot of political stew for the pundits to chew.  

They're Running for the Hills!

     At 2:38 p.m on Monday, February 15, Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN), announced that he will not be seeking reelection in this year's Congressional mid-term elections.  This is huge in this week's political news.  Senator Bayh is a force of his own in Indiana politics.  The former two-term governor of Indiana has won both of his two Senate terms with more than 60 percent of the popular vote.  This is a signal that Democrats are in dire trouble as the 2010 Midterm elections come even closer.  This shocking announcement comes just one month after Senate heavyweights Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND), announced within hours of each other that they will not be seeking reelection.
     This announcement gives Republicans the fire in Indiana they need to recapture that Senate seat.  Bayh has been in Republican cross-hairs for the past few years and this is their golden opportunity.  Former Senator Dan Coats has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination as well as a slew of other Republicans.  However, I do not support Coats.  Electing a former lobbyist is not what Indiana should do if they want real change.  Any other Republican would be great, just not Coats.
     No matter how the cookie crumbles, this will be a very interesting Senate contest to monitor, because it has national implications.  Obama narrowly won the state in 2008 and if this Senate seat goes Republican it is a signal that Obama has lost complete touch with the Midwest, whom he performed well with in 2008.  I will say though, I hope this seat goes Republican because we need balance in Washington.

Watch It, Democrats; You All are Skating on Thin Ice

     Democrats haven't been keeping their base (unions), happy.  Unions have seen card-check (legislation that would make it easier to unionize) go down the flusher.  They have seen the healthcare bill that they wanted go down the tubes as well.  Recently, a union lawyer who was a nominee for Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board go down in flames in the Senate.
     Because of this lackluster performance in pleasing the unions, they have threatened to cut off their supply of money and voters.  Unions are a bread-and-butter part of the Democratic constituency that have a high mobilization rate in elections.  If they aren't happy with Democrats, they won't turn out.  In fact, most union leaders are saying that if things don't change that they will encourage their members to sit out the 2010 Midterm elections, which would spell doom for Democrats.  If the unions sit this year's elections out, that will be the fuel the Republicans need for their fire to regain Congress.  The Republicans will most certainly regain both houses of Congress if the unions sit the 2010 Midterm elections out.
     If the Democrats don't do something they will first lose the unions, and then Congress.  

Good Call, South Carolina GOP

     The South Carolina Republican Party announced on Monday that it's merging with Tea Party groups around South Carolina.  They will be sharing resources, sharing a common message, and pushing the South Carolina GOP in a more conservative direction.  This is a good move for both groups.  The GOP in South Carolina will be prevented from facing a fate of irrelevancy and the Tea Party will be able to get its small, limited government message out on a big scale.  This is something state GOP parties as well as the RNC should do.  If the Tea Party were to become its own political party that would split the Republican vote, therefore allowing for Democrats to easily sweep elections.  If the GOP and the Tea Party would merge, it would do what is happening in South Carolina.  The GOP would be able to carry a current, relevant message and the Tea Party would be able to get its message of smaller government, lower taxes and lower spending out on a national level.  A GOP-Tea Party merger would prove damaging for the Democrats and advance the cause of Conservatism so that the Democrats would have a very, very strong rival to go up against in November of this year.  

Oh Quit the Prospecting, SHE WON'T RUN IN 2012!

     Sarah Palin is a truly unique American politician.  She has the canny ability to draw large crowds and influence with her individual brand of American politics.  Like many strong women before her, she will go down in history as one of the most fascinating political figures in American history.
     From her splash off the diving board into the 2008 presidential race to her runaway best-seller, Sarah Palin is one politician who is hard to predict.  Some think she'll run for president in 2012 or 2016, some think she will run for Congress from Alaska.  Personally, I think Gov. Palin won't hold another political office for a very long time.  She knows that the poorly-run McCain campaign of 2008 really set her off on the wrong foot with the American people and that it will take a lot of remolding and reshaping for her to successfully get back into the political spotlight.
     To be specific as to what I think her plans for the future are, I will make the following predictions.  First, I think she will stay with Fox News as a political contributor.  It is a relatively low-stress job that she can earn a good amount of money with as well as still keep her name current in the political landscape.  Secondly, I think she will write one, maybe two more books.  So far from Going Rogue, Palin has made close to $8 million dollars.  She won't pass the chance to make that much money up.  Thirdly, I believe she will expand her PAC and put more money behind candidates whom she believes have the right stuff.  She has proven that she has great fundraising potential and this will keep her politically connected so she can mount a run for Senate from Alaska or a presidential run.
     Whatever Sarah Palin does, it's first and foremost her choice.  She is not one to be told what to do and she will chart her own course.  She will do what is best for her and her family.  However, she will remain one of the most interesting political figures in the United States for many years to come and one who will always keep us wondering "what will she do next".

The Game of Musical Chairs is Over, The Seat Has Been Filled

     At 5:10 today, February 4 2010 Scott Brown was sworn in as Senator from Massachusetts by Vice President Joe Biden.  This is the aftershock of an American political earthquake.  Sen. Brown is the 41st Republican in the Senate, ending the Democratic 60-vote supermajority.  This means that if Obama wants to get anything passed through the Senate, he will certainly have to get one or two Republicans to defect, which is a possibility that seems almost impossible.
     This has been demonstrated recently, when the Senate voted to increase the debt ceiling by $1.9 TRILLION.  Not even Ms. Moderate herself Olympia and her "twin" Susan Collins would vote for this.  This is a signal that Republicans are not going to back down to Democrats in the Senate.  And now they have just enough manpower to hold out.  To invoke cloture in the Senate, a vote of 60+ is required.  As of now, there are 59 Democrats and 41 Republicans.  That means that on such a hot issue as health care or cap-and-trade, the Republicans can filibuster and the Democrats can't do a thing about it.  Obama and the Democrats will now have to win over Republicans to get any major legislation passed, and with the 2010 Midterm elections looming, socialized medicine in the United States is pretty much dead.  I will say though, this will make for some very interesting political news!

It's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell the Truth", Obama Style

     In President Obama's 2010 State of the Union address, he expressed that he would like to change the military policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".  This policy states that a military personnel's sexual orientation should not be discussed, investigated or brought up.  It also bars gays from serving openly in the military.  President Obama isn't considering the ramifications of the repeal of this policy.  If repealed, gays would have to disclose their sexual orientation.  This would open them up to harassment, hazing and God knows what else.  One's sexual orientation is something that should not matter wherever they are.  Sexual orientation is something that should be kept private and not publicized.  It is something we all should keep to ourselves and we need to respect others' right to privacy.  We should not worry about the sexual orientation of a person, but rather how they serve and how well they do their job.  It shouldn't be that big of an issue.    


DISCLOSURE--I mean no offense to the military by anything I say in this blog post, I support the troops wholeheartedly.

Are You KIDDING Me, President Obama?

     President Obama laid out his brand-spanking new budget on Monday.  Instead of cutting spending drastically, President Obama has presented a 3.8 TRILLION dollar budget that does little more than tax too much, borrow too much, and spend too much.  In fact, this new budget will increase the one-year budget deficit to 1.6 TRILLION!
     We are in an economic war right now.  On one side are the special interests and the government.  On the other side are the Joe the Plumbers of this world; the regular, hard-working everyday people trying their hardest to make a living.  The middle class is getting put through the ringer.  It is getting harder and harder to accomplish the American Dream with taxes that keep getting higher, spending that is completely out of control, and a government that doesn't care if you eat cake or nothing.
     If President Obama wants to stimulate this shaky economy, he needs to do three things:

• Cut taxes on every single American and every single American business
• Drastically cut Federal government spending
• Stop the Federal Reserve from printing more and more money.

     Cutting taxes is a very easy to stimulate the economy.  By cutting taxes on people, Americans have more money in their pockets to spend and save.  By cutting taxes on businesses, they can afford to hire new workers.  That increases government revenues because all those new employees pay income taxes and payroll taxes, therefore broadening the Federal tax base.

     Cutting government spending is another great way to stimulate the economy because it ends the cycle of waste that is hurting us today.  By cutting spending, the Federal budget will finally be balanced therefore allowing for economic growth and increasing consumer confidence.  Increasing consumer confidence encourages Americans to spend money therefore stimulating the economy. 

     Stopping the Federal Reserve from printing more and more money is yet another way to stimulate the economy.  When the Federal Reserve prints money out of thin air every day, inflation is increased because prices have to increase to account for the larger amount of cash floating around.  Therefore, stopping the printing of money puts a cap on inflation and lets people afford more.

     The thing we all must realize is that the Obama administration and Congress don't care whether the economy is stimulated or not.  All they care about is lining their pockets while they pick yours and increasing their power while yours is stripped away from you.