Taxpayer-Subsidized Abortions

Personally, I believe that abortion is the biggest infringement of human rights this world has ever seen. This barbaric practice eliminates the potential of life. Is a fetus only human once outside the womb? Unless biological science is a fraud, the answer is a resounding NO. An abortion KILLS a human being. The stage of its development offers no argument. If any stage of human development is eliminated, life ceases to exist.

Our Founding Fathers gave each individual the guarantee of "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." A human being in his/her mother's womb is no different. An abortion denies this human being our most pivotal guarantee; the right to life. One selfish decision ends unlimited potential.

As the United States government debates the health care issue, some very disurbing detials are emerging from Capitol Hill. Yesterday, Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) proposed an amendment that will allow for federal funding of elective abortions for those enrolled in the public option.

What does this mean for us? We'll no matter your opinion, Pro-Choice or Pro-Life, your tax dollars are going to be paying for abortions and abortion services.

Here are the main culprits for this amendment to the health care bill. Please call their offices and voice your concern about government-funded abortions. The American public should not be financially responsible for the killing of human life and potential.

Rep. Lois Capp (D-CA) - (202) 225-3601, (805) 730-1710
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) - 202.225.3976, (310) 652-3095
Congressman Bart Gordon (D-TN) - (202) 225-4231, (615) 896-1986
Congressman Zack Space (D-OH) - (202) 225-6265, (330) 364-4300


Here is the full story by Jeff Emanuel:

Yesterday afternoon, House Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) proposed an amendment to the House health care overhaul bill to allow for federal funding of elective abortion coverage for those enrolled in the “public option,” to mandate that every regional Health Insurance Exchange contain at least one private insurance plan that offers abortion coverage, and to permit taxpayer subsidies of those private insurance plans and others that cover elective abortion.

The Capps amendment passed 30-28, with E&C Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA), Capps, and 28 other Democrats voting in favor of mandating (and allowing taxpayer funding to be used to subsidize) abortion coverage.

Taxpayer dollars do not currently pay for, or subsidize, insurance plans that cover elective abortion services. This amendment, if the health overhaul bill to which it is attached is passed and signed into law, would alter that policy, using the tax dollars of every American - pro-life or pro-choice - to subsidize abortion coverage (and, by
extension, abortion services).

Late last night, Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) responded to the Capps amendment’s passage by proposing an amendment of his own. Pitts’s proposal would have prohibited the federal government from requiring any insurance plan — including the “public option” — to provide coverage for abortion (with the three chief exception of rape, incest, and life of the mother).

E&C passed the Pitts amendment by a 31-27 vote, with Waxman among the “Yea” votes. However, after the votes were in and the amendment passed, Waxman decided he wanted to change his vote, and so brought the amendment back up for “reconsideration” and a re-vote.

The second time around, Waxman voted against the amendment to prevent abortion coverage from being mandated in health insurance plans. He also convinced Blue Dog
Democrat Bart Gordon (D-TN) to switch his vote from Yea to Nay, and pulled conflicted Blue Dog Zack Space (D-OH), who had managed to sit out the first round of voting, back into the debate. Space, who voted in favor of the Capps amendment earlier yesterday afternoon, succumbed to pressure from Waxman and cast his vote against the Pitts measure.

The result was a 30-29 defeat of the measure — a reversal of the initial outcome, and the Democratic preservation a health care overhaul bill that not only allows, but mandates, taxpayer-funded abortion coverage and services.

A Must Read

Mark Levin can be heard on his nationally syndicated radio show and his new book Liberty an Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto is a must read for all Conservatives. Levin makes his case for why Conservatism is the best answer for America with numerous lessons in history and reason. Liberty and Tyranny discusses the Statist's and Conservative's answers for taxes, the economy, the environment, foreign policy, the Constitution, immigration, the administrative state and much more. Surprising to the reader, Levin gives a powerful history lesson that paints a vivid picture on how and why we have gotten to this point in American politics. Throughout the book, especially in the epilogue titled A Conservative Manifesto, Levin outlines his theory and opinions for the role of Conservatism in the United States. For an ideology that is struggling to find a voice on the national stage, this book equips the reader with a foundation for empowering the Conservative thinker.

All Conservatives, and even those Statists out there, should read this book. It will give you the confidence you need to stand up and share your valued opinions.

FDR and BHO Comparisions

The July 6, 2009 issue of Time Magazine is titled 'What Barack Obama Can Learn from FDR.' For the future of America, hopefully Mr. Obama can learn a lot.

There have been plenty of comparisons. Both men entered office during an economic meltdown (FDR's far worse). Both men increased the power of the central government. Both men spent money like it grew on trees. Both men used the economic crisis they inherited to push a political agenda.

In the words of Rahm Emanuel, "You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before."

Thus, the struggle for power begins.

The above political cartoon was published in the late 1930's. Kind of eerie, huh? Although it is 2009, all one would have to do is remove the cane and replace the initials FDR with BHO. Over 70 years later; the political landscape is being repeated.

After the stock market crashed in 1929, it wasn't until the early 1950's that the market regained it's pre-crash levels. For those of you that are mathematically inclined, that is almost 30 years of recovery. FDR, although he helped to establish many temporary and lasting programs, also prolonged the recovery of the Great Depression because of his insistence to involve the government. His statist approach to governance was a hindrance on progress and undermined the average American. As one editorialist from Indiana noted about the New Deal at the time, "Who is the forgotten man of Muncie? I know him as intimately as I know my own undershirt. He is the fellow that is trying to get along without public relief...In the meantime the taxpayers go on supporting many that would not work if they had jobs."

Now, the forgotten man is becoming more and more numerous as the government piles on program after program that will eventually be paid by us. The American people. The government doesn't split the bill. We do.

Between the years of 1935 and 1939, history shows us that FDR made a lot of harmful decisions that, in some cases, drove the Depression into a deeper hole. From 1933 to 1936 the federal budget rose from 6% to 9% of the GDP and after his election in 1936, FDR suddenly tightened the money being spent (a yank on the ball and chain) which caused the Depression Within the Depression from 1936-1937. In order to correct this mistake, FDR raised tax after tax on the citizens and businesses. In order to pay for these high taxes, many companies stopped spending and started saving. FDR, who was angered by this savings, decided to implement profit taxes on top of the already existing corporate taxes.

To sum it up, FDR was water boarding the American economy. Thus, the "recovery" continued.

On top of the taxes and habitual spending, the National Recovery Administration (another creation of the New Deal) promoted wages that employers couldn't pay. Congress also wanted to see higher wages and the outcome resulted in yet another rise in unemployment. Essentially, and this is something that we will find with the Obama Administrations bailout and stimulus, the government programs that were created did not amount to much in the way of recovery because those programs disappeared when the government stopped funding them. Our billions, maybe even trillions, of dollars were spent in order to push an agenda. Nice, huh?

FDR, when he was a Senator and the Secretary of the Interior, wasn't such the Statist. But, it must be mentioned that all politicians are to some degree. Upon entering the Office of President, FDR made a 180 degree turn. He grew government to levels never seen before. He tried to stack the Courts with judges that would manipulate legislation and the Constitution in favor of his statist agenda that would eventually stunt the growth of America until the beginning of World War II. If it wasn't for WWII, where would we be now? How would FDR be viewed? Would he be seen as a skilled politician of the Great Depression or a power-hungry, Money Pit?

Maybe the answer lies in the Obama presidency...

During his 1937 inaugural address, FDR told the nation that the government was now turning into an "instrument of unimaginable power."

The mindset hasn't changed. Neither have our problems.

Our leaders haven't learned from our nation's history. And before long, that's what will become of the once democratic republic known as the United States of America...

History

(Shlaes, 2009)

Nationalization of Your Body

Remember the old saying: An apple a day keeps the doctor away?

Well, if that saying is true, it's time to plant an apple orchard out back.

No, check that.

In these desperate times, it may be time to plant an apple orchard, order an appletini for every meal, lather up with apple-scented body lotion, bake apple pies daily, gurgle with apple juice nightly, buy Apple products, and name your future son or daughter...you guessed it...Apple.

You know...just to be safe.

The United States health care system, the greatest in the entire world for decades, is currently under attack. The Left, led by Obama and his Statist cronies, is trying to slip one past the American public. And really, that's pretty easy. Just ask someone..anyone.

Reporter: "Do you want better health care for you and your family?"

Innocent Citizen: "Sure!"

Reporter: "Do you want to be taken care of?"

Innocent Citizen: "Of course I do!"

I also want to live on a lake, not worry about money, eat steak for every meal, cruise on my pontoon boat, never have to wake up and go to work, sip an ice-cold Mike's Hard Lemonade on my dock as the sun sets every evening, and then do it all over again the next day.

What is that you say? I can't have that? Well, I'm an American...I deserve a pontoon boat! It's in the Constitution right between slavery and a woman's right to vote. See...(hold on and let me elect judges that believe in this interpretation)...there it is.

The Statists goal is simple. Wrong, but simple. Yet, we let it happen. We let the Statist control every aspect of our lives because we believe in every entitlement under the sun. We think we're owed something. And then we have people like...oh, Barack Obama...who come along and tell us that those WANTS are OK to want. Needs are for poor Third World countries. Needs are for suckers.

Have you seen the health care reform ads on television? If we don't pass this bill...little Jimmy won't get chemotherapy. If we don't pass this bill...Grandma and Grandpa won't be able to purchase medicine. If this bill doesn't pass...Sally will give birth to her baby in a dark alley (we'll I made that up, but you get the picture). It's fear-mongering at its best. We are scared into thinking..."well, I must be the only one insured and everyone else is a poor, uninsured fool." The healthcare industry accounts for 20% of our economy. The government wants to control 1/5 of our economy. On top of Social Security. On top of Medicare. On top of Medicaid. On top of Education. On top of Taxation. On top of the automobile Industry. On top of the banking industry. On top of the housing industry...should I stop there?

The government option on health care is a horrible piece of legislation. It doesn't nationalize health care; it nationalizes you and I...the citizen.

Here is an article by Mark Steyn titled The Nationalization of Your Body. It's well worth the read and very informative.

Also, call your Senators and tell them NOT to support the government option for health care. Here are the numbers to my state's, Ohio, Senators or look up your own Representatives.

Sherrod Brown - 202-224-2315

George Voinovich - 202-224-3353

Welcome...Let's Begin

Something to ponder: have you ever regretted something that you did? Have you ever wished you could go back in time and change something that happened? Well, the other day I came across this FAQ on a questionnaire through Facebook. And being the realist I am, I honestly recorded the answer: Nope. However, after a little digging, I came up with a more appropriate answer (cause I'm sure we could all find SOMETHING to change):

In 2004, I voted for John F. Kerry.

Can I have that back please? Re-do?

I know what you're probably thinking; imagine the anguish I live with on a daily basis, right? Yes, many nightmares that involve driving in my new Nissan Maxima. Except, Ted Kennedy is at the wheel (three sheets to the wind)...I'm white-knuckled in the passenger seat...Al Gore keeps repeating "The planet has a fever" from the backseat...and good ol' John Kerry keeps muttering something about swiftboats and Heinz Ketchup. As you can imagine, I routinely wake up in a cold sweat.

I don't regret that first long-term high school relationship or my first sip of alcohol. I don't regret cheating on that project during the tenth grade or hitting that rabbit with my 1991 Toyota Celica (R.I.P.). I don't even regret losing touch with old friends or having to take the Praxis II test six times. But, what I do regret is putting an 'X' next to John Kerry's name in the polling booth in 2004 (I even had a yard sign and a bumper sticker)...what the $%^& was I thinking?

Well, the year is 2009 and I've done a lot of maturing (maybe). I've stumble my way through the thorns and minefields of siding with a "liberal" (I was never a liberal thinker; just an anybody but Bush guy...for reasons I'll never truly understand) and found my way to the sunnyside of the slope that is known as "conservatism."

One could only hope for that, right?

Conservatism is far from the sunnyside of the slope. In fact, Conservatives are somewhat of an endangered species. We lack a national voice (Rush Limbaugh? Seriously?) and identity. We lack a solid platform and the courage to stand up to an ideology that is slowly and mercilessly smothering any glimmer of hope the United States of America has left. We talk about the problems without offering solutions and we let heartless Statists (and Statist supporters...the media) destroy our eardrums and rip out our larynx.

However, there is good news. Conservatism is far from dead and the Statist's agenda is now being seen for what it's worth: an unlimited (or so it is thought) bag of candy that looks yummy...however, once you eat one piece...you want to eat another...and then another...and then another...until you have rotted out your teeth, develop bleeding ulcers, and start to beg for another bag of candy...except now...you want a bigger bag with more candy. America is rotting out and the bleeding has begun.

Conservative thought is the support of tradition and traditional values. In a nutshell, it fosters a small government that values the individual over the organization and personal property. It values ALL life. The Constitution is The Law and fiscal responsibility promotes the idea of growth and prosperity. Ownership is in the individual; not the State. Welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security are seen as traps of a system gone horribly wrong. National security is the most significant piece of the puzzle and our foreign stance should be friendly, yet direct. We do not need to apologize for ourselves on the international stage. The environment should be protected, but regulations should not hold us back from progressive endeavors. Health care is a privilege; not a right. Entitlements should be few and far between and the less laws; the less abuse of power.

This blog has been establish to share and express the Conservative ideology. It will challenge the Statist ideology with courage, reality, and common sense. Opinion or fact, this blog will not hide its feelings nor will it apologize for its content. This is the Great Awakening of Conservatism and I urge you to stand tall, share your political philosophy, and promote reason over control.

It's time for a comeback...something that begins with a common sense approach, develops as a grass root effort, and continually builds to electrify the masses.

Together, let's take back America...for the better.