Barack Obama’s approval rating drops and he’s taking fellow Democrats with him

How low will Barack Obama go? If you check out the latest poll by Rasmussen and follow the trends, it looks like the President’s downward spiral is continuing to pick up steam. The latest Presidential tracking poll shows that 25% of Americans strongly approve of the President’s performance, while 43% strongly disapprove. Overall, just 45% approve of the job Barack Obama is doing, while 54% disapprove.

The same poll found that nearly half of Americans believe GM will need another bailout, 61% believe Congress should drop healthcare reform, and 66% believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. It doesn’t look like American’s are fond of the Obama agenda. » read more

Barack Obama’s credibility continues to take a hit

In the past few days, Barack Obama has managed to break not one, but two campaign promises. The first involved his promise to have health care negotiations televised on C-Span to ensure transparency. His second was a meeting with House leaders, where he urged them to support a tax on high-end health insurance plans. Many of these plans are owned by the middle class, a group he vowed not to tax.

As far as televising negotiations, Barack Obama really doesn’t have the authority to promise such a thing. It made a great sound byte, but in the end, it was just another empty promise. With that said, he could have at least publicly expressed a desire to have a more open process. It probably wouldn’t have accomplished much, but at least it would have made him appear consistent and show that he cares about transparency. As for the tax on health plans, that’s another story. » read more

Sheldon Whitehouse’s ingnorant rant: Who is really a member of “the lunatic fringe”?

If you are in Washington, D.C. and talk about the simpleton from Rhode Island, you might automatically think of Patrick Kennedy. However, we can’t forget that Rhode Island has another simpleton in D.C.: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. In case you think my categorization is merely a partisan shot, it isn’t. While I disagree with other Democratic politicians, I wouldn’t question their intelligence. I would just recognize the fact that we see the issues differently. With Senator Whitehouse, there is a certain shallowness to his thinking, tinged with hyper-partisanship, and a heaping helping of smarminess.

There have been many comments over the years which reinforced my opinion of him, but his latest speech on health care reform illustrates his failings perfectly:

“Voting ‘no’ and hiding from the vote are the same result. Those of us on the floor see it. It was clear the three of them who did not cast their yes votes until all 60 Senate votes had been tallied and it was clear that the result was a foregone conclusion. And why? Why all this discord and discourtesy, all this unprecedented destructive action? All to break the momentum of our new young president.

They are desperate to break this president. They have ardent supporters who are nearly hysterical at the very election of President Barack Obama. The birthers, the fanatics, the people running around in right-wing militia and Aryan support groups, it is unbearable to them that President Barack Obama should exist. That is one powerful reason. It is not the only one.” » read more

Ben Nelson sells his health care vote to Harry Reid

Senator Ben Nelson “negotiated” some changes to the Senate Health bill that have were needed to gain his support. One change stipulated that federal money wouldn’t be used to pay for abortions, while the others are nothing but freebies for Nebraskans. Here’s a brief summary:

Nelson secured full federal funding for his state to expand Medicaid coverage to all individuals below 133 percent of the federal poverty level. Other states must pay a small portion of the additional cost. He won concessions for qualifying nonprofit insurers and for Medigap providers from a new insurance tax, and was able to roll back cuts to health savings accounts.

“I know this is hard for some of my colleagues to accept and I appreciate their right to disagree,” Nelson told reporters at the Capitol, of the many changes made at his behest. “But I would not have voted for this bill without these provisions.” » read more

Tom Harkin talks about the road to single-payer health care

I’d like to thank Senator Tom Harkin for being honest about the Democrat’s plan to ram a single-payer system down the throats of the American people. In a comment aimed at his progressive colleagues, Harkin compared the current Senate health care bill to building a house:

“What we are buying here is a modest home, not a mansion. What we are getting here is a starter home. It’s got a good foundation: 30 million Americans are covered. It’s got a good roof: A lot of protections from abuses by insurance companies. It’s got a lot of nice stuff in there for prevention and wellness. But, we can build additions as we go along in the future. It is a starter home. Think about it in that way,”

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Barack Obama thinks the federal government will go bankrupt without health care reform

Yes, you read the title of the post correctly. Barack Obama believes that without health care reform, the federal government will go bankrupt. Here is an excerpt:

The president said that the costs of Medicare and Medicaid are on an “unsustainable” trajectory and if there is no action taken to bring them down, “the federal government will go bankrupt.”

I’m not an economist, but that seems like a bit of an exagerration to me. The President’s comments about Medicare and Medicaid also make me wonder why we would want to expand Medicare enrollment to those ages 55 to 64. If we already have a massive federal program facing serious financial challenges, then why would we want to expand it? Wouldn’t we just be making a bigger problem for ourselves? » read more

Joe Lieberman is in, but is Roland Burris out?

Now that it looks like the Senate health care bill is moving away from Medicare expansion, Senator Joe Lieberman says he can support the bill. This is good news for Majority Leader Harry Reid, who is trying to be everything to everyone in order to patch together 60 votes, but things might have just become a little more difficult.

Illinois Senator Roland Burris has indicated that he will not vote for a bill if it doesn’t achieve “the goals of a public option.” Notice that he doesn’t specifically insist on a public option, merely the goals that he believes a public option would achieve. Still, it makes you wonder how many votes might be lost in this attempt to appease Joe Lieberman, and there lies the problem. » read more

The health care balancing act: Be afraid, be very afraid

It looks like Senate Democrats might be close to dropping an idea to expand Medicare for those between 55 and 64. It would be dropped in order to bring Senators like Joe Lieberman on board, but one has to wonder how progressive Democrats will react to this decision.

You would think that progressives would vehemently oppose any changes to Medicare expansion. The scary part will happen if progressives are fine with the decision to drop the expansion. If they go along with the idea, then read carefully: The bill will be guaranteed to contain even bigger costs and give-aways. » read more

The Obama Limbo: How low will his approval rating go?

A new Rasmussen poll finds that Barack Obama’s approval rating continues to fall. Just 24% of Americans strongly approve of the job he is doing, while 42% strongly disapprove. When you combine those who strongly approve and somewhat approve, the number rises to only 44%. The same poll also found that 40% of Americans approve of the current health care plan, while 56% oppose the plan. So, what does all this mean?

For one thing, it illustrates that the President’s popularity is sinking steadily, and that Congressmen will not be cast aside for disagreeing with his administration. When the $787 billion stimulus bill was passed, I had the feeling that the President’s popularity helped suppress some dissent. The President will not have that luxury in the near future. » read more

Barack Obama on 60 Minutes

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Barack Obama appeared on 60 Minutes and discussed Afghanistan, health care, and “fat cat bankers” who receive exclusive blame for all that is wrong in the world. The majority of the interview dealt with Afghanistan, and the President mentioned that the decision to send more troops isn’t popular, but is necessary. I agree, but it’s also fairly easy to see that he attempted to make it more popular.

The President stated that the success of the tropp surge will begin to be known in December of 2010, with a reduction of forces to begin in July of 2011. Barack Obama states that a deadline is needed to make a point to the Afghan people, to drive home the point that the United States will not have an open-ended commitment. I agree, but of course, there’s no mention of how many soldiers will return home, or a final date to fully withdraw. » read more

Health care bill will likely include coverage limits

When discussing health care reform, Barack Obama stated that he opposed, “some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or a lifetime,” because “no one should go broke because they get sick.” Well, it looks like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid missed that speech.

The current health care bill will allow insurance companies to enforce annual coverage limits for expensive illnesses, so even if people have health insurance, they could still “go broke because they get sick”. Reid’s spokesman defended the decision to allow limits: » read more

Get Harry Reid a history book

When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made his rambling speech about how opponents of the health care bill (mainly Republicans) are racist, he brought up the Civil Rights Act to prove his point. Unfortunately, Mr. Reid was wrong about those evil Republicans:

Historians also faulted Mr. Reid’s curious reference to the Senate civil rights debates of the 1960s. After all, it was Southern Democrats who mounted an 83-day filibuster of the 1964 Civil Rights Bill. The final vote to cut off debate saw 29 Senators in opposition, 80% of them Democrats. Among those voting to block the civil rights bill was West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd, who personally filibustered the bill for 14 hours. The next year he also opposed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Mr. Byrd still sits in the Senate, and indeed preceded Mr. Reid as his party’s majority leader until he stepped down from that role in 1989.

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Barbara Boxer twists the truth on the abortion debate

Sometimes, I wonder if Barbara Boxer ever listens to herself speak. While debating an amendment to the health care bill which would block women receiving subsidies for a public health plan from having abortions covered, she had this to say:

“Why are women being singled out here? It’s so unfair,” Boxer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “We don’t tell men that if they want to … buy insurance coverage through their pharmaceutical plan for Viagra that they can’t do it.”

Will someone please tell Barbara Boxer that this isn’t an attack on women. If someone were trying to block payments for hysterectomies, then she would certainly have a point, and the Viagra comparison would be suitable. However, her comparison of of abortions to Viagra is laughable. If an abortion isn’t performed in the case of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother, then the procedure is nothing but birth control for the wreckless. Viagra is used by men attempting to restore a function that has been lost. How can she compare the two? » read more

Do you oppose the health care bill? If you do, you’re a racist and a sexist

Do you oppose the health care bill? If you’re concerned about taking a step toward a single-payer system, using tax dollars to pay for abortions, or rationing, you’re not a concerned citizen, you’re a racist. Oh, I almost forgot: You’re also a sexist. If you’re thoroughly confused, don’t worry, so is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

In a sign that he realizes his house of cards is falling in around him, the Senator made a vicious attack on Republicans who oppose the health care bill. Here is his statement: » read more

Amendment seeks to limit executive pay for health insurers

Senators Blanche Lincoln, Frank Lautenberg, and Robert Menendez have submitted an amendment to the health care bill which would essentially cap the salary of health insurance executives. Companies would be prevented from deducting more than $400,000 for salaries if more than 25% of their income came from individuals buying their insurance through a government exchange.

I haven’t read the entire health care bill, but I think it’s likely that health insurers will find a way to avoid reaching that 25% threshold, which would allow them to prevent the government from determining compensation. I know it’s not popular to side with insurance companies, but I’m troubled by yet another attempt to regulate or cap salaries at private companies. Put simply, compensation at private companies is none of the government’s business. » read more

73% of Americans concerned about the cost of war

A new Gallup poll found that 73% of Americans are concerned with the costs related to the war in Afghanistan, and how those expenditures could affect domestic programs. I’m glad to see that people are paying attention to the costs, but I hope they are also paying an equal amount of attention to the reasons why we are there in the first place.

I wouldn’t want to see important domestic issues ignored, but we must remember that these issues are secondary to our over all safety. You might be concerned about health care costs, but what good are lower costs if you are killed in a terrorist attack before the good rates kick in?

Before you say anything, I know the chances of being killed in a terrorist attack are remote, but you have to admit that a few successful attacks on American soil would certainly increase the chances of those thoughts entering your mind. By increasing our presence in Afghanistan, we can ensure that the country can strengthen itself, pursue al-Qaeda, and hopefully catch Osama Bin Laden.

The war effort will be expensive, but it’s an expenditure that is well worth it. National security needs to bu our first goal. Everything else is secondary.

Illegal aliens and the road to health care

When Representative Joe Wilson called President Barack Obama a “liar” for insisting illegal immigrants wouldn’t be eligible for insurance under any of the health care plans, he was on to something. Barack Obama and the Democrats have insisted that illegal immigrants will not receive government subsidized benefits, but this is only partially true.

Many workers would be required to obtain health insurance from their employers. Illegal aliens wouldn’t be eligible for subsidies if they’re honest about their status, but those who provide false documents and lie about their status will be eligible. Maybe I’m wrong, but if someone will break U.S. laws by coming here illegally, then why wouldn’t they break more laws to get free or reduced cost benefits? Then they can get free benefits and have legal residents and citizens foot the bill. » read more

Barack Obama’s approval rating continues to fall

Barack Obama’s approval rating continues to fall. According to the most recent Gallup poll, just 48% of Americans approve of the President’s performance, while 44% disapprove. I have a feeling this trend will continue for some time.

The health care debate will begin in the Senate this week, and there has been talk about starting work on comprehensive immigration reform in January. Both of these bills have the potential to further erode the President’s approval ratings. Think about it: The unemployment rate is over 10%, and we have a health care bill that will increase expenses for businesses, and an immigration bill that will probably include amnesty for illegal aliens who are taking American jobs. How do you think those bills will sit with those who are unemployed, or struggling to make ends meet?

Quote of the week: Senator Kit Bond and the nudist colony

The health care bill passed by the Senate is riddled with problems, but no one was able to describe them as humorously as Missouri Senator Kit Bond:

“We’re like a mosquito in a nudist colony,” he said. “We have so many targets to attack in this bill we don’t know which one to hit.”

The cost of the health care bill would be lower if votes weren’t being bought

Check out this section from the 2,074 page Senate health care bill:

SEC. 2006. SPECIAL ADJUSTMENT TO FMAP DETERMINATION FOR CERTAIN STATES RECOVERING FROM A MAJOR DISASTER.

Section 1905 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d), as amended by sections 2001(a)(3) and
2001(b)(2), is amended— (1) in subsection (b), in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘subsection (y)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsections (y) and (aa)’’; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

‘‘(aa)(1) Notwithstanding subsection (b), beginning January 1, 2011, the Federal medical assistance percentage for a fiscal year for a disaster-recovery FMAP adjustment State shall be equal to the following:
‘(A) In the case of the first fiscal year (or part of a fiscal year) for which this subsection applies to the State, the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the fiscal year without regard to this subsection and subsection (y), increased by 50 percent of the number of percentage points by which the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the State for the fiscal year without regard to this subsection and subsection (y), is less than the Federal medical assistance percentage determined for the State for the preceding fiscal year after the application of only subsection (a) of section 5001 of Public Law 111–5 (if applicable to the preceding fiscal year) and without regard to this subsection, subsection (y), and subsections (b) and (c) of section 5001 of Public Law 111–5. » read more