Admiral Farragut Pelosi has a wonderful idea, “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged her colleagues to back a major overhaul of U.S. health care even if it threatens their political careers, a call to arms that underscores the issue’s massive role in this election year.

Lawmakers sometimes must enact policies that, even if unpopular at the moment, will help the public, Pelosi said in an interview being broadcast Sunday the ABC News program “This Week.”
“We’re not here just to self-perpetuate our service in Congress,” she said. “We’re here to do the job for the American people.”

Let me be honest here, I do agree with the Speaker that the role of our elected representatives is to, “do the job for the American people” rather than get elected to Congress with the sole goal of being reelected to Congress. Where she is wrong, totally wrong, is that the direction she is heading is 180 degrees from what the American people want. She seems willing to ignore that even while acknowledging the political price.

Her comments to ABC, in the interview released Sunday, seemed to acknowledge the widely held view that Democrats will lose House seats this fall — maybe a lot. They now control the chamber 255 to 178, with two vacancies. Pelosi stopped well short of suggesting Democrats could lose their majority, but she called on members of her party to make a bold move on health care with no prospects of GOP help.

“Time is up,” she said. “We really have to go forth.”

Conservatives, and anyone who is opposed to the unaffordable cost and government control issues inherent in this plan, need to continue their opposition and education. The Speaker is wrong on this as well.

Pelosi told CNN that “in a matter of days” Democrats will have specific legislative language on health care to show to the public and to wavering lawmakers. She predicted voters will warm up to the bill once they understand its details.

“When we have a bill,” she said, “you can bake the pie, you can sell the pie. But you have to have a pie to sell.”

OK, I’m not sure where pie fits into all of this, but I am confident in this; rather than warming up to the bill once they understand the details, smart, aware Americans will run from this monstrosity when they understand the details. It is up to us to continue to educate and inform people about the economy ruining, choice killing, innovation suppressing details of the coming legislation.

The actual quote, according to WikiAnswers is: “Damn the torpedoes! Four bells! Captain Crayton, go ahead! Joucett, full speed!” Thus the title to this post.

Cross posted at The Regiment.

The Conservative Outpost has provided a widget to help spread the word on saying “No” to Obamacare.

Barack Obama and liberals in Congress are moving quickly to pass health care “reform” that opens the door for a national, governement run health care system.

And Americans must speak out now and tell Congress “NO!” as loudly as possible.

There’s a “Get this widget” link that allows you to put it on your site. I’ve got mine.

Gov. Sarah Palin has an excellent article in the Washington Post looking at the President’s “Cap And Tax” legislation.

I am deeply concerned about President Obama’s cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy. It would undermine our recovery over the short term and would inflict permanent damage.

[...]

There is no denying that as the world becomes more industrialized, we need to reform our energy policy and become less dependent on foreign energy sources. But the answer doesn’t lie in making energy scarcer and more expensive! Those who understand the issue know we can meet our energy needs and environmental challenges without destroying America’s economy.

In the article Gov. Palin clearly lays out the problems in the plan passed by the house, and now before the Senate.

Job losses are so certain under this new cap-and-tax plan that it includes a provision accommodating newly unemployed workers from the resulting dried-up energy sector, to the tune of $4.2 billion over eight years. So much for creating jobs.

In addition to immediately increasing unemployment in the energy sector, even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan. For example, the cost of farming will certainly increase, driving down farm incomes while driving up grocery prices. The costs of manufacturing, warehousing and transportation will also increase.

She doesn’t just point out the negative consequences of this bill, but also makes the case for a responsible energy policy.

We must move in a new direction. We are ripe for economic growth and energy independence if we responsibly tap the resources that God created right underfoot on American soil. Just as important, we have more desire and ability to protect the environment than any foreign nation from which we purchase energy today.

We have a choice, which she describes very well.

Do we want to control our energy supply and its environmental impact? Or, do we want to outsource it to China, Russia and Saudi Arabia? Make no mistake: President Obama’s plan will result in the latter.

The article is well worth reading. I particularly enjoyed this humorous observation:

The ironic beauty in this plan? Soon, even the most ardent liberal will understand supply-side economics.

If this becomes law, we all will.

Living in government housing used to be limited to military personnel (I still remember visiting my uncle and his family at Ft. Dix) and, what we used to call, “the projects”. Not anymore.

I bet you thought that if you bought a house, you actually own it and can, with reasonable exceptions, do with it what you want. You probably think that if you want to live in a log cabin, with wood stoves that belch smoke into the air for heat, and an old washer and dryer that don’t have those little EnergyStar stickers on them you can because it’s your life and your property. You paid for it with money you earned with the sweat of your brow and what the heck is America anyhow if a body can’t live in the home they want furnished with the appliances they want?

Ah, silly you. You didn’t reckon on the Democratic Party’s desire to control every minuscule aspect of your life.

Jimmie Bise’s post is a sobering and disturbing look at just one section of passed-without-reading Waxman-Markey mess. It’s section 304, and it says, in part:

(A) preparation, and public disclosure of the label through filing with tax and title records at the time of–

(i) a building audit conducted with support from Federal or State funds;

(ii) a building energy-efficiency retrofit conducted in response to such an audit;

(iii) a final inspection of major renovations or additions made to a building in accordance with a building permit issued by a local government entity;

(iv) a sale that is recorded for title and tax purposes consistent with paragraph (8);

(v) a new lien recorded on the property for more than a set percentage of the assessed value of the property, if that lien reflects public financial assistance for energy-related improvements to that building; or

(vi) a change in ownership or operation of the building for purposes of utility billing; or

(B) other appropriate means.

As Bise notes, “Pay close attention to (iii), (iv), and (vi) because those hit you right where you live.” You need to read his whole post. If your head doesn’t explode (I make no guarantees) head over to this post by Stephen Spruiell & Kevin Williamson and read about 49 other little tidbits of nanny state delight, including:

43. Waxman-Markey also enables Obama to indulge his persistent desire to use the tax code to transfer wealth from people who pay taxes to people who don’t — i.e., from likely Republican voters to likely Obama voters. The bill “amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow certain low income taxpayers a refundable energy tax credit to compensate such taxpayers for reductions in their purchasing power, as identified and calculated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), resulting from regulation of GHGs (greenhouse gases).”

44. Not only will Waxman-Markey slip more redistribution into the tax code, it will establish a new monthly welfare check. It will create an “Energy Refund Program” that will “give low-income households a monthly cash energy refund equal to the estimated loss in purchasing power resulting from this Act.”

45. Another new class of government dependents will be created by Waxman-Markey: Americans put out of work by Waxman-Markey. The bill establishes a program to distribute “climate change adjustment assistance to adversely affected workers.”

The bottom line is you are going to have less (much less) on your bottom line. Beyond that you are going to have less (much less) personal freedom and rights.

It’s passed in the House. We can not allow it to move forward in the Senate. The amount of damage this bill can do between now and 2010/2012 is mind-boggling. Make no mistake, this bill will do nothing to stop “climate change” (how can you fix a hoax?), but will do plenty to stop prosperity and replace capitalism with government redistribution of wealth.

If this doesn’t scare you, you’re just not paying attention.

I received a response from my rep. Adam Putnam when I wrote regarding the Cap and Tax bill. He voted against it, as I expected, but one paragraph from his email was very striking.

Fundamentally, the bill fails to ensure that an adequate amount of renewable or alternative energy sources are developed and deployed to compensate for the bill’s declining cap on fossil fuel emissions, as well as foster development of clean nuclear power. Instead, it would impose 397 new regulations and 1060 new mandates on the American public.

Wow! No wonder they didn’t want anyone to read it before they voted. It has hard to imagine a more intrusive, destructive piece of legislation (although I’m sure they’ll try). We must stop this in the Senate. Call, write, fax, email your Senators today.

It was supposed to be a bill to address the “problem” of “climate change(?)”. That wasn’t flying, so they labeled it a jobs bill. Right. What it really is, is an economy killer.

This bill, named for Democrats Henry A. Waxman of California and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, would have adverse and lingering consequences for every American. It would raise the cost of electricity for our homes, fuel for our cars and the energy that produces our manufacturing jobs, with little or no environmental benefit. Further, independent experts estimate it would cost Americans more than $2 trillion in a little more than eight years.

Just think about the ways this will impact the economy. Energy is used at every step of every thing we make, buy, and consume. Not only will we be impacted directly by higher gas and utility prices, but indirectly on every single thing we do or purchase.

Let’s go to the grocery store. Want to buy a loaf of bread? The farmer growing the wheat will be paying more to plant, grow, and harvest that wheat. It’s going to cost more to ship and process it into flour. Add a few more cents when the flour is made into bread, packaged, shipped to the stores, and don’t forget the additional costs to the grocery store just to keep the lights on and the doors open.

You can do that exercise with every single product in your shopping cart.

Read this editorial as well.

This bill, if allowed to pass in the Senate, will cost all of us. A lot. Don’t wait, contact your senator and tell them to vote no!

(h/t pomalom via twitter)

Amanda Carpenter has the list of the Porkulous bill conference committee.

From the Senate:
Max Baucus — (D – MT) Finance Committee Chairman
Thad Cochran — (R – MS) Appropriations Committee Ranking Member
Chuck Grassley — (R – IA) Finance Committee Ranking Member
Daniel Inouye — (D – HI) Appropriations Committee Chairman
Harry Reid — (D – NV) Majority Leader

And from the House:
Dave Camp — (R – MI) Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member
Jerry Lewis — (R – CA) Appropriations Committee Ranking Member
Dave Obey — (D – WI) Appropriations Committee Chairman
Charles Rangel — (D – NY) Ways and Means Committee Chairman
Henry Waxman — (D – CA) Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman

So, what do you think is going to come out of this committee?

At least for a little while.

Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert has proposed taking the $350 Billion not yet spent on the $700 Billion Bailout and using it to give every tax paying American a two month tax holiday.

After I discussed the matter with several colleagues, the idea of returning an entire year of income tax was not catching enough groundswell. The idea of ending the ability of Secretary Paulson to squander his last $350 billion on firms run by his former Wall Street cronies, however, was catching plenty. Pair that with at least two months of each taxpayer keeping his or her own tax dollars, and you have a great start to making people feel in control over and optimistic about their finances.

Newt Gingrich is one of the most amazing conservative idea people in the country. His and Jed Babbin’s suggestions and encouragement led to my current proposal of instating a two-month tax holiday during January and February 2009.

I think this is a great idea. It will stimulate the economy by allowing you and me to keep more of the money we earn. Even those who pay little or nothing in income taxes will still save the amount that is deducted for FICA taxes. Businesses will benefit as well by not having to match those FICA taxes for two months. Imagine what that savings will be for a large employer!

The word needs to get out.

Then comes the most important question: “Is there even a snowball’s chance of this getting to the floor of Congress for a vote?” Well, that depends entirely upon the American public — the same public that flexed its persuasive muscles in August and September when it made clear that Democrats might jeopardize their majority if they passed another moratorium on drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf while fuel was so terribly expensive.

With their overwhelming feedback, the public helped Conservatives to defeat the McCain-Kennedy immigration “reform” bill, persuaded the Democrats to give up (at least temporarily) on the offshore drilling ban, and won battle after battle in the last Congress.

The public speaks with a powerful voice. If we raise that voice to Speaker Pelosi, we will be heard and we may well be able to get this bill to the floor.

Red State has set up a petition supporting this effort. I also suggest you contact your representatives. Bloggers, spread the word!

OTHERS BLOGGING:
American Solutions — Has a video of Rep. Gohmert and a link to Investor’s Business Daily on the plan.

Have you signed the Call Congress Back petition? It’s purpose is quite simple.

We, the undersigned, believe that gas prices are too high. Speaker Pelosi has closed Congress for a five-week paid vacation, without taking any action to lower gas prices. We, the undersigned, have a simple demand: Call Congress Back, Madam Speaker!

You also need to check out #dontgo movement and the #dontgo tag at twitter.

“Drill Here. Drill Now. Save Money.” is the name given to the petition drive at American Solutions. It’s content is simple:

We, therefore, the undersigned citizens of the United States, petition the U.S. Congress to act immediately to lower gasoline prices by authorizing the exploration of proven energy reserves to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources from unstable countries.

As of this writing 230,494 have signed the petition in just 10 days. I bet we can make it a quarter million by the end of the weekend. If you agree with this common sense solution, please sign the petition.

S. 879: No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2007 needs just a little tweaking. Here is the bill as reported in the Senate.

A BILL

To amend the Sherman Act to make oil-producing and exporting cartels illegal.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2007′ or `NOPEC’.

SEC. 2. SHERMAN ACT.

The Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. 1 et seq.) is amended by adding after section 7 the following:

`SEC. 7A. OIL PRODUCING CARTELS.

`(a) In General- It shall be illegal and a violation of this Act for any foreign state, or any instrumentality or agent of any foreign state, to act collectively or in combination with any other foreign state, any instrumentality or agent of any other foreign state, or any other person, whether by cartel or any other association or form of cooperation or joint action–

`(1) to limit the production or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product;

`(2) to set or maintain the price of oil, natural gas, or any petroleum product; or

`(3) to otherwise take any action in restraint of trade for oil, natural gas, or any petroleum product;

when such action, combination, or collective action has a direct, substantial, and reasonably foreseeable effect on the market, supply, price, or distribution of oil, natural gas, or other petroleum product in the United States.

`(b) Sovereign Immunity- A foreign state engaged in conduct in violation of subsection (a) shall not be immune under the doctrine of sovereign immunity from the jurisdiction or judgments of the courts of the United States in any action brought to enforce this section.

`(c) Inapplicability of Act of State Doctrine- No court of the United States shall decline, based on the act of state doctrine, to make a determination on the merits in an action brought under this section.

`(d) Enforcement- The Attorney General of the United States may bring an action to enforce this section in any district court of the United States as provided under the antitrust laws.’.

SEC. 3. SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY.

Section 1605(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended–

(1) in paragraph (6), by striking `or’ after the semicolon;

(2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period and inserting `; or’; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

‘(8) in which the action is brought under section 7A of the Sherman Act.’.

GovTrack.us. S. 879–110th Congress (2007): No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2007, GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation) (accessed May 24, 2008)

It could be improved dramatically by the following changes in the bRight amendment. Additions are in bold, strikeouts are, well, struck out.

A BILL

To amend the Sherman Act to make oil-producing and exporting cartels oil-producing impediments illegal.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2007′ or `NOPEC’.

SEC. 2. SHERMAN ACT.

The Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. 1 et seq.) is amended by adding after section 7 the following:

`SEC. 7A. OIL PRODUCING CARTELS.

`(a) In General- It shall be illegal and a violation of this Act for any foreign U.S. state, or any instrumentality or agent of any foreign U.S. state, to act collectively or in combination with any other foreign U.S. state, any instrumentality or agent of any other foreign U.S. state, or any other person, whether by cartel or any other association or form of cooperation or joint action, including the Federal Government of the United States –

`(1) to limit the production or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product;

`(2) to set or maintain the price of oil, natural gas, or any petroleum product; or

`(3) to otherwise take any action in restraint of trade for oil, natural gas, or any petroleum product;

when such action, combination, or collective action has a direct, substantial, and reasonably foreseeable effect on the market, supply, price, or distribution of oil, natural gas, or other petroleum product in the United States.

`(b) Sovereign Immunity- A foreign U.S. state, or the United States Government, engaged in conduct in violation of subsection (a) shall not be immune under the doctrine of sovereign federal immunity from the jurisdiction or judgments of the courts of the United States in any action brought to enforce this section.

`(c) Inapplicability of Act of State Doctrine- No court of the United States shall decline, based on the act of state doctrine, to make a determination on the merits in an action brought under this section.

`(d) Enforcement- The Attorney General of the United States may bring an action to enforce this section in any district court of the United States as provided under the antitrust laws.’.

SEC. 3. SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY.

Section 1605(a) of title 28, United States Code, is amended–

(1) in paragraph (6), by striking `or’ after the semicolon;

(2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period and inserting `; or’; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

‘(8) in which the action is brought under section 7A of the Sherman Act.’.

See how much better that is. Mark Steyn put it this way:

More to the point, if the House of Representatives has now declared it “illegal” for the government of Saudi Arabia to restrict oil production, why is it still legal for the government of the United States to restrict oil production? In fact, the government of the United States restricts pretty much every form of energy production other than the bizarre fetish du jour of federally mandated ethanol production.

(h/t G.F at Stop The ACLU)

There has been quite a bit of talk among conservatives displeased with the presidential race about sitting out the 2008 election. I understand the argument against voting for president, but not for staying home all together. Wordsmith at Flopping Aces points to a great reason to go to the polls in November, no matter what you decide to do at the top of the ticket.

Beset by scandals, recruitment, retirement (about a dozen Republican Representatives are predicted to retire) and money woes, ‘08 could be a tough year for the GOP in reclaiming House seats, as well (this, in spite of the dismal approval ratings of the Nancy Pelosified 110th Congress).

No dark cloud is without its silver lining of hope, however. Enter: Iraqi Veterans for Congress.

[...]

To regain majority status, Republicans need to take back 2 seats in the Senate (or, one seat plus the presidency); and regain 16 seats in the House. Supporting these dozen patriots is one place we can start, in repainting the map red.

Please check them out, and do what you can today.