The phrase that keeps popping into my head whenever I read anything about the health system takeover bill is, “how stupid do they think we are?” The rhetorical answer, sadly, is, “pretty stupid.”

After laying the groundwork for a decisive vote this week on the Senate’s health-care bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Monday that she might attempt to pass the measure without having members vote on it.

Instead, Pelosi (D-Calif.) would rely on a procedural sleight of hand: The House would vote on a more popular package of fixes to the Senate bill; under the House rule for that vote, passage would signify that lawmakers “deem” the health-care bill to be passed.

The tactic — known as a “self-executing rule” or a “deem and pass” — has been commonly used, although never to pass legislation as momentous as the $875 billion health-care bill. It is one of three options that Pelosi said she is considering for a late-week House vote, but she added that she prefers it because it would politically protect lawmakers who are reluctant to publicly support the measure.

You don’t need to know a thing about the details of this bill to know just how terrible it must be. The fact that Democrats are running such a shell game to get the bill on the President’s desk should tell you all you need to know.

But, you have to admit, the Democrats aren’t being sneaky. In fact, they are being brutally honest in their disregard for the will of the people and contempt for the Constitution.

Pelosi reportedly told liberal bloggers Monday that “nobody wants to vote for the Senate bill,” and so she’s strongly considering the non-vote vote.

“I like it, because people don’t have to vote on the Senate bill,” she said.

Did you catch that? “I like it, because people don’t have to vote on the Senate bill.” Thank you San Fran Nan for telling us that you’re willing to ignore the clear wording of our Constitution.

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively.

The phone lines, fax lines, and email on Capitol Hill have been burning up. Let’s continue that today.

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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.

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Pelosi to bring climate change to floor

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This quote, from Politico, is dead on:

When the book is written on Nancy Pelosi’s reign as speaker of the House, the thinnest chapter just might turn out to be: “Bipartisanship and the 111th Congress.”

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Here is a list of representatives who are in the Capitol discussing energy and requesting Madame Planet call the House back into session. The list is from #dontgo movement. I’ve merely alphabetized it here:

Bachmann. Michele (MN)
Barrett. J. Gresham (SC)
Bishop. Rob (UT)
Bishop. Rob (UT)
Blackburn. Marsha (MS)
Blunt. Roy (MO)
Boehner. John (OH)
Brady. Kevin (TX)
Burgess M.D.. Michael (TX)
Burton. Dan (IN)
Cantor. Eric (VA)
Carter. John (TX)
Cole. Tom (OK)
Conaway. Mike (TX)
Culberson. John (TX)
Garret. Scott (NJ)
Ghomert. Louie (TX)
Gingrey. Phil (GA)
Goodlatte. Bob (VA)
Granger. Kay (TX)
Hensarling. Jeb (TX)
Herger. Wally (CA)
Hoekstra. Pete (MI)
Hunter. Duncan (CA)
Jordan. Jim (OH)
King. Steve (IA)
Kirk. Mark (IL)
Kline. John (MN)
Lewis. Ron (KY)
Lewis. Ron (KY)
Manzullo. Donald (IL)
McCrery. Jim (LA)
Musgrave. Marilyn (CO)
Nunes. Devin (CA)
Pence. Mike (IN)
Platts. Todd (PA)
Price. Tom (GA)
Putman. Adam (FL)
Roskam. Peter (IL)
Schmidt. Jean (OH)
Sessions. Pete (TX)
Shadegg. John (AZ)
Shays. Chris (CT)
Stearns. Cliff (FL)
Sullivan. John (OK)
Thornberry. Mac (TX)
Turner. Mike (OH)
Walberg. Tim (MI)
Westmoreland. Lynn (GA)
Wittman. Rob (VA)
Wolf. Frank (VA)

Call or write to your representative. Remind them, politely, that they work for you and that you want to see some action taken on energy. Let me know where they stand and I’ll be sure they get added to this list.

If you are one of the nearly 1.5 million people who have signed the Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less petition you should really consider signing the Call Back Congress petition and urging your representative to return to D.C. to take action on energy. In just a few short days over 25000 have made that request.

Bloggers — have you shared this information with your readers? Do it!

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Democrat led energy policy in a nutshell.

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Poor Nance. She’s getting taken to task over her Earth Day biblical quotation.

The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, “To minister to the needs of God’s creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.” On this Earth Day, and every day, let us honor the earth and our future generations with a commitment to fight climate change.

The problem, of course, is that those who are searching for the quote are looking in the Christian Bible. The actual source is Goracle Bibliotecha.

Claptrap 3:4 “To minister to the needs of God’s creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.”

But don’t ignore the context.

Claptrap 3:5, 6 So smite the denier and shun the unbeliever. Ignore the ignorant opposition and worship the Goracle from whom all wisdom flows.

See. It was just a misunderstanding.

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I’m taking a look back at 2007 this week. It’s interesting to see just what I posted about, and what was going on through the year.

May — In May I celebrated my 2nd Blogiversary. I can’t believe I’ve been doing this for over two and a half years.

On the 29th I looked at Hillary’s idea of economics. I particularly like this quote:

Fairness doesn’t just happen. It requires the right government policies.

Of course we’ve seen a glimpse of what those policies will be under a Hillary presidency (shudder) — Government run health care, nanny state social programs, etc.

June — Ah, the clueless hacks. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have done nothing with their new majorities, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t tried. Well, tried to insure defeat in Iraq that is.

Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi challenged the president over Iraq by sending him a letter, ahead of a White House meeting later on Wednesday.

“As many had forseen, the escalation has failed to produce the intended results,” the two leaders wrote.

“The increase in US forces has had little impact in curbing the violence or fostering political reconciliation.

Not the only thing that duo has been wrong about in 2007

Tomorrow — July/August

Previously

• January/February
• March/April

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I’m taking a look back at 2007 this week. It’s interesting to see just what I posted about, and what was going on through the year.

March — Giving Something New A Try

Or maybe it’s not that new. Few, if any, of you know that my first post-college career was in broadcasting. Not talk radio to be sure, but I was a broadcast major and worked at several stations in the first few years after college. Inspired by Captain Ed, I’m going to give Blog Talk Radio a shot.

So, back on March 17th First Cup Radio was born. It has now become bRight @ Night, but it’s still a lot of fun. In fact there is a show tomorrow night. Tune in at 10:30pm Eastern to talk about whatever the right side of the blogosphere is writing about.

April — We Come In Peace Madame Pelosi’s meeting with the Syrians led me to create this little bit of photo fun:

Tomorrow — May/June

Previously

• January/February

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I’m taking a look back at 2007 this week. It’s interesting to see just what I posted about, and what was going on through the year.

January — First Cup 01.20.07

This was one of my first posts detailing the devastating condition Leftourettes™

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Leftourettes™ it is a malady that affects many on the left. It manifests itself in bursts of patently ridiculous statements. Indications are they just can’t help themselves. While it may appear that it occurs most often in the leadership, that is most likely just a function of their outbursts being more often recorded and reported. Here are a few recent examples:

Gee. I didn’t think much of Reid, Pelosi and other leftard’s rhetoric back in January. Imagine that. Some things haven’t changed much at all this year.

February — Great Line of the Day

A great quote from an AP story that still rings true today.

The developments on both sides of the Capitol reflected disarray in Democratic ranks on Iraq. Swept into power by voters clamoring for an end to the war, Democrats have seen their efforts stymied under realities more complicated than they found on the campaign trail.

That’s been true all year for the left. May 2008 bring more of the same.

Tomorrow — March/April

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It’s official:

A tearful Cindy Sheehan cited her son, killed in Iraq, as her inspiration as she announced her candidacy Thursday for the U.S. House against Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Sheehan last month said she intended to run against Pelosi, the House speaker, if the San Francisco congresswoman didn’t move to impeach President Bush by July 23.

Sheehan said Thursday that Pelosi had “protected the status quo” of the corporate elite and had lost touch with people in her district, most of whom, she asserted, want American troops out of Iraq.

[...]

Sheehan said she would run as an independent on a platform of universal health care, making college affordable and improving ethics in the legislative and executive branches. She did not offer specifics.

The money being spent on the Iraq war should be used to help the country’s shrinking middle class, she said.

So, will she be running on the Absolute Moral Authority Party ticket?

With no money for the campaign, Sheehan said she wouldn’t accept donations from corporations. I have to wonder what corporation would be interested in making such a donation and if that includes donations from Venezuelan oil.

In spite of this announcement, I bet Madame Speaker slept well last night.

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Nancy Pelosi’s efforts to eliminate earmarks by simply renaming them has produced results. Burried down in a Reuters story on House approval of a $36 billion bill to fund domestic security programs is this little gem:

Passage of the domestic security spending bill was delayed all week by a fight between Republicans and Democrats over how to handle special-interest funds, often for construction projects in lawmakers’ home districts.

I’m sure that Nancy “Big Tuna” Pelosi appreciates the effort, but the “Official” new name is not special-interest funds, but CRAP*. So, the corrected sentence should read:

Passage of the domestic security spending bill was delayed all week by a fight between Republicans and Democrats over how to handle the CRAP, often for construction projects in lawmakers’ home districts.

You’re welcome.

*Congressional Resource Allocation Protection

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