A 100% failure rate!

Think about this . . .

The U.S. Post Service was established in 1775 - they've had 234 years to get it right; it is broke, and even though heavily subsidized, it can't compete with private sector FedEx and UPS services.

Social Security was established in 1935 - they've had 74 years to get it right; it is broke.

Fannie Mae was established in 1938 - they've had 71 years to get it right; it is broke. Freddie Mac was established in 1970 - they've had 39 years to get it right; it is broke. Together Fannie and Freddie have now led the entire world into the worst economic collapse in 80 years.

The War on Poverty was started in 1964 - they've had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our hard earned money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor"; it hasn't worked.

Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 - they've had 44 years to get it right; they are both broke; and now our government dares to mention them as models for all US health care.

AMTRAK was established in 1970 - they've had 39 years to get it right; last year they bailed it out as it continues to run at a loss!

This year, a trillion dollars was committed in the massive political payoff called the Stimulus Bill of 2009; it shows NO sign of working; it's been used to increase the size of governments across America, and raise government salaries while the rest of us suffer from economic hardships. It has yet to create a single new private sector job. Our national debt projections (approaching $10 trillion) have increased 400% in the last six months.

"Cash for Clunkers" was established in 2009 and went broke in 2009 - - after 80% of the cars purchased turned out to be produced by foreign companies, and dealers nationwide are buried under bureaucratic paperwork demanded by a government that is not yet paying them what was promised.

So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves that each and every "service" shoved down our throats by an over-reaching government turns into disaster, how could any informed American trust our government to run or even set policies for America's health care system - - 17% of our economy?

Maybe each of us has a personal responsibility to let others in on this brilliant record before 2010, and then help remove from office those who are voting to destroy capitalism and destroy our grandchildren's future.
----------

• I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. -- Thomas Jefferson
• "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin, 1759

---

ARRA News Service

Polling Bad News for Sen. Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas)

by Bill Smith: When polling numbers shows a senior senator in difficulty against potential candidates over a year out from the election, the news is bad news for that senator. And that is what is being projected for Arkansas' U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln who is up for election in 2010 and has been feverishly raising funds and avoiding the public at town halls and TEA Parties in Arkansas. Public Policy Polling latest polling data released August 26th shows that Obama campaigning for Sen. Lincoln in in Arkansas would sink her race. While Barack Obama's National approval rating of 52%, in Arkansas, Obama has only a 40% approval rating. And that is expected to continue to fall in Arkansas. In fact, the polling numbers showed that a majority of voters in Arkansas think Rush Limbaugh has a superior vision for the country than Barack Obama.

Blanche Lincoln's approval rating has dropped 9% since March.  Currently, Lincoln has 36% approval rating and a 44% disapproving rating of the job she’s doing. Currently, with no candidates formally filed for office against her, she's in a statistical tie against three potential Republican opponents. And there are as many as eight candidates considering running against her.

Gilbert Baker leads her 42-40, Curtis Coleman has a 41-40 advantage, and Tom Cotton trails Lincoln slightly 40-39. The numbers of course are more a reflection on Lincoln's unfavorable standing than that of the Republicans at this time.

“You couldn’t get a clearer indication that the national momentum is with Republicans right now than a poll showing some guys with single digit name recognition running even with an incumbent Senator,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “This is going to be a very closely contested race if the eventual Republican nominee does a good job of raising money.

Other indicators of running against Lincoln is that 53% of the people polled were women. In addition, 48% of those polled identified themselves as conservative, and 39% as moderate, leaving 12% of her liberal friends. At the beginning of 2009, voters returned Senator Pryor to a new six term without opposition; however, , his approval rating, although higher than Lincoln, is now only 47% with a disapproval rating of 32%. The voters disappointment with a previously considered "more conservative" Sen. Pryor may weigh heavily on voters in 2010 when considering returning a more liberal Senator Blanche Lincoln .

There is a growing "vote the bums" out feeling among the voters in Arkansas. Also, in Arkansas, continued open endorsement and support of Senator Lincoln by incumbent State constitutional officers (Governor, Lt. Governor, etc.) may place them at risk in 2010 if viable conservative candidates step forward to oppose them.

As summarized by Tom Jensen, Public Policy Polling, "Clearly Lincoln could be beaten, but there are several reasons why she might survive too. The first is that none of her potential Republican opponents have shown the ability yet to raise the money to run a strong campaign. Whoever emerges as her opponent is also going to need to be able to keep their foot out of their mouth, something that's been a problem for some potential foes. The second is that Democrats nationally are in a recession right now and that goes a long way toward explaining these numbers.. . . Republicans have an opportunity here but it remains to be seen whether they can take advantage of it."

The Crazy Whole Foods Boycott

Whole Foods is facing a boycott because its CEO John Mackey wrote an Op-ed in the Wall Street Journal opposing government run health care. Mackey's thoughtful article gave eight ideas for health care reform, and is not anywhere near what most rationale people consider provocative or radical. On the contrary, he is one of few public figures to put together a clear, concise, well-reasoned approach to health care reform. For his trouble he's being boycotted by those on the far left who can not accept that not everyone shares their point of view. The WSJ article is definitely worth a read for anyone interested in health care reform...

The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare - Eight things we can do to improve health care without adding to the deficit.

The following excerpt Food Fight Over Health Care, from a transcript of On the Record with Greta Vansusteren, also illustrates that Mackey is good person who does right by his employees, and is absurdly being targeted for vocalizing his opinion on health care reform. Hopefully those who see the injustice in this will counter the boycott by stopping by a Whole Foods store and picking up some groceries.

BRIAN SULLIVAN, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK: The irony of this story, Greta, is that if John Mackey, who is the CEO of Whole Food who has been running the company, started the company in Austin Texas about 30 years ago, if he had positioned what he positioned in "The Journal" when we were not considering health care, this would have been considered radical reform. He said here are eight ideas as a successful CEO that I have, including tort reform, allowing insurers cross state lines, self-directed ideas. And yet he is vilified by some of the more liberal followers out there of the president's plan. They are, as you said, waging war against Whole Foods, 18,000 on Facebook in a boycott. There is Web page set up. And they are calling him, get this, Greta, a right-wing zealot. VAN SUSTEREN: This CEO of Whole Foods, in 2007, he said he had enough money to live comfortably, so in 2007 he cut his salary down to $1 a year, and he donated all of the proceeds from his stock option to charity. This does not sound like a guy who wants to stick it to the poor when it comes to health care. He had a different idea, and that was what was in the "Wall Street Journal." SULLIVAN: He is a self-described libertarian. And I do not know if that was angered some people. Not only was he taking $1, but he pushed this through, Greta, a $100,000 need-based fund for Whole Foods workers. They offer domestic partners same sex benefits at Whole Foods. Heretofore this has been considered a relatively progressive company. Now he comes out and says the government-run plan is not the way to go. And he is absolutely being slaughtered on the left side of the blogosphere.

---

A Misguided Boycott Of Whole Foods

MSNBC Falsified Story Stirs Up Racial and Anti-gun Hatred

Bill Smith, Editor: In blatant disregard of the truth, MSNBC follows CBS into the annuals of history (the toilet) for falsifying a news story by controlling or editing camera shots and by preparing and presenting a false narrative that seems be the intent on inflaming racial tensions and casting false allegations of threats. Racial bias was deliberately projected by the MSNBC reporters on to a story with blatant statements impugning whites at a rally as potential racist and threats to a black President.

When in fact, the person at the center of the story narrative was hidden from the public by parlor camera tricks and a false narrative. That person was a patriot citizen who happens to be black. MSNBC actions to falsify this story showed its bias against the general public participating in recent rallies and town hall meetings MSNBC introduced its own form of racial bias and evidenced a willingness to smear Americans exercising both their first and second amendment rights.

MSNBC willingness to advance and promote a false story to pursue either a biased agenda or to boost ratings was indeed despicable. This action opens up to question what other lies MSNBC may have perpetrated on the American public with fictitious or edited camera shots and falsified news story narratives. Americans rely on a free free press to report unbiased and truthfully. Media bias in the past years has become a matter of major concern. However, for members of the press to falsify the news, destroys and jeopardizes public trust and places all Americas at risk.

As identified by Adam Bitely at NetRight Nation, "MSNBC is up to their typical routine of running erroneous reports. One from yesterday was particularly troubling." It is unfortunate that Adam and the rest of the public have observed MSNBC as prevaricator of the truth.

Let's look at the doctored MSNBC broadcast:

Now, view the true version of events as reported by ABC News:

Today, Bill Wilson, President of America for Limited Government sent a letter calling on MSNBC Executive Producer Steven Capus to fire all involved with producing a misleading broadcast that Wilson termed a "nefarious assault on decency." Bill Wilson is right. However, it is also time for the print media, the network media and the cable channels to take seriously false reporting and to police their own actions including calling MSNBC into accountability. A free press will not remain free if society becomes so distrustful that it turns to and trusts in government to monitor the accuracy of the "press." When that happens, the freedom of the press will cease to exist.

---

Cross-posted at the ARRA News Service

Pawlenty on American's Views of Health Reform

Politico reports the Minnesota's Tim Pawlenty is making an impact on the health care debate as a insightful voice for conservatives in their article Tim Pawlenty: Voters 'ticked off and scared'

In an interview with POLITICO, Pawlenty offered tough criticism of President Barack Obama’s attempted health care overhaul and spoke in detail about potential GOP alternatives but stopped short of using the kind of overheated rhetoric that has marked the August debate .

“People are ticked off and scared. You have a situation where a good chunk of the country is waking up to the fact that Obama is proposing things that are out of step with common sense, out of step with the notion that the government isn’t going to run everything,” said Pawlenty, who delivered a health care-oriented speech Friday at the second-annual GOPAC conference in Chicago, a meeting of conservative state legislators and national party leaders.

Pawlenty said he has three major objections to Democratic plans: the public option, possible tax increases on small and medium-sized businesses and the “massive spending disaster” that would result if health care were added to a federal budget.

The Minnesota governor also supports the right to pool insurance risk across state lines, opening up private insurance markets to allow consumers to buy a policy from nearly anywhere, creating an electronic billing and prescription system, the prohibition of coverage denials based on pre-existing conditions, portability guarantees and incentivizing hospitals and patients to reduce the cost of individual visits.

His approach doesn’t always land him in the headlines, but it’s winning him notice as a serious voice in the debate without damaging his Minnesota Nice brand.

---

Tim Pawlenty A Serious Conservative Voice on Health Care

Post Office Style Health Care

Americans are expressing serious reservations about the direction of health care reform. The President did little to assuage those fears when he compared the controversial 'public option' to the Post Office. Concerns about the administration's handling of economic matters continues to grow, and citing the USPS as model government program when it is facing serious financial trouble fuels concern that the administration's math is not adding up.

Obama Goes Postal, Lands in Dead-Letter Office by Caroline Baum of Bloomberg.

Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- “UPS and FedEx are doing just fine. It’s the Post Office that’s always having problems.” -- Barack Obama, Aug. 11, 2009

No institution has been the butt of more government- inefficiency jokes than the U.S. Postal Service. Maybe the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The only way the post office can stay in business is its government subsidy. The USPS lost $2.4 billion in the quarter ended in June and projects a net loss of $7 billion in fiscal 2009, outstanding debt of more than $10 billion and a cash shortfall of $1 billion. It was moved to intensive care -- the Government Accountability Office’s list of “high risk” cases - - last month and told to shape up. (It must be the only entity that hasn’t cashed in on TARP!)

That didn’t stop President Barack Obama from holding up the post office as an example at a town hall meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, last week.

When Obama compared the post office to UPS and FedEx, he was clearly hoping to assuage voter concerns about a public health-care option undercutting and eliminating private insurance.

What he did instead was conjure up visions of long lines and interminable waits. Why do we need or want a health-care system that works like the post office?

What’s more, if the USPS is struggling to compete with private companies, as Obama implied, why introduce a government health-care option that would operate at the same disadvantage?

---

Obama's Health Care/Post Office Comparison

How Washington Politicians See the World

by William Warren:

---

ARRA News Service

Around the Mid Atlantic--PA Bombshell Poll

Pennsylvania For all of the intrigue the budget battle holds, the latest numbers have to add a sense of panic to the legislature and governor. The deficit has grown another 700 million dollars since the end of June due to the lack of economic recovery in Pennsylvania. It now tops 3 Billion dollars.

Senator Specter cannot seem to escape Rep. Pat Toomey. While Specter holds a 11 point lead in primary polling with Congressman Joe Sestak, a bombshell poll by Rasmussen shows both Specter (48 to 36) and Sestak (43 to 35) trail Rep. Pat Toomey in early polling. Further undermining Specter's strength is that he trails even more than the lesser known Sestak. Specter can't go to Governor Rendell for much help. The governor's poll numbers are sinking with the state budget. They are now down to 39% approval.


Virginia is looking better all the time for Republicans. Historically when a statewide Republican Candidate since 1993 has had a lead greater than 10 points going into Labor Day, he wins in Virginia. Yet another poll shows that
AG McDonnell may achieve that milestone. We all know that elections can change and Deeds proved that in the primary so only a fool would count him out.

President Obama's slipping poll numbers in the Old Dominion State means that national Democrats won't be of much help. If Deeds is to pull an upset, it would be all on him and the Virginia party. Maybe he can catch Governor Kaine in the state and do some more appearances with him. (The Governor is also Chair of the DNC and has been teased about his frequent travels out of state.)

Maryland has been upset that its citizens are paying their bills and saving rather than risk it on the new slots. Revenue has fallen below expectations. They hope a new Baltimore Location will remedy that problem.

Senator Cardin received the proverbial earful in Haggerstown. It wasn't all shouting though. The senator said he was pleased with the showing. The gym held its limit of 1500 people leaving a 1000 had to stay outside and hold their own discussion.

New York seems to be an Empire of political intrigue if nothing else. Governor Patterson's woman of the week problem this week seems to his former senate staffer Indira F. Noel. She forged a signature of a former staffer to obtain his college transcripts which are protected under law. She plead guilty to disorderly conduct in a deal with prosecutors. She told the ex-worker that she was untouchable because of her relationship with the governor. It appears she was right. Jean Pierre is now suing and threatens to bring the governor into court to say exactly what that relationship is.

New Jersey Chris Christie has been enduring a two prong attack this week on silly charges that he engaged in a legal conversation about his future plans with a fellow government staffer Karl Rove. The law prohibits U. S. Attorneys from engaging in partisan political activities not discussing a hypothetical future activity. None the less the liberal media as jumped on the Corzine accusation and the Corzine campaign is flooding the airwaves with side by side pictures of Christie and "Bush Brain" Rove.

The Governor seems to trying to distract from a real scandal in his administration which cost taxpayers 1.4 million dollars on his watch. In the meantime another NJ Democrat goes to jail for tax evasion.

In Delaware, Governor Jack Markell decided to include Gender Identity in a new executive order giving protections for sexual orientation. The legislature in its wisdom stripped that from the original bill. The governor for the first time wants to give a mental disorder civil rights. The governor also signed into law a package of education reforms including eliminating the hated Delaware State Testing Program.

Testing Government Run Health Care

Fiends discuss the importance of "testing" something before you risk it all. This lesson is applied to the health care reform debate in Washington. Check out more videos like this at Not So Sure. [Source]

Mid Atlantic Review--Governor's races heat up

The Region is percolating with intrigue.

NJ-- The Hudson County Democrats are still reeling as some are admitting to the charges brought. If things were not bad enough Essex County Democrats are facing an absentee ballot rigging investigation. Democrat Governor Corzine's response is to accuse Republican U. S. Attorney Christie of ties to corruption. It doesn't matter that everyone who pays attention knows that Christie and his running mate are actually the ones who started the clean up.

Corzine has developed a three fold attack to comeback from his 14 point deficit. Lies, try to claim the property tax mantle, and attack Christie on guns. I predict that by November he will close the gap to 7 points as some undecided Democrats come home. He will lose. Fearing that two Democrats are preparing to replace Gov. Corzine on the ballot. Congressman Palvone is publicly volunteeringm which has to be a perfect GOP ad. (Are you reading this powers that be?) Newark Mayor Booker, who is one of few clean local officials is being mentioned. He said he would like the job, but he supports Corzine. What an endorsement! How serious is this? Democrats are doing polling on it behind the Governor's back. At this stage they cannot replace someone who won the primary unless he steps aside. Unlike scandal-plagued Sen. Robert Torricelli he is self funded. He won't go anywhere. Another Democrat wouldn't win anyway.

Lastly for NJ, the NJESA (teacher's union) put out it's endorsements of 47 Democrats and 24 Republicans (almost all Republicans were in safe districts) in assembly races. It endorsed Governor Corzine. Chris Christie did not even seek the endorsement.

VA- Virginia also has an election this year. As you know from Tuesday's post, AG Bob McDonnell has taken a commanding 14 point lead over Sen. Deeds in the race for governor. Even a poll for Daily Kos confirmed the change. This 10 point jump came after the first televised debate but some Washinton pundits wonder if it relates to the President's falling numbers in VA. Deeds came back from as bad a position to win the primary. His comeback seems to based upon playing in rural turf and touting his farming background. Rural VA is republican turf and Northern VA (NoVA) is better for Democrats. The problem for Deeds, who is from rural VA is that McDonnell grew up in NoVA and launched his political career in Tidewater (SE VA). In the debate on agricultural issues, Deeds focused on his background while McDonnell focused on specific proposals and shared values.

MD- Governor O'Malley's (D) reward for not dealing with spending this year but adding slots and using stimulus money to keep the state afloat is--- a $700 million dollar shortfall in an election year. He is taking suggestions until August 10 so go to that Website and help your governor. Then ask him for part of his salary if you solve the problem.

The Governor just couldn't avoid controversy this week. His light rail program for D. C. and Baltimore has found opposition not only from residents but the University of Maryland. Nonetheless he submitted them to the federal government.

PA- One would think the election for U. S. Senate was this year. Polls are about even now between Congressman Toomey and Senator Specter. The Senator also has an opponent in the primary who he christened no show Joe. Joe Sestak has one of the worse records for missing votes in the Congress. 105 so far this year.

The Congressman is all in because the line to fill his seat is long. It may be a Republican pick up with U. S. Attorney of Pat Meehan (of Vince Fumo and Corey Kemp prosecution fame). An entrepreneur Steve Welch is also filing on the GOP side. On the Democrat side, two state representatives Vitali and Lentz are battling it out so far. Considering how tight the state house is that can't make the Democratic powers that be sleep well at night.

The state budget is still a mess. The Governor line itemed out all but 11 billion of the state budget of 27 billion. He turned the bill into a bridge budget. He kept everything to do with payroll and essential public safety. The rest was tossed back to the legislature.

NY- PA is getting more of a senate race while New York has less of one. Senator Gillibrand (D)no longer has a primary challenge from her left and is currently unopposed within the party.

Governor Open Marriage Patterson made an exception to the hiring freeze to hire his party partner to an $88,000 deputy of federal and state affairs position.

NYC had to raise taxes they said now the mayor and council are giving significant raises to staffers.

Delaware of course seems tame in comparison. The Republicans just won a special election for the senate seat formerly held by the late President Pro Tem Thurman Adams (D). Now there is a special election to fill the seat of victorious 37th Rep. Republican Joe Booth. Delaware also got a green light this week to start sports betting in September. It is the only state East of the Rookies allowed to do so under federal law.

Send out the enforcers--Democrat attempts to muscle out healthcare opponents

A town hall meeting turned nasty leaving one person with minor injuries in Tampa, FL. What you hardly notice in the story is that the SEIU organizers injured the opponent of the President's reform. The President called for his people to show up to the meetings to counter the opponents. In St. Louis and Tampa they did though in smaller numbers.

In Tampa they tried to shut many of the opponents out of the meeting injuring one man who is contemplating filing charges. If you read the first third and bottom of the story, you would get the impression that it was that rowdy 9-12 project's fault. If you read carefully, you will see that it was the President's Organizing America and the SEIU took the early seats and tried to muscle the doors closed on the regular people.

The meeting was organized by Reed plus the Service Employees International Union, other unions and Organizing for America, a liberal group that grew out of the Obama presidential campaign.

Some opponents accused the organizers of trying to stack the crowd by allowing early admission to those on their side. Reed denied that, saying those admitted early were organizers setting up the room.

In St Louis, the President's supporters put a conservative activist in the hospital. There were 4 arrests plus 2 others in related incidents.

A technique of authoritarian regimes is to create an incident, cause problems, and then blame the other side for what they did. Why are we seeing that in America? First the Democratic National Committee (DNC) sets it up with its Mob ad. The President calls out the muscle. The media is predisposed to look for angry conservative mobs. The muscle then creates an incident. The propaganda machine dutifully repeats the message. People are urged to spy on and turn in the dangerous dissenters. The step that we haven't seen is the left trying to use the pretext of law and order to put down the dissent. Preventing that outcome is why I am speaking out.

DNC, SEIU, Organizing America, and whomever else stop it. This is still the USA not your authoritarian paradise. We have rights and we will not be intimidated. Let them speak.

Democrats despise first amendment in ad

The Democrats are losing ground according to the polls and evidenced by the disquiet at town halls from Oregon to New York to Texas to Delaware. They have decided not to address the issues the people have passionately brought up. They have decided to characterize people who differ with them as a staged mob. This is so outrageous that it is beyond the pail.

Since when are people not suppose to express their agreement with a speaker by cheering? Are they not allowed to express their collective disagreement with a proposal with a collective response to a question by saying just say no? When did peaceful seated people giving support to one another become a mob? Funny Democrats did the same thing back in the Civil Rights Movement and they did the same thing in the 1990's to the peaceful rescue movement.

If we let them get away with declaring legitimate reasoned petitioning of the government as as a mob, our liberty will go down the proverbial toilet. They are attacking our freedom of assembly, right to petition government for redress of our grievances, and our freedom of speech, while mocking religion in the same ad (poking fun of the person who was quietly holding a Bible while standing outside of a meeting). Let's just shred the first amendment completely. Oh, and they attacked freedom of the press by tossing in Rush Limbaugh as an inciter. I never complained about their expressing disagreement with him, but I will say enough when they want to accuse him of inciting mobs that never existed. This is the same tactic used by a President in South America whose name rhymes with Chavez.

Here is my email to the DNC. I encourage you to contact them.

What are you guys doing? This latest ad sends chills down my spine. The idea that peaceful seated people cheering a speaker is now a mob in your eyes is an affront to freedom of speech and the right of the people to assemble and seek redress from their government of grievences. I protest your attack on the First Amendment and respectfully request that you stand down.

Let's Trade In This Clunker --> Congress

by William Warren:

Cartoon -- Couple Discusses Using Cash for Clunker Program:

"It's inefficient, drains our budget, and doesn't work well at all. We should trade it in!
So how much can we get for this clunker?" - - -> Pointing to the US Congress

by Ozark Guru: Well, in 2010, we (the people) have an opportunity to trade in a large part of Congress. Get involved and work to turn America back from the rampant socialist spending and the destruction of American businesses, jobs and the economy and our health care and our WORKING class. Yes, the working class; those who work! Those who have lived free and choose not to surrender their freedom for a few empty promises that in reality strip away everything they have and make them part of welfare class needing the government to decide when, where and how to take care of them.

Card Checked! - The Game

[H/T ARRA News Service]