Only the mediocre are always at their best

Jean Giraudoux

The White House referred to those who oppose the health care bill as "tea bag, anti-government people." So much for PC.

According to Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, who supports the health care bill, the president asked, “Does anybody think that the teabag, anti-government people are going to support them if they bring down health care? All it will do is confuse and dispirit” Democratic voters “and it will encourage the extremists.”

prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com

The statement has not been widely reported and appears to be abject contempt for lawful democratic opposition.  The lobbyists seem to support the bill but many of their members are against it (e.g. AMA, AARP, etc).  It bodes well (not) for those sitting in Government.  The statements that member made about ‘making history’ may well prove true soon enough.  Just not the history that they thought.

Just to make sure I wasn’t missing something, I reread Article I of the Constitution.  Not that it matters much anymore…

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of Particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful Buildings;--And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

If the health care bill really passes, it won’t become law until 2013.  By the time the effects are really known, most who championed the shift will be retired or dead.  And the issue of constitutionality will tie up the Supreme Court for years. 

It is likely that the backlash will cause much of the Senate and House members to be removed in the next election anyway.  The polarization is becoming more dramatic each year.  Clinton was too conservative for the left, Bush was too liberal for the right.  What’s next after this President?  I need to re-read Ayn Rand.  She captured most of the sentiment that has been emerging today.  Who is John Galt?

"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."

John Galt

I am rapidly leaning toward the conservative-liberal-traditional-radical-confused persons party.  Who else is with me?  I know that Dan will be starting the a radical centrist party.

I do not intend for 'honor, courage, and commitment' to be just words; I expect them to frame the way that we live and act

Charles C. Krulak