Senate Votes to Repeal Obamacare

Marathon Voting Session Ends With Senate Passing Obamacare Repeal

The Senate is already rolling back President Barack Obama’s legacy.

It passed the continuing resolution, S. Con.Res. 3, that tears away the fees, taxes and subsidies from the 201o Patient Protection and Affordable Cart Act, Obamacare, shortly after 1:25 Thursday morning, 51-to-48.

All Republicans, except for Sen. Rand Paul (R.-KY), voted for the resolution. Paul criticized the budget resolution for not addressing the federal debt and for not having a companion replacement bill. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-CA), who is recovering from a scheduled medical procedure was absent from the chamber.

 

Click on the link, above, for the whole article.

 

I can only think this is a good thing, even though there may be some short-term pain. Assuming the Congress gets replacement legislation in place quickly.

 

The libertarian/Constitutionalist in me wants to point out that the U.S. Constitution provides not one shred of authority for the Federal government to create, mandate, or sell health insurance. The best thing they could do is to mandate a level playing field for private insurers - and that would be to remove any boundaries to selling across state lines.

 

But no one asked me. No worries, though: I volunteered to provide my opinion here. :)

A Clean Bill of Health

My heartfelt "thank you!" to all those who offered prayers on my behalf for this morning's test.

It seems that the result of the pre-test was a false positive, and I'm perfectly fine. So fine that there's no need to discuss any subsequent testing, in fact.

I have no desire whatsoever to put myself through that again, anyway, so my relief is palpable.

Afterward, my beautiful wife and I went out to the Bear Mountain Grill for a ham and cheese omelet, hash browns, and hot buttered toast with strawberry jam. And two large cups of coffee with cream.

Of course, that was just me. She had her own meal, somewhat less, um, hearty than mine. Of course, I hadn't eaten since Wednesday evening, and felt rather hollow. :)


I'm back home, healthy, hanging out in our beautiful home in the woods. There's snow on the ground, and it's only two days until Christmas.

Life is good.

What's So Bad About Socialized Medicine?

What the ...???

'Nuff said?

h/t Upinak

Governor Parnell: Alaska Will NOT Implement ObamaCare

From an AP story in the Anchorage Daily News:

JUNEAU -- Gov. Sean Parnell took a defiant stand Thursday against the federal health care overhaul Congress passed last year, declaring that he will refuse to implement a law he views as blatantly unconstitutional ... in Parnell’s view the decision by a federal district judge in Florida, striking down the law as unconstitutional, “is the law of the land, as it pertains to Alaska.”

~ snip ~

“The state of Alaska will not pursue unlawful activity to implement a federal health care regime that has been declared unconstitutional by a federal court,” Parnell told the Juneau Chamber of Commerce, to applause, Thursday.

Parnell said the state will pursue lawful, market-based solutions of its own. That includes looking at the potential for a health insurance exchange without the “shiny but poisonous apple” of federal dollars and mandates “that create federal dependency and control.”

He faced a Friday deadline for applying for federal funds to help set up an exchange and faced pressure from seven Democratic state senators to do so. He refused.

Read the rest at the link.

Unconstitutional

That's what the federal judge in Virginia judge ruled, regarding the key provision in the new healthcare law mandating the purchase of health insurance. This one is expected to go straight to the U.S. Supreme Court.


In Alaska news: if Joe Miller has decided to file an appeal to the Alaska Supreme Court, no one's talking about it. Since it's early in the day, stay tuned.  UPDATE: Joe Miller filed his appeal today - arguments are set for Friday.

It was 2 degrees at my place this morning. AccuHunch is predicting some snow for tonight, and then cold air will move in. They're talking lows in the negative double-digits by mid-week.

What the hey ... it is that time of year. Have a great day!

Healthcare Reform & You

found at Theo's place

PolitZoid - Money for Nothing

HealthKare Update: Alaska Joins the Lawsuit

In a story at the Daily News' website:

Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell announced the state will join 20 others in suing to overturn the health care overhaul bill signed into law last month by President Barack Obama.

Calling it an "unprecedented exercise of congressional power," Parnell said Alaska would join the other states in challenging as unconstitutional the mandate that people buy health care insurance.

"For the first time we now have a federal government dictating our economic activity," Parnell said. "Alaska will use the courts to fight this federal encroachment on our citizens."

...

"Health insurance at the price of freedom?" Parnell said. "No."

'Bout time. Click on the quote to RTWT.

I'm Encouraged...

... by three of the letters to the newspaper editor, today. Excerpts:

On the subject of D.C. gridlock:

"Since the Reagan years, partisan politics and resulting Washington gridlock are bigger problems than any other challenge we face as a nation. We, the voters, are responsible.

"Regardless of party we all want very much the same: campaign finance reform, comprehensive energy policy, health care changes, term limits, deficit reduction, financial institution regulation and more. But Washington seems incapable of legislation advancing the people's needs. The legislators we have elected are more interested in staying in power than risking good legislation that makes the other side look good. The minority party, regardless of party, is now always "The Party of No."

"I want leadership. If my legislators do not break ranks and vote across party lines 10 percent of the time, or reach across the aisle and co-sponsor meaningful legislation, I will donate to and vote for their next election opponents. I pledge to do this in primary and general elections regardless of party affiliation. If 10 percent of this nation will do the same, maybe we can get our legislators working for us again."

He gets it.

On the subject of health care "reform":

"Re: Letter ...., Feb. 27, "US can afford health care."

"She is right -- millions are wasted at taxpayer expense, but what in the following line does she not get?

"We are broke.

"We are borrowing money and printing money like never before in our history. Do you really believe that the federal government which wastes billions of our taxpayer dollars, is going to run the health care system in any kind of a responsible way? There seem to be people out there who don't care what health care costs or who pays for it or even if we have the money to pay for it; they just want it. Reform, yes. Government takeover of health care, no. I think we still might be able to recover from being broke but the clock is ticking. ...

"One form of irresponsible spending does not justify another round of irresponsible spending."

She gets it, too.

On the subject of corruption in Juneau, re: a proposal to let lobbyists spend up to $50 buying meals for legislators, without the legislators having to report it (currently a $15 limit):

"To be fair to all state employees, I should be able to buy a nice dinner for a plow operator who clears my road first, or for a state trooper who gives my excuse for speeding some extra consideration. Of course, there really is no such thing as a free lunch, so instead our legislators should be forbidden from taking anything in exchange for their time or consideration.

"I have more empathy for the person begging at a street corner than I do for someone on the state payroll who barters power and self-respect for dinner and drinks. Vote the freeloaders out."

My faith in my fellow Alaskans is somewhat restored. People are waking up to what's going on; I pray they don't fall asleep again, this time.

The Farce Continues

According to the AP, apparently we're supposed to feel sorry for the guy:

WASHINGTON – Starting over on health care, President Barack Obama knows his chances aren't looking much more promising. A year after he called for a far-reaching overhaul, Obama unveiled his most detailed plan yet on Monday. Realistically, he's just hoping to win a big enough slice to silence the talk of a failing presidency.

Really, his new plan? The one that's cobbled together from the most objectionable bits of the House & Senate plans? And how are they construing their budgetary reconciliation process as being legitimate for vastly differing pieces of legislation? And now, of course, since all the worst bits are in it, Mr. O and friends can offer to take some out, and be all aggrieved if/when the Repubs say "no".

I wouldn't have agreed to go at all, but that's just me. Frankly, I don't care to be eaten by a shark, and whether it's a BIG shark or a slightly smaller one makes little difference. Either way, the experience will suck.

The Dims' mealy-mouthed excuse is, "well, reconciliation is for budgets, and this involves budget items, so it's okay - and besides, George W. Bush did it" - as if THAT makes it all okay.

No, it doesn't. It was wrong then, and it's wrong now.

Nearly everything Congress does involves money - OUR money. But that doesn't mean they can use the budget reconciliation process for everything they do. Conservative Examiner nailed it when he exposed the real reason for this desperate, cram-it-down-our-throats procedure over the weekend: Congress needs the extra taxes this new piece-of-cr@p legislation will generate.

And the taxes are in there, for nearly everyone in the country. So are the so-called "death panels" - the boards which will determine what level of care might be appropriate for each person - and all the other statist provisions which take our money, control our lives, and usurp more of the States' sovereignty.

BOHICA, folks: bigger, harder, and faster. It's the DC way.

Sunday, Sorry Sunday

So the House of Non-Representatives voted (narrowly, to the credit of those opposed - see Larry's note in comments, below) to pass PelosiKare. I fear the almost-inevitable backlash from the people, as they begin to comprehend this final knell of freedom in what used to be a republic. Tread carefully, friends; this is dangerous territory. If the Senate fails to turn back this tide of Marxism, then watch for certain states to begin debating secession in earnest.

From this morning's paper:

Alaska Rep. Don Young, a Republican, released a statement after the vote calling it a "vote to rescind American freedom." He deplored the tactics used by those pushing the measure.

The bill, he said, "doesn't include accessibility, portability, or affordability. What it does include is insurance without access. What is the point of holding an insurance card if you can't find a doctor who will accept it? Insurance is only one small portion of a much larger problem, and this bill ignores that. This is more about political tactics than what's good for this country, and it's shameful."

I also remember that 45% of doctors polled, recently, stated they would leave the profession if the government takes it over. So the Pelosi apparatchiks propose to add 30 million people to the patient rolls, while nearly half the doctors quit.

If you think the wait to see a physician is long now ... just wait.

* * * * *

It's 24 degrees this morning, but no frost nor snow in town. There is fresh snow on the mountainside just above where we live; my girls are voting that it's "entirely unfair" not to have snow. I agree.

* * * * *

A friend wants to know if I'm depressed by the healthcare vote. Not at all. In the words of the old song, "I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow." Those who are trying to live a truly Christian life would do well to keep their eyes on Him, rather than on Washington, DC.

God gets the final vote. We do well to remember that.