The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, “The health-insurance premiums paid by employers rose sharply this year, with the average annual cost of family coverage passing the $15,000 mark for the first time, according to a major survey. The 9% average increase in family premiums for 2011, reported in an annual poll of employers performed by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, comes despite a continued trend toward more limited use of medical services in the U.S. Last year, family premiums rose just 3%, the survey found. The average annual family premium for 2011 was $15,073, up from $13,770 last year. For a single worker, the figure was $5,429, up 8% from $5,049 in 2010.”

And Bloomberg News added, “The groups’ findings, based on data collected through May, show that health insurance is consuming a bigger share of employer costs, preempting pay raises and making companies pass on more medical costs to their workers, benefit consultants said.”

Importantly, Bloomberg points out, “The health law enacted last year accounts for 1 to 2 percentage points of the premium increases in 2011, said Drew Altman, chief executive officer of the Kaiser Family Foundation.”

Of course, the news of premium increases brings immediately to mind the litany of promises made by President Obama and Democrats in Congress when they jammed through their unpopular health care law. After a meeting with Democrat senators to urge them to push his bill through, President Obama said, “Families will save on their premiums.” And Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said at the time, “Bringing down costs of health insurance and making it more affordable is job one for this health care reform.” A few months later, President Obama claimed, “Your employer, it’s estimated, would see premiums fall by as much as 3,000 percent … which means they could give you a raise.” Six months after he signed the law, the president declared, “All this is going to lower premiums. It’s going to make healthcare more affordable.”

As Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier this year when federal judges first began to rule parts of the law unconstitutional, “As recently as last week, the President said: ‘This law will lower premiums’, yet since its passage we continually hear the opposite: insurers across the country are raising premiums to cover the cost of all the new mandates they’ll have to comply with. . . . Most Americans have opposed this bill from the start because they were skeptical of all the claims that were being made about what it would do. The process that was used to jam it through made it even less popular. But the reality has been even worse than people feared. It violates the Constitution — which is reason enough to repeal it — it’s driving up premiums, increasing costs, and driving people off the plans they have. . . . Democrats made a lot of promises about this bill. Virtually every one has proved to be empty.”

This was not an unexpected result from the 3 judge panel. They were all liberals and I have already written about the predicament they find themselves in. A ruling in favor of ObamaCare and Cuccinelli gets to decide the next venue for appeal: The full court, or the Supremes. The justices were smart and avoided the real question: Can the Federal Government force us to purchase GM cars, broccoli or Health Care. This one was thrown out on what most would call a “technicality”.

Not unexpected from 3 Constitutionally Blind Justices.

Here is what AG Ken Cuccinelli had to say, and yes, he will appeal.

RICHMOND, VA (September 8, 2011)- Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli responded today to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Virginia’s lawsuit against the federal government’s health care reform act.

“Obviously, we are disappointed in the ruling. Our disappointment not only stems from the fact that the court ruled against us, but also that the court did not even reach the merits on the key question of Virginia’s lawsuit-whether Congress has a power never before recognized in American history: the power to force one citizen to purchase a good or service from another citizen,” said Cuccinelli.

In summarizing the ruling, Cuccinelli noted that, by resting its decision on an alleged lack of standing by the commonwealth to even bring its lawsuit, the court dismissed Virginia’s claimed injury as illusory.

“Contrary to the court’s suggestion, this suit has always been about vindicating the power of the Virginia General Assembly to legislate about a subject that has historically been viewed as falling within the areas the Constitution left to the states. Health, safety, and welfare issues have long been recognized as being part of the powers reserved to the states by the Constitution,” Cuccinelli said.

Cuccinelli noted that the court’s stated reasons placed the ruling’s reasoning at odds with constitutional design. “In rejecting Virginia’s right to bring the action, the court said that allowing such suits would allow the states to serve as ‘roving constitutional watchdogs.’ This was exactly a role that the Founding Fathers planned for the states to have. As James Madison wrote, under the Constitution, ‘the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments…Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments [state and federal] will control each other…’”

Cuccinelli continued, “Not only does the court’s opinion reject the role of the states envisioned by the Constitution, it dismisses an act of the Virginia General Assembly-the Health Care Freedom Act-as a mere pretense or pretext. It is unfortunate that the court would be so dismissive of a piece of legislation that passed both houses of a divided legislature by overwhelming margins with broad, bipartisan support.”

Cuccinelli vowed to appeal the court’s ruling.

With our nation facing a serious debt crisis, it seems that Democrats in Congress have come together on a strategy to address it: do nothing. The Washington Post wrote Saturday, “Senate Democrats have adopted a minimalist agenda. They have blocked bills from the GOP-led House but proposed few broad ideas of their own — hoping to keep vulnerable incumbents from having to make controversial decisions before the 2012 elections. This predicament has altered the way those Democrats are selling themselves. They spent the previous two years fighting for really big things — national health-care reform, changing the way Wall Street works, approving an economic stimulus package worth more than $800 billion. Now, they are trying to do next to nothing and still have it look good.”

Today, ranking Republican on the Budget Committee, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), and Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), sent a letter signed by all 47 Republican senators to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), saying, “It has now been 754 days since the Senate last passed a budget. We have less than six months remaining until the start of the new fiscal year and the Senate has yet to produce a basic budget plan to substantively address our grave fiscal crisis. . . . Last year, Congress failed to pass a budget, failed to pass any of the twelve annual appropriations bills, and failed the nation by recklessly funding the government on a series of short-term spending bills. The Senate cannot make the same mistake again.”

And yet, The Washington Post reported last week, “Senate Democrats decided Thursday not to release their spending plan to counter the budget blueprint approved last month by House Republicans, saying they will wait to see whether talks at the White House produce a compromise plan for reining in the national debt.” In fact, according to the Los Angeles Times, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it would be ‘foolish’ for Democrats to propose their own federal budget for 2012, despite continued attacks from Republicans that the party is ducking its responsibility to put forward a solution to the nation’s deficit problems. ‘There’s no need to have a Democratic budget in my opinion,’ Reid said in an interview Thursday. ‘It would be foolish for us to do a budget at this stage.’”

Meanwhile, Democrats also seem to have also decided that now is the time to do nothing about the ever-increasing costs of Medicare.

Barely a week ago, the AP reported, “The bad economy is worsening the already-shaky finances of Medicare and Social Security, draining the trust funds supporting them faster than expected and intensifying the need for Congress to shore up the massive benefit programs, the government said Friday. Both Medicare and Social Security are being hit by a double whammy: the long-anticipated wave of retiring baby boomers and weaker-than-expected tax receipts, according to the annual report by the trustees who oversee the programs. The Medicare hospital insurance fund for seniors is now projected to run out of money in 2024, five years earlier than last year’s estimate.”

But last Thursday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told liberal Washington Post blogger Greg Sargent, “We have a plan. It’s called Medicare.” She added, “We gave the blueprint for how we strengthen Medicare in the Affordable Care Act . . . .” Except her health care bill cut $500 billion from Medicare and will not contain costs.

Still, some Democrats seem satisfied doing nothing. According to National Review Online’s Andrew Stiles, “Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D., W.Va.) said that by passing the health-care reform law — a ‘noble work’ — Democrats had ‘solved virtually all problems.’ ‘It’s good plan,’ he said. ‘Stick with the plan.’”

On Fox News Sunday yesterday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said that doing nothing is not an option: “Medicare is in trouble.  Several of the President’s own cabinet members who make up the trustees of Medicare and Social Security declared last week that we’ve got to change Medicare and change it quickly.  The president would do that, too.  He would do it with a board to ration health care. So, let’s just stipulate that nobody is trying to throw grandma off the cliff.  Medicare is in serious trouble, serious trouble, and soon.  The President would ration care, which will adversely impact grandma. We’re going to have to change Medicare and it’s going to happen soon. It’s going to happen in connection with talks with the Vice President that are going on right now and it’s going to happen in connection with raising the debt ceiling which the President has asked to us do.”

Senate News Briefing

The Bookworm Turns: A Secret Conservative in Liberal Land

The Bookworm Room, a fellow Council Member at Watcher of Weasels is one of those unfortunate Conservative souls who must live and work behind enemy lines. The Perils are great, the danger is everywhere and the sacrifices required are immeasurable. But the rewards are many, if you are a writer and not afraid to speak your mind, self-charged with exposing the Left Wing scourge and pestilence that has plagued the Free World!

The perilous land is not Afghanistan or Iraq, not even Libya. It is more dark and evil than even Iran.

I am, of course, talking about the Land of Liberals.

But now, Bookworm needs our help, fellow Defenders of Freedom! This tiny beacon of light struggling to pierce the Liberal Darkness, this Spark of Liberty in the Land of the Terminally Lost cries out for sustenance.

Not in the form of a handout, Heaven Forbid. Handouts are the fastest way to allow one’s soul to slip into the Liberal Entitlement Trap never to be heard from again, save in the darkest corners of the Welfare Offices.

No, The Bookworm has managed to compile 7 years of favorite behind the lines war stories into a single online, down-loadable  tome the likes of which may never surface again (unless Volume 2 is forthcoming).

What is in the book that sells for only $4.99 at Amazon and can be read on a Kindle (or a PC for free).

• Chapter 1 (Who am I and why am I here?):  Cosmic Ironies
• Chapter 2 (Big Government):  The Left transforms Civil Rights, so that it’s no longer freedom FROM government, but total control BY government
• Chapter 3 (Capitalism versus Socialism):  Economically flexible morality
• Chapter 4 (Socialized Medicine and Other Socialist Fallacies):  Health care reform — or, when smart people go stupid
• Chapter 5 (Democrats and others on the Left):  Regressives
• Chapter 6 (Barack Obama):  Is Barack Obama anti-American
• Chapter 7 (Race in America):  The smug racism of the neo-colonialists
• Chapter 8 (Immigration):  Good immigrant, bad immigrant
• Chapter 9 (The Tea Party movement):  The Bay Area Patriots GroupaPalooza — from the Progressive perspective
• Chapter 10 (Islam):  When is a burqa not a burqa?  When it’s a weapon
• Chapter 11 (Jews and Anti-Semitism):  Remembering when Jews were popular
• Chapter 12 (Israel and the Middle East):  Pharaoh, the Ten Plagues, and Iran (appropriate as we near Passover)
• Chapter 13 (Boys and Girls; Men and Women):  Responsible adults
• Chapter 14 (Parents and Children):  Catch ‘em being good
• Chapter 15 (Education):  Just a quick thought about the UC tuition hike
• Chapter 16 (Military Life):  In the presence of greatness:  the Battle of Midway celebration
• Chapter 17 (Personal Morality and Ethics):  The need for an honest, 21st century debate about abortion
• Chapter 18 (Hollywood):  Hollywood:  Manliness Attacked and Reappearing
• Chapter 19 (Media Matters):  Ordinary people view Rush as a dangerous Svengali
• Chapter 20 (Life in the [Liberal] Bay Area):  San Francisco:  America’s homegrown anarchic totalitarianism

So, strike a chord for Truth, Justice and the American Way (that really works). Visit Amazon and see for yourself what it’s like in the trenches, behind enemy lines where Liberal Insanity rules the day.

You will never be the same!

And if you are luck enough to live in a State where Conservatism is not dead, you will appreciate your good fortune even more.

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Starbucks CEO Says ‘Pressure On Small Businesses’ ‘Is Too Great,’ Other Job Creators Say ‘The Healthcare Law Costs Too Much And Further Jeopardizes The Economic Recovery’

HOWARD SCHULTZ, Starbucks CEO: “I Think As The Bill Is Currently Written And If It Was Going To Land In 2014 Under The Current Guidelines, The Pressure On Small Businesses, Because Of The Mandate, Is Too Great.” (“Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz Discusses Turnaround,” The Seattle Times, 3/12/11)

###

SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

There was an interesting article in Washington Posts blog by Peter Guluszka, “Virginia Tea Parties need to grow up”. His article brings up some interesting points and some things I have pondered myself.

Like this:

The well-organized party movement was riding a wave in the run-up to the midterm elections in November. It was taking on politicians of both stripes for what participants saw as overspending and overreaching by the federal government. On their scopes were health-care reform, the TARP bank bailout, changes in various amendments to give “the people” more power and a range of other things from the right to pack heat in bars and to defy conventional teaching in public schools.

Virginia’s emerging Tea Party leader is Jamie Radtke, a former political aide and William & Mary graduate who spent a number of years as a housewife. So smashing was her political initiation that she’s running for U.S. Senate.

But the hard facts are that the General Assembly session is half over, and the Virginia Tea Partiers haven’t made much of a difference.

and

….Fact is, the average shad- and Brunswick-stew-eating Virginia politician likes the road-spending package. It will create some jobs and give commuters stuck in traffic something better to imagine.

Otherwise, the Tea Party people are showing they have a lot to learn. They didn’t have much to do with McDonnell’s plan to privatize ABC stores, which has gone down in flames. They don’t like a plan to have business pay insurance for families with autistic children.

And, at times, the Tea Party people have displayed themselves at being a little out of their league. Radtke gave a speech blaming the Federal Reserve for hikes in global commodity prices, such as corn, wheat, sugar and gasoline. Once again, she was playing up the notion of those bogeymen in Washington gleefully causing all of our problems.

….. there are a lot of reasons for the global price hikes and not many of them have to do with Fed machinations.

and finally Guluzka last point, I am in total agreement with:

This isn’t to say that the Tea Party movement is dead. It just needs time to grow up.

Senate News Briefing:

President Obama spoke at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today where he urged cooperation and asked business leaders to support his economic agenda. The Wall Street Journal noted the Chamber includes “some of his toughest business critics” and points out, “Chamber and White House officials clashed during Mr. Obama’s first two years in office over the president’s health-care and financial-markets regulatory overhauls, as well as environmental rules and tax policies.”

Yet the president’s outreach to the business community seems to once again be more rhetoric than reality. According to the AP, “White House officials say Obama’s speech will not break new policy ground, nor will he offer an olive branch.”

Indeed, today’s speech appears to be part of a pattern where President Obama will double down on policies harmful to business and job creation like his unpopular health care bill, the complicated Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, or EPA regulation of greenhouse gases, but then the White House will declare a new outreach to the business community to smooth things over.

One year ago, The Washington Post reported, “Declaring himself an ‘ardent believer in the free market,’ President Obama tried to rally business leaders Wednesday to support the administration’s goals of health-care reform, climate legislation and financial regulation.” In July of last year, after Democrats in Congress pushed through the health care and financial regulation bills, Politico wrote, “The White House has launched a coordinated campaign to push back against the perception taking hold in corporate America and on Wall Street that President Barack Obama is promoting an anti-business agenda.” In November, The Washington Post wrote, “President Obama is moving to cool down his war with the United States Chamber of Commerce, one of the most bitter political feuds of the last two years.” And a month later The Post reported, “The Republicans in Congress aren’t the only people the White House is trying to make peace with. President Obama will meet Wednesday with a group of 20 chief executives, including the heads of American Express, Google and UBS, as he continues a persistent but at times unsuccessful effort to win the business community’s trust.”

And yet little has changed in the way of policy. As the WSJ reported last month, “President Barack Obama’s government-wide review of federal regulations will have little effect on two of the president’s major regulatory victories: an overhaul of Wall Street and the health-care market, according to a White House budget official.” And according to a report in today’s Journal, “The Environmental Protection Agency, which enforces rules that affect the U.S. economy from factories to farms, is the No. 1 target of complaints from business groups collected by House Republican leaders. EPA rules were cited more than those from any other agency in more than 100 letters sent by trade associations, businesses and some conservative groups to House oversight committee chairman Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) in response to his call for businesses to identify regulations they deemed burdensome, according to documents reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.”

The Washington Post adds, “The Post reviewed more than 200 letters and reports that businesses sent to Issa targeting regulations across the federal government. The rules under scrutiny include familiar issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, health-care reform and the landmark Wall Street overhaul. . . . In their letters, business leaders express alarm about the slow pace of the economic recovery and what they characterize as the growing role government is playing in the private sector. ‘Business owners remain on edge regarding the tidal wave of federal government regulation that has been advanced or proposed over the past two years. . . .The pain of the harsh recession was intensified and lengthened by this hyper-regulatory environment,’ Karen Kerrigan, president of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, wrote in a Jan. 12 letter to Issa.”

With only 36,000 jobs added last month, it’s clear that more needs to be done to foster an environment where businesses can create new jobs. Unfortunately, the White House seems more focused on presenting the image of reaching out to business, instead of changing its policies that are stifling job creation.

Yesterday, Senate Republicans made good on their promise to force a vote on repealing President Obama’s massive, unpopular health care spending law. Unfortunately, every Senate Democrat present for the vote, 51 in total, voted against repeal. All 47 Republicans voted to scrap the 2,700-page monstrosity and start over.

Following the vote, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released a video, saying, “The Senate Republicans promised the American people we would vote to repeal Obamacare, and we have done that. But this fight isn’t over. We intend to continue the fight to repeal and replace Obamacare with sensible reforms that would lower the cost of American health care, like medical malpractice, like selling insurance across state lines.”

Politico explains today, “Just holding the vote is a political victory for Republicans: McConnell managed to force the roll call on the floor of the Democratic-controlled Senate. And some moderate Democrats are now on the record with a vote in favor of Obama’s signature legislative achievement — something that GOP campaigns are sure to exploit over the next two years. The country is relatively split in its support for the law, particularly in states where moderate Democrats will face reelection in 2012. Republicans hope that support for the law will further erode, forcing Democrats to reconsider their support for health reform.”

Politico also points out, “Senate Republicans pledge that their first crack at repealing the health care overhaul won’t be their last. ‘Yes, we were unsuccessful, but we know where everyone stands,’ said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). ‘It’s not too late to start over. We should repeal this bill and start over. We may not do it today, and we may not do it tomorrow, but we will defeat this bill,’ he said. . . . McConnell has promised to force numerous votes against the health care reform law. ‘We think this is just the beginning,’ he told reporters after the failed vote. ‘This issue is still before us, and we are going to go at it in a variety of ways.’”

The Washington Post adds, “‘There’s a narrative I’ve seen and read out there that this was somehow a futile act because Republicans didn’t have the votes to repeal Obamacare. But I have to tell you, these are the first steps in a long road that will culminate in 2012 whereby we will expose the flaws and the weaknesses in this legislation,’ Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.) said at a news conference held by GOP leaders after Wednesday’s vote. Republicans in Congress will seek to deny the Obama administration the money it needs to implement parts of the law. They could try to strip out specific provisions, such as some of the cuts to Medicare. They might win a few of these skirmishes. But even if they lose, Republicans could use the assault as a campaign issue in 2012.”

And according to Politico, “Republicans have a bill pending that allows states to ‘opt out’ of the individual requirement to buy insurance, the requirement for large employers to provide coverage and the state expansion of the Medicaid program. They’re also eyeing a repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board, which will control the growth of Medicare, and the individual mandate. The expiring continuing resolution to fund the government could give Republicans a new opportunity to attack the law. McConnell said they might try to ‘delete the funding for bureaucrats to ramp up Obamacare.’”

As Leader McConnell said yesterday, “The case against this bill is more compelling every day. Everything we learn tells us it was a bad idea. That it should be repealed and replaced. The courts say so. The American people say so. Job creators say so. It’s time for those who passed this bill to show that they’ve noticed.”

Senate News Briefing 2.03.11

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“Independence is about Actions, not Words, Senator Webb”

Webb’s comments on Health Care bill conflict with his votes

U.S. Senate candidate Jamie Radtke today questioned Senator Jim Webb’s explanation of his support for Obama-care.

“Senator Webb said this week the Obama administration ‘did a really terrible job handling health care reform’ – that it made a mistake relying on Congress to draft the plan,” said Radtke.  “Yet Senator Webb voted for this job-killing shamble of a health care bill.”

Readers of this blog know well that Sandy’s favorite Democrat (at least among office holders) is Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina (blogger’s note and disclaimer – I am a native of the Tarheel State but I am from eastern NC); Shuler’s the former quarterback of the Redskins and Saints (another disclaimer – geaux Saints!) who a outspoken follower of Christ and conservative “Blue Dog” Democrat.  Shuler was the subject of prior articles here at the blogs I write for.

The first bit of good news is the latest poll gives Shuler a comfortable lead over his Republican opponent – 54 to 39 percent.

The second bit of news is interesting:  Shuler might run for Speaker against Nancy Pelosi.  This article has the comment on video.  It is described as a joke by a high Democrat official and former Shuler campaign manager:

Shuler’s office didn’t respond to an inquiry into whether the two-term congressman is plotting a Pelosi challenge, but North Carolina Democratic Party Executive Director Andrew Whalen, a former Shuler campaign manager, said he believed the Blue Dog was only kidding.

“I’ve known Heath for a lot of years and I thought he was just making a light-hearted joke,” Whalen told POLITICO in an e-mail.

But Ari Berman in his article didn’t take it as a joke; he believes the Blue Dogs are the problem:

Conservative Democrats in the House of Representatives — whose election in 2006 and 2008 enabled Nancy Pelosi to preside over a supermajority (there are 255 Democrats and 178 Republicans) — increasingly question whether she should relinquish her position as speaker. Representative Heath Shuler of western North Carolina, a leader of the restive Blue Dog Coalition of Democrats, has even hinted that he may run for her job. Representative Shuler is an unlikely candidate for leader of the party — a devout Southern Baptist who voted against the stimulus, the bank and auto bailouts and health care reform. Yet he’s exactly the kind of Democrat that the party worked very hard to recruit for public office.

It’s true; progressives have been upset at Shuler (see my prior blogs above for details); that is not likely to change. I would suggest that Shuler will not be able to run for Speaker (the GOP looks like they will win the House but all my readers need to vote to make sure of that!) but even if the position is minority leader, it’s not a good move for the conservative Democrat.

First, Shuler would have to carry water for liberal Obama and the liberals in the House.  Many Blue Dogs will be ousted in 2010; that will require Shuler to work a deal with liberals that do not like him or his policies.  He’ll have to compromise and he’ll end up being opposed by both sides.  Second, with fewer Blue Dogs, Shuler will not have a base for effective leadership.

Shuler has another option; as I have said before, he should switch parties.  He might have to go the way of the independent for a term or two, much as Virgil Goode did here in Virginia.  However, he’d be much more at home in the GOP.  To use an analogy former quarterback Shuler will understand:  When people on your own team are against you, you need to ask for a trade – or an unconditional release.  Come join the Republicans after the election.  You have my support!

This article was written by Michelle Stanley and cross posted at Richmond Patriots.
That reality, costs are going up and the blame game is starting. Today, Sept 23, 2010, some of the first reforms will become effective such as, insurance companies can no longer put a dollar limit on essentials benefits (hospital and lab services), dependent children will be covered until age 26 and preventive care will have no deductable.

CBS Evening News reported that already insurance companies are raising rates and telling customers it is because of the changes in the law:

Insurers like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois have already sent letters notifying customers of premium hikes up to 13 percent total. All, they say, because of health care reform.

The White House and HHS Secretary Sebelius are not happy about this and accuse the insurers of using misleading information and scare tactics. In a letter to the, American’s Health Insurance Plans President and CEO, Sebilus states in first paragraph:

It has come to my attention that several health insurer carriers are sending letters to their enrollees falsely blaming premium increases for 2011 on the patient protections in the Affordable Care Act. I urge you to inform your members that there will be zero tolerance for this type of misinformation and unjustified rate increases.

Further down in the letter:

Given the importance of the new protections and the facts about their impact on costs, I ask for your help in stopping misinformation and scare tactics about the Affordable Care Act. Moreover, I want AHIP’s members to be put on notice: the Administration, in partnership with states, will not tolerate unjustified rate hikes in the name of consumer protections.

However, Health insurers do expect health care costs to increase by 10.5-11 percent, with the health care reform law projected to add 2-5 percent over the next three years, according to a survey by Aon Consulting.

The Coalition to Protect Patient Rights, a grass root organization of over 10,000 doctors, spokesman Dr. Donald J. Palmisano is very concerned over the health care law many flaws stating:

“It’s not surprising to those of us who paid attention to the legislative process that a new government analysis would show health care costs are going to be higher under the reform bill than they would have been without passage of the law,” Dr. Palmisano said. “What I’m most concerned about, however, is that these increased costs will add to the difficulty of patients getting the care they so desperately need. We need less government and more care in our health care system.”

“In addition to failing to rein in health care spending, the health bill’s cuts to the Medicare program’s funding will impede the ability of American patients to get the care they need,” Dr. Palmisano said.

Now back to the CBS News report where the reporter, Sharyl Attkisson, posed this question:

But don’t the insurance companies have a right to make their own analyses and claims to their customers?

“Absolutely, they have a right to communicate with their customers,” replied HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “We just want to make sure that communication is as accurate as possible.”

But accuracy may be in the eye of the beholder. And insurers are firing back, asking how can they be forced to increase benefits, then be prevented from telling customers why costs are on the rise?

“We strongly believe that our policy holders have a right to this information,” Zirkelbach said.

People who are indifferent or even for the Health Care Reform, I hope that they are starting to see the myriad of complex issues this the Health Care Law is causing. The one thing that is clear is that the debate is far from over, Hang on folks it is going to be a bump ride.

President Obama Repeats Rhetoric On Health Insurance Premiums, Even As New Reports On Rate Hikes Emerge

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “All This Is Going To Lower Premiums. It’s Going To Make Healthcare More Affordable” (President Obama, Remarks, 9/22/10)

REALITY: “WHOPPING RATE INCREASES ARE COMING SOON”

CONNECTICUT: “Health Insurers Are Asking For Immediate Rate Hikes Of More Than 20 Percent In Connecticut For Some Plans, Citing Rising Medical Costs And Federal Health Reform Laws As Reasons. Both issues — the new federal health care reform and rising medical costs — are significant drivers of the increases, according to filings by insurers with state regulators that were reviewed by The Courant.” (“Health Insurers Seeking Rate Hikes Of More Than 20 Percent In Connecticut,” The Hartford Courant, 9/15/10)

• “In Justifying Rate Increases Sought In Connecticut, Anthem Said That One Provision Of The New Law, Forbidding Insurers To Impose Lifetime Limits On Coverage Of ‘Essential Health Benefits,’ Could Cause Premiums For Some Policies To Rise As Much As 22.9 Percent.” (“Medicare Advantage Premiums To Fall In 2011,” The New York Times, 9/22/10)

CALIFORNIA: “Premiums In The Commercial Insurance Market Continue Rising At A Brisk Pace, As Illustrated By The Largest Plans In California. Ioannis A. Kazanis, A Spokesman For The California Insurance Department, Said That Starting Oct. 1, Commercial Premiums Would Rise An Average Of 19 Percent For Individual Policies Sold By Aetna And By Blue Shield Of California, 16 Percent For Health Net Policies And 14 Percent For Those Sold By Anthem Blue Cross, A Unit Of Wellpoint.” (“Medicare Advantage Premiums To Fall In 2011,” The New York Times, 9/22/10)

WASHINGTON STATE: “Whopping Rate Increases Are Coming Soon For Many People With Individual Health-Insurance Policies. Most insurers offering individual policies in the state have asked for and been granted rate increases, effective Oct. 1, according to the state’s insurance commissioner. Regence BlueShield’s rate increase an average 16.5 percent was one of the highest. It was topped by Asuris Northwest Health, a Regence subsidiary, with an increase of 23.7 percent. Group Health Cooperative, the fifth-largest insurer of individuals, was considerably lower, asking for an 8.2 percent increase. But its newer program, Group Health Options, asked for a 22 percent increase. By reducing benefits and making other changes, the plans trimmed increases to 7.8 and 13.8 percent, respectively. A lot of angry customers are asking why.” (“Steep Rate Hikes On Way For Individual Health Insurance,” The Seattle Times, 9/7/10)

NATIONWIDE: “Health Insurers … Have Asked For Premium Increases Of Between 1% And 9% To Pay For Extra Benefits Required Under The [Democrat Health Care] Law.” “Health insurers say they plan to raise premiums for some Americans as a direct result of the health overhaul in coming weeks, complicating Democrats’ efforts to trumpet their signature achievement before the midterm elections. Aetna Inc., some BlueCross BlueShield plans and other smaller carriers have asked for premium increases of between 1% and 9% to pay for extra benefits required under the law, according to filings with state regulators.” (“Health Insurers Plan Hikes,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/8/10)

• “Aetna, One Of The Nation’s Largest Health Insurers, Said The Extra Benefits Forced It To Seek Rate Increases For New Individual Plans Of 5.4% To 7.4% In California And 5.5% To 6.8% In Nevada After Sept. 23. Similar steps are planned across the country, according to Aetna.” (“Health Insurers Plan Hikes,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/8/10)

• “Regence BlueCross BlueShield Of Oregon Said The Cost Of Providing Additional Benefits Under The Health Law Will Account On Average For 3.4 Percentage Points…” (“Health Insurers Plan Hikes,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/8/10)

SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

It must be awfully tempting:  get an incumbent Senator for the first time on your ballot.  But the Alaska Libertarian Party should do a paraphrase of Lloyd Bentsen and proclaim:  “I know libertarianism, some libertarians are friends of mine, and you are no libertarian, Senator Murkowski.”  Here’s a story on the situation.

Here’s a precis of Murkowski’s positions:

She’s for cap and trade but not Obama’s version:

Murkowski opposes cap-and-trade legislation proposed by President Obama, but has previously voiced support for a cap and trade plan that she believes would do less damage to the economy.

Murkowski is for a border fence:

Murkowski said she believes the first thing that needs to be done to stop the flow of illegal immigrants in the country is to secure the border.

This can be accomplished by utilizing a fence, the National Guard and technologies such as video cameras in more remote areas, she said.

The senator is also for a form of health care reform:

“In my version of health care reform, we reduce not only the cost of care, but the cost of providing for coverage and we increase access,” she said. “The health care bill the president signed in March does not do that.”

The senator believes a better health care package would include medical malpractice reform, curtail defensive medicine and increase competition by allowing people to buy insurance across state lines.

“When it comes to insurance, we’re not a very attractive market here in Alaska, because we’re a small market.” she said. “… When you don’t have competition, you’re not going to see your costs reduced.”

Senator Murkowski does not speak to Federal lands in Alaska or other ways to reduce government.  Why would the libertarians endorse her?  She won’t stop unnecessary wars either.

Here’s the libertarian candidate’s positions.  They are basically local control of schools, ending the war on drugs, and muddled positions on global warming and the “war on terror”.

No, the Alaska Libertarian Party must say no to the temptation for power at the expense of principle.  It’s like the Third Temptation of Christ:  “Again, the devil took him [Jesus Christ] to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him,’All these will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”"  (Matthew 4:8-9 [RSV])  Jesus said no and insisted His loyalty was to God the Father.  Don’t do it!

DEM TALKING POINTS MEET REALITY

Dems Now Acknowledge Their Health Care Sales Pitch Was False

“Key White House Allies Are Dramatically Shifting Their Attempts To Defend Health Care Legislation, Abandoning Claims That It Will Reduce Costs And Deficit, and instead stressing a promise to ‘improve it.’” (“New Dem Message: ‘Improve’ Health Care, Don’t Talk Cost,” Politico, 8/19/10)

• “The Presentation’s Final Page Of ‘Don’ts’ Counsels Against Claiming ‘The Law Will Reduce Costs And Deficit.’” (“New Dem Message: ‘Improve’ Health Care, Don’t Talk Cost,” Politico, 8/19/10)

Dems Said Health Law Would “Slow The Growth Of Health Care Costs,” Allow Americans To “Spend Less On Health Care”

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “The Plan I’m Announcing Tonight … Will Slow The Growth Of Health Care Costs For Our Families, Our Businesses, And Our Government.” (President Obama, Remarks To Joint Session Of Congress, 9/9/09)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “Mr. President, One Of The Major Goals Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act Is To Lower Federal Health Care Costs And Reduce The Deficit. Our Bill Does That.” (Sen. Reid, Congressional Record, S.11985, 11/30/09)

SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): Health Bill “Will Lower Costs… Will Reduce Costs.” “It would inject competition into the insurance market, it will lower costs, and it will give families, such as Katerina’s, more choices. … Our plan will increase options, enhance security and stability, and it will reduce costs for people such as Katerina by providing credits and premium assistance.” (Sen. Murray, Congressional Record, S.13750, 12/22/09)

SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D-CO): “Health Care Reform Will Rein In Skyrocketing Health Care Costs and achieve close to $2 trillion of savings through the entire health care system-savings that will result in real economic gains to families and businesses.” (Sen. Bennet, Congressional Record, S.11575, 11/19/09)

SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT): “Health Reform Will Ensure Both The Federal Government And The American People Spend Less On Health Care Than If This Bill Doesn’t Pass.” (Sen. Baucus, “Memorandum To Reporters And Editors RE: CMS Actuary Report On Health Reform,” 12/11/09)

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “Bringing Down Costs Of Health Insurance And Making It More Affordable Is Job One For This Health Care Reform.” (Sen. Dick Durbin, Floor Remarks, 12/18/09)

REALITY: Today A North Carolina Insurer Announces “Sharp Rate Increases” As A Result Of “The Health Overhaul”

“The State’s Largest Health Insurer Plans To Hit Some Members With Sharp Rate Increases Again Next Year, Blaming Changes From The Health Overhaul And Rising Medical Costs. … Rates For Some Children, Men And Older Members Will Increase 30 Percent Or More.” (“Insurer Seeks Steeper Rates,” The News & Observer, 8/20/10)

Administration’s Own Actuary Said All Along That The Health Law “Will Increase” Health Spending

President’s Own Actuary At CMS Says Law Will “Increase” Health Spending

“But The [CMS] Analysis Also Found That The Law Falls Short Of The President’s Twin Goal Of Controlling Runaway Costs, Raising Projected Spending By About 1 Percent Over 10 Years. That Increase Could Get Bigger, Since Medicare Cuts In The Law May Be Unrealistic And Unsustainable, The Report Warned.” (“Report Says Health Care Will Cover More, Cost More,” The Associated Press, 4/23/10)

• “The Overhaul Will Increase National Health Care Spending By $311 Billion From 2010-2019.” “The report found that the president’s law missed the mark, although not by much. The overhaul will increase national health care spending by $311 billion from 2010-2019, or nine-tenths of 1 percent.” (“Report Says Health Care Will Cover More, Cost More,” The Associated Press, 4/23/10)

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SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

There is an excellent article in Investors.Com about the sorry state of business affairs Obama has led this country into.

People are asking, “Is the government doing us more harm than good? Should we change what it does and the way it does it?”

Now, this was a question asked during the Administration of former President George W. Bush. And the obvious answer in 2008 was a resounding yes as the masses voted for the promise of hope and change, and a basic fairness in government and business, both of which were accused of oppressing the people. So why is the same question still relevant after the Democratic victories of 2008? Why are the Democrats on the precipice of massive losses in November’s election?

Too many overreaching laws give the president too much discretion to make too many open-ended rules controlling too many aspects of our lives. There’s no end to the harm an out-of-control president can do.

So, it appears that we have had an over-correction instead of simply fixing the problems. We have seen that when the Democrats take control of the Federal Government, they have this uncontrollable urge to completely and fundamentally remake things in their own image. What creeps into every single piece of legislation slammed through Congress is the undeniable intent to control every aspect of everyone’s life. HOw else could a Government takeover of Student Loans end up in a Health Care Reform Bill?

His bullying and offenses against the economy and job creation are so outrageous that CEOs in the Business Roundtable finally mustered the courage to call him “anti-business.” Veteran Democrat Sen. Max Baucus blurted out that Obama is engineering the biggest government-forced “redistribution of income” in history.

Fear and uncertainty stalk the land. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says America’s financial future is “unusually uncertain.”

A Wall Street “fear gauge” based on predicted market volatility is flashing long-term panic. New data on the federal budget confirm that record-setting deficits in the $1.4 trillion range are now endemic.

Of course, Obama is plummeting in the polls, but as we have seen with the Journ-o-list fiasco, the “mainstream media” have conspired to fool the masses into believing that Obama is doing good for America. If Obama and this Democratic majority were forced to deal with honesty and integrity by the media, Obama’s poll numbers would be pretty close to zero, although there are those who would approve of his actions even if he were to set off nuclear bombs in American cities, because of his skin color. It is amazing that people are unable to ignore the color of this president’s skin and look at the disastrous presidency on it’s merits alone.

Under ObamaCare, he can issue new rules and regulations so insidiously powerful in their effect that higher-priced, lower-quality and rationed health care will quickly become ingrained, leaving a permanent stain.

Under Dodd-Frank, he and his agents will control all credit and financial transactions, rewarding friends and punishing opponents, discriminating on the basis of race, gender and political affiliation. Credit and liquidity may be choked by bureaucracy and politics — and the economy will suffer.

He and the EPA may try to impose by “regulatory” fiats many parts of the cap-and-trade and other climate legislation that failed in the Congress.

And by executive orders and the in terrorem effect of an industrywide “boot on the neck” policy, he can continue to diminish energy production in the United States.

By the trick of letting current-law tax rates “expire,” he can impose a $3.5 trillion 10-year tax increase that damages job-creating capital investment in an economy struggling to recover. And by failing to enforce the law and leaving America’s borders open, he can continue to repopulate America with unfortunate illegals whose skill and education levels are low and whose political attitudes are often not congenial to American-style democracy.

A wounded rampaging president can do much damage — and, like Caesar, the evil he does will live long after he leaves office, whenever that may be.

Read this article quoted in this post. It is absolutely filled with truth. And note there are 2 pages.

Readers of this blog are well aware that we cover all things TEA. We were the only ones to live blog the Richmond Tax Day rally and we even covered the fund raiser event prior to this year’s TEA party.

As a part of that coverage, I attended several organizational meetings in the weeks before the event, and remain in close contact with the TEA party leadership. We will be live blogging the Convention in October. However, I am not a member of any board and my efforts and presence continue to be for the purpose of publishing facts and truth about the TEA parties.

So, I feel that I am qualified, perhaps uniquely so, when I state that the TEA Party movement is not racist. During the meetings I attended, there was discussion on a number of issues. Racism and violence were denounced by all, yet they were issues that had to be addressed. Most of the concern was not for the attendees, but for those that would infiltrate the crowd and attempt to falsely display racism and intolerance, hoping to catch the eye of the media, who were very willing to cover such ignorance.

But the unanswered question was what to do with people that would do these things? The best answer was to ask them to take their signs and actions across the street. Of course, the event was on Public Property, so there was little that could be done if they refused.

But these few ignorant souls are not what the TEA party is about. There is no room for racism. In fact, violence and racism are counter productive to the economic issues on which the TEA party focuses.

And the Mainstream Media is quite confounded at the TEA Party’s refusal to take a stand on social issues. But the group remains quite focused on the fact that we are Taxed Enough Already.

So, despite a complete absence of proof, the NAACP condemns the TEA Party as a racist organization. Andrew Breitbart even offered $100,000 for anyone that brought proof of racial epithets hurled against black lawmakers in the Health Care Reform protests in Washington D.C. earlier this year.

Several black lawmakers and their staffers walked through the protesters in an attempt to bait them into racist comments. You would be wrong to assume these people did not carry recording devices to prove that their unnecessary path through the protesters was met with racial hostility. And the protest members also had cameras.

So, with no proof the event happened, and despite numerous video recordings showing not even one racial incident, the NAACP condemns the TEA Party.

Did we even mention that this was not a TEA Party event? It was a protest of the Health Care takeover.

Even racists were against this bill. But not for reasons of race.

Yet, despite the open nature of the event, and the fact that anyone could attend, even Democrats bent on defamation of the movement, the NAACP blames the TEA Party.

After over 100 years of helping blacks advance, the NAACP has decided that it is to their advantage to halt attempts to help blacks advance and begin trying to destroy those that do not agree with them. Even other blacks.

With the resolution condemning the TEA Party as racist, the National Association of Colored People has made their organization as outdated and irrelevant as their name.

This is why they should be ignored. The ignorance of racism is now running the NAACP.

Truly sad.

Vice President Joe Biden and the Obama administration rolled out their “Recovery Summer” tour to much fanfare last month, but The Washington Post writes today, “In a series of polls, the public has expressed deep skepticism about the economic direction Obama began taking in early 2009. A clear majority now say they disapprove of his handling of the issue.”

A Washington Post/ABC News poll yesterday found 54% disapprove of President Obama’s handling of the economy. ABC News wrote, “If the question has been when  Obama owns the economy, it looks to be now – not at a happy time, given 9.5 percent unemployment. He’d made slight progress on this key issue, inching ahead from 45 percent approval on the economy in March to 50 percent in June. That’s now gone, down 7 points in this poll to 43 percent, with 54 percent disapproving, a new high. And ‘strong’ disapprovers outnumber strong approvers by a record 41 percent vs. 20 percent.”

And a CBS News poll announced last night, “The President’s approval rating on the economy has dropped to 40%, down five points from last month. Disapproval of his handling of the economy is now at a majority of 54% – the highest to date.” Discussing the poll, CBS noted, “[I]n the poll, the economy is seen as the biggest problem by far facing the country, specifically the lack of jobs. . . . Fifty-two percent say the president has spent too little time addressing the issue, and 63 percent say his economic programs have had no effect on them personally.” And only 23% in the poll say the $862 billion stimulus has made the economy better.

As The Washington Post points out, “That has put the White House on the defensive as the midterm elections approach this fall. . . . That sense of frustration among voters has developed despite what White House officials see as a series of successes in the last year and a half: health care reform, Wall Street reform (perhaps to be passed Thursday), and an economic turnaround that has turned staggering monthly job losses into modest monthly job gains.” But, The Post explains, “West Wing officials like [Press Secretary Robert] Gibbs are trapped now. The more they talk about their economic and legislative successes, the more danger there is that they seem out of touch with the public’s sense of frustration.”

With administration officials like Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood declaring, “Welcome, everyone, to the summer of recovery!” while unemployment remains at 9.5% nationally and exceeds 10% in 15 states, it’s no wonder Americans are so dissatisfied with the Obama administration’s poor record on job growth and increasingly out-of-touch pronouncements.

Two hundred thirty four years ago, America had had enough. King George had moved from monarch to tyrant. With no constitution to protect them from the ruinous whims of a tyrannical dictator, the colonists declared their independence.

Among George’s other offenses, the Declaration charged, “He has abdicated Government here … He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.”

Move forward 234 years and we have a Constitution. One that has governed this land well, and mapped out a way of life with maximum freedom and minimum government. The Obama Administration has decided the Constitution is for the “little people”. Like George, the wishes of the people are of no concern to Obama. Health Care Reform was rammed through without even reading the bill. We are already suffering the consequences in higher premiums and overwhelmed emergency rooms. Not to mention doctors are not being paid as they should by the government, forcing many to raise fees on those with insurance.

When the Black Panthers showed up with weapons in Philadelphia intent on preventing white people from voting, presumably for Obama’s opponent, they were arrested. Feeling he is above the law, Obama had the charges dropped. This is tyrannical behavior.

When Obama decided that he wanted no more drilling in the Gulf, he imposed an illegal moratorium. A federal judge overruled Obama, who has said he will be reissuing a moratorium. Above the law.

When Obama’s friends in Chicago were told their gun ban was unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, they simply pass another more restrictive law. Obama has deep roots in the above the law crowd.

Unconcerned with the devastation the oil leak is causing, Obama has used the crisis to expand his power. And he has doen nothing to help speed the repairs. In fact, he has worked against stopping the leak with more and more red tape. Oil skimmers sit idle because Obama needs the crisis to expand power. He believes the people of the Gulf are simply pawns, to use at his whim.

While many immigrants have come through the front door, learned the Constitution, taken English classes and followed the legal path to citizenship, Obama wants to allow those who sneak in the back way to cut in line in front of the legal immigrants who respect our laws. Obama does this not for humanitarian reasons, but because he knows the majority will vote Democrat. Obama pretends to be their friend and savior, but is using them as pawns. Hw is required to defend our borders, yet he opens the floodgates for those who do not respect our laws.

This time, the tyranny is far more insidious, as it is being done in direct violation of our Constitution and laws, aided and abetted by the Democratic Party and a willing press.

It took the colonists a while to bring about the defeat of King George, and required the use of weapons of war.

This time around, no shots will be fired. None will fall in the anger of war. Mayhem will be averted, because this time, we are armed with the Constitution, rule of law and the ballot box. These are far more powerful weapons and their retort is loud.

Today we wave the flag in remembrance of what our Founding Fathers wanted for this land.

Today we remember what we had when America was free from tyrants. Today we count the blessings of the last 234 years.

But our battle will be won in November – not with a sword, but with a simple pen and a ballot.

The pen is, indeed, mightier than the sword.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday yesterday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was asked about the response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. As he discussed the response, Sen. McConnell also observed, “[T]he President has been advocating expansion of government across the board in virtually every area. If you are going to advocate expansion of the government, then you look not so good when the government you’re already in charge of doesn’t function very well.”

Believe it or not, liberal New York Times columnist Frank Rich made a similar point yesterday. Rich wrote, in this crisis, “[I]t’s not just the future of the gulf coast, energy policy or [Obama’s] presidency that’s in jeopardy. What’s also being tarred daily by the gushing oil is the very notion that government can accomplish anything. The current crisis in that faith predates this disaster. In the short history of the Obama White House, two of its most urgent projects, reducing unemployment and pacifying Afghanistan, have yet to yield persuasive results. The dividends on the third, health care reform, won’t be in the mail for years.”

Rich is right to identify the administration’s shortcomings on unemployment, but doesn’t mention the White House’s key initiative there, the $862 billion stimulus bill. At the time this massive bill was passed, Americans were assured that passage of the bill would result in 3-4 million jobs “saved or created” and that the unemployment rate wouldn’t exceed 8%. Instead the unemployment rate is still 9.7% and hasn’t even been close to 8% since early last year.

And while Rich says the results of the unpopular health care bill won’t really be measurable for years, there are many indicators that the bill isn’t functioning very well. Not only has the health care bill violated nearly every major promise made by President Obama and Democrats in their sales pitch, many of the unintended consequences are undermining what little confidence there was in the legislation to begin with. We’ve seen that the health care law won’t control costs, could harm Medicare beneficiaries through $500 billion in cuts, raises taxes, will almost certainly increase premiums, and is going to cost jobs. Meanwhile, Americans are also finding out that two of the most heavily promoted provisions of the bill, help for small businesses to get their employees health insurance and allowing adult children to stay on their parents’ health insurance aren’t likely to meet the expectations created about them.

And now the President and Democrats are looking to use the crisis in the Gulf to sell their national energy tax, which is a massive expansion of government. Yet with the track record the Obama administration has just on their signature government expansions, the stimulus and health care bills, Americans should be skeptical of any assurances of competence on implementing a carbon cap-and-trade scheme.