We Don't Need No Stinkin' Antique Firearms

There are plenty of things Obama and his boys have done over the past week that deserves some scrutiny but this involves something near to my heart.

Imam Obama and Hillary know well and good that importing WW II semi-automatics won't increase violent crime but they are relying on their usual tactics of fear, ignorance, and misinformation to justify their decision to keep these old guns out of the states.

You would have to jump through the usual hoops to get these weapons and they certainly aren't in the same league as modern assault rifles.

Here are the facts:

If you buy a gun at a gun store, sporting goods store, Wal Mart, etc. you are subject to a federal background check.
These guns should be eligible for purchase through the Curio & Relic program, so C&R license holders can have them shipped straight to their doors.
C&R licensees have to go through yet more background checks to get a license and statistically have a very low incidence of gun related crime. Plus, they have to keep a record of their transactions on file at all times.

The M1 Garand weighs 10 pounds, is four feet long and feels kind of like a big, unwieldy club.
It isn't a "high-cap" weapon unless you define "high-cap" as anything other than a single shot.
The M1 holds eight rounds and doesn't have a removable magaine.
Being a full-size rifle, you can't exactly tuck it under your jacket to rob the nearest Jiffy Stop.
Ammunition wasn't as good then as it is now, so you need to be careful what kind of .30-06 ammo you use in your M1. Modern sporting rounds have higher pressures than cartridges did 70 years ago and the wrong ammunition can damage a Garand.

The M1 Carbine is quite a bit smaller than its big brother, weighing in at five pounds and 36" in length.
It has a removable magazine holding 15 or 30 rounds.
The ammo for this gun is .30 Carbine which is darn hard to find without making a special effort to poke through specialty ammunition vendors.
When the M1 Carbine was in service, there were a number of complaints about how weak and ineffective the ammunition was.

A would be terrorist would be better served by getting a fully-automatic AK-47 on the black market. I'm sure there are a number of them available for sale on and around our southern border. Inquire at your own risk.

The People vs. The State

Wow. I've only been following politics for about 10 years but I've never seen anything like this before. It is more clear now than ever that there is a battle going on for the future of this country. It is not necessarily between republicans and democrats or even between liberals and conservatives.

It's about the ruling class imposing its will on what has been referred to as the "country class" or what my grandpa used to call the common man. It's about trying to maintain the principles this country was founded on instead of gutting the Constitution through the exercise of political brute force in an effort to twist the U.S. into some kind of socialist or fascist state.

Here's what I'm talking about:

A federal judge strikes the heart from a legally enacted Arizona state law which would help protect its citizens from the threats (physical and financial) of illegal immigration.

The Virginia attorney general decides that police officers have the right to ask for proof of immmigration status during an arrest or traffic stop. (It's an example of how far we have slid away from common sense that this is even an issue.)

Another federal judge rules that Virginia's lawsuit to keep the federal gov't from subjecting citizens of that state to its mandatory coverage laws can go forward.

Missouri overwhelmingly passes a law stating that its residents aren't subject to the federal gov't's univeral health insurance mandate.

A federal judge overturns a legally enacted California state law which said marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Our current situation may be best summed in the words of an Arizona sheriff, "Our own government has become our enemy."

Putting the republicans back in power this year won't resolve the situation. There are far too many of them who don't understand the stakes in this contest. They are still trying to play the same old political game. The Tea Partiers and those like them have to be willing to commit to the long haul, to take back the republican party and use it as a force for change to reclaim our country and reestablish the rule of law before it is far too late.

I Always Wanted to Live in a Socialist State

So now, instead of having to move, the democrats have brought socialism to me.

It's striking to watch the completely bizarre juxtaposition of lies and truth the dems are offering up. Alcee Hastings of the House Rules Committee admitted that the dems are making up the rules as the go along.

On the other hand, there are scores of his colleagues claiming this legislation will provide coverage to millions of people who don't have insurance while the truth of the matter is that it will leave millions more uninsured.

Bart Stupak stood there on the House floor tonight and claimed with a straight face that Obama's executive order would keep federal funds from being used for abortion, knowing full well that the Senate bill he just voted for will trump Obama's exec order once he signs it into law. And that bill will allow federal funding to be used for abortion.

President Obama himself spun a yarn worth of his vice president when he told us that premiums will fall by 3,000 percent.

The CBO, acting under strict orders from top dems, have scored this monstrosity in such way as to show it as a savings, when in reality, it will drastically increase the deficit. Truthfully, anyone with a fully-functional mind should be able to figure out that you can't provide a service to more people and have it cost less.

To hell with the truth, the Constitution, and a gov't that follows the will of the people. This is the age of Obama.

UPDATE
Obama just said that "We rose above politics" in the health care vote tonight when it was the largest power grab by a political party in the history of the nation. The scope and breadth of his lies are breathtaking. He was truthful by omission, however, when he said that the vote answers the dreams of many.

Here It Comes

Yesterday, I posted a link to a story describing a dem plan to circumvent the Constitution to get socialized medicine passed. I really didn't think they would pursue this cockamamie scheme but I underestimated their willingness to break the most fundamental laws of our society in order to force their will on us at any cost. Details here.

Let's Clear Something Up About the Socialized Medicine Bill

It has been made clear in the last few days that all of this talk about reconciliation is a bunch of crap. Once the health care bill passes the House, Obama signs it and the dems have their tentacles in one-sixth of the U.S. economy. This just backs that up.

All of these media types talking about Obama's proposed changes to the bill and potential changes to convince pro-life dems to vote for it - they're either deluded, ignorant, or both. The Senate bill has to be passed as is by the House in order for it to become law. Why should Obama let the House-passed bill go back to the Senate when he can sign it and declare victory over the evil repubs (and the American people)?


And key democrats are very much aware of their quandary. They seem to be getting desperate.

Don't get me wrong. There really isn't any such thing as a moderate Democrat in Congress and they could pass healthcare next week if things don't go our way. Or a few of them could decide not to take the bullet for Daddy O. and try to retain their seat next year. We'll see.

A New Source of Renewable Energy

The AP just called the Massachusetts race for Brown. If you could somehow tap the energy produced at Ted Kennedy's grave right now, you could power all of Boston for a year because the old senator has to spinning like a turbine.

some correspondence between myself and Sen. Lincoln's spam bot

After sending this reply, a got a message stating her inbox was full. I guess I'm not the only one who's not buying what she's selling. I have put Lincoln's e-mail first, followed by my response.

Dear Friend:

Thank you for contacting me regarding health care reform legislation in the United States Senate.

In November, I voted to bring the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590) up for debate in the Senate. This legislation is the combined product of bills passed after many months of work by the Senate Health, Labor, Education and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, of which I am a member. In a statement I delivered on the Senate floor the day of the first procedural vote, I made it clear that although I could not support passage of this legislation as it was introduced, I believed it was more important that we begin this debate to improve our nation's health care system for all Americans rather than bypass an opportunity to improve our health care system entirely.

Health care in America is on an unsustainable path, with health care costs rising at rates far above the rate of inflation, and insurance premiums in Arkansas rising 5.8 times faster than paychecks over the past decade. Furthermore, there simply aren't enough health insurance options available to most Americans today. In at least 17 states-including Arkansas-only one insurance company controls more than half of the insurance market, and in at least 22 states still only two carriers control half the market or more.

I believe that the health care provided in America is the best in the world. Our country trains the best physicians, builds the finest facilities and designs the best medical technologies, but the way we deliver and finance health care in America is not as efficient as it should be and fails to meet the current demands of the American population. Our country spends almost twice as much per person on health care than the average per-person spending of 29 other developed nations, and yet we still lag behind much of the rest of the industrialized world on many health outcomes and in access to health care coverage for our citizens. I'm confident we can do better.

I believe that Arkansans and other Americans deserve an honest and open debate on how to best achieve commonsense reform. There is no easy fix, and I have heard from thousands of Arkansans who have expressed to me their passionate views on the best way to achieve positive change as well as their concerns with existing proposals. I am committed to continuing to work with my colleagues on these issues to shape legislation that benefits Arkansas.

For the past month, the full Senate has been debating the bill, and through my hard work and the hard work of other members, the bill has changed substantially into a final product that I believe offers significant improvement. I support the revised Senate health care plan because it will curb rising health care costs over the long term, expand access to quality, affordable, health insurance plans to more than 400,000 uninsured Arkansans, and reduce the federal deficit by $132 billion in the next 10 years-all without a new government plan that places taxpayers at risk. Furthermore I have made it clear that as the House and Senate reconcile their bills over the coming weeks, I will not support a bill that departs significantly from the current Senate bill.

The final Senate bill (HR 3590) changes the way insurance companies do business. For plans purchased through an exchange, they will no longer be able to deny coverage based on a pre-existing condition, nor will they be able to raise your rates or drop you because you get sick. Insurers will be penalized for unfair rate hikes. We must put an end to these unfair practices that are symptomatic of market conditions that allow for little true choice or competition, and we must ensure that patients and their physicians are allowed to make treatment decisions based on the best science available to them and the individual needs of the patient. Bureaucrats, either in the government or private insurance companies, should not be allowed to interfere in care decisions. These are thoughtful, practical provisions contained in HR 3590 that I support and believe can make real progress toward expanding access to coverage and improving our health care system.

I have worked hard in this bill to ensure seniors will not see a reduction in the Medicare coverage and benefits they have always relied upon. I believe in the promise our government made to working Americans - that if we work hard, Medicare will be there to help us in our golden years. Medicare has made a healthy and secure retirement possible for tens of millions of Americans, and I am committed to ensuring that it continues to serve America's senior citizens.

How Arkansans will be able to access health insurance coverage under the Senate bill is based on legislation I first introduced in 2004. Small businesses, the self-employed, their families, and other individuals will be able to shop for coverage from a range of quality, affordable, private insurance plans through the health insurance exchange to be established in Arkansas. Furthermore, I successfully pushed for an additional $14 billion in tax relief for our small businesses, for a total of $38 billion. Small businesses across the country will now get the help they need to access coverage, placing them at the competitive advantage large corporations have enjoyed. Approximately 50,000 small businesses in Arkansas, with 260,000 workers, will be eligible for the small business tax credit that I authored. I also successfully pushed to ensure there would be no mandate on small business to purchase coverage. This means that Arkansas small businesses with fewer than 50 employees will not be required to cover their employees. In my conversations with Arkansas small business owners, I learned that while many small businesses wanted to provide coverage for their workers, they could not find affordable options.

Employees of firms that do not provide coverage will be able to shop for a plan on the insurance exchange. Further, within the exchanges, and again based on the bill I authored in 2004, some health insurance plans including at least one non-profit plan will be sold in all 50 states, bringing new competition into Arkansas, with the Federal Office of Personnel Management negotiating rates to keep premiums affordable as they currently do for federal employees.

Now that the Senate is nearing the end of this long road, it is clear my primary goals have been met. Namely, this bill will expand access to 31 million Americans and more than 400,000 Arkansans, change the way insurance companies do business, provide stability for those who have insurance, and protect our seniors by closing the Medicare Part D 'doughnut hole' and ensuring seniors can receive quality Medicare benefits for years to come. It will do all of this without adding to our nation's deficit and placing taxpayers at risk due to an unnecessary expansion of government. I am proud to support the Senate's final proposal.

I understand the health care reform process is complex and there is an incredible amount of misinformation circulating on what is or is not contained in the bills currently under consideration. I can state clearly that I have not and will not support legislation that makes illegal immigrants eligible for any federal benefits or subsidies for health insurance, and the current bill includes clear safeguards that prohibit illegal immigrants from accessing such benefits. I have also worked hard to ensure that provisions in this bill neither expand nor limit current law regarding abortion through health care reform legislation, and I support provisions in the bill that prohibit federal dollars from funding elective abortions.

I have heard from many Arkansans who support medical malpractice insurance reform, which I have supported in the past and in the current debate. The Senate bill authorizes demonstration projects that will tell us more about how best to reform medical malpractice insurance in order to lower costs to patients and providers, while continuing to ensure that both are protected.

Throughout this process, I have pushed to ensure the Senate is conducting this debate in a public and transparent manner. Americans across the country and certainly many Arkansans have been actively engaged in this debate, and I encourage you to remain engaged. That is why I have worked to ensure that the public has had access to the bill language, amendments, and supporting materials before votes have occurred. For instance, before I would vote to allow HR 3560 to be brought up for debate, I called on Majority Leader Harry Reid to make the full text of the legislation available online for at least 72 hours before the vote, and it was. I also built a "Health Care Resources Page" on my web site at www.lincoln.senate.gov where anybody can access the bill text, as well as the full text of any amendments brought up for debate. There are also links to reports and cost analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

I appreciate knowing of your thoughts and concerns regarding the health care debate. While the legislation before us is complex, we are not re-inventing the wheel or moving to a single-payer, government-run health care system. I believe that we can build on what works, keep the insurance companies honest and restore the faith of most Americans in government's ability to do the right thing.

Finally, while I remain optimistic that through this debate process we can craft a responsible, forward-looking bill, my first priority remains the people of Arkansas and not any political party or partisan organization, and I will not support legislation that does not serve the best interests of our great state.

Thank you again for contacting me. To learn more about my work in Congress, I encourage you to visit my online office and sign up for my e-newsletter at http://www.lincoln.senate.gov. I am proud to serve the citizens of Arkansas in the United States Senate and hope you will not hesitate to let me know whenever I may be of assistance to you.

Sincerely,

Blanche L. Lincoln

BLL/mc

Dear Senator:

A few questions and statements:

What gives you the right to force me to buy anything, from health insurance to chocolate ice cream? What part of the Constitution gives you that right?

What you failed to mention in your nicely phrased e-mail is that it will be cheaper for businesses with more than 50 employees to stop providing insurance to their workers and pay an annual penalty than to continue with their current insurance plans. This would directly affect me and mine. So much for me being able to keep my current insurance plan.

All of the news stories I've seen mention that the taxes and fees associated with this bill would start almost immediately after it is signed into law, while the new health care services wouldn't begin until four years after that. The price goes up drastically after the service portion kicks in, further increasing our debt load and putting the lie to the pretense of deficit reduction.

Please point out the language in the bill that prohibits illegals from getting publicly subsidized health care. I don't think it exists.

Please stop giving me Obama/Pelosi/Reid/Schumer talking points and deal with with the bill will really do. I can listen to the news for the democrat talking points.

Sincerely,