Exclusive: What happens next in health care - Mike Allen - POLITICO.com

Nooooooo....this wasn't a set-up....Nooooo, this was bi-partisan....of course! They wanted OUR ideas.....SURE.......

Exclusive: What happens next in health care - Mike Allen - POLITICO.com:

After a brief period of consultation following the White House health reform summit, congressional Democrats plan to begin making the case next week for a massive, Democrats-only health care plan, party strategists told POLITICO.

A Democratic official said the six-hour summit was expected to “give a face to gridlock, in the form of House and Senate Republicans.”"

Breitbart.tv � Obama to McCain: ‘The Election’s Over’

I am in no way a fan of John McCain...however, isn't what the President says he " and the phantom American people" want exactly what John McCain is saying...
Oh....and that snide little remark about the" election being over"....REALLY...!?!?... someone should tell Obama....he's in campaign mode just about 24/7!

Breitbart.tv � Obama to McCain: ‘The Election’s Over’:

Obama to McCain: ‘The Election’s Over’"

Breitbart.tv � Obama & Dems in 2005: 51 Vote ‘Nuclear Option’ Is ‘Arrogant’ Power Grab Against the Founder’s Intent

Breitbart.tv - Obama & Dems in 2005: 51 Vote ‘Nuclear Option’ Is ‘Arrogant’ Power Grab Against the Founder’s Intent:

Obama & Dems in 2005: 51 Vote ‘Nuclear Option’ Is ‘Arrogant’ Power Grab Against the Founder’s Intent"

The American Spectator : Big Al's Antique Roadshow

The American Spectator : Big Al's Antique Roadshow:

Some years ago I bumped into Alan Simpson while he was pushing a shopping cart around Albertson's in Cody -- a typical encounter -- and he asked me what I'd been up to lately. I told him that I'd just published a piece in the Weekly Standard.

'Good!' said Alan. 'Ann [Mrs. Simpson] gets it'"

GOP's Brown branded turncoat for jobs bill vote

I agree - however, Barney Frank gets away with destroying the Country without a peep........

GOP's Brown branded turncoat for jobs bill vote:

BOSTON -- A month after being crowned the darling of national conservatives, Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts is being branded 'Benedict Brown' for siding with Democrats in favor of a jobs bill endorsed by the Obama administration.

Like the four other GOP senators who joined him, the man who won the late Democrat Edward Kennedy's seat says it's about jobs, not party politics. And that may be good politics, too."

The use of reconciliation 1980-2008 - Brendan Nyhan

The use of reconciliation 1980-2008 - Brendan Nyhan:

If you follow Congressional politics, you may have heard the beginnings of a debate among the parties about the potential use of the reconciliation process, which only requires 50 votes, as a way for Democrats to avoid a Republican filibuster of a health care bill in the Senate. This is one of those annoying topics on which the parties (and their supporters) switch positions each time control of the majority changes. In this case, Democrats who previously opposed the use of reconciliation for policy changes now support it and vice versa for Republicans."

Harry Reid Says GOP Should "Stop Crying" About Reconciliation - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

Harry Reid Says GOP Should "Stop Crying" About Reconciliation - Political Hotsheet - CBS News:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters Tuesday that Republicans 'should stop crying' about the possible use of the parliamentary procedure known as budget reconciliation to pass a health care reform bill."

When You Botch the Stimulus, No One Believes Your Health-Care Promises - Jim Geraghty

When You Botch the Stimulus, No One Believes Your Health-Care Promises - Jim Geraghty:

This sentence, deep in the Washington Post’s coverage of the health-care summit, made me shake my head and be glad I’m not a congressional Democrat:

The White House's best hope — perhaps its only hope — is that Obama can use a masterful performance during the six-hour appearance to 'stiffen the spine' of congressional Democrats, one senior official said, persuading them to pass health-care legislation using the mechanism known as reconciliation, which requires a simple majority of 51 rather than 60 votes to prevail in the Senate."

The Real Sarah Palin - HUMAN EVENTS

The Real Sarah Palin - HUMAN EVENTS:

I got a letter in the mail last week. It was from Sarah Palin. I wasn’t expecting it. After all, I don’t even know her. But, nonetheless, there it was, lying in my mailbox, a letter from Wasilla, Alaska, the office of Sarah Palin. I’ve gotten mail from lots of famous politicians in my time: George W. Bush, John McCain, George H.W. Bush, and even from Ronald Reagan himself. But all of them had two things in common: 1) They had no idea who I was, and, 2) They were asking me for money."

Revisionist or Oblivious? - HUMAN EVENTS

Revisionist or Oblivious? - HUMAN EVENTS:

Here in America’s southwest desert, young Americans are training to fly Reapers, Predators and other Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) capable of attacking our enemies half a world away. Our FOX News War Stories team is here at Holloman Air Force Base documenting how these remarkable high-tech weapons are changing the face of battle in the long war against radical Islamists. One thing that hasn’t changed is how incredibly wrong liberal Democrats are about this fight."

Exposed: Democrat astroturfing to kill the tea party movement - Need to Know

Exposed: Democrat astroturfing to kill the tea party movement - Need to Know:

Remember all those accusations last summer from the Obama White House and Democratic congressional leaders like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the Tea Party movement was nothing more than an astroturfed mirage paid for by a few rich Repubican donors?

Well, nobody outside the newsrooms of places like The New York Times and the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee who had actually attended a Tea Party rally took such accusations seriously because of their transparently nonsensical basis."

The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Website Lists Clarence Thomas, Robert Mugabe & DC Sniper as "Embarrassing" Blacks

The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Website Lists Clarence Thomas, Robert Mugabe & DC Sniper as "Embarrassing" Blacks:

Political and cultural website the Root has released a list that lumps Clarence Thomas, Alan Keyes, and Michael Steele along with world dictators and other mass murders as 'Black Folks We'd Like To Remove From Black History.'"

The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : CBO Says It Doesn't Have Enough Details to Score Obama HC Proposal

The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : CBO Says It Doesn't Have Enough Details to Score Obama HC Proposal:

"The Congressional Budget Office on Monday said that it did not have enough details to provide a cost estimate of President Obama's health care proposal.

Earlier this afternoon, CBO Director Doug Elmendorf wrote on the office's blog:"

The American Spectator : The Great Recession of 2011-2012

The American Spectator : The Great Recession of 2011-2012:

"Are you ready for the Great Recession of 2011–2012? You should be, for it is getting under way even as you read this. Just as the 2009 “greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression” actually began back in 2007, so we are in the early days of the next cycle. Only this recession is going to be a doozy. And the aftershocks will be felt long after President Hillary Clinton leaves the White House in 2024."

American Thinker: Recovery via Spending Cuts, Low Taxes, and Cheaper Government

American Thinker: Recovery via Spending Cuts, Low Taxes, and Cheaper Government:

"There is an 800-pound gorilla in the room, and the 535 members of our Congress have done their best for several years to ignore him. However, he is getting bigger and bigger, and he can't be ignored any more. The same 800-pound gorilla can be seen from time to time at the Tea Parties and may be responsible for several Congressional 'retirements' that have been announced."

American Thinker: Backing Losers, Shackling Winners: Obama-Style Industrial Policy

American Thinker: Backing Losers, Shackling Winners: Obama-Style Industrial Policy:

"Team Obama seems intent on selecting the weakest players to represent the American economy in global markets. The administration's tax and regulatory policies handicap our finest industries while trying to promote others that may never be competitive without government subsidies. At times it seems that this administration wants American industry to fail."

American Thinker: Glenn Beck Vs. C. Edmund Wright

American Thinker: Glenn Beck Vs. C. Edmund Wright:

"In the spirit of Fox News: I report, you decide.

Glenn Beck acknowledged on his Monday afternoon television show that some folks did not approve of his keynote address to CPAC. The example he chose to express that displeasure was our Monday piece 'CPAC's"....

FOXNews.com - New Climate Agency Head Tried to Suppress Data, Critics Charge

FOXNews.com - New Climate Agency Head Tried to Suppress Data, Critics Charge:

The scientist who has been put in charge of the Commerce Department's new climate change office is coming under attack from both sides of the global warming debate over his handling of what they say is contradictory scientific data related to the subject."

Pajamas Media � Climategate Meets the Law: Senator Inhofe To Ask for DOJ Investigation (Pajamas Media/PJTV Exclusive)

Ironic case of water seeking it's own level...and not through Global Warming...it doesn't get any better than this!

Pajamas Media - Climategate Meets the Law: Senator Inhofe To Ask for DOJ Investigation:

"Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) today asked the Obama administration to investigate what he called “the greatest scientific scandal of our generation” — the actions of climate scientists revealed by the Climategate Files, and the subsequent admissions by the editors of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4).

Senator Inhofe also called for former Vice President Al Gore to be called back to the Senate to testify."

FTC warns firms, organizations of widespread data breach - Yahoo! Canada News

And again and again I say - you want these people handling YOUR Health Care and your PRIVATE Health Records?

FTC warns firms, organizations of widespread data breach - Yahoo! Canada News:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said Monday it has notified nearly 100 companies and organizations of data breaches involving personal information about customers or employees."

Obama tops Bush at ducking reporters - Washington Times

Obama tops Bush at ducking reporters - Washington Times:

President Obama, who pledged to establish the most open and transparent administration in history, on Monday surpasses his predecessor's record for avoiding a full-fledged question-and-answer session with White House reporters in a formal press conference."

Empty On Funding, ACORN Shutters Around the Country

Empty On Funding, ACORN Shutters Around the Country:

“ACORN is not providing services in New York, but if you would like to receive information from local organizations with similar purposes, please leave your name, number and mailing address after the beep,” says the woman on the new recording, in both English and Spanish."

Obama healthcare plan nixes Ben Nelson's 'Cornhusker Kickback' deal - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

Obama healthcare plan nixes Ben Nelson's 'Cornhusker Kickback' deal - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room:

President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform proposal released Monday eliminates controversial funds given to Nebraska as part of a deal to win the support of centrist Sen. Ben Nelson (D).

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) offered the $100 million in Medicaid funding, also known as the “Cornhusker Kickback,” to Nelson to help win him over as the 60th vote on the Senate’s healthcare reform bill last December."

Boehner: President’s Health Care Proposal Jeopardizes Summit, Doubles Down on Failed Approach Americans Have Already Rejected | Republican Leader John Boehner

Ya think????

President’s Health Care Proposal Jeopardizes Summit, Doubles Down on Failed Approach Americans Have Already Rejected | Republican Leader John Boehner:

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement in response to the partisan health care proposal posted online by the White House for discussion at the upcoming bipartisan health care summit:

“The President has crippled the credibility of this week’s summit by proposing the same massive government takeover of health care based on a partisan bill the American people have already rejected. This new Democrats-only backroom deal doubles down on the same failed approach that will drive up premiums, destroy jobs, raise taxes, and slash Medicare benefits."

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Proudly Serving the 6th District of Minnesota

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Proudly Serving the 6th District of Minnesota: Declaration of Health care Independence!

Washington, D.C., Jan 27 - U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann (MN-06), along with several Republican colleagues, formally unveiled and signed today the Declaration of Health Care Independence at the U.S. Capitol.

“The Declaration of Health Care Independence is a commitment to protect the rights of the American people to make their own health care decisions, reduce bureaucratic red-tape, decrease intergenerational debt, and includes 10 common-sense principles that must be included in future health care reforms,” said Bachmann. “This is not a bill, but rather a roadmap of the rules going forward."

White House: If GOP Filibusters, We’ll Pass Health Reform Via Reconciliation | The Plum Line

White House: If GOP Filibusters, We’ll Pass Health Reform Via Reconciliation | The Plum Line:

In the course of unveiling Obama’s new health reform proposal on a conference call with reporters this morning, White House advisers made it clearer than ever before: If the GOP filibusters health reform, Dems will move forward on their own and pass it via reconciliation.

The assertion, which is likely to spark an angry response from GOP leaders, ups the stakes in advance of the summit by essentially daring Republicans to try to block reform."

My Way News - Obama puts forward $1 trillion health care plan

Ha! He goes to Vegas....and what does he do? Doubles Down on Senate Plan - this is a disaster!!!!!!!!!

My Way News - Obama puts forward $1 trillion health care plan:

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is putting forward a nearly $1 trillion, 10-year health care plan that would allow the government to deny or roll back egregious insurance premium increases that infuriated consumers.

Posted Monday morning on the White House Web site, the plan would provide coverage to more than 31 million Americans now uninsured without adding to the federal deficit.

It conspicuously omits a government insurance plan sought by liberals."

Cafferty on Pelosi

RealClearPolitics - Excuses for Obama's Failure to Lead

RealClearPolitics - Excuses for Obama's Failure to Lead:

WASHINGTON -- In the latter days of the Carter presidency, it became fashionable to say that the office had become unmanageable and was simply too big for one man. Some suggested a single, six-year presidential term. The president's own White House counsel suggested abolishing the separation of powers and going to a more parliamentary system of unitary executive control. America had become ungovernable.

Then came Ronald Reagan, and all that chatter disappeared."

The unlimited potential of the tea party

The unlimited potential of the tea party:

During the Conservative Political Action Conference here in Washington, I heard one speaker suggest that the conservative movement had much to offer the tea-party movement.

I respectfully disagree.

The speaker explained how the conservative movement has been around Washington for so long and learned so much that could be passed on to the tea partiers.

And that's exactly why I disagree."

"If The US Can Do It, So Can We": Japan To Keep Pumping Cash And Monetizing Debt Until Deflation Goes Away | zero hedge

"If The US Can Do It, So Can We": Japan To Keep Pumping Cash And Monetizing Debt Until Deflation Goes Away | zero hedge:

And with that Japan joins the competitive devaluation currency race, in which both the SNB and Federal Reserve have a substantial head start (the euro and the fat Brussels bureaucrats are in a ouzo daze, with no clue what the hell is going on). Speaking before lawmakers BOJ governor Masaaki Shirakawa, who recently said Japan was powerless to fight deflation on its own, has changed his tune, and today said that Japan will print the kitchen sink if it has to to beat 'stubborn deflation.'"

Love connection

Love connection:

A weathered leather wallet.

A straight-edge razor.

A pipe lightly scented with tobacco.

Growing up, Colleen McCarthy and her three brothers knew not to open the large cardboard box their mother, Darlene O’Leary, stored in the basement of their Helena home for half a century. One brother, Scott O’Leary, had snooped inside it as a young boy and was angrily rebuked by Darlene."

Reconciliation - Jeffrey H. Anderson - Critical Condition on National Review Online

Reconciliation - Jeffrey H. Anderson - Critical Condition on National Review Online:

The Obama administration's apparent intention to use the 'budget reconciliation' process to try to advance its proposed health-care overhaul has shined the spotlight on why it, and the federal government as a whole, should not control what will soon be one-fifth of our economy. Simply put, the president has repeatedly emphasized three problems that must be addressed, while pursuing a course of action that would exacerbate all three."

Keeping You Safe - Mark Steyn - National Review Online

Keeping You Safe - Mark Steyn - National Review Online:

In Britain, it is traditional on Shrove Tuesday to hold pancake races, in which contestants run while flipping a pancake in a frying pan. The appeal of the event depends on the potential pitfalls in attempting simultaneous rapid forward propulsion and pancake tossing. But, in St. Albans, England, competitors were informed by Health & Safety officials that they were “banned from running due to fears they would slip over in the rain.” Watching a man walk up the main street with a skillet is not the most riveting event, even in St. Albans. In the heat of the white-knuckle thrills, team captain David Emery momentarily forgot the new rules. “I have been disqualified from a running race for running,” he explained afterwards."

Beck: GOP needs 'come-to-Jesus' moment - Michael Calderone - POLITICO.com

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beck: GOP needs 'come-to-Jesus' moment - Michael Calderone - POLITICO.com:

Fox News host Glenn Beck drew cheers from the conservative faithful Saturday evening with sharp criticism of Republicans and Democrats alike in a speech that repeatedly hit upon the theme of personal responsibility."

Summit spin: Real effort or photo op? - Patrick O'Connor - POLITICO.com

Need you even ask? This is a set-up - well done set-up by Obama...and the idiot Republican's fell right into the trap......

Summit spin: Real effort or photo op? - Patrick O'Connor - POLITICO.com:

President Barack Obama has billed Thursday’s health care summit as a chance for lawmakers to “seek common ground” to solve a decades-old problem.

He doesn’t want political theater, he insists, but a serious effort to forge bipartisan consensus.

And yet Obama is unveiling a health care bill just days before the six-hour summit that wouldn’t require a single GOP vote, with plans to short-circuit the Senate rules and push it through without Republicans if necessary."

The American Spectator : Ron Paul's Party

Nothing against Ron Paul - his books are excellent....but is this all we've got? I asked that question when John McCain rose to the top...?.... really....this is IT?

The American Spectator : Ron Paul's Party:

WASHINGTON -- 'Hey,' a young man shouted to his friends in the hotel lobby. 'This guy doesn't know who won the straw poll!' He was referring to the presidential straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the nation's largest gathering of conservative activists. The crowd told 'this guy' -- your humble servant -- that the winner was Ron Paul."

Mark Landsbaum - Orange Punch : The Orange County Register

Mark Landsbaum - Orange Punch : The Orange County Register: Global Warming...

This is not intended to toot our own horn, but to demonstrate the reading public’s common sense about global warming.

Our column last Sunday, What to Say to a Global Warming Alarmist, was the most-read, bylined article on the Register’s website for almost a four-day period. We also got more than 100 e-mails from readers of the column. We mention this because in all that traffic, I recieved only three e-mails defending global warming. Three."

The American Spectator : White House Accused of Federal Crime in Specter, Bennett Races

The American Spectator : White House Accused of Federal Crime in Specter, Bennett Races:

Whoever solicits or receives … any….thing of value, in consideration of the promise of support or use of influence in obtaining for any person any appointive office or place under the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.' -- 18 USC Sec. 211 -- Bribery, Graft and Conflicts of Interest: Acceptance or solicitation to obtain appointive public office"

The Math Behind Ron Paul's CPAC Poll Victory

The Math Behind Ron Paul's CPAC Poll Victory:

The Straw Poll conducted ron-paul-crazy at CPAC this year, and the results that show Ron Paul being the #1 choice of attendees to be the Republican nomination for President of the United States, has attracted a lot of attention. Unfortunately the numbers behind this straw poll are skewed beyond the point of relevancy."

American Thinker: I Have a Dream, Too

American Thinker: I Have a Dream, Too:

Contrary to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream, I am judged harshly by the color of my skin because my opinion is usually not voiced by most voting African-Americans. As a conservative African-American, my views on politics in general, and President Barack Obama in particular, are usually dismissed as an aberration."

American Thinker: Is Obama steering the ship of state toward the rocks?

American Thinker: Is Obama steering the ship of state toward the rocks?:

Obama is now coming out with two contradictory messages.

Either

(a) He is set to drive Medi-Grab through Congress, regardless of American popular opposition, or

(b) He is ready to junk it."

American Thinker: Teaming up with the Democrats on Healthcare Reform?

Thank you! It's about time someone said this! This is exactly what Glenn Beck was talking about Saturday!!!! It's like watching Brett Farve. You KNOW he's good - however you also know when the big game is coming and all the glory is within reach - INTERCEPTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

American Thinker: Teaming up with the Democrats on Healthcare Reform?:

Leave it to third-string, has-been quarterbacks of the Republican Party to throw an interception at the precise moment conservatives are about to turn the game around. What is wrong with people like former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former Senator Alan Simpson and Senator Orrin Hatch? I am sorely tempted to use one of those phrases made famous by Rahm Emanuel."

Obama’s ‘Chicago mafia’ blamed for paralysis at the top - Times Online

Obama’s ‘Chicago mafia’ blamed for paralysis at the top - Times Online:

WHEN President Barack Obama’s secret service codename was revealed as Renegade and his wife Michelle’s as Renaissance, the names seemed perfect for a first couple who had come to Washington to shake things up."

Citigroup Warns Customers It May Refuse To Allow Withdrawals

Me thinks perhaps we need the "Bailey Savings and Loan"....?

Citigroup Warns Customers It May Refuse To Allow Withdrawals:

The image of banks locking their doors to keep customers from making withdrawals during a bank run is what immediately came to mind when we heard that Citigroup was telling customers it has the right to prevent any withdrawals from checking accounts for seven days.

“Effective April 1, 2010, we reserve the right to require (7) days advance notice before permitting a withdrawal from all checking accounts. While we do not currently exercise this right and have not exercised it in the past, we are required by law to notify you of this change,” Citigroup said on statements received by customers all over the country."

Saturday Night Beck - Bill Bennett - The Corner on National Review Online

I love Bill Bennett - however I think Glenn IS right. Which is why the Tea Party movement has gained traction! Of course there is a huge difference between the philosophical beliefs of the parties...but the Republican's are just not showing me and others they remember what they are!

Saturday Night Beck - Bill Bennett - The Corner on National Review Online:

There’s a lot to say about CPAC. This morning the major papers are highlighting Glenn Beck’s speech. I like Glenn a lot and I think he has something to teach us. But not what he offered last night.

Analogizing his own struggles with alcohol to the problems of our polity and in our politics, he said, “Hello, my name is the Republican party, and I have a problem!” “I’m addicted to spending and big government.” ”It is still morning in America.” ”It just happens to be kind of a head-pounding, hung-over, vomiting-for-four-hours kind of morning in America. And it’s shaping up to be kind of a nasty day. But it is still morning in America.” And, again, “I believe in redemption, but the first step to getting redemption is you’ve got to admit that you’ve got a problem. I have not heard people in the Republican party yet admit that they have a problem.”"

Obama to Urge Oversight of Insurers’ Rate Increases - NYTimes.com

Obama to Urge Oversight of Insurers’ Rate Increases - NYTimes.com:

WASHINGTON — President Obama will propose on Monday giving the federal government new power to block excessive rate increases by health insurance companies, as he rolls out comprehensive legislation to revamp the nation’s health care system, White House officials said Sunday."

Climate scientists withdraw journal claims of rising sea levels | Environment | guardian.co.uk

Climate scientists withdraw journal claims of rising sea levels | Environment | guardian.co.uk:

Scientists have been forced to withdraw a study on projected sea level rise due to global warming after finding mistakes that undermined the findings."

545 PEOPLE--By Charlie Reese

545 PEOPLE--By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them..

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits..... The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red ..

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power..

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

What you do with this article now that you have read it......... Is up to you.