Scary Obamacare Chart!

This is the new and improved chart of the gross expansion of the federal government thanks to Obamacare. Looking at it makes me kind of sick.

Click on the image for the full PDF image, that is, if you can stomach it.

Senator Jim DeMint's recent blog post spells it out:

Developed by the Joint Economic Committee minority, led by U.S Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas and Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the detailed organization chart displays a bewildering array of new government agencies, regulations and mandates.

“For Americans, as well as Congressional Democrats who didn’t bother to read the bill, this first look at the final health care law confirms what many fear, that reform morphed into a monstrosity of new bureaucracies, mandates, taxes and rationing that will drive up health care costs, hurt seniors and force our most intimate health care choices into the hands of Washington bureaucrats,” said Brady, the committee’s senior House Republican. “If this is what passes for health care reform in America, then God help us all.”

Brownback, the committee’s ranking member, added, “This updated chart illustrates the overwhelming expansion of government control over health choices and the bewildering complexity facing everyone affected by this law. It doesn’t take long to see how the recently signed health care bill causes a hugely expensive and explosive expansion of federal control over health care. Personal choices that should be between a doctor and a patient will quickly be strangled in a never ending web of bureaucracy.”

Senate Steering Committee Chairman Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) called Obamacare “a bureaucratic nightmare. The Democrats’ takeover of health care creates a byzantine network of 159 new federal programs and bureaucracies to make decisions that should be between just the patient and their doctor. It should concern everyone that at the center of this regulatory web is the new CMS chief, Donald Berwick, who has championed rationing and European socialized medicine. Americans were rightly outraged that this big government bill was rushed through Congress before anyone read or fully understood the bill’s consequences. Republicans will fight to repeal this reckless takeover and to ensure health care freedom to American families.”

But it gets even worse. This chart only shows about a third of the new bureaucracy created by Obamacare. They couldn't fit everything in there. This is the stuff nightmares are made of!

H/T Dana Loesch

Trent Lott: We Don't Need Jim DeMint Disciples

Former Senator Trent Lott, currently a lobbyist, wants no more Jim DeMints in the Senate. Here are his exact words:

"We don't need a lot of Jim DeMint disciples," Lott said in an interview. "As soon as they get here, we need to co-opt them." 

"Co-opt" according to the dictionary means "to assimilate, take, or win over into a larger or established group."

Obviously, Lott likes the status-quo of today's Senate, which has no power to do anything, and didn't do anything meaningful before they lost everything to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.

Senator DeMint is one of the few at the top of my list of real conservatives who actually care about Constitutional principles, and isn't afraid to talk about them.

I'm left speechless after reading the article in the Washington Post. Maybe tomorrow I'll find the words to express my dismay. In the meantime, Karen at The Lonely Conservative has another incident within this same story, involving bloggers.

DeMint Vitter Try to Stop Federal Funding for Obama's Arizona Lawsuit

Republican Senators Jim Demint (SC) and David Vitter (LA) have introduced an amendment to "prohibit federal funding" for the government's lawsuits against the state of Arizona.

David Vitter and Jim DeMint

Senator David Vitter is the chairman of the U.S. Senate Border Security and Enforcement First Immigration Caucus. Senator Jim DeMint is chairman of the U.S. Senate Steering Committee.  The DeMint-Vitter amendment includes prohibiting funds to the Department of Justice and other government agencies attempting to sue Arizona for SB 1070. Source: Daily Caller

From Senator Vitter's website:

Arizona’s new law, SB 1070, grants state law enforcement officials the authority to enforce federal immigration laws by allowing them to inquire about immigration status of individuals who are lawfully stopped for other crimes. The law explicitly forbids racial profiling. As many as 18 states are considering similar laws, as reported by the Associated Press, including Florida, South Carolina, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Michigan. 

From Senator DeMint:

“States like Arizona shouldn't be prosecuted for protecting their citizens when the federal government fails to do so,” said Senator DeMint. “The federal government is rewarding illegal behavior and encouraging many more to enter our nation illegally when they refuse to enforce our laws. States along the border are facing kidnappings, drug trafficking, human trafficking and gang violence and they have a duty to keep their residents safe. Instead of suing states for doing his job, the President should get serious and stop holding border security hostage to pass amnesty and score points with his liberal base.” 

Odd that this Department of Justice is interested in suing a state attempting to apply federal law, but ignores sanctuary cities who routinely bread federal illegal migrant laws. That oddity is being discussed everywhere today. There are more than 50 sanctuary cities in the U.S.

Mark Levin Alvin Greene: Jim Clyburn - Greene is a Democrat Plant: Clyburn calls for DOJ Investigation

Mark Levin, the Great One, interviewed Alvin Greene the very controversial Democrat who won the South Carolina Senate primary. Greene, reportedly a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in Political Science, defeated his Democrat opponent, Vic Rawl, who is a judge and a former South Carolina state lawmaker. Some think he won because his name starts with an "A." South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn thinks Greene is a Republican plant. He has asked DOJ to investigate. Yeah, he really did. See videos below.

Alvin M. Greene

Greene might be controversial for several reasons. First might be that he is charged with showing obscene photos to a female student, Camille McCoy, inside the computer lab of the University of South Carolina. Felony charges are pending. Greene won't talk about it. The girl has. See the second video below.

Greene, 32, was honorably discharged from the military, but involuntarily. He is a veteran of 13 years in the Air Force and the Army. He "left" the Air Force in August 2009. Greene won't talk about his military service.

Off topic, but oh well...this sounds like the flip side of Michelle Obama's law license.  All evidence indicates Michelle voluntarily rendered her law license inactive under Rule 770-771 and avoided disciplinary action, possibly disbarment. In the event she wants her license back, she has to begin the process of a "hearing and review" again.

Back to Alvin Greene.

An embarrassed Democrat party says Greene is a Republican plant. Levin pushes him on it and he says he has been a Democrat all of his life and is definitely not a Republican plant. Democrat Congressman James Clyburn, who is always good for a few laughs, and a couple of barf bags each year, has asked the Department of Justice to investigate. Actually, that's no laughing matter because the DOJ is as corrupt and partisan as Code Pink. Maybe we should be concerned.

No one knows where he got the money to run. He says he saved the $10,440 filing fee by saving two years of his military pay.  Levin asks him about it and he repeats that he saved in while enlisted. He didn't campaign, doesn't have a website - or a cell phone. He had no consultants and didn't plant a single yard sign...has $114 in the bank, but won the primary.

Now this is just a rumor. I saw a comment somewhere which shall remain anonymous, who said Greene worked for him in the Air Force and his discharge was an Administrative discharge - saying that Greene was incompetent and couldn't accomplish the simplest of tasks. That's a relief. Greene should do just fine on the Democrat side of the Senate.

In November, Greene will run against Republican icon, Senator Jim DeMint, one of the finest souls in the Senate - actually in the entire city of Washington, D.C. The Washington Post muses that Greene won the primary because his first name, Alvin, starts with an "A." Let the circus begin.





Mark Levin, The Great One, and Alvin Greene (video)
Camille McCoy talks about Alvin Greene (video)

Harry Reid Just Voted Against Border Fence via Jim DeMint via Twitter

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) tweets that Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) just voted AGAINST the border fence. DeMint proposed an ammendment to suspend a rule that governs how legislation is voted on, in order to get the fence moving. Democrats have voted down completing the border fencing over and over, and today was no different. See the list of Senators voting against Sen. DeMint's supplemental amendment here, or check the list below. How did your Senators vote?

Jim DeMint

From DeMint's website:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) today announced that he will seek a vote on his amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill to require the completion of 700 miles of double-layer physical fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border within one year. The amendment is cosponsored by U.S. Senators John McCain (R-Arizona), Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), David Vitter (R-Louisiana) and Mike Johanns (R-Nebraska).

Democrats have already twice blocked Senator DeMint’s amendment to finish the border fence from receiving a vote. To ensure a vote on this critical issue, Senator DeMint will now move to suspend the rules of the Senate to allow passage of the border fence amendment, requiring 67 votes for passage.

“Democrats killed this amendment behind closed doors last year and they’ve blocked a simple vote for weeks, but today we’ll see who is serious about border security,” said Senator DeMint. “We have a national security emergency at our Southern border and we must act immediately. Violence and crime are rampant near the border, including drug cartels, human trafficking, gang activity, kidnapping and murder. Yesterday, we learned a terrorist group linked to Al Qaeda may have entered the U.S. through Mexico. And reports indicate that tens of thousands of people entered the U.S. illegally last year from nations around the globe, including from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Yemen.”

“The President’s move to send National Guard troops to the border is a temporary and insufficient solution to a long-term problem. And the virtual fence has been a virtual disaster. We need a real layered fence that has proven effective, and we need it now. A layered border fence will not solve the problems of illegal immigration and violence on the border overnight, but it is an essential step to controlling our borders and gaining Americans’ trust to finally reform our legal immigration system,” said Senator DeMint.

Senator DeMint's amendment was already approved last year by the Senate in a bipartisan 54-44 vote, with 21 Democrats joining 33 Republicans in support of the measure. However, Democrat leaders gutted the amendment behind closed doors after “the Obama administration had opposed rapid expansion of the fence.”

Senator DeMint's amendment follows through on the four-year-old promise made by Congress to secure the border under the Secure Fence Act of 2006. According to staff at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), just a fraction of double-layer fencing has been completed to date, with only 34.3 miles of double layer fencing in total (11.8 in California, 9.1 in Arizona, and 13.4 in Texas). Areas where layered fencing has been completed in Arizona and California have shown significant drops in the level of border crossings.

If Senator DeMint’s amendment is signed into law, DHS Secretary Napolitano will be required to submit a report to Congress within six months (or 180 days) after enactment of the law on the progress made and her plans for completing the fence within twelve months.

Alphabetical by Senator Name

Akaka (D-HI), Nay Alexander (R-TN), Yea Barrasso (R-WY), Yea Baucus (D-MT), Yea Bayh (D-IN), Yea Begich (D-AK), Nay Bennet (D-CO), Nay Bennett (R-UT), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Nay Bond (R-MO), Yea Boxer (D-CA), Nay Brown (D-OH), Nay Brown (R-MA), Yea Brownback (R-KS), Yea Bunning (R-KY), Yea Burr (R-NC), Yea Burris (D-IL), Nay Byrd (D-WV), Nay Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Cardin (D-MD), Nay Carper (D-DE), Nay Casey (D-PA), Nay Chambliss (R-GA), Not Voting Coburn (R-OK), Yea Cochran (R-MS), Yea Collins (R-ME), Yea Conrad (D-ND), Nay Corker (R-TN), Yea Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Yea DeMint (R-SC), Yea Dodd (D-CT), Nay Dorgan (D-ND), Nay Durbin (D-IL), Nay

Ensign (R-NV), Yea Enzi (R-WY), Yea Feingold (D-WI), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Nay Franken (D-MN), Nay Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay Graham (R-SC), Yea Grassley (R-IA), Yea Gregg (R-NH), Yea Hagan (D-NC), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Nay Hatch (R-UT), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Yea Inouye (D-HI), Nay Isakson (R-GA), Yea Johanns (R-NE), Yea Johnson (D-SD), Nay Kaufman (D-DE), Nay Kerry (D-MA), Nay Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay Kohl (D-WI), Nay Kyl (R-AZ), Yea Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay Leahy (D-VT), Nay LeMieux (R-FL), Yea Levin (D-MI), Nay Lieberman (ID-CT), Nay Lincoln (D-AR), Not Voting Lugar (R-IN), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea McCaskill (D-MO), Not Voting McConnell (R-KY), Yea

Menendez (D-NJ), Nay Merkley (D-OR), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Nay Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Murray (D-WA), Nay Nelson (D-FL), Nay Nelson (D-NE), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Nay Reed (D-RI), Nay Reid (D-NV), Nay Risch (R-ID), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Sanders (I-VT), Nay Schumer (D-NY), Nay Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shaheen (D-NH), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea Specter (D-PA), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Nay Tester (D-MT), Yea Thune (R-SD), Yea Udall (D-CO), Nay Udall (D-NM), Nay Vitter (R-LA), Yea Voinovich (R-OH), Nay Warner (D-VA), Nay Webb (D-VA), Nay Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay Wicker (R-MS), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Nay

The Lonely Conservative, up there in upper New York State says both of her Senators voted against the fence.

Glenn Beck's Most Conservative in Congress: Beck Picks Bachmann DeMint

Glenn Beck is on Greta Van Susteren this minute. Greta asked him who he agrees with more than anyone in Congress. He said he did not want to endorse anyone, but Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) was "doing the Tea Party thing" before Tea Parties existed, and Senator Jim DeMint  (R-SC) "is doing a very good job." I paraphrased but think I'm close to Beck's exact comment.

I believe these two are everything he says they are.

Erroll Southers Lies to Congress: Congress Knew Southers Lied

President Obama's nominee to head the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lied to Congress. His confirmation to the office has been moved-up to tomorrow (just kidding - but probably). Not only did he lie, but some in Congress knew he lied before advancing his nomination in November 2009. See video below.

Erroll Southers

Unfortunately, the names of the Senators privvy to the lies, who voted for him anyway, are not in print. TSA is a division of Homeland Security. If Southers' confirmation is successful, he is scheduled to take the position in January 2010:

Southers, a former FBI agent, has described inconsistencies in his accounts to Congress as "inadvertent" and the result of poor memory of an incident that dates back 20 years. He said in a Nov. 20 letter to key senators obtained by The Post that he had accepted full responsibility long ago for a "grave error in judgment" in accessing confidential criminal records about his then-estranged wife's new boyfriend.

Southers gave a sworn affidavit in October 2009 - and apparently lied.

Southers first described the episode in his October affidavit, telling the Senate panel that two decades ago he asked a San Diego Police Department employee to access confidential criminal records about the boyfriend. Southers said he had been censured by superiors at the FBI. He described the incident as isolated and expressed regrets about it.

The committee approved his nomination Nov. 19. One day later, Southers wrote to Lieberman and Collins saying his first account was incorrect. After reviewing documents, he wrote, he recalled that he had twice conducted the database searches himself, downloaded confidential law enforcement records about his wife's boyfriend and passed information on to the police department employee, the letter said.

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) has opposed Southers' nomination, saying Southers intends to allow TSA workers to unionize, and he points out the danger in doing so:

"Today, the TSA has flexibility to make real-time decisions that allowed it to quickly improve security measures in response to this attempted attack," he said in a statement sent to Sphere by his staff. "Yet, many Americans aren't aware that the president's nominee to lead the TSA appears ready to give union bosses the power to veto or delay future security improvements at our airports."

 An "aviation security consultant Rich Roth says DeMint's concern is not  valid because the White House and the head of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, will make the final decision about unionization.

Democrats intimate had Southers been in place at the TSA, the Christmas Day Underwear Bomber may have been thwarted. DeMint says Obama took 243 days to nominate a candidate for the position:

"President Obama did not make this a priority, waiting 243 days in office before making a nomination, and Harry Reid has been too busy trading earmarks for votes on health care to schedule debate on the nominee."

This report from Bill Wilson at Americans for Limited Government, places blame on Senator Harry Reid and Barack Obama:

“Harry Reid’s own compulsive obsessive behavior in ruthlessly, recklessly pushing through his government health care takeover is what prevented Southers from being confirmed,” Wilson said. “And if any political action opened the door to a terrorist walking unmolested onto a domestic airline, it was Barack Obama’s laissez faire, politically correct attitude towards Islamic radicalism, not Jim DeMint following Senate rules.”

In the video below, you'll hear DeMint explain that collective bargaining (unions) has never been allowed inside the TSA. DeMint says there is a good reason for this and gives the example that when an emergency happens, we can't wait for union bosses to decide whether or not a worker can be moved from one place within an airport to another. Obama will win this one, and of course, TSA workers will be unionized.

Embedded video from CNN Video

Senator Jim DeMint - Erroll Southers (video)

Jim DeMint Echos Conservatives: We Need Some New Republicans! Amen!

Remember after Dede Scozzafava dropped out of New York's 23rd congressional race - after  former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich endorsed the RINO Scozzafava, and raised the ire of conservatives throughout the U.S., and Gingrich famously said something like "from now on the people will do the party picking?" Well, we pickers out here have come close to despairing of ever getting new conservative Republicans in Washington, D.C.  - and especially those focused on the U.S. Constitution. Now sitting Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) says "we need some!" Amen to that. With just a handful of true conservatives (my word...he said 'Republicans) DeMint thinks much can be accomplished in Congress.

Jim DeMint

Senator Jim DeMint: “I need some new Republicans, people who believe in constitutional government, a balanced budget and liberty and so I’m out across the country recruiting new republicans who I think if they get here will not only challenge the institutions of government but be willing to even challenge the Republican Party and our leadership if they feel like we’re going in the wrong direction. I think just a handful of new Republicans in the senate could help change the direction.”

In the video below, DeMint is talking to David Brody of the Brody File at Christian Broadcasting Network (CNB):







Jim DeMint "We Need Some New Republicans (video)

Iyad Awadallah is CAIR Intern: Iyad Awadallah Jim DeMint: CAIR Intern Evicted

CAIR interns are in the news today. First, we learned that a CAIR memorandum says it spent $50,000 to place two "fellows" in Congress in 2007, and now we learn that Iyad Awadallah, a Cair intern on Capitol Hill was forced to leave the US Capitol Visitors Center Congressional Auditorium "after behaving in a threatening manner..."

According to this hot post at The Jawa Report, Awadallah appeared at a conference on "Freedom of Speech and Religion" today and began to videotape the speakers. He was told the conference registration did not allow taping of any kind, or the taking of photographs. That didn't stop him.  He was removed from the building by Capitol Hill police just before Senator Jim DeMint was to speak.

According to The Jawa Report, the scheduled speakers have "been the subject of death threats by Muslims."

CAIR attacks:

The [CAIR] press release claimed that Awadallah was told by one conference participant that “we want to cut their [Muslims’] necks off.” However, Awadallah entered the auditorium during one of the sessions and never had the opportunity to speak with any of the conference attendees.

There is no information in this report about where the intern, Iyad Awadallah of Boca Raton, FL has worked or is working on Capitol Hill.  Read about the $50,000 spent to plant a Muslim intern in Congress: CAIR Buys Interns - Liberals Object.

Jim DeMint Honduras Trip: Zelaya Removal and Honduras Supreme Court

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) just returned to the Honduras capital city of Tegucigalpa. He says there is no chaos in Honduras other than the "chaos" in the Obama administration's policy to restore ousted president, Manuel Zelaya. See video below.

DeMint and Honduran Supreme Court

DeMint says "Honduras has moved on:"

The presidential election is on schedule for Nov. 29. Under Honduras's one-term-limit, Mr. Zelaya could not have sought re-election anyway. Current President Roberto Micheletti—who was installed after Mr. Zelaya's removal, per the Honduran Constitution—is not on the ballot either. The presidential candidates were nominated in primary elections almost a year ago, and all of them—including Mr. Zelaya's former vice president—expect the elections to be free, fair and transparent, as has every Honduran election for a generation.

Jim DeMint - Tegicugalpa, Honduras

According to DeMint, he met only one official opposed to the upcoming elections and the denial of Zelaya back in as head of the government, and wouldn't you know, that was U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens. Llorens urged DeMint to read the legal opinion written by Harold Koh, the State Department's top attorney. DeMint says he requested to view the opinion before going to Honduras, and after, but has not been allowed even a peek.

Six Democrat members of the U.S. House sent a letter to the Honduran Congress "warning that DeMint doesn't speak for them or the White House.

Underlining the word “one,” the letter states, “The United States government has one position.”

Senator John Kerry tried to block DeMint's trip. In fact, Kerry denied funds for the trip - a power that he has as head of the Foreign Relations Committee, but has never before used to block a Senator's travel. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) intervened with Defense Department, asking them to provide an aircraft, which the DOD agreed to do.

DeMint called Kerry's actions "bullying tactics."

Rep. Aaron Schock was a part of the DeMint delagation. You can read his report here.

A poster at the Charleston City Paper, Chris Haire, in his column Haire of the Dog, doesn't like Jim DeMint, thinks DeMint is a "blowhard," and stated unequivocable that DeMint would not be receiving a "Nobel anytime soon." Haire has apparently made some comments siding with Manuel Zelaya.

He received a letter at the Charleston City Paper from someone claiming to live in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and this person believes that Senator DeMint is "helping" and Zelaya is a Chavez/Castro type dictator. You can read the letter here.

In the video below, DeMint explains how the upcoming election will be handled, and what part Hillary Clinton may plan in the future of Honduras.


Read Senator DeMint's report at the Wall Street Journal.

See all of Senator DeMint's Honduran photo album here.










Jim DeMint on Honduran Supreme Court and Constitution (video)

Destroy Obamas Presidency: Health Care Freedom Plan

If Barack Obama is shocked that American's are pushing back against the kind of health reform he envisions, then he doesn't know red-blooded Americans. Here's some snippets of the fight being fought for those of us who ARE red-blooded Americans. Senator Charles Grassley quotes an unnamed senator quoting Obama:

A Democrat congressman last week told me after a conversation with the president that the president had trouble in the House of Representatives, and it wasn't going to pass if there weren't some changes made ... and the president says, 'You're going to destroy my presidency.'

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) basically called Grassley a liar, saying he doesn't think the president would say that: "He's [Obama] got too much self-confidence." In the spirit of bi-partisianship, 6 senators from both sides have been "negotiating" for weeks.

The bipartisan Finance group met earlier in the day with two actuaries to discuss potential penalties for individuals and businesses that do not acquire insurance.

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) was the 7th senator in that group of negotiators, but confirmation came today that there was little in the negotiations that he could back:

...including the employer mandate, the individual mandate, Medicaid expansion and tax increase.

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) made this statement:

July 20, 2009 - WASHINGTON, D.C - Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) made the following statement: “The last time the President made grand promises and demanded passage of a bill before it could be reviewed, we ended up with the colossal stimulus failure and unemployment near 10 percent,” said Senator DeMint. “Now the President wants Americans to trust him again, but he can't back up the utopian promises he's making about a government takeover of health care. He insists his health care plan won't add to our nation's deficit despite the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office saying exactly the opposite.

And today we learn that the President is refusing to release a critical report on the state of our economy, which contains facts essential to this debate. What is he hiding? "If the actual legislation came close to matching the President's rhetoric, he would have no problem passing this bill with huge Democrat majorities in both chambers. But Americans aren’t being fooled and are discovering the truth about his plan which includes rationed care, trillions in new costs, high taxes and penalties that will destroy jobs, and even government-funded abortions. “Let’s be clear, there is no one in this debate advocating that we do nothing despite the President's constant straw man arguments.

Republicans have offered comprehensive health care reform solutions that cover millions of the uninsured without exploding costs, raising taxes, or rationing care. We can give every American access to a health plan they can own, afford and keep without a government takeover." Senator DeMint has authored the Health Care Freedom Plan that gives patients more control instead of government and reduces the uninsured by over 22 million without any new cost to taxpayers.

What is the Health Care Freedom Plan?

• Protects the right of Americans to keep their employer-based plan without having to pay additional taxes on those benefits.

• Provides Americans without employer-based coverage with vouchers of $2000 for individuals and $5000 for families to purchase health insurance. The premium for the average private policy sold in the individual market in 2007 was $1,896 for an individual and $4,392 for a family (Source: eHealthInsurance)

• Allows Americans with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to use their HSA funds to pay for insurance premiums, encouraging employers to contribute to their employees’ HSAs.

• Creates a nationwide market for health insurance by allowing individuals to purchase health insurance plans in any state.

• Provides block grants to states to develop innovative models that ensure affordable health insurance coverage for Americans with pre-existing health conditions.

• Reduces predatory and frivolous malpractice lawsuits against physicians and hospitals.

• Assures that every health care consumer has access to price information prior to treatment so they can make informed decisions about their care.

• Repeals financial bailouts (TARP) to ensure that the plan does not add to the deficit.

Tom Daschle & Nancy Killefer Withdraw from Obama's Nomination

I was in the middle of the post below when the announcement came that Tom Daschle (D-SD) has withdrawn his nomination to Secretary of Health and Human Services. One thing that strikes me, is all the talk about how "popular" Daschle, the former Majority and Minority Leader is in Washington.

He is not so popular with his voters. The good people of South Dakota "withdrew" him from the Senate a few years ago and placed Republican John Thune in the Daschle seat in 2004. Our Senators and Representatives should never discuss the "popularity" of their peers in Congress - especially when justifying the nomination of a person who has broken the law. Here are my thoughts before the withdrawal announcement - Jim DeMint deserves praise? UPDATE: HotAir is reporting that in addition to the "evaded" taxes we know about, Daschle also failed to pay $83,333 in consulting fees in 2007 and he claimed $15,000 in charitable donations to unqualified "charities," as well as this:

And that brings up another point. The Obama transition team knew full well that Daschle had significant tax problems when that vetting process began. Why did Obama insist on keeping Daschle at HHS? Daschle had spent the last few years as a high-profile lobbyist for the industry Obama wanted him to regulate, which is exactly what Obama promised not to do during the campaign. So now we have a lobbyist and a tax cheat rolled up into one person, whom Obama insists should run Health and Human Services, and he knew all of this well before announcing Daschle and submitting his name for confirmation. It’s not like Obama can claim to be surprised.

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) has once again shown what integrity is all about. He is asking President Obama to withdraw former Senator Tom Daschle's nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services for his failure to pay required taxes. Tom Daschle is one more tax evader nominated for entrance to the Obama inner circle. How pathetic are these nominations?

Nancy Killefer, the appointee to head the newly created Obama Chief Performance Officer czar, has today withdrawn her nomination - BECAUSE she did not pay taxes for household help. This woman held a high-powered job with the U.S. Treasury. During those years, it appears she paid her taxes. After leaving the Treasury, she "began" not paying, and she also stopped paying her quarterly taxes. The IRS put a lien on her house. Five months later, Killefer resolved the lien.

Killefer's husband is an economics professor, and she was a member of the Treasury Department under Clinton - she even oversaw the "modernization" of the IRS.

I think we've found the way to clean-up Congress. I'm calling for a complete audit of everyone in Congress. Any disgression and they're out. That will give the American people the opening to start all over again.

Video: Campaign Contributions from Fannie and Freddie

This video of Senator Jim DeMint, speaking from the Senate floor on July 26, 2008, definitively showcases exactly why there is so much corruption in our esteemed House and Senate. Below the video is a brief transcription of some key points made by DeMint. Thanks to YouTube.com

[Senator DeMint - about 3-1/2 minutes into the video] Reforms that were needed for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were not even talked talked about in Congress because of so many political contributions to Congressmen and Senators. We don't like to think that about ourselves, but there's a reason that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac spent over $200 million over the last 10 years in campaign contributions to those of us in the House and the Senate and they got something for it. They got left alone and they grew out of control. If we are going to make the American taxpayer stand behind these companys, there is one common sense thing we can do to keep it open and honest. These organizations, now guaranteed by the American taxpayers, should no longer be able to spend millions of dollars buying influence in Congress. That's a conflict of interest. My amendment would simply stop the political activity, the lobbying and the contributions of these organizations that are now of part the Federal Government because of this explicit guarantee. The Majority leader is so afraid of asking his Democrat colleagues to vote on this bill that would bann lobbying, that benefits us so much in our campaigns.