Getting Nasty

The HCAN (Health Care for America Now) group appears alarmed at the resistance to President Obama's health care proposals. This group--composed of ACORN (who received 4 billion dollars under the stimulus package), AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union (SEIU, who contributed 61 million dollars to Obama and got a cabinet position), National Education Association, and National Council of La Raza--has sent an email with instructions on how to contact public officials and develop tactics to pre-empt opposition to health care reforms.
For the first time, a town hall meeting, by Representative Kathy Castor D-Florida, became fractious. Apparently, 1000 people showed up at a facility that only held 250. There are accusations that SEIU members barred people from the room, as well as that scuffles occurred between SEIU members and people trying to get into the meeting. Apparently, Rep. Castor didn't stay too long.
From The Washington Times

Supreme Court Nomination Confirmed

We now have a new Supreme Court Justice.
All Democrats voted "AYE" plus the following Republicans Voted 'Aye' (just for your info)
Sen. Lamar Alexander [R, TN]
Sen. Christopher Bond [R, MO]
Sen. Susan Collins [R, ME]
Sen. Lindsey Graham [R, SC]
Sen. Judd Gregg [R, NH]
Sen. Richard Lugar [R, IN]
Sen. Mel Martinez [R, FL]
Sen. Olympia Snowe [R, ME]
Sen. George Voinovich [R, OH]

I'm not the only one who thinks that President Obama's entreaty http://politicopolitico.blogspot.com/2009/08/what.html
is "fishy"---
"In a letter to President Obama, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, expressed serious concern about the White House's new program requesting Americans to forward email chains and other communications opposing the President's health care policies. Sen. Cornyn is seeking assurances that the program is being carried out in a manner consistent with the First Amendment and America's tradition of free speech and public discourse. Sen. Cornyn's letter also inquires about the collection of names, email addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens that will be reported, which raises the specter of a data collection program. "

Too well-dressed?

From the Democratic National Committee: Republicans are “inciting angry mobs of a small number of rabid right-wing extremists.”
From Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Ca), a statement that the folks against government controlled health care are fakes, because they are "too well dressed."
(Huh? Is that sartorial comment a put-down?)
From President Obama: "There are those who profit from the status quo, or see this debate as a political game, and they will stop at nothing to block reform. They are filling the airwaves and the internet with outrageous falsehoods to scare people into opposing change."
From an ad put out by the Democratic National Committe: "Desperate Republicans are organizing angry mobs" to "destroy President Obama."
Why are American citizens who oppose the proposed health care reforms "angry mobs", "rabid", or "extremists"?
If Democrats wish to have town hall meetings, what is wrong in voicing your views? Either pro or con?
Protest is an American right.
Just in: Pelosi says those who oppose health care changes are "carrying swastikas and symbols like that to a town meeting on healthcare."

What?!?

Creepy!
From the White House website

"There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there...These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."

This on top of the allegations from many Democrats and from the White House that opposition to the health care plans (as shown in the town hall meetings) is merely angry mobs stirred up by nefarious, criminal groups (see the White House briefing of August 4 www.whitehouse.gov).

The Politico seems to think that the Administration's health care plans are not well liked, and that is the source of the discontent.

I say we, as Americans, have a right to express our views to our elected representatives.

The First Amendment:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Getting over the Jet Lag

Well, I actually slept all night long (instead of waking up at 2 AM, which, on India time, is in the middle of the day!) and feel a bit more awake today.
It's been interesting to return to the US after 5 weeks away. In a sort of Alice-in-Wonderland-y kind of way.
Congress still wonking each other over the head with Supreme Court nominees, health care, and, unbelievably, trading in their used cars via our government's largesse. Wow, what a waste of money!
Most interesting has been the scratching of heads by Indians and Europeans over exactly what the Obama administration is trying to do. Why all the backpedaling on free market economy? Why is Obama, who promised to get troops out of the Middle East, ramping up armed forces there? What is his foreign policy? Why is he trying to ruin the best health care in the world? BTW, no one was interested in Clinton's visit to India.
Mostly, it appeared that people are glad to leave the US to do its own thing. There seemed to be a feeling that the US, instead of bullying the world, was now just floundering about.

Home again, home again...

Jiggety-jig!
Back from India, still extremely jet-lagged, and will get back to this blog after a bit of sleep and catching up! I have been sooooo cut off from all semblance of news!Folks would ask me about the USA and I had to admit total ignorance--