Let us never forget!

The date September 11, 2001, is forever etched in the national memory of the United States. That morning stands as the never-to-be-forgotten morning when time stood still. Wherever we were, we stared in horror and confusion. With calculated and unconscionable malice, beastly terrorists stabbed our nation repeatedly in the heart—at the World Trade Center in New York, at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and along a quiet countryside in southwest Pennsylvania.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of that infamous day. And we remember. We remember and honor the almost three thousand dead—American citizens and foreign visitors. The anniversary of September 11 may be one we’d like to forget . . . but we won’t, because we can’t.

We dare not forget.

VISIT: David P. Bernal

Baloney!

When was the last time that you were appaulded for doing your job, and delivering it 6 months late?

BIG DEAL:

The White House and House Republicans reached an agreement Friday night on a budget deal that would avert a government shutdown. The proposed six-month deal would cut domestic and foreign aid by more than $40 billion from the rate of spending at the beginning of this Congress. Behind the closed doors of a special meeting of the Republican Conference, Speaker John Boehner presented the package to his party as at least an agreement in principle and said at one point, “We have a deal.” The final deal would still require a vote sometime next week.

You will hear a bunch of people breaking their arms to pat themselves on the back.  And I say, “hogwash!”

The problem is we have a great number of cowards in Washington who are unwilling and unable to speak the truth.

Tired of the political games? 

Please visit: http://www.davidbernal.net

Worker Rights or Taxpayer Rights?

Unions vs. Balancing the Budget

The world is undergoing tremendous upheavals and it appears that the American Labor Movement of the 20th century may be on its’ way to BEING history.

The labor movement in this country is at a tipping point, and public sector unions in this state should start getting real about concessions or risk becoming marginalized.

Are unions becoming so demonized that they are on the verge of disappearing altogether?

The American public is not nearly as gullible as they were in recent years.  The problem isn’t unions, but PUBLIC unions, which are negotiating with PUBLIC funds.

The problem isn’t worker rights, which Americans still very much believe in, but rather TAXPAYER Rights, and the need for all workers to be productive and worthy of their pay and benefits.

The problem isn’t public sector workers, which Americans still value and want first-rate service from, but rather public sector UNIONS, which have to be reconsidered 80 years after Democratic Party icon Franklin Delano Roosevelt opposed the concept of collective bargaining for public employees.  Was FDR right?

So if the ongoing battle we’re seeing in Wisconsin is going to be portrayed as a struggle for all workers’ rights, the opposite portrayal in this current tough economy will include the following questions:

1) How do all the fake sick notices and ability to organize throughout the entire state and country make those fighting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and the elected Republican legislative majorities the underdog?  In other words, who’s oppressing whom?

2) Why did it take this current series of events to drag the public unions in Wisconsin to the table to accept concessions after years of pleading?  In other words, are public sector unions hearing the voice of the people, or are they the ones who are tone-deaf?

3) Do those protesting Governor Walker really represent the will of the American majority, or just the Nancy Pelosi minority that got bounced out after last November’s elections? 

4) Will Walker become a hero or a goat if he stands his ground (perhaps a peek at how New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is doing will answer that question)?

Arguably, the biggest tragedy in all this is that we NEED public sector workers, and that some of those workers are actually in need of a raise.  However, merit and productivity do NOT appear to come across as the main driving forces behind what leads to increased pay, benefits and pensions for public sector unions in a nation and world that is really coming to grips with its own limited economy and resources.

There are bigger political implications than the labor standoff going on in Wisconsin:

Governor Jerry Brown will have not only a hard time getting a tax hike extension on the ballot, but will likely fail to pass any said ballot measure without fixing the structural deficit that can only come about with pension/pay reform of public sector employees.  With the current public focus on Wisconsin, it’ll be a simple “no public sector reforms, no tax hikes here in California”.  Last November’s fiscally-conservative outcome of the ballot measures is proof of that.

Finally, Gallup reports that fewer voters are identifying themselves as Democratic just as fewer voters are identifying themselves as Republican.

Stated differently, both parties are going to have to prove themselves to their voters.  The Republican establishment is terrified of the tea party crowd (which I consider myself a part of); will there be a similar tea-party-like phenomenon among fair-minded but neglected liberal taxpayers who’ve had enough of being taken for granted as loyal Democrats?

Please, just promise me that you’ll think about it.

Reality Check

The Tea Party Movement

It is time for Republican leaders to acknowledge that the GOP brand has lost its luster.

Yes, we made impressive gains this evening, but it is merely the American people voting for the lesser of the two evils.

We gained the control of the U.S. House of Representatives.  And, that is great!  It is enough to slow down the out-of-control spending that occurred during these past two years.

But, I predict two things coming soon.

First, the GOP will receive little or no blame for the next two years for what does or does not happen in Washington, DC.  This will strengthen the brand.

Second, the republicans will begin their internal fight over how to embrace the Tea Party movement and what to do with Sarah Palin.

Palin is the new Richard Nixon.  She is the candidate like Nixon that the party wishes would just go away.  Yet, like Nixon she has made remarkable contributions to the GOP and to the value of the brand.

Top Republicans in Washington and in the national GOP establishment say the 2010 campaign highlighted an urgent task that they will begin in earnest as soon as the elections are over: Stop Sarah Palin.

Interviews with advisers to the main 2012 presidential contenders and with other veteran Republican operatives make clear they see themselves on a common mission of halting the momentum and credibility Palin gained with conservative activists by plunging so aggressively into this year’s mid-term campaigns.

There is rising expectation among GOP elites that Palin will probably run for president in 2012 and could win the Republican nomination, a prospect many of them regard as a disaster in waiting.

Many of these establishment figures argue in not-for-attribution comments that Palin’s nomination would ensure President Barack Obama’s reelection, as the deficiencies that marked her 2008 debut as a vice presidential nominee — an intensely polarizing political style and often halting and superficial answers when pressed on policy — have shown little sign of abating in the past two years.

Top Republicans, from presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty to highly influential advisers such as Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie, are said to be concerned she will run, and could win, according to the officials. 

A longtime Republican leader said party elders hope to thwart Palin by strengthening the Republican National Committee, which has been a magnet for controversy and has seen lackluster fundraising under current Chairman Michael Steele, and outside groups such as those blessed by Rove and Gillespie and now spending heavily on congressional races.

Debt and The Threat to Our Nation

I’m normally not given to pessimism about America—we are a strong people in a rich land—but our political class has set the foundation for disaster. 

The Federal debt stands at $13.4 trillion with another $110 trillion in unfunded Medicare and Social Security liabilities.

The People’s Republic of China now holds about $850 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds, most of it quietly moved over the past few months into notes maturing in less than a year.

The ability of a nation to borrow and to finance its debt and other obligations, such a maintaining its defenses or fighting a war, is as much based on trust—the expectation that one will be paid back—as it is based on economic prowess.

What might the end of history’s greatest democratic republic look like?

At some point in the near future, a rapidly rising China may decide to challenge American supremacy in the Pacific.  The flashpoint may be over Taiwan, or it may be over the reputedly vast oil and gas riches in the disputed South China Sea area—what matters is not the trigger, but the result.

Stop Unconstitutional Power Grabs

Unconstitutional laws are pouring out of Washington — but there’s a way to stop them.

Just ask Thomas Jefferson, who said there is a “rightful remedy” to federal power grabs. It’s called nullification.

In his latest book, historian and bestselling author Thomas E. Woods, Jr. explains why the Constitution allows states to nullify unconstitutional laws, how nullification works and has in fact already been employed in cases ranging from upholding the First Amendment to knocking down slave laws before the Civil War.

Finally, here’s how to repeal “stimulus spending,” Obamacare, and other unconstitutional expansions of federal power.

Find out more about states constitutional rights here:
https://members.humaneventsonline.com/order.php?offer=1991

Repeal The Bill

Our country has been duped.

As a nation, a vast majority of the population voted for hope and change.

Instead, we have been left without hope for future generations.

Because, our Social Security funds have been diverted, Medicare costs are escalating, and special interest groups receive bailouts.

If you were on the fence in Washington, as an elected official – you got a bribe for throwing the pro-life advocates under the bus.

The worst part is that this healthcare law includes a mandate that FORCES Americans to participate - meaning you could be forced to buy a health care policy that funds abortions!

But let me assure you:  THIS IS NOT OVER.

I AM NOT FINISHED FIGHTING.  This flawed healthcare package may have been passed and signed by President Obama, but IT IS FAR FROM BEING IMPLEMENTED. 

We are embarking on a massive litigation strategy - we’ll work aggressively to challenge the constitutionality of this pro-abortion law - we are moving from the Congress to the courts! 

This is not the end of the fight – it is the beginning of the fight.

The American people spoke decisively against a big government, high tax, Washington knows best, pro-trial lawyer, centralized and bureaucratic health system.

If you are interested in learning more, feel free to write to me personally via my website or visit AmericanSolutions.com

Thank you for standing for life and liberty!

David

David P. Bernal

http://www.davidbernal.net

Healthcare Debate Update

HEALTHCARE UPDATE

Although lawmakers left Washington this week for the President’s Day recess, debate continued to amplify around the upcoming Health Care Summit. The Summit, scheduled for February 25th in Washington D.C., is considered by members of the news media to be the President’s best attempt to salvage his health care reform agenda. Some Republicans view the Summit as political theater and a political trap for the GOP. White House officials insist, however, that the Summit is meant to find solutions to issues like soaring insurance premiums.   As the health care reform debate continues to take shape this year, we encourage you and others to engage members of Congress.

Health Care Reform Negotiations:

President Obama Extends Invites to Health Summit, Lays Out Agenda: Last Friday, White House officials extended invitations to 21 lawmakers — Republicans and Democrats alike — to participate in the Health Care Summit. Invitees include the top leaders in the House and Senate and the committees with jurisdiction over health legislation. The top four leaders were each given the opportunity to invite four additional lawmakers to the Summit. The meeting will ultimately be comprised of 20 Democrats and 17 Republicans. Officials from the White House Office of Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation have also been invited. However, President Obama did not invite House or Senate Budget Committee leaders, including Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Ranking Member Judd Gregg (R-NH).  

In addition, the invitation letter outlined the format for the event: President Obama will offer opening remarks, followed by comments from a Republican leader and a Democratic leader. The President will then moderate a dialogue on:

	Insurance reforms;
	Cost containment;
	Expanding coverage; and
	The impact of health legislation on the deficit.

President Obama asked the Democrats to resolve the differences between the House and Senate bills and produce final proposed legislation prior to the Summit; however, House Democrats said Thursday that a single plan might not be ready in time. Obama also challenged Republicans to present a comprehensive reform package. The President pledged to post the Democratic plan online before the 25th of this month. Members of the news media suggested that President Obama may make his own health care reform proposal available.  

 David P. Bernal

Who is Serving You?

Despite the American people’s overwhelming rejection of the notion of government-run health care, the Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on passage of their amended “conceptual draft” of a health care bill this week. 

The committee is still awaiting a “score” from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) before the vote — a score forced by Democrats on a so-called “bill” that contains only “conceptual legislative language.”  Of course, you recall that the CBO score is how much money the bill will cost taxpayers.

REALITY CHECK

The House is still sitting on their three (3) separate bills that have been passed out of the related committees of jurisdiction but have yet to be reconciled into one bill.  Fearing a revolt from the conservative Democrats in the House, they’ve been in a holding pattern awaiting some sort of definitive movement in the Senate.  

The House Democrat leadership will likely try to pass a bill with the government or public option despite rhetoric to the contrary.  

The House version will likely keep the current radical elements such as:

1)     Federal funding of abortion,

2)    Coverage for illegal aliens and the use of

3)    Comparative effectiveness research to ration health care based on age and survivability rates (i.e., who is worthy of treatment and who is not).

Democrats believe they can force those in their caucus posing as conservatives (the “Blue Dogs”) to vote for passage of the health care bill even with the more radical elements kept in the bill.  The conservative Democrats may take the hit in 2010, but Nancy Pelosi is willing to throw them under the bus to achieve her agenda.

Democrat leaders don’t want to spill that proverbial blood on the floor of the House unless and until they’re sure the Senate can act on health care.  That question should be answered this month.

Should the amended concept draft of health care pass out of the Senate Finance Committee, the next step is to merge that concept draft with the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee partial bill passed out of committee earlier this year – resulting in one health care bill that they’ll insist isn’t a government takeover. 

The main problem for taxpayers: without actual legislative language, all sorts of goodies that weren’t in the bills in committee can be added to the bill as the legislative language is written — things that would have adversely affected the CBO score of the cost of the bill that were never added to the mix for a true cost estimate.

All attempts by Republicans to require that any of the resulting House or Senate bills — both expected to be well in excess of 1,000 pages — be made public for 72 hours before a vote have been rejected by Democrats. That means more votes without allowing the bills to be read even by those expected to vote on them. 

What’s wrong with this picture?  And, why are you not hearing from your congressman or the folks who have already tossed their hats into the ring for 2010?  Is it corruption or just plain ignorance?

Healthcare Overhaul

Fair and Balanced?

Something to consider…