Spartanburg Tea Party

I’ve heard that it is impossible to recall Senators or Representatives, and believe me I’ve asked because I can’t bear that we have to put up with Lindsey Graham for at least a few more years! However, in this article by Liberty Chick at BigGovernment.com the Sussex County Tea Party is attempting to recall Senator Robert Menendez. It seems that:

in 1993, the people of New Jersey overwhelmingly voted to reserve for themselves “the power to recall, after at least one year of service, any elected official in this State or representing this State in the United States Congress” (emphasis added), and in 1995 made this amendment to their state constitution under Article I, 2b.

So now there is the battle of the Constitutions, and this effort is moving forward. In another column on her website, Liberty Chick notes that oral arguments on this case are schedule for this Tuesday, March 2. This may be one worth watching. If you have any legal or political background which would make you a good commentator on this court action, please come back here and comment on it for us, thanks.

An article from the BBC Friday details some proposals to crack down on health care given to “refugees, migrants, and foreign nationals”. They may target “health tourists” who come for treatment but fail to pay for it, refuse entry to foreigners owing money for health care, and possibly provide a list of migrants with treatment debts to immigration officials.

Immigration minister Phil Woolas said: “The government believes that those who take advantage of our hospitality should respect that hospitality or face consequences.”

He added: “For the first time the UK’s immigration rules would state explicitly that a record of failing to discharge payment obligations to the National Health Service will impact upon a person’s ability to enter and stay in this country.”

Health minister Mike O’Brien said: “Whilst the NHS has a duty to any person whose life or long-term health is at immediate risk, we cannot afford to be an international health service, providing free treatment for all.”

DUH.

always fun, WORD Radio is running a straw poll here. Please go vote!

what’s on your mind this week? please post in “Comments” section.

observations on Health Care Summit?

thoughts on Charlie Rangel’s ethics or NY Gov Paterson’s decision not to run for re-election?

musings on local campaigns?

Let’s hear it!

Perhaps you didn’t get to watch the Health Care Summit, and haven’t caught Rep. Ryan’s on point and masterful refutation of the Dems bill. It’s worth the six minutes. You may want to clear floor space for when you stand up and cheer.

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Today I’m also calling Rep. Ryan and thanking him for representing me, even though I live in SC and not WI. His Washington office number is 202-225-3031.

hogan writes an article over at Redstate detailing how:

Senator Bunning took to the floor to object to a unanimous consent request to call up and pass the House-passed extension of a number of expiring so-called “stimulus” and other benefit programs, because Bunning dared to ask the simple question of how these extensions would be paid for.

These are the temporary extensions of things like unemployment insurance that have been passed along from month to month, but with NO PLAN to pay for them! Exactly the type of standing up to government spending we are all so angry about. Granted, these extensions are a bit more palatable than some of the shamefully ludicrous expenditures we all know about, but the worthiness of an expenditure does not diminish the fact that we cannot pay for it, and saying “no” is the first step to making Congress turn to free market solutions.

So today I’ll be calling Senator Bunning and thanking him for representing me, even though I live in SC, not KY. The number at his Washington office is 202-224-4343.

Rex McBride of American Thinker has a great article about Al Gore’s potential upcoming legal trouble. McBride thinks it unlikely that the Justice Department will file any charges against Al Gore any time soon, however, he does suggest that:

“What goes up can fall down” applies to ill-gotten gains in the stock market or “carbon trading” schemes. In such schemes, it’s foreseeable that trusting investors will (a) not only get hurt when the scam collapses, but they’ll also (b) pursue legal remedies and sue him for fraud.

It will indeed be interesting when private investors begin to look seriously at the millions of dollars they’ve invested in what is turning out to be a demonstrable scam. Our Justice Department may not attempt to recover the taxpayer dollars which have been shamefully wasted, but I rub my hands together gleefully envisioning the civil lawsuits that may be in Al Gore’s future.

The Sunlight Foundation has one stop shopping for live coverage of the Health Care Summit. This site has the video, and live blogging under the video, and a twitter stream for #HCR … #HCS … AND #HCSummit.

Even someone as addicted as I am to multitasking should be happy with all that coverage.

PJTV has documented the Tea Party movement since its inception last February via videos, pictures, interviews, and onsite reporting. They have now launched PJTV Tea Party TV!

PJTV provides short (7 to 10 minute) videos regularly on a host of subjects, but this is a special weekly series of the Tea Party movement. Some coverage will include:

# What tea party groups are forming, who is working together and who isn’t.
# How the tea party groups are working with the GOP, Independents, Libertarians.
# Who the emerging leaders are and what they stand for.
# What issues and challenges the tea parties are tackling.
# What media outlets are covering the tea parties and which aren’t.
# What the polls are telling us about the impact of the tea parties.

In addition you can view archive footage/interview of the early planning efforts from last February, and hundreds of videos and interviews recorded during last April’s Tax Day Tea Parties.

You may need to register (for free) at PJTV to view many videos. And there is a subscription service available, but MOST VIDEOS are free to view. So bookmark and visit weekly for some great reporting on what is happening in Tea Party nation!

Dan Perrin, the preeminent healthcare blogger over at Redstate posted a column yesterday sharing a letter written by Micheal E. Hammond, former General Counsel of the U.S. Senate Steering Committee. In it, Hammond, referred to as one of the preeminent experts on U.S. Senate procedure, details his reasons why the reconciliation process will not be the vehicle by which Obamacare is passed.

Hammond’s information is thorough and easy to understand, and encouraging. He says:

First, you cannot get the bill through the House without “fixing” abortion, and you cannot do abortion on reconciliation in the Senate.

also

We have asked Senate parliamentarian Alan Frumin concerning our ability to offer abortion amendments to reconciliation, and he has adamantly stood by the position that this is not allowed. And, to get around the Byrd Rule, the Senate requires 60 votes. Without an abortion “fix,” this bill cannot pass the House.

Have a look at Mr. Hammond’s letter yourself, but don’t let up on your efforts to call/fax/email Congress and continue to express your opposition to this legislation, to both parties.

Thursday will be a spectacle.