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Doctors Sue to Overturn the Health Care Bill

Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Announces 2-Week Extension of Home Heating Assistance for Low-Income Families

American Red Cross Announces Spending Plan for Relief and Recovery in Haiti

Americans for Responsible Health Care to Launch Nationwide Petition Drive to Support Repeal of New National Health Care Program

In the Weekly Republican Address, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell discusses the flawed health care bill passed by Democrats and why it should be repealed and replaced.

McConnell says, "In one of the most divisive legislative debates in modern history, Democrats decided to go the partisan route and blatantly ignore the will of the people. Americans opposed this legislation, and, now theyre clamoring to see it repealed and replaced. Democratic Leaders and White House officials may be celebrating their victory this week, but most of the rest of the country is not. Most people arent interested in celebrating a bill that makes their lives more complicated, takes more out of their paychecks and puts decisions theyre used to making themselves into the hands of federal bureaucrats."

Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS

Illinois Is 40th State to Defend Health Care Choice; Oklahoma Health Freedom Bill Poised for Ballot

Extensis Group and the Marquis Agency to Host Business Webinar Entitled: Can Small Business Survive Healthcare Reform?

File this under "your tax dollars at work."

From POLITICO:

Nearly 2,000 House of Representative staffers pulled down six-figure salaries in 2009, including 43 staffers who earned the maximum $172,500 — or more than three times the median U.S. household income.

Starting salaries on Capitol Hill are still low — many entry-level congressional jobs pay less than $30,000 a year. And many of the most highly paid staffers could make several times the maximum by jumping to lobbying and consulting jobs in the private sector.

But the salary data, compiled for POLITICO by LegiStorm.com, show that it’s possible to make an enviable living in Congress, even without winning an election.

The 43 staffers who maxed out at $172,500 — the salary cap for leadership and committee staffers — include John Lawrence, chief of staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Paula Nowakowski, the late chief of staff to House Minority Leader John Boehner; and House Parliamentarian John Sullivan. They earned only slightly less than rank-and-file members of Congress, who make $174,000.

All the salary data are part of the public record and are culled from congressional office disbursement reports.

So much for the myth of "public servants" forgoing big money in the private sector to devote themselves to toil for the government.

Read the full story at the link below:

2,000 House staffers make six figures - Erika Lovley - POLITICO.com

U.S. Health Care Bill Praised by Fidel Castro - Round About Place

Every time Barack Obama, Joe Biden or Nancy Pelosi say that the "stimulus" is working, they insult your intelligence.

From a post by Rep. Dave Camp, ranking Republican on the House Ways & Means Committee:

While the President recently claimed his February 2009 stimulus bill will "save or create 1.5 million jobs in 2010 after saving or creating as many as 2 million jobs thus far,” the table below compares the White House's original projections of state-by-state job creation with the actual change in state payroll employment through February 2010, using the latest data from the U.S. Department of Labor. The data show that only Alaska and the District of Columbia have seen net job creation since the enactment of stimulus, and even those levels fall far short of what the White House originally forecast.

To see a state-by-state breakdown of job loses, click here.

Thirteen months later, the Obama/Pelosi "stimulus" package isn't doing much stimulating.

From the Philadelphia Business Journal:

Unemployment climbed to 11.4 percent in Philadelphia in January and to 8.9 percent across the state in February, levels not seen in more than 25 years, City Controller Alan Butkovitz said Thursday in his monthly economic snapshot.

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate was last at 8.9 percent in September 1984 and Philadelphia's unemployment rate was last at 11.4 percent in May 1983. The city's January unemployment rate, which is the most recent data available, increased nearly a full percentage point from December.

Can't wait to see the job loses once Obamacare gets roling.

City controller says Phila. unemployment jumped to 11.4% in Jan. - Philadelphia Business Journal:

From Republican Congressman Joe Pitts:

"When the government ignores the will of the people, a high level of frustration is to be expected. But that frustration needs to be channeled into political activity, not threats and violence. I urge those who opposed this bill to remember that history and fiscal reality will prove them right. And I urge the citizens of this country who are angry to remember that they are on the right side of this debate and they should act accordingly. In America, that is what elections are for.

On March 25, 1894, Jacob S. Coxey began leading an "army" of unemployed from Massillon, Ohio, to Washington D.C., to demand help from the federal government.

It's time for another march on Washington.

The Obama Recession is in its 13th month and Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have given nothing but lip service to the 17 million Americans out of work.

From the Family Research Council:

"FRC Action PAC will target for defeat 20 members of Congress including Congressman Bart Stupak. Over the next seven months and on Election Day, our PAC members and the thousands of families we represent will send a powerful message that can't be ignored -- 'it's time to replace this Congress, repeal this law and restore our constitutional freedoms'."

White House Is Right to Be Embarrassed by Executive Order

How's that Obamacare working out for you? As well as the Obama "stimulus" package?

Employers are already warning workers about higher health-care costs and reduced benefits, according to The Wall Street Journal.

From a new WSJ editorial:

Even before President Obama signed the bill on Tuesday, Caterpillar said it would cost the company at least $100 million more in the first year alone. Medical device maker Medtronic warned that new taxes on its products could force it to lay off a thousand workers. Now Verizon joins the roll of businesses staring at adverse consequences.

In an email titled "President Obama Signs Health Care Legislation" sent to all employees Tuesday night, the telecom giant warned that "we expect that Verizon's costs will increase in the short term." While executive vice president for human resources Marc Reed wrote that "it is difficult at this point to gauge the precise impact of this legislation," and that ObamaCare does reflect some of the company's policy priorities, the message to workers was clear: Expect changes for the worse to your health benefits as the direct result of this bill, and maybe as soon as this year.

And this is just the beginning of the havoc Obamacare will create.

Read the full editorial here.

REALTORS(R) Oppose Gov. Edward G. Rendell's Proposed Tax on Professional Services in Real Estate Transactions

Despite the media blitz, the letter telling you the form is coming, the form itself and the post card reminding you to send back the form, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that only 16 percent of American households have participated so far in the 2010 Census.

What could be the problem? Could it be mistrust of the federal government? Just a guess.

From a story by Hope Yen of The Associated Press:

Roughly 100 million households to go.

One week after U.S. census forms were mailed to 120 million households, about 16 percent of the nation has completed those forms and sent them back. That number puts the government on its way to matching or surpassing mail participation rates in 2000 of 72 percent, the Census Bureau said Wednesday.

The bureau will continue to accept mailed-in forms through most of April.

From May until July, it will send census-takers to each home that doesn't reply by mail, which is more costly and sometimes leads to more inaccurate responses. The Census Bureau has estimated it would save $1.5 billion in follow-up visits if everyone who receives a census form mails it back.

Census Bureau Rolls Out New Interactive Maps Showing 2010 Census Mail Participation Rates

Rep. Doug Reichley (R-Berks/Lehigh), vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after Tuesday's passage of House Bill 2279, Gov. Rendell's latest $29 billion red-ink budget proposal:

"It is no coincidence that the budget bill that passed today was voted on exactly 100 days before the June 30 deadline. Unfortunately, the governor and his allies would prefer to pass a bill that does not bear any reality to the financial difficulties faced by many families, businesses and organizations rather than to pass a fiscally responsible spending plan for Pennsylvania. The governor's proposal, passed with unanimous support from House Democrats, spends far more than the state is taking in, exceeding tax revenue by billions of dollars, and relying on deferred payments into state employee and teacher pension funds. Such reckless spending only compounds the problem we are currently facing.

"The governor's budget also unwisely uses a whistling through the graveyard approach by basing his spending plan on receiving $850 million in federal aid for Medical Assistance, the state-administered health care plan for the poor, elderly, and disabled in Pennsylvania. The problem is there is no telling if and when the state will receive those federal funds. The governor and his supporters in the House Democratic Caucus should have learned after seven years of missing budget deadlines that you do not achieve a balanced budget by crossing your collective fingers and wishing for federal aid.

"We need to act now to protect against tax increases in the future. We need to act now with further decreases in state spending. We need to fix foreseeable problems with the state employees and public school employees retirement systems before we reach the tipping point.

"Clearly, the bill that passed today is not the bill that will become law. It's a sham, designed to provide taxpayers with the illusion that the budget process has started in earnest. This is not a real, negotiated, fiscally sustainable budget. We will all end up paying for it, well beyond when the governor leaves office."

Few people have gone from hero to heavy so quickly in American politics as Rep. Bart Stupak, who billed himself as the champion of the unborn ... until he sold his vote to the abortion industry to support Obamacare.

Columnist Kathleen Parker offers a look at Stupak's pathetic betrayal of the pro-life movement.

From her column:

Ultimately, he was weak and overwhelmed by raw political power. History is no stranger to such moments, but this one needs to be understood for what it was. A deception.

The executive order promising that no federal funds will be used for abortion is utterly useless, and everybody knows it. First, the president can revoke it as quickly as he signs it.

Second, an order cannot confer jurisdiction in the courts or establish any grounds for suing anybody in court, according to a former White House counsel. The order is therefore judicially unenforceable.

Finally, an executive order cannot trump or change a federal statute.

One can reasonably surmise that Obama, a former constitutional law professor, is well aware of the uselessness of his promise. Perhaps this is why he didn't mention it during the bill-signing ceremony Tuesday.

Stupak, too, knew that the executive order was merely political cover for him and his pro-life colleagues. He knew it because several members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops explained it to him, according to sources. The only way to prevent public funding for abortion was for his amendment to be added to the Senate bill.

Clearly, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the president didn't want that. What they did want was the abortion funding that the Senate bill allowed.

Read the full column, "Stupak's fall from pro-life grace", here.

State Rep. Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) issued the following statement on the passage of House Bill 2279, which is Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed budget, minus the taxes Rendell wants to pay for the $29 billion spending plan:

"By relying on yet-to-be-approved federal funds, this legislation builds our budget on a house of cards. We should not allocate $850 million in federal money we only hope to get, but we should focus on the resources we know we have. This budget is the epitome of writing a check the taxpayers might not be able to cash, and it is irresponsible.

"For the past two budget cycles, Pennsylvania outspent its means. We are expected to end the year with a more than half-billion dollar deficit, which is a clear sign that this is not the time to increase spending. This budget calls for a $1.2 billion, or 4 percent, spending increase. Pennsylvania’s families continue to scale back their personal budgets, and this proposed state spending growth is not reflective of our current economy.

"I will continue putting my efforts into examining ways to make state government more efficient, and I am hopeful the Senate will amend this bill with a more realistic spending goal that will shield Pennsylvania families from future tax increases. We need to adopt a budget that is practical and sustainable."

The budget bill passed the House by a vote of 107-89, mostly along party lines, and now goes to the Senate for consideration. Since Republicans hold a 30-20 majority in the Senate, they will likely discard the Rendell/Democratic budget and craft their own spending plan.

Tuesday's House vote was essentially a publicity stunt by House Democrats. March 23 marks 100 days before the constitutional deadline to approve the budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year. You'll recall that the Legislature was 100 days late with in approving the 2009-10 budget.

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry delivered an address to the Virginia Provincial Convention in which he is said to have declared, "Give me liberty, or give me death!"

If Patrick Henry were alive today, he probably would have said "Give me liberty, or give me debt!" in response to the trillions of dollars of debt that Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats have piled on the American taxpayer.

For the latest numbers on the National Debt Clock, click here.

Pennsylvania has spent $4 billion more than it has taken in over the past two years. Unemployment is at the highest level in two decades. The state's business climate continues to sink. Former and current state legislators are being hauled into court on corruption charges.

The "funny money" Barack Obama has sent to states as part of his "stimulus" package will dry up in two years. So what do the Democrats who control the Pennsylvania House do to show they're serious about the state's fiscal mess? They approved a $29 billion budget that is $1.2 billion higher than the current red-ink spending plan. And they have no way of paying for it. The budget the House passed along party-line votes Tuesday does not include any of the tax increases Gov. Ed Rendell proposed as part of the $29 billion budget.

So what is the most expensive state legislature in the country up to? State Rep. Sam Rohrer, an 18-year veteran of the House who is leaving to run for governor, has some thoughts about the state's fiscal woes:

"The current administration has led Pennsylvania down the path to fiscal insolvency," Rohrer said. "The budget approved today by the House is simply a continuation of the fiscally irresponsible practices of the last eight years. It spends too much, disregards financial reality and ignores the wishes of Pennsylvanians."

The budget bill approved today by the House was based on Gov. Ed Rendell's proposal outlined in his February budget address before the General Assembly. The bill calls for a $1.2 billion increase in state spending, which would drive up total state expenditures to in excess of $29 billion.

While the proposal calls for more than $29 billion in state spending, it anticipates only $26.2 billion in state revenues. Rohrer, who serves as the Republican chairman of the House Finance Committee, says the administration's revenue projections are far too optimistic.

"The budget approved today by the House is based on overstated revenues and underestimated costs," Rohrer said. "The state is already facing a half-billion dollar budget deficit for the current year. The administration and House Democrat leaders want to toss another $1.2 billion in spending on top of that through this budget proposal. Realistically, we are facing a $4 billion to $5 billion structural deficit, because that's how much state spending is outpacing our revenues."

Rohrer says revenues are likely to come in close to where they were in 2004 and state spending should be brought in line with where it was back then.

"The current administration cuts a dollar of spending with its left hand and then spends it somewhere else with its right hand," Rohrer said. "That is why state spending has increased by more than $8.6 billion since the administration took office. We need to make real cuts that root out waste, fraud and abuse from state spending initiatives."

Rohrer also argued that by passing the governor's budget proposal, House Democrats were ignoring the will of Pennsylvanians. In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, nearly half (49 percent) of respondents said the governor's budget proposal increases spending "too much." By comparison, only 6 percent of respondents said the governor's spending increase proposal was "not enough."

"Pennsylvanians are tired of lawmakers in Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg who refuse to listen to the people," Rohrer said. "This budget is a slap in the face to the taxpayers who foot the bills around here. They continue to speak out, but their voice was disregarded by the majority in the House of Representatives today."

The budget bill now heads to the Senate, where Republicans hold a 30-20 majority, for consideration.

With the government takeover of health care checked off their list, Democrats will now push amnesty for illegal aliens, according to FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform).

Illegal Amnesty Would Further Undermine American Workers

From a new editorial in Investor's Business Daily:

Sunday's vote exposed the ugly truth that ObamaCare is not really about health care at all. It's all about who pays for it and who controls it — in effect a massive wealth-redistribution scheme.

Those who believe this will lead to some medical nirvana will likely be disappointed. Fact is, this poorly designed monstrosity will lead to lower-quality care, higher costs, fewer practicing physicians, higher taxes and fewer jobs.

We've done more than 150 editorials in the past year or so documenting these problems. Democrats surely understand them. Yet, despite a recent CNN poll showing that 59% of Americans oppose ObamaCare, Congress approved it anyway.

Why? Because it's not really about health care. It's the largest wealth grab in American history, masquerading as health care "reform," another step in the socialization of Americans' income in the name of "fairness" and "spread(ing) the wealth around," as Obama himself has put it.

That's why we call the program a lie.

Read the full editorial, "Enacting A Lie," at the newspaper's Web site.

The Republican National Committee raised more than $1 million in new pledges since Sunday's House vote to enact Obamacare. The campaign, which uses the clever tag line of "Fire Pelosi," is designed to raise money to help Republicans capture majority control of the House.

For more information, click here.

The former No. 2 Democrat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives was found guilty Monday night of 14 corruption-related charges following a six-week trial.

Former state Rep. Mike Veon had been facing 59 counts related to public corruption while he held the post of Democratic Whip in the state House.

Prosecutors alleged that Veon orchestrated a scheme to pay state workers for doing campaign work on taxpayer time. Democrats took back control of the state House in 2006 thanks to Veon's efforts.

Two of Veon's former aides were also found guilty. A fourth defendant was acquitted of all charges.

While not the slam dunk case Attorney General Tom Corbett, who brought the charges, had hoped for, convictions of three of the four defendants will cement Corbett's reputation as a corruption-busing crusader.

Corbett is running for Pennsylvania governor.

While everyone's attention is focused on Obamacare, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday voted 104-85, mostly along party lines, to increase Pennsylvania's debt ceiling by another $800 million.

The vote puts the debt potential for Redevelopment Assistance Capitol Projects (RCAP) at a record $4.25 billion.

Rep. Curt Schroder (R-Chester County) voted against raising the debt and issued the following statement:

"It is the fourth time since Governor Ed Rendell took office that the debt ceiling has been raised," said Schroder. "The amount that Pennsylvania can borrow has shot up by 180 percent. The Commonwealth simply cannot continue to thrust mountains of debt on future generations of Pennsylvanians, particularly when they will also be saddled with massive debt created at the federal level."

As with any loan, the amount needed to pay off the debt is far higher than the amount borrowed. The debt service on RCAP projects in 2002-03 was $65.5 million. With the new debt ceiling now at $4.25 billion, the amount needed annually to cover the new level of borrowing will be $326.7 million - a 400 percent increase.

"In these economic times, we should be looking for ways to cut spending and to do more with less, just as the citizens of this Commonwealth are doing every day," said Schroder. "It is grossly unfair for future generations of taxpayers to be forced to pay for today's wasteful projects favoring the politically well-connected."

The House measure goes to the Republican-controlled Senate.

State Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks), who is also seeking the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania governor, issued the following statement Monday in response to the approval in the House of Representatives of the health care overhaul bill:

"Last night the world watched the U.S. House of Representatives act with stunning disregard for the constitutional rights of every American, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. What passed under the rally call of civil rights and human dignity was in fact one of the strongest challenges to individual freedom in a generation.

In winning passage for the healthcare overhaul using every unsavory procedural tool, threat and backroom promise, they broke faith with their own pledge of openness and transparency. But far worse than hollow campaign promises is the shame in knowing that public officials who knowingly violate their oath to defend the Constitution, commit an act far more injurious to the public trust than bowing to raw politics.

If and when President Obama signs this unconstitutional healthcare bill into law, the roadmap for Pennsylvania’s legal challenge is clear. From the disintegration of the separation of powers between the state and federal government to the misapplication of the Commerce Clause to the lack of congressional authority to apply a direct tax on citizens, the Congress has given us an obvious framework to oppose this bad law.

As Pennsylvania's governor, I will use the powers of the office to defend the rights of every citizen to make private decisions, like the purchase of health insurance, for themselves. I will vigorously defend the responsibilities of our elected state legislative bodies, under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution, to make decisions about any restructuring of laws that regulate the conduct of health insurance companies and providers. This is simply not the role or right of the federal government.

In my administration, I will never hesitate to defend the constitutional rights of every citizen. This will be my first and highest priority."

For more about Rohrer's campaign for governor, visit http://www.samrohrer.org/

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform released its annual survey ranking the states with the best and worst legal climates.

Pennsylvania ranks 34th in the nation. That's the bottom half.

The states with the worst legal climates are California (46th), Alabama (47th), Mississippi (48th), Louisiana (49th), and West Virginia (50th).

The states with the best legal climates are Delaware (1st), North Dakota (2nd), Nebraska (3rd), Indiana (4th), and Iowa (5th).

From an ILR press release:

The survey also shows that a state's legal climate affects how and where a company does business and creates jobs. Two-thirds, or 67%, of the 1,482 corporate lawyers and executives contacted say a state's lawsuit environment is likely to impact important business decisions at their company, such as where to locate or expand their businesses. That is up 10% from just three years ago.

Read more about the report and download you own free copy at the link below:

Institute for Legal Reform: Media Room: West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, & California Ranked Worst Lawsuit Climates in the Nation

Bauer Says the Only Remedy for the 'Tragic Mistake' of the Health Care Vote Is at the Ballot Box

For the record, the following members of Congress from Pennsylvania voted on Sunday to raise your taxes, plunge the nation deeper into debt and impose a government-run health care system on Americans.

They voted "yes" to Obamacare. You should vote "no" when you see their names on the ballot in May and November:

Robert Brady (D-PA-1)

Christopher Carney (D-PA-10)

Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA-3)

Mike Doyle (D-PA-14)

Chaka Fattah (D-PA-2)

Paul Kanjorski (D-PA-11)

Patrick Murphy (D-PA-8)

Allyson Schwartz (D-PA-13)

Joe Sestak (D-PA-7)

State Legislators Last Line of Defense Against ObamaCare

John Boehner, the next Speaker of the House after Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are bounced out in November, promises to repeal Obamacare when Republicans take back control of the House.

From POLITICO Live:

If Republicans take control of the House this fall, Minority Leader John Boehner said Sunday he'd work to repeal the health care bill that's heading to final congressional votes.

"If this bill passes, we will have an effort to repeal the bill, and we'll do it the same way that we approached health care on a step by step basis," the Ohio congressman said in an advanced transcript of NBC's "Meet the Press." I'd have a bill on the floor the first thing out, to eliminate the Medicare cuts, eliminate the tax increases, eliminate the mandate that every American has to buy health insurance and the employer mandate that's going to cover jobs."

Rep. Bart Stupak accepted his 30 pieces of silver from Barack Obama on Sunday to give the Democrats enough votes to pass a government takeover of health care.

Rep. Joe Pitts (PA-16) issued the following statement following the announcement that President Barack Obama will issue an executive order addressing the concerns pro-life Democrats have with the Senate health bill:

"From a pro-life perspective, I find absolutely no comfort in this executive order. This puts the fate of the unborn in the hands of the most pro-abortion president in history.

"This is a career-defining vote on the life issue. Any member of either party who votes for this bill will never again be able to claim they have always stood for the most important and fundamental of all human rights.

"I congratulate the many pro-life Democrats who continue to hold firm on principle and who will join me in voting against this terrible bill later today."

Barack Obama had a lifetime pro-life rating of 0 (zero) percent during his Senate career from the National Right to Life Committee, according to Pitts, and a 100 percent pro-choice rating from the National Abortion Rights Action League.

Judicial Watch: Slaughter Rule Unconstitutional

Citing a BAD Bill and a BAD Process, RetireSafe Urges Calls to Congress to Stop the Health Care Bill

Tea Party Patriots Gather in Opposition to Government Takeover of Health Care

Life Counts Campaign Mobilizing Thousands in Key Districts Today

Buying Votes for Health Care Bill With Amnesty for Illegal Aliens

Six-term incumbent Republican state Rep. Kate Harper will face a challenger in little-known Democrat Mary Lou Readinger for Montgomery County's 61st House District.

From a story in the Lansdale Reporter:

State Rep. Kate Harper, R-61st District, is eager to publicly debate Mary Lou Readinger, her Democratic opponent in November.

"Unlike most incumbents with good name recognition, I am more than willing to appear with her in front of large crowds," Harper said. "I'm happy to meet with the people and allow them to ask questions. Let the voters decide who has better qualifications."

Harper said she views any election year appearance as an opportunity to update her constituents on state government.

"What we do affects their lives," she said. "Most people have no idea what is going on."

Readinger, a member of the Plymouth Township Council, would not commit to any joint appearances.

"I'm not going to decide on that right now," she said.

Read the full story at the link below:

Harper faces challenge in 61st District - The ReporterNews: Serving North Penn, Indian Valley and neighboring communities

Posted using ShareThis

Medicare is broke. Social Security is broke. The postal service is broke. The entire federal government is broke. Why am I having such a difficult time believing that Obamacare will end up reducing the federal deficit, just like Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi say?

From POLITICO:

The Democratic health care bill would cost $940 billion over 10 years and cut the federal deficit over the next two decades — figures that should help ease the worries of fiscal hawks who have been reluctant about supporting the sweeping measure.

The bill would reduce the deficit by about $130 billion in the first 10 years and by $1.2 trillion over the second 10 years. It will expand coverage to 95 percent of Americans, according to Congressional Budget Office figures released Thursday by House Democrats.

Why do I have such a hard time believing the government? Would Obama lie?

Congressional Budget Office releases health bill estimates - Patrick O'Connor and Carrie Budoff Brown - POLITICO.com

The end is near ... for the Democratic Party. Like a bad TV reality show, the Obamacare debate will soon end. Democrats will march off a cliff in unison, Republicans will take back control of both chambers of Congress in November and Democrats will be relegated to permanent minority status. You can screw with the American people only so long before you feel the wrath of voters.

The Drama Queen Caucus - Jonathan Martin - POLITICO.com

MORE CITIZEN ACTIONS PLANNED THROUGH WEEKEND: Unprecedented TEA Party & Grassroots Coalition Aligns to 'Kill The Bill'; Rally Saturday at Capitol, Other Events Across Country

Pia Varma is running for Congress. She has no political experience and she's fine with that.

In fact, that's the appeal of her campaign. We've seen what the "professional politicians" have done with this country. Why not give regular person a chance?

Pia Varma is a Republican running in Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District. The seat has been held by Democrat Bob Brady since 1998.

Varma ran a full page ad in The Philadelphia Inquirer this week with a simple message: Hate Philly Politics?

If the answer is yes, you should vote for Varma. If you like the job Congress is doing, keep political insiders like Brady in office.

Find out more at www.votepia.com

Deadline to Register to Vote in Pennsylvania's May Primary is April 19

Even if Nancy Pelosi conjures up parliamentary tricks to pass Obamacare, expect a long legal battle as states line up to sue the federal government over the unconstitutional federal takeover of the health-care system. Pennsylvania is one of 37 states that have threatened to sue over Obamacare.

From The Associated Press:

Idaho's governor on Wednesday became the first state chief executive to sign a measure requiring his attorney general to sue the federal government if the U.S. Congress passes health care reform that forces Americans to buy insurance.

"What the Idaho Health Freedom Act says is that the citizens of our state won't be subject to another federal mandate or turn over another part of their life to government control," Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter said.

Constitutional law experts say Otter's action is mostly symbolic because federal laws supersede those of the states. But the movement reflects a growing national frustration with President President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

Similar legislation is pending in 37 other states nationwide.

Democratic leaders in Washington D.C. are hoping to vote on the U.S. health care bill this weekend, but it is not clear if they have enough votes to pass it. The bill is Obama's top domestic priority and the health care issue could help determine whether Democrats retain control of Congress in the November election.

Last week, Virginia legislators passed a measure similar to Idaho's new law, but Otter was the first state chief executive to sign such a bill, according the American Legislative Exchange Council, which created model legislation for Idaho and other states. The Washington, D.C.,-based nonprofit group promotes limited government.

Otter, a Republican, already warned U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in December that Idaho was considering litigation if health reform went through.

From a new "Fact Check" by The Associated Press on Obamacare:

Buyers, beware: President Barack Obama says his health care overhaul will lower premiums by double digits, but check the fine print.

Premiums are likely to keep going up even if the health care bill passes, experts say. If cost controls work as advertised, annual increases would level off with time. But don't look for a rollback. Instead, the main reason premiums would be more affordable is that new government tax credits would help cover the cost for millions of people.

I cannot believe Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have been lying to us all this time!

Shocking AP Fact Check: Premiums Will Rise Under ObamaCare | NewsBusters.org

Britain Bans Ads Exaggerating Danger of Global Warming | NewsBusters.org

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes that Pennsylvannia lawmakers need to revisit Act 1 of 2006, Ed Rendell's bogus scheme to stem rising property taxes. The legislation has failed miserably, much like most of Rendell's schemes.

From the editorial:

The 2006 state law that was supposed to give taxpayers at least some say in school budget increases has instead led to continuing property tax hikes -- with marginal public recourse.

Unlike in most states, Pennsylvania's 501 school districts have carte blanche to nose-thumb taxpayers -- most notoriously in union contracts, which become public after the dealing is done.

Pennsylvanians deserve a meaningful say in what their school boards spend. And voter referendums shouldn't be the exception to the rule. That change begins by reforming Act 1.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.

Two Pennsylvania casinos won approval Tuesday to begin offering poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and other table games by mid-year, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Downs Racing, LP, operators of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Luzerne County, and Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment Inc., operators of parx casino/Philadelphia Park Racetrack in Bucks County, were the first two licensed slots facilities in the Pennsylvania to receive approval for table games, according to a Gaming Commission press release.

Read the full release at the link below:

Gaming Control Board Grants First Authorizations to Conduct Table Games at Pennsylvania Casinos

Inhofe Blasts Gore On Senate Floor: He's 'Running For Cover' | NewsBusters.org

Simon Wiesenthal Center: Obama Administration Overreach Has Contributed to Worst Crisis in Arab/Israeli Relations in 20 years

Auditor General Jack Wagner Joins Sens. Boscola and Browne to Promote Legislation Prohibiting Interest-Rate Swaps

Rep. Curt Schroder, R-155th Dist., was recently honored as Republican Legislator of the Year by the Greater Exton Chamber of Commerce.

Robert Hall, chairman of the Chamber's Government Affairs Council, said Schroder was honored for "his attention to the needs and concerns of small businesses in the community."

More from a Chamber press release:

"Small businesses are the heart of this community and communities all across our nation," said Schroder. "Small businesses employ more than half of the private sector workers and account for 44 percent of the total U.S. private payroll. They generated 64 percent - or about 14.5 million - of the net new jobs in this country over the past 15 years. As an elected official, I am mindful of the critical role small businesses play in creating and maintaining good, family sustaining jobs. It is incumbent on me and other elected leaders to support small businesses in any way we can.

"I am honored and humbled by my selection as the Republican Legislator of the Year by the Greater Exton Chamber of Commerce. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the chamber for its recognition of my efforts on your behalf and for the great work all of your members do to promote small businesses in the greater Exton area," he said.

Investor's Business Daily can't figure out why the far left keeps honoring Al Gore for selling his Global Warming Snake Oil.

From a new editorial:

Instead of having his Nobel Prize rescinded for espousing climate fraud, the prophet of doom is set to receive an honorary doctorate of laws and humane letters from the University of Tennessee for his work.

'Vice President Gore's career has been marked by visionary leadership, and his work has quite literally changed our planet for the better," UT Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek said in a prepared statement.

We are not making this up, though we will not dispute Gore's having had visions.

He has warned us of sea levels rising so high and so fast that we should see boats moored on the top of the Washington Monument. Polar bears would drown en masse for lack of ice at the same time snow measured in feet blanketed large parts of the country.

We used to call it weather. He called it climate change and made a fortune doing so.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

Doctor Of Lies - Investors.com

You knew the day was coming. Everybody knew the day was coming. But nobody has done anything about it. Social Security is taking in less money that it pays out. In some circles, that's called bankruptcy. (And since the government has done such a great job with Social Security, why don't we let the feds run health care, too?)

From The Associated Press:

This year, for the first time since the 1980s, when Congress last overhauled Social Security, the retirement program is projected to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes — nearly $29 billion more.

Sounds like a good time to start tapping the nest egg. Too bad the federal government already spent that money over the years on other programs, preferring to borrow from Social Security rather than foreign creditors. In return, the Treasury Department issued a stack of IOUs — in the form of Treasury bonds — which are kept in a nondescript office building just down the street from Parkersburg's municipal offices.

Now the government will have to borrow even more money, much of it abroad, to start paying back the IOUs, and the timing couldn't be worse. The government is projected to post a record $1.5 trillion budget deficit this year, followed by trillion dollar deficits for years to come.

Read the full story at the link below

IOUs come due for Social Security (pottsmerc.com)

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What is the Obama Administration doing to uncover home-grown terrorists?

From an editorial in Investor's Business Daily:

While the essential ingredient in these cases is militant Islam, we have to wonder if the left isn't making otherwise normal Americans vulnerable to such treasonous seductions. After all, the hate-America lobby — led by the American Civil Liberties Union and often cheered by the media — has comforted even the most guilty in the war on terror, including the 9/11 mastermind and other Gitmo detainees.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

The Jihadists Next Door - Investors.com

Lawmakers spend 1K/month on taxpayer-funded cars - Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com

(H/T The Heritage Foundation)

From Investor's Business Daily:

So it's come down to this — desperate Democratic leaders strong-arming members on the worst bill ever before they go home to explain to constituents why they decided to commit political suicide.

We've said just about all we've had to say on this issue — actually dating back to 1993-94, when we wrote nearly 100 editorials in opposition to HillaryCare. Since January of last year, we've weighed in 150 more times against the latest version of socialized medicine.

The newspaper offers 15 reasons why a government takeover of the finest medical system in the world makes no sense. Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.

From Investor's Business Daily:

It's a good thing President Obama isn't in the private sector. If he was, the budget he just put forward for the next 10 years just might get him indicted for fraud.

Of all the promises the president made during the 2008 presidential campaign and last year's budget debates, none rings so hollow now as the pledge of "fiscal responsibility."

As a recent nonpartisan analysis by the Congressional Budget Office shows, our current budget path is, to use the euphemism du jour, unsustainable. It will leave a nearly insurmountable mountain of debt and spending to future generations.

Just last year, U.S. public debt totaled $7.5 trillion — a sum equal to all the indebtedness accumulated from our 225 years in existence as a nation. But by 2020, total U.S. public debt will be $20.3 trillion — an increase of 171% in just 10 years.

Read the full story at the Investor's Business Daily Web site.

American Legion National Commander Praises 9th Circuit Pledge Ruling

American Legion Offers Help for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in Employment Crisis

With the addition of 41 new delinquent taxpayers to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue's tax delinquent list, a total of 275 businesses now owe the state more than $9.4 million, acting Revenue Secretary C. Daniel Hassell said today.

Businesses on Pennsylvania's Tax Delinquent List Now Owe More Than $9.4 Million; 41 Firms Added to List

Obama loves to hear the people speak — some of the time.

How can you not read a column that begins with this premise: "President Obama is presiding over one of the most corrupt administrations in American history."

Read Jeffrey T. Kuhner's latest at the link below:

A gangster regime - Washington Times

Another addition to the long list of Obama broken promises.

Bush's union transparency rules retracted under Obama - Washington Times

Here's a perfect example of why secret ballots are essential when workers are asked to join a union.

Chester County prison guards overwhelmingly (155-35) rejected a move to join the Teamsters.

Imagine the pressure to join unions if the workers could not vote by secret ballot.

That's what the Card Check scheme pushed by Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats is all about - forced unionization.

Prison guards vote against unionization - The Daily Local News

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Where do you turn to when the Justice Department is helping to cover up criminal activity?

Obama Justice Department Shut Down Federal ACORN Investigation According to Documents Obtained by Judicial Watch

One of my favorite columnists, John Hawkins, is making a list again.

From his latest column:

One of the reasons liberals tend to do such an incredibly poor job of governing is that they fundamentally misunderstand the nature of the American people. Given that liberals also fundamentally misunderstand Christianity, the Constitution, economics, and human nature, I guess it's no big surprise that they don't get the American people either. Come to think of it, I guess it's pretty much par for the course. I mean, let's face it, without conservatives around to help keep them in check, liberals would utterly destroy everything that is good about America and most of them would be baffled about what they were doing wrong right up until the end. But enough about the Left's general lack of common sense -- let's talk about how they misjudge the American people.

1) They believe the American people want liberal policies.
2) Liberals believe that many Americans don't know what's in their own best interests.
3) Liberals believe that the American people want to be treated like children.
4) Liberals believe that most conservatives are evil.
5) Liberals believe they can lie to the American people without consequence.

Read the full column at Townhall.com

Where are the jobs Obama promised?

The unemployment rates rose in 30 states in January, according to the U.S. Labor Department, as the Obama Recession enters its second full year.

Five states reported record-high joblessness in January: California, at 12.5 percent; South Carolina, 12.6 percent; Florida, 11.9 percent; North Carolina, 11.1 percent; and Georgia, 10.4 percent, according to The Associated Press.

Michigan's unemployment rate is still the nation's highest, at 14.3 percent, followed by Nevada, with 13 percent and Rhode Island at 12.7 percent. South Carolina and California round out the top five, according to AP.

For a state-by-state look at unemployment rates, click here.

Rep. Joe Pitts, a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District, joined 18 fellow Republicans on a letter calling for a one-year moratorium on earmark requests for Republican members.

The letter calls for an immediate Republican Conference meeting to discuss the moratorium.

"Out of control earmarks are a symptom of our larger inability to balance the federal budget and we cannot wait any longer to control spending," Pitts said in a written statement. "We need to come together as a conference and take a stand for fiscal responsibility."

Pitts has a history of standing against out-of-control spending, voting against one-third of appropriations bills when Republicans controlled Congress because they spent too much.

Rep. Pitts has not requested earmarks since 2007.

Read more about the moratorium effort in Roll Call.

Four Pennsylvania government Web sites were named winners of the "Sunny Award" today, marking them as some of the best state and local government Websites for transparency by Sunshine Review, a pro transparency organization.

The Pennsylvania winners are Avon Grove School District, Brandywine Heights Area School District, Philadelphia County and the state Web site.

From a Sunshine Review press release:

Award winners are among only 39 Web sites in America earning an "A" transparency grade from more than 5,000 analyzed. Sunshine Review's "Transparency Checklist" analyzes Web sites for information about budgets, meetings, elected and administrative officials, permits and zoning, audits, contracts, lobbying, public records, and taxes. The "Checklist" measures what content is available on government websites against what should be provided.

"Sunny Award winners deserve recognition for making information available to citizens and for setting a transparency standard that all governments can, and should, meet," said Mike Barnhart, president of Sunshine Review. "Access to information empowers every citizen to hold government officials accountable for the conduct of the public's business and the spending of taxpayers' money. Official accountability is the corner stone of self government and liberty."

Sunshine Review is a non-profit organization dedicated to state and local government transparency. The Sunshine Review wiki collects and shares transparency information and uses a 10-point "Transparency Checklist" to evaluate the content of every state and more than 5,000 local government websites. Sunshine Review collaborates with individuals and organizations throughout America in the cause of an informed citizenry and an accountable government.

Since its inception in 2008, Sunshine Review has analyzed the Web sites of all 50 states, more than 3,140 counties, 805 cities, and 1,560 school districts.

For more information, visit www.sunshinereview.org

Americans for Responsible Health Care Launch Radio Ads Targeting Seven Democrats, Warning 'The People Are Watching'

Don't look know but terrorists may be operating right next door.

The Associated Press is reporting that a Montgomery County woman has been indicted for recruiting jihadists online.

The woman, identified in court documents at Colleen R. LaRose, aka "Fatima LaRose," aka "JihadJane," is believed to be from the Pennsburg area in rural northwestern Montgomery County.

LaRose has been charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, making false statements to a government official, and attempted identity theft. In addition to LaRose, who is an American citizen, the court papers refer to five unindicted co-conspirators.

From The Associated Press:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Pennsylvania woman has been charged with using the Internet to recruit jihadist fighters and help terrorists overseas.
Authorities say the case shows how terror groups are looking to recruit Americans to help carry out their goals.

A federal indictment charges Colleen R. LaRose with agreeing to kill a Swedish citizen on orders from the terrorists and traveling to Europe to carry out the killing. It doesn't say whether the Swede was killed.

U.S. Attorney Michael Levy tells The Associated Press the indictment doesn't link LaRose to any organized terror groups.

The indictment describes LaRose as in her 40s and from Montgomery County, in suburban Philadelphia. LaRose has been in custody since Oct. 15.

The U.S. Attorney's Office has also posted a press release online and the full 11-page indictment.

Look for a full story in Wednesday's edition of The Mercury.

The list includes Thomas Jay Ellis as the new Montgomery County Treasurer.

Ellis served four years as a Montgomery County Commissioner.

Governor Rendell Announces Confirmations

From DemocracyRisingPA:

It's Our Turn!

For too long, Pennsylvania's citizens have suffered some of the lowest standards of public integrity in America in a state government that has failed to meet basic requirements such as on-time passage of a state budget.

Despite the clear will of the people, our government has failed to improve itself. As a result, most people -- including reform advocates in the legislature itself -- now believe that only a Constitution convention can fix all the problems with our state government. They want a convention where ordinary citizens can propose and debate changes with due deliberation and without undue delay.

Polling in January 2010 showed that 72% of PA voters believe we need a Constitution convention, up from just 24% in 2005. After witnessing scandal after scandal and missed budget deadlines year after year, citizens are eager to accept responsibility for creating a government they can believe in.

The first step on the road to a Constitution convention is a referendum. The petition below asks lawmakers to put the referendum on the ballot in November of 2010. In short, it says, "Let the people decide whether we need a Constitution convention and what aspects of government we want the convention to address."

If you agree, please sign the petition. It will take only a few minutes, but it will send a loud and unmistakable message to lawmakers: The citizens of PA deserve a chance to vote on whether to have a Constitution convention.

Remember: A Constitution convention cannot change the Constitution. It can only recommend changes. Changes can take effect only if voters approve the convention's recommendations at another referendum.

To sign the petition, click here.

See related editorial, "Pennsylvania in crisis: Take the right road," at The Pittsburgh Tribune Review Web site.

First Lady Judge Rendell Partners With Pennsylvania Commission for Women to Celebrate Women's History Month

There really are two Americas, but the divide is not between rich and poor, black and white, Democrat and Republican.

The gap is between the growing governing elite and the working class paying taxes to support the permanent political class.

From a thought-provoking column by Dr. Mark W. Hendrickson, adjunct faculty member, economist, and contributing scholar with The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College:

The truly revolutionary American idea of government as the servant of the people may be fading away. Many of today’s so-called “civil servants” are a protected, privileged class. While Middle America struggles through a difficult recession, a lot of government employees have lived on the gravy train.

Here are some facts to buttress that assertion:

Since the recession began in 2008, a period during which approximately eight million private-sector workers lost their jobs and millions more saw their income decline, the number of federal employees is increasing at a 7 percent per-year rate and their income is holding up quite nicely. According to the Cato Institute, the average federal worker’s pay and benefits now approximates $120,000 per year, or roughly double the compensation of the average private-sector employee. Factor out the lavish government fringe benefits and look at salary only, and the civil servant is still far ahead: $71,197 vs. $49,935.

During this recession, the percentage of federal employees earning annual base salaries above $100,000 increased from 14 to 19 percent. The number of Defense Department employees being paid more than $150,000 per year increased from 1,868 to 10,100. Before, the Department of Transportation had one employee with a salary above $170,000, but now has 1,690.

Read the full column by The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College Web site.

The Rendell Administration will close a Department of Revenue office in York, consolidating operations in Harrisburg in a move that will save taxpayers $35,000.

That's a nice gesture, but since the Rendell Administration has run up a $4 billion budget deficit the last two years, the $35,000 savings will hardly be noticed.

Update: Department of Revenue to Combine York and Harrisburg District Offices in Cost-Saving Move

Top Senate Democrat Harry Reid says it was "really good" news that 36,000 Americans lost their jobs in February. The person who should lose his job is Harry Reid.

Here's something I can't figure out.

Nebraska, with a population of under 2 million and an annual budget of $18 billion somehow found enough money to lure a Pennsylvania manufacturer(and up to 90 jobs) to the Cornhusker State, yet Pennsylvania, with 12.6 million people and a General Fund budget of $28 billion, couldn't come up with financial incentives to keep the jobs in the Keystone State.

What's wrong with this picture?

Can one of you Ed Rendell lovers out there shed some light on the subject? "Fast Eddie" is always bragging that he's pouring billions of dollars into economic development. How could he allow Nebraska to steal away a manufacturing firm that traces its Pennsylvania roots to the 1920s?

From an article in today's edition of The Mercury about NEAPCO Components moving to Nebraska:

Neapco Components announced Friday it will be phasing out manufacturing at its Pottstown facility over the next 18 to 24 months, eliminating 70 to 90 jobs.

The manufacturing operations from Pottstown will be moving to Beatrice, Neb., said Neapco Executive Vice President and General Manager Keith Sanford.

"Why Nebraska versus Pottstown?" Sanford said. There were "financial incentives (offered) by the state of Nebraska."

Sanford said the move to Nebraska was an obvious business decision.

Read the full story at the newspaper's Web site.

Rep. Parker Griffith (R-AL): "In the next 10 days, Democrats in Washington will try and jam through a massive government takeover of health care. It would raise taxes, slash Medicare benefits and destroy American jobs. It would put federal bureaucrats in charge of medical decisions that should be made by patients and doctors. And it must be stopped."

7 in 10 Americans believe in something called the Second Amendment, according to a new national poll.

Poll: Most Americans Say Cities Have no Right to Ban Handguns

See related editorial, "Al Gore returns: What a whack job," at The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Web site.

The Obama Administration is working overtime to put a positive spin on the dismal February employment numbers. The official government unemployment rate is 9.7% but that only counts people who are still actively looking for work. Millions more have given up looking for non-existent jobs as the Obama recession continues.

The Associated Press calculates that the real U.S. unemployment rate is closer to 17 percent!!!

From an "Unemployment by the Numbers" feature compiled by AP Economics Writer Christopher S. Rugaber:

UNDEREMPLOYED

8.8 million: Number of part-time workers who would have preferred full-time work last month

2.5 million: People without jobs who want to work but have stopped looking

16.8 percent: "Underemployment" rate in February if you include the above two categories

17.4 percent: Underemployment rate in October, the highest on records dating to 1994

The jobless recovery continues as Obama/Rendell fail to put people back to work despite billions of dollars in government spending.

Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: January

A new polls finds 7 in 10 Pennsylvania voters do not approve of the job the state Legislature is doing. That does not bode well in a year when all 203 members of the state House and 25 of the 50 state Senate members face the voters.

From POLITICO:

Congress, it turns out, isn’t the only institution held in low esteem by voters this year.

According to a POLITICO review of publicly available polling data, numerous state legislatures are also bottoming out, showing off-the-charts disapproval ratings accompanied by stunning levels of voter cynicism.

It all adds up to a toxic election year brew for legislators inside and outside Washington.

The freshest example comes from Pennsylvania, where a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday surveyed the attitudes of residents and reported that just 29 percent of Pennsylvania voters said they approved of the job the state legislature is doing in Harrisburg, a slippage of 13 points since last May.

Read the full story at the link below:

State polls show gathering storm - David Catanese - POLITICO.com

Finding an honest Democrat in Congress is proving to be a difficult task.

Less than 24 hours after replacing crooked Democrat Charlie Rangel as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, crooked Democrat Pete Stark was also forced to resign.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi better get busy draining that swamp she keeps talking about. The place is beginning to smell. Then again, there's only eight months until the November elections. The American public will take care of cleaning out the cesspool that is Congress on Nov. 2.

From POLITICO:

Rep. Sander Levin will take over as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee after Rep. Pete Stark, who held the gavel for a day, stepped aside.

The dominoes fell after Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) resigned the chairmanship of the powerful tax-writing panel Wednesday as Republicans and many Democrats were moving to oust him following an ethics committee ruling that found he violated House gift rules.

Levin, who had been chairman of the trade subcommittee, will helm the panel through the end of this Congress — barring the unlikely return of Rangel.

Officially, Stark stepped aside to keep the gavel of the panel's health subcommittee. But lawmakers and aides said Stark faced a rebellion within the committee and the caucus over his sometimes bizarre behavior and penchant for making offensive comments.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen told Stark at a Ways and Means Committee meeting Wednesday that his stepping aside would be in the best interests of the party, according to a Democratic aide familiar with the meeting.

Read more at the link below:Pete Stark hands off gavel - Jonathan Allen and Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement regarding President Obama's latest push for a government takeover of the nation's health care system:

"Today, the American people learned that, when it comes to reforming our health care system, President Obama and Washington Democrats are more concerned about 'getting it done' than getting it done right," Gleason said. "Despite nearly a year of failed attempts to push their government-run health care experiment through Congress, Democrats refuse to stop and listen to Americans who have legitimate and substantive concerns about this cornerstone of an extremely liberal agenda.

"Over the past year, Democrats have employed closed-door meetings, late night votes and even taxpayer-funded bribes in an attempt to pass government-run health care, but to no avail. Now, President Obama is leading the charge of this last-ditch effort to pass legislation that will raise taxes, kill jobs and drive a government-sized wedge between patients and their doctors.

"President Obama may be saying that 'now is the time to make a decision,' but continues to ignore the fact that the American people have been soundly rejecting the Democrats' government-run health care plan for nearly year."

Identity Theft 911 Offers Tips for Safeguarding Your Return and Personal Information at Tax Time

With the recent death of Rep. John Murtha, fellow Democrat Charles Rangel has a clear path to the title of the most corrupt member of Congress.

Just days after Nancy Pelosi defended Rangel despite serious ethical violations, Rangel has resigned as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

It's a step in the right direction, but it also shows how corrupt Congress has become under the Pelosi regime.

From POLITICO:

Neither power nor popularity could save Charles Rangel from himself.

The affable, quotable and often jovial New York Democrat stepped down from his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee Wednesday because his fellow Democrats feared that ethics investigations into Rangel's personal finances, travel, living arrangements and use of his office posed a grave threat to their chances in November's elections.

Rangel says he's stepping aside only temporarily, but he officially resigned the post in a letter submitted to the House Wednesday morning. Technically, he could be restored by a future House vote, but that's a political long shot given that he was forced aside by ethics troubles.

It was not immediately clear who would take the committee's reins in Rangel's absence, with some insiders predicting it would be the next man in line, California's Pete Stark, and others predicting it would be Sander Levin of Michigan. Under House rules, Stark is chairman unless Democrats act affirmatively to put someone else in his place, according to a House GOP aide familiar with House operations.

Read the full story at the link below:

Charles Rangel gives up gavel - Jonathan Allen and Jake Sherman - POLITICO.com

The editorial staff at Investor's Business Daily picks apart Al Gore's latest fiction about global warming in a must-read editorial.

From the editorial:

If hyperbole and chutzpah had a child, it would be the opening paragraph of Gore's op-ed in Sunday's New York Times. Gore surfaced from the global warming witness-protection program to opine that despite admissions of error and evidence of fraud by various agencies, we still face "an unimaginable calamity requiring large-scale, preventive measures to protect human civilization as we know it."

Perhaps he's trying to protect his investments as he knows them, for he is heavily involved in enterprises that deal with carbon offsets and green technology. If the case for climate change is shown to be demonstrably false, a lot of his green evaporates like moisture from the ocean.

As for the Himalayan fraud, Gore says it's one of "at least two mistakes in thousands of pages of careful scientific work" from the IPCC and its chief, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri. Yet Dr. Murari Lal, an editor of IPCC's Fourth Assessment report, has admitted to the London Daily Mail that he knew the 2035 data were false, but included them in the report "purely to put political pressure on world leaders."

That's what it was all about, the creation of scary scenarios based on flawed computer models and manipulated data to promote government action and control. Now the curtain has been pulled back to reveal Al Gore shivering in the cold like the rest of us.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.

Study of Tea Party Activists Reveals Motivations of Political Movement

The first rule of holes - when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

Unfortunately, Gov. Ed Rendell never learned that bit of wisdom.

As of the end of February, Rendell has spent $476.7 million more than the state has taken in for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. That's called a deficit.

Over the past two fiscal years, Rendell has spent $4 billion more than the state took in. That's called a fiscal catastrophe.

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue reports that Pennsylvania collected $1.5 billion in General Fund revenue in February, which was $102.3 million, or 6.4 percent, less than anticipated.

Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $16 billion, which is $476.7 million, or 2.9 percent, below estimate, according to the revenue department.

For a breakdown of tax revenues collected, follow the link below:

Pennsylvania Revenue Department Releases February Collections

Nothing gets between a gambler and a trip to the casino.

Despite two huge snowstorms that paralyzed major parts of the state, tax revenue from the play of slot machines at the Commonwealth's nine casinos was nearly 16% higher in February this year over February of 2009, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

The nine slot machine facilities operating in Pennsylvania during February of this year collectively generated $168,279,514 in gross revenue, compared to $145,579,665 in February of 2009 when seven casinos were in operation, the board reported. That's an increase of 15.59%.

Slot Machine Revenue in Pennsylvania Increases 16% in February

How well do Pennsylvania politicians take care of themselves?

Robert Swift, Harrisburg Bureau Chief for The Citizens' Voice, reports that state Sen. Bob Mellow, the Democratic leader, will triple his current salary when he retires at the end of the year.

It sure beats working for a living.

From Swift's story:

HARRISBURG - Sen. Robert Mellow could be eligible for an annual taxpayer-funded state pension amounting to three times his $110,250 salary when he leaves office in November.

Mellow, 67, is eligible to collect the bulk of his pension through the state government's defined-benefit plan. In addition, Mellow can collect supplemental pension benefits to reach a minimum $313,000 annual payout he may be getting through the little-known state-run Benefits Completion Plan.

The combination of two pension streams will enable Mellow to have retirement benefits that greatly exceed his current $110,250 Senate salary as well as the incomes of average Pennsylvanians. In addition to generous pensions, state lawmakers enjoy top-level health benefits that cover medical care, eye and dental care and prescription drugs in retirement. Since 2006, current and retired senators contribute 1 percent of their incomes toward health benefits.

Mellow, D-Peckville, has said he won't seek re-election to an 11th term, wrapping up a career that began in 1970. Efforts to obtain comment from Mellow and his spokeswoman, Lisa Scullin, were unsuccessful.

The exact amount of Mellow's pension won't be known until early next year, and will be influenced by a variety of factors.

Read the full story at the newspaper's Web site.

Recent news accounts have food stamps being used for items such as liquor, Viagra and porn.

This is what happens when the government is in charge of something.

Congressional candidate Pat Meehan has some thoughts about the waste of your tax dollars at his blog.

"Rather than continuing to spend without regard for the future, Congress needs to buckle down and launch a more concerted effort to root out waste and abuse," Meehan writes.

Read the full post at the link below:

Food stamp abuse

When billionaire Warren Buffett (the second richest man in America behind Bill Gates) speaks, people tend to listen.

From POLITICO:

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett advised President Barack Obama on Monday to scrap the health care bill and start over.

In an interview with CNBC, Buffett said the current bill does not focus on controlling costs, which he sees as the central problem that must be addressed to reform the system. He added that while he does not like the Senate bill, he'd vote for it in preference to doing nothing.

"What we have now is untenable over time," said Buffett, an early supporter of Obama's candidacy. "That kind of a cost compared to the rest of the world is really like a tapeworm eating, you know, at our economic body."

Read the full story below:

Warren Buffett would scrap health care bill - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com

Has anyone else noticed that Nancy Pelosi's four years as Speaker of the House coincide with the United States' rapid decline as an economic power? Record unemployment, skyrocketing energy prices, record budget deficits, massive corruption. That's Nancy Pelosi's legacy.

Nancy Pelosi's brutal reality check - John Bresnahan and Jonathan Allen - POLITICO.com

Mark Levin: Obama 'Biggest Disaster in Modern American History' | NewsBusters.org