The Fate of Obamacare

Today marked the last day that arguments were heard by the Supreme court as to the constitutionality of the Individual Mandate portion of Obamacare that would require all individuals to have health insurance. (This is an amazing simplification of the matter, but I'm trying to make this blonde friendly.) So far, it's not going well for the fans of the bill. The Solicitor General (attorney for the government), Edwin Kneedler by all acocunts did a sub par job of selling the case for the mandate with the justices having gotten a good laugh on more than one occasion on his account. Justice Scalia (in reference to particulars of the bill and what should be done with them should the mandate be ruled unconstitutional) remarked that Kneedler should remember the Eighth amendment to the Constitution (prevents excessive bail, excessive fines or cruel and unusual punishment) and not expect either the Justices nor their clerks to read the 2,700 page bill and decide how to rule on every single individual issue in it.

At this point, it is looking like the mandate will be struck down with likely a close 5-4 vote. Now it is being debated that due to the immense complexity the Court and country would face in deciding on the constitutionality of each issue in the bill, should the entire thing be scrapped? Stay tuned....

Goodmorning All. Welcome to 1960.

Apparently we woke up in 1960 this morning, did you know? Racism is now openly acceptable. Director and idiot Spike Lee has been retweeting the address of George Zimmerman. Essentially, he is endorsing the harassment of the man who lives at this address. But one problem: that's not where he lives. That's where William George Zimmerman lived in the 1990s with his parents after college. Different guy and that George Zimmerman doesn't even live there anymore. His parents who are in their 70s do. They have had to leave their home and move into a hotel due to the harassment that has been directed at them. When their son, WILLIAM George Zimmerman asked to have the address taken down, he received the reply "Black power all day. No justice, no peace" and then an obscenity from the originator of the false address- a man in California.
Trayvon Martin is dead and what happened was a travesty if there was indeed a true miscarriage of justice, but putting innocent people in danger who are completely unrelated to the case is completely unforgivable. Furthermore, reasserting the desire to make this an issue divided by race is dividing a country. Racism does exist. He is right about that. But what a lot of people refuse to adress because it is not politically correct is that it can go both ways and messages such as this reinforce that. Furthering the fault between races will get nothing done other than causing a rise of interracial violence.
So, once again do NOT make the mistake of confusing the possibility of a miscarriage of justice with a race issue. Wait for all of the facts before jumping to conclusions. Even if it does turn out that Zimmerman's and the police's actions were racially motivated, do not assume that all people of that race should be held accountable for what happened.
No more black power. No more white power. We live in the UNITED States of America. Act like it.

ACCURATE

George Zimmerman vs the People of the United States

Senator Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn), Senator. Bill Perkins (D-New York), and Senator Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn) wearing hooded sweatshirts during session in the Senate Chamber in Albany, N.Y.

The Trayvon Martin shooting is set to be one of the most infamous cases of the decade. It has surpassed local and even national notoriety to being an issue people all around the world are voicing their opinions on. This is partly because of the alleged miscarriage of justice, the fact that the shooter allegedly targeted Martin based on his color and the fact that it happened in Florida- a state that quite recently let go a baby killer. The amount of misinformation flying around on both sides of this case has painted both Martin and the shooter George Zimmerman in an unfavorable light leaving many to question the truth in the matter. Was Zimmerman a racist, overzealous neighborhood watchman? Was Martin's suspension from school that landed him in that neighborhood that night drug related? What is true is that George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin on the evening of February 26th as he walked through a suburban area.
First thing's first: Set the race card aside. I am sick and tired of everything being turned into a race issue these days. It is dividing this country in a way that will prove detrimental to everyone in the long run.
Secondly, the Black Panther leader (who was a convicted felon and as of Monday was arrested for possession of a firearm by a felon) putting a $10,000 bounty on Zimmerman just shows the possible beginning of a complete and total breakdown of the justice system.
Third, the President of the United States publicly proclaiming that were he to have a son he would look something like Martin was inappropriate. Was it right for him to remark on the matter and give his condolences to the family that lost a child? Yes. Admirable even. However, his proclamation further incited racial tension. Whether or not he meant for it to, it did.
The fact of the matter is a child is dead and a man's life, whether or not he was completely guilty or completely innocent, is forever changed for the worse.
Before you pass judgment on this case, wait for all of the facts and don't pay so much attention to the sensationalization by the media. It is entirely plausible that if/ when the facts of the case are presented in full that your opinion will change. In the mean time however, keep the Martin family in your thoughts as they grieve the loss of a child.

Obama is Confident

The President attended the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul South Korea Monday (3/26) and got to have a nice chat with Russian President Medvedev. Obama after walking in covered the microphone with his hand and let Medvedev know that he needed the Russians to back off a little bit and give him more space in regards to several issues, but particularly in regards to missile defense. He went on to claim that since this was his last election coming up that he would have more flexibility after. Medvedev then agreed to relay this message to President -elect Putin.
All of this was caught by the reporters who were coming into the room at the time because he covered the microphone with his hand, he didn't turn it off. They heard every word. Cocky much? As of today Obama's strong approval rating was 27% with a 40% strong disapproval rating, giving him a -13 rating essentially according to Rasmussen Reports . Why exactly he is so confident that he will be reelected is beyond me. His assurance to foreign leaders that he will be considerably more "flexible" if he is reelected is an absolute nightmare. If he considers himself to be in check now, the United States after his second term will probably be akin to Russia circa 1950.

Fun fact: Vladimir Putin is currently the President-elect of Russia and also the Russian Prime Minister as he was appointed by his successor and current President Dmitry Medvedev. Putin became acting president in 1999 after the President at the time resigned. Putin then ran and won in 2000. He ran again in 2004 and was once again reelected, but due to term limits he was unable to run for a third consecutive term. Insert Medvedev who runs for and wins the presidency and in turn appoints Putin to the position of Prime Minister. Now Putin has once again run for president and won. Essentially Medvedev acted as a placeholder for Putin so as to still allow him to have a great deal of control over the country. Pretty  corrupt isn't it? And this is who our president is all giddy to make promises to about his flexibility in the future.

Obamacare Has Supreme Court Hearing on Constitutionality

This is such an ugly topic that rather than include a relevant photo, I chose to include a picture of Bradley Cooper. Forgive me for trying to bring some beauty into an ugly world.

Anyways, today the Supreme court will begin hearing arguments over the constitutionality of Obamacare. They will hear the arguments over the next three days, but thus far they have spent most of their time arguing over the rules both sides will abide by in the proceedings. The arguments are now underway however and the day is rolling right along.

I will update when more information comes out/ when I'm not stuck in class, but I encourage you all to follow what is going on in Washington today as it WILL directly effect you.

UPDATE:
This picture is a tad more relevant. The hearings will continue tomorrow and will NOT be held up over the technicality of the 1867 law which would prevent a law suit from being filed until AFTER someone has paid the penalty. Basically what this means is that this law would prevent this law suit from going forward until after the IRS penalizes someone for being uninsured which wouldn't happen until 2015. However, the court is not going to get caught up in this law and will hear the case. Their argument is that this is not a measure to raise revenue as if all goes to plan, they will not be collecting this money. In other words, if all goes to plan everyone will have insurance and they won't make any money from this fine. We'll see.
Tomorrow will focus on the constitutionality of the law. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

<3

"Holding Out For Healthcare"

I just threw up in my mouth a little after watching this video from 2009 (It's rather explicit by the way):

F the Vote w/ Zach Gilford & Eva Amurri from Zach Gilford

Having heard their pledge let me be the first to say THANK GOD. This is repulsive, classless and not the least bit humorous as I suppose it was intended to be? If one of the left's tactics for crossing party lines is exploiting their bodies, I'm glad I'm on the right. Once again, TRY to keep it classy. 

Grant Stinchfield Campaign for Congress

Quick post, but just now I was invited to be the Dallas Team Leader for the Grant Stinchfield campaign for Congress. This is an amazing opportunity and I am so honored to have been chosen for this. Grant Stinchfield is the definition of a true conservative and a great guy in general. He came and spoke to my Public Opinion class a couple of weeks ago about his experience working in the media and why he chose to leave (Liberal bias). His belief that a Republican congressman coming from a district in which a Democrat can't win needs to go to Washington and push the conservative agenda as best they can really spoke to me. I can't wait to get to work on the campaign and encourage you all to support this amazing candidate.

Obama CAN'Tpaign

I've always been a pretty big fan of Robert De Niro having grown up with his movies. His portrayal of the paranoid, overprotective father in Meet the Parents was so much like my own father when it comes to him meeting my beaus that it has become a running joke within my own family.  Regardless of his politics, I found him to be an exceptionally gifted actor worthy of my admiration and respect. That is until Monday. At an Obama campaign fundraiser in New York, De Niro was charged with introducing Michelle Obama. His introduction is as follows:

"Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?" Too soon, right?"

Those who were attending this found his jest to be just hilarious it was reported, but most other people haven't. To in 2012 still be bringing up the race card in politics or any other area of life is completely ridiculous, even if it's against your own race. Leave it alone. Your words ARE offensive. In my opinion De Niro owes each of the three women he listed a personal apology for his insensitive remarks towards them. The Obama campaign quickly attempted to distance themselves from the remark and De Niro has since apologized, but it is really too little too late as far as I'm concerned. 

This comes just a short time after the MArch 16th Obama campaign event at which Cee Lo Green performed his profane and annoying song "F*** You". Rather than sing the alternate radio version in which the chorus says "Forget you", Cee Lo sang the original song. Obviously I wasn't there, but I'd love to know the context in which this song was performed. Did they dedicate it to the GOP or something? I just don't see how it's message was relevant or appropriAte for the venue and cause. Who is organizing Obama's campaign events? I mean seriously let's get it together. Keep it classy.

<3

Andrew Breitbart- Did He Get Too Close?

Andrew Breitbart- Conservative savant/blogger tragically died March 1st from natural causes. Would anyone else love to see these videos he had? I know I'd love to!

Unions: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

One of my favorite books of all time was assigned to me in 11th grade as part of an AP English report. It was The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. It was pure genius. Sinclair observed the squalor of the working and living conditions of Chicago at the turn of the 20th century. Here, he witnessed the vast evils done to the people who worked here, most often immigrants with little grasp of the English language fresh to the country. From his observations, Sinclair wrote a fictional novel following the trials and tribulations of a family of Lithuanian immigrants and their experience with the meatpacking industry in particular. In it, Sinclair described life changing work related injuries, sexual exploitation, con artists and death and how the family dealt with living in a world determined to kill them. While at first president Theodore Roosevelt refused to believe what he had read, after sending representatives to observe he knew that Sinclair's assertions were by and large true. The representatives' report was submitted to congress which in turn passed the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 which in turn established the Bureau of Chemistry (later became the Food and Drug administration in 1930).
Obviously At this point in time Unions were a necessity. People were being maimed, killed and exploited by their employers and their employers' lack of concern for working conditions. The goal of a union is to bind together members of an industry (ie. teachers, autoworkers, etc...) so as to most adequately bargain for wages, working conditions and benefits. Obviously they do much more, but that is the basic goal. Represent yo.
As I am from a Right to Work state (Texas y'all) I've never put a whole lot of thought into unions.
(A Right to Work state where people do not have to join unions to obtain employment in an industry that in other states you must join a union to be employed in.) That is, until tonight. A current teacher from the high school I attended (Thank God I never had her) responded to a joking status on a friend of mine's wall with such tact, class and professionalism that I was overcome with the need to not only share it with you, but to explain to you why she is incorrect:

**Bonus Point: Saying F**** you to former students? Really? This isn't really a point against her argument just more against her professionalism. This wasn't even directed at me and I'm offended. A teacher is supposed to act as a role model to his or her students even after they are no longer are in that class. But I won't hold that against her. 

Point One: Unions Now Exploit Industries.

A union is ideally supposed to act as a medium between the individual worker and the big mean industry that wants to exploit it. However, unions are getting greedy. The wages they expect for their members combined with benefits that most people outside of a union could never dream to afford are literally bankrupting industries. Heard of the GM bailout maybe? Yeah they can't afford to give every worker the wages and Cadillac of benefits that these unions want and still sell these cars at a price people can actually afford.  

Point Two: Unions Are Costly... To You

You're not in a union? Guess what? You're still paying for them. Government workers are in unions. Government workers whose salaries come from your tax dollars are organized in unions that are demanding higher wages and better benefits. While this seems like a reasonable request, keep in mind that working for the government has never been a bad gig. Good insurance, good wages and while yes the "company" you work for just got a down graded credit rating and is $15 trillion in debt, they aren't going out of business anytime soon.. hopefully. So you have pretty good job security too. Constant demands for upgrading wages and benefits are unnecessary and costly to tax payers.

Point Three: Teachers

The Teachers Union is probably the biggest thorn in the side of the American people and most don't even know it. They're part of the government workers demanding better wages, benefits and job security that a good portion of them do not deserve. While a good teacher that teaches his or her students deserves to be adequately paid for their services, bad teachers don't and the unions don't discriminate between who joins. In other words, Cameron Diaz at the beginning of this movie

would theoretically makes the same as Robin Williams would from this movie. I wonder which kids would learn more? I wonder who is more worth the money they are being paid and the job security they would have gleaned from a union?

I will definitely be adding to this and forming a sensical summation of my argument when I am not deliriously tired and covered in green paint/ sparkle/ whatever other green stuff got thrown on me this afternoon. My final word as of now is that while in theory unions are good, they have morphed into a monster that is no longer solely focused on looking out for its members, but rather on growing and profiting from their respective industries. Union reform is essential.

Obama Birth Certificate: Fake? Probably.

The chance of you hearing this on major media networks is next to none. The liberal media bias and their refusal to report on a legitimate story because it runs contrary to this president is sickening.If this was in reference to George Bush you know it would be all over the news. This man is truly undermining the people of the United States of America if this is true. Update: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-sheriff-arpaio-birther-arizona-20120314,0,476900.story

Rush Limbaugh v Bill Maher

Midterms are OVER. Spring Break is HERE. I am ECSTATIC. 

Anyways...

So now everyone is up in arms over the remarks made by Rush Limbaugh towards Sandra Fluke in regards to her having testified before congress. A synopsis of this can be read here if you're somehow still unaware of what happened. Now, Republicans rushing to Limbaugh's defense are taking up the cause of the radio host with renewed vigor as they disparage Bill Maher for his attack on Sarah Palin. The following was a stand up bit by Maher on his HBO show from 2011:

“Did you hear this – Sarah Palin finally heard what happened in Japan and she’s demanding that we invade ‘Tsunami,’” Maher said. “I mean she said, ‘These ‘Tsunamians’ will not get away with this.’ Oh speaking of dumb t***s, did you –”

*In the interest of keeping it classy, I won't include the word but I'm pretty sure we all know what he said. Honestly I've never heard this word. I think it's a bad word in like England or something. If you don't know what it is, watch this clip from the always wonderful "Easy A" starring the adorable Emma Stone. 

Bill Maher is one of my least favorite human beings on this earth. There's no denying his repulsiveness and the Obama campaign receiving $1 million of this man's money make's me cringe even more than Obama already does. God knows if the GOP candidate accepted a donation of that magnitude from Rush Limbaugh, the left would demand it be returned. Whatever.

Neither Maher nor Limbaugh should have said this. That's just how it is. It is terrifying for me knowing I'm hoping to enter into a profession in which is is rather socially acceptable to refer to women in highly offensive ways.  In the interest of saving face (because if Limbaugh can't get away with being a crass, disrespectful personality he knows he can't either) Maher rushed to Limbaugh's defense with the following tweet:

Let all of the obnoxious misogynists stand together I suppose...

Neo-Republicans?

Internet is finally back!!!:)




                                

                                               (Election Day 2008... I cried later.)

Anyways... In case you haven't caught on, I'm a bit of a Republican. Being from Texas and all that's probably not surprising. In my part of Texas all we want is our religion, our guns and low taxes and the Republican party just seems better equipped to deliver this. However, I consider myself a Neo- Republican of sorts. 
The Republican Party since around the 1950s-1960s has been the more conservative party. Gay marriage and the legalization/decriminalization of drugs are just a couple of the issues that the Republican party tends to have a fairly definitive stance against and an issue that I sincerely believe has turned off a fair number of potential party followers. But let's get real. This is 2012. We wouldn't tell African Americans they couldn't get married because of how they were born, so what right do you have to tell homosexuals they can't? Furthermore, while I in no way condone or take part in drug use, marijuana is a plant. If I wanted to light up a leaf off of my crape myrtle I should be able to. 
I am in no way bashing the Republican party as I clearly am affiliated with it, but let's drop these arbitrary judgements that more than anything paint this party as closed-minded and behind the times. 


The following is a list of sins as delineated in the Bible:

1. Round haircuts. Leviticus 19:27 "You shall not round off the side-growth of your headsnor harm the edges of your beard."
2. Football. Leviticus 11:8 "You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you."
3. Fortune telling. Leviticus 19:31 "Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God." The penalty for that? Check Leviticus 20:6: "As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people."
4. Pulling out. Genesis 38:9-10: "Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother. But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He took his life also."
5. Tattoos.  Leviticus 19:28 "You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the Lord."
6. Polyester, or any other fabric blends. Leviticus 19:19 "You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed,nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together."
7. Divorce. Mark 10:8, you "are no longer two, but one flesh." And, Mark 10:9 reads, "What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." Mark 10:11-12, "And He said to them, 'Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.'"
8. Letting people without testicles/ Who are bastards into church. Deuteronomy 23:1  "A man whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off may never join the assembly of the Lord. "Deuteronomy 23:2 "No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the Lord; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the Lord."
9. Wearing gold. 1 Timothy 2:9 "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments."
10. Shellfish. Leviticus 11:10 "But whatever is in the seas and in the rivers that does not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you." It also says you can't eat camel, rock badger, rabbit, eagle, vulture, buzzard, falcon, raven, crow, ostrich, owl, seagull, hawk, pelican, stork, heron, bat, winged insects that walk on four legs unless they have joints to jump with like grasshoppers, bear, mole, mouse, lizard, gecko, crocodile, chameleon and snail.
11. Your wife defending your life in a fight by grabbing your attacker's genitals. Deuteronomy 25:11-12. "If two men, a man and his countryman, are struggling together, and the wife of one comes near to deliver her husband from the hand of the one who is striking him, and puts out her hand and seizes his genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; you shall not show pity."

Guarantee you you've done at least a couple of those... This isn't so much a political post as a post about how fed up I am by a party in chaos flip flopping on positions like a fish out of water. Here are my positions and I'm sticking to them. And guess what? If trends continue I won't be the only self-identified Republican with these views. Here's hoping for a party that's cognizant of the times.

<3 

Rush Limbaugh's Crusade Against 'Sluts'

Barbie's Dream House (My apartment) is still internetless so my posting through Sunday is going to be quite erratic.

Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has done it again! On his Wednesday show, Limbaugh called Georgetown 3L student Sandra Fluke a slut for testifying before congress about the contraception controversy. The following is her argument:

As a student at a Jesuit campus that does not provide contraception birth control can cost up to $3,000 a year. She opposes the bill proposed by Roy Blunt (R-MO) that would allow employers to not provide coverage for contraception if they have a moral or religious opposition to doing so.

“These exceptions don’t accomplish their well-intended goals, because when you let university administrators or other employers, rather than women and their doctors, dictate whose medical needs are legitimate and whose aren’t, a woman’s health takes a back seat to a bureaucracy focused on policing her body,” 

Then there is good ol' Rush's take on her:

“What does it say about the college co-ed Sandra Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She’s having so much sex she can’t afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex. What does that make us? We’re the pimps.”
He then went on to say “Okay, so she’s not a slut. She’s ‘round heeled.’” and “Can you imagine if you’re her parents how proud of Sandra Fluke you would be? Your daughter goes up to a congressional hearing conducted by the Botox-filled Nancy Pelosi and testifies she’s having so much sex she can’t afford her own birth control pills and she agrees that Obama should provide them, or the Pope. Well, I guess now we know why Bill Clinton went to Georgetown and why Hillary went to Wellesley, all the sex going on at Georgetown. Sandra Fluke. So much sex going on, they can’t afford birth control pills.”

Nancy Pelosi, among others is understandably offended by these remarks. You can ALMOST see frown lines on her glazed forehead. As far as I'm concerned, his sentiments are right on his rhetoric is just so very, very wrong. You don't want the government allowing people to opt out of sponsoring your sex life? Don't ask people to. If you can't afford contraception don't have sex. No one is forcing you to use $3,000 worth of birth control a year. I have NO interest in paying for Sandra Fluke to get laid and I'm pretty sure that's what Rush was trying to say, he's just not one to mince words.