A growing prosperity

Tonight's AFP meeting had the largest crowd yet crammed into a meeting room at Adam's Ribs. Photo courtesy of Nick Loffer.

The current incarnation of Americans for Prosperity has a problem most groups would like to have – more people coming to their meetings than they have room for. It’s almost surprising that the fire marshal wasn’t called in once the people rolled into the crowded back room of Adam’s Ribs. Better still, about 1/4 to 1/3 of the people were new to the group.

Nick Loffer, representing the state AFP organization, began the proceedings by providing a quick update on health care, saying “it could die.” As he handed out a petition for each attendee, Loffer told the group that the Congressional leaders need to “focus on patients, not politics.”

Julie Brewington, who is the co-leader of the local AFP group (her counterpart Joe Collins is under the weather and wasn’t there tonight), chimed in with a quick history of the local AFP chapter, where things have been happening at a “fast and furious” clip. From a start involving all four lower Shore counties, Somerset County is holding their first meeting as a separate group tomorrow and Worcester County is in the process of scheduling their own meetings as well. Only Dorchester County was a little behind the curve. AFP had a goal to “become a force in local counties” and we were already having a “big impact” at Frank Kratovil’s events.

After a copy of yesterday’s Daily Times editorial regarding nighttime County Council meetings was passed out, Julie pointed out a number of other hot-button local issues AFP was keeping an eye on as well, including the prospect of speed cameras as a revenue generator and dropping Wicomico County’s revenue cap. The fiscal and accountability issues have drawn the attention of the local paper and District 5 County Councilman Joe Holloway, a supporter of evening County Council meetings who thanked the group for its interest on that topic. Brewington asserted that, “if we can’t get control of local government, we have no hope nationally.”

Getting back to more basic needs, Julie noted that the group still seeks a secretary and a committee for a chain to call members when quick action is required. They also wanted to hear comments from audience members, and several complied. It’s noteworthy as well that one couple are becoming quite the entrepreneurs by selling AFP T-shirts. Another mentioned his experience in Florida, where a local government tried to sneak through a $75 million bond issue but was foiled by public involvement – he told the group that “politicans learn the ropes at council meetings.”

The group is also getting together a bus for the 9-12 rally in Washington, D.C. – a prospect which interested many in the gathering.

Nick Loffer came back to speak on the state and national AFP situation and review tips for effective rallying.

As a state, Maryland’s AFP was “growing by leaps and bounds” (particularly on the lower Shore) and was a “force to be reckoned with.” Loffer opined that cap-and-trade was “almost a lost cause” based on who represents Maryland in the United States Senate but “we can kill” health care in the House. Nick related that “people are waking up”, citing a crowd of 400 for a Thursday night health care rally in Annapolis and 200 people already pre-registered for a health care forum in Timonium similar to one I live-blogged a few weeks back. Loffer vowed “we will play in the General Assembly” next year – opponents are already trying to discredit the group and its key personnel.

Turning to his appointed task of speaking on rallying, Nick told the group its message in any demonstration needs to be “clean, tailored, (and) crisp” because opponents will be on the attack if the message isn’t focused. In distributing a guide to effective rallying and going over its key points, Nick stressed in particular the importance of staying on message, being tasteful and courteous, and not trying to shout down opponents (or elected officials). Passion is fine but don’t let emotion cloud the message you’re trying to get across.

A few audience members checked in with their own advice. Steve Lind, who spearheads a successful AFP letter-writing campaign, related his opinion that “politicians have to face an informed audience” while another member who was at the Kratovil meeting in Mardela Springs passed along the opinion of a Wall Street Journal reporter covering the event who said their behavior was “exemplary.” Another lady told the group she thought “angry was not bad” when attending events. Nick stressed that we should “never give a free pass to any politician.”

One comment I made was to remind the group that not only should we hold politicans accountable but we should also ask tough questions of those who seek elective office as well (like I did last night.)

After Nick wrapped up, the meeting broke up into a social period, although a couple people tried to get the attention of attendees with various comments.  It seems to be the weakness of dealing with such a large group.

Upcoming events AFP will be involved in include the next Wicomico County Council meeting the morning of September 1st, the Timonium health care forum that same night, the 9-12 rally in Washington, D.C., and the Defending the American Dream Summit on October 2nd in Washington. It promises to be a busy few weeks for the group, who didn’t schedule their next meeting yet – certainly I’ll be in the loop when the date is set.

Another viewpoint

I got a update on yesterday evening’s townhall meeting in Towson with Senator Ben Cardin from Lisa Fitzhugh, a Facebook friend and friend of monoblogue. I’ll start with her thoughts and close tonight with my observations about an upcoming event at Salisbury University.

Lisa notes:

I got in to the Cardin town hall and witnessed.

I saw people I know on the pro-Obama healthcare plan go to the head of the line and waltz right into seats. The main thing that these line-jumpers accomplished was keeping people who actually got there ahead of them stuck in the hot sun and out of the auditorium.

The questioners who eventually got to the mikes asked good questions that were clearly on everyone’s minds. I think there were 7 standing ovations for the questioners. In the auditorium I listened to the frustration build as Cardin worked to command the stage and run out the clock with his presentation of info that lasted until 7:35. Then he responded to culled written questions, and then he finally he took questions from the mikes.

He repeatedly said he supported town halls and pointed to his courage to hold one. I’d have more respect for him if he had just given his constituents their rare platform and let them ask questions instead of reserving so much time for himself.

Most of his rebuttals included “if we do nothing” (he must of mentioned that at least 10 times…if anyone has tapes I guess we can count). Questioners brought up difficulties with the proposals, and he usually worked into his reply “If we do nothing” then this dire circumstance will happen. This is part of the groundwork for this fall’s coming compromises where at the very least we will see a bill with incrementals of increased governmental intrusion. It is a tactical maneuver.

Notice how “universal healthcare coverage” is supposedly on everyone’s wish list? We are already halfway socialized; this is the reason for the consequences we bear today. There is little effort to push back away from socialized medicine and towards free market corrections. The proponents of nationalized solutions are still in control of the debate.

However, this audience was respectful and informed and angry. This audience is gaining more and more information daily and I do not believe they will be stymied.

On Thursday Salisbury will get its chance to question the Senator – or will it?

A frequent tactic in these healthcare meetings is to have supporters brought in simply to fill seats and allow less room for those members of the public who may be slightly less sold on the nationalization of healthcare.

According to the information I’ve received, Senator Cardin’s townhall will be in the Wicomico Room of the Guerrieri Center at SU. I looked up the capacity of the room and under certain conditions it can hold 400 people; however, more intimate settings can lower that seating capacity to less than 150. In any case, the room and its egress should easily allow the 400 people to see the Senator – might get a little hot with all the bodies but the room is designed to handle that sort of crowd.

So one question becomes how many people will be allowed in, and of those will some significant number be brought in to bolster the pro-Obamacare crowd?

The other question will be how many from each side will be outside wilting in the midday heat? From what I’ve read about the Towson meeting, the pro-Obamacare side was vastly outnumbered by supporters of liberty, and we’ll see if the same holds true Thursday morning.

We have gotten to the point where there is little dispute as to the facts – many of the protestors can read the portions of the bill they object to chapter and verse. The question becomes how the Senator will justify his future vote for Obamacare because let’s face it – Cardin along with his Maryland stablemate Barb Mikulski are sureshot liberal votes for whatever Obama wants. The dog and pony show should be fun to watch once it rolls into Salisbury and the unfortunate fact of physics that I can’t be inside and outside to cover the counter-protest at once makes Thursday a potential busy day for me. I’ll do what I can.

Radio days volume 15

This is my first “radio days” post since June 2008 so it’s been a long dry spell.

But I just got off the phone with Melody Scalley, who as some of you know is running for the House of Delegates representing the Eastern Shore of Virginia (District 100).

More importantly, she also hosts an internet radio show and invited me to be a guest on her show this evening – the time slot will be either 8:00 or 8:30 and I won’t know myself until later on. So just listen for the full hour, or jump right in at 7 when she starts!

Her 2-hour show, “Politics on the Edge”, airs from 7 to 9 p.m. every Monday on RFC Radio. I’ll let you know what I thought of my performance in an update afterward.

**********

I had fun chatting with Melody. I did find it odd how she chopped up our conversation at the break. In actuality we recorded this earlier today and it was one long 25 minute (or so) conversation so I was a bit surprised to hear my part coming on about 8:20. Perhaps it could have been done better if the producer had put Mark Morano of Climate Depot in the slot after Francis Rice (the lady from NBRA) and just let me roll through uninterrupted.

There were a couple points I think I could have made a little better but on the whole I think I did all right. I do talk a little bit slowly when I’m trying to formulate thoughts and arguments which explains why I much prefer this blogging medium to the broadcasting one. And quite honestly not having done this for awhile I was out of practice.

Who knows, though – this could be a regular guest appearance sort of thing and perhaps it brings a larger national readership my way. I have no idea how many people listen to RFC Radio but even if it’s just 1,000 listeners having all of them read my site daily would vastly grow my audience and give it a more national scale.

I ponder one thing as I think about the future, though. Having heard Melody and how she does her show, I wonder if things get different once she wins and gets inside the belly of the beast. Those special interests aren’t going to go down easily and they’re certainly not going to fight fairly.

I noted in the interview that I’ve become quite a bit more jaded over the time I’ve done my site. Perhaps it’s because I see a lot of good people harmed and ruined by the political process and lust for power, much as it occurs from those lusting for more wealth and/or fame. Like Melody, I used to think practically all politicians were good people and that’s still fairly true on a local level. But the higher up you go the less likely you are to find a humble public servant and the the more probable it is you find the ones who expect to be served by us.

That’s what needs to change in this country. The arrogance shown by our politicians could serve as yet another of many tipping points we see as America enters a new age. In the end, the question becomes whether that age sees morning in America rise once again as it did 25 years ago or if our sun is setting.

The battleground

It looks like the opponents of liberty on the left want to join the health care battle. This came to my e-mailbox from “Organizing for America” (yep, I’m on their e-mail list):

For one month, the fight for health insurance reform leaves the backrooms of Washington, D.C., and returns to communities across America. Throughout August, members of Congress are back home, where the hands they shake and the voices they hear will not belong to lobbyists, but to people like you.

Home is where we’re strongest. We didn’t win last year’s election together at a committee hearing in D.C. We won it on the doorsteps and the phone lines, at the softball games and the town meetings, and in every part of this great country where people gather to talk about what matters most. And if you’re willing to step up once again, that’s exactly where we’re going to win this historic campaign for the guaranteed, affordable health insurance that every American deserves.

There are those who profit from the status quo, or see this debate as a political game, and they will stop at nothing to block reform. They are filling the airwaves and the internet with outrageous falsehoods to scare people into opposing change. And some people, not surprisingly, are getting pretty nervous. So we’ve got to get out there, fight lies with truth, and set the record straight.

That’s why Organizing for America is putting together thousands of events this month where you can reach out to neighbors, show your support, and make certain your members of Congress know that you’re counting on them to act.

But these canvasses, town halls, and gatherings only make a difference if you turn up to knock on doors, share your views, and show your support. So here’s what I need from you:

Can you commit to join at least one event in your community this month?

In politics, there’s a rule that says when you ask people to get involved, always tell them it’ll be easy. Well, let’s be honest here: Passing comprehensive health insurance reform will not be easy. Every President since Harry Truman has talked about it, and the most powerful and experienced lobbyists in Washington stand in the way.

But every day we don’t act, Americans watch their premiums rise three times faster than wages, small businesses and families are pushed towards bankruptcy, and 14,000 people lose their coverage entirely. The cost of inaction is simply too much for the people of this nation to bear.

So yes, fixing this crisis will not be easy. Our opponents will attack us every day for daring to try. It will require time, and hard work, and there will be days when we don’t know if we have anything more to give. But there comes a moment when we all have to choose between doing what’s easy, and doing what’s right.

This is one of those times. And moments like this are what this movement was built for. So, are you ready?

Please commit now to taking at least one action in your community this month to build support for health insurance reform:

http://my.barackobama.com/CommitAugust

Let’s seize this moment and win this historic victory for our economy, our health and our families.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

(Emphasis in original.)

Despite the fact I’m going on vacation in a week or so and have a thousand other things on my plate, I think I can commit to attending an event. They may not like what I have to say, but I can attend an event – you betcha.

And if enough like-minded people who oppose items like mandatory end-of-life counseling or losing their private insurance if they wish to change policies (oops, I better be careful because I’m spreading “outrageous falsehoods” by relating what’s really in the bill – someone may narc on me) show up at these events then perhaps the powers that be will realize that Obama’s is a losing cause – after all, most are generally happy with their health coverage most of the time.

So those of you on the left feel free to report me. From the whitehouse.gov blog:

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

Last time I checked there is a First Amendment and if Obama can’t handle the truth, tough toenails.

I can’t wait to see what events are in my area, this ought to be fun. Who’s in with me?

Twofer Tuesday

No, I’m not making this a weekly feature. I just had two items I wanted to talk about and I didn’t think either would be enough for a full post. So here you go.

First of all, I was reading the left side of the local blogosphere (Two Sentz) when they linked to an AP story republished in the Daily Times. It talks about the “recessionproof” lobbying industry. I decided to add my own two cents (pun intended) and commented:

Shrink the pie and you won’t need $24.7 million to get your slice at someone else’s expense.

Legitimate functions of government rarely need lobbyists.

What was written back by Chuck was:

Tell that to Lockheed, KBR, and every contractor for the DoD.

Despite the fact the actual thread I was referring to was about our state government in Annapolis, I’ll bite.

The last time I checked national defense was a legitimate function of government. We can argue all day whether our projection of power throughout the globe is part of that legitimate function (I happen to think it is for the most part) and I’m not going to lie and say to you that there’s not waste and fraud aplenty in the Department of Defense. Some of our more esoteric weaponry may have been created with a particular contractor in mind and not necessarily to further military goals.

But their piece of the pie is nowhere near the size found in our entitlement programs and it’s within that realm the lobbyists seeking the most lucrative honeypots reside. Most of those programs don’t fall into what our Founders spelled out when they wrote the Constitution.

On a state level, our bloated budget (about half of which is comprised of federal transfer payments) is rife with a number of honeypots for lobbyists to stick their fingers into. It amazes me how many different funds comprise the state budget, each with one or more dedicated revenue streams to take money from our pockets but not always with a clear purpose. And if the federal mandates on spending – many created by lobbyists – weren’t present I believe the state could be much more efficient with its tax dollars and could lighten the burden on the Marylanders who are saddled with paying a hefty tax bite.

Now to shift gears. On Thursday State Senator Lowell Stoltzfus has scheduled an invitation-only gathering to discuss his future plans. It’s important because the announcement will break a logjam of candidates on both sides who aren’t quite set in stone which office they wish to pursue.

For example, one rumor has Delegate Jim Mathias setting his sights on the Senate seat if Stoltzfus bows out. Michael James, who’s been coy about his ambition, could decide to try for the Senate, or, there’s the possibility Page Elmore may also step up should Lowell decide another term isn’t in the cards. Pocomoke City Mayor Mike McDermott is also in the mix but more likely would settle in to run for Delegate. In turn, a number of names (including the aforementioned James and McDermott) have been floating around as possibilities to challenge Norm Conway and for the possible open Mathias seat in District 38B.

On the other hand, if Stoltzfus stays it would probably leave things pretty much as they were in 2006, where James was a challenger to Mathias and Conway for the District 38B seats, Stoltzfus was unopposed for his Senate seat, and Elmore had token competition in District 38A.

It will make my left column expand by quite a bit as I add the local races in with those who have jumped in statewide.

Effigy optional

Read this and ponder how much is already going on locally. This comes from Bill Wilson at Americans for Limited Government:

Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged more than 400,000 ALG activists nationwide to “hold rallies, demonstrations, tea parties, and protests in opposition to Barack Obama’s insidious efforts to take over the health care system and take away private health options from the American people.”

Wilson said that “Homegrown, grassroots efforts staged in front of House members’ district offices and at town hall meetings across the nation against ObamaCare are all the more imperative as Blue Dog Democrats attempt to defend the compromise they reached this week with House leadership on the language for the health care bill.”

Wilson said local efforts in Congressional districts throughout the month of August will culminate in the August 22nd “Recess Rally,” which Americans for Limited Government is co-sponsoring.

“There are going to be boots on the ground in districts across the country, and they’re not going to be happy when the politicians return home for their August recess and try to defend this mealy-mouth ‘compromise’ reached by the Blue Dogs,” Wilson promised.

The deal reached between Blue Dog lead negotiator Congressman Mike Ross (AR-CD4) and House leaders would cut $50 billion out of a bill that Kaiser Health News reports would cost more than $1.5 trillion

Said Wilson of the deal, “96.6 percent of a catastrophe is still a catastrophe.  The government-run health care legislation still creates an unsustainable entitlement that will permanently shackle taxpayers to an insurmountable burden that can never possibly be paid back.”

The House legislation proposes to cover individuals individuals up to 400 percent of the poverty level, or making approximately $43,320 or less annually, will be eligible for some level of health coverage under the plan whether through the public “option,” Medicaid, or otherwise.

“Barack Obama has promised the impossible: expanding care to 45 million without raising costs or increasing the deficit,” said Wilson.

“An average premium goes for $4,700, bringing the total cost of the additional care to 45 million more people to roughly $211.5 billion extra annually.  That money is not going to grow on trees—it’s going to come off the printing press and from overseas loans from China and Japan,” Wilson explained.

Wilson instead promoted what he called the “private option” as an alternative to the bill proposed in Congress.  “We desperately need entitlement reform, not an entitlement expansion.  The private option means giving all Americans the option not to participate at all in any government-sponsored plan,” said Wilson. 

Wilson continued, “It means unrestrained consumer choice, unrestricted insurance companies, the removal of all insurance coverage mandates, no obligatory coverage either for employers or individuals, market-set pricing instead of government-appropriated and controlled pricing, increased competition by reducing and removing those barriers to entry for insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, and other health care institutions, and finally, entitlement reform.”

“Medical institutions are already in the red, and they will not emerge by permanently funding the health care system by a government that has expanded the national debt for every single year since 1958.  That is a path to certain national insolvency,” Wilson concluded. (Emphasis mine.)

When you look at the political awakening which has occurred in our fair region just in the last six months (remember, the Rick Santelli rant which led to the initial April TEA parties occurred in mid-February), it’s a fascinating study in political activism. In that span we’ve had two TEA parties (April 15th and July 4th), seen the formation of a local Americans for Prosperity chapter, and had the protest that inspired the title of this post. Even the Salisbury city election occurring in the midst of the planning of the original TEA Party seemed quite sedate by comparison.

(An interesting sidebar occurs to me in reviewing the healthcare protest post because I also added the items from Melody Scalley there – how much is this grassroots awakening helping her in the Virginia House of Delegates District 100 race or the Independent Party member, Libertarian, and Republican running in a special election just across the border today in Delaware Senate District 19. From what I’ve heard, even the Democrat in that Sussex County district is running as sort of a Blue Dog.)

So I don’t know yet if we’ll have a formal event locally on August 22nd but I suspect the protest last Tuesday at Frank Kratovil’s doorstep won’t be the last one we’ll see – not by a long shot. It may even shake up the Republican Party establishment a little bit.

Late edit, Monday 10 a.m. Julie Brewington at AFP reminded me that the Congressman will be touring around the Eastern Shore this week, and he’s scheduled a number of agriculture-related events this week (probably to brag about the billion dollars he cost taxpayers in the middle of the night.) From his Congressional website, this is his official schedule for the week.

Note that:

All events listed are open to the press but RSVPs are appreciated to ensure proper accommodations.

Health care shot over the bow

We’re still over a year from the primary, but issues and the opportunity to make points while building name recognition wait for no one. One recent example is U.S. Senate candidate Eric Wargotz opining on the pace of heath care reform. From his press release:

Dr. Eric Wargotz, a physician and candidate for U.S. Senate (R – Maryland), applauds leaders on Capitol Hill who decided to slow down on health care reform to get it right.

“As a practicing physician, I know we can’t afford Congress to rush and get it wrong. There must be time for an open, honest debate on the merits of the proposed reform. Placing strict deadlines on passage of this legislation was irresponsible and caused it to get seriously off track,” charged Wargotz.

“Now with more time and more thoughtful debate, our leaders may craft legislation that addresses the root causes of skyrocketing health care costs.”

“Real, meaningful health care reform should have three goals – lower costs; improve patient care; and reduce waiting times for critical care,” said Wargotz.

“The current legislation addresses none of these things and in many cases was going to make it much worse.”

Wargotz, outlining the keys to reform, continued. “To accomplish those three goals, reform must include:

  1. Keeping government and insurance companies out of the medical decision making process;
  2. Reforming the health insurance system;
  3. Tackling frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits by capping non-economic damages; and,
  4. Providing incentives in the health care system to attract more people to become health care professionals.”

“Health care makes up 16% of our Gross Domestic Product. Any reform of the system deserves a healthy debate in the marketplace of ideas. The wrong reforms could have devastating results for our economy and more importantly, those who the reforms are supposed to help,” summed Wargotz.

Join the discussion on health care at Dr. Wargotz’s health care web site scheduled to launch next week at www.DrWargotzOnHealthCare.org.

Let’s Make America Healthy & Strong!

It’s a sign of the times that Eric used Facebook to spread this release, as his website is still under development.

Here’s the issue I have with his statement, though. It accepts the premise that something needs to be done and only government can do it. We are ceding the playing field to those who are devoted to simply stopping the latest incursion on freedom and not speaking out about rolling back government’s heavy hand on the market. For example, why can’t reform include sunsetting the ill-advised Medicare Part D prescription drug program?

Let’s look at the Wargotz points one at a time. I certainly agree with keeping government and insurance companies out of the medical decision making process, but it’s also up to those who desire services to be wise consumers. Insurance cannot and should not pay for everything – ideally in my eyes health insurance would be more like auto insurance and cover significant loss, leaving maintenance items to the owner.

Further, the definition of “reform” that Dr. Wargotz speaks to in the second aspect of his solution is in the eye of the beholder. Perhaps he means portability or simplification of regulation, which are aspects I’d favor. What I don’t support is the idea of mandatory coverage, which some include as part of reform (witness the Massachusetts solution credited to Mitt Romney.)

On point number three, Eric suggests a good step but one which doesn’t go far enough and may be somewhat misplaced. To me, tort reform also has to include a “loser pays” provision – but I’m not convinced that a federal reform is the way to go. Each state runs its own court system and that battle may be better fought in each state – after all, we have attorneys who scheme to get their suits heard in the states deemed most friendly to plaintiffs so the need for reform is greater in some state capitals than others.

Lastly are “incentives…to attract more people to become health care professionals.” You mean a good salary and benefits in a reasonably stable (if not growing with our aging population) profession aren’t enough? I don’t see the need for any federal program to bring people to the medical profession or, worse, convince them to go into a particular specialty because some bureaucrat deems there’s not enough to go around. To return to the previous point, obstetricians would be more plentiful if the threat of John Edwards channeling the unborn and winning a huge lawsuit (which, in turn, led to astoundingly high malpractice insurance premiums) was lessened or eliminated.

All in all, the candidate for Senate makes some good points; however, there’s much more he can do to make America healthy and strong by moving these ideas along a path which leads to less government and more freedom. Considering his likely general election opponent is currently under the care of our supposedly “broken” system, it may give her a better feel for what’s truly necessary. That prescription isn’t being written by Congress or Washington lobbyists.

Sunday evening reading 2

I’m going to begin this with a cautionary tale that isn’t being has now been released until tomorrow (so there’s no link). The article by writer Carter Clews is called “Barack Obama’s Soylent Green Rationing Rooms”. Since it’s now out I can save a lot of space from my original post and drop the long blockquote.

The analogy is interesting in that the movie portrayed dying as a pleasant highlight from the overcrowded New York City of the year 2022. But the society depicted in the movie could be compared to that of Zimbabwe.

Now on to more simple links.

We know that Obamacare is going to cost money, and the Heritage Foundation has calculated the impact that a 5.4% surtax on high earners could have on small businesses throughout the county as large numbers would be affected. It’s somewhat on the down-and-dirty side but imagine what would happen to the unemployment rate if even one job was lost from each affected business. It’s bad enough for many businesses that the minimum wage just went up.

Chiming in further on the financial side of Obamacare, Matt Kibbe at Townhall.com just calls Obama a “flip-flopper” on the tax deal. Didn’t John McCain want to tax employer-provided health benefits?

Needless to say, the mainstream media breezily dismisses the claims of right-thinking experts and others who see socialized medicine as an expensive and nettlesome boondoggle. Julia A. Seymour and Sarah Knoploh from the Business and Media Institute break down the media coverage of the topic since Obama took office and unsurprisingly find it generally one-sided in favor of socialized medicine.

Speaking of items which could affect business, “card-check” is not dead but being revived in other ways. The editorial writers at the Center for Individual Freedom make the humorous comparison to the old “Saturday Night Live” land shark skits in this article. You know how much I love Big Labor.

Turning to international affairs, blogger Hans Bader notes that the strife in Honduras has encouraged a neighbor and longtime foe of America to make his own bid for lifetime rule. It seems that Democrat presidents are a little weak on foreign affairs according to Bader. And as a twofer Hans also has his take on Obamacare.

All in all, as Rich Galen posits at Townhall.com, it was a bad week for President Obama. But it was a good week for finding interesting items that I encourage you to read.

Sunday 9 p.m. Forgot two I’d saved for this occasion. One is a New York Times travelogue on the local crab houses – I know, given the source it’s just what we need, more tourists and (gasp!) growth.

The other was written by Eastern Shore Delegate Michael Smigiel and points out the real reason Maryland’s going headlong into allowing speed cameras.

I didn’t add these originally because the links weren’t in my “Blog ideas” folder, just added to my favorites for the occasion. So here you are.

Health care summit tomorrow

Note: the Liveblogging box will reappear at 3:45 this afternoon. It didn’t work properly when I attempted to keep that as the lead item under the new Shorebird of the Week.

This will be an interesting event and I'll be there to cover it.

You may have heard the radio ads for this events over the last week or so, but tomorrow Patients First, in conjunction with the Maryland Americans for Prosperity organization, will hold a Health Care Summit at Salisbury University.

This may seem like a simple effort to get more members to join a advocacy group (and it is.) But in this case the stakes are pretty high – your well-being and ability to secure the health care of your choice and your need.

Be there or be square. All right, if you can’t be there I’m in the midst of making arrangements to live blog the event, either here or on my sister blog Red County Wicomico, or both.

Because of that, Shorebird fans will get a special treat as I move my Shorebird of the Week announcement up to noon tomorrow. I don’t think the honoree will mind.

The anti-Pelura push

By now most who follow Maryland politics know that there’s a push to have state Republican Party chairman Dr. James Pelura resign his office due to questionable personnel moves. If they haven’t found that out then they must not read the state’s major newspapers, which have gleefully reported the news in their print editions or blogs.

While it may not have been on the scale of the “Saturday Night Massacre”, the firing of Executive Director Justin Ready and resignation of events coordinator April Rose shortly afterward do raise questions as to reasoning, particularly as the MDGOP is in a stretch of events designed to build awareness and let Maryland voters know that we are the best alternative to the tax-and-spend policies of the Democrats. (Included in that is a scheduled upcoming event locally at the Delmarva Shorebirds game July 31st.)

Certainly I feel that a more detailed explanation of the Ready firing is warranted and Pelura has called a meeting of the Republican Party’s Executive Committee, ostensibly to give this accounting. However, there is an undercurrent to this whole affair that’s not been spoken about much, and it has to do with another power struggle within the Maryland Republican Party. This power struggle has less to do with the titular head of the state GOP and more to do with who really controls it.

Much as having President Bush serve (for better or worse) as the face of the Republican Party nationally during his term in office, the Maryland Republican Party during the 2002-2006 term was essentially under the control of Governor Robert Ehrlich. It was rarified air for the state party, who hadn’t been in control of the governor’s chair since the days of Spiro Agnew, and those heady times allowed the Republican Party here in Maryland to exert a little bit of sway over the political process, despite the fact that Democrats still held a massive advantage in the state’s General Assembly.

After Ehrlich’s disappointing defeat in 2006, the party split into three warring factions. These factions had been held together by having Ehrlich in Government House, but once Martin O’Malley won power the gloves were off.

On one side you had the Ehrlich holdovers who wished to control the MDGOP apparatus and prepare for his certain return in 2010. (We’re still waiting to find out whether the former Governor craves an O’Malley rematch or would rather move back to Washington as a United States Senator.) It’s no stretch to wonder if the Ehrlich camp is more interested in helping the GOP or in his political career enhancement – while the former Governor remains popular among Republicans he hasn’t taken much of a lead in building the party as a whole and has remained silent thus far through this most recent episode.

Secondly, you have the Republicans in the General Assembly. After Ehrlich’s defeat they became the de facto leaders of the party at the state level and many have been at odds with Chairman Pelura since day one. Obviously they’re frustrated by their lack of power in Annapolis and perceive Dr. Pelura as not being helpful to their prospects in 2010 – particularly the legislators take offense to Jim’s criticism of some of their votes, most notably on the budget. Having seen the voting record of many in the GOP caucus on key issues I would also caution them to look in the mirror before shifting blame to a party chairman and ask themselves if they are contributing the the party’s success or kidding themselves into thinking they’re enhancing their own re-election prospects by kowtowing to the majority.

The third side of this triangle is representative of the party’s rank-and-file grassroots. This group is comprised out of the hundreds of Central Committee members who function as the local eyes and ears of the Maryland GOP, and it was their vote which elected Jim Pelura in the first place. For the record, I voted for Pelura’s opponent in 2006 but to me Jim has proven to be a relatively effective Chairman given the financial situation and anti-Republican climate he inherited. Perhaps the alternative may have been better but we’re not going to find out at this late date.

But while I portray the Central Committees as one side of a three-sided skirmish over the direction and prospects of the Maryland GOP going forward, in reality they are the most fractured of the sides because the other two factions have their representatives on both the Central Committees and the party’s Executive Committee, which is drawn mainly (but not exclusively) from the Chairmen of each of Maryland’s 24 local Central Committees, representing Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City. Also included on the Executive Committee are three Vice-Chairs as well as a secretary, treasurer, the National Commiteeman and National Committeewoman from Maryland, and representatives from selected Republican ancilliary groups such as the Maryland Young Republicans and Maryland Federation of Republican Women, among others. (Editor’s note: not all of these people and groups receive a vote according to state by-laws. Voting positions go to the Party Chair, three Vice-Chairs, National Committeeman, National Committeewoman, the 24 County Chairmen, and the MFRW.)

Now that I’ve gone through the players, this tale leads to a back story which I also feel is key to this push to oust Chairman Pelura.

Continue reading “The anti-Pelura push”

Response to comment #102393

Recently the young lady who writes as “Final Frontier” had this to say about an earlier comment in my post announcing the July 4th TEA Party:

That’s easy–you don’t want big government, right? No socialized medicine (take away Granny’s Medicaid immediately!). Those football teams? Paid for by my tax dollars. We need to get rid of them right away so “big government” doesn’t start calling the plays, literally. Why should we all pay for the highways when we don’t all use them? I say privatize them. After all, the roads the elite media use in the north tend to be more costly due to bad weather. Privatize the police and let capitalism determine which towns have officers and which do not. If we cannot trust the government to educate our kids, why on earth would we trust them to defend us? Privatize the military. Outsource it. After all, veterans get a lot of socialized medicine–it really is a drain on our society. Don’t let some Muslim non-American President tell us we should provide the same health care for average Americans that elected officials get! That is not the American way! The rich and the elite deserve to get all of the breaks, and the poor should just quietly go about their business and continue to vote aaginst (sic) their self-interest.

I’m as much for using hyperbole to make a point as the next guy, but she WAY oversimplifies the argument for limited government. And, FF, the argument is for LIMITED government. To have no government would be anarchy and no one I know in the TEA Party movement is seriously in favor of that.

I don’t recall you being at the TEA Party and having the opportunity to pick up one of those nice pocket-sized copies of the Constitution I took the picture of. (If you were, why didn’t you say hello?) I keep a similar one which also features the Declaration of Independence on my desk (which came to me courtesy of the Patriot Post newsletter – that’s my shameless plug for them.) Anyway, what those patriots who attended the TEA Party and wish to reverse the course that President Obama and Congress seem to be taking us on want is a return to a government that follows what the Constitution says it’s supposed to do, particularly in the Ninth and Tenth Amendments:

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Moreover, Congress is limited in what it’s supposed to do – refer to Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. “Cap and Tax” and nationalizing health care REALLY bend that “general Welfare” part, in my humble opinion.

But her argument is most specious when it gets down to legitimate functions of local government, such as roads, drainage, and public safety. These are but a few of the numerous functions that we as a society ask our government to accomplish and it’s their place to do so, whether as ensrined by the state or federal Constitution or as accepted local custom, like maintaining a county road. There are legitimate uses for the tax dollars we provide, and we expect those we elect to be wise and careful stewards of OUR money. To us, that definition doesn’t include enriching themselves or those who contribute money to political causes expecting a quid pro quo through steering government works their way or by rent-seeking.

This problem tends to arise when government moves from those “public good” items into areas best left alone or to the private sector. We accept some intrusions onto our rights for the common good but not those we feel are excessive (such as cap-and-trade, socialized medicine, gun grabbing, or eminent domain abuse), particularly when those intrusions only serve to sate the thirst of those who lust for power – at least for a brief moment. It’s like they’re alcoholics, as that dose only lasts for a short period before the craving returns.

I understand how humor can make a point; truth be told I’m not really big on the amount some colleges and universities spend on athletics either. But when it’s her thought that the TEA Party movement exists just so “the rich and elite…get all the breaks” she completely misses the point and reveals the class envy so rampant among those on her political side. In many cases, it’s those “rich and elite” who abuse the proper role government has in order to enrich themselves.

We don’t elect Congressmen and Presidents to become the “rich and elite” – we elect them to represent our interests and spend OUR tax dollars wisely on legitimate functions of the federal government. It’s our opinion that those who were installed in the last election aren’t doing so and they should either straighten up or be relieved of their duty at the next opportunity.