NH INSIDER

Editorial: Senate Must Filibuster "Public Option"
Senate Republicans need to stick together in opposing political favors that make it easier to pass the ObamaCare abomination.

Too Good For Their Own Taxes
Once again, another tax cheat is brought forth in the Obama Administration.

The Wire: Atlas Shrugs
Today the wire covers industry during the recession, Obama's Afghanistan decision, and offshore drilling.

ALG in the News: ACORN Stole NY-23
Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson is quoted on the new developments in New York's 23rd Congressional district.

"Actions have consequences.  And one result of this action

will be to further separate the GOP from its own base—74

percent of whom already say their leadership in Congress

is out of touch."—ALG President Bill Wilson.

November 18^th, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today condemned 10 Republican Senators for voting to invoke cloture on Barack Obama's controversial nomination of Judge David Hamilton to the 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals.

"These 10 Republican Senators have cleared the way for the confirmation of David Hamilton, who has used his seat as District Court Judge to suppress religious freedom, protect child predators, and rule leniently against career criminals," said Wilson.

"These 10 Senators are out of step with the American people, who believe in the rule of law and do not want laws ignored by ACLU factotums who legislate from the bench," Wilson added.  "America is a society of laws, and David Hamilton, who represents the judicial oligarchy in America that rules by fiat, will help bring an end to the rule of law."

Yesterday, the Senate voted 70-29 to invoke cloture on Hamilton, making a confirmation vote all but certain.  Voting with Senate Democrats were Senators Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, John Cornyn of Texas, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Orrin Hatch of Utah, Richard Lugar of Indiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and John Thune of South Dakota.

A coalition letter from 24 conservative leaders that Wilson signed to the Senate urged all members to filibuster Hamilton.  The letter stated that "Judge Hamilton fails to meet the qualifications for the high office to which he has been nominated, and his record demonstrates that he would decide cases on the basis of his politics and personal agenda instead of the Constitution."

According to the letter, Judge Hamilton has ruled "that prayers to Jesus Christ offered at the beginning of legislative sessions violate the Constitution, but that prayers to Allah do not", chose to follow mandatory sentencing guidelines, overturned a sex offender registry law, and had "urged the President to grant clemency for a police officer who had pled guilty to producing child pornography".

The coalition letter said Hamilton's record working for the American Civil Liberties Union and as a fundraiser for ACORN "was not enough to qualify him for the lower court and nothing in his record on that court suggests he is qualified for a promotion." When originally nominated to the U.S. District Court by President Clinton, Hamilton was rated "not qualified" by the American Bar Association. 

In a recent speech to the Federalist Society, Senator Jeff Sessions, who led the filibuster effort against Hamilton in the Senate, quoted Hamilton as saying a judge's job is to "write footnotes to the Constitution" and has argued that judges "need to empathize" with the parties of cases.

"Every election cycle," Wilson said, "Republican candidates for Senate state their commitment to bringing judges to the federal bench who will help restore the role of constitutionally limited government in American jurisprudence.  Instead, Republican and conservative constituents have been betrayed by their own Senators."

"Why should anyone care if there is ever a Republican majority again if this is the type of vote Republican Senators cast?" Wilson asked, citing a recent Rasmussen Reports poll that stated, "74% of Republicans say their party's representatives in Congress have lost touch with GOP voters nationwide over the past several years."

"Actions have consequences," Wilson added, concluding, "And one result of this action will be to further separate the GOP from its own base—74 percent of whom already say their leadership in Congress is out of touch."

"Even if states say no, taxpayers will still have to pay."

—ALG President Bill Wilson. 

October 27^th, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today denounced Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for "trying to put the so-called 'public option' on life support with a cynical and duplicitous 'opt-out' ploy." 

At the same time, Wilson applauded Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) for promising to join Republicans in filibustering the "public option." "Senator Lieberman is a hero in this frightful debate over the government takeover of the entire health care system.  We need more heroes who are willing to buck Harry Reid." 

Lieberman said he would vote against the bill ""even with an opt-out because it still creates a whole new government entitlement program for which taxpayers will be on the line." 

"This public option 'opt-out' is nothing more than a scam," said Wilson.  "The federal government will still hold all of the cards, and use subsidy 'incentives' to essentially force states onto government-run healthcare.  In the end, states will be punished one way or another for not participating." 

"For example, the government could make additional federal funding for Medicaid contingent upon participation in ObamaCare," Wilson explained.  "The fact is, the government has managed to achieve 100 percent state participation in receiving tax dollars in everything from education to 'No Child Left Behind' to transportation.  They'll get what they want, one way or another through the most draconian thumb-screw thuggery." 

"To make matters worse," Wilson added, "even if states decide they do not want to participate, individual taxpayers will still be forced to foot the federal tax bill—just like parents who are forced to pay for public schools even though they send their kids to private school," Wilson said.  

"The fact is, this will not pay for itself—it will top $2 trillion over ten years once fully implemented—which is why everyone will be forced to chip in whether or not they directly receive services.  It's just another unsustainable welfare entitlement—and one that will surely bankrupt the entire health system and the public treasury," Wilson explained. 

Yesterday, Reid held a press conference to announce his proposal.  He stated, "Under this concept, states will be able to determine whether the public option works well for them and will have the ability to opt out if they so choose." 

According to Reid, states would only have until 2014 to make their decision. 

"There are a lot of outstanding questions on the 'Reid Opt-Out.'   Namely, why is this an 'opt-out' instead of an 'opt-in?' No business in America could get away with an 'opt-out' when selling a product.  In Harry Reid's world, taxpayers will get the bill for trillions of dollars for ObamaCare before they even get to decide that they do not want it," Wilson added. 

"And even if states say no, taxpayers will still have to pay," Wilson concluded. 

"Senate Republicans must hold firm against the ObamaCare threat to

American liberty and prosperity.  They should respond to Reid's threat

to eliminate the filibuster with a threat of their own: they'll shut down

and boycott the Senate."—ALG President Bill Wilson.

September 23rd, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today called upon Senate Republicans to "shut down the Senate" should Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoke reconciliation to "muscle ObamaCare through the Senate in direct defiance of the will of the people."

"Harry Reid is not going to just ram this through and eliminate the filibuster," said Wilson, "Not without dire consequences.  Senate Republicans should shut down the Senate if that's the direction he wants to go in.  No business addressed.  No quorum.  No votes.  The filibuster is a time-honored tradition.  And so is democratic resistance."

In recent weeks, Reid has threatened to use reconciliation, whereby only 51 votes would be needed to pass the government-run health care proposal.  Yesterday, he again did so, promising to use it if Republicans halted consideration of the bill in committee.  "If we can't work this out to do something within the committee structure, then we'll be forced to do reconciliation," he said, calling the tactic a "last resort."

Wilson called Reid's warning "a thuggish threat," and said it would result in "one-party rule over what is supposed to be the 'most deliberative body' in the world.  The filibuster as implemented has been a tool for the minority party to still have a voice in governance.  Its elimination is in essence the elimination of our age-old two-party system."

Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned Reid of a public backlash. He said, "Let me say…budget reconciliation has never been used to structure one-sixth of the American economy.  If that option were chosen, there would be a severe, negative, and I think appropriate reaction from the American people… If you thought the American people were upset in August, you haven't seen how upset they will be if this device is chosen."

According to Rasmussen Reports, 66 percent of voters are angry at current government policies.  And some 56 percent currently oppose Democrats' health care proposal.

Wilson said reconciliation may be the only way Congressional Democrats can get their legislation passed. "Harry Reid obviously doesn't have the 60 votes he needs in the Senate for cloture.  Else, he would not be issuing these threats."

According to Reid spokesman Jim Manley, "The White House and the Senate Democratic leadership still prefer a bipartisan bill.  However, patience is not unlimited, and we are determined to get something done this year by any legislative means necessary."

Wilson said the threats were as a result of severe public opposition to the plan to "scare Republicans into submission.  First, they tried painting as 'extremists' opponents—which is really just caricature assassination.  Now, they've moved from simply ridiculing opponents to holding a gun to their heads."

In the pages of USA Today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer wrote, "These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades."

Congressman Steve Kagen (WI-CD6) said they were "uncivilized," and Congressman Baron Hill (IN-CD9) called them "political terrorists." Congressman Brian Baird (WA-CD3) called opponents of the legislation "Brown Shirts" and compared them to domestic terrorists, "Some of the rhetoric that we're hearing is… eerily reminiscent of the kind of things that drove Tim McVeigh to bomb the federal building in Oklahoma."

Wilson concluded, "These are times that try men's souls.  And Senate Republicans must hold firm against the ObamaCare threat to American liberty and prosperity.  They should respond to Reid's threat to eliminate the filibuster with a threat of their own: they'll shut down and boycott the Senate."