Health Care Bill Signed, Conservatives Sign Death Pact

David Brooks
Peter Schneider
Matthew Duss

“There is no downside for Republicans, only for Americans.” - Michael Steele

“Freedom dies a little bit today.” - Marsha Blackburn

“When this bill goes into effect, and none of the things Republicans warned about begin to happen — none of the death panels, none of the government takeover, none of the socialism — Republicans will have no credibility,” -- Robert Menendez

Of course President Obama signed the health care bill this morning, although the attorney generals of several states have vowed to fight it in court, because of the lack of windmills in America.. Their main argument is their states have laws saying you cannot mandate all citizens to have insurance, and that a federal mandate would infringe on those state's rights. Unfortunately, it's an argument that would lose, as case law has proven that federal law supercedes state law, as in the example where states have approved medical marijuana that is in opposition of federal drug laws. There are other, more frivolous arguments that seem to have been dreamed up by Orly Taitz Esquire.

From the NY Times: "With the strokes of 20 pens, President Obama signed his health care overhaul — the most sweeping social legislation enacted in decades — into law on Tuesday during a festive, at times raucous, White House ceremony. “We have just now enshrined, as soon as I sign this bill, the core principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their health care,” Mr. Obama declared in the East Room, before an audience of more than 200 Democratic lawmakers, White House aides and others who rode a yearlong legislative roller-coaster ride that ended with Sunday night’s House passage of the bill. They interrupted him repeatedly with shouts and standing ovations."

After the anger and whining from Congressional Republicans has died down, will come the realization that they blew their big chance to influence the legislation in their quest to discredit Barack Obama. They have been revealed to be a party of old hacks without credibility, and this will affect the further decline of the GOP. They will have some seats won during the upcoming mid-term election, but it won't be enough to change the makeup of the House. The question is will the various tea parties be able to organize themselves into a viable force, or will some charismatic independent arrive to band them together. Ron Paul? Bob Barr? I don't think so...

While the media focus has been on the historic legislation, the finance reform bill is slipping on through, having passed the House and the Senate Finance Committee giving it a vote of approval. It contains creating a consumer finance protection department, which, again, the Republicans are shooting themselves in the foot by opposing it, looking like they are in favor of businesses who employ corrupt practices. Within the week, Obama will have made two important pieces of legislation, making the Repubs looking pretty impotent. Perhaps now they might want to rethink their goal of limiting the size of their tent, as the circus is passing them by...

Sarah Palin has decided to add to the ugly by publishing a hit list of Democrats she feels should be unseated and whom she will work against. From Politico: "Ann Kirkpatrick (Ariz.), Harry Mitchell (Ariz.), Gabrielle Giffords (Ariz.), John Salazar (Colo.), Betsy Markey (Colo.). Allen Boyd (Fla.), Suzanne M. Kosmas (Fla.), Baron P. Hill (Ind.), Earl Pomeroy (N.D.), Charlie Wilson (Ohio), John Boccieri (Ohio), Kathy Dahlkemper (Pa.), Christopher Carney (Pa.), John M. Spratt, Jr. (S.C.), Tom Perriello (Va.), Alan B. Mollohan (W.Va.), and Nick J. Rahall II (W.Va.). I note that John Salazar is a Blue Dog Democrat, one of the more avowed conservatives, but his brother is serving as Obama's Secretary of Agriculture. It'll be good to see Sarah stumping around the state again, maybe I will be able to get a picture of her for under $10,000...

I, for one, will be glad not to hear this socialism crap bandied about by brain dead individuals who have lost the ability for critical thinking. My fellow Republicans (and yes, I am a liberal Republican) need to confront their emotional inner demons and accept that there are homosexuals among us and they aren't any threat, that people of other faiths may consider themselves to be members of your party, that you can't place exclusivity on love of country or family values, and that it's always wiser to consider a wide range of opinions than stick with a pitiful few. This is actually the best time to rebuild the GOP so that it will represent the generations of the future. Instead, I am afraid that I am watching the angry, ugly death throes of an old elephant, who is trying to find its way to the burial ground. But the media won't give it the dignity to die in peace, they document each weak shake of its head and stamp of its feet, as it rages on blindly into the dark night...