The Senate's Financial Legislation: What You Need To Know

Hat tip: Americans for Limited Government

Senators Threaten Facebook

Four Senators took time out from their busy schedules to deal with a serious issue: Facebook

We hope that Facebook will stand by its goal of creating open and transparent communities by working to ensure that its policies protect the sensitive personal biographical data of its users and provide them with full control over their personal information. We look forward to the FTC examining this issue, but in the meantime we believe Facebook can take swift and productive steps to alleviate the concerns of its users. Providing opt-in mechanisms for information sharing instead of expecting users to go through long and complicated opt-out processes is a critical step towards maintaining clarity and transparency.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)

U.S. Senator Mark Begich (D-AK)

U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN)

At times like this, it's easy to blame politicians for such ridiculous pandering, but the blame truly belongs with the voters for approving of stuff like this. Repealing the Seventeenth Amendment would remove this kind of idiocy because state legislatures would appoint Senators based on results, not demagoguery.

Jimmy Kimmel: Senate Hearing Gets Dirty

He reports, you laugh:

Unaccountable Panel To Ration Medical Care

According to President Obama's Budget Director:



It is literally unAmerican to give government authority to someone and make them virtually unaccountable. There is no way this could have happened if Senators were accountable to their state legislatures. As it is, Senators are only accountable to their political party.

Open Blog!

Whoo-hoo! Brian's on va-cay! Let the good times roll!

What shall we talk about? The lack of manners in society? Our favorite fast food? Our favorite sport? Surprises for loved ones? Wild women? Intelligent criminals? Less-intelligent criminals? Our male anatomy?

Brian's not here, so we get to do it our way!

Dodd Bill Would Allow Fed To Hide Its Spending

Dodd Bill Would Allow Fed To Hide Its Spending; The Huffington Post

The Wall Street reform bill headed for a test vote on the Senate floor Monday night will allow the Federal Reserve to continue to pump trillions of dollars into major banks largely in secrecy, the co-author of House language that would open the central bank to an audit charged in a memo to the Senate.

"The Senate has a provision in its reform bill that purports to audit the Fed. But, it really doesn't do anything of the sort. I'm going to run down the details for you, and reprint the legislative language so you can read it yourself," writes Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.).

It would not allow the GAO to look into the Fed's massive purchase of toxic assets, its hundreds of billions in foreign currency swaps with other central banks or its open market operations, among other restrictions.

Grayson and co-author Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) passed legislation through the House that would allow the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit the Federal Reserve and, after a delay, release the information to Congress. It was a remarkable victory, with a populist coalition beating back the combined lobbying efforts of the Treasury Department, the Fed and Wall Street banks.

The Senate has been more hostile territory for the Fed audit provision. Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) opposes the Grayson-Paul version, but allowed a much more restrictive audit proposal from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) into his bill.

Grayson, in his memo, outlines the shortcomings of the Senate bill. Walker Todd, who spent some 20 years as a counselor with the Federal Reserve Banks of New York and Cleveland, reviewed Grayson's analysis and told HuffPost he concurs with it.

The [Senate] bill would allow an audit of the TALF program and slightly expands authority to audit emergency lending conducted under section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act, but restricts it to very specific purposes.

DHS official: Virtual border fence a ‘complete failure'

DHS official: Virtual border fence a ‘complete failure;' Federal Times.com

The Homeland Security Department today said its virtual border fence has been a "complete failure," and is trying to figure out how to proceed on the troubled $2 billion project.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that some individual pieces of surveillance technology in the SBInet program have worked. But integrating them together into a comprehensive system — which was to be the heart of the SBInet program — has proven to be more complicated than current technology can handle, Bersin said.

"I wouldn't say that theoretically, at some point, we couldn't have the kind of sophisticated technological integration that SBInet originally projected," Bersin said. "But in the near term, wholesale integration is not a goal that is practicable," Bersin said.

Bersin would not say whether Homeland Security would cancel the contract.

Homeland Security hired Boeing in 2006 to install thousands of video and infrared cameras, radars and ground sensors to provide constant surveillance along the Southwest border. Computers and software were meant to combine that information to produce a real-time picture of smugglers and migrants.

But after spending between $700 million and $800 million to build a 28-mile pilot version of the system in Arizona, Homeland Security has almost nothing to show for it. The system has difficulty seeing clearly and often transmits false alarms.

Bersin said Homeland Security is now conducting an assessment of the program to see if the project can continue, or, if not, if anything can be salvaged. The department is also reviewing each sector along the U.S.-Mexico border to figure out what technologies would help them secure their areas against smugglers and illegal immigrants. He did not say when those assessments would be completed.

Lawmakers are outraged at the project's failure. Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., said that the Government Accountability Office should conduct an investigation to find out how it got so badly off-track.

And Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said that SBInet's failure is especially troubling while Mexican drug cartel violence is growing and risks spilling over into American border towns like El Paso.

Comment: Mr Burris how about doing your job and getting to the truth rather than pushing it off and having forgotten about for this election cycle?

Grassley Slams GM, Administration Over Loans Repaid With Bailout Money

Grassley Slams GM, Administration Over Loans Repaid With Bailout Money; FOXNews.com

A top Senate Republican on Thursday accused the administration of misleading taxpayers about General Motors' loan repayment, saying the struggling auto giant was only able to repay its bailout money by dipping into a separate pot of bailout money.

A top Senate Republican on Thursday accused the Obama administration of misleading taxpayers about General Motors' loan repayment, saying the struggling auto giant was only able to repay its bailout money by dipping into a separate pot of bailout money.

Sen. Chuck Grassley's charge was backed up by the inspector general for the bailout -- also known as the Trouble Asset Relief Program, or TARP. Watchdog Neil Barofsky told Fox News, as well as the Senate Finance Committee, that General Motors used bailout money to pay back the federal government.

"It appears to be nothing more than an elaborate TARP money shuffle," Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a letter Thursday to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

On Vacation

I will be on vacation for the next three weeks, so expect the number of posts to reduce quite a bit. I’ll have my computer with me, but I’m not sure I’ll have a connection or the time post.

I have one request for the followers of this web-log; if you come across an important article about the 17th Amendment, the US Senate, or limited government, post the link into the comment portion of the current post and share it with the community. This way we can keep one another informed and up to date.

Thanks for your patience and support, and keep up the effort to repeal the 17th Amendment.

5 of 10 Top Recipients Of Goldman Sachs Money Were Senators

During 2008, Goldman Sachs gave millions to politicians, especially Senators:

1. Sen. Barack Obama (presidential candidate) $996,595

2. Sen. Hillary Clinton (presidential candidate) $411,150

3. Mitt Romney (presidential candidate) $234,275

4. Sen. John McCain (presidential candidate) $230,095

5. Rep. Jim Himes (D.-Conn.) $155,098

6. Sen. Chris Dodd (D.-Conn.) $112,500

7. Rudy Giuliani (presidential candidate) $111,750

8. John Edwards (presidential candidate) $66,450

9. Sen. Arlen Specter (R.-Pa.) $47,600

10. Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D.-Ill.) $37,750

If Senators were appointed by their state legislatures as the Constitution originally designed, we'd see a lot less of this. With 2 Republicans and 3 Democrats, it's clear that corruption is a bipartisan affair.

Repeal the 17th Amendment, and you significantly reduce the ability of people to buy influence in the federal government.

The Dodd Bill Weakens Federalism

As Justice Brandeis pointed out many years ago, “It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of country.” So long as state legislation is limited to regulation of firms incorporated within the state, as it generally is, there is no risk of conflicting rules applying to the same corporation. Experimentation thus does not result in confusion, but instead may lead to more efficient corporate law rules.

In contrast, the uniformity imposed by [the Dodd Bill] will preclude experimentation with differing modes of regulation. As such, there will be no opportunity for new and better regulatory ideas to be developed—no “laboratory” of federalism. Instead, we will be stuck with rules that may well be wrong from the outset and, in any case, may quickly become obsolete.

... Competitive federalism promotes liberty as well as shareholder wealth. When firms may freely select among multiple competing regulators, oppressive regulation becomes impractical. if one regulator overreaches, firms will exit its jurisdiction and move to one that is more laissez-faire. In contrast, when there is but a single regulator, such that exit by the regulated is no longer an option, an essential check on excessive regulation is lost.

Worse than that, the Dodd bill will actually unleash the worst elements of corporate law on the federal government, and therefore the entire country. States that would otherwise successfully inhibit corporate corruption will be unable to. As a result, corporations will actually be even more incentivized to corrupt the federal government in their favor, especially when the prevailing view is for the federal government to give tons of goodies and freebies to its backers. The congressional-corporate complex will fit the very definition of fascism: rule by the wealthy.

Corruption is the result of centralization of power. Put that much power in one place, and it draws corruption like moths to a flame. The only way to limit it is to decentralize our government by repealing the 17th Amendment, so the Senate would once again serve its original Constitutional function.

Senate To Vote On New Financial Regulations

Emboldened by public anger at Wall Street, Democrats set the first key vote for Monday on a bill to rein in the financial industry — even though Reid lacks a bipartisan deal or any guarantee that he’ll get the crucial 60th vote needed to break a filibuster.

And if no Republican cracks, and the bill goes down, Reid is calculating that would be politically devastating for the GOP, because the party would appear to be standing shoulder to shoulder with the Wall Street bankers many Americans blame for the recession.

“We have the upper hand,” said New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, a member of the Senate Democratic leadership.

The problem is that this bill does not "rein in" the financial industry. What does it do? Well...

At the top of the list is the $50 billion fund that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp could use to pay off creditors of firms identified as systemically risky -- i.e., "too big to fail."

"The Dodd bill," writes Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman, "has unlimited executive bailout authority. That's something Wall Street desperately wants but doesn't dare ask for."

Politically connected creditors would have every reason to assume they'd get favorable treatment. The Dodd bill specifically authorizes the FDIC to treat "creditors similarly situated" differently.

Second, as former Bush administration economist Larry Lindsey points out, the Dodd bill gives the Treasury and the FDIC authority to grant an unlimited number of loan guarantees to "too big to fail" firms. CEOs might want to have receipts for their contributions to Sen. Charles Schumer and the Obama campaign in hand when they apply.

Lindsey ticks off other special favors. "Labor gets 'proxy access' to bring its agenda items before shareholders as well as annual 'say on pay' for executives. Consumer activists get a brand new agency funded directly out of the seniorage the Fed earns. No oversight by the Federal Reserve Board or by Congress on how the money is spent."

Then there are carve-out provisions provided for particular interests. "Obtaining a carve-out isn't rocket science," one Republican K Street lobbyist told the Huffington Post. "Just give Chairman Dodd and Chuck Schumer a s---load of money."

More bailouts for billionaires:

But, as critics led by Kentucky's Sen. Mitch McConnell, have pointed out, the bill, sponsored by Sen. Chris Dodd, doesn't end "too big to fail" -- under any fair reading.

It says that failed financial firms must repay taxpayer money "unless the United States agrees or consents otherwise." It says, too, that Washington can bail out bondholders to financial firms as long as officialdom "determines that such payments or credits are necessary or appropriate to minimize losses."

This bill puts all taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars for politically-connected businesses. This is crony capitalism at its worst.

The only way to restore sanity to the federal government is to repeal the 17th Amendment.

Southern Poverty Law Center Publishes Patriot Hit List

Southern Poverty Law Center Publishes Patriot Hit List; Chuck Baldwin; NewsWithViews.com

In a report on its web site dated April 2010, entitled "Meet The Patriots," the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) profiled "36 individuals at the heart of the resurgent [patriot] movement." (In reading the list, I counted only 35 "patriots" and 5 "enablers" for a total of 40. I'm not really sure how the SPLC came up with "36." Perhaps their ability to count is commensurate with their ability to appreciate patriotism and liberty.) The SPLC (founded by Morris Dees) sees itself as America's guardian against "right wing militias" and loves to label conservatives and libertarians that it doesn't like as "extremists." The SPLC is one of the most ultra-liberal organizations in the country and should be dismissed as a group of paranoid leftists, not worthy of thought or mention.

The sad truth is, however, our federal government has chosen to exalt the SPLC to the position of being its "go to" source for information regarding "potential domestic terrorists" and similar characterizations. As a result, the information and reports disseminated by SPLC wind up in police reports and bulletins all over the United States. As an example, the SPLC had its fingerprints all over the infamous MIAC report. One could even question whether the SPLC is merely a front organization for Big Brother.

Read the rest here.

Comment: I look forward to the day that this web log and the companion discussion board at Yahoo and those other "Seventeenthers" are put on this list. Because when that day comes we'll know we are gaining ground and we are closer to repealing the 17th Amendment.

As the apostles rejoiced because they had been counted worthy for suffering disgrace for the Name (Acts 5:41-42), I also look forward to the day that I can rejoice for suffering in disgrace for liberty and freedom, because it was the "Name" that endowed all of us with liberty and freedom, not any government.

"Moderates"

"Moderates" ...Are Insane; Alternative Right

Anybody who watches the mainstream media with a critical eye notices a number of tropes they keep returning to again and again. One of them is their love of "moderates" or those who get "beyond partisanship." Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and Joe Lieberman are three examples of national politicians who have been hailed as centrist figures, whatever that means. In fact, the idea that the nation needs more "moderation" has been the basis of quite a few books in recent years, among them Radical Middle: The Politics We Need Now, The Radical Center: The Future of American Politics, and most recently, Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America. Who or what is a "Wingnut"? According to author John Avlon¹,

It's someone on the far-right or far-left of the political spectrum. They are the professional partisans and the unhinged activists, the hard-core haters and the paranoid conspiracy theorists.

So the problem with these Wignuts is both their tone and views. As far as national figures go, Glenn Beck is, of course, the worst sinner, offering a regular "Comrade Update" on his show and warning of a slow descent into Communism. John McCain's nomination in 2008 was a "repudiation" of the more extreme Karl Rove(!) but the choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate was divisive. The Tea Party is uncivil and represents "the birth or white identity politics," an idea that the author informs us he owes to David Frum. Other villains of the Right include Michael Savage and of course, Rush Limbaugh.

To be a good centrist, Avlon needs a Wingnut of the Left for every one on the other side of the political spectrum. Among liberals, he targets exclusively antiwar figures such as Code Pink and Michael Moore. It was Winguts who ran the antiwar Ned Lamont against the hawkish Joe Lieberman in the 2006 Democratic primaries. Avlon doesn't include an example of anyone too liberal on social issues or illegal immigration for civilized society.

Read the rest here.

Schumer's U-Turn On Wall Street

Sen. Schumer (D-NY) has long been willing to fight to get his Wall Street friends whatever they ask for. But now that some public attention is being given to these kinds of connections, he's discovered a new face.

Because of the 17th Amendment, politicians, especially in the Senate, can safely pretend to go along with whatever public opinion is at the moment, because they can vote for their special interests for five years, and then be a populist during election year.

One reason why representatives were scheduled for re-election every two years is to keep them close to the demands of the people. Senators, who originally were overseen by their state legislatures, didn't need short terms because the state legislature would review their entire record, and not just their campaign rhetoric.

The best way to get politics out of the Senate is to repeal the 17th Amendment.

Rigged Against the Little Guy

HT: Aude Sapere and Campaign for Liberty

As the Senate is considering the financial sector reform, Rep. Ron Paul hit the nail on the head. We can't keep giving the Federal Reserve more power. This is the body along with the SEC that caused the financial meltdown problem in the first place, well besides Congress.

Comment: This type of bad policy will only be halted when the States regain their original place within the Federal Government. Repealing the 17th Amendment is the most important step we can take to correct this problem.

Inhofe on FoxBusiness Says Global Warming Gas Tax/Cap and Tax Bill Will Be Defeated

Senator Inhofe on Fox Business on Thursday said efforts to pass a global warming gas tax/ cap and tax bill will be defeated by strong bipartisan opposition.

Comment: After the $1.7 Trillion "too big to fail" give away and the fascist Obama health care debacle we can only pray this is defeated. I have faith in Inhofe but in the rest of the clowns...

Update: Ohio House Republicans Oppose Cap and Trade

Sen. Cochran (R-MS) Wins "Porker of the Year"

Watch CBS News Videos Online

For the third year in a row, Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran ran away with the title of the biggest earmarker. The ranking Republican on the powerful appropriations committee snagged $490 million for 240 pet projects.

...

But many lawmakers can't ignore the anti-spending sentiment sweeping the nation.

House Democrats recently swore off earmarks to for-profit companies while House Republicans agreed to shun all earmarks for a year. The result: pork-barrel spending is actually down, from $19.6 billion in 2009 to $16.5 billion in 2010 - and nearly half of that spending was requested anonymously.

The idea that it's not vote-buying just because it's not a for-profit company is just stupid. Also, it should be noted that earmarks aren't down because lawmakers think they are bad. Earmarks are down because the people are paying more attention right now. Politicians will do whatever they can get away with.

Senator Cochran is one of a hundred reasons to repeal the 17th Amendment.

What Do We Do Now?

I don't know who the speaker is, but this was in Palm Beach, California:



The pursuit of nullification is a dangerous strategy. A repeal of the 17th Amendment would allow for a more controlled, incremental reduction in federal power. Nullification risks encouraging a much faster change, and therefore it is more radical and unstable. But at this point in time, it's worth reminding those who favor centralized power that there are limits to what they can do.

Hat tip: Tenth Amendment Center

US Senate Could Resurrect Obama's $90 Billion Bank Tax

US Senate Could Resurrect Obama's $90 Billion Bank Tax; Dow Jones News Wire

Senate Democrats are considering moving forward with a tax on the largest U.S. banks, resurrecting an idea proposed by President Barack Obama in February as part of a White House move to more aggressively take on Wall Street.

When the plan was initially floated by the president, it received a muted response on Capitol Hill, and Thursday's development is the first indication lawmakers could move forward with the tax proposal.

The revenue raised by the tax could be used to pay for any number of forthcoming spending items, aides said, including possibly offsetting the costs of a package of temporary tax credits aimed at businesses and individuals.

As proposed by the White House, the bank tax, or financial crisis responsibility fee, would raise roughly $90 billion over a 10-year period.

The tax credit extensions would cost $31 billion for the remainder of 2010. Budget savings that senate lawmakers had previously intended to use to pay for the tax credits were instead diverted to partially cover the cost of Democrats' ambitious health care plan.

The tax break extension bill contains dozens of measures, including a popular research and development credit for businesses, as well as credits targeted at alternative energy sources, and a measure allowing individuals to deduct state sales tax. Those tax breaks lapsed at the end of 2009.

They were rolled into a larger $150 billion bill passed earlier this year by the Senate that included an extension of federal jobless benefits and health insurance subsidies for unemployed people through the rest of 2010.

Read the rest here.

Connie Mack Quits Crist Senate Campaign in Florida

Connie Mack Quits Crist Senate Campaign in Florida; Newsmax.com

Gov. Charlie Crist's political mentor, former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack, resigned Thursday as Crist's campaign chairman in his race for the U.S. Senate.

Mack wrote a terse, two-paragraph letter to his one-time protege that said Crist was wrong to veto a bill (SB 6) that would have made it easier to fire teachers and tie their pay to student test scores.

"As you know, I strongly disagree with your veto," Mack wrote his fellow Republican. "Your veto I believe undermines our education system in Florida and the principles for which I have always stood."

Mack went on to say that Crist's decision to veto the bill was "unsupportable and wrong."

"As you can understand, I can no longer serve as chairman for your campaign for the United States Senate," Mack wrote.

Mack, who retired in early 2001 after a dozen years in the U.S. Senate, addressed the letter to "Charlie" and said he valued their long friendship.

A phone message left on the governor's cell phone and with campaign officials was not immediately returned.

It was a difficult day for the first-term governor, who was also rebuked by his predecessor, Jeb Bush, for the veto. Crist announced the veto only a few hours after a poll by Quinnipiac (Conn.) University showed him trailing former House Speaker Marco Rubio by 23 points in their race to win the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate.

Read the rest here.

S.3031 - Drug Free Communities Enhancement Act of 2010

S.3031 - Drug Free Communities Enhancement Act of 2010; Senator Patrick Leahy D-VT

Drug Free Communities Enhancement Act of 2010 - Authorizes the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to make enhancement grants to an eligible entity to implement community-wide strategies that address emerging local drug issues or local drug crises within the area served by such entity. Defines an "eligible entity" as an organization that is receiving or has received a grant under the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 1988 and has documented, using local data, for an emerging local drug issue or a local drug crisis, rates of use and abuse for specific drugs that are significantly higher than the national average. Limits the amount of such grants to not more than $75,000 per year and the period of such grants to not more than four years.

Comment: This bill should be opposed on the basis that it furthers a failed Federal program called the "War on Drugs," it continues the steady encroachment of the federal government into state and local law enforcement, and furthermore, it is a waste of money.

Eight Republicans Who May Break Ranks on Bank Bill

Eight Republicans who may break ranks on bank bill; POLITICO

The Republican rhetoric sounded tough on financial regulatory reform early this week.

“Shame on the president,” said Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who complained that President Barack Obama was derailing bipartisan negotiations on Wall Street reform for short-term political gain.

But behind such tough talk is a realization within Republican ranks that several of their own may find themselves voting with Obama when the final Wall Street reform deal comes together. “Some feel like you need to vote for it, just because it’s a popular measure,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

What’s striking about the potential GOP “yes” votes is how they differ from the usual suspects who were the focus of such heated speculation during the health care debate.

In addition to such perennial GOP maybes as Graham and Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, lobbyists are also talking about Republican senators closer to the core of the party who might side with Obama, including Bob Bennett of Utah and perhaps even John McCain of Arizona.

Call them the unusual suspects.

Democrats need at least one GOP vote, and the speculation is intensifying as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says he wants to bring the bill to the Senate floor as early as next week. But one Republican financial lobbyist predicts a domino effect if Republicans get on board: “If one goes, 20 will go. It will be ‘open the floodgates.’”

Read the rest here.

Senate Considers Ban on Fees for Carry-On Bags

Senate Considers Ban on Fees for Carry-On Bags; Reuters

Airlines would be prohibited from charging fees for carry-on bags, according to U.S. Senate legislation introduced to counter a new luggage fee of up to $45 at the low-cost carrier Spirit.

The bill’s sponsors — the Democrats Benjamin Cardin of Maryland and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana — said carry-ons often contain personal items that are ‘‘important for the safety and health’’ of travelers, including medication, personal care products and eyewear.

Read the rest here.

Comment: Cardin and Landrieu, business experts extraordinaire.

NSA director to testify at Senate hearing on cyber command unit

NSA director to testify at Senate hearing on cyber command unit; The Washington Post

In an effort to protect the military's computer networks, the Obama administration is planning to put the leader of the nation's largest electronic spying agency in charge of a new military organization capable of launching attacks against enemy networks and power grids.

Read the rest here.

Bill to restore jobless aid clears Senate hurdle

Bill to restore jobless aid clears Senate hurdle; Reuters

A measure that would restore lapsed jobless aid for hundreds of thousands of Americans cleared a hurdle in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, clearing the way for passage later in the week.

By a vote of 60 to 40, Democrats voted to set aside a law that requires new spending to be offset with tax increases or spending cuts elsewhere.

Democrats had fallen short of the 60 votes needed for passage earlier in the day, when Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy was at a funeral.

With the unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, some 6.1 million Americans rely on jobless benefits to help them pay the bills as they look for work as the United States climbs out of the worst economic downturn in 70 years. ...

Read the rest here.

Comment: Shadow Government Statistics reports that the unemployment rate is actually closer to 22 percent, and yet the Senate continues to dig us deeper into debt with their out of control spending and strangling the free markets through its continue collusion with select business elites.

Our country's economy can be restored when we turn this back, but this will not happen with the government framework we have today. Only by restoring the founders original framework and the state's rightful place within the federal government will this happen. Repealing the 17th Amendment will accomplish both.

Senate Leader Reaffirms Plans for Climate Bill Debate

Senate Leader Reaffirms Plans for Climate Bill Debate as Sponsors Prepare Bloc-To-Bloc Talks; The New York Times

The Senate's top Democrat said yesterday he is still dedicated to spending valuable floor time this year on comprehensive climate and energy legislation, but the three sponsors of the plan may have to go member-by-member in order to deliver a package capable of mustering 60 votes.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he wants to bring the bill from Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) to the floor later this spring or summer.

"We're going to really try very hard," Reid told reporters. Asked if the July 4th recess was his target for the floor debate, he said, "I don't have a definite time. A lot is waiting until we get the bill. I've been pushing very hard to get the bill."

Kerry, Graham and Lieberman are planning to release their bill (which is expected to place different emission limits on different sectors of the economy and expand domestic oil, gas and nuclear power production) next week to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. "There's some issues we're closing out, discussing," Lieberman said. "But we're making progress, and as far as I'm concerned, we're still on track to introduce next week."

Read the rest here.

Comment: How long will America allow these fools perpetuate the climate lie? How long will America allow for their prosperity to be further eroded by those beholden to the radical environmental agenda?

Senate again eyes carried interest tax: sources

Senate again eyes carried interest tax: sources; Reuters

U.S. lawmakers desperate for revenue are looking anew at changing the tax treatment of profits earned by hedge fund and private equity managers, congressional sources said on Tuesday, a move that would hike their taxes considerably.

A proposal to change the tax treatment of fund managers' profits known as "carried interest" last year passed the U.S. House of Representatives, which has approved such measures several times only to have them die in the U.S. Senate.

But as lawmakers run out of revenue to offset things such as a pending bill in the Senate to extend unemployment insurance, the idea is getting a second look by once skeptical senators, congressional aides said.

The Senate last month approved a $140 billion bill to extend jobless benefits through the end of the year and renew a series of popular tax breaks. That bill also closed several tax loopholes to bring down the costs, but the House then used some of those revenues in its healthcare overhaul, hence the need for more revenue.

President Barack Obama backs the change to carried interest and included it in his 2011 budget plan.

The bill passed by the House in December would raise nearly $25 billion over a decade.

Under current law, profits earned by investment fund managers at hedge fund and private equity firms are taxed as capital gains, a 15 percent tax rate, instead of as ordinary income, which would subject them to the highest 36 percent marginal income tax bracket.

Read the rest here.

Comment: This should do wonders for our economy...no industry and high taxes is always a recipe for prosperity.

GOP senator worries 'No Child' revamp won't work in rural districts

GOP senator worries 'No Child' revamp won't work in rural districts; The Washington Post

The Senate's ranking Republican on education policy said Tuesday he fears that the Obama administration's strategy for turning around struggling schools will backfire in rural America.

Sen. Mike Enzi's (Wyo.) skepticism illustrated the difficulty of the two-fold challenge facing President Obama as he seeks to rewrite the 2002 No Child Left Behind law: The president wants to build a broad, bipartisan coalition for a legislative update, and he wants bold action to shake up schools that fail to make progress year after year.

In his blueprint for a new law, Obama lays out four ways of rejuvenating the nation's 5,000 lowest-performing schools: replacing the principal and at least half the staff; converting the campus to a public charter school; closing the school; or transforming it with a new principal and other aggressive interventions. Educators would be required to pick one to be eligible for certain federal aid. ...

Read the rest here.

Comment: It's unfortunate that there are no "republicans" calling for an end to the Department of Education and getting the federal government out of a sector that is the purview of the states.

Right now the Department of Education is growing larger and at a rate faster than the Department of Defense, during a wartime situation.

It's reasonable to say that if the 17th Amendment was repealed, many of these unconstitutional department go with it.

End the 17th Amendment and end the Department of Education!

Top GOP senator, White House clash on financial reform

Top GOP senator, White House clash on financial reform; Reuters

The White House said "yes we can" on financial regulatory reform on Tuesday, while the top Republican in the U.S. Senate said "no we won't."

A bare-knuckles fight is coming in days ahead as the Obama administration and congressional Democrats push for a crackdown on banks and capital markets against Republican opposition. With lawmakers recently returned from a two-week recess, a final vote on Senate legislation is near.

The shape and profitability of the financial services industry for years to come hangs in the balance, as well as the U.S. economy's ability to withstand future financial crises.

A White House official said momentum for regulatory reform seemed to be building. "We hope Republicans in Congress will join us in a constructive conversation about how to move a strong bill forward," White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage said in a statement.

But that upbeat assessment clashed with a defiant message delivered by Senator Mitch McConnell, the chamber's top Republican.

"We must not pass the financial reform bill that's about to hit the floor. The fact is, this bill wouldn't solve the problems that led to the financial crisis. It would make them worse," said McConnell on the Senate floor. ...

Read the rest here.

Comment: I've wonder why we haven't had at least one public hearing in Congress that examined the real roots of the financial crisis that occurred in 2008. Why are we rushing to create new laws when Congress hasn't acknowledged the causes.

One thing we can all be assured of is the single party in Washington DC called Democrat/Republican Party aided the financial sector and allowed for bankers like Goldman Sachs to get away with highway robbery.

The only way we'll really know what happened is when a gutsy state attorney general steps up to the plate and takes on the feds and banks.

Senator Warns of ‘Populist Fervor’ Against Wall St.

Senator Warns of ‘Populist Fervor’ Against Wall St.; The New York Times

Senator Judd Gregg, the ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, asserted Monday that Senate Democrats were approaching the overhaul of the nation’s financial regulations with a harmful “populist fervor,” but he said he still hoped a compromise could be reached between both parties in the coming weeks.

“The problem we have is that there is this populist fervor, this Huey Long attitude out there that says all banks are bad and that the financial system is evil and as a result we must do things which will basically end up reducing our competitiveness as a nation,” Mr. Gregg said on CNBC. “We have got to try to avoid this call to the populist banner that is going on in this country.”

Mr. Gregg, of New Hampshire, is working with Senator Jack Reed, Democrat of Rhode Island, on drafting the derivatives portion of the financial overhaul bill. Talks stalled last month over issues concerning end user exemptions and mandatory clearing of derivatives through an exchange, Mr. Gregg acknowledged Monday, but he noted that the two sides were still talking.

Mr. Gregg said he was in favor of getting “as many derivatives as you can onto a clearing platform,” but stopped short of forcing all trades to clear through an exchange, saying that it could “actually undermine the stability of the markets.”

Read the rest here.

Comment: I'm not sure how out of touch Mr. Judd can be, but the largest banks and investment houses in this country took great risks with this scheme called "derivatives" behind closed doors with no transparency. Then were bailed out with our tax dollars when the scheme failed. Mr. Judd this isn't populism, this anger.

The Senate allowed for the banking and financial sector, through the Treasury Department, to act in the most reckless and un-capitalistic manner possible and Judd says the people are acting like populists; no Mr Judd it's you that has a problem. You are a blind fool who failed to uphold your oath to defend and protect the people that elected you. Wake up Mr. Judd.

US Congress must keep pressing China on yuan: Senator

US Congress must keep pressing China on yuan: Senator; AFP

The US Congress must keep up pressure on China to revalue its currency despite Beijing's apparent new willingness to seek fresh sanctions on Iran, a key US Senator said Tuesday.

"My view is that there should not be a trade-off," said Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, a key author of legislation to punish China for its alleged currency manipulation, blamed here for lost US jobs.

Schumer had been asked whether US lawmakers should back off efforts to pile pressure on China over the yuan because of Beijing's apparent readiness to drop its opposition to new sanctions on Iran over Tehran's suspect nuclear program.

"To me it shouldn't, because to me, I mean, Iran is very, very important, but so are American jobs and American wealth, and because China manipulates its currency, we lose jobs, wealth flows out of the country daily," he said.

Asked about the timing of possible Senate action on his legislative proposal, Schumer replied: "We'd like to move quickly, we're fed up. And you know, talks, we've been through those."

"Every time there's pressure, the Chinese then sit down and talk, the Chinese government sits down and talks, and comes up with either nothing or very little," Schumer told reporters.

International critics say that China keeps the rate of its yuan artificially low against other foreign currencies to boost exports.

But China defends its exchange rate policy as necessary for the survival of Chinese manufacturers and to support jobs growth.

Speculation mounted last week that China was preparing to alter its exchange rate policy and allow for the yuan to appreciate, after US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner made a hastily arranged visit to Beijing. ...

Read the rest here.

Comment: Schumer, along with the band-o-folly called the US Senate, continue to muck up the international scene by playing the role of "mini-president."

Chuck Schumer, one of 100 reasons to repeal the 17th Amendment.

RoundTable: The Roanoke Times: Let's repeal 17th Amendment

Let's repeal 17th Amendment; The Roanoke Times

Let's repeal 17th Amendment

In 1913, the 17th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified and essentially set the several states adrift without representation. States' rights and the defense of those rights is a cornerstone to the success of this union.

Prior to the 17th, arguably the most destructive change to the Constitution, senators were selected by state legislatures to defend the states against the potential tyranny of the federal government. Eliminating that paved the road for today's unfunded mandates, including those in the recently passed health care law. These tyrannical edicts from Washington are financially crippling the states.

Ken Cuccinelli and other state attorneys general are attempting to protect the states from the federal government in the absence of constitutional representation. It matters little whether it is Cuccinelli or Chairman Mao, taking this stand is essential to the principle of states' rights.

The debate on the merits of the health care law is secondary to the debate over the ability of the states to survive the chaff constantly heaped upon the states due to the lack of representation embodied in the 17th Amendment.

Repeal the 17th.
BILL HART
ROANOKE

Comment: It might all start from a simple letter to the editor...

GOP Rep Voters Shouldn't Be Able To Elect Senators

GOP Rep Voters Shouldn't Be Able To Elect Senators; Devey Kidd; Rense.Com

That is the headline going around:

http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Find-Freedom.htm?At=066798

03-29-2010
Washington Independent

"Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) " a judge in his prior career " comes out for repealing the 17th Amendment, to "restore the balance between the federal government and the states by giving the right to appoint senators back to state legislatures." Read Full Story Reported by Powell Gammill

It is misleading to say the least - Voters shouldn't be able to elect senators. Rep comes out for repealing the 17th Amendment.

If you read Gohmert's press release below, no where does it say he is for repealing the Seventeenth Amendment.

I just got off the phone with Rep. Gohmert's office. If you have any doubts, pick up the phone. That's what stops bad information from being sent out in emails.

Rep. Gohmert is not, according to his aid, advocating for repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment.

Of course, it's a bit difficult to repeal a law that doesn't exist:

http://www.devvy.com/new_site/17th_amendment_docs_march_2010.html

Rep. Gohmert wants a constitutional convention. That would be the end of the U.S. Constitution. I believe he means well, but this is NOT the path to pursue.

We fought one off back in 1994 -- just barely. This is so dangerous.

Please call your state rep and senator and tell them: NO constitutional convention.

Rep. Gohmert lives in a dream world if he thinks only one amendment would be the subject of a con-con. Not with the evil forces arrayed against we the people. Besides, it takes 5-7 YEARS to get a constitutional amendment through the system until rejected or ratified. We don't have that kind of time.

Even though our state legislature is out of session until Jan 2011, I am calling this morning just to let them know how I feel. I will also be in Austin at the state capitol shortly and will drop off a letter to my state rep and senator asking them to vote no for a constitutional convention.

http://gohmert.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=125&sectiontree=4,44,125&itemid=805

Read the rest here.

Kennedy Family Gets Say on Senator’s FBI File

Kennedy Family Gets Say on Senator’s FBI File; Main Justice

The family of Edward M. Kennedy will get a rare chance to raise objections before the late Massachusetts senator’s secret FBI file is released to the public, The Boston Globe reported Monday.

The family’s review of 3,000 pages of Kennedy’s FBI file is intended to ensure that the release would not violate the privacy of surviving relatives, according to the Globe.

“In certain circumstances [such as] the family of victims of crimes or, as in this case . . . a public official, [the FBI] may coordinate the release of certain material with the family,’’ said Dennis Argall, an FBI spokesman. “The family of a deceased person may have a privacy interest.’’

Read the rest here.

Actual Senator Is Hearing About Hillary Clinton for the Supreme Court

Actual Senator Is Hearing About Hillary Clinton for the Supreme Court; The New York Magazine

Those murmurs of support for Hillary Clinton as President Obama's Supreme Court nominee picked up some steam today when an actual senator, as opposed to a blogger or a pundit, mentioned the possibility. In discussing the big names being floated right now, Republican senator Orrin Hatch, all on his own, told the Today show's Matt Lauer, "I even heard the name Hillary Clinton today, you know, and that would certainly be an interesting person in the mix." On the one hand, this is intriguing — Hatch is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, so what he "hears" could be meaningful.

Read the rest here.

A "Public Option" For Grocery Stores

Sen. Gillibrand (D-NY) proposes what is essentially a "public option" for grocery stores:

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand proposed $1 billion in loans and grants Monday to help build 2,100 grocery stores in areas around the nation that lack access to fresh food.

Gillibrand said the measure would help about four million New York residents living in so-called food deserts by providing the funding for more than 350 stores statewide, many in low-income areas. Modeled on a similar program in Pennsylvania, the legislation would provide startup grants and loans in rural and urban areas to expand access to fresh food and to create jobs.

Because the hundreds of billions currently being redistributed to the poor in exchange for their vote to give government ever-increasing power just isn't enough. Medicare, disability benefits, WIC, food stamps, and all the other federal welfare programs are underserving the poor.

Thankfully, such a ridiculous expansion has no chance whatsoever of passing.

The Obama administration has already dedicated $345 million in his 2011 budget for a similar proposal.

Crap.

Senator Gillibrand is yet another reason to repeal the 17th Amendment.

Hat tip: DrewM. at Ace of Spades

Schumer calls for carry-on bag fee legislation

NY Senator Schumer calls for carry-on bag fee legislation; Reuters

Senator Charles Schumer said he would introduce legislation that would prevent airlines from charging a fee for carry-on bags. ...

Read the rest here.

Comment: Just what we need from the Senate for the nation, to get involved with a micro issue of a business. Hasn't the US Senate and Congress screwed the airline industry up enough? Shouldn't we let the market decide?

Just one of a million reasons to repeal the 17th Amendment, and Schumer is one too!

Sunday Break: What Is A Libertarian? with John Stossel

John Stossel invites Judge Napolitano on his show to answer the question "What is a Libertarian?"

Justice Stevens Announces Retirement

The original Constitutional design of the Senate helped to limit the ability of politicians to place their party before their duty. State legislatures could oversee their representatives far better than the electorate, and they ensured that their senators would prevent as much as possible the centralization of power in Washington. Confirmation processes were less partisan and less prone to political grandstanding because they were concerned with the nominees' actual record rather than scoring political points. They also wanted to make sure that any appointees at least understood that the federal government was limited.

The 17th Amendment changed all that. Now the Senate is full of grandstanding politicians who care more about their party than anything. That won't change regardless of what party is in power. The only way to change that is to repeal the 17th Amendment.

Republican Kirk raises $2.2 million for U.S. Senate seat once held by Obama

Republican Kirk raises $2.2 million for U.S. Senate seat once held by Obama: Chicago Tribune

Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mark Kirk raised $2.2 million since the start of the year, his campaign announced today.

Read the rest here.

Comment: Can we agree this is an absurd amount of money? Can we agree campaign spending particularly for senatorial campaigns is absurd? Repealing the 17th Amendment would beyond a doubt fix this problem.

Repealing the 17th Amendment would take special interest money out of the senatorial campaigns and remove this absurdity without taking away our 1st Amendment right as McCain-Feingold's bill did.

Appeals court nominee Liu causes battle in Senate

Appeals court nominee Liu causes battle in Senate; The Washington Post

A battle is intensifying in the Senate over the appeals court nomination of Goodwin Liu, a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley whom some Democrats consider a potential nominee one day to the Supreme Court.

Democrats vowed Wednesday to press ahead with plans for an April 16 Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. A day earlier, the GOP demanded a delay and suggested that Liu's nomination might be in jeopardy because he had not provided enough information to the panel.

Activists on both the left and right view Liu's nomination as a practice run for the next Supreme Court vacancy, which could come as soon as this year if Justice John Paul Stevens retires.

The last paragraph:

Liu has been an opponent of the "originalist" view of the Constitution advocated by conservative scholars, arguing instead for a "progressive view" of the law that accounts for many factors beyond the original intent of the framers. He also earned the ire of the right by opposing the Supreme Court nominations of Samuel A. Alito Jr. and John G. Roberts Jr.

Read the whole article here.

Note: Bold font used by blogger.

Comment: Can any American be assured that an appointed or elected official upon taking office and pledging to uphold the US Constitution will in fact UPHOLD the US Constitution?

McCain Backs Fiorina in Calif. Senate Race

McCain backs former adviser in Calif. Senate race

Arizona Sen. John McCain says Carly Fiorina is "eminently qualified" to serve alongside him in the Senate despite having no prior experience in elective office.

His statement of support on Tuesday came after he was asked about an infamous misstep Fiorina made during the 2008 presidential campaign, when she served as McCain's economic adviser.

The former Hewlett-Packard CEO said neither McCain nor his running mate, Sarah Palin, was qualified to run a corporation. ...

Read the rest here.

Comment: There should be no bars to running for office, other than the laws contained in the US or state constitutions, but this is unsettling. Why doesn't she prove herself at a state or local level first? It's as if she's been given the "green light" by the establishment to take her place in their circle.

Harry Reid seeks campaign cash in Seattle

Harry Reid seeks campaign cash in Seattle; Seattle Post Intelligencer

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, one of Capitol Hill's most endangered Democrats, drops into Seattle on Friday for a pricey fund raising luncheon at the Arctic Club.

The tab is $2,400 to be a "host" and $1,000 to be a guest at the event, officially sponsored by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

Reid and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., are both members of the Senate's Democratic leadership, and both up for reelection this fall. Murray is, however, stressing the work she does in this Washington.

"Maria is hosting the event: I know I will be in Spokane," Murray said on Tuesday.

Reid is seeking his fifth term in the Senate. He has won and lost close election races in Nevada: He is currently trailing two Republican challengers in the polls. Ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin headlined a big anti-Reid Tea Party rally in the senator's home town late last month.

But Reid is stressing how his national influence benefits Nevada, citing the Obama administration decision to abandon proposed use of Yucca Mountain, northwest of Las Vegas, as a national nuclear waste repository. (GOP Sen. Chic Hecht, whom Reid defeated in 1986, got off a classic blooper line when he declared Nevada would never let itself become a "nuclear suppository.")

As of the end of last year, Reid had raised nearly $15 million in campaign money since he was last reelected in 2004, and had $8.7 million in the bank. He raised an estimated $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2010, aided by an appearance in Las Vegas by President Obama.

Democratic givers will be hit up twice on Friday. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., the state's most senior and influential congressman, is putting on his own event at the Washington Athletic Club.

Comment: This is a substantial amount of money...but want to get it out of Senatorial campaigns? Repeal the 17th Amendment and end the special interest peddling and the huge sums of money.

Parties, Presidents and Supreme Court Picks

Parties, Presidents and Supreme Court Picks; Brit Hume's Commentary; FOXNews

The news of 89-year-old Justice John Paul Stevens' likely retirement from the Supreme Court caused little excitement and with good reason. Liberals and conservatives alike assume President Obama will appoint another reliably liberal justice and the Senate will promptly confirm the choice. ...

Read the rest here.

Repeal of 17th Amendment Would Improve Senate

Repeal of 17th Amendment would improve Senate; Dale M. Knapp; The Santa Fe New Mexican

The founding fathers had it right! Article 1, Section 3 of the Constitution states "The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state chosen by the Legislature thereof." When the Constitution was written, the authors envisioned the Senate as being composed of "statesmen" who were more interested in doing what was right for all people rather than having an ideological, self-promoting and narrow agenda. Members of the state legislature would choose the senators on the basis of proven past actions for the common good and not on the basis of party.

Today, senators are elected with an allegiance for his or her party and not for the country's best interest. In recent years, some have proven to be an embarrassment both at home and abroad. To a large extent, the amount of money that is poured into a campaign determines the outcome of the election. In the 2008 election, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky spent $21 million to be re-elected as senator. In an upcoming 2010 election, one candidate from California has already spent more than $40 million, and that is just for the primary.

Where is all this money coming from? The bulk of the contributions are given by large corporations, which has encouraged many of the senators to be beholden to one or more industries. It has become increasingly obvious that the Senate we have is totally dysfunctional, and there seems to be no prospect of improvement. Witness the recent debacle on health care reform! What can we do about it?

In 1913, the 17th Amendment was ratified, requiring each senator to be elected by the voters within their state. What seemed like a good change has turned into a fiasco. Currently, there are over 200 bills languishing in the Senate that have been approved by the House. Where is the Senate? Members of the Senate prefer to threaten a filibuster or to "just say no" rather than take action. I believe this inaction is due almost entirely to party loyalty rather than honest disapproval. Is this the way we want our government to function? I think not!

Read the rest here.

Jack Landon on 17th Amendment

Jack Landon on 17th Amendment; Sheridan Media

Monday we told you that the Bank of Sheridan / sheridanmedia.com poll question centered around legislation Representative Jack Landon had introduced this last session in Cheyenne. The bill, which proposed repealing the 17th Amendment from the US Constitution, failed on introduction. The 17th Amendment put the election of US senators into the hands of the people rather than the state legislatures.

Landon says he actually began work on the legislation a year ago, and he tells us how he came to propose it.

He says that the federal government is becoming larger and more authoritative in issuing state mandates, instead of states being in a position to co-govern with the federal level as the founding fathers established when the Constitution was written.

Landon explains why having the vote go back to legislatures is a good thing.

Since the bill failed to pass introduction, Jack says the topic at this point offers up opportunities to have interesting and thoughtful discussion. In fact, he will be Kim Love's guest on the Jackson Electric Open Line this Friday on NewsTalk 930 KROE to have a dialog on the pros and cons of the issue.

Comment: It has been my contention for the movement to repeal of the 17th to take hold and grow to a full fledged national movement it must begin in the states and through the state legislators. Three cheers for Mr. Landon! Keep up the fight sir.

Repeal the 17th!

Repeal the 17th! Washington Rebel

Let's face it, today there are no real checks on federal government power. Congress and the Executive does whatever it wants, and the Supreme Court does nothing but provide them cover. The federal government is now a government of unlimited powers. But it wasn't always this way.

In the original design of our representative republic, there was an effective check on congressional power through the state legislatures' power to appoint (and remove) Senators. But the passage of the 17th Amendment in 1913 (the same year as the 16th Amendment (income tax) and the Federal Reserve Act), the state legislatures' power to appoint its Senators was eliminated, thus changing the fundamental structure of our government, and expanding federal control in every area of our lives. ...

Read the rest here.

Is it Time to Repeal the 17th Amendment?

Is it Time to Repeal the 17th Amendment? All In

The 17th amendment to the constitution states that United States Senators will be elected by a vote of the people in the states. What else would we do? Well prior to the 17th amendment Senators were chosen by state legislators to represent the state at the federal level. They had control over the U.S. Senator in that they would even tell them how they were expected to vote on various bills.

Originally the people of the states would vote for their U.S. House representatives every 2 years, and the state legislators would appoint a U.S. Senator every 6 years. This gave the people representation in the government, but also allowed the state, as a state, to be represented.

In 1835 8 U.S. Senators were forced by their states to resign from their posts after not following the states will in their voting regarding President Andrew Jackson's war against the Bank of the United States. So you can see that consequences to Senators under this system are swift and severe. Contrast that with today where U.S. Senators only face voters every 6th year. ...

Read the rest here.

New Song: “McCain’s Got to Go!”

New Song: “McCain’s Got to Go!” The Terry Anderson Show

HT: Conservative Heritage Times

Click on “McCain’s Got to Go!”

Senator Raises Concerns About Medicare Fraud at 'Phantom Pharmacies'

Senator Raises Concerns About Medicare Fraud at 'Phantom Pharmacies;' The Blotter from Brian Ross

Grassley Says Health Secretary Sebelius Has Ignored Warnings About Fly-By-Night Drug Stores That Rip Off the Government

Federal health officials have failed to police the emergence of phantom pharmacies – fly-by-night storefront operations that bill millions of dollars in false Medicare bills and then vanish -- according to Sen. Charles Grassley.

The Iowa Republican wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Monday to ask why complaints about what he termed "phantom pharmacies" have repeatedly gone unanswered by her agency.

" In recent months, one private insurer approached my office with concerns over the lack of responsiveness by HHS when presented with credible evidence that fraudulent pharmacies were defrauding Medicare," Grassley wrote. ...

Read the rest here.

Comment: Does anyone out there get the feeling we are going to see a whole lot more health care fraud?

US Senators, Agents for Their State

It's time we REPEAL Senator Richard Burr! Huffington Post

Senator Richard Burr is pandering to his right-wing conservative friends in Washington with the promise of repealing health care reform. On the campaign trail, he is pledging to allow health insurance companies to discriminate against those with preexisting conditions, prevent 32 million Americans from getting health care, and cripple your pocketbooks by banning thousands of dollars in tax credits.

I'm not going to let him get away it. Repeal reform? I say we repeal Burr!

This morning we launched a brand new website -- RepealBurr.com -- as a new central hub for North Carolinians who are sick and tired of Richard Burr's legendary failed leadership.

Comment: Why do we expect our senators to be leaders? How about electing folks that will be agents for the state they come from? If this was the case we could stop projecting our unrealistic need for our senators to be "mini-presidents."

Hatch: Ditching Bennett a bad move

Hatch: Ditching Bennett a bad move; The Salt Lake Tribune

Throwing U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett out of office would be disastrous for Utah and the country, the state's senior senator warned.

Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, told an audience of 150 people at Utah Valley University Monday that Bennett's seniority -- he is completing his third term -- makes him a powerful advocate for Utah and conservative causes.

Bennett, Hatch said, is poised to become the ranking member (or chairman, depending on how the 2010 elections go) of the Senate Banking Committee. With Hatch serving as the ranking Republican on the Senate's finance committee, he said that would mean Utah's two senators would have influence in two powerful financial committees. ...

Read the rest here.

Comment: I'm sure if Bennett is re-elected we'll see a much different direction taken for the Banking Committee than say from Senator Dodd; sure no more too big to fail...right. I think it's time Hatch went too.

Hayworth Defines Ariz. Race as Tea Party vs. DC

Hayworth defines Ariz. race as tea party vs. DC; The Associated Press

Former congressman J.D. Hayworth hopes the tea party movement can help him topple one of the Republican Party's best-known politicians.

Hayworth has launched a GOP primary challenge to John McCain less than two years after the Arizona senator lost his bid for the presidency.

The race has quickly become one of the most-watched Senate contests in the country, in part because Hayworth has tried to define himself as a tea party candidate taking on the establishment.

"I think that I'm the candidate of a majority of tea partiers," Hayworth said. "In Arizona, I feel very comfortable with the level of support we've received from the tea party movement." ...

Read the rest here.

Joke of the Day

Via DJMick

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

“Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”

“No problem, just let me in,” says the man.

“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do
is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you
can choose where to spend eternity.”

“Really, I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” says the
senator.

“I’m sorry, but we have our rules.”

And with that, St . Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who
has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a
good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises…

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

“Now it’s time to visit heaven.”

So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

“Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now
choose your eternity.”

The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: “Well, I would
never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.”

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

“I don’t understand,” stammers the senator. “Yesterday I was here
and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?”

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning…

“Today you voted.”

Hat tip: Linkiest

Specter: Stevens' Retirement Could Cause 'Gridlock'

Senator: Stevens' Retirement Could Cause 'Gridlock;'CBNNews

Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., is warning that Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens' retirement this year could lead to a Republican filibuster. Stevens announced he may retire as soon as this summer.

Specter says a filibuster would tie up the Senate over a Supreme Court nominee.

"I think the gridlock in the Senate might well produce a filibuster, which would tie up the Senate about a Supreme Court nominee," Specter said on Fox News Sunday.

He also told Fox News he hopes Obama would pick someone who would be check on executive power, as he says Stevens has provided.

Justice Stevens turns 90 in May. He is the oldest member of the current court and the second oldest justice in U.S. history.

The Obama administration is reportedly considering three candidates to succeed Stevens, including U.S. solicitor General Elena Kagan, as well as federal judges Diane Wood and Merrick Garland.

Comment: Let the national debate begin!

Key US Senator's Mistaken Impression of Domestic Terrorism

Key US Senator Warns of Potential for Domestic Terrorism; Voice of America

The Chairman of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee says extreme partisan anger on the left and right is increasing the risk of domestic terrorism in the United States. Senator Joseph Lieberman says there are already disturbing signs.

The anger is apparent at both ends of the political spectrum - from militias on the right, to anti-globalization demonstrators on the left. It has been mostly talk and little action, but Joseph Lieberman - a Connecticut independent - says there is plenty of reason for concern.

He points to the recent disclosure of an anti-government militia plot in the American Midwest. He says both politicians and commentators in the media need to cool their rhetoric.

"The level of discourse about our politics and about our country are so extreme and so incendiary that if you are dealing with people who may not be clicking on all cylinders and they have vulnerabilities personally, there is a danger that they are going to do what this group of militia - planned to do this week," said Lieberman.

During an appearance on the NBC television program Meet the Press, Lieberman said the threat of terrorism emanating from abroad is far greater. But he said the risk of a homegrown attack - like the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 - is escalating.

"I would not overstate this threat," he said. "It is not as significant as the global threat of Islamist extremism, but it is real."

Comment: I'm having a tough time digesting any of this. Yes, I see a growing uneasiness against the federal government, but I am finding it hard to believe any militia plot could have any effect on the stability of our country. It is just plain impossible for this occur.

When the Gulf Coast was hit by a Class 5 hurricane and 60 percent of our oil and gas refinery production was knocked out it was brought back online in a matter of days, not weeks or months. When the World Trade Center was hit and destroyed by one of the most sophisticated terrorist groups in the world, and with it the New York Stock Exchange, the exchange was back and operating in a week. So how then can a group of "Dungeon and Dragon" playing over-weight over-grown teenagers have any effect on our country; they can't. This is fear mongering at it most virulent.

What is happening is a peaceable political change that is taking shape. The fear is not for America or the citizenry but for and by the supposed political elite like Lieberman who fear losing their position of power. The danger is and will always be the draconian use of power by a government against the people when the elites are unwilling to peaceably leave when the consensus calls for it. In this case history is more than over-following with examples of governments repressing the people. This is what is really happening.

The Senate & The UN Convention On The Rights Of The Child

International treaties are attempts to make it more difficult to rectify a mistake. As difficult as legislation is to pass, once a treaty is enacted by the Senate, it's even more difficult to repeal. Michael Farris (and, yes, Mike Huckabee) discuss a treaty that will be before the Senate this year called the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child:



Campaign for Liberty notes

Ten things you need to know about the structure of the CRC.

1. It is a treaty which creates binding rules of law. It is no mere statement of altruism.

2. Its effect would be binding on American families, courts, and policy-makers.

3. Children of other nations would not be impacted in any direct way by our ratification.

4. The CRC would automatically override almost all American laws on children and families because of our Supremacy Clause.

5. The CRC has some elements that are self-executing, while others would require implementing legislation. Federal courts would have the power to determine which provisions were self-executing.

6. The Courts would have the power to directly enforce the provisions that are self-executing.

7. Congress would have the power to directly legislate on all subjects necessary to comply with the treaty. This would constitute the most massive shift of power from the states to the federal government in American history.

8. A committee of 18 experts from other nations, sitting in Geneva, has the authority to issue official interpretations of the treaty which are entitled to binding weight in American courts and legislatures. This effectively transfers ultimate authority for all policies in this area to this foreign committee.

9. Under international law, the treaty overrides even our Constitution.

10. Reservations, declarations, or understandings intended to modify our duty to comply with this treaty will be void if they are determined to be inconsistent with the object and purpose of the treaty.

Ten things you need to know about the substance of the CRC.

1. Parents would no longer be able to administer reasonable spankings to their children.

2. A murderer aged 17 years, 11 months and 29 days at the time of his crime could no longer be sentenced to life in prison.

3. Children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would only have the authority to give their children advice about religion.

4. The best interest of the child principle would give the government the ability to override every decision made by every parent if a government worker disagreed with the parent's decision.

5. A child's "right to be heard" would allow him (or her) to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed.

6. According to existing interpretation, it would be illegal for a nation to spend more on national defense than it does on children's welfare.

7. Children would acquire a legally enforceable right to leisure.

8. Teaching children about Christianity in schools has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.

9. Allowing parents to opt their children out of sex education has been held to be out of compliance with the CRC.

10. Children would have the right to reproductive health information and services, including abortions, without parental knowledge or consent.

This is yet another important reason to repeal the 17th Amendment, to get that power out of the hands of political parties. If Senators were beholden to their states instead of being beholden to the party that got them elected, they would not approve of laws or treaties that make it more difficult for states to protect the rights of their citizens.