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	<title>The Crowbar &#187; Obamacare</title>
	<atom:link href="http://thecrowbar.us/tag/obamacare/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://thecrowbar.us</link>
	<description>Leverage Against Absurdity</description>
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		<title>See Dear Leader Obama Sacrificing Individual Democrats for the Greater Good</title>
		<link>http://thecrowbar.us/2010/01/15/see-dear-leader-obama-sacrificing-individual-democrats-for-the-greater-good/</link>
		<comments>http://thecrowbar.us/2010/01/15/see-dear-leader-obama-sacrificing-individual-democrats-for-the-greater-good/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:30:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ben Grivno</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Machiavellianism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Outrage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colin Powell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Democrat Delusions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Democrats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[individual freedom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obamacare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Power Elite Class]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Republicans]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecrowbar.us/?p=853</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Mr. Messiah-Complex sees himself has Our Savior and he's therefore willing to sacrifice himself in the next election, if necessary. Since he's their Dear Leader, he's also willing to sacrifice individual Democrats for the "greater good." &#160;They sense their impending doom, but, like good little groupthinkers, they're still committed to their suicide mission.</p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In a <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31530.html" target="_blank">Politico post</a> about Democrat&#8217;s mounting anger (which is really fear), Obama demonstrates&nbsp;how&nbsp;tenuous&nbsp;their grasp on reality is:</p>

<blockquote><p>“Believe me, I know how big a lift this has been,” Obama said. “I see the polls. &#8230; I catch the occasional blog poster, cable clip that breathlessly declares what something means for a political party, without really talking about what it means for a country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“But I also know what happens once we get this done, once we sign this &#8230; bill into law: The American people will suddenly learn that this bill does things they like and doesn’t do things people have been trying to say it does. The worst fears will prove groundless.”</p></blockquote>

<p>That man is such an snake-tongued politician. He&#8217;s telling them exactly what they want to hear. Obama knows the public will flip out and the Democrats will be slaughtered in the next election if this travesty passes. He&#8217;s hoping the heinous legislation will &#8216;stick&#8217; and the constitution will ultimately be subverted. Even an unqualified political blogger like me knows <em>that</em>.</p>

<p>Mr. Messiah-Complex sees himself has Our Savior and he&#8217;s therefore willing to sacrifice himself in the next election, if necessary. Since he&#8217;s their Dear Leader, he&#8217;s also willing to sacrifice individual Democrats for the &#8220;greater good.&#8221; &nbsp;They sense their impending doom, but, like good little groupthinkers, they&#8217;re still committed to their suicide mission. This situation produced Rep. Earl Pomeroy&#8217;s statement that &#8220;<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31530.html" target="_blank">he might as well retire if [the health care debate] drags on much longer</a>.&#8221; Pomeroy isn&#8217;t even <strong>entertaining </strong>the option of NOT voting for the corrupt bill. For Democrats like Pomeroy,&nbsp;Obama is purposely perpetuating the strange myth that the public fury will ease off once the bill is passed.</p>

<p>The public does N-O-T take kindly to having it&#8217;s will thwarted on Health care. Recall<a href="http://www.dinocrat.com/archives/2005/01/09/democrats-help-turn-the-republican-revolution-of-1994-from-a-one-time-temper-tantrum-into-a-decade-long-bull-market-for-the-gop/" target="_blank">&nbsp;the Clinton decision to govern from the left, with gays in the military, HillaryCare, and a tie vote tax increase in the face of a Bush-Perot vote of 57% to 43% for Clinton&nbsp;followed by Republican revolution of 1994</a>?&nbsp;The public will only become further enraged when they find out what&#8217;s really in this DeathCare bill. It will make health care much worse, no socio-economic group will truly benefit from it, save one.</p>

<p>Make no mistake &#8211; this &#8220;health care&#8221; legislation is a major power grab for the Power Elite Class. They&#8217;re pushing the constitution to the limits, hoping it will break in their favor. It&#8217;s important to note this class crosses party lines. From <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/125030/Healthcare-Bill-Support-Ticks-Up-Public-Divided.aspx" target="_blank">Gallup</a>:</p>

<p><img src="http://sas-origin.onstreammedia.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/5trowatlok2txr9v9uxf_g.gif" alt="Combined Healthcare Vote Preference, by Party ID" /></p>

<p>20% of Republicans support this legislation? This legislation is so nakedly anti-liberty, so hostile to individual freedom that nobody who cares even a little about our constitutional democracy&#8217;s survival would ever support it. But, one out of every five Republicans <em>do</em>&nbsp;support it?&nbsp;</p>

<p>I&#8217;d wager most of these are <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/14/powell-very-impressed-with-obama-administration/" target="_blank">Colin Powell</a> Republicans, members of the Power Elite Class. These are the weak-minded&nbsp;Machiavellian Princes&nbsp;interested&nbsp;in giving themselves more power over those unruly common&nbsp;<em>citizens</em>&nbsp;by suppressing bothersome <em>inalienable&nbsp;</em><em>rights</em>&nbsp;under the auspices of &#8220;&#8216;helping&#8217; those less fortunate.&#8221; These are the people that want to take away your right <em>not</em> to buy something you <em>don&#8217;t </em>want.</p><div style='clear:both'></div>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://thecrowbar.us/2010/01/15/see-dear-leader-obama-sacrificing-individual-democrats-for-the-greater-good/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>I Hate To Cast Aspersions, But Scott Brown Would Be a RINO</title>
		<link>http://thecrowbar.us/2010/01/14/not-to-cast-aspersions-but-scott-brown-would-be-a-rino/</link>
		<comments>http://thecrowbar.us/2010/01/14/not-to-cast-aspersions-but-scott-brown-would-be-a-rino/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:36:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ben Grivno</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health Care Reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Massachusetts Senate Race]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obamacare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scott Brown]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecrowbar.us/?p=837</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Brown would be a RINO because he's from&#160;Massachusetts, meaning he'll face significant pressure from his leftward leaning constituency to vote with the conservative Democrats &#38; liberal Republicans.&#160;</p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>if he wins, but he&#8217;d still be better than the heinous arch-liberal who formerly occupied the seat. Brown would be a RINO because he&#8217;s from&nbsp;Massachusetts, meaning he&#8217;ll face significant pressure from his leftward leaning constituency to vote with the conservative Democrats &amp; liberal Republicans.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In reviewing his&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brownforussenate.com/issues" target="_blank">campaign issues statement</a>,&nbsp;he seems so center-right. But, as Obama has so skillfully taught America, politicians just tell you what you want to hear.</p>

<p>Brown is anything but a defender of liberty when it comes to health care. Brown has no problem with the unconstitutional government mandated purchase of health insurance present in RomneyCare &amp; ObamaCare. From a Boston Globe <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/11/20/being_the_underdog_never_deters_a_driven_brown/?page=full" target="_blank">profile</a>:</p>

<blockquote><p>Brown supported Massachusetts health care overhaul in 2006 and favors elements advanced in the congressional debate about a national overhaul. But he said he would oppose the bills now moving through Congress because they would help other states at the expense of Massachusetts.</p></blockquote>

<p>His primary reason for opposing ObamaCare is that it&#8217;s it isn&#8217;t fair to Massachusetts?</p>

<p>Moreover, watch Neil Cavuto Challenge Brown for Supporting RomneyCare:</p>

<p>
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</p>

<p>Brown totally avoided the question because he knows the truth would be damaging. Make no mistake, Brown is just another politician from Massachusetts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But, he is the best we can expect from blue-dominant Massachusetts.</p><div style='clear:both'></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Bad Reasoning: Greg Sargent&#8217;s Stark Sophistry</title>
		<link>http://thecrowbar.us/2009/09/25/bad-reasoning-greg-sargents-stark-sophistry/</link>
		<comments>http://thecrowbar.us/2009/09/25/bad-reasoning-greg-sargents-stark-sophistry/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:07:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ben Grivno</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Sophistry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Budget Reconciliation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greg Sargent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health Care Debate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obamacare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poll Manipulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Plumb LIne]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecrowbar.us/?p=695</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Greg Sargent of the blog The Plum Line gives us a great example of the broken reasoning process of the intellectually hollow modern liberal.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Greg Sargent of the blog The Plum Line gives us a <a href="http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/public-thinks-gop-doesnt-want-compromise-but-wants-obama-to-keep-trying-anyway/" target="_blank">great example of the broken reasoning process of the intellectually hollow modern liberal</a>. Referring to <a style="color: #0c4790; text-decoration: none;" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview ('/outbound/graphics8.nytimes.com');" href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/nytint/docs/new-york-times-cbs-news-poll-confusion-over-health-care-tepid-support-for-war/original.pdf">new CBS/<em>New York Times</em> poll</a>, Sargent concludes:</p>


<blockquote><p>There’s a truly weird disconnect underlying public opinion right now: Americans are overwhelmingly convinced that Republicans are not pursuing a bipartisan health care compromise in good faith, but the public wants Obama to keep trying to find common ground with them anyway.</p>

<p>The poll finds that an overwhelming majority of 64% think Republicans are opposing Obama’s health care plans mostly for political reasons. But it <em>also</em> finds that an equally large number, 65%, say Democrats shouldn’t pass a bill without Republicans — even if they think it’s right for the country — and should instead compromise to win over some GOPers.</p>

<p>This shows, I think, that Democrats have convinced the public that the GOP wants Obama and Dems to fail at all costs. But they’ve failed to make the case to the public that GOP obstructionism may <em>leave them no choice</em> but to go it alone in order to realize reform.</p></blockquote>


<p>Should Sargent&#8217;s conclusions be trusted? Unfortunately for Sargent&#8217;s credibility, he conveniently overlooks some pertinent factors.</p>


<h3>Factors</h3>


<p>First I submit this statistic: <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/congressional_job_approval-903.html" target="_blank">RCP poll average Congressional Job Approval</a>, retrieved 9/25/2009: 26.8% Approve,<strong> 64% </strong><strong>Disapprove</strong>. <img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-696" title="20090925_RCP_Congress" src="http://thecrowbar.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/20090925_RCP_Congress.jpg" alt="20090925_RCP_Congress" width="609" height="271" />Secondly, I submit <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_obama_job_approval-1044.html#polls" target="_blank">RCP&#8217;s poll average for President Obama&#8217;s Job Approval</a>, retrieved 9/25/2009: <strong>52.5% Approve</strong>, 40.7% Disapprove.</p>

<p>Thirdly, I submit the fact that the CBS/NYT poll, regarding Health Care, framed the debate as Obama vs. Republicans <strong>in Congress</strong>. Two poll questions mention Democrats in Congress, Seven mention Republicans in Congress, Four frame Republicans in Congress vs. Obama, Zero mention Democrats AND Republicans in the same question.</p>

<p>Fourthly, I submit that the CBS/NYT poll found that <strong>53%</strong> of those polled believe <em><strong>Democrats</strong></em><strong> </strong>support Obama&#8217;s Health Care plan for &#8220;<strong>political reasons</strong>.&#8221; The difference is 11% between Republicans and Democrats who are believed to be motivated by politics. Politicians being political &#8211; imagine that!</p>

<p>Without doubt, the reality of the situation is that the <em>leader</em> of the liberal side of the healthcare debate is Obama and that the Republicans <em>have no readily identifiable elected leader</em>; they&#8217;re just generic &#8220;Republicans in Congress.&#8221; Who doesn&#8217;t hate Congress? The pollmakers could safely take advantage of American&#8217;s general disgust with Congress and their general approval Obama and still appear to be honest in their methodology. What this poll avoids is pitting the <em>ideas</em> against each other; it instead focuses on the <em>personalities,</em> where Obama has the overwhelming advantage. For those polled who want full coverage for all, why not ask them whether they are willing to foot costs of significantly higher taxes, drastically reduced quality-of-care, and the possibility of manipulation of their health care in the name of &#8220;social justice?&#8221;</p>


<h3>Sargent&#8217;s Sophistry</h3>


<p>So then, Sargent believes this poll is evidence that the public &#8220;overwhelmingly&#8221; believes that the  GOP wants &#8220;Obama and Dems to fail at all costs?&#8221; LOL. If you&#8217;re a deeply partisan hack reflexively spinning poll results in your favor you may believe such a thing.</p>

<p>Sargent fails to realize (or is psychologically unable to fathom) that what appears to be cognitive dissonance (public wants Obama to cooperate with EVIL politically motivated Republicans) has other, more plausible explanations &#8211; like the poll questions skewed the results against &#8220;Republicans in Congress&#8221; or asking whether politicians do things for &#8220;political reasons&#8221; is just a dumb question.</p>

<p>If Democrats follow Sargent&#8217;s advice to &#8220;go it alone&#8221; and force a &#8216;public option&#8217; (or &#8216;co-op&#8217;) through budget reconciliation, the likely result will be an angry public, of whom 84% are already covered, according to a new CBS/NYT poll.</p>

<p><strong>Update</strong>: <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/25/nytcbs-poll-shows-obama-losing-ground-on-health-care-afghanistan/" target="_blank">Hotair has more</a> on how the CBS/NYT is skewed but telling.</p><div style='clear:both'></div>]]></content:encoded>
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