This is most troubling

Ok - The Senate has passed their version of the Health Care abomination. There is lots to hate about the bill - but I will leave that to others to detail. I have not the time nor inclination to read 2,000+ pages of lawyer-speak.

There is one facet that I think does warrant mention. As I said, there are many items to dislike. But, by and large, if we, through our representatives (as much as they suck), want to impose them on ourselves - so be it.

However, in the bills is a personal 'mandate' to buy health insurance. Think about it, the Federal Government is getting ready to tell you that you must buy something. This is without precedent.

Now, some will equate this to a mandate to buy car insurance. This is fallacious on its face. Car insurance is required if, and only if, you want to drive a car. No car? No mandate.

I re-read Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution looking for one of the enumerated powers that granted the Fed the right to do this. Because, remember gentle reader, the Fed was granted a limited number of specific powers. If not mentioned, it does not belong to the Feds, but rather to the States, or to US - the people.

A number of Senators were asked what clause in the Constitution grants Congress the right for force us to buy something. There answers were both troubling and humorous at the same time. Troubling because these are our Senators - members of the 'greatest deliberative body' in the world. These clowns have no idea what the Constitution even says. Funny because it shows just how clueless they are.

Among the answers:

• Senator Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) said he was not sure if there is a “specific constitutional provision” that gives Congress the authority to mandate that all Americans have health insurance. Casey asserted, however, that the initiative was constitutional.
  
  Hey Bob-News Flash. That is the point of the question. If you can't give the 'specific provision' - that is a clue that it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
  
  
• Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said that Congress is has the constitutional authority to mandate that people buy health insurance in "probably the same place” that states get the power to mandate that people purchase auto insurance.
  
  Really? Really? As we have noted, the Fed is supposed to have more limited power than the States, so this argument is stupid from the start.
  
  
• Senators Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said that Congress has the authority to mandate that people buy health insurance. Feinstein added that there is no constitutional limit on Congress’ power to enact such mandates, adding that this unlimited authority stemmed from the Commerce clause of the Constitution.
  
  Good Lord, where to start. The Commerce Clause. This is the place where the Constitution gives the Fed the right to 'regulate Commerce among the several States'. The purpose was to make sure the Ohio did not try to put a tariff on goods coming from Michigan. To extend that to mean that Congress can force me to buy insurance? I don't see it. Beyond that - she says there is NO LIMIT to congressional authority. This woman is a menace. Hey Diane, if there are no limits - why not mandate that everyone buy a new car every 2 years? That sure as hell would rescue the auto industry.
  
  
• Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) said that Congress has the authority to force individual American to buy health insurance because the Constitutions says to provided for the "health, welfare and the defense of the country."
  
  Bullshit. Roland, the Constitution does not even contain the word 'Health'. Defense? Yes, it is there. Welfare? Yes - but it says to 'promote' the 'general' welfare. So, you have perverted the concept of 'welfare' - and just plain made up the idea of 'health'.
  
  
• Senator Leahy said: “I mean, there’s no question there’s authority. Nobody questions that.
  
  Ummm... not so much.
  
  
• Nancy Pelosi said: "Are you serious? Are you serious?" when asked about the Constitutional authority.
  
  Yah, bitch, we are serious.

Folks, this is a turning point in history. Congress is getting ready to completely trample on our rights. It needs to be stopped - and there is still time. If not, it will have to be challenged in court. But, with the makeup of the Supreme Court - we cannot count on the outcome.

Keep praying, writing, calling, faxing - just keep up the pressure.

Christmas thoughts

I can't even bring myself to blog about politics. The Health Care corruption bill may yet be stopped. For all those that voted for Obama - yah, how is that working out for you? Apparently, the Senate has nicknamed the bribery going on to get people to vote for the bill 'Cash for Cloture'.

A friend sent me this sample of Christmas songs - Gave me a chuckle, thought I would share.

CHRISTMAS CAROLS FOR THE
PSYCHOLOGICALLY CHALLENGED
(You know who you are...)


1. SCHIZOPHRENIA :
Do You Hear What We Hear?

2. AMNESIA :
I Don't Know If I'll Be Home for
Christmas

3. NARCISSIST :
Hark the Herald Angels Sing-All About Me


4. MANIC :
Deck the Halls and Walls and House and
Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office
and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks
and Trees and Fire Hydrants, and . . .


5. MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER :
We Three Queens Disoriented Are

6. PARANOID :
Santa Claus Is Coming To Get Me

7. BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER :
Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire..

8. FULL PERSONALITY DISORDER :
You Better Watch Out! I'm Gonna Cry;
I'm Gonna Pout! Maybe I'll Tell You Why

9. OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER :
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle
Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells . . .

10. AGORAPHOBIA :
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, but
Wouldn't Leave My House

11. SENILE DEMENTIA :
Walking in a Winter Wonderland Miles
from My House in My Slippers and Robe

12. OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANCE DISORDER :
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus-so I
Burned Down the House

13. SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER :
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,
While I Sit Here and Hyperventilate

14. ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER :
We Wish You . . . . .Hey Look!!! It's
Snowing!!!


Have a good Christmas (or whatever you do at your house) -- and remember to hug your kids, spouse, grandkids...whatever.

And folks, hang on, cuz it is going to be a bumpy ride.

New spin on the 12 days of Christmas

I have to admit, I have been overcome with twin afflictions: an overwhelming Christmas Spirit - and a new appreciation for music - Christmas music in particular.

To feed my newest addictions, I offer a new rendition of the old standby, the 12 days of Christmas. As in the original, it gets a little repetitive, so feel free to skip ahead once the whole thing loads.

A Christmas Global Warming Video

Apparently they have some time on their hands in Minnesota. Here is a nifty little video poking fun once again at the Global Warming Hoax. This time with a Christmas Theme...

Hide the Decline

hiAs we pointed out in our last post, one of the recently exposed e-mails from the Climate Research Unit (CRU) in England talks about a 'trick' that was used in processing Climate Data. The trick was used to 'hide the decline' in temperature data. The purpose, it seems, was to make temperatures appear as if they were going up - when, actually, they were going down - i.e. declining.

Dr. Michael Mann of Penn State (mis)used this data to build a faulty computer model that shows a 'hockey stick' shaped graph. This graph shows global temperatures on the rise. People have examine the computer code and stated - it show temperature rising because the program was designed....to show temperatures rising.

Dr. Mann is the balding guy in this hilarious video:

If you only watch CBS, NBC, ABC, or CNN - this will be news to you

They are calling it ClimateGate. If you limit your news viewing to the so-called Main Stream Media in the US - you will be completely unaware of it. So, as a public service, I shall give a brief introduction. For the whole story, just Google 'Climategate'.

There is group in England, known as the Climate Research Unit ... aka the CRU. This is a group of so-called scientists - the purpose of the CRU is to collect, process, and distribute climate data.

This data has been used for a couple of very key things.

1) It formed the basis for the imfamous 'hockeystick' graph of Dr. Mann's. This computer model purports to show that global temperatures are rising due to man-made causes, chief among them - CO2. Soon all life would end.

2) It also formed the basis for the UN's IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change).

These two items have been used to foment international panic about global warming. Here in the US - these have been used to try to justify the largest set of taxes, regulations, and losses of freedom ever devised by humans.

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to climate disaster! Turns out some hackers (or whistle blowers) released over 50megs of e-mails from the CRU.

Among the things that become obvious from reading these e-mails

• Dr. Mann ignored data that did not fit his desire to show temperature increases that he wanted his model to show.
  
  
• The scientists in the e-mails are claiming to have destroyed the original data that their 'reports' were based on.
  
  
• They acknowledge that the earth has been cooling the last 10 years - and they have no idea why.
  
  
• They realize that there current predictions of the climate does not match actual observations - so they conclude the OBSERVATIONS must be wrong
  
  
• They manipulated their results so that they could 'hide the decline' (that's a quote) in recent temperatures.
  
  
• They were conspiring to erase e-mails that showed what they were doing. Apparently - not quite fast enough
  
  
• They were conspiring to avoid Freedom of Information requests - thus hiding their data from public scrutiny
  
  
• They were conspiring to shut out scientists from publishing if these scientists did not go along with the religion of global warming
  
  
• They discussed boycotting publications that did, in fact, publish the works of climate 'deniers'
  

That is, by any fair evaluation, extremely damning of these scientists. So, what has
happened in the 2 1/2 weeks since this information came to light?

• Dr. Mann in under investigation by his university
  
  
• The head of the CRU has stepped down
  
  
• The MET - the British weather service has announced a 3 year effort to re-evaluate all known temperature data for the last 160 years.
  
• NASA is launching an investigation into its own handling of this data
  

Since we all want our policy decisions to be based on solid science (we do, right?)

• You would expect the US government to voice concern about these events, right? -- NO. The Presidents spokesman, the idiot Robert Gibbs, completely discounts the significance of the events
  
  
• You would expect the major TV news outlets in the US to jump all over this story, right? Because this is a huge scandal.NO. Except for FOX News, the big boys have ignored it. Apparently too busy filling us in about Tiger Wood's 4 no 5 no 6 no 7 mistresses.
  
  
  
• You would expect the Congress to be all about investigating this, right? I mean, if this is all true - these scientists have made off with millions of taxpayer dollars - and have tried to foist a hoax of historic proportions on all of us. But, NO, gentle reader - you know better.The ass-clowns in Congress seem undaunted. Luckily, they are too distracted by the Health Care disaster to spend any time on global warming right now.
  

Like I said - for more details - simply Google 'Climategate' and you will be better informed than all the geniuses at ABCCBSNBCCNNMSNBCNPR and the NYT.

Folks, we at Right of Center Ramblings shave with Occam's Razor. We have said from our very first post (see #4) the Man-made global warming is a hoax. And, as the rapidly unfolding Climategate scandal will reveal, we were RIGHT.