Hold Onto Your Wallet!

In yet another act of “unprecedented transparency”¹, the Democrats have driven a bill through Congress that has now been signed by Obama (D) to raise the Congressional Credit Card limit to a staggering $14.294 TRILLION without the benefit of CSPAN capturing a single second of the closed door discussions.²

The vote in the Senate was taken just in time before the newly baked Senator Brown (R) from Massachusetts were to be sworn in, since he might have forced actual debate on the issue. It was simply safer for Reid (D) to drive the vote while the Massachusetts state officers with (D)’s behind their names were doodling and claiming that it just takes time to create the necessary documentation for Brown (R) to be sworn into office.³ After all, even when the results are not contested, it’s important to dot those t’s and cross those i’s, especially when a guy with an (R) is the topic, and not someone with a (D), isn’t it?⁴

Those in the Senate with (D) behind their names even claimed to wait for Brown (R) for any important vote, such as that on healthcare.

It must be that the (D) people don’t think that agreeing to spend $1.9 TRILLION is not an important vote. Interestingly, if $1.9 TRILLION doesn’t make the cut, but a healthcare plan supposedly costing $1 TRILLION or thereabout does, then is that an indication that the REAL cost of the healthcare legislation is far beyond $1.9 TRILLION? Harry (D), Nancy (D), please explain.

As we reported previously⁵, this bill increases the national debt “limit” by more than it has ever been increased before, both as a percentage of the total, and as an absolute number. Not even during the dark days of World War 2 was such a dramatic increase necessary.

So what’s different? A looming 2010 Congressional election disaster for those with a (D) behind their names has Harry (D) and Nancy (D) running scared, and Obama (D) can’t help but agree. With Brown (R) in the Senate now, Reid (D) might not have been able to push this (D) looneylaw through Senate, or at least not without some semblance of debate.

Yesterday, following up on his transparency pledge, Obama (D) chose to leave those pesky cameras outside yet again, and proceeded to sign this monster into law. All hail the chief, the Congressional Credit Card is safe from those pesky guys with (R) behind their names.

© 2010, Pontificus. All rights reserved.

Budget Deficit, Campaign Promises, Ethics, Healthcare, Integrity, National debt, Obama, pelosi, reid Hide

Spending your way to debt bondage

In the sea of self-righteous proclamations by Democrats in Congress to wait for the new Republican Senator from Massachusetts before engaging in further healthcare debate, the same induhviduals have carefully neglected to discuss the real elephant in the room. Namely the national debt.

The reason is now obvious. Harry Reid and company clearly wanted to pass the biggest increase in the national debt ever, and saying that they would wait for Brown on such a key issue would have made them liars.

So there it goes, a $1.9 TRILLION dollar addition to the national debt, care of the Democrat Senate.¹ The vote was on party lines, 60-40, and would have failed had Reid waited another few days.

To put this number in perspective, it represents about 53% of the 2010 federal budget, as submitted by the biggest spender ever to occupy the White House. It also increases the national debt by a whopping 15%, the biggest percentage ever, in addition to by far the biggest absolute value ever. And it increases the direct national debt to $45,000 for every American man, woman and child.

This vote by the Democrat controlled Senate shows that Democrats with Harry Reid at the helm take issue with Brown, who might have taken away their credit card and impacted their freespending habits. Should the Democrat controlled House concur that the credit card limit should be raised by this whopper, the Democrats lead by Reid, Pelosi and Obama will be free to spend their way into the worst possible future for the American people. Namely debt bondage.²

© 2010, Pontificus. All rights reserved.

Budget Deficit, Campaign Promises, Economy, Ethics, Government takeover, Healthcare, Integrity, National debt, Obama, pelosi, reid, Social Security, Unemployment Hide

Obama's Fall Gal?

Analyzing the stunning victory for the Republicans in Massachusetts, one of the most liberal states in the Union, one comes away with various theories on what might have been playing out behind the scenes. Here’s one of those theories for your enjoyment.
(more…)

© 2010, Pontificus. All rights reserved.

2010 Elections, Climate Change, Coakley, Economy, Healthcare, Massachusetts, Obama, Taxes, Unemployment Hide

Michael F. Cannon of the CATO Institute¹ has provided some interesting metrics for estimating the real cost of ObamaCare.

The issue is that while the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) evaluates the cost of ObamaCare at some $1 trillion, give or take, it is restricting itself to the impact to the Federal budget, and excluding several factors that massively increase the real cost of the proposed legislation.

(more…)

© 2009, Pontificus. All rights reserved.

Budget Deficit, Economy, Government inefficiency, Government takeover, Healthcare Hide

What Obamacare Means For You

Obamacare

• The Efficiency of the Postal Service
• The Sustainability of Social Security
• and all the Compassion of the IRS

(No further comment)

© 2009, Pontificus. All rights reserved.

Budget Deficit, Economy, Government inefficiency, Government takeover, Healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, Obama, Social Security, Unemployment Hide

Government can run healthcare best, right? Afterall, with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid they’ve had plenty of time to learn from past successes and failures, and not repeat them again, right?

Regardless of your personal opinion, the following video should provide plenty of additional facts to go with the discussion.

Source for the video is a blatantly opinionated, but factual¹, Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation.

© 2009 – 2010, Pontificus. All rights reserved.

Budget Deficit, Government inefficiency, Government takeover, Healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security Hide

November 7, 2009: Congressman Owens, D-NY

How fast can campaign promises be broken?

(more…)

© 2009, Pontificus. All rights reserved.

Campaign Promises, Healthcare Hide

Now that the healthcare act will be dropping some $1,200 billion to $3,400 billion¹ to the deficit over the next 10 years, how will we pay for it all?

(more…)

© 2009, Pontificus. All rights reserved.

Bailout, Budget Deficit, Government takeover, Healthcare, Israel, Saudi Arabia Hide

Pelosi on November 7, 2009

This is the day that Madam Speaker will likely cherish for years to come. Against many odds she was able to pass the healthcare act that some were saying might be delayed into next year, or might not be passed at all.

It’s a significant achievement, even in a setting where the Democrats have solid majorities in both the House and Senate. It certainly wasn’t easy, as attested by the fact that 39 Democrat Congressmen voted against the bill, and that it passed with a bare minimum of 220 to 215.

But what does the passing of this bill really mean?

(more…)

© 2009, Pontificus. All rights reserved.

Budget Deficit, Healthcare, pelosi Hide