Thread: Brent BOZELL TO GOP: YOU FUND IT, YOU OWN IT

BOZELL TO GOP: YOU FUND IT, YOU OWN IT



by BRENT BOZELL III 25 Sep 2013, 4:01 AM PDT 995POST A COMMENT
The congressional battle over defunding Obamacare through the Continuing Resolution has all the intrigue and internecine bickering of a tawdry cable reality show.

But beneath this veneer lies the fundamental question of the role of government. The media, shallow as ever, tend to focus on the horse race aspects of who is up and who is down, largely couched in comparisons of competing strategies and paths to success. But herein lies the real tragedy of the debate playing out today. In a phrase, we have seen this show before.
For context, we need to rewind 14 months. I will not name names. It was a private meeting and I’ll honor its confidential nature. I will, however, discuss its contents. They are most instructive as we view the Obamacare defunding battle today, the political equivalent of Waterloo. We just don’t know which party is Wellington and which, Napoleon.
It was July 25, 2012. At a private weekly meeting of conservatives, a Member of Congress had brought news that made our jaws drop. With the Continuing Resolution (CR) debate looming, the entirety of the GOP on Capitol Hill was united in the strategy to give the Obama administration everything it wanted.
You read that correctly. The opening bid in the 2012 CR debate from the Republicans was going to be a complete surrender to the president. Further, we were told the GOP message to the Democrats was going to be: take it or leave it. We’ll give you everything and not one penny more.
We asked for an emergency meeting with members from both chambers later that day.
At 5:30 that evening, in a room overflowing with senators, representatives, and conservative leaders, we had it out. We were offered the strategic thinking as devised by the establishment GOP leadership and accepted by its members. In short: Why rock the boat with a government shutdown showdown, when everything is breaking our way?
It was the belief of the GOP consultancy class, a wisdom passed along to and accepted by the GOP leadership on the Hill, that at the very least Mitt Romney should, probably could, and quite possibly would win the presidency in November. Why ruin this opportunity by threatening a government shutdown which would surely be blamed on Republicans and would surely be used by Obama to great advantage, and in a close race could destroy Republicans’ chances to capture the White House?
The political picture in the Senate was equally clear, we were told. Every poll and every pundit was convinced Republicans were going to capture the Senate handily, and all of Harry Reid’s horses and all of his men couldn’t keep a majority in place again – unless Republicans insisted on fighting this stupid fight.
The numbers were irrefutable, we were told. There was a 52-48 split in the Senate with Republicans poised to make the kind of gains in November that would obliterate the Democratic majority. In state after state, the Republican takeover was probable, if not assured. It was a very real possibility that Republicans could win eight key races (Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin) giving them a commanding 56-seat majority. Why in the world risk this glorious probability with a foolish shutdown that would certainly backfire on Republicans? It would be political suicide.
The bottom line: come Election Day 2012, a Republican was going to capture the White House, Republicans the Senate, and with their majority in the House preserved (even enhanced) the GOP could move in January to undo all manner of awful things, including all things Obamacare, which would include the funding provided by them in the CR in question that day.
How… tidy. The message from the establishment GOP to conservatives last summer was crystal clear: we know what we’re doing. Sit down, shut up, and do as you’re told.
I was tasked with presenting a response. This “strategy” presented to us was just too much. Having fought in the trenches for three decades, I was not enamored of the political idiocy on display. To these members of Congress, so many being such good, courageous conservatives on any – on every – other day, so many I consider also to be friends, I delivered a rebuttal the likes of which they never expected from a fellow conservative.
It was the political prognostication shared by my conservative colleagues, and it was the exact opposite of the establishment’s.
The conservative movement is, unquestionably, the heart and soul of the GOP. It continues to be the height of arrogance for the moderate wing, now controlling the levers of power within the party, to presume that conservatives will follow them, willy-nilly, no matter what the moderates do or don’t do. How many times does history need to prove them wrong?
I reminded them that after a six-year spending binge by the Bush administration, all the while taking for granted the support of conservatives whose core beliefs were being shattered by this lurch toward an ever more obese federal government, the roof collapsed on Republicans in 2006. Conservatives stayed home that year, and the establishment GOP lost control of both Houses of Congress.
These politicians were reminded how, two years later, the Washington establishment Republicans were back in vogue and declaring that no “right wing ideologue” (which is about their most charitable description for conservatives) could possibly win the presidency in 2008. Again we were told only an acceptable moderate – in this case, Sen. John McCain – could succeed and must therefore be supported. Disaster struck again when conservatives stayed home.
In just two scant years, the GOP managed to lose both houses of Congress, and then the presidency, by embracing the political prescriptions of the moderate establishment wing of the party. And they expected us, in 2012, to fall into step behind them. No, we warned these Republicans. Something very bad was going to happen if they heeded the advice of the Beltway Punditocracy.
We warned the establishment that the results of 2012 would be devastating if Republicans did nothing of substance to stop Obamacare when they could do so and, instead, surrendered without a fight but with a lot of excuses – again. We forecast that millions of conservatives would stay home. We predicted this GOP capitulation would cost Mitt Romney the presidency and the Republicans the Senate. But our warnings fell on deaf ears. The decision had been made. After issuing all the perfunctory pledges to live to fight another day, the party surrendered on defunding Obamacare, offering Obama all he’d asked for in the CR, which he happily accepted, but not before adding billions more in spending knowing he had no opposition.
So who was right?
On Election Day, the Republicans were routed virtually everywhere. Not a single GOP consultant foresaw that in the presidential race, three million less voters would show up for Romney than were there for McCain four years earlier, but that is what happened. The results left the establishment GOP’s chief guru, Karl Rove, stuttering and sputtering in disbelief during live coverage of the election returns.
In the Senate, the results were arguably even more devastating. The Republicans not only failed to achieve the overwhelming majority they’d so confidently predicted, they succeeded with the unimaginable: they actually lost two seats. Democrats generated 1.4 million more voters than Republicans in House races, and the only thing that saved the GOP majority in that chamber was redistricting.
Today, we are reliving the miscalculation of the Summer of 2012 with moderate Republicans, bolstered by the professional consultants and even by some wobbly-kneed faux conservatives (the kind that couldn’t stomach Ronald Reagan either), declaring that if the GOP picks a fight over defunding Obamacare, the world will spin off its axis; while, on the other hand, if they do nothing at all, victory will be had next year.
Shame on any Republican who listens to these losers – and they are just that: repeat and stunningly incompetent losers. If Republicans capitulate by surrendering and funding this hideous law, the results will be even more dire. This time, there is no “next time” with Obamacare. This is the last chance, which is why no one has a Plan B. This time it won’t be discouragement or demoralization that drives conservatives away. It will be anger over a betrayal. This time it won’t be Republicans failing to stop Obamacare. This time it will be Republicans taking ownership of Obamacare.
It is time for every Republican Senator, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to stand by Senators Mike Lee and Ted Cruz and do everything in their power to defend and preserve the defund language passed in the House CR.
If Republicans don’t fight this Obamacare battle with the sense of purpose required to win – and it’s a battle they most certainly can win – the loudest sound on Election Day 2014 will be the mass exodus of conservatives to the door, looking for new parties, or maybe just a nice beach to get away from it all. I suspect many, if not most, will never return.


http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Governm...All-Over-Again

If you are Muslim you can opt out of the Obamacare health care reform laws with no penalties

Gil Guignat
Phoenix Small Business Management Examiner

March 26, 2010

Isn't this nice. If you are of the Muslim religion, you don't have to give all the new Obamacare healthcare reform regulations and penalties another thought. Because the concept of being compelled to participate in such a healthcare program offends Islamic sensibilities, Muslims are specifically exempt.

As a matter of fact if you are Amish, American Indian or a Chistian Scientist you do not need to participate or pay the taxes associated with healthcare reform. That means not having to be forced to buy healthcare insurance, not paying the taxes or the penalties if you don't get it. Nice!

Here is what the regulations say:

EXEMPTIONS FROM INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
—In the case of an individual who is seeking an exemption certificate under section 1311(d)(4)(H) from any requirement or penalty imposed by section 5000A, the following information:

In the case of an individual seeking exemption based on the individual’s status as a
member of an exempt religious sect or division, as a member of a health care sharing ministry, as an Indian,

or as an individual eligible for a hardship exemption, such information as the Secretary shall prescribe.”

Senate Bill, H.R. 3590, pages 273-274

There are several reasons why an individual could claim exemption, being a member of a religion that does not believe in insurance is one of them. Islam is one of those religions. Muslims believe that health insurance is “haraam”, or forbidden; because they liken the ambiguity and probability of insurance to gambling. This belief excludes them from any of the requirements, mandates, or penalties set forth in the bill. More...

This means that if you are Christian and abortion is against your religion tough luck.
If you are Jewish tough luck as well.

We wonder why these certain groups get a free ride. We also wonder why the largest religious block in North and South America the Christians are discriminated against like this. Very odd indeed.

There is a lot of food for thought here and a lot of ways to object to this healthcare bill isn't there.

http://www.examiner.com/article/if-y...h-no-penalties

GOP DOC: VOTE TO DEFUND OBAMACARE, LET SENATE ERASE IT

• 4
  EmailShare(Breitbart) – A document House Majority Leader Eric Cantor distributed to all House Republicans on Tuesday, obtained by Breitbart News, confirms that he is planning to make it appear as though the House is voting to defund Obamacare while using a legislative procedural trick which would allow the Democrat-controlled Senate to strip defunding language from the Continuing Resolution.

“Many House Republicans have stated that they want to pass a CR that affirmatively defunds the implementation and enforcement of Obamacare,” Cantor wrote to House Republican members. “In addition to firmly putting the House on record, such an effort would force the Democrat Senate to confront the issue of defunding, providing Senate Republicans the opportunity to challenge Senate Democrats to join Republicans in blocking the further implementation of this awful and unpopular law.”

“Tactically, we want to engage this battle in a manner that unites House Republicans, provides as few opportunities as possible for Senate Democrats to duck the issue, and ensures that if defunding does not occur that Democrats are held to account,” Cantor added.

Cantor then laid out “The Plan” he and other members of the House GOP leadership will use allowing them to claim they support defunding Obamacare while leaving the fate of the defunding effort in the hands of the Democrat-controlled Senate.

First, he said the House will “simultaneously” consider a Continuing Resolution (CR) that funds the government “at sequester levels” along with a rule, or a “H.Cong.Res. that would amend the CR to include full defunding language.”

The House would vote on the CR, a vote that would include the rule and then send it to the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid can then remove the rule’s language after considering it. “The rule for the CR/Defund package provides that the CR cannot be transmitted to the Senate until the Senate has considered the defunding language,” Cantor writes in step number 4 of “The Plan” section of the document.

In step number 5 of “The Plan,” Cantor admits that the Senate can remove the rule language. “If the Senate passes defunding then it gets added to the CR as it goes to the president,” Cantor writes in step 5. “If they defeat it, then the Senate can consider whether they want to pass the CR. If they do, without amendment it goes to the president.”

Breitbart News reported on this plan from Cantor and others in House GOP leadership on Monday evening. After that story, a prominent House conservative source told Breitbart News that members who support defunding Obamacare are organizing and plan to whip against Cantor’s ploy.

“Expect a significant whip effort against the rule among the rank and file if they try to pull the trick on defunding,” the conservative source said.

In a statement provided to Breitbart News, ForAmerica chairman Brent Bozell denounced Cantor’s and Boehner’s ploy. “The latest move announced today by Speaker Boehner and House Republican leadership is nothing more than a cheap parliamentary trick. Once again these Republican ‘leaders’ have failed to commit to defund ObamaCare by any means necessary,” Bozell said.

“Instead they are hiding behind smoke and mirrors by ‘putting the responsibility on the Senate’ to defund ObamaCare. Conservatives and the tea party are fed up with these stupid government tricks,” he continued. “Now it’s the GOP leadership playing them.”

“What they didn’t say was that the vote they will push to the Senate to defund ObamaCare is meaningless and won’t get the job done — and they know it. It is a slap — a cynical, dishonest slap — across the face of everyone who voted for them. This will cost them,” Bozell warned.

“If they do not defund ObamaCare by any means necessary the GOP will own it and they will pay a hefty political price for breaking their promise,” he declared. “To those rank and file members playing this three card monte game, I can say only one thing: Get ready for some primaries.”

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/10/Document-confirms-Eric-Cantor-s-faulty-Obamacare-defunding-ployhttp://www.teaparty.org/gop-doc-vote-to-defund-obamacare-let-senate-erase-it-28289/

http://www.teaparty.org/gop-doc-vote...rase-it-28289/