Amidst the shouting, the left begins to shift the argument

Rumblings from the left grow louder challenging republicans, "Well, what are the you offering for health care reform?" In a sense, trying to shift the argument back to the GOP being "the party of NO" while at the same time slyly goading the right into a debate over not whether government involvement is necessary or constitutional but to what degree of government overhaul is required.

People want some improvement to the current health care coverage system. It is flawed. And republicans must respond while they still have the momentum or else run the risk of the democrats redirecting that momentum back against them. US Congressman John Shadegg (R-AZ) has proposed a free market answer to the democrats challenge that improves the current system while avoiding private companies having to compete with the federal government:

"The Health Care Choice Act, which has forty co-sponsors, harnesses the power of the marketplace to allow Americans to compare insurance policies from across the country and pick one that best meets their needs. It would provide every American with more and better health insurance choices. The legislation would also reduce the number of Americans who have been unable to find affordable coverage. “Rather than going through fifty different regulatory processes, this bill will allow an insurance company to go through one process and sell to people in all fifty states. We can help people, not by setting up a massive new government bureaucracy, but by empowering individuals to make the best choice for themselves and their families.”

There is no doubt, in my opinion, that the current health care coverage system has problems. Costs are high, doctors should not be pressured or have to negotiate treatment for patients, people do lose coverage, payments are rejected, but on balance we have benefited from a system that has created a market for excellent general care and unmatched specialized care.

Nothing is ever perfect, in fact I would argue that nothing should ever BE perfect. But we can always attempt to make a good system better and we can do it without the federal government pricing out 16% of the US economy. This is the message republicans need to start marketing or else run the risk of losing the higher ground. Congress Shadegg's proposal is a start. Now let's try to sell it and similar messages through a hostile media.

Maybe a new and radical idea like tort reform will catch fire (hat-tip to dwarfmama at Red State).

Ah jeez, Mr. President. You must think I’m a total dummy

I totally misunderstood the purpose behind your flag@whitehouse.gov email address. I apologize for the following content of my email.

I also apologize for my friends and family sending similar emails. We are just simple folk with whom your subtlety is lost upon. How were we supposed to know you didn’t want pictures of our favorite flags?

Sorry About the Noise Left...

...but we're new to this game.

I guess you could say that we're just learning how to play. For while, it was fun to watch your shenanigans and the occasional bench clearing brawl from the bleachers, not fully understanding what you were doing, who the players were, or what the rules are. The problem was that there was just one team playing; the game we were paying to watch was rigged.

Now, we're coming onto the ice. We're a little clumsy and we make a lot of noise, but we're very, very motivated. We're not as polished as you, we don't have a coach or the organizational structure you have, hell, we're not even paid like you are. There's still time enough in the game, we're quick learners and we want to play. Hope you're wearing your pads.

Fear and Intimidation in America

In the past, I would've chalked this whole thing up to typical party politics played by both sides: back and forth they go and little by little the principles of the Constitution are eroded by the tide of an expanding government and a more corrupt and incestuous party system.

But this is different. This is our own government enlisting it's union muscle (a convenient tool) to suppress and intimidate common citizens of this country. They reply that it's the "brownshirts" (typical liberal imagery of anyone not agreeing with them being nazis)who are intimidating elected officials and stifling dialogue. What dialogue? They don't want a discussion of two different positions. They seek only a debate as to what degree their agenda gets advanced. For that matter, isn't it better for the politician to be intimidated by the people rather the alternative...regardless of the "party"? These folks at the town halls are not singling out and attacking individuals, they are acting against a government. Well, Newton was right: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The government and it's actions against individuals have proven it.

HT to Caleb Howe for posting the above vid on Red State.

The saddest part of all this, and maybe this is what has me so concerned, is that these newly engaged (newly awakened) citizens are me, my friends, my mom and my dad. People who have done nothing their whole lives but do what is right (and in some aspects what they were told). People who have worked hard without complaint, without expecting anything in return. People who never once thought about not paying their taxes. People who served their country the best they could in the fashion they saw fit. People who only want to live their lives without somebody looking over their shoulder.

People who the government took for granted and never once dug in their heals and slammed and slammed down their fists and said "NO MORE. NOT ONE DAMN BIT MORE!"...until now.



I see the direction this is going. And I hope it changes because it is very, very ugly.