The answer is unmistakably and resoundingly NO.  Americans do not want a health care system resembling that of Canada or the U.K.  We the people are saying no every way we know how to; in polls, at rallies, with elections.

The time for talk is over.  It is clear that the vast majority of Americans do not want this health care legislation passed.

Any sane and logical congress would say, “Ok, thanks for letting us know.  We represent you the people, and you have made your voices clear.  Let’s toss out this 2000 plus stack of paper and get started on something else.”  But nope, not our congress.  Our congress says, “We know you don’t want it, and we don’t care.  We’re going to find every loophole we can so we can slam you with the largest most unconstitutional tax ever created, all in the name of ‘helping the poor.’”

The poor will not be helped by this bill.  Just look at any other country with government run health care.  It’s the poor that suffer.  Only the rich can afford timely and reliable care.  Why does anyone think it will be different in the US?

I’m absolutely going to go bonkers if I keep hearing, “health care is a right.”  It is not a right.  It isn’t a privilege either.  It’s a service.  You are not entitled to the labor of a doctor.  Just like they are not entitled to free oil changes from the mechanic.  We all work for a living, some of us harder than others.  Call me crazy, but I believe that the people that spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on education, work 90 hour weeks, and make life and death decisions on a daily hourly basis deserve to be paid more than my mechanic, and I’m happy to pay it.  I am not happy to pay for other people to see that doctor because they spent their money elsewhere.  We all have to make sacrifices.  Deal with it.  And here’s the thing about Americans- for the most part, we are an extremely charitable group.  If someone really was in a bad situation, I bet there would be a doctor somewhere willing to treat them, or benefactors willing to pay for the treatment.

I have faith in the American people.  I have faith in every single person who wants to better their life.  I have faith in the single mom struggling to make ends meet, the newly graduated college student looking for a job, the father of two teens that just got laid off after 20 years.  I have faith in those people to do what it takes to get through these rough patches of life, and I have faith in their friends and neighbors to help them as they’re able.  I do what I can to help those in need.  I’m grateful for all the times others have been there for me.

But oh this congress.  This congress does not have faith in us.  This congress does not want us to feel the triumph of overcoming adversity, the joy of accomplishment.  This congress wants to enable us with the most massive entitlement program our country has ever seen.  We are better than that.

I want this congress to stop taking my money and giving me back a paltry sum and expecting me to jump for joy.  I know what  you took.  Don’t tell me to be grateful for the $10 check when you snuck $100 out of my back pocket.  I’m wise to your tricks.  A lot of us are.  Which is why you will be voted out this November.  This health care bill and any other crap you manage to sneak through in closed-door deals will be repealed.

Who knew that it would take a violation of Constitutional principles by our leaders for America to stand united in a way we haven’t for generations?  Wonders never cease.

Last weekend Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) stated his intention to resign his post amid allegations that he sexually harassed a male co-worker.  But then he said this:

“Mine is now the deciding vote on the health care bill,And this administration and this House leadership have said, quote-unquote, they will stop at nothing to pass this health care bill. And now they’ve gotten rid of me, and it will pass. You connect the dots.”

Hmmm… I wouldn’t put it past the Democrats to do that, but this story is already a little bit fishy.  His story keeps changing.  He already hadn’t been planning to run for another term due to recurring cancer.  But then it was due to his “salty language.”  But then it was because he was going to be a no vote on the current health care bill.

Fishy, right?

But wait!  There’s more!

Massa made some pretty interesting remarks about the President’s Chief of Staff:

“Rahm Emanuel is son of the devil’s spawn… He is an individual who would sell his mother to get a vote. He would strap his children to the front end of a steam locomotive.”

Rep. Massa describes a confrontation with Emanuel in a shower: “I am showering, naked as a jaybird, and here comes Rahm Emanuel, not even with a towel wrapped around his tush, poking his finger in my chest, yelling at me.”

That’s probably true about Rahm, actually.  But this whole situation is wack-a-delic.  Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck even got into a scuttle about it on his radio program.  She didn’t think we should be giving Massa any air time, and chided Beck for inviting him onto his show on the Fox News Network.  They have since then made up and sent each other virtual hugs and kisses.

And in why-am-I-not-surprised news- it turns out that Nancy Pelosi had known for months about Massa’s inappropriate behavior which included touching and groping of male staff members.  One might hope that the leader of the House could keep her own house in order, but apparently not.

In a related story about coo-coo-crazy-pants liberals in the House, Patrick Kennedy went absolutely bonkers on the house floor yesterday.  It was quite the spectacular melt-down, if I do say so myself.  And I speak with some authority on that, as I live with a toddler.  So what was he so upset about? Massa.  Specifically the media attention being given to him over the war in Afghanistan.  Whether or not he had a valid point, his tantrum poked holes in any arguments he may have had.

As a conservative, I gotta say… it’s pretty fun to kick back and watch the show.  The liberals are imploding like a house of cards.  And the best part is they’re doing it to themselves.  I can’t wait for November 2nd, even if it means I’ll have less entertainment on C-SPAN.  This is politics, not a circus freak show.

Yesterday the Republicans and Democrats finally met together to discuss health care reform.  I guess Scott Brown (R-MA) really scared the crud out of the progressives, so much so that Obama actually made good on one of his campaign pledges.  That brings us to three promises fulfilled.  1) Take Michelle on a date, 2) Get a dog for the First Daughters, and 3) Air the health care debate on C-SPAN.  Actually, let’s strike number 2. The President promised to rescue a shelter dog, but instead accepted Bo as a gift from Ted Kennedy.  Which I don’t really care about, but it just goes to show that this guy has a really, really hard time staying true to his word.

My favorite moment was when Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) became my new hero.  He flat out explained that the CBO scores weren’t real, and explained exactly why.  The best part is the look on the President’s face as Ryan is explaining that “hiding a deficit is not reducing a deficit.”  I almost felt sorry for the guy, he looked so confused.  No wonder he’s racked up our debt- he does not understand that you can’t print more money.  Now I really want to see his transcripts.  He probably failed econ 101.

Continued from here:

Dick Cheney walked onstage to thunderous applause.  He has become a loud voice for national security ever since our President appointed Janet the-system-works Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security.  You know, because he actually likes America, is proud to be an American, and wants to keep America around for a few more generations.

He said that when Liz asked him for advice on what to say, as she usually does before a speaking engagement (smart girl, I do the same thing with my dad) he mentioned that he’d like to attend CPAC with her.  “Ok,” she said, “But only as arm candy.”

Vice President Cheney said that he enjoys CPAC because it keeps conservatism and its fundamental principles alive.  He also said that he’s encouraged by recent conservative developments in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, and that he expects to see more in the novemeber elections.

2010 is going to be a phenomenal year.

Dick Cheney said so.

I always love hearing Liz Cheney speak.  She just has a way of getting to the core of issues with common sense truisms.  Like the time she said, “America needs a commander in chief, not a community organizer.”  Or how about last week when she said, “Vice President Biden has a famously tenuous relationship with reality”?  The girl is a genius, I tell you, a genius!

I made sure to be there for her speech at CPAC to catch the pearls she would undoubtedly throw out to the audience.  I was not disappointed.

She encouraged us Americans not to believe the mainstream media when they us that conservatism is dead.  Massachusetts voters told the mainstream what they could do with their “info”.  We know what Obama’s about now.  He can no longer hide behind hopey-changey campaign promises.  The truth is, he ‘s going to raise everyone’s taxes, because he wants government in every aspect of everyone’s lives.

He also wants terrorists in everyone’s lives.  Obama’s weird pledge to close Gitmo and bring the terrorists into Thompson County, Illinois prisons is not only a bad idea, it’s an expensive one to the tune of $200 million dollars.  And that’s in addition to the taxpayer money already spent on the cost of building and maintaining gitmo.

Ms. Cheney told us that even her 9-year-old daughter had it figured out.  “Mom, is President Obama really bringing terrorists into the US?” her daughter asked.  After hearing her mother’s affirmative response, she responded, “Man, use your brain Dude! That’s really stupid.”  This is not rocket science, people.  Terrorists belong in Gitmo, not America’s heartland.

President Obama is not on top of his game in the national security department.  He revealed US interrogation techniques and then stopped paying attention.  To keep the US safe, he needs to make it a priority, and not treat it like a part time job.

As Americans, we have the right and the obligation to say something.  Too many men and women have paid too high a price for that right to speak, so let’s send a message to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: You will never silence us.  We have the courage of conviction, which she learned from her dad….

…who then walked on stage.

Dick Cheney was in the house.

To be continued….

The newly elected and seated Senator from Massachusetts introduced Mitt Romney at CPAC.  It was a surprise visit, and the crowd erupted when he came on stage.  My friend Jimmie Bice said, “Senator Hunky Pants is here.  Yeah, I said it.”  He is kinda cute.  In that rugged, good-looking way.  If you’re into that.  Please excuse me while I fan myself for a moment.

Ok, I’m back.

Senator Brown started out by introducing himself, saying, “I’m Scott Brown, the newly elected REPUBLICAN Senator from Massachusetts.”  Lots of applause on that one.  Then he answered the number one question he’d been asked so far at the conference, “Yes, I drove my truck here.  It’s parked outside.”  Even more applause.

Rugged.  If you’re into that.

He asserted the need for greater accountability and transparency in Washington, and used his election win as proof that Americans are demanding it.  We can change what’s happening in America, and we can do it from the ground up.  His campaign was truly a grassroots one, his first rally could have been held in a phone booth.  Through the power of new media and citizen journalists, he was able to get his message of fiscal responsibility out, and the people responded.

As he was introducing Mitt Romney, he heaped praise on him, saying that he was such an encouragement during his campaign.  That’s nice.  Really, I’m sure Romney is a nice guy.  I’m sure Scott Brown is too.  And Massachusetts needs Republicans like them.  Much better than Martha Coakley or Deval Patrick.  I will encourage and support Republicans like that in a state so blue it’s navy.

But they aren’t our guys for the top of the ticket in 2012.

I had quite a time getting set up for blogging CPAC this morning.  There will probably be a post about my adventures since my airplane post soon.  Trust me, it was definitely an adventure.  A humorous one.  Because, well, sometimes you have to choose whether to laugh or cry, and I always choose to laugh.

Because I was so behind in getting setting up, I missed the opening speaker.  Marco Rubio.  I saw the last 20 seconds of his speech, just enough time to snap one ridiculously tiny & fuzzy picture on my blackberry.  I was bummed.  I almost cried.  Then I decided to laugh instead.  I’m like that.

Then I was walking from one place to another and ran into Leon & Jillian Wolf, two very awesome people that I’m happy to call my friends.  Oh yeah, and Erickson was there too.  ”You want to meet Marco Rubio?” He asks me.  Do I?  Um… YES.  ”He’s right in there with a small press group.”  I just stared at him.  Nerves, yah know.  ”Go on in,” he said, giving me a little push into the room.  ”Everyone thinks you’re my wife anyway!”  (Ask me about that story sometime, it’s really funny.)

So that’s how a found myself standing ten feet from Marco Rubio, taking questions from a dozen or so journalists, both real and citizen, although the distinction is getting very blurred very quickly these days.  In fact, citizen journalism and social media was the topic de jour.

He said that he wouldn’t have a campaign if it weren’t for the bloggers.  The ability to communicate online has made it possible for anyone to become a candidate, or a journalist.  There’s a whole new set of rules in today’s political world.  Because of the wide access to information, Americans no longer have to choose between two candidates that are sort of the same, picking the one that we like better.

People understand what’s at stake, and candidates are being more widely vetted than ever before.  We don’t need to rely on the traditional media to tell us what to think about a candidate, we get the information ourselves and get it out there.  Some really consequential things are happening in Washington, and will continue to happen if we don’t stop it by sending sensible people to congress.

His hope for the 2010 elections, of course, is to win a senate seat in Florida, but also to be one of a crop of newly elected Senators and Congressmen determined to restore our country to it’s greatness, not fundamentally transform it into something not recognizable in our Constitution.  Which is why he spoke at CPAC: to reach a broader audience.  He hopes that the attendees from across the country go home and seek out reliable candidates to support and vote for.

When asked about Scott Brown, he commented that if the Obama agenda is not safe in Massachusetts, it’s not safe anywhere.  And then his handler said he had to go, so he politely said it was nice to talk to us, walked right past me, smiled directly at me, and said (and I quote), “Hi.”

Awesomeness.

Remember this chart?  It was from the 2008 Presidential campaign.  I can’t tell you how many Obama supporters calmly and patiently explained to me that I would be silly to vote for McCain over Obama because I would get a bigger tax cut under Obama.  And I calmly and patiently explained to them that by taxing top earners so significantly, they’d have to cut jobs at their companies.  I also pointed out that in order to fund all of Obama’s socialist pie-in-the-sky ideas, the money would have to come from somewhere, and that I was 100% certain that we’d see that $250k bar drop.

Within a couple of weeks of the inauguration, Obama raised taxes on the poorest people in our country, those who have the highest majority of smokers in their demographic. The cost increase on a pack of nicotine sticks was the highest in US history.

But lots of people don’t see that as a *real* tax, because smokers can choose to quit and probably should for their health.

But even those tobacco-taxes-aren’t-real-taxes people should be worried now.  In an interview out today, President Obama said:

The whole point of it is to make sure that all ideas are on the table… So what I want to do is to be completely agnostic, in terms of solutions.

What I can’t do is to set the thing up where a whole bunch of things are off the table…Some would say we can’t look at entitlements. There are going to be some that say we can’t look at taxes, and pretty soon, you just can’t solve the problem.

The real problem has to do with the fact that there is a just a mismatch between the amount of money coming in and the amount of money going out. And that is going to require some big, tough choices that, so far, the political system has been unable to deal with.

I have a suggestion Mr. President.  How about we spend less money?  Why does Nancy Pelosi need $1000 per week for booze and delicacies on her private cross-country jet rides?  That’s $1000 per week for food and booze, mind you, not the cost of the travel itself. And I’m sure the turtles didn’t really need a $3,400,000 tunnel to cross the road.  What about the $800,000 for repaving a back-up runway at an unused airport?

President Obama, please don’t raise my taxes to fund those ridiculous projects.  I don’t know how much more of your “help” I can afford.

Our VP can always be counted on to say the most insane things at the most bizarre times.  He did not dissapoint last night on Larry King.  Let me share with you some of the gems he dropped.

Regarding airplane attacks by Muslim extremists:

“I think what you’re seeing morphing here – and it’s a concern to us – is you’ll see the concern relates to somebody like a shoe bomber or the underpants bomber, the Christmas attack or someone just strapping a backpack on them with weapons that are indigenous and blowing up, you know, walking into in airport…I think there are going to be attempts.”  Biden also insisted that the Obama administration, which ordered a review of security and terrorism procedures after the Christmas Day incident, is prepared to deal with such attempts. “I’ve been really impressed with the success we’ve had, building on the last administration, in dealing with these.”

Hmm… I feel safe now.  Especially since the head of Homeland Security thinks the system works, but just in case it doesn’t, let’s steal pillows from toddlers during the last 90 minutes of all flights.

Regarding that three-letter word JOBS:

“I think now the jobs bill, I think, will be probably less than is needed initially, but it will be very helpful…by the spring, I think people are going to begin to have more confidence in the policies we’ve put in place.”

Is this the same Jobs Bill that extends unemployment benefits?  Why don’t they just go ahead and call it a “don’t bother looking for work because we’re going to pay you even longer to sit at home heckling the *rich* people providing for your existence”?  Too long?  Bummer.

Regarding Iraq:

“I am very optimistic about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration…You’re going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer.”

So he’s optimistic about having the troops home, not about Iraq or our own national security.  When the US leaves, the fledgling democracy in Iraq will most likely crumble to the extremists, and we’ll see all sorts of lovely new terrorist cells plotting the destruction of the US.  Perfect.

Regarding Sarah Palin (this by far is my favorite):

“I like her…She’s an engaging person. She has a great personality. I don’t agree with what she says and I think some of the things she says are not – well…Well, you know, it’s sort of like – some of the comments made are just so far out there, I just don’t know where they come from.”

Seriously Joe? Maybe you could explain some of your comments before you go ripping into Sarah Palin for her far-out comments.

Afternoons are crazy in my house.  Just after 2, Thing 2 will wake up screaming from her nap, if she went to sleep at all.  If not, then I’ll usually rescue her from her evil crib at that time.  Then we fight over what she should have for a snack.  She always wants a cupcake.  And I always say, “No cupcake!”  At which point she collapses into a fit of sobs and tears.  Eventually she’ll decide that she really does want the cheese/fruit/triscuits/other tasty wholesome snack, pick it up off the floor where’s she’s thrown it and eat it.

After that debacle, it’s usually time to go pick up Thing 1 from school and run an errand or two.  Today we had to get some new tires for my truck.  We went to Costco because I had some giftcards, plus you can get ice cream while you wait.  Into the tire center.  I know I need two at least, but think, “Hmm, do I really want to be back here in 3-6 months to replace the other two?  Nope!”  So I order up four new tires.  The very polite service guy rattles of a price of eight hundred dollars and change.  I’m not sure exactly, he lost me at eight hundred.  Two new tires will be just fine thankyouverymuch.  I tried not faint or choke or vomit as I forked over enough money to buy a plane ticket to Hawaii.  Then I spent some time day dreaming about Hawaii.

Of course I was slammed back to reality when Thing 1 tipped over Thing 2’s stroller in the tire department at Costco.*

Thankfully there was no line, so it was only a 45 minute wait.  We got some ice cream to share and I got a diet coke.  I haven’t been buying it regularly any more, because I can’t find find a twelve pack for less than $5, and let’s face it: that’s extortion.  I blissfully sipped my chemically caffeinated goodness while Things 1 & 2 raced to see who could eat more ice cream faster.  Turns out Thing 1, although she paid for it dearly with a massive brain freeze that I refused to listen to her whine about.

New tires, sugared up children, and a broke Jenny headed home.  I opened up my laptop and tweetdeck, trying to ignore the cacophony of, “I don’t want to do my homework!!!” and “Cupcake!” surrounding me.  And I saw avatar pics of terminator sheep with glowing red eyes.  And lots of tweets with the hashtag #demonsheep.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

So I tweeted: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is with the #demonsheep??

And I was immediately rewarded with links.  I love Twitter.  It satisfies my impatient nature.

The evil terminator demon sheep appear in an ad for Carly Fiorina, a sometimes fiscally conservative running for the republican nod to run against Senator Please-Don’t-Call-Me-Ma’am-Boxer in California.  The ad slams an even more liberal republican than herself, Tom Campbell. And for some reason, it’s filled with demon sheep.

It made my whole day.

Demon Sheep

*No toddlers were harmed in the making of this post.  Unless you consider cupcake denial to be harmful.  In which case, it was torturous.