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ALL FED via http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Directories.shtmlFrom: KD Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010
They are GOING to do it.....KD
source: http://CFIF.org (Center for Individual Freedom)
As reported by The New York Times: "President Obama said Sunday that he would convene a half-day bipartisan health care session at the White House to be televised live this month, a high-profile gambit that will allow Americans to watch as Democrats and Republicans try to break their political impasse."
Of course, you don't need us to tell you that there is no current "political impasse." That's because ObamaCare is already effectively dead. This so-called "bipartisan health care session" is nothing more than a trap... a scheme designed to trick Republicans in Congress into helping Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid bring it back from the grave.
You don't need us to tell you that unless the politicians in Washington hear from you right now, Obama's scheme might actually work... and you most certainly don't need us to tell you that Republicans, in a mad and mindless rush to appear accommodating and open to compromise, may actually help Barack Obama revive his government-run health care scheme.
We simply cannot allow that to happen. Patriotic Americans like you worked too long and too hard to effectively defeat ObamaCare. And it's up to us to make sure that it stays dead. But to do that, we must make our voices heard now, before it is too late.
Will Republicans, Once Again, Snatch Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory?
Your calls, letters and Blast Faxes played a major role in defeating ObamaCare. But, if the past has taught us anything, it's that we should never underestimate the capacity of Republicans in Congress to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Don't just take our word for it. Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh read the handwriting on the wall perfectly on Monday. He also called Obama's invitation a "trap" ... an attempt by the president to portray Republicans as the "Party of No" ... and that's a characterization that many Republican legislators will do just about anything to avoid.
Even the strongest voices in opposition to ObamaCare seem to be acting on this impulse. Give very careful consideration to the following statements from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader John Boehner.
The New York Times reports: "Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, said in a statement that he welcomed the bipartisan meeting on health care and called on the president to begin the dialogue 'by shelving the current health spending bill.'"
And the Washington Post reports that Boehner is "looking forward to the discussion," but then adds, quoting Boehner directly: "The best way to start on real, bipartisan reform would be to scrap those bills and focus on the kind of step-by-step improvements that will lower health care costs and expand access."
On the surface, McConnell's and Boehner's comments appear to be very strong statements in opposition to ObamaCare, but notice the qualifiers. Essentially McConnell and Boehner both said, we'll be happy to talk but could you take ObamaCare off the table? It was a very calculated attempt to simultaneously sound tough and avoid the "Party of No" label.
There was a better move available to them.
As Rush put it: "True bipartisanship here is to say 'no' to Obama's health care bill. Republicans, Independents and Democrats across the country are opposed to this. That's where the bipartisanship is, if you care about it."
And keeping Rush's point in mind, here's the statement that Boehner and McConnell could have offered:
With all due respect to President Obama, while we believe that the lines of communication should always remain open, the American people have spoken. A sizable majority reject ObamaCare and any further discussion on the matter would be an insult to the American people. Therefore, we must, with sincere regret, refuse his invitation at this time.
However, in the coming weeks, we will bring a number of step-by-step approaches back to the floor of the House and Senate that actually will make health care more accessible and more affordable for millions of Americans. And we trust that the majority party will not shut us out of the process this time around and that President Obama will remain open to a bipartisan health care session to discuss these measures.
Look at it another way. Why ask Obama to take ObamaCare off the table when it is effectively already dead... and the American people want it to remain that way?
Moreover, did McConnell and Boehner actually take one small step toward breathing life back into ObamaCare by tacitly acknowledging that it is still alive, when, in fact, that should not be the case?
And finally, were McConnell and Boehner so focused on avoiding the "Party of No" label that they failed to realize that the American people actually want them to say "no" to ObamaCare... did they miss a slam-dunk opportunity to accommodate the wants and desires of the American people, push real health care reform and dare Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to follow their lead?
Why Would Republicans Risk Losing Credibility By Accepting Obama's Invitation?
As one concerned American posted on the FOX News blog: "Republicans who want to be reelected would be very wise to decline any such [Obama's] invitation. He [Obama] has lost his credibility. Why should any Republican lose his by association?"
Indeed, common sense dictates that there's absolutely nothing to be gained from accepting President Obama's invitation... and there's nothing to be gained from giving any legitimacy to ObamaCare since the American people have already rejected it.
Moreover, why take the risk that your efforts might actually provide new life to ObamaCare and give Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid the opportunity to start the whole sordid process over again... the secret meetings... the back-room deals... the legislative shenanigans... the repeated attempts to shove ObamaCare down the throats of the American people... haven't we all had enough?
And yet, if the past is any guide for the future, there's a good chance that there are some Republicans out there who -- intentionally or not -- will fall for this political ploy.
Out of fear of being labeled the "Party of No," some Republicans may actually fall right into Obama's trap, accept the invitation and give Obama, with a little help from his friends in the liberal media, the opportunity to do just that... brand them as the "Party of No" and, in process, bring ObamaCare back from the grave.
Will Senator John "the Maverick" McCain, stand firm, or will he repeat the performances he gave during the debates of the so-called "stimulus bill" and the "amnesty bill" (performances he has repeated so many times) and rush in to salvage legislation that the American people do not want?
Will Republicans In Name Only such as Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins stand with the American people, or will they accept Barack Obama's invitation?
What about Senators Mike Enzi and Charles Grassley, who were part of the notorious Gang of Six, and refused to leave the ObamaCare negotiation table last summer even after the American people and GOP leaders urged them to walk away. Will the compromise bug bite them again... will they accept Obama's invitation?
Leopards Don't Change Their Spots.
Make no mistake, Barack Obama is not calling this televised meeting to listen to opposing ideas or to make a real effort to reform health care. And the sooner the Republicans in Congress realize that, the better it will be for all of us.
According to The New York Times: "When asked by Ms. [Katie] Couric if he would agree to discard the bill and start over, the president said he would not. The starting point, aides said, would be with the proposals that passed the House and Senate."
And the Washington Post reported: "[A]ides said that Obama does not plan to scrap months of legislative effort on the issue. Democratic leaders have continued to work quietly to reconcile House and Senate versions that passed last year, and the president plans to come to the summit armed with a Democratic bill."
Isn't Barack Obama essentially saying: Here's what I want... here's my plan for a government takeover of one-sixth of the nation's economy... here's my plan that will actually increase the cost of health care, force new and mandatory taxes on the middle class, eradicate choice and ration health care for years to come... why don't we start from there and you guys tell me what you want to add to it?
That's not an attempt to break a "political impasse." And that's certainly not an attempt to make quality health care more accessible and more affordable for the American people.
It's nothing more than an underhanded attempt to play to a weakness that Republicans have exhibited time and again... a tactic that can turn his ObamaCare defeat into a victory.
As another person wrote on the FOX News blog, "... he [Obama] doesn't want Republican input... he wants Republican 'fingerprints' on this mess... I sincerely hope none of them are stupid enough to buy into this [expletive deleted]."
Indeed, Republicans should not touch this bogus summit with a ten-foot pole.
One thing is certain. We can't leave anything to chance. We must make our voices heard now.
Urge them to BOYCOTT Barack Obama's nationally-televised health care dog-and-pony show. Drive the point home that the American people (Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike) have already rejected ObamaCare and we expect them to stand firm against it. Remind them that for real health care reform to take place, ObamaCare as we know it must remain defeated. And last but not least, tell them not to fall for Obama's political trap... designed for no other reason but to resurrect government-run health care from the dead.
Jeff Mazzella, President
Center for Individual Freedom, 917-B King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 703-535-5836 Fax: 703-535-5838
CFIF is a 501(c)(4) not-for-profit constitutional advocacy organization with the mission to protect and defend individual freedoms and individual rights. Contributions to CFIF are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Contributions may be deductible as a business expense.
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