The Health Debate - No Reform ?

The Lakeland Times: Reports that the US Senator Russ Feingold a Democrat has stated that a Health Reform Package might come at the end of year or never. The effect of the town hall meetings on House and the Senate will be interesting, Blue Dog Democrats in the House have gotten a ear full from the voters, also Senators have gotten the message. Also with the death of Senator Ted Kennedy this could effect the progress of the Bill. As the New York Times notes " Republicans think...................that if.....Kennedy were still around — to cajole and influence both sides of the aisle — he might have made a difference. " Thus after Senator Kennedy burial on Saturday what is the political reality for the Obama White House and Democrats, at its most basic they don't have sixty votes in the Senate, thus we come to the nuclear option, to push a health care reform package through with just 51 votes, the Hill states the following, " Democratic leaders will have to resort to a special procedural maneuver, known as budget reconciliation, to pass the most controversial elements of reform,..." Thus we are waiting to see if the Blue Dog Democrats will cave to the Liberal Leadership in Congress, if Senate Leaders can keep all their Senators in line. The death of Senator Kennedy has robbed President Obama of a very import point man in the Senate, lets see if Obama can manage the Senate like LBJ.

Chappaquiddick and Kennedy

ABC News: Reports how the incident at Chappaquiddick effected the political career of Senator Edward Kennedy. Read of the Day.

The Next Senator from Massachusetts IS ?

The Hill: Reports on those in the race to be the successor to Senator Edward Kennedy. Lets be brutal here, politics is brutal, and the King is Dead, Long Live the King. The State of Massachusetts has to decide if it’s a heredity Senate seats for the Kennedy's or if it’s a Democracy, it cant be both, lets have a fresh face with new ideas, even more left wing that Teddy Kennedy but new and not a Kennedy.

The Death of Senator Edward Kennedy

BBC News: Reports on the death of Senator Edward Kennedy. Senator Kennedy was the last of the Kennedy Brothers, President Kennedy being assassinated in 1963, Bobby Kennedy being killed in 1968, and Joe Kennedy being killed in World War Two. Senator Edward Kennedy was the last link to the Kennedy Camelot of 1961 - 1963. Ted Kennedy in many respects achieved more than his brothers, he was the last liberal lion of the Senate, his name is attached to many reforms that have helped those that need help in society. The question that has to be asked do these reforms make up for Chappaquiddick, in this case he drove his car off a bridge and drowned an Campaign Aide of RFK, Mary Jo Kopechne, he swam away from the car, contacted his political aides before the local authorities. Thus does public good negate the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, it cant, it does not matter how many good works you do if you destroy a life there are consequences, for Edward Kennedy it was that he was never President, but he helped a young Senator Obama become President. President Obama stated the following after the death of Senator Kennedy, " The outpouring of love, gratitude, and fond memories to which we've all borne witness is a testament to the way this singular figure in American history touched so many lives. His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives -- in seniors who know new dignity, in families that know new opportunity, in children who know education's promise, and in all who can pursue their dream in an America that is more equal and more just -- including myself.......in the United States Senate, I can think of no one who engendered greater respect or affection from members of both sides of the aisle. His seriousness of purpose was perpetually matched by humility, warmth, and good cheer. He could passionately battle others and do so peerlessly on the Senate floor for the causes that he held dear, and yet still maintain warm friendships across party lines........And that's one reason he became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy.......His extraordinary life on this earth has come to an end. And the extraordinary good that he did lives on. For his family, he was a guardian. For America, he was the defender of a dream. " But dreams are complicated, the dream of Camelot, of JFK, RFK and Edward Kennedy had light but also darkness, thus back to Chappaquiddick.

US Liberals and Afghanistan and Iraq

The New York Times: It has started already folks, the Liberal left is starting to undermine the War in Afghanistan as they did in Iraq, the NYT writes the following, " The war in Afghanistan made sense once but it doesn’t any longer. The war in Iraq never did..." Thus here is the groundwork for next year folks, the Liberal New York Times has started with negative stories about Afghanistan, as it did with Iraq. The extreme Liberal New York Times wants to give American rights to terrorists, leaks national security information, tax the middle class to pay for the poor to have a health service. The question is does Obama have the backbone to stand up to the Liberal NYT, so far he has not, he has allowed his Attorney General to damage the national security of the USA by appointing a special prosecutor to investigate torture claims post 9/11. The President has appointed the FBI to be the main agent in the War on Terror, thus showing a pre 9/11 mindset. It can be postulated that Obama will cave to the Liberal NYT when it comes to Afghanistan, but the cost will be to the security of the USA and the West. The silver lining is that Obama will lose his re-election bid in 2012, the problem is does the Republican Party have another Ronald Reagan.

The Left and Pakistan

Guardian: Reports on the deaths of Taliban/Terrorists in the Swat Valley in Pakistan, the Left Wing Guardian writes the following, " security forces are under pressure to hold an inquiry after being accused by human rights groups of summarily executing suspected militants in the Swat valley. " What is it with papers like the Guardian and the The New York Times, they seem more interested in giving rights to terrorists than to the people, the Taliban/Terrorists wanted to take the Swat Valley back to the stone age, it seems that Guardian types don't see the real world, they seen their cosy left wing views as representing the real world, it never has and never will, the Taliban/Terrorists deserve a summary trial and execution in most cases, we don't have time for cases at the Hague. The Army of Pakistan should be given thanks for doing a good job, not get some nagging from the UK Guardian, on most issues that the Guardian cares about the Taliban are on the other page, don't see many civil partnerships under the Taliban. The Taliban/Terrorists have to be destroyed, they are the modern Fascists or Satanists, they have to be placed on the ash heap of history.

Torture Worked = Saved Lives

Fox News: Reports on the release of secret documents that seem to justify the use of torture on terrorists. It is hard to understand why President Obama wants to get in to a fight with VP Cheney on the issue, it is the one issue that the voters have made their minds up on, and they support the Bush 43. When it comes to National Security the Democrats never seem to learn, the recent appointment of a special prosecutor to look in to acts of the CIA after 9/11 will only work against the Obama Administration, the American people are not interested in the 1980s left wing seminar opinions of left wing Democrats when it comes to the security of the USA. The Obama Administration is making the same mistake as Bush 43, it is making an enemy of the CIA, they CIA has the NSA what dose Obama have that can match the power of the CIA to leak an Administration to distraction. It is a hard fact folks, torture worked post 9/11, it saved lives, if you got a terrorists you get the information any way you can, Obama can not afford a major terrorist attack on the USA while his Justice Department is trying to convict CIA Officers, Obama has done a major gamble, if he loses he just loses the Presidency in 2012, the USA and the West could lose thousands or hundred of thousand of lives if the terrorist get lucky with a major operation in the USA or the West.

Taliban/Terrorists kill Innocent Afghans

BBC News: Reports on the latest atrocities by the Taliban/Terrorist in Afghanistan, they have set off bombs in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The bombs have killed around 40 people and injured many more in Kandahar. The NATO and US Forces have to bring security to the urban areas of Afghanistan, the people of Afghanistan have to believe that the West has the morale backbone to stay as long as it takes in Afghanistan. If the Obama Administration does not send extra troops to Afghanistan as will be requested by the US Military, then there is no hope for the Western Military and people of Afghanistan, it can be argued that this is Obama's LBJ moment. Obama in his hearts of hearts does not want to send extra troops to Afghanistan, one the whole one can understand the Presidents points of view but as stated of late many times on this blog, the Obama Administration and the West does not have a choice, we cant leave Afghanistan, a Western pull out would help the Taliban/Terrorists and would make Pakistan a target. The major worry is that Pakistan is a nuclear armed power, thus there are no good options when it comes to Afghanistan, its just the lesser bad choice, Obama might not want to be LBJ but history is fickle, it might be time for another LBJ, and that crown is now on the head of President Obama.