Take 2 and call me in the morning, or next month

Committee ranking member Sen. Charles Grassley (R., Iowa) wore two pairs of glasses to read during a mark-up session on health-care reform legislation on Capitol Hill Tuesday.

Cup and saucer is a metaphor used to differentiate the roles played by the House of Representatives and United States Senate.

Markup - The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.

Although there have already been four health care bills passed through different Senate committees, the bill that President Obama has endorsed may look very different by the time it gets out of the mark-up process in the Finance Committee. If it ever does get out. If Wednesday was any indication, Senators seem to be planning on slowly dripping provisions of Sen. Max Baucus' bill on to the saucer. For those who criticize Congress often as a "Do Nothing Body," it seemed as though hot passions of the Town Halls had been replaced by the Washington (Hot) Water (for Tea) Torture treatment.

The Wall Street Journal Reports:

For a sample of what’s to come, check out the committee’s legislation page, which includes a whopping 564 proposed amendments spread over three categories (”reforming the health care delivery system,” “expanding health care coverage” and the ever-popular “financing comprehensive health care reform.”)

The amendments run the gamut from “protecting doctors from frivolous lawsuits” (#178) to “providing consumers with the same health insurance options as Members of Congress” (#329). These and all the rest are spelled over hundreds of pages here, here and here.

On the whole, the amendments head in directions you’d expect: As Politco noted, Republicans want fewer new taxes, and medical liability reform; amendments from Dems would do things like strengthen health insurance co-ops and boost tax credits to low- and middle-income families.

Lest you think that these amendments are mere posturing by minor Senate figures, check out this WSJ interview with Chairman Baucus, who is himself looking to make a pretty significant changes to the bill. Specifically, Baucus may cut the tax on high-end health benefits and increase subsidies to help some families buy health insurance.

MSNBC reports on Wednesday the committee debated for 2 hours an amendment that would put the legalize of the text of the entire bill on line. Sounds like a good idea, but maybe not so much.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Well, if you don't want to read the entire bill -- and its 564 proposed amendments -- you can have it read to you by professional voices:

Don't want to read the health care bill? How about listening to it? "Diane Havens, a voice-over actress from New Jersey, recently narrated a legal thriller by Will Nathan, “Book of Business,” and in a customer review at Audible.com, “Philip” lauded her “gripping narration.” Her latest voice-over project is also legal in nature, but decidedly slower paced: along with about 60 other voice actors, Ms. Havens volunteered to record the proposed health care bill, H.R. 3200, a 1,017-page doorstop. The reading, available free at hearthebill.org, clocks in just shy of 24 hours."

220 yrs of txt

(From CBS2School)

Our Founders delivered an amazing text to the citizens 220 years ago last week, and we need you to forward it on.

The U.S. Constitution was ratified 220 years ago on Sept. 17 making the United States the world’s longest lasting constitutional democracy.

Its fundamental elements still shape our daily political lives as separation of powers and checks and balances split power within our central government. Federalism still divides the functions of central and regional governments.

The original text was not infallible as it perpetuated the slave trade and allowed the institution of slavery to expand. In fact, the document has been amended 27 times to adjust the scope of government.

220 years later, the Constitution and its Bill of Rights still represent the nature of American politics in which government is empowered by the people but with limited impact in our personal lives.

In honor of national Constitution week, we’re asking you to review this text and pass it on in the form of a txt message from “we the ppl.”

America at Odds: Fiscal Federalism and Drinking Age

Fiscal Federalism is the power of the national government to influence state policies through grants. In 1984, when the National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed, it essentially created a national drinking age of 21. States could still make it legal for those under 21 to drink alcohol, but it would forfeit federal highway funding.

In America at Odds By Edward Sidlow, Beth Henschen, the author's outline the "Bridging of the Tenth Amendment" by fiscal federalism. The education reform (ie: testing requirements) in the No Child Left Behind Act rely on fiscal federalism. States receive block grants and in return must meet federally imposed standards relating to testing and accountability. Many state officials express concern that the fiscal federalism used to put NCLB into practice is the beginning of a fundamental shift toward the national government's assumption of control over public schools. This might also be known as marble cake federalism.

http://books.google.com/books?id=0nqiWK6xC14C&pg=RA1-PA68&lpg=RA1-PA68&dq=Is+national+drinking+age+law+fiscal+federalism%3F&source=web&ots=RuslYwIs9R&sig=NwFUv79R6c-huLuAGciQcCBlcMM&hl=en

Why bring this up now? Well, there may be a growing movement to challenge the National Drinking Age Law. The presidents of 135 colleges across the country have signed a public statement calling on elected officials to "support an informed and dispassionate public debate over the effects of the 21 year-old drinking age." The statement, as detailed on The Amethyst Initiative website, reflects their belief that it is time to rethink the drinking age, that 21 as a LDA is not working, and that an unintended consequence of the 21 LDA is dangerous binge drinking.

It may be layered in a constitutional question. There are those who believe that fiscal federalism and its marbe cake mandates, are basically against the 10th Amendment that gives the power to make all non-constituional policy to the states. They argue that federal highway funding should be allocated in a layer cake format ie: highway funding and drinking age laws should not be mixed.

There are many special interest groups (ie: MADD) that will influence state legislatures and the Congress on this issue. The Tribune reports that more than two decades after the U.S. set the national drinking age at 21, a movement is gaining traction to revisit the issue and consider allowing Americans as young as 18 to legally consume alcohol.

Serious discussions already are under way in several states.

http://www.examiner.com/x-16039-DC-Parenting-College-Students-Examiner~y2009m9d7-College-presidents-ask-should-the-drinking-age-be-lowered2

Students take on an Army

(Classic Re-run post)

Linked here is who a group of Louisiana AP Government Students are battling for their right to free speech:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/corps.html

From the "Teaching the Levees.org" blog here is the story of the PSA Students ran and posted on YouTube and Levees.org that has been taken down (or has it?) by a "cease and desist" letter written by lawyers for the Army Corps of Engineers.
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http://youtube.com/watch?v=s_ezG_ahQOw


"Why Levees.org removed PSA from YouTube"
Levees.Org was served an order to Cease and Desist from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) on November 10, 2007. We were ordered to remove our funny student-made Public Service Announcement (PSA) from YouTube. If we refused, the ASCE promised “appropriate legal action.”
We stand behind every word of our PSA. But had we fired back with a rejection of the Cease and Desist, ASCE would likely have sued Levees.org not in Louisiana, but rather in Virginia where they are based. In that forum, it would have been difficult and expensive to find legal representation. Levees.Org does not possibly have the personnel, the resources nor the scope to take on a legal battle with a large powerful organization such as the ASCE.

Further, Levees.Org in no way wanted to bring harm to Newman school who was copied on the Cease and Desist.

So we removed our PSA video from YouTube late Tuesday night Nov 13, when the webmaster, my 17 year old son returned home from his State Cross Country meet.
Sandy Rosenthal, Exec Director, Levees.Org
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By the way, cease and desist is is a legal term used primarily in the United States [citation needed] which essentially means "to halt" or "to end" an action ("cease") and to refrain from doing it again in the future ("desist"). The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization.

The term is used in two different contexts. A cease-and-desist order can be issued by a judge or government authority, and has a well-defined legal meaning. In contrast, a cease-and-desist letter can be sent by anyone, although typically they are drafted by a lawyer.
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Full blogging coverage of the fansinating story of the power of students and the constitutional right to get the words out can be found here:

http://www.teachingthelevees.org/




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Madison v. Screech: Which T-Shirt Would They Wear?

This is a re-run Classic Poltical Warrior Post

James Madison might not ever imagined Bayside High School, but he described it perfectly when he wrote Federalist No. 10.

In his effort to promote the ratification of the Constitution, Madison helped write the Federalist papers to describe the theoretical underpinnings of this unique government.

Besides describing how the concept of Separation of Powers (Federalist No. 51) would work, he also spoke of how this new government would help to contain the archenemy of democracy: factions.

Madison argued that cliques are a natural part of society but were particularly detrimental in a democracy where the majority faction would naturally try to punish the minority factions. He argued that this oppressive situation was most likely to occur in smaller regions.

For instance Bayside High School-- with a student population of 10 -- had a majority faction led by Zac and the gang who ran the school. They led the football team. They ran the school newspaper. They even dictated the policies of their principal Mr. Belding...never considering the impact on the oppressed minority--the Geeks.

A large republic is like a large high school. No one faction can ever dominate. In a large republic, multiple factions have to unite behind common interests to enact public policy.

For instance, in order to win the electoral votes in a state like Florida, candidates vie to win support from the elderly, from Cuban-Americans, from African-Americans, and from the NASCAR crowd. Thus, candidates must tailor their message to unite groups that might have widely different interests.

So, when you were asked to read Federalist No. 10, you should have been sure to also watch a re-run of Saved by the Bell to gain fuller appreciation of the system that Madison was trying to prevent.

Saved by the Bell WVHS style

While the size of Waubonsie Valley, Madison would maintain, has kept any one faction from succeeding in a power grab, several sub-groups of Warrior seniors have tried separated themselves from the rest of the student body. No less than four "Senior" T-shirts have been worn by faction models. Senior Mean Girls, Senior Princesses. . . then there's the student council senior T, and the many AP faction statements.

Screech and his crew would be all about making the best T-shirt. It would probably make Madison simply want to scream. Linked is Federalist No. 10 for those of you want to get ahead of the bell.

http://www.thisnation.com/library/books/federalist/10.html

Obama on 60 Minutes

Watch CBS Videos Online
Despite the fact that Yousef and others said that 60 Minutes is a show for 70 year olds, I thought I'd link President Obama's appearance last night. Maybe you'll watch it here and post what you think.

This is the way the President can try to use the Bully Pulpit. It strikes me that Obama is going on television shows more than his predecessors (I can't even remember Bush going on 60 Minutes once), but it is still interesting to me and you can see it above. Here is a new poll (lots of questions and graphics) on Obamacare.

No Respect

Last week, it was have your children boycott the President's First Day of School Speech.

Then before a joint session of Congress, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) upstaged President Barack Obama’s healthcare speech to a joint session of Congress. Wilson cried out, “You lie,” when Obama claimed illegal immigrants will not be eligible to receive any new government health benefits.

Then on Sunday, there were dueling displays of disrespect. Angry mobs of grassroots (?) converged on the Capitol to protest President Obama, health care reform, big government and anything else they could think of. A sign was being handed out, and photographed that read, "Bury Obamacare with Kennedy.”

Then Sunday night came Kanye West's rant.

No matter where you are on the political spectrum, or what you feel about health care reform, or music, aren't we -- or shouldn't we be better than that.

It seems to me, implicit in the sign’s message is an act of violence against the President of the United States. These angry right-wing mobs want to see harm come to our President. Is it wrong, or am I wrong? Is it racist? let me know what you think.

But it's not just Congressmen and political right-wingers showing disrespect. Kayne West, who had been known to lampoon President George W. Bush, was embarassing last night at the MTV awards.

The Washington Post asked today:

Separated at Birth: Kanye West and Joe Wilson?

Is Kanye West the Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) of the music world?

Last night's ill-mannered interruption of Taylor Swift's VMA acceptance speech was eerily reminiscent of last week's similarly unwelcome outburst from Wilson during President Obama's health care address to a joint session of Congress. So what does that say about us?

voices.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2009/09/separated_at_birth_kanye_west.html?hpid=talkbox1

For a lighter take on this comparison, watch this excellent mashup -- obviously rushed into production -- in which West interrupts Obama's speech, it's at the end of the link.

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More about Joe (Has He No Shame)Wilson (R-SC), here are some more links to help you.

First off he first gained fame as a state senator by strongly supporting and then voting for the continuance of flying the Confederate flag over the SC state house. His remarks, though, have helped his 2010 (and 2008) opponent, Rob Miller, had raised $500,000 in the past 24 hours and the DNC has raised over a million (before it sends out the appeal letters using Wilson). Not to be left out of it, Joe Wilson has already released a commercial where he begins by noting his apology and then proceeds to attack Obama's health care plan and ask for your pledge (as you can see above). Finally, here is PolitFact which is a source that checks comments made by politicians and you can see it disputes Wilson's side.