A majority of Americans were stunned this week after the budget shattering Healthcare Bill was passed by the Liberals in the House.  Upon completion of the vote, the House Leaders stood together congratulating both themselves and all of America.  Speaker Pelosi spoke, rather ironically, of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness while the Republicans set forth their determination to halt any furtherance of the Bill by any and all measures available.  The vote was narrow in its margins as the Democrats squeaked by with a total of 219 to 212, which was only 3 votes above the required 216 for passage.  There were no Republican votes in support of the Bill.  This while a number of State Attorney Generals began laying out plans to institute lawsuits challenging the Constitutionality of mandatory healthcare in conjunction with States' Rights.

In fact, as the chaotic tug-of-war between Washington Politicians  raged on this week, it seemed almost as if the Biblical "Tower of Babel" had re-emerged from the earth and set all of Washington into a frenzy of nearly unintelligible babbling.  The President, in a stump speech, stated that after the passage of healthcare coverage, premiums would go down by a remarkable 3,000%.  We can only perceive this to mean that insurance companies would heroically pay individuals "lottery like sums" to take out coverage.

The New Price Is Wrong

The President went on to then attack insurance carriers repeatedly, no doubt due in part to their being the largest competitor to the Federal Government's stake of better than 50% of all medical insurance coverage now in effect--that being not enough, apparently. You might forgive my lack of humour in all of this as events unfold.

There were also cries of racism yet again, as a number of Liberal Black politicians traversed through a vast throng of Tea Party protesters with boos and catcalls being hurled at them--but--at all of the other Democrats, as well.  Interestingly, of all the footage shown to date, we have been unable to discern any racial epithets.  Al Sharpton later weighed into the mix with uncharacteristic lucidity and stated on The O'Reilly Factor that "the American people overwhelmingly voted for Socialism when they elected President Obama."  This obviously left us all scratching our heads that we have finally found something on which we can agree as it regards the Rev. Sharpton.

Meanwhile, the CBO waded into the rising flood waters of Government's apparent love of extreme debt by scoring the available budgetary data as it applied to the impending  Healthcare vote.  The results of the score were much bally-hooed by the Liberals who gingerly overlooked the CBO's cover letter, which essentially stated that their overworked estimate was no better than pie-in-the-sky guesswork since it was nearly impossible to accurately score  the Bill's breadth and improvisation as it regards possible costs.  Further, the too numerous to count accounting tricks, vote buy-offs, gratuities and downright bribes at play left only a final, clumsily-executed rabbit pulled from the hat that was the Bill-signing to show an extreme naivete on the part of  the numerous supporters and fawning Media acolytes.

Jobless, Hungry, Homeless but in Great Health!

These tricks included 10 years of revenue collections against 6 years of expense outlays--which would be akin to qualifying for the purchase of a house by creatively proving income nearly 50% higher than it actually is.  Hmm... Sound familiar?  One wonders if ACORN has been giving Congress and the Administration advice prior to descending into dis-solution--but then, what else, Ladies and Gentlemen, does this remind you of in our recent agonizing past ?

Merely a day or so after the vote, press releases would point to Senator Stupak and a just released announcement of several airports in his district having been awarded Federal grants to the tune of $726,409.  The website Code Red, along with most engaged Americans, are wondering if there might be some strange happenstance at play regarding such startling coincidental timing for Stupak and his District.  Meanwhile, large companies such as Caterpillar, Verizon, John Deere, and many others, have indicated that their costs as a result of the changes to Healthcare will rise at a frightening pace.

Caterpillar alone stated that the costs from Healthcare Reform would exceed $100 million in additional costs for the first year alone.  If the ultimate goal is to keep companies and jobs in America rather than see them migrate to a country that has costs "3,000% lower," this Bill may indeed prove to be a jobs-killing, economic Kamikaze construct unlike anything America has yet seen.

Does Liberty Shrug?

As a vast majority of Americans appear increasingly stunned at the never-ending if not increasingly bizarre turn of events playing out, much of the world seems to watch in anxiety. We have written on a number of  prior occasions as to how a large number of Conservative Americans exist, now in a haze of disbelief, at the endless parade of unfortunate happenstances as they repeatedly occur.  But we also wonder if our perception of events in this country might be the same as those who can only observe from other nations.  If, indeed, the US is hated by a vast number of citizens and governments of other countries (as the media constantly infers), are they celebrating our sudden and terrible wounding, or are they terribly alarmed ?

We have often noted in surprise, here at Conservative Refocus, as to the amazing number of countries all over the world that continually visit this website--which is dedicated to Liberty and Conservatism--which seems to belie the perceived world-disavowal of America and its free market system.  We often wonder if those individual citizens of other countries are as Liberal as the world's media portray them to be?  It would seem not necessarily so, as the world increasingly sags its shoulders under the burdenof ever-increasing Socialism.

But does the world watch on in glee as we play out our comedy of errors on the stage, or does much of the Globe stare  in concern and dread as the light of Liberty flickers in an already gloomy landscape?  To listen to those at the left of center and much of the media, the US seemed to be in dire need of having much of its power drained off, as if the world was growing ever more nervous of the sole remaining Super Power.  Despite the ascendancy of the Chinese, and after the demise  and slow rebirth of what was the Soviet Union, the  outward perception of the US as "Policeman of the World"  has grown stale as a seemingly less influential America continues to  stiltedly, if not ineffectually,  address world events.

Aliens Among Us

The Liberals in our midst, meanwhile, appear gleeful that the foundations of Liberty have been dealt a mighty blow in the interests of collectivism.  Yet many of them seem not to perceive that the incremental pace of self-deluded Socialism has gained ever more ground at the ultimate expense of both themselves and their children.

Mixing into all of this is the clarion call of what is now 37  States who are considering a law suit against the Federal Government on the grounds that the Healthcare Legislation is unconstitutional, while 10 states--at this writing--are firmly committed.  The states of Virginia and Florida seem to be leading the way in what promises to be a remarkable contest which pits the States against their own Federal construct.  The States' primary objection seems to be the mandatory aspect of forcing sovereign State Citizens to purchase Health coverage.

A second consideration will be that the portion of mandated insurance that the States will be required to provide is unaffordable if not unsustainable.  A Conservative must view all of this with the now jaundiced eye that sees most States being nearly bankrupt as a result of the economy, and the Federal Government follows not far behind as it seems to labor cheerfully--if not mindlessly--under a massive debt of $14 Trillion.  No doubt, the addition of yet another entitlement financed by both the people and the Government should lower the massive deficits and save money?

The US Constitution Speaks

Article Six of the Constitution establishes the Federal Government in what is known as the Supremacy Clause, where any law or treaty of the Federal Government will trump any States' laws.  However, such laws that are made or exist cannot negate the remaining body of rights within the Constitution.  Therefore, under Amendment Nine, the Federal Government is forbidden to deny rights that remain with the people as they are enumerated within the Constitution; in other words, the rights of the People must remain with the People and cannot be usurped by Government intervention or law.  Further, under Amendment Four, the right of the people to be secure in their houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and a health insurance policy is that bit of paper which those in authority will be searching for.

Another area of incursion has been cited as it regards the Commerce Clause,which in this case, gives the Federal Government rights to regulate commerce among the states.  The Commerce Clause was never designed as a means to rip rights away from the people under the auspices of regulating state-to-state trade.  In fact, the Commerce Clause was written in order to keep trade among the States free of unusual encumbrance--but has often been used as a Federal bludgeon against the sovereignty of the States.  How the clause can be used to mandate health insurance might prove to be a fascinating stretch of the law.

But as the Federal Government gasps to reach and gain just a little more control (and then that's it! or is it?), the States and the People are beginning to wonder what fate has cruelly wrought.  The last true battle for States' rights began in 1862 when the Federal Government sought to outlaw the expansion of slavery into any other States or territories beyond those already existing States.  While the terrible blight of slavery was a chief component of the secession of the states, there were far, far many other economic, trade and political factors at play than the practice of slavery in the Civil War, despite what some insufferable, proselytizing Professors might insist.  In essence, the Southern States were battling for their right to secede against the Federal Government in a bid to regain their seeming loss of independence.  The fact that continually gets smoothed over was that slavery existed in the North, as well.

Unifying the Dissolution of States' Rights

This new Civil Battleground is a far different cry as a far larger proportion of the States threaten to band  together against their own Federal Construct, which has grown ravenous in its appetite for control at the expense of the States and their sovereignty. We can all now perhaps see where Obama's self-proclaimed identification with Abraham Lincoln has gotten a bit out of control.

The Supreme Court, which had been railed against by the Executive Branch and Congress in a surprising show of raucous disregard to the separation of powers, may have the last say as this new historical battle looms into possible fruition.

Obama's promise to be "The Great Unifier" has taken an ironic turn, as a majority of States now unify in a legal battle for States' Rights, against both the President and His Machiavellian Congress.

"It takes a long time to do the necessary administrative steps that have to be taken to put the legislation together to control the People."

Senior Congressman John D. Dingell, Democrat, Michigan  3/23/10

Barry Secrest