Terrain Shifts in Challenges to the Health Care Law

The New York Times

By KEVIN SACK

December 28, 2010

The legal challenge to the Obama health care act has invigorated a dispute as old as the Constitution about the framers’ most nettlesome grant of power, which gives Congress treacherously broad authority to pass laws “necessary and proper” to carrying out its assigned responsibilities.

The cases, which are presumed to be headed to the Supreme Court, center on whether Congress’s power to regulate interstate commerce is so expansive that it can require citizens to buy health insurance. But as the litigation advances, the “necessary and proper” clause is taking on greater prominence in briefs and oral arguments, with the Obama administration asserting that it shelters the insurance mandate and state officials arguing that it buries it.

Because the facts are novel — the courts have never addressed whether Americans can be penalized for not buying something — each side has managed to glean what it wants from the Supreme Court’s most recent guidance.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/29/health/policy/29legal.html?_r=1&hp

The neocons have established a new, lower performance level for America’s politicians. If one cannot perform up to an established level, then the possibility exists that one can bring the performance level down to where one can perform. And America’s ombudsmen(voters) may well “sign off” on such a transition.

Having a group of politicians, who have shown little or no talent for the successful management of domestic or foreign policy put their “mark” on America’s Constitution is the ultimate stupidity of America’s ombudsmen(voters).  But the Constitution does appear to be the goal of America’s neocons. And finally they may get help from the CURRENT VERSION OF AMERICA’S SUPREME COURT.

Ex-President George W. Bush, who America’s ombudsmen may now have taking a liking to, was quoted as giving this description to America’s Constitution: “It’s just a goddamned piece of paper”.

Can anyone imagine giving the THREE STOOGES the task of tampering with America’s Constitution?

A fool and his country may have already parted.

[FactCheck.org gave comments on “ Bush on the Constitution” which made “FactCheck.org” appear to be “OpinionCheck.org”]

Scientist: Climate change to intensify winter weather

 

THE HILL

By Andrew Restuccia

12/29/10

This weekend’s massive blizzard in the Northeast has fueled the fire of climate skepticism that’s pervasive in many parts of the United States. If we’re still getting major winter storms, skeptics say, how can the planet be warming?

E2 Wire put that question to Tom Peterson, chief scientist at the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration’s National Climatic Data Center.

Peterson said the latest climate change data indicate increases in global temperature result in more intense weather events, including winter storms.

As the planet warms, “frequency of storms will stay the same, but the intensity will increase,” he said.
“Multiple peer-review papers indicate that strong storms are likely to increase. So the climate change is changing the probability of a strong storm occurring,” he said. […]

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/135395-a-climate-scientist-on-winter-weather-and-climate-change

The climate warming issue pits science against business and neocon politics. The neocons entered the fray on the side of business. The neocons are said to be  “business friendly”.

Business is responsible for its bottom line only. And a blogger over at the Wall Street Journal stated The Case Against Corporate Social Responsibility. One might easily think that the owners of America’s economic engine have no social responsibility to America the country. And American consumers of business products are nowhere near as organized as business.

Having business and neocon politics team-up against science in the domain of science is probably stupid. But what’s new in the world of neocon politics?

Will America’s Ombudsmen(voters) Now Be More Receptive to “Blowing Up Their Computers”?

After giving a vote of confidence to the neocons and showing increased acceptance to President George W. Bush, what is next?

Before “exploding laptop batteries” and before Stuxnet Senator Orrin Hatch had an idea for dealing with those who illegally download music. The Free Republic website posted this news story:

Powerful Senator Endorses Destroying Computers of Illegal Downloaders (Orrin Hatch)

The neocons/Republicans don’t take kindly to any transgressions against business. The neocons have, on numerous occasions, showed their “business friendly” attitude. They showed it in 1929 and again in December of 2007.

If Americans have “re-instated” Ex-President Bush’s ideas – which included a deadly foray into Iraq, cannot the same mentality be applied to “blowing up their computers”?

It is difficult to give up sugar, salt and recreational drugs – but music? The music industry(business) has shown the steps it is willing to take to protect its property. And some of those steps are draconian.

But the ugliest step of all has to be “blowing up their computers”. And the revival of that “technology” may again raise its ugly head. America’s ombudsmen(voters) seem to be in a “forgiving” mood. Perhaps they will accept the “blowing up their computers” idea this time around.

A fool and his country may have already parted.

Perhaps Condoleezza Rice Got it Right[…]

for she said, in December of 2008: people will soon “start to thank Bush for what he’s done”.

In 2008, Condoleezza Rice, America’s then Secretary of State, comments were captured by CNN Politics.com:

(CNN) — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that despite President Bush’s low approval ratings, people will soon “start to thank this president for what he’s done.”

“So we can sit here and talk about the long record, but what I would say to you is that this president has faced tougher circumstances than perhaps at any time since the end of World War II, and he has delivered policies that are going to stand the test of time,” Rice said in an interview that aired on CBS’ “Sunday Morning.” […]

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Condoleezza Rice says Bush’s policies will “stand the test of time”
• Rice says she’s not bothered by criticism, says she’s “here to make tough choices”
• Secretary of State says historians criticizing Bush “aren’t very good historians”
• Rice says she plans to write a book about foreign policy

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/28/rice.administration/index.html

Well, is two years soon enough to see a prediction come true? Apparently it only took two years for America to think like Condoleezza Rice. Americans now hold Mr. Bush in high esteem. A popularity poll has ranked Mr. Bush immediately after President Obama – with President Obama being the most popular.

While performance, logic, common sense and a host of human traits can be used to understand the selection of Barack Obama, it takes something special to understand the selection of Ex-President George W. Bush. And that something special may be forgiving and forgetting.

Do Americans now accept slicing penises as proper conduct for a political party?

Do Americans now accept water-boarding as proper conduct for a political party?

Do Americans now accept selling cocaine to minority neighborhoods of Los Angeles, California as proper conduct for a political party?

Do Americas now accept starting the Iraq war, a war of aggression, as proper conduct for a political party?

Do Americans now accept the outing of a covert CIA agent as a normal activity under the leadership of the neocons political party?

Is Satan smiling?

If forgiving and forgetting is not the foundation for America’s new thinking about Ex-President George W. Bush, then Satan must be smiling at a massive new membership gain.

What did happen to America?

Something must have changed for America. Since past performances of neocons cannot change, perhaps perceptions of those past performances may have changed?

Perhaps America got new information on why its sons, daughters and millions of Iraqi citizens were put in a deadly harm’s way in Iraq. The Iraqi war started 7 years ago under a “16 word reason” that the world, capable of guiding a rocket to the moon,  was not able to understand.

Perhaps America decided to adopt John McCain’s idea that, “We’ll look back on Iraq as  an academic argument”. The academic argument idea might easily “mis-train” those minds that uses America’s “current events” news pool while their “common sense latch” is turned off.

The Iraqi war was the instrument by which American business got a dominant access to the world’s second largest oil reserve. While that not only seems illegal, it also seems UN-AMERICAN. But neither the United Nations nor Ron Paul has commented – or is likely to comment. America’s “current events” news pool won’t likely contain that information.

Satan might be happy with the “resume” of the neocons, but would America’s ombudsmen(voters)? It looks like Condoleezza Rice understood, two years ago, where America was going. But did she think that the name of the destination was HELL?

A fool and his country may have already parted.

Sotomayor protests court’s refusal of appeals

USA

TODAY

Yahoo! Buzz

By Joan Biskupic, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has set herself apart from colleagues with her fervent statements protesting the majority’s refusal to take some appeals, particularly involving prisoners.

Each month, the justices spurn hundreds of petitions from people who have lost in lower courts, and rarely does an individual justice go public with concern about the denial. In the seven times it has happened since the annual term opened in October, Justice Sotomayor has signed four of the opinions, more than any other justice. She was the lead author on three, again more than any other justice.

She forcefully dissented when the justices refused to hear the appeal of a Louisiana prisoner who claimed he was punished for not taking his HIV medication. He said prison officials subjected him to hard labor in 100-degree heat. Writing alone, she said the inmate had a persuasive claim of cruel and unusual punishment. …

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-12-27-courtdissents27_ST_N.htm

It is absolutely thrilling to see JUSTICE SOTOMAYER bring pre-neocon values back to America’s Supreme Court.

It took the neocons twenty-some-odd years, but they finally got the United States Supreme Court to the stage they earlier got America’s Congress into. The United States Supreme Court, i.e. the CURRENT VERSION of the United States Supreme Court has set itself apart as a Bush Supreme Court. Name one thing, anything that the Bush team deserved an “ATTA-BOY” for.

The current version of America’s Supreme Court says it’s ok for business to make political contributions to America’s political parties. Having organizations “purchase” a stake in America’s government is an old idea that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt warned against. He warned Americans against the private ownership of America’s government. Now private organizations(business) are right up there with America’s citizens in influencing the type of government that America has.

Even a DUMB MORON knows what business ownership of government means.

Why can’t business be satisfied with owning America’s economy? GREED -  i.e. million dollar bonuses for “managing” a crashed economy.

Post- neocon values accepted anything and everything so long as POLITICAL OPPORTUNITY was there. Penis slicing, water-boarding and selling cocaine to minority neighborhoods of Los Angeles, California were well within the “values” system of America’s neocons.

The current version of America’s Supreme Court gives a “thumbs up” to the rights of dog fighters.

The current version of America’s Supreme Court introduced America to family matters of one of its justices. Supreme Court justices can also have marital roles. But it is rare for the marital role to insert itself into the business role of America’s Supreme Court. Welcome to the Bush Supreme Court.

With luck, and a lot of it, America’s ombudsmen(voters) may finally wake up to what they have done to America’s Congress and America’s Supreme Court.

Missed Signals. Indecision. Failed Defenses. Acts of Valor.

Today’s New York Times gives the above description to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. That description clashes mightily with the “political” description given by Rand Paul. Rand Paul said: Obama Sounds ‘Un-American’ For Criticizing BP Over Gulf Oil Spill. And America’s ombudsmen(voters) sent that wisdom to a leadership role in America’s government.

Rand Paul gave an early description of the Deepwater Horizon’s disaster. Neocons tend to give out their “information” early – when no one knows anything. No one!

That is the same quality “information” given early-on by a neocon “mouthpiece” who declared, “they gave your mortgage to less qualified minorities” as the cause of the neocons’ “voodoo economics” created GREAT RECESSION.

There is a pattern here. The pattern is race. And that could show why some Americans have developed an interest in the neocons. And the neocons have indicated that the idea of a civil war “has a nice ring to it”. The neocons will “bottom fish” America for POLITICAL OPPORTUNITIES.

————————————————————————————————————–

References:

Barstow, David  Rohde, David,  Saul, Stephanie. “Deepwater Horizon’s Final Hours”; New York Times December 26, 2010: Front Page

Will the Neocons “Take on” China, Russia and America?

After successfully “taking on” Iraq, will the “mental giant” neocons next pick more challenging tasks?

America’s ombudsmen(voters) just gave America’s neocons a vote of confidence and that could embolden the neocons in their effort to expand their influence around the world. They have already expanded their influence into Iraq – gaining an increased share of the world’s supply of oil in the process.

And neither Russia’s nor China’s governments meets the standards of the neocons’ perception of what government should look like – capitalist democracy. But the governments of Russia and China are not the only governments that don’t seem to meet the neocons perception of government. Also put America in that list. But since America is already a capitalist democracy, the neocons may want to change it to a fascist government.

China

The neocons bumped up against China during the neocons’ claim to outer space. That confrontation produced a display of “shooting” down space objects. If one is going to own outer space, one must be able to protect outer space. Joejolly has noticed that you can’t own what you can’t protect.

The Palestinians thought they owned Palestine but discovered they could not protect Palestine. The Tasmanians thought they owned  their Tasmania but discovered they could not protect  their Tasmania.

China has demonstrated that it can protect its outer space properties. The demonstration of protection of outer space was directed against its own property but it does not have to be that way. If other armies, in total opposition to the “common heritage of mankind” idea, lay claim to outer space, it is possible that property destroyed by the Chinese army, could belong to other than the Chinese.

Can reason, common sense or fear constrain the neocons’ expansion ideas? That is yet to be seen.

RUSSIA

America’s neocons bumped up against Russia during that “Bold Move” of claiming outer space. But Russia chose a different response. Since Russia was the first one in space, Russia may have decided that history spoke for itself. Russia chose a different response. Russia chose the artic ocean.

Two Russian mini-subs descended to the ocean’s floor and planted the Russian flag on rich supplies of minerals. But what about joejolly’s thoughts on “you can’t own what you can’t protect”? A Russian voice mentioned using Russian military to protect Russian claims.

America

The neocons spoke of an American civil war. Major components of America’s first civil war have been persuaded by the neocons and neocon actions to join them in a second civil war. Voter caging and  illegally selling cocaine to minority neighborhoods of Los Angeles, California are things that America’s first civil war starters could apparently identify with.

America’s neocons do not yet know the limits to their “life style”. It would have been “nice” if America’s ombudsmen(voters) could have informed them. But it may take the “tough love” of a foreign country to say, “enough is enough”. And there are likely enough nuclear tipped missiles waiting to do just that.

Pope urges end to conflicts in Christmas message

Pope Benedict called for Israelis and Palestinians “to strive for a just and peaceful co-existence”

Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his hope for an end to conflicts around the world, in his traditional Christmas Day message from the Vatican.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12078561

Hopefully, the Pope’s message reaches all “corners” of the globe:

from the corner in Israel where an Israeli  religious leader requested God’s help in “smiting” a Palestinian, to the corner in America’s South Carolina where religious leaders advocated burning the Koran.

Squandering One’s Inheritance

In 1980, the neocons inherited America.

In 2009, the neocons returned America. After the neocons got done with America  – it was quite different – in a negative way -  from what it was in 1980. America’s treasury was bankrupt. Its system of laws were being disrespected and its basic fabric had been challenged.

If the neocons had done an equivalent job on repairing roofs of America’s ombudsmen(voters) houses, the neocons would not likely have been called back to “repair those roofs again”. Experience has been known to teach people.

A fool and his country may have already parted.

China Matches U.S. Space Launches for First Time

wired.com

By David Axe

December 23, 2010

Outwardly, it looked like just another big space launch — and those happen about once a week, from spaceports all around the world. But Friday’s blast-off of a rocket, carrying a Chinese GPS-style navigation satellite, from the Xi Chang Satellite Launch Center was different. It set a record for successful Chinese launches in one year: 15.

The launch represented another important milestone. For the first time since the chilliest days of the Cold War, another country has matched the United States in sheer number of rocket launches.

To some observers, the rapid acceleration of the Chinese space program is perfectly reasonable, even expected. With nearly 20 percent of the world’s population and the planet’s second-biggest economy by some measures, it stands to reason that China would join other advanced, spacefaring nations — and on a grander scale.

But more cautious (or alarmist, depending on your point of view) China-watchers question Beijing’s motives, and warn of potentially dire consequences if China comes to dominate the heavens.

In an interview with Danger Room, space expert Brian Weeden from the Secure World Foundation took a measured view: Sure, China’s catching up fast, but the world’s most powerful Communist country still has a long way to go before it can go toe-to-toe with the United States in space. …

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/12/china-matches-u-s-space-launches-for-first-time/

America had a twenty-some-odd year gap during which its focus was on tax cuts for the wealthy, de-regulation for its industries and wars for its military. One war, the Iraq war, the neocons wholly owned. And another, in the jungles of South America,  the neocons adopted. The neocons “managed” America’s “ship of state” with the improvement of business and neocons in mind.

China managed its “ship of state” with the improvement of China in mind. And based upon displayed results, China’s improvement did not exclude education of its young people. The neocons spoke out against improving the education of those, who had experienced, at the hands of government,  deprivation of education.

America’s competition in the world of software programming started to slide during the twenty-some-odd year rein of America’s neocons. And by 2010 China was on top and  America’s universities, participating in the acm-ICPC were clustered in 14th place. America’s competitive software skills went from a preponderance of top of the line positions to also ran positions in 2010.

And supercomputers – long the domain of dominant American computer companies are now being challenged – by whom – by China. And now we see Chinese competition in the space domain. And China is not a capitalist democracy.