Previous Q&A’s were with Jack Bailey, Scott DesJarlais, Kent Greenough, and Don Strong.

Ron and I had some technical difficulties with the email Q&A, so since the opportunity presented itself, I decided to conduct a video interview with him at Saturday’s annual Maury County GOP Picnic in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

First, a very brief background on Lincoln Davis: He tends to keep a low profile (has anyone ever seen the guy on TV, even C-SPAN?), is a putative ‘Blue Dog’ Democrat…and yet votes with Nancy Pelosi more often than not. And although he ended up voting against Obamacare, he did authorize Pelosi to invoke the Slaughter “Deem & Pass” Rule, if necessary, to ensure that the unpopular, economically destructive bill would be rammed down our throats on way or another.

The Cook rating for TN-4 is R+13.

Translation: Davis is ripe for the picking.

Early voting is now underway, and the actual primary date is August 5th.

Thanks to Moe Lane for a few very basic but much appreciated pointers on How to Edit Your Video Interview with a Candidate or Politician.

After all, I consider him to be a pioneer of the genre.

Cross-posted at Dan Cleary.

So far, I have posted answers from Kent Greenough, Don Strong, and Jack Bailey.

This week, it’s Scott DesJarlais’ turn.

First, a brief case against Lincoln Davis. Davis enjoys the reputation of a Blue Dog, yet he votes with ultra-liberal Nancy Pelosi most of the time, and although in the end he did vote against ObamaCare, he played coy throughout the entire process. And let’s not forget he voted to give the nice lady the authority to invoke the Slaughter “Deem & Pass” Rule, if necessary, to ram ObamaCare down our throats.

He also voted twice for Pelosi to be House Speaker.

Some ‘Blue Dog’.

So here are the five GOP candidates in the mix: Jack Bailey, Scott DesJarlais, Kent Greenough, Ron Harwell, and Don Strong.

The primary date is August 5th.

This is an email Q&A. Please note I have not yet endorsed any candidate in this race, and the answers provided by the candidates do not necessarily reflect my personal viewpoint.

Scott DesJarlais

DC: Why are you running for Congress?

DESJARLAIS: I have always enjoyed sharing stories with my patients in the years that I have practiced medicine here in Tennessee. But over the past year, I noticed that stories started to change from talk about hunting and fishing to genuine panic about the future of this country because of the direction the Democrats in Congress have put us on. Never before have we as Americans felt as misrepresented by our government as we do right now. We are less free, we are less prosperous, and we definitely feel we are working for the government, instead of our government working for us. I’m running because it is past time that Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District be represented by someone who is a true conservative and who represents who we are in the Volunteer State.

DC: How would you describe Tennessee’s 4th Congressional district?

DESJARLAIS: The 4th Congressional is a rural district where people are proud to put in an honest day’s work. We believe in God, and family and that success is created by working hard every day. We don’t want the government interfering in our lives or telling us what to do. And we are tired of being the victims of a liberal system that is slowly stripping us of our means to live and survive.

DC: Why does Lincoln Davis not deserve a 5th term?

DESJARLAIS: Lincoln Davis has supported Nancy Pelosi’s anti-business, big government policies a disturbing 83% of the time. He claims to be a “blue dog” Democrat. He is a “lap dog” Democrat who claims to be one thing in Tennessee but acts and votes another way in DC. You can’t claim to be pro-life and then vote to remove the restrictions that prevented government-funded abortions in the District of Columbia. He has voted for every spending bill and is part of the problem that has created our economic troubling times. The time for career politicians is over. The people deserve to be represented, not taken advantage of to appease Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank and Barack Obama.

DC: Name one thing you would propose or support as a U.S. Representative to help the economy.

DESJARLAIS: First, I will vote to reduce the size and scope of government by supporting a spending freeze on all non-budgetary items. We must stop the continued passage of runaway spending bills that simply support personal political agendas. There is simply no place in the national budget for earmarks and pet projects that only serve personal political agendas. I will also vote to decrease our tax burden and eliminate the death tax so small business and farms can grow. We can spend our money better than the government can, period. We must stop punishing hard work and rewarding laziness. This is the only way we are going to create and preserve jobs.

DC: What should the United States do about Iran?

DESJARLAIS: The United States should first impose sanctions against Iran and then demand that the United Nations and nations such as Russia and China follow suit. We must also work with these countries to recognize the importance of Israel and why it must be protected. Iran is dangerous and to treat them as anything but a threat to this country is foolish, at best.

DC: Where can voters go to get more information on your campaign?

DESJARLAIS: www.scottdesjarlais.com or they can join me on both Facebook and Twitter.

Cross-posted at Dan Cleary.

But surely he is aware of the risks.

I guess when you’re the mayor of America’s largest sanctuary city and pushing hard for amnesty, it only makes sense to try and cram as many soon-to-be U.S. citizens as you can inside your jurisdiction.

And what better way to do that than to explicitly dangle jobs, free health care, and ‘protection’ in front of them?

Via the New York Daily News, on a h/t from Mark Levin.

Cross-posted at Dan Cleary.

Oh, but hold on – now we learn from Peter Orszag* it will take an act of Congress and the President’s signature (on a case-by-case basis) to override decisions made by ObamaCare’s main death panel.

Sorry, I meant to say the Independent Payment Advisory Board.

Because there are no death panels.

Remember that.

“I think folks have not really focused on the Medicare Commission – the Independent Payment Advisory Board – that’s created. This institution could prove to be far more important to the future of our fiscal health than, for example, the Congressional Budget Office. It has an enormous amount of potential power. So this Independent Payment Advisory Board has the power…it has the responsibility to put forward proposals to hit a pretty aggressive set of targets over the long term.

“And furthermore, the proposals take effect automatically, unless Congress not only specifically votes them down, but Congress specifically votes them down and the President signs that bill. So the default is now switched in a very important way on the biggest driver of our long-term costs, which is the Medicare program.

…

“Inertia now plays to the side of this independent board.”

h/t: Naked Emperor News via Breitbart.

*I’m going to play nice and avoid making cheap, obvious jokes about the man’s notorious hair-hat and his prepubescent, nasally, bureau-weenie voice.

Cross-posted to Dan Cleary.

Sometimes I think Ben Stein should quit punditry and just go back to droning on about voodoo economics at Shermer High School.

Stein acts as if regulatory oversight of Wall Street has been non-existent up to this point. Is he kidding? Has he never heard of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933? The Investment Company Act of 1940? The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002?

Correct me if I’m wrong here, but there are already rules in place against corporate fat cats partying like ‘drunken frat boys’ with investors’ money.

So why do we need Barack Obama proposing another slew of byzantine regulations reiterating the illegality of corporate fat cats partying like drunken frat boys with investors’ money?

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Via Breitbart.

Cross-posted at Dan Cleary.

So far, I have posted answers from Kent Greenough and Don Strong.

This week, we meet Jack Bailey.

As I have mentioned before, Lincoln Davis is a reputed Blue Dog, yet he votes with ultra-liberal Nancy Pelosi most of the time, and although in the end he did vote against ObamaCare, he played coy throughout the entire process. And let’s not forget he voted to give the nice lady the authority to invoke the Slaughter “Deem & Pass” Rule, if necessary, to ram ObamaCare down our throats.

He also voted twice for Pelosi to be House Speaker.

Some ‘Blue Dog’.

So here are the five GOP candidates in the mix: Jack Bailey, Scott DesJarlais, Kent Greenough, Ron Harwell, and Don Strong.

The primary date is August 5th.

This is an email Q&A. Please note I have not yet endorsed any candidate in this race, and the answers provided by the candidates do not necessarily reflect my personal viewpoint.

Jack Bailey

DC: Why are you running for Congress?

BAILEY: I am running for Congress for two reasons. First, I believe that if we don’t stand up to the radical agenda of Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Lincoln Davis, then our children will grow up in a vastly different world than the one we grew up in. As a father of six children, I refuse to stand by idly.

Second, as I look at so many of the current Congressmen, it is apparent to me that most of the current members have little actual knowledge of and experience in the private sector. For instance, Congress has a significant influence over banking, but few members have any experience in banking; it has taken over healthcare, but so few members have any experience in the business of healthcare; it is in the process of strangling small business, but so few have any experience running a company. As a small business owner, I have extensive experience in manufacturing, banking, healthcare and energy.

Perhaps most importantly, I know what it is like to pay someone else before I get paid. I believe that if those of us who actually know from experience how to grow the economy and create jobs don’t stand up, we have little chance of restoring one of our most important sources of prosperity—our free markets.

DC: How would you describe Tennessee’s 4th Congressional district?

BAILEY: The Fourth District is pure heartland America. I love it, and am proud of it.

We worship God and believe that America is truly exceptional; we are independent and believe that in this world our values will not long endure if we are unwilling or unable to protect them; we are conservative and believe that this is a nation where self-reliance and individual effort are the key to prosperity and security for ourselves and our children; and finally we believe in the Constitution and recognize that one of the greatest gifts our Founders gave us was a Constitution that described a limited federal government of enumerated powers. Today people in the Fourth District are mad that Washington has forgotten its constitutional role, and instead tries to tax, spend, and regulate everyone else into submission. They want—they deserve—someone who will go to Washington for them and insist that Federal government respect its constitutional limits.

DC: Why does Lincoln Davis not deserve a 5th term?

BAILEY: Lincoln Davis was first elected to office in 1978. He has had over 30 years to make a difference in our State and in our district. Right now, we have unemployment in many of the counties in the 4th district of nearly 20% and a national debt of over $13 trillion. Our federal spending is simply out of control. Our politicians, Nancy Pelosi and Lincoln Davis in particular, are responsible for our plight. It’s time for a new direction. It’s time for a U.S. Representative from the 4th District who has experience in growing the economy. It’s time for a leader who shares the values of this district and will advocate on their behalf. After the healthcare bill vote, Congressman Davis showed us that he unwilling or unable to fight for us and it’s time to send him home.

DC: Name one thing you would propose or support as a U.S. Representative to help the economy.

BAILEY: As a small business owner, I know how to grow the economy and create jobs. The best our government can do for the economy is to create the conditions for economic growth. The government can create these conditions by reducing regulation and cutting taxes.

One of the myths I read every day is that our unemployment is so high because of layoffs. In fact, our economy loses jobs all the time as consumer preferences change. While layoffs have risen slightly, the number of layoffs are not significantly higher than usual. The reality is that unemployment has risen because new jobs aren’t being created. Why? Because business owners and entrepreneurs are too frightened to invest in new projects. They are frightened because of the uncertainty created by President Obama and the Pelosi, Davis Congress. The potential rewards of job creation have decreased because of tax hikes. The risks have increased because of the continuing meddling of the federal government in our economy through regulation.

Our economy is stagnant, because our politicians have destroyed the economic conditions necessary for growth. To those of us actually in the private sector and in the small business world, we know this. I believe that it is time to replace the politicians in Washington with men and women who understand small business and how to grow the economy.

DC: What should the United States do about Iran?

BAILEY: The threat of nuclear proliferation in Iran is the single greatest foreign policy challenge faced by America at present, and the current administration is asleep at the wheel. If things continue on their current path, Iran may have nuclear weapons within a year and the means to deliver them shortly.

I believe, then, that the United States should by whatever means are required, prevent the rise of a nuclear Iran. United with our friends and allies if possible. Alone if necessary.

DC: Where can voters go to get more information on your campaign?

BAILEY: Come visit us at Jack Bailey for Congress or on Facebook.

Next week: Ron Harwell.

Cross-posted at Dan Cleary.

This week, it’s Don Strong’s turn.

As I mentioned before, Lincoln Davis – the reputed Blue Dog – supports Nancy Pelosi two-thirds of the time on key issues, and voted to give the nice lady the authority to invoke the Slaughter “Deem & Pass” Rule, if necessary, to ram ObamaCare down our throats.

The Cook rating for TN-4 is R+13.

Which means Lincoln Davis is beatable.

The GOP field is comprised of Jack Bailey, Scott DesJarlais, Kent Greenough, Ron Harwell, and Don Strong.

The primary date is August 5th.

This is an email Q&A. Please note I have not yet endorsed any candidate in this race, and the answers provided by the candidates do not necessarily reflect my personal viewpoint.

Don Strong

DC: Why are you running for Congress?

STRONG: I announced my candidacy when I sensed a need for conservative leadership within the Republican party.

DC: How would you describe Tennessee’s 4th Congressional district?

STRONG: The 4th district covers an extremely large area and is blessed with many natural resources. It is filled with wonderful people and wonderful opportunities. With proper leadership, the 4th district could evolve from a diamond in the rough to a shining example of what America is and can be when given the opportunity to shine.

DC: Why does Lincoln Davis not deserve a 5th term?

STRONG: Lincoln Davis voted for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House, he is out of touch with the people of the 4th district and represents Washington Politics.

DC: Name one thing you would propose or support as a U.S. Representative to help the economy.

STRONG: I would bring the telemarketing jobs back home. I feel it is a risk to national security for foreign nationals to have access to our financial, medical and other information. I believe that Americans deserve to speak with Americans when making a customer service call. This could be done relatively quickly as these are portable jobs and would bring approximately six and one half million jobs back home.

DC: What should the United States do about Iran?

STRONG: Iran cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons capability.

DC: Where can voters go to get more information on your campaign?

STRONG: My website address is http://www.donaldstrong.com.

Next week: Jack Bailey.

Cross-posted at Dan Cleary.

“The choice of ‘un-American’ is a typical Sarah Palin, divisive thing to say.” she sneered.

Now this was a curious thing, coming from Walsh – considering that she herself called Republicans un-American just four months earlier (also on Hardball):

“The climate right now is that Republicans use everything they can to undermine and delegitimize this President. And it’s actually un-American. It’s traitorous in my opinion.”

This is hardly the only example of shameless hypocrisy from the Left when it comes to impugning the patriotism of their political opponents.

Nancy Pelosi – once a huge fan of disruptors – had this to say (along with Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland) with regard to tea party protests last August in opposition to ObamaCare:

These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades.

Alrighty, then.

How about Maxine Waters? She’s very concerned about the tone of the tea parties. Apparently in her book, the ‘real patriots of America’ chant “F*CK THE US!” at their rallies. I guess there’s just not enough of that going on at tea parties in her view:

Actually, I do agree with Walsh, Pelosi, and Waters – to an extent.

Not every American is American or patriotic.

For example, Bill Ayers is, technically, an American. He is a United States citizen, a resident of Chicago, and exercises his constitutional right to freedom of [inflammatory, radical, decidedly anti-American] speech regularly.

But I would never call a man who bombed New York City police headquarters, the Capitol building, and the Pentagon an American.

Certainly, a man who tramples the American flag is no patriot.

But I am sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and disagree with this administration, somehow you’re not patriotic. We need to stand up and say we’re Americans, and we have the right to debate and disagree with any administration.

It’s rare that I find myself on the same exact page as Hillary Clinton, but there you have it:

Videos from Newsbusters, Breitbart, and JammieWearingFool, respectively.

Cross-posted at Dan Cleary.

And it sure was a stinker.

Coburn insisted that deep down Nancy Pelosi was a ‘nice lady‘ who he just happens to disagree with – and oh by the way, don’t believe all those crazy ObamaCare rumors you hear on Fox News.

Like the one about American citizens facing potential fines and jail time if they don’t comply with the new individual mandate to buy government-approved health insurance.

Oh, wait – Coburn didn’t exactly deny that. He just said that jail time wasn’t Democrats’ intent.

Doesn’t that make you feel better?

Naturally, the knuckleheaded mouth-breathers in the left-wing media took Coburn’s moronic comments and ran right over the cliff with them.

And now, Newsweek is even asking: “Are Establishment Republicans Turning Against Fox”?

The question is so absurd on its face it is unworthy of a serious response. However, I can’t resist a couple of observations.

Take a guess – which of these ‘prominent conservative pundits’ does Newsweek cite as a typical ‘establishment Republican’ asking if the party is turning against Fox News?

1. David Brooks
2. Meghan McCain
3. David Frum

If you answered “Who cares? They’re all the same!” – then you guessed right.

And were you aware that the mainstream media has moved to the center in recent years? Oh yes, it’s true! Newsweek says we should ignore Anderson Cooper’s nasty sex jokes about tea partiers, Larry King’s relentless harrassment of Carrie Prejean, and Rick Sanchez putting words in Rush Limbaugh’s mouth, because…

CNN JUST HIRED ERICK ERICKSON!

Need they say more? With this one hiring, CNN has provided a counterweight to decades of its own shameless moonbattery and even begun a media-wide trend to the center!

Oh well, back to the ‘echo chamber’ I go – though I’m not sure who invited Greta Van Susteren, Geraldo Rivera, Juan Williams, Bob Beckel, Al Sharpton, Shepherd Smith, Alan Colmes, Susan Estrich, Nancy Skinner, Kirsten Powers, et al.

h/t: Teri Christoph.

Cross-posted to Dan Cleary.

Via Townhall.

Cross-posted at Dan Cleary.

Davis scores an unfortunate 67% on the Pelosi Index and voted to give the nice lady the authority to invoke the Slaughter “Deem & Pass” Rule, if necessary, to ram ObamaCare down our throats.

The Cook rating for TN-4 is R+13.

Translation: Davis is ripe for the picking.

The GOP field includes Jack Bailey, Scott DesJarlais, Kent Greenough, Ron Harwell, and Don Strong.

The primary date is August 5th.

This is an email Q&A. Please note I have not yet endorsed any candidate in this race, and the answers provided by the candidates do not necessarily reflect my personal viewpoint.

Kent Greenough

DC: Why are you running for Congress?

GREENOUGH: Over 30 years ago I took an oath “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States” as a Second Lieutenant of Marines. Three years ago, I saw it was time to renew that oath. This past year I realized that it was time to stand and be counted once again. Our nation is in the gravest danger it has ever faced in 233 years. A reckless Congress and radical POTUS are driving us, as a nation and a people, to total destruction and the loss of our Constitution. This is no ordinary election cycle, it is no time for red state, blue state nonsense. Our very freedom depends on the will of the people to re-establish a system of checks and balances in our government or see it lost forever. It is that serious.

DC: How would you describe Tennessee’s 4th Congressional district?

GREENOUGH: We are the heartland of America everyone else wants to be. Tennessee’s 4th Congressional District swung the election for George Bush in 2000 and 2004. We are conservative, irrespective of party affiliation, hard working, pro-life, pro-family, gun toting; the real-deal Americana. We are a rural people, making less money than the average American, but strong in our faith. We care for and love our neighbors. Our youth serve in the military in higher numbers than most other parts of the country.

At a parade, we honor the colors of our country, take time for prayer at public meetings and look to each other in times of crisis, not the government. We have felt the loss of manufacturing jobs more than most, we have long suffered higher unemployment and watched our youth leave our counties to better pay jobs and opportunities elsewhere. We have been the doormat to the politically ambitious since before Al Gore and deserve far better than Lincoln Davis.

We have the greatest quality of life to offer anyone who will come here, skilled workers, friendly communities, low taxes, a low cost of doing business and an unparalleled opportunity to fulfill the American dream and raise a family. What we suffer from most is a lack of vision and leadership from our elected representatives in Washington.

DC: Why does Lincoln Davis not deserve a 5th term?

GREENOUGH: Simple, no one “deserves” a 5th term! If you could not make a difference in 4 terms, you will not make a difference in your 5th, 6th or 7th! By your 4th term you have become part of the problem, by your 5th term, you are the problem! Congress was meant to be an office of service NOT a career. Thank you for your service, now go home! And take Nancy and Barney with you!

DC: Name one thing you would propose or support as a U.S. Representative to help the economy.

GREENOUGH: Actually, there are several things even a freshman Congressman can do and probably not what you are thinking. First, reduce taxes starting with the capital gains tax. You want an 8.7% growth rate like China or a 6.2% like India, then match their capital gains tax, ZERO! That’s right, we operate on a 35% tax rate on short term gains and a 15% on long term gains. Try ZERO, and level the playing field and keep companies and jobs here. Next, drop the corporate tax rate to 12.5%, since most small businesses are incorporated because of liability issues, instead of the current 35%. Cut SSD and payroll taxes in half and see how many jobs that creates. Finally, allow small businesses to write off 100% of new equipment purchases and expansion expenses. Now you have a business climate that can hire people, give them the newest, best equipment and make us totally competitive with workers and industries anywhere. The economy booms, businesses hire, taxes swell the treasury coffers, problem solved! No bailouts, no government programs, no new bureaucracies, just pure roaring free enterprise. Government is the PROBLEM! The lesser the government, the greater the prosperity.

DC: What should the United States do about Iran?

GREENOUGH: Stop dilly-dallying around for one thing. Iran has been the center of 90% of all the unrest in the Middle East since Jimmy Carter sold out the Shah. Iran supports, supplies and equips Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist groups. Close their ports and borders, equip and supply the counter government forces, cut off all oil shipments to Europe for 30 days, and Volias!, Ahmadinejad is toast and the Ayatollah is history. The Iranian people are desperate for our action and support.

DC: Where can voters go to get more information on your campaign?

GREENOUGH: First, get a copy of our Constitution. That is my primary source and platform. If you need one, contact me at KentGreenough.com and I will send you one for free. As I have always said, “When all else fails, read the manual!”

Next week: Don Strong.

Cross-posted at Dan Cleary.

Think about it.  Theodore Olbermann was 81 years old.  How many octogenerians do you think will qualify for colon surgery under a government-run health care system?  Try somewhere between few and none.  The risk of complications is high (see Olbermann, Theodore) and additional, costly post-op procedures are likely.  Frankly, our government is not going to be in a position to allocate limited health care dollars on geezers heading into (or if they’re lucky, emerging from) colon surgery with a dwindling supply of quality-adjusted life years left in the tank.

“But ObamaCare isn’t government-run health care, you ignorant right-wing fear-monger!  Besides, I am pretty sure the bill says I’ll be able to just sock it to my insurance company. (Those bastards!)”

Dear, precious child!  Don’tcha see?  The insurance companies will quickly vaporize once they are compelled by the government to charge everyone the same rate and to take all comers, regardless of pre-existing medical conditions.  So there won’t be any insurance companies left to sock it to.

“Well, I have a living will right here – and Papa insists that we do everything we possibly can to extend his life, at all costs.  You know what, maybe we *can* pay for his surgery.  Yes, yes – we’ll find a way to pay for it!”

Sorry.  The answer in these cases will almost surely be “No”.  On the bright side, these tasty blue pills will be covered, regardless of age or medical condition.

Does that make you feel any better?

Cross-posted at Dan Cleary.

*Euphemism I saw once a while back on Twitter.

“By the way…do we in fact know that [Robert Byrd] is still with us?  I don’t put it past the Democrats and Obama to take this guy to a taxidermist – like a deer – sit him in that chair, and vote for him.”

Neither would I.

After all, this is the same guy that gets wheeled onto the Senate floor for key votes – on a hospital bed hooked up to an IV drip, if necessary – so that some staffer can poke him when his name comes up for roll call.

Nothing against old people, mind you.  My own grandparents were old, and they were wonderful people.  I aspire to become on old person myself, one day.  But Byrd doesn’t know where he is half the time anymore, and yet there he is – still casting crucial votes on health care, cap & trade, and spending bills.

I’d say it’s high time for someone hand this guy a Del Boca Vista brochure, but it’s probably too late for that.

BONUS VIDEO: Archival footage of a younger, sprier Byrd (circa February 2008):

Cross-posted at Dan Cleary.

Although Davis thankfully voted against the Cap & Trade bill, he has voted for the T.A.R.P. bill, the $787 billion so-called ‘stimulus’ bill (including the subsequent $410 billion omnibus bill (HR 1105)), pay raises for Congress, etc. etc.  He’s also playing coy on his intentions regarding ObamaCare and his opinions on the various health care issues that are being debated right now.  So here’s your chance to remind Davis in person that “Blue Dogs” were elected on a platform of fiscal conservativism and to be a check on the far-left liberal wing of the Democrat Party (i.e., Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, etc).

If Davis can’t do that, then what’s the point of having him in office?

• Tuesday, August 18, 3:00pm CT – Franklin County Annex, Community Room, Winchester
• Wednesday, August 19, 5:00pm CT – Columbia State, Waymon Hickman Building, Cherry Theater, Columbia
• Thursday, August 20, 5:00pm CT – Crossville City Hall, Crossville
• Friday, August 21, 8:00am CT – Jamestown Community Center, Jamestown
• Friday, August 21, 2:00pm ET – County Courthouse, Jacksboro
• Monday, August 24, 9:00am CT – Kimball City Hall, Kimball
• Monday, August 24, 1:00pm CT – County Administrative Building, McMinnville

Now if you want to slog through the whole transcript, be my guest.  But if you’re a little short on time, here is the gist of what took place during yesterday’s Q&A session:

Q. Thank you, Mr. President.  My name is Peter Schmidt.  I want to start just by letting you know that I “heart” Medicare.  Oh my gosh, I love it.

But my question is:  Why don’t Democrats in Congress just screw the “Party of No” and use their huge majorities to ram ‘ObamaCare’ down everyone’s throats?

OBAMA: Awesome question, Peter!  Did I ever tell you the story about the senile, right-wing old lady I ran into one time?  She actually tried to tell me not to mess with private insurance – but then wanted me to keep my hands off Medicare too!  True story!

See, this is what we’re dealing with, Peter – incoherent old ladies.  And I’m not about to let them stand in the way of my agenda, especially since they won’t be around much longer to vote for me anyway.

The point is, the government has demonstrated it is perfectly capable of bankrupting Medicare, so of course we can do the same for the entire health care system.  I mean, it’s the same deal – only much, much bigger!  It really wouldn’t even be all that difficult to achieve.

But remember, I’m going to insist that any ‘public option’ not be subsidized by taxpayers.  This will all be self-sustaining!  Forget the CBO, just trust me on this one…

So to answer your question, Peter – yes, we’ll resort to reconciliation in the Senate if we have to.

Q.  (13-year old Julia Hall from Malden, Massachusetts):  Mr. President, why do people say mean things about your health care proposals, and how could anyone ever oppose something that helps people?

OBAMA: That was a phenomenal question, Julia!  The answer is, I don’t know.  They’re probably just un-American.  Now go tell your mom I said hi!

Q.  Good afternoon, Mr. President.  Bill Anderson from New Hampshire.  I need Lipitor.

OBAMA: Generics work as well or better than brand drugs in 9 out of 10 cases.  Brand-name drug-needers like you would just have to put up with the hassle and inefficiency of a government-run program, but it sounds like you’re already in that boat with your health insurance company, so you’re used to the rigormarole.  In any case, the chances are pretty decent you’ll get what you need, eventually.  Probably.  So what’s your beef again?

Q.  Good afternoon, Mr. President.  I’m Jackie Millet (phonetic) and I’m from Wells, Maine, and my question is, what will happen when my husband dies?  Who will take care of me then?

OBAMA: No worries, Jackie – Big Government will take care of you!  You see, doctors are like auto mechanics – an honest one is very hard to find.  So many of them will just amputate your feet, just to make a quick buck from the evil insurance companies.  And your body is like an engine.  Now, you may prefer to think of it as a donut hole, but you get the drift.  We’ll just cut you in half, that’s all.  Wait a minute, the donut hole is…prescription drugs…no wait, it’s the gap between…hold on now…sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees…

Ah, forget it.  The point is, everything’s gonna be all right.

Q.  Good afternoon, Mr. President.  My name is Ben Hershinson.  I’m from Ogunquit, Maine, and also Florida.  And I’m a Republican.  Why am I here?  No wait, that’s not my question!  Are you really against private insurance?

OBAMA:  Sit down, Ben!  Your party is what got us into this mess, and I’m not about to sit here and let YOU do the talking! Now, the answer is – of course I’m open to private industry!  Don’t believe everything you hear from me.

Q.  Hello, Mr. President.  My name is Linda Becher.  I’m from Portsmouth and I have proudly taught at this high school for 37 years. How wonderful do you think the world will be when universal health care is a reality in America, especially if it includes mental health coverage?

OBAMA:  You have no idea, Linda.  Because after we pass ‘ObamaCare’, the need for quality mental health care will necessarily skyrocket in this country.  Mark my words.  Gird your loins.

Q.  Hello, Mr. President.  I’m Justin Higgins from Stratham, New Hampshire.  There’s a lot of misinformation about how we’re going to pay for this health care plan.  And I’m wondering how we’re going to do this without raising the taxes on the middle class, because I don’t want the burden to fall on my parents…and I don’t want inflation to skyrocket by just adding this to the national debt.  So I’m wondering how we can avoid both of those scenarios.

OBAMA:  First of all, I said I won’t sign a bill that adds to the deficit or the national debt.  Okay?  (Polite applause from the town hall audience; riotous laughter from the television audience).  No, seriously!  And remember how George W. Bush passed that Medicare prescription drug bill without any way of paying for it?  Well, if he can do it – why can’t I do it ten times worse?  Oh, except remember what I said – this bill will pay for itself, so it WON’T be ten times worse. (Whew!)  See – there’s the difference!  We’ll cut hundreds of billions of dollars of pure fat from Medicare and tax the rich to pay for most of this.  The middle class won’t pay a dime (except of course when we allow the Bush tax cuts to expire).  But hey, speaking of W’s tax cuts, I inherited that mess – and did I mention George W. Bush?

Q.  Thank you, Mr. President.  I’ve worked in the medical field for about 18 years and seen a lot of changes over those 18 years.  I currently work here at the high school as a paraprofessional.  I have a little, you know, couple questions about the universal insurance program, which, if I understand you correctly, President Obama, you seek to cover 50 million new people over and above the amount of people that are currently getting health care at this moment.

OBAMA:  46 million.  It’s very important that we get on the same page there.  My staff has spent a lot of time coming up with that particular number.

Q  Right.  46 million.  Anyway, I’m very concerned about the elderly.  Are you really going to be able to handle all those additional patients without adding doctors and nurses, and will you really be able to cut $500 billion from Medicare without reducing benefits?

OBAMA:  Don’t listen to Sarah Palin.  I dare you to find the phrase “death panel” in any of the bills being floated on Capital Hill.  Go ahead, you can look it up.  So clearly, Palin is deranged.  And who ever said anything about cutting Medicare benefits?  Not this guy!  I’m talking about cutting Medicare waste! Like, if we can just get everything on computers and start buying office supplies in bulk, that’s gotta be tens of billions in administrative savings right there!  Am I the only one who thinks of these things?  I mean, this is just common business sense!

Q   First, I want to let you know that I am a genuine, honest-to-God skeptic.  I even turned myself in to Linda Douglass.  Do you want me to show you my GOP membership card?  ’Cause I’ll do it.  Don’t make me do it!

So my question is why have you not used the bully pulpit to chastise Congress for having two systems of health care — one for all of us, and one for them?  (Applause.)

OBAMA:  When I was in Congress, we had a menu of options, and…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

(5 minutes later)  Thank you all for coming!!

Unfortunately, everything else about this story stinks.

News accounts of the two journalists’ release were chock full of embarrassing North Korean propaganda.  Most reports at least threw in the proverbial air quote disclaimers, but readers were still subjected to absurd descriptions of North Korea as a “humanitarian and peace-loving” nation.  Scratch that, not “North Korea” – the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” (a glaringly obvious misnomer on several levels).  Last time I checked, “humanitarian and peace-loving” nations don’t arrest journalists on trumped-up charges and summarily sentence them to twelve years of forced hard labor.

Put another way, truly humanitarian and peace-loving nations don’t abuse their captured journalists – because they don’t capture journalists to begin with.  And in cases where actual crimes are committed, the alleged perpetrators would at least be accorded some form of due process.

“Humanitarian” regimes don’t impoverish their own people.  (Or maybe we’re supposed to pretend the “People” of DPRK actually voted for this).

“Peace-loving” regimes don’t flaunt U.N. sanctions and lob long-range test missiles willy-nilly in the general direction of their neighbors and the U.S.

This was not a ‘diplomatic coup‘, despite the media narrative to the contrary.  It was instead a humiliating instance of the United States cowing to a murderous, crazypants dictator with seemingly undeterrable rogue nuclear ambitions.

Bill Clinton did what he thought was best for the two journalists by allowing himself to be used as the “high-profile symbol of U.S. authority” that Kim Jong Il demanded appear before him.  Obviously Ling, Lee, and their families are extremely happy with the way things turned out, and to that end this is all well and good.

But serving up this propagandistic photo-op on a silver platter to Kim Jong Il sets a very dangerous precedent.  It puts American civilians and military personnel abroad at greater risk for their lives, lends international legitimacy to North Korea that it does not deserve, and sends a loud, clear signal to North Korea that it can continue its illicit pursuit of The Bomb unabated and with impunity.

Barack Obama’s also turned 48 today.

To celebrate, the President walked out into the White House briefing room with his entourage in tow to lead the room in a round of Happy Birthday, and he presented Ms. Thomas with a cupcake:

Obama: “She and I also have a common birthday wish.  She says she hopes for real health care reform.”

WHPC: *Laughter*

Unidentified WHPC member: “Is that single-payer?”

Obama (thinking to himself): “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

I’m guessing it was ABC’s Jake Tapper who make the half-joking reference to single-payer, since it sort of sounds like him and he was in the vicinity just off-camera.  If I am able to confirm this, rest assured I’ll be turning Mr. Tapper in to the appropriate authorities.

Hat tip: Breitbart.

That’s right — the White House Office of Health Care Reform.

By now, most of us have seen this video, which was linked recently on the Drudge Report.  It shows Barack Obama stating over and over again that he favors a shift to a single-payer health care system in America.  Translated, this means, of course…wait for it…government-run health care.

But apparently, the only way to quote Obama in context is to just leave out the parts where he contradicts himself and his own proposals:

So don’t worry about what the bill really says and means.  Don’t worry about what Barack Obama, Barney Frank and Jan Schakowsky have said.  Just look at those granny glasses.  Would they mislead you?

Now who wants a lollipop?

Politico, ever the objective source of political news and analysis, has provided a handy list of “5 Things to Watch During the Recess.”  One in particular caught my attention because it was so egregiously loaded with bias:

#4: Who Will Come to the Tea Parties?

Anti-reform protesters, many of them veterans from the winter and spring tea party protests, are promising to swamp Democrats’ districts with a wave of anti-reform protest over the recess.

The threat is real, and Democrats, especially those in battleground districts, are more than a little rattled. Just as the “birthers” threaten to cause problems for GOP members over the break, conservative protesters have proven skilled in sabotaging their targets by crashing town halls and other public events, drowning out Democratic messages.

The net result is a chill: Democrats are holding smaller events with handpicked crowds.

But there’s a potential downside for Republicans, too.

Some of the protesters have crossed the line from dissent into abusiveness, and some Republican strategists, while excited by the prospects of an insurgency over the recess, have been alarmed by a smattering of ugly recent incidents.

The worst: One protester hung an effigy of Rep. Frank Kratovil Jr. (D-Md.) outside his Eastern Shore district office last week.

“We don’t condone violence in any way,” wrote the editor of operationembarrassyourcongressman.com, a site that posts members’ public events and suggests a slate of anti-health care reform queries for protesters.

“Don’t harass, intimidate, or otherwise do anything threatening towards anyone! … Simply use your freedom of speech in public forums to accomplish our mission.”

“Anti-reform protestors…?” Yeah, that’s it, Politico.  Millions of people across the country are rising up to protest true health care reform.  Because if you are against ‘ObamaCare’ you must be against true reform, right?  As Andrea Mitchell would say, we just don’t know what’s good for us.

“…many of them veterans from the winter and spring tea party protests…” In other words, us tea partiers are just rabble-rousers with too much time on our hands. Our knee-jerk reaction is to oppose things like high taxes, oppressive government, and job-killing, unfunded mandates.  Why can’t we just give Obama a chance?

“Just as the “birthers” threaten to cause problems for GOP members over the break, conservative protesters have proven skilled in sabotaging their targets by crashing town halls and other public events, drowning out Democratic messages.” This is a perfect example of liberals using birthers to smear the entire conservative movement, despite the fact that even Media Matters(!) points out that many prominent conservatives have unequivocally denounced the birthers. And what is ‘crashing town halls’ supposed to mean, anyway?  Town halls are not supposed to be propaganda outlets – they are forums where politicians answer questions from their constituents.  Politicians should be there with open ears and taking notes, not be worried about having their message ‘drowned out’.

“One protester hung an effigy of Rep. Frank Kratovil Jr. (D-Md.) outside his Eastern Shore district office last week.” Horrible, that. So this must be representative of all conservative protesters, right?  Meanwhile, the Daily Kos condones referring to Bush as the “Torturer-in-Chief” and a war criminal, for example, but that’s not kooky, because – well, everyone knows that’s true.  Right?

Sheesh.

• Karen Handel – GA SecState & RedState-endorsed candidate for Governor is giving a great speech on quite the novel idea: Requiring citizenship/ID to vote.
• RT @ewericksen: “At his last press conference we learned the President has no faith in policemen or pediatricians.” Liz Cheney
• Liz Cheney is pointing out the folly of holding terrorists in USA super-max prisons, as Debra Burlingame wrote about in a WSJ op-ed yesterday.
• Ken Cuccinelli just gave an inspiring, articulate, rock-solid speech.  A great conservative candidate for Virginia AG.
• Michael Williams: “We’ve heard the President say he stands for ‘hope and change.’ We just hope he changes.”
• Marco Rubio: “Popularity and leadership are not the same thing.”
• Marco Rubio: “There’s nothing wrong with compromise on ideas, but you cannot compromise on principles.”
• Marco Rubio: “Cap and Trade would do nothing but make the United States the cleanest third-world country on the planet.”
• Marco Rubio: “Party unity is important, but equally important is what you are unifying behind.”
• Ted Cruz: “I am absolutely convinced that Barack Obama’s greatest legacy will be new leadership in the Republican Party.”
• Nikki Haley: “It’s not about having a Republican majority. It’s about having a conservative majority.”

Each and every speaker was phenomenal, and I am linking to their campaign sites below.  These are conservatives that RedStaters can get genuinely excited about, and they need and deserve our whole-hearted support.

• Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) Candidate for the United States Senate
• Former Congressman Pat Toomey (R-PA) Candidate for the United States Senate
• Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)
• Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)
• Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) Chairman, Republican Study Committee
• Hon. Karen Handel (R-GA) Georgia’s Secretary of State & Candidate for Governor
• Liz Cheney
• Ken Cuccinelli (R-VA) Virginia State Senator & Candidate for Virginia Attorney General
• Michael Williams (R-TX) Texas Railroad Commissioner, Candidate for the United States Senate
• Marco Rubio (R-FL) Former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Candidate for the United States Senate
• Ted Cruz (R-TX) Texas Solicitor General, Candidate for Texas Attorney General
• Nikki Haley (R-SC) Member, South Carolina House of Representatives, Candidate for Governor