Is it red or blue?

A memo was issued by the OMB (Office of Management & Budget) informing all Federal agencies of a US District Court ruling that in essence found that the Congressional blocking of funding to ACORN was unconstitutional. This memo tells the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Treasury, Commerce, and Defense, and the Environmental Protection Agency that the previous ruling has been overturned which one would intimate opens the doors for ACORN funding to be reinstated immediately. With all due respect, what?!?!?!?

Let me get this straight. ACORN, an organization shown to have a less than stellar record of playing by the rules, is about to get their funding back at just the moment when its been reported that they are folding. A Fox News story quotes ACORN spokesman Kevin Whelan saying, "It's really declining revenue in the face of a series of attacks from partisan operatives and right-wing activists that have taken away our ability to raise the resources we need." Well how convenient that, in the wake of healthcare passing and everyone's focus shifted to the "historic" events, this agency so beneficial to the President's election has regained funding in the nick of time to save themselves.

Do not be fooled when the ACORN spokespeople say that they are shutting down, the most important of all offices have already taken steps to distance themselves from the news media scrutiny. The New York and California ACORN offices broke away earlier this year by changing their names in hopes to salvage the outside funding that they receive. I am sure though that in the name changing process that they made sure to keep in their charters the ability to receive the Federal funding due under the original name.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the President continues to surround (rather than distance) himself with people and organizations that are champions in the art of getting what they want by any means necessary. The President himself stated (in an interview last week) that, " I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what the procedural rules are in the House or the Senate." No Mr President, I don't think you do spend a lot of time worrying about rules. Now. Because as is evidenced with your 129 "present" votes in the Illinois state Senate, I believe that you spent years learning the rules so that you would no longer have to "worry" about them. The idea that you were okay with the "deem it passed" scenario for healthcare is further evidence that you are well aware of the rules and how to use them to reach your end game.

All of this being said, the biggest slap in the face of the OMB's memo reinstating ACORN funding has to be the line "Federal agencies are hereby advised that the District Court has declared the above-listed legislative provisions unconstitutional". Great, its unconstitutional to block funding to a corrupt organization but its totally okay to tell private companies how they must operate and to force the American people to buy a product that they do not want.

Excuse me but is it the red pill or the blue one that will get me out of this wonderland?

(Feel free to email the author at stephanie@vpmedia.com)

My fear has been transformed

Yesterday morning I was scared. Its difficult to put into words how I feel at the moment. Its kind of like the scene in "The Patriot" where the Revolutionaries are making the final push and the line starts to fall and someone has dropped the flag. I'm confused and tired and wow it would be nice to turn, run and just give up. The House of Representatives voted last night to pass the Senate version of the healthcare reform bill. Obamacare is now a reality and 1/6 of the American economy is firmly in the hands of the government.

I am sick to death of the politicians in Washington telling me what I need. I am tired of them telling me that the founding fathers would want me to have health insurance. I am exasperated by their insistence that they are better equipped to decide how my business can operate than I am. I am simply worn out by over a year of fighting with politicians who neither listen to nor care about their constituents.

Politicians. There's a real winning group of people. We've got Nancy Pelosi who can't be farther in the pocket of all that is evil if she tried. Its been said that it was she, and not Rahm Emanuel, who urged the President to keep fighting for healthcare even after the Scott Brown election. I certainly don't want to visualize the locker room confrontations that she had to conduct to get this legislation to a vote. Then we have Mary Landrieu, Ben Nelson and Kent Conrad (just to name a few) that were able to score big kickbacks with catchy names for their states. Some of those kickbacks have been stripped with the change language to the bill but at least they showed the ability to get something tangible for the selling of their vote. Maybe it will help them that they tried to get something for their state but then again they probably really don't care. None of them are up for reelection until 2012. They are free to wreak havoc for another 2 years.

That's not the case for poor Bart Stupak (D-MI). I think I need to make him one of my shirts. "I negotiated with the President and all I got was a lousy piece of paper". Mr. Stupak sold his vote for a non-binding promise of an executive order on abortion language. He didn't even hold the President's feet to the fire and ask for the executive order before the vote. I guess the economic woes of Michigan extend to their Representative's offices.

I know people who support this bill. They aren't bad people and I am confident that they do not want to see our beautiful Republic destroyed. These are people who have been convinced by the Washington DC and Chicago power machines that health insurance and a college education are a right. I don't blame them for their opinions. I just hope that someday that they can awaken from the dream.

The President went on TV to pat himself on the back and to again tell me how this was a good thing for the country. He made a statement that stuck with me. "To every unsung American who took the time to sit down and write a letter or type out an e-mail hoping your voice would be heard — it has been heard tonight." You are correct Mr President. The voices were heard and summarily were ignored over and over and over again. But do not be mistaken, we will not go quietly into the night, we will not go without a fight. The majority of the American people did not want this bill. Your bill went from a 67% approval to under a 35% approval in less than a year.

Well, I now know how to feel. I have seen the flag fall but that cannot be the end. I am energized and ready to pick up the flag again and fight. The light of the morning and the fact that the IRS is now going to control healthcare is going to bring more people to the fight. As more information is gleaned from the bill, we will gain more and more supporters and we will find a way to save our country. That's what we do, we're Americans.

The Morning of Our Destruction?

How is one supposed to feel on the morning of the day that may change our country forever? I grapple with that question this morning as the healthcare vote looms in the House of Representatives today.

I want to have hope. I want to think the American people still have a voice. I want to think that the folks who gave up their time and money to march on Washington yesterday made a difference. But I am afraid. I am more afraid than I was on the morning of September 11. On that morning, I at least felt as though we as Americans would have a chance to retaliate. I don't feel like that today.

If this abomination of a bill passes into law today, Mr Obama will have succeeded in taking the first step to "fundamentally change" our country. The government will begin to control 1/6 of our economy and the IRS (yes the IRS!) will control healthcare. The government not your doctor will begin to make decisions regarding your healthcare. Supporters of the bill will say no that's not the case. But how could it not? Doctors (the real ones not the fake ones in the coats at the White House) are already making the difficult choice to stop accepting Medicare patients because of the regulations. If the government is forcing their hands already and the bill hasn't passed how could there not be more government control on the way?

Don't get me wrong. I know that there are flaws in our current healthcare system. But I certainly don't think government takeover is the answer. Taking small steps and fixing key problems is a better idea than an overall takeover but when have politicians ever actually done something to benefit the American people and not themselves and their thirst for power? I, like others, think that tort reform and the ability to buy insurance across state lines are good starts. Things like a complete audit of the approval process and then the actual management of current government programs like Medicaid and Medicare is a better start to reform the system. If the government can show the ability to fix the problems with their own program, well then maybe the American public will trust them to tackle the bigger issues. But of course any of those things would require common sense to implement and I believe that it is required that you leave your common sense with security when you enter the Capitol.

Instead of working with common sense, the future of America is under attack by power hungry politicians with an agenda. I hope with all of my being that a handful of Representatives in the House actually LISTEN to their constituents and vote no to the destruction of America. I hope that there is someone with a soul left in the Democratic party that has the courage that is required to stand up to the Obama machine. If you truly want to be remembered, then vote NO to this tragedy and be known as the Representative who saved the country.

It is Sunday. It is the first day of Spring and normally a day to revel in the anticipation of everything new. I simply pray that at the end of today that I am not mourning our destruction.

Please feel free to email the author at stephanie@vpmedia.com

When $940 Billion is NOT a Trillion

Only in Washington, D.C. is it a day to celebrate that a proposal that will only cost $940 Billion. The Democratic leadership in DC is "giddy" (to quote a Congressman) that the CBO has come out and stated that the healthcare bill's price tag is under the magic level of $1 Trillion.

Really? Really? If the average American spends $940 on a couch most likely they will tell you that they had spent a thousand dollars. Buy a car for $9400 in most cases you would be hard pressed to find someone who didn't feel that you had spent ten grand. So really democrats, do you really think that the American public is so dense that you can tell us that you AREN'T spending a TRILLION dollars to take over 1/6 of the economy?

And am I the only person who this morning is questioning the supposed non-partisan makeup of the Congressional Budget Office. Can I possibly be the only one who thinks that the delay with receiving the (barely but) under a Trillion price tag is a little suspect. I tend to believe that there was a lot more jockeying back and forth between Dems and the CBO to ensure that this number was what they needed. And now that they have the UNDER A TRILLION price tag they are giddy and moving forward with a vote on Sunday.

I may not be the greatest mathematician but if something costs $940 billion over the first ten years and that figure includes a planned Medicare savings (yeah like that has ever happened) of $120 billion, doesn't that mean that the bill actually costs $1.06 Trillion?? The planned savings from Medicare would include cuts that would affect millions of seniors who will lose a great portion of their benefits and they would be forced to foot even more of their healthcare costs. I thought that Nancy Pelosi wanted to close the donut hole not the other way around. And this is all dependent upon generating these savings. The CBO also projects that "total federal Medicare and Medicaid outlays will rise from 4 percent of GDP in 2007 to 12 percent in 2050 and 19 percent in 2082. So if the CBO predicts that the percent of GDP is going to grow that dramatically, how can they also state that they predict that there is a savings?

Feel free to email the author at stephanie@vpmedia.com

I found my best friend

Somewhere sitting in a high school classroom, I met a girl. I didn't like her. She didn't like me. Then one day we were forced to spend time together in jail (on a school trip for our Business Law class) and the mutual fear of being attacked by the inmates in the intake area bonded us. From then on we were inseparable Thick as thieves, two peas in a pod, all of the standard cliches, there we were. When circumstances tried to pull us apart we rebelled and still remained true. She was my rock and without her I would have never survived high school.

We had all the plans that friends in high school have - room together in college, get married, have kids at the same time and grow old together. Well of course, as with all of the best laid plans, NONE of that happened. I was unable to go with her to college and I got married first (without even having her with me at the ceremony - bah). She soon married and I remember thinking okay well that was a bump in the plan but we still have the rest. Again, things changed. I got divorced and she moved away

Throughout all of this we stayed in touch although never as close as when we were in high school. She moved back and was still married and I was floundering in bad relationships. It seemed as if she had it all and I admit I was jealous.

I met a man and fell in love. Hooray! Except that it was a relationship that I couldn't fully share with my friend. I wished for a way to tell her of my happiness but I thought that she would try to talk me out of it because I assumed that she wouldn't approve. It was then that we started to drift apart.

When my not exactly ideal relationship crumbled and I was in emotional fragments I still did not go to my friend. Why? I don't know other than I was scared that she would reject me (although why I thought that is still a mystery).

Life went on and I eventually met and married a wonderful man and began a family of my own - even though I was behind on the timing of the original plan. Her kids were already toddlers before mine were even born. It shouldn't have made a difference and we should have been as thick as thieves and yet we weren't. We were in different towns and different places emotionally.

Life, as it often does, reared its ugly head and a situation arose between my friend and I that I did not handle well at all. I was very high and mighty and judgmental and I decided that I wanted out. I threw away my friendship of almost 20 years because I was stubborn, pig headed and selfish.

Luckily, my friend is forgiving and she took me back - almost 2 years later! Even after our reunion, we do not see each other enough but we are in contact on a daily basis one way or another.

Life of course still goes on. My friend is now going through some rough spots and I am glad that I can be there for her and I hope that I am a help to her in some small way. I know that I have not always been a good friend but I am smart enough now to know that I should not take the

relationship for granted.

Tonight, my friend and I went out. Nothing fancy - just dinner and drinks (okay well maybe A LOT of drinks) and we had FUN! I realized that this one night is the first time in our entire friendship where we were together as adults, as moms, as women and most importantly as ourselves. We laughed A LOT and we learned A LOT and we were able to share things that we never before were comfortable or open enough to do.

Tonight, I found my best friend again. I am sorry for the lost time but I am thankful for the future and maybe just maybe if we're lucky, we'll grow old together.

Why is the President Yelling at Me?

You know? I thought that I had outgrown the need for lectures on my behavior when I moved out of my parents house oh so many years ago. Apparently not, because wow I feel almost guilty for something after listening to the talking to that I got from the President of the United States yesterday.

The President, again flanked by people in white lab coats and blue scrubs, entered East Room of the White House to urge Congress to pass the latest version of his healthcare bill. He proceeded to tell me that this version of the bill even included many of the proposals from the healthcare summit last week. Wow! Really? Tort reform? The ability to buy and sell insurance across state lines? No, oh okay. I'm sorry, Mr President I didn't mean to interrupt, please continue....

The President continues, "I spent seven hours at a summit where Democrats and Republicans engaged in a public and very substantive discussion about health care. " Wait, wait Mr President, I watched that very public "debate" and all I took away was that my senators and congressmen like to talk and tell stories about constituents.......oh, oh, again I'm sorry you say you gained valued information..okay, I'm sorry for interrupting again, please continue

"Now, the proposal I put forward gives Americans more control over their health insurance and their health care by holding insurance companies more accountable. It builds on the current system where most Americans get their health insurance from their employer. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. I can tell you as the father of two young girls, I would not want any plan that interferes with the relationship between a family and their doctor. " But Mr President, what if my employer decides that he can no longer pay for my insurance, that its cheaper to pay the fine for not having insurance, how do I keep the coverage that I like then? COBRA? Okay well that's limited in time and very expensive to maintain......oh I'm asking too many questions again, I'm sorry, please go on.

"We have debated this issue thoroughly, not just for the past year but for decades. Reform has already passed the House with a majority. It has already passed the Senate with a supermajority of 60 votes. And now it deserves the same kind of up or down vote that was cast on welfare reform, that was cast on the Children's Health Insurance Program, that was used for COBRA health coverage for the unemployed, and, by the way, for both Bush tax cuts --- all of which had to pass Congress with nothing more than a simple majority. " OKAY WHOA HOLD IT! I CANNOT TAKE IT ANYMORE!! Debated this issue for a year? How can you debate when one of the parties is literally locked out of the negotiations? These bills passed with the earmarks and special favors that you now say have been removed. Now here's the kicker - YOU Mr President have said that you cant govern by using the "simple majority" approach to healthcare. In 2007 you said that we have to break from the 50+1 pattern of Presidential politics, that you can't govern. What happened to that approach Mr President. What happened to the man who said that he would rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term one? If you think you can't govern with a 50+1 strategy then WHY WHY WHY are you using it?

Stop force feeding YOUR union funded agenda down the throats of the American people. Stop leaving town when we come to talk. Listen to us for once!!!

I would love for my President to be angry and condescending when he is talking to terrorists or nations who threaten us, I don't want him to be when he is talking to the American people. Stop waving your finger at me Mr President, I've tuned you out.

A Truly Lovely Tale

So I finished "The Lovely Bones" and while I know I came very late to the party with this, I am so glad that I made the time to read this book.

Alice Sebold wove an amazingly riveting and captivating story from what most would think an impossible start - the rape and murder of Susie Salmon (like the fish). As a parent, the first chapter was intensely hard to read. As I got past that and into the story of Susie's life and afterlife I found myself wanting the same things that she did. Through Susie I was able to experience vicariously (just like Susie does) the thrill of first love (with Ray) and the intenseness of true love (Samuel and Lindsey). Feelings as strong as these are sometimes hard to describe in words yet Ms Sebold has crafted these emotions my in such that was not overly sappy nor preposterous.

The pain of the loss that Jack is unable to deal with is completely believable. I am never sure how a parent copes with the loss of child, especially in such a violent way. Jack's pain is evident in every move that he makes. How does one deal with the death of one child and the participation in the lives of the other two? One of my favorite passages in the book was when Jack helped Lindsey shave her legs the first time. Every single parental emotion is evidenced in the span of a couple of pages. I had to stop reading and just go with the tears that flowed for about 30 minutes.

Abigail's struggle is one that is again easy to understand and to relate to. Before Susie's death, Abigail was questioning her place in the world and trying to carve out an identity apart from being a mom. As a mom, I struggle with that every day as I think that all moms do. So the idea that Abigail would retreat from her family, look for comfort with Len and then just bolt is believable and quite frankly expected given the already fragile state she was in. In many ways Abigail does what so many moms might secretly want to do but never will.

I do wish that some of the peripheral characters had been developed a bit more. I felt as though the author got started with the development of Ray, Ruth, Mrs Ruana and others but then all of a sudden she dropped the ball. Especially Ruth. Ruth experienced the pain of Susie's death by accident and by no fault of her own except by being in the wrong (or right?) place at the wrong time. It opened a part of her soul to the reader that we were able to see for a bit but then it seemed like that was forgotten til almost the end of the book when her presence was needed again. The other complete miss is Buckley. Ms Sebold treated Buckley as so many younger children are treated in families every day - an afterthought and often forgotten. Thank goodness for Grandma Lynn or else Buck would have been left in the dust.

All in all, I enjoyed the time that I spent with these characters and even though I know that it will not be anywhere near as good, I will probably see the movie too just for the chance to be able to spend some time with them again.

Next up for me? I have two Kristen Hannah books and Nanny Returns on the top of the pile from Christmas. I think a trip down memory lane with Nanny and Mrs X awaits............