Romney Speaks to NAACP and House Republicans Vote for the 33rd Time to Repeal "Obamacare"

Do you remember when the Republicans used to make fun of Clinton/Gore for busing supporters to their events and then Gore when he ran against George W. Bush?  It was a Democrat deal where their supporters would get a free lunch and be bused to the events.  Lo and behold, it is no longer a Democrat ONLY deal as Mitt Romney has co-opted the Democrats by:

Even Later Update, 10:58pm: And Roland Martin of TV One's Washington Watch, tweeted earlier today: "Romney bussed in about 200 supporters, including a number of African Americans, including Fla Lt Gov Jennifer Carroll."

Turns out those black leaders Romney touted he spoke with at the NAACP to Fox News were all people he brought in so he could get applause which is Democrat lite but then Romney has stacked his Town Halls including in 2008 with fellow Mormons and planted questions.  The people at the NAACP Convention were respectful of Romney for showing up but it looks like that respect was a one-way street.  Romney went on to say he knew he would be booed when he used 'Obamacare' instead of the real title 'Affordable Health Care Act' so why did he use that term which many blacks consider a slur against Obama?  Was it really so he could show the right how conservative he was to go into the NAACP and used Obamacare knowing he would get booed as has been alleged?  Sure looks like it after he had this to say at the fundraiser he attended after the event:

"If they are looking for free stuff, look to the other guy" (Mitt Romney, 7/11/2012)

With that statement, he is slandering blacks like they are all lazy who belong to the NAACP which is not the case.  It is the oldest Civil Rights organization in America -- don't always agree with some of their leaders and what they have to say or support, but also am not dumb enough to think they are all looking for free stuff.  Bet the Romney reception at the NAACP Convention after the facts have come out would not be close to the same as he received yesterday.

As a Republican and former party office holder, I find Romney and the people surrounding him an embarrassment and their tactics offensive and disgusting but then many of us have considered Romney Dem-lite from Day One.  The days of Ronald Reagan Republicans have come and gone when we could expect a large number of blacks to vote for the Party that gave them their civil rights.  That party has been replaced by a lot of former Democrats from the south and other places who decided to become Republican to get elected.  It is not a good fit for those of us who believed in working across the aisle for all Americans not just a select few rich donors and lobbyist we see today who have bought and paid for some Republican members of the Congress now.  Looks like a lot of this goes back to Abramoff and has gotten worse.  They are acting like Democrats.  When I see Republicans accusing Democrats of what they are doing, I cringe because that is an old Democrat tactic.

For more details on the Romney speech to the NAACP from the perspective of people who were there, please visit MSNBC

Did you know that Republicans in the House have voted 33 times to repeal and replace the Affordable Healthcare Law?  There is one slight problem -- there is no replacement.  Last night, the word came out that 1/3 of all major votes in the House since Republicans took over have been to repeal and replace the Affordable Healthcare Law so 33 times the Republicans in the House have lied since there is NO replacement?

I have to admit that I burst out laughing at the clip of Democrat Congressman Al Green from Texas last night on the floor of the House who said his district had demanded he read the original bill and the replacement bill before voting.  He went on to say he was now going to read half of the replacement bill -- silence -- then he was going to read the other half -- silence and then the whole replacement bill -- silence.  The look on his face was worth a 1,000 words:

Have to give it up to Cong Green for his comments. This is one of those it doesn't make a difference which party, it is just funny and humor always wins when it is showing the truth. Makes the House Republican leadership look stupid and inept.  We have some on our side like Mike Pence who I could see doing similar if the rolls were reversed.  

This would be even funnier if it wasn't highlighting on the floor of the House the total disregard by the Republican leadership for the truth about a replacement bill.  Integrity seem to be missing from a lot of people on both sides of the aisle in Congress today which many of us are finding despicable and frankly not what the Founding Fathers had in mind for members of Congress.  How did we get such unethical people elected that used to be honest before they started making their millions while members of Congress?  Doesn't anyone question where all that money comes from when some could barely rub two cents together when elected?  It is both sides of the aisle who are for sale to the highest bidder not just one side.  Maybe the calls for anyone tainted by the Abramoff scandal to resign should have been heeded.  There is an Ethics Committee in the House that has trouble actually going after members for being corrupt no matter who is in charge.  

In a conversation this week with other Republicans, we all came to the same conclusion that the honest members of Congress are vastly outnumbered by those in the hip pocket of lobbyists and big donors on both sides.  I got in a disagreement with someone earlier this year who said 'kick them all out and start over' because I have two honest Senators.  He was right for the most part and I told him so yesterday.  When you have a candidate running who has numerous offshore accounts along with many other wealthy people who cost the US Treasury a $100,000,000,000 (yes it is $100B in lost tax revenue a year) with their offshore accounts, it makes you wonder where are the ethical people in this Country?  It doesn't look to be in politics.

On the radio on the way back from Denver on Monday, heard someone suggest that a new bill be put into law that NO former members of Congress can be a lobbyist -- make them go HOME when their time is up.  That may be the best recommendation for a new law I have heard in years.  I would also extend it to the high ranking military and civil service who retire and go to work for major defense contractors who then lobby members of Congress.  

Then there was the guy who said that he was never for term limits for Congress but has changed his mind since so many members of Congress consider it a permanent job today.  Dr. Tom Coburn (R-OK) said when he was elected to the US Senate, he would voluntarily only serve two terms.  Wish we had more Dr. Coburns and less Harry Reid's or Orrin Hatch's who have been there way too long. 

Have a great day and my sympathies go out if you are in a battleground state and are getting bombarded with ads from both candidates.  Might make some people decide to get a DVR, record their shows, and watch later with NO commercials.  This could be a boon for the makers of the DVR which is optional with cable and satellite.  I would highly recommend you get one until after the election if you like to watch TV.

IBD Editorial: Obama Exposes Social Security's Big Lie

There is no lockbox and never was for social security.  Some people think there is an account with their name on and that money is theirs -- WRONG!  Obama has now exposed that big fat lie with his comments.  There was no need to scare senior citizens as all he has to do is require that Social Security recipients be paid first.

The Democrat Congress pulled a coup when they took new Civil Service and put them in FERS in the late 80's which means they now pay into social security which becomes part of their pension -- Congress wanted their money but now that group is getting near retirement, what is going to happen next?

Federal employees were also put in Medicare to help solve that problem.  A lot of Civil Service only take Part A which is at no cost and keep their federal employees health insurance because they don't trust Medicare.  Great idea since FEHB is exempt from Obamacare.  I will take Blue Cross/Blue Shield over Obamacare or Medicare any day of the week.

Editorial: Obama Exposes Social Security's Big LiePosted 06:48 PM ET 

Entitlements: In trying to score political points against the GOP by warning that retirement checks were in jeopardy if the debt ceiling isn't raised, President Obama exposed the fraud at the heart of Social Security. 

The closer the self-imposed Aug. 2 deadline for raising the debt ceiling comes, the more oddly politicians in Washington are behaving — and that's saying something. 

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner this week ridiculously insisted on a plan within 48 hours. Sen. Mitch McConnell proposed a Rube Goldberg idea to let President Obama increase the debt by vetoing a bill denying him a debt increase, or something like that. 

Obama beat everyone, however, with his scaremongering claim that Social Security checks are at risk if he doesn't get his way on the debt ceiling. "I cannot guarantee that those checks go out on Aug. 3 if we haven't resolved this issue," he told CBS News, "because there may simply not be the money in the coffers to do it." 

Wait! What happened to Social Security's "guarantee"? You know, the iron-clad assurance of Social Security benefits in exchange for paying into the program your whole working life? It's something Democrats constantly talk about, particularly when attacking Republicans who propose privatizing the program.
As Nancy Pelosi once put it: "Social Security has never failed to pay promised benefits, and Democrats will fight to make sure that Republicans do not turn a guaranteed benefit into a guaranteed gamble." 

The AFL-CIO warned in 2005 about "President Bush's plan to replace Social Security's guaranteed benefits with risky private accounts." The AARP describes Social Security as "the guaranteed part of your retirement plan." Etc., etc. 

Turns out, this "guarantee" is a lie. 

In 1960, the Supreme Court ruled that workers do not have a legal right to their Social Security benefits. Congress can cut them any time it wants, which it's done several times. And, because there are no ownership rights, if you die the day you retire after making a lifetime of payments into Social Security, your heirs get nothing. 

Indeed, Social Security's only guarantee is that today's workers will get an incredibly lousy return on the huge amount of money they've "invested" in the program. 

And what about that Social Security "Trust Fund" the Democrats rhapsodize about? Isn't it supposed to guarantee benefit payments for another 30 or 40 years? 

Truth is, the fund is nothing more than an accounting gimmick designed to make the program look healthier than it is. Obama exposed this scam as well by showing that retirees can't trust the "Trust Fund" for anything. 

These are, by the way, all shortcomings that Social Security privatization advocates have tried to point out for years, only to be shouted down by Democrats. 

In the current debt debate, Republicans could easily waylay Obama's threat about cutting off grandma's Social Security checks with a resolution ordering the Treasury to put retirees first in line for any government spending after Aug. 2. Let Democrats try to block that. 

Whatever happens, the fact remains that Obama has accidentally made a pretty good case for Social Security reform by revealing the program for what it really is. 

Source:  IBD