Posts Tagged President Obama
A Non-Scandal in Wisconsin
An ultra liberal special interest group called One Wisconsin Now has accused Republican Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen’s office of a “gross abuse of power” and putting “politics above the law.” Exactly what offense did Van Hollen’s office commit? Basically being against President Obama’s government take-over of the health care system and seeking information about joining other AGs in a Constitutional challenge to this monstrosity.
If that sounds like a big nothing-burger to you, you’re not alone. The most interesting thing here is not the non-scandal, but the extent to which a tangled web of special interest groups is spending millions of dollars to try to turn policy disagreements into criminal acts – or at least create an appearance of impropriety that can be used in the next campaign.
One Wisconsin Now is the political arm of the Institute for One Wisconsin. The Institute is bankrolled in part by – drum roll please – hedge fund billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Institute. What does One Wisconsin do with the $$? Well, some of it gets funneled to another political operation called the Greater Wisconsin Political Fund. Other members of the club include politically-motivated unions like the SEIU and AFSCME.
One Wisconsin Now also tries to drag down the American Justice Partnership, which I run, for contributing to the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) – a group dedicated to supporting conservative, rule-of-law AGs such as JB Van Hollen.
Groups like One Wisconsin Now know how deeply unpopular Obamacare is with the people of Wisconsin. They understand the bill was steamrollered through Congress despite questions over the constitutionality of several provisions. Now they’re trying to browbeat and intimidate AGs like JB Van Hollen for daring to challenge their dream of socialized medicine.
The Importance of the Attorney General
As expected eleven state Attorneys General are bringing suit challenging the constitutionality of the health care reform bill just signed into law by President Obama. The suit focuses on the law’s mandate that individuals purchase health insurance. The Christian Science Monitor reports:
The threatened action suggests the controversial measure is about to move from the legislative realm into what could become a protracted and messy fight in the courts. The attorneys general say they will sue once President Obama signs the bill into law. They are pledging to take their battle all the way to the US Supreme Court.
Newly elected Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli lays out the crux of the argument from the article penned by Warren Richey:
“Just being alive is not interstate commerce. If it were, there would be no limit to the US Constitution’s commerce clause and to Congress’s authority to regulate everything we do.”
For years we’ve promoted the importance of the office of AG and this development cements our belief. No matter how this turns out it’s great to see these 11 Attorneys General standing up against big government mandates.
Selling out doctors to pay off trial lawyers
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on September 4th, 2009
By NEWT GINGRICH & WAYNE OLIVER | 9/3/09 2:26 PM EDT
Civil justice reform, which is sometimes referred to as “tort reform,” is not addressed in any health reform bill now being considered by Congress. As a matter of fact, civil justice reform is rarely being discussed even though it should be a critical component of every discussion and in every legitimate health reform bill.
Physicians understand its importance. And so do the American people. Many are beginning to wonder why it’s not in any bill.
Howard Dean, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, at a town hall meeting in Virginia last week said, “Tort reform is not in the bill because the people who wrote it did not want to take on the trial lawyers. And, that is the plain and simple truth.”
Obama v. the Tort Lawyers
- The Wall Street Journal, July 9, 2009
The president’s Auto Task Force worked hard to shield the new GM from jackpot justice.
Ask a CEO or small business owner to list his biggest economic problems, and near the top is always the depredations of the tort bar. Would you believe Uncle Sam feels the same way when he’s the owner?
Apparently so, if we can judge from the sensible behavior of the Obama Administration’s Auto Task Force. General Motors could emerge from bankruptcy as soon as today, leaving the federal government with a majority stake in the car maker. And it turns out the task force worked hard to shield the new GM from jackpot justice. Read the rest of this entry »