Conservatives are in a funk. And their loyalties have been sharply split this primary season.
They'd better get their act together, and soon.
Consider just one policy statement by Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton: She would consider garnishment of your wages in order to buy health care.
"I think there are a number of mechanisms," to nationalize health care, she said, including "going after people's wages, automatic enrollment."
Garnishment -- by the federal government? If there is a constitutional authority for that, we've never seen it. And if President Hillary can confiscate your wages for that, what can't she take your money for?
"This is no longer mere socialism," writes frequent Chronicle letter writer Bill Dekle. "This is blatant communism."
Bill's right.
The problem is that conservatives who understand that aren't thrilled with the more moderate GOP candidate John McCain. But with Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul all splitting the conservative vote, McCain has surged to the lead in advance of today's Super Tuesday vote across two dozen states including Georgia.
Romney has suggested that Huckabee's continued candidacy -- despite Huckabee's not winning any contests since Iowa -- is hurting him and helping McCain. Huckabee has pooh-poohed the suggestion -- but interestingly, Huckabee issued the same lament about former conservative candidate Fred Thompson's effect on Huckabee's campaign earlier in the race.
Romney has said that a vote for Huckabee today is a vote for McCain. He may be right.
The Chronicle has not endorsed a candidate in the primary. But we see the looming danger in a presidency of a woman who seems not to have read or understood the U.S. Constitution -- or who is just so sure she's right about everything that she's willing to suspend it to suit her ends.
This country's choice is becoming clearer every day. The free market or socialism.
We suggested last week that McCain may be the strongest Republican candidate in the general election in November. Some of our conservative friends have bitterly disagreed with us, given his record on such things as immigration and campaign finance.
OK. But the only way to stop McCain is to unite behind one candidate. And that doesn't appear to be happening.
And we don't think even he would stoop to garnishing our wages.
Comments
"THIS IS TO PARODY....NOT TO CONFUSE!" A vote for a conservative is a vote to destroy this country further than the evil Bush already has. We must get a good socialist in office so the government can take care of all the little people who aren't as smart as I am!
Huckabee has denied supporting in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants. But the opposite is true.
During his annual State of the State address in January 2005, Huckabee proposed making "any student graduating from a high school in Arkansas" eligible for state financial aid. He said it was "terribly unjust" to deny such aid solely on the basis of a student's immigration status, "a status that he had no decision in and no control over."
A Democratic state legislator, Joyce Elliott, had already proposed legislation granting in-state tuition status to undocumented immigrants. During talks with the governor's staff, Elliott agreed to include a scholarship provision in her bill. She says "he clearly supported the entire bill, and I never heard anything different."
Huckabee expressed disappointment when the measure failed. "I don't understand the opposition to it, I just honestly don't," he said, according to an April 14, 2005, Associated Press report.
Huckabee has denied reducing penalties for meth dealers but the opposite is true.
As governor, he signed a 2005 Arkansas law that gave some meth offenders more credit for good behavior. Instead of serving 70 percent of their sentences, they'd have to serve at least half if they behaved.
When simple denial has failed to get Huckabee off the hook, his campaign has defended his actions noting that the law did not affect sentences of meth offenders convicted before it took effect.
The Hucksters say only 125 inmates have been sentenced under the new guidelines and so far no meth offenders have been released early under the new law.
They say the state's prison chief backed the 2005 proposal and said it would help ease the crowding of Arkansas' penal system.
But, they never mention the sentencing proposal faced opposition from several lawmakers engaged in the war on drugs who said the measure would hurt their efforts and do little to address the state's packed prisons.
Please notice that the person who posted at 4:42 am is not me but someone who uses a close approximation of my name because he can't make his own arguments using his own screen name or real name. Universal health care along with strengthening public education, protecting the environment, reforming corporate tax laws to close offshore banking practices, promoting development & incorporation of alternative/appropriate technologies, uniting Americans in common purpose & many other progressive issues are high on my agenda. BUT the sine qua non for progress in United States is ending the disastrous wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. United States government already "garnishes" wages by withholding income tax & by mandatory contributions to Social Security. Withholding part of a paycheck to fund universal health coverage isn't as draconian as it sounds. There is a debate between Obama & Clinton supporters. NY Times columnist & economist Paul Krugman says Clinton's plan will cover twice as many people as Obama's plan for little more expense. Others disagree. Universal health insurance is a right that will unite Americans, but ending the war in Iraq & changing U.S. foreign policy come first.
Cain, may you never have ANY political power.
The insanity of having Hillary as president is obvious to all but those that have been convinced that "Bush Hate" is something other than a political ploy by the left to get back control. Hillary's "garnishment" is no more then any other federal tax. It is her stance that she is better prepared to decide where your money is spent then you are and she is willing to save you from misspending. He husband said it best when his manipulation of the facts made it look like he had come up with a huge "tax surplus". Remember? He said,"I'd return the money to the taxpayers if I could be sure you'd spend it right". Well, he didn't. It's a family thing.
If you're tired of dealing with all of that pesky money laying around and if you're tired of making the decisions that control your everyday life, then vote for a socialist government, where all of your decisions will be made for you. VOTE HILLARY!!!!
Amen to that Patriciathomas--Whaterver happens I will be most thankful when both Clinton and Obama fade into the background.
Wow, an article about the republican split turns into another debate about democratic candidates. I saw McCain's campaign ad last night proclaiming he is the true conservative, and will be a conservative president. Then, I saw Obama's ad, and him giving an impassioned speech that he does not want to be the liberal president or the conservative president, but president of the United States of America. This is why Obama is rising. He has great leadership and impeccable character. Sorry christian134, it will be McCain and ROmney fading into the background.
If we're into garnishing wages to pay for insurance, could we start with motorists? I'd save a ton on that uninsured motorist crap I have to carry for all the sorry s.o.b.'s that drive without insurance.
One can always hope shivas one can only hope. :) Oops there go Clinton and Obama.....
Free trade agreements with Mexico, White Water, Vincent Foster, enough said about a CLINTON.........
Conservatives are like terrorist.....It's called controlled fear! They want the rest of us to pledge alligiance to an agenda that is insane and ridiculous. The whole world is trying to kill us and we need an elderly Conservative to save us. Healthcare for the poor is wrong, besides if they needed healthcare their parents would have graduated from an Ivy League university to learn how to pay for it. Here's my favorite.....Abortion is wrong, we are going to need those children later in life to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan! The poor should have harder attitudes are clear indications that we don't need a Conservative in office right now. I know Liberals are just as stupid at times and many times worst, but what happened to Conservatives and their promises to facilitate change? Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein would be Conservatives if they lived here. These men exploit the weakest people to carry personal agendas and write laws to legislate their behavior. My point is that Conservatives are willing to sacrafice the rest of us to do what they want. John McCain thinks he should be President because he supports a war the rest of us don't believe in. That's crazy!
Never would I vote for Hillery. I earned my money and it is not for her to take and give to someone else.
"RealCain".., would you be agree with the FairTax proposal if it meant 'universal health care'?
Shivas, being a great speaker does not translate into being a great president.
By the way.., I'm Conservative but this "FakeCain" is the lamest pile of feces I've seen in quite a while. Do you realize the TOOL you are making yourself out to be? Don't delude yourself into thinking ANYONE thinks what you're doing is either brilliant OR funny. It's actually coming off more like CRAZY. Well, PLEASE peddle crazy somewhere else.., we're all stocked-up here.
Cain: "Paul Krugman says Clinton's plan will cover twice as many people as Obama's plan for little more expense." Really? What, did Krugman find some magic beans somewhere? How is it you think that you can get double the number of covered people, with the SAME coverage, for "little more expense." Are we going to require that doctors offer all treatments on a "buy one, get one free!" basis? Of course, the fallacy that underlies this argument is the one that underlies all of the plans for socialized medicine: it is the fallacy that asserts that you can eliminate the price that someone pays for a good or service, without affecting the quality/availability of that good/service. It is because they know that their theories are wrong, that proponents of socialized medicine will never submit to an honest debate about how socialized medicine works everywhere it is currently in place. "Universal health insurance is a right that will unite Americans" Really? It's a RIGHT? I think that my rights are defined in the founding documents of our country, and I don't see anywhere where my neighbor has the RIGHT to confiscate my property to pay for his health insurance...or his pony, for that matter..
cparker, it's your right not to support the war, I even think we went in for the wrong reasons but lets hear your whinning when the terrorist are fighting us on our land.......so don't try to speak for all of us, I support our proud men and women in uniform and I think that we need a strong military in this country, how else are we going to defend ourselves?
Shivas, for a debate to take place we need an opponent that can make a point.
JSHEP, I agree 100% with you. KSL, it's what he is saying that inspires, as opposed to what the other candidates are proposing. I think Obama, more than anyone, will attempt to bring the political parties together to make change. At least, he says that is his goal rather than being a president for just his own party. HWMNBN, I don't quite get what you're saying, but I have listened to many debates on both sides, and followed-up with other research to get clarity about their stances. To me, McCain wants to be president as a finality to his career; Romney and Hillary because they are driven by power: and Obama because he actually wants to do good in the world. That's my social worker analysis for today.
Socialized health care is the type of system that is in Canada and the UK, it is known as single payer because it is financed through taxes. Senator Obama's health care plan is not single payer; it would offer the opportunity for Americans to PURCHASE the same health care plan that is offered to the members of Congress and most federal gov't employees.
I would venture a guess that the posters against a national health care plan, either have health insurance through their employers or Medicare or a retirement health plan. Myself, I am covered by my husband's employer's plan, but I know quite a few self-employed, middle class folks who have to depend on private policies that aren't worth the paper they're written on. And I care about them and the millions of Americans who don't have any insurance or have inadequate coverage.
Being a bit of a drama queen aren't you JohnSmith? No one is advocating "to confiscate my property to pay for his health insurance."
McCain will win because he is moderate. He appeals to both sides. The moderate and the republicans AND the democrats who dont like barack and clinton.
I'm voting for Huckabee.
The government garnishes our wages all the time...it's called taxes and Bush has done many things without Constitutional authority...like declare war.
Shivas, I was referring to your post where you said this was turning into a debate about democratic issues.
Many on here grumble about little kids receiving medicaid and WIC. Then there is Peachcare, which is insurance that parents pay for. It is insurance for kids whose don't qualify for medicaid, but the household income falls within a certain chart. If you want to grumble about the government taking your money and putting it on little kids, then read this headline from an Atlanta tv website.
Your tax dollars fund billions of dollars of scientific research. Some of it leads to important medical breakthroughs, but Channel 2 investigators uncovered some very questionable studies, including one that explores how men and women watch pornography. More Details
If you want to watch the video, here is the link.
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/15216847/index.html
The good thing about the healthcare debate is that one way or the other there will be reform. Anything is better than it is now.
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