White House Developing “Enemies List” with Email Collections of Average Citizens
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, accusing the White House of compiling an "enemies list," has asked President Barack Obama to stop an effort to collect "fishy" information Americans see about a health care overhaul. Cornyn, who leads the Republicans' Senate campaign effort, said Wednesday in a letter to Obama that he's concerned that citizen engagement on the issue could be "chilled." He also expressed alarm that the White House could end up collecting electronic information on its critics. "I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward e-mails critical of his policies to the White House," Cornyn wrote.

Issa to Emanuel: Back Off!
Following reports that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has been orchestrating an effort to intimidate members of Congress and Governors who raise legitimate concerns regarding the effectiveness of the stimulus, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-CA) sent a letter to Emanuel saying “While this type of scare tactic may work In Chicago, it will not work to intimidate me or other Members of the United States Congress.” “I and others have dared to bring these facts to the attention of President Obama, the Congress and the American people,” Issa wrote. “You’ve unfortunately reacted by once again resorting to the playbook of the Chicago political machine.”

Save the Planet: Have Fewer Kids
For people who are looking for ways to reduce their "carbon footprint," here's one radical idea that could have a big long-term impact, some scientists say: Have fewer kids.??A study by statisticians at Oregon State University concluded that in the United States, the carbon legacy and greenhouse gas impact of an extra child is almost 20 times more important than some of the other environment-friendly practices people might employ during their entire lives - things like driving a high mileage car, recycling, or using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs.

New York Residents Gives Congressman a Piece of Their Mind
Constituents protest before his arrival and speak out in frustration at the meeting. Outdoor protesters from csa-1776.org and Suffolk County 9-12 Project. Silent no more!

Crime Cometh: Fed judges order California to slash prison population
A federal judicial panel on Tuesday ordered California to reduce its prison population by 40,000 to improve treatment of ailing and mentally ill inmates. The three-judge panel ruled that cutting the number of inmates is the only way to bring the system's medical care up to adequate standards "California's prisons are bursting at the seams and are impossible to manage," the judges wrote. They gave the state 45 days to develop a plan to reduce the number of inmates in the 33 adult prisons from about 150,000 to 110,000 over two years.

Hummers Eligible in “Cash for Clunkers” Deal!!!!!!!!!!!
To qualify for the "Cash for Clunkers" rebate, you must have an eligible used vehicle that you are willing to trade in for a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. For a list of eligible used vehicles. Once you've established that your used vehicle is likely to be eligible, we suggest you review the list below for eligible new vehicles — because not all new vehicles qualify for the program. New vehicles eligible for rebate must meet minimum fuel efficiency requirements (combined city/highway MPG) established by the EPA, and have a base Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $45,000 or less. When you scroll down go to the H’s and you will see the Hummer.

25 foreign-born sex offenders arrested in Houston
A five-day sweep by federal immigration officials and Houston-area law enforcement officers resulted in the arrests last week of 25 foreign-born convicted sex offenders, officials said Monday. Of those arrested, four entered the country illegally while two had been students who remained in the U.S. after their visas had expired, officials said. Those who were rounded up came from several countries in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, officials said.

Congressman: I Would Rather Save My Soul than Support Obama Abortion Bill
Like his fellow conservative delegates from Louisiana, one U.S. Representative has vowed not to support Obama's health care overhaul. But Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-New Orleans) says that his primary motivation stems from a desire to preserve his own soul from the danger of participating in the destruction of "thousands of innocent lives" that are threatened by the vast expansion of abortion embedded in the bill. "At the end of the day if the health care reform bill does not have strong language prohibiting the use of federal funding for abortion, then the bill is really a no-go for me," Cao, the first Vietnamese-American Congressman and a Catholic.

White House Staffers Tell Liberal Lawmakers to Hit Back at Crowds
Top White House aides gave Senate Democrats a recess battle plan on Thursday, arming the lawmakers with tips for avoiding disastrous town hall meetings while showing them polling on popular aspects of the reform effort. Senior White House adviser David Axelrod and deputy chief of staff Jim Messina told senators to focus on the insured and how they would benefit from “consumer protections" in the overhaul, such as ending the practice of denying insurance based on preexisting conditions and ensuring the continuity of coverage between jobs. They showed video clips of the confrontational town halls that have dominated the media coverage, and told senators to do more prep work than usual for their public meetings by making sure their own supporters turn out, senators and aides said. “We will punch back twice as hard,” Messina said, according to an official who attended the meeting.

Black Conservative Beaten by White Liberal Union Thugs at Town Hall in St Louis
St. Louis County police arrested six people, including a Post-Dispatch reporter, during a demonstration Thursday evening outside a forum on aging called by U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis. Two of the arrest was a result of SEIU Union thugs who beat up a conservative black man. The forum drew an overflow crowd of several hundred to Bernard Middle School gym in south St. Louis County. Dozens of people, many carrying signs about the health care debate, were kept out because of the turnout. The back and forth between factions within the crowd created a carnival-like atmosphere inside and out between members of the movement opposing President Barack Obama's policies and groups who came to show support for the president's proposals. Post-Dispatch reporter Jake Wagman, who was covering the event and shooting video for stltoday.com, was arrested for interference. One of those arrested was Brian Matthews, 34, of St. Louis city, who works as a rehabber and previously worked on a campaign for a Texas statehouse candidate. "I feel like it was a bull rush," Matthews said. "It all came from behind." Matthews said he had been inside the forum because he is in favor of a public option for health care. He had attended with a friend, a 51-year-old woman. After it was over, they were walking outside and had a run-in with a man who was trying to videotape them. Matthews said that man from from the GOP. They reported the man to a police officer, who seemed uninterested, Matthews said. Kenneth Gladney, 38, a conservative activist from St. Louis, said he was attacked by some of those arrested as he handed out yellow flags with "Don't tread on me" printed on them. He spoke to the Post-Dispatch from the emergency room at St. John's Mercy Medical Center, where he said he was awaiting treatment for injuries to his knee, back, elbow, shoulder and face. Gladney, who is black, said one of his attackers, also a black man, used a racial slur against him before the attack.

Union Thugs Beat Up Man at Congresswomen’s Town Hall in Tampa
Kathy Castor (D-FL) had union thugs as protection and as a result beat up a guy (in the green shirt - evidence 3:21) and shut the doors to prevent the opposing opinions from being heard. She then proceeded leave, not taking any questions.

Ark. crowd mocks lawmakers over Obama health plan
An unruly Little Rock crowd heckled and shouted at two Arkansas Democratic congressmen Wednesday, accusing them of supporting a government-backed health plan that would take away Americans' personal choice and freedom. At one point, U.S. Rep. Mike Ross sat with his head in his hands while the crowd shouted. He and fellow Democratic Rep. Vic Snyder told audience members at a forum at Arkansas Children's Hospital that they wouldn't support a completely government-run, single-payer health insurance plan.

Obama’s Own Words: I want single payer (government) healthcare
“I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care program. I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, spending 14 percent of its Gross National Product on health care cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. And that’s what Jim is talking about when he says everybody in, nobody out. A single payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. And that’s what I’d like to see. But as all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, and we have to take back the House.”

Obama Explains the Elimination of Employer Health Coverage
"I don't think we're going to be able to eliminate employer coverage immediately. There's going to be potentially some transition process..."

House Orders Up Three Elite Jets
Last year, lawmakers excoriated the CEOs of the Big Three automakers for traveling to Washington, D.C., by private jet to attend a hearing about a possible bailout of their companies. But apparently Congress is not philosophically averse to private air travel: At the end of July, the House approved nearly $200 million for the Air Force to buy three elite Gulfstream jets for ferrying top government officials and Members of Congress. The Air Force had asked for one Gulfstream 550 jet (price tag: about $65 million) as part of an ongoing upgrade of its passenger air service. But the House Appropriations Committee, at its own initiative, added to the 2010 Defense appropriations bill another $132 million for two more airplanes and specified that they be assigned to the D.C.-area units that carry Members of Congress, military brass and top government officials.

The Rising Costs of Being First Lady
The first lady of the United States is not elected, has no constitutional duties and receives no salary, but that doesn't mean the position is without its privileges – including a staff of 22 White House employees who make a combined nearly $1.5 million per year. Various journalists have scoured the White House's annual report to Congress on the West Wing payroll and listed those names that serve as members First Lady Michelle Obama's staff. Combined, their salaries total $1,495,700. By comparison, a similar examination of the 2008 payroll, printed in the Washington Post, shows First Lady Laura Bush tallied 17 staffers, who combined made roughly $1.28 million. The costs do not include servant staff and secret service personnel.

Bill’s North Korean Trip Sure to Become Major Movie
Bill Clinton's triumphant return from North Korea with two rescued US journalists had Hollywood written all over it -- from the Burbank airport to the big-time producer who bankrolled the expedition to the celebrity public-relations firm that orchestrated the homecoming. A key player in Clinton's high-flying diplomatic mission to rescue Laura Ling and Euna Lee was entertainment mogul Steve Bing, a longtime "Friend of Bill" who lent the ex-president his private Boeing 737. Can you say set up big time?

Bella actor invites everyone to Our Lady of Guadalupe Festival
The famous actor Eduardo Verastegui is inviting Catholics to attend the Guadalupe Festival on Saturday, August 8, at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona.??The festival is being sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and is the first of its kind. In addition to the Knights, the Diocese of Phoenix, the Archdiocese of Mexico City and the Institute for Guadalupe Studies are co-sponsoring the event. Festival goers will be able to enjoy music, dance and prayer that is all dedicated to celebrating the importance of Our Lady of Guadalupe for all of America.??In addition to Verastegui, who is known for his pro-life movie "Bella," the event will also be attended by author Immaculee Ilibagiza, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl Anderson, and Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix.

Birthday Tribute Planned for Our Glorious Leader
People gather in front of the World's Largest Beaded Photo Mosaic of U.S. President Barack Obama on display in front of the White House in Washington, August 3, 2009.

Coach Lou Holtz Mulls GOP Run for Congress
Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz is mulling a run for Congress in Florida as a Republican. A GOP strategist said Tuesday that Holtz could decide in the next several weeks whether to run for the central Florida congressional seat currently held by Democrat Suzanne Kosmas. Holtz has never run for office and has worked as an analyst at ESPN since retiring from his last coaching stint at the University of South Carolina at the end of the 2004 season. Holtz is the only coach to guide six schools to a bowl game, and he led Notre Dame to its last national championship in 1988. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame last year.

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State cuts meth cleanup
Horton, the sheriff in Crawford County, remains concerned that the number of meth labs will increase, leaving the DEA overwhelmed and local law enforcement agencies wondering where to turn for help. "At this point," he said, "we're grateful they're (DEA) responding." And he hopes the KDHE program can return. "They were very helpful and performed a valuable service to the citizens,'' Horton said of KDHE. "We hate to see them not be able to fund this. "This is a priority, as far as I'm concerned."

Underwear Skate Party Event Held in Merriam
Dozens of skaters attended "Underwear Skate Party," an event held Sunday at a Merriam roller rink. Zinfandel by Milo, a swimwear/lingerie shop at 1717 Wesport Road, hosted the party. And you seriously think we are not losing it in this Country?

County plans to use arena reserve fund to keep pavilions open
Sedgwick County commissioners are planning to tap into arena sales tax funds to keep the pavilions at the Kansas Coliseum from shutting down. Commissioners discussed the plan today during their final study session before adopting a 2010 budget. The commission is scheduled to vote on a final budget Wednesday. In his initial budget recommendation, County Manager William Buchanan had proposed shutting down the Coliseum pavilions, which are running at a substantial deficit. According to county records, the pavilions posted a nearly $1.1 million overall loss last year.

“Retention bonuses” for some Kansas School Teachers?
Today in a special school board meeting in USD 473 in Chapman, the board voted over a month after the fact to approve the “retention bonuses” given in Chapman on June 30. The Superintendent and his wife received retention checks as large as anyone. Why do teachers and staff in USD 473 get retention checks when there are so many budget problems with other Kansas schools? Kansas’ schools need to be audited and the first audit should be USD 473.

Wichita schools boost spending to $622 million
The Wichita School District has published its 2009-2010 budget and, in spite of repeated reports of looming budget cuts, it shows a $59.5 million increase in net expenditures, a 10.6 percent increase over last year's actual spending. The budget also shows a $9.8million, 7.3 percent, increase in property taxes levied by the district.

Privatization of Wichita city parks
Privately-owned parks would bring benefits, the nature of which we really can’t foresee and predict. Entrepreneurs are highly motivated to discover and meet consumer wishes and demands. They can experiment to see what works. The costs of their failures are born only by them. When public officials take risks and fail, they’re criticized for wasting public funds. This is a reason why little innovation comes from government.

"I've said it once and I'll say it many more times: Not in my back yard. Not in Kansas,” I will shut down the Senate before I'll let that happen."

Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) on Leavenworth as the new Gitmo prison

Gospel - Mt 16:24-28

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it. 26 For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then will he render to every man according to his works. 28 Amen I say to you, there are some of them that stand here, that shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

I have been sitting quietly on the sidelines watching all of this national debate on healthcare. It is time for me to bring some clarity to the table by explaining many of the problems from the perspective of a doctor. First off, the government has involved very few of us physicians in the healthcare debate. While the American Medical Association has come out in favor of the plan, it is vital to remember that the AMA only represents 17% of the American physician workforce.

I have taken care of Medicaid patients for 35 years while representing the only pediatric ophthalmology group left in Atlanta, Georgia that accepts Medicaid. For example, in the past 6 months I have cared for three young children on Medicaid who had corneal ulcers. This is a potentially blinding situation because if the cornea perforates from the infection, almost surely blindness will occur. In all three cases the antibiotic needed for the eradication of the infection was not on the approved Medicaid list.

Each time I was told to fax Medicaid for the approval forms, which I did. Within 48 hours the form came back to me, which was sent in immediately via fax, and I was told that I would have my answer in 10 days. Of course by then each child would have been blind in the eye.

Each time the request came back denied. All three times I personally provided the antibiotic for each patient which was not on the Medicaid approved list. Get the point -- rationing of care.

Over the past 35 years I have cared for over 1000 children born with congenital cataracts. In older children and in adults the vision is rehabilitated with an intraocular lens. In newborns we use contact lenses, which are very expensive. It takes Medicaid over one year to approve a contact lens post cataract surgery. By that time a successful anatomical operation is wasted as the child will be close to blind from a lack of focusing for so long a period of time.

Again, extreme rationing. Solution: I have a foundation here in Atlanta supported 100% by private funds which supplies all of these contact lenses for my Medicaid and illegal immigrants children for free. Again, waiting for the government would be disastrous.

Last week I had a lady bring her child to me. They are Americans but live in Sweden, as the father has a job with a big corporation. The child had the onset of double vision 3 months ago and has been unable to function normally because of this. They are people of means but are waiting 8 months to see the ophthalmologist in Sweden. Then if the child needed surgery they would be put on a 6 month waiting list. She called me and I saw her that day. It turned out that the child had accommodative esotropia (crossing of the eyes treated with glasses that correct for farsightedness) and responded to glasses within 4 days, so no surgery was needed. Again, rationing of care.

Last month I operated on a 70 year old lady with double vision present for 3 years. She responded quite nicely to her surgery and now is symptom free. I also operated on a 69 year old judge with vertical double vision. His surgery went very well and now he is happy as a lark. I have been told -- but of course there is no healthcare bill that has been passed yet -- that these 2 people because of their age would have been denied surgery and just told to wear a patch over one eye to alleviate the symptoms of double vision. Obviously cheaper than surgery.

I spent two year in the US Navy during the Viet Nam war and was well treated by the military. There was tremendous rationing of care and we were told specifically what things the military personnel and their dependents could have and which things they could not have. While I was in Viet Nam, my wife Nancy got sick and got essentially no care at the Naval Hospital in Oakland, California. She went home and went to her family's private internist in Beverly Hills. While it was expensive, she received an immediate work up. Again rationing of care.

For those of you who are over 65, this bill in its present form might be lethal for you. People in England over 59 cannot receive stents for their coronary arteries. The government wants to mimic the British plan. For those of you younger, it will still mean restriction of the care that you and your children receive.

While 99% of physicians went into medicine because of the love of medicine and the challenge of helping our fellow man, economics are still important. My rent goes up 2% each year and the salaries of my employees go up 2% each year. Twenty years ago, ophthalmologists were paid $1800 for a cataract surgery and today $500. This is a 73% decrease in our fees. I do not know of many jobs in America that have seen this sort of lowering of fees.

But there is more to the story than just the lower fees. When I came to Atlanta, there was a well-known ophthalmologist that charged $2500 for a cataract surgery as he felt the was the best. He had a terrific reputation and in fact I had my mother's bilateral cataracts operated on by him with a wonderful result. She is now 94 and has 20/20 vision in both eyes. People would pay his $2500 fee.

However, then the government came in and said that any doctor that does Medicare work cannot accept more than the going rate (now $500) or he or she would be severely fined. This put an end to his charging $2500. The government said it was illegal to accept more than the government-allowed rate. What I am driving at is that those of you well off will not be able to go to the head of the line under this new healthcare plan, just because you have money, as no physician will be willing to go against the law to treat you.

I am a pediatric ophthalmologist and trained for 10 years post-college to become a pediatric ophthalmologist (add two years of my service in the Navy and that comes to 12 years).A neurosurgeon spends 14 years post -college, and if he or she has to do the military that would be 16 years. I am not entitled to make what a neurosurgeon makes, but the new plan calls for all physicians to make the same amount of payment. I assure you that medical students will not go into neurosurgery and we will have a tremendous shortage of neurosurgeons. Already, the top neurosurgeon at my hospital who is in good health and only 52 years old has just quit because he can't stand working with the government anymore. Forty-nine percent of children under the age of 16 in the state of Georgia are on Medicaid, so he felt he just could not stand working with the bureaucracy anymore.

We are being lied to about the uninsured. They are getting care. I operate at least 2 illegal immigrants each month who pay me nothing, and the children's hospital at which I operate charges them nothing also. This is true not only on Atlanta, but of every community in America.

The bottom line is that I urge all of you to contact your congresswomen and congressmen and senators to defeat this bill. I promise you that you will not like rationing of your own health.

Furthermore, how can you trust a physician that works under these conditions knowing that he is controlled by the state. I certainly could not trust any doctor that would work under these draconian conditions.

One last thing: with this new healthcare plan there will be a tremendous shortage of physicians. It has been estimated that approximately 5% of the current physician work force will quit under this new system. Also it is estimated that another 5% shortage will occur because of the decreased number of men and women wanting to go into medicine. At the present time the US government has mandated gender equity in admissions to medical schools. That means that for the past 15 years that somewhere between 49 and 51% of each entering class are females. This is true of private schools also, because all private schools receive federal funding.

The average career of a woman in medicine now is only 8-10 years and the average work week for a female in medicine is only 3-4 days. I have now trained 35 fellows in pediatric ophthalmology. Hands down the best was a female that I trained 4 years ago -- she was head and heels above all others I have trained. She now practices only 3 days a week.