True North

Stick a fork in the Slaughter Solution. It's history. Based on this Roll Call article, that strategy died with the Senate Parliamentarian's ruling:

The Senate Parliamentarian has ruled that President Barack Obama must sign Congress' original health care reform bill before the Senate can act on a companion reconciliation package, senior GOP sources said Thursday.

The Senate Parliamentarian's Office was responding to questions posed by the Republican leadership. The answers were provided verbally, sources said.

House Democratic leaders have been searching for a way to ensure that any move they make to approve the Senate-passed $871 billion health care reform bill is followed by Senate action on a reconciliation package of adjustments to the original bill. One idea is to have the House and Senate act on reconciliation prior to House action on the Senate's original health care bill.

Wobbly House Democrats don't want to vote for the Senate bill without a guarantee of the Senate passing a bill that fixes what's broken in the Senate bill. House Democrats thought that they'd found a solution with the Slaughter Solution, in which the Senate bill would be deemed passed the minute the House passed a bill fixing the Senate bill. Under the Slaughter Solution rule, the House wouldn't even vote on the Senate bill.

With the Senate Parliamentarian's ruling, that solution disappeared.

Gallup has a new poll showing that the ground is eroding under the feet of anthropogenic global-warming advocated.  Skepticism in the US has rapidly increased over the last four years, climbing from 30% in 2006 to almost half of all respondents in their latest survey:

Gallup’s annual update on Americans’ attitudes toward the environment shows a public that over the last two years has become less worried about the threat of global warming, less convinced that its effects are already happening, and more likely to believe that scientists themselves are uncertain about its occurrence. In response to one key question, 48% of Americans now believe that the seriousness of global warming is generally exaggerated, up from 41% in 2009 and 31% in 1997, when Gallup first asked the question.

I don't know what Steve Landsburg is drinking, but someone get me a case, and then get cases to Washington and St. Paul. Here are a few choice tidbits:

There is this notion abroad that an extra billion in government spending can be converted from "irresponsible" to "responsible" as long as it's accompanied by an extra billion in tax hikes. That's like saying a $500 haircut can be converted from "irresponsible" to "responsible" as long as you withdraw the $500 from your bank account.

I keep finding fresh evidence to suggest that the balance of power is changing, between the teachers unions and the Legislature, School Boards, and taxpayers they used to dominate.  District 112, the Eastern Carver County Schools ("Chaska") is going toe to toe with Education Minnesota on a new contract.  They have already forgone the $25 per student penalty for not having a signed contract by January.  Among the sticking points is the district's proposal to eliminate "steps" - automatic pay increases for years of service.

In a similar way, Governor Pawlenty is challenging tenure - a form of seniority bestowed after some number of years.  Federal programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top are demanding some new thinking here.  And the Minneapolis Public Schools, facing still more layoffs, says traditional seniority is too high a price for this struggling district trying to retain its bright, new teaching prospects by losing some veteran but "depressing, mediocre" teachers.

I've had it up to here with the White House's spinning about Chief Justice John Roberts. I reached my tipping point when Propaganda Minister Robert Gibbs said this:

In a statement sent to reporters, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that the only troubling thing was the 5-4 ruling by the court, which said that corporations could spend unlimited amounts of money advocating on behalf of candidates in elections. Roberts leads the court.

"What is troubling is that this decision opened the floodgates for corporations and special interests to pour money into elections, drowning out the voices of average Americans," Gibbs said. "The President has long been committed to reducing the undue influence of special interests and their lobbyists over government. That is why he spoke out to condemn the decision and is working with Congress on a legislative response."

That's downright insulting. President Obama repeatedly and consistently ignored what We The People said about Obamacare during last August's townhall meetings. President Obama totally ignored the hundreds of thousands of calls to Congress last January and February about his failed stimulus plan. He's ignored what We The People said in the elections in New Jersey and Virginia and the special election in Massachusetts.

Virginia Postrel’s life has put her in position to experience the issues of the American health-care system in a very personal manner. She donated a kidney to a friend, only to discover a year later that she had a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer. In a lengthy but worthwhile interview with Reason TV, Postrel discusses the use of the expensive but effective drug Herceptin in the US — and also in New Zealand, where politics blocked it from being covered by the single-payer system in that country. Postrel discusses the market-based reforms that work as well as the reasons they meet resistance with Ted Balaker:

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Perhaps you've heard - there's a gubernatorial race going on.

Since the True North ruling junta has gotten a few emails on the subject, I want to make sure we're clear on a few things.

True North is not a GOP blog.  We are a conservative blog that supports the first principles of conservatism, and the candidates, politicians and policies that in turn support them.  It's entirely possible that True North could support a conservative DFLer over a liberal Republican.  Not to worry - it's pretty much a theoretical exercise, so far.  Most of True North's contributors are Republicans, and as a practical matter the GOP, imperfect as it is, is the conservative party - but we are not a party blog.

Hell may have frozen over.  I am going to quote something from the Strib.  On their Opinion Page of Tuesday, March 9, three Minneapolis citizens penned thoughts which tell me the castle walls of public education may be beginning to crumble, the veneer may be beginning to peel.

The three contributors, Don Samuels, city councilman, Chanda Baker, director of strategic partners for Pillsbury United Communities and Sondra Samuels, president of the PEACE  Foundation, take strategic and targeted aim at Tom Dooher, president of Education Minnesota.

Get this quote from their op/ed:

Opponents of a government takeover of health care have less than two weeks to stop “the crown jewel of socialism,” according to Representative Michele Bachmann, congresswoman for Minnesota’s sixth district. Bachmann spoke Monday on Hot Tea Radio, a production associated with Tea Party Patriots and this publication. Addressing questions from co-hosts C.L. Bryant and Rob Gaudet, along with several callers, Bachmann detailed an urgent legislative scenario.

“The president recognizes his time is short,” said Bachmann. “He has not been listening to the American people, and he won’t be, because he’s made it clear – his interest is not doing what the American people want done. His interest is doing what he wants done. He believes in socialized medicine… [it] is the crown jewel of socialism. He recognizes that if they pass socialized medicine, we will forever be a politically Left country… because people will get used to these entitlement benefits.”

Congresswoman Bachmann was doubtful the fight over abortion language among Democrats would ultimately preclude abortion coverage. Even if the Stupak amendment makes it into the bill, Bachmann pointed out there would still be “tens of thousands of pages of unwritten regulations that the new health care czar and the current Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, will write.”

Last night, Sanu Patel-Zellinger sat down for an interview with me. For those who don't recognize Sanu's name, she's the GOP endorsed candidate for HD-40B. Sanu's story is an inspiring one. Her task is seemingly daunting, with her opponent being Ann Lenczewski.

I was impressed with Sanu's answers, especially when she spoke about how Minnesota is losing job: "Right now, we are losing some companies to other states. TCF moved out of Minnesota. The other thing is to make it easy for those owners to run their business.

While some regulation is necessary, we need to make sure that the consequence of the regulation does not hamper the growth of business."

There are several thousand political lifetimes left between today and Election Day, 2010. That means there are tens of thousands of political lifetimes left between today and the next presidential election. Still, Scott Rasmussen's polling must be causing Mr. Axelrod to drink Maalox by the bottle:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 22% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -21. That matches the lowest Approval Index rating yet recorded for this President.

as bad as those numbers are, these numbers should scare Chris van Hollen and Robert Menendez:

I've been dubious that Nancy Pelosi lacks the juice to muscle Obamacare through the House, but her enforcers must be running into a wall. Minority Leader John Boehner's blog introduces us to the aptly named Slaughter solution via this Congress Daily report (PDF). Boehner's blog reports:

The twisted scheme by which Democratic leaders plan to bend the rules to ram President Obama's massive health care legislation through Congress now has a name: the Slaughter Solution.

The Slaughter Solution is a plan by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), the Democratic chair of the powerful House Rules Committee and a key ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), to get the health care legislation through the House without an actual vote on the Senate-passed health care bill. You see, Democratic leaders currently lack the votes needed to pass the Senate health care bill through the House. Under Slaughter's scheme, Democratic leaders will overcome this problem by simply "deeming" the Senate bill passed in the House - without an actual vote by members of the House.

The madness in EP Schools Continues....$31,000 of Minnesota taxpayer money paid to one Burnsville-based acting troupe, "Crossroads Panorama".

While the schools lament budget cuts and lack of funds, they paid (or will pay) a bunch of actors $31,000 for this: 

If I hadn't read it, I'd never have believed that Pelosi's Democrats are actually considering a way to pass the Senate's health care bill without voting on it. Here's what they're planning:

House Rules Chairwoman Louise Slaughter is prepping to help usher the healthcare overhaul through the House and potentially avoid a direct vote on the Senate overhaul bill, the chairwoman said Tuesday.

Slaughter is weighing preparing a rule that would consider the Senate bill passed once the House approves a corrections bill that would make changes to the Senate version.

This is exceptionally warped. This is what's done in banana republics, not in the People's House. Then again, it's Louise Slaughter's idea. She's the representative from the Blair House Summit who talked about someone who was without health insurance so she used her dead sister's dentures.

Here's more information on what they're considering:

Negative campaigning is to politics as satire is to literature; it is effective when it reveals a truth greater than the sum of the facts, and when it is done with wit. Lacking respect for the truth and wit, negative campaigning is little more than a tattling tantrum and satire degenerates into an uncomfortable embarrassment. The latter gives us Al Franken and “Porn-o-Rama,” the former a Marty Seifert hit piece.

Mike Wigley is the the top dog in terms of Minnesota fiscal conservative activist names, and Team Emmer announced the founder of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota's endorsement today.

Mike Wigley, the founder of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota announced today he is supporting Tom Emmer for Governor. Wigley cited Rep. Emmer’s strong track record as an advocate for lowering taxes and reducing government spending as the main reason for his endorsement.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of elected officials and I know Tom Emmer is a man who will never waver in his support of Minnesota’s families and taxpayers,” said Wigley. “As a small business owner, Tom Emmer is the unique politician who understands what it is like to sign the front of a paycheck, not just the back. Tom is exactly the person with the vision and leadership to bring Minnesota back to prosperity, by creating an environment that lets Minnesotans create jobs.”

The DFL is heading toward a convention that will bestow its usual "kiss of death" to whomever gets it - usually the candidate that makes the "progressive" activists that control the party the most tingly; this will lead to a summer of hammer-and-tong DFL fratricide leading up to a September primary that will determine the real candidate for governor. 

This combined with the fact that the DFL is in a historically disorganized state, and heading into a headwind of disaffection with Barack Obama and a GOP with new leadership at its head and a Tea Party chasing it to relevance, and the DFL and its minions are desperately in need of a sideshow to draw attention away from their own cage match.

Dave Mindeman at mnpAct wants to direct the reader to the sideshow they're counting on  - the neck-and-neck GOP endorsement battle between Marty Seifert and Tom Emmer.

In 2008, Big Business crawled in bed with the Obama campaign, figuring that if they played nice, they'd get preferential treatment when President Obama started implementing his radical agenda. They quickly found out that they weren't getting preferential treatment. they quickly realized that they weren't dinner guests but that they were THE MENU. Based on this AP article, they're making a clean break from the Obama administration:

Major business groups say President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is a job killer, and they're launching a multimillion-dollar ad campaign to take that message to voters.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and groups ranging from contractors to retailers said Tuesday the Democratic health care bills would raise their expenses, while failing to control health care costs.

Advertisements will start airing nationwide Wednesday on cable television and shift in a few days to 17 states, targeting moderate and conservative Democrats whose votes are critical to passing the bill in the House. The campaign is estimated to cost between $4 million and $10 million, with the insurance industry paying part of the cost.

In this article on job growth and the bonding bill I expressed some serious skepticism over the job creation claims of its DFL and union supporters. (Discussed earlier.) Two thoughts I hoped to make clear there may be a bit buried and so I will restate. First, it is highly unusual to me to emphasize the job creation story over the public value of some investment. I said in the article, "The question is more what it's worth to us once it's built, than what it's worth to us while it's being built." If all we cared about were jobs, why stop with bonding for public works? Why not issue a bond to build a new WalMart in some outstate Minnesota area, or thousands of new playgrounds? Where is the logical stopping point? Of course, the critic will answer, we have to borrow only so much because of our borrowing limits, but that makes my point. We borrow to invest in things of value to us. We must choose, and if jobs are the only rationale you should choose from all projects that provide jobs, public or private. But that of course is not how politicians choose.

Second and relatedly, it seems many proponents of bonding-in-recession are relying on John Maynard Keynes, who famously said:

Over at Minnesota “Progressive” Project, a writer named “MNBearBud” plaintively asks “Can Minnesota Elect a Bold Progressive Governor in 2010?”

It’s a mash note for

As I have been helping out at a couple different DFL Conventions in the past couple weeks I have been hearing something that kind of disturbs me. The following quote is a paraphrase of several like it that I have heard.  “Minnesota is not ready for a bold progressive Governor, we need a nice slow moderate progressive.”

I find this remark to be quite interesting given the present state of affairs with Gov. Tim Pawlenty running what used to be a great Minnesota right into the ground.

[So far "into the ground" that our unemployment rate is better than most of the nation in the midst of the Great Depression "Recession".  But I digress - Ed.]

How will our health-care system run once the government is in charge of it?  People who have VA or Medicare already know the answer to that — and so do the people of Canada, whose model received warm praise from Barack Obama and leading Democrats early in the ObamaCare campaign.  The Toronto Sun reports the story of Kent Pankow, whose brain cancer spread while their medical system tried to decide whether surgery fit within their comparative effectiveness models, and who ended up here in Minnesota in an effort to save his life.  Now Canada won’t fill his prescription for a drug that they supply for other patients (via Newsalert):

If you want to make more money than your private sector peers, get a job in PR or broadcasting for the government.

Warning: You will make more money, but you will lose all creativity, input, control and ownership over your work.

Over the weekend I heard of our local legislators sponsoring a bill to check which Minnesota hotels are naughty or nice.

A bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. Tarryl Clark of St. Cloud could prohibit spending public dollars at in-state hotels or meeting facilities that provide their customers with pornographic materials that link sex with violence. Nonviolent adult movies would be OK.

The bill gets a hearing in a Senate committee Wednesday.

Matt Dean must've done something very right last week. For those not keeping score at home, Matt Dean spearheaded the House GOP team that brokered last Friday's GAMC reform agreement. That's my conclusion after reading Lori Sturdevant's column, a column in which she rightly praises Matt Dean and Erin Murphy:

A commendable thing happened last week after the Minnesota House failed to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of the bill preserving General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) for the very poor: The two House members leading their respective parties' efforts on the matter, DFL Rep. Erin Murphy and GOP Rep. Matt Dean, just kept working.

Constructively, too. On Friday, a deal was struck that has the blessing of the Legislature's top leaders in both parties. It's expected to go to the full House and Senate this week.

For that turnaround to be accomplished so soon after a veto and failed override scoured the veneer of bipartisan good feeling off of this session is remarkable.

Recently, you may have seen or heard former state senator Dick Day working as a lobbyist for "the racino," that is, legislation (SF2950) to permit the same video gaming machines that are already running legally at eighteen casinos around Minnesota to be installed at the Canterbury Park and Running Aces racetracks. The morning line has placed long odds on this old nag, which has repeatedly failed to reach the winners circle since 1997, the year then-Senator Day's racino bill first left the starting gate.

Unfortunately, this year as in 1997 and subsequent years, the racino is being sold on its revenue potential for the state of Minnesota's general fund. This is the wrong approach. A majority of Minnesotans have repeatedly said that video gaming revenue is the wrong way to finance state spending. Besides that, as a former Republican Senator, Dick Day knows that Minnesota does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.

In horse racing, when your horse is not winning, you change something: adjust the horse's medication, add blinders, change the leg wraps, adjust the length or intensity of morning workouts or warmup routine, something.

Ed's post reminded me of the various reasons I can't support RomneyCare. The inclusion of Romney's interview this past Sunday with FNS's Chris Wallace gave me knew reasons why I won't support Mitt Romney should he decide to run for president in 2012. Here's a quote from Gov. Romney's interview with Chris Wallace:

What we did is the ultimate conservative plan. We said people had to take responsibility for getting insurance, if they can afford it or paying their own way. No more free riders.

CFG's Andy Roth thinks differently:

For a man who supposedly hates insurance companies, President Obama sure has a way of showing his disgust with them. Frankly, I wish President Obama would show his disgust for me in similar fashion. Here's what ABC is reporting:

"(Health Insurers) will keep on doing this for as long as they can get away with it. This is no secret," the president said. "They're telling their investors this 'We are in the money. We are going to keep on making big profits even though a lot of folks are going to be put under hardship,'" the President told supporters at a stop in Pennsylvania today.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, meanwhile, wrote to insurance company executives demanding that they justify premium hikes.

Bill Whittle, who is rapidly becoming one of my favorite pundits, produced this wonderful piece about the “why” of America.

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