I have no sympaty for Peggy Noonan. She was one of the elitists who praised Obama for being articulate, and was sure that he would be a centrist, while condeming Sarah Palin for being vulgar. Well Peggy, you got what you wished for, enjoy the cocktail parties.

Jesus had Judas:

The Republicans and the People of Maine have Snowe. Snowe told "The Hill her policy concerns include weighing how the bill, which imposes a heavy tax on high-cost insurance plans, would affect her home state, where healthcare coverage ranks among the most expensive in the country. She also has to determine whether the bill does enough to subsidize the healthcare costs of Americans who would be required under the bill to buy insurance, a concern she has repeatedly raised. And she must also determine whether the cost estimate provided by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) can be trusted."------ Considering the array of tax increases, fees and penalties Congress is considering to pay for the $829 Billion bill and the reports that estimates premiums for the average household would rise to $17,200 a year by 2013 under the proposals compared with $15,500 without reforms. Today's average annual premium is $12,300. Reports also estimate that proposed taxes on the "Cadillac plans" - the more expensive health insurance plans, amounting to more than $8,000 a year for individuals and $21,000 a year for families. Also there are planned more than $ 400 Billion in cuts to Medicare putting the senior program at risk. The reported cut to Medicare would be to pay for the expanding cost of healthcare, Snow must not be to concerned about the state of Maine's already expensive healthcare cost the Baucus bill raises their insurance premiums while reducing the quality of their healthcare. "Telling her colleagues she has concerns about the bill, but "when history calls, history calls." She voted for it anyway. Like Judas who sold out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, Snowe has sold out the voters Maine and the Republican Party". Is Snowe getting the equivalent of 30 pieces of silver from the Democrats in the way of a special consideration? Or is she really a Democrat? Judas committed suicide. Has Snowe committed political suicide?

It is with great sadness that I watch as my children's future, and grandchildren's, is whittled away by small-minded politicians who have not a care for our once great land. I feel too small to do anything, personally, but would gladly join with others if the opportunity was legitimately formed. If the coffers of government are empty, it is time to stop spending. Who in their right mind would create decades (or more) of debt merely to support a political 'team'? It is not a game and our freedoms and rights are being trampled by elected officials who are perennially in office due to cornering the market of publicity through corrupted funding of campaigns. Yes, they are elected, but I would gladly elect somebody else, were they to be given air time to promote (or 'brand') themselves as the perennial encumbents have done. We have a 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms for a purpose. Why is it that whenever I mention that, people act as if I am contemplating murder? Is it not there to keep that thing from occurring which we now see unfolding before our eyes? We are lied to on an hourly basis by those who seek to enslave us under a Socialist, potentially Communist, government. Just because there is no bloodshed, does not make it wrong to defend ourselves from this tyrranny. What gives, America? Are there any leaders who can forge a way to overtake this grand scheme of enslavement by our own government? Have we gone to sleep resting in front of our televisions? Why are we so much more likely to be entertained than to take responsibility? Our children are being indirectly taught in school and mass media that what they see is acceptable. If we do nothing to correct that wrong, then we have embraced it. Where are the great leaders to rise up and create a way to defned our country? If it goes the way of the French Revolution, then it is too late. If it goes the way of serious accountability, even if it means an organized physical promise (not threat, promise), then maybe we have a chance. God help us!

Is George Bush in line for the Baseball Hall of Fame? He did own a baseball team.

Word has it, that Obama has arm bands coming out....smells like communism to me.

Thank you for including quotations from two great Austrian economists, Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard, in the Insight section of today's Chronical. I have read pieces from both of these men, and it is a shame that they are so overlooked by the mainstream economic thought. Hopefully Post readers will be inspired to look further into the Austrian school, and the solutions they present to many of today's problems.

Olympia Snowe should not be asked to resign from the Republican Party, she should be expelled.

Obama and the Dems are claiming bi-partisan support for the Senate Finance Committee healthcare bill. They say it contains Republican ideas/input. Of course, a Republican voted for it, too. So, they can't say Republicans are the party of "no" anymore. That would be talking out of both sides of their mouths. Gee, that could never happen.

Stanislav Mishin has an interesting piece regarding Czar v. Commissar.

http://mat-rodina.blogspot.com/2009/07/czar-you-mean-commissar.html

Worth the minute to read.

Honor Super Omnia-

Jason Miller

"The GOP has a big problem. Some who march under its banner don't really accept the basic philosophy it espouses -- one of low taxes, small government and support of the Constitution."

Respectfully, I think you described the Libertarian Party, not the GOP. Republicans in my district (Nevada), those I see on television, and those I read about in the press frequently stray from this basic philosophy. "No Child Left Behind" was the GOP law that doubled the size of the federal Department of Education, and insinuated the feds into an area that was traditionally left to state and local governments.

The Snowe maneuver was just an attempt for one Senator to remain in the limelight. Gosh, where have we seen that before?

How about changing the name of Obama czars to Leaches?

Olympia Snowe is but one of the many reasons why I left the Republican Party nearly five years ago, in order to join the Constitution Party. I'm a conservative, and an NRA life member, but can readily recognize the 'near-left' position of the Republican Party. The Constitution Party (www.constitutionparty.com) is the only party that remains on the right.

Have you heard the latest? Obama watched a football game on TV last Sunday and has been nominated for the Heisman Trophy!

Having served this country for 20 years defending her against all enemies foreign and domestic, I feel I failed - even though I retired prior to the election of Obama. When a man like Obama (with no military, diplomatic or other worthwhile experience) takes command of the greatest military in the world and lets them die simply because he will not listen to his MILITARY advisors calling for more troops, this nation is disgraced beyond any nation or principality that has ever existed. I am shamed to see this uneducated traitor destroy what little military force exists today. In so doing he once again waives the green flag for all to come and attack this nation and carry it away, one piece at a time. I am sure that our founders are not only rolling over in their grave, they are looking once again for their sabers, muskets and cannon. Never has any 'leader' been so distructive of their charge. I am only comforted by the fact that there are so few WWII & WWI veterans who are left to witness this disaster after all they accomplished in the world. God help us at our hour of need!

Olympia Snowe seems to be a Republican in name only and her last vote pretty much proves that. Barack Obama, ran his Presidential race as a Democrat and Glenn Beck has proven that was only a strategy and another falsehood. Now, I heard some woman is running for office in New York and she is a Democrat who is being told to simply change parties to get voted in.

This current administration seems to be very street smart and with much help has organized his way into the White House. Either his organizers are very smart or we, the people, are very stupid. I thing it's a little of both, but we who love this country should learn from the street people and organize, organize, organize to save this country from Socialist/Marxist rule.

If we don't and if we don't strongly fight what's going on with this administration day by day and bill by bill, we will suffer the consequences.

Speak now or soon our voices will not mean much as dissenting opinion is punished in a Totalitarian world.

Ashley

The GOP hasn't stood for "low taxes, small government and support of the Constitution" in a long time. Bush expanded government way beyond Constitutional bounds. Obama is worse.

Americans need to wake up and clean house; a complete change of people in office, or I fear the only way to get the nation back to its roots will be the way it was originally formed.

I don't get it, are we as a Nation really all ready and willing to believe most elected officials and their big wig THUGS like Soros and the Rockerfellows and more who are out to totally ruin our country! We need to put both parties aside and look and see what we've become and fight for our children/grandchildren! Our country is being sold to the devil so to speak and we need to stand up for her and say we're NOT FOR SALE! Lets stand together and take our country back! If we all stand together everyone will prosper and we can do so much for all with just the waste in Washington! Pull together, we all live in our maybe "Once Great USA" lets take her back! Join the Tea Party Express the last of this month , I want My Country Back!

There is an urban legend that says Republicans had majority control of the United States Senate for ten of the twelve years from 1995 to 2007. The reality is that there were always enough Democrats who duped the Republican Party into campaigning for them to keep de facto control of the Senate in Democrat hands. While they caucused on the R side of the aisle, like Lucy in the Peanuts comic strip, they could be relied upon to yank the ball away when the Republicans needed to kick a field goal.

Olympia Snowe is one of this group, and will be only as long as there is a political advantage in it. The Republican Party of Maine needs to get a clue and find a real Republican to run.

As the people who represent me do not want to be in the same insurance program they are offering to me, Then I don`t want to be in it either.

Too bad the GOP congressional leadership doesn't have the political guts to strip Olympia Snow of

all her committe appointments.

I wholeheartedly agree with so many opinions here. It feels more and more like I'm moving to that Country we learned about as a child. Where if you were a member of the "Party" you were taken care of pretty well. But most of the "common" people were pretty much left to fend and share what little the Government could dole out to them. Private enterprise was non-existent, and the Government controlled everything from food to jobs and pay. Does any of this sound familiar to those of us approaching retirement? Do any of the younger people today even realize this was the case in Russia just a few short years ago? Once our freedom is actually gone - there is only one way I know of to take it back. Sadly.

Re: Investors Business Daily in Editorial Exegesis.

The Republican Party has abandoned its conservative idealogy. It supported President G. W. Bush in all his constitution-breaking policies. I used to be a staunch supporter of the GOP, but no more. IMHO,it is a shadow of its former conservative self, and that's a great tragedy for all us supporters of the U. S. Constitution and its small government idealogy. When was the last time the Tenth Amendment was used to stop a congressional bill becoming law? I am 72 years old and I don't recall that happening in my lifetime.

Maybe the Nobel Committee was once a respected body, and the Peace prize was once a prestiegious award, but no longer. The Peace Prize has commanded little respect since it was awarded to Jimmy Carter (who actually DID do something for peace in the years after his presidency). It continued its decline when it was awarded to Yasser Arafat and Kofi Annan, and now it is a joke that it was awarded to our "community organizer", I mean president. In his whole 10 months in office, Obama has been too busy destroying our economy to do anything for peace (unless you count apologizing for every mistake our country has ever made).

I want to know what we can do to stop this bill ? We all need to stop this now before it gets past. We can no longer sit idly by and just allow these so called representatives of ours vote this way anymore. Im a mainer and I no longer have a representative in my goverment. As far as im concerned Olympia Snowe is done. She has failed to listen to her constituents therefore shes not a valid vote. I once again am calling upon her to step down She does not represent the voice of the people here in maine. As far as im concerned shes now maines lame duck Senator.

I'll give up my dependence on carbon based fuels when Al Gore does. That man is a hypocrite of the highest sort with a carbon-footprint larger than some countries!

ll

After reading the comments by the Nobel judges, I am prompted to ask: If this award is presented for deeds done in the past year, are we not talking about 2008?

This being so, what did Obama do last year for world peace that we never heard about, except for ducking every attempt at making public his birth record? What does that have to do with world peace?

Why on earth do conservatives continue to cry alligator tears because not all Republicans are conservative or because some Republicans aren't loyal to the party. I'm speaking of some conservative's reaction to Olympia Snowe's support of the health care bill. It isn't important that all Republicans think like us (conservative) or even that they are loyal. What is important is to regain the majority so we control the agenda and make these rinos irrelevant. They are most relevant when Republicans are in the minority and most irrelevant when we are in the majority. This is not rocket science. When will we finally join together, win back the majority and kick some liberal butt?

In consideration of Insurance for Health concerns, why is it that we, as Americans do not seem to think that caring for one's health, in most instances, is each persons responsibility. It is not my responsibility to care for the "normal" birthing costs of your child. If you do not have the resources put back to provide for such things, do not get pregnant. The same goes for most "reasonably anticipated" reasons to seek health care. In all reasonably anticipated circumstances to need and seek out health care, payment should be arranged between patient and provider. No one else should get involved.

Insurance should be reserved for those circumstances where exceptional expenses that are otherwise unexpected, and are well beyond a persons means. Using the example of the preganancy discussed above. There are good data on the number of complicated pregnancies requiring greater than anticipated medical intervantion for the mother as well as for the child. Those should be fit within the area covered by insurance. That example can be used for many anticipated situations. There is no need to list the extent and variety of such possibilities. However, there are good statistics on the type and extent of the vast majority of such events.

With insurance for the large, and unanticipated medical events, and knowledge about the probable expense for planned events such as pregnancy or other things that can be reasonalbly anticipated, there is no need for a super national program.

Yes, certain regulatins would have to be adopted to make such a systme work. Also, there are those at the low end of the economic spectrum who will need some assistance to afford even the most rudimentary health care. If there were a Medicare card equipped in the manner of bank debit cards for each person, offered at a cost inversely related to income, and these were used to directly pay for medical care, then those at the low end could get credits applied to the card so that they could get access. Such a system works for food stamps, etc., there is no reason why an improved more sophisticated system would not work for health care.

All payments would be at point of service. Records would be updated within the system, the card would be charged for the visit and other care, and records would be maintained locally as well as at the state and possibly at the national level.

Major events would still fit within the spectrum of insurance where such things belong. All who would subscribe would share in the cost of the major events. Those with really b ad health or poor prognosis would go to a pool where they would be assigned to one or another insurance agency.

Are there problems? Definitely. Could such problems be worked out within the private sector perhaps with a little insistance from regulation? Yes, indeed.

Someone should get behind some program such as this.

Re: Senator Snowe, the RINO. I have not been supporting the Republican National Party because of the RINO's like, Senator Snowe. I do not wish to have one penny go to her or the other RINO's while they are seeking campaign funds. I personaly look for true constitutional,fiscal and social conservatives and make personal contributions to them. I have sent emails to Chairman Steele re this, with no response. However, I have learned to play the game as well by not responding to their letters seeking contributions.

RE: the nobel committe and Obama; fools of a feather flock together

fight the New World Order!

Fight globalization!

Fight for AMERICAN independance!

In light of the awards process that gave Obama the peace prize, I suggest that the Kansas City Chief's be awarded the Superbowl Trophy, for diligent efforts, and profound desire! Nobody wants to win, more than they. Hey,, it worked for B H O.

Our collective goose is cooked. Nobody in America is standing up for what is right, moral, ethical, and legal anymore. We are officially a land of cowards who are giving in to any two-timing crook who comes along and not standing up for our rights. Why are our leaders those who were the worst students in school and enemies of the state? Why do we keep electing them? Is it that hard to say, enough is enough? Our country, our children's future is more important than any one charismatic politician who is only interested in his/her own financial gain. Vote these bums out, some of them are utterly incoherent and embarassing to the human race. How did they ever graduate from high school, much less college? Is this a classic example of the social promotion of the last 40 years in our education system?

I guess King obama hasn't heard about his beloved Chicago Cubs needing some bailout money.And since the Country has Plenty to give, I mean, everybody else gotten what they need, why not the Cubs ?

It might make Chicago feel more loved since he blew the olympic's

WHY...is he SO deserving???

A line in your post about Sen. Snowe's vote for the healthcare bill caught my eye: "some who march under its banner don't really accept the basic philosophy it espouses". Isn't this the problem with the majority of our elected officials? How many of them accept and act according to the basic philosophy our Constitution espouses?

Yes, we've seen Snowe jobs for years. And Collins seems to be Snowed under. So 'tis sad but true: the real GOP problem is a 5th column that does far more damage than the real opposition.

"Never before in human history has a single generation been asked to make such difficult and consequential decisions." Al Gore

Unless you consider, perhaps, the American War for Independence. Or the American Civil War. Or World War I. Or World War II.

How arrogant can a person be, to claim such a clear grasp of all of HUMAN history and then to make such a patently moronic statement.

It would appear that the liberal left has succeeded in blocking Rush Limbaugh's attempt to purchase the St. Louis Rams. I know that there are more important things in this world than professional sports however this issue is a symptom of a bigger problem. The official line that we are being fed by the media and the NFL is that Limbaugh is too controversial and incendiary to warrant the honor of being associated with the NFL. Apparently being opinionated on the conservative side of the aisle is grounds for NFL excommunication while at the same time football fans are forced to be exposed to MSNBC squawking-head and far left hitman Keith Olbermann as a prominent NFL analyst. Mr. Olbermann has the freedom in this country to disagree with me. I have the freedom to think that he is a nut job and quite frankly many of his opinions offend me. Why then am I forced to change the channel of an NFL pregame broadcast to avoid this wacko? If being politically opinionated is reason enough to block Mr. Limbaugh's association with the NFL then I will be waiting for the termination of Mr. Olbermann's association with the league immediately as well...and waiting...and waiting...

Really glad to see you quoting Murray Rothbard recently. He's one of the most overlooked social/political/economics authors of the 20th Century. I've been reading a lot of his works over the last 10 years or so (all available at mises.org).

When his ideas are held up against the realities of early 21st Century gunvernance (that's intentional - parse it out) he was spot-on correct in all his assessments of the "State".

Rothbard's "America's Great Depression" TOTALLY puts to bed the idea that FDR & Co., and his policies, brought us out of it.

His "History of Money and Banking from the Colonial Period to WWII" lays bare the scheming banker-gangsters (a.k.a. Banksters) that took over American economic life via their Central-Planning device, also known as the Federal Reserve System.

All this information has been available for decades, but only now - in the midst of a crisis - do *some* people pay attention (unfortunately, some never will).

His "The Betrayal of the American Right" is *THE* treatise on how "Conservatism" has come to where it stands today - at a crossroads, where (Dem or Rep, it doesn't matter) it will either be reclaimed, or die an ignominious death.

Thank you Mr. Alexander for the work you do.

See what I mean (my last post)? Nobdoy wants to talk about it. This country's founders were rebels to their motherland, England. Not only will people not take our 2nd amendment seriously, most people will not even take on their children's school teachers, who are mostly socialists with an agenda, to insist on a legitimate education instead of institutionalized group think training.

Is it just me, or does Olyipia Snowe look very much like OBAMA? Perhaps her hair is a little longer~!

The sticker for sale: "I CARRY A PISTOL BECAUSE A RIFLE WON'T FIT IN MY PURSE". Cute,but not a good idea. How many unfortunate women are going to be followed home and knocked over the head from behind to aquire a gun. Maybe I don't get it, but isn't there a good reason to have a CCW?

Send Snowe back to Maine where Snow belongs. Tell her friend, "I want attention too", Collins to stay home too. When will be understand there are no Republicans in the Northeast. It is the women that are voting Democrats in or make believe Republicans like Snowe. The men need to come back in from fishing or hunting and vote a little. Except for Vermont and New Hampshire which is the wine and cheese crowd their might be some hope.

It was disappointing but not surprising hearing about Snowe, the real problem is the Republican party electing and tolerating Socialists, there's literally no party ideology, its just a mafia of special interestes which exists only to give the other mafia of special interests plausible deniability.

I am deeply indebted to the Associated Press article for the vital clue that the time for nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize actually closed two (2) weeks after President Obama's inauguration, not nine (9) months into his Presidency.