So Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is demanding that citizens justify their political speech under oath. Nervous Nellies doubtlessly will characterize this as an “overreach.” Crybabies will grouse about the “chilling” effect or the “muzzling” of dissent.

Yet in these heady days of change, it’s all about context. In this case, you’ll be relieved to know, we’re talking about CEOs. These people take home considerably more pay than I do. Accordingly, they deserve to sit through hours of absurd inquires from sanctimonious politicians as a matter of karmic justice.

What they don’t deserve is free speech. The president ably expounded on the matter in the State of the Union address: Corporations should not be entitled to the same constitutional protections as the rest of us.

With this in mind, it should surprise no one that Waxman has requested the “personal testimony” of a few CEOs, who have reported billions of dollars in negative impact to their businesses — per Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure requirements — because of the passage of health care reform.

In the letter, Waxman asserts, “The new law is designed to expand coverage and bring down costs, so your assertions are a matter of concern.” And everyone knows that it is impossible for legislation to have unintended consequences.

Whom are you going to believe, numbers or Joe Biden?

This cabal of profiteering is headed up by AT&T ($1 billion first-quarter charge), Boeing ($150 million), John Deere ($150 million), Caterpillar ($100 million), 3M, AK Steel, Verizon, Prudential, the lodging industry … and so forth and so on, until we hit on every single company affected by the elimination of a tax break on retiree drug benefits. It likely will cost employees and thus consumers an estimated $14 billion — not counting the new Medicare costs.

Please Read More Here…

Article From Politco

Newsbusters.org writes: “How can one explain this incredibly bizarre performance by Max Baucus on the Senate floor? Was Baucus so intoxicated by the sound of his own voice that he went off the deep end? Or perhaps he was so drunk with power over shaping the Senate health care bill that it explains his strange rant.”

On his Facebook page, former congressman Mark Foley commented on the video: “This is the senator that hired his staffer and then took her on trips…and divorced his wife….and they had me run out of town.”

…

The political advocacy group “Rock the Vote” has a new video out encouraging young people to abstain from having sex with folks opposed to healthcare reform.

Yesterday, President Obama lectured the GOP to “stop trying to frighten the American people.”

Tell it to Democrat Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who’s invoking “back alleys and hangers” in her attacks on moderate, pro-life Democrats and Republicans who oppose Demcare government subsidies for abortion.

Now the Senator from Nevada compares those who oppose the Democrat’s health care bill have been compared to supporters of slavery. Add this slander to the long list of insults the left has for those who exercise their God-given right to oppose them.

Never mind that the Republicans was the party that freed the slaves in the first place.

Reid Compares Opponents of Health Care Reform to Supporters of Slavery

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took his GOP-blasting rhetoric to a new level Monday, comparing Republicans who oppose health care reform to lawmakers who clung to the institution of slavery more than a century ago.

The Nevada Democrat, in a sweeping set of accusations on the Senate floor, also compared health care foes to those who opposed women’s suffrage and the civil rights movement — even though it was Sen. Strom Thurmond, then a Democrat, who unsuccessfully tried to filibuster the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and it was Republicans who led the charge against slavery.

Senate Republicans on Monday called Reid’s comments “offensive” and “unbelievable.”

But Reid argued that Republicans are using the same stalling tactics employed in the pre-Civil War era.

“Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is, ‘slow down, stop everything, let’s start over.’ If you think you’ve heard these same excuses before, you’re right,” Reid said Monday. “When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said ‘slow down, it’s too early, things aren’t bad enough.’”

He continued: “When women spoke up for the right to speak up, they wanted to vote, some insisted they simply, slow down, there will be a better day to do that, today isn’t quite right.

“When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats that we hear today.”

That seemed to be a reference to Thurmond’s famous 1957 filibuster — the late senator switched parties several years later.

Reid’s office stood by the remarks, with spokesman Jim Manley saying Republicans have “done nothing but obstruct health care” in the Senate.

“Today’s feigned outrage is nothing but a ploy to distract from the fact they have no plan to lower the cost of health care, stop insurance company abuses or protect Medicare,” Manley said.

But Republicans said they were genuinely appalled. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Reid’s remarks were over the top.

“That is extremely offensive,” he told Fox News. “It’s language that should never be used, never be used. … Those days are not here now.”

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who on the Senate floor read from this FoxNews.com article and asked that it be placed in the record, called on Reid to return to the floor and, if not apologize, at least explain what he meant.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., suggested Reid was starting to “crack” under the pressure of the health care reform debate.

“I think it’s beneath the dignity of the majority leader,” Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said. “I personally am insulted.”