Conservative Cabal

McCain’s healthcare plan a threat to employer plans?

Umm…I sorta hope so.

There’s a great unknown about Sen. John McCain’s health plan: How many employers would drop insurance coverage for their workers because of his tax policies?

Of course, would this mean there would be more money in the payroll? Yes, a LOT more money, and then hey, maybe we could, like, privatize the healthcare market a little and introduce some direct payment and uncover hidden costs. Let’s just let taxpayers have the same tax breaks companies get now, and see what happens.

Do some (maybe most) people  like that there is a middle man in the form of their employer? Probably many do, but then I think they should have to pay more for that convenience. And perhaps eventually there wouldn’t be such a need for convenience if free markets drove efficiency reforms in the healthcare marketplace.

We’re dreamers here!

Well, the right side anyway.

The Anchoress has a wonderfully funny post on the press, Obama, Iraq, and The President, here.

Powerline talks about various ways the deciders are editing our news here, here, and here.

And David Thompson is looking at Second Childhoods.

On the press, as a conservative, I’m always ready for them to paint the Republican nominee as either ignorant or evil (or preferably both) and to ignore or minimize the failures and limitations of the Democratic Other. But this year they certainly are outdoing themselves. Powerline points to two instances over the weekend where the media, one Washington Post and two ABC’s This Week, had extended pieces on “Obama’s Spirituality” and neither of them managed to even mention his “spiritual mentor” of 20 years. Reverend Wright is down the memory hole. That’s insane. They’ve lost their minds in their desperation to win this election and it’s going to come back and bite them in the butt when somebody breaks ranks and starts reporting on Obama instead of working for him. It has to, right?

The culture war will have to wait for another post…

I continue to be amazed and amused at the creativity and unabashed avarice of Obama’s campaign. In the latest e-mail from David Plouffe, campaign manager, he pitches the opportunity for a chance to win one of 10 grand prize packages that includes a free trip to Denver to attend the stadium acceptance speech event and meet Barack backstage. In order to have a chance to win, you just have to make a donation of $5 or more between now and midnight on July 31. Now I know Senator Obama is trying to fight the alleged insinuations that he is a closet Muslim, but is that any excuse to turn the Democratic convention into a giant church-basement Bingo game? 

Woot!  We’re #1! We’re #1!

232 and still True Blue!

And we are too.  #1 that is.

Here’s some reading to remind you just how great we are…

Washington’s First Inaugural, Second Inaugural,  And Farewell Address.

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural.

Reagan’s Inaugural Address, and Address to Western Europe.

Results of the Happiness Index touted in mainstream media yesterday reveal that “the world is getting happier”. And what, pray tell, is the “surprising” cause of this happiness?

Economic choice, democracy, and increasing respect for human rights in countries around the world. Excellent news! And answers that no conservative would find surprising. It would be unbecoming of us to take credit, naturally, but who has been promoting these very things, to the disgust of certain intellectuals?  Stop, you’re making us blush.

Meanwhile, baby boomers are miserable.

Boomers also say it’s harder to get ahead now than it was 10 years ago. The reality may be a bit different than impressions, however. The Boomers were found to be less strained financially then younger adults and less likely to have been laid off in the past year. But they were also less likely than younger adults to have gotten a raise.

Asked to rate their present life on a scale of zero to 10, Boomers came in with an average rating of 6.2. Those over 62 averaged out at 6.7, and adults aged 18 to 41 came in at 6.5.

You’re bringing us down, man, and for no reason whatsoever.  You gave us -what - the 60s, anti-war chic, a love of murderous thugs like Che and Fidel, and all you’ve done is complain that you aren’t given enough.

This is, sadly, equally unsurprising. Spoiled adults, like spoiled children, are often unhappy.  They were ever the victims of prosperity and peace.

But at least the rest of the world is moving on for real!