Headlines - July 2, 2012

Following the Supreme Court decision on Obamacare and the House vote for contenpt against AG Eric Holder, members of the House and Senate left the DC area faster than the Road Runner ran from Wylie Coyote.  It was yet another Congressional vacation thinly veiled as a Congressional district work period.

Yet the rhetoric over those and other issues continue to permeate the airwaves, blogs, and other sources of information and misinformation. Here are just a few articles on various items that may amuse or dishearten you.  You decide.

Everybody's favorite Congressional leader Rep Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) hit the airwaves on Sunday to discuss the tax that is now a part of Obamacare.  Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press, Pelosi following the lead of the WHite House said that it was a "penalty."  No matter how many time the Obama apologist David Gregory asked about the tax, Pelosi continued to insist "it is a penalty . . . not a tax."  It seems that Pelosi follows the old adage, "If you tell a lie often enough, you begin to believe it's true."

More here

On the GOP side of the equation, members of the House and Senate plus presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney continue to insist they will repeal and replace Obamacare.  This could possibly include votes to repeal before the November election. Here are several article on GOP efforts to use Obamnacare and his hefty tax on the middle class to their advantage.

GOP Worries November Election May be Last Chance to Undo Obamacare

Boehner Pushes Repeal

Romney Vows Repeal of Obamacare

Remember Carly Fiorina.  She was the former CEO of a Hewlet-Packard who ran for Sneate in California as a Republic.  She is also a cancer survivor.

Now a surrogate for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Fiorina said on CNN that Obamacare would have hurt her cancer treatment.

More here


For its part the White House and Obama campaign continue with a single mantra, "It's not a tax."  Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) isn't the only Obama surrogate making that claim.

White House chief of staff Jack Lew used most of his interview on Fox News Sunday to repeated claim, "it is not a tax."   Lew asserted that it does not matter what the Supreme Court called it.  It is a penalty not a tax.  I think I've heard that somewhere before.

Lew continued to insist that the Supreme Court upheld the entire law under the Commerce clause, under the taxing authority, it doesn't matter it is constitutional.

Lew was continual challenged by host Chris Wallace, but he failed to answer most questions and returned to the mantra "It is not a tax."

More here

Is there a possibility that the Obama campaign is spending money like the US government? In recent weeks the campaign has made several changes to the DNC in Charlotte.  This includes cancelling a high profile opening ceremony at the Charlotte Speedway to shortening the convention from four days to three.

Convention leaders and the campaign say the changes were made for other reasons including logistics of getting convention goers to the speedway just fifteen mile from uptown Charlotte.

The Washington Post has uncovered a leaked phone call to big donors demonstrating anxiety about lagging behind in campaign fundraising.

According to a tape recording of the call obtained by the Daily Beast, the president said, "“If things continue as they have so far, I’ll be the first sitting president in modern history to be outspent in his reelection campaign.” 

Perhaps the campaign isn't spending so much money.  Perhaps big donors are wary of a second Obama term.

From the Washington Post

That's it for now.