Reconciliation (The Nuclear Option), Obama plan "threat to democracy", Deficit: $9T, Oil drilling for Brazil and Soros funded by US

1) Talk of Senate voting maneuvers on health care WASHINGTON – A Republican senator predicts Democrats will turn to a little-used voting procedure to try get around GOP opposition and pass health care legislation. It takes 60 votes to shut down GOP opposition and move ahead to an up-or-down vote on a bill. But there is a way for the Democratic-run Senate to decide that only a majority is needed to pass a certain measure. GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah says taking that approach on health care would be an abuse of the rules. A Democratic senator, Chuck Schumer of New York, says such a maneuver could be used if Republicans don't work to advance a bipartisan health bill. Democrats don’t need Republican votes. They can get this through without them. The whole “bipartisan bill” argument is bunk. Listen here, Democrats, don’t blame Republicans when you can’t get your own caucus together. I’ll keep praying that you won’t.  See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090823/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_hatch 1a) Democrats Host Few Traditional Town Hall Meetings During August Recess A number of Democratic lawmakers have grabbed the loud speaker at public town hall meetings in recent weeks to trumpet the administration's health care overhaul and address concerns from skeptical constituents. But while rank-and-file members are facing the tough questions, party leaders have remained largely absent from the in-person town hall discussions. Since recess began at the beginning of August, none of the top party leaders in the House and Senate -- as well as the five committee chairmen from relevant committees -- have faced the public at traditional public town hall meetings. See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/20/democrats-shy-traditional-town-hall-meetings-august-recess/ 1b) Congressman Herger calls Obama plan 'threat to democracy' Republican Congressman Wally Herger held a health care town hall meeting Aug. 18 at Simpson University in Redding, where a partisan crowd of over 2,000 people loudly cheered Herger’s position that a public option was “unacceptable.” Although Herger called several times for the audience to “respect each other’s opinions,” those opposed to president Obama’s health care were greeted with cheers while the few in favor were interrupted with catcalls. Herger did not hold back on his opinion of the health care plan and the administration’s appointment of “czars” to head various departments and task forces. “Our democracy has never been threatened as much as it is today,” Herger said to a loud standing ovation. See: http://www.mtshastanews.com/news/x769902147/Congressman-Herger-calls-Obama-plan-threat-to-democracy 1c) Obama's Summer of Discontent So we are to have a French health-care system without a French tradition of political protest. It is odd that American liberalism, in a veritable state of insurrection during the Bush presidency, now seeks political quiescence. These "townhallers" who have come forth to challenge ObamaCare have been labeled "evil-mongers" (Harry Reid), "un-American" (Nancy Pelosi), agitators and rowdies and worse. A political class, and a media elite, that glamorized the protest against the Iraq war, that branded the Bush presidency as a reign of usurpation, now wishes to be done with the tumult of political debate. President Barack Obama himself, the community organizer par excellence, is full of lament that the "loudest voices" are running away with the national debate. Liberalism in righteous opposition, liberalism in power: The rules have changed. …So our new president wanted a fundamental overhaul of the health-care system—17% of our GDP—without a serious debate, and without "loud voices." It is akin to government by emergency decrees. How dare those townhallers (the voters) heckle Arlen Specter! Americans eager to rein in this runaway populism were now guilty of lèse-majesté by talking back to the political class. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203706604574370301468452872.html?mod=googlenews_wsj 2) Holder to Appoint Prosecutor to Investigate CIA Terror Interrogations …“I fully realize that my decision to commence this preliminary review will be controversial. As Attorney General, my duty is to examine the facts and to follow the law. In this case, given all of the information currently available, it is clear to me that this review is the only responsible course of action for me to take," Holder said. …The ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., called the move a vote of no confidence in the CIA and its director Leon Panetta.  “First the White House usurps control over terrorist interrogations, signaling to the world they have lost confidence in Leon Panetta and our intelligence community, and now the Obama Justice Department launches a witch-hunt targeting the terror-fighters who have kept us safe since 9-11," Bond told ABC News in a written statement. "With a criminal investigation hanging over the agency’s head, every CIA terror fighter will be in CYA mode. With things heating up in Afghanistan and Iraq, this looking back and unwarranted 'redo' of prior Justice Department decisions couldn’t come at a worse time for the safety of our troops in harm’s way and our nation.”  See: http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/08/holder-to-appoint-prosecutor-to-investigate-cia-terror-interrogations.html 3) Obama to raise 10-year deficit to $9 trillion WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration will raise its 10-year budget deficit projection to approximately $9 trillion from $7.108 trillion in a report next week, a senior administration official told Reuters on Friday. The higher deficit figure, based on updated economic data, brings the White House budget office into line with outside estimates and gives further fuel to President Barack Obama's opponents, who say his spending plans are too expensive in light of budget shortfalls. The White House took heat for sticking with its $7.108 trillion forecast earlier this year after the Congressional Budget Office forecast that deficits between 2010 and 2019 would total $9.1 trillion. …Record-breaking deficits have raised concerns about America's ability to finance its debt and whether the United States can maintain its top-tier AAA credit rating. …Treasury markets have been worried all year about the mounting deficit. The United States relies on large foreign buyers such as China and Japan to cheaply finance its debt, and they may demand higher interest rates if they begin to doubt that the government can control its deficits. See: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE57K4XE20090821 4) Obama poll numbers keep falling …The Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll released Sunday showed that 41 percent of voters strongly disapprove of Mr. Obama's performance as president, compared with 27 percent who strongly approved. Rasmussen said those numbers are the worst ever for Mr. Obama. The 14-point gap between the two numbers is more than double the six-point difference in the Rasmussen poll as recently as Thursday.  The total of "disapproval" responses, of whatever strength, topped the approval numbers by 51 percent to 48 percent. See: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/24/obama-poll-numbers-take-no-rest-from-falling/ 5) Obama: Boys from Brazil better than U.S. President blocks oil drilling at home, funds exploration abroad A controversy developed when it was revealed the Obama administration is willing to spend billions of dollars to fund offshore drilling in Brazil while blocking U.S. development of oil and natural gas resources by continuing environmental objections to opening U.S. offshore drilling, Jerome Corsi's Red Alert reports.  Underlying the controversy was the disclosure that Obama-supporter and billionaire hedge-fund manager George Soros bought a $811 million stake in Petroleo Brasileiro SA in the second quarter, making the Brazilian state-controlled oil company his investment fund's largest holding. The sparks began flying when former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wrote on her Facebook page: "So why is it that during these tough times, when we have great needs at home, the Obama White House is prepared to send more than two billion of your hard-earned tax dollars to Brazil so that the nation's state-owned oil company, Petrobras, can drill off shore and create jobs developing its own resources?" …What set off Palin was a Wall Street Journal editorial that lead with the headline, "Obama underwrites offshore drilling," followed by the subtitle, "Too bad it's not in U.S. waters." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=107810 6) Mullen: Afghan fight 'serious and deteriorating' WASHINGTON – The top U.S. military officer described the situation in Afghanistan as "serious and deteriorating," but refused to say Sunday whether defeating a resilient enemy would require more than the 68,000 American troops already committed. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090823/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_us_afghanistan 7) Next step in H1N1 scare: Microchip implants Company developing under-the-skin devices to detect 'bio-threats' A Florida-based company that boasts selling the world's first and only federally approved radio microchip for implanting in humans is now turning its development branch toward "emergency preparedness," hoping to produce an implant that can automatically detect in its host's bloodstream the presence of swine flu or other viruses deemed a "bio-threat."  VeriChip Corporation currently sells a small, under-the-skin Radio Frequency Identification capsule, or RFID, that patients can opt to have implanted, containing a number computer-linked to their medical records, enabling doctors with a special reader to access the information even if the patient is unconscious or unidentified. The company boasts its microchip, roughly the size of a grain of rice, is the only such implant approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But VeriChip has also turned its attention to other uses for the technology, including microchips that be used to tag and log human remains after a disaster and implants the company hopes will be able to warn if their host is infected with the H1N1 swine flu virus, the H5N1 bird flu virus or other pandemic agents deemed to be a "bio-threat." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=107588 8) Christians now thanking Allah More on what’s wrong with the supposed “evangelical” church…now a “pastor” is endorsing a demonic religion… "This year, a group of "Emergent Christians," led by one of the United States' most influential pastors, Brian Mclaren have announced they will actually be 'observing' the Muslim holy month, along with a Muslim 'partner,'" writes Joel Richardson in a WND commentary today. "Ramadan is the month that Muslims thank Allah, their god, for revealing the Kora to Muhammad, their prophet. On Mclaren's personal blog, he recently announced his intentions: 'We, as Christians, humbly seek to join Muslims in this observance of Ramadan as a God-honoring expression of peace, fellowship, and neighborliness.'"  Richardson questions whether such an "observance" is actually tantamount to an endorsement of Islam. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=107816