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From Onenews.com
Three Republican lawmakers have warned a gathering of conservative activists in Washington, DC, there will be disastrous fallout if the House healthcare bill is signed into law.
Representatives Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota), Tom Price (R-Georgia), and Chris Smith (R-New Jersey) took part in a national healthcare town hall meeting at the Values Voter Summit on Friday. Bachmann said 85 percent of Americans are currently happy with their healthcare coverage, but that H.R. 3200 — the bill causing most of the stir in the current debate on healthcare reform — would destroy what is working for that percentage to pay for the remaining 15 percent who either lack coverage or are unsatisfied with their current plan.
To buttress her opposition to a government takeover of healthcare, the Republican lawmaker cited research from Arizona State University showing that since corporate bailouts began last year, 30 percent of private business profits are owned by the government. According to Bachmann, before the inception of “bailout nation,” all of private business profits were private.
Additionally, she noted that on Thursday the House voted to enact another “government takeover” by doing away with private lending for student loans.
On another note, Congressman Smith told the audience that the public health insurance option would lead to the greatest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade, and praised his pro-life colleague Bart Stupak (D-Michigan) for urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) to exclude taxpayer funding of abortion from the House legislation. Smith called Stupak’s effort to get abortion funding removed from the bill “valiant, brave and courageous.”
Stupak, along with Joe Pitts (R-Pennsylvania), offered an amendment in the House Energy and Commerce Committee that would have prohibited funds in the bill from paying for health plans that covered abortion. When committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-California) realized the vote would narrowly pass, he voted “yes” on the amendment. Under committee rules, Waxman’s “yes” vote gave him the ability to bring the amendment up for a second vote.
Shortly afterwards, he succeeded in convincing “Blue Dog” Democrat Bart Gordon (D-Tennessee) to flip his original “yes” vote to “no,” and the amendment was killed. Congressman Price, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, told the Values Voter town hall yesterday that “Blue Dogs” like Gordon and Stupak have an opportunity to “show backbone” and derail government-run healthcare because Republicans are united against it.
However, Price cautioned that “at every turn” of the healthcare debate thus far “hopes have been dashed” by wavering Blue Dogs, all of whom voted for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – The Florida megachurch founded by the late evangelical leader D. James Kennedy will vote Sunday on whether to dismiss his recently chosen successor.
The Rev. Tullian Tchividjian, a grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, was elected six months ago to become pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale.
But six church members unhappy with Tchividjian’s leadership, including Kennedy’s daughter, gathered about 350 signatures, far more than the 100 needed to call Sunday’s congregational meeting.
Under the leadership of Kennedy, who died in 2007, Coral Ridge was a strong conservative voice on social issues like homosexuality and abortion. The much younger Tchividjian has brought a less formal style to the church and has rejected politics as the most important way to change the country.
From startribune.com
WASHINGTON – Minn.Gov. Tim Pawlenty finished third in a straw poll of potential GOP presidential contenders at a conservative conference in Washington Saturday, receiving only one vote less than second place finisher Mitt Romney.
The poll was one of the first tests of Pawlenty’s impact nationally as he continues to spread his message ahead of a possible presidential run in 2012. He received 73 – or 12 percent – of the 597 votes cast at the Values Voters Summit, hosted by the conservative Family Research Council.
Mike Huckabee was the overwhelming winner with 170 votes.
Pawlenty placed behind Romney, who had 74 votes, and just ahead of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin with 72 and Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., with 71.
“What this tells me is that those candidates that are articulating the values that are represented in this room here are still jockeying for position,” said Tony Perkins, president of the FRC.
When he spoke to the conference on Friday night, Pawlenty brought a room of about 2,000 people to its feet with applause several times in a speech packed with socially conservative rhetoric and criticism of the Obama administration.
Earlier in the day, however, about a dozen people interviewed leaving the straw poll all said Pawlenty was not their top choice. Many said he has name recognition but hasn’t adequately conveyed his views and platform.
Eben Conner from Maryland, a supporter of Mike Huckabee, said as he left the poll that Pawlenty could be his No. 2 choice because the governor supports limited government and opposes abortion and gay marriage.
“I’ve heard some of him, but not enough,” Conner said.
Other finishers included former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (40), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (28), former Senator Rick Santorum (15) and Rep. Ron Paul (13).
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