A Republican Congress

Obamacare under a Republican Congress—what could they do?

From the Wall Street Journal, here's some of the things a Republican Congress could do about Healthcare.

Information is the key weapon. Republicans can use congressional hearings to explain what ObamaCare is doing to the economy and the health sector. Their strongest cases would be built around jobs, the cost of health care, and the rising deficit.

If evidence shows that looming mandates on employers are crippling job-creation, they should be repealed. If health costs are rising, as they inevitably will be, Congress needs to hold hearings to investigate the causes and explain why the offending taxes and regulations must be repealed.

Here are six key strategies that a Republican Congress could employ
to put on the brakes:

• Defund it. House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio has vowed to choke off funding for implementation of the legislation, starting with parts that are especially egregious such as the "army of new IRS agents" needed to police
compliance.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703649004575437271015655924.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

Ugly report on existing home sales is latest setback for Democrats

Things aren't working out well for the Democrats as the midterm elections approach.

Democrats are finding little success in their nearly two-year campaign
to ease the nation’s housing woes.

Since coming into office, President Obama has undertaken a series
of policy initiatives intended to stabilize home prices, boost demand and reduce
foreclosures.

But a series of recent reports indicate those policies have not
stopped the precipitous decline in housing, which began well before the official
start of the recession in December 2007. The National Association of Realtors on Tuesday reported that existing home sales plunged 27.2 percent in July, hitting the lowest level in more than a decade.

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/801-economy/115641-brutal-housing-report-is-latest-setback-for-democrats

Yet another reason for Democrats to worry

A new survey by the Democratic-leaning firm Public Policy Polling finds that even in Illinois voters are by 40% to 26% less likely to support a
candidate if he or she has been endorsed by President Obama. "If his
support isn't an asset in his home state it's hard to imagine where it is," says
PPP head Tom Jensen……

Mr. Obama's sagging popularity is even following him to his favorite vacation spot on Martha's Vineyard this week. According to the Boston Globe, last year the island's largest T-shirt store sold 4,000 shirts that read, "I vacationed with Obama." This year, those shirts are being outsold by others that have former President Bush asking, "Miss me yet?"

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703447004575449572520837524.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_MIDDLESecond


Democrats privately fear House prospects worsening

Top Democrats are growing markedly more pessimistic about holding the
House, privately conceding that the summertime economic and political recovery
they were banking on will not likely materialize by Election Day. …..

A Democratic pollster working on several key races said, “The
reality is that [the House majority] is probably gone.” His data shows the Democrats’ problems are only getting worse. “It’s spreading,” the pollster said…

And before Tuesday night’s races, 15.4 million Republicans had
already voted in primaries, compared with 12 million Democrats who have turned
out for primaries so far in 2010.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41469.html#ixzz0xhkrD2ek

Even Letterman appears to be abandoning ship

On CBS’ “The Late Show” Tuesday night, David Letterman took a jab at the president, saying: “He’ll have plenty of time for vacations after his one term is up.”

Iraqis say 'wrong time' for US withdrawal

Leftist like to remind us that you can’t impose democracy on people as they explain our need to leave Iraq (and Afghanistan). But a recent poll shows that the Iraqi people actually would like for us to stay a bit longer.

BAGHDAD (AFP) – A majority of Iraqis believe it was the wrong time for a major withdrawal of US combat troops, a poll said on Tuesday, with more than half also warning that it would have negative consequences.

When asked if it was the right time for American soldiers to leave -- the US military earlier confirmed troop numbers in Iraq had fallen under 50,000 for the first time -- 59.8 percent said no, compared to 39.5 percent who said yes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100824/wl_mideast_afp/iraqusmilitarypullout_20100824133725