I spent time this week to watch the entire 2 hours and 26 minutes of an online video of a Pinehurst town hall meeting Congresswoman Renee Ellmers had on Sept. 3. I did this because two conservative websites I read regularly Daily Haymaker and Carolina Ploutt Hound posted the video suggesting Cong. Ellmers had stumbled badly at the town hall answering questions and defending her positions. Add in that repeatedly over the last few months I have seen numerous Facebook posts regarding Cong. Ellmers now being nothing more than a RINO. Frankly it had become time for me to dig past the headlines and do my own research and the town hall video would be a good place to find out.
I have a vested interest in this situation even though Cong. Ellmers no longer represents me in Congress. The NC Legislature moved my home county into the Seventh District from her Second District last year. However I was one of the seemingly few but tireless workers who spent a good portion of the middle calendar period of 2010 helping to get the then Ms. Ellmers elected to Congress. Campaign funds were short but we found a way to get it done. Many of you made comments to me that she had no chance against Bob Etheridge and even if she did pull it out Ms. Ellmers was not up to the task of being a Congresswoman. I rejected those ideas then since I took the time to get to know Ms. Ellmers and her staff and see if she would represent my views if elected. I am still proud to say I was the very first person to donate, in the maximum amount allowed at the time, to Cong. Ellmers campaign when she was officially declared the Republican candidate that year.
Watching those two hours plus of town hall video what I saw was a still passionate conservative Congresswoman. Ms. Ellmers stood up to intense questioning, made good points regarding her positions, and kept her cool when others might not have done so in the same circumstances. Most of the disagreement at the meeting with Cong. Ellmers was around her decision to not support a continuing resolution that included a section that most in the audience believe would defund Obamacare.
I agree with comments Cong. Ellmers made at this meeting that this vote will not defund Obamacare and furthermore as she stated it could hurt us in the 2014 Fall elections. I will add one more point here in that pushing this "defunding" vote could very well make sure Obamacare is law forever. Yes, I know this will make many of you readers decide that I am now a RINO and I reject that point completely. If you follow my Facebook posts you know I am not shrinking violet when it comes to my opposition to this terrible piece of legislation. I see it as the last nail in the coffin of liberty in this country and want to be rid of it. Personally I am expecting to take a $8000 hit from it next year due to higher health insurance prices and not having a HSA contribution either. So efforts to paint me as weak on wanting to get rid of Obamacare are nonsense.
The continuing resolution I am referring to takes the place of the BUDGET that we no longer do for the Federal Government since Obama arrived and the US Senate got took over by the Democrats. The continuing resolution, or the budget, directs the President how to spend money that comes in each day. If there is no continuing resolution or budget the money still comes in from taxes and Obama can direct it basically anywhere he wants it to go within the government. Note that he has been doing some of that already, simply lawlessness there. The legislative branch makes law the executive branch executes the law or at least is suppose to.
The other option some conservatives believe will defund Obamacare is to not pass an extension of the debt ceiling. Let's look at that one. The only thing that occurs there is the Federal Government can no longer borrow the extra money it needs to function. So whatever tax money flows in Obama gets to direct the flow and you can bet Obama will make sure the pain is where it hurts the worse like holding off on Social Security, Veterans benefits etc. and you can add in that people will scream and the media will cover the screaming making Republicans to be dogs.
Even if we pass a resolution in the US House without Obamacare funding let's note two items. One, you can be sure the US Senate under Reid will not take it up to protect his vulnerable Democrat Senators for 2014 and even if gets past the US Senate and hits the Presidents desk by some miracle he would veto it and again blame the Republicans which will be echoed loud and clear by the compliant Agenda Press.
Lastly one item most people ignore and I think, not sure but think, Cong. Ellmers touched on in this video is that the Democrats and Pelosi were smart when passing Obamacare they made the agency like the EPA sorta quasi-governmental in that it gets its direction and funding from other sources that flows directly to that agency. Hence all those Obamacare taxes we know about. So even if we defunded Obamacare via continuing resolution most of the guts of the agency would still operate and you can be sure Obama will make sure of that happening. The only way to rid ourselves of this law is to gain the US Senate in 2014 and the President office in 2016 and repeal the whole law which is possible via reconciliation since it was originally passed that way. If we do not win both these elections and keep the US House this law is in place FOREVER because most people will get comfortable with all those subsidies and taxes flowing into the treasury. Elections have consequences and these next two are whoppers.
We Republicans and conservatives need to find a way to disagree on some points or this country has no future. Asking our Republican representatives to completely agree with us every time, be pure in thought and speech, is something that is liberal PC. We all are liberty loving Americans and part of liberty is not agreeing with each other. Frankly I disagree more with Senator Burr on some of his votes , but I also understand the environment he is in election wise and that he represents all this state. With both Cong. Ellmers and Sen. Burr the only way we conservatives will have any influence in legislation is have them and not another Democrat in their place. Zero tolerance thinking is what lead us to get in this position in the first place with many sitting out the 2012 election and not voting for Romney who I also know would have signed a repeal of Obamacare if it hit his desk.
I am completely convinced Cong. Ellmers is passionately opposed to this law and would vote for it's repeal if give the chance. The US House has done just that many times in the past two years and every time except one the US Senate has declared the bill dead on arrival. Who thinks this will not happen this time as well.
Take a look at the current race for Virginia Governor and you will see Terry Mcauliffe moving up in the polls and there are few more ethically challenged people in politics than Mr. Mcauliffe. He is beating a fine conservative in Ken Cuccinelli, who is one of those zero tolerance conservatives. Voters are rejecting those type of conservatives now and we conservatives if we are ever going to have a chance to get rid of Obamacare better understand that dynamic. Imagine a Hillary Clinton as President, a US House and US Senate Democratically held and think about Immigration legislation and a couple more US Supreme Court appointments by her and you have a complete loss of liberty.
This game of politics is not ramming our ideas down other people's throats it is persuading others to why our policies are the right ones. We either win back the electorate and win elections or we are stuck with Obamacare forever.
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