Lame Duck Agenda: Highway Checkpoints Took Blood and Saliva; Nancy Pelosi: "Are You Serious"; Health Care Mandates; Iranian Justice; Manatee Deaths Due To Record Cold Winters;

[Isn't this just great?  The Party which rammed down unwilling throats the ObamaCare bill is now doing what some had predicted: using the Lame Duck Session of Congress to push through the Congress a 2000 page bill with only 3 days to read the bill and to consider its particulars. It includes $1 billion dollars for Obamacare (even though its constitutionality is in question), and 6000 pork barrel earmarks.  This totals yet another $1 trillion in deficit spending, on top of the $1 trillion which will be  added to our debt in the tax bill which addresses the Bush tax rates, estate taxes, unemployment compensation, payroll tax cuts and ethanol subsidies.  Al Gore has declared ethanol to be unworkable and a way for him to have gotten Iowa votes in his presidential campaign. We all know that Social Security is nearly bankrupt.  It begs the question of how stupid it is to defund  SS for a while in order to "pay" for a stealth stimulus bill. The lame ducks want to get pork for their states before they, who have been thrown out of Congress, must pack up their desks and go home. This will ingratiate themselves to our President perhaps leading to a good assignment or ambassadorship.  Can we dare to expect the Republicans to once more stand as one against this Stimulus?  Will they filibuster, will they keep the bill from passing?  Will they force the entire 2000 pages to be read on the floor of Congress prior to the vote? Next they will be asked to fend off the Start Treaty, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and the Dream Act, all of which the Democrats are hoping to pass in the Lame Duck Session.  Harry Reid has stated that he may keep the lawmakers there into next year.  This shows how desperate they really are to pass mega bills against the will of the people before they lose their majority.]
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World Net Daily informs us: Motorists in Colorado are expressing outrage over a weekend stunt in Gilpin County, about an hour's drive west of Denver, where highway checkpoints were set up so a private organization could ask for samples of blood and saliva
Sheriff's officials were apologizing after they helped set up and run five separate checkpoints over the weekend.
They said workers for the Institute for Research and Evaluation were overly persistent in their demands of innocent travelers.
gt. Bob Enney said the deputies' assistance to the organization involved stopping motorists at the sites along Colorado Highway 119 for "surveys" on any drug or alcohol use. Surveyors also requested that motorists submit to breath, blood and saliva tests.
Enney said several hundred motorists were tested, and some later complained.
Sequeira said he repeatedly asked if the questioners were law enforcement officials and said he was not interested in participating in the study, but still was not given clearance to leave.
PIRE spokeswoman Michelle Blackston told WND the deputies "did not stop" any drivers. "It was a voluntary survey. … Nobody approached them. There were signs saying that a survey was taking place. Nobody waved them down."
"For the record the proper response to ANY such incursion into privacy is to ask the question, Am I under Arrest? If the answer is no ask if you are free to go. If you are told no demand to be arrested or you will leave and then leave," added Frank Vicek. http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=43616
[I reprint this as a cautionary tale.  Who on earth would have allowed saliva and blood to be given, especially since those doing it are hardly doing it to unknown people?  They had access to the license plates.  My guess would be that those who submitted to this entire invasion of privacy were people young enough to not understand what other countries have been known to do to their citizens, and are unable to envision the future such actions might engender.  We need to stand up, speak out, and demand our rights in America, and we should be prepared.]
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CNS News writes: FLASHBACK: When Asked Where the Constitution Authorizes Congress to Order Americans To Buy Health Insurance, Pelosi Says: 'Are You Serious?'

CNSNews.com originally published this story in which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed the question of whether Obamacare was constitutional on Oct. 22, 2009.  Pelosi's press secretary later responded to written follow-up questions from CNSNews.com by emailing CNSNews.com a press release on the “Constitutionality of Health Insurance Reform,” that argues that Congress derives the authority to mandate that people purchase health insurance from its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/flashback-when-asked-where-constitution

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The Wall St. Journal writes: Big employers faced with incorporating the first round of health-care changes next month are grappling with how to comply with the long list of new rules.
Many companies are hiring consultants to help sort though the mountain of new mandates, which include extending dependent coverage to children up to age 26, and may eventually result in covering more employees. Some are also considering changes to their plans—including pushing costs to workers. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703727804576011791786531256.html
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News from the UK DAily Mail: An eye for an eye: Iranian man sentenced to have drops of acid poured onto his face for blinding his lover's husband

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1337957/Eye-eye-Iranian-man-sentenced-drops-acid-poured-face-blinding-lovers-husband.html#ixzz182KyM9BP

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The Miami Herald has written:   Manatee Deaths Set a Record This Year

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the cold weather seen in early 2010 resulted in a record number of manatee deaths.The agency's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute documented 699 manatee deaths in state waters. Some 244 were caused by "cold stress," exposure to low water temperatures. The cause of death in many of the other cases was undetermined, but officials believe the cold temperatures likely contributed.
The preliminary figures indicate manatee deaths in from Jan. 1 to Dec. 5 of 2010 were nearly double the five-year average for the same time period.
The deaths were documented throughout the state and as far south as the Florida Keys.
I've been told by a local on Marathon Key that many geckos froze to death in the Keys last year as well.  What we need there (it was in the low 40's last nite) is some global warming!)

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/11/1968575/record-number-of-manatee-deaths.html

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