ATLANTA (AP) – A federal appeals court panel on Friday struck down the requirement in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul package that virtually all Americans must carry health insurance or face penalties.

The divided three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the so-called individual mandate, siding with 26 states that had sued to block the law. But the panel didn’t go as far as a lower court that had invalidated the entire overhaul as unconstitutional.

The states and other critics argued the law violates people’s rights, while the Justice Department countered that the legislative branch was exercising a “quintessential” power.

The decision, penned by Chief Judge Joel Dubina and Circuit Judge Frank Hull, found that “the individual mandate contained in the Act exceeds Congress’s enumerated commerce power.”

“What Congress cannot do under the Commerce Clause is mandate that individuals enter into contracts with private insurance companies for the purchase of an expensive product from the time they are born until the time they die,” the opinion said. (more…)

While the world mainstream media is focused on the unrest that has plagued Great Britain, they are delinquent in reporting on societal unrest elsewhere in the Western world. In Chile, tens of thousands of students staged violent protests, demanding changes in government-funded public education. In Philadelphia, a rash of “flash mob” incidents has forced that city’s mayor to impose curfews for teenagers in several neighborhoods. And in Milwaukee, authorities are investigating a string of mob-like actions involving large groups of predominantly black teenagers near the Wisconsin State Fair, leading one City Alderman to attributing the violence as a sign of “deteriorating African American culture in our city.”

In all of these instances – from London to Milwaukee, Santiago to Philadelphia, one common factor exists: Young people, who have been endowed with a falsely elevated sense of self-esteem, are narcissistically demanding more from a grossly over-extended government entitlement system instituted by Progressives to create a dependent populace. Why would anyone want to create such an unstable and dangerous societal atmosphere? Power.

In its detailed examination of Progressivism, DiscoverTheNetworks.org, states:

“In the progressive worldview, the proper role of government was not to confine itself to regulating a limited range of human activities as the Founders had stipulated, but rather to inject itself into whatever realms the times seemed to demand. The progressives reasoned that although America’s Founders had felt it necessary to limit the power of government because of their experience with King George III, government, as a result of historical evolution, was no longer the menace it once had been; rather, they believed government had become capable of solving an ever-greater array of societal problems — problems the Founders could never have envisioned. Consequently, the progressives called for a more activist government whose regulation of people’s lives was properly determined not by the outdated words of an anachronistic Constitution, but by whatever the American people seemed to need at any given time…

“As its name indicates, progressivism suggests movement toward a goal – in this case, bigger government and increased state control. But it is a gradual, incremental movement rather than a sudden transformation. Progressives endorse evolution (rather than revolution), a process by which society drifts gradually but inexorably toward statism.

“To facilitate this evolution, progressives have sought, ever since their entry into the pages of American history, to infiltrate society’s power structure and its key institutions – the schools, the media, the churches, the entertainment industry, the labor unions, and the three branches of government…”

We can see the intervening hand of Progressivism at the root cause of the civil unrest in Britain, Chile and the United States.

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As Google dives head first into the world of K-Street lobbying, political giving and greasing the wheels of the Beltway favor factory, disclosure report obtained by Big Government show that the company has not strayed from its liberal core despite efforts to influence Republican policy makers.

Recent FEC reports filed by the company show a huge liberal slant in political giving to 527 organizations including the Democratic Governors Association, the Democratic Attorneys General Association, and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. These reports build on a long history of support for President Obama.

According to disclosures, this year Google contributed the following amounts to Democrat Party political organizations:

Democratic Governors Association – $25,000

Democratic Attorneys General Association – $25,000

Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee – $10,000

Most corporations that seek favors look to both sides of the political aisle. But Google did not contribute to the counterparts of these organizations. In 2011, Google did not give to the Republican Governor’s Association or the Republican State Leadership Committee (Parent to the Republican Attorneys General Association).

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On today’s edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson and Ben Domenech are joined by Francis Cianfrocca to discuss the European credit crisis, the possibility of a QE 3 and Obama’s plan to be Landlord in Chief.

We’re brought to you as always by BigGovernment and Stephen Clouse and Associates. If you’d like to email us, you can do so at coffee[at]newledger.com. We hope you enjoy the show.

Related Links:

Short Selling Ban Will Not Deter Bears
Fed Now More Likely to Do Third Round of Easing
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Gov’t considers turning foreclosures into rentals

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With the way things are going for Obama he should stock up on good luck charms. Adding to the President’s economic, social and political struggles are natural phenomena that appear to trail and then come up to batter Obama on all sides.

Earlier this year, a lightning strike just missed the White House and then one did make direct contact at the president’s favorite local golf course at Andrews Air Force Base. Fortunately, the Golfer-in-Chief and his 9-iron were not on the course.

There have been flies in the East Room landing on the President’s lip and a rat in the Rose Garden stealing the show at a press conference. Now, as the Obama family prepares to head back to Blue Heron Farm, a lavish $20 million, 28.5-acre compound in Chilmark, on Martha’s Vineyard, a wall backing the farmhouse porch caught fire and required emergency attention from local firefighters.

This is the third year the Obamas will stay at Blue Heron manor.  The lush property has a pool, apple orchard, basketball court and private beach. Last year the Obamas rented the home for $50,000 a week, up from the prior year’s $35,000 a week.

It’s odd that the President and his family would choose Chilmark, named the most expensive small town in all of America by Business Week back in 2007.  You’d think the last group of people Obama would want to spend time with are private jet owners, snooty yachtsmen and privileged Vineyard dwellers who look for ways to avoid sharing their good fortune with others.

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Wow. Not even a pretense of caring about fiscal responsibility. Keep the status quo, even if it means America is doomed to suffer a Greek-style budget meltdown.

Those were my thoughts when I heard that Harry Reid appointed Senators Kerry, Murray, and Baucus to the “super committee” created by the debt limit bill.

And then I was similarly stunned when Nancy Pelosi picked Representatives Clyburn, Becerra, and Van Hollen.

If you wanted to select the six most doctrinaire statists in Congress, you’d be hard pressed to come up with a different list. To understand just how left wing they are, here’s a chart showing their 2010 ratings from the National Taxpayers Union. They all had the same grade – a big fat F. And that is rather remarkable since NTU grades on a big curve. A score of 19 is all it takes to get a D.

For purposes of comparison, I’ve also added a line indicating Senator Ted Kennedy’s lifetime rating. He got an F, of course, but his average rating was higher than every single one of the big-government clowns named by Reid and Pelosi.

As I said earlier, wow.

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Nowadays everyone has a cell phone.  In fact, most can’t even recall how life happened before cell phones existed.

But there is one group of Americans who largely remain contract free and live without the convenience of a smart phone.  Many in that group are considered America’s poor, who simply cannot afford such a luxury.

This untapped market has not gone unnoticed.  The federal government is now busy working with telecommunications companies to make sure everyone enjoys the comfort of cell phone ownership—even if they can’t afford it.

“The program is about peace of mind,” says Gary Carter, manager of national partnerships for Assurance Wireless, a company helping low-income people obtain cell phones.  “It’s one less bill that someone has to pay, so they can pay their rent or for day care. … It is a right to have peace of mind.”

Does the federal government, in partnering with companies like Assurance Wireless, see owning a cell phone as a right? Since the program cost $1.32 billion in 2010, it makes it pretty clear that yes, the federal government thinks that owning a cell phone is now a right.

Through programs called Lifeline or SafeLink, low-income people can now apply to receive a cell phone of their very own, free of charge.  Some programs allow up to 250 free minutes a month.  For a low-income person to qualify for a free cell phone, one must meet federal low-income guidelines or qualify for one of many social service programs, including food stamps or Medicaid or even school lunch programs.

Funds for this program come from the federal Universal Service Fund.

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On December 14, 2010, Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was doing his job along the US/Mexico border in Arizona. But while tracking suspected border bandits just north of Rio Rico, AZ, he was shot in the back with an AK-47 and died while being airlifted to a hospital.

He was only days away from going home to be with his parents and siblings for Christmas: his dad said Terry had already purchased plane tickets for the trip.

Terry gave his life in service to this country – period. And God bless him and his family for that.

And I while I do not in any way want to diminish that service, it must be stated that the tragedy of Terry’s death is multiplied many times over by the fact that the AK-47 used to kill him was one of the 2,500 weapons purchased by straw purchasers during “Fast and Furious.”

That right: the rifle used to kill Terry was purchased by 23-year old Jamie Avila. It was part of the larger effort ostensibly aimed at leading law enforcement closer to the Mexican drug cartel by allowing weapons, illegally purchased in Phoenix, AZ, to be smuggled into Mexico (with the approval of the ATF and the full knowledge of the DHS, DEA, ICE, IRS, and DOJ.)

Folks, this stinks to high heaven.

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Those of us who attended public schools before “social justice” spread through the curriculum like a bad infection probably remember sitting in math class and working through problems such as this one:

Leroy has one quarter, one dime, one nickel, and one penny. Two of the coins are in his left pocket and the other two coins are in his right pocket. The coins have been randomly placed in the two pockets.

What is the probability that Leroy will be able to purchase a 30-cent candy bar with the two coins in his left pocket? Using the coins, explain your reasoning.

We didn’t know it at the time, but while we busily charted all of Leroy’s different coin combinations, we were actually being taught to tacitly approve of America’s exploitative capitalistic system.

Think that’s taking things a bit too far?

Read the words of a “fair trade” blogger and judge for yourself:

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Very likely the next President.

The recent police-related deaths of 43-year-old Allen Kephart in Lake Arrowhead, California and 37-year-old Kelly Thomas in Fullerton, California have sent shockwaves through the their respective communities. Indeed, both are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The death of Thomas, a homeless schizophrenic beaten into a coma by Fullerton police, is also being investigated by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. His case is not the first time Orange County law enforcement has been accused of applying excessive force to a mentally ill homeless man.

In October 2007, 28-year-old Michael Patrick Lass was living on the streets of Santa Ana when police stopped him for having an open container of alcohol. At the time of his arrest he was alcohol-dependent, schizophrenic, bipolar, and had a history of seizures.

The altercation that led to Lass’s death took place at the Orange County Central Jail, where Lass was sentenced to serve five days after pleading guilty to public intoxication. The day Lass would have been able to leave he felt ill and asked for medical attention. Lass was ordered to leave his cell and after repeatedly looking over his shoulder while being directed by a deputy, he was tackled to the ground and a melee ensued.

“He wasn’t fighting or anything and he was already in a contained area, locked in a contained area,” Lass’s father Frederick, says of the incident. “Immediately there was a second deputy there, a third deputy, a fourth, a fifth, and on and on it went. There was so many deputies that you couldn’t count how many deputies were there.”

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Tonight, eight candidates for the GOP nomination debate in Iowa. Mitt Romney continues to lead all national polls, but the entire field will be shaken up with the expected entry of Gov. Rick Perry this weekend. For many on stage tonight, this will be their last chance to stand out from the crowd. The fun starts at 9pm EDT.

I’m told the below ad is going wide tomorrow. That in itself is interesting. Google is already a power-house on the Internet and, in recent years, has become inextricably intertwined with the Obama Administration. They collect and retain silly-amounts of data on all of us. We know they leverage this data for ad sales, but what else could or would they use this data for?

I have no idea who is actually behind this ad. But, considering that Google is apparently moving into almost everyone’s on-line business, there is no doubt a long line of possible suspects.

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I realize that pointing out a ridiculous stimulus expenditure is so 2009. Still, I can’t help but mention one overlooked, but completely outrageous, stimulus scheme.

You, as an American taxpayer, paid for a teenage kid to wrestle alligators.

No kidding.

The Miccosukee Corporation, the business arm of the Miccosukee Indian Tribe, pocketed a $20,785 stimulus handout to subsidize a summer youth employment program. The program hired five kids to perform jobs including cashier, handyman and alligator wrestler at the Tribe’s Miccosukee Indian Village.

While the Miccosukee Tribe gets most of its money from…wait for it…gambling, the Indian Village is another method the Tribe uses to extract money from dopey tourists. The Indian Village features a shabby museum, the occasional sewing display and, of course, an overpriced gift shop with some of the finest Native American souvenirs ever produced in China. But the village’s real draw, as it were, is an alligator wrestling show.

During the show, performers – like the kid whose paycheck was subsidized by taxpayers – poke an alligator with a stick to piss it off, then drag it around by the tail, smack it on the nose and stuff various body parts in the gator’s mouth.

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas Gov. Rick Perry is running for president, a spokesman confirmed Thursday, a move certain to shake up the race for the GOP nomination much to the delight of conservatives looking for a candidate to embrace.

Perry spokesman Mark Miner said the governor would make his intentions known on Saturday while visiting South Carolina and New Hampshire just as most of his presidential rivals compete in a test vote in Iowa.

Official word of Perry’s entrance into the race came just hours before eight candidates, including GOP front-runner Mitt Romney, were to appear on stage during a nationally televised debate.

It wasn’t much of a surprise. The longest-serving governor in Texas history has flirted with a presidential run since spring and has spent the past few months courting Republicans in early voting states and laying the groundwork for a campaign. He met privately with potential donors from California to New York and gave rabblerousing speeches to party faithful, casting himself as a fiscally responsible social conservative.

His intentions became even clearer over the past few days when officials disclosed that he would visit an important trio of states, a campaign-like schedule timed to overshadow the debate and the Iowa straw poll and, perhaps, wreak havoc on a field led by Romney. (more…)

The Cost of Government Day Report, published annually by Americans for Tax Reform Foundation, measures the number of calendar days Americans must work to pay off spending and regulatory burdens at all levels of government. In 2011, Americans labored 224 days to pay Uncle Sam—until August 12. 77 days went solely towards paying off regulatory costs. These costs will only grow under the aggressive regulatory regime envisioned by the Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Coupled with the existing 77 day burden, proposed EPA regulations promise to increase the costs of electricity and household items for all Americans.

In a 2008 talk with the San Francisco Chronicle, then-Senator Obama boasted that his emission reduction plan would cause electricity prices to “necessarily skyrocket.” As President, Obama quickly pushed for higher energy prices through the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, better known as “Cap and Trade.” While the Act did not pass the Senate, the 2009 Cost of Government Day Report estimated that Cap and Trade would have increased the Cost of Government by three additional days.

The failure of Cap and Trade to net legislative success inspired the Obama Administration to pivot to the EPA to pursue its environmental agenda. Enabled by unaccountable bureaucrats, the EPA enacts much more harm than the politically-conscious Congress could ever achieve.

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With Rep. Pelosi’s picks announced today, the SuperCongress is set. From The Associated Press:

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s appointment Thursday of three Democrats to Congress’ new debt-reduction supercommittee completes the roster of a panel whose members are already being tugged in competing directions.

Pelosi selected Reps. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina and Xavier Becerra of California, who both are members of the party’s House leadership, and Maryland’s Chris Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee. The choices bring racial diversity to the supercommittee because Clyburn is black and Becerra is Hispanic.

The 12-member panel, divided evenly among Democrats and Republicans, has until Thanksgiving to propose $1.5 trillion in 10-year budget savings. If it does not propose a package or if Congress doesn’t approve it, $1.2 trillion in automatic budget cuts will be triggered.

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The world seems to be coming apart at its seams. We are facing real threats that resemble the great plagues of the past. This plague is targeting the foundations of society as opposed to the people who make it. Great Britain is being throttled by rioters as London has become a city of chaos. We are witnessing a global meltdown in the financial markets and the only thing that looks to be clear at this point is that a new world order will emerge once the old one gives up the ghost.

Countries such as Russia and China are clamoring for the US dollar dominated-era to end. The latter of the two is in a good position to take advantage of US vulnerabilities. Back in 2009, there was a concerted effort by rich nations such as France, China, Russia, and Japan to move away from dealing in dollars for the price of oil. It was really just pecking blows from lightweights – considering US economic hegemony – as opposed to a knockout blow. However, in my limited powers of observation, the US’ legs are as wobbly as anytime before. The momentum, if you want to call it that, does seem to be moving away from the US in light of our economic and financial woes toward a yet to be announced global realignment.

It is easy to be fatalistic when faced with so many uncertainties. The US is losing credibility along with its place in the world as the sole superpower. Consider the fact that we aren’t being removed from that lofty pedestal from the machinations of another, but, rather, our fall is by our own doing; and it becomes even more depressing.

Our government has spent every cent it has taken in and then borrowed an additional $14 trillion. Take a minute for that to seep in. Our politicians promised and voted in programs it could not afford. Voting constituencies lapped it up. Our national debt became excessive and is now a catastrophic danger. Our government ignored proper funding for the interest on the debt. Instead we borrowed more against our debt. The result, obviously, was that creditors lost confidence in their investments and government securities were hardly secure. The party is ending but it goes much deeper than that.

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Ben Bernanke’s shocking FOMC announcement on Tuesday — that its zero-interest-rate target would be extended for two more years through the middle of 2013 — drove Dow stocks up over 400 points. But this new policy had no stock market carry-over on Wednesday, when the Dow plunged over 500 points.

But we have not heard the last from Ben Bernanke — not by a long shot.

Buried in the last paragraph of this week’s surprise FOMC announcement was this huge statement: “The Committee discussed the range of policy tools available to promote a stronger economic recovery in a context of price stability.”

This is a brand-new statement. And in all likelihood it was purposefully open-ended. A Fed source suggests that this sort of stuff is usually left out of sight and buried in Fed committee minutes, released well after the FOMC meeting, and not put boldly in the actual policy statement. So clearly, it’s very important.

What might it mean?

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