GARY BAUER

Friday, April 19, 2013

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer


Other News Making Headlines

The Boston Marathon bombing and today's ensuing manhunt are justifiably dominating the news. As of this writing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev remains at large.

But there were some other headlines this week I want to bring to your attention. Below is a brief rundown.


Obamacare "Train Wreck"

Three years ago, conservatives warned that Obamacare was a job killer. Liberals laughed off the warnings. Yet since its enactment, the economy has remained sluggish at best and the unemployment rate remains stubbornly high. Obamacare is unquestionably a big part of the problem.

Many small businesses are reluctant to hire new employees because of its mandates and others, as we have reported, are actually cutting back on workers' hours. This week the nation's largest movie theater company, Regal Entertainment Group, announced that it too had started reducing the hours of its employees. In a letter to managers, the company stated:

"To comply with the Affordable Care Act, Regal had to increase our health care budget to cover those newly deemed eligible based on the law's definition of a full-time employee. To manage this budget, all other employees will be scheduled in accord with business needs and in a manner that will not negatively impact our health care budget."
Once again, big government mandates are hurting the working poor -- the very people liberals claim they are trying to help.

As more and more folks start to find out exactly what is in Obamacare, they are realizing they don't like it so much anymore. For example, Big Labor was a big backer of Obamacare, but now, citing "unintended consequences," one union wants Obamacare to be repealed.

Here's another example. Earlier this week, we reported that Obama's budget included hidden middle class tax increases due to proposed changes in accounting for inflation in Medicare and Social Security. Investor's Business Daily reported this week that a number of Obamacare's taxes operate the exact same way.

By deliberately failing to adequately adjust for inflation, Democrats are targeting more and more middle class families with higher taxes that we were told were only meant for the "rich." Obamacare is a repeat of the alternative minimum tax fiasco.

Again, conservatives warned Obamacare was full of "unintended consequences" and bad ideas, but Democrats rammed it through while they could. Now even liberals are starting to worry about a backlash.

Last week, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) complained that Obamacare's rollout was "beyond comprehension." This week, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Obamacare's principle author, said he was "very concerned" about how it is being implemented, and warned, "I just see a huge train wreck coming."

We tried to warn you, Senator. Here's a bit of friendly advice: Follow Jay Rockefeller's example -- step off the tracks and retire next year before your reelection campaign becomes part of the wreckage!


Speaking Of Train Wrecks…

In the wake of their defeat on gun control, Senate Democrats are setting their sights on immigration reform. Against the backdrop of the manhunt in Boston, the Senate Judiciary Committee began hearings today on a massive 800-plus page comprehensive immigration reform bill. There are deep divisions on both sides of the aisle.

But according to Politico, liberals and their pro-amnesty allies are trying to conceal their glee. Consider these excerpts:

"The Senate's Gang of Eight delivered an immigration overhaul bill this week that was far more generous to their constituencies than Democrats and Hispanic activists expected. … when Democrats got a look at the 844-page measure, they discovered that their negotiators extracted more concessions than they thought possible. Those include an expansive version of the DREAM Act and subtle but meaningful tradeoffs on all the major pieces of the system, from family reunification to legalization and border security. …

"Democrats are reluctant to sound too positive, fearing that would scare away Republicans. Their official response to the bill has been muted, with one press release after another calling it a starting point that must be improved. Yet that description, while an accurate reflection of their political strategy heading into the debate, understates the extent to which Democrats believe their side made off with more policy victories than it could've predicted."
In other words, all the tough talk about border security is little more than a smoke screen designed to provide cover for passing a bill that gives the left more than it expected. Stay tuned!

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