"Wax off"

Representative Henry Waxman (D) Wisconsin is really a rather repugnant politician. And not because he's extremely liberal, but rather because he is the quintessential Party hack. Defends anyone & anything with a (D) after its' name, and in recent years has taken on the role of his Party's thug, at least in the House. As the "subpoena king" he "investigates" any opposition with the full weight and power of the House of Representatives (he subpoenaed everyone but Karl Rove's pizza delivery driver in that rather trumped up Valerie Plaim CIA case, and there are dozens of other examples). But now I think he has crossed the line, and in a way that should cause a cold shudder to run along the spines of the members Bund and frankly ANYONE whom is oriented towards examining and discussing history ... particularly when that history revolves around the declination of a Republic. As has oft been said & as both Italy & Germany proved, democracy dies not in the dead of night, but to the sound of thunderous applause.

Yesterday Mr. Waxman, and I reiterate he is the unofficial subpoena "muscle" in the House, sent out an official "letter" to 52 health insurance companies. In it was a questionnaire. Requested, from all 52 companies, was specific information regarding the salaries and names of any and all employees earning over $500,000 per year between 2003 and 2008. Along with the cost, location, and attendance of any and all company retreats, functions and seminars.

Why?

It's naked government intimidation.

First off, if they don't respond willingly to the letter insiders are well aware he will move to subpoena and compel them to testify on live TV, on the Hill, resulting in private citizens being being forced to justify their wages under the spotlight of national television. Second, as his Party is clearly losing control of the health insurance debate they have decided upon a new tactic. They used "CEO salaries" to great effectiveness when it came to vilifying and functionally nationalizing the domestic auto industry and placing permanent federal tentacles within the financial, lending, and credit community. Now it is clear that they intend to demonize, via that same class warfare, the executives in the health insurance industry. "The only way to clamp down on the out of control CEO salaries & bonuses", they'll exclaim with their best FDR "nothing to fear" impersonation, "is to offer a public health insurance program, so the little guy will no longer be gouged." Now who was it that warned against giving into the temptation of allowing the feds to "stick it to" wealthy yet poor performing CEO's in the private sector? I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. And who warned that this will NEVER stop with capping auto or banking executive salaries? This is unambiguous, naked, government thuggery. These are the sorts of actions that 50 years into a Chavez-like socialist paradigm our heirs hear about and ask, "Didn't you see where this was heading?"

It's no body's God D*** business how much those CEO's make, nor where and how much their retreats are. And it just plain creeps me out that not only does he have the audacity to ask, but he thinks he "deserves" to know the answer.

And what further enrages me is if there is one entity in which spending has run a muck, corruption and fraud is rampant, and those with the purse strings are in desperate need of justifying their salary, IT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!

I'm telling you these people are hardened to the bone neo-Marxists. And they are using the opportunity of this current economic crisis to repackage, rebrand and sell that Marxism as "fairness", "protection", and being good stewards, shepperds if you will. "All we need do," they'll claim, "is cull the herd of just these few fat cats, and let us run that sector of the economy ... then all will be better." When in truth all you have to do is scratch their surface and you'll hear them screaming, "capitalist pig!" at anyone with a savings account.