You Can Keep Your Health Care... Unless You Are In Congress

Legislate in haste, repent in leisure - Congress may have legislated itself out of the Federal health insurance plan and into exchanges that won't be operating until 2014, and I bet they are sick about it:

In a new report, the Congressional Research Service says the law may have significant unintended consequences for the “personal health insurance coverage” of senators, representatives and their staff members.

For example, it says, the law may “remove members of Congress and Congressional staff” from their current coverage, in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, before any alternatives are available.

The confusion raises the inevitable question: If they did not know exactly what they were doing to themselves, did lawmakers who wrote and passed the bill fully grasp the details of how it would influence the lives of other Americans?

The AllahPundit is braced for the next Pelosi presser:

Looking forward to tomorrow, when we’re inevitably told that they meant to do that.

He may be right!  Back to the Times:

“It is unclear whether members of Congress and Congressional staff who are currently participating in F.E.H.B.P. may be able to retain this coverage,” the research service said in an 8,100-word memorandum.

And even if current members of Congress can stay in the popular program for federal employees, that option will probably not be available to newly elected lawmakers, the report says.

It's an incumbent protection plan!  All those Evil Republicans who thought they would sweep into power next fall will think twice, now that they know the job comes with no health benefits.

Then again, any newly elected Congressman can certainly make a stronger case for Repeal and Reform, since Reform (or at least a little legislative nip and tuck) looks inevitable.  But maybe Congress will pretend to talk about jobs, jobs, jobs for a day or two before solving their own self-inflicted insurance problem.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE STAFFERS?  Ahh, well, it seems that new hires will have a problem.  Meanwhile, two clauses of the new law stand in opposition.  From the CRS report, we are reminded that everyone can be grandfathered into their existing plan:

Section 1251(a) states that:

[N]othing in this Act (or an amendment made by this Act) shall be construed to require that an individual terminate coverage under a group health plan or health insurance coverage in which such individual was enrolled on the date of enactment of this Act.

However, the language causing the problem is this:

§ 1312(d)(3)(D)(i), specifically requires that:

the only health plans that the Federal Government may make available to Members of Congress and congressional staff with respect to their service as a Member of Congress or congressional staff shall be health plans that are--
(I) created under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act); or (II) offered through an Exchange established under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act).

For new Congressman and staffers to whom this applies, the result is clear, at least after 2014.  For incumbents, it is not clear what Congressional intent was, how a court might resolve this, or who would proceed with a suit.

Business as usual.

Comments

[Pagar]

Meanwhile the bill has caused the cancellation of 60 new hospitals so far.
Article.

Plus, the Unions expect to get millions of new members pouring dues to help reelect
bail out their pension funds.

There is not one American who will be better off under Obamacare,IMO.

[Clarice]

We owe it to Jane and her You, Too, Congress
Imagine the fallout when they try to get out of a plan they are sticking the rest of us with?

And then there's the obvious==it's proof no one read it before voting..

[They've gone aliene.]

This would be hilarious if it weren't so tragic.
==================

[Clarice]

I'm delighted no Congressional genius spotted this before passage.

Really.
It underscores what idiots they are and with what carelessness they managed this.

[anduril]

Oh, God, this would be so sweet!

[Pagar]

Somehow it seems to me that someone must have known what § 1312(d)(3)(D)(i),meant. I wonder if the person who knew was upset over something? I seriously doubt if any Senator or Congressperson wrote any ten words of that bill. It just looks too complicated for them.

[narciso]

It seems like the same people responsible for this, in the LUN

[Clarice]

I saw that, narciso. Do you mean to say there's a federal program that gives our taxpayer dollars to college kids but only if they are foreigners?
Looks like a program that could bear cancellation.

[Ranger]

Watch for repeal to go to 65% by election day. Voting to undo this will be as popular as congress voting itself a pay raise.

BTW, it looks like Andy Stern is resigning as the president of SEIU because he is "tired." I wonder what sealed indictment is pending against him?

[Clarice]

My thoughts, too, ranger.

Bismarck was right, God looks after drunks , children and America.

[windansea]

Bismarck was right, God looks after drunks , children and America.

just..

how was Cabo Azul?

[narciso]

Interesting his wiki says he came on a Yemeni scholarship, now being that his father was a high level figure in the Yemeni government, similar to Mutallab Sr, one wonders what srings were pulled

[I wonder if it says 'Yes, we can' on it.]

Maybe not any longer. Alan Caruba reports that a new US coin does not have 'In God We Trust' on it.
=======================

[Godleft]

Congress needs term limits and pay like everyone else who are members there.

Underwater mining by US and Russian subs has cause all the quakes. North Pole where Canada fools all the natives out of their land, I Mean water.

LUX

[Neo]

The upside of this is that they will be able to say with a straight face that all Americans will have the same plan as members of Congress .. at least until the mandate requires insurance.

.. but OMG .. payback is a .. rhymes with witch.

[rse]

Can you imagine what the bill will do to the cost of college and the type of majors pursued as college students begin to appreciate that as long as they stay out of the private sector as their employer they only have to pay 10% of their income for 10 years and then all is forgiven?

Our college students will be fighting to be part of the group of bureaucrats redistributing the wealth instead of growing the GDP.

Unsustainable.

[Stephanie says Obama sux]

Clarice,

At many colleges, in order to comply with Title IX, the athletic departments are filling out many women's sports scholarships with foreigners so as to comply with the requirements. Many foreign student athletes are on federal non-sport scholarships (don't count for NCAA purposes) or their ride is paid in full by their home country.

K was looking at a college in Sarasota and was interested in playing golf there. Women's Golf is allocated 6 scholarships for usually 8-10 spots on the golf team by the NCAA. The coach only has to divvy up the total $$ not total spots so they combine the $$ to cover all the incidentals (in addition to tuition) and the rest of the golf team playing spots are made up with players that don't "cost" the coach any dough in endowments or academic scholarships - foreigners.

Title IX does not mean that there are an equal number of female and male athletes at the school. It means that the school has included women's sports to get the scholarship count up so that the school can divvy up the male scholarships (one scholarship unit may cover three football players) for "prestige sports."

And the schools miraculously find extra "academic based" scholarships or corporate/alumni endowed scholarships to bring the three football players sharing one scholarship up to a full ride for each.

IOW, the football team = women's golf, women's volleyball, women's softball and women's basketball, but there are 90 football players and less than 40 female athletes.

This is fully Title IX compliant, but certainly doesn't fit the spirit of the law. One scholarship does not equal one athlete.

Should these schools be allowed to import foreign players to maintain compliance with the Title IX requirements without benefiting American athletes whose parents paid the taxes that are funding the schools and feds scholarship pools?

[daddy]

TV at Newark at 4 AM just blows.

Don't worry about verifying, just trust me.

[Janet]

From narciso's article at 11:22 - "The school would not comment on his financial records citing privacy issues."

But no problem getting Joe the Plumber's personal info out into the media...and no problem getting sealed divorce records released on Obama's political opponents.

[bgates]

Andy Stern is resigning

Our long national nightmare of lacking strong union representation on the Supreme Court may soon be over.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

I am having a bad back and arm pain night due to all the cold wet weather we are having here in the desert, but wanted to remind everyone that it was only this past end of February that Obama appointed Stern to his newly formed "Deficit Commission," whatever that is.

Also, I just watched one of the funniest political ads I've seen in a long time. And I watched it before the pain meds kicked in.

Check it out.

[Jane]

Andy Stern is resigning

Our long national nightmare of lacking strong union representation on the Supreme Court may soon be over.

Except he will probably start working in the WH.

I love love love the latest revealed "error" in the health care bill. It is the only part that should not be repealed.

[fdcol63]

Maybe this "error" was really a stealth provision that was created to defeat USSC HCR Constitutional challenges based on the Equal Protection clause?

Now Congress can honestly say, "See? It applies to us, too!"

[Pagar]

American Thinker has a report that "Obama attends nonexistent soccer Game".

[Clarice]

He was under criminal investigation before resigning.
Alwaki was not involved in athletics as far as I can tell though I agree that Title IX has resulted in many absurd things,
windansea cabo azul was lovely. We had a 2200 sq foot ocean front villa that was spectacular, The food was very good and the service was, too,

[narciso]

Some of this crash the party activity, seems to already be occurring, in the LUN

[Danube of Thought]

Howdy: Five forty a.m. on the left coast.

Clarice, are you saying Stern was being investigated? Do you know by whom?

[Jane]

Chaco,

If you show up send me an email at [email protected] and Caro and I will send you pix of any tea party crashers we locate. (I just read your PJM piece)

[Clarice]

He was being charged with improper lobbying--I believe he had let his lobbying registration lapse.DoT I'll look up the story and post the link.

Jane, here's the guy organizing the infiltration of the tea party

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/whos-behind-the-crash-the-tea-party-website/

[Clarice]

Here--DoT--one story on the matter.
http://www.atr.org/andy-stern-appointed-debt-panel-under-a4577

[Jane]

Yeah I saw that Clarice. Now if anything happens at any tea party we know who to blame. Boy they really are stupid aren't they?

[Jane]

Someone really needs to look into what the President was doing at that non-existent soccer game.

I certainly would love to catch him in the act.

[Neo]

An "incumbent protection plan" where preexisting conditions are now a plus.

[jean]

An article at politico a few days ago mentioned something about the Pres. saying the SS wasn't with him on his trip to the soccer game.I couldn't figure out if he was joking.If he wasn't I couldn't understand why the press didn't care

[Janet]

Weather looks good for the Tea Party here. Showers today, 60s tomorrow, and clear & 70s for the 15th.
JOMers, be sure and call if you need anything while you are in the DC area. Jane has my phone #s and address.

[Janet]

LUN is Charlie's article on exposing the Tea Party crashers.

[centralcal]

jean: The whole skipping out to a soccer game story sounded bogus from the get go. Now, you are saying the Secret Service wasn't with him either?

[Janet]

Secretive and Sketchy...that's our President and his administration. A few examples...
*Obama's entire background
*the NYC flyover
*visitors to the White House
*now, ducking out from the Secret Service?

[caro]

Off to the airport to meet Jane! 7 inches of snow last night.

[Jane]

And my email is [email protected] and I will be connected by around dinner time tonite.

[Pagar]

"
What's more concerning is that no one can confirm if the Secret Service even accompanied Obama on his adventure"

From the Link I posted at 8:23

[narciso]

The adjoining piece by Bob Owens, on Jason Levin, 9/11 denialist is also illuminating,

Meanwhile in the LUN, treason seems to have
many accents,

[narciso]

Sorry, wrong LUN

[Jane]

Go Caro!

[Danube of Thought]

Minus 10 at Raz.

For some reason I am deriving a very special joy from the growing confusion and uncertainty about WTF Obamacare is all about. It is a problem that will only get worse--and an issue that will only get bigger--between now and November.

[Ranger]

BTW, after three weeks I think we can now call this a solid trend:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/127319/Republicans-Lead-Congressional-Ballot.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=morelink&utm_term=All%20Gallup%20Headlines%20-%20Politics>Republicans Lead by 48% to 44% on Congressional Ballot

[narciso]

I have a strong temptation to yell " Ha ha"
after this bit

[Captain Hate]

The AllahPundit is braced for the next Pelosi presser

I can't wait until that gibbering bitch (Pelosi not AllahPuke) tries to cover her idiocy with that annoying Woody-Woodpecker laugh. Maybe that plays well to the imbeciles in her district but I can't imagine anybody else reacting in an other than nails on the blackboard manner.

[fdcol63]

Maybe Tiger set Obama up with some of his "ladies"? LOL

[Janet]

...or had to meet Bill Ayers to get their stories in sync.

[Danube of Thought]

Nice to see that the AP (and the Boston Herald) have picked up on the party-crashers' plans.

[fdcol63]

I think ChaCo's suggestion on PJM is a good one:

Take photos and videos of anyone at Tea Party functions who display rude signs or who make racist or derogatory comments, and then investigate and expose them publicly .. through blog posts, Twitter tweets, viral YouTube videos, etc.

Let there be no rock that these vermin can scurry and hide under ever again.

[Danube of Thought]

The guy who runs fivethirtyeight.com, Nate Silver, is a real statistics freak who a few days ago noted that historically the GOP has averaged about 3.4% better in actual votes cast than the generic ballot would predict. So we might infer that the 4% actually suggests a 7.4% differential, which would certainly put the GOP in the majority in the house.

[Old Lurker]

This fits here nicely:

<<

The Pope leans towards Ms. Pelosi and said, "Do you know that with one little wave of my hand I can make every person in this crowd go wild with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display, but will go deep into their hearts and they'll forever speak of this day and rejoice!"

Pelosi replied, "I seriously doubt that. With one little wave of your hand?

Show me!"

So the Pope backhanded the bitch.>>>

[fdcol63]

OL ..... ROFLMAO!

[peter]

So Obama snuck away from the press and the Secret Service to go to an imaginary soccer game? At what point does the mainstream media grow a set and start asking questions. seems to me if there were a soccer game, some parent would have a video camera if the President shows up without any secret service
Maybe he had no one available to deliver the bags of money to Andy stern, make that George Soros, make that Bill Ayers.

[Clarice]

About the Obama slip of the press and maybe SS--the location is NOT a high crime area, and I noted that in the AT comments, I saw reports, too, that sidwell had nothing scheduled that day re soccer..but that's hardly dispositive. It could have been an intramural game.

Sidwell is IIRC less than a mile from 40th and Chesapeake where Obama said he was,

[Rick Ballard]

"which would certainly put the GOP in the majority in the house."

Think Senate. Ranger's highlighted sentiment shift is still part of the beginning. If one contemplates this nugget and considers the full implications of "unprecedented" regarding a group which has not as yet joined in the idiotic cheer leading regarding an economy which is "improving" solely on the basis of government transfer payments, the potential for a much greater shift becomes apparent. The only Dem seats which are truly safe are in the bluest of Blue Hells.

[Rob Crawford]

I can't wait until that gibbering bitch (Pelosi not AllahPuke)

If you hadn't specified, I'd have asked.

[Danube of Thought]

And now the LA Times discovers some unexpected truths about Obamacare: the feds can't stop premium increases, and those increases are on the way.

[peter]

Thanks for the clarification about the neighborhood and Sidwell-Friends, Clarice. It does seem awfully foolish to give the Secret Service the slip; reminiscent of Clinton's engaging in phone sex with Monica Lewinsky on an unsecure line. Creates all kinds of unnecessary security problems.

[Danube of Thought]

But wait, there's more!

Taxpayers can currently deduct medical expenses in excess of 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income. Starting in 2013, most taxpayers will only be allowed to deducted expenses greater than 10 percent of AGI. Older taxpayers are hit by this threshold increase in 2017.

This is worse than a tax on the middle class. It’s a tax on the middle class who are seriously ill. And what’s the over/under on how may times Obama is going to break that “no taxes on anyone earning under $250,000 a year” pledge, anyway?

(From Mark Hemingway.)

[Pagar]

Wouldn't there be Secret Service whereever the Obama children are?

[Janet]

Yeah Clarice...the DC youth soccer club league is DC Stoddert. Maybe the girls are in that soccer league.

[Danube of Thought]

A tidbit from the WSJ:

The new federal health-care law has raised the stakes for hospitals and schools already scrambling to train more doctors. Experts warn there won't be enough doctors to treat the millions of people newly insured under the law. At current graduation and training rates, the nation could face a shortage of as many as 150,000 doctors in the next 15 years, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

[jean]

CC. it is in an April 11th article at Politico.Something about his secretary not telling the SS.

[Ranger]

What's really funny is that the left is now busy convincing themselves that the next batch of Porkulus money will turn the tide on the economy, so everything will be fine by November.

Two observations:

1) Why should this flood of borrowed money have any more effect that the last batch? Will it be any better administered than the last batch?

2) Based on studies of the 94 wave, the basic sentiment was set and the trends were already begining to become visible by the end of spring, but the polls didn't shift hard to the Republicans until the end of Summer/early Fall. Between March and November of 94 the Republicans went from down by 6 to up by 4, but the bulk of that shift was in September and October. If that trend holds, we could be looking at the Republicans picking up another 10 points in the generic ballot between now and November, with the big shift coming after Labor Day when the "low information" voters start paying attention and see a budget deficit of $1.7 trillion and a Democratic congress that hasn't even managed to pass a single budget bill yet (because they are waiting until after the election to add even more spending).

[fdcol63]

The Dems' focus on the jobs bill at this late hour just illustrates their cynical belief that people can simply be bought with more money.

In this regard, they are merely projecting their own superficial materialism on all Americans, just at they are their own racism and bigotry by calling the Tea Part Movement as such.

They are willfully ignoring the fact that a majority of Americans are disgusted and angry at something much deeper and more important:

The Dems' blatant over-reach, corruption, and attempt to transform America into a European Socialist state, and dissatistfaction with equally corrupt, inept, Dem-lite RINOs.

[Clarice]

On what basis is Kudlow saying a boom is coming?

[MayBee]

About the soccer game- I asked Mark Knoller (CBS radio correspondent), and he told me a CBS colleague saw Obama at the soccer fields that morning. I'm guessing a club game.

[Danube of Thought]

Coupla MD's harrass Barney on a plane. (So he tells a Clark Gable joke?)

[Danube of Thought]

Here's Kudlow.

[Ranger]

Hmmm... Two successeive posts at Instapundit:

LARRY KUDLOW TO CONSERVATIVES: A boom is coming — don’t fight the tape.

Posted at 10:28 am by Glenn Reynolds

CHANGE: Per Capita Income Has Fallen 3.2% Since Obama’s Inauguration; 47 of 50 States See Decline in Income.

Posted at 10:25 am by Glenn Reynolds

I really don't think the 10:28 post is supported by the 10:25 post.

There may be a big market rally as insitutions try to take capital gains now, before the rate jumps back up to 28%, but I don't see a real consumer based ecnomic rebound coming anytime soon.

[narciso]

Interesting thing that Morris said about Gillebrand, that she used to work in the Justice Department on subprime cases, then while in private practice, she shorted those
same companies to the tune of 40K, I don't know how much of it is true, but it doesn't surprise me

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

He's very clear regarding the data points selected in support of his view:

We’ve got a V-shaped commodity boom; a V-shaped retail-sales and retail-stock boom; a V-shaped profits boom; a V-shaped ISM boom; and the beginnings of a V-shaped jobs recovery. I don’t know how long all this will last, but the next 6 to 9 months look pretty darn good on the economic front.

The point by point rebuttal is that commodity pricing has been detached from market fundamentals regarding supply and demand for at least a year, the retail "boom" is being driven by withdrawal from savings, not increases in income, the ISM is trumped by NFIB (see above), the "V-shaped jobs recovery" is the sheerest of fantasy and the "profits boom" has been primarily confined to the financial sector and is a result of the FASB "mark to fantasy" accounting rule changes.

Reality (IMO) aligns with the Alcoa earnings report and there just ain't no "boom" (unless we're talking the explosive variety) involved. Sure, the Gargantua's can squeeze out earnings by taking a meat axe to overhead and payroll for a few quarters and we'll even see big productivity increases as a result (duh) but Walmart's 10,000 price cuts point to something rather different than an economic "boom".

[Captain Hate]

Coupla MD's harrass Barney on a plane. (So he tells a Clark Gable joke?)

After his mincemeat partner calls them "bitchy"; that's always an effective way to defuse a situation.

[MarkO]

Poor Barney. Two doctors, sitting near him, begin to speak openly and loudly about the Obama mess and he considers it rude. So, he has his little boyfriend call them "bitches." That upset the doctors who likely should have responded with the same word to the two little fat boys.

An officious woman jumps up and complains. For that, they give her wine. (just like TWA in the '70's)

No arrests. No report filed by the flight crew. No names of the doctors. Actually, this may not have happened at all.

Later today, NBC will report that the women made racist slurs and suggested that the President was black and shot basketballs.

The hate.

[Ignatz]

Kudlow has made a point I have made a time or two; Republicans need to stress impending tax increases, insane debt and spendng and loss of freedom first and lack of jobs and a sluggish economy secondarily.

If Republicans only talk about how bad the economy is and it has noticeably improved by Nov they risk losing their argument and their credibility and possibly a good many races they didn't need to.

[Ignatz]

Here is a somewhat more detailed post by Kudlow on a V shaped recovery from last week.

[Happy Daze]

"On what basis is Kudlow saying a boom is coming?"

His usual rationale...the sun rose in the east that day.

[Janet]

After his mincemeat partner calls them "bitchy";

That would be Jim Ready. LUN for an article on the marijuana bust at his house with Barney present.

It was in August 2007. I'm sure you all heard about it...what? it didn't make the nightly news?

[Danube of Thought]

God's teeth. I just heard a guy on San Diego radio interviewing Arlo Guthrie. Arlo is a Republican!

[Janet]

The video with the above article is just unbelievable. Barney is offended.
Our country really does have 2 sets of laws and standards.

[Ignatz]

There are a great deal of data out there and because the recession was so bad and the policy response was even worse many of those data are pretty sickly. However there are an increasing number of accelerating data indicating a recovery is under way. If one only looks at what confirms one's beliefs the whole picture is not being seen.

As much as I despise Barry's policies, economies do certain things, especially in the short term, regardless of bad policy. Recovering from a steep decline is one of them. Now, continued bad policy will eventually kill the goose again but in the meantime the economy grows.
When has it not?
Even in the Depression and Panics of 1837 and the 1970's the economy recovered over the course of 1-3 year time scales despite terrible policy responses which later renewed the declines.

[Dave (in MA)]

"V-shaped jobs recovery"

When you look at an 'M' you'll notice that there's a 'v' in the middle there. Wait 'til the Bush tax cuts are allowed to disappear by this idiotic congress.

[Ignatz]

--Arlo is a Republican!--

DoT,
The world is loose from its moorings; Woody must be on spin cycle.

[narciso]

It is remarkable that any media template is almost entirely actually the reverse of reality, in the LUN

[peter]

The guy really likes to bow. (LUN) h/t Powerline

[Danube of Thought]

I'll say he must, Iggy. After hearing the interview I went to YouTube and listened to this, which I absolutely never would have believed. And it really hit me.

[Neo]

After that stuff with Charlie Rangel, Congress should be auditing Congress-critters annually.

[Dave (in MA)]

Jindal's campaign finance director and a companion were badly beaten (broken legs, jaw, concussion, broken nose) over the weekend - reportedly singled out because they had Palin buttons. I can't imagine why ABCNBCCNNCBS haven't been all over this.

[narciso]

That was the subject of my last LUN, it really is more of a sRM each and every day, and it operates the same way abroad

[Dave (in MA)]

Sorry, narciso.

I looked for some (any) kind of MSM mention of it, and the nearest thing I could find in a major media outlet was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's political blog, which referred to it as a "discussion" and a "fight".

[Clarice]

WaPo's Loening has a story about Massa--apparently he continually sexually harassed his aides; they complained to the House leadership who did nothing about it.No mention of Massa's party of course and the charges and reports were far more explicit and occasions for action than was the case with Foley.
Never mind.

[Captain Hate]

I can't imagine why ABCNBCCNNCBS haven't been all over this.

I know you meant it sarcastically but they've become at least as bad as Pravda was and expecting them to do otherwise is futile. That's why I get amused at best and frustrated at worst when some here attempt to make inroads with people like Tapper; they're the enemy and expecting them to act contrary to what they get paid to do is a waste of time. They've gotta be removed as badly as the quislings in Congress.

[bunky]

A boom is coming? Did Kudlow have bran flakes recently?

[Thehippoisrighttherjustrealfast]

Sure it wasn't?

Axel. Nothing like quick trips and some health problems for the bad guys. Gee, maybe Plame studied them and changed her mind...........

[Janet]

The other sketchy thing about the drug bust story is the lag time. Busted in Aug. 2007...some charges dismissed in 2008....news finally reported in Nov. 2009.
It was the same in the Sandy Berger destroying national security documents story. Newspapers didn't report the story when it initially happened. It was only when an explanation was worked out that the story was reported.
It is like the media gives the Dems. time to get their story and deals worked out before reporting.

[JM Hanes]

Happy Daze:

"His usual rationale...the sun rose in the east that day."

I started discounting Kudlow's optimistic predictions back in his Kudlow & Cramer days. He's sort of like a lovable version of Dick Morris that way. He doesn't actually depart the reality based world like his evil twin, but if there's a silver lining, he's going to find it.

[Captain Hate]

Regarding Arlo Guthrie; I think he's been discussed here before although maybe it was at AoS. I think by and large he's disgusted with the donks, which puts him on at least a higher plane than 90% of entertainers. Although I wouldn't go too far on claiming complete agreement with him because he probably is closer to Ron Paul than to Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney.