A look at how cap and trade would hit South Dakota. Consumers would be hit hard. Prices of electricity and gasoline will rise sharply. Beginning in 2012, job losses will be 4,489 higher than without a cap-and-trade bill in place.

Wise Americans realize we don’t need to try socialized health care to see if it will work. Not only did President Obama remind us how “well” government programs usually work with his “post office” comment, but the British NHS is the only crystal ball we need.

Liberal hopes that a successful federal government program might finally be observed have been dashed as the program not only went broke in a week, but so far only 2% of the claims have been paid by the government. Now NY dealers are pulling out of the program altogether because of the government’s delinquency. Meanwhile, some people still want the federal government to take over health care…

Not to be deterred by things like the U.S. Constitution, history, common sense or the will of the American people, Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said today they’ll do whatever it takes to ram socialized health care down the throats of the American people.

Navigating the Medicare Maze can be quite an ordeal, as this story illustrates. Should we ensure all Americans have access to this ordeal by expanding government health care?

The latest of several states to tell the federal government to back off and stay within constitutional limits, the Alabama legislature has passed a resolution stating that any climate change legislation should not assault the U.S. economy the way Waxman-Markey does.

The Wall Street Journal panel examines the upcoming census and the plan to count illegal aliens. This could easily result in skewed counts, especially in areas where local officials are pretty fast and loose about allowing illegals to vote in our elections. Statistical sampling is another problem. When many illegals may avoid contact with census [...]

Maybe when trusting government will mostly lead to my nameless, faceless neighbor getting the short end of the stick–sure.When it’s ME who’s likely to get the short end of the socialist stick (resulting in shoddy care, maybe NO care)–uh, not really.

The senior citizen/AARP bloc has always been a reliable source of support for Democrats. But with the advent of Obamacare, the certainty of rationing and likelihood of soft-euthanasia, suddenly the elderly are fleeing the government reservation in droves. Don’t give government bureaucrats a chance to put you on their kick-the-bucket list.

Crowds came out for Dakotafest in Mitchell, South Dakota but few were drinking the Koolaid offered at the Democrats booth. Rep. Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) was drowned out by booing and laughter when she told the crowd: “Don’t be scared that the Democrats are in charge.”

Would you think it irresponsible to provide government handouts to a family with an annual income of $192,920? The architects of the government health care plan in congress don’t seem to think so. Do you know where your tax dollars are going?

From Harvard Economist Martin Feldstein in the Wall Street Journal: Although administration officials are eager to deny it, rationing health care is central to President Barack Obama’s health plan. The Obama strategy is to reduce health costs by rationing the services that we and future generations of patients will receive.

Citizens for Liberty President Gordon Howie says he and his group are dissatisfied that Senator John Thune, Senator Tim Johnson and Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin will only be sending staffers to Saturday’s Recess Rally in Rapid City and not attending themselves.

Senator John Thune has added two additional town hall meetings to his Senate recess schedule. On Friday, August 28th at 8:30 AM MT he will hold a town hall in Rapid City at the Surbeck Center Ballroom on the campus of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and on Thursday, September 3rd at 11:30 AM CT he will hold one at the Dakota Land Stage during the State Fair in Huron.

A startling look at the stealth agenda that some on city councils across America have in mind for you, the citizen. Do you consider property rights and freedom important? Kiss them goodbye under the “sustainability” agenda.

A letter from a doctor who is shocked by the brazenness of the government’s intrusion into the patient-physician relationship and concerned about the creation of a central committee to decide medical coverage decisions.

Florida school officials Frank Lay and Robert Freeman recently received letters informing them that they could lose their retirement benefits because of a prayer said at a luncheon. The Pace High School principal and athletic director are accused of violating a consent decree – which prohibits all district school officials from promoting, endorsing, or causing religious prayers during school-sponsored events – and face criminal contempt charges.

Americans concerned over the possibility of euthanasia–direct or indirect–arising from a government health care system are well justified. A BBC report finds 16.5% of deaths in the UK are associated with “deep sedation,” or a form of “slow euthanasia.”

In the latest development from the Rep. Herseth Sandlin luncheon saga, the Chamber of Commerce now tells Citizens for Liberty President Gordon Howie that the problem began when organizers used an event template which included an invitation to non-members, and that it was not Rep. Herseth Sandlin who asked that the meeting be closed to non-members.

A new Gallup poll shows there has been a shift, and conservatives now outnumber liberals in all 50 states. It seems short periods of unrestrained liberalism are a good mechanism for converting people to conservatism.

President Obama claims death panels won’t be calling the life or death shots under a government health care system. However, there are already similar panels making life or death decisions for the sick and disabled. How much more dangerous could this be from a government which already sorely lacks accountability?

How do you catch wild pigs? You get them used to eating free food, then enclose them when they’re not alert. Got freedom?

The Justice Department on Monday said the Obama administration does not support the 1996 federal law that bans same-sex marriage. This is the first time the Justice Department stated that it opposes the Defense of Marriage Act in a court brief.

Is there a purpose to life? Is there a meaning to life? Are we all aimless beings, mere products of chance, here merely to consume, grind out a living and die? Or is there some bigger purpose behind the stage play we call life?

While pro-life and pro-choice supporters continue to argue about the health care reform bill in their favor, independent analysts say the current proposed legislation leaves it “unclear” whether tax payers will pay for abortion services.“Frankly we just don’t know yet,” said ABC News’s Kate Snow, who ran a fact check on whether abortion will be paid using public money, on “World News with Charles Gibson.”