LIES,LIES AND MORE LIES, BUT THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE!!!

Mostly correct, both houses need a 2/3 majority, And I'm all for a balanced budget amendment, but the votes aren't there. And that's why putting it in this Cut, Cap, and Balance bill is pure posturing. Lets be realistic, when they say cut, they mean from everyone elses district.

Look up the S. Carolina senators pledged to stall any appointments, and bills in the Senate until they got the OK to dredge Charleston Harbor. A project the Army Corps of Engineers examined and deemed unnecessary.
Sure, everyone wants to cut spending... as long as it doesn't adversely affect their re-election chances.

Even the new class of Representatives who preach fire and brimstone spending cuts while calling themselves true patriots are sending money back home. -cough- $700 million bridge Michelle Bachman -cough- Now granted the bridge probably does need replacing, but I'm guessing it could be done for a whole lot less that $700 million.

As for being patriots, isn't that for the people to decide? I can start calling myself the Pope. Guess what. Still no funny hat for me.

I have a Constitution app loaded in my Macbook, where is that information? Originally Posted by Rodram

From http://www.usconstitution.net/constam.html

The first method is for a bill to pass both houses of the legislature, by a two-thirds majority in each. Once the bill has passed both houses, it goes on to the states. This is the route taken by all current amendments.

It's Article V.

Article. V. The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

From http://www.usconstitution.net/constam.html

It's Article V. Originally Posted by oshins

Thanks Oshins and your correct on the 2/3's vote.
This is what will happen:
The President can threaten to veto the bill which would then force the 2/3's super majority vote but that's 66-67 votes in the Senate and they don't have the votes.
Even if it were to pass and go to the states it would not pass because the states are dependent on revenue from the government to balance their budgets. So forget about any balanced budget amendment especially in this economic environment.
So the President's veto would block the amendment and essentially kill it.

My money is on the Harvard Constitutional Law Professor that happens to be POTUS in situations like this.

So the President rams his Health Care Plan through the Democractic controled Congress because he believes the lobbyists who were anti Health Care reform and donating millions of dollars (mostly to Congress) had some how convinced the majority of the PEOPLE to be against his plan, but the PEOPLE are too stupid to know what the heck they should believe and their opinions did not matter. He is right and majority of the PEOPLE are wrong. Guess that's why the Demo's lost so many seats in the last election? Has anybody in the middle class seen any benefit yet to the Health Care Plan. I have not. My insurance premiums have increased by a third in the last year and I still don't have an option to get the health insurance coverage provided by HIS plan. Where are the wonderful benefits we were supposed to get?

So the President rams his Health Care Plan through the Democractic controled Congress because he believes the lobbyists who were anti Health Care reform and donating millions of dollars (mostly to Congress) had some how convinced the majority of the PEOPLE to be against his plan, but the PEOPLE are too stupid to know what the heck they should believe and their opinions did not matter. He is right and majority of the PEOPLE are wrong. Guess that's why the Demo's lost so many seats in the last election? Has anybody in the middle class seen any benefit yet to the Health Care Plan. I have not. My insurance premiums have increased by a third in the last year and I still don't have an option to get the health insurance coverage provided by HIS plan. Where are the wonderful benefits we were supposed to get? Originally Posted by Jdriller

That part of HCR doesn't take effect until 2014.

Here's the timeline for implementation:http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Heal...-Resource.aspx

I have only one question regarding the healthcare bill being unconstitutional. Why is it unconstitutional to make someone pay for their own heathcare or treatment if they go to the hospital, but it's not unconstitutional to make ME pay for theirs. If someone doesn't pay, I, as a taxpayer or consumer, have to make up for it one way or another.

Rodram, you are putting up a gallant fight, but it's like Don Quixote tilting at windmills. No matter what you say, it just ain't gonna matter to 'em. They will always be right. After all, if you believe the earth was created in six days, about 6000 years ago, and a 600 year old man saved two of everything, except dinosaurs, you just can't change that type of thinking.

Man, I wish I had the time to read a few of these threads.

Rod, I hope you aren't getting alot of hell like you first did when you started posting.
As long as we keep it an open dialogue.

As for myself, I voted for Bush on his second term and regretted it later (for more reasons than the one issue that I supported and threw my ballot to him.)

Voted for Obama this time round and am VERY surprised by the short term memory people have of the mess he inherited. I don't agree with everything he is doing.
And I REALLY hate the dug-in attitude of a few people in the parties.

Not meaning to stray from the thread but hope to read it indepth later.

'b' & Rod, thanks for reinforcing my belief there are still thinking people out there that can see more than one little piece of an issue. As I've said before, I make it a point not to vote a straight ticket, but if I can't find some rationality in the current Republican party, will throw the Democratic lever in the next election.

Thank you gentlemen for the support.