Here on Manly’s Firing Line your humble and patriotic scrivener - a retired Continental Army Colonel (1st New Jersey Regiment) - offers up his brief but incisive opinions on various items in the news today.

Not finished milking the swine flu scare just yet…

I’ll say this for the Democrat statists in Congress: they are nothing if not persistent and resourceful.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., have introduced legislation to pay for temporary medical treatment for uninsured people during a public health emergency. It could be a natural disaster such as an earthquake or hurricane, a bioterror attack, or a medical emergency such as a flu pandemic.

“We can’t afford to have barriers that keep people from getting care when an epidemic is sweeping the community,” Capps said.

Or a common cold. Or scraped knee. Or tennis elbow, even. Eventually, that’s where it’s headed. And it sure as hell won’t be affordable. “Free” health care never is.

Trust for America’s Health, a public health group that has focused on pandemic flu preparedness, is supporting the Durbin-Capps bill.

“During a public health emergency, the federal government would step in and take care of the needs of the people who are affected by that emergency,” said Jeff Levi, executive director of the group. “Health care providers would not be left holding the bag for people who are uninsured. It will be a ‘win’ for individuals because they’ll be able to get the care they need.”

Uh, yeah, but it will be a big LOSE for taxpayers because they’ll be footing the bill for this “free” health care courtesy of Uncle Sam who, as far as I can tell is nowhere in the Constitution authorized to be doing any of this.

Caught with their hand in the cookie jar…again

No surprise here - after all, it’s ACORN. Only the time the charges involve bogus voter registrations. apparently the drones are given quotas and offered cash bonuses, thereby impelling them to raid the cemetaries and local bodegas for voters to register. According to the lead investigator “There is no proof of voter fraud in the last election.” Sure. And if my grandmother had wheels, she’s be a wagon.

Sorry guys, but Club Gitmo has been shut down

It’s not often that a psycho-Islamic regime like Iran’s mullahcracy makes an offer to turn over scores of al-Qaida operatives - including many currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list - to the U.S. for the “justice” promised them by the Man-Child. Had a conservative Republican been elected President last November, we would have jumped at the offer and thrown their scrawny asses in a caterpillar infested burial crypt. If it were up to me, I’d simply shoot them after making them watch the  bullets dipped in lard. (That, by the way, is why you’ll never see me run for office. I have too much common sense to ever get elected). Unfortunately, the Man-Child is President and he’s made it clear that Gitmo is being shut down and we don’t want any more al-Qaida types, so please, pretty please, just make the naughty people go away. Just remember, Barry: when the next terrorist attack comes - and it will come on your watch - you will own it…all of it.

Of course Obama loves MSNBC…Olbermann swallows

There can be no question that it never hurts to suck up to the boss - in this case, the Messiah - and in that department no one sucks harder or longer than MSNBC, particularly its resident Hopium smoker, Keith Olbermann. With the White House in its corner, MSNBC stands a good chance of increasing its viewership to at least 500 people. That should give Chris Matthews a tingle or two.