More Obama administration thuggishness

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/24/government-thuggishness/

Government coercion is becoming standard operating procedure in the
nation's capital.

The White House threatened financial institutions with ruin by
selectively enforcing regulations unless they agreed to take
government bailout money. Similar threats were used to force financial
institutions to let the government own part of their stock. Those same
institutions were forced to take losses on the bonds they held in
General Motors and Chrysler. It was only a matter of time until
similar intimidating behavior was employed in the health care debate.

Democrats are unhappy that parts of the private insurance industry are
opposing the government health care takeover. The reaction is
chilling. Politico reports that by Sept. 4, "the firms are supposed to
supply the government with detailed compensation data for board
members and top executives as well as a 'table listing all
conferences, retreats, or other events held outside company facilities
from January 1, 2007, to the present that were paid for, reimbursed,
or subsidized in whole or in part by your company.' " For highly paid
employees or officers, the companies are required to provide detailed
"salary, bonus, options and pension" information.

The pharmaceutical industry -- which is putting up between $150
million and $200 million to promote government health care -- isn't
being forced to provide this information. Neither is anyone else. The
only firms being targeted for investigation are those in a sector
openly fighting reform.

The target is obvious. On July 22, Mr. Obama warned, "Right now, at
the time when everybody's getting hammered, [insurance companies are]
making record profits and premiums are going up." House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi said, "[Insurance companies] are the villains. They have been
part of the problem in a major way. They are doing everything in their
power to stop a public option from happening."

Thuggish behavior by politicians is a valid reason not to give them
even more power over people's lives.