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Shocking, I know, but here is more from the Left Wing Honesty File — as thin as that is. In fact, two in one day pretty much blows open the the file and spills the contents to the ground. But here is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) (see Sharron Angle ad) telling an audience of left-wing “NetRoots” bloggers last week that the health care bill didn’t go far enough and that he will ram through a public option (i.e., absolute government control of health care). That makes Harry one of the 9 percent (see Rasmussen Reports poll), along with Pete Stark, who believe the federal government has no limits on its power.

Still, I’m not giving Harry too much credit for honesty. He also says in the video below that the public now supports the health care law. Not true, as the Rasmussen poll vividly demonstrates. But when you think the government can do anything, liberties with the truth are a small casualty.

Harry Reid believes in total government control of health care. He believes the public agrees. He probably believes he’s in for a good November.  

U.S. Representative Fortney “Pete” Stark (D-Calif.) has been in Congress close to 40 years and is one of the most hardcore leftists in the House (see Michael Tennant at The New American). He also is known for outrageous and derogatory comments that, were he a conservative, rightly would hound him out of office (see Elisabeth Meinecke at Human Events).

Last year, at a town hall meeting, he told a constituent that, “I wouldn’t dignify you by peeing on your leg.” (See YouTube.) In June, he mocked those who want the federal government to do something it is supposed to do — secure the border — by asking, “Who are you going to kill today?” (See YouTube.) Those examples only scratch the surface. He’s been known to yell at and threaten colleagues, as well. Suffice it to say, he’s an arrogant bully, who does not care about anyone but himself, his radical left-wing idealogue colleagues and far left special interest power brokers.

Then, occasionally, he speaks the truth. At least the truth as he wants it. Which is instructive in that it reveals what the Leftist Ruling Class in Washington has in store, should they continue to go unchecked. You can hear for yourself what this senior member of the House thinks about unlimited federal power, an attitude likely to mean the far-left leadership of the House is likely to continue overreaching. It also demonstrates that there’s only one way to curb this power — November is coming — as a new Rasmussen poll showed only 9 percent of Americans share Mr. Stark’s view of American governance (see Ed Morrissey at HotAir.com). 

In the video below, from a town hall meeting two weeks ago, Congressman Stark dismissed a constituent’s concern over the health care law’s expansive reach into personal lives by telling her Congress is not limited by the U.S Constitution:

Congressman Stark: We have unlimited power to do whatever we want, except that which we are supposed to do.

But Mr. Stark isn’t alone. According to the poll (see Rasmussen Reports), 54 percent of the political class align themselves with him (see Mark Tapscott of the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog, here). Steve Watson of PrisonPlanet.com adds that the disconnect extends to the Health Care law, too, with 83 percent of the political class supporting it and 72 percent of voters opposing it.

We reported on Wednesday that a same-sex couple was denied the family discount rate to join a Richmond gym, American Family Fitness. Quite a commotion ensued among homosexual activists when the blog gayrva.com first reported it. Then WTVR-TV/CBS6 picked up the story and even asked us for comment, which it did not use (see viewer comments which appear overwhelmingly pro-family). However, it interviewed Delegate John O’Bannon (R-73, Henrico), who pretty much nailed it.

American Family Fitness has every right to establish its membership rules and pricing policy. It is, after all, a private business. Although Virginia law pertains only to the commonwealth and its political subdivisions, American Family chose to model its policy on Virginia law, which recognizes marriage as one man and one woman. That is commendable. 

Mind you, American Family didn’t bar the individuals from joining the gym (and they did join). But it did not offer them a discount reserved for traditional families. There are options for those who disagree with that policy. It is ironic, though, that those who scream for “choice” and affect a libertarian pose in their rhetoric, in practice want a politically correct, secular progressive uniformity that, in effect, limits options. 

A Richmond business embeds traditional values in its membership policy, while Delegate John O’Bannon speaks beyond the hype on the issue.

Wednesday, in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, federal Judge Vaughn Walker declared California’s Marriage Amendment (“Proposition 8″) unconstitutional, ruling that the state must allow same-sex marriage (see opinion, here). But, apparently, Judge Walker saw  “marriage” in the U.S Constitution, even though it is nowhere to be found there, which most people understand to mean that it is an issue for each state to decide (i.e., the 10th Amendment). However, there is a stay on the ruling through today, so that opponents of the decision can appeal it to a higher court and ask for a stay until that appeal is ruled upon. 

This deplorable decision has the potential to gut the definition of marriage as well as the integrity of the democratic process — a single, unelected federal judge, undoing the votes of more than seven million Californians who voted for this state constitutional amendment in 2008. That November, when California voters chose Barack Obama for president (who has stated he believes marriage is between one man and one woman, see interview with Jake Tapper of ABC News), they also passed Proposition 8 (52 to 48 percent) declaring marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

Sadly, when special interest groups fail to win either in the legislature or on the ballot, they turn to the courts to overturn the will of the people. This is precisely what happened in California. In fact, according to Dan McLaughlin at RedState.com (please read for a detailed analysis of Judge Walker’s flawed “reasoning“), even in a bad year for conservatives: 

49 percent of white voters, 58 percent of black voters, 59 percent of Latino voters, 49 percent of women, 54 percent of men, 53 percent of independents and 67 percent of voters over age 65 voted in favor Proposition 8.

Can’t get more diverse than that. Ironic, huh?

An accurately defined democratic process should not allow for a handful of activists to overturn what a majority has conclusively and legally decided. Fortunately, yesterday’s opinion is far from final. Pro-family advocates have immediate plans to appeal the ruling to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. There is a good chance that the case eventually will reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

In his opinion, Judge Walker singularly waived off as irrelevant any “moral and religious views [that] form the only basis for a belief that same-sex couples are different from opposite-sex couples.” Some have called into question Judge Walker’s impartiality, as he is openly homosexual. Adding to the skepticism, Judge Walker will rule on today’s request to place a stay on his own ruling.

In Virginia, the homosexual lobby has lost time and time again, both on the ballot and in the General Assembly. While this activist judge is redefining the centuries-old meaning of marriage, the people of Virginia have stated very plainly that they don’t want anything like that to happen here.

Counterfeit forms of marriage cheapen and undermine real marriage. The union of a man and a woman in a committed marriage is the foundation of a stable society. Social science is clear that men, women and children benefit far more in a stable, traditional family. That makes traditional marriage and family far too important to society to experiment with to advance a political agenda. Especially when it’s done by one man against the will of seven million people.