Smoke more. It's no joke.

I woke this morning to hear on the local news that cigarette prices have gone up thanks to a new federal tobacco tax. On a day where Congress is considering a bill that would expand FDA oversight of tobacco products, simple economics are proving the best anti-smoking campaign: The skyrocketing prices are forcing many smokers to kick the habit.

That's too bad - the cigarette taxes pay for the SCHIP program to extend health insurance to the nation's children. You might say smoking is a civic obligation.

Thank you for smoking...

A vision of Happy Meals yet to come

Wired.com has posted a vision for the 2013 Happy Meal. Some of the cool things include a Capri-sun style beverage container that lets you decide just how cherry you want your cherry Coke to be and a disposable iPod.

But their vision has its disturbing parts. First, the promotional tie-in is for Harriet Potter. (Hollywood isn't exactly imaginationland, so let's not give them any more recycling ideas.)

Even more bothersome is the warning from the "Health Czar," which alerts customers to the common sense conclusion that a McDonald's-exclusive diet is unhealthy. Of all the elements Wired sardonically predicts, this is the most likely to actually come true - depending on how agressively Obama's celebrity pick for surgeon general wants to pursue anti-fast-food initiatives.

2009: Three Issues to Watch

The conventional wisdom is that the Republican Party will be more aggressive in 2009 and beyond. They will have to be, since they are looking at a filibuster-proof majority of Democrats in the Senate to go along with the Democrat majority in the House and a Democrat President. It will be important, therefore, for Republicans to seize the offensive initiative.

There are three issues which will likely come to a head in 2009 which Republicans can win – if they can get out in front of the story and start framing the debate before their counterparts:

Card Check/Forced Unionization. The Employee Free Choice Act is a proposed law that makes it easier for union “representatives” to intimidate workers into joining unions. (This can’t be repeated enough.) Aside from giving Democrats a healthy stream of campaign cash and workers, stripping workers of the right to vote against unionization on a private ballot would likely expand unionization – which, as anyone from the American auto industry can tell you, will serve to make American goods more expensive and less competitive in the marketplace. The right to a secret ballot is sacred for most Americans.

Business Bailouts. Speaking of Detroit, industries are already lining up with their hands out hoping to snag a share of the federal budget. Commercial real estate, retail stores, and even newspapers are rightfully asking why they shouldn’t get the same help as other industries. Handing out money hand-over-fist will earn votes in certain states and communities, but it won’t help the economy. And, in general, bailouts are unpopular among voters. Taking a stand against corporate entitlements would be a good way to demonstrate a broad support for entitlement reform.

Health Care. This may be the biggest challenge for the Republican minority, and it’s the issue they are already the most behind on. Given the state of the economy, a federal health care entitlement figures to be a popular program – especially if common misconceptions continue to be spread without answer. The Obama Pre-Administration has already solicited “public input” for its health care plan by having supporter organize “community discussions” during a time when many groups that would oppose his plan were taking a Christmas vacation. Of course, there’s plenty wrong with allowing the same people who run government institutions like the school systems, the IRS, the DMV, etc. to run medical care, but that case has to be made clearly, aggressively, and repeatedly.

These issues may not be the top three on President Obama’s docket, but Republicans can’t allow their agenda to be dictated by Democrats as they have for the past four years. These issues, while challenging, will help Republicans regain some control of the nation’s policy agenda.

Dr. Daschle's Video

There’s a lot to like about HHS Secretary-to-be Tom Daschle’s video about the Obama team’s response to comments on their early work on health care reform (released this week on Change.gov):

Granted, Daschle’s glasses make him look like he should be answering the phone for the Ghostbusters. But the video is excellent: apparently unscripted and very conversational. Professional touches like makeup and effective cuts and edits make the footage look good, but the banter between Dr. Daschle and Policy Team Member Lauren Aronson is easy and natural - right down to mentioning that a third team member is still out of the office on Thanksgiving break. They even read from the 3,500 comments they received and mentioned commenters by name – a nice touch.

This comment process is more than just an excuse to post a YouTube video. Consider this word cloud of the 100 term most used in those 3,500 comments:

This gives team Obama an idea of what buzzwords to use when building and pushing their health care plan – in other words, what words and phrases will most resonate with those commenters and inspire them to write their Congressman and Senators to encourage passage.

Paranoia may destroy ya, but McCain's health care plan won't

I have seen tons of Barack Obama commercials plugging his health care plan and telling me that John McCain’s plan will tax my health benefits. Predictably, it’s not true; what is true is that McCain’s plan would shift ownership of health care coverage to me and away from my employer – so if I change jobs, my health coverage comes with me. (It's a concept that was championed by Thomas Friedman in his best-selling book, The World Is Flat.) Barack Obama cribbed the major pillars of his program from Mitt Romney, who instituted it in my adopted homeland of Massachusetts.

Is it part of a disturbing pattern? Another Obama commercial quotes a Heritage Foundation policy expert – and by “quotes” I mean "flat out lies about" the expert opinion. Despite the lead, Obama is demonstrating an almost paranoid urgency. McCain HQ may want to double check their phone lines.