The Senate version of the healthcare bill (Max Baucus' bill) continues to morph. Yesterday the Finance Committee approved an amendment that would allow employers to charge workers more for their insurance coverage if they choose to lead unhealthy lifestyles. Employers would be able to adjust premiums by as much as 50% for workers who choose to become their own land masses complete with their own weather systems, or who chose to smoke. Good. We know that blubberbutts spend 42% more than normal weight people on medical costs. This is a lifestyle choice. People should pay for their lifestyle choices.

Naturally, some people aren't pleased with this idea. They say that this is going to lead to discriminatory practices and make healthcare coverage unaffordable for "those who need it most." Awwww. What a shame. These people eat their way to diabetes and then they plead "discrimination" when they have to pay more for health care? Sorry, but I'm not down with subsidizing someone else's screwed-up lifestyle.

Can you believe this? Baucus' committee got something right!

I've been telling you all week that the government option isn't dead. Even though two amendments were defeated earlier in the week, that did not mean the end of the government option. And it didn't take but a few days for the Senate Finance Committee to approve another version of a government option. The amendment approved would provide tax dollars for states to create their own government options.

Essentially, folks .. this is still a government option. The amendment would require that people between 133% and 200% of the poverty level (who do not get insurance through their employer) enroll in state-based government programs. The federal government would provide the financing (thanks to your tax dollars) for these people to enter into the government option.

If you like the idea of nationalized health care these government options are just fine for you. That's the ultimate goal here; full government control of your health care. The government option - whether federal or state - is simply a means to an end.

Here's the story of a doctor who had a general surgery practice in a rural California town. She outlines her experience of dealing with patients who were receiving healthcare on the taxpayer dime all the while spending their money on luxury items.

According to Dr. Linda Halderman, the following items were commonly seen on patients or carried by their dependent children who's medical coverage was being covered by subsidized programs:

• Cell phones and "BlackBerry" PDAs, including just-released models with a price tag of $400, plus an ongoing monthly service fee of $65-$150
• iPods and portable DVD players
• GameBoys and handheld electronic games
• Artificial fingernails requiring maintenance every two weeks at a cost of $40-$60 per salon visit
• Elaborate braided hair weaves, $300 per session plus frequent maintenance
• Custom-designed body art, including tattoos covering the entire torso, neck and arms, as well as body jewelry piercing every skin surface imaginable-and a few unimaginable ones.
• Custom tattoo work, particularly the "portrait-type" and "half sleeve" art popular in this area, runs from $100-$300 per hour and can require up to 20 hours of work, depending on the complexity of the design.

These people have all of this money to spend on non-essentials, but not enough money to provide for their own basic healthcare, or their children's.

You may remember this story from a while ago. In California, a man by the name of Enrique Gonzalez had his 7-year-old son tattooed with a gang symbol. The dog paw print on the boys right hip is supposed to represent Fresno's notorious criminal street gang, the Bulldogs.

So now the case is in court. A judge will decide today whether putting a tattoo on his son (obviously a minor) is considered "permanent or painful disfigurement." If that is the case, Enrique Gonzalez would serve life in prison.

Life in prison may be a bit much. Just have "child abuser" tattooed on his forehead. And while we're at it have "HIV Positive" tattooed on his stomach just below his naval. That ought to lead to some interesting times.

Now ... remember this. This comes from a Hall of Fame radio personality and New York Times bestselling author .. then throw in hot air balloon pilot and lawyer (both requiring a lot of hot air) and you have the complete package. Ready? No woman anywhere at any time has ever enhanced her appearance with the addition of a tattoo. And for you fat chicks out there. Those ankle tats don't take off one ounce.

I've told you plenty of times that the Obama administration has absolutely no chance of sticking to its promise that it will not raise taxes on people earning under $250,000. But then he supports cap-and-tax legislation. Healthcare legislation. All of which will constitute in tax increases, whether Barack Obama considers them "taxes" or not. But another idea floating around out there is the VAT tax. So here is James Pethokoukis to connect the dots and explain how a VAT tax seems more likely than ever:

1) The joint statement from the just-concluded G20 Summit in Pittsburgh called for balanced global growth -- which means Americans must spend less and save more and reduce its budget deficit.

2) That same weekend, John Podesta, co-chairman of Obama's presidential transition team and an outside White House adviser, tells a Bloomberg reporter that a value-added tax is "more plausible today" than ever, adding that "there's going to have to be revenue in this budget." A VAT is a kind of consumption tax.

3) Yesterday, the Center for American Progress, the liberal think tank with close White House ties, holds a conference on the rising national debt. While speaker after speaker -- Paul Krugman, Roger Altman, CAP President Podesta (again), Laura Tyson -- admits entitlement spending must be reduced, they also agree that taxes must be raised. Altman suggests $400 billion in new tax revenue is needed almost immediately to calm financial market fears, and a VAT would be a great way of doing it. That's $400 billion a year, by the way, not over ten years.

4) Also, yesterday was the first meeting of President Obama's tax reform panel led by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker. In a two-part interview with Charlie Rose airing yesterday and today, Volcker says that if Washington can't get spending under control, either a VAT or a carbon tax would be effective revenue raisers. "Those are two big ones," he says.

5) As they used to say in the Soviet Union, "It's no coincidence." This is also the conclusion of one Washington insider with ties to the White House economic team: "Does this all add up to a trial balloon? Of course, it's a trial balloon. And I expect the administration will propose major tax reform, including a VAT."

Well thank FSM that Glenn Beck has figured this out for us.

The TSA is going to expand the use of body screeners that actually look under your clothing. This is just fine with me. I have a wonderful titanium knee. It's about 18 months old now ... and it's absolutely golden. One of the best things I ever did for myself. Only one problem ... and that would be the occasions where I fly commercial instead of taking my own airplane. The routine is always the same. Everything off - right down to the belt. Everything out of my pockets ... and still we get the "beep beep beep" bit. I just walk directly into the penalty box while someone screams "male alert!"

OK ... here's the first problem. Why do I have to be groped by a male? Why can't a female do the job? Females give me massages - and, in spite of their protests, I'm completely nekkid. Why can't a female handle the search? Damned TSA prudes. This is a special problem at SF0, Anyway ....

When they finally get some male over there to handle the screening - and sometimes it takes a while - they have to go over my feet, my crotch ... everything. Hey, use your wand. Where does it beep? My knee, you moonbat. Grab me there and let me be on my way. But noooooooo ... they have this whole choreographed dance they need to go through. It all adds up to quite a delay.

Sooooo ... Hartsfield Atlanta Airport has one of these scanners. I managed to get to it a few weeks ago on my way to San Antonio. I went through the traditional metal detector and it beeped. The put me in the scanner. It when "whoosh whoosh" and they waved me on. That was it. I don't care if someone in a locked room somewhere saw some sort of an outline of my body. That image, combined with my height, probably convinced them that I was an NBA player, but they were in a locked room so they couldn't tell which one.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican is against these scanners. He says "You don't need this kind of scrutiny." Oh yeah? Hey, Jason! Go skiing and bust your knee. Then get the surgery and get back to us.

By the way ... .as long as these scanners are in limited supply, why not have a security line just for people with metal body parts? If that line gets too crowded limit it to first class passengers.

David Brooks on the media mythology.

Peggy Noonan joins those decrying the age of ranting .. .and takes some shots at talk radio. BUT --- she does it better than most.

Ben Bernanke wants Congress to empower the Federal Reserve to regulate ALL large firms posing a systemic financial risk.

Jimmy Carter can't decide whether Obama protesters are racist.

Republicans want Nancy Pelosi to rein in Alan Grayson, but Pelosi says that Grayson has no reason to apologize for his recent comments.

The House voted to prohibit the Obama administration from transferring Gitmo detainees to prisons in the United States.

Half of the babies born in the "rich world" will live to be 100. There must be some sort of discrimination here. We have to figure out a way to redistribute life.

We continue to learn more about the New York terrorist plot. Now they have videos of Najibullah Zazi trying to rent U-Hauls.

How is Barack Obama's America measuring up on a global scale? Political scientists say that we are slipping.

Barack Obama and Iranian officials are entering into "a constructive beginning" of intense negotiations.

What is the Democrats' latest pitch on the Wall Street bailout bill? It was Bush's bill, but we made it better.

ACORN has stepped in it. Big time. And for a long time. Here are the legal details of this scam of an organization.

An article from the UK explains how the global warming industry is based on a massive lie. It's a scam, folks.

Environmentalists have themselves a new enemy: the Hopi Indian Tribe.

Government schools in Indiana are worried about the prospect of charter schools because ... they are going to steal their best athletes?

A listener emailed me about the "Right to Repair Act." So here ya go ....

In North Carolina, it is officially illegal NOT to recycle plastic bottles.

The Palm Beach County Tax Collector's Office will no longer hire smokers. Good for them!