by

News/Politics 11-22-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, Reid has exercised the “nuclear option” and changed the Senate rules on filibustering. They seek to pack the courts and govt bureaucracies with liberal activists. The President and VP have come out in strong support. Hypocrites, every single one.

Yesterday the President said “So I support the step a majority of senators today took to change the way that Washington is doing business, more specifically, the way the Senate does business.”

But here’s what he had to say when his party was the minority and the Republicans were considering it.

“In 2008, Mr. Reid himself swore that as long as he was leader, he would never turn to the nuclear option, saying it would be a “black chapter in the history of the Senate.”

Here’s what Biden had to say in 2005.

Yeah. Hypocrites.

_________________________________________________

2. Democrats better come up with a plan quick. This could get real ugly for them.

From FoxNews  “A new and independent analysis of ObamaCare warns of a ticking time bomb, predicting a second wave of 50 million to 100 million insurance policy cancellations next fall — right before the mid-term elections. 

 The next round of cancellations and premium hikes is expected to hit employees, particularly of small businesses. While the administration has tried to downplay the cancellation notices hitting policyholders on the individual market by noting they represent a relatively small fraction of the population, the swath of people who will be affected by the shakeup in employer-sponsored coverage will be much broader. 

An analysis by the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, shows the administration anticipates half to two-thirds of small businesses would have policies canceled or be compelled to send workers onto the ObamaCare exchanges. They predict up to 100 million small and large business policies could be canceled next year. “

_________________________________________________

3. And it looks like the Catholic Church has scored another legal victory against the Obama admin’s contraceptive mandate. 🙂

From Pittsburgh/CBSLocal  “A federal judge in western Pennsylvania says Catholic groups don’t immediately have to comply with mandates in the federal health care overhaul law.

The Diocese is challenging its participation in the health care program because it would be required to provide its employees with contraceptives.

There were strong words earlier this month from Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese leader Bishop David Zubik as he testified in federal court on the issue.”

_________________________________________________

4. NBC being the Obama cheerleaders that they are, have blacked out coverage of the ObamaCare disaster.

From NewsBusters  “NBC News has completely censored any mention of the unfolding ObamaCare disaster  for the last 72 hours. Not one word about the millions of Americans losing their  health insurance nor the severe political damage that has been done to President  Obama and the Democratic Party.

In that same time period, both CBS and  ABC reported on major developments regarding the new law, including revelations  that much of ObamaCare’s infrastructure was still unfinished and that the  administration knew of serious problems with the HealthCare.gov website as early as  March.

The last time ObamaCare was even mentioned on the air waves of NBC News was  during Monday morning’s Today show, when White House correspondent  Peter Alexander touted a “to-do list” of damage control for the President and former  Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs was given a platform to spin for his former  boss.”

Straight propaganda, no chaser.

_________________________________________________

5. A new study is out which proves yet again that govt. funded pre-k programs are a waste of money and resources. President Obama supports it, but let’s face it, he likes it because it’s money that can be pushed to the teachers unions. Outcome doesn’t matter, financing his supporters, who return the money to Dem coffers is what matters to him. The italicized remarks are his.

From HotAir  “Naturally, on the heels of these scientifically rigorous findings, the president announced his desire for a massive expansion of Head Start and state pre-K programs. Universal pre-K— Who could object to that?

“You know, study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road. But today, fewer than three in ten 4-year-olds are enrolled in a high-quality preschool program. Most middle-class parents can’t afford a few hundred bucks a week for private preschool. And for poor kids who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives. So, tonight, I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every single child in America.“

Making high-quality preschool available to every single child in America. So, what would we get for that money? And, more importantly, what do students get? A new study of Tennessee’s Voluntary Pre-K program suggests, once again, the answer is not much.”

“The relatively large effects of TN‐VPK on the Woodcock Johnson achievement measures found at the end of the pre‐k year were greatly diminished and no longer statistically significant at the end of the kindergarten year. The only exception was a marginally significant negative effect on Passage Comprehension such that non-participants had higher scores at the end of the kindergarten year than TN‐VPK participants.”

_________________________________________________

6. I know it’s early, but it’s we have our first sighting…..

GRINCH ALERT!!!!

From AllianceDefendingFreedom  “On behalf of concerned parents, Alliance Defending Freedom sent a letter Tuesday to a South Carolina public charter school whose band director prohibited students from performing the music to “Joy to the World” and “O Come All Ye Faithful.” A student also provided the letter to the school at a board meeting Tuesday night.

School officials claim they received some type of communication from either the American Civil Liberties Union or another group that prompted the ban after students had already begun rehearsing the pieces for a concert.

“Schools shouldn’t have to think twice about whether they can allow their bands to play the music to time-honored Christmas carols like these,” said Litigation Staff Counsel Rory Gray. “School districts can and should allow religious Christmas carols to be part of their school productions.”

_________________________________________________

6 thoughts on “News/Politics 11-22-13”

  2. I feel for those affected by the event. All these people trying to get the guy out.
    But I have no sympathy at all for the Nutcake who tried to take a vaction in North Korea.
    The naivete and stupidity of some people constantly amaze me.
    I could have told him not to go to N. Korea. Nothing but trouble up there.

    Like

    Reply

  3. I read in our paper today that several photo agencies are furious the White House is not allowing them access to take their own photos of the president’s activities. They’re urging other news agencies to resist using WH photos, calling them “propaganda.”

    Like

    Reply

  5. Michelle,

    As long as the press continues to play along and not properly perform it’s roll as a “free press” this will continue. In fact, the majority of the press ignored the law changes when they happened, and didn’t even make a peep when a “bi-partisan” group tucked these changes into a Defense Authorization Bill. They should have complained then, but they didn’t because he’s the One, and they agree if it benefits Obama. Some did report on it though.

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/mhastings/congressmen-seek-to-lift-propaganda-ban

    “An amendment that would legalize the use of propaganda on American audiences is being inserted into the latest defense authorization bill, BuzzFeed has learned.

    The amendment would “strike the current ban on domestic dissemination” of propaganda material produced by the State Department and the independent Broadcasting Board of Governors, according to the summary of the law at the House Rules Committee’s official website.

    The tweak to the bill would essentially neutralize two previous acts—the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 and Foreign Relations Authorization Act in 1987—that had been passed to protect U.S. audiences from our own government’s misinformation campaigns.”

    ____________________________________________________

    http://rt.com/usa/smith-mundt-domestic-propaganda-121/

    “It’s being branded by proponents as an attempt at transparency, but critics of a new law say the United States government just got the green-light to use propaganda made for foreign audiences on the American public.

    Until earlier this month, a longstanding federal law made it illegal for the US Department of State to share domestically the internally-authored news stories sent to American-operated outlets broadcasting around the globe. All of that changed effective July 2, when the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) was given permission to let US households tune-in to hear the type of programming that has previously only been allowed in outside nations. ”

    “The Smith-Mundt Act has ensured for decades that government-made media intended for foreign audiences doesn’t end up on radio networks broadcast within the US. An amendment tagged onto the National Defense Authorization Act removed that prohibition this year, however, and as of earlier this month those news stories meant for nations abroad can now be heard easily by American ears. ”
    _________________________________________________

    http://rt.com/usa/propaganda-us-smith-amendment-903/

    “Reauthorizing the indefinite detention of US citizens without charge might be the scariest provision in next year’s defense spending bill, but it certainly isn’t the only one worth worrying about.

    An amendment tagged on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 would allow for the United States government to create and distribute pro-American propaganda within the country’s own borders under the alleged purpose of putting al-Qaeda’s attempts at persuading the world against Western ideals on ice. Former US representatives went out of there way to ensure their citizens that they’d be excluded from government-created media blasts, but two lawmakers currently serving the country are looking to change all that.

    Congressmen Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Adam Smith (D-WA) introduced “The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012” (H.R. 5736) last week during discussions for the NDAA 2013. It was voted on by the US House of Representatives to be included in next year’s defense spending bill, which was then voted on as a whole and approved. The amendment updates the antiquated Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 and Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 1987, essentially clarifying that the US State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors may “prepare, disseminate and use public diplomacy information abroad,” but while also striking down a long-lasting ban on the domestic dissemination in America. For the last several decades, the federal government has been authorized to use such tactics overseas to influence foreign support of America’s wars abroad, but has been barred from such strategies within the US. If next year’s NDAA clears the US Senate and is signed by President Obama with the Thornberry-Smith provision intact, then restrictions on propaganda being force-fed to Americans would be rolled back entirety.”

    And it was.

    Like

    Reply

  6. I received the weekly newsletter update from a Geogia Senator who signed up for Obamacare. I am trying to copy and post for anyone who is interested:

    Website Contact Me Issues & Legislation Constituent Services Newsroom
    A Weekly e-Newsletter from
    Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

    November 22, 2013

    Dear Friends,

    This week, the Senate began work on a defense authorization bill, S.1197. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., implemented what is known as the “nuclear option” to weaken the Senate’s filibuster rule so that Democrats can more easily win confirmation for President Obama’s judicial nominees.

    Nuclear Option
    Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., successfully changed the Senate rules to allow a simple majority of Senators, or 51 votes, to confirm President Obama’s judicial nominees. Until yesterday, judicial nominees needed 60 votes to be confirmed. This highly controversial maneuver by Senate Democrats to weaken the filibuster rule is commonly referred to as the “nuclear option.”

    By weakening the filibuster rule, Senate Democrats diminished the Senate’s ability to be thoughtful and deliberate and the result could be a runaway Senate. I don’t believe that the nuclear option is good for Senate or for the country. To read more about my thoughts on this issue, read my interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

    Obamacare
    This week, I signed up for an Obamacare health plan for myself and my wife. As mandated by law, members of Congress and their staff are required to sign up on the DC Obamacare exchanges by December 9.

    After navigating several glitches on the exchange website and attempting to submit an application three times, I was finally able to enroll in a plan. Through my own experience, I share the frustrations of the many Georgians who have contacted me about the countless glitches and issues they have encountered with the Obamacare system.

    Furthermore, I continue to hear story after story of how Georgians are losing their current health care coverage and seeing their health care premiums skyrocket. Are you one of the 400,000 Georgians who have lost their health care coverage or are suffering as a result of this terrible law? If so, I invite you to share your story by visiting
    Republican.Senate.Gov/YourStory.

    I appeared on Fox Business on Wednesday to discuss how Obamacare is failing and beginning to collapse under its own weight. I called on the administration to scrap this terrible law and to start over. To watch the interview, click here.

    I have voted to defund or repeal Obamacare almost 60 times, and I continue to support its full repeal. I have also co-sponsored dozens of legislative proposals that would repeal the law in full or provisions in the law, including both the Obamacare Repeal Act, S.177, and, more recently, the Defund Obamacare Act, S.1292.

    The Savannah Harbor and Economic Development in Georgia
    This week, as part of my ongoing work to deepen the Port of Savannah, I traveled to the Panama Canal with Vice President Biden. We were also joined by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, who has been instrumental in moving the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project forward, as well as a member of Congress and mayors of port cities.

    Since arriving in Congress, I have worked to expand the Port of Savannah to accommodate an increase in the number of super-sized container vessels transiting the Panama Canal after its 2015 deepening.

    The Savannah Harbor Expansion Project is my top economic priority in the Senate because studies show this project has a 5.5-to-1 benefit to cost ratio, meaning that for every dollar spent on the deepening, the nation will reap $5.50 in benefits.

    According to the Georgia Ports Authority, Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than 352,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $18.5 billion in income, $66.9 billion in revenue and $2.5 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah is the second busiest U.S. container port for the export of American goods by tonnage.

    It was an invaluable experience to see the Panama Expansion Project firsthand and to learn more about the project as it relates to the Savannah Harbor. I applaud the administration for placing a high priority on U.S. ports. I am particularly excited as it pertains to the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, as it is critically important to the state of Georgia, Southeast region and nation and will support hundreds of thousands of jobs each year while generating billions in revenue. I will continue to work with the White House, the state of Georgia and Congress to see this project through to its completion.

    What’s on Tap?
    Next week, the Senate will not be in session in observance of Thanksgiving. I hope that you have a blessed and happy holiday with friends and family.

    Sincerely,
    Johnny Isakson

    Office Locations
    Washington, D.C.
    131 Russell Senate Office Building
    Washington, D.C. 20510
    Tel: (202) 224-3643
    Fax: (202) 228-0724 Georgia
    One Overton Park, Suite 970
    3625 Cumberland Blvd
    Atlanta, GA 30339
    Tel: (770) 661-0999
    Fax: (770) 661-0768

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment