Month: March 2014
News/Politics 3-20-14
What’s interesting in the news today?
1. Democrats paid bribed to oppose voter ID laws in their state? 🙄 Say it isn’t so….
And don’t think for a minute this is the only state it’s happened in.
I’m sure Holder will be all over this, like he was with Bob McConnell, a Republican indicted for allegations of the same thing. Yep, any minute now….
From PJMedia “Pennsylvania Democrats were caught on surveillance tape reportedly accepting cash bribes in return for opposing voter ID in the Pennsylvania legislature. Gifts of Tiffany’s jewelry were also given to Democrat legislators from Philadelphia, reportedly in exchange for “NO” votes on a Pennsylvania voter ID bill that passed in 2012. Despite this evidence, Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane has not charged any officials. Kane is a Democrat.
Kane’s excuse for her inaction? Racism: some of the legislators caught on tape accepting bribes were black Democrats from Philadelphia. From the Philadelphia Inquirer:
“Those who favored the sting believe Kane killed a solid investigation, led by experienced prosecutor Frank G. Fina, that had ensnared several public officials and had the potential to capture more. They said they were outraged at Kane’s allegation that race had played a role in the case.
Before Kane ended the investigation, sources familiar with the inquiry said, prosecutors amassed 400 hours of audio and videotape that documented at least four city Democrats taking payments in cash or money orders, and in one case a $2,000 Tiffany bracelet.”
Disgusting. As a state resident I’m ashamed that these people are still sitting in positions of authority. They should be indicted and impeached.
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2. Looks like ObamaCare’s gonna need another illegal re-write, and another insurer bailout to keep them quiet.
From TheHill “Health industry officials say ObamaCare-related premiums will double in some parts of the country, countering claims recently made by the administration.
The expected rate hikes will be announced in the coming months amid an intense election year, when control of the Senate is up for grabs. The sticker shock would likely bolster the GOP’s prospects in November and hamper ObamaCare insurance enrollment efforts in 2015.
The industry complaints come less than a week after Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sought to downplay concerns about rising premiums in the healthcare sector. She told lawmakers rates would increase in 2015 but grow more slowly than in the past. “The increases are far less significant than what they were prior to the Affordable Care Act,” the secretary said in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee.
Her comment baffled insurance officials, who said it runs counter to the industry’s consensus about next year.”
She’s fibbin’ and she knows it.
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3. The CBO director says it’s time for some painful choices, and the sooner the better.
From CNSNews “The United States faces “fundamental fiscal challenges” stemming from the growth in spending for Social Security and major health care programs,” CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf told a gathering in Washington on Tuesday.
The rising cost of those programs leaves Americans with “unpleasant” choices to make, but the sooner they’re made, the better, he said:
“So we have a choice as a society to either scale back those programs relative to what is promised under current law; or to raise tax revenue above its historical average to pay for the expansion of those programs; or to cut back on all other spending even more sharply than we already are,” Elmendorf said.”
“Elmendorf said Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid and Obamacare will be much more expensive relative to GDP in future years because health care costs are rising, subsidized health insurance is expanding, and the population is aging: “There will be a third more people receiving Social Security Medicare benefits a decade from now than there are today,” he noted.”
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4. So they’re saying that even though federal and state law says it’s illegal to discriminate based on religion, that they can because it’s only Christians they’re excluding?
Giving special consideration to some religions while excluding others is discrimination. It’s nothing more than a religious version of affirmative action.
From EAGNews ” The teachers union contract in Ferndale Public Schools in Oakland County gives “special consideration” to applicants that are of “the non-Christian faith.”
Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment and public services on the basis of religion. The state constitution says it, “shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.” And the Federal Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination based on religion.”
“Should there be two (2) or more of these applicants with equal qualifications for the position and one (1) or more of these applicants with equal qualifications is a current employee, the current employee with the greatest seniority shall be assigned. Special consideration shall be given to women and/or minority defined as: Native American, Asian American, Latino, African American and those of the non-Christian faith. However, in all appointments to vacant positions, the Board’s decision shall be final.
Earlier in the contract is a “no discrimination clause” that states no employee can be discriminated against based on their religion.”
Liberals love non-discrimination laws and push for them for just about every group. Shouldn’t they take care to follow their own rules?
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5. Biden says the US will respond to any Russian aggression. Eventually. No really, he’s totally serious.
But it will already be over by the time they type up their next strongly worded reprimand.
From YahooNews “Ukraine’s government said Wednesday it has begun drawing up plans to pull its troops from Crimea, where Russia is steadily taking formal control as its armed forces seize military installations across the disputed peninsula.
In a warning to Moscow, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden declared the United States will respond to any aggression against its NATO allies, which include neighbors to Russia.
Standing side by side with a pair of Baltic leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania, Biden said the U.S. was “absolutely committed” to defending its allies, adding that President Barack Obama plans to seek concrete commitments from NATO members to ensure the alliance can safeguard its collective security.
“Russia cannot escape the fact that the world is changing and rejecting outright their behavior,” Biden said, after meeting in Vilnius with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite and Latvian President Andris Berzins.”
And you and the President can’t escape the fact that it just changed because of Russia, and that they continue to reject your attempts to stop them. You’re a day late and a dollar short Joe.
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Our Daily Thread 3-19-14
Good Morning!
Only 1 Day Until SPRING!!! 🙂
Today’s header photo is from me.
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On this day in 1628 the Massachusetts colony was founded by Englishmen.
In 1687 French explorer La Salle was murdered by his own men while searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, in the Gulf of Mexico.
In 1831 the first bank robbery in America was reported. The City Bank of New York City lost $245,000 in the robbery.
In 1903 the U.S. Senate ratified the Cuban treaty, gaining naval bases in Guantanamo and Bahia Honda.
And in another bad day on this date for a French explorer, in 1905 S. de Segonzac was taken prisoner by Moroccans.
In 1908 the state of Maryland barred Christian Scientists from practicing without medical diplomas.
And in 1918, Congress approved Daylight-Saving Time.
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Quote of the Day
“If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”
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Today is composer Max Reger’s birthday.
Today is Billy Sheehan’s birthday too.
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QoD?
What’s the first Spring project on your list?
Prayer Requests 3-19-14
Anyone have a request or praise to share today?
And it’s Wednesday, so don’t forget The Gambia. 🙂
Psalm 54
¹Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.
2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.
4 Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
5 He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.
6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O Lord; for it is good.
7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.
News/Politics 3-19-14
What’s interesting in the news today?
1. The chances of this ending peacefully are getting slimmer.
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2. Mitt might not like to say he told you so, but yeah, he did. And he was mocked for it.
From HotAir “Mitt Romney doesn’t, not explicitly anyway. However, the context of this op-ed from Barack Obama’s 2012 opponent could not be clearer. After Obama and Democrats ridiculed his worldview in that campaign, calling it a relic of the 1980s, Romney warns that what America and the West need now is leadership that anticipates events and sees the world realistically so as to seize opportunities when they arise:
Why, across the world, are America’s hands so tied?
A large part of the answer is our leader’s terrible timing. In virtually every foreign-affairs crisis we have faced these past five years, there was a point when America had good choices and good options. There was a juncture when America had the potential to influence events. But we failed to act at the propitious point; that moment having passed, we were left without acceptable options. In foreign affairs as in life, there is, as Shakespeare had it, “a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries.”
“When protests in Ukraine grew and violence ensued, it was surely evident to people in the intelligence community—and to the White House—that President Putin might try to take advantage of the situation to capture Crimea, or more. That was the time to talk with our global allies about punishments and sanctions, to secure their solidarity, and to communicate these to the Russian president. These steps, plus assurances that we would not exclude Russia from its base in Sevastopol or threaten its influence in Kiev, might have dissuaded him from invasion. …”
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3. Here’s an update to the international control of the internet story. And once again as Mitt said, the Obama admin misses the obvious when it comes to Russia.
From National Journal “The Commerce Department announced Friday that it will give the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), an international nonprofit group, control over the database of names and addresses that allows computers around the world to connect to each other.
Administration officials say U.S. authority over the Internet address system was always intended to be temporary and that ultimate power should rest with the “global Internet community.”
But some fear that the Obama administration is opening the door to an Internet takeover by Russia, China, or other countries that are eager to censor speech and limit the flow of ideas.”
“Castro argued that the world “could be faced with a splintered Internet that would stifle innovation, commerce, and the free flow and diversity of ideas that are bedrock tenets of world’s biggest economic engine.”
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4. Here’s yet another way Obama buys off the insurance industry to keep quiet about his illegal changes to the law.
From TheDailyCaller “Republican Tennessee Rep. Diane Black says that the Obama administration’s most recent Obamacare rule change will result in insurance companies keeping more profits while paying less for customers’ health care needs.
“I am writing to express my concern with the proposed rule change released on Friday, March 14th that would allow insurance companies to keep an additional two percent of premiums for purposes other than medical care…your department is now proposing to increase the amount of money that insurance companies will be allowed to retain for profit,” Black wrote in a letter Tuesday to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, which was obtained by The Daily Caller.
HHS’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services quietly introduced the new rule Friday, which relieves insurance companies of some of the damage about to be levied on them by Obamacare-related administrative costs.”
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5. Lowering costs and reducing premiums? No. And it never will.
Also from TheDailyCaller “Health insurance premiums have risen more after Obamacare than the average premium increases over the eight years before it became law, according to the private health exchange eHealthInsurance.
The individual market for health insurance has seen premiums rise by 39 percent since February 2013, eHealth reports. Without a subsidy, the average individual premium is now $274 a month. Families have been hit even harder with an average increase of 56 percent over the same period — average premiums are now $663 per family, over $426 last year.
Between 2005 and 2013, average premiums for individual plans increased 37 percent and average family premiums were upped 31 percent. So they have risen faster under Obamacare than in the previous eight years.”
It seems the president’s promises always come with an expiration date.
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6. Yesterday I linked a story about the Obama admin’s horrible record when it comes to transparency. Here’s how they do it. And yet another example of how this admin ignores and re-writes laws it doesn’t like.
Seeking FOIA documents? Everything gets edited by the White House first.
From TheWashingtonExaminer “It’s Sunshine Week, so perhaps some enterprising White House reporter will ask press secretary Jay Carney why President Obama rewrote the Freedom of Information Act without telling the rest of America.
The rewrite came in an April 15, 2009, memo from then-White House Counsel Greg Craig instructing the executive branch to let White House officials review any documents sought by FOIA requestors that involved “White House equities.”
That phrase is nowhere to be found in the FOIA, yet the Obama White House effectively amended the law to create a new exception to justify keeping public documents locked away from the public.
“FOIA is designed to inform the public on government behavior; White House equities allow the government to withhold information from the media, and therefore the public, by having media requests forwarded for review. This not only politicizes federal agencies, it impairs fundamental First Amendment liberties,” Cause of Action explains in its report.”
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7. More intolerance from the tolerant left. So much for the free exchange of ideas concept huh?
From TheCollegeFix “An upcoming conference organized by Stanford University’s Anscombe Society called “Communicating Values: Marriage, Family & the Media” has been dubbed “hate speech” by the college’s graduate-level student government, which refused to allow any of its student fee-funded budget to support the event.”
“They voiced a litany of complaints over why they believed the event should not be funded – as well as why it should not even take place on campus at all, comments met with strong support by most on the dais, who echoed similar sentiments.”
How can you reason with such unreasonable people?
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Our Daily Thread 3-18-14
Good Morning!
Today’s header photo is from me. Yesterday I gave you the ugly duck. Today you get the handsome duck. 🙂
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On this day in 1692 William Penn was deprived of his governing powers.
In 1818 Congress approved the first pensions for government service.
In 1834 the first railroad tunnel in the U.S. was completed. The work was in Pennsylvania.
In 1865 the Congress of the Confederate States of America adjourned for the last time.
And in 1945 – 1,250 U.S. bombers attacked Berlin.
Plus like a ton of other things. Click the link.
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Quote of the Day
“Officeholders are the agents of the people, not their masters.”
Grover Cleveland
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Today is Charley Pride’s birthday.
Today is also Jeff Easter’s birthday.
And it’s John Hartman’s too. From Eagle Rock
I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a 3 man drum solo. 🙂
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Anyone have a QoD?
Prayer Requests 3-18-14
Anyone have a request or praise to share today?
Psalm 52
¹Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.
2 The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:
7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.
News/Politics 3-18-14
What’s interesting in the news today?
1. Most transparent ever? No.
From TheAP “The Obama administration has a way to go to fulfill its promises from Day 1 to become the most transparent administration in history.
More often than ever, the administration censored government files or outright denied access to them last year under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, cited more legal exceptions it said justified withholding materials and refused a record number of times to turn over files quickly that might be especially newsworthy, according to a new analysis of federal data by The Associated Press.”
“The government’s own figures from 99 federal agencies covering six years show that halfway through its second term, the administration has made few meaningful improvements in the way it releases records. In category after category – except for reducing numbers of old requests and a slight increase in how often it waived copying fees – the government’s efforts to be more open about its activities last year were their worst since President Barack Obama took office.
In a year of intense public interest over the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs, the government cited national security to withhold information a record 8,496 times – a 57 percent increase over a year earlier and more than double Obama’s first year, when it cited that reason 3,658 times. The Defense Department, including the NSA, and the CIA accounted for nearly all those. The Agriculture Department’s Farm Service Agency cited national security six times, the Environmental Protection Agency did twice and the National Park Service once.”
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2. More on a story from the other day, and a back door way to push thru an international tax?
From Politico “The Obama administration’s decision to relinquish oversight over the group that manages the Internet’s architecture has raised an early red flag with Republicans, who blast the move as a threat to free speech.”
“The United States has always played a leading role in overseeing the management of .com and other domain names, but the administration announced Friday night that it will give up its oversight when the current contract expires in fall 2015. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, last month proposed establishing “a clear timeline” for globalizing ICANN and the duties it performs under the U.S. contract.”
““While I certainly agree our nation must stridently review our procedures regarding surveillance in light of the NSA controversy, to put ourselves in a situation where censorship-laden governments like China or Russia could take a firm hold on the Internet itself is truly a scary thought,” Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee and with the Commerce Department on this, because — to be blunt — the ‘global internet community’ this would empower has no First Amendment.””
“Congress needs to prevent the Obama administration from giving away U.S. control over the Internet to any international body,” Americans for Limited Government said in a statement. “Perhaps this latest egregious action by the Obama administration in their quest to deconstruct the United States will finally wake Congress up to their power of the purse responsibility as a co-equal partner in government.”
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3. Thoughts?
From Stars and Stripes “The Marine Corps will open new combat jobs to women, allow women to volunteer for combat specialty training previously closed to them and create a co-ed experimental task force to evaluate how female Marines perform as part of a ground combat unit, Marine officials said.
The task force will be made up of about 460 Marines, and about one quarter will be women, said Capt. Maureen Krebs, a Marine spokeswoman. The task force will look like a small battalion landing team with attachments such as artillery, tanks and amphibious assault vehicles — similar to the ground combat portion of a Marine Expeditionary Unit, but about half the size.
The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based unit will replicate the predeployment training cycle that other ground combat units go through, and will help the Marine Corps evaluate whether women are capable of doing the jobs and physically demanding tasks inherent in the training, Krebs said.”
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4. Affordable Care Act? No, not really.
From TheWashingtonExaminer “Americans buying health insurance outside the new Obamacare exchanges are being forced to swallow premiums up to 56 percent higher than before the health law took effect because insurers have jumped the cost to cover all the added features of the new Affordable Care Act.
According to a cost report from eHealthInsurance, a nationwide online private insurance exchange, families are paying an average of $663 a month and singles $274 a month, far more than before Obamacare kicked in. What’s more, to save money, most buyers are choosing the lowest level of coverage, the so-called “bronze” plans.”
“Premiums are increasing primarily because of the new required provisions for 2014 Affordable Care Act compliant plans, including guaranteed issue, essential health benefits, modified community rating and minimum actuarial values,” said Brian Mast, spokesman for eHealthInsurance. “It is also likely that health insurance companies expected additional risk in the risk pool, because people with pre-existing conditions could no longer be denied coverage, and may have priced their plans higher to accommodate for this risk,” said Mast.
His firm’s price index also gives an average age for singles buying plans, and the results are worrying for insurers and the Obama administration. That’s because the average age is 36, older than the administration had hoped for.”
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Our Daily Thread 3-17-14
Good Morning!
And Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 
Today’s header photo is from me.
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On this day in 461 Bishop Patrick, St. Patrick, died in Saul. Ireland celebrates this day in his honor.
In 1756 St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated in New York City for the first time. The event took place at the Crown and Thistle Tavern.
In 1910 The Camp Fire Girls organization was founded by Luther and Charlotte Gulick.
In 1942 Douglas MacArthur became the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in the Southwestern Pacific.
And in 1973 the first American prisoners of war (POWs) were released from the “Hanoi Hilton” in Hanoi, North Vietnam.
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Quote of the Day
“God, my God, omnipotent King, I humbly adore thee. Thou art King of kings, Lord of lords. Thou art the Judge of every age. Thou art the Redeemer of souls. Thou art the Liberator of those who believe. Thou art the Hope of those who toil. Thou art the Comforter of those in sorrow. Thou art the Way to those who wander. Thou art Master to the nations. Thou art the Creator of all creatures. Thou art the Lover of all good. Thou art the Prince of all virtues. Thou art the joy of all Thy saints. Thou art life perpetual. Thou art joy in truth. Thou art the exultation in the eternal fatherland. Thou art the Light of light. Thou art the Fountain of holiness. Thou art the glory of God the Father in the height. Thou art Savior of the world. Thou art the plenitude of the Holy Spirit. Thou sittest at the right hand of God the Father on the throne, reigning for ever.”
― St. Patrick
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Today is composer Alfred Newman’s birthday.
Today would be Nat King Cole’s as well.
And it wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without some Irish music.
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Wandering Views 