What’s interesting in the news today?
1. My guess would be Obama donors and ACORN like “Navigator” groups.
From TheHill “The Obama administration has spent at least $3.7 billion to build and promote online marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act, but it can’t prove exactly where it all went, according to an audit released Monday.
Federal investigators said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) does not properly track certain data that public officials need in order to determine whether the healthcare law is working.
The government tracks its healthcare spending in an outdated records system that cannot easily respond to data requests such as salaries or public relations contracts in certain departments. Instead, officials rely on manually prepared spreadsheets that can take months to produce.
Out of that data, “we were not able to determine the reliability of most of the information,” according to the report by the independent Government Accountability Office (GAO).
“CMS’s processes are inconsistent with certain federal accounting and internal control standards,” the report states. To improve the system, the GAO recommends that CMS staff create new procedures to provide more timely and reliable information to the public. “Particularly for programs subject to a significant degree of public and congressional scrutiny,” the GAO reports. “
That would be the same CMS that’s run by an Obama donor that totally blew the website launch.
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2. Yes, these are the same “moderates” that Obama just gave missiles and weapons to.
From TheLATimes “In Iraq, Washington at least has the support of allies on the ground, including the army, affiliated Shiite Muslim militias and the spirited if ill-equipped Kurdish peshmerga force, not to mention a functional government to work with.
In Syria, however, the U.S. has no reliable on-the-ground partner, only disparate “moderate” rebels who have steadily lost territory to Islamist militants.”
“It’s not yet clear whether Washington’s purported allies in Syria are completely on board with the U.S. offensive against Islamic State. One of the administration’s favored moderate rebel factions, Harakat Hazm, part of the Free Syrian Army alliance and a recipient of U.S. missiles and training, issued a statement Tuesday denouncing the “external intervention” — that is, the U.S.-led bombing campaign in Syria — as “an attack on the revolution.”
The group said its main goal was toppling Assad. It is demanding “unconditional arming” of the Free Syrian Army, yet its members also acknowledge fighting alongside Al Nusra Front, the official Al Qaeda force in Syria.”
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3. The deafening silence of the anti-war left.
From HotAir “The tragic lamentations howled by the septuagenarians who make up the remnants of Code Pink may never fully dissipate, but the majority of the once ascendant anti-war left seems to have dissolved.
And why wouldn’t they? Theirs was a movement which once bestrode the political and media complex with unmatched influence. The movement culminated in the toppling of Hillary Clinton as the likely Democratic nominee and the election of Barack Obama, the anti-war candidate, to the White House in 2008.
Just six short years later, it is Barack Obama who is deploying the American war machine in a preemptive engagement against Islamist threats in the Middle East. A president who twice campaigned on policies disengagement and retrenchment from the Middle East has utterly abandoned his own stated policy preferences. The sense of hopelessness among anti-war liberals is palpable.
The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank recently made the trek to a rather sad anti-war protest outside the White House that was attended by a meager 22 true believers.
“It was the latest display of how Obama has neutralized the left,” Milbank observed.”
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4. Silly reporters, you should have thought of that before you became his personal lap-dogs. Now you act shocked that only White House approved propaganda is allowed? 🙄
From TheWashingtonPost “White House press-pool reports are supposed to be the news media’s eyes and ears on the president, an independent chronicle of his public activities. They are written by reporters for other reporters, who incorporate them into news articles about President Obama almost every day.
Sometimes, however, the White House plays an unseen role in shaping the story.
Journalists who cover the White House say Obama’s press aides have demanded — and received — changes in press-pool reports before the reports have been disseminated to other journalists. They say the White House has used its unusual role as the distributor of the reports as leverage to steer coverage in a more favorable direction.
The disputed episodes involve mostly trivial issues and minor matters of fact. But that the White House has become involved at all represents a troubling trend for journalists and has prompted their main representative, the White House Correspondents’ Association, to consider revising its approach to pool reporting.”
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5. Your tax dollars at work……. watching porn.
From CapitolCityProject “Months after it was discovered an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employee was watching porn on the job, a new report shows they have yet to be fired and are still on the government payroll.
During a House hearing back in May, it was brought forth that a senior-level EPA employee had been watching between two and six hours of porn per day on their government issued computer. This wasn’t just a one time deal either, it dated all the way back to 2010 and the employee downloaded over 7,000 pornographic files.”
“How much pornography would it take for an EPA employee to lose their job?” Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) asked at the hearing.
Apparently more than two to six hours per day for years on end. The EPA has yet to fire the employee and they are still collecting their hefty government pay while on administrative leave, admitted EPA spokeswoman Liz Purchia. The name of the employee is not known as it has been withheld by investigators and the agency.”
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6. Atheists and the political left will not like this.
From HotAir “This seems counterintuitive in an environment where many secularists believe that “separation of church and state” is a quote from the Constitution, but Pew’s results make sense when considering the broader context of American public life. In the same survey that found the general public split on whether businesses should be forced to participate in same-sex marriages, Pew also finds that Americans want more faith-based input on political matters:
Nearly three-quarters of the public (72%) now thinks religion is losing influence in American life, up 5 percentage points from 2010 to the highest level in Pew Research polling over the past decade. And most people who say religion’s influence is waning see this as a bad thing.
Perhaps as a consequence, a growing share of the American public wants religion to play a role in U.S. politics. The share of Americans who say churches and other houses of worship should express their views on social and political issues is up 6 points since the 2010 midterm elections (from 43% to 49%). The share who say there has been “too little” expression of religious faith and prayer from political leaders is up modestly over the same period (from 37% to 41%). And a growing minority of Americans (32%) think churches should endorse candidates for political office, though most continue to oppose such direct involvement by churches in electoral politics.”
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Wandering Views 
#5. It could be worse. The EPA could be busy making regulations. Which would you rather have?
#4. That’s exactly the way you run a dictatorship in the 21st century.
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Chas, You make a great point. A high percentage of federal employees’ time is now spent filing, defending or adjudicating equal opportunity complaints. At first this appalled me, but upon further review I decided that was probably better than them actually doing what Congress wants them to do.
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#2: Concerning our “friends” in the Muslim world.
We need to understand that we have no friends, nor allies, in the Muslim world.
We may have common temporary objectives.
They fight each other viciously, much as the Protestants and Catholics did during the Reformation period. But their common goal is to impose Sharia on the entire world.
They have a common enemy.
That’s us (Big Satan) and Israel (Little Satan).
They are enjoined by a common infallible source, the Koran, to destroy us.
From my Koran:
Sura 9: (Which has no Bismillah, for some reason)
9.5 But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
9.38 O ye who believe! What is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to go forth in the cause of God, ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter.
9.39 Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place; but Him ye would not harm in the least. For God hath power over all things.
Sura 47:4 When ye encounter the infidels, strike off their heads till ye have made a great slaughter among them, and of the rest, make fast the fetters.
So those Muslims beheading captives were only obeying the Koran much as we follow the Bible. Obama says they are NOT Muslim. They are only following orders.
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5. Personal pet peeve – one employee is not a “their” or a “they.”
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Get used to it Linda. It’s around forever now.
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SP – In response to your question about what is not Christian about capitalism: I am not clear about what you hold to be real capitalism. So, I went back to the writer whom many hold to be the founder of capitalist ideas, Adam Smith. In the second chapter of his Wealth of Nations he states what he believes – and I have read/heard this confirmed by other sources – to be the founding principle for interactions in a capitalist economy:
Now, it could be argued that is just the way the world operates – and to a certain extent that is true. However, Christ told His followers to deliberately reverse the selfish order of things:
To do the typical Christian supporter of capitalism credit, I doubt that he or she would want to do away with altruism in society and would argue that a free economy allows for private acts of charity. However, a pure capitalism would not agree – the founder of The Economist, James Wilson, a proponent of laissez-faire capitalism, said about relieving the sufferers in the Irish Famine, “It is no man’s business to provide for another. If left to the natural law of distribution, those who deserve more would obtain it.” The statement stands in sharp contrast to the apostle John’s teaching that the mark of a true Christian is his love for God and others: “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (I John 3:17 ESV); while the apostle Paul’s warning against slothful busybodies (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12) in no way negates his instructions on giving to those in need (2 Corinthians 8:14-15).
In criticizing the selfishness of capitalism from a Christian perspective, I am not proposing that Christians should advocate for its abolition. Rather, I am saying that whether a Christian inclines to capitalist or socialist, conservative or liberal views, those views must always subordinate themselves to Christ. For example, a Christian businessman with capitalist views cannot consider his self interest first, as his submission to Christ would require that he treats his employees justly (Colossians 4:1) – NB: this submission is his to make; though his church could discipline him if he is being covetous (I Corinthians 5:11). Capitalism may be a useful tool to the Christian, but never the rule by which he or she lives.
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Good. Now let’s see if Republicans roll over for the next racist Obama nominates for the job. You’d think they’d have learned their lesson, but I doubt it.
http://news.msn.com/us/us-attorney-general-holder-to-resign-official-says
“Eric Holder, who served as the public face of the Obama administration’s legal fight against terrorism and pushed to make the criminal justice system more even-handed, is resigning after six years on the job. He is the nation’s first black attorney general.
The White House said that President Barack Obama planned to announce Holder’s departure later Thursday. The White House said Holder plans to remain at the Justice Department until his successor is in place.”
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#4, hopefully lesson learned. The Obama era has been a testament, I’m afraid, to a naive and gullible electorate (Ok, elect him once, but twice?? Seriously?); and, too often, a blinded media. 😦 😦 😦
And on the subject of ebola, this is unsettling:
http://www.vox.com/2014/9/23/6832023/ebola-virus-global-health-panic
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From “Business Insider” via Drudge
“Rev. Al Sharpton said his civil rights organization, the National Action Network, is “engaged in immediate conversations” with the White House as they work to name a successor to Attorney General Eric Holder, who is set to announce his resignation Thursday afternoon.
“We are engaged in immediate conversations with the White House on deliberations over a successor whom we hope will continue in the general direction of Attorney General Holder,” Sharpton said in a statement.”
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/al-sharpton-says-hes-helping-pick-the-next-attorney-general-2014-9#ixzz3ELp8yVBF
This gives you an idea of what we’re going to get. He will have to be approved before the next Senate is seated.
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I appreciate that response, Roscuro. It may be a matter of our definitions, but the way I understand capitalism, I don’t see it conflicting with Christianity, even considering the self-interested profit motive; nor do I think what he expresses conflicts with Christ’s words in the Luke passage. Smith’s quote still leaves room for personal humanitarian regard. In that quote, I don’t see him advocating capitalist policy at the expense of humanity; the gist seems to be one more of commentary on an aspect of human nature. I don’t know what policy might be implemented in line with his sentiment there that would be inherently anti-Christian.
I don’t think the Wilson quote indicates an anti-Christian component *to capitalism,* either. Either he’s speaking about the response of *government* to widespread famine–in which case, I don’t think his remark is contrary to Scripture, as I don’t see the type of charity he speaks of as falling within government purview–or he’s speaking about *individual* response–in which case, he’s not talking about capitalism at all, but personal scruple (and he’s wrong).
I can’t think of any economic policy that might exist in a capitalist system that would be contrary to Christianity, but maybe that’s only in my understanding of capitalism. Are there any such policies you may have in mind?
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Roscuro said: ” Capitalism may be a useful tool to the Christian, but never the rule by which he or she lives.”
I don’t know a case where a person lives by capitalism, even non Christians. They assume that the capitalistic system comes from something else.
We live by freedom.
‘We hold these truths to be self evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. that are among these are, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
That is not capitalism, but it is the foundation upon which capitalism is built.
If we didn’t have capitalism, what would we have?
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Related to Holder’s resignation?
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/09/25/judge-denies-doj-request-to-delay-release-of-fast-and-furious-document-list-n1896621
“U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates has denied a request from the Department of Justice to delay the release of a list of Operation Fast and Furious documents being protected under President Obama’s assertion of executive privilege.
The list, better known as a Vaughn index, was requested through a June 2012 FOIA filing by government watchdog Judicial Watch. When DOJ didn’t respond to the FOIA request in the time required by law, Judicial Watch sued in September 2012, seeking all documents DOJ and the White House are withholding from Congress under executive privilege claims. President Obama made the assertion on June 20, 2012 just moments before Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt. In July 2014, after two years of battling for information, Judge Bates ordered the Department of Justice to release the Vaughn Index by October 1. DOJ responded by asking for a month long delay in releasing the list with a deadline of November 3, just one day before the 2014-midterm elections. That request has been denied. A short delay was granted and DOJ must produce the Vaughn index by October 22.
“The government’s arguments for even more time are unconvincing,” Bates said in his ruling. “[S]eventy-five days—plus another twenty-one, based in part on Judiciary Watch’s consent—is enough time for the government to prepare the index that this Court has ordered, given that this matter has been pending for over two years. The Court will therefore extend the Department’s Vaughn index submission deadline to October 22, 2014—and no further.”
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Donna,
Unsettling for sure.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EBOLA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-09-25-12-36-18
“Sierra Leone on Thursday took the dramatic step of sealing off districts where more than 1 million people live as it and other West African countries struggle to control the Ebola outbreak that has claimed thousands of lives.
With three new districts under quarantine, about one-third of Sierra Leone’s 6 million people are now living in areas where their movements are heavily restricted. In parts of Sierra Leone and in neighboring Liberia where these cordons have been used in this outbreak, food prices have soared, some markets have shut and the delivery of goods has slowed.”
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Aj, this is likely to come up if/when Obama appoints Holder to the Supreme Court.
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Chas,
I don’t see that happening. He’s still got a contempt trial to deal with. That goes on whether he resigns or not. Republicans have said as much already today.
I don’t see how he makes through confirmation given his usually confrontational relationship with Congress, especially congressional investigators. He remains openly defiant in several cases, ignores the laws he doesn’t like, all of which shows how unfit for the office he is.
I think the documents from the F and F case will damage him, and the White House, even further.
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Hubby knows I can’t stand Holder, so he called up and said, “Guess what? Your boy is resigning.” I didn’t realized he was being sarcastic, thought he was talking about Nick Saban and panicked. 🙂
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