News/Politics

by

News/Politics 11-15-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. As I’m sure you’ve heard, the President has proposed some changes to ObamaCare in order to quiet down the commoners. He’s decided to let you keep your sucky plan for one more year. 🙂

Democrats still aren’t happy, neither are the American people.

From Politico  “Senate Democrats are still considering legislation to repair President Barack  Obama’s broken Obamacare promise, despite the White House plans for an  administrative fix.

Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) still want to see votes  on their separate, alternative proposals aimed at helping Americans who lost  insurance plans. Several of the other Democrats who are up for reelection in  2014 want to vote on a legislative fix, too.”

“Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), one of the most vulnerable Democrats up next year,  called Obama’s plan a “step in the right direction,” but said, “a one-year fix  is not enough, and we need to do more.”

_________________________________________________

2. Even Howard Dean is wondering if the President has the legal authority to make this “fix.”

From TheWeeklyStandard  ““I wonder if he has the legal authority to do this, since this was a congressional bill that set this up,” said Dean of Obama’s proposed fix. 

The former Vermont governor suggested that since the Obamacare website isn’t working, the president’s signature legislation might fail.”

When you’ve lost Howard Dean, you’ve got problems.

_________________________________________________

3. And O’Keefe strikes yet again. More ObamaCare navigator fraud. Yeah.

From CapitolCityProject  “James O’ Keefe’s Project Veritas has released a second video showing even more Obamacare Navigators in Texas suggesting fraud and deceit to undercover reporters — despite some in the mainstream media calling the first exposé an “isolated incident.”

“Today, Project Veritas released a second investigation exposing more Obamacare navigators counseling applicants to lie and cheat the health care system by erroneously reporting income status, health history, and more,” Project Veritas wrote.

They continue, “Critics said the first video was an isolated incident so we decided to visit with even more navigators funded by your American tax dollars. What we found was disturbing and showed a clear pattern of fraud through the Obamacare navigator program.”

Within the new video, Obamacare Navigators in Texas yet again counsel the reporters to lie in order to avoid higher premiums.”

The video shows it’s hardly an isolated incident.

_________________________________________________

4. Huh….. That’s funny. Democrats, the President, and Attorney General insist that Voter ID is racist and a Republican effort to suppress voter turnout. Yet the real results are actually quite the opposite…….

From TheDailyCaller  “The first Texas elections under a contentious new photo ID law drew  interesting conclusions for an off-year election that normally draws a low  amount of voters.

There were nine proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, and the number  of votes tallied was nearly double what it was in 2011. Democrats and civil  rights groups have long argued that voter ID requirements suppress turnout,  particularly in poor and minority communities.”

“In Hidalgo County, which is 90 percent Hispanic, just over 4,000 voted in  the constitutional amendment election in 2011. In 2013, an average of over 16,000 voted according to the Texas secretary of state’s office.“

Doh!

_________________________________________________

5. This one should be fun to watch.

From Breitbart  “Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) has introduced an Articles of Impeachment resolution against Attorney General Eric Holder for his role in Operation Fast and Furious and other scandals of President Barack Obama’s administration.

Seven congressman have signed onto the resolution thus far in addition to Olson. They are Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Blake Farenthold (R-TX), Phil Roe (R-TN), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Roger Williams (R-TX), Ted Yoho (R-FL), and Randy Weber (R-TX).

The Articles of Impeachment has four different sections. The first calls for Holder’s official removal because of his failure to comply with congressional subpoenas relating to Operation Fast and Furious. Holder has been voted on a bipartisan basis into both criminal and civil contempt of Congress for his failure to comply with the Fast and Furious subpoenas from House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA).”

Another of the Articles is for his refusal to enforce DOMA.

_________________________________________________

6. Some scathing words for the Obama admin from a former secret service agent tuned congressional candidate who has a released a book on the whole affair.

From TheNYPost  “Dan Bongino, the Secret Service agent who turned on President Obama and is running for Congress, says he believes the “toxic” administration is “using government as a weapon exclusively to intimidate enemies.”

““That wasn’t necessarily the case with the Clintons, and I was pretty much enmeshed in Hillary’s Senate campaign. Although I disagreed with a lot of their political positions . . . I can’t tell you that they thought government was a weapon exclusively to intimidate their enemies. But this administration constantly seems to use government [as a weapon] because they are inexperienced with it — it’s like giving a kid a Bowie knife and saying, ‘Have fun.’ They gave this administration which has no experience the reins of government and they have just gone wild.””

_________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-14-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. The fight for control of the GOP continues.

From Politico  “A takeover is not instigated by a small minority of outsiders but, rather, by  a majority of the shareholders. The transition of power turns “hostile” when the  entrenched management regime strikes back, more concerned with preserving its  own power than advancing a vision to produce something of value.

Sound familiar?

There is a hostile takeover happening within the Republican Party. The senior  management of the GOP has failed its key shareholders, abandoning the founding  vision of individual freedom, equal opportunity, fiscal responsibility and  constitutionally limited government. What’s worse, those passing through the  revolving door of rent seekers like things just the way they are.

That’s why reform efforts by the new generation of principled Republican  legislators like Sens. Lee, Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky are met  with vitriol and media attacks designed to isolate and discredit.”

And the media is all too willing to attack the conservatives, and does it’s part by trumpeting another RINO (Christie) who will lose to Hillary, just like the last 2 as well. 🙄

_________________________________________________

2. This one? Well let’s be honest. Who didn’t see this coming? 🙄

From TheDenverPost  “Dillon, who is now a school resource officer with the Mesa County Sheriff’s  Department, said he is seeing more and younger kids bringing marijuana to  schools, in sometimes-surprising quantities.

“When we have middle school kids show up with a half an ounce, that is  shocking to me,” Dillon said.

The same phenomenon is being reported around Colorado after the  2010  regulation of medical marijuana dispensaries  and  the 2012 vote  to legalize  recreational marijuana.”

“”We have seen a sharp rise in drug-related disciplinary actions which,  anecdotally, from credible sources, is being attributed to the changing social  norms surrounding marijuana,” said Janelle Krueger. Krueger is the  program  manager for  Expelled and At-Risk Student Services for the Colorado Department  of Education and also a longtime  adviser to the Colorado Association of School  Resource Officers.”

_________________________________________________

3. Next up, the numbers are in, and yes, they’re bad.

From NationalJournal  “The Health and Human Services Department said 106,185 people have successfully applied for and chosen private insurance through the health care law’s new marketplaces. That total is only about 20 percent of the administration’s initial enrollment target for October, the first month in which consumers were able to sign up for coverage.”

“HealthCare.gov has performed even worse than expected. Fewer than 27,000 people selected a plan through the website, compared with roughly 79,000 who picked a plan through the 15 state-based insurance exchanges. Unofficial estimates leaked earlier this week suggested the federal website had done slightly better.”

And there were 400,000 approved for Medicaid, so they’re not paying customers.

_________________________________________________

4. This is one of the problems with lying. You have to keep lying to cover it up.

From NationalReview  “The cancellations will affect only a small number of people, those who buy individual policies.

In making this claim, the president focuses on the individual market, which he accurately notes covers about 5 percent of Americans. Still, that is about 14 to 15 million people. So far, as of mid November, roughly 4.8 million individual insurance plans have been canceled, with most estimates suggesting that as many as 10 million will eventually lose their current coverage.”

“But the same conditions that are causing the cancellation of individual policies will eventually result in the cancellation of millions of employment-based policies as well. The only reason that hasn’t happened yet is that the employer mandate was postponed for a year, so employer plans don’t yet have to be ACA-compliant. But they will. Even the Congressional Budget Office estimates that as many as 20 million workers will lose their current employer-sponsored plans. Combine that with those losing individual plans, and more than 30 million Americans cannot keep their current insurance.

It could be far more. As Avik Roy of the Manhattan Institute points out, some 51 percent of the employer-based insurance market will lose grandfathered status and need to make changes to comply with Obamacare provisions. That could mean that, in total, as many as 93 million will lose their insurance. That’s not exactly “a few.””

That shoe should be dropping around elections next year.

_________________________________________________

5. So how bad is it? This bad….

Democrats have actually become camera shy. 🙂

_________________________________________________

6. And this one doesn’t shock me much. Democrats want to pass a bill to override many states new, more restrictive, abortion laws. We know how much these same politicians rely on abortion blood money to fund their campaigns. So of course they’d defend their “Precious” like good little Sméagol’s.

From PJMedia  “Democratic lawmakers will announce this afternoon a bill to override state abortion laws that have placed restrictions on the services.

The Women’s Health Protection Act “would protect a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion by preempting restrictive regulations and laws—such as those in place in states including Texas and Wisconsin—intended to curtail reproductive health services for women,” according to Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s (D-Conn.) office.

Blumenthal will be joined at an afternoon press conference by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.),  Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) and Lois Frankel (D-Fla.).

Also at the announcement of the bill will be leader of NARAL, Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights.”

_________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-13-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

It just gets worse.

From CBSNews  “CBS News has learned that the project manager in charge of building the federal health care website was apparently kept in the dark about serious failures in the website’s security. Those failures could lead to identity theft among buying insurance. The project manager testified to congressional investigators behind closed doors, but CBS News has obtained the first look at a partial transcript of his testimony.

Henry Chao, HealthCare.gov’s chief project manager at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), gave nine hours of closed-door testimony to the House Oversight Committee in advance of this week’s hearing. In excerpts CBS News has obtained, Chao was asked about a memo that outlined important security risks discovered in the insurance system.

 Chao said he was unaware of a Sept. 3 government memo written by another senior official at CMS. It found two high-risk issues, which are redacted for security reasons. The memo said “the threat and risk potential (to the system) is limitless.” The memo shows CMS gave deadlines of mid-2014 and early 2015 to address them.

But Chao testified he’d been told the opposite.”

_________________________________________________

A former Obama advisor is warning that without significantly more sign-ups, the premiums could rise much higher.

_________________________________________________

ObamaCare effect on individual healthcare plans is getting worse by the day.

From SacramentoCBSLocal  “More than 1 million cancellation notices have been sent to Californians as the Affordable Care Act begins allowing individuals to buy insurance through exchanges, Jones said. The federal law requires policies to offer minimum levels of coverage, forcing companies to terminate many existing plans. But Jones said that under the law, insurers have another year to do so.”

_________________________________________________

But thankfully people are wising up. Those responsible should be getting nervous, like this Senator. Looks like consequences and repercussions may be coming from voters. Lets hope so.

From Politico  “Incumbent Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) is near the top of national Republicans’  target list for 2014 — and a new poll shows her lead over her potential GOP  challengers has all but evaporated.

Against state House Speaker Thom Tillis, Hagan leads by only 2 points, 44  percent to 42 percent, according to the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling. She  leads the Rev. Mark Harris by 2 points as well, 43 percent to 41 percent, and  nurse Heather Grant by 3 points, 43 percent to 40 percent.

Hagan trails physician Greg Brannon, the Rand Paul-endorsed candidate in the  race, by 1 point: He leads 44 percent to 43 percent.

That’s a huge difference from PPP’s September poll, which gave Hagan leads of  anywhere from 12 points to 17 points against all possible GOP challengers.”

Ruh-Roh…… 🙂

_________________________________________________

And that Project Veritas video of the ObamaCare navigators engaging in fraud has already brought consequences.

From FoxDallas/FtWorth  “The Urban League of Greater Dallas fired one person and suspended three  others after a video from a conservative activist reportedly showed the workers  encouraging health care applicants to lie.

An edited video was released Monday that seemingly shows so-called health  care Navigators encouraging people to lie on forms signing up for health care to  get better rates.”

“The Urban League said the person fired was a “part-time receptionist trainee”  who was not authorized to speak on behalf of The Urban League or act as a  Navigator and said it supports decertifying three “Navigators-in-training” in  the video.

The Urban League also called for the unedited video of the incidents to be  released. It said the undercover applicants were told the people they were speaking to were Navigators-in-training and “the full context of these comments  is not reflected in the video.”

_________________________________________________

And here’s a pretty lengthy piece on the consequences of the green energy push, especially when it comes to ethanol production. As with many govt ventures, the cure is worse than the illness.

From APNews  “The hills of southern Iowa bear the scars of America’s push for green energy: The brown gashes where rain has washed away the soil. The polluted streams that dump fertilizer into the water supply.”

“With the Iowa political caucuses on the horizon in 2007, presidential candidate Barack Obama made homegrown corn a centerpiece of his plan to slow global warming. And when President George W. Bush signed a law that year requiring oil companies to add billions of gallons of ethanol to their gasoline each year, Bush predicted it would make the country “stronger, cleaner and more secure.”

“As farmers rushed to find new places to plant corn, they wiped out millions of acres of conservation land, destroyed habitat and polluted water supplies, an Associated Press investigation found.

Five million acres of land set aside for conservation – more than Yellowstone, Everglades and Yosemite National Parks combined – have vanished on Obama’s watch.”

It’s caused the expansion of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico as well. Read the whole thing, it’s worth the time.

_________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-12-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, CBS has run a retraction/correction to a Benghazi story. I posted it here, so I’m posting the retraction as well.

_________________________________________________

Next up, again with the fuzzy math…. 🙄

From TheWaPo  “The fight over how to define the new health law’s success is coming down to one question: Who counts as an Obamacare enrollee?

Health insurance plans only count subscribers as enrolled in a health plan once they’ve submited a payment. That is when the carrier sends out a member card and begins paying doctor bills.

When the Obama administration releases health law enrollment figures later this week, though, it will use a more expansive definition. It will count people who have purchased a plan as well as  those who have a plan sitting in their online shopping cart but have not yet paid.

“In the data that will be released this week, ‘enrollment’ will measure people who have filled out an application and selected a qualified health plan in the marketplace,” said an administration official, who requested anonymity to frankly describe the methodology.”

_________________________________________________

Next, like roaches fleeing the light, they’re desperately seeking cover.

From TheWallStJournal  “The torrents of Affordable Care Act monsoon season aren’t letting up, so Democrats are scrambling to help the victims: namely, their own careers. The Senators up for re-election in competitive states in 2014 are starting to panic, though they still aren’t offering solutions for anything other than their own growing political jeopardy.

Fifteen Senate Democrats plus Colorado’s Michael Bennet  who chairs the Senatorial Campaign Committee sat down at the White House Wednesday, and they want all and sundry to know that they let President Obama have it. Alaska’s Mark Begich put out a statement saying he chewed out the big cheese for “absolutely unacceptable” mismanagement and “an understandable crisis in confidence.” He must have drafted it in advance.

Oregon’s Jeff Merkley chimed in to report that even after the two-hour encounter session that was not on the public schedule, he was still “very frustrated” and “I remain deeply convinced that this is a ‘show-me’ moment.” Asked by Politico if Democrats were losing credibility, an anonymous attendee said, “You got to have it, to lose it.”

_________________________________________________

Then some controversy over GI Bill funds, and where they’re being used.

From NBCNews  “Since the Post-9/11 GI Bill went into effect in August of 2009, the federal government has paid more than $30 billion in tuition and benefits, according to new figures from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released on Friday. The VA said this money has now helped 1 million vets, service members and their families get college degrees or technical training.

Most of this money goes to for-profit colleges and universities. Eight of the 10 schools receiving the most GI Bill dollars are for-profits, according to a 2012 report from the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP).

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), who chairs that committee, accuses some for-profits of using “predatory and deceptive tactics to target service members and veterans for enrollment” in order to tap their federal educational benefits.”

“Sen. Durbin believes too much federal money is going to an industry that “often provides a greater return on taxpayer investment to its administrators and investors than it does to its students.”

Parents have known about the “not worth the money we’re spending” part for years.  😯

_________________________________________________

NY City’s new mayor is promising a crack down on Crisis Pregnancy Centers, and an expansion of abortion services. This is why NYC leads the country in abortions. This is who they elect.

From LifeSiteNews  “New York City has been called “the abortion capital of the world.” The city has some of the laxest restrictions and the highest abortion rate in the country, with 41 percent of its pregnancies ending in elective termination. According to New York Magazine, 10 percent of all U.S. abortions happen in the state of New York, and seven out of ten abortions in the state take place in New York City.

But those statistics aren’t high enough for newly elected Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio, who claims the city is “underserved” by its dozens of abortion centers, and for whom increased access to abortion was a key part of his campaign platform.”

“De Blasio, who was elected Tuesday with 73 percent of the vote, has promised to partner with Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers to help them expand their business in the city. He says he plans to help abortionists find neighborhoods that lack convenient clinic access and provide them with “city sponsored” space to set up shop.

Additionally, de Blasio has pledged to help abortionists wipe out their main competition – pro-life crisis pregnancy centers – that offer women financial and logistical help to either keep the babies they would otherwise be unable to afford, or place unwanted children with adoptive families. De Blasio calls crisis pregnancy centers “sham” clinics. In his view, their refusal to perform abortions means they do not offer “legitimate health care.” He has pledged to continue the city’s appeal of a court order striking down a law aimed at closing down such centers.”

_________________________________________________

And last one for today. Project Veritas strikes again.

First PV exposed fraud at abortion mills, then fraud at OFA. (Obama campaign) Now it’s ObamaCare “navigator” fraud. That didn’t take long huh?

_________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-9-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Looks like we’re about to make a deal with the devil.

From TheTelegraph/UK  “America has proposed a short-term nuclear agreement with Iran  at a meeting in Geneva which would allow Tehran to continue enriching   uranium at low levels, according to an aide briefed on the talks. 

The goal is to freeze Iran’s nuclear programme for perhaps six months in order   to create a breathing space for a comprehensive agreement to be negotiated.”

“Mr Kerry will go to Geneva “in an effort to help narrow differences in   negotiations”, said a senior State Department official. 

But Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, warned on Thursday that   any deal which failed to stop Iran from enriching uranium would be a   “mistake of historic proportions”.”

And don’t think for a minute that this will stop Israel from doing what they think is necessary to protect themselves.

_________________________________________________

Here’s something to keep in mind as the ObamaCare fiasco rolls on. Don’t forget, this is the home state of a certain community organizer turned politician. I imagine ObamaCare will operate in the same way when it comes to reigning in fraud.

From HotAir  “Remember Medicaid?  You know, the massive, costly federal healthcare program for America’s indigent?  Within the last few months, it’s been (a) exposed as an empirical failure by the most comprehensive study ever done, and (b) expanded hugely by Obamacare, natch.  Here’s how Medicaid is working in the Land of Lincoln.

The early findings of an ongoing review of the Illinois Medicaid program revealed that half the people enrolled weren’t even eligible. The state insisted it’s not that bad but Medicaid is on the federal government’s own list of programs at high risk of waste and abuse. Now, a review of the Illinois Medicaid program confirms massive waste and fraud. A review was ordered more than a year ago– because of concerns about waste and abuse. So far, the state says reviewers have examined roughly 712-thousand people enrolled in Medicaid, and found that 357-thousand, or about half of them shouldn’t have received benefits. After further review, the state decided that the percentage of people who didn’t qualify was actually about one out of four.

Not to fear, taxpayer-fleecing fraudsters, Big Labor has heroically filed a lawsuit to block the state from using private workers to purge ineligible recipients from the Medicaid rolls.  This thing may be tied up in court for awhile:”

I imagine they won’t be real concerned with making sure those getting subsidies deserve them either, and that the Medicaid fraud will grow nationwide as a result.

_________________________________________________

Democrats are about to introduce more job-killing legislation. And everyone will pay higher prices across the board if they’re successful. Hopefully it’s DOA in the House.

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “Senate Democrats, hoping to move beyond the disastrous rollout of the new health care law, plan to pivot to legislation that would increase the federal minimum wage by nearly $3, to over $10 an hour.

Democratic lawmakers met privately Thursday to discuss proposals, including one by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, a nearly 40 percent increase. It would also would tie wage levels to inflation.”

“Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called the proposed minimum wage increase “long overdue, an important economic issue and a message to working families struggling paycheck to paycheck that we can help.”

They’ll be struggling even more when they lose their job because of this.

_________________________________________________

Louisiana is about to crack down on folks who took advantage of the EBT system shutdown last month.

From HotAir  “Last month, a malfunction in the EBT system used by Louisiana and 16 other states led to a “no-limit” food run on several a whole lot of stores in Louisiana, with over 12,000 transactions made during the malfunction being declined for lack of funds . Those who abused the system in places like the Walmart in Many, Louisiana, which chose to not enforce the emergency $50 per account limit that was supposed to be enforced during the malfunction, thought they were in the clear after Walmart and local police decided not to pursue charges:

The Many Police Department posted this week on its Facebook page: “Apparently after reviewing surveillance tapes and interviewing witnesses, Wal-Mart has no evidence of any theft, nor any other criminal activity during the October 12th disturbance at the store. With this information, the Many Police Department has closed the investigation at this time.”

They were wrong:

The Louisiana governor’s office said Wednesday night that it would strip food stamp benefits from anyone who took advantage of an EBT card malfunction that in some cases caused an all-out shopping frenzy in some stores across the state, The Advocate reported.”

_________________________________________________

The unemployment rate has ticked back up to 7.3%. Mostly it’s fuzzy math. Once again, another nearly million Americans dropped out of the labor force last month.

From ZeroHedge  “First, the labor force participation rate, which plunged from 63.2% to 62.8% – the lowest since 1978!

But more importantly, the number of people not in the labor force exploded by nearly 1 million, or 932,000 to be exact, in just the month of October, to a record 91.5 million Americans! This was the third highest monthly increase in people falling out of the labor force in US history. “

Carteresque no?

_________________________________________________

And this one demonstrates the fuzzy math at play here. Last month much was made about an unexpected increase of 691,000 full-time jobs. But this month we learn that 621,000 full-time jobs were lost. BLS numbers have become a useless joke.

Also from ZeroHedge  “So much for the surge in 691,000 full-time jobs in September. One short month later, indicating just what a farce the BLS’s sampling process is, while the algo frenzy-inducing establishment survey showed a gain of 204,000 workers, the household survey had some other ideas. True, the headline household survey number rose by an almost identical 213,000 workers, however it is when trying to foot that number into the actual components, when one gets a headache. Because according to the same survey, a whopping 623,000 full-time workers (supposedly government) lost their jobs in October, nearly offsetting the entire 691,000 gain the month before which it turns out was purely for Obamacare (now hopelessly damaged) optics.”

And part-time jobs showed a loss as well.

_________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-8-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, this should be interesting. How ObamaCare changes employer-provided insurance.

From CBSNews  “If you’re one of the 80 percent of Americans who is insured or covered through an employer plan or through Medicare or Medicaid, or the Veterans’ Administration, there is no change for you except for an increase in benefits that everyone receives as a result of the Affordable Care Act,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday.

Yet in the years to come, some workers with employer-provided benefits will see their benefits scaled back because of an Obamacare tax. That portion of the law — known as the “Cadillac tax” — isn’t set to take effect until 2018, but it’s already influencing the benefits packages that employers offer.

“Every employer plan since the passage of the health care law has been working to make sure their health care cost trends keep their plans under the ‘Cadillac tax,'” Steve Wojcik of the National Business Group on Health, a nonprofit that represents large employers, told CBSNews.com.”

“Yet in the years to come, some workers with employer-provided benefits will see their benefits scaled back because of an Obamacare tax. That portion of the law — known as the “Cadillac tax” — isn’t set to take effect until 2018, but it’s already influencing the benefits packages that employers offer.”

_________________________________________________

The White House has given vulnerable Democrats permission to bash ObamaCare if they need to do so to get re-elected, as long as they don’t call for delays. How nice of them… 🙄

Still doesn’t change the fact that they voted for it, so they own it. Nice try though.

From Politico  “At the pleading of senior White House officials, Senate  Democrats are holding off on demands to delay major aspects of the health care  law until the Obama administration has the opportunity to fix the website  problems that are thwarting enrollment in the program.

Democratic senators facing reelection have a green light to bash the White  House and call for certain legislative fixes. But they’ve been urged by senior administration officials not to insist on delaying the controversial law’s core: The mandate for individuals to purchase insurance coverage or face  penalties.”

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has no plans to put legislation on  the floor to delay any of the Obamacare deadlines, putting him in line with the  White House. But it’s unclear how long Reid can hold off if the administration  continues to stumble and pressure grows within his ranks to act in order to  protect his fragile Senate majority.”

So as always, politics is what they worry about, not what’s best for the American people. Buncha cowards IMO.

_________________________________________________

The House has scheduled the vote for the “Keep Your Healthcare Bill.” 🙂

From TheHill  “House Republican leaders announced Wednesday the lower chamber will vote next week on a bill that would allow people to keep their health insurance plan if they like it.

The vote hits at President Obama, who, during the debate over the Affordable Care Act, said people could keep their healthcare plans if they like them. Millions of people, however, have gotten cancellation notices because of ObamaCare’s new standards.

Late Wednesday afternoon, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) announced via Twitter that the bill would get a vote.”

_________________________________________________

This next one however, will not be getting a vote in the House.

From NBCNews  “The Senate approved historic legislation Thursday to expand workplace protections for gay, lesbian and transgender Americans. But the bill faces a bleak future in the GOP-led House.”

“The Senate’s approval of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) comes after a failed attempt in 1996, when the bill — championed by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts — failed by a single vote.

Despite the bipartisan vote in the upper chamber, the legislation appears unlikely to get a vote in the House. Republican House Speaker John Boehner opposes the bill, saying through a spokesman this week that it would “increase frivolous litigation and cost American jobs.”

“”The bill is currently not scheduled in the House,” said spokesman Rory Cooper. “I hope Majority Leader Reid soon addresses the dozens of House-passed bills that have been ignored in the Senate that create jobs, improve education and create opportunity while Americans struggle to find a good-paying job.”

Talk about differing priorities huh? One chamber is concerned with jobs and people keeping their healthcare, the other is busy with unnecessary, feel-good legislation. Unnecessary because they already have the same rights and protections as everyone else.

_________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-7-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up today, the Rev. Billy Graham has a message he’d like to share. He says it may be his last “crusade” opportunity due to age and illness, and I for one, would like to hear what he has to say. If you’re interested, here is a link for the listings on when this message will air. TBN has it at 8PM tonight, Fox News will show it at 10PM. Further showings on numerous other networks are available at the link.

http://watchbillygraham.com/

________________________________________

ObamaCare memos are painting a pretty bad picture of the days leading up to the law’s rollout.

From YahooNews  “More than 175 pages of internal Obama administration memos, obtained by the House Oversight Committee, released Tuesday and reviewed by ABC News, present the most detailed account yet of the troubled rollout of the federal health insurance exchange, HealthCare.gov.

While there are no bombshell revelations, the documents make clear that the administration grossly underestimated the scope of the website’s technical problems; struggled to contain widespread confusion among insurers and applicants; and now faces a barrage of new challenges triggered by its emphasis on paper applications.

The memos from Oct. 1 through Oct. 27 are “war room notes” from the government team charged with overseeing the health care law rollout. They don’t provide any hard enrollment figures, which officials have promised to release later this month. But they do suggest the administration likely fell well short of its 500,000 enrollment target in the first month, possibly reaching fewer than one tenth of that goal.”

The numbers from individual states that have reported are nowhere near a tenth of that, or 50,000 When the numbers come, it won’t be pretty.

_________________________________________________

Again here, I’m having trouble feeling much sympathy for ’em. This is their baby too, they all own it.

From RollCall.com  “President Barack Obama heard an earful at the White House Wednesday from Senate Democrats running for re-election next year who are fuming about the Affordable Care Act’s rocky rollout.

During a two-hour meeting that was not on the president’s public schedule, the president met with 15 Senate Democrats facing the voters next year, as well as Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Michael Bennet, D-Colo.

Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska issued a release after the meeting torching the administration.

“It is simply unacceptable for Alaskans to bear the brunt of the Administration’s mismanagement of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and that is the message U.S. Senator Mark Begich delivered to President Obama today,” his office said in a statement blasted to reporters.”

Reading it, or maybe delaying it to work out the bugs may have helped huh? 🙄

_________________________________________________

Wait a minute………. I thought Photo ID requirements were racist and an attempt to disenfranchise old people?

From RedAlertPolitics  “America rejoiced when the White House announced it would re-open for tours after cuts to funding from sequestration. But in a blatant display of irony, visitors to President Barack Obama’s home must show a government-issued photo ID to enter, but not to vote.

Tours of the White House resumed after a seven month hiatus, with the first official tour given to tourists yesterday. But for visitors looking to head inside 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., they must show valid, government-issued photo ID.

“All guests 18 years of age or older will be required to present a valid, government-issued photo identification … . All foreign nationals must present their passport,” it states on the White House’s ‘Tours & Events’ page.

This criterion is particularly ironic given the fact that the man living inside the White House adamantly opposes voters showing photo ID before heading the the polls.”

Yeah….. 🙄

_________________________________________________

The campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination has begun. Paul has a point here too. Anyone who’s seen the ad will probably agree.

From HotAir  “Rand Paul: Can you believe that certain people who shall remain nameless used Sandy relief funds for campaign commercials?”

“Alternate headline: “GOP primary campaign officially under way.” New Jersey got $60 billion of federal funds for Sandy relief, $25 million of which went to a “Stronger than the Storm” tourism campaign that showcased a certain gubernatorial candidate and his family. Here’s Rand Paul celebrating that candidate’s victory last night by basically accusing him of corruption. Not the first time he’s smacked Christie over Sandy funding, either: That’s what prompted the “king of bacon” comment back in July when the two of them first started throwing punches at each other. The outline of his strategy against Christie in 2016 is already fairly clear. He’s going to knock him not only as a big spender who cares more about buying off constituents with federal money than he does about shrinking government but as someone who’s ethically dubious across the board.”

_________________________________________________

The old guard and RINO faction want the nominee to be another RINO or old guard type. Romney says Christie and Ryan should be the top choices. Yeah Mitt, that whole picking milquetoast candidates worked out so well the last 2 elections huh? 🙄

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the media would be all too happy to pick another RINO for us, they’ve been tooting Christie’s horn in an effort to have a say in the selection. So how about we decide instead of liberals? Here’s a few good reasons why Christie is the wrong guy, despite the media’s opinion.

From TheAmericanSpectator  “Arnold Schwarzenegger won re-election handily in 2006, defeating his hapless opponent Phil Angelides by a 56% to 38.9% margin. Yet this sizable win was a meaningless victory for the GOP. Similarly, Chris Christie’s thumping victory on Tuesday night over an equally forgettable candidate contains almost no national meaning, save that Chris Christie is good for Chris Christie. Like Schwarzenegger, Christie cruised to re-election not as a real Republican but as a preening non-partisan moderate. Like Schwarzenegger, Christie’s popularity hasn’t translated into any support for Republicans in his own legislature.”

“The breathless burbling about how Chris Christie’s victory “shows the path forward for the GOP” conveniently ignores his inability to turn New Jersey red for anyone but himself. Before election day, the New Jersey media didn’t see any reason for the Dems to worry about a Christie victory, as they enjoy a 48-32 majority in the Assembly and a 24-16 lead in the state Senate. While these numbers may change, early reports indicate most incumbents will be reelected. The New Jersey media reported that most polls indicate support for Christie won’t help any down-ballot Republicans. In 2009, Christie’s coat-tail effect was negligible too, resulting in only one new Assembly seat for the Republicans.”

“Even the media found it a little difficult to sustain the this-is-a-defeat-for-the-Tea-Party narrative after the Virginia results came in, as they showed a race that the Republicans could easily have won, had the Libertarian not run, had Cuccinelli actually tried, had stingy Republican fat cats donated money to ad campaigns, had Republicans bothered to expose McAuliffe’s radicalism, etc.

The future of the GOP is not Christie but Cruz. Have the Republicans learned nothing from Romney’s loss, McCain’s loss, Dole’s loss? The lesson is simple: do not run moderates; that just hands victory to the Dems from the start. A basic test for any GOP nominee should be: Can this candidate win his own state? In Christie’s case, the question, despite Tuesday’s results, remains open. After all, he wasn’t exactly running against Hillary Clinton. Another test is: Can this candidate reclaim his own legislature for his party? If not, all the enthusiasm is empty. Republican governors in blue states that remain for all intents and purposes blue always end up doing damage to the party, racking up personal victories for themselves while selling out the party’s principles.”

_________________________________________________

And yesterday someone mentioned Common Core. Here’s yet another reason to be against it.

From FoxNews  “It’s exactly what critics of the Common Core school curriculum warned about: Partisan political statements masquerading as English lessons finding their way into elementary school classrooms.

Teaching materials aligned with the controversial national educational standards ask fifth-graders to edit such sentences as “(The president) makes sure the laws of the country are fair,” “The wants of an individual are less important than the well-being of the nation” and “the commands of government officials must be obeyed by all.” The sentences, which appear in worksheets published by New Jersey-based Pearson Education, are presented not only for their substance, but also to teach children how to streamline bulky writing.”

““Parents should insist on reviewing their children’s school assignments,” said Glyn Wright, executive director of the Eagle Forum, a think tank that opposes implementation of Common Core. “Many parents will be shocked to find that some ‘Common Core-approved’ curriculum is full of inappropriate left-wing notions, disinformation, and fails to teach the truth of American exceptionalism and opportunity.”

_________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-6-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, a preview of things to come? Let’s face it, our govt’s own literature and training manuals call them potential terrorists. Others are following their lead.

From FoxNews  “An Army veteran living in Georgia says she wants an apology from her daughter’s former school after being banned from the building for posting a photo of her concealed weapons permit to her Facebook page, WRDW.com reports.

Tanya Mount says she was approached by a police officer from the Richmond County Board of Education at McBean Elementary School and was warned that she was about to get a criminal trespass warning.”

“The officer told her that the principal at the school was “scared” of her and did not want her on the school property, she told the station.

“He asks: ‘Were you in the Army?,”‘ she said. “I said, yes. He’s like, ‘Do you have a concealed weapons permit?’ I said yes,” she told the station.

A phone call from FoxNews.com to Richmond County Board of Education was not immediately returned. WJBF.com asked Janina Dallas, the school’s principal, if the “no trespass order” was issued over the post, and Dallas responded: “Yes, it was.”

So school administrators are now stalking parents Facebook pages?

_________________________________________________

We now know the feds intentionally ducked final security requirements for the ObamaCare website.

From CBSNews  “The health care website went down again Monday for an hour and a half, and no one is sure why. It’s being taken offline on purpose every night from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for repairs. Millions are still having trouble buying insurance on it, and it turns out that even when the website works, it may not be secure enough to protect privacy.

As HealthCare.gov was being developed, crucial tests to ensure the security and privacy of customer information fell behind schedule.

CBS News analysis found that the deadline for final security plans slipped three times from May 6 to July 16. Security assessments to be finished June 7 slid to August 16 and then August 23. The final, required top-to-bottom security tests never got done.

The House Oversight Committee released an Obama administration memo that shows four days before the launch, the government took an unusual step. It granted itself a waiver to launch the website with “a level of uncertainty … deemed as a high (security) risk.”

_________________________________________________

Here’s 6 million people who wouldn’t be happy to hear about their shortcuts possibly exposing their private info. 

From WeaselZippers  “BOMBSHELL: Contractor For Healthcare.gov Cited For Exposing Info Of Millions”

“One of the government contractors involved in building Healthcare.gov and now subsequently in charge of helping fix it QSSI or “Quality Software Services Inc” was cited in a June 2013 Inspector General’s Report.”

_________________________________________________

Here’s another successful govt run vote buying program.

From TheWeeklyStandard  “In a continuing crackdown on the federal government’s Lifeline program, sometimes known as “Obama phones,” the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has revealed that fraud and abuse in the program exceeded two million subscribers. New rules were established after it became clear that subscribers and providers were taking advantage of the system:

The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has worked aggressively to enforce these new rules since their adoption, taking actions worth over $15 million, in addition to today’s $32.6 million in proposed forfeitures. Numerous additional investigations are ongoing. Moreover, over 2 million duplicate subscriptions have been eliminated, and the FCC’s reforms are on track to save the Fund more $2 billion over three years.

The two million is up from a figure of 1.1 million in an FCC press release just a month ago.”

Like everything with this admin, the numbers once revised, are always worse.

_________________________________________________

by

News/Politics 11-5-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up today, a trend that many parents like myself and my wife have noticed. I have my own theory, one which involves the overuse of steroids in chicken production. 

This one thinks it’s linked to one of the latest liberal cause du jour, childhood obesity. That theory doesn’t hold much water around here as obesity isn’t the problem.

Maybe it’s C, all of the above. Or D, none of them. Or even E, a combination.

From MSN/HealthyLiving  “U.S. girls are developing breasts at a younger age compared to years past, and obesity appears to explain a large share of the shift, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that between 2004 and 2011, American girls typically started developing breasts around the age of 9. And those who were overweight or obese started sooner — usually when they were about 8 years old.”

“The findings, reported online Nov. 4 and in the December print issue of the journal Pediatrics, add to evidence that American children are hitting puberty earlier than in decades past. The rising tide of childhood obesity has been suspected as a major cause, but the new study gives more hard data to support the idea.

Biro said, however, that excess pounds do not seem to be the full explanation. And it’s possible that other factors — such as diet or chemicals in the environment — play a role.”

_________________________________________________

It’s always interesting when different liberal ideals collide. 2 powerful lobbies in Democrat circles are going to be butting heads in their liberal Utopia, also known as Chicago.

From Chicago/CBSLocal  “With an expected vote on same-sex marriage in Springfield next week, African-American clergy members campaigning against the issue are threatening to unseat lawmakers who vote in favor, reports WBBM’s Mike Krauser.”

“Bishop Larry Trotter, of Sweet Holy Spirit Church in Chicago, is vowing that there will be consequences for those lawmakers who support same sex marriage.

“I think that they will feel the crunch.  I think that they cannot take for granted that they can come to the church; and get the church’s sanction, and votes, and signatures; and then go to Springfield, and don’t speak what the people want them to speak. And so now, if that’s how we have to be heard, we will be heard,” Trotter said.”

_________________________________________________

So how’s the “call the hotline, or submit a paper application to bypass ObamaCare website problems” thingy workin’ out? Not well people, not well at all…..

From ABCNews  “A series of internal Obama administration memos obtained exclusively by ABC News reveal for the first time how dysfunction with HealthCare.gov has upended the entire Affordable Care Act enrollment process, including applications by paper and phone that officials have been pushing as more reliable alternatives.

While President Obama and other top aides have publicly reassured frustrated consumers that they can bypass the troubled website and apply by phone in as little as 25 minutes, those working most closely with the rollout acknowledged privately that even the nonelectronic avenues would be no more efficient or guaranteed, the documents show.

“The same portal is used to determine eligibility no matter how the application is submitted (paper, online),” reads a Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight memo from Oct. 11.

“The paper applications allow people to feel like they are moving forward in the process and provides another option,” it says. “At the end of the day, we are all stuck in the same queue.”

DOH! 😦

Here’s the video.

Again, DOH!

_________________________________________________

I’m having a hard time feeling bad for this guy, like most people I’m sure, but I feel for his son.

From YahooNews  “Little more than a week after millions of consumers received health care cancellation notices, lawmakers in both parties are pushing legislation to redeem President Barack Obama’s long-ago pledge that anyone liking their coverage will be allowed to keep it under the nation’s controversial new law.

The result is a stern new challenge for the White House as it struggles to fix website woes for the signup portal for those seeking to enroll under the law, and simultaneously copes with angry consumers who rightly or wrongly blame “Obamacare” for cancellation letters mailed by insurers.

Democratic officials said top administration aides got a close-up view of the cancellation controversy last week, when Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., said at a closed-door meeting of the party’s rank and file that his son had received notice his coverage was being terminated.

In response, these officials said White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough referred to a speech Obama had made earlier in the week saying some of those losing coverage would qualify under Medicaid, some would receive federal subsidies for individual coverage, and others would have options in the so-called exchanges the law set up to allow individuals to shop for insurance. Donnelly’s office declined several requests for comment. The officials who described the incident did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss a private meeting.”

At least this kid can complain to one of the people who is actually responsible for it. And I hope he does. Often. Like every day.

_________________________________________________

We’ve been hearing that the folks getting cancellation notices are only suffering because they have sucky plans. Pres. Obama says it will be about 5% of policyholders. This expert says it will be much, much worse than that. Try 68%.

From TheDailyCaller  “If Obamacare is fully implemented, 68 percent of Americans with private  health insurance will not be able to keep their plan, according to health care  economist Christopher Conover.

Conover is a research scholar in the Center for Health Policy &  Inequalities Research at Duke University and an adjunct scholar at the American  Enterprise Institute. In an interview with The Daily Caller, he laid out what he  estimates the consequences of Obamacare’s implementation will ultimately be.

“Bottom line: of the 189 million Americans with private health insurance  coverage, I estimate that if Obamacare is fully implemented, at least 129  million (68 percent) will not be able to keep their previous health care plan  either because they already have lost or will lose that coverage by the end of  2014,” he said in an email. ”But of these, ‘only’ the 18 to 50 million will  literally lose coverage, i.e., have their plans entirely taken away. This  includes 9.2-15.4 million in the non-group market and 9-35 million in the  employer-based market. The rest will retain their old plans but have to pay  higher rates for  Obamacare-mandated bells and whistles.”

Looks like somebody’s pants are on fire again.

__________________________________________________