abortion

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News/Politics 1-23-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. Despite the bad weather many turned out for yesterdays March for Life. Numerous plane and bus delays, as well as cancellations did lower the numbers.

From LifeSiteNews, photos at the link.   “Tens of thousands of pro-life activists endured frigid temperatures and a snow storm Wednesday as they gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to mark the 41st anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that has prepared the way for an estimated 56 million abortions.”

“Taking the stage to welcome the marchers shortly after noon, March for Life organizers insisted pro-lifers wouldn’t be daunted by the frigid weather in D.C. “We may be freezing, but we’re freezing for the best cause in the world,” said Patrick Kelly, chairman of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. “No sacrifice is too great for this cause,” said Jeanne Monahan, the group’s newly minted president.

Speakers at the rally included Dr. James Dobson, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), and Washington State Democratic Legislator Roger Freeman.”

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2. Democrats took the anniversary of Roe v. Wade as an opportunity for reaffirming their commitment to abortion. The DNC trotted out the tired, old “war on women” meme in a tweet aimed at the Republicans above who dared to stand up for life.

“On the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the GOP actually postponed it’s winter meeting to rally against women’s rights.”

The President did exactly what you would expect. He reminded folks that without abortion, some women wouldn’t be able to fulfill their dreams.

Also from LifeSiteNews  “President Obama reaffirmed his support for the “right to reproductive freedom” in a statement celebrating the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a ruling which has paved the way for over 56 million abortions.”

““Today, as we reflect on the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, we recommit ourselves to the decision’s guiding principle: that every woman should be able to make her own choices about her body and her health,” the president said.

“We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to protecting a woman’s access to safe, affordable health care and her constitutional right to privacy, including the right to reproductive freedom,” he continued. “And we resolve to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, support maternal and child health, and continue to build safe and healthy communities for all our children.  Because this is a country where everyone deserves the same freedom and opportunities to fulfill their dreams.”

Except for the unborn, right Mr. President?

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3. This, like the March, is encouraging. A Knights of Columbus/Marist poll shows 84% of Americans support significant restriction on abortion.

From KOFC.org  “A new survey of Americans finds strong support for abortion restrictions – including among those who identify as “strongly pro-choice.” Eighty-four percent of Americans would limit abortion to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy, with 58 percent of strongly pro-choice Americans supporting such limits.

The Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll also found that almost three-quarters of Americans (74 percent) favor a ban on abortions after 20 weeks except to save the life of the mother, a majority of Americans (53 percent) believe life begins at conception, and more than 6 in 10 (62 percent) think abortion is morally wrong.

More than 8 in 10 Americans (84 percent) do not see the abortion debate as an all or nothing proposition, saying that laws can protect both the well-being of a woman and the life of the unborn.”

80% support parental notification, 79% support a 24 hour waiting period, and 76% oppose allowing abortions to be performed by non-doctors as well.

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4. Here’s another interesting poll. And this ain’t no right-wing pollster.  🙂

From Quinnipiac.edu  “American voters give President Obama a negative 40 – 54 percent approval rating, compared to 41 – 53 percent January 8, and 38 – 57 percent December 10, indications that his plunge has leveled off.

But voters give Obama his lowest grades for their top priorities:

 Negative 39 – 56 percent for his handling of the economy;

 Negative 36 – 59 percent for his handling of healthcare;

 Positive 48 – 41 percent for handling terrorism;

 Negative 40 – 49 percent for foreign policy;

 Negative 39 – 47 percent for handling Iran.”

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5. And they won’t be the only ones.

From CNBC  “Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini told CNBC on Wednesday that Obamacare has failed to attract the uninsured, and he offered a scenario in which the insurance company could be forced to pull out of program.

The company will be submitting Obamacare rates for 2015 on May 15.

  “Are they going to be double-digit [increases] or are we going to get beat up because they’re double-digit or are we just going to have to pull out of the program?” Bertolini asked in a “Squawk Box” interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “Those questions can’t be answered until we see the population we have today. And we really don’t have a good view on that.”

“He said that so far, Obamacare has just shifted people who were insured in the individual market to the public exchanges where they could get a better deal on a subsidy for coverage. “We see only 11 percent of the population is actually people that were firmly uninsured that are now insured. So [it] didn’t really eat into the uninsured population.”

Why would it? After all, nothing else has been as advertised. Why would this be any different?

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News/Politics 1-14-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. Every 96 seconds Planned Parenthood ends a life. With the aid of 540.6 million taxpayer dollars.

From CNSNews  “In its latest annual report, released in December,  Planned Parenthood says it did 327,166 abortion procedures in the  course of one year and 2,197 adoption referrals. That works out to  approximately 149 abortions for each adoption referral.

The data comes from an accounting of “patient care” Planned  Parenthood says its “affiliate health centers” did in the year that ran  from Oct. 1, 2011 to Sept. 30, 2012.

Planned Parenthood says in it new annual report that it received a total of $540.6 million in  government grants and reimbursements for the fiscal year that ended on  June 30, 2013. That accounted for almost 45 percent of the  organization’s total revenue of $1,210.4. “

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2. The Benghazi transcripts  further expose the lies from the Obama admin.

From FoxNews  “Minutes after the American consulate in Benghazi came under assault on Sept. 11, 2012, the nation’s top civilian and uniformed defense officials — headed for a previously scheduled Oval Office session with President Obama — were informed that the event was a “terrorist attack,” declassified documents show. The new evidence raises the question of why the top military men, one of whom was a member of the president’s Cabinet, allowed him and other senior Obama administration officials to press a false narrative of the Benghazi attacks for two weeks afterward. 

 Gen. Carter Ham, who at the time was head of AFRICOM, the Defense Department combatant command with jurisdiction over Libya, told the House in classified testimony last year that it was him who broke the news about the unfolding situation in Benghazi to then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The tense briefing — in which it was already known that U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens had been targeted and had gone missing — occurred just before the two senior officials departed the Pentagon for their session with the commander in chief. “

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3. The justices voiced their doubts yesterday on some of the Obama admins claims relating to executive authority.

From TheNYTimes  “In an extended argument that contained large doses of constitutional history and practical politics, the Supreme Court on Monday seemed skeptical of the Obama administration’s contention that it could bypass the Senate to appoint officials during short breaks in the Senate’s work.

Justices across the ideological spectrum appeared prepared to rein in the ability of presidents to make appointments without obtaining the Senate’s advice and consent by invoking the Constitution’s recess-appointments clause, which says “the president shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Senate.”

“Justice Elena Kagan said the clause may be a “historic relic” from “the horse and buggy era,” when presidents needed the authority to fill vacancies because lawmakers were out of town and could not return on short notice. More recently, she said, presidents of both parties have used the appointment power “as a way to deal, not with congressional absence, but with congressional intransigence, with a Congress that simply does not want to approve appointments that the president thinks ought to be approved.”

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4. Obama deciding to bail out insurance companies will cost taxpayers up to a trillion dollars due to the rollout debacle. Affordable Care Act? I think not.

From TheWeeklyStandard  “Robert Laszewski—a prominent consultant to health insurance companies—recently wrote in a remarkably candid blog post that, while Obamacare is almost certain to cause insurance costs to skyrocket even higher than it already has, “insurers won’t be losing a lot of sleep over it.”  How can this be?  Because insurance companies won’t bear the cost of their own losses—at least not more than about a quarter of them.  The other three-quarters will be borne by American taxpayers.

For some reason, President Obama hasn’t talked about this particular feature of his signature legislation.  Indeed, it’s bad enough that Obamacare is projected by the Congressional Budget Office to funnel $1,071,000,000,000.00 (that’s $1.071 trillion) over the next decade (2014 to 2023) from American taxpayers, through Washington, to health insurance companies.  It’s even worse that Obamacare is trying to coerce Americans into buying those same insurers’ product (although there are escape routes).  It’s almost unbelievable that it will also subsidize those same insurers’ losses. “

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5. Darryl Issa is saying the Obama admin is waging a war on guns, and like with Fast and Furious, using questionable methods.

From TheDailyCaller  “California Rep. Darrell Issa, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, accused the Obama administration of waging “a war on guns” after new reports of “rogue” sting operations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) conducted during 2013.

Issa spoke to Fox News’ Shannon Bream Sunday about a report by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, which claimed that ATF agents operating firearm stings in 6 separate cities “took advantage of the mentally ill, set up stings near churches and schools and made decisions which some claim actually increased crime in their neighborhoods.” Issa and Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley sent a letter to ATF Director Todd Jones this week to demand answers on the tactics and how often they’ve been used.”

“This is ‘Fast and Furious’ revisited,” he began, referencing the infamous gun-running operation that saw thousands of small arms fall into the hands of drug cartels. “You finally have a confirmed director, Todd Jones, who was supposed to clean up these operations. And instead — what you see in many of these cases — they’re continuing. They’re continuing to have this be what’s called a ‘rogue organization.’ But I think for the members of the ATF, I want to make sure I make one thing clear. The ATF never acts alone. The FBI and the U.S. attorneys in each of these areas — political appointees — they work hand in hand… This is the president, President Obama’s Department of Justice that continues to support these sting operations, these ‘rogue operations’ as they’re called, that lead to harm in communities.”

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News/Politics 12-3-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

1. I read a lot of news. It takes quite a doozy to shock me. This one did. Talk about overreach.

From TheTelegraph/UK  “A pregnant woman has had her baby forcibly removed by caesarean section by social workers. 

Essex social services obtained a High Court order against the woman that allowed her to be forcibly sedated and her child to be taken from her womb.”

“The council said it was acting in the best interests of the woman, an Italian  who was in Britain on a work trip, because she had suffered a mental   breakdown. 

The baby girl, now 15 months old, is still in the care of social services, who  are refusing to give her back to the mother, even though she claims to have  made a full recovery.”

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2. So is the ObamaCare site fixed? Depends who you ask.

From FoxNews  “Despite the Obama administration’s claim that HealthCare.gov is “vastly improved,” insurance companies are still grappling with error-riddled files fed to them from the flawed website. The lingering glitch could cause major problems weeks down the road, resulting in people thinking they’ve signed up when insurance companies have no record of them doing so. 

These so-called “back-end” problems were largely glossed over when federal health officials confidently claimed over the weekend they had met their own goals for improving the website by Dec. 1. “

“But insurers continue to deal with the same set of problems that have shaken their confidence for weeks in the system they have to rely on to enroll new customers. 

“Until the enrollment process is working from end-to-end, many consumers will not be able to enroll in coverage,” Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, said in a statement. “

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3. Does this sound fixed?

From TheHill  “A back-up system was deployed for HealthCare.gov on Monday at a lower traffic rate than federal officials projected, signaling there could be further trouble with the system.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) acknowledged that the site’s try-again-later system was initiated as roughly 35,000 users tried to access HealthCare.gov at the same time.”

“CMS had previously said the back-up system would be used only when HealthCare.gov was coping with 50,000 simultaneous visitors.

Officials said the decision came in response to a slight rise in error rates and response times across the site. CMS spokeswoman Julie Bataille sought to downplay the move, suggesting it was unrelated to the site’s overall functionality.”

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4. And what about safety? Yeah….no.

From CNBC  “It could take a year to secure the risk of “high exposures” of personal information on the federal Obamacare online exchange, a cybersecurity expert told CNBC on Monday.

“When you develop a website, you develop it with security in mind. And it doesn’t appear to have happened this time,” said David Kennedy, a so-called “white hat” hacker who tests online security by breaching websites. He testified on Capitol Hill about the flaws of HealthCare.gov last week.

“It’s really hard to go back and fix the security around it because security wasn’t built into it,” said Kennedy, chief executive of TrustedSec. “We’re talking multiple months to over a year to at least address some of the critical-to-high exposures on the website itself.”

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversaw the implementation of the website, the components used to build the site are compliant with standards set by Federal security authorities.”

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5. You know they’re gonna attempt to delay this, but it is coming.

From TheWaPo  “Democrats are praying that this weekend’s relaunch of the Obamacare Web site will save them from an electoral bloodbath in 2014. Their hopes are misplaced. Here are five numbers that suggest that public anger over Obamacare will only grow as Election Day 2014 approaches:

5.5 million. That is how many people the administration needs to sign up in just 23 days because Obamacare drove them out of their health-care plans. That’s some 240,000 sign-ups every single day, just to break even. Getting that many enrolled in a few weeks would be extraordinarily difficult even if the Web site were working perfectly, which it isn’t. According to the New York Times, the system is still sending insurers inaccurate or incomplete information, and the companies are being “deluged with phone calls from people who believe they have signed up for a particular health plan, only to find that the company has no record of the enrollment.” As a result, many Americans could find themselves without insurance on Jan. 1. Their anger at those responsible for putting them through this panic and disruption is not likely to subside by November 2014.”

“50 million. That is how many Americans will be surprised to find their employer-based health plans dropped or substantially changed next year because of Obamacare. Some will see their plans canceled; others will lose their doctors and see premiums or deductibles rise dramatically. If Democrats think the public is mad about 5.5 million cancellations in the individual market today, imagine the outrage when tens of millions lose their plans in October 2014, right before Election Day.”

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6. Why doesn’t this shock me? 🙄

Apparently it’s now un-ethical to NOT provide abortions.

From TheWaPo  “The American Civil Liberties Union is taking aim at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and its ethical guidelines for Catholic hospitals.

The ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal court in Michigan accusing the bishops of being negligent for barring certain treatments or the mention of the treatments such as abortion.

The lawsuit was filed in the case of a pregnant woman whose life was at risk from premature labor. The ACLU says Mercy Health Muskegon hospital didn’t tell her that she should consider terminating her pregnancy because the bishops’ guidelines barred mention of abortion.”

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News/Politics 11-20-13

What’s interesting out there today?

1. First up today, we know the Obama admin’s BLS numbers have been fuzzy as all get-up. Now we find they’ve put some fur on the Census numbers too. This is especially troubling considering the Census Bureau is all about staying apolitical and not allowing outside influences.

From TheNYPost  “In the home stretch of the 2012 presidential campaign, from August to September, the unemployment rate fell sharply — raising eyebrows from Wall Street to Washington.

The decline — from 8.1 percent in August to 7.8 percent in September — might not have been all it seemed. The numbers, according to a reliable source, were manipulated.”

“Just two years before the presidential election, the Census Bureau had caught an employee fabricating data that went into the unemployment report, which is one of the most closely watched measures of the economy.”

“The Census employee caught faking the results is Julius Buckmon, according to confidential Census documents obtained by The Post. Buckmon told me in an interview this past weekend that he was told to make up information by higher-ups at Census.”

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2. Yesterday I mentioned folks not being able to pay for their new insurance plans from the govt. website. Turns out, that part’s not built yet. And won’t be until January, after the first payment is due. 🙄

You can watch the video testimony at the link.

From HotAir  “Skip to 3:15 for the key bit. We’re 50 days removed from launch and Chao’s spent hours upon hours testifying about the website before Congress over the last few weeks. And somehow only now are we hearing about this.”

“Two things as you watch. First, note that Chao’s talking about the entire online exchange apparatus here, not the front end of Healthcare.gov where people sign up. The front end is in place and being repaired, he says. It’s the back end that … hasn’t completely been built yet. Second, it sounds initially like he says 60-70 percent of that back end is missing, but then he appears to correct that in the last minute or so. I’ll be conservative and assume it’s the later number that’s accurate. Regardless: How does the enrollment process work if the payment system hasn’t been finished yet? Remember, even if you’re one of the chosen few who managed to complete the sign-up process, your coverage doesn’t take effect on January 1 unless you make your first premium payment by December 15. You could make that payment directly to the insurer, bypassing the federal website entirely, but some segment of people won’t do that, whether because of absent-mindedness or their understandable assumption that payment should be made through the same site they used to enroll — i.e. Healthcare.gov.

It’s not just enrollees and insurers who are having trouble with payment either:”

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3. The President’s “fix” is going to cost insurers, which translates into higher costs for policyholders.

From Politico  “President Barack Obama had some bad news for the insurance company CEOs who met him at the White House: His “fix” might cost them.

Obama asked the CEOs to reinstate millions of Americans’ health insurance plans that were canceled because they fell short of coverage requirements under the law, according to two executives who attended the session Friday.

The president offered the execs some sweeteners, but admitted they won’t necessarily add up to enough to cover the full brunt of added costs that the changes to the insurance market could create.”

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4. Then we have the new lie, which is being used to provide cover for the old lie.

From NationalReview  “Obama’s ‘5 Percent’ Con Job        

It’s a 100 percent lie, according to the White House’s own figures”

“But that’s not the half of it. Obama’s claim that unwelcome cancellations are confined to the individual-insurance market is another brazen lie. In the weekend column, I link to the excellent work of Powerline’s John Hinderaker, who has demonstrated that, for over three years, the Obama administration’s internal estimates have shown that most Americans who are covered by “employer plans” will also lose their coverage under Obamacare. Mind you, 156 million Americans get health coverage through their jobs.

John cites the Federal Register, dated June 17, 2010, beginning at page 34,552 (Vol. 75, No. 116). It includes a chart that outlines the Obama administration’s projections. The chart indicates that somewhere between 39 and 69 percent of employer plans would lose their “grandfather” protection by 2013. In fact, for small-business employers, the high-end estimate is a staggering 80 percent (and even on the low end, it’s just a shade under half — 49 percent).”

Meet the new lie, worse than the old lie.

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5. It turns out college age women aren’t impressed with being portrayed as promiscuous tramps who can’t control themselves in ObamaCare ads using sex to sell their product. Via MRC-TV.

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6. Pass the popcorn, it looks like Democrats are about to enter the open revolt stage.

From TheHill  “The administration is risking rebellion from some Democrats in Congress if it fails to deliver on its promise to fix HealthCare.gov by the Nov. 30 deadline set by President Obama.”

“If the president’s team fails to deliver, Democrats will embrace legislation extending the law’s enrollment period or forcing insurance companies to continue offering plans that do not meet ObamaCare’s standards, according to Democratic aides.”

“A second Democratic aide said the party’s incumbents in the chamber facing reelection next year will begin to panic if the Department of Health and Human Services misses another important deadline set by the president.

“If the website is not up, the administration and 2014ers are going to start freaking out even more,” said the aide.”

If the rats are jumping ship, it’s sinking fast. 🙂

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7. Once again, the Hyde Amendment is just one more law this administration ignores. And don’t insult our intelligence by saying this won’t fund abortion. It will, and they know it.

From LifeSiteNews  “A Planned Parenthood facility in Texas has reopened its doors, thanks to federal taxpayer dollars it has received from the Obama administration.”

“The facility – which is named after the Rev. Bruce Galloway – gives women referrals for surgical abortions, offers chemical abortions by administering the “morning-after pill,” and performs “LGBT services.”

“The Mission office closed after Texas Governor Rick Perry passed a law forbidding abortion providers from receiving state planning funds. After the Obama administration threatened to withhold all federal money, Governor Perry established an entirely state-funded family planning system whose network is free of abortion providers.

But tn March, the Obama administration did an end-run around that law by directly providing $13 million to the Women’s Health and Family Planning Association of Texas (WHFPT), a coalition including Planned Parenthood.”

So they held a party to celebrate the ability to continue killing the unborn. Disgusting.

As is the President for ignoring federal law and celebrating with them, all on the taxpayer dime.

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8. And last one today…… FINALLY! 🙂

From YahooNews  “British comedy veterans Monty Python are set to reunite for a new show in their first major collaboration in 30 years, member Terry Jones revealed on Tuesday.

“I’m quite excited about it. I hope it makes us a lot of money. I hope to be able to pay off my mortgage!”

The BBC reported that the new collaboration — the first major project since the 1983 film “Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life” — would come in the form of a theatre show.”

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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. 🙄

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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5. So how bad is it? This bad….

Democrats have actually become camera shy. 🙂

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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.”

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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.

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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.”

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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.”

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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.  😯

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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.”

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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?

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News/Politics 11-1-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, as always.

Well that didn’t take long. 🙂

From USNews/NBCNews  “A federal appeals court on Thursday issued a ruling reinstating most of Texas’ tough new abortion restrictions.

A panel of judges at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling a day after District Judge Lee Yeakel said one provision serves no medical purpose.

The panel says the law requiring doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital can take effect while a lawsuit moves forward. The restrictions could take effect Friday.”

“The panel left in place a portion of Yeakel’s order that prevents the state from enforcing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration protocol for abortion-inducing drugs in cases where the woman is between 50 and 63 days into her pregnancy. Doctors testifying before the court had said such women would be  harmed if the protocol were enforced.”

The court ruled that the restrictions were well within the legislature’s authority to enact.

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The Rev. Billy Graham is about to hold what could be his last crusade. This one will be broadcast on television and the internet due to his health issues. I’ve never had the privilege of attending one, so I’m looking forward to it. I will provide the link and broadcast info when it’s available, but it looks like it will be on his birthday Nov. 7th.

From NewsMax  “Evangelist Billy Graham’s voice is softer and his body weaker, but the man who helped transform Christianity in America and counseled U.S. presidents will  reach out to the nation on his 95th birthday in an effort to revitalize the church.

In early October, Graham gave  an exclusive interview to Newsmax during which he said the sermon  he was preparing might be his last.

Graham, whose last crusade will be  via video, told Newsmax that America is drenched in a “sea of immorality” and suggested that the second coming of Christ is “near.”

“Graham, who has not preached publicly since 2006 because of  frail health, has filmed a public message to air on national television on his Nov. 7  birthday, giving fans a rare and possibly final opportunity to see the man dubbed “America’s Pastor.”

“Our country is in great need of a spiritual awakening,” Graham says in a program titled “The Cross.” “With all my heart, I want to leave you with the truth.”

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Looks like more Benghazi lies have been exposed.

From TheWashingtonTimes  “Masked from public view, two of the U.S. military’s elite special operations commandos have been awarded medals for  bravery for a mission that further undercuts the Obama administration’s original story about the  Benghazi tragedy.”

“The Pentagon, under intense public criticism for not coming to the aid of besieged Americans, published an official timeline in November that carefully danced around the issue.

It said time and distance prevented any commandos outside Libya from reaching a CIA compound under  attack. The timeline disclosed that a reinforcement flight 400 miles away in Tripoli contained two “DoD personnel” but did  not describe who they were. Later, the official State Department report on Benghazi said they were “two U.S. military personnel” — but provided no other details. It made no mention of special operations forces.

But sources directly familiar with the attack tell The Washington Times that  a unit of eight special operators — mostly Delta  Force and Green Beret members — were in  Tripoli the night of the attack, on a counterterrorism mission that involved capturing weapons and wanted terrorists from the streets and helping train Libyan forces.”

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I’m sure the DoJ will be charging this leaker with felony charges. We know how they hate leakers, and I’m sure they’ll treat him just like the others. 🙄

From NationalReview  “A House committee investigating the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of right-leaning groups has identified the IRS agent who leaked the confidential donor list of the National Organization for Marriage, a conservative organization that opposes gay marriage. NOM’s donor list, contained in a Form 990 Schedule B, which it is required by law to file with the IRS, was obtained in March 2012 by its chief political opponent, the Human Rights Campaign, and subsequently became the subject of several national news stories that centered on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s donation to the group.”

“Though the House Ways and Means Committee, which began investigating the scandal in the wake of revelations that the IRS had inappropriately singled out conservative groups, has identified the individual who divulged the information as an employee in the IRS’s Exempt Organizations Division, it can’t divulge his name to the public or to NOM. It can’t even confirm when the leak took place, whether the perpetrator was disciplined, or even whether he is still employed by the IRS or the U.S. government. That’s because of a peculiarity of the Internal Revenue Code’s section 6103, which is intended to protect the confidentiality of taxpayer information. The law makes it a felony to disclose tax returns or related information to the public, but in an odd twist, the results of investigations conducted by congressional committees or by inspectors general are considered the confidential tax information of the alleged perpetrator.“

Yep. They’ll be on this guy soon. Any minute now……..

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News/Politics 10-30-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

The White House has found someone else to throw under the bus rather than admit the obvious. And these folks aren’t happy about it. Nothing is ever the Obama administration’s fault. And as always, they’ll lie when challenged.

From TheLATimes  “The White House and State Department signed off on surveillance targeting phone conversations of friendly foreign leaders, current and former U.S. intelligence officials said Monday, pushing back against assertions that President Obama and his aides were unaware of the high-level eavesdropping.

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The Obama admin and Democrats have blamed CGI for the website issues. They don’t like being thrown under the bus either.

From CNN  “The Obama administration was given stark warnings just one month before launch that the federal healthcare site was not ready to go live, according to a confidential report obtained by CNN.

The caution, from the main contractor CGI, warned of a number of open risks and issues for the HealthCare.gov web site even as company executives were testifying publicly that the project had achieved key milestones.

On Capitol Hill on Monday, Medicaid Chief Marilyn Tavenner, whose job it was to oversee the October 1 rollout of the website, said she did not foresee its problems.

“No, we had tested the website and we were comfortable with its performance,” she said. “Now, like I said, we knew all along there would be as with any new website, some individual glitches we would have to work out. But, the volume issue and the creation of account issues was not anticipated and obviously took us by surprise. And did not show up in testing.”

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Oh look, more no-bid funny business in ObamaCare contracts.

From FoxNews  “The Dept. of Health and Human Services has quietly canceled a contract to a Chicago-based advocacy group that planned to promote ObamaCare benefits to recently paroled prisoners, after GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions wrote a letter to the agency in July questioning how the contract was funded.

 The HHS awarded the no-bid contract to Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities in July in order to “increase insurance enrollment for… individuals involved in the criminal justice system,” but then quietly updated the solicitation’s status to “canceled” on its website, saying it would be re-issued.

In his letter, Sessions, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, questioned why the advocacy group was awarded a special contract to promote the health care law to recently released convicts when the government has already spent over $200 million on the Navigators program, which is supposed to help educate all Americans about the law and its benefits and help them sign up.”

“Sessions also questioned why the contract was awarded to the group without on a no-bid basis, without offering the chance for other groups to offer the same services for less money.”

Probably a campaign donor or “friend of the prez”.

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The numbers for ObamaCare keep rising. No not the sign-ups, the cancellations.

From HotAir  ““If you like your doctor or health care plan,” Barack Obama repeatedly promised, “you can keep it.” Politifact rated that as “half true,” but for at least 2 million Americans, it’s a pants-on-fire lie from the White House.  CBS reports this morning that their contacts in the insurance industry confirm that millions have been booted from existing plans, and millions more may follow.”

“Well, it’s not unexpected for the White House and HHS, which made decisions three years ago that guaranteed millions would be pushed out of existing plans.  Levitt estimates that after subsidies are applied, about half will pay less in premiums while half will pay more, but that doesn’t take into account the escalating deductibles on the new plans.

The “subsidies will cover the difference” response also doesn’t address a fundamental truth about ObamaCare: it’s making everything more expensive, not just premiums.  Premiums increase as costs go up; that’s a fundamental point in risk-pool economics.  The subsidies only hide that cost, and don’t even do that well.  The subsidies will come from higher taxes and/or borrowing, and those taxes will be paid by Americans on top of the premiums they are now forced to absorb.  The only difference is that the taxes are indirect — either through income-tax increases or on costs associated with higher taxes on medical devices and services.”

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The fight for control of the future of the Republican party rages on. Maybe stuff like this is why people have the opinion that the party only cares about big business. Looks like the RINO’s are teaming up with big business to seize control of the party.

From TheWashingtonTimes  “The recent fiscal crisis has opened a major rift between the tea party wing  of the Republican Party and business  groups that traditionally have backed Republicans, with many business leaders  now vowing to get involved more in GOP primaries to try to counter insurgent candidates.

Tea party leaders are defiant, saying they will not change course despite  criticism from the U.S. Chamber of  Commerce, Business Roundtable and  other top business groups.

But business leaders argue that the scorched-earth tactics used by tea party  Republicans during the 16-day shutdown and debate over raising the federal  government’s borrowing limit marked the fourth time since the GOP took control of the House in 2011 that tea party adherents precipitated a  governmental crisis that zapped consumer and business confidence, raised  uncertainty and exerted a major drag on economic  growth.

Besides encouraging more business-friendly candidates in primary contests,  business groups are rallying behind establishment Republicans such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky  Republican who is being targeted by tea party activists for brokering a deal to  temporarily raise the debt ceiling and reopen the government, while launching a  negotiation with Democrats over budget cuts and proposed tax and entitlement  reforms.”

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The public however seems to disagree with RINO’s, big business, and Dems in some of their views of the Tea Party.

From Rasmussen  “Voters are evenly divided when asked whether they agree more politically with President Obama or with the average member of the Tea Party. But an enormous partisan gap colors virtually all opinions of the Tea Party.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% of Likely U.S. Voters think the president’s views are closest to their own when it comes to the major issues facing the country. But just as many (42%) say their views come closest to those of the average Tea Party member instead. Sixteen percent (16%) are not sure.”

“Thirty-four percent (34%) now believe their personal views are closest to those of the average member of Congress when it comes to the major issues of the day. But slightly more (36%) say their views are closest to those of the average member of the Tea Party. A sizable 30%, however, are not sure.”

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And it seems Obama and his love of abortion (and their dollars) has rubbed off on OFA, the (totally non-partisan and unconnected to the White House honest we swear) advocacy group.

From LifeNews  “Operation Rescue has learned that the pro-abortion Respect ABQ Women Coalition, which is the main opposition to the Albuquerque “Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance,” is actually an affiliate of Pres. Barack Obama’s “Organizing for Action,” which encourages activism for radical leftist causes. The two groups are working together under the banner of “Stand With Women,” which is coordinating a national effort against the municipal ordinance through BarackObama.com. [View screen shot of website]

Operation Rescue received a copy of an e-mail concerning a “Stand with Women” national conference call held on October 24, which originated from Kelli Lamb, Barack Obama.com, who is the Women’s Issues Coordinator for Obama’s Organizing for Action.”

“During this “strategy call,” Jennifer Lawson, the field director for the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in Albuquerque, solicited funds and volunteers to oppose the late-term abortion ban, according to a pro-life supporter who debriefed Operation Rescue after listening in on the call.”

“It appears that Obama is behind an organized effort to ensure the continuation of late-term abortions up until birth, and is attempting through subterfuge to subvert the will of the vast majority of the people of Albuquerque who oppose the heinous practice of aborting babies halfway through pregnancy and up until birth,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. “These are the same leftists who are condemning support for the ordinance by national pro-life groups. The deception is appalling.”

But not at all surprising.

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News/Politics 10-29-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Penn State will pay 60 million to the Jerry Sandusky victims.

From MSNNews  “Penn State said Monday it is paying $59.7 million to 26 young men over claims of child sexual abuse at the hands of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, a man once revered as a university icon who is now serving what is effectively a life prison sentence.

Nearly two years after the retired coach was first charged with child molestation, the school said 23 deals were fully signed and three were agreements in principle. It did not disclose the names of the recipients.”

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A federal judge has ruled that Texas’ new abortion law violates the rights of women seeking abortion.

Also From MSNNews  “A federal judge has determined that new Texas abortion restrictions violate the U.S. Constitution, a ruling that keeps open — at least for now — dozens of abortion clinics that were set to halt operations Tuesday had key parts of the law taken effect.

In a decision released Monday that the state is certain to appeal, District Judge Lee Yeakel wrote that the regulations requiring doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital creates an undue obstacle to women seeking an abortion.”

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Congressional investigators have “grilled” Benghazi witnesses. A move the White House isn’t happy with.

From TheLATimes  “Responding to congressional subpoenas, the State Department security agents were asked how the Libyan terrorists stormed the mission and set parts of it on fire, how they were armed and how they killed four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The agents also were asked about security breakdowns and whether the administration reacted appropriately to the Sept. 11, 2012, assault.

How those highly guarded and secret interviews came about was part of an increasingly bitter dispute between two branches of the federal government.

Prosecutors are under intense pressure to arrest and convict the terrorists, while the Republican-led House is determined to find who is responsible for any lapse in security that night, and whether the administration misled the public when officials initially said the attack stemmed from a protest.”

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Separation of Church and State?…….. Anyone?

From News4Jax  “Community organizers went to churches across the country, talking to members about the new health care law, with help from pastors.

Pastor John Newman introduced two community organizers from Enroll America who talked about the act, everything from coverage, cost, to how to enroll.”

“Our pastor, he keeps us real informed and grounded in what’s going on in the community, and he’s always bringing stuff to help us, so I love him for that,” Fletcher said.

That bond between a pastor and church members is what Enroll America is counting on as a part of their nationwide initiative called “Health Care from the Pulpit.”

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The Obama admin has finally admitted to the most obvious ObamaCare lie.

From NBCNews  “President Obama repeatedly assured Americans that after the Affordable Care Act became law, people who liked their health insurance would be able to keep it. But millions of Americans are getting or are about to get cancellation letters for their health insurance under Obamacare, say experts, and the Obama administration has known that for at least three years.

Four sources deeply involved in the Affordable Care Act tell NBC NEWS that 50 to 75 percent of the 14 million consumers who buy their insurance individually can expect to receive a “cancellation” letter or the equivalent over the next year because their existing policies don’t meet the standards mandated by the new health care law. One expert predicts that number could reach as high as 80 percent. And all say that many of those forced to buy pricier new policies will experience “sticker shock.”  

Be sure to welcome your liberal friends to reality. They’re new here, so a friendly, smiling face is important to helping them adjust. They’ll be plenty of time for saying “I told you so” later. 🙂

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Turns out the cancellations are the most efficient part of this whole fiasco. 🙄

From NationalReview  “So far the part of the Obamacare rollout that is going most smoothly and affecting the most people is the cancellation of current insurance polices. In states around the country, hundreds of thousands of people are getting notices from insurers that their plans are no longer allowed by the law. All told, 16 million people may be dumped from their policies, in flagrant contradiction of President Obama’s famous promise that you can keep your health plan if you like it. 

Maybe the president didn’t understand the basic architecture of his own health care law, which depends on a government takeover of the individual insurance market. The rules governing the new system impose a novel federal definition of insurance on the country, and plans that don’t meet it, regardless of how well they may have served their customers in the past, are, by and large, verboten. Some are grandfathered, but the rules are strict and a great many existing plans won’t pass muster.”

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News/Politics 10-1-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, as always.

Well, it’s shutdown. So this is either the worst thing ever if you listen to Dems, or it’s no big deal. I hate not knowing whether it’s time to panic or not. 🙂

From NBCNews  “With just hours to go before a midnight deadline, the Senate swiftly nixed a House-passed government funding proposal late Monday, tossing the legislation back to the lower chamber with unusual speed as the nation careened towards a federal shutdown. 

Shortly after receiving the House proposal to fund the government and delay a key provision of the president’s health care law, the Senate voted along party lines to send the bill back to the House for a last-ditch effort at meeting a midnight deadline to keep the government’s lights on. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on the Senate floor before the vote that Republicans “have lost their minds” by repeatedly voting for “ridiculous policy riders” destined for failure in the Democratically-controlled Senate.”

If it’s the end of the world, why do I feel fine?

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This one? Well it’s kinda like that Sequester thingy. It’s supposed to be bad, and it might be for the little guys in the federal food chain. But rest assured, the people in charge are gonna be OK.

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “A federal government shutdown will temporarily cut off pay of thousands of Uncle Sam’s workers, but for those considered “excepted employees,” there could be a nice salary bump thanks to rules allowing overtime, compensatory time and other benefits provided to those the administration feels too important to furlough.

In advance of the potential shutdown, the Office of Personnel Management distributed a 30-page “Guidance for Shutdown Furloughs” that spells out who will get what, if anything, if President Obama and House Republicans can’t negotiate a break in the budget stalemate by Monday night, the end of the fiscal year.

Most workers won’t be considered excepted employees, but OPM emphasized that it’s not because their work isn’t valued. “Excepted employees include employees who are performing emergency work involving the safety of human life or the protection of property or performing certain other types of excepted work,” said the guide.”

Comp time and overtime will be permitted for the lucky ones. The ones who get furloughed will get back pay when they get back to work, at least they have the last 17 times this has happened.

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Today is the scheduled launch day for ObamaCare. And yes, it breaks federal law on taxpayers not funding abortions.

From TheWashingtonTimes  “The Office of Personnel Management ruled Monday that members of Congress and  their staffs will be able to buy health care plans that pay for abortions, even  though the premiums are funded largely by taxpayer money — a move that  conservatives say breaks federal law on abortion funding.

Under the terms of Obamacare, lawmakers and their aides are required to  ditch their government-sponsored plans and buy insurance on state-based health  care exchanges, though unlike most people on the exchanges, the staffers and  members will have most of the costs of their premiums paid by their employer —  in this case, taxpayers.”

“Federal law generally prevents taxpayer money from being used to pay for  abortions, but OPM said the health care plans offered through the exchange were  private. The agency also said it will make sure the money is segregated so that  the portion that pays for abortions comes out of the employees’ own  contributions, which amounts to about a quarter of the premiums.”

Please. Don’t insult our intelligence. That’s hogwash and they know it. It’s a distinction without a difference.

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And last one from me today…

The Obama DoD continues their war on Christians.

From FoxNews  “Evangelical Christian airmen at Lackland Air Force Base are facing severe threats and retribution for their religious beliefs and some personnel have been ordered to publicly express their position on gay marriage.

“There is an atmosphere of intimidation at Lackland Air Force Base,” said Steve Branson, the pastor of Village Parkway Baptist Church in San Antonio. “Gay commanders and officers are pushing their agenda on the airmen. There is a culture of fear in the military and it’s gone to a new level with the issue of homosexuality.”

Branson tells me at least 80 airmen attended a private meeting at the church where he heard them voice their concerns about religious hostilities at the Air Force base. It was a standing-room only crowd.

“The religious persecution is happening,” the pastor said. “It’s getting bigger every day. Gay and lesbian airmen can talk about their lifestyle, but the rest have to stay completely quiet about what they believe.”

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UPDATE

Looks like the govt isn’t the only thing down this morning.

From Twitchy  “Surprise! Obamacare health insurance exchange websites don’t work”

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Now by now you’re all aware that I’m a bit snarky. But I’m a rank amateur compared to some of these. 🙂  Via Twitter, the first hour of shutdown Tweets.

And the fun continues in the comment section. 🙂

Also from Twitchy  “We’ve just lost the Eastern Seaboard. Pray.”

“I think I just saw a star go out.”

“The space station is spinning out of control and the polar bears are dying.”