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News/Politics 5-1-14

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, with a few from me.

1. Summer of Recovery? Not this year.

From Forbes  “The U.S. economy grew in the first quarter — but very, very, very slowly. Most economy watchers blame frigid winter weather for dampening forward progress but not everyone is convinced weather tells the whole story.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis’ advance estimate of first quarter 2014 real gross domestic product shows output produced in the U.S. grew at a glacial 0.1% rate. This is growth relative to fourth quarter 2013, when real GDP increased 2.6%. Economists were anticipating growth around 1.1%.”

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2. And here’s some more economic numbers that show the continuing slump and lack of recovery.

From ZeroHedge  “No, the economy is most definitely not “recovering”.  Despite what you may hear from the politicians and from the mainstream media (shrugging off today’s terrible GDP print), the truth is that the U.S. economy is in far worse shape than it was prior to the last recession.  In fact, we are still pretty much where we were at when the last recession finally ended.  When the financial crisis of 2008 struck, it took us down to a much lower level economically.  Thankfully, things have at least stabilized at this much lower level.  For example, the percentage of working age Americans that are employed has stayed remarkably flat for the past four years.  We should be grateful that things have not continued to get even worse.  It is almost as if someone has hit the “pause button” on the U.S. economy.  But things are definitely not getting better, and there are a whole host of signs that this bubble of false stability will soon come to an end and that our economic decline will accelerate once again.  The following are 17 facts to show to anyone that believes that the U.S. economy is just fine…

#1 The homeownership rate in the United States has dropped to the lowest level in 19 years.

#2 Consumer spending for durable goods has dropped by 3.23 percent since November.  This is a clear sign that an economic slowdown is ahead.

#3 Major retailers are closing stores at the fastest pace that we have seen since the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

#4 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20 percent of all families in the United States do not have a single member that is employed.  That means that one out of every five families in the entire country is completely unemployed.

#5 There are 1.3 million fewer jobs in the U.S. economy than when the last recession began in December 2007.  Meanwhile, our population has continued to grow steadily since that time.”

And yet the Obama admin would like us to believe that the unemployment number has been dropping. Fuzzy math can’t hide the truth for much longer.

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3. A Doctor’s Declaration of Independence.

From TheWallStJournal  “So when do we say d%$@ the mandates and requirements from bureaucrats who are not in the healing profession? When do we stand up and say we are not going to take it any more?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services dictates that we must use an electronic health record (EHR) or be penalized with lower reimbursements in the future. There are “meaningful use” criteria whereby the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services tells us as physicians what we need to include in the electronic health record or we will not be subsidized the cost of converting to the electronic system and we will be penalized by lower reimbursements. Across the country, doctors waste precious time filling in unnecessary electronic-record fields just to satisfy a regulatory measure. I personally spend two hours a day dictating and documenting electronic health records just so I can be paid and not face a government audit. Is that the best use of time for a highly trained surgical specialist?

This is not a unique complaint. A study commissioned by the American Medical Association last year and conducted by the RAND Corp. found that “Poor EHR usability, time-consuming data entry, interference with face-to-face patient care, inefficient and less fulfilling work content, inability to exchange health information between EHR products, and degradation of clinical documentation were prominent sources of professional dissatisfaction.”

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4. Why am I not surprised?

From TheDailyCaller  “Outgoing Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius is now refusing to testify before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, a Senate aide told The Daily Caller Tuesday.

Sebelius had originally been set to testify before the subcommittee about the department’s 2015 $70 billion budget request on April 2.

According to another aide, however, several weeks after confirming the hearing date, she requested a date switch with the National Institutes of Health budget hearing on May 7. The committee accommodated her request.

Now, after announcing her resignation on April 11, she is refusing to testify according to the two aides, even though she is still the sitting secretary — remaining at the post until her successor, OMB Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell is confirmed.“

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5. I feel like we were supposed to at least get cake or something…..

From TheWashingtonExaminer  “The travel costs for vacations taken by the first family and the Bidens have reached over $40 million with the Air Force’s revelation that two golf outings by President Obama this year cost $2.9 million, according to the taxpayer watchdog group Judicial Watch.

The group said that the Air Force provided documents and records that put the price of the first family’s trip to Key Largo, Fla., in March at $885,683 just for flying Air Force One. The travel costs to golf in Palm Springs, Calif., in February, where the president also met with King Abdullah II of Jordan, was $2,066,594, said the Air Force documents, according to Judicial Watch.”

“So far, Judicial Watch said that it has tabulated vacation travel costs, mostly just Air Force jet time, at over $40 million. Far more money is spent on accommodations, communications, rooms and cars for staff, security and U.S. Secret Service protection, Navy and Coast Guard ships offshore and the prepositioning of cars and helicopters, but those costs are not usually revealed.”

Given the amount of staff, and resources needed for them, the real numbers gotta be 10 times that. What a waste.

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News/Politics 3-26-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

There’s a lot going on.

Let’s start with ObamaVote, just another “free” service ObamaCare provides. They even have community organizers on hand to help out! They’ve thought of everything. What could possibly go wrong?

And now you know what happened to ACORN. They sold out to the man and went legit.

From TheWashingtonExaminer

“The 61-page online Obamacare draft application for health care includes asking if the applicant wants to register to vote, raising the specter that pro-Obama groups being tapped to help Americans sign up for the program will also steer them to register with the Democratic Party.

On page 59, after numerous questions about the applicant’s identity and qualification for Obamacare, comes the question: “Would you like to register to vote?” The placement of the question could lead some to believe they have to register to vote to get health care.”

“Boustany, a Louisiana Republican, said the application raises two alarming issues: What does HHS plan to do with all the information it collects on each applicant and will pro-Obama groups like AARP and Families USA that might be tapped as “navigators” to sign people up to Obamacare, steer them to register as Democrats. Others have indicated that groups like Planned Parenthood and ACORN could also act as a navigator.”

And the worst part is it’s not even shocking. This is exactly the kind of behavior you’d expect.

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More fun facts on ObamaCare here, from HotAir

“Remember when we were told that there was no way that Obamacare would result in driving up costs of healthcare, and in fact would lower it? Well, that ship has already sailed. But there was another popular “myth” which many of us were accused of falling for.  It was the prediction that government meddling in cost setting would drive health care professionals out of business resulting in less available services and a subsequent decline in quality of care. That was just a myth, right? Ah, good times… good times….

Unfortunately, the early projections show that precisely such a result is already kicking into gear.

“The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has recently triggered a debate within the medical community about both its potential impact on medical trainees and on practicing physicians. While the president of the American Medical Student Association has publicly supported the changes in a recent official memo, a recent survey indicates that 40 percent of medical students may not even be aware of the provisions of the act.

Institutional changes can often be double-edged swords, and this series of proposed changes is no different. There are both potential benefits and downsides to what is now widely seen as almost inevitable healthcare reform.”

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So what can we do about it? First, we need to hang this albatross where it belongs, around the necks of Dems. This is all their doing.

From TheNYPost

“Democrats hope to retake the House of Representatives in next year’s elections. They won’t — and they’ll have themselves to blame, because 2014 is when ObamaCare kicks in.

With a vengeance.

The authors of the Obama health law postponed the pain until after the 2012 election. Some popular provisions went into effect immediately, such as allowing children to stay on their parent’s plan until age 26. And the White House granted 1,472 waivers to various companies and unions, exempting them from insurance reforms so they wouldn’t drop coverage for employees and members before the presidential contest.

Yet a majority of voters on Election Day still opposed the health law (though, obviously, it wasn’t the deciding issue in the presidential race). And opinion will only sour more as the law takes full force starting in January.”

Plenty of low info voters are still under the impression that it’s all free. Reality will not be kind to them. Let’s make sure they are reminded of who is responsible for it.

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And on the gun issue we have this, from Politico

“Sens. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee are threatening to filibuster  gun-control legislation, according to a letter they plan to hand-deliver to  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s office on Tuesday.

“We will oppose the motion to proceed to any legislation that will serve as a  vehicle for any additional gun restrictions,” the three conservatives wrote in a  copy of the signed letter obtained by POLITICO.”

“Reid plans to bring up a gun-control measure that focuses on broadening  background checks and cracking down on interstate gun-trafficking after the  current Senate recess.”

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And it’s been one misstep after another from liberals on this issue. NY didn’t think to exempt police in their rush to pass something. Then they didn’t think through the magazine capacity issue either. They don’t even make the magazines they said were the only ones now legal to possess. Now we have Bloomberg, the next clown who knows little about guns acting like he’s an expert. Oh well, at least the 12 million he’s blown on this was his money. If this commercial is any indication, maybe we should just ban liberals from possessing guns, for the safety of others.

From TheWashingtonTimes

“Mike Bloomberg is spending $12 million on  attack ads designed to force U.S. senators to vote for national gun control laws  that will supposedly save lives. However, the New York mayor’s commercials  running in 13 states over the next two weeks could cause injury or death by  showcasing irresponsible handling of a firearm.

Mr. Bloomberg’s organization, Mayors  Against Illegal Guns, produced two ads featuring a man holding a shotgun,  wearing plaid flannel with a camouflage cap and sitting on the tailgate of a  pickup truck. While a child swings on a tire in the background, the man says, “I  support comprehensive background checks so criminals and the dangerously  mentally ill can’t buy guns.”

“The ad does not specify if the man is an actor, but the text accompanying it  says he is a “gun owner.”  Either way, the man violates all three gun  safety rules taught by the National Rifle Association (NRA).”

It’s Amateur Hour in NY. 🙄

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Remember folks, we don’t have a spending problem. We have a revenue problem, as in not enough revenue for the elitists in charge. And sadly this isn’t new. Waste like this has been going on for years. But these people seem to have perfected it.

From CNN

“Official business took him last month to Europe, a trip that included a bill of $585,000 for his one-night stay in Paris.

Also on the receipt was $321,665 for a limousine company and $459,338.65 for a hotel stay in London.

And while Biden was only in each town for one night, the London hotel bill, for example, included 136 rooms for multiple nights for his advance team, according to the documents posted on the website for Federal Business Opportunities and unearthed by the conservative magazine, The Weekly Standard.

Whether or not the figures were posted online intentionally remain unclear, as similar reports for previous overseas trips could not be located on the same website.”

Oh I’d wager it was done intentionally. More than likely by someone who actually had to deal with Sequester cuts, unlike the VP and Vacationer in Chief and his family. No word yet on the cost for this year’s taxpayer funded Spring Break trip to Atlantis for the Obama girls, or if Mrs. O is joining them. And still no tours for the children of taxpayers. Priorities people!

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News/Politics 3-4-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, what have ya’ got?

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Here’s a good story.

From TheNYTimes

“Doctors announced on Sunday that a baby had been cured of an H.I.V. infection for the first time, a startling development that could change how infected newborns are treated and sharply reduce the number of children living with the virus that causes AIDS.

The baby, born in rural Mississippi, was treated aggressively with antiretroviral drugs starting around 30 hours after birth, something that is not usually done. If further study shows this works in other babies, it will almost certainly be recommended globally. The United Nations estimates that 330,000 babies were newly infected in 2011, the most recent year for which there is data, and that more than three million children globally are living with H.I.V.

If the report is confirmed, the child born in Mississippi would be only the second well-documented case of a cure in the world. That could give a lift to research aimed at a cure, something that only a few years ago was thought to be virtually impossible, though some experts said the findings in the baby would probably not be relevant to adults.”

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Here’s an amusing piece on the gift that just keeps giving. Joe Biden. 🙂

And the video at the end, like all things Joe, is quite amusing.

From InvestorsBusinessDaily

“Lots of people like Joe Biden. He’s the zany uncle, the benign bumbler who  shows up at Thanksgiving dinner and takes over the mealtime conversation with  confusing stories, most of them very familiar and not all of them off-color.

Joe is from Delaware, a place that’s famous for absolutely nothing and  arouses no feelings whatsoever. Joe likes to ride the choo-choo trains. He talks  a lot, which can be good in politics. He often talks before thinking about the  words coming out of his mouth, which can not be good in politics. (Scroll down  for humorous video that illustrates this.)

Obama keeps the harmless guy around because, in comparison, Biden makes the  president look smooth and smart. As long as no one gets to thinking, “God  Almighty, that garrulous goof is one heartbeat away from becoming  commander-in-chief.”

Hey, guys, what does this red button do?”

🙄

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What?! I’m :shock:ed

From FoxNews

“The White House retreated from its doomsday predictions Sunday about the  impact of the $85 billion in federal spending cuts that have  kicked   in — as Republican leaders appeared at least satisfied about delivering  on their promise to limit government spending and hold down taxes.

Gene Sperling, the White House’s top economic adviser, repeatedly said the  cuts will not hurt as much on “Day One” as they will over the long haul.

“Nobody ever suggested that this … was going to have all its impact in the  first few days,” he told “NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “It is a slow grind.”

His remarks are in contrast to weeks of President Obama and his Cabinet  warning that the cuts will result in furloughs or pay cuts for middle-class  wage-earners such as teachers, Capitol Hill janitors and air traffic  controllers, which they said could cause 90-minutes delays at major U.S.  airports.”

OK, not really.

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So it’s not a big deal? Or is it?

Brandon Smith takes a look at govt. programs that should be cut but won’t be, over at Alt-Market.com

“Washington is laying on the malaise pretty thick lately over automatic budget cuts set to take effect in March, with admonitions and partisan attacks galore.  Of course, those of us who are educated in the finer points of our corrupt puppet government are well aware that the public debate between Democrats and Republicans amounts to nothing more than a farcical battle of Rock’Em Sock’Em Robots with only one set of hands behind the controls.  The reality is, their decisions are scripted, their votes are purchased, and they knew months ago exactly how America’s fiscal cliff situation would progress.  The drama that now ensues on the hill is meant for OUR benefit and distraction, and no one else. ”

“Let’s put all of this into perspective; America’s current annual deficits have exceeded $1 trillion for the past four years.  Our official national debt has expanded nearly $7 trillion in the span of five years.  Through QE3 (QE infinity), the Federal Reserve is now pumping over $85 billion (that we know about) per month into our financial system.  And in March, the federal government is being asked to cut $85 billion over a span of six months?

It sure seems like a drop in the bucket compared to the massive expenditures already taking place.  Yet, these moderate cuts are being heralded as a sign of fiscal apocalypse by the White House and others.  Why?  Because America has reached the point at which any disruption in government liquidity will damage our recovery fantasy, and the establishment is acclimating us to the coming crisis so that we don’t immediately take up our torches and pitchforks.  The lie is so tenuous, that the fiat must forever flow, or the illusion crumbles.  Not only must spending continue unabated, it must also EXPAND with each passing year in order to handle the growing liabilities of entitlements and interest payments on capital already borrowed.  Even the smallest of cuts could indeed send our economy into a tailspin (with a little help from the Federal Reserve and reduced currency creation), because that’s exactly how desperate our circumstances are. ”

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News/Politics 3-2-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open Thread, you decide.

Just a few, then I’m taking the day off. 🙂

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A little honesty from Democrat Pat Caddell, about the Obama admin.

From FoxNews

“In my lifetime, in over 40 years in national politics, Mr. Obama is the only  president who comes close to rivaling Richard Nixon for fundamental  disingenuousness.

However, some things never change, just as Woodward and Bernstein were  attacked then by the establishment mainstream media for daring to question a  president — or do a story that they wouldn’t touch — they are once again  attacking Woodward the way they did when he and  Carl Bernstein pursued  Watergate.

As the youngest person on Nixon’s enemies list in 1972, I am particularly  sensitive to a White House where they have utter disregard for trampling on  dissent and on the rights of individuals.”

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Someone followed Joe Biden’s shotgun advice. And was promptly arrested.

Way to go Joe. 🙄

From USNews

“Vice President Joe Biden told Field & Stream magazine in an interview published Monday, “[if] you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door.”

Coincidentally, a 22-year-old man in Virginia Beach, Va., was charged Monday with reckless handling of a firearm after doing just that a couple days earlier.

Local TV station WAVY 10 reports that the man observed two masked men leaning into his bedroom window. The men allegedly had weapons and told him to close his bedroom door. He stepped outside of his bedroom and did as instructed, then fired his shotgun through the closed door and then several more times at the window.”

And don’t forget, he’s handling the gun control push for the Obama admin. 🙄

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The Canadians are officially smarter than us. At least they see the obvious problem, and acknowledge it, unlike our govt..

From TheGlobeAndMail

“The United States has shifted course to provide aid directly to Syria’s rebels, but Canada doesn’t have enough confidence in them to follow suit.

It is a rare international question where the two allies are taking different views: Canada, which was gung-ho about helping rebels in Libya, thinks it’s too risky to fund those in Syria.”

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