Tag Archives: Politics

Media, Obamacare, Politics

HealthCare.Gov Still Not Finished

Hearken back to last year when the roll-out of the HealthCare.Gov website fell flat on its face from day one. There was so much of the $600 million website that was not completed. Millions more were spent to ‘fix’ the problems. Obama got a crack team on it.

Well guess what? According to the HHS Inspector General’s office, the system still lacks the ability to verify whether applicants are eligible.

The federal health exchange was unable to resolve 2.6 million out of 2.9 million data inconsistencies on insurance applications through December 2013 because the eligibility system didn’t work, according to one of two inspector general reports released Tuesday.

The highlights from the HHS IG’s office . . .

  1. The internal controls were not effective for validating Social Security numbers and citizenship at the Federal marketplace.
  2. The Federal and California marketplaces did not always resolve inconsistencies in eligibility data, and the Connecticut marketplace did not always properly determine eligibility for insurance affordability programs.
  3. These deficiencies occurred because (1) the marketplaces did not have procedures or did not follow existing procedures to ensure that applicants were enrolled in QHPs according to Federal requirements or (2) the marketplaces’ eligibility or enrollment systems had defects or lacked functionality. For example, the Federal marketplace’s system functionality to resolve inconsistencies in eligibility data had not been fully developed.

The network radio news swerved from the numbers to generalities from 8am to Noon. Starting with pull quotes of “The federal health exchange was unable to resolve 2.6 million out of 2.9 million data inconsistencies on insurance applications.” Inconsistencies like verifying identity and citizenship. And ending with “the Office of Inspector General recommends that HHS take action to improve internal controls.”

Words not mentioned in any news broadcast were “Obamacare,” the “Affordable Care Act,” “HealthCare.Gov,” President Obama, or Kathleen Sibelius.

Related Links:

 

Economy, Media, Politics

President Obama Doubles Down On Middle Class Rhetoric

Ever since May of his first term, President Obama has been saying that he ‘will not rest‘ until every person that wants a job gets a job. Or health insurance, or this, or that. His SOTU speeches are the same every year. He says we need more “investments” (that means spending) in roads, bridges, infrastructure, education. And after $7 Trillion in new debt for it, you’ll hear it again in his weekly address below. Nothing gets fixed, and the only growth is in the size of government.

Here’s a dose of reality from the BLS.

  • From May of 2013 to May 2014, 2.1 million people have dropped out of the work force. 1.4 million of them were men and 800,000 of them were women.
  • Multiple job holders are up over last year. People who got a second or third job to get by. These are jobs that Obama counts as a new job created.

In his address, the president said . . .

Today, over the past 51 months, our businesses have created 9.4 million new jobs.  By measure after measure, our economy is doing better than it was five years ago.

Actually, Mr. President. GDP contracted by 2.9% in the first quarter of 2014. The shrinking economy is the worst performance for five years. And as usual, the regime is blaming the weather. Never their policies.

  • According to the BLS, the number of unemployed persons was unchanged in May at 9.8 million.
  • Long-term unemployed (over 27 weeks w/o a job) is 3.4 million.
  • Real unemployment rate, the U-6, is 12.2%. Not the 6.3% adjusted figure that the regime touts and the media reports.
  • Labor force participation rate is 62.8%. The lowest since Jimmy Carter.
  • The labor force participation rate for Latinos and Hispanics is 65.6%, which indicates that an open border will not benefit our economy but rather exacerbate the unemployment situation.
  • The Consumer Price Index went up 2.1% over last year. The largest increases coming from Food and Energy. It’s what I call The Poor Tax.

This president hasn’t a clue how to grow the economy, and the numbers bear that out. Not only do the numbers bear that out, but his understanding of how an economy grows puts real-world economics and free-market capitalism on its head. He says . . .

[W]e know from our history that our economy doesn’t grow from the top-down, it grows from the middle-out.

No, we don’t know that. No economist will support that premise. And that’s not our history. But his rhetoric is swallowed hook, line, and sinker by the media and his low information constituents. He says he’s for working people, women, minorities. He says he wants to give everyone a raise. As though it is government that generates wealth. Government only generates power. And the more it has, the less you have. In every piece of bait the president hands out, whether he actually does or not, there’s a hook.

The truth is, Obama’s economic policies are hurting the people who elected him more than any other demographic.

President Obama was re-elected with 51% of the vote. Five demographic groups were crucial to his victory: young voters, single women, those with only a high-school diploma or less, blacks and Hispanics. He cleaned up with 60% of the youth vote, 67% of single women, 93% of blacks, 71% of Hispanics, and 64% of those without a high-school diploma, according to exit polls.

Family income decrease from President Obama’s 5 most dedicated demographics since his “recovery” began.

  • -7% single women households, with or without children
  • -9.6% under age 25
  • -10.9% Black heads of households
  • -4.5% Hispanic heads-of-households
  • -8% incomes of workers with a high-school diploma or less fell by about 8% (-6.9% for those with less than a high-school diploma and -9.3% for those with only a high-school diploma).

To put that into dollar terms, in the four years between the time the Obama recovery began in June 2009 and June of this year, median black household income fell by just over $4,000, Hispanic households lost $2,000 and female-headed households lost $2,300.

The middle class is getting poorer.  While the minimum wage remained steady, the median family income has fallen every year since Obama’s “recovery” began.

With all this in mind, listen how the community organizer blames everyone but himself for his failures, and lies about his successes.

Middle East, Politics, Russia, War On Terror

aSide Order

Obama Regime Passes Iraq Off To Russia

kerry_iraq_border_lost US Secretary of State Kerry’s visit to Iraq comes after radical Sunni militants gain control of the Jordanian border, which, after the loss of the Syrian border, is piling pressure on Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki. (Image captured from a Reuters TV video clip) Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki could just do what Obama did and say, hey, they are Iraq’s future.

Ripping defeat from the jaws of victory, by virtually abandoning Iraq, and refusing Maliki’s request for air support when the invasion was starting, and refusing to sell jets to Iraq so they can defend themselves, the Obama regime just handed Iraq over to Russia. Putin is all too happy to sell Iraq the jets they want and to expand their reach into the oil-rich region. And the sacrifice the United States made in blood and treasure is all for naught. And we have no one else to thank but our community organizer president Barack Hussein Obama, Mmm Mmm Mmm.

endofstory

Timelapse video of Philadelphia, sort of  from its beginning.

This sarcastically titled video is worth watching. Not just from the technical aspect of it, but if you’re from Philly, it will bring back a lot of memories. Well, good ones I hope.

endofstory

When the time is right, will you be ready?

There are so many commercials on TV for ED (erectile dysfunction) that are getting downright boring to watch. A couple sitting in their own bathtub looking over a sunset. Another couple grinning at each other while doing yard work. You’ve seen them. Seems like a topic ripe for a SNL skit. But would they do it?

There is a whole other market that is being ignored. How long before we start seeing ads that cover couples like these?

Florida, Politics

Thomas Lynch, M.R.I.O.T.D. Award Winner

Dr. Thomas Lynch, United States Department of Veterans Affairs Assistant Deputy USH for Clinical Operations and Management, says the VA “is a good system.” For this statement, Dr. Lynch wins the M.R.I.O.T.D. Award. That would be the Most Ridiculous Item Of The Day Award.

Weekly update from Congressman Jeff Miller (R-FL1) and Chairman House Veteran’s Affairs Committee.

2014 Election, Politics, Race Relations

Thad Cochran’s Twofer

Thad Cochran played Blacks in Mississippi like a fiddle, by playing the race card to disparage the tea party, and as an aside, to beat Chris McDaniel.

cochran_race_flier

Learning from the Democrat playbook, he used the same tactics (and people) that they use. Emphasis on use. Proving beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Cochran campaign used Blacks by fomenting racism the same as Democrats.

Where identity politics goes, there’s no difference between establishment Republicans and Democrats any more. How’s that post-racial administration (that Obama campaigned on) working out?

There’s an opportunity here. Is it possible to use this example to persuade Blacks that their victimhood is self-imposed? That the Democrat party is not helping them by keeping them in a perpetual state of victim status. On the contrary. That kind of treatment, and incitement, is keeping them right where Democrats want them. On the Democrat plantation. It’s an opportunity to free them again.

Link: The Flier That Got Thad Cochran Elected? |  How Thad Cochran bounced back from disaster

Egypt, Europe, Middle East, Politics, Russia, Saudi Arabia, War On Terror

Foreign Policy? What Foreign Policy?

Snapshot of the state of foreign relations and leadership of the Obama Administration.

Nov. 3, 2013 and June 23, 2014, Secretary of State John Kerry trying to “mend” relations with Egypt.

Nov. 4, 2013, Secretary of State John Kerry trying to “mend” relations with Saudi Arabia.

January 1, 2014 to June 23, 2014, after a decade of war, trillions of dollars, and hundreds of thousands of American lives lost or affected, the progress and victory in Iraq has vanished. Iraq is being over-run by al-Qaeda type terrorists, slaughtering Iraqis along the way.

Libya, gone. Syria, gone. Russia, belligerent as ever and making a mockery of Obama while invading and taking parts of Ukraine.

Our allies, like Poland and Ukraine, know that the United States can not be counted on as an ally in any real sense. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski believes his country’s alliance with the US is worth nothing. And then some.

“The Polish-American alliance is not worth anything. It’s even damaging, because it creates a false sense of security in Poland,” Sikorski allegedly said.

“Complete bullshit,” the tape purportedly records Sikorski as saying. “We will get a conflict with both Russians and Germans, and we’re going to think that everything is great, because we gave the Americans a blowjob. Suckers. Total suckers.”

Can’t say I didn’t warn you. It’s what you get when you put a community organizer in The White House.

Gun Control, Politics

Action Alert: Eric Holder’s Operation Choke Point

It’s not like Attorney General Eric Holder has given up on his gun running operation, or fully complied with subpoenas. He just doesn’t want you to have one. And he (the Obama administration) is putting pressure on credit card processors to make it more difficult to do business.

Here’s how you can get involved in choking Eric Holder and his boss Barack Obama.

ACTION ALERT

Call Senators Now!
Action Item from
Gun Owners of America

Rand Paul Offers Amendment to Stop Eric Holder’s Operation Choke Point

Excellent news!
A few weeks ago, we told you about “Operation Choke Point” — an effort by Attorney General Eric Holder to put gun stores out of business.

Basically, it works like this: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), at the behest of Barack Obama, has declared that gun stores are “high risk” businesses. “High risk” businesses have been, up until now, a small category of supposedly disreputable businesses, which have included pornographers, sellers of drug paraphernalia, and payday lenders.

The second step in the process is Eric Holder’s Justice Department’s “Operation Choke Point.” And its function is specifically to choke off any credit or credit card processing for businesses (now including gun dealers) who fall in the “high risk” category.

Already, scores of gun dealers have complained that their banks have cut their credit or otherwise put pressure on them. Three articles detailing this effort to shut down gun dealers may be foundhere, here and here.

The good news is this: Senator Rand Paul has just filed an amendment to the Science Justice Commerce Appropriations bill which will cut off Obama’s efforts to shut down gun stores by drying up their credit.
The Paul language is Amendment 3292 to H.R. 4660.

The appropriations bill is currently on the floor, but we expect the Paul amendment to be considered Friday or Tuesday. If adopted, the Obama administration would be barred from attempting to cut off credit to guns stores – just because they sell guns.

ACTION STEP:  Contact your Senators. Demand that they vote for the Paul amendment. 

Contact Gun Owners of America here

It’s up to you!!
Forward to your friends, neighbors and lists!

Gray

 

2014 Election, 2016 Election, Media, Politics

Tyranny On The March, America’s New Enemy

obama_constitution_negative_libertiesThe Obama administration just stole private property in the name of political correctness. Laws are meant to protect private property. And the President is supposed to support and enforce them. This administration, and anyone who believes that this action is good, is an enemy of the state and an enemy of the Constitution.

After a protracted debate regarding the ostensible insensitivity of the team’s name, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office decided this week to strike down the Washington Redskins’ trademark claim.

Because the news media won’t tell you, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is not part of the Judicial branch of government. It’s not part of the Legislative branch of government. It is part of the Executive branch of government. And who is the head of that? President Barack Hussein Obama, mmm mmm mmm, the Marxist who took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

This is but another example of how he flips the bird to you, to the Constitution, and to Congress. And idiots like Harry Reid are just fine with it. They are the enemy from within. Obama, as President, is the most dangerous man in America right now. The Constitution was written to protect against a President like him. Our job as citizens is even harder now, because he has a Congress full of accomplices.

If your elected representatives are OK with this illegal usurpation of power by the Executive branch, then you need to vote them out. PERIOD!

Our founding fathers have to be rolling over in their graves today.

Link:  With This One Simple Action The Government Just Crushed This Billion Dollar Company.

Florida, Pensacola, Politics

Ray Guillory Endorses Medical Marijuana

2 Comments

Received this press release from Raymond Guillory, candidate for Escambia County Commissioner District 2.raymond_guillory

Today Ray Guillory, Candidate for Escambia County Commissioner in District 2, becomes the first declared candidate to openly endorse the Medical Marijuana initiative on this Novembers ballot. 
Use of Marijuana for Certain Medical Conditions
Allows the medical use of marijuana for individuals with debilitating diseases as determined by a licensed Florida physician. Allows caregivers to assist patients’ medical use of marijuana. The Department of Health shall register and regulate centers that produce and distribute marijuana for medical purposes and shall issue identification cards to patients and caregivers. Applies only to Florida law. Does not authorize violations of federal law or any non-medical use, possession or production of marijuana.
Ray Guillory fully supports making medical marijuana available for the treatment of chronic debilitating disease.
With the recent ruling of the V.A. accepting marijuana as treatment for PTSD , Traumatic Brain Injuries and other problems that plaque our veterans, it is unconscionable that we would withhold beneficial treatments.
As a member of a family that has been hit hard by cancer,I wants anyone who suffers from this disease to have any medication that eases their sufferings and works against the debilitating side effects of both the disease and the cures.
On the county level we must set the standards for which this industry will be regulated. We must insure that this law doesn’t make it easier for this drug to get in the hands of minors. We should also ensure that any economic windfall has lasting benefits for Escambia County. With the passage of this amendment we should set up a tax structure to directly benefit drug prevention and policing programs.
                 Ray Guillory, Democratic candidate for Escambia County Commissioner Dist.2

A sign of the times? Yes. Backed by medical research? Yes. Implications of things to come? Probably so. Like the decriminalization of pot altogether for people over 21.

Kudo’s to Ray for taking a stand on this controversial subject. This is an issue that, I think, spans political party. An issue for which, the time has come.

Link: Raymond Guillory’s campaign website