Category: Politics

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Barack Obama Domestic Policies fail Healthcare News ObamaCare Politics Teaparty

Good News for Obama: The Right Will Rise Again

Don’t get me wrong. What’s happened over the past five weeks has been a colossal, epic failure on President Obama’s part. All he needed to say about the health care law was that you could keep your insurance if it met minimum standards, and then he needed to repeat those standards. He also needed to repeat the benefits of the law, from covering preexisting conditions to free physicals, checkups and flu shots. But Obama thought that passage of the law was enough and that the government didn’t need to publicize what was on public record. Big mistake. Now he’s gotten caught in a web that the right wing has been spinning since 2010. It’s ugly. It’s sobering. It’s a mess. And it hurts.

And now for the good news. Obama’s opponents are still the same gang that shut down the government, opposes marriage equality, wants to voucherize Medicare and cut $40 billion from the food stamp program, denies global warming, thinks transvaginal ultrasounds are effective public policy, supports testing public school students at the expense of a real curriculum, opposes immigration reform and continues to want to deport large numbers of Hispanics.

In the 1990s, my father used to say that Newt Gingrich was the best thing that ever happened to Bill Clinton. The Tea Party and John Boehner are the best things to happen to Barack Obama. His approval ratings are down now, but they’ll rebound because the right wing hasn’t changed.

Their main vulnerability is their belief that the health care law has imperiled every part of Obama’s agenda. What they forget is that prior to the shutdown, the GOP’s ideas were extreme and unpopular. My sense is that they’ll get even more extreme because they see Obama at a critical point in his presidency. Healthcare.gov will not make the Republicans look any better on women, Hispanics, social programs and, yes, health care.

The health care mess will also leave the front pages soon because the website will be fixed and more people will successfully sign up for care. Also, fiscal negotiations are just around the corner and the right has left itself vulnerable because they’ve pretty much promised not to shut the government down again and they’d be even crazier than I think they are to not raise the debt ceiling. Plus, the press will get tired of this story and move on to other things.

In the end, though, the real advantage is that we’re talking about trying to insure people against catastrophic expenses by providing them with health insurance. Never forget that.

For more please go to:
www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives and Twitter @rigrundfest  

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Politics

Big Bad Dog gets Bullied by Little Kitty Cat – Video

But the dog started it. Reminds me of some peple. Always trying to start stuff, then…

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Barack Obama ObamaCare Politics

But Wait! You Can’t Tell Your Friends Anything When You’re Dead!

The picture below correctly identifies the nonsense the Republican Party and their supporters are pushing these days.

You know, the I love my insurance even though it boils down to be me paying my insurance company hundreds of dollars every month for services I think I should get, but will not get if or when I’m sick,  and may even get dropped by my insurance carrier if I ever think of filing a claim plan… so please let me keep it!

The artist below shows one of these dumb Americans – he must be a Republican – obviously standing in a  thunderstorm with what amounts to a piece of stick over his head, trying to protect himself and his family from the rain.

And here comes the president, Barack Obama, with a Knirps Big Duomatic Automatic Umbrella, Solid Black, retails for a whole lot of money, but the dumb American can get it for just about what he is paying for that piece of stick he’s holding above his head… in the thunderstorm. What would he do?

What do you do? You and your family are soaking wet. You get the opportunity to shelter yourself from the storm… what do you do?

Do you accept the Knirps Big Duomatic Automatic Umbrella Solid Black offer that is sure to protect you and your family? Or do you stay soaked to the bones, catch a nasty case of pneumonia and die from your dumb ignorance in thinking that a piece of stick would save you from getting wet in this thunderstorm?

What do you do?

The smart ones,  we’ll call them Democrats, would gladly accept the Knirps Big Duomatic Automatic Umbrella Solid Black, and his/her family would be able to go see their doctor, get regular preventative checkups,  and live a long and healthy life, mainly because they wouldn’t have to go bankrupt to pay medical bills.

The dumb ones,  we’ll call them Republicans, would  bitch, moan and complain that they want to keep their stick and the president is trying to give them a better umbrella. The dumb ones would also gladly go bankrupt when they find out that pneumonia or even the common cold is not covered by their loving stick, oops, I mean their loving garbage insurance policy.

Hey, at least they would be buried as a Republican, and they would be able to tell all their friends that they stood up to that black dude in the White House who was doing everything he possibly could, to save them from that thunderstorm.

But wait! You can tell your friends anything, when you’re dead!

Pic

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Energy energy independence Politics

President’s Weekly Address – Taking Control of America’s Energy Future

In his weekly address, President Obama spoke about the progress America has made in energy production since he took office. The President also highlights the fact that we are producing more energy now, while consuming less.

One area where we’ve made great progress is American energy.  After years of talk about reducing our dependence on foreign oil, we are actually poised to control our own energy future.

Shortly after I took office, we invested in new American technologies to reverse our dependence on foreign oil and double our wind and solar power.  And today, we generate more renewable energy than ever – with tens of thousands of good, American jobs to show for it.  We produce more natural gas than anyone – and nearly everyone’s energy bill is lower because of it.  And just this week, we learned that for the first time in nearly two decades, the United States of America now produces more of our own oil here at home than we buy from other countries.

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Politics

Man Purchases House Next to Ex Wife’s Home – Erects Giant Middle Finger on Yard

This is too funny!

According to a person claiming to be the ex-wife’s daughter, the crazy-wealthy Bloomfield Hills man, identified only as “Alan,” allegedly purchased the house next door to his ex, and proceeded to move in with his new girlfriend Tiffany.

He then went a step further and purchased an expensive bronze statue of a middle finger, which he placed on the back porch and aimed at his ex-wife’s house.

As if that weren’t quite enough passive aggression, Alan ensured the statue was visible 24/7 by shining a spotlight on it after dark.

“Alan and Tiffany are the best neighbors,” tweeted Lenka Tuohy, “but ew who does that lololol.”

Apparently the statue has had the unintended effect of pissing Tuohy off as well.

“[I]ts hard for me to enjoy my baths now because my fav tub is in my moms bathroom which faces out towards tif and alans house,” she wrote, adding a frowny-face emoticon.

When a friend pointed out that Alan’s gesture was making him “look like an idiot,” Tuohy concurred: “Like lol someone’s not over my momma!”

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ObamaCare Politics

Governor Deval Patrick Counsels Congress on Obamacare – His Letter

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, witnessed firsthand some of the problems involved in providing healthcare to his state. And with that knowledge in mind, Governor Deval Patrick decided to write this letter to the members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation.

The Members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation:

As you consider current proposals to change the Affordable Care Act (ACA), I write to remind you about what we have learned from health care reform in Massachusetts, and to inform you of some of our experiences so far with implementing it.

We have seen firsthand the positive changes brought about by a strong individual insurance market with protections that ensure a basic level of care.  Individuals are protected from being dropped from insurance when they need it most, or being denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition.  Benefits must meet minimum standards, and there are limits on individuals’ exposure to out-of-pocket costs for needed health care.  And the rest of us are protected against having our premiums inflated or our taxes tapped to pick up the tab for the uninsured or underinsured.  With these basic features in place, we have achieved near universal coverage, better health and slower growth in health costs.  With the ACA, the same can and will happen for the country.

Much has been made of the fact that some Americans have had their current policies canceled by their insurers.  Some of that, we know, is in the normal course of annual insurance renewals.  Some is because the existing policies do not provide the minimum level of coverage required by the ACA.  So long as the means for individuals to learn about and enroll in affordable alternatives is available, through an improved website, a call center or otherwise, the transition of people from non-compliant policies to compliant ones should proceed. 

Nonetheless, the public has been poorly informed about this transition, and too many consumers are unable to enroll conveniently in compliant plans.  For some, the temporary delay proposed yesterday by the President may be appropriate.  Our experience in Massachusetts tells us that our health plans and their customers have prepared for the transition and are unlikely to need or to use the additional time.

However, any delay in requiring plans to meet the basic standards of the ACA must only be temporary.  Leaving non-compliant plans to remain permanently in place means we revert to the status quo: a broken health care system where many people carry policies that don’t cover them when they get seriously ill, and where those with comprehensive coverage pay for those uninsured or underinsured in higher premiums and taxes.  Permitting plans to be permanently non-compliant means the pool of individuals who do purchase plans through the marketplaces will likely be sicker on average, and their options will be more expensive and constrained.  And it will disrupt the market-based model on which premiums and policy options hinge.

We benefit in Massachusetts from broad, bipartisan support for health reform and the willingness of our legislature — encouraged by business, labor, industry, patient advocates and others — to make refinements to our plan as we go.  The President does not enjoy that collaboration with the Congress, and the American people suffer as a result.  If you wish to take further legislative action to ensure the successful extension of the benefits of the ACA to all our citizens, I would humbly propose that you consider granting the administration broader authority to make adjustments to the ACA by regulation so long as such regulations advance the fundamental goal.  That way any administration can make changes in the details of implementation quickly in response to lessons learned along the way.

The fundamental goal of the Affordable Care Act is to give all Americans access to reliable, quality health insurance at a reasonable cost.  Guaranteeing a basic level of coverage for everyone is the first step towards fixing our broken health care system and promoting a healthier population.  We have seen in Massachusetts how well it works and how important it is.  While the transition is challenging for some, I urge you not to lose sight of the long-term good for all as you consider any changes or adjustments to the Affordable Care Act.

For these reasons, I urge you to oppose any bill that extends access to non-compliant plans beyond a short transition period.

With continued thanks for your partnership, I am

Respectfully yours,

Governor Deval L. Patrick

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ObamaCare Politics

Michele Bachmann Claims She Lost Her Insurance Because of Obamacare

Michele Bachmann is a government employee. That being said, all government employees are already covered by government provided health insurance, arguably the best insurance in the nation.

But if you listened to Michele Bachmann on CNN, you’ll walk away feeling sorry for the poor soul, because according to what Bachmann told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, she lost her insurance because of Obamacare.

Bachmann, a member of Congress, wants you to believe that she is a member of the 5 percent of Americans who have garbage insurance.

Oh the calamity!

Video

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Immigration Immigration Reform Politics

Republicans Have a Plan for Immigration: Deportation

Kevin McCarthy

House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) told immigration advocates that lawmakers will not take-up immigration reform this year. As a result, an amendment to deport DREAM-eligible immigrants — which passed with overwhelming GOP support in June — will be the only immigration measure to have received a vote on the floor of the House in 2013.

McCarthy’s remarks came after a week-long lobbying blitz from business groups, religious organizations, and immigration advocates. Proponents argued that comprehensive reform will provide a boost to the nation’s economy, create jobs for U.S. citizens and immigrants in the agriculture, retail trade, and construction sectors and bring millions of people out of the shadows.

But despite a series of constructive meetings with advocates, McCarthy explained to protesters camped outside of his district office in California that Congress did not have enough time to consider reform in the 16 remaining legislative days. The comments contradict reports of GOP leaders “struggling to come up with an agenda” to fill the end of the year with the House “facing no immediate cataclysmic deadlines.” Members come back from a week-long recess on Tuesday.

Last month, 186 Democrats introduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill that amends the measure passed by the Senate in June by “striking a controversial border security measure that would add 700 hundred of miles of fencing and 20,000 border control agents along the U.S.-Mexico border” and replacing it with a “border control plan that was passed unanimously by the House Homeland Security Committee last spring.” That proposal “instructs the Department of Homeland Security to write a plan that could ensure the apprehension of 90 percent of illegal border-crossers in high-traffic areas within two years and across the entire southern border within five years.”
Three Republicans — Reps. Jeff Denham (R-CA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) — have co-sponsored the comprehensive bill. House leadership, however, is wary of allowing a vote on a measure that does not have the support of the majority of the Republican caucus and worry that advancing any immigration proposal that triggers a conference with the Democratic-controlled Senate would deal a blow to the House in final negotiations and open House Republicans to conservative primary challengers.

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ObamaCare Politics

The People Who Say Obamacare Will Fail, Also Said The Bush Tax Cuts Would Work – PIC

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Politics sexual assault

In Other News, This Republican is Accused of Sexual Assault

Just another Republican behaving badly. Nothing to see here.

According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Chairman Robert J. Kerns got drunk at what the paper called a “major GOP power-broker dinner” on Oct. 25 and then sexually assaulted the woman.

“Somebody alleged that he was drinking and sexually assaulted her,” a source told the Philadelphia Daily News. “It was supposedly a woman that worked with him. It took place the following evening, 24 hours later – not associated with the county dinner.”

WCAU reported that investigators had been seen at Kerns’ home in Upper Gwynedd. One source told the station that a search warrant had been filed to obtain evidence in the case.

A Center City defense attorney confirmed to WCAU that he had been retained to represent Kerns, but would not say why. The District Attorney’s office has also declined to comment.

Kerns, who is a partner in a Lansdale law firm, is married and has two grown sons

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Politics Racism racist

Man Connected to Racist Graffiti Shoots Himself in Head… And Survives

A New Hampshire man who had been accused of scrawling racist graffiti on the homes of African immigrants was hospitalized recently after shooting himself in the head.

According to court records obtained by the Concord Monitor, 43-year-old tattoo artist Raymond Stevens attempted suicide last week by walking into a cemetery and firing one round into his head. He reportedly survived the shooting but his current condition was not known.

In October, Steven had been charged in connection with racist graffiti written on the home of three African immigrants in 2011.

“Your subhuman culture has already brought many crimes linked to your mud people,” one message said. “You are not welcome here… You lower the value and safety of our good town… You bring death wherever your cursed people go.”

Messages on another home in August described a Somali family as “scum” and “primitive beasts.”

On Facebook, Stevens noted that he was a “proud Aryan man” and often posted screeds against President Barack Obama. He was also known to be a member of white supremacist groups and sing in a heavy metal band.

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democrats Politics

Umm, This Fox News Poll Claims Americans Prefer Republicans in Congress

Now this is a Fox News poll, so take these results with a grain of salt. We all remember the polls this Republican establishment fabricated during the 2012 presidential election. They had poor Mitt Romney thinking he was winning, when in fact he was sweeping the bottom of the barrel.

Anyway, here is the poll results:

What a difference a couple weeks makes.  Republicans have a slim three-point advantage when Americans are asked about their vote preference for Congress in the latest Fox News poll.  That’s an 11 percentage-point shift from last month when Democrats had an 8-point edge.

The poll finds “if the Congressional election were held today,” 43 percent of voters would back the Republican in their district and 40 percent the Democratic candidate.

That’s a reversal from last month when 45 percent backed the Democratic candidate and 37 percent the Republican (October 20-22, 2013).

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