Category: Politics

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Politics

Found: GOP’s Actual Play book on How to Score Points Against Obamacare

House Republicans have handed out an internal GOP playbook on how to best score political points against Obamacare, the White House and Democrats in general.

The memo obtained by CQ Roll Call, titled “House Republican Playbook: Because of Obamacare … I Lost My Insurance,” is a manual for House Republicans on how to highlight the recent issues with the health care law and how to best “communicate in your district about the disastrous Obamacare rollout.”

Of particular interest to Republicans is the president’s oft-repeated line that “if you like you health insurance, you can keep it.”

In the “Broken Promises” section, Republicans point to two promises the president used to sell the Affordable Care Act: “1) If you like what you have, you can keep it. Period. And 2) Health care costs will go down for all Americans, and ‘save a typical family an average of $2,500…’ Each of these promises has now been broken,” the playbook says.

“Millions of Americans will lose the plan they have and like: Despite President Obama’s promise that you can keep the plan you have and like, we now know at least 7 million Americans will lose their employer provided insurance as a result of Obamacare,” the memo said in its Talking Points section

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Domestic Policies Health Healthcare News ObamaCare Politics

The Health of the State

If nothing else, the press is having a field day, or a month anyway, with the government shutdown and now the contretemps over the health care website and law. I’m sure you’ve read the articles and have seen the overblown videos from both sides of the political divide. There aren’t more for me to add.

What’s been lost in the tree-to-tree debate is the forest of actual health care and the health of United States citizens. Yes, President Obama should have said that those people whose insurance policies do not meet the minimum standards set by the ACA would indeed need to upgrade them. That inattention to detail is exactly what can derail a noble point, especially given the rabid opposition he faces in Congress. But the larger point is that more people will have better health plans, and, presumably, better health.

The other issue that’s been buried is the relative success of the exchanges in states that have functioning representative democracies and not one-party GOP monopolies who don’t seem to care whether their poorest residents get Medicaid relief or, in the case of New Jersey, a governor who aspires to national office. In states such as New York, Oregon, Kentucky and California, people are signing up for health care and, for the most part, are finding it both easy and cost-effective to do so (OK, OK…here’s a link).

Which proves that the law is working and that it’s here to stay and that ultimately it will do what it set out to do and the GOP knows it. That’s why they only have the political issue to focus on. By next October, the ACA will be a net plus for the Democrats. The website will be fixed and more people will be demanding that all states fully cover their Medicaid populations.

There will be no place to hide for those who believe that it’s an American right to be sick and have other people pay for it, or for those who perversely call it freedom when people are denied access to a government entitlement like Medicaid, or who say it’s un-American for the government to provide access to checkups, physicals, reproductive health or to have insurance companies cover people with preexisting conditions.

I’ve always believed that if you do the right thing, eventually the people in your orbit will notice and reward you for it, even if at times you are punished for your good deeds. The health care law and the sentiment behind it is worthy, moral, ethical and in the best sense of the word, healthy. This, in the end, is what will ensure its success.

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

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ObamaCare Politics

President Obama Apologizes to Americans losing their Garbage Insurance

In an exclusive interview on MSNBC last night, President Obama apologized to the American people for the “if you like your insurance you can keep it” claim.

Asked by interviewer Chuck Todd of MSNBC if he believed he owed an apology to the five percent of Americans who are losing their garbage plans because of regulations in ObamaCare that require all insurance companies to provide real insurance to the American people, the president replied;

“I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me,” he told NBC News in an exclusive interview at the White House.

“We’ve got to work hard to make sure that they know we hear them and we are going to do everything we can to deal with folks who find themselves in a tough position as a consequence of this.”

The president stated that he is doing everything he can to fix the rollout problems with healthcare.gov.

“I’ve assigned my team to see what we can do to close some of the holes and gaps in the law, because, you know, my intention is to lift up and make sure the insurance that people buy is effective — that it’s actually going to deliver what they think they’re purchasing.”

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Politics unemployment rate

Unemployment Ticks Up to 7.3% – 204,000 Jobs Created in October

U.S. employers added 204,000 jobs in October, an unexpected burst of hiring during a month in which the federal government was partially shut down for 16 days.

The Labor Department says the unemployment rate rose to 7.3 percent from 7.2 percent in September, likely because furloughed federal workers were counted as unemployed. The report noted that the shutdown did not affect total jobs.

African-American unemployment rose slightly to 13.1 percent (from 12.9 last month) and black teen joblessness remained the highest of any group at 36 percent.

Employers also added 60,000 more jobs in the previous two months than earlier estimated.

The figures suggest hiring has picked up in the fall. Employers added an average of 202,000 jobs from August through October, up from 146,000 from May through July.

The percentage of Americans working or looking for work fell to a fresh 35-year low. But that figure was likely distorted by the shutdown, too.

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Featured Politics

Dad Posts Craigslist Ad In Hopes Of Finding Someone To Rape His 11-Year-Old Daughter

These people are going to hell in garbage bags!

A Missouri man was arrested last week after he reportedly posted an ad on Craigslist soliciting individuals to beat and rape his 11-year-old daughter.

Anthony Brinkman, 32 was taken into custody shortly after making contact with an undercover police officer posing as an interested party.

The St. Louis County Police Department was made aware of the ad after a Craigslist user flagged it for “abuse.”

Undercover detectives reached out to Brinkman, who claimed he was seeking a woman to be his girlfriend and help him sexually assault his daughter with sex toys.

After sending the detectives photos of the girl, Brinkman and an officer agreed to meet at a local Cracker Barrel to seal the deal.

Officers were waiting for Brinkman when he arrived with his daughter, and arrested him on a charge of attempted statutory sodomy.

“It’s just a lot of talk for most of these guys, but this guy actually brought (the girl) to the scene to go ahead with the next step of enacting it,” St. Louis County Detective Mike Slaughter told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

h/t Gawker:

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Politics

Republican Lindsey Graham Introduces Bill To Ban Abortions Nationwide

The nationwide ban will be for abortions after 20 weeks. TalkingPointsMemo reports that Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Thursday introduced legislation that would ban abortions nationwide for women more than 20 weeks pregnant, the senator’s office announced.

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act draws on scientific evidence that says an unborn child can feel pain, according to Graham’s office. The legislation would make it illegal for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion after 20 weeks, or six months, of pregnancy and would mandate a determination of the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child prior to any abortion operation.

The legislation would make exceptions only in the case that an abortion is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest against a minor.

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Health Care Politics

Reuters Poll: Interest In Obamacare Coverage Still On the Rise

Reuters is reporting that uninsured Americans are showing more interest in the coverage offered under President Barack Obama’s healthcare law despite technical problems that have hindered enrollment through a government website, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The glitches have crippled HealthCare.gov, the new online insurance marketplace meant to serve people in 36 states, frustrating millions of would-be applicants since it opened for enrollment on October 1.

The poll’s findings are good news for Obamacare supporters who worry the problems and bad press could dissuade people from signing up, particularly the young and healthy who are crucial to diversifying the pool of insured and keeping premiums down.

The uninsured view the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, more favorably since online marketplaces opened – 44 percent compared with 37 percent in September, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll. It found that 56 percent oppose the program compared with 63 percent in September.

A higher proportion of the uninsured also said they are interested in buying insurance on the exchanges, with 42 percent in October, saying they were likely to enroll compared with 37 percent in September. The results have a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points

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Politics

Report shows Sharp Increase in Military Sexual Assaults

Reports of sexual assault in the military increased sharply during the last fiscal year, new Pentagon figures showed Wednesday, just weeks before a defense bill with provisions to tackle the problem is expected to reach the Senate floor.

There were 3,553 sexual assault complaints reported to the Defense Department in the first three quarters of the fiscal year, from October 2012 through June, a nearly 50 percent increase over the same period a year earlier. Defense Department officials said the numbers had continued to rise.

The numbers included sexual assaults by civilians on service members and by service members on civilians. Sexual assault was defined in the report as rape, sodomy and other unwanted sexual contact, including touching of private body parts. It did not include sexual harassment, which is handled by another office in the military.

Military officials cast the increase of reported complaints in positive terms and said it showed an increased willingness among victims of assault to come forward. But the numbers are also the latest in a series of developments underscoring the problem of sexual assault in the military, which has vexed Pentagon officials and drawn fire from Congress and the White House.

“More reports mean more victims are getting the necessary health care,” said Maj. Gen. Gary S. Patton, the director of the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. “More reports means a bridge to more cases being investigated by law enforcement and more offenders being held accountable.”

Each year the department reports the number of assault claims, which lag behind a separate survey on sexual assault taken every other year among 1.4 million active-duty service members. Last summer that survey found that about 26,000 men and women in the military were sexually assaulted in 2011, up from 19,000 in 2010

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Politics

Rand Paul – The Republican Copy Machine, Gets New Gig

Our lesson for today – Plagiarism is not okay in any media outlets except for the conservative ones,  where people with multiple records of plagiarism are quickly hired and welcomed with open arms.

I’m talking about Kentucky Senator, Plagiarist extraordinaire and a beacon for Republican/Teaparty ideology, Rand Copy and Paste Without Attribution Paul.

Rand Paul, as you all know by now, loves Wikipedia, Forbes Magazine, The Week Magazine…  He loves them so much that he “borrowed” entire sentences,  sometimes paragraphs from those publications without citing them as sources, then passed that information on as his own. That is the true definition of plagiarism, but Paul initially admitted to no wrongdoing, and even suggested a “duel” with reporter Rachel Maddow for her role in bringing the plagiarism story to light.

Paul then somewhat accepted responsibility on Tuesday when he went on CNN and said, “ultimately, I’m the boss, and things go out under my name, so it is my fault. I never had intentionally presented anyone’s ideas as my own.”

But that semi-acceptance of him mastering the copy and paste technique was too late. Paul’s weekly column on The Washington Times was already canceled.

But fear not for this brave hero of the Republicans. Paul will still get the opportunity to display his, someone else’s work for all to see.

Shortly after The Washington Times cut ties with the copy machine from Kentucky, the conservative media outlet Breitbart News announced that they would gladly accept his services thank you.

Said Larry Solov, CEO of Breitbart News;

“We are pleased to add Senator Paul to our lineup of fearless, original thought leaders. Most of all, we think the fighting spirit he has become known for is a perfect fit for Breitbart News Network and reflects that of our founder, Andrew Breitbart.”

Yes, you heard that right. He actually referred to Rand Paul as a “fearless,  original thought leader!”

So to the young and aspiring Plagiarists too lazy to do their own research,  or formulate their own ideas, or credit the work they’re stealing, there is hope for you after all. Rand Paul is leading the movement!

NOTE: This post first appeared on EzKool… just in case Rand Paul gets any ideas.

Categories
ObamaCare Politics

Jon Stewart – Republicans Are “Lying Like Motherfu*kers” About Obamacare – Video

You know it was just a matter of time before the most honest news reporter in today’s media got around to discussing President Obama’s claim, “if you like your insurance policy, you can keep it.” Jon Stewart of Comedy Central admitted that the president’s claim was “somewhat dishonest,” especially given the fact that a small portion of Americans with garbage insurance plans are forced to upgrade to better plans because of Obamacare.

But when Stewart looked at this dishonesty and compared it to what Republicans and the conservative media have said about Obamacare, Stewart concluded that Republicans are “lying like motherf*ckers!”

“Yes, the president has been somewhat dishonest about the promise of his health care program,” Stewart admitted. “But here’s the weird part — his opponents have been lying like motherf*ckers about its effects.”

Why don’t the real so-called reporters report the truth like a host at Comedy Central? This is why people are tuning in to a comedy station to get their news!

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Politics

Mississippi Pastor is Purging His Flock – No More Fried Chicken

A Mississippi-based minister, inspired by the Obama White House’s anti-obesity efforts, is trying to purge his flock of fried chicken.

“Fried chicken has mysterious powers,” Oak Hill Missionary Baptist Church pastor Michael Minor told WMC-TV.

While he helps members his congregation go through the process of signing up for health care through the Affordable Care Act, Minor is banning the “mysterious” bird from all church events.

“People are healthier, [they have] more energy. Their weight is down and once you get the weight down, you want to keep it down,” said Minor.

According to BuzzFeed, Minor has also helped promote the first lady’s signature “Let’s Move” healthy eating initiative and his church has received a federal grant for his efforts to get Mississippians registered for Obamacare.

The poor health of his parishioners was the main motivation for his stand against tasty but fattening food.

“It was so bad, I was having a funeral every weekend,” he said.

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Politics

Toddler Shoots Father in Walmart Parking Lot

Consider this another example of what NRA’s Wayne LaPierre would call,  a “Responsible gun owner,” taking his gun and his child to Walmart and getting shot in return.

The Russellville Police Department is investigating an accidental shooting of a man by his child in a Walmart parking lot.

RPD Public Information Officer Drew Latch stated that police responded in the Arkansas area store at approximately 11:04 a.m. Saturday in reference to a possible shooting.

The Courier News reports, “Upon arrival, officers witnessed a man who had injuries to his back. After further investigation, it was determined the man had accidentally been shot by his child. While the child was attempting to enter the vehicle, the child accidentally grabbed a hold of a loaded shotgun, that had not been secured, to help pull himself into the vehicle (truck).”

As the child grabbed the shotgun, he or she accidentally pulled the trigger and caused the shotgun to discharge and strike his father in the back. In the back.

The child was uninjured.

The father was identified as Monty Wheeler and was transported to Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center by Pope County EMS.

His condition was reportedly deemed as stable at the time of this release.

Raw Story reports that they contacted the Russellville Police Department, but they were told that Wheeler was unknown to them, and that they would not share his current condition with Raw Story because it isn’t “his immediately [sic] family.”

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