It’s the law, say the Democrats

"It is impossible to introduce into society a greater change and a greater evil than this: the conversion of the law into an instrument of plunder." The Law, by Frederick Bastiat [1850]. I'm always shocked by the Democrats who will say, "But Obamacare is the law," or Republicans who say "Let's just change this bad law into something better."

In 2008 Obama's campaign soft sell promised a number of things, but the bare bones outline he gave of his grand plan was it would be paid for by taxing only those people earning more than $250,000 a year. From 2009 to present he promised you could keep your plan and doctor (untrue for millions). SCOTUS declared the entire law a tax, and taxes are supposed to come from the House. The funding promise was perhaps the biggest whooper.

The true cost of Obamacare has been reduced hours and income by people at the lower end trying to move up; huge increases for the young and uninsured adults; mammoth costs to the states in increased rolls on Medicaid with only partial reimbursement from DC; cancelled policies for those not insured by employers; and exclusions for his cronies and federal workers and unions which is not only a dollar loss to the government which the rest of us will have to make up, but a credibility loss for Obama’s entire administration.

And there will still be millions uninsured because they can’t afford the rate increases and will opt for a fine, and illegals won’t need to buy it or pay a fine, so they won’t be covered either. And yes, it is the law, but so is the Constitution which has been pretty much ignored for the last 100 years.

He’s never wrong

Obama never apologized for the roll out mess (which isn't as bad as the law, by the way) in the news  conference yesterday.  It was an infomercial for Obamacare. "It's a good deal," he assured us—the law that is.  The problem is, according to him, it's just too popular (no numbers). Yikes.

Now outsiders have been brought in to fix the work of the contractors who didn't do the job. Do they and their sub-contractors have security clearance? Will Kathleen Sibelius ever be held accountable for such a lousy job? Or will she use Hillary’s line, “What difference does it make?”

This article gives John Boehner, speaker of the House, the blame for handing over the purse strings to Obama the last 3 years. We have a Constitution that separates the powers of government.  Last week we witnessed the spineless snivelers of the GOP who couldn't stick together long enough to take back the responsibility the Constitution gave only to them (the House, not the party).

“The $3,064,063,380,067.72 in new federal debt accumulated in less than three years under Speaker Boehner is more than the total federal debt accumulated during the service of the first 48 House speakers combined—from Rep. Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, elected speaker on April 1, 1789, to Rep. Jim Wright of Texas, who resigned as speaker on June 6, 1989.”

Monday Memories—Back to the Future

1985 American science fiction comedy film about a teen who is transported back to 1955 and meets his parents.  Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson starred.

A new use for loyalty cards

There was a Salmonella outbreak in the Northwest and investigators used loyalty cards of the patients who were made ill to track down the producer of the chicken.  A good outcome from government snooping (CDC), however it sounds like an unfortunate precedent when perhaps your Kroger or Giant Eagle card revealing unhealthy food purchases and snacks or soda can be linked to your electronic medical record, now required by the Unaffordable Care Act.  For many stores, selling the personal data that is generated by loyalty cards is more lucrative than the products they sell.  And you gave them that voluntarily.  So now the federal government can get in the act, too. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23842445

http://www.ccm.com.lb/SubPageCenterBody.aspx?pageid=211

The Obamaway—a freeway for illegals

President Obama’s failures aren’t limited to health care

"As the federal government moves forward to implement President Obama's Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services is slated to spend millions of dollars promoting the unpopular legislation. In the face of this publicity blitz, it is worth remembering that the law was originally sold largely on four grounds—all of which have become increasingly implausible (lower health care costs, smaller deficits, preservation of existing insurance, increased productivity) . . .”WSJ article by Daniel Kessler

Michael Smith  continues with his observations: “Add to that the failed economic activities, the debacles in "green technology", the various erroneous statements and predictions about "climate change", being wrong about unemployment, being for debt ceilings before being against them, asinine and atrocious foreign policy errors (from day one, I might add) and failing to fulfill his campaign promises, it is very, very difficult to see how the Obama presidency can be objectively categorized as anything less than a dismal failure of epic proportions. The only thing he has proven to be good at is lying just enough to get elected but not impeached - even though there seems to be mounting evidence that he was aided in 2012 by the IRS in suppressing the Tea Party support of his opponent.

Judging by the fact that the rabid "progressives" want the Tea Party caucus in the House and Ted Cruz arrested and imprisoned for sedition, it is not much of a stretch to think that if this were a Republican president, we would have already seen articles of impeachment filed in the House.”

He is owed an apology

The most clever and pernicious liar in the history of U.S. politics

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/thousands-get-health-insurance-cancellation-notices-8C11417913

“First of all, if you’ve got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan. Nobody is talking about taking that away from you.” Obama, July, 2009.  He had already backtracked earlier by stating he didn’t mean employers and insurers couldn’t take it away from you.  Then on the campaign trail (which is very speech), he repeated this lie.  If your insurance is dropped and you are reenrolled in another plan, you will have price increases and perhaps be forced to change doctors. He is such a clever liar—the government didn’t do that, the insurance companies did because they were required to follow new regulations (now 30 words for every word in the law).

Just wondering

Noticed this comment by the new Bishop of the ELCA, Elizabeth Eaton, who got 600 votes to Mark Hanson’s 287.

“We are a church that is overwhelmingly European in a culture that is increasingly pluralistic,” Eaton told the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Pittsburgh shortly after the election.

“We need to welcome the gifts of those who come from different places, that is a conversation we need to have as a church.”

Do African American denominations or Korean Baptists or Chinese home groups ever chastise their members for their self selection or culture or language?  Is there anything white Christians won’t complain about?

Lack of pluralism is not the reason ELCA is shedding members. Chasing the culture is.

http://www.religionnews.com/2013/08/14/lutherans-elect-elizabeth-eaton-first-female-presiding-bishop-of-elca/

People who hate Ann Coulter

like some of my trolls will respond to the messenger instead of the message, but she’s right.  Why does Congress get a waiver?  Why couldn’t we all have had the sort of choices that federal workers had instead of Obamacare—their health insurance was the best!

It’s not about the botched rollout

Only the most die-hard Obama fans think Obamacare is about health care for the poor or those with pre-existing conditions (a very small fraction of the population). The informed on both the right and left know this is another government scheme to redistribute wealth, so the left loves it, and the right hates it. With this White House it may even be a method to pay off the rich fat cats who helped Obama (the ones he loves to publicly vilify), since only the stock market has been doing well since the recession "ended" in 2009. Small and medium size businesses, the real engine of the economy, are struggling with over regulation and Obamacare is just another pillow on their faces.

In 2007, the Census data shows 79.7% of employment was in establishments with fewer than 500 employees, while ADP shows that 83.1% of employment was in "businesses" with fewer than 500 employees. http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/nov2009/sb20091112_157141.htm

The budget compromise

Board of Elections allows resident of Korea and Chicago to vote in Ohio

An interesting challenge here in Ohio failed—2 Democrats on the Board of Elections.  Although the challenged failed, this is why we need voter integrity checks—the people hired to do the job, don’t.

“The Board of Elections last Monday denied a challenge put forth by Mary Siegel of Ohio Voter Integrity Project in a three to one vote, despite overwhelming evidence that one Randy Simes did not meet Ohio's residency requirements in order to register and vote in the September 10, 2013 Mayoral Primary.

Mr. Simes currently living in Korea and previously residing in Chicago, Illinois was challenged based on the fact that he has no "fixed habitation" in Ohio and did not reside in Ohio 30 days immediately preceding the September 10th election. Mr. Simes registered at friend and business associate, Travis Estell's Over-the-Rhine condo during a five day visit to Cincinnati in July of 2013.

Mr. Tim Burke, Chairman of the Board and Mr. Caleb Faux both Democrats voted to deny the challenge along with Mr. Charles (Chip) Gerhardt a Republican. The only supporter was Mr. Alex Triantifilou, Republican Chairman.

In our opinion the evidence clearly demonstrated that Mr. Simes voter registration was invalid because Simes was a resident of Chicago when he registered in Ohio on July 12, 2013 and that he lived and worked in Chicago on and off from that date until his transfer to Korea in September. Mr. Simes, who is outspoken politically on Cincinnati City issues, wanted to vote in this Mayoral election both primary and general. He is employed by Parsons Brinckerhoff, the company that is supplying the streetcars. He is also the head of UrbanCincy, a blog that he ran from his former address in Chicago and now from Korea.

[from Simes’ website: “Randy has worked professionally as a planning consultant throughout the United States, Korea and the Middle East. After brief stints in Atlanta and Chicago, he currently lives in the Daechi neighborhood of Seoul’s Gangnam district.”]

The decision by Burke, Faux and Gerhardt was based on Simes' intent to return to Cincinnati after his 2 year employment in Korea. Mr. Simes had his mailing address on bank and credit card statements changed to Estell's address around the time he registered to provide evidence of residency. However, Travis Estell testified that he and Simes never discussed Simes moving into Estell's Cincinnati condo in 2013 or when he returns from Korea. Mr. Simes does not have any personal belongings at Estell's residence, further proof that Simes habitation is not fixed to Estell's address; the address of his voter registration.

We feel that the rule of law was ignored by the Board in reaching their decision. By disregarding Ohio's 30 day and "fixed habitation" rules, we fear that this decision opens the door for voter fraud in Hamilton County and elsewhere. We completely disagree with the Board's reasoning and are extremely disappointed by this decision. “ Ohio Integrity Voter Project, Oct. 19, 2013

I wonder who gets to tax him?

The nightmare isn't over

"To hear Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) tell it, America’s long national nightmare is over. Except…it’s not. Our national nightmare isn’t the government shutdown; it’s Obamacare" The Foundry.

It's unfortunate that the GOP again allowed the Obama forces to say, "look over there," not at our scandals.

It's never a mistake to do the right thing, even if you lose.

From Senator Mike Lee (R)


"Dear Friends, Here we are again. Another unnecessary crisis. A proposal that maintains the status quo. Very little time to read and evaluate the bill. No time to explain it to our constituents.

This is Washington. It is exactly the kind of thing the American people are fed up with and exactly why several of my colleagues and I began the effort to defund and delay Obamacare back in July.

It appears that this particular fight will end much the same way Obamacare began: in a last-minute deal, negotiated in back rooms, then forced on Congress and the American people.

The Washington Establishment can’t bring itself to believe that this is why Congress has a poor approval rating – because Washington doesn’t listen to the American people. It ignores them. And when the American people can no longer be ignored, the administration shuts down national parks, blocks veterans from going to their own memorials, uses the IRS to target certain groups, and holds hostage critical funding for cancer research, low-income women and children, veterans’ health benefits, border security, and our National Guard.

It is shameful how Washington treats the American people and the people are right to be upset about it.

The media keeps asking, was it worth it? My answer is that it is always worth it to do the right thing. Fighting against an abusive government in defense of protecting our individual rights and freedoms is always the right thing.

Some say we shouldn’t have fought because we couldn’t win. But this country wasn’t built by fighting only when victory was certain. In fact, some of the most important victories in our history were the result of fighting battles against significant odds.

And even if victory seemed difficult or impossible, that wouldn’t excuse me or anyone else from doing the right thing. Avoiding difficult battles is how we ended up in this mess – $17 trillion in debt, out-of-control spending, a broken entitlement system, a tax code no one understands – all because Washington is willing to act only when there is guaranteed political gain.

When the avoidance of political risk becomes our dominant motivation, only the Washington establishment wins. And the American people lose.

Furthermore, in Washington, victories are rarely immediate and very few are permanent. Obamacare wasn’t enacted overnight and it won’t be repealed overnight. We must remind the American people of the harmful effects of this law at every opportunity if we are ever going to see it repealed.

The best case against Obamacare is proving to be Obamacare itself. We have repeatedly warned that the American people will be shocked when they realize the way the president has misled them about Obamacare.

The embarrassing rollout of the exchanges doesn’t even scratch the surface. Every day brings a new story of a family whose deductible has doubled, or a married couple that can’t keep the plan they have, or a business that can no longer provide insurance, or workers who are seeing their hours cut or losing their jobs altogether.

The realization that the administration has either been dishonest or incompetent – or both – is just starting to dawn on the American people. Even the president’s friends in the media are watching this slow rolling train wreck and are demanding the president do something to stop it.

The Chicago Tribune, the president’s hometown newspaper, puts it this way:
“Last spring, President Barack Obama said ‘there will still be, you know, glitches and bumps’ in the rollout of the new system. But what we're seeing now is no glitch or bump. There is a growing mountain of evidence that Obamacare has fundamental problems in design and implementation.”

The Tribune goes on to say: “We encouraged a one-year delay in the law. We recognize that's not going to happen. Obamacare is here. It's time, though, for the Obama administration to level with Americans about what's happening here. It's time to stop blaming Republicans and start talking about what needs to change.”

Incidentally, a delay in the law for the duration of the CR is exactly what we called for back in July. And now it appears that the president’s hometown newspaper agrees with us. Almost everyone but the president seems to recognize that this law is going to be terrible for the American people. It’s costing jobs. It’s hurting families. It’s making people’s health care situation worse, and it won’t solve the problems in our broken health care system.

And let me be clear: There will be very real consequences for people in both parties as a result of the implementation of this law. Today, Washington has the upper hand, but the American people will always have the last word. This is not over. We have an obligation to fight for the American people. And I do not intend to let the people down."

BLT Dip

Here's another spread it directly on your hips and skip the middle man recipe:

Ingredients: 1-1/2 pound bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled, and divided 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded) or to taste 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste) 1 tablespoons mustard 2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes 1-1/2 cup shredded Iceberg lettuce pepper an salt to taste Toasted bread rounds, crackers, or pita chips. Directions: Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray a 1 1⁄2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside 3/4 cup crumbled bacon. In a large bowl, combine remaining bacon, cream cheese, shredded cheeses, sour cream, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and mustard. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle chopped tomatoes, remaining 3/4 cup crumbled bacon and lettuce over hot dip. Serve immediately with toasted bread rounds, crackers, or pita chips...

Ransom takers, house burners, defaulters, global-economy crashers, nuclear-bomb users, extremists, threateners, extortionists, hostage takers, plant burners, and equipment breakers.

That's what the President of the United States thinks of 50% of the country--actually, probably more than that now since his approval rates are so low. And this is how he calls for civility!

"The problem with such disingenuousness—calling for civility coupled with the above invective, bragging about radically lowering deficits without specifying why and how they occurred, and taking credit for radically more oil and gas production while being indifferent or opposed to it—is that, although it can be delivered in a cool, flippant mode, it is also now six years old, and few believe any more that what he asserts so breezily as fact is much more than half true. In contrast, had he stopped the name-calling, honestly explained why deficits have gone down somewhat (from record highs), praised the private energy sector and promised to give it more help on public lands, and admitted the problems with Obamacare—he would now be negotiating." Victor Davis Hanson

Overcoming the Shutdown Crisis: Helping Dysfunctional Politicians with Family Psychology

Guest blogger: Dr. Linda Miles

I am openly dismayed and disillusioned by the behavior of many of our Congressional officials. Our politicians are exhibiting almost every serious problematic behavior I’ve dealt with as a Marriage Counselor and Family Psychotherapist for over 35 years. In the scramble for political advantage, keeping score has become more important than the welfare of our country

I think it’s time they started dealing with our national problems as mature adults and true professionals. The behaviors we are seeing match the seven classical hallmarks found in dysfunctional families everywhere:

1. Shame and Blame;

2. Scapegoating;

3. Contempt;

4. Defensiveness;

5. Gridlock;

6. Stonewalling;

7. Show Downs.

Finger pointing has become more important than solving the real problems. There is no respect being given and no meaningful exchange of ideas. Our politicians resist flexibility and are unwilling to try and reach synergistic solutions together. Energy is devoted primarily to staying in “Attack Mode”.

Have we not yet learned better strategies for conducting our political life? What is it going to take?

I believe that political leaders can solve the nation’s problems if they take a deep breath and agree to use the same techniques used by healthy families to overcome conflict everywhere.

Healthy families deal with conflict by facing the issues and fighting fairly. We must demand our leaders conduct themselves civilly, and conduct and maintain healthy relationships with each other.

We must demand effective leadership and honest, open, sincere authentic and meaningful communication.

We must demand that our elected officials leaders work together to solve problems, prevent harm, and provide mutual respect, even when they do not agree on ideas.

We need people to cool things off and take action to remove the immediate threat of the crisis, we need to see cool heads prevail and keep others from turning on one another.

We need people on all sides of the controversies to be willing to listen to each other’s pain and be willing to help one another.

Dr. Linda Miles, Tallahassee, Florida, www.drlindamiles.com

Where can the middle class afford a home? Ohio

“Some 86% of homes in the Akron, Ohio area are within reach of middle-class buyers in the area, the highest share in the nation, according to a report from Trulia, the real estate listings site. The next two cities on the list, with 85% of homes affordable to middle class, are Dayton and Toledo, respectively.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2013/10/10/where-can-the-middle-class-buy-a-home/?mod=trending_now_3

Blaming Bush redux, now it’s blame the Tea Party

The Tea Party isn't on the ballot; it has never demanded your pay check; it has never redistributed your wealth or run up the deficit; it has never sent your sons and daughters to the Middle East; it didn't kidnap a member of the Taliban this week from the hands of our Afghan allies, straining relations; it doesn't get chummy with the Muslim Brotherhood; it didn't promise to fundamentally transform this country; it has never asked you violate your religious beliefs; it has never strangled your business with regulation and red tape; it doesn't control any Washington bureaucracy; it doesn't take vacations on your tab; it hasn't cancelled your insurance as of 11:59 on Dec. 31 of this year; and it most certainly does not have the power to shut down anything under federal control, not even Michelle Obama's website (and apparently neither does her husband since it is still up and running). But the most narcissistic, nasty, petty president in the history of the U.S. has the gall to blame the Tea Party because blaming Bush was just getting old.