Vanity Fair: Where the Money Lives – For all Mitt Romney’s touting of his business record, when it comes to his own money the Republican nominee is remarkably shy about disclosing numbers and investments. Nicholas Shaxson delves into the murky world of offshore finance, revealing loopholes that allow the very wealthy to skirt tax laws, and investigating just how much of Romney’s fortune (with $30 million in Bain Capital funds in the Cayman Islands alone?) looks pretty strange for a presidential candidate.
Found this blog- Life With Mitch McConnell: This blog needs a shout out!
MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012
Affordable Care Act Classes
Dear Senator McConnell:
Just heard on the local news a clip of you speaking to a group at Hardin Memorial Hospital this morning. Once again, you mentioned the 2300 page bill, as though that is too much for anyone to expect you to read and comprehend. That’s fine. We know you are lazy and you have whined about the burden of having to do your job for so long this is not surprise.
But, you added to that statement, “2300 page bill that nobody understands.” This is a lie, and you know it is a lie. Many of us have read and do understand the bill. If you want to admit that you are a lazy fool, at least you are being somewhat honest for a change. You do not have permission to try and make the rest of us look like fools with you. That is disgusting and totally unacceptable.
Here are a few links that might help you. http://www.healthcare.gov/law/full/index.html (Site contains the entire bill as well as simple explanations that even you might be able to comprehend. Again, if you can’t read, my grandchildren will come read it to you. https://class.coursera.org/healthpolicy-2012-001/wiki/index University of Pennsylvania offers a free class: Health Policy and the Affordable Care Act
A good leader would know this bill inside and out and would be able to explain it so that his constituents would understand.
carla4obama, I like this link. I hope President Obama ask Romney during the debate if he read the healthcare bill. Cause I am sure he hasn’t. Every republican should be asked this questions to expose and shame them for demonising something they have neven bother to read.
Not at all! I’m tired of the tax vs. penalty garbage and that they just let these fright wingers lie about the bill over and over again without challenge. They’ve told so many lies, it’s not a wonder so many are confused. It’s sad.
No, you are not the only one sick of the media about this “is it or is it not a tax”; I am too. I’m also sick of lying ass, hypocritcal, Republicans who claim they love the Constutuion and this country ; yet are doing everthing to destroy it. Cheif Justice Roberts spoke; it’s official… it’s the law of the land. RepubliCons need to do something else for this economy besides wasting time and money going on outlandish witch hunts and trying to repeal the law of the land.
Besides, what difference does it make? The top 1% doesn’t pay taxes anyhow. It’s about time, for them to pay something to contrubiute towards the well-being of this country.
BTW: When is Mittens going to reveal his tax reports and his murky investments i.e. his offshore finances????
Chips and everyone in Todville have a nice day and a Happy 4th of July. 🙂
Chips, you rock. thanks for all the good information you give us.
I love the smell of Republican fear in the morning……I wonder if we will get any of the “ZOMG DA REPUBLICANS ARE JUMPING OFF THE BOAT” stories
Rep. Allen West suggested late Monday that Mitt Romney re-evaluate his campaign advisers, hours after top Romney aide Eric Fehrnstrom said on TV that the individual mandate of President Barack Obama’s health care law is not a tax.
“It’s a tax,” the Florida Republican told Greta Van Susteren of Fox News. “I think that the governor probably needs to look at who he has within his circle of advisers, and probably get … them to provide the right type of counsel and advice.”
SMDH, this fool doesn’t even know there aren’t any communists in the Congress? Who the hell can he advice when he is not even aware of his surroundings?
Ding bat Sarah Palin wants this creep to be on Willard “The Myth” Promney’s VP list.
He also said Obama wants to enslave America.
A Black man accusing another Black man of wanting to do that.
I’d say West should be ashamed of himself but I doubt he’d be capable of understanding how disgusting he is.
Many people wonder why Republican legislators are so unrelenting on President Obama. Frederick Douglass gave us the answer many years ago.
“Though the colored man is no longer subject to barter and sale, he is surrounded by an adverse settlement which fetters all his movements. In his downward course he meets with no resistance, but his course upward is resented and resisted at every step of his progress. If he comes in ignorance, rags and wretchedness he conforms to the popular belief of his character, and in that character he is welcome; but if he shall come as a gentleman, a scholar and a statesman, he is hailed as a contradiction to the national faith concerning his race, and his coming is resented as impudence. In one case he may provoke contempt and derision, but in the other he is an affront to pride and provokes malice.”
This is powerful. So sad that the situation is much the same 130 years later. In other words: “Stay in your place.” Douglass describes the president so well: “a gentleman, a scholar and a statesman.”
Chicago Cubs owners, the Ricketts family, are crying about Mayor Rahm still refusing to return their calls about securing public funds to renovate Wrigley Field. Rahm said to still be “livid”, understandably, about the revelation that the head of the family, crazy Joe Ricketts, was planning to donate $10 million to re-launch a Rev. Wright attack against Obama. That news did not go over so well in Chicago. Maybe the Ricketts family will have to use their own billions to renovate their losing team’s ball park. http://www.nwherald.com/2012/07/02/political-flap-stalls-plans-to-renovate-wrigley-field/aekoszt/
Vice President Biden heads to his childhood hometown of Scranton, Pa., where he will attend a campaign event and speak at the city’s fireworks celebration. Details here.
President Obama remains at Camp David. He has no public events scheduled.
Throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania, President Obama will talk about his efforts over the last three years to get our economy back on track, doubling down on American workers by saving the auto industry, investing in manufacturing and bringing jobs back to America.
The President will also talk with voters in their communities about the choice in this election – whether we want to grow our economy from the middle out, not the top town. The President is rebuilding an economy meant to last – one that restores middle class security by investing in education, energy, innovation and infrastructure and reforms the tax code — steps which will create American jobs, responsibly pay down our debt and ensure everyone – from Wall Street to Main Street – plays by the same rules and pays their fair share.
The President’s vision stands in stark contrast to Mitt Romney, who believes in an economy built from the top down and supports the same policies that crashed our economy and devastated the middle class in the first place. As a corporate buyout specialist, he made massive profits by shuttering plants, firing workers and investing in companies that pioneered shipping of good American jobs overseas…
Off topic: This is so ridiculous it is funny. Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post and Rep. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) are apoplectic that a local politician in Galway, Ireland proposed erecting a statue of Che Guevara in a city square. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen wrote “a thundering opinion for NLvoices.com” denouncing Guevera. Rubin reported on her 30 minute conversation with the local politician telling him how evil Guevara was. She dared Maureen Dowd to denounce the statue. It appears the statue will not be built. We are fortunate we have the WP and Congress looking out for the cause of freedom.
Judging from symptoms displayed on Facebook, there seems to be no balm, lotion or tincture to soothe their butthurtedness. They can’t really move–every other advanced industrial nation has universal access to decent medical care. So that sucks.
Like that short 30 second ad contrasting “oursourcing” and “insourcing”…..Insourcing is clear and easy to understand. A good word to use as we contrast the two ideas. Good on the Obama team for using that word.
FLOWCHART: HOW THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE “PENALTY” WORKS
The Requirement to Buy Coverage Under the Affordable Care Act
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Along with changes to the health insurance system that guarantee access to coverage to everyone regardless of pre-existing health conditions, the Affordable Care Act includes a requirement that many people be insured or pay a penalty. This simple flowchart illustrates how that requirement (sometimes known as an “individual mandate”) works.
Well, this is gonna get me. I am 53 married and work a low paying job. My husband works 2 low paying jobs. This is to keep a roof over our heads, water and electricity flowing, gas in the car, car insurance, phone. We make 42,000. NET! We cannot claim our two children that we still support.
900.00 House
237.00 Car
200.00 Electricity
91.00 Car Insurance
100.00 gas
Food?
FIVE BEST TOOLS FOR FOLLOWING THE MONEY
June 15, 2012
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“Data” is the buzzword of the 2012 election. Making sense of campaign finance data is crucial to understanding what will happen in the coming weeks and months, as well as the underlying forces that influence those events. But you don’t have to be a journalist — or have a computer science degree — to dig in. Below are five tools that enable anyone to learn about the money fueling this election.
Morning! My body aches from my cleaning binge yesterday….did you know that you have muscles in your back? And legs? Neck? My goodness…who knew!
I watched that LOD piece… devastating. And the question that LOD asked David Corn to look into at the end of the piece, whether Mitt benefited from the work of Stericycle in MA….well, let’s just say I hope he looks into that. Long way until Nov…wonder what OTHER skeletons he has in his closet? Plenty, I’m sure. I understand why McCain passed this guy over. He probably got an explanation from the McCain campaign back then as to why, but 4 years later he thinks that he’s entitled and we won’t find out. Little shit.
Anyway….cloudy now. We LOVE a good cloudy day here….even if it doesn’t rain.
“Yes, democracy’s in trouble, but what can I do about it?” We know the difficulties can seem insurmountable. But organized action, joining with others to face our times and challenges, can make a difference. Below are a variety of initiatives dedicated to tilting the balance of power. Suggest your own ideas and remember Margaret Mead’s wise words: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
By Al Shaw and Kim Barker, ProPublica. Updated July 3, 2012, 9:00 a.m. EST
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Two federal court rulings in 2010 paved the way for the ascent of “super PACs,” political action committees that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on political races, as long as they don’t coordinate with a specific candidate. And so far, they’re spending heavily on the Republican race. This app, part of our long-term investigation into “dark money,” keeps track of where super PACs are spending and raising their cash to influence the presidential race.
For all Mitt Romney’s touting of his business record, when it comes to his own money the Republican nominee is remarkably shy about disclosing numbers and investments. Nicholas Shaxson delves into the murky world of offshore finance, revealing loopholes that allow the very wealthy to skirt tax laws, and investigating just how much of Romney’s fortune (with $30 million in Bain Capital funds in the Cayman Islands alone?) looks pretty strange for a presidential candidate. http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/08/investigating-mitt-romney-offshore-accounts
This is very interesting!….it completely destroy their talking points…..wow…..I never looked at it this way but it makes sense.
The Tea Party Assplode Gazette — Health Insurance Edition
”I ran across a couple of witty essays while stomping around in the health-care-reform news-media weeds today. My favorite was published by Benjamin Feinblum over at PolicyMic.com, entitled:
“Obamacare Protects the Free Market: Why Repealing It Would Mean a Return to Socialism”
Repealing the Affordable Care Act is a return to socialism that I don’t support.
I don’t want to continue paying $1000 in increased insurance premiums because I have to pay for the uninsured.
Good piece…I especially liked the comments that talked about those wacko Tea Partiers wanting their “freedumb” How perfect is that! I really don’t think there is 2 brains cells among all of them.
First, he’s facing a team of ninja strategists who have already taken his two greatest accomplishments in life—getting filthy rich as a businessman and passing a universal health care plan as governor—and turned them into his greatest weaknesses.
Second, he is a right-wing extremist running for president after eight years when right-wing extremist tortured American values and cost us millions of jobs.
To review his extreme views:
He wants tax breaks for the rich larger than George W. Bush’s breaks
He feels the president can attack Iran any time for any reason
He wants to overturn Roe v. Wade and defund Planned Parenthood taking basic reproductive health from millions of women
He wants to write bigotry against gays and lesbians into the Constitution with an anti-gay marriage amendment
He believes he can make life for millions of undocumented mothers, daughters and grandmothers miserable enough that they will eventually deport themselves
Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion already covering a half-million Americans
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Over the past two years, five states have quietly executed the Affordable Care Act’s largest coverage expansion to date, extending benefits to more than 500,000 Americans.
It’s not the high risk pools, nor is it the end to pre-existing conditions for kids. Instead, these five states have increased coverage by voluntarily participating in the health law’s Medicaid expansion early. That’s the exact same provision a number of Republican governors are now choosing not to implement.
The health law’s Medicaid expansion does not officially start until Jan. 1, 2014. It did, however, give states the option of starting enrollment even earlier. Five states – California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington — as well as the District of Columbia took the Obama administration up on the offer.
“These states were able to preserve and, in some cases, expand and strengthen coverage for low income adults,” the Kaiser Family Foundation found in a report this past April.
Bob Diamond who resigned today as CEO of Barclays Bank was going to host a fundraiser for Willard while he is in London for the opening of the Olympics. Diamond also pulled out of the fundraiser today.
This election is a crucial one for the country. We’ve allowed the right wing to pretty much run the show for the last 32 years, and it’s time to take the country back. A radical element has taken over a major party; instead of wasting a significant amount of our time demanding perfection from Democrats, we should be spending virtually all of our time trying to eliminate that radical element. Politics is a process; we can’t do ten things at once. First we vanquish the right wing, then we can work on the Blue Dogs.
It should be easy to get rid of the cranks running today’s Republican Party. They’re terrible at running government. They still tout economic policies that were proven wrong many years ago, like supply-side economics, often called “trickle-down.” They’ve been pushing this nonsense for 32 years; shouldn’t it have “trickled down” to us by now?
The GOP also touts the virtues of low taxes, even as they whine and cry about the budget deficit and national debt. The fact is, this country has plenty of money. We’re still the richest single country, by far. But the neocon-led Republican Party operates government based on the premise that, if you starve the government of money, it can’t spend any. For nearly two years, they’ve actually refused to create jobs, which would in turn create more taxpayers. Perhaps ironically, more taxpayers would actually lead to more revenue without necessarily raising tax rates, which wouldreduce the deficit they’re crying about.
Must read! Where the Money Lives…in Vanity Fair…..
For all Mitt Romney’s touting of his business record, when it comes to his own money the Republican nominee is remarkably shy about disclosing numbers and investments. Nicholas Shaxson delves into the murky world of offshore finance, revealing loopholes that allow the very wealthy to skirt tax laws, and investigating just how much of Romney’s fortune (with $30 million in Bain Capital funds in the Cayman Islands alone?) looks pretty strange for a presidential candidate.
The Dog That Voted and Other Election Fraud Yarns (A MUST READ)
The GOP’s 10-year campaign to gin up voter fraud hysteria—and bring back Jim Crow at the ballot box.
—By Kevin Drum
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There’s more to voter suppression than just photo ID laws, of course (see our related charts), and the Brennan Center has identified a host of other tactics that have sprung up over the past few years. Some states have ended Election Day registration. Others have restricted early voting, which is more heavily used by minority voters. Laws requiring proof of citizenship have been proposed in a dozen states—a legislative push closely associated with the right-wing campaign against illegal immigration. Laws making it harder for students to vote have mushroomed. And last year Florida placed such stringent rules on voter registration drives that the League of Women Voters simply stopped conducting them.
None of this is a coincidence. In the same way that ACVR and Thor Hearne helped win the public-opinion war following the 2004 election, the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council picked up the ball after the 2008 election with model voter fraud measures that were prepackaged and ready to be enacted. With Republican majorities in place across the country, state lawmakers were eager to pass laws restricting voting rights. ALEC made it easy.
Just a thought, and correct me if I’m wrong…but if it was a tax and not a penalty, wouldn’t EVERYONE pay it since this is a national program? Just sayin,,,
Df, of course you are absolutely right:It’s not a tax. Look, as I’ve argued on another blog, the law in California requires all drivers to buy liability insurance, or be covered under someone else liability insurance. If the cop stops and asks for proof of insurance and you don’t have it you get a ticket and pay a fine. The whole rational behind this mandate is that uninsured motorists who may cause accidents get away without paying a penny. Insurance companies that have to pay for their insured motorists then raise premiums not only on the insured person in an accident but on all the people buying insurance. In order to prevent skyrocketing auto insurance premiums, California passed a law mandating that all drivers must have liability insurance.That includes drivers who had never been involved in an accident all their lives. Republicans, at the urging of insurance companies championed this law. I never heard a peep of protest calling this mandate a tax increase. By the way, unlike the ACA which subsidizes those who can’t afford to pay health insurance, under the California auto liability insurance, poor people have no such luck.
Similarly, because people who are uninsured contribute to raising all of our health insurance premiums when they seek medical help, usually via expensive ERs, then it’s reasonable to require that everyone buy insurance. Fortunately, the ACA recognizes that not every one can afford health insurance. That’s why the law provides subsidies to help people buy insurance. And for those who are very poor the law allowed them to be covered by the extended Medicaid program that covers more poor people than before. Of the 300 million or so Americans, the estimate is that about 46 millions have no health insurance and are not covered either by Medicare or Medicaid. That means that 254 million Americans will not be affected by this so called tax. And of the 46 million uninsured, a sizable percentage will either be covered by medicaid or receive subsidies to purchase private insurance. Basically, the mandate applies to small group of those Americans who are financially able to purchase health insurance but refuse to do so. But even for them, if they never show up for any kind of medical treatment that they can’t afford, or refuse to pay, they will probably get away from paying a penalty for not buying health insurance. The penalty really kicks in if you try to get free medical treatment at the expense of all other Americans.
The studies I’ve read suggest that mandate to buy health insurance will affect less than 5% of Americans So, It’s bold faced lie for right wingers to call the penalty for not buying health insurance, when you can afford to, “the largest middle-class tax increase in the history of America.” This is all propaganda aimed at bamboozling the law information American voters. I am hoping that by now sensible Americans are beginning to see through the Republican lies. Every time President Obama does something the go around yelling, like chicken little, that the sky is falling. It’s now almost four years in his presidency, and as far as I can tell, none doom they predicted has come to pass. As I told a fellow senior citizen the other day, I am 100% convinced that of all the things that are likely to take me from this earth the Obamacare is not one of them. As a matter of fact, Obama Cares is already saving me money on my Asthma medicine. And next week I go in for another free annual check up.
And what was in the 2009 GOP plan? I’m glad you asked.
After missing a series of self-imposed deadlines, Republican leaders slapped together a half-hearted joke — the GOP “policy” largely ignored the uninsured, did nothing for those with pre-existing conditions, and offered nothing for those worried about losing coverage when it’s needed most.
We learned shortly after the Republican plan was defeated that the proposal included provisions that “mirror the suggestions put forth by the lobbying entity of the private insurance industry way back in December 2008.” Imagine that.
love that “insourcing” ad. a couple years ago i was talking with a business associate while in a really red state. he insisted on making the distinction between outsourcing and offshoring. first time i had heard that, and now i see it’s become “a thing” in the msm propaganda mill. weird how often that happens, where i’ll be all around the country and yet my republican “friends” all say the same dumb stuff, and shows how insidious the msm propaganda is. seems like it all starts in rush limpbaugh-land and replicates out from there into all the msm channels…like a virus.
of course, with 5 seconds of thought, i asked him, ‘well, what about all the jobs going to mexico? why would that be called offshoring?” and of course like any republican, when challenged with simple logic and have to go off script, they crumble into nothingness and awkwardly change the subject. yet, here the offshoring/outsourcing distraction talking point is all over the place a couple years later. sigh…glad to see PBO hammering this point and not getting distracted…as usual with our man!!!
GOP In Disarray: Republican Party Chairman Claims Romney Thinks The Mandate ‘Is A Tax’
BROOKE BALDWIN (HOST): But it sounds like the Romney campaign says it was a penalty. I’m asking you specifically, Republican National Committee Chairman, tax or penalty, which is it?
PRIEBUS: It’s a tax and the reason why it’s a tax is because the Supreme Court number one ruled it was a tax and number two, it’s what Barack Obama’s lawyer argued before the Supreme Court.
Republicans in Congress, and even some top Romney surrogates, however, are still holding on to the “tax” talking point. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who may be on Romney’s vice presidential short list, told Fox News’ Fox & Friends Tuesday morning that the mandate is both a “penalty” and a “tax,” something Romney himself has previously claimed.
Hello TOD family- Elections are about contrasting views and this election offers a particularly stark contrast. So every supporter should be informed about the choices we face and, ideally, communicate them to their own networks of family, friends and neighbors and maybe the larger communities that can be reached through Twitter or other social media. But let us not forget to highlight what is so special about this President. Let us celebrate the change. Health care reform comes to mind immediately because of the recent Supreme Court decision. It is the topic of the day and we discuss it, contrast reactions and opinions. But let us spend more time celebrating this enormous achievement. And we should not only discuss the topic of the day, but take a deeper look at how President Obama has moved the country forward. There are lots of great initiatives, new approaches and forward looking policies. I just read the 3 year review of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities – something you will not hear much about from the noise machine that our media have become. It made me think about my days in college when I studied Urban Affairs and the dreamers of that time talked about revitalizing our great American cities. It was all about community, opportunity for all and a vision of what is possible. I see this vision reflected in the President’s approach to governing. It shines a bright light on the promise of America and is the most important contrast of all.
At least 15 governors have indicated they will not participate in the expansion of Medicaid under the healthcare law, striking a blow to President Obama’s promise of broader insurance coverage.
Before Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling, states had the option of either increasing their Medicaid rolls or being penalized by the federal government. The high court struck down that offer as unconstitutional.
The intransigence of these Republican governors should be used to mobilize people, who stand to benefit from Medicaid expansion, to vote out these governors in 2014, or whenever they are up for re-election. I know we have our share of problems — including electing criminal idiots like Issa — but I ma so glad I live in California.
Speculation that Clarence Thomas, who has been mute his entire service on the Sup. CT., may be—is likely to be– the source of the leak on the leak re. Roberts switch on health care decision. He and the CBS reporter, Jan Crawford (Greenburg), have a mutual admiration thing going on. Hard to believe but they just love each other.
I just heard that Andy Griffith passed away. I was listening to the Stephanie Miller show and the folks sitting in for her annouced it. I remember four years ago when Andy and Ron Howard made a commercial for PBO in 2008. I remember watching this show growing up in the 50’s/60’s and it being one of my favorite shows. So many of our icons from that era are getting older and passing on. Don Grady of My Three Sons and now Andy, may he rest in peace.
This guy needs to go. The deadbeat is trashing Tammy Duckworth. Notice the audience…they don’t even LOOK at him….IL, vote this loser out. In fact, I think we should vote ALL these losers out. h/t to Political Carnival
This SOB can’t even pay his child support. He’s a liar just like Robme, told his wife he was broke yet he lent his campaign $35K and took two vactions – to Mexico and Italy with his girl friend now wife. He can’t pay past child support yet starts another family. This is who the GOTP thinks is “family values”.
it’s not about him as a person…we should be branding the entire republican party with this guy, since they all support him enthusiastically. he’s the face of the republican party today, and those out there who have a problem with that can vote dem and obama this november. it’s their choice who they want to associate with.
Why are all of those people there listening to this jerk? I wonder if they support him or if they are so clueless, they know nothing about him. The one woman looks disgusted while he was speaking.
This made a whole lot of sense to me too, Japa21. If people who are unemployed get jobs — private sector or public sector — they will then be able to pay taxes and thereby increasing revenues that will help reduce the deficits. Besides, the government will also reduce expenditure that pays for unemployment and food stamps.
Manufacturing number barely dropped below 50 yesterday, 50 indicates growth.
But, the US Auto industry is doing great.
This makes no sense, as they both go hand in hand.
Why even give CNN kudos when their so called 15 battle ground states, gives Romney 51% and the president at 43%? Funny how the Cablers siting these outlandish numbers NEVER used the word, OUTLIER, as they uniformly did with the Bloomberg poll many days ago?
But we have a Liberal Bias Media, right?
We know Dems are energized. Romney has Money all right, but these USA is Not for sale. Not this time. No way. No how. No lying bishop.
After that poll yesterday, after announcing that the Supreme Court had struck down the ACA law, whatever CNN says you have to take with a grain of salt, there is no trust in that network, none at all.
Didn’t he also play a down to earth Atlanta defense lawyer in a series entailed “Matlock?” I may also be confusing him with someone else but I think he also played deputy marshall, under the screen name Chester, in the popular tv Western, “Gunsmoke.” In any case may he R.I.P.
The Republican nominee’s aide Eric Fehrnstrom adopts Obama’s line on the individual mandate: It’s not a tax
By Alex Seitz-Wald
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The Obama administration, meanwhile, has responded to the court’s ruling by arguing that the mandate’s enforcement fee is not, in fact, a tax but rather a penalty for people who try to bilk their responsibility to purchase insurance, like a parking ticket.
This gives Romney almost no room to navigate. If he wants to defend his own law, he’ll call it a penalty, but if he wants to attack Obamacare, he’ll call it a tax. But he can’t have it both ways at the same time, so the Romney campaign seems to have split the baby. Appearing on MSNBC this morning, Romney campaign strategist Eric Fehrnstrom adopted the Obama administration’s position that the fee is a penalty for freeriders and not a tax. “He agreed with the dissent that was written by Justice Scalia, which very clearly stated that the mandate was not a tax,” Fehrnstrom said.
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However, Fehrnstrom’s characterization appears to be the campaign’s new message rather than a deviation from it. Asked by reporters on the campaign trail about Fehrnstrom’s comments, Romney Deputy Press Secretary Amanda Henneberg said, “Gov. Romney thinks it is an unconstitutional penalty.”
JONATHAN GRUBER – Author “Health Care Reform,” The Comic Book
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Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser talks with Jonathan Gruber, the author of “Health Care Reform,” the comic book. The MIT economist and professor of economics hopes the graphic layout of his book will help more Americans understand the complex law and its implications.
I just ordered this book on Amazon.
The WH needs to put together a team to explain the ACA to the people. Could Dr. Oz be in that team? This MIT professor? A team that is respected and NOT politicians. Please WH….explain the ACA, the noise makes the average American afraid.
GOP Governors May Turn Down $258 Billion In Obamacare Funds, Leave 9.2 Million Americans Uninsured
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Despite the Supreme Court ruling that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, Republican governors are considering refusing billions in Medicaid funds which promise to insure millions of lower-income Americans without health care. The Court found that while the Medicaid provision is constitutional, the federal government cannot take away federal funds from states that refuse to open the program to more residents.
A ThinkProgress survey reveals that ten GOP governors have said definitively that they will not accept the funds, while 19 are still considering other options. Sixteen states, all with Democratic governors, have committed to expanding their programs:
All of these governors need to be targeted and thrown out at the end of their term, which in most cases is 2014. If this isn’t a reason for people to vote in Democratic governors from now on, I don’t know what is.
perfect example of what voting for a republican means today. shout this from the rooftops! every american is in control of their own vote, and when the difference is presented this clearly, it should be easy to choose the democrat. of course, the media will attempt to fool people, but republicans are so extreme now i’m not sure the media can fool people as much as they have in the past, especially with rep. joe walsh above and these republican governors as example of what it means to be republican today.
Prosecutors say Dr. Drew was paid to promote the drug Wellbutrin’s sexiness——one of the drugs illegally marketed and involved in the $3 billion fine of Big Pharma’s GlaxoSmithKline. (Isn’t it amazing all the greed and junk that is going on everywhere?)
Have to say, I’m really disappointed that they took Ann Curry out of her role. The low ratings had nothing to do with her, in my opinion. Since they started hiring politician’s kids as contributors, I stopped watching on a regular basis and only rarely only stopped on that show when channel surfing and Ann happened to be on camera. The one they should’ve dumped is Matt Lauer.
And it sounds like the reason she was dumped was because she let her unhappiness be known of the increasing fluffiness/non news turn of the Today Show.
Maybe they’re giving S.E. Cupp her own show—–she hogs the one she’s on and she’s a guest on every other show there. Someone at msnbc is just loving the Cuppster’s rt. wing talking points!
I’ve been reading about Mitt’s riches this morning, so for old times’ sake I decided to look up the video of his $10,000 bet.
Anybody remember what the bet was about? Ironic tie-in with current events! Gov. Perry was pointing out that Mitt was supporting the individual mandate, according to Mitt’s book. Mitt was denying it and betting it wasn’t true. Very funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CPQMDS_XO0
The veto of the Governor of North Carolina was overridden and Planned Parenthood will be defunded. The right wing movement in many states is becoming devastating.
From: Kaiser Family Foundation A terrific website with lots of good information.
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The health reform law promises to deliver big changes in the U.S. health care system. But, as with other sweeping pieces of legislation, it can be hard to get the real facts about what it does. And it is all too easy for misinformation about the law to spread.
Take our short, 10-question quiz to test your knowledge of the law, and then find out how you compare to the rest of the country, as represented by the findings of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s monthly Health Tracking Poll.
Since before the ACA became law, the Kaiser Family Foundation has been an excellent source of information. I’m very impressed with the amount of facts they present.
If Republicans really wanted to replace Obamacare with some more “market-friendly” alternative, then there’s a simple way they could go about it. They could promise to repeal the law only if they packaged the repeal with a replacement that did not increase the number of uninsured. But they’ll never do that, because the magic, cheaper free-market alternative does not exist, and the GOP has no interest in diverting resources to cover the poor and sick.
Hennessey, who lays out the most specific vision for repealing Obamacare, asserts, “Repeal and replacement should be separate legislative efforts.” This means, of course, that the actual plan is first to get rid of Obamacare, then pretend to work on a replacement before eventually discovering that it’s expensive and unpopular. Oh well. The only interesting question here on any level is why so many conservatives feel bound to pretend that the Republicans really are going to formulate some other plan to care for the poor and sick.
A happy ending story for a little pooch who luckily and somehow survived running for an hour on the expressway during Chgo rush hour today. Many good folks tried to rescue her, but, man, she was fast. It’s boiling hot here, and I think she finally ran out of gas and could be grabbed.
Hiddee Ho Os! Well it’s a very hot, but very great getting up day in TODdytown again!!! I lost power only briefly on Sunday. I can’t imagine what it’s like for those who are still without electricity. I don’t know which is worse, no power in winter or summer.
My political take today is that Mitt probably cheats at his family Olympic games. He probably makes the youngest grandkids compete against each other in a most unhealthy way. He probably threatens to make them ride home on top of the car, if they lose at a game. His own kids will be written out of the will if they beat him at a game.
The Romney campaign has decided that their candidate should not have to answer questions he may not like.
.
.
On the other hand, this is a presidential election and the public will not be content with softballs. Further, the mainstream media, which has bent over backwards to accommodate the tender sensibilities of the right, will not appreciate being given the cold shoulder. While Fox may be the most powerful news network, they cannot carry the Romney campaign alone. Should the other networks decide to give Romney the Al Gore/John Kerry treatment, Romney will find that all the glowing praise in the world from Sean Hannity will not overcome negative reporting from a spurned mainstream media.
The ACA has set those Governors that aren’t willing to embrace expanding Medicaid up against the hospital industry, who do you think is going to blink first?
The Obama Diary 
Good morning all.
Morning, JER
Morning, Chipsticks!
Morning JER…félicitations,.
Morning JER, hellooooooooo everyone.
Ahhh……the young grow so fast.
And Bo too! 🙂 Morning UT!
Thanks Chips.
Morning everyone…..
Ahhhh Rev. Al…..love him!!!
Mrning, ChristiMTL
Good morning Pam
More revelations on Mitt Romney’s offshore finances this time in Bermuda. He could be worth more than he claims to be worth. Reports Vanity Fair
http://m.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/08/investigating-mitt-romney-offshore-accounts
Former employee reveals how Mitt encouraged him to lie.
Brutal article. Thanks for posting – everyone spread it around if you can.
Just tweeted.
it’s not that he’s rich–it’s that he’s a cheat and a liar and a sanctimonious puke!
Found this blog- Life With Mitch McConnell: This blog needs a shout out!
MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012
Affordable Care Act Classes
Dear Senator McConnell:
Just heard on the local news a clip of you speaking to a group at Hardin Memorial Hospital this morning. Once again, you mentioned the 2300 page bill, as though that is too much for anyone to expect you to read and comprehend. That’s fine. We know you are lazy and you have whined about the burden of having to do your job for so long this is not surprise.
But, you added to that statement, “2300 page bill that nobody understands.” This is a lie, and you know it is a lie. Many of us have read and do understand the bill. If you want to admit that you are a lazy fool, at least you are being somewhat honest for a change. You do not have permission to try and make the rest of us look like fools with you. That is disgusting and totally unacceptable.
Here are a few links that might help you.
http://www.healthcare.gov/law/full/index.html (Site contains the entire bill as well as simple explanations that even you might be able to comprehend. Again, if you can’t read, my grandchildren will come read it to you.
https://class.coursera.org/healthpolicy-2012-001/wiki/index University of Pennsylvania offers a free class: Health Policy and the Affordable Care Act
A good leader would know this bill inside and out and would be able to explain it so that his constituents would understand.
Sandy
http://lifewithmitchmcconnell.blogspot.com/
I saw this on the last post and went and tweeted it.
carla4obama, I like this link. I hope President Obama ask Romney during the debate if he read the healthcare bill. Cause I am sure he hasn’t. Every republican should be asked this questions to expose and shame them for demonising something they have neven bother to read.
Good morning TOD Family! It’s a beautiful cooler morning so far today.
Am I the only one who’s sick of the media?…
It’s a tax, not a tax, yes it’s a tax, no it’s not……….geeezzz…..
It’s Parkay….no….it’s Butter….Parkay….Butter…..Parkay….Butter
lol
Not at all! I’m tired of the tax vs. penalty garbage and that they just let these fright wingers lie about the bill over and over again without challenge. They’ve told so many lies, it’s not a wonder so many are confused. It’s sad.
No, you are not the only one sick of the media about this “is it or is it not a tax”; I am too. I’m also sick of lying ass, hypocritcal, Republicans who claim they love the Constutuion and this country ; yet are doing everthing to destroy it. Cheif Justice Roberts spoke; it’s official… it’s the law of the land. RepubliCons need to do something else for this economy besides wasting time and money going on outlandish witch hunts and trying to repeal the law of the land.
Besides, what difference does it make? The top 1% doesn’t pay taxes anyhow. It’s about time, for them to pay something to contrubiute towards the well-being of this country.
BTW: When is Mittens going to reveal his tax reports and his murky investments i.e. his offshore finances????
Chips and everyone in Todville have a nice day and a Happy 4th of July. 🙂
Chips, you rock. thanks for all the good information you give us.
GM all – excellent ad – ‘insourcing vs outsourcing’ HA!
I love the smell of Republican fear in the morning……I wonder if we will get any of the “ZOMG DA REPUBLICANS ARE JUMPING OFF THE BOAT” stories
Rep. Allen West suggested late Monday that Mitt Romney re-evaluate his campaign advisers, hours after top Romney aide Eric Fehrnstrom said on TV that the individual mandate of President Barack Obama’s health care law is not a tax.
“It’s a tax,” the Florida Republican told Greta Van Susteren of Fox News. “I think that the governor probably needs to look at who he has within his circle of advisers, and probably get … them to provide the right type of counsel and advice.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78090.html#ixzz1zYxdcAN4
Rep. Allen West ????
SMDH, this fool doesn’t even know there aren’t any communists in the Congress? Who the hell can he advice when he is not even aware of his surroundings?
Ding bat Sarah Palin wants this creep to be on Willard “The Myth” Promney’s VP list.
Pathetic, truly patheic.
He also said Obama wants to enslave America.
A Black man accusing another Black man of wanting to do that.
I’d say West should be ashamed of himself but I doubt he’d be capable of understanding how disgusting he is.
‘i love the smell of republican fear in the morning’–hahahahhhaaaaahahahahhhaaaaahahaaaa!
GM folks. Great toons.
Many people wonder why Republican legislators are so unrelenting on President Obama. Frederick Douglass gave us the answer many years ago.
“Though the colored man is no longer subject to barter and sale, he is surrounded by an adverse settlement which fetters all his movements. In his downward course he meets with no resistance, but his course upward is resented and resisted at every step of his progress. If he comes in ignorance, rags and wretchedness he conforms to the popular belief of his character, and in that character he is welcome; but if he shall come as a gentleman, a scholar and a statesman, he is hailed as a contradiction to the national faith concerning his race, and his coming is resented as impudence. In one case he may provoke contempt and derision, but in the other he is an affront to pride and provokes malice.”
Frederick Douglass
September 25, 1883
And how little things have changed
This is powerful. So sad that the situation is much the same 130 years later. In other words: “Stay in your place.” Douglass describes the president so well: “a gentleman, a scholar and a statesman.”
wow, it’s sickening to see all the thugs saying the exact same lie.
no kidding! reminds me of a church choir all standing up to sing on cue.
I saw yesterday that the new Luntz talking point for the GOP for the ”Replace” part of their bogus ” Repeal and Replace” is….
”Patient-centered solutions.”
So we can expect to hear that over and over and over again….
Common sense patient-centered solutions.
It means absolutely nothing as they have nothing
Yes, patient-centered solutions is an empty phrase. Means absolutely nothing. One of Frank Luntz’s euphemisms to cover up emptiness.
Chicago Cubs owners, the Ricketts family, are crying about Mayor Rahm still refusing to return their calls about securing public funds to renovate Wrigley Field. Rahm said to still be “livid”, understandably, about the revelation that the head of the family, crazy Joe Ricketts, was planning to donate $10 million to re-launch a Rev. Wright attack against Obama. That news did not go over so well in Chicago. Maybe the Ricketts family will have to use their own billions to renovate their losing team’s ball park.
http://www.nwherald.com/2012/07/02/political-flap-stalls-plans-to-renovate-wrigley-field/aekoszt/
Let Joe Ricketts use the money he intends to use to attack President Obama with to fix up Wrigley field.
Exactly.
Vice President Biden heads to his childhood hometown of Scranton, Pa., where he will attend a campaign event and speak at the city’s fireworks celebration. Details here.
President Obama remains at Camp David. He has no public events scheduled.
Good Scranton loves Biden. He”ll be a big hit there.
Crikey, I thought this toon was more than a little distasteful:
http://www.cagle.com/2012/07/obamney-care/
Agreed.
I wonder if it appeared in any papers. Exceptionally daft.
can’t get to it – too many complaints maybe?
sent yez an email. let me know if there’s anything I can do or if my suggestion would be helpful. 🙂
Hiya Alice, that’s odd, I’m still able to see it.
Just going through the emails now, you’re a star – thank you!!!
Throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania, President Obama will talk about his efforts over the last three years to get our economy back on track, doubling down on American workers by saving the auto industry, investing in manufacturing and bringing jobs back to America.
The President will also talk with voters in their communities about the choice in this election – whether we want to grow our economy from the middle out, not the top town. The President is rebuilding an economy meant to last – one that restores middle class security by investing in education, energy, innovation and infrastructure and reforms the tax code — steps which will create American jobs, responsibly pay down our debt and ensure everyone – from Wall Street to Main Street – plays by the same rules and pays their fair share.
The President’s vision stands in stark contrast to Mitt Romney, who believes in an economy built from the top down and supports the same policies that crashed our economy and devastated the middle class in the first place. As a corporate buyout specialist, he made massive profits by shuttering plants, firing workers and investing in companies that pioneered shipping of good American jobs overseas…
Boeing hikes 20 yr. market forecast, predicting demand for 34,000 new aircraft, worth $4.5 trillion on growth in emerging regions
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-boeing-hikes-20year-market-forecast-20120703,0,7032816.story
Off topic: This is so ridiculous it is funny. Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post and Rep. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) are apoplectic that a local politician in Galway, Ireland proposed erecting a statue of Che Guevara in a city square. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen wrote “a thundering opinion for NLvoices.com” denouncing Guevera. Rubin reported on her 30 minute conversation with the local politician telling him how evil Guevara was. She dared Maureen Dowd to denounce the statue. It appears the statue will not be built. We are fortunate we have the WP and Congress looking out for the cause of freedom.
What does a statue in Ireland have to do with her anyway?
LIFE WITH MITCH MCCONNELL AND RAND PAUL
http://lifewithmitchmcconnell.blogspot.com/
NOTE: Re-posting from previous thread because this is too good to miss. Highly recommended.
(H/T CARLA4OBAMA)
VIDEO: VICTIMS of OBAMACARE
By Andy Cobb
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Judging from symptoms displayed on Facebook, there seems to be no balm, lotion or tincture to soothe their butthurtedness. They can’t really move–every other advanced industrial nation has universal access to decent medical care. So that sucks.
——————————–
http://crooksandliars.com/andy-cobb/victims-obamacare
that. was. funny. 😀
Most Excellent!
love it!
Like that short 30 second ad contrasting “oursourcing” and “insourcing”…..Insourcing is clear and easy to understand. A good word to use as we contrast the two ideas. Good on the Obama team for using that word.
FLOWCHART: HOW THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE “PENALTY” WORKS
The Requirement to Buy Coverage Under the Affordable Care Act
——————————————–
Along with changes to the health insurance system that guarantee access to coverage to everyone regardless of pre-existing health conditions, the Affordable Care Act includes a requirement that many people be insured or pay a penalty. This simple flowchart illustrates how that requirement (sometimes known as an “individual mandate”) works.
———————————————
http://healthreform.kff.org/en/the-basics/requirement-to-buy-coverage-flowchart.aspx
That was really helpful, Ladyhawke. Tweetworthy!
Thank you a4a.
Well, this is gonna get me. I am 53 married and work a low paying job. My husband works 2 low paying jobs. This is to keep a roof over our heads, water and electricity flowing, gas in the car, car insurance, phone. We make 42,000. NET! We cannot claim our two children that we still support.
900.00 House
237.00 Car
200.00 Electricity
91.00 Car Insurance
100.00 gas
Food?
Not sure about this penalty.
Please take the time to learn about the ACA. If you can not afford it there maybe some assistance.
Meant to say GROSS not NET
Well, if I’m not mistaken, folks in your situation will be given subsidies to buy insurance.
FIVE BEST TOOLS FOR FOLLOWING THE MONEY
June 15, 2012
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“Data” is the buzzword of the 2012 election. Making sense of campaign finance data is crucial to understanding what will happen in the coming weeks and months, as well as the underlying forces that influence those events. But you don’t have to be a journalist — or have a computer science degree — to dig in. Below are five tools that enable anyone to learn about the money fueling this election.
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http://billmoyers.com/content/five-best-tools-for-following-the-money/
Good morning folks.
I am having stalker-ish PBO withdraws. Is he coming home tonight or tomorrow?
Morning Collegekay. He’s delayed his return until tomorrow, hang on in there!
Morning! My body aches from my cleaning binge yesterday….did you know that you have muscles in your back? And legs? Neck? My goodness…who knew!
I watched that LOD piece… devastating. And the question that LOD asked David Corn to look into at the end of the piece, whether Mitt benefited from the work of Stericycle in MA….well, let’s just say I hope he looks into that. Long way until Nov…wonder what OTHER skeletons he has in his closet? Plenty, I’m sure. I understand why McCain passed this guy over. He probably got an explanation from the McCain campaign back then as to why, but 4 years later he thinks that he’s entitled and we won’t find out. Little shit.
Anyway….cloudy now. We LOVE a good cloudy day here….even if it doesn’t rain.
“Did you know that you have muscles in your back? And legs? Neck? My goodness…who knew!”
😆 Morning Desertflower!!
Morning, sweet! Just so you know…it’s a “good” pain:)
And well worth it too, eh, DF? I know whatever it takes to free up more time to read TOD, a fine investment indeed!
TAKE ACTION INITIATIVES
By Bill Moyers
—————————
“Yes, democracy’s in trouble, but what can I do about it?” We know the difficulties can seem insurmountable. But organized action, joining with others to face our times and challenges, can make a difference. Below are a variety of initiatives dedicated to tilting the balance of power. Suggest your own ideas and remember Margaret Mead’s wise words: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
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http://billmoyers.com/spotlight/take-action/
PAC Track
What and Where are the Super PACs Spending?
By Al Shaw and Kim Barker, ProPublica. Updated July 3, 2012, 9:00 a.m. EST
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Two federal court rulings in 2010 paved the way for the ascent of “super PACs,” political action committees that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on political races, as long as they don’t coordinate with a specific candidate. And so far, they’re spending heavily on the Republican race. This app, part of our long-term investigation into “dark money,” keeps track of where super PACs are spending and raising their cash to influence the presidential race.
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http://projects.propublica.org/pactrack/#contributions=C00507525
that is very interesting!
WHERE THE MONEY LIVES:
For all Mitt Romney’s touting of his business record, when it comes to his own money the Republican nominee is remarkably shy about disclosing numbers and investments. Nicholas Shaxson delves into the murky world of offshore finance, revealing loopholes that allow the very wealthy to skirt tax laws, and investigating just how much of Romney’s fortune (with $30 million in Bain Capital funds in the Cayman Islands alone?) looks pretty strange for a presidential candidate. http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/08/investigating-mitt-romney-offshore-accounts
This is very interesting!….it completely destroy their talking points…..wow…..I never looked at it this way but it makes sense.
The Tea Party Assplode Gazette — Health Insurance Edition
”I ran across a couple of witty essays while stomping around in the health-care-reform news-media weeds today. My favorite was published by Benjamin Feinblum over at PolicyMic.com, entitled:
“Obamacare Protects the Free Market: Why Repealing It Would Mean a Return to Socialism”
Repealing the Affordable Care Act is a return to socialism that I don’t support.
I don’t want to continue paying $1000 in increased insurance premiums because I have to pay for the uninsured.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/03/1105490/-The-Tea-Party-Assplode-Gazette-Health-Insurance-Edition
Great tweet huh? “Obamacare Protects the Free Market: Why Repealing It Would Mean a Return to Socialism”
Good piece…I especially liked the comments that talked about those wacko Tea Partiers wanting their “freedumb” How perfect is that! I really don’t think there is 2 brains cells among all of them.
exactly!….well you take people who are not that bright and expose them daily to a powerful hate machine and it’s the results….
Chrysler Group LLC’s June U.S. auto sales rose 20 percent to 144,811 vehicles, the company said on Tuesday, slightly topping analyst expectations.
It was the 27th consecutive month that Chrysler sales topped those from the previous year, and its best June sales since 2007.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-chrysler-june-sales-up-20-20120703,0,2575351.story
How You Know Mitt Romney is Losing It
By LOLGOP on July 3, 2012
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Mitt Romney has two big problems.
First, he’s facing a team of ninja strategists who have already taken his two greatest accomplishments in life—getting filthy rich as a businessman and passing a universal health care plan as governor—and turned them into his greatest weaknesses.
Second, he is a right-wing extremist running for president after eight years when right-wing extremist tortured American values and cost us millions of jobs.
To review his extreme views:
He wants tax breaks for the rich larger than George W. Bush’s breaks
He feels the president can attack Iran any time for any reason
He wants to overturn Roe v. Wade and defund Planned Parenthood taking basic reproductive health from millions of women
He wants to write bigotry against gays and lesbians into the Constitution with an anti-gay marriage amendment
He believes he can make life for millions of undocumented mothers, daughters and grandmothers miserable enough that they will eventually deport themselves
————————————————-
http://eclectablog.com/2012/07/how-you-know-mitt-romney-is-losing-it.html
on the plus side, he’s a white guy.
Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion already covering a half-million Americans
—————————–
Over the past two years, five states have quietly executed the Affordable Care Act’s largest coverage expansion to date, extending benefits to more than 500,000 Americans.
It’s not the high risk pools, nor is it the end to pre-existing conditions for kids. Instead, these five states have increased coverage by voluntarily participating in the health law’s Medicaid expansion early. That’s the exact same provision a number of Republican governors are now choosing not to implement.
The health law’s Medicaid expansion does not officially start until Jan. 1, 2014. It did, however, give states the option of starting enrollment even earlier. Five states – California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington — as well as the District of Columbia took the Obama administration up on the offer.
“These states were able to preserve and, in some cases, expand and strengthen coverage for low income adults,” the Kaiser Family Foundation found in a report this past April.
———————————-
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/07/03/obamacares-medicaid-expansion-already-covering-a-half-million-americans/
Bob Diamond who resigned today as CEO of Barclays Bank was going to host a fundraiser for Willard while he is in London for the opening of the Olympics. Diamond also pulled out of the fundraiser today.
http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2012/07/republicanincompetenceupdated.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PleaseCutTheCrap+%28Please+Cut+the+Crap%21%29
This election is a crucial one for the country. We’ve allowed the right wing to pretty much run the show for the last 32 years, and it’s time to take the country back. A radical element has taken over a major party; instead of wasting a significant amount of our time demanding perfection from Democrats, we should be spending virtually all of our time trying to eliminate that radical element. Politics is a process; we can’t do ten things at once. First we vanquish the right wing, then we can work on the Blue Dogs.
It should be easy to get rid of the cranks running today’s Republican Party. They’re terrible at running government. They still tout economic policies that were proven wrong many years ago, like supply-side economics, often called “trickle-down.” They’ve been pushing this nonsense for 32 years; shouldn’t it have “trickled down” to us by now?
The GOP also touts the virtues of low taxes, even as they whine and cry about the budget deficit and national debt. The fact is, this country has plenty of money. We’re still the richest single country, by far. But the neocon-led Republican Party operates government based on the premise that, if you starve the government of money, it can’t spend any. For nearly two years, they’ve actually refused to create jobs, which would in turn create more taxpayers. Perhaps ironically, more taxpayers would actually lead to more revenue without necessarily raising tax rates, which wouldreduce the deficit they’re crying about.
If that’s not basic incompetence, what is?
LiberalPhenom @LiberalPhenom
Thanks to President Obama! // “@CNBC: BREAKING: @GM June sales up 15.5%, double expectations. (via @Lebeaucarnews)”
Must read! Where the Money Lives…in Vanity Fair…..
For all Mitt Romney’s touting of his business record, when it comes to his own money the Republican nominee is remarkably shy about disclosing numbers and investments. Nicholas Shaxson delves into the murky world of offshore finance, revealing loopholes that allow the very wealthy to skirt tax laws, and investigating just how much of Romney’s fortune (with $30 million in Bain Capital funds in the Cayman Islands alone?) looks pretty strange for a presidential candidate.
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/08/investigating-mitt-romney-offshore-accounts?mbid=social_retweet
In an astonishing coincidence, Ann Romney’s blind trust managed to invest $10 million in Tagg Romney’s hedge fund:
that would be the same miss ann whose day job is telling the household help when she’ll be back?
The Dog That Voted and Other Election Fraud Yarns (A MUST READ)
The GOP’s 10-year campaign to gin up voter fraud hysteria—and bring back Jim Crow at the ballot box.
—By Kevin Drum
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There’s more to voter suppression than just photo ID laws, of course (see our related charts), and the Brennan Center has identified a host of other tactics that have sprung up over the past few years. Some states have ended Election Day registration. Others have restricted early voting, which is more heavily used by minority voters. Laws requiring proof of citizenship have been proposed in a dozen states—a legislative push closely associated with the right-wing campaign against illegal immigration. Laws making it harder for students to vote have mushroomed. And last year Florida placed such stringent rules on voter registration drives that the League of Women Voters simply stopped conducting them.
None of this is a coincidence. In the same way that ACVR and Thor Hearne helped win the public-opinion war following the 2004 election, the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council picked up the ball after the 2008 election with model voter fraud measures that were prepackaged and ready to be enacted. With Republican majorities in place across the country, state lawmakers were eager to pass laws restricting voting rights. ALEC made it easy.
———————————————————-
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/voter-suppression-kevin-drum?page=1
Very good read.
http://mugsysrapsheet.com/2012/07/02/sorry-right-wingers-the-health-care-penalty-is-not-a-tax/
Just a thought, and correct me if I’m wrong…but if it was a tax and not a penalty, wouldn’t EVERYONE pay it since this is a national program? Just sayin,,,
Df, of course you are absolutely right:It’s not a tax. Look, as I’ve argued on another blog, the law in California requires all drivers to buy liability insurance, or be covered under someone else liability insurance. If the cop stops and asks for proof of insurance and you don’t have it you get a ticket and pay a fine. The whole rational behind this mandate is that uninsured motorists who may cause accidents get away without paying a penny. Insurance companies that have to pay for their insured motorists then raise premiums not only on the insured person in an accident but on all the people buying insurance. In order to prevent skyrocketing auto insurance premiums, California passed a law mandating that all drivers must have liability insurance.That includes drivers who had never been involved in an accident all their lives. Republicans, at the urging of insurance companies championed this law. I never heard a peep of protest calling this mandate a tax increase. By the way, unlike the ACA which subsidizes those who can’t afford to pay health insurance, under the California auto liability insurance, poor people have no such luck.
Similarly, because people who are uninsured contribute to raising all of our health insurance premiums when they seek medical help, usually via expensive ERs, then it’s reasonable to require that everyone buy insurance. Fortunately, the ACA recognizes that not every one can afford health insurance. That’s why the law provides subsidies to help people buy insurance. And for those who are very poor the law allowed them to be covered by the extended Medicaid program that covers more poor people than before. Of the 300 million or so Americans, the estimate is that about 46 millions have no health insurance and are not covered either by Medicare or Medicaid. That means that 254 million Americans will not be affected by this so called tax. And of the 46 million uninsured, a sizable percentage will either be covered by medicaid or receive subsidies to purchase private insurance. Basically, the mandate applies to small group of those Americans who are financially able to purchase health insurance but refuse to do so. But even for them, if they never show up for any kind of medical treatment that they can’t afford, or refuse to pay, they will probably get away from paying a penalty for not buying health insurance. The penalty really kicks in if you try to get free medical treatment at the expense of all other Americans.
The studies I’ve read suggest that mandate to buy health insurance will affect less than 5% of Americans So, It’s bold faced lie for right wingers to call the penalty for not buying health insurance, when you can afford to, “the largest middle-class tax increase in the history of America.” This is all propaganda aimed at bamboozling the law information American voters. I am hoping that by now sensible Americans are beginning to see through the Republican lies. Every time President Obama does something the go around yelling, like chicken little, that the sky is falling. It’s now almost four years in his presidency, and as far as I can tell, none doom they predicted has come to pass. As I told a fellow senior citizen the other day, I am 100% convinced that of all the things that are likely to take me from this earth the Obamacare is not one of them. As a matter of fact, Obama Cares is already saving me money on my Asthma medicine. And next week I go in for another free annual check up.
A HALF-HEARTED JOKE
The GOP healthcare ‘alternative’
By Steve Benen
————————————
And what was in the 2009 GOP plan? I’m glad you asked.
After missing a series of self-imposed deadlines, Republican leaders slapped together a half-hearted joke — the GOP “policy” largely ignored the uninsured, did nothing for those with pre-existing conditions, and offered nothing for those worried about losing coverage when it’s needed most.
We learned shortly after the Republican plan was defeated that the proposal included provisions that “mirror the suggestions put forth by the lobbying entity of the private insurance industry way back in December 2008.” Imagine that.
————————————–
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/03/12542817-the-gop-healthcare-alternative
love that “insourcing” ad. a couple years ago i was talking with a business associate while in a really red state. he insisted on making the distinction between outsourcing and offshoring. first time i had heard that, and now i see it’s become “a thing” in the msm propaganda mill. weird how often that happens, where i’ll be all around the country and yet my republican “friends” all say the same dumb stuff, and shows how insidious the msm propaganda is. seems like it all starts in rush limpbaugh-land and replicates out from there into all the msm channels…like a virus.
of course, with 5 seconds of thought, i asked him, ‘well, what about all the jobs going to mexico? why would that be called offshoring?” and of course like any republican, when challenged with simple logic and have to go off script, they crumble into nothingness and awkwardly change the subject. yet, here the offshoring/outsourcing distraction talking point is all over the place a couple years later. sigh…glad to see PBO hammering this point and not getting distracted…as usual with our man!!!
GOP In Disarray: Republican Party Chairman Claims Romney Thinks The Mandate ‘Is A Tax’
BROOKE BALDWIN (HOST): But it sounds like the Romney campaign says it was a penalty. I’m asking you specifically, Republican National Committee Chairman, tax or penalty, which is it?
PRIEBUS: It’s a tax and the reason why it’s a tax is because the Supreme Court number one ruled it was a tax and number two, it’s what Barack Obama’s lawyer argued before the Supreme Court.
Republicans in Congress, and even some top Romney surrogates, however, are still holding on to the “tax” talking point. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who may be on Romney’s vice presidential short list, told Fox News’ Fox & Friends Tuesday morning that the mandate is both a “penalty” and a “tax,” something Romney himself has previously claimed.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/07/03/510236/gop-in-disarray-republican-party-chairman-claims-romney-thinks-the-mandate-is-a-tax/
hahhahaa…This is getting hilarious……
That is their walk back?
Chaos…..
Guber also passed away, just weeks ago too.
wow I must be doing something right, I’ve blocked 3 or four conservative/libertarians who have tried to follow me on twitter today alone. neat!
Hello TOD family- Elections are about contrasting views and this election offers a particularly stark contrast. So every supporter should be informed about the choices we face and, ideally, communicate them to their own networks of family, friends and neighbors and maybe the larger communities that can be reached through Twitter or other social media. But let us not forget to highlight what is so special about this President. Let us celebrate the change. Health care reform comes to mind immediately because of the recent Supreme Court decision. It is the topic of the day and we discuss it, contrast reactions and opinions. But let us spend more time celebrating this enormous achievement. And we should not only discuss the topic of the day, but take a deeper look at how President Obama has moved the country forward. There are lots of great initiatives, new approaches and forward looking policies. I just read the 3 year review of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities – something you will not hear much about from the noise machine that our media have become. It made me think about my days in college when I studied Urban Affairs and the dreamers of that time talked about revitalizing our great American cities. It was all about community, opportunity for all and a vision of what is possible. I see this vision reflected in the President’s approach to governing. It shines a bright light on the promise of America and is the most important contrast of all.
15 governors reject Medicaid expansion-
At least 15 governors have indicated they will not participate in the expansion of Medicaid under the healthcare law, striking a blow to President Obama’s promise of broader insurance coverage.
Before Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling, states had the option of either increasing their Medicaid rolls or being penalized by the federal government. The high court struck down that offer as unconstitutional.
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/236033-fifteen-governors-reject-or-leaning-against-expanded-medicaid-program
I told you. These Republucan Governors do not care about their Constituents, only their own political ambitions and ideology!
That’ll last …. not … those dudes will fold just as soon as most of the folk and businesses in those States realize what they are being denied.
The intransigence of these Republican governors should be used to mobilize people, who stand to benefit from Medicaid expansion, to vote out these governors in 2014, or whenever they are up for re-election. I know we have our share of problems — including electing criminal idiots like Issa — but I ma so glad I live in California.
Speculation that Clarence Thomas, who has been mute his entire service on the Sup. CT., may be—is likely to be– the source of the leak on the leak re. Roberts switch on health care decision. He and the CBS reporter, Jan Crawford (Greenburg), have a mutual admiration thing going on. Hard to believe but they just love each other.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/07/03/510247/thomas-crawford-leaks/
Will McCain be outraged? Will he demand an independent counsel?
Crawford (Greenburg} is also a buddy of Morning Joe. She went to the University of Alabama.
I think it was Ginny Thomas
I just heard that Andy Griffith passed away. I was listening to the Stephanie Miller show and the folks sitting in for her annouced it. I remember four years ago when Andy and Ron Howard made a commercial for PBO in 2008. I remember watching this show growing up in the 50’s/60’s and it being one of my favorite shows. So many of our icons from that era are getting older and passing on. Don Grady of My Three Sons and now Andy, may he rest in peace.
This guy needs to go. The deadbeat is trashing Tammy Duckworth. Notice the audience…they don’t even LOOK at him….IL, vote this loser out. In fact, I think we should vote ALL these losers out. h/t to Political Carnival
For Christ sakes, She lost both Her Legs!
Walsh is a piece of work.
Don’t worry. He is toast. No way, with the redistricting that he wins in November.
And gave 20 years of service to her country.
This SOB can’t even pay his child support. He’s a liar just like Robme, told his wife he was broke yet he lent his campaign $35K and took two vactions – to Mexico and Italy with his girl friend now wife. He can’t pay past child support yet starts another family. This is who the GOTP thinks is “family values”.
it’s not about him as a person…we should be branding the entire republican party with this guy, since they all support him enthusiastically. he’s the face of the republican party today, and those out there who have a problem with that can vote dem and obama this november. it’s their choice who they want to associate with.
McPOW did not talk about it because he did not want anyone to find out the truth about his reckless career.
Ms. Duckworth don’t have to talk, you can see what she gave up. This dead beat Dad is a disgrace. Walsh served where and when?
he’s a congressman serving the 8th district of IL
support tammy through votevets pac 🙂
https://secure.actblue.com/page/vv_duckworth
Why are all of those people there listening to this jerk? I wonder if they support him or if they are so clueless, they know nothing about him. The one woman looks disgusted while he was speaking.
Obviously, the IMF is some liberal, pinky, commie group. The head is telling the US to concentrate on growing the economy through government spending and worry about the debt and deficit later. Sounds pretty smart to me. http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/03/news/economy/imf-recovery/index.htm?iid=Lead
She should focus on Europe!!!
Europe is a different ball of wax. But her message is accurate. As Charlie Pierce laike to say “fck the deficit, people need jobs.”
This made a whole lot of sense to me too, Japa21. If people who are unemployed get jobs — private sector or public sector — they will then be able to pay taxes and thereby increasing revenues that will help reduce the deficits. Besides, the government will also reduce expenditure that pays for unemployment and food stamps.
Good day everyone …
Just so his dudes know we know …..
Andy Griffith was an Obama supporter!
I watched that show growing up, used to whistle that song!
RIP!
Michigan urinals will talk back to users. Mi. is using “talking urinal cakes” where a sexy lady voice will remind pee-ers to get a cab or a ride with a friend if they have been overserved. Surprising!
http://www.nwherald.com/2012/07/03/michigan-deploys-talking-urinal-cakes-in-dui-fight/a6wwsgw/
No money for teachers, but money for talking urinal cakes. That’s Gov. Snyder’s Michigan.
That could be quite an experience if someone is drunk and has their head in the toilet. 😀
Manufacturing number barely dropped below 50 yesterday, 50 indicates growth.
But, the US Auto industry is doing great.
This makes no sense, as they both go hand in hand.
Why even give CNN kudos when their so called 15 battle ground states, gives Romney 51% and the president at 43%? Funny how the Cablers siting these outlandish numbers NEVER used the word, OUTLIER, as they uniformly did with the Bloomberg poll many days ago?
But we have a Liberal Bias Media, right?
We know Dems are energized. Romney has Money all right, but these USA is Not for sale. Not this time. No way. No how. No lying bishop.
After that poll yesterday, after announcing that the Supreme Court had struck down the ACA law, whatever CNN says you have to take with a grain of salt, there is no trust in that network, none at all.
Andy Griffith used to be in 60 minutes, no?
No. that was Andy Rooney. Here’s a link:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2012/07/andy-griffith-dies-at-age-86/1#.T_MRKbVDzKM
He was an actor, best known for a beloved comedy series, The Andy Griffith Show, where he played a small town sheriff.
A ha. Thanks guyz.
I think you are thinking of Andy Rooney. Andy Griffith was in Mayberry RFD, about life in a small southern town.
WOW, Andy Griffith is gone. I loved the Andy Griffith Show.
I read a number of years ago the actor who played Aunt Bea moved to a small NC town and lived the life of the part she played.
Still recall fondly the 2008 Obama commercial he and Ron Howard did reprising their old “Mayberry” roles. Very funny and nostalgic.
Andy Griffith also stared in the old classic movie, “A Face In the Crowd”. His character was just like Sarah Palin in that movie.
Didn’t he also play a down to earth Atlanta defense lawyer in a series entailed “Matlock?” I may also be confusing him with someone else but I think he also played deputy marshall, under the screen name Chester, in the popular tv Western, “Gunsmoke.” In any case may he R.I.P.
AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL PENALTY??
Romney abandons GOP Obamacare line
The Republican nominee’s aide Eric Fehrnstrom adopts Obama’s line on the individual mandate: It’s not a tax
By Alex Seitz-Wald
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The Obama administration, meanwhile, has responded to the court’s ruling by arguing that the mandate’s enforcement fee is not, in fact, a tax but rather a penalty for people who try to bilk their responsibility to purchase insurance, like a parking ticket.
This gives Romney almost no room to navigate. If he wants to defend his own law, he’ll call it a penalty, but if he wants to attack Obamacare, he’ll call it a tax. But he can’t have it both ways at the same time, so the Romney campaign seems to have split the baby. Appearing on MSNBC this morning, Romney campaign strategist Eric Fehrnstrom adopted the Obama administration’s position that the fee is a penalty for freeriders and not a tax. “He agreed with the dissent that was written by Justice Scalia, which very clearly stated that the mandate was not a tax,” Fehrnstrom said.
.
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However, Fehrnstrom’s characterization appears to be the campaign’s new message rather than a deviation from it. Asked by reporters on the campaign trail about Fehrnstrom’s comments, Romney Deputy Press Secretary Amanda Henneberg said, “Gov. Romney thinks it is an unconstitutional penalty.”
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http://www.salon.com/2012/07/02/romney_abandons_gop_obamacare_line/
JP Morgan being investigated for manipulating energy markets in Ca. and Midwest
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/03/us-utilities-jpmorgan-ferc-idUSBRE8620LK20120703
Another ENRON?
I hope they get nailed, bad.
This people have no shame, they are invoking “executive priviledge” on some of their communicatins…..who do these people think they are?
French police search the home and office of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy over allegations of wrongdoing relating to campaign financing.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18693321
Sarkozy, that guy is something else. He tried to hang on to power, didn’t he?
Gawd…. Is there no one that is honest anymore ?
uh, our president?
COO follows CEO in resigning from Barclays in a multi billion dollar interest rate rigging scheme.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-rt-us-barclaysbre86208s-20120702,0,3599811.story
JONATHAN GRUBER – Author “Health Care Reform,” The Comic Book
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Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser talks with Jonathan Gruber, the author of “Health Care Reform,” the comic book. The MIT economist and professor of economics hopes the graphic layout of his book will help more Americans understand the complex law and its implications.
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I just ordered this book on Amazon.
The WH needs to put together a team to explain the ACA to the people. Could Dr. Oz be in that team? This MIT professor? A team that is respected and NOT politicians. Please WH….explain the ACA, the noise makes the average American afraid.
Yearbook photos of our news personalities
http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/32-awkward-high-school-photos-of-media-personaliti?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=buzzfeed
I am glad they called the ” Media Personalities ” and NOT journalists or reporters……although the should have called them all what they really are.
” Corporate Presstitutes.”
What Repubs want to do with our educ. system—-private for profit colleges—–which are a sham
http://gawker.com/5923131/reminder-for+profit-colleges-sell-worthless-degrees-at-ruinous-prices
GOP Governors May Turn Down $258 Billion In Obamacare Funds, Leave 9.2 Million Americans Uninsured
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Despite the Supreme Court ruling that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, Republican governors are considering refusing billions in Medicaid funds which promise to insure millions of lower-income Americans without health care. The Court found that while the Medicaid provision is constitutional, the federal government cannot take away federal funds from states that refuse to open the program to more residents.
A ThinkProgress survey reveals that ten GOP governors have said definitively that they will not accept the funds, while 19 are still considering other options. Sixteen states, all with Democratic governors, have committed to expanding their programs:
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http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/07/02/509464/gop-governors-may-turn-down-258-billion-in-obamacare-funds-leave-92-million-americans-uninsured/
All of these governors need to be targeted and thrown out at the end of their term, which in most cases is 2014. If this isn’t a reason for people to vote in Democratic governors from now on, I don’t know what is.
perfect example of what voting for a republican means today. shout this from the rooftops! every american is in control of their own vote, and when the difference is presented this clearly, it should be easy to choose the democrat. of course, the media will attempt to fool people, but republicans are so extreme now i’m not sure the media can fool people as much as they have in the past, especially with rep. joe walsh above and these republican governors as example of what it means to be republican today.
Does anyone believe Willard will be asked in a debate about his lack of tax returns and offshore bank accounts?
Bill, I do believe President Obama will bring those two issues up.
If he gets away with this…it will set a precedent for all future Presidential candidates….
He won’t get away with anything.
Prosecutors say Dr. Drew was paid to promote the drug Wellbutrin’s sexiness——one of the drugs illegally marketed and involved in the $3 billion fine of Big Pharma’s GlaxoSmithKline. (Isn’t it amazing all the greed and junk that is going on everywhere?)
http://gawker.com/5923057/prosecutors-allege-dr-drew-was-paid-to-talk-up-wellbutrin
Pinsky has NO training in psychology or any other mental health field other than the basics at Med School…but he plays one on TV
He is basically a fraud in that field.
Have always hated Dr. Drew…smarmy and small minded.
This could work…
Tamron Hall In Talks To Become “The Today Show” Third Hour Co-Host
http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/tamron-hall-in-talks-to-become-the-today-show-third-hour-co-host
I thought I saw her this morning.
Have to say, I’m really disappointed that they took Ann Curry out of her role. The low ratings had nothing to do with her, in my opinion. Since they started hiring politician’s kids as contributors, I stopped watching on a regular basis and only rarely only stopped on that show when channel surfing and Ann happened to be on camera. The one they should’ve dumped is Matt Lauer.
I agree with you. Ann Curry was a journalist who had compassion. She is tough but fair. Savannah Guthie is not Ann Curry.
And it sounds like the reason she was dumped was because she let her unhappiness be known of the increasing fluffiness/non news turn of the Today Show.
Dudette, I agree. Matt Lauer should have been the one dump. I totally agree.
Are they making room for another Rightwinger show at 2 PM on MSNBC ?
Maybe they’re giving S.E. Cupp her own show—–she hogs the one she’s on and she’s a guest on every other show there. Someone at msnbc is just loving the Cuppster’s rt. wing talking points!
I’d rather Tamron stay in the news biz on msnbc. That 3rd hour is worse than even the beginning of the Today Show—–just fluffy, mindless segments.
The residents of those States need to become outraged over this…..
Maybe they should all force a ballot referendum on it…….
” Do you want your State to accept the 100 % funding from the Federal Government to expand Medicaid benefits ? ”
Or something like that.
These states insurance would go up because people would still go to the emergency rooms for treatment….I guess that’s the R gov’s plan.
I see the Mornin’ Joke fill-ins today were very admiring of the Romney family vacation photo ops, calling them “Kennedyesque” and “athletic”. (and so white!)
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/morning-joe-takes-in-depth-look-at-romney-family-vacation-they-look-kennedyesque-and-athletic/
I’ve been reading about Mitt’s riches this morning, so for old times’ sake I decided to look up the video of his $10,000 bet.
Anybody remember what the bet was about? Ironic tie-in with current events! Gov. Perry was pointing out that Mitt was supporting the individual mandate, according to Mitt’s book. Mitt was denying it and betting it wasn’t true. Very funny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CPQMDS_XO0
The veto of the Governor of North Carolina was overridden and Planned Parenthood will be defunded. The right wing movement in many states is becoming devastating.
I hope the people, especially women, of North Carolina aren’t sleeping through this. How any woman can vote for any repugs this year is beyond me.
HEALTH REFORM QUIZ
From: Kaiser Family Foundation A terrific website with lots of good information.
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The health reform law promises to deliver big changes in the U.S. health care system. But, as with other sweeping pieces of legislation, it can be hard to get the real facts about what it does. And it is all too easy for misinformation about the law to spread.
Take our short, 10-question quiz to test your knowledge of the law, and then find out how you compare to the rest of the country, as represented by the findings of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s monthly Health Tracking Poll.
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http://healthreform.kff.org/quizzes/health-reform-quiz.aspx?source=QL
Since before the ACA became law, the Kaiser Family Foundation has been an excellent source of information. I’m very impressed with the amount of facts they present.
I missed only one. It’s a good test.
Will Romney Pretend to Have a Health Plan?
By Jonathan Chait
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If Republicans really wanted to replace Obamacare with some more “market-friendly” alternative, then there’s a simple way they could go about it. They could promise to repeal the law only if they packaged the repeal with a replacement that did not increase the number of uninsured. But they’ll never do that, because the magic, cheaper free-market alternative does not exist, and the GOP has no interest in diverting resources to cover the poor and sick.
Hennessey, who lays out the most specific vision for repealing Obamacare, asserts, “Repeal and replacement should be separate legislative efforts.” This means, of course, that the actual plan is first to get rid of Obamacare, then pretend to work on a replacement before eventually discovering that it’s expensive and unpopular. Oh well. The only interesting question here on any level is why so many conservatives feel bound to pretend that the Republicans really are going to formulate some other plan to care for the poor and sick.
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http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/07/will-romney-pretend-to-have-a-health-plan.html
Gotta LOVE the “Nuns on the Bus”!!!
(don’t read the comments… ughhh!!)
A happy ending story for a little pooch who luckily and somehow survived running for an hour on the expressway during Chgo rush hour today. Many good folks tried to rescue her, but, man, she was fast. It’s boiling hot here, and I think she finally ran out of gas and could be grabbed.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-dog-caught-after-dodging-rushhour-traffic-20120703,0,6688804.story
New post everyone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2012/07/03/keb-mo/
Hiddee Ho Os! Well it’s a very hot, but very great getting up day in TODdytown again!!! I lost power only briefly on Sunday. I can’t imagine what it’s like for those who are still without electricity. I don’t know which is worse, no power in winter or summer.
My political take today is that Mitt probably cheats at his family Olympic games. He probably makes the youngest grandkids compete against each other in a most unhealthy way. He probably threatens to make them ride home on top of the car, if they lose at a game. His own kids will be written out of the will if they beat him at a game.
Mitt Romney Enters Witness Protection Program
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The Romney campaign has decided that their candidate should not have to answer questions he may not like.
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On the other hand, this is a presidential election and the public will not be content with softballs. Further, the mainstream media, which has bent over backwards to accommodate the tender sensibilities of the right, will not appreciate being given the cold shoulder. While Fox may be the most powerful news network, they cannot carry the Romney campaign alone. Should the other networks decide to give Romney the Al Gore/John Kerry treatment, Romney will find that all the glowing praise in the world from Sean Hannity will not overcome negative reporting from a spurned mainstream media.
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http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/07/02/mitt-romney-enters-witness-protection-program/
The ACA has set those Governors that aren’t willing to embrace expanding Medicaid up against the hospital industry, who do you think is going to blink first?
Heh, heh, heh! 🙂