On whether she thinks having an African-American family in the White House has moved the needle.
Absolutely. Children born in the last eight years will only know an African-American man being president of the United States. That changes the bar for all of our children, regardless of their race, their sexual orientation, their gender. It expands the scope of opportunity in their minds. And that’s where change happens.
So I’m up early today – drinking my morning cup of tea (hot – with milk & sugar – real tea) – and now it is all over the keyboard.
You have such a way with words yardarm – politics has to be your next career
So sorry 99ts. I meant no harm really. As for my next career, I’m RETIRED. I was tired yesterday and the day before. My generation tried but fell woefully short.
It’s your turn now. Have at it, eh!
My urn! i am of your vintage sailor – although with the current state of Australian Politics I could probably do better than most of ’em – you – on the other hand – would win without even trying
I’ve been out all day with the grand babe – that’s what everyone needs 🙂 grandbabes
You also can’t convince these idiots that this SAVES ALL OF US Money when health insurance is affordable for those who have to purchase it. They understand it when it comes to car insurance…why can’t they understand it when it comes to health insurance which
EVERYONE needs. Not everyone needs car insurance once you stop driving but when everyone who drives is required to be insured all our insurance cost went down that is why all 50 states have car insurance requirements.
Jacki Schechner made a great point on Stephanie Miller this morning. Yes, it’s bad that the American health care system is only provided through health insurance but that’s the way it is. ACA helps people get that insurance and get it at an affordable price because, THERE IS NO ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE IN THIS COUNTRY WITHOUT INSURANCE.
Cuccinelli, like all the rest of them, are idiots. You CANNOT provide all the wellness care you need out of pocket. It’s impossible. You going to tell a family making $35,000 with a couple of kids that they can afford a colonscopy for Dad that costs $2,000 in Chicago? Seeing a gynecologist with regular tests can cost about $750 at least. That’s a month’s groceries for that family.
If health care costs in the United States actually reflected, well, the cost of health care – it might be possible and you could hold people accountable for not taking better care of themselves. But as a self-employed 63 year old, I understand what health care actually costs, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to get yourself the care you need without adequate, affordable insurance.
I’m waiting until January 1 to have the rash on my hand dealt with. I’m hoping it’s not menopausal weight gain and not a tumor in my stomach. Why haven’t I been to a gynecologist in years? Because I pay for my asthma and high blood pressure meds out of pocket, see my doctor twice a year (to the tune of $300/visit and that’s before labs). I eat well. I am overweight due to back and knee problems – which I can’t take care of because it is impossible to pay for health care in this country without effing insurance!
It is unconscionable that not only are we denied health care as a right, like the rest of the first world, but they are now actually fighting for our ability to buy the damned insurance.
Teaching young people that they are losing their ‘freedoms’ if they buy insurance?!?! What kind of effing ‘conservative’ idea is that? Taking responsiblity by buying insurance is the essence of what conservativism meant when I was growing up.
For women to get the yearly wellness care – physical, breast exam, gynecology exam is well over $3 grand without insurance, then theirs the wellness for the kids, eye exams, physical exams and yearly shots kids need and don’t even talk about twice yearly dental exams for the entire family, you are talking $10K annually with no insurance. That’s a big chunk of a family’s budget. These people get paid medical thanks to the taxpayer’s and then deny the taxpayer’s a chance to afford medical insurance.
I am SO SORRY! Either wordpress or my computer is really acting up. It just didn’t show up and then all of a sudden there were three of them! Please ignore the two posts below this. It wasn’t a very interesting story to begin with!
I had a tiny taste of this the other day. I get health insurance through my school district, and although at one point it was pretty useless, since the district switched back to MESSA it’s been great. I have a low co-pay and they cover physicals and some preventative care. So at the beginning of July I went in for a physical, had blood work done, mammogram, bone density, etc. All covered by insurance. Yesterday I opened a letter from the doctor’s office billing me for $688 saying that the policy had lapsed. I nearly had a heart attack. My paycheck has really shrunk, I have no extra fat in it, I have dental bills and it looks as though I’m going to need a new stove. This amount is way beyond my means at this point.Then I remembered last week when I went to an orthopedist that the secretary told me I had the wrong insurance cards – there was a newer one and part of the employee ID number had changed. I quick called the doctor’s off and explained. She said she would rebill right away. I was so relieved! People with good insurance are insulated against the understanding the real costs involved. I am just thrilled that my two children will be able to buy insurance through the health exchanges. My son has graduated and has a job which is pretty well-paid for a starting position but he’s an ‘independent contractor’ with no benefits. My daughter just got her MA and is looking for translation work while she sorts herself out for her PhD. Both will be able to receive subsidies and both will be able to stay healthy! I realized the other day that I can’t just say to them, “Oh you’d better get that looked at” because neither they nor I can afford to pay for any care without insurance.
I have lots of problems with the way ACA has been explained and sold by Democrats, but a big part of the problem is that people with insurance have no idea what health care actually costs. One of my best friends is a smart, educated woman. Her husband is a firefighter. We both have asthma and go to the same doctor. She actually argued with me that the asthma med cost $20. I said no – I get it at Costco which is significantly cheaper than Walgreens, and I pay $310. And she argued that the actual cost was $20! I had to explain insurance to her. It was pathetic.
When I entered the full time job market in the ’70’s, I had no cushion: both of my parents were dead and I was truly on my own. But if someone said, “you’d better have that looked at”, there was no question that I could go to a doctor of my choice, use my small law firm’s health insurance, and get health care. It is astounding how health care has collapsed since Reagan and the deregulation of the industry. But there is an entire generation who doesn’t understand insurance. At all.
And really – after Bush & the RWNJ’s (with help from Bill Clinton) tanked the economy, you can’t blame people for not having jobs. There is no longer a lifetime career with guarantees. The fact that the American health care system has become so regressive is an embarrassment for America.
I’ve been talking about that the last week – how different the job market is now than it was when I entered the full time market 40 years ago.
At the very least, these RWNJ’s should be able to understand that there is absolutely no security concerning health care in this country, and that is what ACA fixes. If you lose one job, at least you can carry private insurance that is affordable and comprehensive. And ACA is a JOB CREATOR – not just in the health care industry, where the ‘product’ is a healthy America, but for entrepreneurs who are tied to dead end jobs because they can’t afford or get health care for even the small pre-existing conditions. That is what ACA fixes.
Actually, before the district went back to MESSA we were on a BC/BS program that paid for nothing. It would not pay for well-baby visits or of you took your child to the doctor and it was diagnosed as a virus. The one time in probably 10 years that something was actually covered was when my son dislocated his elbow and the pediatrician manipulated it back into place – a two minute procedure. It was covered because it was categorized as ‘surgery’. Before that time when I first joined the district I had MESSA insurance. it was established as a non-profit by the Michigan Education Association. It’s run for the benefit of it’s members, not its CEOs and when the part of ACA went into effect that said companies had to pay out if they had used more than 80% for operating costs, they didn’t have to pay a dime. I had both babies on MESSA and didn’t have to pay any money upfront and hardly had to pay a dime. However some legislators were mad about such good insurance for teachers so they made it harder to be on it. Then several years ago as part of cost-cutting measures then went back on MESSA because it was so much cheaper than BC and much better coverage.
We paid into BCBS all the years my husband and I were married. It was bare bones insurance that got increasingly expensive, so we raised our deductibles, etc. One Christmas, a few years before hubby was eligible for Medicare, he had excruciating pain from a pinched nerve in his neck. We did everything right, we saw our doctor during the week, called him that morning when it was unbearable and he okayed the ER visit. His blood pressure was 240/110 from the pain.
They denied the claim. It wasn’t ‘life-threatening’. His BP alone was life-threatening! After pay them for NOTHING for 25 years! I got huffy, canceled the policy, never dreaming that I would be totally uninsurable because of asthma (which had never been covered anyway), minor high blood pressure and allergies.
So here I am, waiting for January 1 so I can have health insurance again. It is unconscionable that this is true in the richest nation on the planet. Especially since our tax dollars paid for universal health care in Iraq!
I’m so sorry, 57. It s truly beyond comprehension why people do not support this. You know that many of the people against it do not have insurance themselves. I know many are young and think nothing can happen to them, but surely there are many others who live in fear.
A Couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering things. During a check-up, the doctor tells them that they’re physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember ..
Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. ‘Want anything while I’m in the kitchen?’ he asks.
‘Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?’
‘Sure.’
‘Don’t you think you should write it down so you can remember it?’ she asks.
‘No, I can remember it.’
‘Well, I’d like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down, so as not to forget it?’
He says, ‘I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.’
‘I’d also like whipped cream. I’m certain you’ll forget that, write it down?’ she asks.
Irritated, he says, ‘I don’t need to write it down, I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream – I got it, for goodness sake!’
Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment.
Hellooooo TODers! I’ve been away so long, I’ll never catch up. Missed you guys. From Filner to the Cooch (the one running for Governor), I’ve had so much to say and no one to say it to. Hope all has been well for everyone. Know I missed some birthdays…Happy Belated to all you old, I mean year-older people. 🙂
HF2…..your analysis of things politically are lining up time after time.
Holy smokes…….Thank goodness TOD is razor focus on 2014.
Barbs Bush soured on his son JEB in May 2013…..telling the whole nation that We are tired of the Bushes. And now……she is encouraging Hillary Clinton to Run in 2016.
2014 is our Ticket to 2016………2014 is the Only Road to 2016……..Lets not get derailed.
Add a former Republican president’s daughter to the list of supporters for a Hillary Clinton presidential run.
In an upcoming interview with People Magazine, George W. Bush’s daughter Barbara said she’d like to see the “unbelievably accomplished” Clinton enter the 2016 presidential race, CNN reported Thursday.
How is it that Americans are not up in arms over this b.s.?
“Most of the bills require a navigator to obtain state licensure or approval before operating in the state. Many also establish training requirements, require criminal background checks, and authorize disciplinary measures against navigators. Some bills also subject navigators to existing insurance law (such as privacy and unfair trade practices standards) or require navigators to secure financial protection against wrongdoing.
What does it all mean? These state-specific requirements—which navigators will have to meet along with federal requirements—may lead to confusion and could limit navigators from performing their duties under the Affordable Care Act. Here are a few concerns that we have identified:
Some requirements may prevent the application of the federal navigator program. A state law that prohibits navigators from offering advice about the benefits, terms, and features of a particular health benefit plan could prevent a navigator from facilitating enrollment and helping individuals make informed decisions, as required under federal law. For example, would state restrictions prohibit a navigator from “advising” a consumer with HIV about which plans cover certain antiretroviral drugs or “recommending” that a consumer consider plans that includes her providers in its network?
Stringent standards could be a barrier for respected community-based organizations—such as agricultural extension centers, churches, and safety-net health care providers—that want to serve as navigators for underserved communities, including those whose primary language is not English, those who live in remote areas, and the uninsured.
Many of these laws require the state’s insurance department to further define navigator requirements in regulations. Because many states have not yet issued regulations, potential navigators may be unable to comply with state requirements ahead of open enrollment in October 2013, potentially leaving a state without a navigator program.”
TRENTON, N.J. — Lawyers for gay couples and New Jersey’s government laid out their cases to a judge Thursday on whether she should order the state to legalize same-sex marriage in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the matter.
Judge Mary Jacobson gave both sides time to provide more information in writing and said that she would not rule on the issue before September.
NJ State house had passed same sex marriage bill and Chris Christie Vetoed it in 2012….I think.
He’s as much a RW loon as the rest of them. He just plays nice when he wants Federal disaster aid. The rest of his record is indistinguishable from the rest of the Republican nuts.
I’m glad Malia and Sasha are with POTUS and FLOTUS. I just wish their vacation were alittle while longer. Considering those bums in the House and Senate is out the rest of the month. I mean the Ta Party Republicans bums.
No. Same old same old. Notice he said “gov’t shutdown seems relatively unlikely” which is vastly different from the near hysteria of a couple of weeks ago. Leverage seems to be going the Dems’ way since GOP will blink concerning the debt ceiling and won’t have a gov’t shutdown b/c they will get all the blame. Also I think it is good news that the GOP is not having townhall meetings as they had promised. They must have data that the public is not with them, so this is NOT 2010 part 2.
They’re being pushed by the base to shut down the government! A heritage poll said public will blame each party equally!
LOL!
Ah the stupid American electorate!
🙂
An elderly couple had dinner at another couple’s house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen.
The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, ‘Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly.’
The other man said, ‘What is the name of the restaurant?’
The first man thought and thought and finally said, ‘What’s the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know, the one that’s red and has thorns.’
‘Do you mean a rose?’
‘Yes, that’s the one,’ replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, ‘Rose, what’s the name of that restaurant we went to last night?’
It’s no secret that Fischer is a loon, but what is with Reggie Love? Can’t these people who worked closely with POTUS just keep their damned mouths shut until the Pres is out of office. They should know anything they say will be used to attack the President.
There is nothing wrong with what Reggie Love said. The POTUS was Not there the whole time….the Movie made stated that. He was there when that main picture was taken. This idiot Fischer cherry picked and used a 23 sec tape out of context.
No, there is nothing wrong with what Reggie said, but it will be headline news in the next couple of days. I am just so tired of everyone attacking the President over every thing that I think his people should be more careful what they say.
We must stop blaming the victim. THe GOP/MSM lie and misrepresent what people say. Remember when they ran with story that Harry Reid said Hillary would be a better president than PBO, when in reality he said she would be better than Bill Clinton. There is nothing Reggie Love, Harry Reid or anybody else can do when the GOP/MSM have no problem lying and distorting whatever they say. We would be wise to keep the anger directed at the real bad guys and not attack our own.
I don’t think the father had a clue – junior on the other hand – sure didn’t think through what he was doing – but I also think he got some very very bad advice from the “journalists” (note the quotes) he contacted.
They may not have realized the eventual consequences (to THEM) of Snowden’s actions at the time, but that doesn’t mean that their motives were pure. As PBO said, there were legal whistleblower channels that Snowjob could have used. He could have contacted congress, if he were truly disturbed by the NSA, but instead he teamed up with the most virulent Obama -haters and went to the media with his story. He (and his father) deserve every scorn they are getting. They tried to set a trap for President Obama, and instead they fell into it.
Hopefruit, as always, you hit the nail on the head! I am sorry, but I have no sympathy for Edward Snowden. He is a 30 years-old man who should know right from wrong. He should never have gotten in bed with Wikileaks and Glenn Greenwald.
What took Snowden’s dad this long to figure out that Assange, Greenwald, and others were using his son for the purpose of embellishing their own careers? If my kid had done what Snowden did, I would have advised her to return to the U.S., hired her a good lawyer, and negotiated with the DOJ from that point going forward. IMO, running to Russia defeats everything Snowden claims he is against because there are fewer rights for citizens where dissent against government surveillance is concerned there. When one goes to court in Russia, there is no trial by jury. A judge hears the case and renders a decision on the spot. Snowden doesn’t know how blessed he is to be an American citizen with a justice system like ours. I’m not saying that everyone always gets justice from the system, but I am saying that one’s chances of receiving justice here is much better than it is in Russia. Snowden had better be careful of running afoul the law while he’s in Russia.
The government reports on Thursday suggested an acceleration in job growth in early August and hinted at pockets of pricing power in the sluggish economy, which could ease concerns among some Fed officials that inflation was too low….
“It looks like the weakness in employment last month was a fluke and the breadth of gains in CPI suggest that there will be less push back against tapering because of low inflation,” said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics in West Chester Pennsylvania. ….
Gath Brooks told the absolute TRUTH! JFK also lamented about the limitations of Presidential Power. It’s on only the emoprog idiots who have absolutely zero clue about what a President can or cannot do on his own.
They complained constantly about the Imperial Presidency of George Bush, but what they really want is for President Obama to act just like G. Bush, except on their side.
Fabulous photo of FLOTUS and no doubt a wonderful article. There are some in the media who can still do their job – but I just can’t believe the news media and how it ALWAYS has to put snark and/or a negative slant on any news about PBO. They did NOT do this with GWB or any other President for that matter. I just real the item linked above about Malia and Sasha arriving from camp and THIS is the description of the President meeting his children
“Obama, who played 18 holes of golf every day but one this week, cut his game to just nine holes Thursday before returning to the family’s $7 million Chilmark rental home ….”
The Obama Diary 
Conspiracy?
Naw.
Whatcha talking about Shipmate!
I got a first, so there has to be one somewhere. I notice that not too many of us with external plumbing make the grade! 😀
“I notice that not too many of us with external plumbing make the grade”
😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
Soooooo glad you’re amused.
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighly Mister, there goes my screen again!!!
Yardarm – you are soooooo clever….external plumbing…..LOL!!!
From someone from the “internal” crowd….congratulations for being first. 🙂 🙂 🙂
So I’m up early today – drinking my morning cup of tea (hot – with milk & sugar – real tea) – and now it is all over the keyboard.
You have such a way with words yardarm – politics has to be your next career
So sorry 99ts. I meant no harm really. As for my next career, I’m RETIRED. I was tired yesterday and the day before. My generation tried but fell woefully short.
It’s your turn now. Have at it, eh!
My urn! i am of your vintage sailor – although with the current state of Australian Politics I could probably do better than most of ’em – you – on the other hand – would win without even trying
I’ve been out all day with the grand babe – that’s what everyone needs 🙂 grandbabes
Bwahahahaha!
What’s soooo damn funny 9t9?
“I notice that not too many of us with external plumbing make the grade”…. you do turn quite the phrase Sailor! 🙂
FLOTUS is stunning!
Allison, you are so right.!!!!!!!!!!
WOW, I refreshed and WOW!
Congrats YA756 on First & look at your prize!!!!
Yup. Modern day pin-up she is!
What a lovely First Lady!
Carried over from the last thread. It take a whole lot to shock me these days. But this guy could very well become the governor of VA:
This should be shouted from the rooftops! Trouble is, THEY ALL think like this!
You also can’t convince these idiots that this SAVES ALL OF US Money when health insurance is affordable for those who have to purchase it. They understand it when it comes to car insurance…why can’t they understand it when it comes to health insurance which
EVERYONE needs. Not everyone needs car insurance once you stop driving but when everyone who drives is required to be insured all our insurance cost went down that is why all 50 states have car insurance requirements.
Jacki Schechner made a great point on Stephanie Miller this morning. Yes, it’s bad that the American health care system is only provided through health insurance but that’s the way it is. ACA helps people get that insurance and get it at an affordable price because, THERE IS NO ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE IN THIS COUNTRY WITHOUT INSURANCE.
Cuccinelli, like all the rest of them, are idiots. You CANNOT provide all the wellness care you need out of pocket. It’s impossible. You going to tell a family making $35,000 with a couple of kids that they can afford a colonscopy for Dad that costs $2,000 in Chicago? Seeing a gynecologist with regular tests can cost about $750 at least. That’s a month’s groceries for that family.
If health care costs in the United States actually reflected, well, the cost of health care – it might be possible and you could hold people accountable for not taking better care of themselves. But as a self-employed 63 year old, I understand what health care actually costs, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to get yourself the care you need without adequate, affordable insurance.
I’m waiting until January 1 to have the rash on my hand dealt with. I’m hoping it’s not menopausal weight gain and not a tumor in my stomach. Why haven’t I been to a gynecologist in years? Because I pay for my asthma and high blood pressure meds out of pocket, see my doctor twice a year (to the tune of $300/visit and that’s before labs). I eat well. I am overweight due to back and knee problems – which I can’t take care of because it is impossible to pay for health care in this country without effing insurance!
It is unconscionable that not only are we denied health care as a right, like the rest of the first world, but they are now actually fighting for our ability to buy the damned insurance.
Teaching young people that they are losing their ‘freedoms’ if they buy insurance?!?! What kind of effing ‘conservative’ idea is that? Taking responsiblity by buying insurance is the essence of what conservativism meant when I was growing up.
Batshit crazy. All of it.
For women to get the yearly wellness care – physical, breast exam, gynecology exam is well over $3 grand without insurance, then theirs the wellness for the kids, eye exams, physical exams and yearly shots kids need and don’t even talk about twice yearly dental exams for the entire family, you are talking $10K annually with no insurance. That’s a big chunk of a family’s budget. These people get paid medical thanks to the taxpayer’s and then deny the taxpayer’s a chance to afford medical insurance.
You nailed it.
…
I am SO SORRY! Either wordpress or my computer is really acting up. It just didn’t show up and then all of a sudden there were three of them! Please ignore the two posts below this. It wasn’t a very interesting story to begin with!
…
I had a tiny taste of this the other day. I get health insurance through my school district, and although at one point it was pretty useless, since the district switched back to MESSA it’s been great. I have a low co-pay and they cover physicals and some preventative care. So at the beginning of July I went in for a physical, had blood work done, mammogram, bone density, etc. All covered by insurance. Yesterday I opened a letter from the doctor’s office billing me for $688 saying that the policy had lapsed. I nearly had a heart attack. My paycheck has really shrunk, I have no extra fat in it, I have dental bills and it looks as though I’m going to need a new stove. This amount is way beyond my means at this point.Then I remembered last week when I went to an orthopedist that the secretary told me I had the wrong insurance cards – there was a newer one and part of the employee ID number had changed. I quick called the doctor’s off and explained. She said she would rebill right away. I was so relieved! People with good insurance are insulated against the understanding the real costs involved. I am just thrilled that my two children will be able to buy insurance through the health exchanges. My son has graduated and has a job which is pretty well-paid for a starting position but he’s an ‘independent contractor’ with no benefits. My daughter just got her MA and is looking for translation work while she sorts herself out for her PhD. Both will be able to receive subsidies and both will be able to stay healthy! I realized the other day that I can’t just say to them, “Oh you’d better get that looked at” because neither they nor I can afford to pay for any care without insurance.
I have lots of problems with the way ACA has been explained and sold by Democrats, but a big part of the problem is that people with insurance have no idea what health care actually costs. One of my best friends is a smart, educated woman. Her husband is a firefighter. We both have asthma and go to the same doctor. She actually argued with me that the asthma med cost $20. I said no – I get it at Costco which is significantly cheaper than Walgreens, and I pay $310. And she argued that the actual cost was $20! I had to explain insurance to her. It was pathetic.
When I entered the full time job market in the ’70’s, I had no cushion: both of my parents were dead and I was truly on my own. But if someone said, “you’d better have that looked at”, there was no question that I could go to a doctor of my choice, use my small law firm’s health insurance, and get health care. It is astounding how health care has collapsed since Reagan and the deregulation of the industry. But there is an entire generation who doesn’t understand insurance. At all.
And really – after Bush & the RWNJ’s (with help from Bill Clinton) tanked the economy, you can’t blame people for not having jobs. There is no longer a lifetime career with guarantees. The fact that the American health care system has become so regressive is an embarrassment for America.
Exactly right. And there are far fewer jobs that actually offer benefits.
I’ve been talking about that the last week – how different the job market is now than it was when I entered the full time market 40 years ago.
At the very least, these RWNJ’s should be able to understand that there is absolutely no security concerning health care in this country, and that is what ACA fixes. If you lose one job, at least you can carry private insurance that is affordable and comprehensive. And ACA is a JOB CREATOR – not just in the health care industry, where the ‘product’ is a healthy America, but for entrepreneurs who are tied to dead end jobs because they can’t afford or get health care for even the small pre-existing conditions. That is what ACA fixes.
Actually, before the district went back to MESSA we were on a BC/BS program that paid for nothing. It would not pay for well-baby visits or of you took your child to the doctor and it was diagnosed as a virus. The one time in probably 10 years that something was actually covered was when my son dislocated his elbow and the pediatrician manipulated it back into place – a two minute procedure. It was covered because it was categorized as ‘surgery’. Before that time when I first joined the district I had MESSA insurance. it was established as a non-profit by the Michigan Education Association. It’s run for the benefit of it’s members, not its CEOs and when the part of ACA went into effect that said companies had to pay out if they had used more than 80% for operating costs, they didn’t have to pay a dime. I had both babies on MESSA and didn’t have to pay any money upfront and hardly had to pay a dime. However some legislators were mad about such good insurance for teachers so they made it harder to be on it. Then several years ago as part of cost-cutting measures then went back on MESSA because it was so much cheaper than BC and much better coverage.
We paid into BCBS all the years my husband and I were married. It was bare bones insurance that got increasingly expensive, so we raised our deductibles, etc. One Christmas, a few years before hubby was eligible for Medicare, he had excruciating pain from a pinched nerve in his neck. We did everything right, we saw our doctor during the week, called him that morning when it was unbearable and he okayed the ER visit. His blood pressure was 240/110 from the pain.
They denied the claim. It wasn’t ‘life-threatening’. His BP alone was life-threatening! After pay them for NOTHING for 25 years! I got huffy, canceled the policy, never dreaming that I would be totally uninsurable because of asthma (which had never been covered anyway), minor high blood pressure and allergies.
So here I am, waiting for January 1 so I can have health insurance again. It is unconscionable that this is true in the richest nation on the planet. Especially since our tax dollars paid for universal health care in Iraq!
I’m so sorry, 57. It s truly beyond comprehension why people do not support this. You know that many of the people against it do not have insurance themselves. I know many are young and think nothing can happen to them, but surely there are many others who live in fear.
If you think Cuccinelli is scary, what about his running mate?
Chips, that title would have done really, really well (for the guys 😉 )with a recap of about 5 or 6 of FLOTUS cover pictures! 😀
Your search function THAT good?
This was one of my first favourites
… at which point my grumpy boss would have fired me because I’m 99 hours behind schedule!!! Back in a bit!
😆 Enjoy the work! 😀
Wait! Have you even been back 99 hours? 😕
Beauty inside and out…A Phenomenal Woman!
So when they say they want to defund obamacare, bare in mind this law has been pulling in tax revenue for 4 years!
Jovie, those increases started immediately after the bill was passed? I did not know that.
Oh wow! Michelle looks absolutely stunning ….Today is Naughty Mat day for the Tod Guys 😀 😎
Afternoon funny. Only for the young.
A Couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering things. During a check-up, the doctor tells them that they’re physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember ..
Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. ‘Want anything while I’m in the kitchen?’ he asks.
‘Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?’
‘Sure.’
‘Don’t you think you should write it down so you can remember it?’ she asks.
‘No, I can remember it.’
‘Well, I’d like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down, so as not to forget it?’
He says, ‘I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.’
‘I’d also like whipped cream. I’m certain you’ll forget that, write it down?’ she asks.
Irritated, he says, ‘I don’t need to write it down, I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream – I got it, for goodness sake!’
Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment.
‘Where’s my toast?’
Off to have some ice cream without strawberries or whipped cream, before I forget.
our FLOTUS looks fabulous
Great stuff. Thanks Chips.
Wooooooohooooooooo!
Michelle rocks!
2nd, 3rd that!
Hellooooo TODers! I’ve been away so long, I’ll never catch up. Missed you guys. From Filner to the Cooch (the one running for Governor), I’ve had so much to say and no one to say it to. Hope all has been well for everyone. Know I missed some birthdays…Happy Belated to all you old, I mean year-older people. 🙂
Welcome Back!!…
jump on in…the waters fine! 🙂
Thanks, Pretty Foot.
HF2…..your analysis of things politically are lining up time after time.
Holy smokes…….Thank goodness TOD is razor focus on 2014.
Barbs Bush soured on his son JEB in May 2013…..telling the whole nation that We are tired of the Bushes. And now……she is encouraging Hillary Clinton to Run in 2016.
2014 is our Ticket to 2016………2014 is the Only Road to 2016……..Lets not get derailed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/barbara-bush-hillary-clinton_n_3762812.html#comments
Add a former Republican president’s daughter to the list of supporters for a Hillary Clinton presidential run.
In an upcoming interview with People Magazine, George W. Bush’s daughter Barbara said she’d like to see the “unbelievably accomplished” Clinton enter the 2016 presidential race, CNN reported Thursday.
Oops….it’s Barbara the daughter of GW Bush who is encouraging Hillary Clinton to run……..sorry.
How is it that Americans are not up in arms over this b.s.?
“Most of the bills require a navigator to obtain state licensure or approval before operating in the state. Many also establish training requirements, require criminal background checks, and authorize disciplinary measures against navigators. Some bills also subject navigators to existing insurance law (such as privacy and unfair trade practices standards) or require navigators to secure financial protection against wrongdoing.
What does it all mean? These state-specific requirements—which navigators will have to meet along with federal requirements—may lead to confusion and could limit navigators from performing their duties under the Affordable Care Act. Here are a few concerns that we have identified:
Some requirements may prevent the application of the federal navigator program. A state law that prohibits navigators from offering advice about the benefits, terms, and features of a particular health benefit plan could prevent a navigator from facilitating enrollment and helping individuals make informed decisions, as required under federal law. For example, would state restrictions prohibit a navigator from “advising” a consumer with HIV about which plans cover certain antiretroviral drugs or “recommending” that a consumer consider plans that includes her providers in its network?
Stringent standards could be a barrier for respected community-based organizations—such as agricultural extension centers, churches, and safety-net health care providers—that want to serve as navigators for underserved communities, including those whose primary language is not English, those who live in remote areas, and the uninsured.
Many of these laws require the state’s insurance department to further define navigator requirements in regulations. Because many states have not yet issued regulations, potential navigators may be unable to comply with state requirements ahead of open enrollment in October 2013, potentially leaving a state without a navigator program.”
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Blog/2013/Jul/Will-State-Laws-Hinder-Federal-Marketplaces-Outreach.aspx
This is for those who wondered “where are the girls?”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/theyre-here-malia-sasha-join-obama-first-lady-for-family-vacation-on-marthas-vineyard/2013/08/15/055cd72e-05e0-11e3-bfc5-406b928603b2_story.html
President Barack Obama’s family vacation on Martha’s Vineyard is now complete: Daughters Malia and Sasha arrived Thursday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/nj-judge-asked-to-order-state-to-allow-same-sex-marriage-in-wake-of-us-high-court-ruling/2013/08/15/9003b616-0574-11e3-bfc5-406b928603b2_story.html
TRENTON, N.J. — Lawyers for gay couples and New Jersey’s government laid out their cases to a judge Thursday on whether she should order the state to legalize same-sex marriage in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the matter.
Judge Mary Jacobson gave both sides time to provide more information in writing and said that she would not rule on the issue before September.
NJ State house had passed same sex marriage bill and Chris Christie Vetoed it in 2012….I think.
He’s as much a RW loon as the rest of them. He just plays nice when he wants Federal disaster aid. The rest of his record is indistinguishable from the rest of the Republican nuts.
And just think…a number of Democrats have endorsed him for reelection.
Dems so many of them in NJ are acting like they are in some serious Voodoo Spell.
A RWNJ does one thing right, and Democrats fall all over themselves with praise. It’s stupid.
Okay….. 😎 Hey Sasha and Malia…..Enjoy Your Time with Mom and Dad 😎
I’m glad Malia and Sasha are with POTUS and FLOTUS. I just wish their vacation were alittle while longer. Considering those bums in the House and Senate is out the rest of the month. I mean the Ta Party Republicans bums.
Another crisis?
No. Same old same old. Notice he said “gov’t shutdown seems relatively unlikely” which is vastly different from the near hysteria of a couple of weeks ago. Leverage seems to be going the Dems’ way since GOP will blink concerning the debt ceiling and won’t have a gov’t shutdown b/c they will get all the blame. Also I think it is good news that the GOP is not having townhall meetings as they had promised. They must have data that the public is not with them, so this is NOT 2010 part 2.
They’re being pushed by the base to shut down the government! A heritage poll said public will blame each party equally!
LOL!
Ah the stupid American electorate!
🙂
An elderly couple had dinner at another couple’s house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen.
The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, ‘Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly.’
The other man said, ‘What is the name of the restaurant?’
The first man thought and thought and finally said, ‘What’s the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know, the one that’s red and has thorns.’
‘Do you mean a rose?’
‘Yes, that’s the one,’ replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, ‘Rose, what’s the name of that restaurant we went to last night?’
Folks….I get so tired and I am so sick of these haters…..But day in, day out they get wickedly crude and cruel 24/7
Now it is the what now? Photoshop of the OBL raid? Excuse me?
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/bryan-fischer-obama-was-photo-shopped-into-bin
Bryan Fisher is like all Republicans, a lying racists.
It’s no secret that Fischer is a loon, but what is with Reggie Love? Can’t these people who worked closely with POTUS just keep their damned mouths shut until the Pres is out of office. They should know anything they say will be used to attack the President.
There is nothing wrong with what Reggie Love said. The POTUS was Not there the whole time….the Movie made stated that. He was there when that main picture was taken. This idiot Fischer cherry picked and used a 23 sec tape out of context.
No, there is nothing wrong with what Reggie said, but it will be headline news in the next couple of days. I am just so tired of everyone attacking the President over every thing that I think his people should be more careful what they say.
We must stop blaming the victim. THe GOP/MSM lie and misrepresent what people say. Remember when they ran with story that Harry Reid said Hillary would be a better president than PBO, when in reality he said she would be better than Bill Clinton. There is nothing Reggie Love, Harry Reid or anybody else can do when the GOP/MSM have no problem lying and distorting whatever they say. We would be wise to keep the anger directed at the real bad guys and not attack our own.
debz, I agree with you on this one, 1000%.
More accounts on the raid of OBL
As told by HRC at a Naval Base
Ya think Pops ?
Hmm? Father Knows Best, Hmm?
It’s too late what he thinks. His son is a traitor.
No, I agree Wikileaks and Greenwald doesn’t give a dam about Snowden. And neither does Putin.
GG has always had himself as his own best interest – took a while for both Snowden’s to tune into reality
The Snowdens themselves had insincere motives from day 1 – now it’s backfired, they’re looking to blame someone. I’ve seen this movie before….
You’ve Nailed it again, HF2 😉
I don’t think the father had a clue – junior on the other hand – sure didn’t think through what he was doing – but I also think he got some very very bad advice from the “journalists” (note the quotes) he contacted.
They may not have realized the eventual consequences (to THEM) of Snowden’s actions at the time, but that doesn’t mean that their motives were pure. As PBO said, there were legal whistleblower channels that Snowjob could have used. He could have contacted congress, if he were truly disturbed by the NSA, but instead he teamed up with the most virulent Obama -haters and went to the media with his story. He (and his father) deserve every scorn they are getting. They tried to set a trap for President Obama, and instead they fell into it.
Hopefruit, as always, you hit the nail on the head! I am sorry, but I have no sympathy for Edward Snowden. He is a 30 years-old man who should know right from wrong. He should never have gotten in bed with Wikileaks and Glenn Greenwald.
What took Snowden’s dad this long to figure out that Assange, Greenwald, and others were using his son for the purpose of embellishing their own careers? If my kid had done what Snowden did, I would have advised her to return to the U.S., hired her a good lawyer, and negotiated with the DOJ from that point going forward. IMO, running to Russia defeats everything Snowden claims he is against because there are fewer rights for citizens where dissent against government surveillance is concerned there. When one goes to court in Russia, there is no trial by jury. A judge hears the case and renders a decision on the spot. Snowden doesn’t know how blessed he is to be an American citizen with a justice system like ours. I’m not saying that everyone always gets justice from the system, but I am saying that one’s chances of receiving justice here is much better than it is in Russia. Snowden had better be careful of running afoul the law while he’s in Russia.
This is all plain common sense majiir. But they were so busy “sticking it to Obama” that they forgot to pay attention to other important stuff.
Willfully ignorant people always forget details.
You bet….Bill R. Only Terrorists want to harm USA…..economically.
Whose side are the TBGOPers on? Friends or Foes?
Wendy Davis in Vogue – Stand and Deliver: After Her 12-Hour Filibuster, How Far Will Texas Senator Wendy Davis Run? – http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/stand-and-deliver-texas-senator-wendy-davis/#1
Another gorgeous photo of our beautiful FLOTUS. WOW!
Also, from the White House Kitchen Garden to Your LetsMoveGarden has been storified. Check it out!
http://storify.com/letsmove/what-s-growing-in-your-garden?utm_campaign=&awesm=sfy.co_hPlg&utm_medium=sfy.co-twitter&utm_content=storify-pingback&utm_source=t.co
U.S. jobs, inflation data support tapering of Fed bond buying
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/15/us-usa-economy-idUSBRE97E0KS20130815
The government reports on Thursday suggested an acceleration in job growth in early August and hinted at pockets of pricing power in the sluggish economy, which could ease concerns among some Fed officials that inflation was too low….
“It looks like the weakness in employment last month was a fluke and the breadth of gains in CPI suggest that there will be less push back against tapering because of low inflation,” said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody’s Analytics in West Chester Pennsylvania. ….
I don’t know much about this man, but I would not have expected this. Shows that I shouldn’t think in stereotypes!
Garth Brooks has been a supporter of PBO since ’08 Thank your Garth.
that should be “you” not your
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are Dems as well. I think Toby Keith is a Dem, but not as certain.
Wow…..now that I didn’t expect from him. Thank you Garth Brooks. Please speak out more….maybe, just maybe some of your fans would mellow out a bit.
He was at the Mall during the concert events before the Jan 20, 2009 Inauguration Fest. He did 2 or 3 songs. He got the crowd participating…….
So please Garth Brooks, Say it Loud…..a little louder now as the song goes…..that was one of the songs he sang that day.
Way to go, Garth!
Mr. Brooks has a new fan.
Gath Brooks told the absolute TRUTH! JFK also lamented about the limitations of Presidential Power. It’s on only the emoprog idiots who have absolutely zero clue about what a President can or cannot do on his own.
They complained constantly about the Imperial Presidency of George Bush, but what they really want is for President Obama to act just like G. Bush, except on their side.
OMG mary! I say exactly that! It’s so true — they want a leftist version of GWB, because they are just a younger version of the tea party
“just a younger version of the tea party” – got it in one!
Wow! Our FLOTUS looks gorgeous on this cover. We are so fortunate to have her as our First Lady.
Agree 1000% Donna, she is a true American Treasure.
I agree 10000%
Testing
You passed 😉
With flying colors!
1, 2, 3……testing LL
😉
Fabulous photo of FLOTUS and no doubt a wonderful article. There are some in the media who can still do their job – but I just can’t believe the news media and how it ALWAYS has to put snark and/or a negative slant on any news about PBO. They did NOT do this with GWB or any other President for that matter. I just real the item linked above about Malia and Sasha arriving from camp and THIS is the description of the President meeting his children
“Obama, who played 18 holes of golf every day but one this week, cut his game to just nine holes Thursday before returning to the family’s $7 million Chilmark rental home ….”
No truth in reporting – just their RWNJ opinion.
More Purple… 😀
Hey, hey, hey, Dudette…….Prince Rogers Nelson
Thank You, Madam 😉
Hiya Nena!!! Ain’t it cool? 🙂
New post.
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/08/15/that-famous-hug/
First Lady Obama is a vision.