Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Radio tonight: Once again...Obamacare (10/30/13)

HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius being sworn-in today.

I'll be on The John Batchelor Show tonight, beginning at 8 p.m. (Pacific Time) to discuss the latest developments surrounding the Obamacare website debacle, HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius' testimony before Congress today, and the outlook for the Affordable Care Act.

HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius and the troubled website.

Check local or satellite radio listings for details, or listen online here.

John Batchelor.

See you on the radio!


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

The "Bystander President"

"MSNBC's blistering montage of the president denying knowledge of recent scandals"


From The Blaze:

“What did the president know and when did he know it?”
Not much, and not until much later, an MSNBC-created montage of recent scandals recaps.
Among them are Operation Fast and Furious; the Internal Revenue Service’s extra scrutiny of conservative groups; Department of Justice subpoenas of Associated Press records; Solyndra; and the disastrous rollout of Obamacare.
Here’s a clip of the MSNBC segment:

"A mere onlooker in his own White House."


"Once You Worked Full-Time"

Paul Shanklin, who calls himself a "Conservative Political Satirist," is among the best there is when it comes to song parodies and vocal imitations. (His work regularly appears on Rush Limbaugh's radio program.)

Paul Shanklin.

His latest, "Once You Worked Full-Time," pokes fun at Obamacare, its Healthcare.gov website, and the impact the law is having on the economy and employment. (The song is a takeoff on "Once in a Lifetime," by The Talking Heads.)

Enjoy!



And the Talking Heads' original...


Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime

Radio time: All Obamacare...all the time (10/2913)

Two Obamacare-related shows today...



Up first, the Dave Congalton Show (KVEC 920 AM) at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. I'll join Dave to discuss the ups-and-downs of the Affordable Care Act (aka: Obamacare) -- from the botched Healthcare.gov roll-out, to the pain that millions of policyholders are feeling as their plans are canceled...despite the president's explicit promise: "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan."

Dave's show is interactive, so feel free to call in with questions or comments at (800) 549-KVEC or (805) 543-8830.

You can hear the show online here.

Dave Congalton.

Then, at 8 p.m. Pacific Time, I'll be on The John Batchelor Show to discuss the latest Obamacare developments today in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. John and I will be joined by our colleague, Francis Rose (host of In Depth with Francis Rose, weekdays from 3-7 p.m. Eastern Time, on Federal News Radio 1500 AM in Washington, D.C.).

John Batchelor.

Check local and satellite radio listings for details, or you can listen online here.

See you on the radio!


Monday, October 28, 2013

What the president didn't know...

...and when he didn't know it.

It's kind of shocking, especially since he's been regularly touted by media boosters as "the smartest occupant of the Oval Office -- ever."


The following is a "fun" little list of things President Obama "wasn't aware of happening" -- until long after the fact:

  • "Obama 'Unaware on Investments"--headline, Albany (Ga.) Herald, March 8, 2007
  • "Obama 'Unaware of Illegal Aunt' "--headline, BBC website, Nov. 1, 2008
  • "Obama Unaware of Tea Party Protests"--headline, Examiner.com, April 15, 2009
  • "Obama Unaware of Backroom Deal, White House Says"--headline, Dallas Morning Newswebsite, June 4, 2010
  • "Blago Judge: Obama Unaware of Seat Exchange Bid"--headline, Associated Press, May 16, 2011
  • "Sebelius: Obama Unaware of ACA Website Glitches Before Launch"--headline,CaliforniaHealthline.org, Oct. 23, 2013
  • "Obama Reportedly Unaware NSA Spied on 35 World Leaders"--headline, ABCNews.com, Oct. 28

  • And that's just the short list!



    (h/t: James Taranto/WSJ's "Best of the Web Today")


    The Untruths About Obamacare -- Direct From The President's Own Mouth

    In this bit of hackery, Team Obama flack/former ABC News & Los Angeles TV news squawking head, Linda Douglass, assures Americans that something great is headed their way.


    Watch -- and listen -- carefully, then decide (knowing what you now do) how many things the president says are true...or false.



    What does the president know...

    ...and when does he know it?



    P.S. This may be one of the worst non-answers by a presidential press secretary...ever.


    Sunday, October 27, 2013

    Saturday Night Live skewers the Obamacare rollout


    Spot-on.

    Saturday Night Live's Kate McKinnon does a terrific send-up of Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius and the show's writers have managed to capture all the Hope & Change that we now know as Obamacare. (Video below.)




    Friday, October 25, 2013

    Thursday, October 24, 2013

    President Obama Explains Healthcare.gov

    Tutor-in-chief?


    How did he get it to work?



    If you're still having problems logging on to Healthcare.gov, Mr. Obama will be standing by at the Healthcare.gov support line/White House switchboard: 202-456-1414. You can also call the comments line at: 202-456-1111.

    Wednesday, October 23, 2013

    HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius: She's Bringing in The A-Team to Fix Obamacare (VIDEO)


    Why did they wait so long?



    (h/t: Reason.com)

    CNBC: Mixing racism and business...

    Every so often, that hidden side rears its ugly head...

    CNBC's Steve Liesman.

    CNBC host Steve Liesman decided to let loose on U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz today (R-TX). Liesman said that the recent (poor) jobs report was the Texas senator/Tea Party favorite's fault. So, he launched into the segment by mocking a photo of Cruz, and then uttered a racist quip. (For the record, Liesman's request for "Mexican music" was not only racist, it was factually wrong. You see, Cruz isn't of Mexican descent. He's a Cuban-American.

    Imagine what would've happened if a conservative had made an ugly comment in the vein Liesman did. That person would've been pink-slipped by the Mother Ship (NBC - a wholly owned subsidiary of the White House) and run out of town on a rail.



    As a wise man once said, "Stupid is as stupid does."

    We rest our case...


    Tuesday, October 22, 2013

    Monday, October 21, 2013

    Saturday, October 19, 2013

    "You're not exempt from math"...


    Dave Ramsey, a person known for focusing on numbers -- not politics -- explains Obamacare's bottom line: You're going to pay more.

    A lot more.



    Here comes the pain.

    Thursday, October 17, 2013

    Tuesday, October 15, 2013

    Debbie Downer surrenders...


    Just last week, Florida Democratic hack and DNC leader Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) was repeating the lies/"messaging"/hopes of the Obama Administration regarding the Affordable Care Act roll-out.

    Now that those lies have come undone and been widely discredited, the messaging has moved from "too much traffic!" to, "well, it doesn't look good."

    As noted, observer Dan McLaughlin Tweeted, "This is what it looks like when something becomes so indefensible [that even] the last hacks give up."

    So on the Obamacare mess, Debbie -- and her fellow hacks -- have effectively surrendered.

    One victory at a time!



    Sunday, October 13, 2013

    That's one Barry-cade down...

    ...so many more to go.


    Looks like these guys didn't get the White House memo. (This barricade was sitting on a turn out next to the Gros Ventre Road about a mile north of Kelly, Wyoming.)


    Thursday, October 10, 2013

    'Nothing Short of Disastrous'

    That's what the Obama-friendly media is calling the launch of the Obamacare website.


    We hate to say "we told you so," but WE TOLD YOU SO.



    Wednesday, October 9, 2013

    Oakland, California: A Portrait of Failure (cont.)


    Oakland's hope (left) and reality (right).

    Oakland, California, long-considered the poor stepsister of its neighbor across the Bay (San Francisco) has seemingly struggled all its life

    Like a Rodney Dangerfield punchline, "It don't get any respect." Even noted writer Gertrude Stein took a chip at her native city with her infamous line, "There is no there there."

    Lately, the city has been struggling more than ever. Civil unrest, shuttered businesses, and its pro sports looking to get out of town have all hurt morale...and whatever was left of its image. Included in that mix is the fact that crime is killing Oakland. Recently, reports listed it as the "robbery capital" of the United States (and the other rankings for serious crimes ain't far behind).


    You'd think that everyone would be racing for the exit gates -- and a good many are -- but there is a lot of pride among the law-abiding residents (as well as investment/equity in homes). Hoping to stave-off increasing crime, some Oakland-area residents are taking it upon themselves to protect themselves.

    Techpresident has this story: "In Rockridge, the answer has been to crowdfund private security services, with the aim of compensating for an understaffed police department in the city with the highest robbery rate in America. In the last few weeks three separate campaigns have been started on Crowdtilt in order to fund four months of private security patrols in three different section of Rockridge."

    So there you have it: self-reliance. Knowing the city of Oakland and its underfunded, understaffed and under appreciated Police Department can't help, residents are taking on the challenge.

    It's too bad it's come to this, but Americans have always found a way to take care of themselves.

    As for Oakland, it's another sign of the death spiral it's locked into...












    Tuesday, October 8, 2013

    Radio tonight - "California in Decline"

    I'll be on the John Batchelor Show tonight, beginning at 8:15 p.m. (Pacific) discussing the dire situation that many of California's municipalities -- and the state, itself -- face in the near future. (Check local or satellite listings for details, or listen online here.)

    The focus of tonight's chat will be the great inland port city of Stockton.



    As our friend at Via Media points out, "Stockton, California, is well on its way to repeating the mistakes of its sister bankrupt Golden State city, Vallejo: The city manager of Stockton has proposed a deal in bankruptcy court that involves zero pension cuts. Opting instead for slashing workers and health benefits, extending payments and selling buildings, the deal, if approved, would leave Stockton’s ruinous pension system untouched."



    Stockton - and Vallejo - are merely California (and the rest of the country) writ sooner and smaller.

    Brace yourselves.





    A 'Level of Incompetence Larger Than What It Should Be'

    ...and that comes out the mouth of Jon Stewart.

       The Daily Show's Jon Stewart grills HHS Sec. Kathleen          Sebelius.

    On Monday, The Daily Show's pressed Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius about issues he has with the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), from the website bugs to the one-year waiver businesses received that individuals didn't get. (He repeatedly chased that last point and was noticeably frustrated at the lack of a clear response.)

    Stewart did not receive an answer after asking how many people signed up for the website, before bringing up the "legitimate criticism" about individuals not receiving the one-year delay. Stewart said it looks like "you were favoring small business," and despite Sebelius attempting to explain that this is only a small percentage of businesses and small businesses have no mandates, Stewart still couldn't figure the logic out.

    When he went to commercial break, Stewart asked, "Can we come back and ask some more questions? Can I ask the same one?"

    In the second part of the interview, Stewart kept going, calling the issues with Obamacare "frustrating" due to the "level of incompetence that's larger than what it should be." He pointed out that businesses are cutting worker hours to exploit a loophole in the law, but Sebelius said that's not true. Stewart also wondered if they could actually run it well, pointing out the issues the government has had managing the VA.


    And then, very briefly at the end of the show, Stewart expressed his exasperation with the non-answers, and even wondered aloud if Sebelius was lying to him.

    Gee, Jon, ya think?



    (Massive hat tip to Mediaite...the source of much of this post's content.)

    Monday, October 7, 2013

    SNL slams Obamacare exchange "glitches"


    From Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update: "Winners & Losers" (video below). Wanna guess which one the exchange system was...?

    Thursday, October 3, 2013

    Harry Reid: 'Why Would We Want To' Help One Kid With Cancer?


    Hear it from the majority leader of the U.S. Senate, himself...



    As a reminder: How many times have you heard, "If we can help/save just one child..." as a reason for legislation?

    Tuesday, October 1, 2013

    Radio tonight: Federal government shutdown and Obamacare launch edition


    I'll be on The John Batchelor Show tonight, beginning at 8:10 p.m. (Pacific) to discuss Day 1 of the federal government shutdown as well as the official launch of Obamacare (aka: the Affordable Care Act).



    Check local or satellite listings for details...or listen online -- here.

    See you on the radio!