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ObamaCare lie tied to Clinton era

By now most have heard the “2013 Lie of the Year” as selected by PolitiFacts:  “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.”  President Obama said it some 20 times beginning in 2008, knowing it was a lie.

Now it has been revealed in the release of the first batch of the “Clinton Papers” that advisors to President Clinton were concerned about including a similar line about HillaryCare in the 1994 State-of-the-Union address.

Clinton&ToddStern (politico.com)

President Clinton and Todd Stern (politico.com photo)

Todd Stern, a former top aide to President Clinton, warned of making such a statement asking, “can we get away with it?” and adding, “I am very worried about getting skewered for over-promising here on something we know we won’t deliver.”

Here’s the excerpt by Stern from the “Clinton Papers”:

“We have a line on p. 10 that says ‘You’ll pick the health plan and the doctor of your choice.’  This sounds great and I know that it’s just what people want to hear.  But can we get away with it?  Isn’t the whole thrust of our health plan to steer people toward cheaper, HMO-style providers?  It’s one thing to say we’ll preserve your option to pick the doctor of your choice (recognizing that this will cost more), it’s quite another to appear to promise the nation that everyone will get to pick the doctor of his or her choice.  And that’s exactly what this line does.  I am worried about getting skewered for over-promising here on something we know full well we won’t deliver.

President Clinton went on to say, “You’ll pick the health plan and the doctor of your choice” in his address. Continue reading →

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Another empty threat from Obama?

“Well it’s Friday.  It’s after 5:00.  So this is officially ‘happy hour’ with the Democratic Party.  (Applause) I can do that.  It is an executive action.  I have the authority.”  (Laughter)

Obama (nydailynews.com photo)

Obama “happy hour” (nydailynews.com photo)

That was a jovial President Obama speaking to Democrats at the Washington Hilton Hotel just minutes after his brief, no questions press conference on the serious situation in Ukraine on Feb. 28.  It reminded me of how he flew to Las Vegas for a fundraiser just hours after the Benghazi attack on our compound.  Does he even realize he is the president of the United States?

“We are deeply concerned by reports of military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine,” he said in his less than forceful press conference statement.

Charles Krauthammer found the president’s statement that, “The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine,”  weak and rather staggering.

“What he’s saying,” according to Krauthammer, “is we’re not going to do anything and we’re telling the world.”

Following the rhetorical practice of Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State John Kerry abruptly interrupted his global warming warning tour to issue the obiligatory letter of condemnation. Continue reading →

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I’m offended by the offended

The increased frequency of an offended minority – sometimes a single individual –  has gone too far.  Some are offended by someone wearing a cross; by anything bearing the words “In God We Trust;” by the 10 Commandments; any outward showing of American flags in recognition of our troops; and most recently Bibles in the night stands of rooms in a college campus hotel.… read more

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Ted Cruz gets mixed reviews from writers

Who is Ted Cruz and what is he trying to do?

Here in the Texas Hill Country, I watched Ted Cruz take on and defeat establishment Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the 2012 run-off election for the U. S. Senate 57-43 in a strong voter turnout.  He went on to a 57-40 win over Democrat Paul Sadler in the general election.

Cruz wins (redsonja-conservativesinaction.blogspot.com)

Cruz Victory Celebration (redsonja-conservativesinaction.blogspt.com)

Dewhurst outspent Cruz 3 to1 and blasted him relentlessly in negative commercials, but Cruz had the grassroots support of Tea Party organizations.

“Millions of Texans, millions of Americans are rising up to reclaim our country, to defend liberty and to restore the Constitution,” he said in his victory speech.

I am particularly impressed with his ability to stand on a stage, away from the lectern and speak without the aid of a teleprompter. Continue reading →

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The ObamaCare saga continues

Sebelius(GettyImzagesHoward portnoy

Kathleen Sebelius (GettyImages/Howard Portnoy photo)

The Obama administration’s HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is a gift that just keeps on giving.  “Seven million was not from the administration. I’m not sure where they (the Congressional Budget Office) even got those numbers,” she told the Huffington Post on Feb. 26.   Just seven months ago, Sebelius told Politico, “I think success looks like at least seven million having signed up by the end of March.”  It’s called video tape, Madam Secretary.

And wide criticism of ObamaCare continues.

“How does one defend spending $1.2 trillion for a health-care overhaul that disincentivizes people to work and that leaves us with 31 million uninsured?”

kathleenparker(businessinsider.com photo)

Kathleen Parker (businessinsider.com photo)

So wrote Columnist Kathleen Parker stating, “It is easy these days to imagine that one is living in a fairy tale, albeit a dreary one.”  While I am not a fan of Parker, I often read her columns to learn what those left of center are thinking.  Remember when the reason we needed health insurance reform was to insure those 30 million uninsured? Continue reading →

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American auto industry “not” back

When the Treasury Department off-loaded its remaining stock in General Motors late last year, the president used the occasion to take a bow stating, “When I took office, the American auto industry – the heartbeat of American manufacturing – was on the verge of collapse.  Two of the Big Three – GM and Chrysler – were on the brink of failure … as president, I refused to let that happen.”

MaryBarra&JoeBiden

GM CEO Mary Barra and Vice President Joe Biden (GM photo)

“We bet on American ingenuity, we bet on you and we won,” Vice President Joe Biden said during last month’s Detroit auto show.

Of course there was no mention that taxpayers lost $10.5 billion on the GM bailout and, thanks to a deal with the Energy and Treasury Departments, Fiat of Italy was able to acquire majority control of Chrysler. Continue reading →

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A retirement long overdue

“I don’t want people to say I stayed too long,” 87-year old Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) told the Detroit News as rumors of his retirement have been circulating Washington.

What? You already have, sir, you already have.  You’ve been in the House for nearly six decades. You were just 29 years old when you were first elected.… read more

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We have become a “whatever” society

MinnTwnHall(hqdefalut.jpg)

Minnesota Town Hall (hqdefault.jpg)

Did you see the news clip of the town hall held in Minnesota last week?  As three Democrats, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Tim Walz and Rep. Collin Peterson were responding to constituent questions during an Agriculture Symposium, someone had the courage to ask a pointed non-Ag question.

“I thought the Affordable Care Act would save $2,500 per family,” a local resident asked, “what happened?”

Before Peterson could grab the microphone to pass it to Klobuchar, those in attendance broke out in uproarious laughter as Peterson said, “I voted ‘no’ so I’ll let these guys handle that.”

Walz tried to recover with feeble excuses for the troubles being encountered with ObamaCare, but made the mistake of commenting on health insurance in this country before ObamaCare saying, “Don’t pretend there was some type of safe harbor before this where everything was just peachy keen.”  How uniformed.

Pelosi (youtube.com)

Nancy Pelosi (YouTube.com)

In a letter to the editor I wrote to The Boerne (TX) Star in 2010, I cited a 2009 Gallup poll in which 87 percent expressed satisfaction with their health care and 81 percent were satisfied with the cost. There was no need for a comprehensive health insurance bill.

But, back to the uproarious laughter of the town hall crowd, because that’s the reason for this posting.  When are we going to stop treating everything happening to this country as a laughing matter?  Where’s the outrage? Continue reading →

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Increase in minimum wage a bad idea

GeorgeWill(onenewspage.com photo)

George Will (onenewspage.com photo)

    “Liberals say, if you want people to smoke less, raise the price of tobacco.  If you want people to drive less, raise the price of gasoline.  Raise the price of something, people will buy less of it.  Then, they come to the subject of entry level wages and they will say it will have no affect whatever.  Clearly, it will have an effect.  Not only will people hire fewer, but there will be a huge incentive for places like California Pizza Kitchen and Chili’s to go to automated ordering, cutting down minimum wage workers.”   -George Will

                                        A new twist on Obama’s redistribution of wealth

The president got what he wanted when he increased the tax rate on the top income earners to 39.6 percent.  It was part of his redistribution of wealth agenda.

Now as the numbers of those below the poverty line grows, the president is talking about income inequality and the necessity to increase the federally mandated minimum wage again, from $7.25 to $10.10.  His economy is in the tank and in true liberal form, he continues to apply the wrong measures. Another indication of his lack of business acumen.

Nancy Pelosi and all the others on the left stand before the microphones in support of the hike, saying it would create jobs.  But then the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office releases its findings that the $10.10 option when fully implemented “would reduce total employment by about 500,000 workers,” a number that could increase to one million. Continue reading →