U.S. Lawmakers and Staff to Keep Health-Premium Subsidy

Bloomberg  "U.S. lawmakers and members of their staffs can keep receiving the federal government’s medical insurance premium subsidy next year after the 2010 health-care law forces them into new insurance exchanges, according to a proposed Obama administration rule issued today.
"Starting Jan. 1, members of Congress and their aides must purchase coverage on health-insurance exchanges created by the law and being set up in each state. Ambiguities in the law had raised questions about whether congressional staff members would continue receiving government subsidies of as much as 75 percent of their health-care premiums, as they do under the benefits plan covering all federal employees."
....
Republican Amendment
"The provision was inserted into the health-care overhaul bill in 2009 by Iowa Senator Charles Grassley, then the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, which drafted the legislation. Grassley said at the time that members of Congress should be forced to live under the laws that apply to other Americans."

On the Big Shutdown

Woodward: If Shutdown or Debt Ceiling Causes Economic Crisis, It’s on the ‘President’s Head’  "Woodward noted he respected President Obama’s objection to negotiating on the debt ceiling, but criticized the administration for failing to initiate any dialogue that could result in a deal on funding the government.

“ 'It’s on the president’s head, he’s got to lead, he’s got to talk” Woodward said:"....  Video.

Senate kills latest shutdown offer as effects begin to be felt   "But Republicans said Democrats now own the shutdown by refusing even to talk.
“ 'They literally just voted against working out a compromise,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republicans’ leader."

NPR: 8 Things To Know About A Government Shutdown  ..."Since a new budgeting process was put into place in 1976, the U.S. government has shut down 17 times. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan each dealt with six shutdowns during their terms in office, lasting anywhere from one day to 2 1/2 weeks." Neal Boortz comments:

The government has “shut down” (partial shut down of non-essential government services) 17 times since 1976.  Never did we see the “market melt-down” the Democrats are predicting, and in almost all of these “shut-downs” the federal employees were eventually fully paid for the time they got to take off.

 

Neal Boortz:  "This Wall Street Journal Column, “An Obama-Cruz Shutdown,” opens the window on some of the little ploys 0bama is using to make the best political advantage out of 0bamacare. "

 

UPDATE: This Is What The Government Shutdown Means For You  

"What a government shutdown means is “nonessential” government services are no longer being provided. Some agencies will be able to survive for a few weeks based on leftover money, but the longer this goes on, the less they’ll be able to do.

You still have to pay your student loans.

 Don't plan on seeing these

Why The Left Can Never Be Trusted With Power

This may be over the head of the average low-information voter, including about 95% of Obama's voters and - I suspect- 100% of his former students.

Pacifist doing what pacifists do

Powerline Blog "If you want a good lesson in why the left can never be trusted with political power, especially in foreign policy, look no further than Mother Jones Washington bureau chief Nick Baumann, writing in Slate this week that “Neville Chamberlain Was Right.”  What was he right about?  Ceding Czechoslovakia to Hitler in 1938: “The maligned British prime minister did what we would want any responsible leader to do.”
"Do tell, Nick.  First, Britain was too weak to stand up to Hitler in 1938.  “In general, British generals believed the military and the nation were not ready for war.”   (And whose fault was that?)  “Chamberlain’s diplomatic options were limited as well.”  (Again, whose fault was that?  Chamberlain repeatedly declined to seek a diplomatic accommodation with the Soviet Union and Poland, or invite the diplomatic contributions of the United States, which FDR was willing to make.)  “Nor was the British public ready for war in 1938.”  Again. . . never mind.
"The most egregious part of Baumann’s revisionism has to be this paragraph:"....Full article here.

I don't regard pacifists as evil; if Hitler had been a pacifist the world would have been spared enormous slaughter and destruction. But this world will always have evil people in high places that will rule over pacifist nations who will not stand up to them as happened in World War 2. Winston Churchill called that war the most easily prevented war in history, saying it only took one nation to be willing to use force against Hitler's early aggressions.
Germany's rearming was excused by the left in Britain while they (led by British Communists) considered any war preparations by their own country to be "warmongering".
Someone remarked that if no one nation should be the world's policeman, what happens if there is a world criminal?   The Tunnel Dweller

Obama: Transforming America ; From energy to foreign policy to the presidency itself, Obama’s agenda rolls along.

Victor Davis Hanson "There certainly is no question that Barack Obama wants to change the United States. And there clearly is no doubt that such fundamental transformation is difficult, given our tripartite system of
government — even though Obama entered office with large Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress, an enthralled media, and a closely divided Supreme Court.

"So to what degree, after nearly five years in office, has Obama succeeded in changing the United States?"   Full article here.

If you disliked anything and everything about America, this politician is just the man for you.

Do overweight soldiers have anything to do with political correctness in this government?

Does this have anything to do with the Democrat policy against discrimination based on, er, weightism? As stated elsewhere, liberal policies create mediocrity in everything they touch. And who do you see anyone in the Obama Administration that cares about the quality of our military?

Fat Soldiers "What’s the deal with so many fat Soldiers? It Seems that year after year they just keep getting fatter and fatter...."

I noticed in the crowd at a recent Texas A&M  game, many military students in uniform who had protruding stomachs. Just sayin'.

Why are soldiers so fat and Marines not?

I'm a Marine poolee and I do PT everyday with my 2 recruiters and some other poolees. Next to our Marine office there is an Army office, and these people look so out of shape compared to the Marine I've seen and met. This can't be coincidence because over the past year I have met enough soldiers and Marines to know this is not just coincidence. And I will not talk about Airmen because I've seen some crazy ****, but I guess they're smarter so I don't really care. 
This is all from MY personal experience.

One respondent's opinion:

Marines are quality over quantity by a LONG SHOT. They'd rather have less people that can perform better than have more people that can't do s***. The Army has significantly lowered it's standards to recruit more people. That's why.

 Pentagon Says More Than Half Of The US Military Is Overweight  ..."Not because muscle-bound troops ware any less fit, but because an average male grunt can't drag a 250-pound buddy from the kill zone, regardless of whether that weight is from fat or from muscle."

CNN: Military leaders: We're still too fat to fight  "Childhood obesity isn't just a health issue, according to a group of retired military leaders. It's also a national security issue."

This song is politically incorrect in the extreme.

U.S. and Iranian Realities

STRATFOR   "U.S. President Barack Obama called Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last week in the first such conversation in the 34 years since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. The phone call followed tweets and public statements on both sides indicating a willingness to talk. Though far from an accommodation between the two countries, there are reasons to take this opening seriously -- not only because it is occurring at such a high level, but also because there is now a geopolitical logic to these moves. Many things could go wrong, and given that this is the Middle East, the odds of failure are high. But Iran is weak and the United States is avoiding conflict, and there are worse bases for a deal.".... Read more...
George Friedman
U.S. and Iranian Realities is republished with permission of Stratfor.

COMMON CORE: What Does “College and Career Ready” Standards Mean?

The Free Patriot   "What exactly does “College and Career Ready” mean? Many have argued that these standards represent a “dumbing down” of American education. Proponents argue the recent Common Core standards are more rigorous, although there is little evidence to support that argument. Part of the problem may be in the interpretation of “College and Career.” There are many colleges and many different careers, and there is some degree of variation in the skill associated with them.
"But what is meant by “College and Career” ready? What kind of careers? What kind of college?" 

 

...."Prior to the common core state standards, Massachusetts had one of the finest education systems in the world. Test scores of Massachusetts students were among the highest in the world, when ranked separately from the rest of the United States. College readiness began in 8th grade with the completion of Algebra 1. Students typically made it through pre-calculus to attend college. The idea that the state would sacrifice that level of preparation for a lesser outcome was quite shocking."

Emphasis added. Liberalism's big government policies bring mediocrity in everything they touch

Spread the misery

http://terrellaftermath.com/

Airmen say Air Force is punishing evangelical Christians

Fox News   "Evangelical Christian airmen at Lackland Air Force Base are facing severe threats and retribution for their religious beliefs and some personnel have been ordered to publicly express their position on gay marriage.
“ 'There is an atmosphere of intimidation at Lackland Air Force Base,” said Steve Branson, the pastor of Village Parkway Baptist Church in San Antonio. “Gay commanders and officers are pushing their agenda on the airmen. There is a culture of fear in the military and it’s gone to a new level with the issue of homosexuality.”
"Branson tells me at least 80 airmen attended a private meeting at the church where he heard them voice their concerns about religious hostilities at the Air Force base. It was a standing-room only crowd."....
....
"One member of the military was written up for having his Bible out – while a Muslim was allowed to publicly display a prayer rug.
"A colonel told the pastor that officers are being ordered to publicly affirm and promote homosexuality."....

Forum for debate: Lackland AFB causing problems for Christians?
Point:

Christians aren't being denied any rights, homosexuals are.

The whole Christians crying persecution is disturbing. There is NO place in the world it is easier to be a Christian than the US. By crying persecution, you insult the Christians in other parts of the world who are facing persecution (Christians in Pakistan, China, Egypt, etc.). 

Counterpoint:

...Attempting to force their views on others. It isn't enough to just skip going to services, they don't want anyone else to be able to go. It isn't enough to skip a concert/event that may have a religious performer/speaker, they want to ban it for everyone else. It isn't enough to avoid an aisle in the book section of the PX that contains religious publications, they want them banned from the PX. 

Get ready for more shutdown rhetoric

National Review Online  "Several hours remain until government funding expires, and if Congress cannot agree on a resolution to continue that funding before midnight, the government will shut down. If that happens, Democrats will be ready with countless horror stories about the consequences of extremist Republican obstructionism, so it’s worth examining the details of what will and will not occur during a government shutdown."

Hot Topic: Who Will Blink First in Budget Showdown?  "Eventually — days, weeks, or even months from now — the federal government is going to be funded. In the end, one side or the other is going to have to cave in completely to the other side. There is no compromise that either side would accept, no deal possible as long as both sides insist on getting their way."

The big question of the week? Who Will Blink in Budget Showdown? 
The House passed a continuing resolution last night that delays the implementation of Obamacare’s individual mandate for a year while funding the federal government’s operations through December.
The party line vote virtually assures a government shutdown at midnight on Monday.

 "The CR also contains a repeal of the medical device tax that most Democrats support. But Harry Reid has indicated it doesn’t matter, as the Senate will only consider a “clean” bill without any Obamacare riders."

 

Chuck Schumer considers any negotiations to be extortion

Liberal “shutdown” rhetoric ignores the irresponsibility of Democrats.
"For three consecutive years — 2010, 2011, and 2012 — the Democrat-controlled Senate did not pass a budget bill because Reid knew that it would be a political liability to do so. Passing a budget that detailed the Democrats’ plans for spending and revenue as official policy would have exposed the “something for nothing” swindle that Reid and his colleagues are perpetrating on the American people."

Brit Hume: People Think Republicans to Blame for Shutdowns Because Media Keep Telling Them That 

 

Obama: Shutdown Will ‘Throw Wrench Into Economy’  "The blame- shifter-in-chief will have a made to order excuse for his miserable performance as president."

Alan Caruba asks, Are Americans Stupid?

"The late comedian, George Carlin, once said, “Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.” I thought of that when I heard that Barack Obama had been reelected."

Warning Signs  ..."Let me say that I have long regarded Barack Obama as stupid. His incompetence manifests itself daily. He cannot speak without the assistance of a Tele-Prompter. He has zero experience with the way people make a living or run a business. He has zero experience regarding military affairs and appears to have no knowledge of history. His lack of knowledge about economics has left the nation with the highest debt and deficit in its history, and millions unemployed."...

The difference between Islam and other religions

Bookworm Room  "Libby, a Bookworm Room friend, came up with one of the most accurate statements I’ve ever seen distinguishing Islam from other religions.  I have to share it with you:

The difference between Islam and other religions is that while other religions inspire their followers to control themselves to avoid sin, the followers of Islam seek to control their environment to avoid sin.

 

Muslim Behavior/Terrorism Correlated With Population Size

A Crash Course In Islamic Ideology    Muslims destroy cemetery for British soldiers killed in North Africa during WW2.

  "Do you want to get mad? Just watch this video. These people are animals. They are filled with pure hate."....