The Senate’s nationalized health care plan requires a monthly fee for abortion coverage. GOP Leader Blog reported:
Beginning on line 7, p. 118, section 1303 under “Voluntary Choice of Coverage of Abortion Services” the Health and Human Services Secretary is given the authority to determine when abortion is allowed under the government-run health plan. Leader Reid’s plan also requires that at least one insurance plan offered in the Exchange covers abortions (line 13, p. 120).
What is even more alarming is that a monthly abortion premium will be charged of all enrollees in the government-run health plan. It’s right there beginning on line 11, page 122, section 1303, under “Actuarial Value of Optional Service Coverage.” The premium will be paid into a U.S. Treasury account – and these federal funds will be used to pay for the abortion services.
Section 1303(a)(2)(C) describes the process in which the Health Benefits Commissioner is to assess the monthly premiums that will be used to pay for elective abortions under the government-run health plan and for those who are given an affordability credit to purchase insurance coverage that includes abortion through the Exchange. The Commissioner must charge at a minimum $1 per enrollee per month.
Pressure Builds On Geithner to Resign… Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) calls on Tax Cheat Obama Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to step down today during a House hearing.
Geithner supported the disastrous financial decisions that saw the national deficit triple in one year under Barack Obama:
Geithner sharply rejected the call to resign and blamed the current state on what he inherited from Bush.
It’s been a year since the President was elected,” the panel’s ranking Republican, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, said at a hearing this morning featuring Geithner. “It’s appropriate for the American people to assess how well the administration’s economic policies are working. They are not. They have failed.”
“Unemployment has skyrocketed far past the White House’s projections and promises. America continues to shed jobs: more than 2.8 million since the stimulus was enacted,” Brady said. “We’ve had a series of embarrassing investigations about all the wild stimulus claims, the latest fake jobs from fake Congressional districts… You are the point man on the economy,” Brady said to Geithner. “The buck, in effect, stops with you.”
Far left Democrat John Conyers, husband of convicted felonMonica Conyers, told reporters today that, “I’m getting tired of saving Obama’s can.” The Hill reported:
President Barack Obama is “bowing down” to Republicans and corporate interests on health reform, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) said Thursday.
Conyers, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a longtime advocate of single-payer healthcare, blasted the president for a perceived weakness in leadership on health reform.
“I’m getting tired of saving Obama’s can in the White House,” Conyers said on the liberal Bill Press radio show. “He only won by five votes in the House, and this bill wasn’t even anything to write home about.”
“The only way he could have got it through was that progressives held their nose,” Conyers added.
A Good Photo Op–
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a speech during a rally with troops at Osan Air Base in South Korea November 19, 2009. Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called on North Korea on Thursday to return to stalled nuclear talks and end its atomic ambitions in return for massive economic aid. (REUTERS/Jo Yong-Hak)
The president greeted 1,500 troops at Osan Air Base in South Korea today telling them:
Obama arrived on the base 3:19 p.m. local time (1 a.m. Eastern Standard Time), and received a rousing welcome from 1,500 troops in camouflage uniforms, many holding cameras or pointing cell phones to snap pictures.
“You guys make a pretty good photo op,” the president said.
Standing on a riser wearing a blue suit and red tie, with a cluster of troops and a large American flag behind him, Obama expressed “the gratitude of the American public” and said his meetings in four countries over eight days in Asia will help deliver a “safer more prosperous world for all of us.”
Newsweek’s cover is not just sexist but is illegal, too.
Apparently Newsweek Magazine obtained their photo of Sarah Palin in running shorts illegally. The photographer signed a clause with Runner’s World that stipulated his photos of Palin would be under embargo for a period of one year following publication. He broke the contract by selling the photo to Newsweek. Daily Finance reported:
What on earth was Sarah Palin thinking when she posed in a pair of teeny-tiny gym shorts for a photograph that ended up on the cover of Newsweek — a cover she has called “sexist”? Perhaps she was thinking that her image would only appear in the magazine she was posing for, Runner’s World, and nowhere else, at least not for months and months. If so, she had good reason — since, as DailyFinance has learned, the photographer who shot the picture violated his contract by reselling them to Newsweek.
That photographer, Brian Adams, could not immediately be reached, and his agent, Kelly Price, declined to comment, saying, “I keep all of my clients’ business private.” But a spokeswoman for Runner’s World confirms that Adams’s contract contained a clause stipulating that his photos of Palin would be under embargo for a period of one year following publication — meaning until August 2010. “Runner’s World did not provide Newsweek with its cover image,” the spokeswoman said. “It was provided to Newsweek by the photographer’s stock agency, without Runner’s World’s knowledge or permission.” The spokeswoman declined to say whether Runner’s World intends to respond to Adams’s breach of contract with legal action.
But while Newsweek’s use of the photo violated the embargo, it’s not clear to what extent Adams is at fault. A source with knowledge of the situation says multiple outlets, including Time, approached Runner’s World after the photos first appeared on its website in July to inquire about obtaining the reuse rights. Those who inquired were forwarded to Adams. Editors at the magazine were aware of negotiations to resell the pictures, and were primarily concerned to see that Runner’s World received prominent credit, says the source. In the event, Newsweek credited Runner’s World right on its cover.
It is strange though that, according to his blog, Adams sounds surprised that his photo is on the cover of Newsweek.
That’s weird. Hat Tip Jim Botts
Barack Obama told CNN yesterday, “I’ve restored America’s standing in the world… History will bear me out, or not.”
Here’s the video of the Arrogant One with CNN–
The Swamp posted the transcript from Obama’s CNN interview:
At the close of the president’s current foreign trip, which will take him from China to South Korea, he will have visited 20 nations, CNN’s Henry noted, the most of any president during his first year.
“No. 1, I think that we’ve restored America’s standing in the world,” Obama said, citing polls about public confidence in the United States around the world.
“We’ve seen very specific areas of cooperation around the nuclear issue,” he said. “At the time of my inauguration, the world community was still divided on what Iran’s intentions were… We mobilized the international community… You now have validators like the International Atomic Energy Agency, you’ve got the P-5 plus one, which includes Russia and China, all saying to Iran, you’re on the wrong side of history here.”
“There is no doubt that, in the same way that on domestic policy our first job was to stabilize the situation and prevent disaster, on the international stage our first job was to stabilize the situation to allow us to move forward,. A lot of our initiatives have not borne fruit… The question is, are we moving in the right direction. There is no doubt we are.”
It’s like its a prerequisite…
Another Obama Treasury Department official admitted to cheating on her taxes.
Dr. Lael Brainard is the latest Obama official to have tax problems.
President Barack Obama’s choice for a top job in the Treasury Department did not disclose all of her late tax payments until she was repeatedly prodded by Senate investigators, a congressional report issued Wednesday said.
Obama’s nominee for undersecretary of the Treasury for international affairs, Lael Brainard, is the fifth presidential nominee to reveal tax issues during the congressional vetting process.
Brainard was late in paying real estate taxes in 2005, 2006 and 2007 on property in Northern Virginia, according to the report by the Senate Finance Committee staff.
The report also challenges the accuracy of a deduction Brainard claimed for running an office from her home. The challenge led Brainard to reduce the deduction on her 2008 return, though she declined to adjust returns for 2005, 2006 and 2007, telling committee staff she used a reasonable method to calculate the deductions.
Brainard paid most of the late property taxes before she was nominated, in March. However, she told the committee that she realized after her nomination that her 2008 property taxes had not been paid. They were paid in September, the report said.
Sarah Palin released the cities and dates of her “Going Rogue” book tour tonight.
Sarah Palin added this about her Fort Hood visit:
I’m especially looking forward to meeting our brave men and women in uniform at Fort Hood. I’m joining the efforts of many others by donating my royalties from the book sales during our stop at Fort Hood to the families of the victims whose lives have been forever changed by the tragic events of November 5th. I am humbled to be able to join the larger effort called “Community Response to 11/5,” which was established by the Central Texas-Fort Hood Chapter of the Association of the US Army (AUSA). You can read more about their great efforts here: http://www.forthoodausa.org/.
These dates and cities were posted at her Facebook page:
November 30th
RICHLAND, WA
TBD
December 1st
PHOENIX. AZ
Costco
1445 West Elliot
Tempe, AZ 85284
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
ROSWELL, NM
Hastings Books
1705 N. Main Street
Roswell, NM 88201
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
December 2nd
SPRINGFIELD, MO
Border’s Books & Music
3300 S. Glenstone Avenue
Springfield, MO 65804
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
December 3rd
FAYETTEVILLE, AR
Sam’s Club
3081 North Highway 112
Fayetteville, AR 72704
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
Hastings Books
2300 West Main Street
Norman, OK 73069
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
December 4th
DALLAS, TX
Legacy Books
7300 Dallas Parkway
Plano, TX 75024
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
FORT HOOD, TX
AAFES
Main Exchange, Building 50004
Clear Creek Road
Fort Hood, TX 76544
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
December 5th
FAIRFAX, VA
BJ’s
13053 Fair Lakes Shopping Center
Fairfax, VA 22033
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
December 6th
SIOUX CITY, IA
Barnes & Noble
4400 Sergeant Road
Sioux City, IA 51106
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
SIOUX FALLS, SD
Barnes & Noble
3700 West 41st Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57106
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
December 7th
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
Barnes & Noble
Mall of America
118 East Broadway
Bloomington, MN 55425
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
December 8th
BILLINGS, MT
Borders Books & Music
2833 King Avenue West
Billings, MT 59102
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
Borders Books & Music
1710 Briargate Boulevard
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
December 9th
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
Costco
1818 South 300 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Related… Matthew Continetti posted his interview with Sarah Palin at The Weekly Standard Blog. She told Matthew that the Democratic Party was filled with more “sheep-like” individuals.
Baaaah.
Good News– The Obama Administration said today that they will recognize the winner of this month’s national elections in Honduras.
Previously, Team Obama said they would not support the democratic elections in Honduras if the leftist Chavez-lackey Manuel Zelaya was not reinstated as president.
The AFP reported:
A top US envoy said Wednesday that Honduran elections were key to resolving the crisis set off by the June 28 coup, despite the rejection of the polls by ousted leader Manuel Zelaya.
“The elections are an important part of the solution in order to advance,” said US deputy assistant secretary for the Western Hemisphere Craig Kelly, in comments to journalists 11 days before the presidential polls.
Zelaya, who has been holed up in the Brazilian embassy since his surprise return home on September 21, has called on his supporters to boycott the polls after the latest crisis deal failed to return him to office beforehand.
Top regional powers Brazil and Argentina underlined Wednesday that they will not recognize the results if Zelaya is not first restored to power.
Kelly was in Honduras in the latest bid to revive a US-brokered deal to end the crisis, which has thrown the Central American nation into deeper poverty and polarization.
She’s Ba-ack…
People wait in line at Woodland Mall in Kentwood, Mich. Wednesday just after sunrise, to get a bracelet at Barnes&Noble that will allow them to meet Sarah Palin and get a signed copy of her new book “Going Rogue. (Detroit News)
The state run media thought they had destroyed Sarah Palin…
But, here she is months later– standing tall, bashing the socialists & Mao supporters in the White House, and going rogue.
Over 1,500 waited in line at 4 AM this morning in the freezing cold to get a chance to see Sarah Palin at her book signing later today. WZZM reported:
It was 4:55 when the first cheer went up.
“Sarah! Sarah! Sarah”
And that’s 4:55 this morning when the thermometer had dipped into the 30s. But the 500 or so people in line didn’t mind the sleepless night or the onset of winter.
“What she represents is what we’re standing in line for,” said Robin Case, 44, of Traverse City, who set up a chair and sleeping bag at 9 p.m. Tuesday to make sure she got the chance to meet Sarah Palin, former Alaska Governor and vice presidential candidate. “She’s real and she’s standing up for what we believe in.”
Palin was scheduled to begin her “Going Rogue” book tour at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at the Woodland Mall in Kentwood.
By 7 a.m., the line had swelled to more than 1,500 people as Barnes & Noble wrapped orange wristbands around Palin fans’ wrists.
It’s been more than 90 days since his top general requested reinforcements…
But Barack Obama said he would announce his decision on Afghanistan over the next several weeks.
He also took another swipe at Bush.
Obama:
“I will announce my decision over the next several weeks. I’m confident that at the end of this process I will be able to present to the American people in very clear terms what exactly is at stake, what we intend to do, how we are going to succeed, how much it’s going to cost, how long it is going to take. I think that is what is owed the American people because frankly over the last several years that is not what they’ve got.“
In reality President Bush was very clear about his goals in Iraq.
He even explained the troop surge in a televised speech to the American public.
The US Senate released their $849 billion nationalized health care plan tonight.
Harry Reid told reporters that the democratic bill will cover millions of Americans and not cost the country a dime more.
Right.
The bill does not contain language like the House Bill that would ban abortion funding. Life News reported:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has released the text of his new government-run health care bill to members of the Democratic Party. The new measure reportedly does not contain the Stupak amendment found in the House version that bans virtually all abortion funding.
The text of the legislation has not yet been made available to the public, but pro-life Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska said late Wednesday that it has language designed to prevent abortion funding.
Whether or not that language will be verified by pro-life organizations as actually banning abortion funding under the public option or through the affordability credits is another story.
The Senate bill also contains no mechanisms that are likely to reduce the annual rate of health care cost inflation.
** You can read the entire bill. It is posted here.
Obama’s Attorney General today defended his decision to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammad to New York for a circus trial.
Sen. Lindsey Graham had the best question of the day for the confused Attorney General-
“If we capture Osama Bin Laden today will we read him his rights?”
What a disaster.
This mistake by Obama may cost him his job come 2012.
A recent CNN poll found that 61% of Americans oppose tax-funded abortions and 63% of Americans oppose most or all abortions.
But the Obama Administration told reporters that they will strip the Stupak Amendment that bans tax-funded abortions from their nationalized health plan. Lifesite News reported, via Free Republic:
As Congress remains embroiled in a massive debate over whether to force Americans to pay for abortions through the new government-run health care programs, a new CNN poll finds 61 percent oppose government funding abortions with public dollars.
The poll found six in ten Americans favor a ban on using federal funds for abortions, such as the Stupak amendment recently added to the health care bill in the House.
The new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released today shows 61 percent oppose taxpayer funding of abortions while just 37 percent are supportive.
The CNN poll goes further and finds that a majority of Americans, by a 51 to 45 percent margin, believe women should be required to use their own money to pay for abortions even if they have private health insurance and no government money is involved. They did not think health insurance should pay for abortions.
