Five Things You May Not Know About Obamacare

The health insurance marketplace – particularly for individuals – will look markedly different after Jan. 1, 2014, when key provisions of Obamacare will take effect. With such a complex piece of legislation, there are myriad unknowns, and the government is trying to get the word out before Oct. 1, when consumers can begin shopping for coverage on state- and federally run exchanges. The Obama administration on Monday launched a helpline and revamped its HealthCare.gov site. The NFL and the NBA have reportedly been approached by the administration to help pitch health insurance to the young and uninsured, and advocacy groups are working to educate consumers on their options in 2014.

There’s no way to tell now how well reform will work, but there are some trends – both positive and negative – we’re seeing already and expect to see when the law’s remaining provisions roll out.
1. Young, healthy adults won’t buy coverage
The Obama administration aims to enroll at least 2.7 million young adults – a group that’s historically been uninsured at higher rates than other age groups – through the exchanges for coverage in 2014. But there are indications that 20-somethings won’t be buying in and will instead opt to pay the penalty. (The penalty is $95 per person for 2014 or 1% of yearly income, whichever is higher. In 2016 it increases to 2.5% of income or $695.) Bailey comment: you will be paying this amount for the lazy non working people to get free insurance.
An ADP Research Institute report published this week found that, while health benefits eligibility declined slightly in every age group since 2010, younger workers faced the largest decrease (which may indicate their jobs were less likely to offer benefits). But the report also found that, even when employees under 30 were offered benefits, only half participated in their employer’s health program in 2013, a figure partly explained by the provision that allows those up to age 26 to get coverage through a parent’s plan.

Another potential hurdle: young adults’ increased use of retail health clinics. According to a Rand study that examined more than 1.3 million retail clinic visits, young adults (ages 18-44) accounted for 43% of retail clinic patients, compared to only 23% of patients who visit primary care physicians. Patients are also less likely to have a personal doctor or to pay for care with health insurance, the study found.

2. Uptick in early retirement

With health costs in retirement topping $200,000, according to some estimates, many Americans find they have to keep working just for the employer-sponsored insurance (workers can’t sign up for Medicare until age 65). According to a January report from the Employee Benefits Research Institute, 19% of retirees said they had worked longer than they would’ve liked to in order to continue receiving employer-sponsored insurance.

Currently, if you’re between 55 and 64 and you decide to retire, you have to buy insurance on your own. And right now in 45 states, you could be denied coverage based on your health status, says Jean Abraham, associate professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), consumers can’t be denied coverage if they have a pre-existing condition. They also can’t be charged more: If you’re in a particular age bracket – say, 60 to 64 – your premiums cannot vary by more than a certain amount from those charged to the youngest adults, says Abraham. In other words, high health costs won’t be a factor in keeping older workers tied to their desks when they’d otherwise retire.

3. Some people won’t find their current plans on exchanges

Beginning in 2014 insurance sold to individuals and small businesses on an exchange must be at one of four “actuarial value levels”: 60% (bronze plan), 70% (sliver), 80% (gold) and 90% (platinum). This means, for example, the bronze plan covers 60% of medical expenses. The higher the actuarial value, the lower the out-of-pocket costs and higher premiums paid by the consumer. So platinum plans would have the highest monthly premiums and lowest out-of-pocket costs, but the plan will pay more of the costs if you need a lot of medical care.
Most employer-sponsored plans sit in the 80% range of actuarial value, while in most states you can now find plans with a 50% actuarial value – below Obamacare’s minimum, Abraham says. Those plans won’t be available on the exchanges in 2014, and for some, “there will be higher premiums because they’re getting more coverage... It will force them to modify their choices,” she says.
4. Better hospital food

Banana-nut pancakes and rack of lamb for your hospital stay, courtesy of Obamacare? A Kaiser Health News and USA Today report this week found that hospital administrators are paying more attention to food service in an effort to boost patient satisfaction ratings. Under the ACA, since last year Medicare began paying hospitals based partly on their these ratings, essentially tying patients’ assessments on everything from room tidiness to nurse availability to payments. Medicare has been publishing patient-satisfaction scores on its Hospital Compare website since 2008, but hasn’t used them to adjust payments.

One patient at Rex Hospital in Raleigh, N.C., cited in Kaiser’s report raved, “The food is amazing,” while about 84% of Rex patients surveyed said they’d recommend the hospital, compared to 71% nationally, the Kaiser report said. While Medicare's surveys don’t ask specifically about food, Rex administrators attributed their better-than-average satisfaction rates to improved food.
5. Surprise tax bills

A key ACA provision provides tax credits to low- and middle-income consumers to help them purchase coverage on the exchanges. The subsidies are available to those with incomes of up to four times the federal poverty level – which this year is $45,960 for an individual or $94,200 for a family of four. The lower your income, the bigger the subsidy. A potential snag is that eligibility for a subsidy can change year to year if your income fluctuates.

Consumers must estimate their 2014 income this fall when they sign up for coverage; the exchange will look at your most recently filed tax return (2012 for most people) as one sign of what your earnings may be in 2014, says Karen Pollitz, senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
If you or your spouse gets a raise and your family income jumps in 2014, you could end up with a bigger subsidy than you’re entitled to. If that happens, the law says you have to pay back at least part of the money when you file your tax return in the spring of 2015. If your circumstances change midyear – say, you get a new job – you can go back to the exchange and correct your information and adjust your subsidy accordingly. Says Pollitz, “A big part of the trick will be how well people are counseled about all of this, and how well they remember [or are reminded] to come back to the exchange to report midyear changes that affect their subsidy entitlement."

NFL bucks call to promote ObamaCare, as Republicans pressure sports leagues to say no

The National Football League appears to be bucking the Obama administration's request to help promote the health care overhaul, as Republican lawmakers pressure all the major sports leagues not to get involved in the effort.
In a statement obtained by Fox News, an NFL spokesman said the league has "no plans to engage in this area and (has) had no substantive contact with the administration" about the implementation.
Earlier in the week, Health and Human Services Department officials said they were talking to the NFL, NBA and others about possible advertising campaigns, in the run-up to the launch of a key part of the health care law.
But Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, on Friday wrote to the heads of six professional sports organizations urging them not to take the bait.
"Given the divisiveness and persistent unpopularity of the (health care law), it is difficult to understand why an organization like yours would risk damaging its inclusive and apolitical brand by lending its name to its promotion," they wrote.
The senators suggested the administration was reaching out to them because the law is so "unpopular."
The NFL's statement late Friday was in response to lawmakers' concerns.
The letters were sent to the heads of the NFL, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Professional Golf Association and NASCAR.
Republicans, who have been largely opposed to the law ever since they tried to kill the legislation back in 2009 and 2010, have in recent months tried to rein in the administration's promotional efforts.
Several GOP lawmakers want investigations into HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' effort to solicit support from private groups for a non-profit that is promoting the law.
Some of the biggest elements of the health care law are expected to take effect by early 2014. This fall, enrollment begins for a new marketplace -- called exchanges -- of government-regulated insurance plans. The requirement that nearly everyone buy health insurance kicks in at the beginning of 2014.
Despite the controversy over the possibility of the government partnering with sports leagues, this wouldn't be the first occasion the two have linked up.
The military has long engaged in sponsorships with NASCAR, though that relationship encountered hurdles in this age of fiscal austerity. The Army recently decided to drop its sponsorship, though the Air Force did not follow suit.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/29/nfl-bucks-call-to-promote-obamacare-as-republicans-pressure-sports-leagues-to/#ixzz2XhqO9zBa

Wow is this another non n word!

Creepy-Ass Crackers

Is it really worth that much to you?

Twenty-two of President Barack Obama's top advisers make the White House salary of $172,200 per year. Do the math, that's  $3,788,400 a year that you the taxpayer has to hand over to these crooks in Washington. Yes this is how much you pay these so called public servants that are screwing up your lives and this country. But that's small change compared to the total White House pay roll, after all there's a total of 460 public servants that work there. If you want to see exactly what you are paying to have the employees boss the boss (you), go to website below.


https://opendata.socrata.com/Government/2013-Report-to-Congress-on-White-House-Staff/44xn-rs2p

A Message From Obama to America: I’ll Do What I Want; Deal with it

President Obama does not care what you think. Whenever he is confronted with evidence of wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior, his answer is most often to shrug it off and hope that Americans just deal with it.
The man who once promised all things positive- hope, change, prosperity, transparency- now promises that he will do whatever he wishes and it is up to us to learn to deal with it.
I am not privileged to the White House meetings. I cannot say that his “America can deal with it” policy is, in fact, an official policy. But whether or not his arrogance is an official policy, the fact remains that Obama has made it entirely clear that he intends to rule as he sees fit and is generally uninterested in how he is viewed by the majority of Americans.
Case in point:
Americans are still trying to figure out what happened in Benghazi. The same government that can monitor our phone usage and collect and store our data to paint a picture of the electronic activities of millions of Americans cannot come to a firm consensus of what the White House as doing during the hours-long attack on our consulate in Benghazi. Though there are glaringly obvious inconsistencies in the ever-changing narrative pushed by the government, the standard response by the Obama Administration has been, “That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.”
Then, as a firm and unfriendly message to America who demands accountability, Obama appointed Susan Rice to a national security adviser position. Rice was instrumental in the cover-up of the Benghazi scandal and pushed a knowingly false narrative about the attack in the aftermath.
The message sent from President Obama to the rest of us peasants was clear: Deal with it.
Now, at a time when Americans everywhere have to tighten their belts and make ends meet, President Obama and his family are off on another fabulous taxpayer-funded vacation to Africa. Though he alleges it’s an official trip, the Obamas are spending $100 million of taxpayer money to tour Africa.
We can’t keep the White House open for field trips because America is so broke, but $100 million can be spent to go to Africa.
After receiving a fair amount of criticism for this outlandish expenditure, Obama doubled-down and told America what they could do with their outrage by bringing along the extended family.
Yes, President Obama is bringing along not only his wife and kids, but his mother-in-law and his niece.
Obama could not care less what Americans have to say about his actions or his policies. Like King Louis XVI before him, he clearly believes he is above the criticisms of the people and he has worked very hard to make sure we know it.

(IBD) Billionaire Obama Donor Set To Profit From Keystone XL Demise if oil goes to China

Energy Policy: A billionaire hedge fund manager and Barack Obama donor is pushing the president to stop the pipeline that would compete with one he's invested in. That pipeline could send Canadian oil to China.

Environmental activist Tom Steyer donated as much as he could to get Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey elected to the Senate in the recent special election to fill the seat vacated by now-Secretary of State John Kerry. He wanted another senator who's opposed to completing the Keystone XL pipeline that he says would be an environmental plague on the planet.
A few days before President Obama said that Keystone XL would be built only if it could be shown to have no net effect on greenhouse gas emissions, Steyer, a major contributor to Obama's campaigns, urged the president to kill the project.
"We really cannot afford 40 to 50 years of development of a humongous oil reserve that's twice as bad — soup to nuts — as normal crude," Steyer told a gathering at the National Press Club, referring to Canada's extraction of crude from its oil sands in Alberta.
Steyer has mounted an extensive campaign to kill Keystone, yet he owes his personal fortune to a lifetime of investments in oil, gas and pipeline companies. He stands to reap another financial reward through the extensive investments his hedge fund, Farallon Capital Management, has made over the last 27 years in fossil fuel companies. These include holdings that could benefit from the blocking of the Keystone pipeline.
Farallon has made millions for its investors, and left Steyer with a net worth estimated by Forbes at $1.4 billion. One of Farallon's biggest holdings is in U.S. pipeline company Kinder Morgan, which has plans to expand a major competitor to Keystone — the TransMountain pipeline.
Steyer has also lobbied against Northern Gateway, which would carry oil from Edmonton to Kitimat, British Columbia, on Canada's west coast. Curiously, he is not opposed to TransMountain, which Kinder Morgan has sought approval to expand.

Snowden

Dear Patriot,

How does it feel to be ignored? Not only do we have a far left, Marxist president who targets his political opposition with an intent of either silencing them, destroying them, or both, but we also have a Congress who demonstrated yesterday that they put rights granted by them to illegal immigrants over rights granted by the Constitution to American citizens. It is obvious that we MUST continue to fight stronger, harder, and smarter against these tone deaf politicians. But, we cannot do it without your help.

The Senate voted yesterday to move the amnesty granting immigration bill forward. Yesterday's vote cut off debate for the 1,200 page Corker-Hoeven Amendment that was written on Friday and that was not read. Dirty Harry Reid will likely not allow debate on the bill itself and force a vote on Thursday or Friday. This was not the end. It CANNOT be.  This amendment will be even more of a threat to America and her rightful citizens than the Gang of Eight bill was. If you believe that rewarding lawbreakers with special treatment and privileges is NOT acceptable, then help us fight this madness!

Did you know that there are provisions in this bill that rewards employers for firing American citizens and hiring in their place amnestied immigrants? Did you know that this amendment would allow immigrants to break the law in regards to their visa and still be eligible for citizenship? Did you know that it this Corker-Hoeven Amendment even has taxpayer funded cars, motorcycles, scooters, etc for youth? That's right, during a time when Americans all over the country are trying to make ends meet while anticipating rising insurance costs due to ObamaCare, they will also be forced to provide cars for other people. UNBELIEVABLE!

We cannot take our eyes off of the threat of this amnesty bill. Please stay tuned to our emails. Keep up with the latest on our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter for up to the date info.

Fighting tyranny is not easy, nor is it inexpensive. But, it is necessary and we will not give up on liberty in America. Please help us continue this fight with whatever donation you can afford.

Sincerely,

All of us at TheTeaParty.net

Letter From Arizona Governor

Dear Friends,

Since Arizona is the main recipient of the problems of illegal immigration, let me be clear. My citizens demand a secure border and I demand a secure border. It's as simple as that.

I understand there is anticipation for me to take a position either endorsing or opposing the "Gang of Eight" immigration reform bill. I have not endorsed or opposed the bill because I know it remains a work in progress. I have faith that House Republicans will improve the bill by making securing our border the top priority.

Recent additions to the Senate plan are encouraging. For example, I have long advocated for additional Border Patrol agents, completion of the border fence and further use of unmanned aircraft and other technology, as well as workplace enforcement. However, supporting these provisions does not equate to an endorsement of the overall legislation. There are still too many unknowns. Specifically, Congress must require that the border-security provisions are mandated on the front end rather than forgotten on the back end.

Our nation's immigration system is broken and has been for decades. Congress must get it right this time. America cannot again repeat the failure of the 1986 immigration reform. The federal government must begin keeping its promises when it comes to border security.

We've been down this path before, and the federal government has failed to keep its promises - whether in 1986 or as recently as 2006, when the federal government promised to build a border fence and then failed to fund it. We need assurances of a secured border that is fully funded. Also, the federal government needs to do its job and allow States to work in partnership - through the existing 287g program - to address illegal immigration.

I know there is skepticism regarding this latest attempt by Congress to fix our immigration system. The federal government has a multi-decade record of failure on immigration and has passed along the costs to states like Arizona. The Obama administration, especially, does not instill faith among conservatives like myself. However, conservatives must remain in the conversation to ensure that the security provisions are as strong as possible. We cannot address our priorities if we walk away from the debate.

Thank you for your time.

Best,

Jan

From Whistleblower to traitor

When Edward Snowden burst on the scene two weeks, many hailed him for being willing to shed light on the Obama Regime’s spying on American citizens.  As Snowden revealed details of an American leadership mad on power, many conservatives cheered him.
 
Now Snowden has gone from being a whistleblower to being a traitor.

Why is Edward Snowden a traitor?

From the New York Times:

A Russian law enforcement official quoted anonymously by Interfax said that the Russian authorities had taken unusual measures to protect Mr. Snowden. “This was done so that nothing threatened Edward Snowden, so that he could spend the night calmly in a capsule hotel and fly to Russia without problems,” the official was quoted as saying.

Mr. Snowden is reportedly carrying four laptop computers with American intelligence documents that he downloaded to a thumb drive this spring while working in Hawaii for the National Security Agency as an employee of Booz Allen Hamilton. The Guardian newspaper of Britain disclosed a week ago that Mr. Snowden had provided the newspaper with documents showing that during a conference in London in 2009, the United States was able to access the communications of Dmitri A..., then the Russian president and now the prime minister. That disclosure will almost certainly cause Russia to review its codes and other procedures for top leaders.
Dmitri V. Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, said he considered it likely that Mr. Snowden would remain in Russia, a country that is increasingly positioning itself as a protector of people like Mr. Assange, whom Western governments wish to prosecute.
“I don’t think there is any other country that would stand up to U.S. pressure, which will be tremendous,” Mr. Trenin said. “The Chinese don’t want to spoil their relationship with the United States. Russia is sometimes embracing conflict with the U.S.”
He noted that Russia Today, the state-financed English-language cable news channel, has become a platform for figures like Mr. Assange, who are unlikely to appear through mainstream Western news outlets.
 It is one thing to blow the whistle on the unlawful spying on Americans by the government.  It is quite another to share American intelligence with foreign nations that may have hostile intent towards America.

There is a point where we might have been able to thank Snowden for doing something to help America.

It now appears that his blowing the whistle on the NSA domestic spying program was only a pretense so he could sell American secrets to the highest bidder.

Taliban

Q: Should US accept Taliban offer to free Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for Guantanamo prisoners?

 

VOTE

 

20%Yes, let’s bring our man home

 

74%No, America should never negotiate with terrorists

6%I’m not sure

IRS versus Border Patrol

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/2495965055001/irs-vs-border-patrol/

I will pay you tomorrow for a hamburger today.

Bravo Senator Cruz!
The classic quotation from the old Popeye the Sailorman cartoon series is the perfect analogy for our immigration policies.  This phony baloney amnesty program that liberal Senators, from both parties, are trying to pass, is like every previous amnesty that promised enforcement but gave us only amnesty for millions, including all sorts of scary people who could never pass a legitimate background check .
If you honestly trust the pro-amnesty, pro-open borders, Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate to suddenly reverse decades of pandering to the illegal alien community, then I have a wonderful, if slightly used, Brooklyn Bridge that I can offer you at a great price!
Do they really think the American people are this stupid?  Are we this stupid?  Perhaps, we are because we keep electing these same worthless scoundrels year after year, don’t we?
Right now, there are one thousands and seventy-five (1075) pages in the immigration bill.  No Senator has read it, nor will they.  And no Senator has any idea what’s in it, including the Gang of Eight who claim authorship.  The size of the bill is a dead giveaway that this legislation was fattened to bury all sorts of really bad details inside.
Kind of reminds me of that classic quote from former Speaker Pelosi when she said, “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it.”  That, as you may recall, is how we got ObamaCare.

Every time, I repeat, every time the Congress has put amnesty first with a promise of stricter enforcement later, it NEVER HAPPENS!
Even after 9/11, when the entire nation was screaming “Close the damned borders!”  IT NEVER HAPPENED!
Every time they budget funds to finish building the fence, or hire more border agents, or put drones in the sky, or erect electronic listening devices, IT NEVER HAPPENS!
Even introducing such a bill causes massive problems.  Every time the word amnesty is mentioned in the media, the number of illegal aliens attempting to cross the borders soars to new heights with as many as 10,000 crossing daily!
But this doesn’t seem to bother the politicians at all, since, in their twisted little minds, they see each new immigrant as a new voter that will keep them in Washington.
BOTTOM LINE:  Any politician who suggests that putting enforcement before amnesty is a bad thing is either completely out of his or her mind, or, more likely, is a person who puts his own selfish interests ahead of the best interests of the nation, once again.
ACTION TO TAKE:
Call the Senate National Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.  Use your cellphone so the call will likely be free.  If you don’t know the names of your Senators, tell them what state you live in and they will provide their names and connect you.
Don’t worry — you will never get to speak to your Senators.  They are far too important to speak to lowly citizens.  You will be speaking to one of  their Legislative Assistants who will politely listen to you and then click off one more vote FOR or AGAINST the immigration bill.
This exercise might seem ridiculous but it is deadly serious.  We used to be a Constitutional Republic, that honored the rule of law.  Today, however, we are behaving like a country where the mob in the street rules.
And right now, the mob shouting in the street and on the phones calling Washington are those millions of illegal aliens who instead of cowering in the shadows, are boldly making demands to our Representatives and Senators.  They have no fear because they know that no President, since Reagan has had the courage to suggest that all persons who entered our country illegally should be deported.
And they never will unless and until the American people rise up; shake off all those politically-correct notions that we should put the interests of illegal aliens ahead of our own American citizens.
So please pick up the phone and call so we can have more check marks in our column than they have in theirs.
Yes, it is pathetic, but this is one of the few things that our lofty Senators pay any attention to … because they know that even thought they are stealing our rights and freedoms daily, we still have the power to throw the bums out.
Thank you!
Edward Nelson
Chairman
U.S. Border Control
P.S. Your donation, now and then, will help us to remain your strong voice in Washington, DC and in state capitals throughout the country. Thank you.

Obama’s passion for tyranny.

There was a time when the United States stood for freedom and liberty.  There was a time when oppressed people who longed to be free would look to the United States.
 
Those were the days before Barack Obama.

Today we are seeing events unfold that show one thing beyond a reasonable doubt and to a moral certainty.  Barack Obama supports tyranny around the world and opposes those who want freedom, especially freedom from Islamic tyranny.

How do we know this?

It is simple.  We know this by the actions of Barack Obama.

Barack Obama helped support deposing one regime after another in the Middle East.  He supported replacing Hosni Mubarak, who was a strong American ally, with the Muslim Brotherhood.  He supported deposing Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi.  Who replaced Gaddafi?  Radical Islamists and do we hear a word from Barack Obama?

No.

Now Obama wants America to support Islamic rebels in Syria who are trying to overthrow Syrian strongman Basher Al-Assad.  Assad is certainly not a good guy but given the track record of not only Obama but also what we know about the rebels, they will be worse.

It is not just the movements Obama supports that show us where his sympathies lie, but also who he does not support.

In 2009 and 2010, Iran was hit by protests that were called the “Green Revolution.”  Deposing the Iranian regime would have not only been good for America, it would have been good for the Iranian people. 

Did Obama do anything?

No, there was dead silence from the White House.

More recently, in Turkey there have been massive protests.

The protests have been directed against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.  Erdogan is a radical Islamist who has been turning Turkey, which had been a secular Muslim state into an Islamic state.

Turkey has been persecuting its tiny Christian minority for decades but under Erdogan, the persecution has reached new levels.  Christian churches are having their property taken from them.  Radical Islamist are demanding Turkey become an Islamic nation instead of a secular nation. 

Turkish citizens who do not want to live in an Islamic republic have taken to the streets.  In scenes reminiscent of the protests in 1989 at Tiananmen Square in China, protestors took over Taksim Square in Istanbul.

Erdogan ordered troops to go in and suppressed the protests.

Did we hear a word of support for those protestors from Barack Obama and the White House?

No.

Did we hear a word of condemnation from the White House about the suppression of free expression by the Turkish government?

No.

According to the AP, the White House has carefully avoided criticizing Erdogan.  In 2011, before he was deposed the White House showed no such restraint with then American ally Hosni Mubarak. 

As freedom wanes in Turkey and Iran, those who seek liberty do not have a friend in the White House.

Unfortunately those who believe in Islamic tyranny do.

Obama

Obama Offends Catholics in UK: Says Religious Schools Divisive

President Barack Obama angered some proponents of Catholic education during his visit to Northern Ireland this week when he told a Belfast audience that towns will remain divided "if Catholics have their schools and buildings, and Protestants have theirs."

An article, which subsequently appeared in the Scottish Catholic Observer, carried the headline, "U.S. President Undermines Catholic Schools After Vatican Prefect Praised Them."

The article said Obama "made an alarming call for an end to Catholic education in Northern Ireland," and quoted from recent remarks of the Vatican’s Archbishop Gerhard Müller, who had said that Catholic education was "a critical component of the Church."

Special Report: Obama’s Assault on Religion — Click Here Now

Dr. Matthew Bunson, senior correspondent for Our Sunday Visitor and author of the new book "Pope Francis," tells Newsmax the president should have chosen his words more carefully, and he pointed to the contribution that Catholic education has made to bringing about the 15-year-old peace in the once-troubled region.

"While I understand the background — the backdrop of his remarks in terms of the painful history of the religious strife in northern Ireland — it is unfortunate that his remarks could be construed by some as an attack on religious education," Bunson explained.

"It's an opportunity I think, though, to make note of the very significant role that religious education — especially Catholic education — has played in ending the strife in Northern Ireland, in particular the role of Catholic educators in helping to raise new generations in Ireland, who recognize the importance of cooperation, of peace, and that is something that’s worth celebrating.”

Conservative website Breitbart.com was quick to label Obama's remarks as a "gaffe" based on the "fact that Obama did not consider the sensitivities of his audience — or that he inadvertently revealed his own anti-religious prejudice.

"To travel to a city troubled by conflict, and to then insult the members of at least one of the two communities, is not only a gaffe, but a serious diplomatic error," according to the website.

Obama arrived in Northern Ireland Monday morning after an overnight flight from Washington.

Following his speech to about 1,800 students and adults, he flew to a lakeside golf resort near Enniskillen, where he met with other leaders of the Group of 8 industrial nations on Syria, trade and counterterrorism.

The president also told the Belfast audience that peace in Northern Ireland is a "blueprint" for those living amid conflict around the world, while acknowledging that the calm between Catholics and Protestants will face further tests.

With respect to Catholic education, Obama said "If towns remain divided, if Catholics have their schools and buildings, and Protestants have theirs, if we can't see ourselves in one another, if fear or resentment are allowed to harden, that encourages division. It discourages cooperation."

Ashley McGuire, a senior fellow with The Catholic Association, also viewed Obama's remarks as an attack on Catholic education.

Special Report: Obama’s Assault on Religion — Click Here Now

"Catholic education is a longstanding tradition and a gift to society at large," she said. "Why the president chose to attack that tradition is beyond comprehension and represents his continuing effort to relegate religion to the private sphere."


© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

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Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!

Transparent

Obama family trip to Africa amid sequester cuts

President Obama’s trip this month to Africa, with the first family tagging along, is projected to cost taxpayers as much as $100 million, sparking criticism as the federal government scrimps along during sequester-related budget cuts.
Among the related costs will be fighter jets; hundreds of Secret Service agents; a Navy ship with a full trauma center; and military cargo planes to bring 56 vehicles including 14 limousines and three trucks loaded with sheets of bullet­proof glass to cover the windows of the hotels where the first family will stay. The details were reported by The Washington Post, based on a confidential planning document.
The trip to sub-Sahara Africa runs from June 26 to July 3.
The president and first lady have cancelled plans to go on a safari that would have included the additional expense of a sharp-shooting team, responsible for putting down a cheetah, lion or any other wild animal that became a threat.
Figuring out the exact cost of the overall trip is difficult because the information is classified for the purpose of national security.
However, a Government Accountability Office report shows President Clinton’s 1998 trip to six African nations cost at least $42.7 million – not including Secret Service expenses.
Obama’s trip could cost the federal government $60 million to $100 million based on the costs of similar African trips in recent years, a person familiar with the Obama journey but not authorized to speak for attribution told The Post.
The trip comes as agencies across the federal government try to find cost-saving measures to deal with the massive, across-the-board budget cuts known as sequester, which kicked in this year after Washington lawmakers failed to agree on a more measured approach. The Secret Service, for example, pushed to cancel public White House tours to save thousands in weekly overtime expenses.
“For the cost of this trip to Africa, you could have 1,350 weeks of White House tours,” Rep. George Holding, a North Carolina Republican, said last week. “It is no secret that we need to rein in government spending, and the Obama administration has regularly and repeatedly shown a lack of judgment for when and where to make cuts. … The American people have had enough of the frivolous and careless spending.”
The White House had defended the trip cost saying the Secret Service plan determines the security cost and that first family’s trip will result in long-term goodwill. 
“The infrastructure that accompanies the president’s travels is beyond our control,” said Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser for strategic communications. “When you travel to regions like Africa that don’t get a lot of presidential attention, you tend to have very long-standing and long-running impact from the visit.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/18/first-family-trip-to-africa-projected-to-cost-up-to-100m-sparking-criticism/?intcmp=HPBucket#ixzz2WbxGSam8

Immigration Activists Mob Kansas Secretary of State’s Home

Jun 17, 2013

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By Todd Starnes
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is calling for a criminal investigation after a huge mob of illegal alien supporters surrounded his private home Saturday and held a rally on his front porch.
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At least 200 members of Sunflower Community Action were bused into Kobach’s Kansas City-area neighborhood on Saturday – to protest his staunch anti-illegal alien views.
“I was just appalled,” Kobach told Fox News. “They have a right to protect at my office or at public places – that’s fine. But they don’t have a right to enter someone’s private property and engage in this kind of intimidation.”
“I have four little girls and they would have been terrified to see 200 protesters shouting at their daddy on megaphones on the front lawn,” he said.
The secretary of state said a large number of the protesters were believed to be illegal aliens. They can be seen on video chanting in Spanish, standing on Kobach’s porch, front yard and driveway and demanding that he come outside.
“Kris Kobach, come on out,” one unidentified protester shouted. “We’ll show you what Kansans are all about.”
Kobach and his family happened to be out-of-town when the demonstrators arrived. Video showed the protesters arriving in four buses – and then marching through the neighborhood. They left behind 20 pairs of shoes at his doorstep – representing illegals who’ve been deported.
Kobach has built a national profile presenting tough policies on illegal immigration issues. He and his family apparently weren’t home during the protest at his home.
“You don’t go to a public official’s home and try to intimidate him because of the positions he’s taken,” he said.
A receptionist at Sunflower Community Action told Fox News they would be releasing a statement to the press later today.
Kobach said he was especially troubled to learn that it took police at least 15 minutes to respond to his house.
“You have a mob of 200 people gathering on someone’s property and it takes the police 15 minutes to get there,” he said. “That doesn’t give you a whole lot of confidence either. I shudder to think what would have happened if one of those members of the mob had tried to break into the house.”
He also feared what would have happened had he been home with his wife and four young daughters.
“On a typical Saturday, my four girls would have been riding their bikes and coloring chalk in the driveway,” he said. “That’s where they play. If four buses pulled up and the mob started marching down upon them, they would have been absolutely terrified.”
The secretary of state is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment – and he said the incident at his home is an example of why Americans should bear arms.
“If we had been in the home and not been armed, I would have felt very afraid – because it took the police 15 minutes to show up,” he said. “It’s important we recognize there’s a reason we have the Second Amendment. There are situations like this where you have a mob and you do need to be able to protect yourself.”
He said had they been home and the mob had gotten out of hand, his family would have been in “grave jeopardy.”
“The Second Amendment is the private property owner’s last resort,” he said.
Kobach said he’s asked local police and the county attorney to investigate the incident. He believes a number of laws were violated including terrorizing a public official.
The county attorney did not return calls seeking comment.
Kobach said he will not be silenced by the weekend mob-action.
“My views are set and I’m determined to do what I can to restore the rule of law,” he said. “Let’s obey our laws and not give amnesty to illegal aliens.”
And he also leveled a warning to would-be protesters.
“Don’t come to my home and don’t scare my family,” he said.

Obama Assists the Muslim Brotherhood One More Time

"Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. The Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest aspiration."

-- Motto of the Muslim Brotherhood

What does it take to get Congress to come to their senses?  Obama makes plans to send heavy weapons and arms to the rebels in Syria – you can bet your booties that the rebels that are fighting to remove Bashar Al-Assad are connected to the Muslim Brotherhood. 

Obama and John McCain will deny that statement vehemently, but ole John doesn’t appear to be too nervous over the atrocities on the Christians in Egypt.  McCain probably should step back and stay out of this mix, because he’s aiding and abetting the Muslim Brotherhood and at the same time helping Obama in his quest to place America under Sharia Law.  

Ghassan Hitto was elected by the rebels this spring to be in charge of the interim Asyrian Government for the rebels. Hitto has sort of been hiding in the shadows working as an IT manager and Islamic Activist. Back in the early 2000.s he served as VP of CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations. CAIR is yet one more example of “Stealth Jihad” and is kissin’ cousins with the Muslim Brotherhood. 

CAIR isn’t exactly your friendly neighborhood girl or boy scout group – buyer beware, what you see isn’t what you get!

“In 2002, U.S. media identified Mr. Hitto as the Vice-President of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Dallas Fort-Worth Chapter (see Note 1). A Hudson Institute report identifies CAIR as part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas support infrastructure in the U.S.”

“According to the Texas Secretary of State, Mr. Hitto is a director of the Muslim American Society(MAS) Youth Center of Dallas. He has also been listed in the past as the contact person for the Dallas chapter of the MAS. The Hudson Institute report also identifies the MAS as part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood and close to the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.”

June 2012 there were five brave Patriots, Lynn Westmoreland, Tom Rooney, Michele Bachmann, Louis Gohmert and Trent Franks who dared question the infiltration of the Muslim Brotherhood in our Government.

They sent letters to the Inspector Generals of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, DOJ and State and one to the Director of National Security asking for an investigation concerning the Muslim Brotherhood influence in each of these agencies.   

Of course as usual the Obama Administration, Liberal News Media and the remainder of our Congressional Representatives basically tarred and feathered the five, which demonstrates the secure position the Muslim Brotherhood has in our Government. Remember their objective has always been to destroy our Nation from the inside out. Ironically the Sec. of State and John McCain condemned the five brave Americans. McCain has his fingers in everyone’s pot it seems – wonder if he’s thinking about or maybe already has been converted by the Muslims. 

http://thepoliticalforums.com/threads/3963-5-Congressional-Represen... 

George Bush was blindsided by the Muslim Brotherhood during the 911 terrorist attacks – the brotherhood assured him that this was merely a small sector of Muslims gone bad.   

America in 2009 we placed a Muslim Brotherhood lover in our White House as our Commander in Chief.  He has led Congress around by their noses strategically placing more members of the brotherhood in his cabinet, encouraging Arab Springs which was an “Islamic Wake Up Call.” 

Arab Springs was the hot button that was Obama’s way of signaling the Muslim Brotherhood that it was time to start their take over of the Middle East Countries.  Now he’s ready to take Bashar Al-Assad down with America’s money, arms, ammo and heavy artillery.  He will ship Muslims into our Country by the shipload between now and 2016; he will put our Military in harms way if necessary for Sharia Law is on the horizon.

Nothing will stop him unless Congress comes to their senses and Americans stand up and fight for their Country. The sad thing about all of his this is; (1) Our FBI, Homeland security, the CIA, Sec. of State know exactly what Obama is doing, (2) Republicans, Democrats and the Obama Administration are aware of what this dictator (Obama) is doing.   

Could these be on America’s Most Wanted List in the near future?

Arif Alikhan – Assistant Secretary for Policy Development for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Mohammed Elibiary – Homeland Security Adviser.

Rashad Hussain – Special Envoy to the (OIC) Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Salam al-Marayati – Obama Adviser, founder of Muslim Public Affairs Council and its current executive director.

Imam Mohamed Magid – Obama’s Sharia Czar, Islamic Society of North America.

Eboo Patel – Advisory Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships

http://www.teapartynation.com/profiles/blog/list?user=1df8mq6jxm2tm

Texas Gov. Perry signs 'Merry Christmas' bill into law

Surrounded by sleigh bell-ringing Santa Claus impersonators, Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday signed a law protecting Christmas and other holiday celebrations in Texas public schools from legal challenges - but also stressed that freedom of religion is not the same thing as freedom from religion.
It was a serious tone for an otherwise fun bill-signing and should bolster the governor's Christian conservative credentials before he travels to Washington for the Faith & Freedom Coalition's "Road to Majority" conference with the likes of tea party darlings and U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Kentucky's Rand Paul and fellow Texan Ted Cruz.
Dubbed the "Merry Christmas" bill, the bipartisan measure sailed through the state House and Senate to reach Perry's desk.
It removes legal risks of saying "Merry Christmas" in schools while also protecting traditional holiday symbols, such as a menorah or nativity scene, so long as more than one religion and a secular symbol are also reflected.
"I realize it's only June. But it's a good June and the holidays are coming early this year," Perry said. " It's a shame that a bill like this one I'm signing today is even required, but I'm glad that we're standing up for religious freedom in this state. Religious freedom does not mean freedom from religion."
During the last Sunday of the legislative session on May 26, Rep. Donna Howard, an Austin Democrat, gave the Texas House's daily prayer.
"We are fortunate to live in a country where we have the freedom to exercise the religion of our choosing while also being free from having any religion imposed upon us," said Howard, herself a Unitarian Universalist.
Her words prompted some conservative lawmakers to hold their own, separate prayer session moments later.
Perry did not mention Howard or her prayer, but invited to the signing ceremony cheerleaders from Kountze High School in East Texas. They were briefly barred by their school district from displaying banners with bible verses at football games. Perry decried the ban and a judge eventually ruled it violated students' free speech rights.
The governor said Thursday that the law was for believers like the Kountze cheerleaders, who wore red "I cheer for Jesus" T-shirts.
The Faith & Freedom Coalition is a conservative, grass-roots advocacy group whose conference runs through the weekend. Perry heads to Washington on Friday.
The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Dwayne Bohac of Houston, said he drafted it after discovering that his son's school erected a "holiday tree" in December because any mention of Christmas could spark litigation.
"We hope that this is a fire that will take off and become laws in the other 49 states," said Bohac, who said his bill has attracted national attention.
He added of Perry: "This is not a governor that shirks away from the tough issues. And this should not be a tough issue, which is what's even amazing about all this. But this is just political correctness that's run a-muck and our brains have been completely fallen out as a result."
As Perry signed the bill, 10 members of a group called the Lone Star Santas - with long white beards but wearing colorful summer garb rather than their traditional red suits - cheered and rang bells. Standing behind Perry's desk was Glenn Westberry, or "Santa G" from Houston, and Rabbi Zev Johnson of the Rohr Chabad Jewish Center at the University of Texas.
Both cheered the bill, with Westberry saying he has been "persona non grata in Texas schools for too long." Johnson joked, "I thought this was the 'Happy Hanukkah' law."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/14/perry-signs-merry-christmas-bill-into-law/?test=latestnews#ixzz2WF5I6AfR

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