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«Updated Daily« |
Sunday February 12, 2012
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Made in the USA since 1998
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“After the application of tax subsidies, 59 percent of the individual market will experience an average premium increase of 31 percent,” Jonathan Gruber, the chief architect of Obamacare now reports.
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Obamacare Architect: Expect Steep
Increase in Healthcare Premiums
The Daily Caller
Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist Jonathan Gruber, who also devised former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s statewide healthcare reforms, is backtracking on an analysis he provided the White House in support of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, informing officials in three states that the price of insurance premiums will dramatically increase under the reforms. In an email to The Daily Caller, Gruber framed this new reality in terms of the same human self-interest that some conservatives had warned in 2010 would ultimately rule the marketplace. “The market was so discriminatory,” Gruber told TheDC, “that only the healthy bought non-group insurance and the sick just stayed [uninsured]...It is true that even after tax credits some individuals are ‘losers,’” he conceded, “in that they pay more than before [Obama's] reform.” In 2011, officials in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Colorado ordered reports from Gruber which offer a drastically different portrait in 2012 from the one Obama painted just 17 months ago. |
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Another Reason Why Going
Negative Is a Bad Thing
Frank Salvato, Managing Editor
Unless you are an inside-the-beltway campaign consultant or you have been living an oblivious life, you most likely stand with the rest of the American electorate in being increasingly disgusted with the negative tone that the Republican candidates for President have employed over the last few months. The opportunity for the GOP candidates to coalesce behind a common goal – the “de-transformation of the United States of America” – is slowly passing. The opportunity for them to embrace a teachable moment so as to explain, in layman’s terms, why the country has suffered under the current administration’s policies, and why their proposed platforms bring relief to individuals and business owners across the political ideological divide, is slowly fading into the history books as “what could have been.” It doesn’t have to be this way, but, then, the proprietary minions of the inside-the-beltway GOP establishment don’t much care for the notions of we “fly-over” types. They know all about campaign strategy. Just ask them.
How About Letting Us
Make Our Own Choices
Frank Salvato, Managing Editor
On a stage adorned with American flags and amid the glitter of Las Vegas, Donald Trump, who had been threatening a third party run for the presidency, revealed he is endorsing Mitt Romney for president of the United States. Earlier in the day it had been rumored that ‘The Donald’ would be endorsing New Gingrich but that turned out to be false. Whether ‘The Donald’s’ gurus in media attention planned the “mistake” we will probably never know. A more valid question is this. Why should we care who Donald Trump endorses for President? To say that ‘The Donald’ has a penchant for attracting the white-hot lights of media attention would be to state the blatantly obvious. For months Mr. Trump advanced the idea that he might enter the race for the presidency but whenever pushed to declare “yea” or “nay” alluded to the ridiculous notion that his contract with NBC wouldn’t “allow” him to run...equal time restrictions, don’t you know. Right. And if you believe that...well, “you’re fired!”
 Editorials
The Economic Sabotage of the West
Daniel Greenfield
By combining an opposition to free enterprise with an opposition to industrialization, the left has adopted not one, but two platforms that doom the economic survival of their host societies. Even the Soviet Union and Communist China, systems which were the worst embodiment of leftist economic ideology did not throw out the industrial baby with the capitalist bathwater. Had they done so both countries would still be hopelessly feudal today, instead of crony capitalist mafia states with a lot of available consumer goods that create jobs and make life easier. The Western left did not just adopt a system which insisted that all economic activity had to be tightly regulated and centrally planned in order to remedy inequality, it also adopted the anti-industrial back to nature rhetoric of those who believed that factories and cities were a mistake and that a harmonious society could only be an agricultural society.
A UN…But for Good Guys
Jonah Goldberg
The governments in Russia and China very much want to uphold the principle that every now and then the state must crush people who want freedom. That is why they worked together to veto a fairly toothless United Nations resolution condemning the regime in Syria and calling for President Bashar Assad, the lipless murderer who runs the place, to step down. The free world, still nominally led by the United States, erupted in outrage. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton denounced the UN Security Council veto as a "travesty." U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said the U.S. was "disgusted" by it. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said the Russian-Chinese veto was a "moral stain." A spokesman for British Prime Minister David Cameron proclaimed that "Russia and China are protecting a regime which is killing thousands of people. We find their position both incomprehensible and inexcusable." Although I agree that the veto was disgusting and a travesty, I'm at a loss as to why so many people are shocked -- or at least are pretending to be shocked. Isn't this what the United Nations is about?
The ‘UP-Shot’ on the UPenn
Tabitha Korol
Pursuant to my essays regarding the use of University of Pennsylvania facilities for a BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) conference against the State of Israel, the university uses relativism to justify, permit and promote evil -- treating two disparate groups -- one that advocates religious tyranny and the destruction of a democracy with one that gathers to discuss an urban nutrition initiative -- with the same measure. The school has allowed itself to become a podium for Islamic distortions of history and current events, enabling a fascist political agenda to be espoused and go unchallenged in order to destroy a democratic nation with centuries of proven history to the land - and the only Jewish homeland in a world that has 57 chartered Islamic and scores of chartered Christian lands. How can this not remind us of Hitler’s henchmen’s use of power to espouse anti-Semitism in the German universities, eventually forbidding Jewish students and professors from attending, as the climate of our schools alienates its current and future Jewish population?
The Tragedy of Christopher Hitchens
Robert E. Meyer
A local writer wrote a recent column praising the late journalist Christopher Hitchens, who passed away last December 15th. In reading a number of the writer's columns over the past few years, it's apparent that Hitchens has greatly influenced her worldview, and they were of a kindred spirit. It's indisputable that Hitchens was a writer of enormous talent and wit, appreciable by anyone venerating style over specific substance. But, I know less of Mr. Hitchens from his magazine contributions, than from his crusade against religious belief, particularly Christianity, as articulated from the various debates with Christian theists in which he participated. On the basis of that specific substance I critique him. Hitchens was among the fraternity known as "The Four Horsemen of New Atheism," which asserts that "religion should not simply be tolerated but should be countered, criticized, and exposed by rational argument wherever its influence arises." I find that an intriguing philosophical posture.
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| Analysis |
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▪ Obamacare Architect: Expect Steep Increase in Healthcare Premiums
▪ Obama Campaign Keeps Fundraiser Totals Secret
▪ US-China Trade Deficit Now Largest in World History
▪ Al Qaeda Urges Muslims to Help Syrian Rebels
▪ Saudis Use Interpol to Have Journalist Arrested for Criticizing Muhammad
▪ Opposition: Assad Stockpiling Chemical Weapons
▪ ‘Accommodation’ Doesn’t Quell Outrage Over Obamacare Mandate
▪ Obama Budget Projects $1.3 Trillion Deficit This Year
▪ Buffett’s Net Worth Jumps $154M Thanks to Mortgage Settlement
▪ Iran Evades US Sanctions by Paying with Gold
▪ Hamas ‘Temporarily’ Moves HQ from Damascus to Qatar
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US-China Trade Deficit Now Largest in World History
The Daily Caller
The US trade deficit with China today is 28 times larger than it was during the Reagan era, according to new figures released by the US Census Bureau. That daunting deficit has grown by 18 percent per year since China first entered the World Trade Organization in 2001. Census figures now show $103.8 billion in US exports to China during 2011, and $399.3 million in imports, a stunning $295.5 billion difference. China’s enormous trade advantage, now the largest nation-on-nation trade deficit in the history of the world, has put it in the enviable negotiating position of being able to say “bu” -- that is, “no” -- to most American demands. America’s political, policy and business leaders aren’t doing much to address the shocking statistics that suggest a real erosion of America’s once-strong manufacturing and technological advantage.
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Opposition: Assad Stockpiling Chemical Weapons
Haaretz.com
Syria's military has begun stockpiling chemical weapons and equipping its soldiers with gas masks near the city of Homs, opposition sources report. Opposition activists said they had received reports that the Syrian army had transferred a significant quantity of grenades and mortars containing chemical agents to a school building in Homs. The opposition also reported that gas masks were being distributed to soldiers at roadblocks. Homs has become the focal point of violent confrontations between insurgents and the country's military in recent days, and opposition figures are concerned that the moves could signal the regime's intention to use chemical weapons against its citizens. News agencies reported over 130 killed in Syria on Thursday, as Bashar Assad's government intensified its crackdown on an expanding uprising.
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| International |
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Al Qaeda Urges Muslims to Help Syrian Rebels
Associated Press
Al Qaeda's chief has called on Muslims from other countries to support rebels in Syria seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad, saying they cannot depend on the West for help. Ayman al-Zawahri, in a videotaped statement, asked Muslims in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey to join the uprising against Assad's "pernicious, cancerous regime." All four states border Syria. A senior Iraqi security official also said Saturday that intelligence over the last four months has revealed a flow of al Qaeda-linked fighters from the northern Iraqi city of Mosul into Syria. The comments by both the Iraqi official and al-Zawahri came a day after two suicide car bombers struck security compounds in Aleppo, a Syrian city that had been relatively peaceful throughout the country's 11-month-uprising.
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Hamas ‘Temporarily’ Moves HQ from Damascus to Qatar
Ynet News
Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal will not be returning to Damascus at this time and is expected to temporarily carry out Hamas activities from Qatar. Mashaal was quoted by the London-based Arabic newspaper as saying he cannot receive visitors in Syria due to the volatile security situation there. The Hamas leader mentioned that last January he was forced to meet Swiss envoy to the Middle East Jean-Daniel Ruch in Cairo because the diplomat refused to visit Damascus. Asharq Al-Awsat quoted Palestinian sources as saying that most senior Hamas operatives have already left Syria, adding that the Islamist group's leaders do not plan on returning to Damascus at this stage, in part because the Muslim Brotherhood, which is linked to Hamas, has a key role in the uprising against President Bashar Assad.
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| Islamist Terror |
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Obama Campaign Keeps Fundraiser Totals Secret
WhiteHouseDossier.com
The Obama 2012 presidential campaign refuses to release its fundraising totals for individual events involving the president, keeping a dark curtain over one the least savory aspects of campaigning for the nation’s highest office. The hiding of Obama’s fundraising event totals is inconsistent with the pledge of openness that has been a watchword of Obama’s campaigns and presidency. And the omission is particularly glaring given its contrast with past practices. According to veteran CBS White House Correspondent Mark Knoller, who meticulously tracks various presidential metrics, Obama never releases his fundraising totals. With Obama’s emphasis on battling for “the 99%,” the Obama campaign has tremendous incentive to downplay the millions the president can collect in a single evening from well heeled patrons.
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‘Accommodation’ Doesn’t Quell Outrage Over Obamacare Mandate
FOX News
The battle over the Obama administration's contraceptive coverage rule is far from over despite the "accommodation" announced Friday, as the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and other groups voice serious concern about a policy they claim still intrudes on religious freedom. President Obama announced the rule change in a bid to calm the tumultuous debate which had spread to the Republican presidential campaign trail and beyond. The original policy would exempt churches and house of worship but require religious organizations like schools and hospitals to provide free contraceptive coverage. Under the change, religious organizations could refuse that coverage, while insurers would nevertheless be required to offer it to any employee who wants it.
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| Government & Politics |
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Buffett’s Net Worth Jumps $154M Thanks to Mortgage Settlement
The Washington Free Beacon
Warren Buffett’s stake in Bank of America Corp. increased in value by $154 million after President Obama and the US Justice Department announced a $25 billion foreclosure abuse settlement with the five largest US banks Thursday, records show. Buffett invested $5 billion in Bank of America on Aug. 25, 2011. As part of his investment deal, Buffett gained warrants that allow him to buy 700 million shares of Bank of America stock at a strike price of $7.14 a share. However, on Dec. 19, 2011, it was reported that Buffett was $1.5 billion underwater on his stock warrants, with shares of BofA stock trading at $4.94. But on Thursday, after President Obama personally announced the details of the settlement, BofA stock closed at $8.13 a share. The stock opened Friday morning at $8.31 and reached as high as $8.35 a share.
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Taxpayers Footing Cell Phone Bill for Millions of Low Income Americans
Time/Yahoo! News
Last year, a federal program paid out $1.6 billion to cover free cell phones and the monthly bills of 12.5 million wireless accounts. The program, overseen by the FCC and intended to help low-income Americans, is popular for obvious reasons, with participation rising steeply since 2008, when the government paid $772 million for phones and monthly bills. But observers complain that the program suffers from poor oversight, in which phones go to people who don't qualify, and hundreds of thousands of those who do qualify have more than one phone. Last summer, a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review story shed some light on a government program that relatively few Americans knew existed. The Lifeline program provides low-income Americans with free cell phones and covers up to 250 free minutes each month.
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| National & Local |
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Congressional Panel Wades into Union Dues Battle
FOX News
A congressional committee on Wednesday took up what it calls an issue of economic freedom -- one that pits unions against a number of governors and even some fellow workers. The issue is simple: should workers, in private industry or government, have union dues automatically subtracted from their salaries -- whether they like it or not? And voluntary or not, how much power should they have to keep the unions from spending their money on political campaigns they don't agree with? Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the chairman of the committee, said this is not an anti-union issue -- but rather one of workers' rights. "Do workers and unionized organizations have a right to know more than they currently know?" he asked. "What it's being used for, and whether in fact it has to be taken from them."
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SEIU Grabs for ‘Dues’ from State Subsidized In-Home Health Providers
The Washington Examiner
In-home healthcare workers in Connecticut, like their counterparts in Michigan, may see so-called union dues deducted from paychecks they receive through a state subsidy for the poor, but two free market groups are trying to stop it. The SEIU is trying to unionize in-home healthcare workers, based on the theory that they qualify as public employees because the money paid to them is subsidized by the state. "The only notice home healthcare workers receive concerning a union election is a nondescript mailing asking them if they wish to join the union," says the Competitive Enterprise Institute. The SEIU achieved this goal in Michigan, with the result that even low-income families who receive a Medicaid subsidy to take care of their adult, disabled children are losing $30 a month to the union.
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| Fifth Column |
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Saudis Use Interpol to Have Journalist Arrested for Criticizing Muhammad
The Guardian
Interpol has been accused of abusing its powers after Saudi Arabia used the organisation's red notice system to get a journalist arrested in Malaysia for insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Police in Kuala Lumpur said Hamza Kashgari, 23, was detained at the airport "following a request made to us by Interpol" the international police cooperation agency, on behalf of the Saudi authorities. Kashgari, a newspaper columnist, fled Saudi Arabia after posting a tweet on the prophet's birthday that sparked more than 30,000 responses and several death threats. The posting read: "I have loved things about you and I have hated things about you and there is a lot I don't understand about you...I will not pray for you." More than 13,000 people joined a Facebook page titled "The Saudi People Demand the Execution of Hamza Kashgari."
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Liberal Catholics Oppose Obamacare Contraceptive Mandate
The Daily Caller
Without former Michigan Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak, President Barack Obama wouldn’t have gotten his healthcare overhaul in 2010 passed through Congress. But Stupak, a pro-life Catholic who voted for the healthcare reform after being promised that federal dollars wouldn’t fund abortions, now isn’t happy with Obama. Appearing Wednesday night on FOX News, Stupak made clear he opposes the Obama administration’s insistence that religious-affiliated organizations are not exempted from the law’s requirement that health insurance plans cover contraceptives. “I’m disappointed that the administration would put forth such a rule,” Stupak told host Greta Van Susteren. The law does allow churches that oppose contraception for religious reasons to be exempt from the law.
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| Culture Wars |
InFocus: A Brief Overview of 'The Twelvers' - Ahmadinejad's Islam
With the regime in Iran moving from rhetorical saber-rattling to attaining the wherewithal to threaten the region, if not the world, it is smart to acquaint ourselves with the theocratic philosophy of Iran’s ruling mullah class – including their governmental figurehead Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the faction of Shi’a Islam known as “The Twelvers.” It is important to understand the belief system of the Twelvers because it gives us insight into the motives for the actions of the Iranian mullahs’ today: in their quest for dominance in the Middle East; in their pursuit of an Islamic global Caliphate; in their vicious approach to the State of Israel; and in their determination to acquire nuclear technology, including the weaponization of that technology.
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The Briefing: Updated Feb. 9, 2012
Terrorist organizations Fatah and Hamas have signed a “Reconciliation Agreement.” Fatah controls the Palestinian Authority. Hamas controls the Gaza Strip. The agreement provides for the creation of an interim government for Gaza and the areas under control of the Palestinian Authority. General elections are to be held. Hamas continues to call for the destruction of Israel. Fatah negotiated a power-sharing agreement with Hamas instead of negotiating a Peace Agreement with Israel.
Read more
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