Fundamental Transformation of America

Via Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Promises Promises":

'The study theorizes that while women may love seeing their guy vacuuming or making dinner, something may shift in their subconscious. When they see men doing “feminine” chores, the primitive part of their brains might be telling them that something isn’t quite right, and they’re less turned on...'

Women like it when men do "manly" chores around the house --- and indeed, guys are less likely to get laid if they do "lady"chores like washing the dishes.

Via Instapundit, "WOMEN ARE SEXIST: Study: Only “Manly” Chores Get You Laid."

#ObamaCare Cancellations Hit Loyal California 'Cradle' Democrats

At ProPublica, "Loyal Obama Supporters, Canceled by Obamacare."

Megyn Kelly covered this story last night, mentioning that the couple, Lee Hammack and JoEllen Brothers, were still committed Democrats, but were insisting that the White House make changes to the law.

I'm about to overdose on schadenfreude. Not that I'm happy at all about people losing their plans --- employer plans may be the next to face cancellations (gulp) --- but that I'm delirious over the pure ecstasy of watching the Democrats' meltdown. Best of all, conservatives predicted it. It's the most satisfying "I told you so" ever.

Also at iOWNTHEWORLD, "“We’re not changing our views because of this situation” – Obamabot Burned By Obamacare."

'Crisis in Confidence' — Fox News' Ed Henry Reports on White House Meeting with Nervous Senate #Democrats

Henry says the meeting got "spicy" at times.

Senate Dems are pissed at the president. They're freakin' out over their diminishing reelection prospects. And there's a "crisis in confidence" in Obama's ability (and willingness) to staunch the bleeding.



Here's Senator Mark Begich's press release, "Begich to President Obama: Promises Not Enough, Need Results Now."

It's like Groundhog's Day for the Democrats. This nightmare's not going away. Bummer for 'em, the dicks.

Fox News 'Special Report' Panel on White House Meeting with Nervous Senate #Democrats

Krauthammer remarks: "Democrats are going to get slaughtered."



More at Twitchy, "Obamascare: White House meets with nervous Senate Dems up for re-election next year."

New Emily Ratajkowski Photos from New York Filmmaker Jonathan Leder

Very nice.

At Egotastic!, "More Emily Ratajkowski Photos by Jonathan Leder."

The dude's blog is here.

Senate Democrats Press Obama on #ACA Monstrosity

At Roll Call, "Democrats Up in 2014 Vent Their Obamacare Anger in White House Meeting (Updated)":

President Barack Obama heard an earful at the White House Wednesday from Senate Democrats running for re-election next year who are fuming about the Affordable Care Act’s rocky rollout.

During a two-hour meeting that was not on the president’s public schedule, the president met with 15 Senate Democrats facing the voters next year, as well as Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Michael Bennet, D-Colo.

Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska issued a release after the meeting torching the administration.

“It is simply unacceptable for Alaskans to bear the brunt of the Administration’s mismanagement of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and that is the message U.S. Senator Mark Begich delivered to President Obama today,” his office said in a statement blasted to reporters.

The release went on to say that Begich complained about “an unworkable website, technical glitches and inaccurate information about peoples’ individual situations. Begich demanded the administration fix the problems immediately so Alaskans, including the 55,000 eligible for subsidies to lower monthly premiums, can realize the many benefits due to them as a result of the health reform law.

“Alaskans should be appreciating the critical benefits of the Affordable Care Act but there is an understandable crisis in confidence because the administration has yet to get it off the ground,” Begich said.

Listen to that liar. The f-ker parroted the White House talking points himself, "Five Senate Dems pushing for Obamacare enrollment delay said existing plans could be kept":

“If you got a doctor now, you got a medical professional you want, you get to keep that. If you have an insurance program or a health care policy you want of ideas, make sure you keep it. That you can keep who you want. That we keep that patient-doctor relationship very strong,” Begich said in a July 27, 2009 statewide iTownhall with Alaskans.

Uncle Obama's Bait-and-Switch

At the San Diego Union-Tribune, "President Obama’s obnoxious bait-and-switch":

The last time we had a Democratic president who wanted to overhaul the entire U.S. health care system, his measure never even got out of a single congressional committee.

Why? Because Bill Clinton had no compelling response to an insurance-industry ad campaign in which “Harry and Louise” talked about the president’s proposal and the likelihood it would force them to lose their current health coverage and choose from a handful of government-approved options.

The ad campaign was so potent because it understood that most Americans are satisfied with their health coverage — and thus fear change.

The blowback Democrats faced because of the Clinton health initiative led to a Republican takeover of the House in November 1994 for the first time in nearly a half-century.

Barack Obama knew this history. So when he became president in January 2009 and began his push for a similarly ambitious overhaul of U.S. health care, he told people over and over that if they liked their health plan, they could keep it. There were no caveats. No strings attached. If you liked your doctor, you could keep your doctor.

It’s quite possible that the president said this so many times that he came to believe it. But it is a matter of fact that three months after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, the Obama administration issued rules that will force the cancellation of vast numbers of policies. This is from the administration’s own words in the Federal Register: “The Departments’ midrange estimate is that 66 percent of small employer plans and 45 percent of large employer plans will relinquish their grandfather status by the end of 2013.”

So three years and four months ago, the Obama administration anticipated that some 90 million Americans would be forced to change their coverage. Yet as recently as last month, the president once again said, “If you like your plan, you can keep it.”

This is White House dishonesty on an epic scale...

It is.

An epic swindle.

People won't buy the product, so you've got to cheat 'em.

That's the Democrat-Socialist way.

IMAGE CREDIT: The People's Cube, "Come on down to Uncle Obama's Health-O-Rama at your local STALIN STOREHOUSE and check out these DEALS!"

New York City Takes Hard-Left Turn

At WSJ, "Election of Bill de Blasio as Mayor Could Be Test of Revival of Liberalism in American Political Life":

For the past 12 years, the nation's largest city has been run by one of the country's wealthiest corporate titans, a self-declared iconoclast untethered to either party.

On Tuesday, New York overwhelmingly elected an unabashed liberal activist and political strategist who is sympathetic to the Occupy Wall Street movement and once spent time in Nicaragua supporting the Sandinistas.

Political analysts say the election of Democrat Bill de Blasio —who ran on a platform of raising taxes on the wealthy to fund education programs, cracking down on aggressive police tactics known as stop-and-frisk and creating a more inclusive, collaborative government—could become the biggest test yet of a recent revival of liberalism in American political life that is occurring in urban areas.

The test will have many pundits keeping a close eye on the new mayor's many challenges, including the delicate task of appeasing business leaders used to dealing with one of their own, and of resolving the city's biggest showdown with unions in a half century. "Bill [will be] the most liberal big-city mayor in America today and a lot of people are going to be watching it: Can he pull it off?" said Harold Ickes, a mentor to Mr. de Blasio and former White House deputy chief of staff for Bill Clinton.

In 2000, Republicans led five of the nation's largest dozen cities. By the end of 2012, they no longer led any. In Tuesday's election, the candidate favored in opinion polls to be Seattle's new mayor, Ed Murray, appealed to voters partly by citing his role in passing the largest tax increase in Washington state's history to fund transportation improvements. In Boston, State Rep. Martin Walsh was elected after squaring off against another progressive Democrat to succeed Thomas Menino, a Democrat who built strong relationships with the city's business community.

Liberals are emboldened, said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report. He said that after decades of feeling that Democrats had to move to the center to be elected, "we're seeing more and more in the Democratic Party a sense of confidence and outspokenness among progressives."

But observers say that with momentum can come some obvious risks, including overstepping mandates and stepping out of the mainstream. "They could go too far left, because there's a tolerance for moderation, not necessarily for liberalism," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. "If they show themselves to be incompetent then they'll pay a price." Mr. de Blasio has said he has made, and will make, an effort to reach out to all sides.

The shift hardly means liberals are taking over. Conservatives hold safe seats in the House of Representatives, and the rise of liberalism in some places reflects increased partisanship on both ends of the political spectrum. In 1982, 344 members of the House were considered to have some ideological overlap with the opposing party. In 2012, there were 13 such members, according to an analysis of voting data by National Journal.

In New York, Mr. de Blasio, 52 years old, will be the first Democrat to be mayor in 20 years. "Make no mistake," Mr. de Blasio said in his acceptance speech Tuesday night. "The people of this city have chosen a progressive path."

The victory could "make other Democrats think of this 'tale of two cities' theme as a possible driver of their campaigns in 2014," said Jeffrey M. Berry, a political-science professor at Tufts University.

The question for critics is whether Mr. de Blasio has enough experience running a large city, and can run it in an effective manner. As the city's public advocate, a government watchdog, Mr. de Blasio managed a staff of 40 people with an annual budget of $2.3 million. New York City employs around 300,000 people with an annual operating budget of $69.9 billion.

"I have no trouble praising de Blasio's political skills," said Fred Siegel, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank that focuses on economic choice. "It's his governing that worries me."

In response, Mr. de Blasio has said that he has learned under some of the most skilled leaders in the Democratic Party, including Mr. Ickes and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. They taught him "to always to check reality against your presumptions," he said in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal.

New Yorkers rejected several of Mr. de Blasio's positions in a poll last month, despite their overwhelming support of his candidacy. A majority of voters said they wanted to retain Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. (Mr. de Blasio promised to remove him, which the city's mayor can do.) They wanted more charter schools. (Mr. de Blasio has expressed skepticism.) And nearly half of voters support the stop-and-frisk tactic used by police officers. (Mr. de Blasio's criticism of the practice is one of his central platforms.)

More, "De Blasio Elected Next New York City Mayor in Landslide: First Democrat to Win City Hall Since David Dinkins in 1989."

California Insurance Commissioner Defends #ObamaCare After Browbeating Blue Shield Into 113,000 Policy Extensions

Yes, because it's an excellent law. Most excellent!

Democrats have to destroy the private market in order to "save it" with government-run healthcare.

And it's working so well!

Wait! Don't make those Blue Shield customers suffer. Give 'em an extension! That'll do it! Appease those mofos until the "glitches" are all gone!

At LAT, "State insurance chief faults health exchange for cancellations":

RT @PMgeezer RT @MyCancellation: Another cancellation, all thanks to #ObamaCare. #myhealthplandied pic.twitter.com/yL9ziOi7V5

— Cindy Kennedy (@CIndyStarbuck) November 5, 2013

Stepping into the national backlash over health policy cancellations, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones faulted the state's health exchange for requiring insurers to terminate coverage Dec. 31, but acknowledged that he has little power to stop it.

Jones reiterated his support for President Obama's healthcare law Tuesday, but he said these cancellation notices and the resulting avalanche of consumer complaints were an unnecessary blunder.

"There are areas where implementation could be done better, and this is an example of that," Jones said. "Individuals could have been allowed to stay in their plan for another year. Don't force people out arbitrarily Dec. 31."

With that in mind, Jones said he pressured Blue Shield of California to offer an extension until March 31 to about 113,000 customers. Their policies were being canceled Dec. 31 because their coverage doesn't meet all the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

Overall, an estimated 1 million Californians with individual health insurance have received termination letters in recent weeks. They are among several million people affected nationwide.

Covered California, the state insurance exchange, estimates that nearly 600,000 of those customers getting cancellation notices may see higher rates next year while also benefiting from more comprehensive coverage.

Jones said Blue Shield failed to give the affected customers adequate notice of the change. State regulators will scrutinize cancellation notices from other companies, Jones said, but he downplayed the idea that other insurers will be forced to make similar moves.

"If I see legal violations I will enforce the law, but I'm doubtful much else will change," he said.

Jimi Hendrix on 'American Masters'

I watched it last night. Fascinating, "Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin’."



Also at NYT, "A Talent Whose Light Was Bright but Brief: Revisiting Jimi Hendrix on PBS’s ‘American Masters’." And LAT, "Review: Jimi Hendrix seen through a gentle purple haze."

"He didn't like being flattered [as the best guitar player in the world]. He fended it off..."

Such a humble, beautiful man.

'The Education of Ezra Klein continues, at great expense to the nation. We might as well enjoy the spectacle...'

Heh.

Mickey Kaus is diggin' the groovy serotonin rush with "the current Obamacalypse," at Instapundit.

For the GOP: New Jersey vs. Virginia, Pragmatism vs. Purity

The mainstream analysis from Dan Balz, at the Washington Post, "Virginia, New Jersey results highlight Republican Party’s divisions, problems":

Tuesday’s elections, which produced a resounding Republican victory in New Jersey and a dispiriting loss for the GOP in Virginia, highlighted the challenges ahead for a badly divided party — and will probably intensify an internal debate about how to win back the White House in 2016.

At a time when the party’s image has sunk to record lows nationally, the results of the gubernatorial elections will reverberate far beyond the borders of Virginia and New Jersey. Off-year elections are hardly foolproof in predicting the future, but as GOP leaders digest what happened Tuesday, the lessons they take away from the races after their autumn of discontent will shape the coming rounds.

In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie (R) rolled to reelection by a margin that will make him a leading contender for his party’s presidential nomination in 2016, should he decide to run. His victory in a solidly blue state will be touted as a model for a party that needs to expand its coalition in national campaigns. But will the formula Christie employed in New Jersey work in Republican primaries and caucuses or in a national election for president?

In Virginia, Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, a tea party favorite, came closer than many expected but fell short in his race against Democratic businessman and party fundraiser Terry McAuliffe. What Republicans will debate was whether Cuccinelli was personally too conservative — and his party too toxic after the recent government shutdown — for what is now a classic swing state.

The outcomes set up a battle for power between competing wings of the Republican Party. Call it the establishment vs. the tea party, or the gubernatorial wing against the congressional wing. This competition is less about ideology or policy — there is no disunity, for example, when it comes to the party’s dislike of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act — than about purity vs. pragmatism, tactics and strategy. Or, as Christie has put it, it is about winning an argument vs. winning elections.

I'm not reading that much into Virginia. As Instapundit says, "IF THE ELECTION HAD BEEN NEXT WEEK, I THINK MCAULIFFE WOULD HAVE LOST VIRGINIA BY 5," referencing Gallup's new polling numbers with Obama tanking at 39 percent.

And the way the media's playing it, Christie's gearing up for the McCain/Romney political death dance in 2016.

The GOP will lose again if they nominate a kiss-ass Republican like Christie. But FWIW, see NBC News, "Analysis: NJ Gov. Chris Christie's big re-election victory offers GOP a roadmap to resurgence in 2016."

Mika Brzezinski Not Pleased With Obama's 'You Can Keep Your Plan' Lies

At Twitchy, "Schadenfreudelicious! Obama’s ‘keep your plan’ lies nutshelled by Mika Brzezinski’s face [pic]":

Heh. What is an Obama cheerleader to do when exposed to a montage of all his “you can keep your plan” lies on loop? Well, on Monday Mika hit herself in the face.

No, for serious.

RT @Mediaite: Mika Brzezinski Literally Hits Herself in the Face After Watching Obamacare Promises Montage http://t.co/rVAYnrfMiW (VIDEO)
— WhiteHousePressCorps (@whpresscorps) November 5, 2013

Mika Brzezinski not a fan of the Obama "if you like your plan, you can keep your plan" video compilations pic.twitter.com/hiDsqAzHHh
— Jeff Poor (@jeff_poor) November 5, 2013

Anthem Blue Cross Sued Over Policy Cancellations

Oh, it's just "churn" in the market.

At LAT, "Anthem Blue Cross is sued over policy cancellations":

In a new line of attack on canceled health policies, two California residents are suing insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross, alleging they were misled into giving up their previous coverage.

About 900,000 Californians and many more nationwide have received cancellation notices on their individual health insurance policies, triggering a public uproar against the rollout of President Obama's healthcare law.

Some consumers have complained about hefty rate hikes from the forced upgrades because their current plans don't meet all the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

Much of the consumer anger has been directed at Obama's repeated pledge that Americans could keep their existing health insurance if they liked it despite the massive overhaul.

In separate lawsuits filed Monday, Paul Simon, 39, of Sherman Oaks and Catherine Coker, 63, of Glendale sought to pin some of the blame on Anthem Blue Cross, a unit of WellPoint Inc.

The two plaintiffs are asking the courts to block any policy cancellations unless Anthem customers are allowed to switch back to their previous grandfathered health plans.

Just a "glitch," I'm sure.

Obama Now Lying to Cover His Lies

At AoSHQ, "Obama's Covering Up His Gigantic Lie With, Get This, a New Gigantic Lie":

The new lie is added to this supercut of the 36 times (and counting) Obama said "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. Period."

Note that he could repeat his lie without the aid of notes -- but now when he offers his new lie -- claiming that "What we said was that... you could keep your plain if your plan didn't change [at all]" -- he needs some Lawyer's Notes to guide him.

On Megyn Kelly last night, Judge Napolitano pointed out the power of adding Period to the end of most of these vows. When one says "Period," one means there is no fine print. There are no caveats, conditions, or qualifications. "Period" means that the vow you just heard is self-contained; there is no extraenous material elsewhere you have to check to determine what the promise means.

But that's exactly what he's saying "Period" doesn't mean now. Now he's claiming "Period" meant-- actually, he's claiming "we" said this, which is a lie -- "unless there have been any changes [whatsoever] to your policy."

Such as $5 increase in your copay to keep pace with rising medical costs. Yes, a $5 change in your copay ungrandfathers your policy. The HHS deliberately wrote these rules to terminate as many policies as possible.

Actually, the lie is deeper than that. Because if you thought "If you like your plan, you could keep your plan" meant that you would be held harmless by the changes wrought by Obamacare, then you were misled -- even grandfathered policies, for example, must have their premiums jacked up in order to pay for the sick and uninsurable.

Another part of Obamacare says that insurers can't discriminate based on health status, which means the sick pay less... and the healthy, necessarily, pay more. A lot more.

And the guarantee of "If you like your policy, you can keep your policy" was never intended to mean you wouldn't be shellacked by higher rates. Or, at least, it was intended to be understood as meaning that; Obama always knew that wasn't the way he was setting it up to work.

In other words: You were never going to keep your old policy. Even as regards grandfathered policies, you were always going to have something new: Steeply increased premiums, which represent a hidden tax to redistribute wealth to Obama's constituents.

So the only people allowed to change your policy were... Obama's HHS officials, by jacking up your premiums.

He flat out lied. And lied and lied and lied. And now he's lying some more.

More at that top link.

VIDEO CREDIT: Free Beacon, "36 Times Obama Said You Can Keep Your Health Plan."

Running Scared: Mary Landrieu Introduces 'Keeping the Affordable Care Act Promise Act'

Bwahaha!

They're eating their own.

And you know, I guess even Democrats don't buy the stupid regressive spin that it's all the insurance companies' fault. You know, that they just dumped consumers off their plans, totally unrelated to ObamaCare, or something.

Landrieu's smart enough to know that voters aren't that stupid.

At the Weekly Standard, "Landrieu Introduces Bill to 'Keep Promise' of Obamacare":

Senator Mary Landrieu, the Democrat from Louisiana, has introduced a bill called the "Keeping the Affordable Care Act Promise Act." The bill recognizes that Americans are losing their individual health plans because they don't conform to the new regulations under the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. During the debate over health care reform in 2009 and 2010, Democrats who supported the law like Barack Obama and Landrieu herself promised that if Americans liked their health care plans they could keep it under Obamacare.

"When we passed the Affordable Care Act, we did so with the intention that if you liked your health plan, you could keep it. A promise was made and this legislation will ensure that this promise is kept. For many consumers, plans in the Marketplaces may offer superior coverage at a good value that saves them money. But people should be able to keep their plans if they want to," Landrieu said in a statement. "I have said repeatedly that the Affordable Care Act isn't perfect, and I am willing to work with anyone who wants to improve it and implement it correctly. Middle class families and businesses need and deserve access to quality, affordable health insurance, and I hope that leaders from around the country and from both parties will join me in this effort."

Landrieu, who is up for reelection in 2014, isn't exactly running away from the law she voted to pass in 2010. But her acknowledgement of the law's problematic implementation is significant.

#ExemptMeToo

From Americans for Prosperity, a fantastic ad:

Dependency Nation — Millions of Americans to Score Free Healthcare Under #ObamaCare

From yesterday's New York Times, "Under Health Care Act, Millions Eligible for Free Policies":

The analysis [by McKinsey and Co.] found that five million to six million people who are uninsured will qualify for subsidies that will be greater than the cost of the cheapest bronze or silver plan. A million more people with individual insurance could also be eligible, according to McKinsey, although estimates of the size of the market for private individual insurance vary widely. None of the people in the analysis qualify for Medicaid.

The availability of zero-premium plans may make the deal especially enticing to the healthy young people the marketplace needs to succeed, said Mark V. Pauly, a professor of health care management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “This is such a good deal that you’d have to believe you were immortal not to really pick it up,” he said.

Yeah, so taxpayers will be picking up the health insurance tabs of people like the "Elisabeth and Mark Horst, artists in Albuquerque who earn $24,000 a year between them, qualified for a zero-premium plan." These are Ph.D. holding "artistes" living the sweet life in the American Southwest.

William Jacobson has that, "Congrats America, you are subsidizing health insurance for Ivy League Ph.D’s who choose to paint":

I have nothing against the Horsts. Living and painting in Albuquerque is a dream for many people.

But why should the taxpayers have to subsidize what clearly is a lifestyle choice? The Horsts are not exactly uneducated or without choices in their lives.

Here’s a part of Mark Horst’s bio at his art website:

Mark Horst grew up in small town Minnesota. He studied pottery and printmaking in high school and college, but his encounter with Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker led to years of very different work. After earning a Ph.D. in theology from Yale University, he spent time teaching and working toward neighborhood renewal in south Minneapolis. He pursued the craft of painting and drawing at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the New York Studio School. He lives in Albuquerque.

If paint were a means of freezing time and protecting us from the dangerous life of the spirit, I would put down my brushes. But, for me, painting is a way of breaking time’s grip and setting loose something wild and strong.

Elizabeth also is highly educated and closed her psychology practice to paint:

I studied philosophy at Yale, psychology at the University of Minnesota, and in addition have trained in Reiki, yoga instruction, and shiatsu. As for art… I taught myself to knit at the age of seven, designed and made my own clothes in high school, stitched a quilt while writing my senior essay in college. Fiber art has always been what I do when I am not required to be doing something else (and sometimes when I am). I began to sell my handwoven scarves at art fairs and farmers markets in 2002, and in 2003 closed my psychology practice to make art full time.

More power to the Horsts. But don’t ask me to subsidize their lifestyle choice.

And don't forget, these provisions of the law are a huge incentive for people not to work. That way, they'll lower their annual income and qualify for subsidies.

From the San Francisco Chronicle last month, "Lower 2014 income can net huge health care subsidy."

Behold "dependency nation" expanding exponentially before your very eyes --- just what Democrats have planned all along, to create a nation of welfare queen zombies sucking the vitality from the American economy.

Yep, congratulations Americans, you're digging your own graves.

Loop of Death

Seriously. A death loop.

Damn, what a video.

A couple of these dudes were skating back in the day, Steve Caballero, Mike McGill, Tony Magnusson.

And I don't know the mofo who took a hospital-worthy slam. He hits as hard as anyone I've ever seen. Broke his shoulder for sure. Maybe his collarbone as well.