Thursday, May 23, 2013

Stupid: Michelle Obama praises swapping out cupcakes for apples in math problems...

Like that is going to make any difference...
(CNSNews.com) – First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative is praising textbook publishers for “swapping out cupcakes for apples in math problems,” in a campaign to incorporate health information into the learning resources for kids.
“Today at the White House, we celebrated a group of educational publishers on their development of voluntary guidance to incorporate health information into textbooks and other learning materials,” Let’s Move! said in a blog post entitled, “Cookies 2 Carrots,” on Wednesday.
“Publishers are making simple changes, like swapping out cupcakes for apples in math problems,” the anti-obesity initiative noted. “They are also finding ways to include physical activity in lesson plans – discussing the history of little league baseball and using sports in word problems.”

Poll: 56% want to rollback Obamacare to 2009 healthcare system...

This number includes 55% of Independents and 30% of Democrats. Obamacare is going to be a huge issue in the 2014 midterm elections...

Via Fox News:
Majorities of American voters say their family will be worse off under the Affordable Care Act, and think it would be better to go back to the pre-ObamaCare health care system.
A Fox News poll released Wednesday finds that while 26 percent of voters say their health care situation will be better under the new law, twice as many — 53 percent — say it will be worse. Another 13 percent say it won’t make a difference.
Almost all Republicans (85 percent) and just over half of independents (51 percent) say they will be worse off under ObamaCare. Nearly half of Democrats expect to be better off (48 percent), while about one-quarter believe they will be worse off (24 percent).
Young voters and seniors are pessimistic about ObamaCare. Majorities of those under age 35 and those 65+ think things will be worse under the 2010 health care law.
That helps explains why a 56-percent majority wants to go back to the health care system that was in place in 2009. Some 34 percent would stick with the new law.
Three in ten Democrats would rather go back to the pre-ObamaCare system (30 percent). That view climbs to 55 percent among independents and 85 percent among Republicans.
Keep on reading…

Nero fiddles while Rome burns...



Obama won't let recent scandals or ongoing economic issues stop him from having a good time. He has hosted another star-studded party at the White House...
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama, saluting Carole King’s five decades as an award-winning singer-songwriter, said Wednesday that music often is a place where people seek comfort and inspiration during trying times.
Two days after much of Moore, Okla., was flattened by a powerful tornado that killed 24 people, Obama pledged anew that the nation will assist with the town’s recovery and rebuilding for as long as it takes.
“Eventually, life will go on and new memories will be made. New laughter will come. New songs will be sung,” he said during a tribute concert for King in the East Room of the White House. “And that’s often why we turn to music during trying times, for comfort and for inspiration, and sometimes just for a good diversion.”
Calling her a “living legend,” Obama presented King with this year’s Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, an award given by the Library of Congress. She is the first woman so honored and joins a list of recipients that includes Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon.
Several friends from King’s decades in the music business came to the White House to perform in her honor, including Gloria Estefan, Billy Joel, Jesse McCartney, Emeli Sande, James Taylor and Trisha Yearwood.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Former IRS Chief Shulman on reason for 118 WH visits: "Easter egg roll..."

He actually said that. Apparently,  The investigation of IRS targeting the Tea Party wasn't a topic at this 118 Easter Egg hunts...


Interesting: Darrell Issa plans to haul IRS official Lois Lerner's butt back before Congress...

Outstanding....

Via Politico:
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa said embattled IRS official Lois Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment rights and will be hauled back to appear before his panel again.
The California Republican said Lerner’s Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination was voided when she gave an opening statement this morning denying any wrongdoing and professing pride in her government service.
“When I asked her her questions from the very beginning, I did so so she could assert her rights prior to any statement,” Issa told POLITICO. “She chose not to do so — so she waived.”
Lerner’s decision to speak at all immediately triggered a dust-up among lawmakers who were confused about whether she gave up her Fifth Amendment protections when she made an opening statement.
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), a former federal prosecutor, said Lerner lost her rights the minute she started proclaiming her innocence, and that lawmakers therefore were entitled to question her. But Ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings of Maryland said hearing rules were not like those of a courtroom.

Obamacare IRS enforcement team: 8 offices, 2,137 agents

Something tells me businesses owned by conservatives are going to have a hard time...

Via Washington Secrets:
The Internal Revenue Service, charged with implementing the biggest change in tax laws in 20 years due to Obamacare, has created eight offices and special “teams” to handle the chore, way more than initially revealed.
Besides the top office headed by the woman in the middle of the IRS-Tea Party scandal, there are seven others and a special enforcement team that make up an organization chart that mirrors the organization of the IRS itself, according to a Treasury Inspector General’s report.
The June report focused on concerns that the IRS, which is filling the Obamacare offices with 2,137 agents and officials to make sure citizens and companies comply with the new health law or pay a fine, isn’t clear on its new role and how many new workers it will actually need. For example, the IRS will be in charge of analyzing hospital “community benefit activities,” which it has never done before.
Keep on reading…

Video: Krauthammer on the IRS Scandal: “It Will Go On and it Could be Fatal”

Let's hope Charles Krauthammer is correct...


White House calls in lefty columnists for the rescue from recent scandals?




The columnists referred to in the tweet are Talking Point Memo’s Josh Marshall, WaPo columnist Jonathan Capehart and WaPo blogger Ezra Klein.