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2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

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Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

FreshFish said:
I sure hope the story described in this link does not come to pass.....there is already enough cynicism and blatant manipulation as it stands now. :( not to mention total disregard for the law.


and to try to paraphrase the rest of it without the snide commentary, and so the HHS purportedly is going to take money set aside for "experimental purposes" and use it to subsidize Medicare Advantage for a year, because the law cuts MA plans way back and seniors would be getting their renewal notices in October, just a few weeks before the election. If they saw what the law would do to these popular MA plans there certainly would be a hue and cry at the worst possible time, and so to forestall this potential politically embarrassment, HHS would illegally re-direct $8.3 billion of Medicare funds.

Like I said, every time I want to try to give Obama benefit of the doubt and keep an open mind, another one of these stories pops up.
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Every time I read Obama I think- what about all the folks on the Hill? He cannot enact this stuff on his own. More than one person signed on to this. Why isn't there a hue and cry about all of them. It is easy to blame one person but that doesn't get to the root of the problem. Whether he comes or goes we have the rest of those people to deal with - the ones who know only one channel- block what the current admin says. What ever/who ever happens I hope someone actually tries to do something other than block legislation after the election. I haven't seen anything that is the slightest bit intelligent or workable from anyone in a while. They are all radical in either direction.
 
Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

Foxton said:
Oh? That's the reason?
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Of course. You know that he's an ardent Liberal, right? Naturally he wants to give Obama the benefit of the doubt. That's why he posts op-eds from right-wing sites that tell us the president was born in Kenya...
 
Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

FreshFish said:
I sure hope the story described in this link does not come to pass.....there is already enough cynicism and blatant manipulation as it stands now. :( not to mention total disregard for the law.


and to try to paraphrase the rest of it without the snide commentary, and so the HHS purportedly is going to take money set aside for "experimental purposes" and use it to subsidize Medicare Advantage for a year, because the law cuts MA plans way back and seniors would be getting their renewal notices in October, just a few weeks before the election. If they saw what the law would do to these popular MA plans there certainly would be a hue and cry at the worst possible time, and so to forestall this potential politically embarrassment, HHS would illegally re-direct $8.3 billion of Medicare funds.

Like I said, every time I want to try to give Obama benefit of the doubt and keep an open mind, another one of these stories pops up.
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I'd be shocked if Obama didn't do this. Fits his normal way of trying to buy votes with spending.
 
Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

Bob Gray said:
I'd be shocked if Obama didn't do this. Fits his normal way of trying to buy votes with spending.
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As opposed to Republicans, who <del>try to buy votes with spending</del> earn votes by bringing home the bacon!
 
Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

More great news for Scott Walker!

It seems that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) might have been overreaching when he promised to create 250,000 new jobs in his first term. While Walker has spent the last twelve months slashing state budgets and busting unions, Wisconsinites have been dealing with the consequences. New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Walker’s state saw the largest decrease in jobs over the last year, dropping nearly a full percentage point:
Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 45 states and the District of Columbia, decreased in 4 states, and was unchanged in Alabama. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+6.5 percent). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Wisconsin (-0.9 percent).
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Walker, meanwhile, told Newsmax this week that, “We ultimately saw a net increase in jobs this year.” That is incorrect, unless by ‘we’ he means a group other than Wisconsinites.
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And here's raw numbers of job gains for the past year. Pop Quiz at the end, in video form.

Table D. States with statistically significant employment changes from
March 2011 to March 2012, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| March | March | Over-the-year
State | 2011 | 2012(p) | change(p)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona.......................| 2,399,000 | 2,448,800 | 49,800
California....................| 14,056,300 | 14,237,300 | 181,000
Colorado......................| 2,244,700 | 2,290,500 | 45,800
District of Columbia..........| 725,500 | 738,600 | 13,100
Florida.......................| 7,238,900 | 7,328,700 | 89,800
Georgia.......................| 3,877,000 | 3,908,800 | 31,800
Idaho.........................| 606,700 | 615,700 | 9,000
Indiana.......................| 2,830,800 | 2,867,000 | 36,200
Kansas........................| 1,331,000 | 1,352,500 | 21,500
Kentucky......................| 1,787,700 | 1,821,900 | 34,200
| | |
Louisiana.....................| 1,908,100 | 1,952,100 | 44,000
Maryland......................| 2,538,600 | 2,588,200 | 49,600
Massachusetts.................| 3,211,300 | 3,241,600 | 30,300
Michigan......................| 3,925,500 | 3,982,000 | 56,500
Minnesota.....................| 2,673,200 | 2,704,700 | 31,500
New Jersey....................| 3,843,500 | 3,881,800 | 38,300
New York......................| 8,649,400 | 8,804,700 | 155,300
North Carolina................| 3,920,100 | 3,958,900 | 38,800
North Dakota..................| 387,900 | 413,300 | 25,400
Ohio..........................| 5,077,400 | 5,137,000 | 59,600
| | |
Oklahoma......................| 1,542,500 | 1,580,100 | 37,600
Pennsylvania..................| 5,682,700 | 5,728,400 | 45,700
Tennessee.....................| 2,647,300 | 2,691,300 | 44,000
Texas.........................| 10,496,000 | 10,741,700 | 245,700
Utah..........................| 1,197,200 | 1,226,200 | 29,000
Virginia......................| 3,674,900 | 3,712,900 | 38,000
Washington....................| 2,806,100 | 2,850,100 | 44,000
West Virginia.................| 751,500 | 761,300 | 9,800
Wisconsin.....................| 2,754,500 | 2,730,600 | -23,900
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
p = preliminary.
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ueZ6tvqhk8U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

Priceless said:
More great news for Scott Walker!



And here's raw numbers of job gains for the past year. Pop Quiz at the end, in video form.



<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ueZ6tvqhk8U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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I guess it's just an oversight that in your monomania about Walker you've neglected to mention the multi-billion dollar deficit that's been eliminated, without tax hikes. You and your union goon pals are gonna have a disappointing night come the recall.
 
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Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

Old Pio said:
I guess it's just an oversight that in your monomania about Walker you've neglected to mention the multi-billion dollar deficit that's been eliminated, without tax hikes. You and your union goon pals are gonna have a disappointing night come the recall.
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Yea! He did it the republican way, by keeping it off the books or word tricks! If you don't count the money that you owe, it's easy not to have a deficit.
 
Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

Foxton said:
Yea! He did it the republican way, by keeping it off the books or word tricks! If you don't count the money that you owe, it's easy not to have a deficit.
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What deficit?

An October 2011 report predicted a $72.7 million surplus, but since then projected tax collections have dropped by $272.8 million. Combined with other decreases in anticipated revenue, the state would be $143.2 million short when the current budget expires at the end of June 2013, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

The projected tax collections dropped after economic forecasts became more pessimistic. Also, revenues are expected to decrease because of changes in state law that could result in higher income tax returns this year compared with last year and law changes that could reduce corporate income and franchise tax collections.
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rSjK2Oqrgic" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

ETA: PolitiFact
In the 2010 race, Walker made an explicit promise, noted on his campaign website to "require the use of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to balance every state budget, just as we require every local government and school district to do."

This is known as the accrual accounting method, something also used by publicly traded companies. On the Walk-O-Meter, we rated this a Promise Broken. Walker did not use the GAAP approach on his first budget.

Indeed, under that approach, the state shows a $3 billion GAAP deficit each of the next two years. And that is the new source of confusion.
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Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

Bob Gray said:
He doesn't get the pass on things Obama does. Not fair, but such is life.
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:rolleyes: This is the equivalent of SLU fans whining about officiating. In every election everyone thinks their guy is held to a higher standard. And that's not even counting that the GOP has an entire network devoted to transcribing its talking points directly onto the air.

The MSM is biased towards whatever makes a buck. Right now they want fireworks and outrages. In September they'll want a close election. The only time they care about one candidate is if he pulls too far ahead and they need to tear him down to sell more Doritos.
 
Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

Normally I'd get a kick out of proving Bob Gray wrong, but it happens so often that its getting a bit mundane. :D

From the well respected Pew Research Center. Turns out Obama has gotten far more negative press coverage than Romney.

http://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/barack_obama_0?src=prc-section

So, take off the bib and put down the baby food. The media is biased towards Mittens.
 
Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

Bob Gray said:
Yah, with the media breathing down Romney's neck as they try to ensure Obama is re-elected, Romney's shifts, which are not unsubstantial, will be highlighted in bright neon. He doesn't get the pass on things Obama does. Not fair, but such is life.
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In 2004 John Kerry was destroyed for his shifts. He must have been a Republican. :rolleyes:
 
Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

Kepler said:
:rolleyes: This is the equivalent of SLU fans whining about officiating. In every election everyone thinks their guy is held to a higher standard. And that's not even counting that the GOP has an entire network devoted to transcribing its talking points directly onto the air.

The MSM is biased towards whatever makes a buck. Right now they want fireworks and outrages. In September they'll want a close election. The only time they care about one candidate is if he pulls too far ahead and they need to tear him down to sell more Doritos.
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OK. I have to admit, I have no idea what the issue is with SLU fans and reffing.:confused:

If someone in the last election thought that Obama was held to a higher standard than Bush, they should have their head examined. There was open discussion about, if Obama was elected, the media would then feel comfortable asking tougher questions of him. Turns out, not so much, but that discussion was pretty commonplace during the last election.
 
Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

ScoobyDoo said:
In 2004 John Kerry was destroyed for his shifts. He must have been a Republican. :rolleyes:
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And this portion of the discussion is complete, with Scooby giving his obligatory defense of all things Democratic.
 
Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

FreshFish said:
I sure hope the story described in this link does not come to pass.....
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well, that was a short-lived and forlorn hope, I guess....seeing as how it's already happened....even the GAO is a bit disappointed, apparently.


in November 2010 Mr. Obama's Medicare team announced a nationwide Medicare Advantage "demonstration project" that would test if paying insurers bonus subsidies would improve quality over the next two years. Lo and behold, according to a new investigation by the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, the $8.35 billion pilot program is just enough to reverse 71% of the Advantage cuts that would have hit seniors in the runup to November. And behold again, the demonstration project turns into a pumpkin in 2013.

The GAO auditors show a dry wit in expressing skepticism about Medicare's "stated research goal" for the test. The demonstration project's design "precludes a credible evaluation of its effectiveness," GAO says, since all Medicare Advantage insurers get the pay-for-performance bonuses.

In other words, there's no control group to test which approaches work better. It's a demonstration project without the ability to demonstrate. Professional courtesy prevents the GAO from saying outright that the bonus program is purely political, but the report suggests as much.
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This article does provide a very useful insight into the thinking that seems to be tearing our nation asunder these days. One side says "process does matter. People need to believe that the law is followed; if you don't like the law, change it, don't ignore it." The other side says "there is too much at stake! we are protecting those who have no voice, and the law is stacked against them. what really matters is we mean well, and if a few toes are stepped on along the way, well they probably deserved it."


(okay it is a bit more challenging for me to try to make a persuasive case on why noble ends make questionable means permissible. I'm sure Kepler can instruct us on the right way to phrase it so that it actually sounds defensible, and I mean that as a compliment not as snarkiness....sometimes I think he and I are the doppelgangers from Conrad's The Secret Sharer, our thinking on all other issues but this one is so spookily similar!)
 
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Re: 2012 Elections - Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death....

Bob Gray said:
If someone in the last election thought that Obama was held to a higher standard than Bush, they should have their head examined. There was open discussion about, if Obama was elected, the media would then feel comfortable asking tougher questions of him. Turns out, not so much, but that discussion was pretty commonplace during the last election.
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Who had this discussion? It was commonplace? Where?

From a quick Google search, I can find ONE person who said anything even remotely like this in 2008. NBC's Mark Whitaker after a December 2008 press conference where a local reporter asked four times about Blagojevich , despite the fact that the US Attorney had asked the Obama transition team not to comment while it was investigating.

During today's press conference, President-elect Baracj Obama brushed off a question from Chicago Tribune reporter John McCormick about the Blagojevich scandal, and what interaction any advisers had with the Illinois governor.

"I don't want you to waste your question," Obama said.

McCormick asked another Blago-related question, and Obama said he wouldn't confirm a report in the Tribune from this weekend. Obama also said that the U.S. attorney's office asked his team to withhold an internal review until next week.

After a few attempts, the reporter finally followed up by asking who had the better jump shot: Obama or incoming education secretary Arne Duncan?
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There's a tough question.

Corporate media says it needs to get tougher on Obama
NBC Washington bureau chief Mark Whitaker said that reporters have not been aggressive enough during Obama's post-election pressers.

"Our job is to hold him to account," Whitaker said, adding that he thinks "we're going to have to get tougher."
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And exactly how tough were you hoping the media would be?

According to this story in the LA Times yesterday, the mainstream media (ABC News, NBC News, & CBS News in specific) is tougher on Barack Obama than on John McCain. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom (which is often anything but wise) that the media has a “liberal bias.”

The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University found that 72% of stories about Barack Obama have been negative in the first 6 weeks of the general election campaign (since Obama officially defeated Hillary Clinton.) During that same period 57% of the stories about John McCain have been negative.
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