Sunday Open Thread

Posted on July 1, 2012 by rikyrah

First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks at AME Conference

Good Morning. I hope you are enjoying time with family and friends.

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15 Responses to Sunday Open Thread

  1. rikyrah says:
    July 1, 2012 at 1:57 pm

    Romney Advisers Reveal Strategy: Ignore Journalists, Pander To Right-Wing Conspriacy Websites

    By Judd Legum on Jul 1, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    In a stunning interview with Breitbart.com, two top advisers to Mitt Romney revealed the campaign’s plan to largely ignore journalists in favor of right-wing conspiracy websites.

    From the beginning of the campaign, Romney has pointedly avoided news outlets who might pose tough questions. The press dubbed it “the Mittness Protection Program.” As the campaign wore on, Romney has refused to answer direct questions about major policy issues central to the campaign. For example, Romney has still not stated whether he would undo Obama’s order ending deportations for many young undocumented immigrants.

    Romney campaign spokesman Lenny Alcivar recently outlined how the campaign will avoid journalists and cooridnate and communicate their message through Brietbart.com and the Drudge Report:

    When this election is over, one of the lessons that will be learned by the mainstream media is that they no longer have a toe-hold on how Americans receive their news. Never before – in a way that has taken Democrats off stride – have we seen the confluence of an aggressive online community, led by Breitbart, and an aggressive campaign team not willing to cede an inch of ground to Democrats. This combination has created a new political reality. We no longer allow the mainstream media to define the political realities in America. The rise of Breitbart, Drudge and others, combined with an aggressive Romney campaign is a powerful tool in the arsenal of the conservative movement.

    …The governor will no longer allow the mainstream media to dictate the terms of this debate. This is just the beginning… We are witnessing the rise of the center right media.

    It’s not just Romney’s advisors who are promoting sites like Drudge and Breitbart.com. In an interview with NewsMax, another far right site, Romney personally praised the Drudge Report

    http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/07/01/509328/romney-advisors-reveal-strategy-ignore-journalists-pander-to-right-wing-conspriacy-websites/

    Reply
  2. Ametia says:
    July 1, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    This turtle-ass clown right here

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvZvNSKrOZ4&feature=player_embedded

    Ya got NOTHING, McConnell. You and the GOP GOT.NOTHING.

    Reply
  3. Ametia says:
    July 1, 2012 at 1:53 pm

    SEOD to the Sunday shows putting CJ John Roberts up on a pedastal for doing his fucking job.

    Reply
  5. rikyrah says:
    July 1, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    A Word from Tally: ‘Obamacare Is An Epic Win For Everyone’

    By Chipsticks28 Comments

    The main thing you must know: The GOP’s SuperSugarDaddies™ are: The NRA, BIG OIL, BIG PHARMA, and BIG HEALTH. BIG HEALTH does NOT like Obamacare because it makes them spend money on actual CARE or else issue refunds. It forces them to cover sick people. It prevents them from dropping people so they don’t have to pay their claims. That means LESS MONEY FOR BIG HEALTH, and by extension, the GOP. If the ACA was such a giant gift to the BIG HEALTH insurers, why do they all want it repealed so badly? Everything the GOP says about Obamacare is a LIE.

    Anyone who walks into a hospital in the United States MUST BE TREATED whether they can pay for it or not. That is the law. The money for that doesn’t come from the GOP’s Magic Infinite Money Tree™.

    Healthcare IS A TAX NOW on the entire population, and has been forever – more so on the middle class who pay a higher tax rate than people like Mitt Romney. Everyone pays for the millions of people who either cannot afford it, or can afford it and refuse to buy insurance. We pay for it in taxes. We pay in overpriced premiums, and overpriced care.

    ALL OF THAT STOPS WITH THE ACA BECAUSE EVERYONE IS IN THE POOL.

    More people in the pool = less cost for everyone, and eventually everyone will get their coverage from the NON-PROFITS going onto the exchanges in 2014 who will offer BETTER PLANS for LESS MONEY because they don’t have $12mill CEOs to pay or stocks to sell. Only idiots will continue to throw money at for-profit insurers.

    Sure, those who can afford a plan but still refuse to buy one will have to pay a tax penalty. So what? THEY SHOULD. The good news is, the rest of us will save money by not picking up their tab anymore.

    Healthcare professionals like doctors and nurses will be in demand. Millions of JOBS created. Students going into the healthcare field will be guaranteed work!

    OBAMACARE IS EPIC WIN FOR EVERYONE! (Except the GOP who, like a bullying, abusive partner, hates anything good unless they create it.)

    http://theobamadiary.com/2012/07/01/a-word-from-tally-obamacare-is-an-epic-win-for-everyone/

    Reply
  6. rikyrah says:
    July 1, 2012 at 10:51 am

    Lew: GOP should drop health law opposition, time to ‘move on’

    By Meghashyam Mali – 07/01/12 09:43 AM ET

    White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew touted the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding the president’s healthcare reform bill Sunday and warned Republicans to “move on” and drop efforts to undo the legislation.

    “I don’t think the American people want to have this debate again,” said Lew about GOP efforts to repeal the health bill on “Fox News Sunday.” “I don’t think they want to be pulled back into decades of debate to get to where we are. We now have a law, the law is constitutional, we should implement it.”

    The high court on Thursday dealt a blow to Republicans by upholding the much of the Affordable Care Act in a 5-4 ruling. Congressional Republicans and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney have vowed though to continue efforts to undo the law.

    The House is expected to vote on July 11 after returning from recess on repealing the law. Past repeal votes though have failed to garner support in the Democratic-led Senate.

    Lew on Sunday said the administration was open to improving the healthcare law, but that efforts at full repeal were a waste of time.

    “The president has said on many occasions that he wants to work across party lines and there are things that can be done to improve the law,” he said. “Those are the conversations we should be having and we need to move on and deal with the economy and jobs. We need to put our efforts on creating opportunities for Americans to be employed.”

    Both sides are hopeful the court decision will help rally their supporters ahead of a tough November general election. Obama campaign officials are pushing Democrats to tout the healthcare bill as an example of the administration’s efforts to aid middle and working class families. Republicans, however, are seeking to use the court’s decision upholding the individual mandate under Congress’s taxing powers to paint the provision as a tax hike on families.

    Lew on Sunday pushed back on GOP claims that the health bill’s individual mandate is a tax and said the overwhelming majority of Americans would be able to easily comply with the provision.

    http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/politics-elections/235789-lew-gop-should-drop-health-law-repeal-vote-time-to-move-on

    Reply
  7. rikyrah says:
    July 1, 2012 at 10:50 am

    I can’t see it on Firefox, but I can on IE

    Reply
  8. Ametia says:
    July 1, 2012 at 8:42 am

    How Romneycare is like Obamacare on taxes

    The problem here for Romney is that his health care law in Massachusetts did the exact same thing as the Roberts-tweaked version of Obamacare will do. The individual mandate Romney installed uses the same tax scheme to penalize free riders as the Affordable Care Act will, charging people who chose to not purchase health insurance a penalty through the tax code. And Romney himself has acknowledged as much — many times.”

    http://www.salon.com/2012/06/29/how_romneycare_is_like_obamacare_on_taxes/

    Reply
  9. Ametia says:
    July 1, 2012 at 8:35 am

    Catching up on FACTS about Mitt Romney; bare with me here.

    ROMNEY PROMOTED THE USE OF TAX PENALTIES TO STOP FREE RIDERS
    2009: Romney Touted That “Using Tax Penalties, As We Did, Or Tax Credits, As Others Have Proposed, Encourages ‘Free Riders’ To Take Responsibility For Themselves Rather Than Pass Their Medical Costs On To Others.” In the op-ed titled Mr. President, What’s The Rush? during the discussion about federal health care legislation Romney wrote, “Our experience also demonstrates that getting every citizen insured doesn’t have to break the bank. First, we established incentives for those who were uninsured to buy insurance. Using tax penalties, as we did, or tax credits, as others have proposed, encourages ‘free riders’ to take responsibility for themselves rather than pass their medical costs on to others. This doesn’t cost the government a single dollar.”
    [Romney Op-Ed, USA Today, 7/30/09] http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20090730/column30_st.art.htm
    2006: Romney Said He Expected Those Who Could Afford Insurance To Get It Or Else “We’re Going To Withhold Their Tax Refund Or Put In Place Other Penalties To Assure That Everybody Comes In The System.” Romney: “For those that have higher incomes, we expect them to have health insurance. And if they don’t we’re going to withhold their tax refund or put in place other penalties to assure that everybody comes in the system.”
    [Fox News with Brit Hume,4/5/06]

    2005: Romney Was Asked If The “Individual Mandate” Which Could Lead To “Garnishing Of Wages And Tax Penalties” Was Part Of His Plan, To Which He Replied, “Absolutely.” Romney was interviewed by Hugh Hewitt who said “Of course, the Globe ran with the harshest part. The individual mandate, which could lead to garnishing of wages even, and tax penalties. Is that part of your plan?” Romney replied, “Absolutely, which is if somebody shows up at the hospital, and they can afford to pay, and they haven’t bought insurance, they can’t just say look. I don’t want to pay for this bill. I’m going to walk away.”
    Romney Interview with Hugh Hewitt,6/23/05; Transcript Via Radio Blogger,6/23/05]
    http://web.archive.org/web/20050701032030/http:/hughhewitt.com/

    2007: Romney Said The “Teeth” Oh His “Enforcement Mechanism” Was Due To “Kick In” In 2008 “When They Get Their Tax Bill Because If They Haven’t Bought Insurance, They’re Charged $100 A Month For Not Having Bought Insurance.” “These were people that used to go get free care, now they’re paying something. Now they know that their healthcare makes a difference to their pocketbook. They’re part of the system, that’s part of the revenue that came in – no more free ride. Everybody pays what they can afford. “And the final group, which are people earning over three times poverty level, the teeth in our enforcement mechanism don’t kick in until probably next April when they get their tax bill because if they haven’t bought insurance, they’re charged $100 a month for not having bought insurance.”
    [Governor Romney, Remarks at the Florida Medical Association,8/24/07]
    http://www.scribd.com/doc/84937460/Romney-2007-Florida-Medical-Association-Speech

    2008: Romney Said He Didn’t Back Off The Individual Mandate Nationally Saying “I Like Mandates.” MR. GIBSON: (Off mike) — Governor Romney — (off mike) — mandate and that’s an obstacle, although you’ve backed away from mandates on a national basis. MR. ROMNEY: No, no, I like mandates. Do the mandates work? Mandates — MR. THOMPSON: I beg your pardon? (Laughter.) MR. ROMNEY: Let me — MR. THOMPSON: I didn’t know you were going to admit that. MR. ROMNEY: Let me — oh, absolutely. MR. THOMPSON: You like mandates. MR. ROMNEY: Let me tell you what kind of mandates I like, Fred, which is this — MR. THOMPSON: And what did you come up with? (Laughter.) MR. GIBSON: Governor, you imposed tax — tax penalties in Massachusetts — (inaudible) — MR. ROMNEY: Yeah, we said, look, if people can afford to buy it, either buy the insurance or pay your own way. Don’t be free riders and pass on the cost of your health care to everybody else. [ABC Debate, New Hampshire Debate, 1/5/08]

    Romney Agreed He Imposed Tax Penalties In Massachusetts Saying “Yeah, We Said, Look, If People Can Afford To Buy It, Either Buy The Insurance Or Pay Your Own Way. Don’t Be Free Riders And Pass On The Cost Of Your Health Care To Everybody Else.” MR. GIBSON: “Governor, you imposed tax — tax penalties in Massachusetts — (inaudible) –“ MR. ROMNEY: “Yeah, we said, look, if people can afford to buy it, either buy the insurance or pay your own way. Don’t be free riders and pass on the cost of your health care to everybody else.” [ABC Debate, New Hampshire Debate, 1/5/08]

    Reply
  10. Ametia says:
    July 1, 2012 at 8:28 am

    Colorado firefighters see things they never had before
    By Adam Kilgore, Published: June 30

    COLORADO SPRINGS — Tuesday afternoon, Colorado Springs Fire Department Capt. Mike Wittry waited for his assignment with his wife by his side, at Coronado High School, the staging area to fight the wildfire blazing through Waldo Canyon. They had been evacuated from their home on the other side of the mountain, in the Mountain Shadows subdivision. They sat alone and listened to the scanner. A panicked update crackled over the radio: “Mountain Shadows is burning.”

    He took his wife’s hand, looked into her eyes and said, “We’ve got each other.”

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/colorado-firefighters-see-things-they-never-had-before/2012/06/30/gJQAVJLYEW_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines

    Reply
  12. Ametia says:
    July 1, 2012 at 8:22 am

    Good Morning, Everyone! :-)

    What a glorious way to wake up and hear our First Lady speaking TRUTH.

    Reply

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