Fwd: There’s No Such Thing as a Free Donut

June 8, 2010 There's No Such Thing as a Free Donut President Obama, joined by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sibelius, held a televised Town Hall Meeting today on the benefits of his big health care law with senior citizens in Wheaton, Maryland. The President's public relations offensive will be coordinated with unions and a bevy of liberal interest groups, ranging from the AARP to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The President's appearance is specifically designed to put the national spotlight on a "milestone"  provision of the unpopular national health law: A $250 rebate to help senior citizens pay for prescription drugs if they should find themselves in the so-called "donut hole." The "donut hole" refers to the gap in prescription drug coverage where seniors, after reaching a certain spending limit, are required to pick up 100 percent of the drug costs, until they reach a catastrophic threshold and then regain full coverage. Curiously, the "donut hole" that the new rebate is starting to "fill up" is the federal government's creation in the first place. There was nothing quite like it in "nature." Instead, it was designed by Congress in 2003 to shave the cost of the newly created universal Medicare drug entitlement, and thus help the Congressional Budget Office numbers come out right. Sound familiar? Back then, the Heritage Foundation's health policy team relentlessly criticized Republicans for creating a reckless and unnecessary new entitlement, and scoffed at the bizarre congressional benefit design. Heritage was soon vindicated when the Medicare Trustees revealed that the drug entitlement alone would add $8 trillion to Medicare's unfunded liability. Today's event is high-powered Presidential showmanship for entitlement politics. But the dynamics of entitlements always follows a familiar pattern. Promise folks something for nothing, or a little for a lot. Promise universal generosity; shower benefits up front, and then run up big debt. (In Medicare, right now, the long-term debt, sometimes called the unfunded liability, has already reached a breathtaking $38 trillion.) Faced with rising entitlement costs, the politicians go through their gyrations. But, in the end, they start cutting payments for services, either surgically or with the budget meat ax, on the back end. In the case of the President's giant health care law, there is nothing subtle about any of it. First a few benefits today, then the big cuts tomorrow. The initial $250 rebate will doubtless be a welcome relief to those burdened with a goofy government benefit design, which Congress should have never created in the first place. (In Obamacare, all health benefits, private and public, will be subject to government manipulation.) But it's small change for Medicare back end cuts that are going to play havoc with seniors' benefits. As we at Heritage have warned, Obamacare is going to have a very big and unpleasant impact on senior citizens. For example: Access Problems and Benefit Cuts. Throughout the debate, the President and Administration spokesmen insisted that the roughly half a trillion dollars in Medicare payment cuts would not result in benefit cuts. But few serious analysts believed that this was even possible. For example, CBO Director Doug Elmendorf told the Senate last summer that the proposed Medicare cuts in the Senate version of the legislation would, in fact, result in…benefit cuts. Now that the legislation has been signed into law, Richard Foster, The Chief Actuary at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), says the new law's Medicare payment cuts  could end the participation of some providers, would make an estimated 15 percent of hospitals unprofitable, and jeopardize the access of seniors to health care. Less Choice. Look for a bigger negative impact on Medicare Advantage health plans, the plans that today cover almost one in four seniors. According to the CMS actuary, Medicare Advantage cuts are going to decimate that program: the actuary projects that enrollment in those plans would be cut in half over the next 10 years, falling from an estimated 14.8 million to 7.4 million. Seniors who like their health plans that they have today will be in for a rude awakening. More Payment Cuts. The new law creates a 15-member Independent Payment Advisory Board. It will make Medicare payment policy, and sets up a process to make them go into effect, unless Congress enacts an alternative set of recommendations. The Board's statutory objective is to reduce the per capita growth rate in Medicare spending. OK. But cutting costs will not come not through some politically incorrect introduction of free market forces. Instead, the law envisions a ratcheting down of reimbursement the old fashioned way through administrative fiat. By 2015, Medicare payment is to grow according to measures of inflation. By 2019, it is to grow at GDP, plus 1 percentage point. Like the current Medicare physician payment formula, another mess Congress created, the Medicare payment will not reflect the supply and demand for particular medical services in a market. It just mean more payment cuts. The provision is advertised as avoiding rationing. But you can't get more of something if you pay less for it. And, dear senior citizens, that means there is going to be less. Enjoy today's theatrics, and savor that nice, little rebate. RECENT ENTRIES Obamacare Creates a Costly Drop in Employer Health Coverage HSAs an Endangered Species under Obamacare Share Today's Side Effects Facebook Myspace Digg Linkdin Twitter   Facebook Twitter YouTube Kindle Flickr Support our work by becoming a member with your gift of $25 or more. The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002-4999 Call us at (202) 546-4400 Add newsletters@heritage.org to your address book to ensure that you receive emails from us.

Fwd: Inspector General?s Memo: Census Says It Hired More Workers Than It Needed As a ?Cost-Saving Measure?

Today's Headlines Monday, June 7, 2010

The "New" War That Could Rocket Oil Past $220 Before 2011 This shocking war is eight times bigger than the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. It's also lethal enough to at least DOUBLE the price of gas and oil before 2011… Bunker down against soaring energy costs with the ONE "safe haven" financial plan that could pay you gains up to 668%. To learn more, Click Here. Inspector General's Memo: Census Says It Hired More Workers Than It Needed As a 'Cost-Saving Measure' (CNSNews.com) - The U.S. Census purposefully hired more workers than it needed, telling the Office of the Inspector General of the Commerce Department that it did so as a "cost-saving measure," according to a memorandum that Todd J. Zinser of the inspector general's office sent to Census Bureau Director Robert Groves last week. U.S. Will be Like Greece in 'Seven to 10 Years,' Say Congressmen, Experts (CNSNews.com) - Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), along with other members of Congress and leading financial experts, is warning that the United States is in danger of being in the same dire situation as Greece – national bankruptcy -- in seven to 10 years unless the federal government slashes its debt and controls spending. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said the U.S. has been making decisions similar to those that caused Greece's debt crisis. DOJ's Civil Rights Division, Which Did Not Prosecute New Black Panthers, Is 'Conscience' of Nation, Holder Says (CNSNews.com) – Attorney General Eric Holder said Friday that the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is the "conscience of our nation" and that he has restored its primacy within the department during his first year on the job. The division, which handles "hate crimes" and voter rights cases, came under scrutiny after failing to prosecute a group of New Black Panthers who allegedly engaged in voter intimidation and racial insults outside a Philadelphia polling station on Election Day 2008. On Anniversary of Cairo Speech, Leaders Claim Obama Has Yet to Connect with American Muslims (CNSNews.com) – One year after President Barack Obama gave a speech at Cairo University to usher in what the White House called a "new beginning" for America's relationship with Muslims around the world, leaders from a number of American Islamic organizations say that Obama has yet to visit an American mosque or meet with them to discuss issues they care about. Removal of Two Key Afghan Officials Seen As A Blow to the West (CNSNews.com) – The departure of two top Afghan officials respected by Western governments raises new concerns about the direction in which the country is moving. U.S. officials frequently praised one of the departing officials for his efforts to combat corruption. Revolutionary Guard Ready to Escort Gaza-Bound Ships, As Islamic Nations Demand More U.N. Action (CNSNews.com) – Iran's Revolutionary Guard is ready to provide military escorts to ships attempting to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, a senior official said Sunday. Leading Islamic countries, meanwhile, are suggesting a range of responses to last week's deadly maritime clash between Israeli troops and pro-Palestinian activists, including Israel's expulsion from international organizations and severing of diplomatic ties. Poll: 60 Percent of Americans Favor Repeal of Health Care Bill (CNSNews.com) - This was the second straight week the Rassmussen polling company has found support at or above 60 percent for a repeal of the bill that will reform the national health care system. An analyst at a conservative think tank told CNSNews.com that he doesn't find the poll result surprising. Two-Thirds of Americans Want Stricter Enforcement of Immigration Laws, Quinnipiac Poll Finds (CNSnews.com) - Two-thirds of Americans – 66 percent -- would rather see stricter enforcement of immigration laws than offering illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. The poll found that 51 percent approve of Arizona's immigration law while 31 percent disapprove. CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO Wilmer Valderrama: Too Many Hollywood Films Have a 'Secret Political Agenda' (CNSNews.com) – "The Dry Land," a film about a soldier who returns home from the Iraq War and struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome, premiered in Washingtonthis week. Wilmer Valderrama, one of the stars of the film, told CNSNews.com that unlike "The Dry Land," too many feature films in Hollywood have what he called a "secret political agenda" instead of focusing on "heroic stories." Pelosi Says She Has a Duty to Pursue Policies in Keeping With The Values of Jesus, 'The Word Made Flesh' (CNSNews.com) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says she believes she must pursue public policies "in keeping with the values" of Jesus Christ, "The Word made Flesh." Pelosi is a Catholic and who favors legalized abortion. OTHER CNSNEWS.COM HEADLINES Supreme Court Turns Down 'No Child Left Behind' Case Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Lawsuit Involving Clinton's Eligibility to Be Secretary of State Israeli Navy Kills Four Palestinian Militants Off Gaza on Monday Ahead of Midterm Election, Congress Becomes Deficit-Wary Defense Secretary Gates Says Sacking of Afghan Officials an Internal Matter Obama Moves to Improve Relations With Azerbaijan Crowded Agenda Awaits Hillary Clinton in Latin America Secretary of State Clinton Expects Iran to 'Pull Some Stunt' in Next Few Days New Jersey Men Accused in Terror Plot Obamas Attend Ford's Theatre Gala; No White House Mention of D-Day Helen Thomas High School Speech Canceled Over Flap Senators in Both Parties Voice Concerns Over Obama's Choice for U.S. Intelligence Chief Egypt: Gaza Blockade A Failure, Border Stays Open IAEA Chief Calls Iran's Nuclear Program A Special Case AP: With Gulf Oil Spill, Government Fails Its Latest Test of Trust U.S. Asks Israel to Investigate Wounding of American Citizen Government Awards $234 Million in AmeriCorps Expansion Donate Today! Please help CNSNews.com keep bringing you 'The Right News - Right Now!' Make a contribution to CNSNews.com today. It's fast, simple and secure. Help CNSNews.com and Donate Today!  NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP: At least $500 million has been spent since 9/11 on renovating Guantanamo Bay Joint Chiefs chairman pays tribute to D-Day fallen (Obama does not) L.A. ordinance shuts down more than 400 medical marijuana stores New Mexico's medical pot law, similar to N.J.'s, is too restrictive for some 'Boring' nominee Elena Kagan stays under radar Americans now see Obama as a partisan Democrat Vatican says world ignores Christians in Mideast Colorado cemetery seeks to liven up with art, concerts Turkey's foreign policy moves raise concern in West and at home Philadelphia rally targets bill to extend jobless benefits I-95 in Florida is nation's deadliest highway June heat pushing records, melting snow Rush Limbaugh marries Kathryn Rogers in lavish Palm Beach ceremony COMMENTARY Rude, Crude & Unacceptable By Rich Galen I have never been a fan of Helen Thomas, but I was a fan of Paul McCartney for four decades. Now, I think they should they should both be taken to the woodshed -- McCartney, for his lame effort to show solidarity with the Obama administration, and Thomas for suggesting that Israelis should "get the hell out of Palestine" and "go home" to Poland, Germany, and America. 'Oil Addiction' Lies By Alan Caruba Next to the international hoax about global warming allegedly being caused by carbon dioxide, the biggest lie being told to Americans these days is that we are "addicted" to oil and that we must convert our economy and society away from its use. Despite all the talk about "clean energy research and development," there are no viable or sensible substitutes for oil, coal, and natural gas.

Fwd: MRC Alert: NBC Leads by Touting Obama Showing 'Anger' by Promising to 'Kick Ass'

 

A daily compilation edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert items are drawn from daily BiasAlert posts and distributed by the Media Research Center's News Analysis Division, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

 

Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
Tuesday June 08, 2010 @ 08:50 AM EDT

1. NBC Leads by Touting Obama Showing 'Anger' by Promising to 'Kick Ass'
Insular liberal-media cycle: Liberal columnists demand that President Obama show "anger" over BP's oil leak, Obama promises NBC's Matt Lauer that he's determining "whose ass to kick" and so Brian Williams – trumpeting "this is just into us" -- leads the NBC Nightly News with how "the President showed some anger on the topic of his handling of this spill so far."

2. NBC's Mitchell Mourns: 'A Sad Way' for Helen Thomas' Career to End
On her self-titled MSNBC show on Monday, Andrea Mitchell Reports, NBC's Andrea Mitchell mourned Helen Thomas' resignation as a long time White House correspondent, over recent inflammatory remarks about Israelis, as "a sad way" for her career to end. Talking with NBC's political director Chuck Todd, Mitchell spoke about the loss "in the family" of the White House press corps and bemoaned the end of "a legendary career" of "a friend." For his part Todd noted Thomas' outburst reignited a debate within the White House Correspondents Association about the presence of "very opinionated" columnists and talk radio types in the White House press corps.

3. CNN's Don Lemon Acts as Helen Thomas Apologist in Fleischer Interview
CNN anchor Don Lemon repeatedly defended rabidly anti-Israel columnist Helen Thomas as he interviewed Ari Fleischer late in the 7 pm Eastern hour of Sunday's Newsroom. After playing Thomas's remarks, Lemon lauded her in his first question to Fleischer: "Helen Thomas has broken down many barriers for women....She has a lifelong achievement...in journalism. Should that count for anything?" The former press secretary strongly condemned Thomas's comments and proposed that "if somebody said that all blacks need to leave America and go home to Africa, they would have already lost their jobs," while stating that two of them "always ideologically disagreed, but I liked her." Lemon followed through on this point: "Yeah, that was my next point. It's- I know that people disagree ideologically- but you can still be friends or still be co-workers. Have you reached out to her at all? Have you tried to talk to her about why she said this?"

4. Former Clinton Aide George Stephanopoulos Touts Sex Scandal Rumors Against Nikki Haley
Ex-Clinton operative tuned journalist George Stephanopoulos on Monday touted allegations about a supposed affair between South Carolina's Nikki Haley and a lobbyist. Recounting the details of the charges leveled against the Republican politician, the Good Morning America host marveled, "And down in South Carolina, they can't just seem to get enough of it, in the gubernatorial primary, the leading candidate embroiled in a bit of a sex scandal."

5. Comic on CBS 'Early Show': Americans 'All to Blame' for Oil Spill, Being Energy 'Pigs'
Promoting his latest HBO special on Monday's CBS Early Show, comedian Robert Klein turned his attention to the Gulf oil spill and who's to blame: "...we're all to blame. We're pigs. It's a parable for us. American pre-imminence is not guaranteed and unless we learn that this stuff has dangers – where are all those 'drill, baby, drills' now?" Klein went on to add: "...all that oil that's fouling everything, it probably wouldn't run the automobiles in Texas for one day." Smith chimed in: "An hour." Klein proclaimed: "...it's minuscule, that's how much we use of that stuff. So let's get off it. I mean, and it's coming back to us in bullets, everybody knows this. But Americans have a memory of about 12 seconds."

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Fwd: Morning Bell: The Obama Spending Nightmare Continues

06/08/2010 The Obama Spending Nightmare Continues This morning White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and budget director Peter Orszag will release a memo directing all federal agency heads "to develop plans" to cut at least 5 percent from their budgets by "identifying programs that do little to advance their missions or President Obama's agenda." This spasm of fiscal responsibility can mean only one thing: the Obama administration is about to go on another wild spending binge. And sure enough Politico reports that while Blue Dogs in the House managed to whittle what was a $200 billion "jobs" bill down to $146 billion last month, the Senate is now larding it back up again with a $24 billion Medicaid bailout and a $23 billion teachers union bailout. This spend-now/cut-later act has become a staple for the Obama administration. In February 2009, after signing the largest single-year increase in domestic federal spending since World War II, President Obama held a "fiscal responsibility" summit designed to "send a signal that we are serious" about putting the nation on sounder financial footing. Then in June 2009, the day after promising faster deficit spending to stimulate the economy, Obama called on Congress to pass "pay-as-you-go" legislation (PAYGO), a rule Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has violated by a mere $1 trillion since she took power in 2006. And then after President Obama signed his trillion-dollar health spending plan, he convened his toothless National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The American people have caught on to Obama's fiscal responsibility farce. According to Gallup, federal government debt is now tied with terrorism as the most worrisome issue to Americans. In particular, independents identify federal government debt as their top concern, a full six points ahead of terror. And the latest Pew poll shows that for the first time ever, more Americans now believe that the president's economic policies have made economic conditions worse than made them better. And Bloomberg reported this week that President Obama's policies are poised to increase the U.S. debt to a level that exceeds the value of the nation's annual economic output, a step toward what some called a "debt super cycle."

Fwd: Morning Bell: White House in Disarray

05/28/2010 White House in Disarray A fudgelike goo coating Louisiana's marshes. A thick oil slick stretching across the Gulf of Mexico. A plume of oil miles below the ocean surface. A tragic loss of life. Reverberating economic consequences. Throw in a poll that shows that 53 percent of Americans rate President Barack Obama "poor" or "very poor" in his handling of the Gulf oil spill, and it's no wonder the President yesterday broke his 308-day self-imposed press conference moratorium in hopes of conveying some semblance of leadership amid an environmental, economic and human catastrophe that has spiraled out of his control. But if Americans were looking for signs of leadership from their President yesterday, they were disappointed. What they got from President Obama was a glimpse of a White House in total disarray, where one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing and where there are more questions than answers. At 12:45 PM EDT yesterday, President Obama stood before the country and did his best to convey one clear message regarding the oil spill - the federal government is in control and that he will hold BP to account. Obama said: The American people should know that from the moment this disaster began, the federal government has been in charge of the response effort ... BP is operating at our direction. Every key decision and action they take must be approved by us in advance. Unfortunately for the President, he couldn't maintain that message for the duration of his 63-minute press conference. When it came time to questions, he admitted that the federal government just doesn't have what it takes to keep the oil spill under control.

Fwd: Obamacare’s Cooked Books and the “Doc Fix”

Obamacare's Cooked Books and the "Doc Fix"   The Obama administration continues to insist (see this post from White House budget director Peter Orszag) that the recently enacted health-care law will reduce the federal budget deficit by $100 billion over ten years and by ten times that amount in the second decade of implementation. They cite the Congressional Budget Office's cost estimate for the final legislation to back their claims. And it is undeniably true that CBO says the legislation, as written, would reduce the federal budget deficit by $124 billion over ten years from the health-related provisions of the new law. The Scoop Obamacare: Impact on Seniors    Congressional Research Service Report of Medicare Provisions in Obamacare   Video: Health Care Reform Timeline   Department of Health and Human Services Report: Medicaid Children Not Receiving Health Care   Entitlement Spending & Interest Payments Are Squeezing Out Other Programs But that's not whole story about Obamacare's budgetary implications — not by a long shot. For starters, CBO is not the only game in town. In the executive branch, the chief actuary of the Medicare program is supposed to provide the official health-care cost projections for the administration — at least he always has in the past. His cost estimate for the new health law differs in important ways from the one provided by CBO and calls into question every major contention the administration has advanced about the bill. The president says the legislation will slow the pace of rising costs; the actuary says it won't. The president says people will get to keep their job-based plans if they want to; the actuary says 14 million people will lose their employer coverage, many of whom would certainly rather keep it than switch into an untested program. The president says the new law will improve the budget outlook; in so many words, the chief actuary says, don't bet on it. All of this helps explain why the president of the United States would be so sensitive about the release of the actuary's official report that he would dispatch political subordinates to undermine it with the media. It's not the chief actuary's assignment to provide estimates of non-Medicare-related tax provisions, so his cost projections for Obamacare do not capture all of the needed budget data to estimate the full impact on the budget deficit. But it's possible to back into such a figure by using the Joint Tax Committee's estimates for the tax provisions missing from the chief actuary's report. When that is done, $50 billion of deficit reduction found in the CBO report is wiped out. And that's before the other gimmicks, double counting, and hidden costs are exposed and removed from the accounting, too. For instance, this week House and Senate Democratic leaders are rushing to approve a massive, budget-busting, tax-and-spending bill. Among its many provisions is a three-year Medicare "doc fix," which will effectively undo the scheduled 21 percent cut in Medicare physician fees set to go into effect in June. CBO says this version of the "doc fix" would add $65 billion to the budget deficit over 10 years. The entire bill would pile another $134 billion onto the national debt over the next decade. If the Obama administration gets its way, this three-year physician-fee fix will eventually get extended again, and also without offsets. Over a full 10-year period, an unfinanced "doc fix" would add $250 to $400 billion to the budget deficit, depending on design and who is doing the cost projection (CBO or the actuary). Administration officials and their outside enthusiasts (see here) say the Democratic Congress shouldn't have to find offsets for the "doc fix" because everybody knows a fix needs to be enacted and therefore should go into the baseline. (By the way, the history of the sustainable growth rate [SGR] that Ezra Klein provides at the link above is a misleading one. The SGR was a replacement for a predecessor program that too had run off the rails — the so-called "Volume Performance Standard" enacted by a Democratic Congress in 1989.) But supporting a "doc fix" is not the same as supporting an unfinanced one on a long-term or permanent basis. Not everybody in Congress is for running up more debt to pay for a permanent repeal of the scheduled fee cuts, which is why such a repeal has never been passed before. In the main, the previous administration and Congresses worked to find ways to prevent Medicare fee cuts while finding offsets to pay for it. But that's not the policy of the Obama administration. The truth is the president and his allies in Congress worked overtime to pull together every Medicare cut they could find — nearly $500 billion in all over ten years — and put them into the health law to pay for the massive entitlement expansion they so coveted. They could have used those cuts to pay for the "doc fix" if they had wanted to, as well as for a slightly less expansive health program. But that's not what they did. That wasn't their priority. They chose instead to break their agenda into multiple bills, and "pay for" the massive health entitlement (on paper) while claiming they shouldn't have to find offsets for the "doc fix." But it doesn't matter to taxpayers if they enact their agenda in one, two, or ten pieces of legislation. The total cost is still the same. All of the supposed deficit reduction now claimed from the health-care law is more than wiped out by the Democrats' insistent march to borrow and spend for Medicare physician fees. And the games don't end there. CBO's cost estimate assumes $70 billion in deficit reduction from the so-called "CLASS Act." This is the new voluntary long-term-care insurance program that hitched a ride on Obamacare because it too created the illusion of deficit reduction. People who sign up for the insurance must pay premiums for at least five years before they are eligible to draw benefits. By definition, then, at start-up and for several years thereafter, there will be a surplus in the program as new entrants pay premiums and very few people draw benefits. That's the source of the $70 billion "savings." But the premiums collected in the program's early years will be needed very soon to pay actual claims. Not only that, but the new insurance program is so poorly designed it too will need a federal bailout. So this is far worse than a benign sleight of hand. The Democrats have created a budgetary monster even as they used misleading estimates to tout their budgetary virtue. There is much more, of course. CBO's cost projections don't reflect the administrative costs required to micromanage the health system from the Department of Health and Human Services. The number of employers looking to dump their workers into subsidized insurance is almost certainly going to be much higher than either CBO or the chief actuary now projects. And the price inflation from the added demand of the newly entitled isn't factored into any of the official cost projections. We've seen this movie before. When the government creates a new entitlement, politicians lowball the costs to get the law passed, and then blame someone else when program costs soar. Witness Massachusetts. Most Americans are sensible enough to know already that's what can be expected next with Obamacare. forward message   or visit our website   The White House has launched a taxpayer-funded Web site to "reality check" credible criticisms and arguments. Problem is the Obama administration's videos "debunking" each "myth" are low on facts. Click here to see our response.   Facebook Twitter YouTube The Heritage Foundation - 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC Call us at 202 546 4400

Fwd: Majority of Americans Believe Future of Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell Should be Left Up to Military Commanders, Zogby Poll Finds

Today's Headlines Thursday, May 27, 2010

Majority of Americans Believe Future of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Should be Left Up to Military Commanders, Zogby Poll Finds (CNSNews.com) – Fifty-nine (59) percent of Americans think military leaders, rather than Congress, should be making the decision about the military policy on homosexuality, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Family Research Center... Senate Leader Reid: Some Republicans Call Unemployed Americans 'Bums' and 'Hobos' (CNSNews.com) - As the unemployment rate in the United States approaches 10 percent, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that some "on the Republican side" have called out-of-work Americans "bums" and "hobos." He also said the unemployed are people who legitimately "cannot find work for long periods of time," and he disagreed with those who suggest that unemployment is a "never-ending issue."... 'Synthetic' Cell Research Isn't Frankenstein Science, but Raises Troubling Questions, Analysts Say (CNSNews.com) - The recent report that scientists have created a "synthetic cell" for the first time has raised several questions about the societal and ethical implications of such technology... Biden: $787 Billion Stimulus Bill Created 'New Ideas on How to Spend Government Money Wisely' (CNSNews.com) – Heading up a Middle Class Task Force roundtable discussion on Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden said that one of the benefits of the $787 billion stimulus package signed into law in February is that it has generated new ideas for dealing with economic problems, including unemployment... Obama's July 2011 Draw-Down Date for Afghanistan Sends Mixed Messages, Former Afghan Presidential Candidate Says Washington (CNSNews.com) - Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, a candidate in the 2009 Afghan presidential election, said the July 2011 date set by President Barack Obama for U.S. troops to draw-down from Afghanistan is problematic because it creates a perception of mixed messages about U.S. commitment to the country... Brennan Names Al Qaeda and Affiliates as the Enemy, Silent on Hezbollah, Others (CNSNews.com) – President Obama's counter terrorism advisor framed America's enemy Wednesday as "al-Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates," but said nothing about anti-U.S. Islamists not affiliated to the network led by Osama bin Laden... CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO Dave Matthews: 'Too Bad If We Have To Pay a Little Extra Money for Gasoline' Grammy award-winning musician Dave Matthews said it's "too bad if we have to pay a little extra money for gasoline" and coal because that's what "we have to do" to protect the environment. OTHER CNSNEWS.COM HEADLINES Suspected Terror Mastermind Free to Rail Against India and 'Blasphemy' Oklahoma Governor Vetoes Abortion Bill on Insurance Mortgage Rates Sink to Lowest This Year Tight Pants Ban Takes Effect in Indonesia's Aceh Donate Today! Please help CNSNews.com keep bringing you 'The Right News - Right Now!' Make a contribution to CNSNews.com today. It's fast, simple and secure. Help CNSNews.com and Donate Today!  COMMENTARY Minimum Wage Cruelty: An Update By Walter E. Williams It's breathtakingly stupid to think of minimum wages as an anti-poverty tool. If it were, poverty in places such as Haiti, Ethiopia and Bangladesh could be instantly eliminated simply by proposing that these country's legislators mandate a higher minimum wage. I'm wondering whether the Obama administration has proposed a $7.25 minimum wage as part of the cure to Haiti's poverty...

Fwd: Eric Cantor (R-VA) On Missile Defense

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) On Missile Defense Representative Eric Cantor presented a lecture at The Heritage Foundation on the importance of a strong national defense for America. An excerpt of his remarks on missile defense: "Most troubling is that this is happening as America's military defenses are being downgraded. Nowhere is the erosion of peace through strength more evident than in nuclear and missile defense policy."  Missile Defense News Missile Defense Agency and Skeptics Clash Over SM-3   Sen. Jim DeMint Criticizes START   Russia Agrees to Iran Sanctions   Get the FAQs on Missile Defense   "Missile defense is modern technology's most game-changing deterrent to a potentially devastating attack. By abandoning the Third Site in Europe to placate Russia, all we have done is push back the date when we can credibly deter Iran. Meanwhile, our nuclear weapons arsenal is aging and desperately needs to be replenished, but the Administration and congressional Democrats have cut off funds to do it. " "The Administration hails the renewal of the START treaty as a major accomplishment, but what does it really accomplish? As we rein in our nukes, Iran and others will try to increase theirs. Then the White House promises that the U.S. won't respond to any biological or conventional attack with nuclear weapons." "How does taking the threat of massive retaliation off the table make us safer? It's akin to responding to a crime wave by announcing that you are pulling police officers off the street." Read Congressman Cantor's full remarks here forward message visit 33minutes.com   The safety and security of our country has and will always be a top priority for all Americans. The Heritage Foundation's NationalSecurity.org provides accurate and timely information. Sign up for email updates.   Facebook Twitter YouTube The Heritage Foundation - 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC Call us at 202-546-4400

Fwd: Morning Bell: This Congress Has No Shame

05/27/2010 This Congress Has No Shame On February 4, 2010, pushing for passage of her pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) legislation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said on the House floor: "When I became Speaker of the House, the very first day we passed legislation that made PAYGO the rule of the House. Today we will make it the law of the land. ... So the time is long overdue for this to be taken for granted. The federal government will pay as it goes." That was the promise. But here is the reality: in the three years that Speaker Pelosi has enforced her PAYGO rule, the House has violated it by nearly $1 trillion. And now with the U.S. Debt Clock officially passing the $13 trillion milestone Wednesday, the House is set to violate their own PAYGO law yet again, this time to the tune of around $150 billion. The legislation clocks-in at almost one-fifth the size of President Barack Obama's original $862 billion failed economic stimulus, and the leftist majority in Congress has titled it "The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act." And it is a tax-hiking, spending-exploding, job-killing, deficit-hiking wonder.

Fwd: Morning Bell: A Crisis of Competence in the Gulf

05/26/2010 A Crisis of Competence in the Gulf "Let's be clear: Every day that this oil sits is one more day that more of our marsh dies," Gov. Bobby Jindal (LA) said Monday. "We've been frustrated with the disjointed effort to date that has too often meant too little, too late for the oil hitting our coast," he continued. Specifically, Jindal is frustrated by the failure of the federal government to produce the 8 million feet of oil-blocking booms it asked for back on May 2nd and 3rd. So far Louisiana has only received 815,000 feet of boom, and even then the federal government has failed to place it in the correct locations. Worse, Obama administration regulators continue to deny Louisiana officials permission to build up barrier islands between the coast's marshes and the gulf. Federal regulators have so far refused to permit the state to act, fearing the unintended long-term damage to local wildlife. So instead of action, the oil continues to float on shore threatening the livelihoods of millions of Louisianans. Meanwhile the Environmental Protection Agency again demonstrated its uselessness when it informed BP it had 24 hours to find a less toxic alternative to the chemical it had been using to break up the oil. BP informed the EPA that no alternatives were available in sufficient quantity to deal with the spill, and when the EPA's deadline came and went with no change in BP's practices, the EPA meekly said they would study the issue, which was an acknowledgment that it has no answer either.