2014 – the Games Intensify – Senate Dem’s Meet Ad Blitz – Clinton-Obama Huddle to Save the Senate

ABS News Photo Picturing Presidents Obama and Clinton - saving the Senate Dem's - no easy task.

According to the Washington Post, the American’s for Prosperity Pac, is targeting 12 – vulnerable Democrat Senators, while at the same time, it appears that zero of the Republican Senators are in precarious positions – the ad buy is said to be massive, making it difficult if not impossible for Democrats to defend their “turf” – The Republicans are semi-untouchable .unless of course, it is a primary challenge from one of those rascally Conservative-Libertarians.

Meanwhile, CBS News is excited that former President Bill Clinton is “in the huddle” with Obama to save 2014 – to the point where the President has promised to distance himself from those Democrat Senators who may just lose their seats. (CBS) Of course, of note, this is not a popular well read story on CBS News, which begs the question – Does anyone really care, or find Bill Clinton/Obama “huddles” relevant?

One has to imagine that the Democrats in questions, being targeted as they are with anti-Democrat Senator ads – might not do well with or without Obama and/or Clinton, as the gift that keeps on giving, the Affordable Health Care Act, or Obama Care or Romney Care, continues to bring new angst to soon to be former Democrats by the day. The LA Times Tells of the Obama care patients who apparently cannot get a doctor to see them, as coverage is limited, and not unlike the websites, the exchanges are running in similar dysfunction manners.

Therefore, ads or no, this group, as well as anyone who can be remotely tied to the Bill, will be seeing a whole new crop of voters who will vote the other way - Estimates of upwards of 7 million individuals have lost their plans through the new program – therefore, that’s 7 million who may take it out in the polls. That’s a thought worth chewing on for a moment. In the swing of things, with parties being equal in enrollment and Independents growing in leaps and bounds – the chances of any type of Democrat comeback for the next 2 midterms and general election are starting to wan. Further and perhaps most interesting is the relevance of President Clinton on getting out a mad base to begin with – especially saddled with the irrelevancy of Obama. Should he succeed in saving a seat it should be considered nothing short of miraculous.

Here comes the spin – Obama Care to drive 2 million out of workforce – Leaving a job or reducing hours to qualify for O-Care? – How to Fix the Entire Government – simple steps – any idiot could figure out.

From Investors Business Daily - Obama Care Means Less Work Social Security Worse – headline that makes one wonder if the hits will keep on coming, and of course, they do.

First, the incentive not to work:

ObamaCare's work disincentives will reduce employment levels by the equivalent of 2 million full-time jobs by 2017, the Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday.

Less work, slower economic growth and burgeoning entitlement-fueled deficits marked the CBO's downbeat 10-year outlook, adding to concerns about the long-term budget.

Further, due to a reduction in the workforce, Social Security is in even more jeopardy:

The outlook for less work than expected from modest earners and a greater share of earnings going to those with high incomes looks particularly troubling for the future of Social Security. The retirement program's annual cash deficits will spiral to $313 billion by 2024 from $68 billion in 2013, CBO said.

Investors Business Daily.

And what did one expect? With Nancy Pelosi quipping, one has to sign the bill in order for one to find out what’s in it – to the burgeoning budget, misleading figures, “you can keep your doctor”, finding that doctors are bailing, You can keep your insurance, finding policies cancelled, and the rollout of the website – less than stellar adds up to a big – What on earth is wrong with those people in Washington?

Did they leave their brains at the door?

Apparently.

How to fix this mess:

Expand Medicare, or keep Medicare for those who are indigent. The Congress and Federal Employees have a health care program with options – make that Congress Care – and allow those who would join the pool at reduced rates – do so. Allow insurers to cross state lines, driving up competition and driving down costs. Make current mandates “a la cart” – for example: infertility services, one could buy a rider for their policy, leaving those who neither want nor need the coverage free to enjoy lower premiums. One thing that should be mandated as covered for all is routine physicals, including mammograms, obgyn exams, colonoscopies and prostrate exam – annually. Finally cap litigation awards, remove class action suits from the medical lexicon, leaving a straight forward open road for individual mal-practice suits. Take the flipping tax off the medical device industry.

The aforementioned simple and easy steps –would not only put the healthcare back to buff, but allow it to flourish.

There should be no incentives to students to enter the field; the field should be enough of an incentive in a free market. Remove mandates that have ties to the IRS or its state equivalent. What those mandate accomplishes nothing more than numbers – as there is a way out (hardship) in all cases, fewer people are insured as state programs are costly. Taking off the mandates, would encourage those who would be paying the states/fed into paying for lower cost insurance plans.

It doesn’t take a Congressperson, a Senator or any other number of Washington elites to figure it out, if this one person could do so (and so many others have) then it should be a no-brainer. We, as a nation, need to get government out of industry and health care is – industry.

Other issues easily solved: Immigration – enforce existing laws –if one must figure out what to-do with twelve million people here, offer them visa’s and insure they have a job. Stop giving crime fighting cash to Mexico –and let them hash it out on their own – they attacked Texas, they lost but they had the temerity –they should get some of that back.

Medical Marijuana – really who cares –it’s medical, it’s marijuana, it’s a weed any eon can grow, and it has benefits – let the states decide

Marriage – let the states decide.

Religion, let the individual decide -freedom of not freedom from (see Constitution)

Women –if we are stupid enough to let one issue allow us to vote like sheep – were doomed, and I mean regardless of the side of life upon which one stands.

A short history: Roe vs. Wade, 1970’s, Presidents since that time: Jimmy Carter (D), Ronald Regan (R), George H. Bush (R), Bill Clinton (D), George W Bush (R), and Barack Obama (D). We have had houses and senates controlled by both parties, intermittently – getting less done by the decade. Not one time, not once, has any one politician done anything to take away one’s birth control or anything to stop abortion. Both of those items are women’s issues and both are economic. If one is pro-choice, buy the goods, have the abortion, if one is pro-life, don’t’. Simple. No government subsidies necessary for any companies that make huge profits from abortions and birth control (Planned Parenthood – we accept all insurance). If we, as women, dropped that issue as a non-starter, stopped giving money to politicians and groups based on the 40 year inability to move the goalpost one inch, and focused on say – economic parity, we would no longer be groups with “and minorities” – as we are a large block that could rule the planet, if we so chose.

Finally Social Security.

Yes, the elites believe we the people are not to be trusted with our own money –because we might not always exercise sound judgment – of course, that’s the pot calling the kettle black – that said, options should be in place, where in this day and age, those putting retirement savings into the government account known a social security could self-direct funds, similar to anyone’s 401k – that would 1) reduce the ability of the Congress to pilfer funds as the accounts would be private, and 2)the rate of return would be higher.

Fixed.

2014= In with the New – Out with Everything Washington – the wrath of the American Taxpayer.

A Morning’s Musing – or Rant

In a recent conversation regarding politics in the U.S., it was brought to my attention that those that know, and understand the Washington circles are obviously insulated, but not to the point where they have lost the ability to see the forest through the tree’s – in other words, something’s afoot, they just can’t quite get their fingers on it. It appears that those old stalwarts in the Senate, regardless of Party are facing challengers and polling in areas that they certainly should not. That would be the case if the public were perfectly happy with those that are sent to do the people’s bidding. but by appearing not to do what they were sent to do, it is also appearing they may be retiring early.

Kentucky and Mitch McConnell for instance – a “safe seat “for the most part, except McConnell is facing deficit in his race against a Democrat , in not one poll, but all polls(politicusa). That would be fine and dandy except that the tea party candidate bests all of them.

And they aren’t taking it lightly – that’s the Tea Party – They are, according to the New York Post mounting challenges to both McConnell and Grahamand not a moment to soon.

Where else does one find a race that may be worth keeping an eye on? Not yet declared Scott Brown does something for charity –which is usual for Scott Brown, but since he’s in New Hampshire and a hypothetical poll shows him in a dead head with Jean Sheehan (Democrat Senator), those in the Granitite are hoping he will run, to push that along the Washington Post is reporting that Brown appeared shirtless on the cover of the Union Leader – of course, that was due to the fact that he wasn’t about to plunge into the icy bay with a wetsuit, so, he appeared san shirt –the Union Leader, is just trying to stir the pot.

Being a MA resident who saw Brown as the best Senator the State (Bay) had in eons, as he actually got things done, he wrote bills, eh got them passed, and he did most of what the people sent him there to do, always with an eye on his State and all of the people in it –New Hampshire could do worse, it is MA’s loss.

If one thinks this will stop at the borders of Kentucky, the Carolinas, or New Hampshire, think again. It is a way of the public, even those low information voters, suddenly getting interested in “throwing the bums out!” – Regardless of which bums happen to be warming seat – and it defies party rules. Publicly not so much but privately –they’ll vote anyone in who isn’t currently sitting in Washington.

Those that want to stay in their seat, should be home in their districts and pumping it up by denying the following: I had zero to do with Obamacare, I had zero to do with that harebrained immigration bill, I had zero to do with the farm bill, and a host of other things that are costly and do nothing to help the middle class. (Or what is left of it.) One might want to point fingers at Obama, but he’s literally yesterday’s news. He’s got two years left, and in that time, he’s about as relevant as Hillary Clinton. Who to watch, the darling of the left – Elizabeth Warren for the DNC nod – she’s got about as much experience as Obama did in 2007-2008 – therefore, she makes sense.

On the side of the Elephant, of which there is a rather larger one In the room – chaos reigns on paper –but, as the dust settles and those who are serious stand up –one will find that the old guard, that moldy old bunch of bum crowners, will have their hands full. All it will take it one of those new Jeffersonian Republicans’ to stand up and take it to the folks, because no one is waiting for the next Reagan, they are waiting for the guy who will lead, without a lot of ridiculous promises but with common sense solutions. Finally it would not hurt a whit if that person could care less about how his party feels about him and or how the press feels about him –that would be the icing on the cake. The taxpayer isn’t looking for shiny new or women or hyena of what have you – they are looking for stability and a little crazy thrown in for good measure.

Good Grief –WAPost, suggests GOP Trouble with No Clear Front Runner – the Tea Leaves

The Washington Post is suggesting that the GOP is in “turmoil “as there are no clear frontrunners yet for 2016. They go on to explain that the “elders” of the party, are not happy unless there is a clear front-runner before the nominating process begins – keeps it neat, sweat and no messy primaries – since this may not be the case, chaos should reign and the Democrats should be sitting pretty. The reason is that Hillary Clinton has an unprecedented lead in early polling.

It may be best to recall that Hillary Clinton had an astounding lead going into 2008 – she also had the popular vote, until the Democrat Super Delegates went nuclear and nominated Barack Obama. That would be turmoil. Yes, Obama won, but one might hazard to guess the GOP’s next in line for the nomination theory didn’t quite pan out with John McCain. One might also suggest that a messy primary was not the problem with Mitt Romney’s loss –moreover it was those within the party that viewed the man as belong to a Cult –and 20 some odd evangelicals just could not vote for him. There may have been a few million Tea Party people viewing him as a “Rhino” that would not vote for him either –t he end result – Obama won a second term. Now that was unprecedented.

There will always be names bandied about 3 years prior to any one seriously considering a run, and of course, they all say yes. But when push comes to shove, the field narrows, and the people are left with a variety of choices, as it should be.

Look for front runners to begin to emerge after the mid-terms, when they should make some noise not before. There will be talk of this one and of that one, there will be favorites, but, the more the merrier – just this humble opinion. Recalling the 2012 primaries, it was difficult for those political junkies to watch the painful process of Mitt Romney slowly making it to the top – surely if he could run the gauntlet of fierce competition, he should have had answers for everyone – yet, it was not to be, and through no fault of him own.

2014 is the time to concentrate on who might be the next speak of the House or Senate Majority Leader –and once that dust clears, the nation will look at who moves them. One can bet it will be one that is pro-growth, more libertarians, less party faithful that will have more of the juice, so to speak, that’s wild guess. One will just have to wait it out. As to the party “edlers” – they should go on vacation – until 2017.