The stupid is thick with this propaganda spin.   Of course most of the enrollees to the ObamaCare exchange would get a subsidy – because ObamaCare itself is more expensive than private plans for people who don’t qualify for subsidy.

The only reason you would use the ObamaCare Exchange is if your income level qualified for subsidy.   If your income level exceedes the subsidy limit a person is going to get a better price in a private exchange. 

WASHINGTON DC – More than 2.1 million Americans selected private health plans through healthcare.gov and state-run websites through Dec. 28, the Obama administration announced today. Another 1.6 million were judged eligible for Medicaid, the federal-state insurance program for the poor. Most of the new enrollees in private health plans—1.8 million—signed up in December, after the White House relaunched the Affordable Care Act’s stuttering website on Dec. 1. […]

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We’ve come a long way from Obama’s “open hand” Cairo speech in 2009.

(CNN) – From around Aleppo in western Syria to small areas of Falluja in central Iraq, al Qaeda now controls territory that stretches more than 400 miles across the heart of the Middle East, according to English and Arab language news accounts as well as accounts on jihadist websites.

Indeed, al Qaeda appears to control more territory in the Arab world than it has done at any time in its history.

The focus of al Qaeda’s leaders has always been regime change in the Arab world in order to install Taliban-style regimes. Al Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri acknowledged as much in his 2001 autobiography, “Knights Under the Banner of the Prophet,” when he explained that the most important strategic goal of al Qaeda was to seize control of a state, or part of a state, somewhere in the Muslim world, explaining that, “without achieving this goal our actions will mean nothing.” (more…)

Empirical evidence be damned.

The Milli Vanilli band director says definitions of success – regarding concert attendance – are contingent upon how they define success in attendance at any given moment. They don’t have to sell out a venue to be considered successful. They may determine that success is more appropriately defined as a merely a few enlightened concert goers who are enjoying the show.

The Kool-Aid concession tastes the same regardless of how many participants partake in the drinking of it.  So just shut up, watch the show, and we’ll tell you when to clap.

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(Independent Journal) An Open Letter to the Obama Administration and American Citizens:

My family’s journey with securing our new insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) started on October 1, 2013. I have decided to write this letter to let the American people know what it has been like for us.

We are a family of four, with two little boys’ ages seven years old and three years old. My husband and I have had full time jobs for 6 years and 13 years respectively. We have been with the same two companies for those years.
We are a middle class family; we own our three bedroom two bath house, we own two cars, and previously provided our own insurance for the four of us. We have coverage through Individual Blue from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama until 12/31/13. Our premiums have been $380.00 a month, which also included dental coverage for all four of us.
On October, 1, 2013 we received our letters like other Alabamians about our new premiums and plans for 2014 from Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Alabama. When I opened our letter to say I had sticker shock was an understatement. (more…)

During his 2009 Notre Dame speech  President Obama said the federal government should accommodate religious objections to parts of the law:

“Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion and draft a sensible conscience clause. And make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded, not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics.”  – President Obama (2009)

The catholic group Little Sisters of the Poor received a temporary injunction from the Supreme Court protecting them from the controversial HHS contraceptive mandate. The injunction means that the Little Sisters would not be forced to sign and deliver forms authorizing and directing others to provide contraceptives, sterilizations and drugs and devices that cause abortions.

Now in 2014 President Obama appeals that injunction demanding the Little Sisters of The Poor should be forced to comply with the abortifacient service delivery approved within the ObamaCare.  (link)

(Via Daily Mail)  Hospital staff in Northern Virginia are turning away sick people on a frigid Thursday morning because they can’t determine whether their Obamacare insurance plans are in effect.
Patients in a close-in DC suburb who think they’ve signed up for new insurance plans are struggling to show their December enrollments are in force, and health care administrators aren’t taking their word for it.
In place of quick service and painless billing, these Virginians are now facing the threat of sticker-shock that comes with bills they can’t afford.
‘They had no idea if my insurance was active or not!’ a coughing Maria Galvez told MailOnline outside the Inova Healthplex facility in the town of Springfield.
She was leaving the building without getting a needed chest x-ray.
‘The people in there told me that since I didn’t have an insurance card, I would be billed for the whole cost of the x-ray,’ Galvez said, her young daughter in tow. ‘It’s not fair – you know, I signed up last week like I was supposed to.’ (more…)

From the Archdiocese of Washington tonight:

The Archdiocese of Washington is pleased that today the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued an injunction that prevents the Archdiocese and its affiliates from having to choose between paying crippling fines or facilitating the provision of abortion-inducing drugs, sterilizations, and contraceptives to their employees. The order prohibits the government from enforcing the HHS mandate’s objectionable requirements against the Archdiocese and its co-appellants pending further order from the court.   (link)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Catholic organizations made a last-minute effort Tuesday to get the Supreme Court to block portions of President Obama’s health care law that will force them to provide health insurance for students and employees that includes birth control.
Several organizations, including the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, the Catholic Diocese of Nashville, Catholic University and the Michigan Catholic Conference, asked justices to block the law until their arguments are heard. Parts of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, go into effect on Wednesday. (more…)

The 2010 and 2012 class of Tea Party House Congressional members have done an outstanding job of holding the line amid attacks from both Democrats and Republicans.  Can you just imagine what legislative life would be like without their fight?
Ted Cruz appears on ABC This Week and discusses his meeting with them during the shutdown.   Jonathan Karl is just aghast at their united patriotic perspectives.

Yesterday we shared the story of the CoC announcing their intention to spend $50 million in order to protect and maintain establishment Republicans.     Yesterday the SCF (Senate Conservatives Fund) also sent out a distribution letter notifying supporters of the same issue.
However, the SCF misses the point when they note:

“The Chamber is pro-bailout, pro-stimulus, and pro-debt so it’s no surprise they want to elect more liberal Republicans.”

All of which is true but that’s not the primary impetus behind the current $50+ million for the 2014 election cycle.
The reason the Chamber of Commerce is willing to spend so much money to protect the Mitch McConnells of the world was openly discussed a few weeks ago when the Chamber President appeared on Neil Cavuto.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is heavily invested in two legislative constructs.   First, immigration reform.  Second, maintaining Obamacare.
John Boehner has promised to deliver immigration reform next year.  Nancy Pelosi openly admitted as such and it is widely expected to be the platform for President Obama’s entire State of The Union speech.
Bottom line – Establishment Republicans are going to deliver Amnesty legislation on behalf of the CoC request. (more…)