Gallup: Americans Turn on Government-guaranteed Health Care

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A new Gallup poll shows that 54 percent of Americans think it is not the federal government’s responsibility to ensure all citizens have health care coverage. This is the first time Gallup trends have shown a majority of Americans holding this opinion since 2000, according to Gallup’s Jeffrey Jones.

From 2000 until around the time President Barack Obama was elected, polls showed an easy majority of Americans supported government-ensured health care. In most years during that time frame, more than 60 percent of Americans thought the government should make sure everyone had health care.

“The shift away from the view that the government should ensure healthcare coverage for all began shortly after President Barack Obama’s election and has continued the past several years during the discussions and ultimate passage of the Affordable Care Act in March 2010,” Jones wrote, adding that 48 percent of Americans support Obamacare while 45 percent oppose it.

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U.N. Votes to Recognize Palestine

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UNITED NATIONS — The General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Thursday to grant Palestinians limited recognition of statehood, prompting exuberant celebrations across the West Bank and Gaza Strip and immediate condemnations from the United States and Israel.

The 193-member U.N. body voted 138 to 9, with 41 abstentions, to recognize Palestine as a “non-member observer state,” a status that falls well short of independence but provides Palestinians with limited privileges as a state, including the right to join the International Criminal Court and other international treaty bodies.

Speaking before the vote, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the U.N. actions offered the only means to salvage a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“We did not come here to delegitimize a state established years ago, and that is Israel,” he said. “Rather we came to affirm the legitimacy of a state that must now achieve its independence, and that is Palestine.”

But the United States and Israel said the Palestinian bid would complicate efforts to restart stalled Middle East peace talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement accusing Abbas of having “violated the agreements” between the two sides, and pledging that “Israel will act accordingly.”

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McConnell ‘Burst Into Laughter’ as Geithner Outlined Obama’s Plan

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photo credit: gage skidmore

Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, says he “burst into laughter” Thursday when Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner outlined the administration proposal for averting the fiscal cliff. He wasn’t trying to embarrass Geithner, McConnell says, only responding candidly to his one-sided plan, explicit on tax increases, vague on spending cuts.

Geithner’s visit to his office left McConnell discouraged about reaching a “balanced” deal on tax hikes and spending reductions designed to prevent a shock to the economy in January. “Nothing good is happening” in the negotiations, McConnell says, because of Obama’s insistence on tax rate hikes for the wealthy but unwillingness to embrace serious spending cuts.

Geithner suggested $1.6 trillion in tax increases, McConnell says, but showed “minimal or no interest” in spending cuts. When congressional leaders went to the White House three days after the election, Obama talked of possible curbs on the explosive growth of food stamps and Social Security disability payments. But since Geithner didn’t mention them, those reductions appear to be off the table now, McConnell says.

Obama is pushing to raise the tax rates on couples earning more than $250,000 and individuals earning more than $200,000. But those wouldn’t produce revenues anywhere near $1.6 trillion over a decade.

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Televise the Benghazi Hearings!

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Those too young to have been there might have caught the clip on YouTube. The final scene in the Monty Python classic, Holy Grail, where the mad peasants are being dragged away by the hair by London bobbies. They take advantage of the moment to shout at the TV cameras, “Look! The violence inherent in the system!” It was classic strategy of the trained apparatchik of the day to use the moment to politicize a greater purpose. In time things improved. Watergate maybe cleared the air and people for awhile began to talk straight again. But this is what we are seeing again with Susan Rice on Capitol Hill.

The use of violence at Benghazi was instantaneously utilized for a greater and broader political (propaganda) objective. The troubling thing here is that what they keep calling the “talking points” connecting the violent acts to the greater (propaganda) purpose were passed along by an American diplomat and United States Ambassador to the United Nations to five TV stations and to other media. As they are saying, they appear to have originated elsewhere; the state department, the CIA, perhaps the Obama administration. But troubling is maybe the wrong word: Horrifying is potentially the right word. Because the propagandized press “spinning” the violence was of course what was fully intended by the purveyors of the violence which we know now was related to Al Qaeda.

The bewilderment of northern New England’s rock solid senators, Kelly Ayotte and Susan Collins, coming forth from hearings to give America its first briefings had a haunting quality; a remembrance of things past. Those old enough might recall Watergate. We have seen that bewilderment before with the folkloric North Carolina venerable Senator Sam Ervin and his trusty Tennessee colleague Howard Baker, both honorable to a core, making the case then at Watergate that something was not quite right. Same here. And Americans need to know what. These hearings should be expanded and televised until we get to the bottom of it.

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Bernie Quigley is a prize-winning magazine writer and has worked more than 30 years as a book and magazine editor, political commentator and book, movie, music and art reviewer. His essays on politics and world affairs have appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Daily News and other newspapers and magazines. He has published poetry in Painted Bride Quarterly and has written dozens of magazine articles. For 20 years he has been an amateur farmer, raising Tunis sheep and organic vegetables. He has written hundreds of columns for “Pundits Blog” in “The Hill” a political journal in Washington, D.C. He lives in the White Mountains with his wife and four children.

Verdict: Loving Husband Turned Into Homosexual Addict by Parkinson’s Drug

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A Parkinson’s sufferer has won a six figure pay-out against a drug giant after his medication turned him into a ‘gay sex and gambling addict’.

Didier Jambart had been a well respected man, an upstanding member of the community in Nantes, western France, and a loving father and husband. But within two years of taking the drug Requip he was so addicted to both his vices he sold his children’s toys to raise money and advertised himself on the internet for sex. He has now been given £160,000 in damages after a court in Rennes, France, upheld his claims.

The ground-breaking ruling was made yesterday by the appeal court, which awarded the damages to Mr Jambart from GlaxoSmithKline, the British pharmaceuticals giant.

With his wife Christine beside him, Mr Jambart, 52, broke down in tears as judges upheld his claim that his life had become ‘hell’ after he started taking Requip, a drug made by GSK. He told reporters ‘this is a great day’ after the court threw out the firm’s appeal against an earlier ruling to award him 117,000 euros. The court increased the level of damages to 197,468.83 euros after finding that there was ‘serious, precise and corroborated’ evidence to blame his transformation on Requip.

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CATO: $100 Billion of Corporate Welfare in the Federal Budget

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Rising federal spending and huge deficits are pushing the nation toward a financial and economic crisis. Policymakers should find and eliminate wasteful, damaging, and unneeded programs in the federal budget. One good way to save money would be to cut subsidies to businesses. Corporate welfare in the federal budget costs taxpayers almost $100 billion a year.

Policymakers claim that business subsidies are needed to fix alleged market failures or to help American companies better compete in the global economy. However, corporate welfare often subsidizes failing and mismanaged businesses and induces firms to spend more time on lobbying rather than on making better products. Instead of correcting market failures, federal subsidies misallocate resources and introduce government failures into the marketplace.

While corporate welfare may be popular with policymakers who want to aid home-state businesses, it undermines the broader economy and transfers wealth from average taxpaying households to favored firms. Corporate welfare also creates strong ties between politicians and business leaders, and these ties are often the source of corruption scandals in Washington. Americans are sick and tired of “crony capitalism,” and the way to solve the problem is to eliminate business subsidy programs.

Corporate welfare doesn’t aid economic growth and it is an affront to America’s constitutional principles of limited government and equality under the law. Policymakers should therefore scour the budget for business subsidies to eliminate. Budget experts and policymakers may differ on exactly which programs represent unjustified corporate welfare, but this study provides a menu of about $100 billion in programs to terminate.

Read more from this report HERE.

Another Voice: Take the High Road, End Corporate Welfare Now!

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Obama has maneuvered the narrative of the fiscal cliff talks as being a war between the rich and the middle class. Obama claims to be on the side of the middle class and the GOP, the party of the “rich.”

The mainstream media of course, always on the look out for a simplistic headline to rally around, can carry this message forward to further marginalize the Republican Party.

It’s time for the party to be bold and call Obama’s bluff. Instead of going through the death of a thousand cuts, come out and put something on the table that all Americans can get behind: Call for the end of all corporate welfare. These “entitlements” are costing taxpayers an estimated 100 billion dollars per year. See the Cato Report HERE.

Entitlement programs/the welfare state is the driver behind the huge debt of America… Corporate welfare IS an entitlement.

If the Republicans can be bold enough to put this on the table, they can then demand from Obama, cuts to other entitlement programs. This will deflate the class warfare meme that has worked so well against the Republicans.

After all, why should the American middle class be paying for huge subsidies to corporations that hire thousands of lobbyists who shower politicians of both parties to vote more corporate loopholes?

At the same time all of the billions of dollars in “green subsidies” can be ended, including the subsidies for the rich who buy expensive electric cars. Why should the middle class pay for the rich when they buy their toys? Average income for an electric car buyer is $174,000. Why should a middle class taxpayer put up 7,500 per car to entice a wealthy person to buy an electric car?

Why should the middle class by paying 26.00 per gallon for “green” fuel supplied to the military when they can get that same fuel for 3.50 per gallon?

The giant retailer Wal-Mart has more workers enrolled in many state Medicaid programs—which are supposed to be reserved for poor people—than any other employer. Why should the middle class be subsidizing Wal-Mart?

Instantly the Republicans will gain credibility with Americans. They can stand toe to toe with Obama, look him straight in the eye and say: “We are willing to put Americas future first are you?”

Nothing short of boldness will work now, otherwise it will be another kick the can down the road and Americans will be more disillusioned than ever with their leaders in Washington.

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Ed Farnan is the conservative columnist at IrishCentral, where he has been writing on the need for energy independence, strong self defense, secure borders, 2nd amendment, smaller government and many other issues. His articles appear in many publications throughout the USA and world. He has been a guest on Fox News and a regular guest on radio stations in the US and Europe.

John Boehner, Please Retire

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It’s clear. There will be no stopping Obamacare. There will be no justice on Benghazi-gate. There will be no stopping Barack Obama’s unconstitutional usurpations and abuses of power as long as John Boehner holds the reins of power as the Republican Speaker of the House.

It’s time for John Boehner to retire. He should let a younger leader, with more will to fight Obama, take leadership in the US House.

The situation is so dire that without new leadership, the Republican Party could actually dissolve into rival factions. He is even considering caving into Barack Obama’s drive for a massive tax increase. We stand on the precipice of a total capitulation of the Republican agenda by Speaker Boehner.

We need real leaders to challenge Obama. As long as John Boehner remains Speaker of the House, Obamacare will remain the law of the land.

Back on July 1, 2012, just four short months ago, Boehner marched in front of the cameras on “Meet the Press” and vowed to do whatever it takes to stop Obamacare. Practically thumping his chest, he said: “It has to be ripped out by its roots.” And he added: “We will not flinch from our resolve to make sure this law is repealed in its entirety.”

Taking him at his word, 127 members of the House, led by Representatives Jim Jordan and Michele Bachmann, reminded Mr. Boehner that he had the ability to actually keep that promise and signed off on a letter asking Boehner to take the lead and allow the House of Representatives to finally wield its legitimate and constitutionally-granted power of the purse to “rescind all Obamacare implementation funds.”

Don’t be deceived by anything you hear on the nightly news; the sad and simple truth is that John Boehner and House Republicans already had – and still have – the power to stop the implementation of Obamacare.

They had that power from the very day that Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives back in January of 2011, and they have that power at this very moment.

Mr. Boehner simply needs to hold a simple up-or-down vote in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives to deny Obamacare funding, and Barack Obama and Harry Reid can’t do anything to stop it. It really is that simple.

The problem is not that Republicans can’t stop the implementation of Obamacare. The problem is that the so-called GOP Leadership won’t stop Obamacare, and that’s why we need a change in leadership.

So what’s Boehner’s excuse?

Boehner apparently has his reasons. We call them excuses. His surrogates argued that Boehner’s refusal to fund Obamacare could set the stage for Barack Obama to exact his revenge by ordering a “government shutdown” and blame it on Republicans.

We say let Mr. Obama take his best shot. At some point, the rubber has got to meet the road.

We don’t need to concede defeat. A “government shutdown” is not only not as bad as you’ve been lead to believe; it’s also the last thing Barack Obama wants. It puts a stop to Obama’s out-of-control spending.

What we need is a true leader at the helm who is not afraid to call Barack Obama’s bluff and negotiate from a position of strength, and that man is not John Boehner.

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Floyd Brown is a political innovator, writer and speaker.

Floyd’s new book, Obama’s Enemies List, was released in August of 2012.

Time magazine wrote: “Brown has a stature among devoted conservatives that almost matches his physical heft (6 ft. 6 in. and 240 lbs.)”.

Floyd is the president of the Western Center for Journalism, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to informing and equipping Americans who love freedom. The WCJ also trains “citizen journalists” to become effective online advocates for freedom.

eBay Yanks Beck’s ‘Obama in Pee Pee’ Art Project Meant to Raise Money for Charity (+video)

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The popular online auction site eBay has yanked a piece of artwork done by Glenn Beck citing its belief that the project featured an Obama figurine floating in actual urine (it was not, however).

On Tuesday evening, Glenn Beck featured an Obama bobble head doll in a jar of yellow liquid, catalyzed by Michael D’Anouto’s painting titled, “Truth,” which features a crucified Obama and also parodies the controversial “artwork” dubbed “Piss Christ” that defaced a crucifix in a glass of urine.

Beck’s piece was meant to underscore the importance of adhering to the First Amendment and highlight the hypocrisy of those who adhere to it only when it suits them. Often, members of the Left will rail against the disparaging of figures they hold dear, but do not hold themselves to the same standard when disparaging figures others hold dear.

Beck was auctioning the jar, complete with the Obama doll, on the auction site, with all the proceeds set to go to Beck’s Mercury One charity. At the last entry its bid was up to $11,300. On Wednesday morning, however, eBay removed the auction page.

Listen to Beck’s radio team discuss:

Read more from this story HERE.

Russian Mafia Whistleblower Found Dead

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photo credit: sergio vassio

WEYBRIDGE/LONDON – A Russian businessman helping Swiss prosecutors to uncover a powerful fraud syndicate has died in unexplained circumstances near his mansion in Britain, in a twist to a Russian mafia scandal that has strained Moscow’s ties with the West.

Alexander Perepilichny, 44, sought refuge in Britain three years ago and had been helping a Swiss investigation into a Russian money-laundering scheme by providing evidence against corrupt officials, his colleagues and media reports said.

He has also provided evidence against those linked to the 2009 death of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, a case that caused an international outcry and prompted the US to push for a bill cracking down on Russian corruption.

Perepilichny, a Russian citizen, collapsed and died not far from his home on an upmarket, heavily protected estate in the county of Surrey, south of London, on November 10.

He is now the fourth person linked to the Magnitsky case to have died in strange circumstances.

Read more from this story HERE.