Obama is a loser at 2013's end: Column: 2014 will be even worse for our president.

A lot of people are saying that 2013 was President Obama's worst year. Roll Call headlined, "Subdued Obama Hopes For Better 2014." The Hill reported, "Obama names health care rollout his biggest mistake of dismal year." Most people seem to think it was. But I think it was average, in the manner of the old Soviet joke:

Ivan: So how was your day?

Boris: Average.

Ivan: What do you mean, average?

Boris: Worse than yesterday, better than tomorrow. So, average.

Unless something turns around, Obama's 2013 is likely to be similarly "average": Worse than 2012, but better than 2014.

COLUMN: Pelosi rejects generous, one-of-a-kind subsidy

It's true that Obamacare has been a debacle, wrapped in a catastrophe, shrouded in a disaster. But it's also become clear that it was founded upon a lie: Obama's "if you like your health insurance plan, you can keep it" statement was named by PolitiFact its lie of the year for 2013. Many Americans have already learned that their individualplans are being cancelled because they don't live up to Obamacare, causing enough chaos that the Obama administration has had to give certain people a last-minute "waiver" of the mandate that they buy insurance. But many more problems have just been kicked down the road -- into 2014 -- by Obama's unilateral decision. Ironically, the White House and Democrats were, just a couple of months ago, calling Republicans who wanted to delay the mandate anarchists and terrorists, and loudly proclaiming that Obamacare was "the law of the land."

Via: USA Today

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The 21 Most Cringe-Worthy TV News Moments of 2013

With so much air time to fill, TV news, and especially the 24-hour cable news networks, manage to produce an inordinate amount of awkward, cringe-inducing moments. We probably post something almost everyday on Mediaite that could make its way onto this list, but as a service to you, we’ve combed through the archives and found the absolute most uncomfortable things that happened on TV news this year. Get ready to squirm…

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21. Wolf Blitzer's Delivers Awkward JFK Segue

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“I’m Wolf Blitzer, reporting from Washington. The assassination of President Kennedy begins…right now.” Read more... 

Via: Mediaite.com

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Merry Christmas at the Capitol

The 2013 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree was officially lit Monday evening.

The 88-foot tall Engelmann spruce from Colville National Forest in Colville, Washington, was the star of the West Front show. House Speaker John Boehner was aided by Giovanni Gaynor, a first grader from Colville.

Gaynor, who someday wants to be a police officer, was named a junior officer for the day by Boehner and Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine.

Boehner offered these remarks at the ceremony:

“You look up at this awe-inspiring Dome and you look up at the night sky, you get overwhelmed.  Perhaps just as those humble shepherds were when the angel appeared before them.

“Out in the middle of nowhere, they must have wondered what on Earth was going on.  ‘Fear not,’ the angel said, ‘For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy… For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.’

“Off the shepherds went, finding the manger and kneeling before the embodiment of God’s light and love for each of us.

“This may be an old story, but still a mighty one to grasp.  It takes great faith.  And it takes true patience, much like the search for the perfect present itself.

“Slowly, we come to recognize it’s not so much about the telling of the story as it is the serving of the story.   And what emerges is a spirit of giving and a message of hope for all seasons: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.’

“‘That,’ in the words of a great philosopher, ‘is what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.’” 

Via: McClatchyDC

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Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/12/03/210445/merry-christmas-at-the-capitol.html#storylink=cpy

Gallup: Mooch’s “Let’s Move!” Campaign An Abject Failure, America’s Eating Habits Worsened In 2013…

In September Queen Mooch took credit for a “cultural shift” in America’s eating habits.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans’ eating habits have deteriorated in 2013, as fewer adults report eating healthy all day “yesterday” in every month so far this year compared with the same months in 2012. In particular, healthy eating in June, July, August, and September declined by at least three percentage points from the same months in 2012. Moreover, in most months this year, healthy eating has been at its lowest in Gallup trends since 2008.

Gallup and Healthways ask at least 500 Americans each day about their eating habits as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

Healthy eating generally follows a seasonal pattern, gradually declining in the spring, ticking up in the late summer months, and then falling steeply in November and December. The increase between December 2012 and January 2013 was 1.9 percentage points, which is lower than the typical New Year’s uptick. Additionally, May and June 2013 brought steeper-than-usual declines.

Via: Weasel Zippers

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Six Months to Doomsday

The normal news programs were suspended, and President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry occupied our TV sets. The news was stupendous: Iran has agreed to back down from the nuclear weapons program it had previously claimed it was not engaged in. But while Mr. Obama and Mr. Kerry talked long, they said very little. Rather than announcing details of a plan in which Iran allows inspectors to supervise the destruction of its stockpiles and fabrication equipment, Mr. Obama and Mr. Kerry talked about how sanctions were only one piece of the equation, how Iran would get the chance to prove its intentions, and asked, "what are the alternatives?" Words of surrender. The deal fell far short of the hype. Iran has agreed that if some sanctions are lifted, then within six months, Iran will dilute its existing stockpile of 20% enriched uranium and will stop expanding its program. So what could happen in six months under these terms?

It took Iran from early 2009 until November 2013 to produce 200 kg of 20% enriched uranium. Some simple math would suggest a rate of 40 kg per year, but Iran greatly increased its production capabilities during that time, and can probably produce upwards of 1,000 kg per year, enough for about 7 bombs every year (1.7 months per bomb). In terms of Iran's current production capabilities, six months is a long time. Their current program needs to shrink, but this deal keeps it in place.

Via: American Thinker

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Immigration Reform All But Dead for 2013 and 2014

Shocked by their poor showing in the 2012 presidential election, Republicans looked for ways to change their brand. The first idea: Embrace immigration reform. A slew of Republican lawmakers and influential conservative intellectuals came out in favor of granting citizenship to illegal immigrants. Even Sean Hannity said that he had “evolved” on the issue. The once unthinkable—Republicans supporting amnesty en masse—became a political reality.

Efforts to reform the system began in the U.S. Senate. Republican Sens. Jeff Flake, John McCain, Marco Rubio, and Lindsey Graham worked with four Democratic Senators to draft immigration legislation. Ultimately, the 844 page bill could be summarized thusly:

The Gang of Eight bill would essentially revamp every corner of U.S. immigration law, establishing a 13-year pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, with several security benchmarks that have to be met before they can obtain a green card. The measure would not only increases security along the border, but requires a mandatory workplace verification system for employers, trying to ensure no jobs are given to immigrants who are not authorized to work in the United States.

It also includes a new visa program for lesser-skilled workers – the product of negotiations between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and labor unions. And it shifts the country’s immigration policies away from a family-based system to one that is focused on more on work skills.

It passed the Senate in June 68-32, with 14 Republicans going every Democrat in supporting the bill. The compromise was such an accomplishment that the New Yorker even wrote a long piece describing how it came about. Then all eyes turned to the Republican-controlled House.

Most, if not all, Democrats have supported immigration reform that includes pathway to citizenship provisions. House Republicans also showed a relatively strong amount of support for reform. Last month, CalWatchdog wrote about some California Republicans moving to the left on immigration reform, despite the small likelihood of any legislative action actually occurring:

Although Issa, Valadao and Denham all would like to see some form of immigration reform happen soon, it’s unlikely to occur this year. House leadership has indicated that their focus will be on passing fiscal reforms over immigration, and the recent government shutdown left many Republicans unenthusiastic about compromising with their Democratic colleagues.

Via: California Political Review

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'Real' Unemployment: 13.8%

(CNSNews.com) – The “real” unemployment rate rose from 13.6% in September to 13.8% in October, according to figures released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Though the national unemployment rate is 7.3%, the “real” unemployment rate is a broader measure of the number of people in the United States, 16 and older, currently looking for jobs.

Known as the U-6 unemployment rate, this “real” unemployment figure, seasonally adjusted, includes the unemployed “plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part time for economic reasons ….”

The U-6 rate captures the fuller picture of people who are willing and able to work, but cannot find a job.

Since President Barack Obama has been president, the  U-6 unemployment rate rose from 14.25% in January 2009 to a high of 17.1% in October, November and December 2009 and the same rate in February, March, and April 2010.  The U-6 rate did not fall below 14% under Obama until March 2013, when it hit 13.8%, the same rate for October 2013.

Via: CNS News

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2013 ELECTION DAY ROUND-UP

Yesterday was Election Day in Virginia, Colorado, New Jersey, and New York. Here’s what happened:

In Virginia: Conservative Republican Ken Cuccinelli narrowly lost the governorship to liberal Democrat Terry McAuliffe by three points (45-48), despite McAuliffe, a Clinton darling, outspending his GOP challenger by $15 million. Cuccinelli was able to make major strides in the last week of the campaign (when he was behind by double digits in almost every poll) by appealing to voters who hate Obamacare. Robert Sarvis, the Libertarian in Name Only, garnered six percent of the vote.

In Colorado: Voters in Colorado strongly approved a hefty 25 percent state tax on recreational marijuana, but soundly rejected a ballot measure (66 percent) to raise income taxes to fund education.

In New Jersey: Republican Chris Christie, as predicted, was the big winner again in his state, defeating Democrat Barbara Buono easily (60-38 percent) for a second term as governor of the Garden State. The New York Times reports Christie’s victory a victory has “vaulted him to the front ranks of Republican presidential contenders and made him his party’s foremost proponent of pragmatism over ideology.”

In New York: Bill De Blasio won by a landslide in New York City and became the first Democrat since 1989 to become the Big Apple’s mayor. He celebrated his victory byperforming a “smackdown” dance on stage to pop singer Lorde’s song, “Royals.” De Blasio, who has already announced his intentions to raise taxes on the city’s wealthiest and usher in a new era of extreme liberalism, defeated Republican Joe Lhota 73-24 percent.

*Also of note is the fact that despite splitting election results in New Jersey and Virginia, Republicans outnumbered Democrats in total votes. A Washington Times analysis shows a clear advantage of turnout for the GOP.

Via: Human Events

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Red Sox Take Game 1 of World Series 8-1

The Red Sox have won game one of the the 2013 World Series with a masterful pitching performance by John Lester who went 7 2/3 innings, struck out 8 and not giving up a run.

Go to ESPN for more details.

Budget deal BLOWS THROUGH the mandated sequester spending caps

WASHINGTON — Announcing the budget deal he reached with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday he was thankful Republicans were at least able to keep in place the automatic spending cuts that went into effect across government agencies earlier this year.

“That’s been a top priority for me and my Republican colleagues throughout this debate,” the Senate Minority Leader said on the floor of the Senate, referencing what’s known as the sequester. “And it’s been worth the effort.”

But while the deal freezes in place current spending numbers, the budget deal actually blows through the sequester spending caps that were supposed to go into effect on Oct. 1 — by nearly $20 billion.

Here are the numbers: The Budget Control Act of 2011 created the automatic spending cuts across the government, mandating a discretionary budget in fiscal year 2013 of $986 billion.

On Oct. 1, more sequester cuts were supposed to bring the discretionary budget down to $967 billion for fiscal year 2014.

But the amount of the spending cap in the McConnell-Reid deal for the next three months is frozen temporarily at $986 billion — $19 billion more than the government is supposed to be able to spend this fiscal year.

Defenders of McConnell point out that at least his deal stopped Democrats from completely killing these automatic spending cuts. President Barack Obama and Harry Reid want to do away with them and increase the budget to $1.058 trillion.

The freezing of the spending cuts comes as conservative note that the sequester has actually been successful in reducing government. Wall Street Journal columnist Stephen Moore put it this way in August: “The biggest underreported story out of Washington this year is that the federal budget is shrinking and much more than anyone in either party expected.”

Via: CNS News

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