[MUST READ] Obama Cronyism + Your Personal Data = Trouble by Michelle Malkin

It's the most far-reaching scandal in Washington that no one wants to talk about: Tens of millions of federal employees had their personal information hacked as a result of Obama administration incompetence and political favoritism.

Ethnic community organizer-turned-Office of Personnel Management head Katherine Archuleta recklessly eschewed basic cyber security in favor of politically correct "diversity" initiatives during her disastrous crony tenure. This Beltway business-as-usual created an irresistible opportunity for hackers to reach out and grab massive amounts of sensitive data — compromising everyone from rank-and-file government employees to CIA spies.

Could it get worse? You betcha.

Amid increasing concerns about these massive government computer breaches, the Defense Department is expected to announce the winner of a lucrative high-stakes contract to overhaul the military's electronic health records system this week.

The leading finalist among three top contenders is Epic Systems, a Wisconsin-based health care software company founded and led by top Obama billionaire donor Judy Faulkner. Thanks in significant part to President Obama's $19 billion stimulus subsidy program for health data vendors, Epic is now the dominant EMR player in the U.S. health IT market.

According to Becker's Hospital Review, CVS Caremark's retail clinic chain, MinuteClinic, is now adopting Epic's system, and "when the transition is complete, about 51 percent of Americans will have an Epic record." Other major clients include Kaiser Permanente of Oakland, Calif., Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Arlington-based Texas Health Resources, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, and Duke University Health System in Raleigh, N.C.

As I've reported previously, Epic employees donated nearly $1 million to political parties and candidates between 1995 and 2012 — 82 percent of it to Democrats. The company's top 10 PAC recipients are all Democratic or left-wing outfits, from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (nearly $230,000) to the DNC Services Corporation (nearly $175,000) and the America's Families First Action Fund Democratic super-PAC ($150,000).

Faulkner received a plum appointment to a federal health IT policy panel in 2011. Brandon Glenn of Medical Economics noted that "it's not a coincidence" that Epic's sales "have been skyrocketing in recent years, up to $1.2 billion in 2011, double what they were four years prior."

Stunningly, Epic "has the edge" on the gargantuan Pentagon medical records contract, The Washington Post reported on Monday. This favored status comes despite myriad complaints about the interoperability, usability and security of Epic's closed-end proprietary software. Just last week, the UCLA Health system run by Epic suffered a cyber attack affecting up to 4.5 million personal and medical records, including Social Security numbers, Medicare and health plan identifiers, birthdays, and physical addresses. The university's CareConnect system spans four hospitals and 150 offices across Southern California.

The university's top doctors and medical staff market their informatics expertise and consulting services to other Epic customers "to ensure the successful implementation and optimization of your Epic EHR." Will they be sharing their experience having to mop up the post-cyber attack mess involving their Epic infrastructure?

UCLA Health acknowledged that the hack forced it to "employ more cybersecurity experts on its internal security team, and to hire an outside cybersecurity firm to guard its network," according to CNN.

Now another Obama crony is poised to cash in on her cozy ties and take over the mega-overhaul of millions of Pentagon and Veterans Affairs medical records to the tune of at least $11 billion.

Can you say "Epic fail"?

Via: CNS News

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Obama Rallies Hollywood Elites for Gun Control Day After Charleston Attack

On June 18–the day after Dylann Roof allegedly shot and killed 9 people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina–President Obama urged Hollywood elites to renew their efforts to help me pass more gun control.

Obama repeated his message at two separate Democrat National Committee fundraisers.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, one of the fundraisers cost “$16,700 per person” for attendees like Kiefer Sutherland, Matthew Perry, Conan O’Brien, and director James Burrows. Speaking at this fundraiser, Obama lamented that “someone who wanted to inflict harm had no trouble getting their hands on a gun.”

He added: “This shooting is incredibly personal, and I’ve done this too much as president. Look, we’ve got to go back to the base of the issue and we have to fight it until it’s fixed.”

The second DNC fundraiser was held at Tyler Perry’s house and attendance prices “ranged from $2,500 to $33,500″ per person. Speaking here Obama said, “To see such a horrific event unfold like that is particularly shocking and it’s a reminder that we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

The President reportedly added:

If you’re dissatisfied that every few months we have a mass shooting in this country, killing innocent people, then I need you to mobilize and organize a constituency that says this is not normal and we are going to change it, and put pressure to elect people who insist on that change.

Via: Breitbart

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Obama Whines About Global Warming On Twitter While Flying On Air Force One To Attend DNC Fundraisers In Miami…

Obama departs aboard carbon-spewing Air Force One:

While en route “Barack Obama” warns about dangers climate change:

Via: Weasel Zippers

Van Hollen: Dem Caucus Told ‘Don’t Run Away from the Affordable Care Act’

The past chairman of the Democratic National Campaign Committee predicted “Democrats are going to be increasingly on the offense on the Affordable Care Act even as we talk about other critical issues” heading toward the midterm elections.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told MSNBC that “the number one issue, of course, on the minds of American people, jobs and the economy, but the Affordable Care Act will get people more economics certainty.”

“I think Republicans are going to make a big mistake by doubling down on their anti-Affordable Care message. People are tired of it,” he continued. “They want to improve it as we go along, not shut down the government to get rid of it, not vote for the 53rd time to get rid of it — especially, one, as you know, and the American people know, the Republicans have not put any alternative on the table. They want to go back to the days when the insurance companies called all the shots.”

Van Hollen echoed DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) in saying that anyone who thought the Florida special congressional election last week was a referendum on Obama “misread” the results.

“It is a Republican-leaning district, then they got more Republicans out. But, in terms of the message on the Affordable Care Act, the Republican message did not work there just like it did not work in the Virginia governor’s race where Terry McAuliffe said he would support the Affordable Care Act, he want to improve it where it was broken, but move forward on it,” Van Hollen said.

“…Let them talk all about the Affordable Care Act and how they want to get rid of it. We’re going to talk about how it helps people, but also where our voters are focused, which is of course jobs, economy, minimum wage, and it’s part of the package of economic security and moving the country forward. So, Republicans have only a negative message, people know that, they want a positive message that’s going to move the country forward.”

Van Hollen said the message in the Democratic caucus is “don’t run away from the Affordable Care Act.”

“Be strong about Obamacare, but also, again, focus on those other fundamental questions, right, economic security issues, minimum wage, trying to make sure that more people have benefit from a growing economy, getting the economy kicked in the higher gear, all that is part and parcel of said message. The Affordable Care Act is an important piece of it.”

Via: PJ Media

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Wasserman Schultz Welcomes Ted Cruz To Florida With A Big "Extremist" Hug

Florida Democrat Congresswoman and head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is once again showing America how much fun it is for Democrats to sound divisive, as she has once again pulled out her “extremist” card in describing conservative elected officials, specifically Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who was in Florida for a few events.

In an interview with the Sun-Sentinel, Wasserman Schultz took issue with the Republican Party of Sarasota naming Cruz their “Statesman of the Year.” “We’re talking about a guy who just in his brief time in Washington – he hasn’t even been there but a year and a half – and he orchestrated the government shutdown that cost our economy $24 billion.

He opposed common-sense immigration reform, and that’s obviously important to many voters in Florida, and across the country.

 He supported the House Republicans’ goal of refusing to even take a vote on the legislation. Last week he voted not to pay our nation’s bills and forced a filibuster, more gridlock more obstructionism in the Senate and potentially brought us to the brink of default. He even voted against the Violence Against Women Act.-Rep. Wasserman Schultz (D) Wasserman Schultz

Here is the Sun Sentinel Q & A with Wasserman Schultz:

Q: There are plenty of conservative Republicans in our area, but it seems as if he might be out of touch with Republicans in southeast Florida?

Wasserman Schultz: Apparently not out of touch with Marco Rubio, our senator, our tea party senator. If you remember he told Politico last year that he thinks Cruz is going to be a superstar.

Marco Rubio himself has a tough time figuring out exactly where he is. He’s been pretty much a weather vane when he runs into controversy in his own party, on immigration reform especially. The Republican Party continues clearly to be engaged in a civil war.

They can’t future out who they are, where they are, how they want to define themselves. There’s a ton of finger pointing. I think that they’ve lost a bunch of races as a result, and I think that going into the 2014 election, that’s going to cause them more problems, particularly as they highlight a guy like Ted Cruz and allow Ted Cruz to be their leader who already forced a government shutdown and was willing to default and refused to pay our nation’s bills again just last week. I mean this is the person that they are lifting up as the statesman of the year.

Q: Do you think he’s the kind of Republican that voters in southeast Florida could cotton up to, warm up to?

Wasserman Schultz: The most extreme tea-partiers certainly could. And that seems to be who is dominating and leading the Republican Party of today…. Florida is a purple state … and they’ve repeatedly rejected extremism.

The Republicans keep lifting up leaders like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio who embrace that extremism, so I think as voters take a look at the choices they have leading into the 2014 election, it’s going to bode well for our Democratic candidates.

Via: Brietbart

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Wasserman Schultz: Obama ‘Should Use His Executive Authority’ -- 'We've Got to Make Progress'

(CNSNews.com) – Despite criticism of President Barack Obama’s pledge that he will use his executive authority and executive orders to advance his agenda regardless of Congress, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said the president “should use his executive authority.”

At the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday following the president’s State of the Union speech, CNSNews.com asked Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz,  “What do you think of the criticism about using executive order(s) to get things done on climate change or [the] minimum wage?”

“Well, the ball’s in their court,” she said, in reference to Republicans in the House of Representatives. “I mean, they have an opportunity to work with him.”

“The president made that very clear,” said Wasserman Schultz, who also is chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. “We want to make sure that we’re working together and deepen our impact by passing legislation, but there are urgent challenges that we [are] facing and the president is going to have to use his executive authority.”

“And I agree that he should use his executive authority because if the Republicans continue to try to be obstructionists, then we’ve got to make progress,” Wasserman Schultz said.

Via: CNS News

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RNC Statement on FEC Filing

WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus today announced that the RNC raised $5.2 million in November 2013. The committee’s cash on hand totals $7.8 million. Year-to-date, the RNC has raised $73.2 million.

The RNC continues to make unprecedented early investments in community-based field staff, precinct-based organizing, data and technology to lay the foundation for victory in 2014, 2016 and beyond.

“Thanks to the trust and support of all our donors, the RNC has easily beaten the DNC in fundraising in 2013 year-to-date. We’re on track to out-raise them for the year,” said Chairman Priebus. “That means we can begin 2014 with a financial advantage over the Democrats.

“But we still have work to do: cultivating relationships with communities, rolling out new voter contact software, sharing our message of equal opportunity. We believe our continued early investments will make the difference in the midterms, and the infrastructure we’re building will also give us a head start into 2016.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to our donors and supporters at all levels. Because of them, we’ve been able to do things the RNC has never done before. I look forward to the year ahead as we continue our work to grow our party—and to win elections up and down the ballot.”

Via: GOP.com

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Wasserman Schultz: Millennials Will Gradually Embrace Obamacare And It Will Be "Incredible"

ANDREA MITCHELL: Congresswoman, what about this poll? It shows that, first of all, among the millennials, many of them think that it will be more expensive. Only 13% say they will definitely enroll, 16% will probably, 41% are split. They're also concerned about costs. We see in this poll that 40% think the care will be worse, 37% think care will be the same, 18% think it will be better. Don't we have to -- doesn't the White House have to get more support from these young people in order to make the risk pool work effectively?

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL), DNC CHAIR: Well, over the next weeks and months, the White House as well as Democratic members of Congress and folks across the administration are going to be continuing to get the word out about the opportunity to sign up for coverage, the benefits of signing up for coverage. 

You know, for millennials, young adults in particular, because they have an opportunity to stay on their parents' insurance until they're 26 years old, many of them need to be aware they can do that. That's going to give them comprehensive coverage that so many of them don't have now. 

And the focus needs to be on making sure that we can get young people who are often healthier into the pool so that it lowers the overall cost of health insurance. Whether it's making sure they get access to preventive care like mammograms without a co-pay or deductible or making sure -- or a well-woman visit without a co-pay or deductible, or birth control for free so they can plan their families in the way they want to. That's why I think gradually you'll have millennials fully embrace the Affordable Care Act, and it's going to be really an incredible opportunity.

Via: Real Clear Politics
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Democrats grasping at straws to energize base on 2013 results

Democrats lost big in the New Jersey governor's race and barely won the Virginia gubernatorial contest, but that hasn't stopped them from claiming the 2013 election was a major victory for them.

And they’re taking some very big leaps to do so.

In an e-mail sent to subscribers this weekend, Democratic National Committee Communications Director Mo Elleithee wrote that “we defied some pretty big trends in this past election.”

Elleithee then lists four “big” trends that were broken; let’s take a look at each one separately.

1. “For the first time in almost four decades, the winning candidate in Virginia's governor's race is from the same party as the president.”

And? How is that a victory for the Democratic party?

Under both Republican and Democratic presidents, the state has elected a governor of the opposite party. With the host of issues that Republican nominee Ken Cuccinelli was faced with (the government shutdown, current Gov. Bob McDonnell and weak fundraising), the fact that Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe won is not surprising.

Via: Washington Examiner

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Obamacare's Ticking Clock

Last week, MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski tried to call the Healthcare.gov helpline and got an operator. That’s right: an operator! The call went through! MSNBC, the unofficial AV department of the Democratic party, had a scoop. The network tweeted out the big news along with a link to the video: “Mika called the Obamacare hotline and got through with no problems — right on air. WATCH.”

It’s a sure sign that the bar has been lowered to curb height when spinners are touting the exciting news that phone calls actually go through. Someone picked up the phone! Quick, hang that “Mission Accomplished” banner. Never mind that you simply cannot buy insurance from the exchanges over the phone. But the fact you can get someone on the line to tell you that is, I suppose, progress of a kind.

A few hours later, the head of the DNC, Florida representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, went on MSNBC to insist that criticisms were overblown because she actually knew a young man in her state who signed up.

This, too, is progress given that the first — widely publicized — young man to enroll, Chad Henderson, actually never signed up. And many of the members of the studio audience for this week’s Rose Garden infomercial hadn’t been able to sign up yet, either. Still, there’s an old saying: “The plural of anecdote is data.” Now we’ve entered the era of “The singular of anecdote is data, too.” 

This can only go on for so long until the Democrats cut and run from a program they’ve invested nearly their entire political identity in. Already you can see the thought bubble over some of their heads: “We lost control of Congress for this hot mess?”

Ah, but Obamacare is more than a website, don’t you know? The president himself said so in his Rose Garden infomercial. And that is absolutely true. But so is this disaster. In fact, for critics of Obamacare the square-wheeled “rollout” of Healthcare.gov was a gimme. Put another way, it’s been like watching a rival football team face-plant on the way out of the locker room.

Via: Real Clear Politics

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