OBAMA ADMINISTRATION THREATENS STATES ATTEMPTING TO DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD

The Obama administration is threatening states attempting to defund Planned Parenthood–those trying to stop the flow of their Medicaid funds to the abortion provider–with potential violation of federal law and, ultimately, the cutting off of Medicaid funds to those states.

Following the release of investigative videos exposing Planned Parenthood’s practice of harvesting the body parts of aborted babies for potential sale to biomedical companies, Alabama, Louisiana, and New Hampshire have canceled their Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood, as CNSNews.com reports.

Other states are in the process of considering similar action.

In Wisconsin, for example, state Rep. André Jacque (R) is attempting to address all the layers of government funding of Planned Parenthood that are under control of his state in several pieces of legislation. While Gov. Scott Walker and the state legislature have redirected about $1 million annually from Planned Parenthood to a Women’s Health Block Grant, the abortion giant’s affiliate in Wisconsin still receives between $15 and $16 million in taxpayer money annually, mainly through Medicaid and Title X “family planning” funding.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has stepped in, however, reports The Wall Street Journal, to warn these states that they may be in violation of federal law because, by blocking Planned Parenthood’s reception of Medicaid funds, it says women could lose access to essential preventive care, such as cancer prevention screenings.

In an HHS guidance document from 2011, the Obama administration said states are not allowed to exclude providers from Medicaid solely on the basis of the types of services they offer.

According to the WSJ report, should the states continue to block Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, they can request a hearing to settle the matter; however, should the conflict continue, CMS could cut Medicaid funds to the state.

Spokesmen for both Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said their states are not in violation of federal law since their Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood give either party the right to cancel it at will with a notice period: 30 days for Louisiana and 15 days for Alabama.

The HHS guidance, however, also says that states can exclude providers from Medicaid funding if their engagement in certain criminal acts is proven, a provision that many believe is the case with the videos of Planned Parenthood’s top medical personnel discussing the sale of aborted baby organs and body parts.

“This really hasn’t been tried before,” said Casey Mattox, senior legal counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom. “Planned Parenthood has contracts with states that can be terminated for cause. In other situations the contracts were not terminated for cause.”

The Obama administration threatened to cut off Medicaid funding several years ago from Texas, when former Gov. Rick Perry redirected federal Title X funds to family planning centers in his state that are not affiliated with Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. When Perry prohibited funding for low-income women’s health centers to go to Planned Parenthood clinics, the Obama administration argued the action was a violation of federal law and threatened to cut off Medicaid funding. Undaunted, Perry decided to fund the low-income women’s health program completely with his state’s own money.

In the wake of the release of the investigative videos by the Center for Medical Progress, White House press secretary Josh Earnest deferred to Planned Parenthood, stating the organization says it follows the highest ethical guidelines on medical research.

President Obama is a known champion of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. In April of 2013, he was the first sitting president to deliver an address to Planned Parenthood, which was founded by eugenicist and racist Margaret Sanger. He promised to stand with the organization against what he described as efforts to “turn back the clock to policies more suited to the 1950’s than the 21st Century.”

After praising the organization for its 100-year existence, Obama told Planned Parenthood, “God bless you.”

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards has enjoyed a close relationship with the White House from the start of Obama’s presidency. According to a report atCNSNews.com, an online record of visitors shows that Richards has visited the White House 39 times since Obama took office, beginning January 20, 2009–the day he was inaugurated.

Since then, Richards has met with Obama alone at least three times and First Lady Michelle Obama at least twice. Additionally, she met with the President and his wife together another four times. She also attended the President’s second inaugural on January 20, 2013.

Richards met with David Plouffe, former senior adviser to the president, four times and current senior adviser Valerie Jarrett five times. She has also met with many members of the Obama administration, including former White House Chief of Staff William Daley, Office of Management and Budget director Shaun Donovan, and current Chief of Staff Denis McDonough.

Via: Breitbart

Continue Reading.....

CNN's Tapper Shames Earnest For Not Watching Undercover Abortion Videos

CNN's Jake Tapper went after Josh Earnest on Monday's The Lead, after the White House press secretary admitted that he hadn't seen any of the undercover Planned Parenthood videos released by the Center for Medical Progress, and was "relying on news reports that I've seen" about the controversy. Tapper pointed out that "the whole video is put up on the website of this anti-abortion group that put them out." When Earnest blasted the pro-life group for their "ideological games," the anchor retorted that "somebody at the White House should maybe watch the videos in full."

Tapper raised the issue in the middle of his interview of Earnest. He also ran clips from the first four videos that the Center for Medical Progress released. The journalist first noted that "the Senate...is going ahead with a vote to try and defund Planned Parenthood. The White House has threatened to veto any measure like that." He then asked the press secretary, "Is it your contention that there's nothing in these secretly-recorded videotapes of Planned Parenthood officials discussing what sounds like profiting from fetal tissue and organ sales – there's nothing in these tapes that bothers you and anyone in the White House?" -

Earnest replied that "these videos...were released because of their shock value, and there's no doubt that's what depicted on these videos is shocking. I know that based on the news reports that I've read about the videos – I haven't actually looked at them." He continued with one of Planned Parenthood's talking points – that "people...have raised significant questions about whether or not these videos are credible – about whether or not they've been selectively edited in a way to grossly distort the position and the policies of Planned Parenthood." 

The CNN anchor followed with his point about the whole videos being available on the pro-life organization's website. The White House official responded with more liberal talking points about the administration wanting to "make sure that there is not an ideological effort to wholesale defund Planned Parenthood that provides those important health care services to women all across the country.

" The transcript of the relevant portion of Jake Tapper's interview of Josh Earnest from Monday's The Lead on CNN:

JAKE TAPPER: Josh, I want to ask you about a couple other issues, as long as I have – the Senate, as you know, is going ahead with a vote to try and defund Planned Parenthood. The White House has threatened to veto any measure like that-

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: That's right-

TAPPER: Is it your contention that there's nothing in these secretly-recorded videotapes of Planned Parenthood officials discussing what sounds like profiting from fetal tissue and organ sales – there's nothing in these tapes that bothers you and anyone in the White House?

EARNEST: Well, Jake, I got to tell you – you know, these videos are – were released because of their shock value, and there's no doubt that's what depicted on these videos is shocking. I know that based on the news reports that I've read about the videos – I haven't actually looked at them. But people who have looked at them have raised significant questions about whether or not these videos are credible – about whether or not they've been selectively edited in a way to grossly distort the position and the policies of Planned Parenthood. And if you consider the source-

TAPPER: The whole – the video – the whole video is put up on – on the website of this anti-abortion group that – that put them out. I mean, you can – you don't have to watch just the edited version. You can watch the whole version.

EARNEST: Yeah. Well, listen, I'm relying on – on news reports that I've seen of people who have taken a look at this and raised questions about the videos themselves. And there's no doubt that this is an organization that has targeted Planned Parenthood for some time. So, they clearly have an ideological axe to grind.

What we know to be true is that Planned Parenthood provides regular health care for millions of Americans across the country, and Planned Parenthood is not able to use federal funds to perform abortions. That is written into the rules. That is a rule that this administration has not just followed, but actually supported.

So it's clear that there are some ideological games that are being played here, and what this administration and this president has long fought for is protecting access for women to health care. And that's exactly why we want to make sure that there is not an ideological effort to wholesale defund Planned Parenthood that provides those important health care services to women all across the country.

TAPPER: Well, somebody at the White House should maybe watch the videos in full.

Via: Newsbusters

Continue Reading...

[VIDEO] Fox News Reporter Says The Harsh Truth And Obama Spokesman Hates It. Things Get Heated.

Perceived by many as a low blow, Earnest’s gibe earned scorn from numerous online critics.

When White House press secretary Josh Earnest attempted to describe the recent allegations against Planned Parenthood as a witch hunt, Fox News Channel’s Kevin Corke took him to task.

Earnest alleged that multiple unbiased sources concluded the series of undercover videos depicting Planned Parenthood officials negotiating the sale of harvested baby parts was in fact a heavily edited smear campaign.

Via: Western journalism

Continue Reading....

WHITE HOUSE: PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S POLICIES ‘LIVE UP TO THE HIGHEST ETHICAL STANDARDS’

REPORTER: "Has the -- I know you said these videos are selectively edited, the Planned Parenthood stuff. There are several more that are slated to come out, I understand. Has the White House had any communication with Planned Parenthood about standardizing procedures for fetal tissue research? Has the White House had any concerns about illegalities in this realm? Have you had any  scope of investigation, or are you considering it?”

EARNEST: “Not that I’m aware of. And again, I think Planned Parenthood has been quite specific about the policies and procedures that they have in place. I know that they have described those policies and procedures as the -- as living up to the highest ethical standard. But for what those standards are, I’d refer you to Planned Parenthood. And as I mentioned, based on the essentially fraudulent way in which these videos have been released, there’s not a lot of evidence right now that Planned Parenthood hasn’t lived up to those standards. But again, I’d refer you to Planned Parenthood on all that.”

Via: Grabien

Continue Reading....

WATCH: White House Press Briefing – 07/08/15

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest delivers the daily press briefing to reporters from the White House, beginning today at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET. Check back here at Mediaite daily, where you can watch the full live-streaming video of remarks and answers to questions from the White House Press Corps.

Watch below, via The White House:

Via: Mediaite

Continue Reading....

Congress could vote on Trade Promotion Authority as a stand alone bill as soon as Thursday

Congress could vote on Trade Promotion Authority as a stand alone bill as soon as Thursday, congressional sources tell the Associated Press.

The new plan under consideration would have the House vote on TPA — which would grant President Obama fast-track authority to negotiate trade deals — separately from the Trade Adjustment Assistance provision rejected last week.

The decision to split up the bills comes as House Republican leaders and the White House attempt to figure out a way to pass “fast-track” in the face of diverse opposition. As the APreports:

Now Obama and his allies are considering something they had desperately hoped to avoid: revisiting trade legislation in the Senate, possibly after the House votes on a simplified fast track bill. It would give Senate opponents another chance to strangle the legislation with costly delays and other tactics.

According to The Hill, White House spokesman Josh Earnest did not express opposition to the move, merely stating that both TPA and TAA should be passed.

“The only legislative strategy the president can support is one that will result in both pieces of legislation arriving at his desk,” The Hill quoted Earnest.

The Hill noted that Earnest also did not offer an opinion on whether the bills should arrive at Obama’s desk as a package or stand alone bills.

“There is also this fundamental question … about whether or not they need to arrive at the same time, on the same day, as part of the same legislative vehicle or separately — that’s exactly what’s being discussed on Capitol Hill right now,” The Hill quoted Earnest.

The push for fast-track authority comes as the Obama administration hopes to advance 

Via: Breitbart

Continue Reading....

[VIDEO] ‘Total Failure’: Obama Admin Reportedly Tried To Recruit Taliban 5 Members As Informants

The U.S. government tried to recruit members of the Taliban Five as assets, so they could gather intelligence and the U.S. could influence their future actions, Fox News has learned.

The effort to "flip" the five Taliban leaders into becoming informants, however, didn't work. A source familiar with the strategy described it as a "total failure." 

Other sources, who discussed the option on the condition of anonymity, backed up the account. 

The move was pursued to strengthen the Obama administration's ability to prevent the ex-Guantanamo prisoners -- traded more than a year ago for American Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl -- from returning to terrorism. The Taliban Five have been living in Qatar under a travel ban, which was set to expire earlier this week but was temporarily extended amid ongoing talks between the U.S. and Qatar. 

Asked about the strategy of flipping Taliban Five members, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest offered little information at Friday's press briefing. 

"Even as a general matter, this is an intelligence matter that I won't be able to discuss from here," Earnest said. 

The Taliban Five were held for 12 years at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, where military reviews concluded they were a likely security threat and had "high intelligence value." For those reasons, among others, seasoned military officers believe the Taliban Five were obvious recruitment targets. 

"We would definitely have tried to work that with these people because of who they are, and because of the relationships they have," Fox News military analyst and retired Gen. Jack Keane said. "These are people that had significant senior positions inside this organization." 

Via: Fox News

Continue Reading.... 

Ed Henry To WH: Given China Hack, Was It Smart For Hillary To Use Private Server?

Friday at the White House press briefing, Fox News chief White House correspondent Ed Henry asked  press secretary Josh Earnest if given today’s news reports on the massive hack of government computers by potentially China, was it smart to let Hillary Clinton use a private server during her tenure as secretary of state.

Ed Henry asked, “Several times on the hack, you talked about this being a threat to national security and that our adversaries are penetrating  the computer networks of the government and private companies. Given all of that, do you think it makes sense for the president’s Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to have a private server?”

Earnest replied, “That’s a creative way to inject that line of questioning into this discussion … I’m not qualified to render judgment about what sort of vulnerability that may have created.”

Via: Breitbart

Continue Reading....

Krauthammer On Obama: 'Who Cares What He Feels?'

BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our diplomacy as it worked respect to Iran, where for the first time in a decade we've halted the progress of its nuclear program and reduced its stockpile of nuclear material.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you square that with the IAEA announcing that they a 20 percent increase in their nuclear field?

EARNEST: The IAEA report that was published at the end of last week is merely a snapshot in time. And the joint plan of action requires Iran by the end of that joint plan of action period, in this case by June 30th, to be at the appropriate cap on their stockpile.

(WATCH VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: Well, the snapshot in time is the time over the last 18 months as this nuclear deal has been being negotiated with Iran, the nuclear fuel increasing by 20 percent according to the IAEA. This as a former key aide to the commander in chief telling the Israeli press that the president was pretty frustrated by the perception that he wasn't a strong supporter of Israel. David Axelrod telling Israeli TV Channel Two the president said to him, he also recalled Obama venting in a moment of contemplation, telling, "You know, I think I am the closest thing to a Jew that has ever sat in this office. For people to say that I am anti-Israel or even worse, anti- Semitic, it hurts."

So with all this, let's bring in our panel, Steve Hayes, senior writer for "The Weekly Standard," Mara Liasson, National Political Correspondent of National Public Radio, and syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer. Mara?

MARA LIASSON, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: Well, in terms of Iran increasing its nuclear stockpile, I mean, Josh Earnest just stated a fact, which is according to the agreement it's supposed to get rid of it all by June 30th. What he didn't say is how they are going to, and why if they are trying to negotiate an end to the nuclear weapons program they were increasing their nuclear weapons program as the negotiations were going on.

So it's not a good sign. You know, if the administration does get something that it says is good, it's going to have a lot of explaining to do.

Via: Fox News

Continue Reading....

WHITE HOUSE: PROPOSED HEALTH INSURANCE RATE HIKES IS PROOF OBAMACARE IS WORKING

Are you startled by the news that insurance companies are planning health insurance rate hikes of 10 percent or more in 37 states? Well that news, according to the White House, is one of the signs that Obamacare is working.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest explained to reporters that, thanks to Obamacare requirements, insurance companies are forced to report publicly any proposed rate hikes exceeding 10 percent for the coming period. State insurance regulators, he explained, would then conduct a review of the rate increases.

Because these rate increases are now public, Earnest appeared optimistic that the proposed rate increases would not ultimately stand.

“The result typically has been that after that state review is conducted, that insurance companies would slash their rates,” he explained.

When asked if rate increases were contrary to Obama’s promise to reduce health care costs through Obamacare, Earnest focused more on the law’s ability to slow down spiking health care premiums.

“Our goal of this has been to slow the growth in health care costs, and that has been our mantra,” he said. “And we have seen, as our economists can demonstrate to you, that since the health care law went into effect — since the Affordable Care Act went into effect health care costs in this country have grown at the slowest rate in recorded history, the slowest rate in 50 years.”

The rate hikes won’t be officially set until October.

Via: Breitbart

Continue Reading....

Obama Boasts: 'I Am the Closest Thing to a Jew that Has Ever Sat' in the Oval Office

President Obama once confided to a top adviser that he believes he is “the closest thing to a Jew that has ever sat in this office.”

In an interview by an Israeli TV station, former Obama adviser David Axelrod recalled the president venting in a moment of contemplation about criticisms that he doesn’t support Israel strongly enough, JPupdates.com reported.

“You know, I think I am the closest thing to a Jew that has ever sat in this office,” the president told Mr. Axelrod. “For people to say that I am anti-Israel, or, even worse, anti-Semitic, it hurts.”

White House press secretary Josh Earnest endorsed the sentiment Tuesday, saying Mr. Obama gave a heartfelt speech at a Jewish synagogue in Washington last month that expressed “the kinds of common bonds and common values that are embodied in his administration that are [also] advocated by the Jewish community.”

“The president does feel that kind of kinship,” Mr. Earnest said.

The TV report came out in advance of an exclusive interview that Mr. Obama conducted with Channel 2’s Ilana Dayan, which will be broadcast later Tuesday.

Mr. Axelrod also was critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has had a frosty relationship with Mr. Obama.

“The world of politics everywhere is divided into two categories: the first and more common is the people who run for public office because they want to be somebody,” Mr. Axelrod said. “A smaller group is made of respectable people who run for public office because they want to do something – something positive. Shape the future in a positive way. I think Benjamin Netanyahucompletely falls in the first category. He is a great politician. He knows what he needs to do to get through the next election. But it seems to me that Israel has to think about what they need to do to get through the next generation.”

Martin Indyk, U.S. special envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations from 2013 to 2014, told Ms. Dayan that “Israelis are ungrateful to this president.”

“They never appreciated his rule whereby nothing will harm the security of Israel,” Mr. Indyk said. “Obama did not manage to get that statement out so that the Israelis can really feel it. You are an emotional nation, not a rational nation. You work from your gut and not your mind. “

He said of Mr. Netanyahu’s speech to Congress this spring, which the White House opposed: “The prime minister really stuck his finger in President Obama’s eye, and this is a disturbing development.”

Via: The Washngton Times

Continue Reading....

[VIDEO] Baltimore Mayor Lashes Out At Fox News Reporter Asking About Violence, WH Answer More Gun Control!

If anyone could shoot the stink eye, that’s Stephanie Rawlings-Blake trying to roast Fox’s Leland Vittert. Then Josh Earnest tries to argue for more gun control to address criminals shooting people. Because criminals are known for paying attention to laws. Maryland already has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country. But never let a crisis go to waste…

Via: Weasel Zippers

[VIDEO] MEGYN KELLY RIPS OBAMA SPOX JOSH EARNEST, SAID HE REMINDS HER OF ‘THE JERK’

In disbelief of Josh Earnest’s comments suggesting the Obama strategy against ISIS is successful, Megyn Kelly said she had to read his comments three times just to understand it, referring to it as ‘nonsense’. After Brit Hume weighed in on it, Kelly then played a clip from ‘The Jerk’ saying this is what Josh Earnest reminded her of after his comments today.

Watch:

• FACEBOOK191
• TWITTER85
• GOOGLE
• EMAIL

Via: The Right Scoop

Continue Reading....

[VIDEO] Josh Earnest On Ramadi: We “Can’t Light Our Hair On Fire” Every Time There Is A Setback

Thousands of Americans killed to take it, but eh, ‘let’s not set out hair on fire’. Meanwhile, ISIS lights up the Middle East and really sets people on fire…

Via: Weasel Zippers

No White House Press Briefing in Last 15 Days

The White House has not held a press briefing in the last 15 days, according to records on the White House's website. The last one was held on September 24, 2012, by White House press secretary Jay Carney.

However, in that 15 day time period, and including today, there have been 11 press gaggles. Nine have been conducted by Carney, while 2 have been held by principal deputy press secretary Josh Earnest. Campaign surrogates David Axelrod and traveling press secretary Jen Psaki have participated in the gaggles.

But there's a big difference between a gaggle and a press briefing. Gaggles are limited only to those members of the press who are traveling with the president of the United States and are not video taped. Press briefings, on the other hand, are open to credentialed media (who obtain White House approval) and are on camera. 

Gaggles tend to by shorter in length than a normal press briefing, usually being held for approximately 10-15 minutes at a time. And are these days very often held aboard Air Force One to accommodate the frequent campaign stops across the country by President Obama.

Via: Weekly Standard

Continue Reading...