Defense Civilian Back Pay To Arrive in End of Month Checks

Stars and Stripes reports that “as the Defense Department began to get back to business as usual Thursday in the wake of a law that provided funding to reopen the government, one of the first orders of business in many offices was making sure timecards were properly filled out.”

“Most DOD civilians furloughed during the federal government shutdown can expect retroactive pay in their Oct. 25 electronic paychecks, or in paper checks issued on the 30th, Pentagon officials said Thursday. The date can vary by component or office, officials said. Some Army civilians, for instance, will receive retroactive pay in electronic funds transfers on Oct. 30.”

Via: Roll Call

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Fast and Furious—Still Infuriating

With the economy still cratered, a slew of foreign policy debacles, and a government shutdown, most Americans probably haven’t thought much about the Fast and Furious scandal in recent months. The Scrapbook doesn’t know what it says about the times we live in that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ homicidal negligence is all but forgotten a few years later, but we’re pretty sure it isn’t good.

JOHN DODSON

LANDOV

The ATF is certainly doing everything it can to make sure that Americans don’t revisit its inexplicable decision to give thousands of guns to Mexican gangs, resulting in the death of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry and dozens of Mexican nationals. Two years ago, ATF whistleblower John Dodson revealed the incompetence of the Fast and Furious operation, which led to the resignation of a number of top-ranking ATF officials. It also led to Eric Holder becoming the first attorney general in U.S. history to be held in contempt of Congress for stonewalling congressional investigators. To this day, the ATF and its overseers at the Justice Department have refused to provide the House Oversight Committee thousands of documents that would shed light on Fast and Furious and possibly prevent another such debacle from occurring.

Dodson has now written a book about the scandal and his role in bringing it to light. Surely, his story is worth telling. However, the ATF has denied Dodson the right to publish his book, using the excuse that the agency is allowed approval over “outside employment.” As if to thoroughly burnish the ATF’s deserved reputation for incompetence, here is the note the bureau sent Dodson denying his request to publish his book, as quoted in the Washington Post: “This would have a negative impact on morale in the Phoenix [field division] and would have a detremental [sic] effect on our relationships with [the Drug Enforcement Administration] and FBI.”

Via: Weekly Standard

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Hannity Dials Obamacare Call Center, Operator Says No One Likes It

At the top of his radio program today, Sean Hannity called in to an Obamacare call center. Hannity was able to get through to an operator after only several moments of waiting. He spoke to the operator for nearly 10 minutes about Obamacare, what her thoughts of it are and what kind of response she has received so far. The operator was very friendly and had no problem answering all of Hannity's questions.

HANNITY: They're really telling you to tell us to check back in on the website in off-hours. Does that mean that I should go on at like three in the morning?

OPERATOR: It was saying early in the morning and late at night, but some people say they do that and still can't get in.

HANNITY: So people are reporting to you the real deal?

OPERATOR: Yes sir, they are.

HANNITY: Have you ever got anybody that really likes it yet?

OPERATOR: Umm, no, not really.

[Hannity laughs]

Via: Real Clear Politics

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Where is the White House getting the money for ObamaCare’s “tech surge”?

Sebelius told Congress this afternoon that she will indeed agree to testify about the O-Care rollout — just not this week, as she has a scheduling conflict. Here’s a question for her when she does via Byron York: How are they paying for this all-hands-on-deck salvage operation of Healthcare.gov, which even The One himself described as a “tech surge” in the Rose Garden today? I’m not asking that rhetorically, either. Appropriations can be very confusing; plenty of people watching the “defund” pageant play out assumed, I think, that a shutdown would mean choking off funding for ObamaCare until it was over. Not so, but you can understand why that mistaken impression might be had. Maybe York and I — andJohn Cornyn — are similarly mistaken and there’s an obvious source of funds for the “surge,” but if so, what?

Unless I missed it, neither O nor HHS has said how big the “tech surge” is. Maybe they’ve hired 200 people to come in and re-write millions of lines of code, or maybe they’ve convinced 10 highly regarded IT managers to come in and reorganize the site with the people already on staff. I can kinda sorta buy that the latter might work pro bono, for the glory of “rescuing” ObamaCare, but not the former. So if we’re talking about dozens or hundreds of new contractors, where’s that money coming from? The site already wentwildly over budget earlier this year and, as York notes, the GOP has already once refused HHS any new money to implement the law, leading Sebelius to engage in an egregious shakedown of health-industry execs. Maybe those execs are paying for the “surge”; given that the insurance industry stands to be completely wrecked by a “death spiral” if the young and healthy don’t start enrolling soon, they have every incentive to scrape the money together even without Sebelius leaning on them. Or maybe it’s as simple as HHS moving already-appropriated money around to pay for this thing. If they have to cut corners on normal functions to keep their pet boondoggle from crashing on the launchpad, they’ll do it. But that gets us back to the question of how much money we’re talking about here. If they’ve already had to cover heavy cost overruns with the funds they have on hand, how much money’s left to pay for the “surge”?

Incredible though it may seem, what we’re going to see next month, I think, is Obama starting to pound the table and demand that Congress — including House Republicans — pony up however many millions he now needs for his big Healthcare.gov salvage operation. He can’t force them to do it, but he can beat on them for awhile when they refuse. Right before the shutdown, ObamaCare critic Avik Roy posted this poll noting that, when presented with a menu of possibilities for the program, a plurality of voters prefers trying to fix it to outright repeal:

I haven’t seen polling on fixing the website itself versus abandoning it or taking it down for awhile but you can imagine the same voter instinct applying to that — it just got started, it hasn’t had a chance yet, they have people who can fix it if only they had the money, blah blah blah. That still won’t move Republicans to appropriate the money, which means O’s problem in funding this boondoggle will remain unsolved for now, but it’ll give him a scapegoat if/when he’s forced to yank Healthcare.gov off the air for awhile. And you know how much he loves a scapegoat.

Via: Hot Air
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EXCLUSIVE–DOCUMENTS: CONGRESS CHARGES SECRET FEE TO LAND TOP COMMITTEE SPOTS

Members of Congress must pay secret fees known as “party dues” to the Democratic and Republican parties to secure and maintain top committee chairmanships and assignments, newly uncovered internal documents reveal.

The never-before-published lists are reprinted inside the new book Extortion: How Politicians Extract Your Money, Buy Votes, and Line Their Own Pockets, written by Government Accountability Institute President and Breitbart News Senior Editor-at-Large Peter Schweizer.

Senior congressional staffers say the committee price lists have long been rumored to exist but that few people on Capitol Hill have seen them, giving them an almost "mythical" quality.

The book contains copies of the Democratic and Republican price lists detailing how much money lawmakers must raise to obtain and keep their seats on congressional committees. The so-called “party dues” lawmakers must contribute for committee assignments are separate and apart from the fundraising they conduct for their own campaigns. If lawmakers fail to make their tribute payment to their party, they can lose their place on a powerful committee.  

“These party dues are not voluntary,” writes Schweizer. “Members are not asked to pay—they are required to pay.”

In the 2013-2014 election cycle, the going rate for a Democratic assignment as the ranking member on a top committee like the House Ways and Means or Financial Services Committees is $500,000. Schweizer reports that Democrats also use a “members points system” that rewards its members for attending party fundraisers.

Via: Breitbart

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ABC Wakes Up to 'Massive Technical Glitches' on ObamaCare Website: 'It's a Bust'

The journalists at Good Morning America on Monday woke up to the "massive technical glitches" "plaguing millions" of Americans trying to use the ObamaCare website. The morning show, which has largely minimized the troubled debut of HealthCare.gov, featured reporter Rebecca Jarvis to lament, "It was supposed to be an easy way for Americans to sign up for health care online. But this morning, the Department of Health and Human Services, which spent $500 million to build the site, is admitting it's a bust."

Jarvis attempted to navigate the web page, but offered this perplexed assessment: "But even when we tried to access the site,  we encountered this error, a registration page filled with question marks and incoherent data." [See video below. MP3 audio here.] Although the GMA journalists highlighted the problems, they also buried their impact. It wasn't until the very end of the segment that co-host George Stephanopoulos noted that the administration is "racing the clock." Jarvis agreed, pointing out, "They have to get people signed up for health insurance by January 1st, before the fines start kicking in."

Isn't the fact that millions are unable to sign up for health care, but will still be fined, the most important point?

Way back on October 1, World News previewed the new website. Reporter Paula Faris featured Max Dinette, a man trying to sign up. She explained, "He was excited to sign up today but couldn't get online because the website kept crashing, the same for many others inundating the government's health care website."

On the October 2 GMA, Josh Elliott noted that "Americans coast-to-coast are voicing frustration."

After that, however, ABC mostly downplayed problems with the website.

This week, the networks have had the story forced upon them. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is facing calls to testify about the problems. The House is investigating. 

On CBS This Morning, correspondent John Dickerson offered much tougher language than what ABC has managed. He insisted that the White House faces a "credibility death spiral" over the "total fiasco" of HealthCare.gov.

Via: Newsbusters
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Group behind Obama at Rose Garden speech includes only 3 Obamacare registrants

Of the 13 people who flanked President Obama during his speech defending Obamacare in the Rose Garden Monday, just three had successfully registered for the new Obamacare exchanges.

A list of the people who joined Obama on stage provided by the White House included people who have or “will” benefit from Obamacare, small business owners, representatives from “partner organizations,” and new registrants.

The three people who were able to register included: Janice Baker, who introduced the president and as of last week was the only person to have successfully enrolled in health care coverage through Delaware’s state exchange; David Hall, an IT consultant who signed up for health care through the DC Health Link; and Zohre Abolfazli, who was able to register through healthcare.gov last night and still needs to shop for her “best plan.”

The Obama administration has not released official numbers on how many people actually have enrolled in Obamacare, and with the main Obamacare web portal plagued by glitches, some have speculated that the administration might not be able to meet its enrollment goals.

The full list, via the White House:

Janice Baker (Introducer), New ACA Registrant

Janice Baker, a small business owner, was the first woman to enroll in the Delaware exchange. She and her husband are the owners of the Heavenly Hound Hotel, a boarding and grooming kennel for Dogs in Selbyville, DE. They have owned and operated it for 24 years.  Prior to enrolling through the new Marketplaces, Baker had been turned down for individual insurance three times due to a minor pre-existing condition.  On her new insurance plan, Baker is saving $150 a month.

Ginger Gutting, CVS Pharmacy Supervisor

Ginger Gutting is a pharmacist and current pharmacy supervisor for CVS in the Northern Virginia area. Ginger overseas many stores in the Washington Metro area.  In this role, she has seen the impact that ACA has had on her customers and store pharmacists. Ginger has been a CVS colleague and pharmacist since 2002 and is a registered pharmacist in the state of Virginia. 

Walt Rowen, Small Business Owner

Walt Rowen is the owner of the Susquehanna Glass Company, a small business in Columbia, Pennsylvania started by Rowen’s grandfather in 1910.  The company, which has grown to 35 full-time employees, has benefitted from the ACA’s Medical Loss Ratio provision which requires at least 80 percent of small groups’ premium dollars be spent on patient care instead of administrative costs.  A few years ago Rowen was quoted a 130 percent increase to his premiums — this year his premiums increased by only 7 percent. 

Via: Daily Caller
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Find Out What Happens When Sean Hannity Calls Obamacare Hotline

Fox News and conservative radio talk show host Sean Hannity called the Obamacare hotline on-air Monday afternoon — and things quickly got awkward.

Hannity, who first had to navigate through the automated menu, was eventually connected with representative Erling Davis.

“You are on the radio, you are on the Sean Hannity radio show,” the radio host informed Davis. “You’re on the radio. Is that OK with you? You have to say yes if you want to be on.”

“It’s OK, sir,” Davis replies.

“How is the call volume today?” Hannity then asked. “Because the president gave out your phone number today. Did you know that?”

“I did not know that, sir,” she says.

Hannity then explained to Davis that he is having problems enrolling in President Obama’s signature health care program using the healthcare.gov website.

...

Via: Fox News

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Obama's Job Approval Declines to 44.5% in 19th Quarter

Three-percentage-point decline in approval from previous quarter

by Jeffrey M. Jones

PRINCETON, NJ -- President Barack Obama averaged a 44.5% job approval rating during his 19th quarter in office, a decline of more than three percentage points from his 18th quarter. That is one of the largest quarter-to-quarter declines of his presidency, behind a nine-point drop in his third quarter and a six-point drop in his 11thquarter.

The 19th quarter, which ran from July 20-Oct. 19, is now the third in a row in which Obama's job approval rating has declined. The current slump followed five consecutive quarters -- the 12th through the 16th -- of higher job approval.

Obama's Gallup daily job approval ratings tended to be higher earlier in his 19th quarter than in the latter part. In late August and early September, Obama sought congressional approval for military action in Syria, something the public did not favor. That military action was avoided when Russian officials helped broker a diplomatic solution.

Then, during the partial government shutdown that began Oct. 1 and included 11th-hour negotiations to increase the debt limit, his job approval dipped as low as 41%. His Gallup daily job approval ratings had not been lower since November 2011.

Via: Gallup Poll

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New Study: ’2013 ranks as one of the least extreme U.S. weather years ever’– Many bad weather events at ‘historically low levels’

'Whether you’re talking about tornadoes, wildfires, extreme heat or hurricanes, the good news is that weather-related disasters in the US are all way down this year compared to recent years and, in some cases, down to historically low levels.'

Tornadoes: 'lowest total in several decades'

Number of wildfires: 'On pace to be the lowest it has been in the past ten years'

Extreme Heat: The number of 100 degree days may 'turn out to be the lowest in about 100 years of records'

Hurricanes: 'We are currently in the longest period (8 years) since the Civil War Era without a major hurricane strike in the US (i.e., category 3, 4 or 5)' ( last major hurricane to strike the US was Hurricane Wilma in 2005)

Via: Climate Depot

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Fort Collins man found guilty of arson

Benjamin Gilmore turns to smile at family members and friends at his first court appearance at the Larimer County Justice Center in 2011. Gilmore was convicted Friday of setting fire and doing about $10 million in damage to a downtown Fort Collins mixed-use complex. ( V. RICHARD HARO ) More than a month after his latest trial began, Benjamin Gilmore was found guilty on Friday of deliberately igniting the 2011 Penny Flats fire. Gilmore, 31, had been on trial since Sept. 16. The jury found him guilty of arson, burglary and criminal mischief, but not guilty on four other counts, including attempted murder. The fire initially started Oct. 24, 2011, in a structure at 311 N. Mason St. in downtown Fort Collins, but it spread to the mixed-use Penny Flats complex next door. Damages to the property were estimated at $10 million. This is the second time Gilmore had been tried for the same seven counts. The jury was unable to reach a verdict following a 16-day trial in August 2012. The former beekeeper had also been linked to the Occupy protests occurring at the time the fire occurred. According to archive accounts of the incident, a key piece of evidence at the time of Gilmore's arrest was a Rolex watch bearing his name that had been found in the debris near the scaffolding used to access the start of the fire. Gilmore had been shown in the days before to have worn the watch at a Fort Collins City Council meeting, but afterward had injuries to his legs and apparent burn injuries to his hands. He told police at the time he had acquired the injuries at the Occupy Fort Collins bonfire. Via: Reporter Herald News Continue Reading....