This and That...

[Warph]

(Yikes!!!  )

Via The Hill:
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's favorability rating has dropped over the past few months, a new poll found.

The Bloomberg News poll conducted by Selzer and Co. found that Clinton's popularity has dropped from 70 percent in December to 58 percent.

The percentage of people who have an unfavorable view of Clinton has increased, the poll also found. In December, 11 percent of those surveyed said they had an unfavorable view of Clinton. Now, 22 percent say they have an unfavorable view of the former secretary of State.

Clinton is regularly mentioned as a strong presidential candidate in 2016. David Redlawsk, a political science professor at Rutgers University, told Bloomberg that since Clinton is often mentioned as the strongest potential candidate in the 2016 president race, she's the target of Republican criticism, which weighs down her favorability.

[Warph]

(It's almost like he's avoiding questions on the flood of scandals he's dealing with...
and this POS works for us... Clown!)

Via TWS:
Obuma: "I'm going to take one question and then remember people are going to have opportunities to also answer questions when I'm with the Chinese president today, so I don't want the whole day to just be a bleeding press conference. But I'm going to take Jackie Calmes's question."

[Warph]

Tweet Of The Day

Barack Obuma's Bad Timing As Usual

  Barack Obama        ✔ @BarackObama  
"In a country where we expect free wifi with our coffee, why shouldn't we have it in our schools?" —President Obama in North Carolina today.  
June 6, 2013

(Great timing, Barry.... let's get the kids on the web too, so the government will spy on them too!)

[Warph]

Obuma Calls NSA Scandal Just A Bunch Of "Hype"...

(Same guy who for years railed against Bush's warrantless tapping of foreign phones, see here, here, and here for a few example).

Via WaPo:
President Obama sought to calm down "hype" about secret surveillance programs Friday, telling reporters that "nobody is listening to your telephone calls."

The intelligence community is "looking at phone numbers and durations of calls. They are not looking at people's names, and they are not looking at content." By sifting through "metadata," he said, they may find leads on potential terrorists. But to listen to the content of calls, he said, a court order from a judge would be needed.

He added that the e-mails of U.S. citizens are not being read.

He said he came into office with a "healthy skepticism" of these programs, but has come to believe that they prevent terrorist attacks and have developed safeguards " that Americans should feel comfortable about."

[Warph]

Obuma Defends Spying On Innocent Americans:
"You Can't Have 100% Security And Then Have 100% Privacy And Zero Inconvenience"

(Imagine the reaction to Bush saying,
"You can't have 100% security, and then have 100% privacy and zero inconvenience.")

(Since when do we have 100% security? The Boston Bombers being a good example of what this should have stopped if it really did keep us safe)

[Warph]

Obuma's Director Of National Intelligence Lies To Congress
When Asked If The NSA "Collects Any Type Of Data On
Millions Of Americans"

Via National Journal:
As we now know, the NSA has been collecting data on millions of domestic and international phone calls for some time now — since 2006, according to Dianne Feinstein. Maybe this bothers you; maybe it doesn't. Feinstein insists the program is an essential part of "protecting America"; Congressman Mike Rogers says it has already been "used to stop a terrorist attack in the United States."

But one person who doesn't like the idea of the NSA spying on Americans is Oregon senator Ron Wyden. And at a hearing in March, he asked James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, a straightforward question: "Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?"


Clapper's answer? "No, sir ... not wittingly..."

[Warph]

Idiotic Iran's Clerical Regime Criminalizes Dog Walking

(Ironically, the harder the clerics in Iran push Islam on the youth the more they seek to emulate western culture.  Iran already has the lowest youth mosque attendance rate in the Islamic world)

Tehran (AFP) – Iran is again cracking down on people with pet dogs, viewed as unclean in Islam, but Soroush Mobaraki says sales are booming despite fears the pooches might be arrested and their owners fined.

This veterinary pharmacologist, sitting in the small Tehran pet shop he owns, said there has been a sharp increase in demand for dogs in recent years.

Guard dogs, sheep dogs and hounds have always been acceptable, but the soaring number of pets acquired by a middle class keen to imitate Western culture has alarmed the authorities in recent years.

They have now criminalized walking dogs in public, or driving them around the city.
Mobaraki says many Iranians today boast about their pets, and some even show off in style.

They want to have a dog (to brag), like they want to have an expensive luxury car.

Reports of lap dogs dressed in Western designer clothes and accessories being driven in fancy cars, or walked in parks in affluent Tehran neighborhoods has drawn the ire of hardline clerics.

[Warph]

 

Unreal... Obama Pushing Obamacare in California Where Premiums Will Increase as Much as 146%

Friday, June 7, 2013, 11:08 AM

Obamacare will cost American families $20,000 per year.

Barack Obama is speaking in California right now pushing his unpopular healthcare law.
Californians will see their premiums increase by as much as 146% under Obamacare.
The GOP website reported:

TODAY IN CALIFORNIA, OBAMA WILL ENCOURAGE AMERICANS TO SIGN UP FOR OBAMACARE

"President Barack Obama Is Making A Personal Plea To Californians, Latinos And Young People To Sign Up For Coverage Under The New Health Care Law." ("Obama Pleads For Californians, Latinos, Young People To Get Coverage Under New Health Care Law," The Associated Press, 6/7/13)

Obama Faces A Tough Sales Pitch – Disapproval Of ObamaCare Continues To Hit New Highs

"ObamaCare Is More Unpopular Than Ever." "ObamaCare is more unpopular than ever, a new poll finds." (Tal Kopan, "Poll Finds Low Support For ObamaCare," Politico, 6/6/13)

•· The NBC News/Wall Street Journal Found That 49 Percent Of Americans Believe ObamaCare "Is A Bad Idea ... That's The Highest Number Recorded" Since 2009. "The poll shows 49 percent of Americans say they believe the Affordable Care Act is a bad idea. That's the highest number recorded on this question since the poll began measuring it in 2009." (Mark Murray, Health Care Law's Unpopularity Reaches New Highs," NBC News, 6/6/13)

•· That 38 Percent Believe That ObamaCare Will Leave Americans And Their Families "Worse Off ... The Highest Percentage Of Respondents To Express A Negative Outlook" Since 2010. "For individuals, the current poll also finds 38 percent of respondents saying that they (and their families) will be worse off under the health care law. That's the highest percentage of respondents to express a negative outlook toward 'ObamaCare' since 2010, when the president signed this signature piece of legislation into law following an extended, bruising battle in Congress." (Mark Murray, Health Care Law's Unpopularity Reaches New Highs," NBC News, 6/6/13)

In Another Recent Poll, CNN/ORC Found That 54% Of The Public Opposes ObamaCare. "According to the poll, 43% of the public says it supports the health care law, a figure that's mostly unchanged in CNN polling since the measure was passed in 2010 by a Congress then controlled by Democrats and signed into law by President Barack Obama. Fifty-four percent of those questioned say they oppose the law, also relatively unchanged since 2010." (Poll: Do You Support Or Oppose The Health Care Law?" CNN, 5/27/13)

•· Fifty-Four Percent Opposing ObamaCare Is The Highest Number Recorded By CNN/ORC Since November 2011. (CNN/ORC, 923 A, MoE 3%, 5/17-18/13)

In California, Premiums Could Rise As Much As 146 Percent

ObamaCare "Will Increase Individual-Market Premiums In California By As Much As 146 Percent." "But the data that Lee released tells a different story: ObamaCare, in fact, will increase individual-market premiums in California by as much as 146 percent." (Avik Roy, Op-Ed, "Rate Shock: In California, ObamaCare To Increase Individual Premiums By 64-146%," Forbes, 5/30/13)

Covered California's Release Was Misleading, It Compared Health Plans In The Individual Market To "Highly Regulated Plans That Small Employers Purchase For Their Workers." "Except that Lee was making a misleading comparison. He was comparing apples—the plans that Californians buy today for themselves in a robust individual market—and oranges—the highly regulated plans that small employers purchase for their workers as a group." (Avik Roy, Op-Ed, "Rate Shock: In California, ObamaCare To Increase Individual Premiums By 64-146%," Forbes, 5/30/13)

•· The Wall Street Journal: Covered California Made A "False Comparison." "But Mr. Lee and his fellow regulators were making a false comparison." (Editorial, "ObamaCare Bait And Switch," The Wall Street Journal, 6/3/13)

The Wall Street Journal: "The Cheapest ObamaCare Plan For A Typical 25-Year-Old-Man Is Roughly 64% To 117% More Expensive Than The Five Cheapest Policies Old Today." "The conservative analyst Avik Roy consulted current rates on the eHealthInsurance website and discovered that the cheapest ObamaCare plan for a typical 25-year-old man is roughly 64% to 117% more expensive than the five cheapest policies sold today. For a 40 year old, it's 73% to 146%." (Editorial, "ObamaCare Bait And Switch," The Wall Street Journal, 6/3/13)

Young Americans Are Expected To Face "Sticker Shock" From ObamaCare

Despite Obama's Promise To Lower Health Care Premiums For Everyone, "Healthy Young People – The Vast Majority Of Whom Voted For Obama In 2012 – Are Seeing Their Costs Go Up." "When he was selling his health care overhaul as a presidential candidate and then as commander-in-chief, Barack Obama repeatedly argued that the plan would lower insurance premiums for everyone. But in California, at least, healthy young people — the vast majority of whom voted for Obama in 2012 — are seeing their costs go up." (Andrew Kaczynski, "Flashback: Obama Promised Lower Health Care Insurance Premiums For Everyone," Buzzfeed, 6/3/13)

A Recent Survey Found That ObamaCare May "Triple Premiums For Some Young And Healthy Men." "The federal health care law could nearly triple premiums for some young and healthy men, according to a forthcoming survey of insurers that singles out a group that might become a major public opinion battleground in the ObamaCare wars." (Brett Norman, "ACA Premium Sticker Shock Could Fuel Foes," Politico, 2/4/13)


As ObamaCare Is Implemented, Insurance Premiums In The Individual Market For A Healthy 27 Year Old Will Be "Nearly 90 Percent Higher." "The survey, fielded by the conservative American Action Forum and made available to POLITICO, found that if the law's insurance rules were in force, the premium for a relatively bare-bones policy for a 27-year-old male nonsmoker on the individual market would be nearly 190 percent higher." (Brett Norman, "ACA Premium Sticker Shock Could Fuel Foes," Politico, 2/4/13)

•Insurers Estimated That A Healthy 27 Year Old Man From Texas Will Pay $99 More In Health Insurance Premiums Due To ObamaCare. "The insurers estimated that a healthy 27-year-old man in Austin, Texas, who pays $54 a month for insurance this year would have a $153 premium if ObamaCare's market regulations were in effect." (Brett Norman, "ACA Premium Sticker Shock Could Fuel Foes," Politico, 2/4/13)

The Washington Post's The Fact Checker: Young Adults Will "Have Sticker Shock When They See What Happens To Their Premiums Starting In 2014." "The law's provisions, especially the requirement for essential benefits, will almost certainly increase premiums, though tax subsidies will help mitigate the impact for a little over half of the people in the exchanges. But a lot of other people — such as a young male who currently has a plan that does not include all of the required benefits — are likely going to have sticker shock when they see what happens to their premiums starting in 2014." (Glenn Kessler, "President Obama's Claim That Insurance Premiums 'Will Go Down,'" The Washington Post's The Fact Checker, 8/10/12)

Obama Has Failed To Lower Health Care Premiums By $2,500

As A Candidate, Obama Promised That His Health Care Reform Would Save American Families $2,500 By The End Of His First Term. OBAMA: "If you've got health insurance, we're going to work with you to lower your premiums by $2500 per family per year. And we will not wait 20 years from now to do it or 10 years from now to do it. We will do it by the end of my first term as president of the United States of America." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event, Columbus, OH, 2/27/08)

Under Obama, The Average Cost Of Family Health Care Premiums Has Increased By $3,065 From $12,680 To $15,745, A 24.2 Percent Increase. ("Employer Health Benefits, 2012 Annual Survey, Exhibit 6.4" The Kaiser Family Foundation, 2012)

•"The Average Annual Premiums In 2012 Are $5,615 For Single Coverage And $15,745 For Family Coverage." ("Employer Health Benefits, 2012 Annual Survey," The Kaiser Family Foundation, 9/11/12)

[Warph]

More Members Of Congress On NSA Records Grab:
Obama's Claim He Told Us Is False, He Lied

Via Breitbart:

On Friday morning, President Barack Obama defended his administration's massive telephone records surveillance programs by explaining (more like lying) that "every member of Congress has been briefed on this program."

There's only one problem: both Republican and Democrat Congresspeople say that isn't true. On Friday afternoon, the press office for Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), one of the authors of the Patriot Act, tweeted, "Obama's claim that 'every Member of Congress' was briefed is FALSE."

It wasn't just Sensenbrenner. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said that only certain members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees had been told about the program, and he only knew about it because he received "special permission" to be briefed after hearing about it through the grapevine. "I knew about the program," he said on MSNBC, "because I specifically sought it out. It's not something that's briefed outside the Intelligence Committee." Merkley added that the administration had ignored the law. "Clearly the administration has not followed what an ordinary person would consider to be the standard of the law here," he said.

Merkely summed up: "when the president says all members of Congress were briefed ... well, I think a very small number of Senators in Congress had full details on these programs."

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said he only knew about the program after asking for a briefing under "classified circumstances." The "average member," he said, had no access to this information. "They don't receive this kind of briefing."

Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) said they had not been briefed on the phone surveillance program, either. "Not quite!" Rep. Billy Long (R-LA) tweeted after hearing about Obama's claim.

[Warph]

"Chinese hacked Obama, McCain campaigns,
took internal documents, officials say"

Cyberattacks linked to the Chinese government will be at the top of the U.S. agenda when President Obama meets with Chinese president Xi Jinping Friday in California. Chinese officials deny any role in the cyberattacks, but U.S. experts say the 2008 attack was a "wake up call."

By Michael Isikoff

The U.S. secretly traced a massive cyberespionage operation against the 2008 presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain to hacking  units backed by the People's Republic of China, prompting  high level warnings to Chinese officials to stop such activities,  U.S. intelligence officials tell NBC News.

The disclosure on the eve of a two-day summit between the U.S. and Chinese presidents highlights what has become a persistent source of tension between the two global powers: Beijing's aggressive, orchestrated campaign to pierce America's national security armor at any weak point – in this case the computers and laptops of top campaign aides and advisers who received high-level briefings.

The goal of the campaign intrusion, according to the officials: to export massive amounts of internal data from both campaigns—including internal position papers and private emails of key advisers in both camps.

"Based on everything I know, this was a case of political cyberespionage by the Chinese government against the two American political parties," said Dennis Blair, who served as President Obama's director of national intelligence in 2009 and 2010. "They were looking for positions on China, surprises that might be rolled out by campaigns against China.

"The intrusion into the campaigns' computer networks and subsequent efforts to penetrate them were highly sophisticated and continued for months after they were first detected by the FBI in the summer of 2008, according to the officials and an Obama campaign security consultant hired to thwart them. The intrusions and some details of what was targeted have been previously reported, but not publicly attributed to government-backed Chinese hackers.

Obama publicly referred to the attacks — in general terms — at a May 29, 2009, White House event announcing a new cybersecurity policy. "Hackers gained access to emails and a range of campaign files, from policy position papers to travel plans," he said then.

But neither the president nor his top aides publicly spoke about the identity of the hackers, or the depth and gravity of the attack.

Officials and former campaign officials now acknowledge to NBC News that the security breach was far more serious than has been publicly known, involving the potential compromise of a large number of internal files. And, in one case, it included the apparent theft of private correspondence from McCain to the president of Taiwan.

President Obama's 2008 campaign manager, David Plouffe, tells NBC's Michael Isikoff about the cyberattacks that infiltrated Obama's campaign. At the time, Plouffe said, Obama's reaction was one of surprise because there was no precedent for such an attack