Paulcare? Rand Paul Says He Has Full Obamacare Replacement Plan

By William Teach January 15, 2017 – 7:40 am

If there is a GOP Senator that you would want to have a full Ocare replacement plan, Rand Paul is certainly one of the main ones to look to. He’s a physician (Ophthalmology), and well versed in the ins and outs of insurance and healthcare. He’s very familiar with how to take care of people, and spent a lot of time expanding eye care in Kentucky, even winning the Twilight Wish Foundation Outstanding Service and Commitment to Seniors award in 2002. He’s a real Libertarian, and wants the free market to drive health care. He has taken over the duties of published the government waste list. He understands the difference between health care and health insurance, and what causes prices. Tom Coburn would have been great, but, he retired. John Barrasso would also be a good choice in the Senate. There are plenty of Republicans in the House who are physicians, but, they are not as well known.

But, supposedly Rand Paul is the first to the line, which is good, since he says that Ocare should not be repealed until there is an actual fleshed out replacement plan

(Fox News) Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul vowed Saturday night that he would reveal a bill to replace ObamaCare next week.

Paul, a Republican, tweeted a photo of the first page of the bill he titled the “Obamacare Replacement Act.” He added: “Done drafting the bill & will be discussing on CNN Sunday AM and all week next week!”

Last week, Paul was the lone Republican to vote against the budget which would repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act after expressing his displeasure because it endorsed huge budget deficits. He wasn’t the only one to have expressed anxiety over dismantling the law without a replacement to show voters.

What will the plan be? We will see. He’s had this bit on his Senate webpage for a while

As a doctor, I have had firsthand experience with the vast problems facing health care in the United States. Like other areas of the economy where the federal government wields its heavy hand, health care is over-regulated and in need of serious market reforms. Government interventions in health care have driven up the cost of coverage. I have long supported making all medical expenses tax deductible, allowing insurance to be bought across state lines, tort reform (state-level), and empowering all citizens to save for health expenses by removing the high-deductible insurance policy requirement to access to Health Savings Accounts .

More freedom to choose and innovate will make sure our health care system remains the best in the world. As your Senator, I am working to ensure that real free market principles are applied to the American health care system so that it is responsive to patients, families, and doctors rather than government bureaucracy.

You can bet that those principles will be part of the bill.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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Snow In Portland Is Totally Climate Change Doom

By William Teach January 14, 2017 – 4:00 pm

Black is white, up is down, hot is cold

(Oregon Live) Look outside. It’s probably snowing. In fact, in Portland, Tuesday was one of the “snowiest” days on record. The National Weather Service in Portland says this winter could be the coldest in 20 years.

Whenever the weather gets cold, someone somewhere, whether it’s in an email or the comments section of this website, says, “Well, it’s cold outside so global warming is obviously a hoax.”

So, is it?

First, the words. It’s more accurate to say “global climate change” than “global warming.” That’s because warming in some areas means cooling in others.

“While some places may end up getting warmer and hotter,” Jon Bonk, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Portland told us over the phone Wednesday, “that may result in conditions elsewhere, say the coast, where they may end up getting cooler.”

photo picard-face-palm_zps6efb11ab.gif

There’s always an excuse with these people, always a reason why the answer is always ‘climate change’. It reminds me of those little papers which provide reasons why the earth is only 6,000 years old. They always have an excuse.

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If All You See…

By William Teach January 14, 2017 – 1:00 pm

…is world turning to desert from carbon pollution, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is 90Ninety Miles From Tyranny, with a post on how much sexual assaults have jumped in Sweden.

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Poll: Democrats Concerned More Over ‘Climate Change’ Than Most Real Issues

By William Teach January 14, 2017 – 7:37 am

Yet, Democrats mostly refuse to give up their own use of fossil fuels, hair dryers, washing machines, ice makers, showers longer than two minutes, and all the other things that would make their lives carbon neutral

(MRC) Liberal Americans are more likely to rank “global climate change” as a major world threat than they are to list ISIS, North Korea’s nuclear program or the Middle Eastern refugee crisis.

According to a new poll out from the Pew Research Center, 77 percent of Americans identifying as Democratic or who lean Democratic say they believe climate change is a “major threat.” This collective opinion echoes that of President Obama’s National Security Advisor Susan Rice, who recently declared climate change to be a top threat to U.S. security.

Additionally, a slightly lower 74 percent of Democratic respondents say they believe ISIS poses a major global threat, while 68 percent say the same of North Korea’s escalating nuclear program. Conversely, only 30 percent of Democrats say the Syrian And Iraqi refugee crises poses a major threat to the world.

Overall, the poll results look like this

But, breaking it down to partisan leanings without the independents

Their #1 concern is Hotcoldwetdry. The thing they mostly refuse to address in their own lives, but want to force Everyone Else to comply with, in the form of taxation, fees, higher costs of living, and more Big Government, forgetting that these same things would negatively affect their own lives.

Interestingly, after making fun of Mitt Romney during the 2012 campaign season, Democrats concern with Russia jumped from 37 to 67 between April and January.

On the bright side for the Cult of Climastrology, climate change didn’t come in last or next to last, which is the norm. It came in 2nd to last! Hooray for 25 years of apocalyptic spreading awareness!

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NY Times Is Concerned Over Trump’s “Deep Danger For Legitimate, Aggressive Journalism” Or Something

By William Teach January 14, 2017 – 7:16 am

There’s deep concern that Donald Trump is undermining responsible journalism that will hold him accountable

See?

(NY Times) If there was any doubt, the uproar this week over BuzzFeed’s publication of unverified allegations about President-elect Donald J. Trump made clear that the gatekeeper role once played by major news media organizations has vanished in the digital age.

This poses a deep danger for legitimate, aggressive journalism, especially from the president-elect, who has been consistent in his heavy-handed demonization of any and all media whenever he dislikes critical but accurate stories about him.

BuzzFeed’s irresponsible decision to publish a seamy and wholly unsubstantiated research dossier about Mr. Trump by a former British spy gave him the opportunity to attack not only BuzzFeed but also CNN, which had reported accurately about the document’s existence but, properly, had declined to reveal its unverified contents. By conflating the conduct of the two news organizations as examples of the growing menace of malicious, digitally spread “fake news,” he undermined the vigorous, accurate journalism that is necessary to hold him and his incoming administration accountable.

Got that? It’s Trump’s fault that Buzzfeed was irresponsible, and that CNN decided to pile on and run with the totally unverified story, which pretty much every other major news outlet decided they wouldn’t touch.

But, really, this is the same press that is suddenly interested in “legitimate, aggressive journalism,” and “vigorous, accurate journalism”, after 8 years of ignoring most things in the Era Of Obama, if not covering for them. The same press that failed to properly vet and cover Hillary Clinton. The same press that covers Republicans and Democrats much, much differently. The same press that is mostly in bed with Democrats. They can’t have it both ways. They need to either do their jobs all the time, or quit and do something else.

And they’ve failed to learn the lesson that Donald Trump is not your standard politician, and has no problem calling the Credentialed Media out, and using the New Media to get his message directly to The People.

At a time when the president-elect is trying to make major political changes in a deeply divided country, he is encouraging the public not to believe reporting by responsible news organizations that are striving to hold the government accountable. He did the same thing during his campaign, rallying his followers against the “dishonest media” while at the same time feeding news organizations and the public distorted and unproven allegations about his opponents.

During the campaign, I had numerous interactions with Trumpites about the supposed “media being on the ballot” talking point. I said “come on, he’s running against Hillary and the Dems, he has to act it or he’ll lose.” They said “no, the media is on the ballot!” They and Trump were right. One of the most recent polls shows that just 32% of Americans have a great deal or fair amount of trust for the news media to “to report the news fully, accurately and fairly.” Some previous polls has that trust being much, much lower. The primarily leftist news media did this themselves. They can’t blame Trump, who simply piled on.

Of course, the responsibility is not only Mr. Trump’s. The news media must separate in the public mind responsible journalism from recklessly inaccurate and purposely false information disguised as news for profit or influence by charlatans. Raging against attacks by Mr. Trump and his allies on “the mainstream media” will not suffice. The news media must double down on fair but aggressive news coverage, including scrutinizing the practices of those who don’t have the same standards.

Well, it’s good to see that Mr. Downie, Jr., who was the executive editor for the Washington Post from 1994-2008, finally ends by acknowledging that the news media is at fault. But, where was this concern over the last 8 years? Where was this concern when the media was being heavily partisan while George W. Bush was president? Trust is earned. They’ve lost it. They won’t get it back by suddenly being interested in doing their jobs against Trump and his administration.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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If All You See…

By William Teach January 13, 2017 – 1:00 pm

…is a horrible carbon polluting pool, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Last Refuge, with a post wondering whether or not Obama will pardon Hillary.

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City Known For Witch Hunts Is Taking On ‘Climate Change’ or Something

By William Teach January 13, 2017 – 11:09 am

The Cult of Climastrology has long been linked to witches. First, they act like witches in thinking that dancing around (and taxing Everyone Else) will change the weather. Second, and more important, they act like witch hunters, look to take an ounce of flesh from those they deem witches, otherwise known as “skeptics.” They’ve been involved in numerous hunts, such as going after Exxon Mobile. Heck, they’ve even claimed the original medieval witch hunts were influenced by climate change. If only those wild women hadn’t been driving SUVs in the mid-1500’s.

Anyhow, Salem Mayor Kimberly Driscoll and Jesse Mermell, president for the Alliance For Business Leadership, are uber concerned

Salem is taking on climate change
For coastal cities, it’s a matter of urgency

THE MORE THINGS change, the more they stay the same. For centuries now the economic health of the city of Salem has been tied to the ocean.

In the immediate aftermath of the American Revolution and into the 1800s, ships from Salem took to the seas and returned with tea, spices, and silks that turned the port community into the wealthiest city per capita in the new nation. Later, Salem Harbor became home to a major coal depot, where ships dropped off coal on its way to fuel regional factories and, later, a large coal-powered power plant on the waterfront itself. Much has changed with the city today, but the ocean remains central to its economic prosperity. In this day and age that can only mean one thing: For Salem to survive and thrive, we must tackle the issue of climate change.

Modern-day Salem is a bustling city on the rise. Between tourism, health care, and higher education, the city’s economy has transformed from the days of importing tea from China. But it will never move on from its connection to the ocean. With a new natural gas power plant opening up acres of waterfront land, Salem has the opportunity to sustainably develop an area that will link oceanfront resources to economic development.

It seems tourism from the long ago witch hunts plays pretty big, but, whatever

With this vital opportunity looming, addressing climate change is an economic imperative for Salem. The city’s 2014 Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan outlines serious challenges that may be in store for the coastal community by 2050: a sea level rise of more than four feet, storm surges of more than 13 feet by the year 2100, a 30 percent increase in the likelihood of a “100-year storm,” and a 157 percent increase in the number of days over 90 degrees.

Interesting. According to actual factual data from the closest measuring station in Boston, we learn “The mean sea level trend is 2.79 millimeters/year with a 95% confidence interval of +/- 0.16 mm/yr based on monthly mean sea level data from 1921 to 2015 which is equivalent to a change of 0.92 feet in 100 years.” So, the scaremongering talking points is off by quite a bit, a factor of over 8.

BTW, did they realize that natural gas is a big no-no for the Cult of Climastrology?

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Senator Who Takes Long Fossil Fueled Flights Grills Pompeo On ‘Climate Change’

By William Teach January 13, 2017 – 7:55 am

Things that are important in Liberal World

(Washington Examiner) Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., grilled CIA director Mike Pompeo on whether climate change was a leading national security threat during his Senate confirmation hearings Thursday. (WT note: he’s up for the position, he’s not the CIA Director yet)

“CIA Director Brennan, who has spent a 25-year career at the CIA as an analyst, a senior manager and station chief in the field, has that when ‘CIA analysts look for deeper causes of rising instability in the world, one of the causes those CIA analysts see is the impact of climate change,'” Harris began. “Do you have any reason to doubt the assessment of those CIA analysts?”

Pompeo, a Republican congressman from Kansas, replied that he was unfamiliar with the material Harris was referencing but that the CIA would gather information on all threats to American security, including any that stem from climatic activity, and present them to policymakers.

This loony tunes actually brought up the utterly discredited 97% consensus meme

Pompeo defended his positions on climate change and said, “Frankly, as director of CIA, I’d prefer […] not to get into the details of climate debate and science… My role is going to be so different and unique from that, it is going to be to work alongside warriors keeping Americans safe.”

In other words, he’s not going to be an Activist, he’s not going to be Spreading Awareness, he’s there to safeguard the United States against real foreign enemies, and provide the President and lawmakers with actual information.

Harris also questioned Pompeo about his past opposition to gay marriage and how that would affect his treatment of CIA employees if confirmed.

Pompeo should have asked her how she arrived in D.C. Did she take a long fossil fueled flight? Is she currently traveling around D.C. in a fossil fueled vehicle? Will she be flying back and forth to California on a fossil fueled airplane? I know Warmists really do not like those sorts of questions, and like to deflect and yammer on that we all need to Do Something, but, they very much go to how hypocritical members of the Cult of Climastrology are.

Let’s not forget, she was part of the group of Attorney’s General that wants to prosecute climate skeptics for having Wrongthink, including fossil fuels companies and private thinktanks and citizens.

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Will GOP Repeal And Replace Obamacare At Same Time?

By William Teach January 13, 2017 – 7:03 am

According to Paul Ryan, the answer is yes

(CNN) House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday Republicans plan to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law at the same time they approve a GOP replacement plan.

“We want to do this at the same time, and in some cases in the same bill,” Ryan said during a town hall in Washington sponsored by CNN and moderated by Jake Tapper. “So we want to advance repealing this law with its replacement at the same time.”

Ryan said Republicans are moving “as quickly as they can” to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but said he doesn’t yet have a date, and it will take “a little bit of time” to do so.

“We’re working on this as fast as possible,” he said, adding that the GOP will act “definitely within these first 100 days” of Trump’s presidency.

Democrats do have a point: after all these years, where is the one plan? In fact, there are numerous plans, some rather fleshed out, some more in the outline phase. Trump says he has one. Certainly, any plan must take into account the changes in Ocare caused by circumstances and changing rules from Team Obama. But there should be A Plan. Perhaps there is one and the GOP has just kept it under wraps to avoid the caterwauling that will emanate from Democrats and their news media compatriots?

“I clearly think there’s a role for the government in health care, no doubt about it,” the Wisconsin Republican said.

He added that he supports elements of the health care law — including that “people with pre-existing conditions, no matter how much money they make,” should have access to insurance.

But, he said, “The law is collapsing, and so we’ve got to rescue people.”

There is a role for government, especially as we’ve had a long time with government involved. There’s nothing wrong with using the government to help out some citizens. The problem becomes apparent when Government becomes heavily involved in the health insurance and health care of all of the citizens, which is what Obamacare did. The law was meant to collapse, though. That’s baked in. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature. And it was meant to push a public option, followed by Single Payer.

But, that’s not going to happen. Democrats probably did not count on Ocare being so unpopular overall that they’d lose enormous numbers of seats in Congress, and finally losing the White House.

Now it’s time to see what the plan actually is.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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Bad News: Binge Watching Is Causing The Earth To Burn

By William Teach January 12, 2017 – 3:15 pm

Do you binge watch? I do. Lately, what with the weather closing and such, I’ve been binge watching the heck out of a bunch of shows. Masterchef Canada, Hell’s Kitchen season 11 and 12. As such, I’m Evil for carbon pollution

(Huffington Post)  Our video streaming addiction might be affecting the world outside our living rooms more than we thought.

Greenpeace released a report on Monday rating video streaming companies by carbon footprint, and a couple big ones, including Netflix and Hulu, didn’t fare too well.

That’s because all those “Stranger Things” and “Gilmore Girls” episodes are delivered to our phones, laptops and TVs via massive servers that use up a lot of energy, which can come from renewable sources or nonrenewable ones, like coal.

Although the company has made bold claims about its energy efficiency in the past ― stating that watching Netflix is greener than breathing ― it received an overall D grade. Hulu fared even worse with an F, while Amazon Prime received a C. Out of streaming companies included, YouTube (owned by Google, whose energy use the organization praises) earned the best grade ― an A. Greenpeace evaluated companies on factors including energy mix, commitments to renewable energy, transparency on energy sources and advocacy for clean energy.

Oh, hey, that’s great! I’ve been doing it on Youtube, so, I don’t need to be sent to a re-education camp! Hooray! I might have to write a Knowledge Report on my mom and a few friends, who stream the others.

These people are nags.

Read: Bad News: Binge Watching Is Causing The Earth To Burn »

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