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[Al-ibn Kermit]

I'm not sure which is worse . . . the racial aspect or the thought that banning gay marriage would produce more babies. And does she think white people are more likely to be gay than other people?

It is like a cascade of stupidity.

Hey . . . if you want more babies then maybe you should be for gay marriage. It will make it easier for them to adopt and to get surrogate mothers. Of course they'll all be gay babies though, right? ;-)

Actually i would imagine that whites are more likely to be tolerant of gay people.

But the only point of this bill is to make it harder for gay couples to prove to the adoption agencies that they are in fact in a stable relationship, and therefore able to provide a decent household for the child.

The last thing the authors of this bill want is children being raised in a household that is tolerant of homosexuality.

 

[Black Mamba]

Man, Obamacare sounds like a disaster. Maybe it should be repealed so some of this can be fixed : /

People will simply demand to be paid more, most likely. Whether it will happen will need to be seen.

But as companies give healthcare to people, they lower wages. Many companies look at healthcare as wages. Why give it to them when it's not mandatory?

 

[Bulbo Urethral Baggins]

Man, Obamacare sounds like a disaster. Maybe it should be repealed so some of this can be fixed : /

In a few months, it will be.

 

[Zabka]

Right now, employers do not face any penalty for not offering coverage: There’s no $2,000 fine from the government, as there will be in 2014. But the vast majority of them still do, even as costs keep rising, mostly because of other benefits they reap.

It's amazing how the right wing machine works. Creating a new $2,000 penalty for not offering coverage = giving business an out!

 

[Stinkles]

Politico's ball dropping on this Obama gf story is like a testament to sloppy blog journalism going mainstream. Exclusive news is given priority over factual reporting

What was the story?

 

[PhoenixDark]

What was the story?

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...t-how-drudge-and-politico-blew-it.php?ref=fpb

 

[Bulbo Urethral Baggins]

It's amazing how the right wing machine works. Creating a new $2,000 penalty for not offering coverage = giving business an out!

The out is that companies can save $13,000/yr by switching the employees to new health insurance exchanges that will be controlled and subsidized heavily by the government.
The only incentive I can see for employers to offer insurance is competition for labor. But in these times, the employer seems to have the leverage.

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...t-how-drudge-and-politico-blew-it.php?ref=fpb

Still strange to combine several women into one in an autobiography. I can't imagine cheapening relationships like that to get a few points across. Don't like. What does that say about what he thinks of women?

 

[Zero Hero]

An employee who gets dumped into the exchange can expect to pay 79 to 125 percent more in premiums, according to an analysis by consulting firm Lockton That means employers will still have a competitive advantage from offering insurance rather than sending workers to publicly subsidized coverage.

I'd like to see how they came up with these numbers.

 

[Officerrob]

FYI: Just saw the Obama "Swiss Bank Account" ad here in Southwest Virginia during the 7:30 syndicated showing of "The Big Bang Theory" on Fox. This is probably the 10th Obama ad I have personally seen on television here in the last month. No sign of Romney yet

 

[kehs]

The out is that companies can save $13,000/yr by switching the employees to new health insurance exchanges that will be controlled and subsidized heavily by the government.
The only incentive I can see for employers to offer insurance is competition for labor. But in these times, the employer seems to have the leverage.

I think that's the general idea, and part of the push for health care overhaul.

To get people away from tying job security and life security together.

 

[Stinkles]

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...t-how-drudge-and-politico-blew-it.php?ref=fpb

Oh wow. Drudge.

Still strange to combine several women into one in an autobiography. I can't imagine cheapening relationships like that to get a few points across. Don't like. What does that say about what he thinks of women?

Oh wow. Bulbo.

 

[speculawyer]

Still strange to combine several women into one in an autobiography. I can't imagine cheapening relationships like that to get a few points across. Don't like. What does that say about what he thinks of women?

That he loves his wife and would rather not yammer about past relationships out of respect for her?

 

[speculawyer]

Will employers dump health care coverage if they can save $422 Billion over 10 years?
Posted by Sarah Kliff at 09:00 AM ET, 05/02/2012.

I still wonder if the 'Obamacare' system will implode and eventually be replaced by a 'Medicare for all' or other single-payer system. That would be the ultimate ironic defeat of it by its opponents.

It still find it sad that businesses don't push for some type of reform . . . the high healthcare costs in the USA make us less competitive than Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, etc.

 

[RustyNails]

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...t-how-drudge-and-politico-blew-it.php?ref=fpb

Why has Politico fallen to andrew breitbart levels is the question.

 

[thatbox]

I know this is a couple pages ago, but actually reading this in a real newspaper in 2012 in the United States of America really hit hard. Here's the first sentence of the AP article about Romney's national security spokesman quitting:

"WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney's national security spokesman resigned Tuesday after critics questioned his conservatism because he is gay."

I've never really seen Romney as a bad guy, but if he just stands by and lets this happen I don't think I'll ever be able to respect him as a person.

 

[Bulbo Urethral Baggins]

That he loves his wife and would rather not yammer about past relationships out of respect for her?

spin doctor

 

[Al-ibn Kermit]

Still strange to combine several women into one in an autobiography. I can't imagine cheapening relationships like that to get a few points across. Don't like. What does that say about what he thinks of women?

I think the point is to preserve the privacy of his exes.

 

[Plinko]

So, about that that N.C constitutional amendment to ban same sex marriage:


The transcript of her attempt to clean up that statement is in the link, and includes the following exchanges:


I mean just wow. For a moment we got a peek behind the curtain, and it's even uglier than I thought.

How can saying something about Caucasians NOT be racially-motivated? It makes no sense.

 

[thatbox]

Fox News briefly catching its own tail.

 

[Officerrob]

spin doctor

Trolling at it's worst

 

[Chichikov]

Fox News briefly catching its own tail.

Shep is pretty great.

 

[empty vessel]

I'd like to see how they came up with these numbers.

I think that means in comparison to how much it would cost under a group plan. Buying insurance individually always costs more than buying it as part of a group. (This is the same insurance principle that counsels in favor of nationalizing insurance--the whole country becomes a group.) In other words, it is not saying that the cost of an individual health care plan would rise. I'm not sure if it was intentionally framed in a misleading manner.

 

[AlteredBeast]

Shep is pretty great.

true story. He really is pretty damn good.

 

[Bulbo Urethral Baggins]

I still wonder if the 'Obamacare' system will implode and eventually be replaced by a 'Medicare for all' or other single-payer system. That would be the ultimate ironic defeat of it by its opponents.

It still find it sad that businesses don't push for some type of reform . . . the high healthcare costs in the USA make us less competitive than Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, etc.

It does feel like a Trojan horse, doesnt it?

Trolling at it's worst

Spec and I are best buds.

 

[The Librarian]

It does feel like a Trojan horse, doesnt it?

We can only hope.

 

[empty vessel]

It still find it sad that businesses don't push for some type of reform . . . the high healthcare costs in the USA make us less competitive than Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, etc.

There are countervailing considerations for business. Universal healthcare guaranteed by the government increases labor bargaining power across the board. In short, it means higher wages and less profit/management pay.

 

[elrechazado]

I know this is a couple pages ago, but actually reading this in a real newspaper in 2012 in the United States of America really hit hard. Here's the first sentence of the AP article about Romney's national security spokesman quitting:

I've never really seen Romney as a bad guy, but if he just stands by and lets this happen I don't think I'll ever be able to respect him as a person.

He issued a public statement that he asked the guy to stay and didn't want him to resign. What else should he do?

 

[AlteredBeast]

He issued a public statement that he asked the guy to stay and didn't want him to resign. What else should he do?

as if he probably had any respect for Romney to begin with. "This is the straw that breaks the camel's back. The nerve, to hire an openly gay man and then let him quit due to the bigots in the party!"

 

[elrechazado]

as if he probably had any respect for Romney to begin with. "This is the straw that breaks the camel's back. The nerve, to hire an openly gay man and then let him quit due to the bigots in the party!"

Yeah, more info here:

The Romney campaign, who reportedly tried multiple times to convince Grenell to stay on staff, issued a statement Wednesday defend Grenell and his qualifications for the job.

"We are disappointed that Ric decided to resign from the campaign for his own personal reasons," Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades said. "We wanted him to stay because he had superior qualifications for the position he was hired to fill."

However, qualifications aside, the firestorm over his hiring eventually led to his loss from the campaign. In Grenell's letter to the Post, he concluded with "I want to thank Governor Romney for his belief in me and my abilities and his clear message to me that being openly gay was a non-issue for him and his team."

 

[Clevinger]

He issued a public statement that he asked the guy to stay and didn't want him to resign. What else should he do?

At least pretend to be outraged, or give even the faintest shit, about why he had to resign?

 

[elrechazado]

At least pretend to be outraged, or give even the faintest shit, about why he had to resign?

Clearly no shits were given.

 

[AlteredBeast]

At least pretend to be outraged, or give even the faintest shit, about why he had to resign?

robots don't produce waste, hence none was given.

 

[Clevinger]

robots don't produce waste, hence none was given.

Ah. Makes sense.

 

[Invisible_Insane]

The out is that companies can save $13,000/yr by switching the employees to new health insurance exchanges that will be controlled and subsidized heavily by the government.
The only incentive I can see for employers to offer insurance is competition for labor. But in these times, the employer seems to have the leverage.



Still strange to combine several women into one in an autobiography. I can't imagine cheapening relationships like that to get a few points across. Don't like. What does that say about what he thinks of women?

Do you like markets or don't you?

That second paragraph is your worst trolling to date.

 

[Vahagn]

To all the people saying that companies will drop individuals and just pay the $2,000.00 fee...


They can just drop them now, and not pay a fee at all.



Last I checked, if you're going to pay more to drop someone, why would that increase the number of drops?


Because the cost of health insurance premiums may go up? So will then the labor forces requirement that health insurance is covered by the employer if it becomes increasingly difficult to afford individually.



Republican logic on this issue, like practically every other issue...is just hilariously bad

 

[AlteredBeast]

To all the people saying that companies will drop individuals and just pay the $2,000.00 fee...


They can just drop them now, and not pay a fee at all.



Last I checked, if you're going to pay more to drop someone, why would that increase the number of drops?


Because the cost of health insurance premiums may go up? So will then the labor forces requirement that health insurance is covered by the employer if it becomes increasingly difficult to afford individually.



Republican logic on this issue, like practically every other issue...is just hilariously bad

I am thinking that people aren't talking about the top 100 companies. That was a strategic mistake on the part of the writer of this article. The small business owner that already does not offer employer-funded healthcare will now be forced to pay a fine, because they sure as hell aren't going to pay 15k a year for insurance. My opinion - rates aren't going anywhere but up from here on out, and we desperately need the government to raise the Medicare tax and give it to everyone.

 

[elrechazado]

I am thinking that people aren't talking about the top 100 companies. That was a strategic mistake on the part of the writer of this article. The small business owner that already does not offer employer-funded healthcare will now be forced to pay a fine, because they sure as hell aren't going to pay 15k a year for insurance. My opinion - rates aren't going anywhere but up from here on out, and we desperately need the government to raise the Medicare tax and give it to everyone.

To add to this in response to what you quoted, the idea that rates "may" go up is so silly and ignores history. Rates will go up. It's a question of how much, not if.

 

[Oblivion]

Guys, I just wanted to say I loves ma new job. Normally when I'm at work, I have to be discreet when I'm dicking around on political websites. But my current new job allows me to dick around on political websites out in the open!

I'm living the capitalist dream! (no thanks to Obama)

 

[AlteredBeast]

GAF means politics.

 

[Zabka]

I am thinking that people aren't talking about the top 100 companies. That was a strategic mistake on the part of the writer of this article. The small business owner that already does not offer employer-funded healthcare will now be forced to pay a fine, because they sure as hell aren't going to pay 15k a year for insurance. My opinion - rates aren't going anywhere but up from here on out, and we desperately need the government to raise the Medicare tax and give it to everyone.

What do you consider a small business? The penalties only apply to companies with more than 50 full-time employees.

http://healthreform.kff.org/the-basics/employer-penalty-flowchart.aspx

 

[Manmademan]

I am thinking that people aren't talking about the top 100 companies. That was a strategic mistake on the part of the writer of this article. The small business owner that already does not offer employer-funded healthcare will now be forced to pay a fine, because they sure as hell aren't going to pay 15k a year for insurance. My opinion - rates aren't going anywhere but up from here on out

Rates were doing this anyway, as much as the insurance companies can get away with.

Obamacare at least forces the insurance companies to justify a rate hike by actually spending that money on care, instead of bonuses. Any "unneccessary" rate hikes get rebated back.

That's nothing but a positive, no matter how you slice it.

 

[thatbox]

He issued a public statement that he asked the guy to stay and didn't want him to resign. What else should he do?

That's exactly what he should have done, I just hadn't seen it. Faith restored!

 

[Suikoguy]

That's exactly what he should have done, I just hadn't seen it. Faith restored!

Yeah, at least he did that.
I wonder if he will take flack for going that far?

 

[PhoenixDark]

Yeah, more info here:

The Romney campaign, who reportedly tried multiple times to convince Grenell to stay on staff, issued a statement Wednesday defend Grenell and his qualifications for the job.

"We are disappointed that Ric decided to resign from the campaign for his own personal reasons," Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades said. "We wanted him to stay because he had superior qualifications for the position he was hired to fill."

However, qualifications aside, the firestorm over his hiring eventually led to his loss from the campaign. In Grenell's letter to the Post, he concluded with "I want to thank Governor Romney for his belief in me and my abilities and his clear message to me that being openly gay was a non-issue for him and his team."

Romney's lack of spine on this is pretty telling. He has the nomination yet still has to give the religious right a sacrificial lamb. I'm not a fan of this Grenell guy but it's not like he was a domestic issues spokesman - he was a pure foreign policy spokesman. This makes no sense.

 

[thatbox]

Yeah, at least he did that.
I wonder if he will take flack for going that far?

Actually, reading what he said, it's not enough. He should have denounced the bigoted assholes who were complaining. Whatever, though.

 

[speculawyer]

There are countervailing considerations for business. Universal healthcare guaranteed by the government increases labor bargaining power across the board. In short, it means higher wages and less profit/management pay.

And it is much harder to strike out on your own and an entrepreneur since it is very hard to get reasonably priced healthcare on your own.

 

[Kosmo]

And it is much harder to strike out on your own and an entrepreneur since it is very hard to get reasonably priced healthcare on your own.

Not really. Nice try, though.

What stops 99/100 people is lack of initiative and drive. I'll be nice an grant you to other 1%.

 

[thatbox]

Not really. Nice try, though.

What stops 99/100 people is lack of initiative and drive. I'll be nice an grant you to other 1%.

Obama stops the other one out of the hundred, presumably.

 

[PhoenixDark]

Obama's numbers have plummeted in the gallup tracker
http://www.gallup.com/poll/150743/Obama-Romney.aspx

 

[Oblivion]

Put me in the same boat as everyone else. I can't even talk to my extended family anymore. They gradual have become more and more outspoken and radicalized. Every single person in my family is "hurt" by voting republican yet they are all brainwashed into thinking that the republican party is the one helping them. My mom refuses to talk about anything close to being political with me anymore and sat my sister down whos in college to explain to her why the republican party was good and to not give in to the liberals. Too bad little does she know my sister calls me with all of the hilarious republican talking points my mom tries to tell her.

Add me to the list. But except in my case it's not family, but rather some close friends. They're all hardcore tea bagger type right wingers, so you would expect some heated conversations. But the problem wasn't their opinions per se, it was the fact that they would bitch endlessly about discussing politics with me, but they themselves would always bring up the subject of politics. It got so bad that I decided to stop associating with them permanently. A part of me is very saddened by it because politics aside, I'd consider them among the closest friends I've ever had (two of them I've known since high school, 11 years ago; the third one for about 4), and I'd consider them significantly more of a "family" than many of my "real" family members. It's truly a shame, but what can ya do?

Interestingly enough, two of these guys seem to absolutely love the Daily Show, or at least have some level of respect for Jon Stewart. They feel the same way about FDR but absolutely DESPISE Obama. (wtf?)

I never spoke about politics with my parents, but considering my mom's ultra religious and my dad's an asshole, there's a very good chance they'd both be republicans. Also, considering my mom stopped speaking to me for two weeks when I JOKED to her about not believing in God (even though I actually don't), it's probably best we never got around to discussing other, more family destroying subjects like politics.