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[Aylinato]

Snap.

I don't understand? Republicans are taking democrats food orders? I guess being that most republican supporters are poor white people who have low wage jobs like working at mcdonalds as a cashier.

 

[Wilsongt]

I don't understand? Republicans are taking democrats food orders? I guess being that most republican supporters are poor white people who have low wage jobs like working at mcdonalds as a cashier.

Could be saying that Obamacare supports lost their jobs and now work at McDonalds. Or that McDonalds employs a lot of minorities and minorities support democrat.

Either way, looks like everyone forgot about the government slimdown and all media is piling on Obama for lost insurance policies, increased premiums, and that government website not working.

Looks like Republicans are going to have another wave in 2014.

 

[PhoenixDark]

It's going to be very interesting to see what the approval/disapproval numbers are for Obamacare in April or May of next year.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

The blame shifting from Obama to his subordinates that I keep seeing here on GAF and elsewhere for the healthcare nonsense and the NSA is very disappointing. It's okay to criticize the leader for mess ups.

The left needs to quit defending this bullshit. I see less rational thinking on here now and more cheerleading and deflection.

 

[Avon Barksdale]

It's not like the law is going to get repealed anytime soon.

 

[Wilsongt]

It's not like the law is going to get repealed anytime soon.

No, but the Republicans are masters of FUD and they are doing everything in their power to make people afraid of it. Including managing to get every other watched news agency to run the same stories.

 

[zero_suit]

The blame shifting from Obama to his subordinates that I keep seeing here on GAF and elsewhere for the healthcare nonsense and the NSA is very disappointing. It's okay to criticize the leader for mess ups.

The left needs to quit defending this bullshit. I see less rational thinking on here now and more cheerleading and deflection.

Who's defending the NSA stuff?

 

[TacticalFox88]

I miss Obama's first two years.

Shit was actually getting done.



Fuck.

 

[Aaron Strife]

It's going to be very interesting to see what the approval/disapproval numbers are for Obamacare in April or May of next year.

90% approval, Democrats pick up 200 House seats

 

[Doc Holliday]

wow Cnn is having a good ol' time with the ACA rollout lol.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

Who's defending the NSA stuff?

I see less defending and more shifting blame to subordinates--i.e. he had nothing to do with any of that, not his fault.

 

[Wilsongt]

wow Cnn is having a good ol' time with the ACA rollout lol.

Yeah, all of the media stations are dog piling onto the ACA rollout and the website. Even The Daily Show is attacking it. This gave the Republicans exactly what they wanted.

 

[The Technomancer]

Holy crap, I hadn't been worried about health insurance personally because I'm still under 26 so I'm sticking with my parents plan until, well, I feel that I have a reason to leave it. But on a whim today I decided to check out the Minnesota exchange site and this is goddamn slick. I honestly don't know how I would have handled looking for insurance before a tool like this existed: databases like this are how I'm used to filtering through this kind of data.

 

[Atlagev]

Yeah, all of the media stations are dog piling onto the ACA rollout and the website. Even The Daily Show is attacking it. This gave the Republicans exactly what they wanted.

This is why the Obama administration needs to get this shit fixed ASAP. The public has the attention span of a fish, so I wouldn't worry about this affecting 2014 elections just yet. Look how fast the public forgot about the shutdown. Therefore, if there are still big issues with the ACA stuff in say, 6 months, I would start to worry. If the website, etc. starts working effectively, the media will focus on something else.

 

[Wilsongt]

This is why the Obama administration needs to get this shit fixed ASAP. The public has the attention span of a fish, so I wouldn't worry about this affecting 2014 elections just yet. Look how fast the public forgot about the shutdown. Therefore, if there are still big issues with the ACA stuff in say, 6 months, I would start to worry. If the website, etc. starts working effectively, the media will focus on something else.

CBS and Fox News are already trying to weasel back in Benghazi.

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

Yeah, all of the media stations are dog piling onto the ACA rollout and the website. Even The Daily Show is attacking it. This gave the Republicans exactly what they wanted.

It seems like there's actually news to cover here. This isn't only FUD, there have been real problems with the rollout. To pretend otherwise or to pretend that all of this is the republicans fault is just silly.

There's probably a reason everyone is attacking the rollout.

 

[Sibylus]

The blame shifting from Obama to his subordinates that I keep seeing here on GAF and elsewhere for the healthcare nonsense and the NSA is very disappointing. It's okay to criticize the leader for mess ups.

The left needs to quit defending this bullshit. I see less rational thinking on here now and more cheerleading and deflection.

The buck does ultimately stop with him, but I think he's far from alone in scuttling to avoid the fallout.

 

[Wilsongt]

It seems like there's actually news to cover here. This isn't only FUD, there have been real problems with the rollout. To pretend otherwise or to pretend that all of this is the republicans fault is just silly.

There's probably a reason everyone is attacking the rollout.

There is legitimate reason to attack the horrible execution of the roll out, yes. It deserves to be talked about.

However, when you start using false truths as arguments, such as you provide sensitive personal information to the website and now you're in danger o noz!, you're stirring up FUD.

Also, it's very dishonest of the media to fail to state things such as state exchange websites going exceptionally well, that the reason people's insurance is being "dropped" is because shitty plans that do not meet requirements are being discontinued, and that problems will eventually be fixed and things will start to go smoothly. Extending the opening enrollment deadline is good. The way people are making it out, though, it's almost as if you had one week to enroll in the ACA before you were no longer eligible, when in fact you have several months.

 

[Armoured Priest]

This is why the Obama administration needs to get this shit fixed ASAP. The public has the attention span of a fish, so I wouldn't worry about this affecting 2014 elections just yet. Look how fast the public forgot about the shutdown. Therefore, if there are still big issues with the ACA stuff in say, 6 months, I would start to worry. If the website, etc. starts working effectively, the media will focus on something else.

Frankly, there's a pretty good chance healthcare.gov will be mostly fixed before the end of the year....just in time for the GOP to potentially shoot themselves in the foot again over a shutdown/budget thing, or the debt limit next year.

 

[pigeon]

I see less defending and more shifting blame to subordinates--i.e. he had nothing to do with any of that, not his fault.

I'll play the dumb guy here and say honestly that I assumed our intelligence agencies were spying on foreign leaders all the time just like foreign intelligence agencies spy on our leaders all the time. So I don't really see a huge problem here except for the fact that somebody mentioned it and now we have to pretend to be surprised.

 

[B-Dubs]

wow Cnn is having a good ol' time with the ACA rollout lol.

Yes, but is it a good thing or a bad thing?

 

[BertramCooper]

So where would we stand right now had the ACA mandated all states to set up their own exchanges?

I don't know if that was ever an option or not, but is it safe to say that far more states elected not to create exchanges than the Obama administration anticipated?

 

[NYCmetsfan]

It seems like there's actually news to cover here. This isn't only FUD, there have been real problems with the rollout. To pretend otherwise or to pretend that all of this is the republicans fault is just silly.

There's probably a reason everyone is attacking the rollout.

My problem isn't that they are reporting the faults, its that they only are reporting the faults. The media has a choices on which to report and how to report it. There is no problem with reporting the screw ups, they are real and are affecting people, but they can also report the hundreds of thousands who have expanded coverage, who have gotten medicaid, who are on their parents coverage, who have their premiums drop tremendously. These stories are being ignored and if they're even being covered their covered its as a 'threat' and a problem with the law. Because private insurance is the only good insurance right?

See this really stupid story, A large part of the law is now a problem according to the media.

(CBS News) The disastrous rollout of HealthCare.gov may have another serious problem: A CBS News analysis shows that in many of the 15 state-based health insurance exchanges more people are enrolling in Medicaid rather than buying private health insurance. And if that trend continues, there's concern there won't be enough healthy people buying health insurance for the system to work.

As the Obamacare website struggles, the administration is emphasizing state-level success. President Obama said Monday, "There's great demand at the state level as well. Because there are a bunch of states running their own marketplaces."

But left unsaid in the president's remarks: the newly insured in some of those states are overwhelmingly low-income people signing up for Medicaid at no cost to them.

Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, said, "We're seeing a huge spike in terms of Medicaid enrollments."

He says the numbers have surprised him and state officials.

CBS News has confirmed that in Washington, of the more than 35,000 people newly enrolled, 87 percent signed up for Medicaid. In Kentucky, out of 26,000 new enrollments, 82 percent are in Medicaid. And in New York, of 37,000 enrollments, Medicaid accounts for 64 percent. And there are similar stories across the country in nearly half of the states that run their own exchanges.

Medicaid experts say they're not sure why they're seeing the lopsided enrollment numbers, but point out it's easier to enroll in Medicaid than private insurance.
[YOU JUST ANSWERED THE QUESTION, also these people are poor why would they chose to pay for something they can't afford?]

An administration spokeswoman says coverage provided by the new law offers "a range of options so consumers can pick a plan that best meets their needs ... and their budget."

But Gail Wilensky, a former Medicaid director, said the numbers are causing concern in the insurance industry, which needs healthy adults to buy private insurance in large numbers for the system to work.

"Either the private insurance enrollments come up somewhere around the expected amount or there's going to be a problem. ... You need a volume and you need a mix of people that are healthy as well as high users in private insurance, in order to have it be sustainable," she said.

The Obama administration says they expected these high enrollment numbers in Medicaid because the law expands the number of low-income people who can get Medicaid, CBS News' Jan Crawford reported on "CBS This Morning." Supporters say this shows demand. But industry sources say that if we do not see some real turnaround soon, there could be big problems for the entire system. [I wonder if they have a stake in making it seem this way?]

And I agree with your last point, because it affects people who watch the news and who they can sell fear and conflict to.

P.S. Roberts sucks for his activism in stripping out this out and radically rewriting congresses spending powers. There should be millions more on medicaid, its a great program to cover people who really need help.

 

[empty vessel]

And I agree with your last point, because it affects people who watch the news and who they can sell fear and conflict to.

Technically, they are broadcasting fear and conflict to sell audiences to advertisers, not to sell fear and conflict itself.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Technically, they are broadcasting fear and conflict to sell audiences to advertisers, not to sell fear and conflict itself.

Both as some news sources are now behind pay walls (the times, washington post, WSJ) and do need to actually attract paying readers.

 

[Aylinato]

The healthcare roll-out stories are so boring. It feels forced, like as if the media wants both sides to have screw ups. Like they are thinking "o that was Republican month, now it's democrat time."

For the love of George I didn't see this much negative press against the Republicans when they almost completely destroyed the world economy because they lost.

 

[Wilsongt]

The healthcare roll-out stories are so boring. It feels forced, like as if the media wants both sides to have screw ups. Like they are thinking "o that was Republican month, now it's democrat time."

For the love of George I didn't see this much negative press against the Republicans when they almost completely destroyed the world economy because they lost.

Gotta keep up with those Fox News ratings and not come off as bias.

 

[empty vessel]

Both as some news sources are now behind pay walls (the times, washington post, WSJ) and do need to actually attract paying readers.

Direct subscription is better than ad-based news, in my opinion. But the pay walls are minimal and do not actually alter the product being sold here, because those entities still earn most of their money from advertisements, not subscriber's fees. And, honestly, I'm not sure that much changes in any event, even though I think subscriptions are better, because the need to generate an audience (and hence broadcast something that attracts it) doesn't change in either scenario.

This is exactly why public media (with effective independence) is so imperative to a functioning democracy. Private media simply cannot perform the job of informing people about information relevant to their interests. This is also why Republicans (on behalf of business interests) killed public broadcasting in the US in the 1970s. It was step 1 to regaining full political control over the society.

 

[BertramCooper]

Question:

It has been stated repeatedly by both Democratic leaders and the media that the ACA is the first step to single-payer health care in the United States. And most of us agree (hopefully) that single-payer is the ideal outcome.

But should that happen, how does our private health care industry transition to a fully government-managed system? What does that look like? It certainly wouldn't be the first time a country's government has taken over an entire industry, but how does this happen in a country like the United States? Does the government effectively dissolve these multi-billion dollar companies and absorb them? What happens to their employees? For investor-owned health care companies, what happens to their shareholders?

I'm just trying to visualize how this transition would play out. If there are any well-written articles that address this adequately, feel free to link them.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

So the controversy is now that the secretary isn't in Obamacare.

 

[Sibylus]

NSA infiltrates links to Yahoo, Google data centers worldwide, Snowden documents say

In this slide from a National Security Agency presentation on “Google Cloud Exploitation,” a sketch shows where the “Public Internet” meets the internal “Google Cloud” where user data resides. Two engineers with close ties to Google exploded in profanity when they saw the drawing. “I hope you publish this,” one of them said.

Being let in was a little too easy.

 

[Aylinato]

NSA infiltrates links to Yahoo, Google data centers worldwide, Snowden documents say

Being let in was a little too easy.

I understand the article, but I have no idea why I cannot comprehend the photo.

 

[B-Dubs]

I understand the article, but I have no idea why I cannot comprehend the photo.

I don't think anyone understands that photo...

 

[Gotchaye]

The little smiley face tells me that something evil is happening there.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

I understand the article, but I have no idea why I cannot comprehend the photo.

All you need to know is that inside Google, everything is clear text. Once inside, you get everything. Pretty appalling.

 

[Sibylus]

I understand the article, but I have no idea why I cannot comprehend the photo.

Knowing smile.

In an NSA presentation slide on “Google Cloud Exploitation,” however, a sketch shows where the “Public Internet” meets the internal “Google Cloud” where their data resides. In hand-printed letters, the drawing notes that encryption is “added and removed here!” The artist adds a smiley face, a cheeky celebration of victory over Google security.

Last month, long before The Post approached Google to discuss the penetration of its cloud, vice president for security engineering Eric Grosse announced that the company is racing to encrypt the links between its data centers. “It’s an arms race,” he said then. “We see these government agencies as among the most skilled players in this game.”

 

[wsoxfan1214]

Interesting. So Mark Kirk decides to join the filibuster when he's a sentator for a decidedly blue state. In fact, the only reason I and many others voted for him was because he was better than the alternative and seemed to be socially-moderate to socially left-leaning while being just a bit right on center financially.

Yet here he is obstructing things after the US clearly sends a message to republicans that they won't stand for this shit.

Fuck you, Kirk. Enjoy getting voted out.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Direct subscription is better than ad-based news, in my opinion. But the pay walls are minimal and do not actually alter the product being sold here, because those entities still earn most of their money from advertisements, not subscriber's fees. And, honestly, I'm not sure that much changes in any event, even though I think subscriptions are better, because the need to generate an audience (and hence broadcast something that attracts it) doesn't change in either scenario.

This is exactly why public media (with effective independence) is so imperative to a functioning democracy. Private media simply cannot perform the job of informing people about information relevant to their interests. This is also why Republicans (on behalf of business interests) killed public broadcasting in the US in the 1970s. It was step 1 to regaining full political control over the society.

It depends I think private media funded mostly by advertisers can work and provide great news and has in the past. The problem is more with places like today 24 hour system is News is the only thing they have. You can't insulate the news departments in a wider corporation.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

That fucking smily face is pissing me the fuck off. fuck off NSA.

All you need to know is that inside Google, everything is clear text. Once inside, you get everything. Pretty appalling.

That's amazing.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

I always wonder about the people who work at these agencies. Are they somehow ignorant of the effect their work will have or do they understand how their work will exploit the secrets of private citizens, but either don't care or think it's the right thing to do?

I guess I default to thinking of them as the scientist working for the villain master-mind who eventually end up getting killed because "But my research was meant to save, not to kill! NOOOOOOO!!!"

 

[makingmusic476]

So where would we stand right now had the ACA mandated all states to set up their own exchanges?

I don't know if that was ever an option or not, but is it safe to say that far more states elected not to create exchanges than the Obama administration anticipated?

It would've gone about as well as the mandated Medicaid expansions, I think.

 

[BertramCooper]

It would've gone about as well as the mandated Medicaid expansions, I think.

But Medicaid expansion has been a clusterfuck because of SCOTUS.

Would SCOTUS have similarly struck down a mandate to create state exchanges?

 

[RustyNails]

Interesting. So Mark Kirk decides to join the filibuster when he's a sentator for a decidedly blue state. In fact, the only reason I and many others voted for him was because he was better than the alternative and seemed to be socially-moderate to socially left-leaning while being just a bit right on center financially.

Yet here he is obstructing things after the US clearly sends a message to republicans that they won't stand for this shit.

Fuck you, Kirk. Enjoy getting voted out.

Kirk will not get voted out. If anything he is going to garner lots of sympathy votes for his stroke, which is what he is using as cover to push republican nonsense. Thats what we get for fielding an utter nincompoop like giannoulias to run against him. I fear this seat is lost for a long time.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

I always wonder about the people who work at these agencies. Are they somehow ignorant of the effect their work will have or do they understand how their work will exploit the secrets of private citizens, but either don't care or think it's the right thing to do?

A lot of the guys behind the scenes are some of the best minds in computer science and mathematics, so I think they do know what's going on (I would hope so) and do it because it pays well. And some probably don't give a shit.

Either way, a decent amount of what they built and do was/is legal hacking so that is bound to attract some people because hey, breaking stuff is fun as hell. Gaining access to something you 'shouldn't' is an art form in itself.

 

[makingmusic476]

But Medicaid expansion has been a clusterfuck because of SCOTUS.

Would SCOTUS have similarly struck down a mandate to create state exchanges?

That was my assumption, yes.

 

[Hitokage]

It's funny to see Republicans try to hide the fact they're Republican. Edwin Peacock, running for Charlotte mayor, put out a coming together ad with no stated party affiliation and now I see Dennis Peterson on Facebook, running for city council, claiming to support everyone without the R-word on his website but also quotes Friedman and has a BENGHAZI mention.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

But Medicaid expansion has been a clusterfuck because of SCOTUS.

Would SCOTUS have similarly struck down a mandate to create state exchanges?

Its clearly unconstitutional (Mandating a state to do something, You can only do it by making funds contingent). Medicaid wasn't mandated, it was just you lose all medicaid funding if you dont. SCOTUS held that by saying you were going to lose all medicaid funds not just the new ones it was extorting the states. The forced congress to spend money they wanted to withhold.

Since when is their an obligation on congress to spend money if they want to attach strings?

 

[wsoxfan1214]

Kirk will not get voted out. If anything he is going to garner lots of sympathy votes for his stroke, which is what he is using as cover to push republican nonsense. Thats what we get for fielding an utter nincompoop like giannoulias to run against him. I fear this seat is lost for a long time.

We'll see. I like to give our voters more credit than that. Though S. IL doesn't help at all. Wish they could be their own state, lol.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

The little smiley face tells me that something evil is happening there.

It's more like burgulars noting that the owners of the house don't lock up their valuables.

It'ls not evil happening, it's stupidity.

 

[RustyNails]

We'll see. I like to give our voters more credit than that. Though S. IL doesn't help at all. Wish they could be their own state, lol.

Yeah south IL might as well be part of Indiana. The crazy has crept into DuPage county. But despite that we voted out batshit Joe Walsh and put in awesome Tammy Duckworth. All is not lost.