Romney promise, chicken in every pot and Big Bird unemployed

There was a time when a politician could get away with making speeches suit the ears of different crowds and then saying the opposite to other crowds. Those days are long gone but Romney didn't get the message.

I lived in Massachusetts when Romney was Governor and we used to get a kick out of what he said changing every time he spoke to different groups.

October 9, 2012
Democalypse 2012 - Vague Against the Machine - The Numbers Guy
Self-proclaimed "numbers guy" Paul Ryan doesn't elaborate on his revenue-neutral budget plan, and FDR issues a timely warning.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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October 9, 2012
Democalypse 2012 - Vague Against the Machine
Future American overlord Mitt Romney promises free stuff and enjoys the same insurmountable, unblowable election lead recently held by President Obama.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The problem I have is that no one really knows what he will end up doing for sure.

He was pro-choice and said he always was because of what he learned from his Mom. That was until he wasn't and then talked about being pro-life.

He told us when he was running for office that he cared about veterans until he got the job and then cut state programs for Veterans, stopped the hiring preference they used to get and cut public employees jobs outsourcing them to India.

Romney seems to think that people will fall for whatever he says because he can't stand for anything very long. He says he wants to increase the Defense budget but that means the contractors and not the pay and care for the troops and their families. He says he wants the troops to stay longer in Afghanistan unless he's talking to them and then says they should come home in 2014 or sooner. Now we find out he wants to send troops back to Iraq?

Massachusetts had problems when he was Governor, but we didn't implode. We had the State Senate and House to keep the state going.

Florida news headlines too strange to miss

Florida news headlines too strange to miss.
The worst part is these are all true and I live here.

Florida billionaire tells employees Obama a threat to their jobs
Chicago Tribune
October 10, 2012
ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - A Florida billionaire has told his employees he could be forced to lay off some of them if U.S. President Barack Obama wins a second term, calling his administration a threat to their jobs.

Death of cockroach-eating contest winner in Florida puzzles experts
By NBC News staff and wire services
It could be weeks before autopsy results can determine why a 32-year-old Florida man collapsed and died after winning a cockroach-eating contest.
Insect experts say the mere act of eating roaches, while repulsive to many, shouldn’t have killed Edward Archbold. Some theorize Archbold may have had an allergic reaction.

Whoops! Florida governor gives phone sex number for meningitis hotline
By Michael Peltier
TALLAHASSEE, Florida
Wed Oct 10, 2012
(Reuters) - In an embarrassing mistake, Florida Governor Rick Scott gave out a phone sex hotline number to Floridians seeking information on a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak.

Retired Marine shares how it feels to be "dismissed 47%"

This retired Marine supports Barack Obama
October 04, 2012
Seacoast online
Sept. 28
To the Editor

I am a retired Marine veteran and I have voted all my life from the time I was age-appropriate. I am one of the dismissed 47 percent of the American people that Mitt Romney refers to as dependent on the government to take care of me.

I have earned my Social Security benefits, and I have contributed my income taxes all my life. I have raised eight grown adult children who now do the same thing, respect their right to vote, give to the needy and share what they have come to know as the American values.
read more here

Military Families: Ian's Dad came home from Iraq

I've seen a lot of ads for and against Obama and Romney. Some of them paid for by the campaigns while others have been paid for by super-packs. This one is about a 10 year old boy named Ian, writing a letter to President Obama about his Dad coming back from Iraq. It isn't bad enough the rest of the country forgets about the men and women we send into combat but we make it worse when we forget about the families back home. Especially the kids.

Romney Links Defense Cuts To Veteran Suicides

WATCH: Romney Links Defense Cuts To Veteran Suicides
September 27th, 2012
Henry Decker

In a speech at an American Legion hall in Springfield, Virginia, Mitt Romney tied the rising number of veteran suicides to the legislative battle over cuts to the defense budget.

“We have huge numbers of our men and women that are returning from conflict, that are seeking counseling, psychological counseling, and can’t find that counseling within our system. And, of course, record numbers of suicides. This is a crisis!” Romney declared.

“Given the needs of our veterans, how in the world, as commander-in-chief, you could stand by as we shrink our military commitment financially is something that I don’t understand, and I will reverse it,” he added.

First, veterans’ health care is exempt from the sequestration deal that Romney is attacking. The Obama administration is not abandoning veterans’ needs, as Romney charges.

In fact, the administration has actually been an active advocate for veterans’ care. In August, President Obama signed an executive order directing the Veterans Administration to hire 1,600 new mental health professionals and 800 new peer support counselors, along with expanding the capacity of its crisis line to ensure that veterans in need can meet with a counselor within 24 hours. Furthermore, the Department of Veterans Affairs has seen its budget increase in each year of Obama’s presidency.

By contrast, Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan’s budget plan would cut the VA budget by $11 billion. Ryan also voted for the very same defense cuts that Romney criticized today (although he now tries to deny it.)
read more here

Watching this video made me sick.  I heard people clapping when he said all of this. These are members of the American Legion and should know better.

Alliance for Retired Americans talks about news seniors need to know

Alliance for Retired Americans
Here is your September 28 edition:

Past Statements by Paul Ryan Shed More Light on his Policies Regarding Seniors A transcript of a speech made in 2005 by Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan has received renewed attention this week, after the national Catholic weekly publication America published an article on his remarks. Ryan, who has long described philosopher Ayn Rand as one of his inspirations, made the speech at the Atlas Society’s 2005 “Celebration of Ayn Rand.” Rand’s 1964 collection of essays is called The Virtue of Selfishness: A new Concept of Egoism.

In his 2005 speech, Ryan took an extremist stance on Social Security and Medicare. He called Social Security and Medicare “collectivist” and “socialistic” and described his plans for privatization. Ryan stated that he supported, “switching these programs— and this is where I’m talking about health care, as well — from a third party or socialist based system to an individually owned, individually pre-funded, individually directed system.” To see the full article and transcript, go to http://bit.ly/Ueopk6.

Alliance Executive Director Edward F. Coyle commented, “These statements by Paul Ryan reinforce that he doesn’t intend to take the proper steps to protect or strengthen Medicare and Social Security, but sees them as a form of Socialism. Yet, Mitt Romney wants him to be his Vice President.” For quotes from Mitt Romney endorsing Paul Ryan's plans, go to http://bit.ly/P1ZL2R.

Early and Absentee Voting is Under Way in 30 States
According to NBC’s First Read (http://nbcnews.to/V02r31), “…voters in 30 states -- including the battleground states of Iowa, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Virginia -- are now casting ballots, either via absentee or early in-person voting.” Yesterday, early in-person voting began in Iowa and Wyoming, while absentee ballots are already being sent to voters requesting them in Alabama, North Dakota, and Illinois. By the end of next week, voters in five more states, including Ohio and Florida, will be on this list.

Many election experts predict that as many as 40% of voters will vote early or absentee for the November 6 election. “The explosion of early voting gives seniors more time to vote in an environment of harsh new voter identification laws in several battleground states,” said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “The Alliance applauds states that have expanded their early voting programs to make the polls more accessible for all Americans.” To see which states have already begun voting, go to http://bit.ly/JqkLdd. For general voting information in your state, go to http://www.vote411.org.

Affordable Care Act Saves Seniors $4.5 Billion on Prescription Drugs
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Medicare beneficiaries have saved a total of $4.5 billion on their prescriptions since January 2011 thanks to the 2010 health care reform law. The savings came both from increased coverage and from drug makers’ agreeing to lower their prices under the law. Through August of 2012, beneficiaries had saved an average of $641 this year. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has also begun to close the Medicare Part D prescription drug “doughnut hole” - the coverage gap that is on schedule to be completely eliminated by 2020.

Romney: Uninsured can get Health Care in the Emergency Room
Asked on the show 60 Minutes recently whether government has a responsibility to provide health care for the 50 million Americans who are currently uninsured, Mitt Romney responded, “Well, we do provide care for people who don’t have insurance, people—we—if someone has a heart attack, they don’t sit in their apartment and die. We pick them up in an ambulance, and take them to the hospital, and give them care. And different states have different ways of providing for that care.” However, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of HHS, the cost of a doctor visit in an emergency room averages $922, whereas an office visit averages $199.

Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance, responded, “Mitt Romney’s answer showed a lack of comprehension of the actual costs incurred by ER visits. He seems to be saying that the emergency room is a viable health care solution for the millions of Americans who will lose coverage or be kicked off their insurance plans if he repeals Obamacare. To suggest that the ER could ever be a good substitution for affordable health care is utterly unrealistic.”

Alliance Leaders: Institute for Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly Honors Easterling
The Institute the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly honored Ms. Easterling on Thursday, giving her the Advocacy Award at the Institute’s Annual Gala Banquet. The Institute is a nonprofit and service organization serving New York’s growing Latino and other ethnic/racial minority seniors, and their families. They serve over 100,000 retirees in the New York City metropolitan area. “I want to thank the Institute for presenting me with your 2012 Advocacy Award. This is a great honor,” said Easterling. “Retirees and activists of all ages have much to be proud of, but our work is far from over,” she told the crowd.

Today, Ms. Easterling is speaking at a tele-townhall with the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, while Mr. Coyle is addressing the International Union of Police Associations in Bonita Springs, Florida.

NFL Referees’ Strike is Settled
The National Football League (NFL) and the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA) reached an agreement ending a three-month strike on Wednesday night. The NFL had locked out the regular referees in June, after heated arguments during contract renegotiations with the referees’ union. The main point of contention in the contract negotiations was the referees’ pensions, which the NFL wanted to replace with 401(k)s. NFLRA representatives had noted the unsavory irony of a league generating $8.3 billion in annual revenue wanting to cut retirement benefits.

“The elimination of defined benefit pensions has been happening in too many industries for too long,” said Mr. Coyle. “I congratulate the referees on fighting back.” Football fans everywhere had been up in arms about a call made by a replacement referee at the end of Monday night’s Seattle Seahawks-Green Bay Packers game. This year’s football season, which kicked off in early September, has seen three weeks of controversial calls made by replacement referees.

Military absentee voting picks up

Military absentee voting picks up
Army Times
By Karen Jowers
Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Sep 27, 2012

With little more than a month to go before the election, activity has picked up among military community voters overseas.

In the first three weeks of September, when free express military mail service became available for overseas service members and their families, 5,556 absentee ballots were sent to the U.S. with the military-only mailing service — a 65 percent increase over the same period in 2010, when the free express mail service was first authorized for the election season, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

Eric Eversole, executive director of the Military Voter Protection Project, said he is not surprised. “You would expect to see a sizeable increase in the number of absentee ballots being returned in a presidential year election as compared to a mid-term election,” he said.
read more here

Getting to the facts of how much veterans matter

Politicians love to talk about veterans but what they say really doesn't always end up the same when they have a chance to actually do something. Let's cut through all of the political BS and get to the facts.

The best case to point out is John McCain. He says one thing but does the opposite and hopes no one notices. His record on veterans is deplorable because he usually votes against them. As he talks about how unemployed veterans is a disgrace, he voted against a Bill that would have put them back to work. McCain: Jobless vets a "national disgrace," so he votes against veterans jobs bill

Some people don't think Romney has a record to explain, but he does. As Governor of Massachusetts this is what he did.

Finally, there are the just plain bad ideas. Last year - on Veterans Day, of all days - Romney suggested privatizing veterans' health care, an idea that is broadly opposed by veterans groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney proposed cutting veterans funding by more than 10 percent, watering down veterans hiring preferences, and increasing fees at state soldiers' homes.

And this is what he has planned.

And now, the Romney-Ryan budget plan could cut funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs by nearly 20 percent, if the spending cuts it includes are distributed across the board.

During the American Legion Convention, this is how the Wall Street Journal spun his appearance.

Romney Pledges to Expand Programs to Help Veterans
By SARA MURRAY
INDIANAPOLIS—Mitt Romney vowed Wednesday to expand employment and tuition assistance for veterans, taking a quick detour from the Republican National Convention to unveil new policy details in a speech here.

The Romney address at the American Legion convention was designed to contrast his plans for military and veterans' spending with pending Pentagon budget cuts. The speech focused on hurdles faced by the Veterans Affairs Department in providing care to veterans suffering physical, emotional and mental wounds, which Mr. Romney dubbed "reproachable failures."

The Republican presidential candidate's decision to skip out mid-convention to spend part of the day talking to veterans in Indiana was unorthodox.

This is really funny considering that the RNC Convention was pushed back because of Hurricane Issac.

Hurricane Isaac delays start of Republican National Convention in Tampa As in 2008, Republicans scramble to adjust speaking and travel schedules to cope with the hurricane. The vote to formally nominate Mitt Romney shifts to Tuesday – for now.

So there you have what Romney's record is and it shows veterans didn't matter when he was in Massachusetts, much like he protested in support of the Vietnam War, but made sure he didn't have to go to support it with his life on the line next to all the others that did go.

Here's what Obama did.

Obama Administration Record for Veterans and Wounded Warriors
“For their service and sacrifice, warm words of thanks from a grateful nation are more than warranted, but they aren't nearly enough. We also owe our veterans the care they were promised and the benefits that they have earned. We have a sacred trust with those who wear the uniform of the United States of America. It's a commitment that begins at enlistment, and it must never end.”
-President Barack Obama, March 19, 2009

President Obama and his Administration have been committed to upholding our sacred trust with America’s veterans and wounded warriors. Putting Americans, especially our veterans, back to work is job one. But we have to do more. We have to reclaim the security the middle class has lost by restoring the basic values that made our country great. America prospers when we’re all in it together; when hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded; and everyone, from Main Street to Wall Street, does their fair share and plays by the same rules. Honoring those who have sacrificed the most is one piece of creating an economy built to last. The President has taken key steps to ensure that our veterans receive the best health care, get the benefits they have earned, and have access to the education and training they need to re-enter the workforce. He has provided historic levels of support to veterans and their families in his budget requests.

The Obama Administration’s record in support of veterans and wounded warriors includes:
Expanding Access to Education for Veterans: President Obama pushed for the Post-9/11 GI Bill as a Senator and has ensured its successful implementation as President. As of March 2012, the VA has issued approximately $17.5 billion in Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit payments for more than 710,000 veterans or eligible family members pursuing higher education on the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The VA has received spring 2012 enrollments from more than 420,000 individuals. These VA benefits can now also be used for vocational programs.

Helping Service Members Successfully Transition to Civilian Life and Civilian Jobs: President Obama is dedicated to improving the transition of service members into civilian life and increasing employment opportunities for those who have served. In August 2011, he announced a comprehensive plan to lower veteran unemployment and ensure that service members leave the military career-ready through hiring tax credits, private sector commitments, and transition assistance reforms.

•Passing Tax Credits for Veterans: In November 2011, the President signed into the law the Returning Heroes Tax Credit, which provides businesses that hire unemployed veterans with a credit of up to $5,600 per veteran, and the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit, which offers businesses that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities a credit of up to $9,600 per veteran.

•Increasing Hiring of Veterans in Health Care-Related Fields: The President challenged Community Health Centers to hire 8,000 veterans – approximately one veteran per health center site – over the next three years and the Department of Health and Human Services will begin to give priority in physician assistant grant awards to universities and colleges that help train veterans for careers as physician assistants.

•Hiring Veterans as First Responders and Law Enforcement Officers: The President included $4 billion in COPS funding in his 2013 Budget to spur police officer hiring. The Budget also included $1 billion for SAFER grants to encourage firefighter hiring. Preference for these grants would be given to hire post-9/11 veterans.
•Putting Veterans to Work Preserving and Restoring America’s Land and Resources: The President proposed $1 billion to develop a Veterans Job Corps conservation program that would put up to 20,000 veterans back to work over the next five years protecting and rebuilding America.

•Developing Online Tools to Boost Veteran Employment: The Administration launched the Veterans Jobs Bank, an easy to use tool to help veterans find job postings from companies looking to hire them. Additionally, the Department of Labor launched My Next Move for Veterans, a new online resource that allows veterans to enter their military occupation code and discover civilian occupations for which they are well qualified.

•Increasing Access to Intensive Reemployment Services: Post-9/11 veterans are now able to download the Veteran Gold Card, which entitles them to enhanced reemployment services including six months of personalized case management, assessments, and counseling at the roughly 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers located across the country.

•Challenging the Private Sector to Hire or Train Veterans and Their Spouses: Since the President issued his challenge to the private sector in August 2011, more than tens of thousands veterans and their spouses have been hired, and 1,600 companies have committed to hire or train 150,000 veterans and their spouses by the end of 2013 through the leadership of First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, and their Joining Forces initiative.

•Supporting Veteran Entrepreneurship by Building Our Next Generation of Small Business Leaders: President Obama announced plans to integrate a two-day entrepreneurship program into the Transition Assistance Program and to establish the National Veterans Entrepreneurship Training program within the Small Business Administration, which would make entrepreneurship training available to up to 260,000 veterans annually. In Fiscal Year 2011, over 190,000 veterans received small business counseling or training through SBA and its resource partners. In addition, since 2009, SBA has doubled the number of SBA Veteran Business Outreach Centers nationwide. Over the past three years, SBA has also expanded the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities to eight top U.S. business schools nationwide.

•Making the Federal Government a Model Employer: The President launched an initiative designed to transform the federal government into the model employer of America’s veterans. He signed an Executive Order to establish an Interagency Council on Veterans Employment. For more information, visit: www.fedshirevets.gov.

•Expanding Small Business Opportunities for Veterans: President Obama has worked to increase and expand opportunities for small business ownership among veterans through more coordinated entrepreneurship training and access to capital and government contracts. President Obama cut taxes for small businesses and helped them get the loans they need to grow and hire. Between 2009 and 2011, over $3 billion through over 12,000 Small Business Administration loans went to small businesses owned by veterans and service disabled veterans.

Launching the Joining Forces Initiative to Support Military Families: First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden have met with military families, learned about their successes and challenges, and made it their priority to support them. Together, they launched Joining Forces – a comprehensive national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. Through Joining Forces, businesses, organizations, and individuals have made unprecedented commitments to support our military families and veterans – particularly in the areas of employment, education, and wellness. For more information, visit joiningforces.gov.

Provide Housing Relief to Veterans and Service Members: On top of the historic settlement completed by the Federal government and 49 state Attorneys General, major mortgage servicers will be providing relief to thousands of service members and veterans. Under the agreement, they will conduct a review of every service member foreclosed upon since 2006 and provide those wrongly foreclosed upon with compensation equal to a minimum of lost equity, plus interest and $116,785; refund to service members money lost because they were wrongfully denied the opportunity to reduce their mortgage payments through lower interest rates; provide relief for service members who are forced to sell their homes for less than the amount they owe on their mortgage due to a permanent change in station; and pay $10 million dollars into a VA fund that guarantees loans on favorable terms for veterans.

Home Buying Assistance for Veterans: In 2011, through the Home Loan Guarantee program, the VA guaranteed more than 340,000 home loans worth almost $71 billion. The VA helped over 66,000 veterans save their homes from foreclosure in 2010. As a result of these efforts, VA loans have outperformed all other categories of mortgage loans for the past 21⁄2 years.

Improving and Strengthening Health Care for Veterans and Wounded Warriors: President Obama has improved our veterans health care system to better serve today’s veterans.

•Establishing Advance Appropriations for Veterans Health Care: The President signed into law landmark legislation to fund the VA’s health care budget a year in advance. This assures timely, sufficient, and predictable funding from year to year.

•Improving Care and Benefits for Traumatic Brain Injury, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Mental Health: In July 2010, the VA published a historic change to its rules, streamlining the process and paperwork needed by combat veterans to pursue a claim for disability pay for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The VA has also expanded its mental health programs, hiring more than 3,500 mental health professionals since 2009. The VA has also issued a new regulation that ensures veterans who have service-connected traumatic brain injuries are properly compensated.

•Expanding Rural Health Care Initiatives for Veterans: Seeking to serve the more than three million veteran enrollees in rural areas, the Administration provided over $250 million to fund rural health projects in 2010, following 2009 funding of $250 million, and requested funding of $250 million for rural health projects in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

•Creating Electronic Health Records For Veterans: The VA and the Department of Health and Human Services kicked off projects in 2010 that could lead to the creation of personal health records for almost a third of the U.S. population. The VA has posted a feature on its My HealtheVet web site that allows veterans to download personal information such as blood pressure, weight, heart rate, emergency contact information, lab results, and family and military medical histories to a personal health record called “Blue Button.” In December 2011, this service was enhanced and veterans began using the VA’s online My HealtheVet Personal Health Record (www.myhealth.va.gov) to see their official information.

•Expanding Women Veterans’ Health Care: The President and Secretary Shinseki have directed the VA to implement comprehensive health care for Female veterans at all facilities. There are now full-time Women Veterans Program Managers at 144 VA health facilities.

•Providing Services to Veterans Caregivers: President Obama signed the “Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010,” into law which helps our most seriously injured post-9/11 veterans and their family caregivers with a monthly stipend; access to health insurance; mental health services and counseling; and comprehensive VA caregiver training and respite care.

Breaking the Back of the Backlog for Disability Claims: The VA expanded its workforce by over 2,600 people to handle applications for disability pay. The VA is also using technology and new approaches to help veterans get their benefits by accepting online applications for initial disability benefits, initiating an innovation competition, launching pilot initiatives, and investing over $128 million in a paperless Veterans Benefits Management System.

Working to End Veteran Homelessness: The Administration is working to end veteran homelessness through leveraging broad support at Federal, State, and local levels in both the public and private sectors. Working with over 4,000 community agencies, the VA and HUD have successfully placed more than 37,000 veterans in permanent housing with dedicated case managers and access to high-quality VA health care since 2009. To ensure we reach out to our homeless veterans, the VA created a National Registry for Homeless Veterans and established a National Homeless Hotline. Veteran homelessness was reduced by nearly 12 percent between January 2010 and January 2011.

Ensuring Fairness for Vietnam Veterans: In November 2010, the VA began distributing disability benefits to the first of roughly 200,000 potentially eligible Vietnam veterans who qualified for compensation under new rules for Agent Orange exposure.

Improving Services for Gulf War Veterans: In September 2010, the VA’s Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Task Force issued a comprehensive review of the VA’s programs for veterans who served in the Gulf War of 1990-1991.

What about the sacrifices our men and women in uniform make for the country they love

Does Romney think disabled veterans are "victims" too? seemed like a fair question considering what Romney said on a video he didn't know what recording his every word.

I knew sooner or later the news would not be good for Romney after he couldn't even bother talking about veterans two days in a row and avoided mentioning anything about them at the RNC convention giving him the nomination for Commander-in-Chief that people would finally discover what he really thinks.

A disabled veteran "victim" spoke the truth and said that he won't be voting for either man running for the Presidency.

Disabled veterans are not victims

But that wasn't the worst news that came out on veterans. This is. Some Senators proved veterans don't need help getting jobs

Considering two years ago, Mitch McConnell said that the top priority of the GOP in the Senate was to make Obama a one term president, this was just one more step in doing that no matter who had to suffer for two years of neglect from people elected to serve this nation and fix the problems we have. Instead of doing that, McConnell and his fellow Republicans stopped bills that could have made life better for us only because it would have made Obama look bad.

Here's Mitch McConnell saying what the GOP priority was in 2010.

That's what has been wrong all along and now they complain about the unemployment rate, the problems all over the country but not once did they try to make our lives better because it was the right thing to do. Their priority was not to put veterans back to work after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was not to fix the VA to take care of the disabled veterans any more than they wanted to fix military hospitals to take care of the wounded.

The first stage of putting veterans back to work, actually worked but there was more that had to be done, but Republicans blocked it even tough more voted for it simply because the Senate needs a super majority to pass anything. If all that is not bad enough for you, read this.

Veterans Are Vital Part of the '47 Percent'
Patrick Murphy
PA Attorney General Candidate
Former U.S. Representative
Posted: 09/20/2012

After hearing Romney's private comments this week about the 47 percent of Americans he isn't reaching out to, is it any surprise that he failed to even mention those serving in Afghanistan during his acceptance speech?

When Mitt Romney said he wasn't concerned about the "47 percent" of the country who pay no federal income taxes -- describing them as "victims" who fail to take "personal responsibility" for their lives -- he again showed he lacked an understanding that 61 percent of them already pay taxes. But what about the sacrifices our men and women in uniform make for the country they love?

Included in the half of America that Mitt Romney dismissively wrote off while standing in front of wealthy donors, were seniors, students, and people with disabilities -- but also people serving in the military. That's right, the military families with loved ones currently fighting in combat, defending the freedoms that all Americans enjoy regardless of political party. What they earn from their sacrifice and service to our nation isn't something that is just given.

Even more troubling is the fact that yet again, Mitt Romney was caught only providing policy specifics to wealthy donors at a private fundraiser while failing to do the same for the vast majority of the country he is asking to vote for him -- because as his advisers admitted, providing specifics before an election would be suicidal.

In public, all veterans and military families hear from Mitt Romney are empty platitudes, bluster that says more about his lack of foreign policy experience than it does our men and women in uniform, and promises that don't quite line up with his record. As governor, Mitt Romney was not a friend to my fellow veterans. He proposed eliminating hiring preferences for veterans applying for civil service opportunities, and cut veterans' programs by 11% in his first budget.

Many veterans and military families remember quite well the last time Mitt Romney decided to get specific about policies impacting their lives. Again, speaking before a group of wealthy donors at a private fundraiser back in April, Mitt Romney said that as president he'd consider eliminating the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). If Mitt Romney had his way and eliminated HUD altogether, it would undermine tremendous progress that has been made under President Obama's leadership to end veteran homelessness. If Mitt Romney had his way and abolished these services -- where would our nation's heroes turn? What's Mitt Romney's plan to continue the progress we've seen under President Obama in taking care of those who have served our country?
read more here

With all of this you'd think my Republican friends would be sending this news in their emails to alert their fellow veterans about what is really going on here, but no. They fill my mailbox every morning with nonsense the same way they did during every other election. For too many it is not about what people running for office really value. For too many, it is about what comes after their name. Is it a D or an R?

We've all had harder lives because no one paid attention to what McConnell said in 2010 any more than they paid attention to what he did to try to keep that promise no matter who had to suffer.

From the time Obama became President, my email box was filled with hatred for Nancy Pelosi. Not about what was being passed for the benefit of the troops and our veterans. Those emails were passed around the country and they must have worked because the day John Boehner was handed the gavel, it became a hammer on the heads of all Americans during a time when we needed help the most. Republicans took over the House and not much was done for us after that. It is astonishing what actually was passed after 2011 when they took their seats after promising to work for the American people.

Now all they do is complain about what Obama has not gotten done hoping no one noticed that they were all involved in all of this mess and did everything in their power to prevent things turning around for our sake.

Oh it is not that Democrats have clean hands in any of this because when President Bush was in the chair, my email box was filled with emails against him. I am just as guilty of that when I was posting about all he did wrong on my other blog. Looking back on it all now, I think I was actually looking for things to complain about because I fell into the same trap everyone else was in. That was when I was a registered Democrat. Now I'm an Independent for a reason.

The lack of cooperation from across this country is sickening. While politics has always been dirty and people told as many lies as possible when they wanted the votes, at least they ended up coming together to take care of the people and put this country first. This Congress only managed to keep their promise to make it their top priority to get President Obama out of office. All of us have had to suffer for their neglect of doing their duties for us.

Military Absentee Voting Week Sept. 27 through Oct. 4

DoD announces Absentee Voting Week for service members, families
Camp Pendleton Public Affairs
Story by Cpl. Jovane Henry
9/18/2012

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – In the last election cycle, only 63 percent of military ballots were returned to their local election officials on time, according to a study conducted by the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

In an effort to encourage timely voting among service members and their families this election year, the Department of Defense has designated the week of Sept. 27 through Oct. 4 as Absentee Voting Week.

Absentee Voting Week was established in 2002 with a goal to promote military and overseas voting awareness and encourage voters to request and receive absentee ballots from the Federal Voting Assistance Program website, www.fvap.gov.

During the week, “all eligible voters including Marines, sailors, civilian Marines and their eligible family members, are encouraged to return their completed absentee ballots, which will allow sufficient time for the ballots to be mailed and counted in their state,” according to Marine Administrative Message 470/12.

Installation and unit voting assistance officers are working double-time to get the word out to 100 percent of eligible voters through various methods of promotion, said Dora Rodriguez, the deputy adjutant and assistant installation voting officer for Marine Corps Installations- West, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
read more here

Obama takes on the military

Obama takes on the military
By Michael Hoffman
September 7th, 2012
Posted in Election


President Obama took dead aim at the lack of national security rhetoric in his opponent’s Republican National Convention speech as Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for another term as president Thursday night.

He spoke about fulfilling his promise to end the war in Iraq, killing Osama bin Laden, and his plans to end the war in Afghanistan in 2014. That’s not to say defense hawks were all that pleased with the Democratic plaform, or the president’s speech in general.

The Democrats have not swayed from their insistence that the time for leaner defense spending is now. The Democratic platform and Obama’s speech highlighted the need to scrap weapons and systems built for the Cold War.

“We will continue to get rid of outdated Cold War-era systems so that we can invest in cutting-edge technologies and maintain a versatile set of capabilities required to execute a wide range of military missions,” the Democratic platform stated.

Neither the platform nor Obama have specified what they consider Cold War-era systems leaving the defense industry guessing what the president and his administration might have in their sights in a future term.

Obama said in his speech the country will benefit from ending the war in Afghanistan and cash in on the savings of not fighting two simultaneous wars.
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Romney wants troops out of Afghanistan by 2014?

This makes no sense at all!

Marking 9/11, Romney makes point of citing war in Afghanistan
By Sam Youngman
RENO, Nevada
Sep 12, 2012

(Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney used the anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, to do some repair work.

Still under fire from Democrats for not mentioning the war in Afghanistan during his nomination acceptance speech at the Republican convention on August 30, Romney spoke at length on Tuesday about the war during an address to the National Guard Association.

Romney said he was taking the day off from politics and focusing instead on remembering the nearly 3,000 people killed 11 years ago, while offering thanks to the emergency crews that responded to the attacks and service members who went to war afterward.

In a campaign that has been dominated by debate over the struggling economy, Romney discussed America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the kind of detail he typically avoids.

"While the war in Iraq is over, nearly 70,000 American troops will still remain in Afghanistan at the end of the month," Romney said. "Our goal should be to complete the successful transition to Afghan security forces by the end of 2014."

Romney has long criticized Democratic President Barack Obama, his opponent in the November 6 election, for announcing a target date of 2014 for withdrawing from Afghanistan, where U.S. troops have been fighting the Taliban since about a month after the 9/11 attacks.
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President Obama gets big lift in Florida

UPDATE Big Apple Pizza Gets Negative Yelp Reviews After Owner Bear-Hugs Obama

Obama Picked Up
By Scott Van Duzer
Florida Pizza Place Owner (PHOTO, VIDEO)
09/09/12

(Photo credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

In Florida for his bus tour on Sunday, President Barack Obama made an unannounced stop at Big Apple Pizza and Pasta in Ft. Pierce. There, the shop's owner, Scott Van Duzer, lifted the president off the ground:

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'Military mom' of four in armed forces introduces Michelle Obama

Elaine Brye gave the best line of the night. Not that she is the Mom of 4 members of different military branches or that her 5th son may enter into the Coast Guard. It was when she said she is not a political person. Most people are not "political" and easy to understand when you have less than half of the eligible voters actually showing up to vote. While Brye addressed what is important to her as a military Mom, she made no political statement. That is the way it should be and the way it is for most people in this country but if you only listen to the 24-7 media, you may think everyone but you have picked sides and ready to fight anyone. Brye proved that theory wrong.

Most people would rather work together than take sides.

'Military mom' of four in armed forces introduces Michelle Obama
By Robin Abcarian
September 4, 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — “Wow!” said Elaine Brye of Winona, Ohio. “What’s a mom like me doing in a place like this?”

Brye was not planning a turn on stage at the Democratic National Convention when she sat down last December to write a Christmas card to First Lady Michelle Obama. It was “just a mom-to-mom note to say thank you for caring,” Brye said Tuesday night as she introduced Obama. “The first lady not only read my letter, she invited my husband and I to the White House. It was an amazing experience."

Brye may think of herself as just a mom, but she is in fact a rather special mother. Four of her five children are military officers, one in each branch — Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. “Our youngest is still in high school,” Brye said. “And yes, we’re hoping he’ll join the Coast Guard.” On the lapel of her purple dress, she wore four rhinestine pins representing each branch.

As she introduced the first lady, Brye said, “I’m not even a political person. But what I am is a military mom. … I don't know when I'm going to get them all together again because someone's always deploying. But because of Dr. [Jill] Biden and the first lady, our lives are a little bit easier. Along with President Obama, they have made helping military families a top priority….It is honor and respect in action and it warms this mother's heart.”
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At least Clint Eastwood said 'Afghanistan' at GOP convention

At least Clint Eastwood said 'Afghanistan' at GOP convention

The war in Afghanistan was mentioned, in passing, just four times in hours of speeches comprising tens of thousands of words at the Republican convention. Mitt Romney, the nominee, avoided any mention at all. Not even a shout-out to the troops.

Danny Westneat
Seattle Times staff columnist
September 1, 2012

Thank you, Clint Eastwood. At least you went there.

OK, sure, your thoughts didn't neatly track from one to the next, to put it mildly. You're now officially the nation's crazy uncle, due to that rambling, imaginary talk you had with your invisible friend ... I mean, president.

But you said it. You said the word lost down the national memory hole: "Afghanistan."

When state Sen. Michael Baumgartner told me a week ago that he expected to hear "close to zero" talk at the Republican convention about how we're bogged down in the longest war in our history, I figured he was exaggerating.

There would be a forum or a protest or something. There'd at least be countless nods to the sacrifices of the troops.

Nope. The war was mentioned, in passing, just four times in hours of speeches comprising tens of thousands of words.

For the first time since 1952, the AP reported, Mitt Romney accepted a Republican nomination for president without mentioning the topic of war at all. Not the cost of war, which seems relevant. Nothing about what the mission is. No suggestion of what we might do.

Afghanistan was so out-of-mind Romney didn't even give a standard shout-out to the troops (roughly 80,000 of whom are still over there fighting — and probably wondering if they've been marooned).
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My two cents on this one.

Well put except Afghanistan is not the longest war. Vietnam is still the longest.

The date on the Wall ends at 1975.

I don't know what reporter decided to call Afghanistan the longest, but it seems everyone jumped on that one.

I didn't watch the convention coverage. I've read about what they have to say too much along with people on the other side. I've also been fed up with all the coverage on politicians with hardly nothing on what they do after they get elected. Reporters have a habit of just letting all of them say whatever they want, without having to explain anything. Unless they say something so outrageous as what Ryan claimed, their fact checkers have been AWOL.

I have a feeling the Democrats' convention will be just about the same way but considering how the GOP convention left out our troops and veterans, I hope the Democrats learned something from that. Time will tell.

Romney doesn't care about the troops. He doesn't care about our veterans either. He doesn't even know the difference between TRICARE and CHAMPVA. Reporters are not really interested Afghanistan anymore than they were interested in Iraq.

Really strange considering after 2001, that was all we heard all the time from politicians trying to explain what they were doing, what they were spending money on and how much we needed to allow them to do it if we supported the troops. In 2004 that was all we heard with September 11th and Iraq in nearly every speech while Afghanistan was hardly mentioned at all. It was repeated in 2008 so much so they could have just played a tape.

Do you think that they have finally proven all the talk about supporting the troops from them really boiled down to support of defense contractors instead?

UPDATE at 8:38 est
I am really pissed off so here's some more to think about.

At a Pentagon press briefing on Monday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said congressional tinkering with the $613 billion 2013 Defense Department budget could have unintended consequences and result in a hollow force. Flanked by Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Panetta also defended the long-term Defense strategy unveiled in January, saying it will help the Pentagon to slash its budget by $487 billion over the next 10 years.
In March, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., chairman of the House Budget Committee, told a National Journal forum that senior military commanders were dishonest in presenting Congress with a budget request he doesn't believe they fully support. After Dempsey charged Ryan with calling senior military leaders liars, Ryan backed off and said, "I really misspoke."

Paul Ryan is behind the cuts to funding. Plain and simple. The cuts to Defense spending were a product of the Tea Party politicians screaming about the deficit. The fact that Ryan's budget cuts.

Budget panel may cut VA care for 1.3 million vets The House Budget Committee, led by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has told a veterans’ group it is studying a plan to save $6 billion annually in Veterans Affairs health care costs by canceling enrollment of any veteran who doesn’t have a service-related medical condition and is not poor.

Defense Cuts

An Associated Press "fact check" in July after Mitt Romney made a similar claim said that Romney "ignores the central role that Congress played last summer in setting the stage for such a massive cut in the Pentagon's budget."

The House-passed bill to which Ryan referred passed in May without a single Democratic vote and has no chance of passing in the Democratically-controlled Senate. The bill would swap defense cuts for sharp reductions in spending for social programs, specifically Medicaid and food stamp spending, and reduce money for Obama's health care reform law while taking away the ability of regulators to wind down failing financial firms and end a White House program meant to assist struggling homeowners.

Joseph Beaudoin, president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), said in a statement today that the Ryan plan would cost the national security bureaucracy 100,000 jobs.

"Chairman Ryan's belief that it is permissible to penalize middle-class federal workers, who protect Americans and keep our nation moving forward, is frightening. Whatever happened to 'shared sacrifice'? What does he hope to gain by prolonging pay freezes, pinching paychecks, and eliminating employees, including those who inspect the safety of our food and nuclear power plants?" he said. "It's worth remembering that losing one in 10 federal workers means losing more than 100,000 employees at the U.S. Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Justice and Homeland Security."

And then there is this

Here is where the $11 Billion cut to veterans is even though Ryan's budget much like the convention, didn't mention the word "veterans" at all.

Veteran spending missing from Paul Ryan’s budget
Martin Bashir
Aired on March 23, 2012

Jon Soltz, chairman of VoteVets.org, joins guest host Karen Finney to explain the billions of dollars cut from veterans spending under budget plan offered by Rep. Paul Ryan.

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UPDATE
He just made it worse for himself. His "spokesman" said that Romney talked about Afghanistan the day before,,,,,,so, what? Does Romney think it is just too tiring to talk about men and women risking their lives in Afghanistan two days in a row?

Fehrnstrom told CNN that Romney didn't talk about war in his convention speech because he had already talked it in a previous speech.

"The day before the convention speech, Candy, Governor Romney traveled to Indianapolis on Wednesday and he gave a speech before the American Legion," he said.
Then he said the defense cuts were Obama's fault? I'm sure you're wondering if he has a real clue about anything.

Romney lied to veterans again

First lie is that CONGRESS DID IT no matter what President Obama wanted. As Obama opened the door to more veterans being able to file claims the congress did not come up with the funds to hire enough workers to do it. Now Congress is demanding answers? They are right to question the spending on conventions but how about someone in congress demand answers from the Veterans Affairs committee and how all of this got so bad for veterans when they were supposed to be taking care of them AND ACTUALLY DOING THEIR JOBS?

Second is that Congress is the BANK ACCOUNT HOLDER so it is up to them to come up with the money and figure out who gets stuck with the bill. How Obama managed to do anything is shocking when you consider that members of congress said getting him out of office was their number one job in 2010.

Next lie is more of an omission. Romney and Ryan want to cut everything the troops and our veterans not only need, but already paid for when they served risking their lives.

All of the massive failures on veterans' issues are directly tied to CONGRESS! Romney wants to make it all worse with the full support of his group in congress!

Romney Says Obama Has Failed Veterans
Aug 30, 2012
Military.com
by Mike Hoffman

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told service members and veterans he would not raise their TRICARE medical insurance fees among other campaign promises in a speech Wednesday to the American Legion National Convention.

Pentagon leaders over multiple presidential administrations have proposed raising TRICARE fees in order to prevent personnel costs from overtaking the Defense Department's annual budget. Congress has repeatedly rejected the proposal.

Romney said as commander-in-chief he would not allow such a proposal to reach Congress.

"I will not ask our war time military to shoulder sacrifices while the rest of government grows," Romney said. "I will not ask our service members, active and retired, to pay more for their health care to free up room for Obamacare."

The Pentagon's efforts to raise TRICARE fees predate the Obama administration and the Affordable Health Care Act, but Romney's remark drew applause from the Legionnaires.

The Republican nominee addressed the convention a day before his speech at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. Romney's speech was a rare opportunity for the presidential candidate to speak about military issues as the economy has dominated the campaign.
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Here's a thought. This is what the House Oversight Committee is supposed to do.

Oversight Committee Mission Statement

We exist to secure two fundamental principles. First, Americans have a right to know that the money Washington takes from them is well spent. And second, Americans deserve an efficient, effective government that works for them. Our duty on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee is to protect these rights.

Our solemn responsibility is to hold government accountable to taxpayers, because taxpayers have a right to know what they get from their government. We will work tirelessly, in partnership with citizen-watchdogs, to deliver the facts to the American people and bring genuine reform to the federal bureaucracy.

This is the mission of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

GOP Convention MIA on Afghanistan and Iraq

Tom Brokaw: 'Striking' That There's Been 'No Mention Of Afghanistan And Iraq'
Wars At GOP Convention So Far (VIDEO)
The Huffington Post
By Rebecca Shapiro
Posted: 08/29/2012

Tom Brokaw weighed in on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's keynote speech on Tuesday night, and wondered why the first night of convention speeches included little mention of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

After analyzing Christie's speech with MSNBC's Chris Matthews and David Gregory, Brokaw said he found it "striking" that those who spoke on Tuesday night, including Ann Romney and Christie, did not mention President George W. Bush's 8 years in office or "the two longest wars in America's history, Afghanistan and Iraq."

Brokaw continued, saying that the two wars were "started by the Republican party and promoted by them in the early stages, with the assent of the Democratic Congress and Democratic Senate."

He also pointed out that U.S. soldiers were killed in Afghanistan by Afghan security forces in recent days.
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Special Operations Chief Adm. Bill McRaven says "Pipe Down"

Special ops chief to troops: Pipe down
Army Times
By Kimberly Dozier
AP Intelligence Writer Posted : Friday Aug 24, 2012

WASHINGTON — Special operations chief Adm. Bill McRaven warned his troops, current and former, that he would take legal action against anyone found to have exposed sensitive information that could cause fellow forces harm.

"We will pursue every option available to hold members accountable, including criminal prosecution where appropriate," the four-star commander wrote, in an open, unclassified letter emailed to the active-duty special operations community Thursday, and obtained by The Associated Press.

The warning came a day after a retired Navy commando revealed he is publishing a first-hand account of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Pentagon officials say they have not been given a chance to review the book, but Pentagon spokesman George Little said Friday officials expect to receive a copy "very shortly."

Little said the Pentagon will decide whether to take any action against the author once officials review the book's contents to determine whether it includes classified information. He said the Department of Justice would have the lead role if any legal action were to be taken.
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FOX News identified Navy SEAL

Reasons to always read from more than one source

This is a typical reason to make sure you read more than one source on a story.

Scott says Florida leads the nation in cutting its unemployment rate
Wednesday, August 22, 2012 at 4:04 by admin
TALLAHASSEE

Gov. Rick Scott said today that Florida has led the nation in reducing its unemployment rate since December 2010 _ the month before Scott became governor.

Based on the latest state-by-state employment statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, Florida’s unemployment rate in July stood at 8.8 percent, a 0.2 percent rise from the previous month but a 2.3 percent drop from the December 2010 rate of 11.1 percent.

Previously, Scott had touted the fact that Florida had the “second” highest decline behind Michigan since December 2010. But Michigan’s July unemployment rate jumped up 0.4 percent last month, allowing Florida to claim the spot for the largest decline in that period. Based on the July numbers, Michigan’s rate has declined 2.2 percent since December 2010, putting it in second place.

“Overall, Florida’s long-term trend is positive,” Scott said in a statement. “Florida companies have added 130,300 more private sector jobs than we had in December 2010. We are focused on making Florida the best place to grow private-sector jobs.”
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Sounds great but when you read about what else is going on Scott doesn't want to talk about you discover what sounds good, usually isn't good for everyone.

Thousands frustrated by Florida's new unemployment compensation laws
Miami Herald

When 65-year-old Raymond Togyer isn’t polishing his resume or cold calling potential employers, he’s spending hours trying, unsuccessfully, to navigate Florida’s labyrinthine unemployment compensation system.

Togyer — who was laid off for the first time in his adult life from a high-paying civil engineering job in June — has spent the last seven weeks sending and resending letters, staying on hold for hours and checking state websites, all to no avail.

He is one of hundreds of thousands of out-of-work Floridians flummoxed by what has become the most tightfisted unemployment compensation system in the nation.
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The other example of this is when you hear some Democrats talkers on radio gleefully talking about the hurricane heading into Florida during the GOP convention. Do they stop to think about what a hurricane means to the people living in Florida? Do they think about the members of the National Guards ready to once again put their lives on the line in case they are needed to save us? Do they think about the police, firefighters and emergency responders, doctors or nurses ready to spend days on end taking care of the wounded?

I moved into Central Florida right before Charlie, Francis and Jeanne hit in 2004. Talking about Isaac hitting Tampa means a lot of lives will be on the line with a lot of extra people taking up hotel rooms because of the convention the displaced will need if their homes are destroyed. Most of them live in mobile home parks and will have to evacuate them to be as safe as possible. These guests of Florida will not know what to expect with hurricane force winds and it is really shameful anyone would get a "kick" out of this happening.

The other side is just as bad. This is what Rush Limbaugh said.

Rush Limbaugh blames Obama for Hurricane Isaac
Published: 23 August, 2012

What did the one giant, detestable blob of hot air say about the other? If you managed to catch conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh’s Wednesday morning rant about Hurricane Isaac, you may already know.

During Wednesday morning’s broadcast of Limbaugh’s nationally syndicated radio show, the legendary host called attention to the tropical storm slated to hit Florida next week right at the same time that Republicans from across the United States are expected to scurry down south for the GOP National Convention.
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Here is another example since we keep seeing the ads put out against President Obama topped off with the speeches being given from the Romney/Ryan team.

Medicaid plan would transform health care in Florida
By William E. Gibson
Orlando Sentinel
Washington Bureau
August 22, 2012

WASHINGTON – Florida'sfast-growing Medicaid program -- which cares for the state's impoverished children and for most senior citizens in nursing homes -- would lose roughly a third of its federal money under budget plans embraced by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan.

The Ryan plan would cut Medicaid nationwide by $810 billion over 10 years and reduce Florida's allotment by $35 billion by 2022 -- about one-third less than current projected spending -- according to an analysis by Families USA, a nonpartisan advocacy group for health-care consumers. An Urban Institute study found similar results: a 31-percent cutback for Florida by 2021.

The biggest impact may be on those who seek nursing-home care.

About 60 percent of Florida's nursing-home patients – 77,239 in fiscal 2010 -- rely on Medicaid. The cost that year was $2.7 billion, 13 percent of the Medicaid budget, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration.

"Many would be left out in the cold," said Brian Lee, executive director of Families for Better Care, an advocacy group in Tallahassee for nursing-home residents. "If nursing homes are not getting paid, they aren't going to take them. So it could be a desperate time for potential residents."
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Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark endorses President Obama

Retired Four-Star Gives Presidential Pick
Aug 03, 2012
Daily Press
Newport News, Va.

Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark said Thursday he wants the American public to understand what a "great commander in chief" President Barack Obama is.

"He's made some really great decisions, some tough decisions and he's been extremely successful," Clark told the Daily Press. "Not only that, he's been stronger in support of veterans in actual resources and programs than any president in my life time."

Clark, a Democratic presidential candidate in 2004, was part of an Obama campaign roll out of military leaders in Roanoke Wednesday, along with retired Army Maj. Gen. James Kelley and retired Navy Rear Adm. Jamie Barnett. Clark praised the president for ending the war in Iraq, taking down Osama bin Laden and the surge in Afghanistan.

"I think the facts are clearly on the president's side and that's what we're out to show," said the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO forces.
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