Friday, June 20, 2014

The Quick Fix President

The Quick Fix President and the Low Information Administration
© 2014 Rick Adamson
By Rick Adamson 6.19.14

It has been reported that President Obama is bored with being President.  He does not have the support of Congress and has decided to go it alone.  He gets his news from the morning newspapers and claims to have been surprised by many of the recent “crises”.

This has resulted in many quick fix (not well thought out) executive orders and spin/lies that have back fired. In early 2014, while touring Monticello with French President François Hollande he said “That’s the thing about being president; I can do whatever I want”.[1] He later stated he had a pen and a phone and would take action unilaterally.

“The President has come to the conclusion that his administration is not going to accomplish its goals.  He knows the economy is not going to turn around. He knows Obamacare is not going to be popular. And he understands that his job approval rating will likely remain below 50 percent. Therefore, the President has concluded that public opinion really doesn't matter anymore.”[2]

I just heard Brit Hume say that “most of the recent “crises” were politically manageable but for the spin, lies and cover-ups propagated by the administration.” He also said when asked why the president seems to be perpetually caught off guard by developing events: “This is an administration," Hume declared, "that is one of almost unimaginable incompetence and disengagement. It's not clear to me that the intelligence agencies aren't trying to keep the administration informed, but I don't know that this president is paying much attention. I think he's overwhelmed, I don't think he knows what to do. This president is smart enough, but he is not wise enough for the job, in my judgment. The chickens are coming home to roost and they're coming home in droves."[3]

Most of us know that, at least since the Watergate (Nixon) debacle, the cover-up is worse than the truth. But this administration is truth challenged.

IRAQ

Iraq is coming apart at the seams as an Al Qaeda linked group (State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS) takes over greater and greater portions of the country.  In our hast to end the war (quick fix) we did not leave the necessary contingency force to support the Iraqi army thereby creating a void which is being rapidly filled by these radical extremists. Our generals warned the administration that this would happen. But the administration did not listen.  As Senator McCain recently said, fire your CREW and get some experienced people to advise you.

Even though 70 percent of Americans supported ending the war, I believe we had an obligation to protect our investment (4,500 dead, well over 32,000 wounded Americans and $1 Trillion) in that country.  This includes heavy military equipment that the Iraqi army abandoned and is now under the control of ISIS who we are now (8.8.14) bombing.

The prime minister of Iraq came here in October 2013 begging for more support.  So we have known about this problem for at least 8 months, probably more.  But the administration claims to have been surprised and has no plan going forward.

You can be sure that we will have to fight these bad guys.  The question is whether we fight them over there or HERE.

The Sergeant Bowe Bergdah Swap

I am happy to have Mr. Bergdah home but I think we gave up too much in the exchange.  Was it because, as Mr. Obama says, he made the exchange because he believed the Sergeant's life was in danger? Was it because Mr. Obama wants to close gitmo and it might be easier if it was cleared of the most hardened criminals?

It now appears that Mr. Bergdah’s health is good according to his doctors.  And was it necessary for Susan Rice to appear on national television to proclaim that he “served with honor and distinction?” (spin/lies)  Was it necessary for Mr. Obama to have a ceremony at the White House celebrating Mr. Bergdah’s release and allow his father to speak in Pashto and thank Allah for his mercy? (spin/lies)

“Congratulations, Mr. President! And identical congrats to your sorcerer’s apprentice, National Security Adviser Susan Rice. By trying to sell him as an American hero, you’ve turned a deserter already despised by soldiers in the know into quite possibly the most-hated individual soldier in the history of our military.

President Obama did this to himself (and to Bergdahl). This beautifully educated man, who never tires of letting us know how much smarter he is than the rest of us, never stopped to consider that our troops and their families might have been offended by their commander-in-chief staging a love-fest at the White House to celebrate trading five top terrorists for one deserter and featuring not the families of those soldiers (at least six of them) who died in the efforts to find and free Bergdahl, but, instead, giving a starring role on the international stage to Pa Taliban, parent of a deserter and a creature of dubious sympathies (that beard on pops ain’t a tribute to ZZ Top).

How do you say “outrageous insult to our vets” in Pashto?”[4]

Mrs. Clinton claims that the five swapped enemy combatants are not a threat to the U.S. but rather a threat to the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan.  If that is true just think of the curse we have unleashed on the innocent people of those countries and the World!  She also ascribes to the tradition that we not leave soldiers on the field, as I do, but the war is not over and swaps and trades are premature.  I also believe in the tradition of NOT negotiating with terrorists, I guess Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama do not.  How convenient to believe in traditions when they suit your purpose and the same goes for laws, laws which were broken by the administration when they did not inform Congress.  Oh, I guess it was just a matter on convenience!  

VA

Despite promises to improve the way the VA services our veterans (going back to 2007) nothing was done.  In fact, as the result of appointing incompetent administrators, things got worse-even criminal.  The persons charged with caring for our vets were more concerned with their promotions and bonuses than with doing their job which lead to lying and cheating.

The VA hospital system is unique in that it is the only system operated solely by FedGov.  It has no competition and no benchmarks to compare itself to in order to access its effectiveness. It is inefficient and bloated.

Mr. Obama claims to have been surprised by recent revelations at the VA (spin/lies); however, the record shows that numerous warnings had been given the administration going back several years.

It should be eliminated and replaced with a market based system whereby FedGov purchases an insurance policy for every veteran which would allow them to get the care they need at the place of their choosing.

Obamacare

The implementation of Obamacare was a disaster due again to incompetent administrators. The administration has told us that Obamacare would result in lower premiums and would help reduce the deficit (spin/lies).  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) once said Obamacare would save $120 Billion, but now they say they just don’t know.  For their latest comments see here… 

We have been sold a bill of goods because you cannot increase benefits without increasing premiums.  There is no need for a Ph.D. in economics to understand that concept. Moreover, the cost of Medicaid will skyrocket and Obamacare will not decrease the number of uninsured over the long term.  See a recent Wall Street Journal here…..

And do not forget, we out sourced the development of the failed web site to a Canadian company (CGI) pursuant to a $678 million no bid contract-fishy? That work could have surely been done by a U.S. company. We cannot make toys competitively but we surely can write code! See this article for more: Red Flags? Company behind Obamacare site has checkered past.  Moreover, a CGI official happened to be a classmate of Michelle Obama-fishy? See this article for more: White House Logs Show Visits by CGI Official, Classmate of Michelle Obama.

Huh, a $678,000,000.00 no bid contract… I could go for that.

And on top of it all, we spent untold millions to fix that inadequate web site.  The actual number has not been disclosed because no one really knows—FedGov just writes checks and more checks with absolutely no accountability.

Obamacare is administered by FedGov (or a few States that have to follow the federal model).  It is unique in that it uses health insurance policies to pay the private clinics, hospitals, doctors, nurses and is paid for by users of the system except for those dumped off to the Medicaid system. Obamacare sets minimum coverage requirements for the insurance policies and restricts the insurance companies’ ability to price their product based on their assessment of risk. 

Because Obamacare relies on insurance companies to provide the needed policies (and due to their inability to price their policies in the traditional way) Obamacare added an incentive for them. Obamacare guarantees that the insurance companies’ earn net income of 3% of the policy premiums collected.  In other words, the risk that insurance companies traditionally assumed has been eliminated. If they lose money or net less than the guaranteed amount FedGov will write them a check (bailout).

So, under Obamacare, FedGov writes the rules of the game and in order to get the players (insurance companies) to play they are guaranteed a profit (quick fix).

For more see my article on the subject here…  Also see Peggy Noonan’s comments here…

Benghazi

The terrorists who attacked the consulate in Benghazi were intent upon capturing or killing Ambassador Stevens and they were successful. There was no protest.  It was not the result of a video. It was a well planned attack carried out on September 11, a very sensitive day for all Americans.

Susan Rice claimed that the attack resulted from a video and that the White House had no part in developing the talking points she used while making her remarks (spin/lies).  But now:

"Susan Rice said she did the Sunday talk shows (blaming the attack on video-spin/lies) because it had been a ‘painful’ and ‘stressful’ week for then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Heck, I guess lying to families and knowing you had abandoned Americans to die can be stressful -- really sucks for Amb. Stevens, Sean Smith, Ty Woods, and Glenn Doherty." Allen West

Politico has reported that American special operators and law enforcement agents captured (on Sunday) a key suspect in the 2012 Benghazi attack and that Ahmed Abu Khatallah is “in U.S. custody in a secure location outside of Libya.

We’ve known about this jerk for two years. He was the one who sat outside in a hotel, giving an interview to Time magazine only five weeks after the attack. We’ve known his whereabouts — so why now?

Is it a convenient shift from the countless evident failures of Obama?  Is it because it is an election year and the Democrats need something to crow about?

And they are going to bring the SOB to the U.S. for trial so he will get lawyered up after being read his Miranda rights and that will be the end of it. And why would this “unlawful enemy combatant” be granted legal rights? He should be sent to Gitmo like all other enemy combatants.” Paraphrased from Allen West’s comments on Face book.

For more see my article on the subject here…

IRS

“I’d really like to get rid of the IRS and its criminal conduct of playing politics with the law and the tax code that chokes the life out of our economy.” Mike Huckabee

The Chicago Way: Deceive, Distract, Deny and Delay.  And now after a year of attempting to get subpoenaed documents the IRS claims critical emails were lost!  Unbelievable!  More spin/lies. See more here…

And Mr. Obama said there is not a “smidgen of corruption” at the IRS.[5] More spin/lies.

Immigration

We have been assured that the borders are secure.  How we hear of a surge of new immigrants many of whom are children. And the administration seems to be caught by surprise. This is happening precisely because of the president’s executive order (quick fix) stating that young people brought here by their undocumented parents will not be deported.

These immigrants have been told (by their local press/governments) that this is the time to immigrate to the US because they will not be deported.  This information is being disseminated due to the administration’s selective enforcement of the law and the president’s executive order.

Tuesday morning President Obama honored beneficiaries of his decision to “lift the shadow of deportation” from illegal immigrants who are Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients via executive order (those who would have qualified for citizenship under the DREAM Act if it had passed by Congress but was not). Was this really necessary as our border patrol agents are being overwhelmed by the influx of children and their families flooding across the border as a result of this same executive order?

Finally

 “When Putin invaded Crimea, America was caught by surprise. When terrorists killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, America was caught by surprise. When the V.A. scandal broke in Phoenix Arizona, the administration was caught by surprise. When thousands of children started illegally walking across the southern border it was a surprise in Washington.

And now, with Iraq on the verge of collapse, guess what? They are surprised. But the President says they are working hard on the problem.

President Obama does appear disengaged from vital problems all over the world and it looks like American voters are starting to understand that. New Gallup poll asks does President Obama manage government effectively. 39 percent say yes; 60 percent say no. Then this question: does President Obama have a clear plan for solving the country's problems? -- 34 percent say yes; a whopping 65 percent no.

Let me put that number into perspective for you; 34 percent of Americans will approve of whatever Barack Obama does. It doesn't matter to them. They just like him and that's that. So the President is virtually getting a no confidence vote from every other person in the country. That's amazing.” O’Reilly.

Summary

We have an administration that is disintegrating before our eyes not unlike Iraq.  The administration gets its information like we do, from the daily news!  An administration that has a quick fix for any problem without much thought of the consequences and, therefore, no contingency plans for possible problems that might develop as a result. And an administration of, as Mr. Hume puts it, almost unimaginable incompetence and disengagement.

I had a problem finishing my thoughts herein because of the ever increasing revelations but I have to stop somewhere.

God Bless America



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