Activism: Saving The ACA: Graham-Cassidy is Worse Than We Could Have Imagined

Posted on September 21, 2017 by

1000% increase in health insurance premiums for 60 year olds?

1000%?

37a555729312e9d1a349cee8e2bb4376283c9d48

It’s for you!

From AARP (PDF)

Graham-Cassidy Legislation Threatens Affordable Coverage for Older Americans Lina Walker, Jane Sung, Claire Noel-Miller, and Olivia Dean The Graham-Cassidy (GC) bill, as proposed on September 13, 2017, threatens to make health care unaffordable and inaccessible for millions of older Americans. The bill eliminates two sources of financial assistance – premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions – critical to ensuring that low- to moderate-income older adults are able to afford the coverage they need. For a 60-year-old earning $25,000 a year, premiums and out-of-pocket costs could increase by as much as $16,174 a year if they wanted to keep their current coverage. i The bill may also allow states to charge older adults age 50-64 significantly higher premiums than under current law on the basis of their age by waiving federal protections that limit the practice known as age rating.

Screen Shot 2017-09-21 at 10.43.27 AM

A call to action:

Hammer your R’s Senators and Representatives with phone calls.

Phone Calls Work!

  • Keyword: Oppose Graham-Cassidy
  • Keyword: Protect my Obamacare
  • Keyword: Pay the CSR’s
  • Keyword: See you at townhall.

Please, make two calls to each of your R senators and one to your R representative today, tomorrow and every day including Sunday until the 30th.

Fight back.

O-

Posted in 4th Reich, activism, Affordable Care Act, snark | Leave a comment

Midday Palate Cleanser

Posted on September 21, 2017 by

We asked for moar goats, and Scissorhead Karla responded! Anyway, there is a book of faces entry for something called The Goats of Anarchy, which seems to be a non-profit goat rescue and rehab organization.

Oh, they also have loads of pixels of goats wearing hats, PJs, and what not. It’s pretty fun and kinda inspiring. If you have a few unused shekels, you could help a goat get back on its hooves, or contribute to another swinging box to make a once-active goat have a little fun again.

Thanks Karla!

Posted in Palate Cleansers | 1 Comment

The Morning Quote

Posted on September 21, 2017 by

Would You Buy A Used Lawnmower From This Man?

In an ever expanding universe, anything is possible: Chuck Grassley may have accidentally said something honest.

“You know, I could maybe give you 10 reasons why this bill shouldn’t be considered,” Grassley said. “But Republicans campaigned on this so often that you have a responsibility to carry out what you said in the campaign. That’s pretty much as much of a reason as the substance of the bill.”

–Sen. Chuck ‘I am NOT a nail!’ Grassley (R-IA)

You know, Chuck, if you had listened to your momma, you would know that what you are saying is the inevitable result from telling a lie: you have to then defend the lie for the rest of your life.

So what if the lie started 8 years ago and it culminates with 30+ million Americans losing their health insurance? Better that then admitting you (and your party) pretty much have lied. Diogenes laughs and walks past GOP HQ.

My mom told us that lying is exhausting because it takes so much work to remember the lie (and the truth) and to not trip on it. She said that it was much easier to tell the truth. Strange advice from a lawyer, but good advice from a parent.

Posted in 4th Reich, Healthcare Reform, Healthcare Repeal | 5 Comments

Old Dog Learns New Trick, Comrades

Posted on September 21, 2017 by

“Run, little Trumpling, run!”

The Russians are not the only ones buying dark-post ads on Facebook:

“There’s been a lot of noise and a lot of rumors,” reads the text of a Facebook ad from Trump’s personal Facebook page that was targeted to specific users in recent days. “….WE WILL BUILD A WALL (NOT A FENCE) ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE UNITED STATES…” The ad concludes with a pitch for donations.

…The personal Facebook page of Vice President Mike Pence is also running a version of the ad. One difference between the Pence and Trump ads is the VP’s refers to “Fake News media,” while Trump’s calls out the “mainstream media.” Both ads include a dig against “liberals in congress.”

…The ads are not visible on the timelines of the Trump or Pence Facebook pages. They are, therefore, so-called “dark post ads” because they can only be seen by people the campaign chose to target with the message. This is the same type of ad Facebook recently acknowledged was purchased by a Russian troll factory in order to target Americans during the election. That revelation has caused lawmakers such as Sen. Mark Warner to discuss the need to regulate online political ads.

Gee, I wonder where Comrade Preznint Stupid learned how to place dark post ads?

Posted in 4th Reich, Comrade Preznint Stupid, The Russian Usurper, Facebook or Faceberg, Social Media | Leave a comment

Spicy, Chapter 2

Posted on September 21, 2017 by

The Angry Inch, Dumb Spice

Mike ‘Payola’ Allen writing the Axios morning email thingie has something of a scoop:

Now we can tell you about another potential honey pot for Mueller. Former colleagues of Sean Spicer tell Axios that he filled “notebook after notebook” during meetings at the Republican National Committee, later at the Trump campaign, and then at the White House.

When Spicer worked at the RNC, he was said to have filled black books emblazoned with the party’s seal. Spicer was so well-known for his copious notes that underlings joked about him writing a tell-all.

One source familiar with the matter said that the records were just to help him do his job.

“Sean documented everything,” the source said.

That surprised some officials of previous White Houses, who said that because of past investigations, they intentionally took as few notes as possible when they worked in the West Wing.

When we texted Spicer for comment on his note-taking practices, he replied: “Mike, please stop texting/emailing me unsolicited anymore.”

When I replied with a “?” (I have known Spicer and his wife for more than a dozen years), he answered: “Not sure what that means. From a legal standpoint I want to be clear: Do not email or text me again. Should you do again I will report to the appropriate authorities.”

The WashPost reported Sept. 8 that Mueller “has alerted the White House that his team will probably seek to interview” Spicer and five other top current and former Trump advisers.

One White House official told me: “People are going to wish they’d been nicer to Sean. … He was in a lot of meetings.”

About an hour after Spicer’s texts, he replied to a polite email I had sent earlier, seeking comment:

Per my text:

Please refrain from sending me unsolicited texts and emails

Should you not do so I will contact the appropriate legal authorities to address your harassment

Thanks

Sean M Spicer

Posted in 4th Reich, Dumb Spice, The Angry Inch | 2 Comments

THIS:

Posted on September 21, 2017 by

UPDATE 1: Kimmel struck a nerve:

Curtis Houck is the NewsBusters Managing Editor, a website “dedicated to exposing & combating liberal media bias.”

UPDATE 2: Tiger Beat on the Potomac (thanks Charlie!) says, “Kimmel, not Cassidy, is right on health care, analysts say.”

Posted in snark | 1 Comment

Bad Design, Cont.

Posted on September 20, 2017 by

(Hat tip: Our long-time buddy @monkeyfister on the electrical tweeter device)

Posted in Bad design | 4 Comments

News That Will Drive You To Drink

Posted on September 20, 2017 by

Happy Hour News Briefs

Teh Stupid is strong in this fetus-fondling, Gawd-botherer, Pastor Garlow:

Teh Stupid

Jim Garlow has at best a weak grasp of civics especially the First Amendment. You may recall, Garlow once suggested that the government should impose a tax on citizens that could be given to churches so that they could provide healthcare to the poor. Could it be because he runs Skyline Church in San Diego? Grifters Gotta Grift.

But here’s my favorite Jim ‘Prop h8’ Garlow moment declaring that he’ll fight to the death against Marriage Equality, and yet… he’s still with us.

Posted in Jim Garlow, Theocrats | 6 Comments

You Cannot Make This Up

Posted on September 20, 2017 by

Sweet, sweet relief

Ladies and Germs, Preznint Stupid:

Posted in Comrade Preznint Stupid, The Russian Usurper | 10 Comments

He Seems Nice, Part Infinity

Posted on September 20, 2017 by

Our favorite theocratic man crush, the dreamy shark-eyed Xristian-Sharia loving Theodore Shoebat wants to kill and kill again:

And in case you are wondering about the back story:

Scout Schultz, a 21-year-old engineering student at Georgia Tech, was shot and killed by campus police Saturday night. Schultz’s family attorney said Schultz, who identified as nonbinary and intersex and preferred they/them pronouns, was experiencing a “mental breakdown” during their fatal encounter with police.

In a witness video, Schultz can be seen in front of a campus parking garage and yelling “shoot me!” at officers who had their guns drawn. Schultz continued to step toward the police, who warned Schultz to drop the object.

Following Schultz’s shooting death, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation revealed that Schultz made the 911 call to Georgia Tech Police alerting them to a suspicious person on campus and left three suicide notes in their dorm room.

But you know, in Shoebat’s world, another dead LGBTQ kid is just a step in the right direction.

Jeebus weeps at what the true-believer theocrats like Shoebat are doing/saying in his name.

Posted in Homophobia, Theocrats, Theodore Shoebat | 2 Comments