Obama: No One Talks To The Media, Class Dismissed

"So much for Freedom of Speech? Obama wants to control what the media tells us about health and human services. Lovely."

Hey folks,

Here is the LINK: The Commentary- HHS Bans Staff from Speaking Freely with Media

Health and Human Services has just released a revised media policy, which forbids staffers from talking to journalists without first getting authorization from the HHS press office. The policy also bans employees from speaking off-the-record with reporters, rules that could significantly hinder investigative journalism.

Health-focused trade publications, which are dependent on confidential sources in agencies like the HHS, are already blasting the policy. Jim Dickinson, editor of FDA Webview and FDA Review called them a “Soviet-style power grab” and warned that the “existing [trade] media will likely die out” because of them:

The new formal HHS Guidelines on the Provision of Information to the News Media represent, to this 36-year veteran of reporting FDA news, a Soviet-style power-grab. By requiring all HHS employees to arrange their information-sharing with news media through their agency press office, HHS has formalized a creeping information-control mechanism that informally began during the Clinton Administration​ and was accelerated by the Bush and Obama administrations.

Consider how impossible these guidelines make the acquisition by a journalist of confidential internal sources in an agency like FDA. The existence of such confidential sources gave an economic foundation to and made possible the foundation of my own media, and the founding of earlier trade media such as The Pink Sheet and Food Chemical News, among many others.

The rules will make accurate coverage of the HHS much more difficult. Banning HHS staffers from talking off-the-record could have a chilling effect, and requiring them to get their conversations with journalists authorized by the media relations office means that the public will get less truth and more spin.

And as Cato’s Michael Cannon points out, the policy changes come at a noteworthy time:

Since this came on the heels of an HHS official announcing that the agency is scuttling ObamaCare‘s long-term care entitlement, a.k.a. the “CLASS Act,” one wonders if there is a connection. Or maybe HHS is just motivated by a general fear that the more the public learns about ObamaCare, the less we will like it.

It sounds like the changes have been happening slowly for some time, but the agency’s decision might have been prompted by an embarrassing email leak from the CLASS Act office last week. The major concern now is that if HHS gets away with this new policy, other government agencies could end up following suit.

Well? This is not new. One, the Mainstream Media Drones, the MMD, have simply reported whatever they are told to Report, and NOT to, for DECADES. They just stopped trying to hind it since 2000 when Bush got Elected. They REALLY gave up hiding their Liberal Lean since Bush's Re-election. But this is not new. That's why I call them the MMD. Hell, what is it, MSNBC I think that even ADVERTISE that they now "Learn Forward." In other words, "Progressive." Which is another word for LIBERAL.

Second, I have worked FOR Companies and Organizations that had Policies that Stated that NO ONE could speak to the Media without Permission to do so. So none of this is NEW or surprising. None of it is really News. But THIS is. This one line in this Piece IS News.

Since this came on the heels of an HHS official announcing that the agency is scuttling ObamaCare‘s long-term care entitlement, a.k.a. the “CLASS Act,” one wonders if there is a connection.

Ah, yes. The Class Act. Remember that? That was a long term care funding for Seniors. Nursing Homes and Such. End of Life Care. It was said to be set to rake in $86 billion in premiums from 2012-2021. This was included in Obamacare to "prove" that is would actually lower costs and keep it under that One Trillion number. But the problem is, that it was all a lie. Class would pay out substantially more than that over the long term, rapidly generating Deficits and go into Bankruptcy. Even Obama's own Crew Members said so. They even said that the Class Act should not be included in Obamacare. That is WAS unsustainable.

So back on September 22, 2011:

This morning, Bob Yee, who was tasked with serving as the actuary of the CLASS program, sent out an email to his colleagues, announcing his departure from HHS, given that “HHS has decided to close down the CLASS Office effective tomorrow.” Yee writes that “I believe I have made a contribution to CLASS to the best of my ability and hope I haven’t embarrassed the actuarial profession too much.”

So no more Long Term Care for Seniors? We already know Obama's Plan for old People. "Take a Pill." {Smile} So the real News here is NOT that Obama wants to control what his Crew say to the Media. The real News here? Class dismissed.
Peter

Sources:
The Commentary- HHS Bans Staff from Speaking Freely with Media
FORBES - HHS Official: Administration is Shuttering CLASS, Obamacare's Long-Term Care Entitlement

IWA For Sunday 122709

Last IWA for 2009.

Hey folks,

That's right, this is it. Last Idiot of the Week for 2009. Next week, we will award the IYA. The Idiot of the Year.

So of course we all know that the Senate, bought off, stole from, and lied about, well, anything and everything to get the 60 votes they needed to pass their version of Obamacare. None of what they are spewing is even remotely true. NONE of it.

First. It WILL increase the deficit. It will cost over Two Trillion Dollars.
Second. It will NOT cover anyone until 2014, yet your taxes will be outrageously increased in so many areas NOW.
Third. The Public Option is NOT gone.
Forth. Abortion.



SEBELIUS: And I would say that the Senate language, which was negotiated by Senators Barbara Boxer and Patty Murray, who are very strong defenders of women’s health services and choices for women, take a big step forward from where the House left it with the Stupak amendment, and I think do a good job making sure there are choices for women, making sure there are going to be some plan options, and making sure that while public funds aren’t used, we are not isolating, discriminating against, or invading the privacy rights of women. That would be an accounting procedure, but everybody in the exchange would do the same thing, whether you’re male or female, whether you’re 75 or 25, you would all set aside a portion of your premium that would go into a fund, and it would not be earmarked for anything, it would be a separate account that everyone in the exchange would pay.

BLOGHER: It’s a bit confusing, but …

SEBELIUS: Okay. It is a bit confusing, but it’s really an accounting that would apply across the board and not just to women, and certainly not just to women who want to choose abortion coverage.

BLOGHER: Oh, that’s good, that’s good

Translation? You are going to be forced to make a contribution to the exchange. It does not matter who you are or how old you are. It doesn't matter whether you're 75 or 25. Part of your Premium, the money all will be FORCED to pay into Obamacare, would go into that fund and it would cover Abortions.

They say "Ok, Ok, you will vote for it if your constituents can not see that their money will go to pay for Abortion?" Answer "Of course." Deal. They take out the Abortion language, but put in an Accounting Gimmick. This is really nothing more than an Abortion Policy with no name. It will cover Abortions.

Congratulations Kathleen Sebelius, you ARE the Idiot of the Week. The last one this year. I'm probably being to tough on Ms. Sebelius. Maybe I should create a NEW Award, the "Honesty Award." At least she is telling the Kook interviewing her the truth. Don't worry, you and your ilk will still be able to kill your Children at will, and if you can't pay for it, the public will.
Peter

Sources:
Hot Air - Sebelius: Everyone will pay into abortion-coverage fund

Obama And Crew Backing Away From U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Uh, forget what they said.

Hey folks,

This is just to funny. Time to translate what you just saw yesterday. It really is simple. They attempted to set new guidelines. You found out WHY. I and many others were RIGHT. They are attempting another redo. "Forget what we said. We didn't mean for you to be smart enough to figure, uh, I mean, we did not mean what you interpreted it meaning what it means. I, uh, mean, uh, of course we care about Women. We would never, uh, outright say we, uh, no, uh, WAIT! These are nobodies. Uh, Yeah, this is not Obama. They do not speak for him or his Administration. So, just never mind."

{Laughing} I'm not kidding folks. Obama and Crew's "U.S. Preventive Services Task Force," DID say,

--Most women in their 40s should not routinely get mammograms.

--Women 50 to 74 should get a mammogram every other year until they turn 75, after which the risks and benefits are unknown. (The task force's previous guidelines had no upper limit and called for exams every year or two.)

--The value of breast exams by doctors is unknown. And breast self-exams are of no value.

--Medical groups such as the cancer society have been backing off promoting breast self-exams in recent years because of scant evidence of their effectiveness. Decades ago, the practice was so heavily promoted that organizations distributed cards that could be hung in the shower demonstrating the circular motion women should use to feel for lumps in their breasts.

As I pointed out to you on Tuesday morning Reckless And A Sign of Things To Come With Obamacare Then EVERY Talk Show from Rush to Hannity, Sullivan to Savage, talked about the same thing. All we did was tell you the truth.

A Government panel of Doctors and Scientists put together by Obama and Crew, concluded that getting Mammograms as early as Forty often leads to "too many false alarms and unneeded biopsies without substantially improving Women's odds of survival."

That's right folks. Unneeded tests. These test cost money you know. They want our Mothers, Daughters, and Sisters, to wait until age Fifty. Then they recommend they only get them every two years. The Mammograms that is.

Self Breast exams? Forget it. It does nothing. It just works you up if you think you find something. Of course, if you stupid Women think you find a lump, then the next thing you know, you will be asking for those expensive tests.

It's called Rationing Care. It IS Sings of things to come with Obamacare. All about the money and NOT Health. Cost will be the model that will decide who lives and who dies. Obama SAID SO!

But again, they tried to do this, figuring you were to stupid to figure it out. In the face of DECADES of History and REAL Science, they figured you would just accept whatever they tell you because they are smarter than you. They were wrong as usual. So now Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius came out and said, never mind.

I just posted the actual Press Release, but let's look at this for a second.

“There is no question that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations have caused a great deal of confusion and worry among women and their families across this country. I want to address that confusion head on. The U.S. Preventive Task Force is an outside independent panel of doctors and scientists who make recommendations. They do not set federal policy and they don’t determine what services are covered by the federal government."

You think this caused confusion? Not really. It did cause ANGER. Oh, and by the way, The task force, IS a panel of "Experts," which IS funded and appointed by the Government of the United States. Which MEANS, they will say whatever they are TOLD to say.

“There has been debate in this country for years about the age at which routine screening mammograms should begin, and how often they should be given."

No. It has pretty much remained the same for Decades. I love this one though. They tell us there is a consensus about Global Warming, yet a raging debate about THIS?

"The Task Force has presented some new evidence for consideration but our policies remain unchanged." {For NOW} Indeed, I would be very surprised if any private insurance company changed its mammography coverage decisions as a result of this action."

Until they have no choice.

“What is clear is that there is a great need for more evidence, more research and more scientific innovation to help women prevent, detect, and fight breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women."

That is the OPPOSITE of what the GOVERNMENT Panel JUST SAID. They just said there is no value. Literately.

“My message to women is simple. Mammograms have always been an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer and they still are today. Keep doing what you have been doing for years -- talk to your doctor about your individual history, ask questions, and make the decision that is right for you.”

Until the Government passes Obamacare and THEY make those decisions. Folks. I maintain this IS signs of things to come. They HAVE to back off now, because you still have a CHOICE. Once that Choice is removed, you will have no place else to go. Then they will be free to dictate to you what is and is not beneficial to YOU and the Country. It will be things JUST LIKE THIS. It will be determined based on cost. Do NOT be fooled folks. Do not be fooled. Look at what is right in front of you, then ask yourself, is THIS what I really want?
Peter