More Idiots Ban NRA Shirt

High School Apologizes for Banning Girl's NRA T-Shirt

Friday, 04 Oct 2013 11:03 AM

By Courtney Coren

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A Southern California high school has apologized to a student who was told she couldn't wear a National Rifle Association T-shirt to school because it promoted violence.

Canyon High School in Anaheim Hills issued the apology to 16-year-old Haley Bullwinkle Thursday after making her remove the shirt or face disciplinary action, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Bullwinkle wore the shirt to school about a month ago, but was told by a school security guard that it violated the school code.

The dress code bars clothing that "promotes or depicts: gangs, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, violence, criminal activity, obscenity, the degrading of cultures, ethnicity, gender, religion and/or ethnic values," The Blaze reported.

The school has a Comanche Indian as its mascot.

"They were treating me like I was criminal," Bullwinkle told KCAL-TV in Los Angeles: "I was not allowed to wear that at school because it promoted gun violence."

The shirt pictures a buck, an American flag, and the silhouette of a hunter silhouette holding a gun with the words "National Rifle Association of America: Protecting America's Traditions Since 1871" on it.

Bullwinkle's father, Jed, an NRA member, emailed school Principal Kimberly Fricker, asking how it was that his "daughter, a good kid" violated the school dress code.

"The shirt had a gun on it, which is not allowed by school police," Fricker responded. "It's protocol to have students change when they're in violation of the dress code."

Jed Bullwinkle told KCAL there was an inconsistency in the school's concern for depictions of violence when the school's drill team twirls fake rifles and the its mascot is a Comanche.

"I think that if you consider the image of the hunter to be offensive, certainly there are groups that would consider the Comanche Indian chief to be offensive," he said.

The NRA has asked civil-rights attorney Chuck Michel to represent the Bullwinkle family, The Times reported.

"If they're going to try to characterize this shirt as depicting violence, then this policy is overboard," Michel said. "School officials can't write themselves a policy that gives them unfettered discretion."

In a statemenbt, the Orange Unified School District said that after Fricker reviewed the pictures of the T-shirt, she concluded that it didn't promote violence.

"The student will be permitted to wear the shirt," said Superintendent Michael Christensen in a statement obtained by The Times.

Problems Hamper ObamaCrapCare--Is This The Indication Of The Future Or Is This Another Sign That The Program Is Not Ready For Primetime?

Obamacare Website to be Shut Down for Repairs

Friday, 04 Oct 2013 06:12 PM

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Bedeviled by technology glitches that frustrated millions of consumers, the Obama administration is taking down its health overhaul website for repairs this weekend.
Enrollment functions of the healthcare.gov site will be unavailable during off-peak hours this weekend, the Health and Human Services Department said Friday. The website will remain open for general information.
Technology problems overwhelmed the launch of new health insurance markets Tuesday, embarrassing the administration just when the health care law was supposed to be introduced to average consumers.
"Americans have seen once again that Obamacare is not ready for prime time," Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the No. 2 House Republican, said in a statement. "A dysfunctional website is the least of that law's problems."
The administration is putting the best face on the situation, noting the unexpectedly strong interest from millions of consumers. "Americans are excited to look at their options for health coverage, with record demand in the first days of the marketplaces," said the release announcing the planned fixes.
The statement was headlined: "Health Insurance Marketplace Open for Business - Week One Success."
The state-level markets were designed to be the gateway to health insurance for people who don't have access to coverage on the job. Middle-class consumers will be able to buy government-subsidized private plans, while the poor and near-poor will be steered to Medicaid in states agreeing to expand the program.
Federal and state websites experienced problems this week. Some states, including Maryland, have also announced they are scheduling repairs.
Credit card companies, banks and other online service providers regularly take down websites for repairs. That may also become a feature of the new insurance program. The HHS release did not provide a specific schedule for this weekend's repairs.
The federal site, which serves 36 states, drew millions of users, an indication of strong consumer interest. Yet many people were unable to get on the site and others encountered glitches that prevented them from successfully completing their applications.
Many encountered a screen that told them to wait, and they did, sometimes for hours. Refreshing the screen only sent them to the back of the line.
Quite a few got hung up trying to create security questions to protect their accounts. The drop-down menus providing the questions would not populate. As a result, consumers could not advance through the application process and learn if they were eligible for a tax credit to help pay premiums, much less pick a plan.
Some who did make it through were timed out because they took too long comparing plans.
At the end of the first day at most a handful of people had managed to successfully enroll through the federal site.
However, by Friday, enrollments seemed to be picking up — though not yet at desired levels. The administration is not releasing numbers.
"We are pleased that enrollment for health care coverage through the new marketplaces is picking up," the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association said in a statement. "We expect enrollment to continue to increase."
The so-called Blues are major players in the individual insurance market, but some smaller insurers have yet to see any new customers.
By Monday, "there will be significant improvements in the online consumer experience," HHS said.
The upgrades include extra capacity for more users to get into the system, more technicians working round-the-clock to fix problems, and new pathways to get to the application faster. No details were given. Call centers are also getting more staff and HHS said wait times are now down to less than a minute.
The administration previously announced it is adding equipment to handle the high volume of users. Now it looks like software fixes are also needed.
Consumers have until Dec. 15 to enroll for coverage that starts Jan. 1.
© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

We Are Really Losing A Grip On Reality--School Asks Police Officer Not To Wear Uniform When Near School

THE UNBELIEVABLE REASON THIS POLICE OFFICER DAD WAS TOLD NOT TO VISIT HIS DAUGHTER’S SCHOOL WHILE IN UNIFORM

Oct. 3, 2013 11:19pm Jason Howerton

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The image of a uniformed police officer dropping off his daughter at her elementary school was apparently too scary of an image for some parents in Mesa, Ariz. It’s not his uniform that is making them uncomfortable, it’s the gun holstered on his hip.

(shutterstock.com)

The principal at Entz Elementary School hasreportedly asked the father not to wear his police uniform on campus ever again because parents are concerned that he carries a firearm.

Now, “a lot of people” are “shocked and upset” over the decision, KSAZ-TV reports.

The officer, Scott Urkov of the Coolidge Police Department, only dropped his daughter off at her school.

Officer Urkov wasn’t too happy about the decision either. He reportedly posted the following message on Facebook after the incident:

“Nothing like your kids school calling and asking if I could not come to pick up my daughter in uniform cause parents were concerned when their kids came home telling them there was a man at school with a gun. Are you freaking kidding me?”

However, Urkov told KSAZ-TV that he has been advised not to talk about the incident any more and “just let it be.”Helen Hollands, spokesperson for Mesa Unified School District, confirmed that there were “some parents who were concerned about that fact that there was a fully armed officer on campus and they spoke to the principal about it.”

The school district apologized if the cop “took the discussion the wrong way.”

“[T]hat was not the intent of the principal to offend him,” Hollands added.

“Meanwhile, while school officials’ initial reaction was to ask the officer not to wear his gun and uniform to school, they are now saying they want to turn this incident into ‘a teachable moment,’”KSAZ-TV reports. “They invited the officer to a special assembly to talk about what police officers do for the community.”

Why Are Republicans So Quick To Call Uncle? McConnell Needs Some Good Ole Spine

McConnell: Halting ObamaCare unsuccessful but worthwhile

By Mario Trujillo - 10/04/13 10:11 AM ET

  

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday night it is pretty clear any effort to halt ObamaCare in the Democratic-led Senate will not succeed. 

The GOP leader said, however, it was a worthwhile effort to highlight the shortcomings of the law even if the GOP doesn't have the numbers to overturn it. 

“It is pretty clear now that that is not going to succeed in the Senate where we have a math problem,” McConnell said in an interview with NewsMax. 

“So I think it was worth the effort, worth highlighting it, but I do think that ObamaCare is not over, the Democrats are going to crack at some point,” he continued. 

Days into a government shutdown and weeks away from bumping up against the U.S. borrowing limit, McConnell said it is “highly irresponsible” for President Obama to refuse to negotiate to raise the debt ceiling. 

Nonetheless, He said he is confident “we are not going to default.”

McConnell described himself as a thorn in the side of the president. Up for reelection in 2014, McConnell said he is proud of the enemies he has made. 

“I’m a thorn in the side to the president, and I’m sure they’d like to defeat me,” he said. “And I’m frankly proud of my enemies. I wouldn’t trade them for any group of people I can think of.”

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Media-Democrat Cooperation Reflected In New Poll. When The Public Gets Bombarded By Pro-Democrat/Anti-Republican News Every Day, Is Poll Any Surprise?

Poll: Public’s anger at Washington spikes

By Jonathan Easley - 10/04/13 07:49 AM ET

  

The public isn’t just dissatisfied with the way things are going in Washington — it's growing increasingly ticked off, according to a CBS News poll released late Thursday.

The survey found that 43 percent said they’re “angry” at Washington. That’s up from 30 percent from the same poll in March, and the highest percentage CBS has recorded since it began polling the question.

CBS released parts of the poll earlier in the day, which found that the public blames Republicans more than Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown by a margin of 44 to 33.

The full poll reaffirms this in a number of ways – 72 percent said they disapprove of how Republicans are handling the negotiations, compared to 61 who disapprove of President Obama and the Democrats. 

A plurality, 48 percent, also believe the Democrats are more concerned about what’s best for their families, compared to 37 for the GOP.

In addition, 61 percent said Republicans are only opposed to Democratic positions because of politics, rather than ideology.

The Republican position of using the shutdown as a bargaining chip to defund or dismantle ObamaCare is also deeply unpopular. 

Seventy-three percent said the top priority of Congress should be to get the government running again, rather than trying to stop the healthcare law, with 66 percent saying the two issues should be kept separate.

The CBS News poll of 1,021 adults was conducted on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2 and has a 3-percentage point margin of error.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/326549-poll-publics-anger-at-washington-spikes-#ixzz2glEcc06g 
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

Can ObamaCrapCare Become Any Crazier? Now You Get Free Smart Phones With Unlimited Talk When You Sign Up in Tennessee.

Socialist Two For One: Obamacare, Obamaphone

October 3, 2013 by Sam Rolley 

Tennessee’s healthcare co-op set up for Obamacare, the Community Health Alliance, is trying to sweeten the deal to get residents to sign up for government healthcare: enroll and get a free smartphone.

According to the Nashville Business Journal, the organization is providing the phones as a part of a program called the Community Health Connection.

From the report:

As part of its Community Health Connection Program, CHA is offering qualified individuals an LG Lucid 2 4G smart phone (or equivalent model), a phone plan and tech support, included as a cost of their health plan benefits. The phone plan includes unlimited talk, unlimited texting and 1.2GB of data.

The idea is to make it easier for providers and patients to stay connected, but it will also help CHA keep track of its member population, many of whom are expected to be new to the health insurance market.

In order to qualify for the smartphone, residents must jump through a few creepy hoops. After paying the first month’s premium, members of the healthcare exchange are required to select a primary care physician from CHA’s network within 90 days of their coverage start date. They must also submit a form pledging “to stay connected for better health” within 90 days.

“Members will have the phone number for their CHA representative pre-loaded in their phones and can quickly get answers to questions about their policies,” said CHA Chief Operating Officer Judy Slagle in a news release. “At the same time, we will be able to connect with our members by phone, by email or by text almost instantly with health tips and reminders.”

The phone comes preloaded with health apps, contact information for a CHA representatives, and phone numbers for primary care doctors and after-hours clinics.

The co-op received a Federal loan of more than $73 million.

We Have Lost Our Common Sense--Good Kid Arrested For Having Fishing Knives In His Car

Georgia High School Student Charged With Felony For Bringing Deadly Tackle Box To School

October 3, 2013 by Sam Rolley 

A Georgia high school student has been charged with a felony for carrying fishing supplies to school in his car.

In September, law enforcement officials in preformed a K-9 search of the parking lot at Lassiter High School in Georgia. According to a report in the Marietta Daily Journal, a dog became interested a 1998 BMW 328i belonging to 17-year-old senior Cody Chitwood when it picked up the smell of black powder from firecrackers in the student’s trunk.

The dog’s hit gave officers probable cause to perform a thorough search of the vehicle, which turned up scary, deadly… fishing supplies.

Via the Marietta Daily Journal:

They found four knives, all of them with blades of at least 2.5 inches, according to the arrest warrant. Three of them, including a fillet knife and a spring-assisted knife, were inside his tackle box in the trunk. A butterfly knife was found inside the pocket of the driver’s side door.

“I enjoy fishing. I go fishing probably once a week, sometimes twice a week,” said Chitwood, who has been suspended for 10 days by Lassiter Principal Chris Richie. “I just forgot that it was in there. I had my fishing poles in the car, too.”

In Georgia, the charge of carrying a weapon in a school safety zone is a felony offense. Chitwood was allowed to turn himself in rather than be arrested on the spot. He did so on Sept. 18 and was released later the same day after posting bond of $1,000 plus $320 in fees.

The student said that officers found no other contraband or drugs in his vehicle, and that he has had no previous run-ins with the law.

The student said that he and his parents agree that the charges are “absolutely ridiculous” and he plans to fight them so that he can realize his dream of joining the Air Force upon graduation.

“I have an attorney and I’m hoping to get the felony dropped so I can still get in the Air Force,” he told the local newspaper.

Why Would The Government Shut Down Websites? Are They So Terrible That They Need Constant Human Interaction Or Is the Government Trying To Punish Americans? The Latter Is The Answer.

Government Shuts Down Websites People Need, As Obamacare Sites — Not Shut Down — Simply Don’t Work

October 1, 2013 by Sam Rolley 

To make the controversial government shutdown affect the American public in ways that probably weren’t necessary, several Federal agencies were advised by the White House to either shut websites down completely or display static homepages with disclaimers that information would not be updated.

Meanwhile, websites for the newly opened Obamacare exchange remained open—they just don’t work.

The following websites have been shut down by the government:

• nasa.gov: “Due to the lapse in federal government funding, this website is not available. We sincerely regret this inconvenience.”
• loc.gov: “Due to the temporary shutdown of the federal government, the Library of Congress is closed to the public and researchers beginning October 1, 2013 until further notice. All public events are cancelled and web sites are inaccessible except the legislative information sites THOMAS.gov and beta.congress.gov.”
• archives.gov: “We are unable to blog, post to Facebook, or tweet during the Federal Government shutdown. (This does not apply to the Federal Records Centers.)”
• ftc.gov: “Unfortunately, the Federal Trade Commission is closed due to the government shutdown.”
• nps.gov: “Because of the federal government shutdown, all national parks are closed and National Park Service webpages are not operating. For more information, go to www.doi.gov.”
• usda.gov: “Due to the lapse in federal government funding, this website is not available. We sincerely regret this inconvenience.”
• census.gov: “Due to the lapse in government funding, census.gov sites, services, and all online survey collection requests will be unavailable until further notice.”
• trade.gov: “Due to the lapse in government funding, the International Trade Administration website you are trying to reach will be unavailable until appropriations are enacted. We sincerely regret this inconvenience.”

And these sites are operating at partial capacity:

• nsa.gov: “Due to the Government Shutdown, this site is not being updated.”
• sec.gov: “SEC Operating Status: The SEC will remain open and operational in the event the federal government undergoes a lapse in appropriations on October 1. Any changes to the SEC’s operational status after October 1 will be announced on this website. The SEC’s current operational plan in the event of an SEC shutdown is available here.”
• fbi.gov
• cia.gov
• aoc.gov: “Due to a lapse in government funding, this website is not currently being updated.”
• arctic.gov           
• atf.gov
• usgs.gov             
• usbg.gov: “Due to a lapse in government funding, the U.S. Botanic Garden is closed until further notice. All programs, events and tours are cancelled while the garden is closed. Information about reopening will be posted here when available.”
• doi.gov                
• bop.gov              
• bls.gov: “This website is currently not being updated due to the suspension of Federal government services. The last update to the site was Monday, September 30. During the shutdown period BLS will not collect data, issue reports, or respond to public inquiries. Updates to the site will start again when the Federal government resumes operations. Revised schedules will be issued as they become available.”
• cdc.gov: “Due to the lapse in government funding, only web sites supporting excepted functions will be updated unless otherwise funded. As a result, the information on this website may not be up to date, the transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.”
• cbo.gov               
• consumerfinance.gov   
• fema.gov: “NOTICE: Due to the lapse in federal funding, portions of this website may not be updated and some non-disaster assistance transactions submitted via the website may not be processed or responded to until after appropriations are enacted.”
• fec.gov                
• fdic.gov               
• federalreserve.gov        
• gsa.gov: “As a result of a temporary government shutdown, GSA.gov is not being updated at this time. More information on GSA’s shutdown procedures is available.”
• oge.gov               
• gpo.gov: “The Federal Government is shut down due to a funding lapse. Consequently, gpo.gov will not be updating information for the public until funding is restored. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
• bia.gov                
• bjs.gov                
• mmc.gov: “The Administration does not want a lapse in appropriations to occur and has expressed its willingness to work with Congress to avert such a lapse. However, prudent management requires that agencies be prepared for that possibility. To that end, the Marine Mammal Commission has prepared a shutdown plan to be implemented in the event of a lapse in appropriations. Please click here [PDF] to view the Commission’s plan.”
• nigc.gov: “The NIGC is open and normal operating procedures are in effect. Due to the government shutdown, mail service is suspended at NIGC offices. Please contact the region offices directly with any time sensitive matters.”
• nhtsa.gov           
• nist.gov               
• noaa.gov: “Due to the Federal Government shutdown, NOAA.gov and most associated web sites are unavailable. However, because the information this site provides is necessary to protect life and property, it will be updated and maintained during the Federal Government shutdown.”
• nrc.gov                
• nwtrb.gov          
• osc.gov: “If the federal government shuts down as of October 1, 2013, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel will cease most of its operations for the duration of the shutdown. The processing of most complaints will be suspended, and all filing and processing deadlines will be extended by the number of days the government shuts down.”
• occ.gov                
• ofr.gov                
• peacecorps.gov               
• prc.gov: “Because of a lapse in appropriations, the Commission is currently closed and will reopen when funding has been approved. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
• rferl.org              
• rfa.org
• bbg.gov: “U.S. international media activities under the BBG that are deemed ‘foreign relations essential to national security,’ such as news programming and distribution, are excepted from the shutdown and will continue.”
• sba.gov: “Due to the lapse in government funding, only websites supporting excepted functions will be available unless otherwise funded. As a result, the information on this website may not be up to date, the transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.”
• supremecourt.gov         
• sss.gov: “Due to a lapse in appropriations, Selective Service System (SSS) operations are currently shut down. Please note that any information on this website may not be up to date, any transactions submitted via this website might not be processed until after appropriations are enacted, and the agency will not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.”
• secretservice.gov: “NOTICE: Due to the lapse in federal funding, this website will not be actively managed. This website was last updated on September 30, 2013 and will not be updated until after funding is enacted. As such, information on this website may not be up to date.”
• cfa.gov: “In the event that the shutdown lasts for an extended period, the Commission of Fine Arts staff will notify the public on this website about the status of the next meeting of the Commission of Fine Arts, currently scheduled for Thursday, October 17. We will be unable to resume operations, including notification about the schedule of meetings, until funding is appropriated by Congress for the new fiscal year.”
• uspto.gov           

If you tried to sign up for Obamacare today on one of the exchange sites the White House didn’t order shut down in its temper tantrum, you likely saw something that looks like this:

Or this:

And had an experience like this:

In other words:

The Government Shutdown Picture Will Always Be Remembered By The WWII Vets Going To Their Memorial Against Administration Orders! Bully!

What’s A Metal Barrier To A WWII Vet?

October 2, 2013 by Bob Livingston 

As part of the government shutdown, national parks and Federal buildings were closed down Tuesday. But the metal barricades that blocked access to the World War II Memorial proved of little consequence to a group of WWII veterans from Mississippi on an Honor Flight tour.

“We didn’t come this far not to get in,” one veteran told Stars and Stripes.

So, aided by a few Congressmen and their staffs — including Representative Steve King (R-Iowa) who distracted a Park Police representative — the vets simply pushed the barriers aside and went in, ignoring Park Police instructions not to enter.

As the veterans walked or rolled their wheelchairs around the memorial, Park Police stood by and watched and onlookers cheered and clapped.

It’s a case of civil disobedience at its finest.

Update: The Obama Administration knew in advance the veterans were visiting the memorial and denied their request to open it.

The veterans plan to storm the closed Lincoln Memorial today.

Another Honor Flight scheduled for next week is being told that veterans will be arrested if they violate barriers to access closed memorials.

Why Would George Will Leave ABC? Could It Be He Is Being Personally Attacked Daily? He Will Be A Loss To "This Week With George Stephanopoulos"

George Will Bolts ABC for Fox News

Tuesday, 01 Oct 2013 06:41 PM

By Cathy Burke

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Washington Post columnist and conservative commentator George Will is leaving his longtime slot at ABC News and joining Fox News, his new network announced Tuesday.

Will has been with ABC since the early 1980s — and a panelist on "This Week" since the program began in 1981, said the Daily Caller, which first reported the news.


The Daily Caller noted Will has been absent recently from his spot on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."

Will — a Pulitzer Prize winner for commentary for his newspaper writing — will be doing analysis and commentary for Fox News, including on the panels of "Special Report with Bret Baier" and "Fox News Sunday," the network said.

“We are delighted to have someone of George’s stature join Fox News," Michael Clemente, the network's senior vice president for news, said in a statement. "His wisdom is enduring and his achievements are far too long to list."

Will joins fellow Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer in the Fox News stable.
Before joining ABC News, Will was the Washington editor of National Review and on the staff of former Senator Gordon Allott, R-Colo., from 1970 to 1972.

He's also written books on political theory including, "Statecraft as Soulcraft: What Government Does,” "The New Season: A Spectator's Guide to the 1988 Election" and "Restoration: Congress, Term Limits and The Recovery of Deliberative Democracy” — and a best-selling book on baseball titled “Men at Work."


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