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Sorry, idiots – the CBO did not say Obamacare will cut over 2.4 Million Jobs
“Intentional Ignorance” is the new “Informed”.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released its report on the outlook for 2014-2024, so naturally it’s already been torn to shreds by partisan hacks. Although the report also highlighted shrinking unemployment and a shockingly low deficit (only $514b for 2014 compared to over $1.5 trillion when Obama took office), the only thing talking heads noticed was a single sentence related to the Affordable Care Act:
The reduction in CBO’s projections of hours worked represents a decline in the number of full-time-equivalent workers of about 2.0 million in 2017, rising to about 2.5 million in 2024.
“Obamacare cost 2.5 million jobs!” was heard from tweet to shining tweet accompanied by patriotic cheers of Obamacare haters. This totally proved them OMG! so right about Obamacare. Turns out, all it totally proved their inability to read the sentence that explained how they were OMG! totally so wrong:
The estimated reduction stems almost entirely from a net decline in the amount of labor that workers choose to supply, rather than from a net drop in businesses’ demand for labor, so it will appear almost entirely as a reduction in labor force participation and in hours worked relative to what would have occurred otherwise rather than as an increase in unemployment (that is, more workers seeking but not finding jobs) or underemployment (such as part-time workers who would prefer to work more hours per week).
Translated: over the next 10 years, workers will work fewer hours because they won’t have to pay as much for health care – such as Americans who won’t need to work two jobs anymore or elderly who can retire earlier. This figure represents the cumulative hours people will take off – but don’t think this as unemployment or losing jobs, because jobs aren’t being taken away.
But now this has turned into a Republican “You did not Build that!” all over again. I understand how the PPH (poor people haters) could spin this to say poor people are lazy and won’t work as hard if they won’t struggle to pay health care, but anyone claiming the CBO said Obamacare costs 2.5 jobs is either an idiot who can’t read, or just flat-out lying and thinks you’re the illiterate idiot.
But for the record, if people decide on their own to work fewer hours, then businesses have the equivalent of 2.5 million jobs to fill with other people. MORE JOBS.
It’s embarrassing how many “legitimate” newsman are content repeating “news” without any investigation whatsoever. You expect this crap from politicians who staked their next election on the failure of Obamacare – as well as politicians looking to distract from diminishing unemployment and shrinking deficit statistics that destroy their austerity cause — but we have to expect more from our ”newsmen” and “journalists”.
Read: Congressional Budget Office Economic Outlook for 2014-2024 – CBO
Read: No! The Affordable Care Act Will Not ‘Nuke’ 2.4 Million Jobs. | The Daily Banter.
Read: The GOP Has It Wrong: Obamacare Won’t ‘Cost’ 2 Million Jobs- TPM.
Read: CBO: Deficit to shrink, recovery to slow, Obamacare to mean fewer jobs – US NEWS
Read MoreHumpday makes me feel like, I’ve been locked out of heaven (39 pics)
Sometimes the best things are right behind you
BYU really doesn’t want you to masturbate, sinner (VIDEO)
We already knew BYU didn’t let their students have sex with others, but now they’re hating on those who sex themselves. This super creepy video compares masturbating to being wounded on a battlefield, and encourages ratting out your friends who touch themselves. Eeesh.
The weirdest part of the this 3 minute botched-metaphor is that with a different voiceover this could be a video about a ROTC student who found a whack-off buddy.
Editor’s note: if it feels like you were shot in the gut and left for dead, then you’re doing it wrong.
Watch: Christian Anti-Masturbation Video Encourages You to Lend a Hand – YouTube.
Read MoreGreat FAILs so far from 2014 (Video)
2014 is off to a FAILtastic start.
Watch: Best Fails of the Week 4 January 2014 – YouTube.
Read MoreHere are Over 1,000 Text Messages between Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin
With friends like these…
The investigation into the alleged abuse suffered by big baby Jonathan Martin at the hands of Richie Incognito has released almost 1000 text messages between the two friends and teammates.
If your looking for anything that proves bullying, look elsewhere, because you just ain’t gonna find it here (sorry J-Martin). But if you enjoy snooping around other peoples’ lives and reading about strippers, drugs and obnoxiousness – this is the post for you.
I can’t wait to hear James Earl Jones and Malcolm McDowell read this crap aloud.
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28 Reasons to hug a black person today – SNL (Video)
SNL gave us what is probably the definitive Black History Month theme song. (cue white guilt)
Watch: 28 Reasons – SNL Highlight – YouTube.
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Bill O’Reilly’s pre-Super Bowl interview with President Obama
President Obama sat down with Bill O’Reilly for their 2nd Super Bowl interview, and while nothing groundbreaking was exposed, it was certainly more entertaining than anything Peyton Manning had to offer on Sunday. O’Reilly grilled the President on all the Fox “News” favorites – IRS, Obamacare, Benghazi – but did so in the respectful manner often missing from his colleagues and viewers.
Obviously unsatisfied with the results of numerous congressional hearings on the pretend-scandals, O’Reilly repeatedly tried to trip Obama up on the “issues” that fire up his “detractors”. The President took the blatantly partisan questioning in stride and adamantly denied any corruption or intentional wrongdoing, but twice pointed out that his “detractors” often believe what they believe because O’Reilly’s “News” makes them believe it. On how the IRS fury: “These kinds of things keep on surfacing in part because you and your TV station will promote them;” and on White House “lying” about Benghazi: “They believe it because folks like you are telling them that.” Not exactly mincing words.
That said, my favorite part of the interview came in the closing moments when O’Reilly – clearly an ideological opponent of Obama – admitted what many who work for and watch his channel would never dream of admitting: “You’re heart is in the right place.” Obviously Bill isn’t worried about losing his seat.
Watch: Bill O’Reilly interviews President Obama before the Super Bowl – YouTube.
Read MoreFrank Caliendo’s Mock 30 for 30 on Richard Sherman was the best part of the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl blew, but Frank Caliendo easily had the best performance of the day. Watch this mock 30 for 30 on Richard Sherman with Caliendo playing all the roles. You’re welcome.
Watch: Richard Sherman 30 for 30 Mockumentary by Frank Caliendo – YouTube.
Read MoreThese Tim Tebow T-Mobil Super Bowl Ads Are Awesome
This is why bitches love Timmy
We all know Tim Tebow was blessed with many talents, and now without being tied down with an NFL contract he can do anything he wants. That obviously includes making funny-ass commercials (this time without his mom).
Watch both of Tebow’s new T-Mobil Super Bowl spots below.
Go Gators
Read MoreKing Obama abuses Executive Orders, but only if “abuses” means issues less than every other President
Sic Semper Obamas
There’s a common theme in some circles that President Obama is destroying the Constitution with an unprecedented abuse of Executive Orders to circumvent Congress. Most of these blowhards even demand that the ”persistent pattern of lawlessness, willingness to disregard the written law and instead enforce his own policies via executive fiat” is blatant grounds for impeachment.
Civics lesson: the President is authorized (by the Constitution and Congress) to issue Executive Orders to EXECUTE the laws. Common Sense lesson: if Republicans truly believed their rhetoric, they’d challenge in Court or initiate impeachment proceedings.
To drive this point home, do you want to guess where Obama ranks compared to other modern presidents in total Executive Orders issued?
King Obama ranks second to last in total orders issued, but that’s only because George HW Bush served 1 term. Gerald Ford issued more than Obama and he was President for barely over 2 years. History’s whooping-boy Carter doubled Obama in 4 years. JFK had 214 in his short term. George W Bush had Obama beat by 26 at the end of their first terms.
Was Saint Reagan (381) more than twice the tyrant Obama is? The Gipper’s “abuse” pales in comparison to the despots of old: Eisenhower (484), Truman (907) and the Roosevelt cousins, Teddy (1,081) and Franklin (3,522).
When averaged out annually, Obama has issued the fewest Executive Orders per year than any President in the last 117 years. Not the most. The fewest.
But TYRANNY! is cause celebre now that Obama used the State of the Union to call-out the historically inept Congress, and promised to take Executive Action when they inevitably fail to act. Sure, the facts don’t support the phony outrage, but the America-Protectors will press on. So long as there are bills to not write, national issues to ignore, agency-heads and judges to not vote on, districts to gerrymander, voters to disenfranchise, campaign finance laws to ignore, and a Federal government left to dismantle– they will stand strong in their love for the visions of the Founding Fathers. So long as Obamacare, IRS, and Benghazi are still words, they will stand firm. Because Constitution, that’s why.
In the mean time, at least now you know that anyone screaming about Obama’s criminal abuse of Executive Orders is either a) lying, b) stupid or c) both (aka running for office).
Read MoreDaily Darwinism Reminder
Jim Cantore finds out why they’re called Gamecocks.
Watch: Jim Cantore Gets “Attacked” live on weather channel | Knees man in the groin Video
Read MoreThe Republican plan to fight Income Inequality is a real head-scratcher
Speaker Boehner displaying his well-documented “Tan-envy”.
Although he barely mentioned it by name, President Obama devoted a sizable portion of the State of the Union to what America can do to fight the very real problem of systematic income inequality (raising minimum wage, restoring unemployment insurance, spending on education and training programs, etc.). Naturally, Republicans claim every Presidential suggestion is blatantly wrong.
It’s certainly a huge deal that Republicans are even pretending income inequality is a “problem”, but seeing as though the GOP can’t risk alienating 99% of America, they’re forced to feign concern and make empty calls-to-action. Unfortunately for those who actually care, the GOP’s grand ole plan is more of the same old joB.S.: get rid of the harmful Obama policies that hurt job creators and destroy opportunity.
Common sense (and numbahs) show how those harmful Obama/Democrat policies are extremely favorable to the rich and have exacerted income inequality further. Corporate profits and CEO pay are at record highs. The DOW has doubled under Obama. 95% of the gains made since the recovery have gone to the top 1%. The rich are hoarding more cash in savings (aka “not spending”) than ever before in history. Life is better-than-ever for business, but income inequality is at an all-time high. With over half of our Congress members checking in as millionaires for the first time in history, we shouldn’t expect much to change.
Still, it’s absolutely mind-boggling to hear Republicans hate on policies that fostered the most successful business climate of all time, and even downright frustrating once you realize the GOPportunity! plan will redistribute more money into the offshore accounts of the top 1%. In a nutshell: hey America, we know it’s been 40 years of job-creating trickle-down policies and nothing has ever trickled down, but how bouts we give it another decade or so?
This is some of the crap they say with a straight face:
- Cut more taxes and lessen regulations to increase profits for shareholders and business-owners, because job creators.
- Refuse to raise, or just abolish the minimum wage altogether- a “living wage” is a socialist myth and guaranteeing someone a bare minimum takes away incentive.
- Repeal Obamacare, take away healthcare from the poor and those with preexisting conditions – medical bankruptcy as a rule always helps everyone and cheap healthcare makes people dependent on government.
- Vote against any creation of Federal jobs. Tax payers should never pay anyone’s salary, even if those jobs are part of Public Works projects to fix our crumbling infrastructure – unless it’s the KeystoneXL Pipeline to awesomeness.
- Gut foodstamps and end Federal unemployment insurance – less food to eat and less money to “spend” will put an end to poor-people laziness which is the true cause of income inequality.
- Cut Federal spending on education – ignore all the evidence that says education is the best way to increase upward mobility of children.
- Refuse to pass immigration bills, because immigrants earning real wages and paying taxes will only hurt us in the long run – they’re just not real Americans.
Democrats and Republicans will never agree on economic policy, but this isn’t a general philosophical conundrum. Growing income inequality is the specific problem that 1% of our country holds 35% of the wealth, while the bottom half of our country (over 150 million people) shares only 1% of the wealth. The only way to combat the issue is to get more money into more people’s hands. Before you scream “socialism!”, try to remember that fighting inequality doesn’t mean making everyone equal – it just means fair compensation and a living wage. Anyone who works anywhere near 40 hours a week should not live in poverty.
Most importantly, Republicans need to stop pretending being poor is a choice, and definitely need to stop telling Americans that taking away their benefits and paying them lower salaries is better for their long-term well being. It’s really our bad for assuming which side Republicans were rooting for when they jumped into the fight against income inequality.
An honest conversation on the topic would be nice, at least whatever honesty we can expect from this Millionaire Congress.
Read: Info on Income Inequality – The Ryn0′s Horn
Watch: Inequality is real, it’s personal, it’s expensive and it was created – YouTube.
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