The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.
—James Madison, Speech in the Virginia State Convention of 1829-1830

With three years remaining as president, Barrack Obama has lost a significant amount of public respect and admiration during his term.  His political power has been reduced, and the House of Representatives is controlled, and will mostly likely continue to be controlled, by Republicans.  

Most likely, Republicans will continue to gain seats in the Senate.  So, our President knows he lacks the power to properly promulfate new laws impacting climate change, education, transportation, nutrition, microwaves, minimum wage and almost every other aspect of American life.  He boasted in his State of the Union speech he intends to “bypass Congress.” 

 Politico reports on the new and coercive rules made by bureaucrats.  The Obama administration uses and controls Federal government, financial grants to manipulate everything from abortions to welfare.  The combination of financial manipulations and the rules are expensive, and ultimately impacts every American.  Most of these bureaucratic decisions will impede economic advancement in America.  Below is a partial list of bureaucratic rules impacting Americans:

• limiting trans-fat in snack foods
• reducing sulfur content in gasoline
• improving efficiency standards for trucks
• cutting carbon emissions to stop global warning
• creating green energy grants, e.g., Solyndra and solar farms in the Mojave Desert

• restricting for profit higher education and community colleges based on students ability to payoff student loans

• regulating placement of k-12 teachers
• rewarding “livability” transportation routes in cities
• banking for legal marijuana vendors
• calorie counts on vending machines
• wood stoves
• smokeless tobacco
• salt content fo potato chips
• minimum wage
• political activity of non-profit organizations

According to the administration's own estimates, last year alone Obama-era regulations added 158 million hours of reporting requirements – very costly.  The American Action Forum claims the last five years of new regulations cost nearly $500 billion – the size of Sweden's gross domestic product.

Of course, this violates our Constitutional order.  Most important, the stealth abuse of bureaucratic power deprives Americans of participating in an honest and complete discussion of the issues.  Very harmfully, President Obama and his vast bureaucracy do not respect the honor of our Constitution.   

In order to get power and retain it, it is necessary to love power; but love of power is not connected with goodness but with qualities that are the opposite of goodness, such as pride, cunning, and cruelty.
—Leo Tolstoy

In America, a politician intentionally selects to enter politics.  Politicians seek power in the name of public good, but they predominately seek power. When a person enters Congress or the Presidency, they seek and use the coercive power of government.

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates witnessed Hillary Clinton tell President Obama that she opposed the 2007 surge in Iraq because he was running against her in the Iowa primary.  Gates wrote, “Hillary told the president that her opposition to the [2007] surge in Iraq had been political because she was facing him in the Iowa primary. . . .”   Keep in mind, Clinton had previously supported our war in Iraq.  

Gates recalls Obama's response to Clinton's admission, “The president conceded vaguely that opposition to the Iraq surge had been political. To hear the two of them making these admissions, and in front of me, was as surprising as it was dismaying.” 

Dismaying is an understatement!  Try, appalling or horrific. Two of the most powerful people in the world admit political ambition influenced a momentous policy discussion.  Policies changing the lives of millions of people.  Life and death decisions impacting thousands of Americans and Iraqis.  Policy edicts that disrupted and destroyed lives throughout the Middle East – Libya to Afghanistan.  Lethal government force that will have enormous repercussions for many years to come to the people in harms way and the United States.

Tolstoy understood the universal quest for power:  

In order to get power and retain it, it is necessary to love power; but love of power is not connected with goodness but with qualities that are the opposite of goodness, such as pride, cunning, and cruelty. 

James Madison, the knowledgeable force creating America's Constitution, knew our leaders must be virtuous:

"The aim of every political Constitution, is or ought to be first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust."

Virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust, which is essential and absolutely needed today in America.



 

Every year since college, my best friend Dan and I have submitted our best observations on a wide range of topics that reflect on the year that has just expired. We follow the well established template of The McLaughlin Group program.

Here are my reflections on 2013:

BIGGEST WINNER OF THE YEAR: I can't even think of one, as 2013 has seen so many failures that have hurt so many Americans. The only one I can think of is David Ortiz of the Red Sox, who emphatically reclaimed the City of Boston for Bostonians.

BIGGEST LOSER OF THE YEAR: President Barack Obama. He may or may not earn the mid-term wipeout he so desperately deserves in the House and Senate in 2014, but make no mistake, every single thing he touched in 2013 ended up as a massive failure. From Obamacare to the IRS, to the NSA, to the security failure that led to the Boston Marathon Bombings, and back to Obamacare, nothing went right for the President's agenda.

BEST POLITICIAN OF THE YEAR: Tie: Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. Reminding Republicans what it's like to have a backbone and use it, and to win hearts and minds.

WORST POLITICIAN OF THE YEAR: Harry Reid, who tried to shut down Mt. Rushmore in his government shutdown.

MOST DEFINING MOMENT: HealthCare.gov failing live on CNN as Kathleen Sibelius was testifying before Congress.

BEST SPIN OF THE YEAR: Scott Walker's interview with Heritage. When he said that Republicans don't have to lurch to the left to win elections, that all it takes is showing leadership on the issues without compromising your principles, I stood up and cheered. That's the kind of straight talk we need to win elections in 2014 and beyond. 

MOST BORING PERSON OR STORY OF THE YEAR: Wendy Davis. Enough has been said about her already, but we'll see if a failed filibuster can launch a successful bid for governor. Good luck with that.

MOST CHARISMATIC PERSON OF THE YEAR: Ted Cruz, who was rewarded for a year of showing actual leadership by being recognized in a survey as the third most influential world leader, behind Pope Francis and Barack Obama.

BUMMEST RAP OF THE YEAR: Mainstream Republicans claiming that "shadowy conservative groups" like Club For Growth, FreedomWorks, Senate Conservatives Fund and Heritage Action are cynically fundraising on failures by the likes of McCain and McConnell to stand up on their conservative principles. Why have a separate party, if all those guys can do is say, "Welp, I guess elections have consequences."

FAIREST RAP OF THE YEAR: That The Selfie Seen Around The World demeans the office of President and diminishes our level of global respect.

BEST COMEBACK OF THE YEAR: Twinkies. After Hostess filed bankruptcy and got out from under the crushing union contracts, they were liquidated in an orderly court filing and the free market took it from there. Now, on to Detroit ...

MOST ORIGINAL THINKER OF THE YEAR: Mike Lee. He is the often overlooked third member of the Tea Party Trio in the Senate (along with Cruz and Paul), but he is proposing real solutions to our nation's problems, and is one to watch in the Senate.

MOST STAGNANT THINKER OF THE YEAR: John McCain. Raking Cruz over the coals for showing leadership and backbone, and standing up against Obamacare? Saying it's the law of the land and elections have consequences? What happened to you, sir?

BEST PHOTO OP OF THE YEAR: The WWII veterans who stormed their open air monument on the National Mall after government thugs tried to blockade it as part of the government "shutdown". Some of the best signs from the protest: "Mr. Obama, Tear Down This Wall"; and, "Normandy Wasn't Open For Business When We Got There, Either."

ENOUGH, ALREADY: MSNBC. From tampon earrings to black Santa Claus, to Alec Baldwin lasting a few weeks, to every single utterance from anyone to the right of Che Guevara being labeled racist, you've given jumping the shark a whole new dimension.

WORST LIE OF THE YEAR: Everything about Obamacare. Seriously, we have every right to tell voters, "We told you so". A close second: The oft-repeated lie, even among some Republicans, that there is no conservative alternative to Obamacare. There are many,  many free market reforms that actually make sense and would actually reduce costs.

CAPITALIST OF THE YEAR: The entire energy sector. New mining technologies and new deposit discoveries are leading to the real prospect that, in just a few years, the US could actually be energy independent.

PERSON OF THE YEAR: Rand Paul. His was the first filibuster that started a trend. Using the rules of the Senate to protect the rights of the minority - apparently this was so dangerous that the Democrats had to go and change the rules.

HONORABLE MENTION: Vladimir Putin. Not a positive development by any stretch, but he's seen the international leadership void created by the Obama Administration's appeasement policies and taken the opportunity to fill that void.

DESTINED FOR POLITICAL STARDOM: (A quick aside - last year I predicted Paul Ryan. Whoops.) Scott Walker, Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul - collectively they can be refered to as the Liberty Caucus. The future of the Conservative Movement is bright.

DESTINED FOR POLITICAL OBLIVION: Kathleen Sibelius. Amazingly, she has yet to be formally turfed, but the writing is on the wall.

BEST POLITICAL THEATRE OF THE YEAR: The performances by Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, using their position to the best of their ability to stand up for all Americans and make DC pay attention.

WORST POLITICAL THEATRE OF THE YEAR: The Cover Oregon TV ads. Yeesh.

MOST UNDERREPORTED STORY: The scandals surrounding the IRS and the NSA. Using unelected bureacrats to attack political adversaries is the realm of third world dictatorships, not the USA.

MOST OVERREPORTED STORY: GRIDLOCK IN CONGRESS! Pssst ... hey everyone ... that's the way it's supposed to work, so we don't have 2700 page bills rammed down our throats by representatives who didn't read the bill.

BIGGEST GOVERNMENT WASTE: Obamacare is the obvious choice, but that has distracted us from the more fundamental problem - since Obama took office in 2009, our spending has remained out of control across the board, and it doesn't show any signs of slowing down. It's sad that it's reason to celebrate when our budget deficit was ONLY $680 Billion for the year.

BEST GOVERNMENT DOLLAR SPENT: Until we get our spending under control, this award is impossible to contemplate.

BOLDEST POLITICAL TACTIC OF THE YEAR: Every single person who stood up to oppose Obamacare. Those who press the advantage and do everything they can to try to stop this rolling disaster are those who won hearts and minds this year. The rollout of the bill was a disaster, and it has never been more unpopular among the voters. Keep up the opposition, it's working. 

BEST IDEA OF 2013: The continued development of fossil fuel extraction technology.

WORST IDEA OF 2013: Trying to drum up support to invade Syria, despite there being no national interest there.

SORRY TO SEE YOU GO: Peter O'Toole, who gave the single greatest performance in film history in Lawrence of Arabia.

THE ANNUAL KIM JONG IL MEMORIAL NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT SORRY TO SEE YOU GO AWARD: Hugo Chavez

TURNCOAT OF THE YEAR: Sadly, this award is taken out of the mothballs I'd hoped it would stay stored in forever (The John Roberts Award). Paul Ryan, you are no budget hawk.

MOST HONEST PERSON OF THE YEAR: "Losers assemble in little groups that complain about the coaches and the players in other little groups. But winners assemble as a team." - Bill Parcells, apparently not speaking about Republican politics, but rather speaking upon the occasion of his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

MOST OVERRATED PERSON, EVENT, OR STORY OF 2013: Harry Reid and the change to the filibuster rules. The Democrats are going to be sorry they did that when Republicans take over the Senate and can repeal Obamacare with 51 votes instead of 60.

MOST UNDERRATED PERSON, EVENT, OR STORY OF 2013: The continued shredding of our constitutional protections of liberty.

GRADE THE PLANET: A+, if its inhabitants wouldn't continually try to muck things up. If we could get politicians out of the way, we could be energy independent, have a balanced budget, and live in liberty. Is that really too much to ask?

MACROPREDICTION: The final two years of the Obama Administration, after Election Day 2014, will be no day at the beach for big government statist control freaks.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: To stop obsessing about politics, and to obsess a little more about my family.

In 2008 and 2012, Senator and President Obama was the solution for Democrat victories across the country. Minorities stood by his side, the youth stood by his side and most importantly, moderates were sticking by his side.

Just one year later, things could not be more different. Obama’s lies and excuses have finally caught up with the majority of Americans. As a result, it is significantly hurting the Democratic Party . As you most likely know, President Obama has hit a new low with his approval rating at only 38 percent.

This isn’t surprising news, however. Quinnipiac, The Economist and Reuters have released polls in the last two weeks with Obama’s approval rating under 40%. In addition, RealClear Politics has Obama’s average approval rating at a dismal 41% while also showing only 26% believe our country is headed in the right direction.

If this hasn’t sent the Democratic Party into panic mode, I don’t know what will. Unfortunately for President Obama and the Democrats, it doesn’t stop there. Minorities and the youth are starting to wake up to Obama’s failures as well.

According to a Gallup poll released last week, Obama’s support from minorities is waning fast. In just under a year, Obama’s support from Blacks has dropped 9% while his support from non-whites has dropped 17%. The most surprising statistic in this poll was the number of Hispanics who now disapprove of Obama. In December of 2012, 75% of Hispanics approved of Obama. As of last month, only 52% approved. This poll also shows a sharp drop in support from low-income families, women, moderates, independents and even liberals.

As for the youth, they too are giving up on Obama and his policies. A poll released last week by Harvard University showed only 41% of 18-29 year olds approving of President Obama while 52% would throw him out of office, given the chance. Not only in my school, but across the country, students are finally realizing that the growing national/student loan debt, Obamacare and high unemployment will hurt them the most. The youth were a key in Obama’s 2012 victory, but even they are jumping ship.

The American public has woken up in the nick of time, meaning trouble for Democrats in 2014, but we can’t slack off. We need even more conservatives across the country donating their time and money to conservative causes and candidates. The 2014 Mid-term Election is the last chance this country has to send a strong message to the Obama administration. America has at last woken up, giving conservatives the opportunity to win the Senate and hold the House in 2014. Instead of infighting or attempting the task of “Impeaching Obama”, we need to focus at the task at hand. President Obama’s actions have opened up a door of opportunity, and we cannot squander it. 

A Predictable and Stable Legal Order

"The Law rests upon known, general principles applicable on equal terms to all persons. It follows that the Law is superior to, and thus binds, the government and all its officials.”

- Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, Supreme Court of the United States

The Rule of Law is essential for freedom and prosperity.  For the purposes of this post, the Rule of Law is defined as:

A government with moral and legal authority promulgates written rules and universally, impartially and uniformly enforces the rules, which provides a predictable and stable legal order on which to base economic and personal decisions. The law prevails, not the proclamation or arbitrary decision of a ruler, government bureaucrat, the enforcer (e.g., policeman) or judge.

Recently, many Americans have abruptly lost their health insurance, which has and will continue to cause enormous financial and emotional distress to millions of Americans.  First, we experienced the adminstration's dishonesty: “You can keep your insurance, if you like it,” promised Mr. Obama and many other members of Congress.  Co-existent with this falsehood, the President's bureaucracy mandated which health insurance must be purchased by every American.  Forcing many of our citizens to buy expensive, unneeded and unwanted coverage, which, in turn, impairs every person's freedom to choose how they spend and use their money – a total violation of our civil rights.

Clearly, the falsehoods and rules by bureaucracy violates the Rule of Law and shatters a predictable and stable legal order on which to base economic and personal decisions.  A free society cannot prosper when rulers are not moral and arbitrary decisions are made by bureaucrats.  Without trust in government, people are reticent to invest their time and money.  Restricting personal choices inhibits economic expansion, innovation and a flourishing economy.

Great thinkers, from Aristotle in ancient Athens to Cicero and in Rome to England's philosophers and America's Founders, recognized government must be made of laws and not the arbitrary rule of one person or an elite few. Again, the deceit and bureaucratic dictates of ObamaCare are fearsome violations of the Rule of Law.  Nobel Laureate Friedrich Hayek, the greatest modern scholar on the Rule of Law, strongly warned against the arbitrary rule by government: 

“If we wish to preserve a free society, it is essential that we recognize that the desirability of a particular object is not sufficient justification for the use of coercion.”

Repealing ObamaCare is the first step in restoring a free society and appreciating the Rule of Law in America.

The federal bureaucracy is an enormous player in policy and politics.

When the Democrats controlled the Senate and the House, they passed ObamaCare.  In order to cobble together enough votes, the law was intentionally left vague and granted enormous authority to the bureaucrats to promulgate rules and regulations.

Today, the law has become worse than a “train wreck.”   Through the deceit and deceptions by Mr. Obama and the manipulations by bureaucrats, millions of Americans have lost their insurance, will be paying higher monthly payments and are exposed to higher deductibles.  Undoubtedly, this“train wreck” is directly caused by our President and his administration.  

Very important for all Americans to know is that this “train wreck” is inherent and integral to all big government programs – banking, environment, welfare and the rest.  Invariably, the disconnect between the makers of the law (Congress) and the implementers (bureaucrats) impairs the mission and intent of the law. Congress passes laws, but is completely dependent on the President and his bureaucracy to implement and report on the status of the law.

The case in point is ObamaCare.  Senator Max Baucus was the main author of the law, but had little knowledge or input over the rules, regulations, waivers, extensions and the hundreds of decisions exerted by President Obama and his bureaucrats.  In a recent Senate hearing, Baucus exposed why government programs invariably fail:

“Make no mistake, I believe in this law. I spent two years of my life working on the Affordable Care Act. There is nothing I want more to succeed.  But months ago I warned that if implementation did not improve, the marketplace might struggle…We heard multiple times that everything was on track. We now know that was not the case.”

Speaking to Kathleen Sebelius, the Cabinet Secretary in charge of ObamaCare, Baucus lectures the bureaucrat-in-charge:  “You’ve got to tell us what the problems are.... The more you don’t tell us, the greater the problem is going to be.”

Ah...the curse of big government.  Again, Congresses pass laws, but are completely dependent on the President and his bureaucracy to implement, honestly collect information and apprise Congress, and the public, on the status and efficacy of the law.  

Harmfully and invariably, programs and policies morph at the will and direction of the president and his bureaucracy.  Welfare is a recent example.  The Obama Administration by administrative rule has greatly reversed the intent – work requirements - of the 1996 welfare reform. 

As for environmental policies, remember Solyndra.  It was the bureaucracy following the direction of the President that made all the terrible loans to solar and wind energy schemes.  

Without a doubt, the bigger our government becomes, the less the President has a capacity to be knowledgeable and the bureaucracy's power dangerously expands.  Only a much smaller government with limited to defined functions will stop the continuing “train wrecks” and dysfunctional government.   Of course, this was the intent of the Constitution, which has been undermined by politicians and bureaucrats of all political persuasions – Democrats and Republicans.  

Only when We the People demand small, honest and competent government will America restore liberty and again flourish civilly, economically and culturally.

In the past few weeks, the debate over Obamacare has been dominating the news, and has become one of the most, if not the most heated topics in the nation. Debate will continue, especially as people try to shop for coverage during its rocky launch. But there is one thing that should need no more debate - Obamacare will hurt young people.

According to a recent article by US News, an average 27 year-old male will pay 235% more for health insurance under the "Affordable Care Act." Another recent study by the AAF (American Action Forum) shows the rate increases to be even more steep in some states.  According to their study, the lowest cost option for an average, healthy, nonsmoker, would have them paying 265% more for health insurance in 2014 than 2013 nationally.  In the state of Vermont, health insurance for young people would increase by 600% under Obamacare. Yes, you read that right. That is equivalent to $332 more per month than in 2013.

Do you know a recent college grad or newly married person who can afford those increases?  Our nation’s youth have already been pushed into an increasingly tougher job market, high student loan debt, all-time high tuition rates, and a horrible economy to clean up. This younger generation cannot afford to pay more for their health insurance as well.  According to FloridaWatchdog.org, most young people would actually rather pay a penalty than be forced to sign up for ACA. That's right, pay a penalty for a product they cannot afford. 

 With the present crisis we are in, these new economic realities are another tough blow to millennials. As of July 2013, the youth unemployment rate was at 16.3% nationally, an astronomical number. Our government needs people working too, because they need their tax revenue.  Right now, if every US citizen paid $53,000 toward our national debt it would barely cover it.  Of course, that number continues to climb every second as our national debt inches toward $17 trillion.

President Obama, does it seem likely that today's youth can afford to pay up to 600% more for their health insurance?

People who live in reality know the answer to that question, but for some reason President Obama just doesn’t get it. The millennials helped elect him in 2008 and 2012, but now they could be paying a huge price for that support. 

Obamacare has already cost many employees their full-time positions as employers scramble to cut costs and hours and still provide the mandated coverage. The impact on families is showing in the recent polls. Public dissaproval of the law currently sits 10.3% higher than approval. 

As we continue to find out the true costs of this law and the impact it will have on all generations, one thing is for certain: the youth need to engage and let their politicians know that ObamaCare is destroying their future.  We have to let them know that we want real solutions to help fix our health care system. This generation cannot afford more entitlement programs that we'll be funding for older Americans. Enough is enough. 

President Poutypants is really revealing his petulant side. The government has shut down several times before now, but this president has been so spiteful as to close down outdoor monuments and even privately-funded sites that have never been shut down before. Now, his foot-stomping has sunk to a whole new low. The Obama administration is denying death benefits to our fallen heroes while at the same time keeping his favorite golf course open and running. 

Last weekend, four members of the United States Army gave their all for our nation. As the families began to grieve for their loved ones, the Obama administration made their loss even worse by insultingly refusing to pay death benefits due to the government shutdown.

Normally, $100,000 is wired to the surviving kin within 36 hours of losing a loved one to cover funeral expenses and the loss of the service members paycheck. It also assists family members with travel costs to Delaware in order to meet the plane carrying the body of their fallen soldier. Shannon Collins, who lost her son, said

"The government is hurting the wrong people...Families shouldn’t have to worry about how they’re going to bury their child."

This behavior from our goverment is unacceptable.

Ashley Peters lost her husband last weekend, and said

 “It is upsetting because my husband died for his country, and now his family is left to worry.”

It would appear that the powers that be on the left are feeling some heat on this “disgrace.” Some of them, like Rep. Braley seem oblivious (he’s just mad his gym no longer has towel service), but some are taking it a little more seriously. Harry Reid said that this gratuity would “be restored, without any question.” We're waiting.  

The House is expected to vote on legislation this afternoon to make sure that happens.  The question is- why was this ever an issue?

"We gave broad authority to the Department of Defense to pay all kinds of bills, including this," House Speaker John Boehner said. "And frankly, I think it's disgraceful that they're withholding these benefits...the House is going to act specifically on this, and I hope the president will sign it." In the meantime, a private group has stepped in to help these families with grants to ease the financial burden.

Let us remember the sacrifice of Army Special Agent Joseph Peters (24), Army Pfc. Cody Patterson (24), Army 1st Lt. Jennifer Moreno (25), and Army Sgt. Patrick Hawkins (25),  and hope that this spiteful president does right by their families.

photo credit: NY Times 

Michigan state is hurting and its failings can be traced to one party rule at the hands of Democrats and the unions (which are likely synonymous).  Detroit is now bankrupt, corrupt, and the most dangerous city in America, and residents continue to flee. As Detroit was the engine (pun intended) of Michigan’s economy, it has affected the entire state. Here’s hoping Michiganders don’t get sick or injured, because Obamacare is going to add to Michigan’s woes.

For one thing, Obamacare will hurt Michigan’s businesses, in an economy that isn’t exactly thriving. Let’s look at Stryker Corp in Kalamazoo. The device tax will cost them $100 million this year, and that money has to come from somewhere. They have had to slash their research & development budget which, in turn, means losing 1,000 workers. Other employers will be reducing hours and likewise cutting back, and Michigan can’t afford to lose income and jobs. 

Obamacare also hurts medical centers. Medicare is already a huge money pit, and Medicaid expansion will be unsustainable. A doctor from the Henry Ford Hospital said that "I've heard that our hospital loses more than 70 cents for every dollar we spend caring for Medicaid patients," she said. "It only seems to get worse, not better." It is coming down to a choice between shutting their doors completely or turning away Medicaid patients. A Michigan surgeon said that Obamacare moves doctors away “from humanity-based health care and more towards the patient as a commodity. This was not the way my father practiced – nor will I.” He said that he is “Winding down to retire early.” Losing doctors and reducing care for those less able to pay hardly seems like a good thing for Michigan. That’s because, no matter how they try to spin it, it’s not a good thing.

Michigan is, of course, a highly unionized state, which is compounding the problems. Unions lobbied hard for Obama and other Democrats to win, and a large part of that was  because of support for Obamacare. Now even the unions are seeing the writing on the wall. In July, the three largest unions in America sent a letter to Reid and Pelosi demanding changes to Obamacare; changes that never materialized. The letter said that Obamacare will  “destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class,” and “destroys the very health and wellbeing of our members along with millions of other hardworking Americans.” If Obamacare means fewer hours and destroyed wellbeing of union members, Michigan will be hit hard. 

Obamacare has come to Michigan, and it’s not looking good. We’re in for higher unemployment, lower income, and a reduction in the quality healthcare. This can only make things worse for a struggling state and the residents who stay.

On September 27, NBC News revealed what all 26 viewers of MSNBC already knew: the entire corporate media behemoth is in full on water carrying mode for the Obama Administration. A week-long series of special reports on Obamacare began on the nightly news on Monday. Now, this is a timely topic, so the network could be excused for reporting on a newsworthy story. But the way NBC described the series left no doubt as to the absence of any journalistic integrity, and revealed their deep cronyistic roots tying them to the Obama administration:

NBC News announced Friday that it will present a special series of programs and reports next week intended to “help Americans get the most out of the Affordable Care Act,” according to a press release.

Timed to coincide with the rollout of new insurance exchanges, “Ready or Not, the New Healthcare Law” begins airing Monday, Sept. 30. The series will appear on such network mainstays as “NBC Nightly News” and “Today,” as well as on social media and other digital outlets.

The programs will provide interactive tools “to help shed light on what the healthcare act means for [consumers] and explain how to enroll” in the new marketplaces opening on Oct. 1, according to the statement. Additionally, the series will include reporting on the Obama administration’s messaging, primary-care physician shortages, changes to emergency rooms and other topics related to the law’s rollout.

"How to get the most out of Obamacare". Not exactly an unbiased examination of the health care 'reform' law, warts and all. It brings to mind the George Orwell quote: "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations."

This is the latest example of corporate-governmental back scratching that would make old time news men, never mind Thomas Paine and Ben Franklin, roll over in their graves. FreedomWorks has consistently fought against the cronyism that is rampant in today's politics. They have launched the Market Freedom Project to combat against the corrupting influences of cronyism in our government. One of their main targets has been Comcast, which recently purchased NBC. The Market Freedom Project urges:

Comcast’s news organizations, especially MSNBC, have aggressively promoted President Obama’s political agenda through its biased news coverage. MSNBC’s hosts have consistently gone beyond responsible journalism by manipulating news events to advance a left-wing political agenda. Comcast cable subscribers can take action against Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and his biased media empire by changing their cable TV service provider. By exercising marketplace choice, consumers can prevent their money from supporting media propaganda and paying the salaries of Al Sharpton and Chris Matthews.

It appears that we can now consider NBC News to be the major network equivalent of its basic cable cousin. Consumers are urged to vote with their feet and their pocketbooks, and pledge to switch to an alternate provider. If enough consumers express their disgust with the cronyism between Comcast, NBC and the Obama Administration, the cable provider will have no choice but to respond.

Follow Jeff on Twitter @ChargerJeff.