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News, Politics

The Department of Health and Human Services reported Wednesday ObamaCare enrollment is barely over 100,000 people, broadly including those who have selected a health care plan through the ObamaCare exchanges.

The administration had a goal to sign up a half-million people in the first month of open ObamaCare enrollment. Bot more than six weeks into the failed launch of HealthCare.gov and other state-based exchanges, HHS announced Wednesday that just 106,185 people had selected a plan as of Nov. 2.

The most important number falls even shorter than previous reports using insurer information, with just 27,000 — not 40,000 or 50,000 — who did so through the federal exchanges.

The release of the ObamaCare enrollment numbers had been highly anticipated, as both lawmakers and the media have been pressuring the Obama administration for weeks to release official figures.

“The marketplace is working, and people are enrolling,” Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius outrageously claimed while announcing the figures, adding that the numbers should grow “substantially” in the coming months.

But even the statistic released on Wednesday more than likely reflects numbers that have been inflated.

The administration said the ObamaCare enrollments number includes all those who have selected a health care plan from state and federal exchanges, even if they haven’t even paid a premium on those plans yet.

One source told Fox News that no one is truly “enrolled” until the insurance company knows about it.

The administration says a total of 975,407 applied for coverage and received an eligibility determination, but have not selected a plan. In addition to the 106,185 who have selected a plan, another 396,261 have been determined as eligible for Medicaid or a similar government program for children, tipping the ratio into dangerous territory.

When you dig further down into the numbers, however, problems with HealthCare.gov is not the full scope of the administration’s problem. Even though the Obama administration claims the website is being fixed, the data show only 27,000 people signed up through the federal exchanges, while the state-run exchanges, which use different websites, signed up just 79,000. Furthermore, more than half of ObamaCare enrollment sign-ups came from the states of California and New York.

The administration has vowed to correct the website problems by the end of November, but many experts are now on the record as saying the goal is unreachable, and privacy or security issues are being largely ignored.

The Department of Health and Human Services

News, Politics

Gov. Scoot Walker death threats received during pivotal budget battle with big labor in Wisconsin.

In his upcoming autobiography, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker reveals the lengths to which big labor will go to protect their power. THe Scott Walker death threats are chronicled multiple times, including threats on the governor himself, as well as his children.

Protesters are angry with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s effort to break Big Labor’s financial hold on the state in 2011. At one point, they blocked his exit from a manufacturing plant, then surrounded his police cruiser while “beating on the windows and rocking the vehicle.”

This episode is one of several violent threats that the Republican governor and his family have faced, and which are detailed in his upcoming book “Unintimidated: A Governor’s Story and a Nation’s Challenge.”

The book, excerpts of which were obtained on Tuesday by FoxNews.com, describes a behind the scenes account during his campaign to end unsustainable collective bargaining agreements for most of Wisconsin’s unionized public employees.

The 2011 episode at the manufacturing plant happened roughly one month into his first term, after his government required unionized workers to contribute more toward their health-care and retirement benefits.

The reforms to collective bargaining were part of his Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill that passed later that year to help reduce a projected $3.6 billion budget deficit.

“As we prepared to leave, the state troopers saw that the protesters had physically blocked the entrance we had used to come onto the property. So they turned the squad car around and headed toward the other exit. We watched in disbelief as the throng of people rushed toward the second exit to block our path,” writes Walker, a potential 2016 presidential candidate.

“As we tried to pull out, they surrounded the car and began beating on the windows and rocking the vehicle. Just as we extricated ourselves from their grip, a truck pulled up and blocked our path, playing a game of chicken with the troopers. They turned the lights and sirens on warning them to get out of the way. Eventually he backed up, and we sped off,” he continued.

Reflecting on the incident, Walker writes, “It was a lesson in how much our circumstance had changed in a matter of a few days. We were dealing with people who were so blinded by their anger that they were not in the least bit afraid to storm and shake a police car.”

However, the most unnerving for Walker appeared to be the death threats on his children, specifically one in which the sender wrote about how they had been following his children to school, the street on which the Walker family lived, and claimed that family members were targets.

“According to my staff, the only time they ever saw me angry during the entire fight … was after I read that letter. They were right. I didn’t mind threats against me, but I was infuriated that these thugs would try to draw my family into it,” Walker writes, according to Wisconsin Interest Magazine.

At least one threatening letter was meant for Walker’s wife Tonette, and threatened to “gut her like a deer,” which combined with the other incidents warranted heavy police security.

In addition to providing a behind the scenes look at the governor’s successful reforms, passing Act 10 and his big survival of a 2012 recall attempt, Walker tries to explain his unique brand of fiscal conservatism.

As he did during the 2012 presidential campaign, Walker argues that other Republicans get trapped in the “false choice” between spending cuts and tax increases, and that fiscal conservatives too often “present themselves as the bearers of sour medicine, when we should be offering a positive, optimistic agenda instead.”

Walkers argues that it is possible, as he has shown, to cut government spending without mass layoffs and cutting Medicaid while still improving education and public services, and providing a plan he that is a “hopeful, optimistic alternative to austerity.”

The state’s Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday on Act 10, after a lower court last year ruled parts of the law that apply to school and municipal employees are unconstitutional.

Scott Walker death threats revealed in his

Opinion

2014_Senate_Democrat_candidates

Clockwise from top left: Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas; Alison Lundergan Grimes, Senate candidate in Kentucky; Michelle Nunn, Senate candidate in Georgia; Senator Mark Begich of Alaska; Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana; Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina. (Photo Credit Clockwise from top left: Danny Johnston/Associated Press; John Sommers Ii, via Reuters; Akili-Casundria Ramsess, via Associated Press; Nicholas Riccardi, via Associated Press; Gerald Herbert, via Associated Press; Pool photo by Gerry Broome)

Independent government watchdogs are being called upon by Senator Kay Hagan and other red state Democrats to execute a thorough investigation into the failures of HealthCare.gov.

Senator Kay Hagan (NC-D) who is taking the lead, is also conveniently up for re-election next year in a red state that flipped for Mitt Romney against Obama in 2012. Senator Hagan has written a draft letter to Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro and Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson.

The draft letter addresses all of the problems that accompany healthcare.gov stating:

At every step of the user experience, site errors have prevented people from effectively shopping and enrolling in plans. Users have encountered problems creating an account, verifying the account, determining eligibility, protecting user privacy, calculating tax credits, and facilitating enrollment with private insurers if they can even access the site at all. Many states still have not received the data necessary to enroll eligible individuals in their Medicaid programs, and the accuracy of the files used by insurers to enroll customers remains an open question. As a result, what should be a 21st century digital process on the back-end has become an antiquated, paper-and-pencil effort that is not sustainable or scalable as the problems of the front-end consumer experience get resolved.

Amazingly, just weeks ago before the government shutdown, Senator Kay Kagan was in lock-step with her Democratic Party, adamantly opposing the very changes that she now claims to support. How convenient when opposition to ObamaCare runs 2 to 1 in your home state.

Hagan apparently realizes potential highlighter of the ObamaCare black stain, known as HealthCare.gov, which will taint her 2014 campaign and could very well cause her to lose her senate seat. Ironically, Hagan was beginning to feel the pressure subside, with PPP and other liberal polling companies showing her a few points up on her likely Republican challenger, statehouse Speaker Tillis.

However, it would seem that no one wants to conduct a poll in North Carolina now, a state that has been hit severely hard by ObamaCare-induced cancellations.

Her only resort is to circulate this draft letter to a friendly media, in which she urges the Government Accountability Office and the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services to dig deeper into what went terribly wrong with the billion dollar failure.

The letter provides a list of questions, including whether payments were withheld to the 55 contractors hired to build the site. The letter also asks what additional costs to the taxpayers will be realized in order to fix the fundamentally broken site. Senator Hagan acted as if she was very concerned about the ramifications to the individual insurance market, despite supporting a law she knew full-well was designed to be a disrupter.

Furthermore, she continues on with the narrative that once the site is running they expect millions of people — for the first time — will not have to worry whether they can see a doctor because of a pre-existing condition.

What of those who have pre-existing illnesses and have been dropped by their private healthcare insurance? The very Americans with pre-existing conditions are also the ones who have built the strongest relationships with their doctors. The very doctors who treat these Americans are the doctors who are most familiar with their patients history.

Senator Kay Hagan’s comments are still very much reflective of the parental worldview big government liberals hold. It isn’t the fact you are losing choice and those precious relationships, it is that you do not have access to a plan that she has deemed more appropriate for you, and her emphasis on the website demonstrates that to be the case.

The letter could get signatures from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Democrats such as Senator Hagan claim to still support the law’s intentions, but have been highly critical of the administration over the launch.

The Hagan letter states that once the site is up and running, “we expect that millions of people, for the first time, will not have to worry whether they can see a doctor because of a pre-existing condition, and other important market reforms will protect the insured from the prospect of unaffordable medical bills. In the meantime, it is critical that we understand how and why the mechanism for reaching that goal — HealthCare.gov — failed to launch as required on October 1, 2013.”

Senator Hagan and all of the law’s supporters in the Democratic Party cannot seem to comprehend the real problem with the law, which is simply that people do not want or like it. Opposition to ObamaCare has skyrocketed, while support has cratered along with the president’s approval rating.

Emerging reports about the meager enrollments figures to date are fueling calls to delay the sign-up deadline, but they should be taken in concert with the survey data showing most uninsured Americans aren’t supporting the law either, as they are ignoring ObamaCare, and do not care what Senator Kay Hagan and the Democratic Party thinks is best for them.

According to an insurance industry report, fewer than 50,000 Americans have so far bought a private health care plan on the ObamaCare website, far short of the half-million enrollees the administration wanted to meet or exceed the first month.

The Department of Health and Human Services said officials could not confirm the numbers, though we will be receiving them this month. Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said that they expect the numbers to be low, and “as accurate as possible,” which we all should be very suspicious of.

“We have always anticipated that initial enrollment numbers would be low and increase over time,” said agency spokeswoman Joanne Peters. “And, as we have said, the problems with the website will cause the numbers to be lower than initially anticipated.”

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said the numbers build the case for delaying the law.

“Whether it’s higher costs, fewer choices or simply website glitches, it’s becoming more clear with each passing day that this law isn’t ready for prime time and should be delayed,” he said in a statement.

But what many lawmakers on both sides do not understand, is that delaying the law is no longer sufficient to the American public. And the Republican Party would do well to side with public opinion, though it is unfortunate that it seems they may not have the heart for the fight.

As long as they do not, then Senator Kay Hagan and other red state Democrats, who supported the always-unpopular and now-failed law at every turn, will feel that they can mislead the American people during re-election season.

We won’t let them get away with it or fool us at People’s Pundit Daily, and neither should you.

Independent government watchdogs are being called upon

US

Kirsten Powers is either incredibly dishonest, selfish, naive or very, very ignorant to politics, history and public policy. Nevertheless, as an ardent supporter of ObamaCare and the Democratic Party, she has no right to whine about losing her health insurance policy.

And at this point, I am not even sure she has any business being on television.

After her comments on “Special Report” with Bret Baier, it has become clear that Powers and many on the left are one of — if not all — of the aforementioned adjectives. Let’s first summarize her comments, then look at the possibilities — one-by-one — to attempt to ascertain which label is appropriate.

Kirsten Powers, who time after time during the 2012 election appeared on television to defend Democratic candidates and ObamaCare, just whined on national television that her health care plan had been cancelled. Her “blood boils every time” she hears “the word substandard,” because as Powers phrased it, “there was nothing substandard about my policy.”

Powers went on further, expressing her convenient outrage over the law’s intended design to thrust the burden on young, healthy people, forcing them to pay for products and services that they don’t need at a greater cost than they can assume.

Where has Kirsten Powers been for the last 5 years? None of these events — i.e., Powers losing her health care plan — were unforeseeable, accidental, or even theoretical. No voiced concerns regarding impact or consequence from these policies were ever really up for debate, unless of course, you are simply ignorant to the nature of government, simple economics, or basic human nature.

Is it the case that Kirsten Powers is selfish? She had the nerve to complain that her premium is much higher now. Did she favor ObamaCare when she thought that it would redistribute wealth, so long as it didn’t redistribute her wealth?

Maybe Kirsten Powers actually believed President Obama and the leaders of her party, as an extension of her certain belief in the false ideology it professes? That would make her naive, because contrary to what the Democratic Party claims, government can never be used as a force for good. I would dare her to point to one instance in American history — or human history for that matter — when government used its power for the moral imperative without sooner or later returning to their despotic ends. It cannot be done, even in the civil rights victories her party falsely claims credit for.

I suppose it is possible that she believed old, false presumptions that so-fills the history of the progressive ideological movement, which somehow claims they have the power to use central planning to turn a zero-sum game into a win-win for all. If that’s true, then she is a complete stooge just in case she hasn’t realized it yet. Powers, and so many other Democrats and Obama voters, are the losers in a centrally planned zero-sum, collectivist scheme that any 8 year-old child who has read “Animal Farm” could have seen coming a mile away.

Or, perhaps even worse, none of this outrage is even real, and Kirsten Powers is the former, a simply dishonest person who wittingly participates in a despotic plan to destroy choice and privacy in the private insurance market. Forget the fact that no one who claims to be a champion of civil liberties — as Kirsten Powers has claimed while opposing the drone program — can ever bridge the crevasse between the protection of civil liberty and their support for ObamaCare. The ends may justify the means for Kirsten Powers, as well.

In any of these cases, it is hard for one to intellectually argue she retains the credibility to appear on television to give her opinion.

The American people have enough talking heads acting as mouthpieces for elitists who never have their interests at heart. The American people need intelligent, down-to-earth individuals with integrity to tell them the truth, because they certainly aren’t hearing the truth from so-called journalists.

We at People’s Pundit Daily have actually said that Kirsten Powers was one of our favorite liberals. But people are getting hurt, and considering all of these events were predictable (as laid out in our PPD study on ObamaCare-induced cancellations), it isn’t enough for Kirsten Powers or any Democrat to portray a fake outrage or even claim ignorance, because their ignorance is getting dangerous to our health, prosperity, freedom, and our entire way of life.

Regardless of whether Kristen Powers now flip-flopped on ObamaCare because she is either dishonest, selfish or naive, ignorance was at the heart of it, nevertheless.

In what could only be classified as the height of irony, Powers viciously and disgracefully railed against Republicans during the government shutdown, even going so far as to claiming they were destroying America. Meanwhile, it turns out the Republican Party was fighting to protect her and other Americans from a despotic policy that she foolishly supported; which, in the end, she was too ignorant to even know would hurt her.

Sure, Kirsten Powers is — once again — our Daily Dunce. But that label doesn’t even scratch the surface of her ignorance.

Kirsten Powers is either incredibly dishonest, selfish,

Polls

Most American voters view the new national health care law as bad for the country and want to repeal ObamaCare, in its entirety.

While in the recent past, Democrats have been able to argue certain aspects of the law were popular, that no longer seem to be the case.

A new Rasmussen survey found that just 35 percent now believe the president’s failed health care law is good for America, while 55 percent consider it bad for the country.

The new 20-point margin is devastating to the Democratic Party, with just 2 percent thinking it will have no impact. A recent survey over the weekend also found a new-high in terms of opposition to the individual mandate, while Pew found a new-low for the president’s approval on healthcare.

The latest data are in line with findings from Gallup, who found that most uninsured Americans are ignoring ObamaCare, as well as enrollment figures from insurers showing less than just 50,000 partial paying enrollees purchased insurance through the so-called exchanges.

Quinnipiac University also released a survey among registered voters showing 38 support keeping the law, while 55 percent oppose ObamaCare. President Obama’s approval rating, as with Pew Research, is at its lowest level measured by Quinnipiac during his presidency – 39 percent.

A study conducted by PPD found that 145 million people will have their current health care plans cancelled due to Essential Health Benefit Standards under ObamaCare.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on November 9-10, 2013 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

[table id=4 /]

A new survey found most Americans now

Politics

The Republican-controlled House scheduled a vote on the Keep Your Health Plan Act for Friday. The bill, which came out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, would negate the damage done by President Obama’s broken promise, assuring the public could keep their health insurance plan if they choose to.

With low party approval from failing to derail ObamaCare during the partial government shutdown, congressional Republicans have perhaps found a new lne of attack toward President Obama and his signature health care law, which may have the potential to boost party favorables.

Congress is returning on Tuesday from the long holiday weekend, and while the battle shifts to this House Republican-backed bill that would allow Americans to keep their health plans, Republicans are on the offensive and solid ground.

“Actions speak louder than words,” said Michigan Republican and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton. “If the president is serious about offering relief to Americans whose health plans are being canceled, then he should strongly support the Keep Your Health Plan Act. … The president ought to embrace the bipartisan call for legislative action.”

Democrats staunchly and universally opposed the Republican plan triggering the government shutdown, but now some Democrats solely for political survival have changed their minds.

Republicans have attacked every lawmaker and other persons connected to the website failures, including contractors who helped build the site, and Speaker Boehner said the site’s technical problems are just “the tip of the iceberg.” That comment certainly turned out to be the case.

As a matter of fairness, the Republican-controlled House will also propose legislation to delay the individual mandate for Americans, just as the president unilaterally delayed the employer mandate, The proposal will also seek to verify that low-income people getting federal subsidies to pay for the insurance actually qualify for them.

Both are widely supported proposals among the American people, with the latest survey finding that just 34 percent support the individual mandate, while 54 percent oppose it. The support for ObamaCare overall has cratered after a short bump during the shutdown, when Democrats were propagating falsehoods over Republican motives. Support for the law has never overtaken opposition, however, particularly when measuring intensity.

Senate Democrats who favored shutting down the goverment to protect the unpopular, failing law they supported in the first place, but now feel political pressure to pretend that they have changed their minds, are Sens. Mark Begich of Alaska, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Kay Hagan, of North Carolina. All are also facing conservative groups vowing to spend millions to show voters their early support for and subsequent defense of ObamaCare.

Landrieu, in fact, introduced a bill last week similar to the House one that would allow Americans to keep their existing health plans. However, she was immediately pounced on by conservatives who dug up footage of Landrieu supporting these foreseeable disasters, showing her hypocrisy.

“When we passed the Affordable Care Act, we did so with the intention that if you liked your health plan, you could keep it,” Landrieu said. “A promise was made and this legislation will ensure that this promise is kept.  I have said repeatedly that the … act isn’t perfect, and I am willing to work with anyone who wants to improve it and implement it correctly.”

That statement is about as true as President Obama’s original promise, as a study conducted by People’s Pundit Daily has shown.

The Republican-controlled House scheduled a vote on

News, Policy

The first ObamaCare enrollment numbers have been released by insurers, and it’s less than 10 percent of the HHS goal. Fewer than 50,000 Americans have thus far bought their health care plan on the problem-plagued exchanges.

The number was a fraction of the months goal, and reported first Monday by The Wall Street and is also confirmed by Fox News, which was told the final reporting day was November 3.

The Department of Health and Human Services issued a prompt response, saying officials could not confirm the numbers.

“We have always anticipated that initial enrollment numbers would be low and increase over time,” said agency spokeswoman Joanne Peters. “And, as we have said, the problems with the website will cause the numbers to be lower than initially anticipated.”

Kathleen Sebelius also told lawmakers at a Senate hearing that the administration now expected “very low” ObamaCare enrollment numbers. But a report by Gallup suggests that the problem plagued site is the least of the administration’s problems, because uninsured Americans are simply ignoring or say they will pay the fine rather than comply with the law.

Healthcare.gov went live Oct. 1 and was immediately plagued with such problems as slow response time, failed integration software, privacy risks, volume-induced crashes and supplying incorrect information. One report by the Heritage Foundation cited the experiences of users who received the wrong person’s information from the site HealthCare.gov.

Administration officials have since called in private technical experts, because Michelle Obama’s crony relationships chose a failed Canadian-based company despite Canadian warnings. They have taken the site off line in non-peak hours to perform maintenance and improve the situation.

The federal site handles insurance enrollment for 36 states, who either refused or neglected to setup their own sites, precisely because of these many predictable problems.

The administration has set a goal of signing up 7 million Americans for insurance by next March, when open enrollment ends, but that goal is far from reachable right now.

The Wall Street Journal reported the number of enrollees thus far could actually be as low as 40,000. The information citing the the administration’s goal of 500,000 enrollees in October is based on an internal memo cited last week by Michigan Republican Rep. Dave Camp.

The administration is hoping that cancelled policies will increase interest in the law, and when the site is up and running, the ObamaCare enrollment numbers — including those of paying Americans — will increase.

According to a study conducted by People’s Pundit Daily, the number of cancellation notices that are set to go out, will be in the range of 140 million once the law has taken full effect.

The first ObamaCare enrollment numbers have been

Polls

Coming off a big reelection victory, Gov. Christie is enjoying a big bump in national polling, and now “it’s a dead heat,” according to pollster Scott Rasmussen.

A new Rasmussen national presidential poll found that if the 2016 presidential election were held today, 43 percent would choose Democrat and former Benghazi-plagued Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but 41 percent would vote for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, while 9 percent picked some other choice, and 8 percent were undecided.

Another poll conducted by Quinnipiac university shows Christie leading Clinton 43 to 42, with both candidate garnering 85 percent of their base, but Christie trounces Clinton 48 to 32 among independents. The Rasmussen poll tells a bit of a different story.

According to Rasmussen, warming up the base in his party may be Gov. Christie’s biggest challenge, as Clinton has the support of 77 percent of Democrats, while 73 percent of Republicans support Christie. However, unaffiliated voters — which is Rasmussen’s wording instead of independents — break big for Christie by 42 percent to 33 percent for Clinton.

Of course, as I always caution, how accurately a poll can predict an election that is three years away is uncertain. We all remember Clinton was the favorite before Obama railroaded her in 2008, and then again, so was “America’s Mayor” Rudy Giuliani. Furthermore, Christie is also just coming off a monstrous 22-point reelection win a week ago.

“It’s a long way off and no one is officially a candidate yet, but the Hillary Clinton-Chris Christie race to the White House is neck-and-neck before the campaign even saddles up,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Still, the Christie vs Clinton trend shows that Gov. Chris Christie is the flavor of the month, at least. Also, for those who believe that demographics are becoming an insurmountable hill for the Republican Party to climb, the trend suggests they are equally foolish.

TREND: If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Chris Christie the Republican, for whom would you vote? (* Christopher Christie) 
                     Nov 13  Oct 02  Jul 12  Mar 07
                     2013    2013    2013    2013*

Clinton              42      49      46      45
Christie             43      36      40      37
SMONE ELSE(VOL)       3       3       3       3
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL)      4       3       3       4
DK/NA                 9       9       8      12

As of now, unsurprisingly, Clinton has a lead among women voters, but Christie has a “comparable lead” among men voters, according to Rasmussen. In the Quinnipac survey, Christie tops Clinton among men, but loses women by a smaller margin. Among men, Christie leads Clinton 47 – 35 percent, while women favor Clinton by a smaller 48 – 39 percent.

Age far as age group, 52 percent of voters under 40 choose Clinton in the Rasmussen survey, while a plurality of older voters — 48 percent — choose Gov. Christie. Quinnipiac found the same 48 percent favor Christie among voters 65+, while just 38 percent favor Clinton.

The New Jersey governor has some work to do with conservative voters in his own party. Even though 65 percent of conservatives prefer Christie in a presidential matchup against Clinton, more of Clinton’s base — 84 percent of liberals and 51 percent of moderates – favor Clinton. The same is true in the Quinnipiac survey, with 15 percent of self-identified conservatives breaking for Clinton, while just 10 percent of liberals support Christie.

It is worth mentioning that Chris Christie is pulling 12 percent of the black vote from Clinton, which in reality, wouldn’t even be a close race. With Republicans garnering upwards of 65 – 68 percent of the white vote, 12 percent of the Democratic base would be a comfortable win for the Republican candidate.

People’s Pundit Daily also recently reported that 43 percent of all voters think the circumstances surrounding the murder of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya last year will hurt Clinton’s candidacy. Clinton was secretary of State at the time the incident took place, and subsequently lied about the events to the American people and families of the murdered Americans. The mother of Sean Smith, one of the Americans who perished in the Benghazi attack, has said that she will run interference.

“If Hillary thinks she is going to run for president, she’s got another thing coming.”

Coming off a big reelection victory, Gov.

Opinion

65th Infantry Division in France, 1945.

“They answered the call to save the world from the two most powerful and ruthless military machines ever assembled, instruments of conquest in the hands of fascist maniacs. They faced great odds and a late start, but they did not protest. They succeeded on every front … As they now reach the twilight of their adventurous and productive lives, they remain, for the most part, exceptionally modest … In a deep sense they didn’t think that what they were doing was that special, because everyone else was doing it too.”

— Tom Brokaw, “The Greatest Generation”

They are a generation rapidly fading from the earth. My grandfather was one of them. He served in the 65th Infantry Division that landed at Le Havre, France on the 21st of January, 1945. He’s gone now, and I miss him terribly. Of the 16.1 million World War II veterans, there are just over 1 million still alive today. My grandfather’s generation, the “Greatest Generation,” are dying at a rate of more than 600 a day.

When my grandfather came home from the war more than 70 years ago, there were 16 million veterans just like him, 16 million young soldiers, sailors and Marines who returned to a vibrant workforce. They raised families and built lives. They faced challenges, many of which personal, though they never burdened anyone with them.

That’s not to say they all lived perfect lives, were perfect husbands or fathers, nor did they have perfect personalities. Lord knows, my grandfather certainly wasn’t a perfect man. My grandmother often told me how before the war he used to always laugh and sing, literally dancing in the New York streets to win her young heart. But after the war, she said, a noticeable yet subtle change could be observed. His once-burning fire for life had been replaced with something else, something far less innocent replaced his somewhat naive worldview.

Yet he, and other World War II veterans, refused to let the war be the end of them. For my grandfather, at least, he understood all too well that he had an opportunity, an opportunity so many others who answered our nation’s call did not — an opportunity to live his life.

The same could not be said for my grandmother’s brother, Mario Pelligrino, an Army Air Force gunner who was shot down over occupied France. The war would have taken everything from my grandmother had my grandfather let the war make him a casualty, too. So, though less perfect and with a heavier soul, he carried on.

From left – right: Uncle Danny, Grandpa, Aunt Patricia, Uncle John, Grandma, my father Rich, and the diabolical little midget nightmare in light grey, is me. I am standing next to my older brother Edward, who bares a striking resemblance to Grandpa.

Over the decades, careers and homes were built, children were born and grew up, including my father. Their children got married — my Aunt Patricia’s wedding is shown above — and had children of their own, and now I sit here and put these words to this commentary.

My grandfather died years ago when I was a teenager, during the night, after what must have been an excruciatingly painful 25th of December. He held on throughout the somber festivities, an old soldier struggling to march on, because he didn’t want to ruin Christmas Day.

But before he let the last of that fire for life burn out, he filled my ear with life’s advice as if it was all he thought he had left to give me, perhaps not fully realizing how much he had already given. My grandfather was a part of an Italian-American generation who suffered and saw hardship at a magnitude we modern Americans cannot even comprehend, so that we future generations may be educated, leave the inner-city plantation, be prosperous, and most of all, live free.

As we lose more and more of our loved ones who were part of the “Greatest Generation,” we lose the quiet selflessness that was attributed to each of their characters, which collectively formed the foundation of the seemingly unstoppable, indomitable spirit that lays at the heart of American exceptionalism. It is only appropriate that we honor our veterans in the exceptional manner that we do, as does no other nation on earth.

This Veterans’ Day we recognize, cherish, and celebrate a generation we will soon be forced to live in a world without. They are a generation rapidly fading from the earth, but will never fade from our hearts.

Happy Veteran’s Day

Creator and Editor of People’s Pundit Daily

They are a generation rapidly fading from

Holidays

The United States of America is home to 21.2 million veterans, and as these Veteran’s Day stories demonstrate, we honor our veterans in an exceptional manner, as no other nation on earth. As of 2012, there were more than 1.5 million living veterans who had served in more than one war, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Though the overwhelming majority of veterans — 9.6 million — are age 65 or older, nearly 1.8 million veterans are under the age of 35.

Let’s begin with the story of one such young veteran, whose community felt that his indomitable spirit and willingness to give in spirit warranted him receiving a Veteran’s Day thank you, in spades.

Jamie Goodreau’s U.S. History Class Hero

October 21, 2013: 27-year-old Iraq war veteran Jerral Hancock, sitting on an electric wheelchair, and members of Operation All The Way Home(OATH) chant their slogans after a meeting at Lancaster High School in Lancaster, Calif. The seniors in Jamie Goodreau’s high school history class learned Hancock was stuck in a modest mobile home for months, unable to travel the 70 miles to the nearest VA hospital in Los Angeles to have his bedsores treated or his rotting teeth fixed. Goodreau’s students, who each year raise a few thousand dollars for veterans, decided to make Hancock their cause. (AP Photo)

Jerral Hancock, a veteran of the Iraq war, came home minus one arm, another arm severely disabled, and a paralyzing burning all over his body. When he returned to the Mojave Desert town of Lancaster, a town that exudes immense military pride, he was a hero.

Hancock was something of a celebrity in the Antelope Valley. The Valley, located in the farthest northeast corner of Los Angeles County, is extraordinarily proud of its military history and ties. The Air Force’s B-1B bomber was built there, and it was at Edwards Air Force Base that legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager made history when he became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound.

Though Alaska is home to the most veterans, with 13.6 percent of its adult population having served in the military, the area is home to more veterans per capita than any other place in America.

Jerral was all too happy and willing to cut ribbons, waved to people during town parades, and give out fist bumps, because he cannot fully shake hands due to his injuries.

But when the crowds were gone and Hancock went home, his two young children and his parents were all he had. People assumed that a veteran with such substantial injuries would be taking care of and supported by the Veteran’s Administration. They believe that, in large part, because he let them.

“I don’t like to complain,” he told the reporter quietly, adding that he suffers recurring dreams of burning to death in a tank.

Over time, he had literally become stuck in his mobile home, “like being in prison,” with a broken down handicapped-accessible van unable to bring him anywhere he needed to go. The hallways of his small residence were so narrow, Hancock couldn’t even get his wheelchair to fit through them, isolating him to an even smaller confinement.

As so many other disabled veterans, it seemed as if a substandard existence, unfit for a hero would be his reality. Jerral had bought a mobile home near his mother’s place in Lancaster before he was injured. It was small but a good first home for a young guy with a wife, two kids and a dog. But he hadn’t planned on coming home in a wheelchair, and he didn’t plan for his wife leave him and his 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter when the going got tough. Now, his mother and stepfather are his caretakers.

But Jamie Goodreau’s U.S. history classes had other plans than to allow his hardship to continue. After learning that Jerral Hancock had been struggling and confined for half a year, Goodreau’s students selflessly resolved to build Hancock a new home, a handicapped accessible home fit for a hero. For the past 15 years, Goodreau’s classes have conducted their end-of-the-year project to honor veterans, which typically included raising $25,000 or $30,000 for veterans charities and a celebratory dinner.

It’s been six months since, and the students have recently closed escrow on a $264,000 property, which blueprints have been drawn up for and the students plan to break ground next month.

Hancock says that since the Jamie Goodreau’s history students took up their effort the nightmares have pretty much stopped, as helping the students with their effort has re-instilled in him a sense of purpose.

“They gave up their last summer of high school for me,” he says in a voice filled with awe.

In reality, they gave up more than that. Goodreau’s veteran projects typically concludes when the summer ends. This year’s group, say they will continue the project they dubbed “Operation All The Way Home” until Hancock has a new roof over his head, which should be by next summer.

Nicole Skinner, a 17 student who already graduated in June and is now a college freshman, gave the best reflective comment.

“Just look at him, man. Many people these days are complaining about their lives and you look at him and what he’s been through, and he’s still smiling and all. He’s not complaining,” Skinner said.

“He’s just so motivating.”

The FDNY is heading up a mission, which they hope will gather fire and police departments, to help as many veterans as possible in need of one to get a track chair. Over the past year, Bill O’Reilly also teamed up with the Independence Fund to take on a similar goal.

Danny Prince, a FDNY firefighter, says that after he saw the Independence Fund on the O’Reilly Factor the FDNY embarked on their mission. “They had to do something to pay back these veterans who deserve the best,” Prince said to Brian Kilmeade on “Fox & Friends” this morning.

One of the first charity events was put together by another firefighter, Mike Alexander, which paid for five track chairs. These particular chairs cost $15,000 a piece, but are top of the line for those with sever handicaps, as they help them across all terrain environments.

Operation Shoe Box

Operation Shoebox ships different types of care items coupled with thank you notes, many to servicemen and women deployed in accordance with the needs of the U.S. military around the globe.

Today, on Veteran’s Day, they shipped their one-millionth package. Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean, had the honor of being the organization’s “millionth” packer.

Honoring Our Oldest Living Veteran Who Says Whiskey Is The Secret

Richard Overton, who at 107-years-old is America’s oldest living veteran on record, was honored last week at a Veterans Day ceremony in Austin, Texas. Overton received a standing ovation and a box of cigars, which is another vice only his generation would cite as a secret for longevity, along with whiskey.

Overton says he takes no medicine, save for aspirin. But he sure smokes cigars — often 12 a day — and drinks whiskey along with his morning coffee, which is something many a fifth of his age cannot say they do. Another secret to living a long time, Overton told the Houston Chronicle, is “staying out of trouble.”

“I also stay busy around the yards, I trim trees, help with the horses,” he said. “The driveways get dirty, so I clean them. I do something to keep myself moving. I don’t watch television.”

Overton served in the U.S. Army during World War II, stationed in Hawaii and fought in some of the most deadly battles of the war, including Guam, Palau and Iwo Jima. He now lives in Austin.

On Sunday, Overton was honored in Washington, D.C. by President Barack Obama as part of the White House’s Veterans Day festivities.

“The president wants me to come with him,” Overton said. “I’m surprised he called me.”

Read A Special Veteran’s Day Message From The Editor

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