Roger Aronoff

Obamacare: A High Speed Train Wreck

On the August 14 “Morning Joe” show on MSNBC, a commentator and a congressman perpetuated the myth that Republicans in the House of Representatives have voted more than 40 times to repeal Obamacare. In fact, the House has made 37 votes related to Obamacare, but only a fraction of those votes pushed for a full-scale repeal of the law. Others instead made substantive changes to various aspects of the law.

How Trustworthy is Our National Security Apparatus?

Two seemingly unrelated news stories this week raise far more questions than they answer, and demonstrate how the government should take a closer look at its own homeland security efforts.

AIM Announces Formation of Citizens’ Commission on Benghazi

Accuracy in Media (AIM), along with some of the country’s top retired military officers and national security officials, will hold a press conference on Tuesday, July 30, to launch the Citizens’ Commission on Benghazi. The press conference is at noon in The Zenger Room at the National Press Club.

New Documentary on TWA 800 Set to Premier

An excellent new documentary, which examines evidence that makes the case that TWA Flight 800 was brought down by missiles, a crime or accident that has been covered up for 17 years, is set to premier Wednesday night. The film is titled, simply, “TWA Flight 800,” and it will air on EPIX, a cable network available on many cable systems, tonight, July 17^th, at 8 p.m. ET. Today is the 17^th anniversary of that tragic event.

Cat Fight on the Left Over “Fake IRS Scandal”

Salon article, which argues that the IRS scandal really isn’t one and that the news media have been journalistically irresponsible, has precipitated a “cat fight” on the Left between Salon and MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell. “I said repeatedly that the fake IRS scandal was fueled by a compliant and lazy political media,” asserted O’Donnell on his July 8 show.

State Department’s Credibility Remains in Tatters

After the news broke that the ambassador to Belgium and members of his security detail had allegedly been soliciting prostitutes, including in some cases minors, President Obama quietly announced that he would reward another major fundraiser, Denise Bauer, by naming her as the replacement for that post. Bauer had been “finance chair for Women for Obama and raised more than $500,000 for the president’s re-election campaign”—classic qualifications, apparently, for the President who was going to change the way Washington does business.

- Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Battle Over Student Loan Rates Obscures Larger Issues

Rates on new subsidized federal student loans just doubled from 3.4% to 6.8% on July 1st, a fact that was met with dread, frustration, and, for some, celebration. As Danielle Kurtzleben notes for U.S. News and World Report, a student loan rate of 6.8 percent “wasn’t always so scary,” that is, until Congress lowered it to 3.4%.

Obama Administration Attempts to Intimidate State Department Whistleblower

President Obama doesn’t like leaks and he doesn’t like scandals. In recent weeks he’s had plenty of both. We should not be surprised, then, that the Administration is once again using its government apparatus the “Chicago way” to stifle whistleblowers. It’s most recent victim: Aurelia Fedenisn.

Can the Media Protect Hillary Clinton from Latest State Department Scandal?

Hillary Clinton’s approval rating has fallen 12 points in the wake of the Benghazi scandal, especially since some Americans still hold her responsible for the inadequate security in Libya during the September 11, 2012 attack. Now, additional scandals, which may have been covered up by the State Department under Hillary’s watch could further threaten her approval rating. These scandals, if given enough traction by the media, could possibly jeopardize Hillary’s chances to run for president. It is therefore in the media’s best interest to keep their beloved political candidate away from controversy, and distance the department’s cover-up from her leadership.

Media Embrace Obama’s Controversial Picks for National Security Team

The mainstream media have embraced President Obama’s recent national security team picks either by omitting key information about the nominee or, in the case of Susan Rice, by miscasting the controversy as one of Republican outrage, rather than lies about Benghazi. Republican partisans aren’t the only ones outraged about Benghazi and the lies told thereafter: lots of average Americans are too.

IRS Scandal Makes Obamacare an Even Tougher Sell

Obamacare will be successful in California next year. That's what liberal commentators are saying after the executive director of Covered California, Peter Lee, declared a "home run" for Californians. The joy relates to a press release which asserts that "The rates submitted to Covered California for the 2014 individual market ranged from two percent above to 29 percent below the 2013 average premium for small employer plans in California's most populous regions." In reality, according to Avik Roy of Forbes, Obamacare will increase individual health insurance premiums by 64 to 146% in one year.

On or Off the Record, Obama Administration is in Damage Control Mode

The media had their big off-the-record meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder and his staff on Thursday, and immediately turned around and talked about what was discussed at the meeting. In effect, Holder threw sand in the eyes of the journalists who attended, and put himself in charge of fixing whatever they think needs fixing.

Dishonoring America’s Veterans

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin called it “arguably the biggest scandal the Obama Administration is facing in Washington right now—the Department of Veterans’ Affairs disability claims backlog.” The average wait time, she reported, is 273 days. “Despite a half-a-billion dollar new computer system designed to improve efficiency at the VA, 97 percent of all the claims are still filed on paper.”

Left Tries to Redefine IRS Scandal

The liberal media, liberal non-profits, and Congressional Democrats are urging the public to look the other way from the IRS targeting scandal. The problem, they argue, is the presence of 501(c)(4)s that engage in political activity—instead of being “exclusively” social welfare organizations. What, exactly, do they mean by social welfare? These liberals assert that a regulation by the IRS, active since 1959, which contradicts a U.S. statute, is to blame.

Obama’s Leak Obsession Leads to Privacy and Free Speech Abuses

The Obama Administration is obsessed with leaks. Not the information it carefully leaks on its own, but the leaked stories which prove inconvenient for the Administration’s carefully crafted narratives. This serves as an extension of the White House’s emphatic desire to control all media accounts of itself, and craft a positive image before the public. Thus, even in the case of national security, leaks are designed to enhance the Administration’s profile. For those that aren’t, the reporters better watch out.

IRS Scandal Reaches the White House

The Washington Post narrative surrounding the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups is that it began as a scandal involving low-level employees at a Cincinnati office, the “Determinations Unit,” a natural outgrowth of an increase in political activity by these groups.

Obama Fires IRS Commissioner as Scandal Grows

The scandal involving the politicization of the IRS under the Obama administration continues to grow. Congressmen briefed by IRS officials say that instead of 300 groups that received closer scrutiny, the number has climbed to 471. More drip, drip, drip.

IRS Scandal Threatens to Overshadow Benghazi

You would have thought that the Obama administration would have learned from the growing Benghazi scandal that the best way to handle such controversies is to get out in front of them, and put it all out there, rather than let it drip, drip, drip, as is now happening with the recent IRS blowup. According to The Washington Post, based on documents it obtained from a congressional aide, the Internal Revenue Service has targeted and singled out for added scrutiny, groups applying for tax-exempt status which have made statements that “criticize how the country is being run” and that were involved in educating Americans “on the Constitution and Bill of Rights.”

Obama Counts on Media to Shift Blame for Flight Delays

Americans have repeatedly learned from the mainstream media that some of their favorite services are threatened by the sequester, even though the agencies making the cuts have leeway in where, when and what is cut. Early on, we learned that White House tours were canceled. Then we learned that border security would face furloughs, and that thousands of illegal aliens were released from federal detention centers, including a substantial number with criminal records. Now U.S. citizens are experiencing delayed flights across the country as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) furloughs each of its employees one day every other week. “The FAA has said that planes will have to take off and land less frequently, so as not to overload the remaining controllers on duty,” reports the Associated Press.

Media Working Hand in Glove with Democrats on Gun Legislation

Why do the media consider the filibuster a strong, principled stance under Democrat leadership, but an obstructionist tool when used by Republicans? This media double standard has been used consistently during the current and past administration, and currently is being used to shame Republicans on the gun control debate.