{"id":23623,"date":"2013-11-13T21:16:34","date_gmt":"2013-11-14T02:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=23623"},"modified":"2013-11-13T21:17:11","modified_gmt":"2013-11-14T02:17:11","slug":"the-daily-gouge-thursday-november-14th-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=23623","title":{"rendered":"The Daily Gouge, Thursday, November 14th, 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>It&#8217;s Thursday, November 14th, 2013&#8230;but before we begin, submitted for your perusal,\u00a0<em>Hope n&#8217; Change<\/em>&#8216;s take on the first of The Obamao&#8217;s innumerable lies to have actually gained exposure in any media outlet other than <em>FOX News<\/em>:<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Hugh-And-Cry-sm.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23674\" alt=\"Hugh-And-Cry-sm\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Hugh-And-Cry-sm.jpg\" width=\"550\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Hugh-And-Cry-sm.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Hugh-And-Cry-sm-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Keep-On-Keeping-On.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23671\" alt=\"Keep-On-Keeping-On\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Keep-On-Keeping-On.jpg\" width=\"550\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Keep-On-Keeping-On.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Keep-On-Keeping-On-300x269.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MeatPuppet.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23672\" alt=\"MeatPuppet\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MeatPuppet.jpg\" width=\"550\" height=\"421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MeatPuppet.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/MeatPuppet-300x229.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ApocalypseFinal.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23673\" alt=\"ApocalypseFinal\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ApocalypseFinal.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ApocalypseFinal.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ApocalypseFinal-300x295.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Now, here&#8217;s The Gouge!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>First up, <em>Commentary Magazine <\/em>asks the question&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"post-title\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.commentarymagazine.com\/2013\/11\/11\/is-kerry-the-worst-secretary-of-state-ever-iran-israel\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Is Kerry the Worst Secretary of State Ever?<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/john_kerry_code_pink_syria_ap_img.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23656\" alt=\"john_kerry_code_pink_syria_ap_img\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/john_kerry_code_pink_syria_ap_img.png\" width=\"400\" height=\"261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/john_kerry_code_pink_syria_ap_img.png 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/john_kerry_code_pink_syria_ap_img-300x195.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">&#8220;The name plate?\u00a0 Just in case you forget who you&#8217;re talking to.\u00a0 Oh&#8230;and I can kill you with this pencil!&#8221;<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>To which we can only reply&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N9L7UUp0FxY?start=80\" height=\"235\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>As the author notes, &#8220;<em>Though his predecessor Hillary Clinton\u2019s accomplishments in her four years at Foggy Bottom were slim (other, that is, than racking up frequent flier miles), right now she is starting to look like a foreign-policy giant by comparison.<\/em>&#8220;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Since we&#8217;re on the subject of the worst foreign policy team in our nation&#8217;s history&#8230; <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>including<\/em><\/span> the Carter years&#8230;writing at <em>The Weekly Standard<\/em>, Elliott Abrams details why Liberals continually seek to rewrite history:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"header\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">From George Santayana to Wendy Sherman<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/iran_hostages.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23685\" alt=\"iran_hostages\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/iran_hostages.jpg\" width=\"350\" height=\"263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/iran_hostages.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/iran_hostages-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Over a century ago George Santayana wrote that \u201cThose who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article\">\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>He might have had John Kerry and Wendy Sherman in mind.<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong> For there is a long history of U.S.-Iran negotiations, and much to learn from them.\u00a0<span style=\"color: #008000;\">(<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>None<\/em><\/span> of which Team Tick-Tock&#8217;s taken to heart!)<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Perhaps the best short text came from the pen of Bruce Laingen, then the American Charge d\u2019Affaires in Tehran, in a cable dated August 13, 1979, under the title \u201cNegotiations.\u201d The full memo was later published by the <em>New York Times<\/em>, on January 27, 1981.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Laingen was involved in difficult negotiations with the then-new revolutionary government of Iran. <span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>There were many explanations for why the talks were so tough, but Laingen said, \u201cwe believe the underlying cultural and psychological qualities\u2026account for the nature of these difficulties are and will remain relatively constant.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">After some very sharp analysis, Laingen drew six lessons. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>First,<\/strong> <strong>\u201c<em>one should never assume that his side of the issue will be recognized, let alone have merits<\/em>\u2026.<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>A negotiator must force recognition of\u00a0 his position upon his Persian opposite number<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 Are our negotiators these days being sufficiently forceful, or falling for the Iranian charm offensive?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Second,<\/strong> <strong>Laingen wrote, \u201c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>one should not expect an Iranian readily to perceive the advantages of a long-term relationship based on trust<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong> <\/span>He will assume that his opposite number is essentially an adversary.\u201d\u00a0 But today one has to wonder if our government has adopted what Ray Takeyh at the Council on Foreign Relations called the \u201cRouhani narrative:\u201d Rouhani is a reformer and we have to help him; progress is at hand. If that\u2019s our view, the Iranians will eat our negotiators alive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article\">\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Third, \u201c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>linkages will neither be readily comprehended nor accepted by Persian negotiators<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/strong><\/span> Once again, a forceful and tough negotiating stance appears required.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Alice_in_Wonderland_Dark_Ride.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23686\" alt=\"Alice_in_Wonderland_Dark_Ride\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Alice_in_Wonderland_Dark_Ride.jpg\" width=\"350\" height=\"263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Alice_in_Wonderland_Dark_Ride.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Alice_in_Wonderland_Dark_Ride-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Fourth, \u201cone should insist on performance as the sine qua non <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>at each stage of negotiations<\/em><\/span>. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Statements of intent count for almost nothing<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/strong> <\/span>Yet our negotiators seem dazzled by Rouhani\u2019s soft words, despite his admission that he has used them in the past to stall for time while the nuclear program progressed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>Fifth, Laingen wrote, \u201c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>cultivation of good will for good will\u2019s sake is a waste of effort<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/strong><\/span> Yet our negotiators appear to think good will is a key goal, and will change the nature of our relations with Iran. We like good meetings, earnest exchanges, and expressions of positive intentions. On leaving Geneva last weekend, Secretary Kerry said that &#8220;With good work and good faith over the course of the next weeks, we can, in fact, secure our goal.&#8221; But Laingen\u2019s exact point is that there is no good faith \u00a0so it is foolish to look for it\u2014and even more foolish to work hard to create it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Finally, Laingen\u2019s cable said \u201c<em>one should be prepared for the threat of breakdown in negotiations at any given moment <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">and not be cowed by the possibility<\/span><\/em>.\u201d<\/strong><\/span> It seems the French have learned that lesson far better than we. The Iranians came to the table because the sanctions are hurting badly now. They won\u2019t walk away so quickly\u2014even if they threaten to do so.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The French expression \u201cplus ca change, plus c\u2019est la meme chose\u201d seems apt as we think about the 1979 cable and the current negotiations. The more things change, the more\u201434 years later\u2014they are the same. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">By the way, Laingen sent this message in to the State Department, as noted above, on August 13, 1979.<\/span> Less than three months later, on November 4, he was one of those seized as a hostage in the U.S. Embassy.<\/strong><\/span> The Times got hold of his message to State in 1980, but held it for a year\u2014publishing it in January, 1981, when Laingen and the other hostages had been freed. They were freed the day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated, which is itself a lesson in how to win a negotiation with the Islamic Republic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In other words, Dimocratic <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>dip<\/em><\/span>lomacy <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>is<\/em><\/span>&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/40441362.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23697\" alt=\"40441362\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/40441362.jpg\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/40441362.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/40441362-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Next, continuing our coverage of the greatest political meltdown since Jimmy Carter donned a cardigan sweater and told Americans to lower their thermostats, courtesy of the <em>WaPo<\/em> via <em>AEI<\/em>, Marc Thiessen reports on&#8230;<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Obama\u2019s nonapology<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/81_140003201311111053461.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23659\" alt=\"81_14000320131111105346\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/81_140003201311111053461.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/81_140003201311111053461.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/81_140003201311111053461-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"policy-article-copy  class\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">There is nothing to focus the presidential mind like finding out that your Gallup approval rating has dropped below George W. Bush\u2019s in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. So little wonder that after spending weeks denying he had promised Americans they could keep their health plans, President Obama finally said the words \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>But let\u2019s be clear: <em>He didn\u2019t <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">really<\/span> apologize<\/em>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>Look closely at what Obama <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>actually said<\/em><\/span>: He did <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span> apologize for misleading the American people. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">And he did <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em> <\/span>apologize for people losing the plans he promised they could keep.<\/span> <em>He <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">apologized<\/span> that they can\u2019t get <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">into<\/span> Obamacare<\/em>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Big<\/em><\/span> difference.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Obama said, \u201cI am sorry that they, you know, are finding themselves in this situation, based on assurances they got from me.\u201d Well, what situation is that, Mr. President? The situation that they can\u2019t access the Obamacare exchanges. The president went on to say, \u201cKeep in mind that most of the folks who got these cancellation letters, they\u2019ll be able to get better care at the same cost or cheaper in these new marketplaces. .\u2009.\u2009. The majority of folks will end up being better off, of course. Because the Web site\u2019s not working right, they don\u2019t necessarily know it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #333399;\">So if you\u2019re one of the 4.8 million people (and counting) who\u2019ve lost their health insurance, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>congratulations<\/em><\/span>!<\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">President Obama thinks you\u2019re better off \u2014 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>you just don\u2019t know it yet<\/em><\/span>.<\/span> The problem, in Obama\u2019s telling, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>isn\u2019t<\/em><\/span> that Americans can\u2019t keep the plans they like \u2014 the plans he promised they could keep. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">The problem is that because the Healthcare.gov Web site does not work, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>they just can\u2019t see how much better Obamacare really is<\/em><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/jimgleaves.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23691\" alt=\"jimgleaves\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/jimgleaves.jpeg\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/jimgleaves.jpeg 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/jimgleaves-300x225.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>His non-apology apology is revealing, because it underscores what his administration\u2019s 2010 regulations proved \u2014 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>that his plan all along was to forced millions of Americans out of the individual market and into Obamacare<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong> <\/span>He needs those people in the exchanges because most of them are healthy and don\u2019t use a lot of services \u2014 and he needs them to join Obamacare so they can subsidize the poor and the sick. His plan all along was to force a seamless, involuntary transfer of millions out of the individual market into the exchanges.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">But the White House did not anticipate that the Web site would fail.<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>That\u2019s<\/em><\/span> what the president is \u201csorry\u201d about<\/strong><\/span>. He\u2019s not sorry you lost your plan. He\u2019s not sorry he lied. He\u2019s sorry you can\u2019t get Obamacare.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Now Obama faces a disaster of his own making: Millions of Americans are losing their insurance on Jan. 1 and can\u2019t get or afford replacement coverage. So in his interview, Obama hinted at a proposed \u201csolution\u201d \u2014 taxpayer-funded premium subsidies for people who are losing their insurance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Sorry, Mr. President, but premium subsidies won\u2019t fix this mess. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>For one thing, premium subsidies don\u2019t help if your deductible is doubling. <span style=\"color: #333399;\">And premium subsidies won\u2019t help if you are losing your doctor.<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Remember, Obama\u2019s promise wasn\u2019t just that you could keep your plan \u2014 it was that you could keep your doctor. Well a taxpayer subsidy isn\u2019t going to bring your doctor back.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>And even if those problems <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>could<\/em><\/span> be overcome, why should taxpayers get stuck with the bill for Obama\u2019s dishonesty?<\/strong><\/span> Millions who were happy with their insurance, and happy to pay for it on their own, are now losing those plans because of Obamacare. They now face huge premium increases they cannot afford, because Obamacare mandates coverage for all sorts of things they don\u2019t want or need, such as maternity care, pediatric care and substance abuse services.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ObamaKnew0338.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-23692\" alt=\"ObamaKnew0338\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ObamaKnew0338-300x300.jpeg\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ObamaKnew0338-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ObamaKnew0338-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ObamaKnew0338.jpeg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">And Obama\u2019s ingenious solution is more taxpayer subsidies? <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #333399;\">Already, in the Obamacare exchanges lower-income people were going to get premium subsidies to pay for coverage they don\u2019t want or need.<\/span> Now middle-income people are going to get premium subsidies to pay for coverage they don\u2019t want or need?<\/strong><\/span> Pure genius.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>So millions of Americans get to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>lose<\/em><\/span> the plans they liked, and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>lose<\/em><\/span> the doctors they liked \u2014 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>and taxpayers will lose their shirt on top of it all<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">In his interview, the president declared that when he said Americans could keep their plans, \u201cI meant what I said.\u201d <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>No he didn\u2019t<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span> He didn\u2019t say, \u201cYes, you\u2019ll lose your plan, but we\u2019ll give you a better one.\u201d He didn\u2019t say, \u201cYou can keep your plan so long as it is not sub-par.\u201d He said, \u201cIf you like your plan, you can keep your plan. Period.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Obama didn\u2019t apologize. And he didn\u2019t offer a workable solution to the mess he created. Until he does both, he\u2019s not going to recover the trust of the American people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>In other words&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Obama-flipping-us-the-bird.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-23698\" alt=\"Obama-flipping-us-the-bird\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Obama-flipping-us-the-bird-215x300.jpg\" width=\"215\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Obama-flipping-us-the-bird-215x300.jpg 215w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Obama-flipping-us-the-bird.jpg 247w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Speaking of the greatest fraud perpetrated on the American people since Social Security, the Great Society and income tax withholding, Jonathan Tobin calls a spade a spade as he describes how&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"post-title\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.commentarymagazine.com\/2013\/11\/12\/bill-clinton-sticks-a-knife-in-obamacare-hillary\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Bill Clinton Sticks a Knife in ObamaCare<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/1418450360_1945708830001_vs-50965ecae0b9b0e4486de5ef-806787308001.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-23679\" alt=\"1418450360_1945708830001_vs-50965ecae0b9b0e4486de5ef-806787308001\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/1418450360_1945708830001_vs-50965ecae0b9b0e4486de5ef-806787308001-300x223.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/1418450360_1945708830001_vs-50965ecae0b9b0e4486de5ef-806787308001-300x223.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/1418450360_1945708830001_vs-50965ecae0b9b0e4486de5ef-806787308001.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">&#8220;Et tu, Slick Willy?!?&#8221;<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8230;Speaking much as if he was one of the angry red-state Democrats who think the president\u2019s lies about ObamaCare can sink their hopes of reelection next year, the 42nd president stuck a knife into the 44thpresident by saying the law should be changed to accommodate the demands of those who are losing their coverage despite the president\u2019s promises to the contrary:<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p>\u201c<em>I personally believe even if it takes a change in the law, the president should honor the commitment the federal government made to those people and let them keep what they got<\/em>.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>In doing so, the former unofficial \u201cexplainer in chief\u201d for Obama has helped undermine the notion that the president\u2019s signature health-care legislation can be kept intact. <span style=\"color: #008080;\">But he has also begun the process by which Hillary will begin to disassociate herself from an administration that is beginning to take on the odor of lame-duck failure.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>&#8230;The point is there is no way for responsible citizens who <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>pay<\/em><\/span> for their insurance not to be the losers in this scheme <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>since without bilking them<\/em><\/span> (as well as the recruitment of vast numbers of young, healthy people who will pay for more insurance than most will want or need) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>it will be impossible to carry off the vast redistribution of wealth that is at the core of ObamaCare<\/em><\/span>&#8230;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"Bill Clinton Sticks a Knife in Obamacare\" href=\"http:\/\/www.commentarymagazine.com\/2013\/11\/12\/bill-clinton-sticks-a-knife-in-obamacare-hillary\/\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">http:\/\/www.commentarymagazine.com\/2013\/11\/12\/bill-clinton-sticks-a-knife-in-obamacare-hillary\/<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>We don&#8217;t know what Der Schlickmeister&#8217;s up to; but whatever his game, we can say with <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>total<\/em><\/span> conviction it&#8217;s to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>his<\/em><\/span> advantage, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span> ours!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In a related item, Seth Mandel, with good reason, wonders&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"post-title\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008080;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.commentarymagazine.com\/2013\/11\/13\/can-obamas-promise-still-be-kept\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"color: #008080;\">Can Obama\u2019s Promise Still Be Kept?<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/dylan_rattigan_obamacare_victim_11-8-13.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23681\" alt=\"dylan_rattigan_obamacare_victim_11-8-13\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/dylan_rattigan_obamacare_victim_11-8-13.jpg\" width=\"450\" height=\"197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/dylan_rattigan_obamacare_victim_11-8-13.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/dylan_rattigan_obamacare_victim_11-8-13-300x131.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #008080;\"><em><strong>http:\/\/www.commentarymagazine.com\/2013\/11\/13\/can-obamas-promise-still-be-kept\/<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Der Obafuhrer <em>did<\/em> keep <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>one<\/em><\/span> promise&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Obama-gas-prices-large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23680\" alt=\"Obama gas prices large\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Obama-gas-prices-large.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Obama-gas-prices-large.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Obama-gas-prices-large-206x300.jpg 206w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>one<\/em><\/span>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Moving on, Jim Geraghty reports why&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">One U.S. Airport Is About to Get a Heck of a Lot More Expensive<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/15.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23694\" alt=\"$15\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/15.png\" width=\"399\" height=\"185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/15.png 399w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/15-300x139.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The minimum wage represents one of the stickiest arguments for conservatives. Folks on the right generally think that hiking the minimum wage ultimately hurts the working poor by making them more expensive to employ, so employers will hire fewer of them. But hiking the minimum wage usually polls quite well, and opponents of minimum-wage hikes are usually accused of being callous and miserly. One of the few effective counter arguments is to pose the question, if a $10 or $12 minimum wage is good, why not raise it to $20 per hour or $50 per hour? At some point, doesn&#8217;t a high minimum wage start having deleterious effects?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>The good news is the small Seattle suburb of SEATAC\u00a0 &#8212; ten square miles, population 26,000 &#8212; which includes Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, has volunteered to be a guinea pig, voting to raise the local minimum wage to . . . $15 per hour.<\/strong><\/span> Suddenly working in the coffee shop or the Hudson Newsstand doesn&#8217;t look so bad, huh? <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>And you thought the knickknacks, last-minute gifts, and lattes were overpriced before.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The editorial board of the Seattle Times, hardly a hotbed of hardline conservatism, is unnerved:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><em>Fifteen dollars is 61 percent higher than the 2014 minimum wage for Washington, $9.32, which itself is the highest minimum wage of any state.<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong> This page opposed the $15 wage because of the possible economic and social effects, particularly on new immigrants and first-time workers. <span style=\"color: #800000;\">The advocates pooh-poohed these fears and said the effects would be good.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong><em>Let&#8217;s find out. <span style=\"color: #800000;\">SeaTac has just volunteered to conduct an economic experiment on itself.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Keep in mind the bounds of the experiment.<\/strong><\/span> The SeaTac initiative doesn&#8217;t give a $15 wage to everybody. <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Many are inside the airport, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">which gives them captive customers<\/span>.<\/strong><\/span> Other covered workers are in parking operations with 100-plus spaces or hotels with 100-plus rooms. What will these employers do? Will they pay and pass on the costs? Will they cut the number of rooms and employees? Will investors stop building hotels in SeaTac? Will airlines change operations to avoid higher labor costs here?<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zaQlAHptguM?start=47\" height=\"235\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Then there&#8217;s this telling graphic in today&#8217;s Second Amendment segment, forwarded by Jeff Foutch:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/jefffoutch.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23646\" alt=\"jefffoutch\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/jefffoutch.png\" width=\"498\" height=\"596\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/jefffoutch.png 498w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/jefffoutch-250x300.png 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 498px) 100vw, 498px\" \/><\/a><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Any questions?!?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>On the Lighter Side&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/lb1113cd20131111105111.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23687\" alt=\"lb1113cd20131111105111\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/lb1113cd20131111105111.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/lb1113cd20131111105111.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/lb1113cd20131111105111-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/gmc11353220131111120400.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23688\" alt=\"131112OtruthersRGB20131113024815\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/131112OtruthersRGB20131113024815.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/131112OtruthersRGB20131113024815.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/131112OtruthersRGB20131113024815-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23625\" alt=\"gmc11353220131111120400\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/gmc11353220131111120400.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/gmc11353220131111120400.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/gmc11353220131111120400-300x241.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Foden20131112-Lame20131111102811.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23640\" alt=\"Foden20131112-Lame20131111102811\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Foden20131112-Lame20131111102811.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Foden20131112-Lame20131111102811.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Foden20131112-Lame20131111102811-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/gv111013dAPR20131110084516.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23641\" alt=\"gv111013dAPR20131110084516\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/gv111013dAPR20131110084516.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/gv111013dAPR20131110084516.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/gv111013dAPR20131110084516-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/payn_c11349220131109120100.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23643\" alt=\"payn_c11349220131109120100\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/payn_c11349220131109120100.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/payn_c11349220131109120100.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/payn_c11349220131109120100-300x218.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/h0C30295E.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23642\" alt=\"mrz111213dAPR20131112124617\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/mrz111213dAPR20131112124617.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/mrz111213dAPR20131112124617.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/mrz111213dAPR20131112124617-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23637\" alt=\"h0C30295E\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/h0C30295E.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/h0C30295E.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/h0C30295E-300x264.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/h151DC76D.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23638\" alt=\"h151DC76D\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/h151DC76D.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/h151DC76D.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/h151DC76D-300x229.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/hE5343D9C.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23639\" alt=\"hE5343D9C\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/hE5343D9C.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/hE5343D9C.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/hE5343D9C-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Next up, five funnies from Chris Roth&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23632\" alt=\"chrisroth\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth-300x118.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23633\" alt=\"chrisroth1\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth1.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth1-300x118.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23634\" alt=\"chrisroth2\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth2.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth2.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth2-300x118.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23635\" alt=\"chrisroth3\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth3.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth3.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth3-300x118.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23636\" alt=\"chrisroth4\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth4.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth4.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/chrisroth4-300x118.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Finally, in the Entertainment Section, more News You Can&#8217;t Use, as we learn&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"marB10\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">Tina Turner formally \u2018relinquishes\u2019 U.S. citizenship<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/article-1091091-02A9DECC000005DC-496_468x344.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-23701\" alt=\"MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/article-1091091-02A9DECC000005DC-496_468x344.jpg\" width=\"350\" height=\"257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/article-1091091-02A9DECC000005DC-496_468x344.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/article-1091091-02A9DECC000005DC-496_468x344-300x220.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">This item just in via an \u201cactivity\u201d report from the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, headlined \u201cSoul Legend Relinquishes U.S. Citizenship.\u201d \u201cLong-time Swiss resident Tina Turner\u201d was in the embassy Oct. 24 to sign her \u201cStatement of Voluntary Relinquishment of U.S. Citizenship under Section 349 (a)(1) of the INA\u201d \u2014\u00a0the Immigration and Naturalization Act.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Turner, who turns 74 in a couple weeks, retired from the concert stage in 2009. She \u00a0had an abusive, 14-year marriage to Ike Turner (they divorced in 1976), with whom she recorded Jessie Hill\u2019s \u00a0classic \u201cOoh Poo Pah Doo,\u201d and John Fogerty\u2019s \u201cProud Mary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>Turner \u00a0has lived in Switzerland for nearly two decades.<\/strong> <\/span>In July,\u00a0she married her \u00a0boyfriend of 27 years, \u00a0German music producer Erwin Bach (unclear if related to Johann Sebastian). \u00a0Turner had taken the oath of Swiss nationality April 10. \u00a0S<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>he\u2019s fluent in German, the report said, and she declared that she no longer has any strong ties to the United States \u201cexcept for family, and has no plans to reside in the United States in the future.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The key word in the embassy report apparently is the term \u201crelinquishment.\u201d That means, a knowledgeable source told us, \u00a0that she did not \u201cformally renounce her U.S. citizenship under 349(a)(5) Immigration and Nationality Act, \u00a0but took Swiss citizenship with the intent to lose her\u00a0U.S. citizenship.\u201d \u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><strong>As opposed to formal renunciation \u2014\u00a0a much more complex process, we were told \u2014\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>there are no \u201ctax or other penalties for loss of citizenship in this fashion<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Guess this answers the question, &#8220;What&#8217;s love got to do with it?&#8221;\u00a0 Nothing whatsoever; it was all about taxes!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Magoo<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s Thursday, November 14th, 2013&#8230;but before we begin, submitted for your perusal,\u00a0Hope n&#8217; Change&#8216;s take on the first of The Obamao&#8217;s innumerable lies to have actually gained exposure in any media outlet other than FOX News: Now, here&#8217;s The Gouge! First up, Commentary Magazine asks the question&#8230; Is Kerry the Worst Secretary of State Ever? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1988,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1988"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23623"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23702,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23623\/revisions\/23702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}