Free candy! (Please take one.)

"It's the law!!!"

Wasn't that what the Democrats kept screeching during 2012? Apparently they were just trolling us:

Sink, Sank, Sunk

Alex Sink and David Jolly

If Alex Sink thought she'd have an easy path to Congress in Florida's 13th District, she was badly mistaken. Perhaps realizing she cannot run from her past support for Obamacare, she instead continues to enthusiastically promote it during her campaign, leading to awkward moments such as a recent interview in which she referred to job losses caused by Obamacare as "an exciting prospect."

This disconnect with the unpopularity of Obamacare creates an opportunity for Sink's Republican challenger David Jolly and his supporters. American Crossroads released an ad today, titled "Sunk," featuring compelling interviews with Pinellas County seniors that highlight other troubling details from Sink's record:

My calendar is broken.

Help. I need someone to send me a new calendar. Mine is broken.

Today is CLEARLY not February 10th...it HAS to be April Fool's Day:

"Piece of mind?"

These people are running your government and taking over your health care. *shudder*

From the official White House twitter feed:

Liberals worried about cost of government regulations, LOL

We've spent the past few years watching conservatives argue that Obamacare would have disastrous effects on the health care system, in no small part because it imposes a massive regulatory burden on medical providers and insurance companies. Obama and his Democrat Congresscritters have discounted such concerns, characterizing this as a necessary sacrifice to provide health care to Americans.

We see a similar debate regarding environmental issues, where liberal environmentalists preach that the high cost of complying with an increasingly meddlesome and arbitrary EPA is a burden rightfully borne by those evil corporations. 

Now, after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed HB2 (Texas' new law restricting abortions after five months unless the life of the mother was at risk and requiring certain safety standards at clinics) to take effect, the media are reporting that "at least 12 Texas abortion clinics have been closed."

Isn't that just fascinating? I mean, not a single word in HB2 required any clinics to close, so what's happening here?

Schadenfreudalicious

Republicans in 2008: "Obama's ideas for health care reform are not good. We don't like this."

Democrats in 2008: "No, this will be awesome. Just wait."

Op-Ed: Obamacare closes door to opportunity

Today, I had an op-ed published in the Austin American-Statesman on the topic of the effect of Obamacare on young entrepreneurs. You can read it on the Statesman's website here, or I've reprinted the text below:

Barbie was right: Math IS hard

Apparently Barbie is a Democrat.

In the early 1990s, the Mattel toy company found itself in hot water when the phrases spoken by the "Teen Talk" Barbie doll included "Math class is tough!"

Mattel removed the offensive quote from Barbie's repertoire, but it looks like they may need to start manufacturing that doll again for young Democrat ladies.

Sebelius offers "dead parrot" defense of Obamacare website

How Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius still has her job is beyond me.

At today's Congressional hearing, Sebelius testified, "The website never crashed." Unfortunately for her, the website had actually crashed just a few minutes before the hearing began, and remained down for much of her testimony, and CNN's split screen display was just priceless:

New video series from RNC highlights problems with Obamacare website

The RNC rolled out a new website and a series of short videos highlighting the many problems with the launch of the Obamacare website and other annoyances with the new health care law.

The videos parody the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads and are posted at obamacarecosts.org. They are also encouraging use of a hashtag, #ImObamacare.

Here's my favorite of the videos:

Senator John Cornyn: Obama's shutdown strategy is to "maximize the pain" of the American people

Cornyn from his days on the
Texas Supreme Court

Last night, Texas Senator John Cornyn held a conference call with conservative bloggers and journalists. As we enter Day 2 of the government shutdown, his comments from just a few hours ago are becoming even more relevant as the day goes on. Thought I'd share some of my notes from the call with you.

L.A. Times stoops to new levels to find racism in Obamacare opposition

The L.A. Times is finding hidden racism in a conservative position? Must be a day ending in "Y."

In an op-ed published on Sunday titled "Obamacare: New fight, old tactics," author Nelson Lichtenstein explicitly states that "[o]pponents of the healthcare law are following in the footsteps of Southern segregationists half a century ago."

Senators Cruz and Rubio mount new attack on Obamacare; opposing new continuing resolution [VIDEO]

Today, Texas Senator Ted Cruz introduced legislation, co-sponsored by Senators Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rand Paul (R-KY), Roy Blunt (R-MO), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Paul Isakson (R-GA), and Dean Heller (R-NV), to fully defund Obamacare. The bill is appropriately named the "Defund Obamacare Act of 2013."

Sarah vs. ObamaCare

I've never been a "blog-every-story-every-day" blogger. It's easier to tweet the stories of the day (follow me @rumpfshaker if you aren't already) and occasionally write some longer commentary when I have time and schedule the post to go live the next day. 

I don't often get to break stories. 

But apparently I do today....or, at least, I get to break the story of my little role in a much bigger story.

Huh? Senate Prez Don Gaetz compares opposition to Medicaid expansion to segregation

This is one of those "Did I just read what I think I read? No way. Seriously, there must be something wrong with my eyes" type of articles. 

Florida Senate President Don Gaetz has compared those opposed to Medicaid expansion to segregationists. Yes, really.

From the Tampa Bay Times:

I debated Alan Grayson...well, sort of...

Earlier this month, I debated the once-and-future Congressman (sigh...) Alan Grayson on Fox 35 Orlando regarding whether ObamaCare was at fault for announced layoffs at Orlando Regional Healthcare Systems. 

Well, OK, I didn't really debate him in person. But we were both invited to comment on the story and I believe my analysis up very well against Grayson's predictable talking points:

Shocker, I know: Biden got his facts wrong about Palin

"Hey Joe, I didn't know you could travel through time!"

At the vice presidential debate last night, Joe Biden made a curious comment regarding Sarah Palin:

“You know, I heard that death panel argument from Sarah Palin. It seems that every vice presidential debate, I hear this kind of stuff about panels. But let's talk about Medicare..."

Wait a second. Palin was claiming that  the implementation of ObamaCare would involve death panels in 2008?

The legislation wasn't introduced until the summer of 2009. 

Obama 2012: Keeping It Classy

The Obama campaign has a Tumblr blog at barackobama.tumblr.com, and a recent image posted there should raise some eyebrows:

Latest Romney ad fits religious freedom and foreign policy in 30 seconds

The latest Romney ad, "Be Not Afraid," featuring footage from Mitt and Ann Romney's recent trip to Poland, has a short but powerful message about religious freedom:

A Doctor's View of ObamaCare

American Thinker posted a must-read article over the weekend, featuring an interview with a surgeon frustrated about ObamaCare and its looming impacts on the medical profession: