Electronic Medical Records - Losing Privacy and Money

The IRS is being sued by a California healthcare provider for seizing the medical records of an estimated 10 million Americans, which included sensitive information such as psychological services, drug treatment, and gynecological counseling.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/17/Claim-IRS-Illegally-Seized-60-Million-Private-Medical-Records

On a related issue, Obama's new federal mandate is forcing hospitals and medical doctors to convert from paper records to electronic record-keeping, claiming that it will save billions of dollars in the long run. To date, billions have been spent already, and it is now predicted by the RAND Corporation that this will not save the expected money. And, for those who don't comply, there will be penalties.

Not coincidentally, big Obama donor, Judy Faulkner, is CEO of Epic Systems, which will be in charge of storing almost half of this country's health information.  According to industry observers, Epic is not technologically up for this task, and "will ultimately hinder health care organization's ability to rapidly innovate."
http://townhall.com/columnists/michellemalkin/2013/05/22/the-obama-crony-in-charge-of-your-medical-records-n1602873

Who Can We Trust?

It's getting hard to keep track of all the scandals this administration is involved in. By now we're familiar with the neglect in Benghazi and the ensuing cover-up, the IRS targeting of Americans based on political beliefs, and the Dept. of Justice wiretapping AP reporters. And, as the hearings and discoveries continue, the troubling nature of them grows.

There's more. Fox News reporter James Rosen has been targeted by the Dept of Justice. Rosen's emails and phone records were seized after the DOJ got a search warrant invoking the Espionage Act, and named him a criminal co-conspirator for publishing sensitive information. Essentially he was doing his job as an investigative reporter. Documents also show that the department seized many phone records of numbers associated with Fox News.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/22/doj-invoked-espionage-act-in-calling-fox-news-reporter-criminal-co-conspirator/  
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2013/05/dojs-fox-news-surveillance-legitimate-leak-investigation-or-outrageous-violation-of-the-first-amendment.php

Additionally, the EPA has been selectively deciding which groups should pay for requested information.  The EPA has been giving preferential treatment to environmental groups by waiving fees, yet charging conservative groups full price for information.
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/energyenvironment/300535-gop-lawmakers-compare-epa-tactics-to-irs-targeting

And something fishy, but not yet at scandal status yet - Health and Human Services Secy. Kathleen Sebelius has been fundraising on behalf of Enroll America, a non-profit organization created to sign up people for benefits under the healthcare law. There are calls for further investigation.

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2013/May/21/scandals-and-controversies.aspx
http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2013/may/20/hhs-secretary-kathleen-sebelius-fundraising-has-ma/

Who's Minding the Store?

 Is there a limit to how many times powerful leaders in the government can plead ignorance?  Apparently not. The unholy trinity in the Obama administration has denied, deferred, and distracted too often to ignore.  
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA insisted that he didn't know any more about what was going on in Benghazi at the time Susan Rice was making the rounds.  http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-benghazi-theres-no-there-there_722514.html
OBAMA also denied any knowledge of State Dept. employees being blocked from coming forward with information on Benghazi.  http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-denies-knowledge-state-department-blocking-benghazi-testimony
OBAMA didn't know about the IRS targeting conservative groups - in fact, he said he thought it was "intolerable" and "inexcusable".  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/05/13/obama-vows-full-investigation-of-outrageous-irs-intimidation-people-have-to-be-held-accountable-i-will-not-tolerate-it/
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/16/Obama-On-IRS-Scandal-I-Certainly-Did-Not-Know-Anything
OBAMA White House claims no knowledge on AP phone records and wiretapping scandal.  http://outfront.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/13/white-house-responds-to-justice-dept-secretly-obtaining-ap-phone-records/


ERIC HOLDER said he would investigate the AP wiretapping since he had no knowledge of it.  http://rt.com/usa/holder-denies-knowledge-ap-leaks-360/
HOLDER also didn't know anything about the Fast and Furious scandal as he repeatedly said during the hearings. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012/09/20/hearing-focuses-on-fast-and-furious-operation/57811970/1
http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2012-06-06-DEI-to-Holder-Wiretap-App.pdf
HOLDER was 'shocked, shocked!' to learn the IRS was targeting certain groups for excessive scrutiny.   http://nation.foxnews.com/irs/2013/05/14/holder-whose-doj-secretly-looked-through-reporters-phone-records-will-investigate-irs
To witness the extent of HOLDER's feigned ignorance in a montage, see the following video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4fCF_LiS4l4&noredirect=1

HILARY CLINTON never knew the consulate in Benghazi had requested more security.  http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/298999-rand-paul-benghazi-disqualifies-clinton-from-holding-high-office
HILARY CLINTON denied knowledge of a gun-running operation into Turkey to arm Syrian rebels (which brought Ambassador Stevens into Benghazi).  http://www.wnd.com/2013/04/rand-paul-hillarys-benghazi-story-unraveling/

So, who IS minding the store?

Modern Day Pilgrims

They came to America for religious freedom.  Giving their children an education which taught them about God, the parents were threatened with persecution. They were told they could face prison time and  lose custody of their six children if they violated the law. The law didn't allow for parents to teach their own children as they saw fit. So, they came here, to the sweet land of liberty.

This is the story of the early pilgrims. It is the essence of why this country was founded. True. But it is currently the story of the Romeike family who sought asylum in America because they were not  allowed to homeschool their children in their homeland of Germany.  According to German law, all children must have a public education, but the Romeike family didn't like what was being taught in the schools there. They came here seeking asylum, through the front door, and the request was granted. The parents both worked, paid their taxes and were grateful to be able to educate their children. Until...

Eric Holder and the Justice Dept. got involved and decided to challenge their case; they informed them that they did not have a right to seek asylum. Their case was overturned and they were told they had to go home.  The head of the Homeschooling Legal Defense Association, representing the family, will be appealing the decision, and is willing to take it to the Supreme Court if necessary.

So, while millions of immigrants who came here illegally will probably be granted amnesty, this country apparently has no more room for one family seeking religious freedom. How far we have come.
http://www.glennbeck.com/2013/05/15/homeschooling-family-set-to-be-deported-lawyer-gives-glenn-the-latest/?utm_source=Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2013-05-15_220544&utm_content=22615308&utm_term=_220544_220558

http://savingourfuture.com/2013/05/obama-administration-refusal-to-grant-asylum-to-german-home-schooling-family-upheld-by-appeals-court/

1984 Has Arrived

Imagine a facility that measures 100,000 sq. ft. for which the sole purpose is to store all of the information about each and every one of us in the country. That Orwellian place actually exists. It is the Utah Data Center and is expected to be operational in September 2013.  The data being collected  includes bank cards, credit cards, contents of private emails, cell phones, Google searches, social media and more. This collection of data began right after 9/11/01 under Bush and has been expanded under Obama.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2013/03/04/nsa-utah-data-center-visit/

In a chilling episode of "For the Record" produced by TheBlaze TV, NSA whistleblowers come forward to tell their stories of how the government has been subverting the Constitution. Host Laurie Dhue tells Glenn Beck, Executive Producer of the special,  "what we learn in this is that the protagonist is a guy named Thomas Drake and he says after 9/11 we became a foreign nation basically for the purposes of vast dragnet electronic surveillance. He wanted to blow the whistle here. He approached General Hayden, who was then running the NSA, and said ‘Do you have a warrant for this stuff?’ Because he knew that what was going on was in direct violation of the Constitution. Direct violation of the fourth and Fifth Amendment."

"And General Hayden admitted this surveillance was being done without a warrant. But that wasn’t the end of it. Thomas Drake decided to blow the whistle on the corruption and the fraud and the waste and abuse in the NSA. And guess what happened? He was indicted on 10 felony counts under the Espionage Act. He ended up vindicated.”
http://www.glennbeck.com/2013/03/13/laurie-dhue-theres-even-more-surveillance-going-on-than-ever-before/

IRS Targets Conservatives and Jewish Groups

Senior officials at the IRS admitted that conservative groups were being targeted and scrutinized as early as 2011, including excessive questioning and unfair demands of information, which went beyond the appropriate level for tax-exempt status. Mark Levin's Legal Landmark Foundation, sent a letter to the IRS in March, 2012, which prompted an investigation into these practices.  As of Friday, May 10th, a representative from the IRS apologized for such actions.
http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/05/12/How-Mark-Levin-Led-Fight-Against-IRS

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/10/IRS-Apologizes-for-Targeting-Tea-Party-Groups-in-2012

"At various points over the past two years, Internal Revenue Service officials targeted nonprofit groups that criticized the government and sought to educate Americans about the U.S. Constitution, according to documents in an audit conducted by the agency’s inspector general."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/05/12/irs-targeted-groups-that-criticized-the-government-ig-report-says/

Additionally, The Jewish Press reported that the IRS was giving pro-Israel organizations, which were filing for tax-exempt status, additional scrutiny.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/348013/irs-inquisition-update

Tea Party Patriots are calling for Congress to investigate these claims. It remains to be seen whether the IRS was acting on behalf of politically motivated superiors.

What Difference Does it Make?

In My Opinion...

When Hillary Clinton raised her voice in indignation during a congressional hearing about Benghazi she famously said "what difference, at this point, does it make?" referring to how the four Americans were killed.

What difference does it make, Hillary Clinton? 

It makes a difference why Ambassador Stevens was in Benghazi in the first place, a hotbed of jihadi activity, on the anniversary of 9/11.
It makes a difference why U.S. personnel were not given the protection it asked for many times from the State Dept.
It makes a difference why Americans were vulnerable to attack for several hours that day without backup.
It makes a difference that officials in Washington were watching in real time what was happening on the ground in Benghazi and did nothing.
It makes a difference that our military wanted to intervene and were ready to go and help Americans in trouble, but were told to stand down.
It makes a difference to know who it was that told our military to stand down.
It makes a difference that the President was only briefed once about this attack by the Secy. of Defense and then never followed up with the Secy. again that night.
It makes a difference that the President left for Las Vegas the next day to raise money for his re-election, after finding out that a U.S. Ambassador was killed along with 3 other Americans.

It makes a difference that our U.N. Ambassador, our Secy. of State, and our own President consistently and fervently blamed a youtube video for the attack on our consulate, claiming it was a

spontaneous protest.

It makes a difference that it had nothing at all to do with a video and that it was a terrorist attack.

It makes a difference that this wrongful claim by our government contradicted what the Libyan government stated about the attack and embarrassed its president.
It makes a difference that because of the excuses by our government, the FBI was then held up in Libya for 18 days and couldn't get in to investigate the scene further.

It makes a difference that this was apparently all done in the name of protecting the President and  trying to ensure his re-election.

It makes a difference that the deputy chief of mission in Libya was asked not to give any personal interviews to a congressman who had come to find out information.
It makes a difference when the government at the highest levels lies to the American people for months in an attempt to cover up scandalous decisions.
What difference does it make, Hillary Clinton? It makes a big difference.

 http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2013/05/08/hillary-clintons-big-benghazi-lie-n1591097


http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/05/06/Source-Only-President-Could-Have-Made-Stand-Down-Call-During-Benghazi-Attack

It's A Bird, It's A Plane....It's A Drone!

The Drone Act, passed in 2012, allows for law enforcement agencies, including local police forces to use unmanned drones for surveillance and evidence gathering. By 2015 there could be thousands of drones roaming the skies for investigations, research or border control. The following is an excerpt from an article on Philly.com; the link to the rest of the piece is found below.

Right now, law enforcement can use drones to survey anything that is visible to the human eye without a warrant, said Amie Stepanovich, counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
But drones can be equipped with penetrating technology such as infrared thermal imaging cameras to uncover details that are not visible to the naked human eye.
"It is physically impossible to hide from a drone within the typical home" if the drone is equipped properly, she said. At this point, with the technology being so new, Stepanovich said it is unclear whether such examinations would be considered "searches" under the Fourth Amendment, which would require law enforcement agencies to obtain a warrant.


http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20130505_Drones_taking_off.html

For more information about drones and legislation pertaining to them, go to:

http://epic.org/privacy/drones/

Fast and Furious? What's That?

President Obama, in his trip to Mexico, blamed America for much of the violence there because of our "demand for illegal drugs and the fact that guns are smuggled into Mexico from the U.S." Apparently, no one told our president that his own Justice Dept, under his authority, was responsible for smuggling thousands of guns into Mexico.  This scandal, known as Fast and Furious, has been swept under the rug by the Justice Dept. for two years.  Legal experts representing Gun Owners Foundation is fighting for information, but the government has been stonewalling the investigation and has indefinitely delayed the release of any information. This stonewalling can only happen when the media (or much of it) demands no answers from its government.

http://nation.foxnews.com/obama/2013/05/03/obama-blames-us-crime-and-gun-violence-mexico-no-mention-fast-and-furious

 http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/19/justice-department-blamed-fast-furious-operation/?page=all

http://www.wnd.com/2013/04/stonewalling-on-fast-and-furious-challenged/

Gosnell Trial

Jury deliberations are underway for Dr. Kermit Gosnell - on trial for murdering five people including four babies born alive after botched abortions. Gosnell performed thousands of abortions over his 30 

year career including illegal late term abortions.  The liberal media stayed away from this story until one of its own, Kirsten Powers, shamed them into covering it. Even now the coverage is limited. Why wasn't/isn't this newsworthy? 

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/04/30/jury-deliberates-for-hours-fails-to-reach-a-verdict-in-gosnell-proceedings-plus-the-abortion-doctor-may-still-take-the-stand/