Monday 31 March 2014
Photo, above: the Memorial Bridge over the Potomac, Lincoln Memorial in the background. Just the ticket for Potomac fever if you're deeply involved in bridges.
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-host: Thaddeus McCotter, WJR – the Great Voice of the Great Lakes.
Hour One
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 1, Block A: Aaron Task, host of Daily Ticker, Yahoo Finance, in re: the end of Q1, the last of March, the last day on which to sign up – and pay – for membership in Obamacare. Yellin spoke with the voice of doves. Mary Barra testifies before Congress tomorrow. How will she be heard by the American people? How will members of Congress perhaps score points because of the help GM has had in past?
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 1, Block B: Bill Roggio, Long War Journal and FDD, in re: Chechens in Syria – dishomed wandering slayers, predators, berserkers, now fighting in Syria. A Saudi commander spotted in Latakia, a coastal province on the Med, stronghold of the Assad family (Alawi center). A Chechen group there; see a major Chechen with an up-and-coming jihadist leader, could be a successor to Zawahiri. Well-respected cleric and on the battlefield. The time is long pat for the US to assess who's who, the people who matter on the battlefield: now, they're all bad guys. McCain's former sidekicks all joined a group that fights with al Qaeda. A lot of people n DC want to back al Qaeda just to see them take down Assad. This is completely insane. We’ve seen this movie and we know how it ends. See the vid with the celebration on LongWarJournal site. Look at how the Chechens carry their weapons, what gear they carry they move and shoot, provide medical aid, do all the right things; control more than half of Syria. Adam Gadahn, the US traitor and al Qaeda's snenior propagandist: a vid of him alms ISIS, the former al Q group in Iraq that splintered off. Adam Gadahn is condemning the death of a senior commander, pointing a finger at ISIS. Vid was leaked by a supporter of ISIS!
Chechen al Qaeda commander, popular Saudi cleric, and an Ahrar al Sham leader spotted on front lines in Latakia Muslim al Shishani, a Chechen jihadist and military commander in the Al Nusrah Front, and Dr. Abdallah Muhammad al Muhaysini, an al Qaeda-linked Saudi cleric, celebrate after defeating Syrian government forces during fighting in the mountains of Latakia. A "leader of Ahrar al Sham: Abu al Hassan," is also on scene. Speaking of the ummah: there's no American hand in it. Nothing.
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 1, Block C: Matt Fuller, RollCall, in re: Texas politicians. Twenty-four members of Congress are in the GOP delegation and other dozen Democrats. Pete Gallego (only swing district there). They all meet – Dems on Wednesdays, GOP on Thursdays – for lunch; a real Tejano celebration. Committee chairmen. Lots of votes; "massive thumbprint" in the House. Often show a united front; hear of rivalry 'twixt DeLay and Armey, but they believe there's something special about Texas. With 36 Districts in Texas, and 24 GOP, brings some real conservatives in. Only reason one leaves is if he's primary'd out or retires. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz: Sen Cruz shows up 30-40% of the time; Sen Cornyn cones abt 75-80% of the time. Stockman shows up sometimes, they're all chummy now.
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 1, Block D: Lara M Brown, George Washington University, & Francis Rose, Federal News Radio, in re: Today was to have been the last day in which to sign up if you were uninsured. Avik Roy on the Rand Corporation's report on the ACA: about 6 million people have signed up for health coverage. Noam Levy, LA Times; Avik Roy, Forbes. The way the ACA was rolled out, and its execution. Maryland decided to quit that form of the system entirely and go to the Connecticut system. Three of four Dems, but one of five Republicans, are OK with the ACA. . . .
Hour Two
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 2, Block A: John Fund, National Review Online, and David M Drucker, Washington Examiner Sr Congressional correspondent, in re: ACA on Forbves.com (Noam Levy & Avik Roy). Six to seven million have signed up; one-third were not previously insured. The entire American health-care market has been upended, hasn't begun to scratch the surface of the problem. This Administration is playing three-card monte with the numbers. "Washington wags" – when does this start to affect independent voters in their own pocketbooks? Approaching 50% of them oppose ACA. . . . Worst thing you can do is hem and haw, or mute the truth. Need to present the public with something they can either agree or disagree with.
Today is March 31, 2014: in theory, the last day you can sign up for coverage under the subsidized Obamacare insurance exchanges. If you’ve been a regular reader of this space, you know that the numbers routinely paraded by the Obama administration regarding Obamacare website sign-ups don’t tell us much about the actual number of uninsured individuals who have gained coverage. A new study from the RAND Corporation indicates that only one-third of exchange sign-ups were previously uninsured.
The RAND study hasn’t yet been published, but its contents were made available to Noam Levey of the Los Angeles Times. RAND also estimates that 9 million individuals have purchased health plans directly from insurers, outside of the exchanges, but that “the vast majority of these people were previously insured.” The RAND report appears to corroborate the work of other surveys. Earlier this month, McKinsey reported that 27 percent of those signing up for coverage on the individual market were previously uninsured. Around 1/4 of exchange enrollees were previously uninsured [...] read »
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 2, Block B: John Fund, National Review Online, and David M Drucker, Washington Examiner Senior Congressional correspondent, in re: Foreign policy. Anyone paying attention except hobbyists? Pres Obama had a rough week in Europe – Brussels, den Haag, Riyadh (coming: a crown prince who dislikes Americans). Global perception of US weakness and indecisiveness. "Leading from behind" doesn’t work. He's the kid on the beach who gets sand kicked in his face. "Weak, can’t be trusted, doesn’t know where he's going." Kissinger. "Leading from behind by chasing its tail." Is there anyone in the GOP who can think foreign policy through? Gov Jindal has met with Kissinger and al the pooh-bahs. Also Marco Rubio has cogent, definitive, original thoughts on foreign policy and what the US role in the world should be. Chris Christie has Potomac fever; he had high standing among independents, badly damaged by the bridge tale. He was seen as strong, decisive, not equivocating; but if he was such a great leader, how come he didn’t know about it right under his nose? It’s good to be in the doghouse with the New York Times if you’re a Republican.
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 2, Block C: Jeff Bliss, The Bliss Index, in re: Dr Wilson Si- ______ bragging abut his connections in the Philippines seems to be at he heart of this notorious action. Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, now held because he was swept up in the large FCBI op last week. Another former pres of SF school board; murder for hire; allegations that people approached Sen Yee to get medical marijuana on the ballot.
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 2, Block D: Gordon Chang, Forbes.com, in re: Zhou Yongkang just lost $14.5 billion. Xi decided to make an example of him; have him under house arrest, confiscated millions in assets – and he has a lot more to go after. "No member of or former member of the Standing Committee may be investigated for corruption." Maybe he's being investigated for trying to kill Xi. They steal big when they get to the Standing Committee.
Everybody at the top is taking billions of dollars; have declared war on reporting by Bloomberg and the New York Times. . . . Taiwan: the Sunflower Revolution – young people in the streets; police with shields an d nightsticks. Students have occupied he legislative Yuan (parliament) in opposition to a dreadful cross-straits agreement that Pres Ma is trying to ram through. Has energized opposition across Taiwan. Beijing is forcing Ma to approve the pact. In Jiangsu Province, two bank runs stopped by assurances from city, county and natl authorities that the funds were safe – which was specifically not true. More defaults coming. Xi doesn’t want to reveal how systematic the Brobdingnadgian corruption is throughout China.
Hour Three
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 3, Block A: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: The U.S. consideration to free the convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard is tied to the release from Israeli jail of Marwan Barghouti, the accused architect of the Palestinian intifada - or terror campaign - that began in September 2000, according to informed diplomatic sources here. John Kerry rushed back to the Middle East on Monday, says Reuters. He was in Europe then Saudi Arabia. Intended releases of Palestinians did not occur. In the last nine mos, Israel has agreed to release prisoners in exchange for reciprocal measures (incitement, security), Instead, Abbas has engaged in outrageous behavior; breakdown in Wet Bank security; Abbas issues threats. Israel meanwhile has released three tranches of terrorists who’ve killed children, who freed will get $100, 000 plus monthly stipends from the PA. Now, "No recognition of a Jewish state," and other demands that are out of time. The Israeli Knesset is pretty fed up; Kerry races back to rescue the talks, avoids a Jewish nation, calls it a national homeland for Jews. Also: all Washington Jonathan Pollard, even after he's been in prison for 27 years, which is quite disproportionate. Palestinians want 400 prisoners released, incl Barghouti (five life sentences). Ehud Olmert, while serving as mayor of Jerusalem, now convicted of accepting bribes for construction of a huge housing dvpt on site of the Holy Land Hotel. Could get a 20-year sentence.
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 3, Block B: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: Pres Obama met the aged King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, he in an oxygen mask under a chandelier in the desert. Succession to the two royal positions: an American- and British-educated prince who detests the US. Chevalier Crusaders fortress – supply route – disturbs the Saudis and Gulfies. Equally, Iran getting a free ride from Washington is not pleasing to Saudis.
"Successful verification" leads neighbors to think that it may be working, but history is replete with eamples of serious failures, and we don't even know of many Iranian military installations. P5+1 approach is very disturbing to Arabs. Erdogan has prostate cancer, is not long for this world, his voice is a cartoon voice; he won elections but people were killed in the course of the voting. Iran's new ambassador to the UN Hamid Abutalebi, held Americans hostage for 444 days. Is an overt and aggressive slap at the US. Egyptian presidential election 26 and 27May; then parliamentary elections. Al Sisi has Christian support and others. French election – where Socialists got 46% but the right is winning - are also watershed elections.
Ya’alon: US truly our best friend
Turkey awaits results of critical local elections
Municipal vote seen as bellwether for controversial PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s political fortunes
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 3, Block C: Michael Auslin, AEI, NRO, in re:
WORLD WAR I Fighting the Great War The Kansas City museum is a tour de force.
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 3, Block D: Tim Higgins, Bloomberg, in re: GM RECALLS. GM’s Barra Bringing Legacy of Safety Fights to Congress. General Motors Co.’s Mary Barra will bring corporate baggage to Washington when she testifies before Congress this week: GM’s history of contentious battles over vehicle safety stretching back 50 years to the Corvair.
Hour Four
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 4, Block A: You Are Not Forgotten: The Story of a Lost World War II Pilot and a Twenty-First-Century Soldier's Mission to... by Bryan Bender (1 of 4)
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 4, Block B: You Are Not Forgotten: The Story of a Lost World War II Pilot and a Twenty-First-Century Soldier's Mission to... by Bryan Bender (2 of 4)
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 4, Block C: You Are Not Forgotten: The Story of a Lost World War II Pilot and a Twenty-First-Century Soldier's Mission to... by Bryan Bender (3 of 4)
Monday 31 March 2014 / Hour 4, Block D: You Are Not Forgotten: The Story of a Lost World War II Pilot and a Twenty-First-Century Soldier's Mission to... by Bryan Bender (4 of 4)
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Music
Hour 1: Hellboy. Infamous. Magnificent 7. Broken Arrow.
Hour 2: Transformers. Sin City. Pacific Rim.
Hour 3: Land of the Dead. Constantine. The Recruit.
Hour 4: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
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