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Friday Talking Points -- Benghazi Frenzy!

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OK, I fully admit I wrote that headline with the express purpose of putting two "Z" words next to each other, just because. I did (in my own defense) reject "Lazy-Crazy Benghazi Frenzy!" as too over-the-top, however.

Ahem. Where was I? Oh, right, last week's news....

Sarah Palin, for some reason, was in the news last week. No, really. Although, we have to say, the mighty have indeed fallen when this news consisted of an interview with the television show Extra, which exists solely because some folks find reading People magazine to be too intellectually challenging. Seems perfect for Palin, doesn't it?

Speaking of the shallow swamps of the superficial, the annual "let's mash-up Hollywood stars and Washington wonks" dinner party was held last week as well. Joel McHale did a pretty good job of roasting everyone, so check out the video if you missed it.

White House security has had a pretty rough week, as first a confused tourist tailgated the president's daughters' motorcade right through the checkpoint, and then two people chucked mysterious items over the White House fence. But the disturbing security news this week was actually bipartisan, as a man was also arrested for making death threats against John Boehner (for not extending unemployment benefits).

Moving on, we have several Republicans saying such vile things about their political opponents that their own fellow Republicans had to denounce them. First, there was the Tennessee state representative who blogged: "Democrats bragging about the number of mandatory sign ups for Obamacare is like Germans bragging about the number of manditory [sic] sign ups for 'train rides' for Jews in the 40s." Even after his fellow Tennessee Republicans condemned the language, he issued the most non-apology apology we've ever read, expressing his "regret that some people miss the point of my post. It was not to offend. It was to warn. In no way was my post meant to diminish or detract from the pain, suffering and loss of human life that occurred during this dark time in human history. Instead the post was meant to draw attention to the loss of freedom that we are currently experiencing."

Out in California, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly caught some heat from within his party after he accused a fellow Republican in the race of supporting Sharia law. Because when the guy was a senior Treasury official, he participated in a forum to "inform the policy community about Islamic financial services, which are an increasingly important part of the global financial industry." This prompted an impressive denunciation from none other than Darrell Issa, who issued a scathing statement: "There is no place in any public discussion for this type of hateful and ignorant garbage. As far as I'm concerned, this type of stupidity disqualifies Tim Donnelly from being fit to hold any office, anywhere. Donnelly is no longer a viable option for California voters. It is crap like this that gives Republicans a bad name and there is no place in the Republican Party or in this race for someone like Tim Donnelly." We're not big fans of Issa in general, but have to compliment him on not holding back at all in his condemnation.

North Carolina's primary election generated some news this week. We speak, of course, of whether Clay Aiken won the Democratic nomination to run for a House seat this November. Even if he does manage to emerge victorious (the vote count is so close a recount may be in the cards), the district is pretty conservative, so it's a long shot at best (although the media would certainly love covering the race).

Seriously, though, the big race in North Carolina was Thom Tillis winning enough Republican primary votes to avoid a runoff with a Tea Party candidate (which would have cost him time and money). This is being touted as a big victory for the Establishment Republican wing of the party, but in reality Tillis is pretty close to a Tea Partier himself, when you take a look at his views. So pronouncements that the Tea Party is now dead are a bit premature, to say the least.

Senator Kay Hagen, whom Tillis is running to defeat, has pivoted from using anti-Obamacare fliers (in an attempt to scare Republican voters in the primary) to now giving a full-throated defense of the Medicaid expansion part of Obamacare. This is a potent issue for Democrats to use, in red states that turned down the expansion money, so other vulnerable Democratic candidates should take note.

Republicans as a whole seem to be pivoting away from their stated singular campaign theme of "Obamacare is the root of all the country's problems." There was a noticeable change this week, beginning with the Republicans holding a hearing where insurance company executives told them their made-up numbers were just flat-out wrong. This was followed by a politer-than-expected hearing for the woman nominated to lead the Health and Human Services Department (the replacement for Kathleen Sebelius). Add to this the fact that Republican candidates for Senate are getting more and more reluctant to even take a stand on whether expanding Medicaid is a good idea or not. And the Obamacare data keeps getting better, meaning that more and more Republican scare stories are fast being debunked. What it all signifies is a clear shift away from the "all Obamacare, all the time" strategy that was supposed to sweep Republicans to victory this year.

What was even more noticeable was what Republicans shifted to instead: Benghazi! Or, more accurately: "Benghazi! Benghazi! Benghazi!" Yes, the Republicans are doubling down on holding yet another investigation -- in the hopes that this time an actual scandal will emerge, somehow. Also, to tarnish Hillary Clinton (always a worthy motive in Republicanland). Watch for this Benghazi frenzy to play out all summer long, since Republicans quite obviously have nothing positive to offer the voters this year.

OK, this is running long, so let's just quickly review the marijuana and religious news, and then get on with the awards. Five Nobel Prize winners (in economics) made public a letter calling for a global end to the drug war, which was also signed by former Reagan cabinet member George Shultz. In Colorado, state legislators moved to provide an alternate banking system that will allow marijuana-based businesses to have a bank account just like any other business (a step which was necessary because although the federal Justice Department tried to issue guidelines for banks, they didn't go far enough and the banks are still refusing to allow marijuana entrepreneurs access to banking). While states are moving forward, the federal government still seriously lags in the legal sphere, which leads to situations where people charged with marijuana crimes can't even speak about their medical use in federal courts.

More amusingly, Republican House member John Mica brought a fake joint to a hearing on Washington, D.C.'s new decriminalization law. Mica introduced his "evidence" (this article is worth checking out for the photos alone) with: "I have this joint here. Don't get too excited out there, some of you, this is not a real one, it's a mock one." Pro-reform Representative Steve Cohen, a Democrat, then asked Mica if he had rolled it himself, which prompted the response: "No, I had staff do it. They have more experience." You can pretty much make up your own punchline to that one, folks....

Speaking of humor in politics, the guy down in Florida who successfully put up a "Festivus pole" (made out of beer cans) in his statehouse's holiday display last year is now taking on his local town council. Days after the Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of holding prayers before public meetings, Chaz Stevens sent his local town council a letter:



Dear City of Deerfield Beach;

With the recent US Supreme Court ruling allowing "prayer before Commission meetings" and seeking the rights granted to others, I hereby am requesting I be allowed to open a Commission meeting praying for my God, my divine spirit, my Dude in Charge.

Be advised, I am a Satanist.

Let me know when this is good for you.



We should be seeing more of this sort of thing in the near future, folks. After all, if the Satanists are getting public prayers, can the Pastafarians be far behind (and what would a prayer to the Flying Spaghetti Monster sound like)? Where are the members of the Church of the SubGenius™, for "Bob's" sake? The gauntlet has been thrown down, so who will next answer the call?

 

Both of our awards this week go to fairly obscure Democrats, however both were also fairly easy to choose because they stood out so prominently from anything other (or more well-known) Democrats did last week.

It is hard to top "Governor Saves Woman's Life" as a headline, after all. Which is why our *Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week* is the governor of Oregon, John Kitzhaber. Kitzhaber, a former emergency room doctor, was on his way to dinner when he saw "someone along the edge of the street who seemed to be attempting to resuscitate a woman." The governor immediately halted his car, got out, and began giving CPR until the paramedics arrived and took over. By doing so, the governor likely saved the woman's life.

Again, that's pretty hard to top. There are impressive things people do in the world of politics, but then there are also impressive things some politicians occasionally do just as a human being. This obviously falls in the latter category. For using his medical skills to save a woman in distress, Governor John Kitzhaber is unquestionably this week's *Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week*.

[Congratulate Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber on his official contact page, to let him know you appreciate his efforts.]

 

Sadly, this one is also an easy call. It doesn't seem to have been in any way intentional, and the guy apologized profusely, but even so the magnitude of the error deserves a *Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week* award.

Mike Wells, a Democratic candidate for the Fresno, California city council, created a flier which attacked his opponent over the subject of urban blight. The problem was the photo that someone chose for the backdrop. Instead of just a random burned-out building, what appeared instead was a photo of a building at Auschwitz.

Now, this doesn't seem to be in any way intentional -- in the CNN story, Wells is interviewed and looks and sounds appropriately shocked by the news that his campaign was guilty of such an egregious mistake. He apologizes with apparent sincerity.

But still, that's a pretty bad mistake for your campaign to make. Someone found that image and decided to use it. It was -- obviously -- not properly vetted. Wells wasn't trying to make a point, as some Republicans do when comparing Democrats to Nazis (for instance). He wasn't saying urban blight in any way meant we were all headed towards concentration camps, to put it another way.

But, unintentional or not, this graphic mistake on a campaign flier easily qualifies Mike Wells for this week's *Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week* award. Other Democratic candidates, please take note: in this age of search engines, please double-check everything that appears in your campaign literature. The extra time you spend doing so will be worth it, if it avoids mistakes like this.

[Mike Wells is a candidate for office, not an officeholder, and our standing policy is not to link to campaign websites, sorry.]

 

*Volume 303* (5/9/14)

We've got a mixed bag this week in the talking points department. Most of these deal directly with the gigantic GOP pivot this week, from Obamacare to Benghazi. But then I just threw one curveball in at the end for the heck of it.

 *   That's all you got?*The first thing that needs pointing out this week is the lack of any positive Republican campaign issue. The tone to take would be: "taunting."

"Is this really the only thing Republicans have got to run on in an election year? Really? The number one issue before the country right now is supposed to be Benghazi? Republicans have nothing else to run on, I suppose, since the American public agrees with the Democrats that the minimum wage should be raised, immigration reform should pass the House, Medicaid should be expanded in all 50 states, and that taxes on the one percent are low enough already. Since they can't run on any of these because they are so out-of-touch with the lives of everyday working Americans, the only thing Republicans know how to do is try to throw a bunch of mud in the hopes that something will stick to the wall. I don't know about the hardcore Republican base, but most of the rest of America has already moved on from rehashing Obamacare and Benghazi one last time. I mean, seriously, this is all the Republicans have to run on? No vision for the future at all? They can't come up with one positive reason why the public should vote for them?"

 *   Benghazi fundraising*Democrats are already finding some traction with this one, as they well should.

"OK, so let me get this straight. The new Benghazi investigation -- what is it, the sixth? seventh? -- is supposedly going to ferret out how Benghazi was used politically by one party. That, after all, is supposed to be the heart of this so-called 'scandal.' Well, I would direct any Republicans who wish to see what politicizing Benghazi looks like to the national Republican Party, who is now fundraising off of the Benghazi hearings. Yes, you heard that right, folks -- the Republican Party is begging for partisan donations over the deaths of four Americans. That's something they never even accused President Obama of, and it is downright despicable. Speaker John Boehner refuses to say so, and he refuses to stop trolling for campaign cash by using this tragedy for nothing but political purposes. If anyone had the slightest doubt that this entire 'investigation' is nothing more than a purely political (and cynical) exercise by the Republican Party, look no further than this odious fundraising effort. I think it's pretty obvious which party has politicized Benghazi, and I don't think we need any more hearings to figure it out."

 *   The families don't want it*Nancy Pelosi has been leading the charge on this one.

"You know, John Boehner, when he was asked why he wasn't telling his fellow Republicans not to fundraise using Benghazi, responded by taking the high road, saying 'Our focus is on getting the answers to those families who lost their loved ones. Period.' But members of two of the four families affected have contacted Democrats to say that they would really prefer not to be subjected to yet another rehashing of their loved one's death. So Boehner is at least half wrong when he says he is speaking for 'those families who lost their loved ones' -- something the media might want to ask him about the next time he refuses to end these disgraceful Republican fundraising efforts."

 *   Uninsured rate down again*Democrats, of course, shouldn't allow Republicans to fully pivot away from Obamacare. Especially since the good news just keeps rolling in.

"The best measure of whether Obamacare is achieving its goals is how many Americans remain without health insurance. Gallup has noticed a big downturn in this number, ever since the first Obamacare open enrollment period began. In the third quarter of 2013, a full 18 percent of Americans did not have health insurance. This number has dropped every month since, and is now down to 13.4 percent -- the lowest-ever rate since they've been asking this question in their polls. What this means is that at least 4.6 percent of Americans are now insured -- people who didn't have insurance before Obamacare started. Of course, 13.4 percent is still too high, but I fully expect this number to shrink over the next few years, as more and more people benefit from Obamacare. Because Obamacare is working exactly as it was designed, as evidenced by the fact that more and more Americans are now insured."

 *   The bills are being paid, too*Republicans royally shot themselves in the foot over this one. Thankfully, Obamacare covers such self-inflicted injuries.

"Last week, Republicans in Congress tried to pull a fast one with a report that they said showed only 67 percent of people who had signed up for Obamacare had actually paid their first bill. They were so confident in their cooked-up numbers that they held a hearing for the insurance company executives. This spectacularly backfired in their faces, however, when all the insurance companies stated that the actual rate of people who paid was between 80 and 90 percent. This is only the latest Obamacare Republican lie to be debunked, folks -- there are certainly plenty of others. Maybe this is why Republicans have begun backing away from their single-minded focus on attacking Obamacare, who knows?"

 *   How many are being denied Medicaid? And why?*Kay Hagen is leading the charge on this one, but all vulnerable Democrats should take note (and insert the correct figures for their home states).

"Senator Kay Hagen was in the news recently, pointing out that 500,000 North Carolinians are right now being denied Medicaid because the Republicans in her state don't want them to have any health insurance. Denying your people Medicaid because you hate President Obama might have sounded like a good thing a few years ago, but now we are beginning to see what this actually means to people's lives. It means millions of Americans who don't get health insurance because they live in the wrong state. If you live on one side of a state line, you and your family can afford to go to the doctor when you get sick; but if you live on the wrong side, it means you have to suffer because you can't afford health care. All because Republicans hate Obama -- there's simply no other reason for it. How can Republicans defend the position of denying so much peace of mind to so many of their own constituents? It's tragic, when you get right down to it."

 *   Half a ton of weed*And finally, some good news. This is kind of funny, when you read the headline, but what it signifies is a much-needed shift in federal policy.

"The federal government just upped its order of legal marijuana by roughly half a ton. That's right -- over 1,400 pounds of legal federal marijuana will be available next year, folks! While this may sound amusing, what it means is that the federal government appears to be getting serious about allowing unbiased medical research on marijuana. This is the weed that is provided to approved studies of marijuana, and it has been kept so low because in years past, the federal government refused permission to anyone who wanted to study marijuana's benefits, instead of starting their research with the predetermined outcome that all marijuana is bad in all situations. The Justice Department has shown signs that it will be loosening up on granting permissions for serious medical research already this year, and the news that they have expanded the legal crop this year by half a ton means that -- hopefully -- multiple studies will now be allowed to happen. That, as Martha Stewart would say, is a good thing."

 

Chris Weigant blogs at:Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Become a fan of Chris on Huffington Post
Full archives of FTP columns: FridayTalkingPoints.com
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  Reported by Huffington Post 1 hour ago.

NTA Life Appoints New Chief Actuary

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Top rated supplemental life and health insurance company announces new Vice President and Chief Actuary.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) May 12, 2014

NTA Life is proud to welcome L. Craig Cox, a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, as its new Vice President and Chief Actuary. Mr. Cox holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in mathematics from Oklahoma State University and has extensive experience in both health and life insurance. He brings significant experience in all areas of product development, including design, pricing, and marketing, as well as valuation. Mr. Cox will assume full responsibility for all actuarial matters both for National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company and its subsidiary, NTA Life Insurance Company of New York. He has over 25 years of industry experience and joins NTA Life after a decade of service with AIG American General Life Companies where he oversaw product development, experience reports and cost studies.

About NTA Life
National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company (“NTA Life”), along with its subsidiary NTA Life Insurance Company of New York, is a life and health insurance company licensed throughout the United States specializing in providing quality supplemental health insurance for employees of the public sector such as schools and government employees. A respected leader in the insurance industry, NTA Life is recognized as a Top 50 Performing Life Insurance Company by the Ward Group, and maintains an A- (Excellent) financial strength rating with A.M. Best. Headquartered in Addison, Texas, NTA Life houses the operations of the insurance companies and of National Teacher Associates, Inc. and related state specific insurance agency affiliates that distribute NTA Life policies. More information can be found at ntalife.com.

Contact:
Sarah Keller, Corporate Communications
National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company
4949 Keller Springs Rd.
Addison, TX 75001
972-532-2100
Sarah(dot)Keller(at)ntalife(dot)com Reported by PRWeb 15 hours ago.

Money Minute: Virginia Sees Big Rate Hikes for Obamacare

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Filed under: Market News, Advertising & Marketing, Labor, Entertainment Industry, Health Insurance

A first look at how much health care premiums may go up in the second year of Obamacare.

Insurance companies in Virginia have filed rate proposals for 2015 that call for significant rate increases, but nothing near the dire predictions of Obamacare opponents. The Wall Street Journal reports the proposed increases easily top overall inflation, but that's been true of health care costs for years. One of the biggest plans, Wellpoint's (WLP) Anthem HealthKeepers, is asking for an average increase of 8.5 percent. Other plans call for rate hikes of 3.3 percent to nearly 15 percent.

But it may be a bit easier to pay for those increases. Economists polled by USA Today expect wage increases to be a bit higher than they've been in recent years. That's partly because the unemployment rate has dropped sharply to 6.3 percent.Another important trend developing for next year has to with our TV viewing habits -- and the dramatic slide in the audience for music-based TV shows. The audience for "American Idol" and its imitators has declined to the point that many of those shows are in jeopardy of being canceled. Along with the slide in viewership, The New York Times reports the average age of the people watching has increased to above 50 for many shows, including "The Voice" -- and that's not the group that advertisers are going after.

Here on Wall Street last week, the Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) rose 0.4 percent, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GPSC) was little changed and the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) fell 1.3 percent.

The Dow begins the week at a record high, but the Nasdaq has lost 6.5 percent since topping out 10 weeks ago. Many of the new technology stocks that had been high-flyers are now viewed as over-priced -- in some cases, way over-priced. The software company Splunk (SPLK) is good example. It has lost more than half of its value over the past year. It's taken a round trip from below $50 a share to nearly $100, and all the way back down again.

Splunk and other are known as momentum stocks. They can move up very quickly when investors are jumping on board, but they can decline just as quickly.

-Produced by Drew Trachtenberg.
 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Reported by DailyFinance 14 hours ago.

Likely Presidential Candidates Gear Up For The Fight

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WASHINGTON (AP) — In the latest prep work for a presidential campaign, Rand Paul is conspicuously courting moderate and establishment Republicans while Ted Cruz keeps up a travel schedule that has 2016 written all over it.

Jeb Bush is stirring from something of a political snooze and a half-dozen other credible prospects are getting their voices heard in the din. As for Democrats, a Hillary Rodham Clinton book coming out in June is about as exciting as it gets these days.

The suspense of a Democratic nomination race is in suspension until the party's dominant figure decides whether to run or someone goes for the prize without waiting for her to make up her mind. She sounds and acts a bit more like a candidate by the month, which doesn't necessarily mean she'll be one.

In both parties, potential contenders are best judged by what they do — and where they go, like Iowa and New Hampshire — not by what they say. Most are keeping up with the fiction that they are not really thinking about running for president even as they transparently position themselves to run for president.

Cruz has visited Iowa four times in the past eight months, and New Hampshire and South Carolina three times each, and claimed that's got nothing to do with presidential campaign politics, which no one believes. "I think it's too early to worry about 2016," the Texas senator said with a straight face.

For months, many prospective 2016 presidential candidates have been networking with party leaders, donors and activists. They've published or announced books. They're using TV appearances to become household names, at least in households tuned to the Sunday or cable news shows.

With a few notable exceptions, their preparations have accelerated since The Associated Press began broadly tracking their activities last summer. Yet even as most march through a pre-campaign checklist, they are keeping their options open should they decide to sit out the race.

Aside from Clinton, the former secretary of state, senator and first lady, potential Democratic contenders include Vice President Joe Biden, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. Among Republicans in the mix: Bush, the former Florida governor; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Cruz; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; Kentucky Sen. Paul; Texas Gov. Rick Perry; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan; former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

A look at who's doing what:

NONDENIAL DENIAL: Cagey words that cloak presidential ambitions, none too convincingly.

Democrats

Biden: "If I decide to run, believe me, this would be the first guy I talk to. But that decision hasn't been made, for real. And there's plenty of time to make that." April, CBS, in joint interview with President Barack Obama.

Clinton: "I haven't made up my mind. I really have not."— December, ABC.

Cuomo: "I'm sorry, I'm losing you. We have a technical difficulty. I'm running for governor of the state of New York."— Seeming not to hear a question about his presidential intentions. February, Fox Business Network.

O'Malley: "No one ever goes down this road, I would hope, without giving it a lot of consideration and a lot of preparation and a lot of thought work, and so that's what I'm doing."— February, speaking to reporters in Baltimore.

Republicans

Bush: "I can honestly tell you that I don't know what I'm going to do."— His standard disclaimer. Says he'll decide by end of year whether to run. One factor in his decision: Whether he can run an optimistic campaign and avoid the "mud fight" of politics.

Christie: "I am enormously flattered that folks would talk about me in my party as someone who they think could be a candidate for president. But I am absolutely in — nowhere near that consideration process."— Jan. 9 news conference addressing the scandal over Fort Lee, N.J., traffic tie-ups.

Cruz: "My focus is entirely on the U.S. Senate."— His standard disclaimer

Jindal: "My honest answer is I don't know what I'm going to be doing in 2016."— February, speaking to press while in Washington for governors meeting.

Paul: "We're definitely talking about it, my family is talking about it. I truly won't make my mind up until after the 2014 elections. But I haven't been shy in saying we're thinking about it."— March 9, Fox News.

Perry: "I don't know whether I'm going to run for the presidency. I'm going to spend the time in preparation."— April, in Ohio.

Rubio: "It's something I'll consider at the end of this year."— May, on ABC. Does he feel ready to be president? "I do, but I think we have other people as well."

Ryan: "Jane and I are going to sit down in 2015 and give it the serious ... conversation, consideration that are required for keeping our options open. But right now I have responsibilities in the majority in the House of Representatives that I feel I ought to attend to, and then I'll worry about those things." March, CBS.

Santorum: "I don't know if I can do this. It's just tough."— April, AP interview. Timing of decision? "A year at least, probably."

Walker: "I'm really focused on 2014, not getting ahead of the game. ... You guys can predict all you want."— January, CNN.

___

WRITING A BOOK: The perfect stage-setter for a campaign season, just ask Barack Obama ("The Audacity of Hope," 2006; "Dreams from My Father," 2004)

Democrats

Biden: No, not since before 2008 election.

Clinton: Yes, "Hard Choices" due for release June 10.

Cuomo: Yes, coming in 2014.

O'Malley: No. "I'm not sure where I'd find the time for that." It's probably only a matter of time before he finds time.

Republicans

Bush: Yes, on immigration.

Christie: No.

Cruz: Yes, book deal disclosed by his agent in April.

Jindal: Not since before 2012 election.

Paul: No, not since just before the 2012 election.

Perry: Not since before 2012 election.

Rubio: Yes, coming in late 2014 from the publisher of his 2012 memoir.

Santorum: Yes, "Blue Collar Conservatives" released in late April, says: "Do Republicans really care less about the person at the bottom of the ladder than Democrats do? To be painfully honest, I would have to say in some ways 'yes.'"

Ryan: Yes, coming in 2014.

Walker: Yes, out in fall 2013.

___

GO TO IOWA: Its caucuses are the opening act of the nomination contest.

Democrats

Biden: Yes, spoke at Sen. Tom Harkin's fall 2013 steak-fry fundraiser, a must-stop for many Democrats seeking to compete in the leadoff caucuses. Then in May, attended party for Iowans who came to Washington for annual lobbying trip. Raised money for Iowa congressional candidate Jim Mowrer. Schmoozed with Iowa power brokers during 2013 inauguration week in Washington.

Clinton: No, avoiding big primary/caucus states. But Ready for Hillary is mobilizing for her in the state.

Cuomo: No.

O'Malley: Yes, headlined Harkin's 2012 fundraiser.

Republicans

Bush: Yes, in 2012.

Christie: Yes, in 2012. More travel driven by politics in the cards now that he's chairman of Republican Governors Association for 2014 election year.

Cruz: Yes, four visits in eight months.

Jindal: Yes, summer 2013 visit, then flew with Iowa governor to governors association meeting in Milwaukee. In Iowa seven times in 2012.

Paul: Yes, three times in 2013. In March, snagged the state GOP chairman, who announced he was quitting to join Paul as an adviser.

Perry: Yes, third trip since November coming up: He's to campaign for Gov. Terry Branstad in late spring. Visited Des Moines suburbs and Davenport in February, meeting GOP activists and attending an event with business leaders sponsored by Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity. Met Branstad and addressed Des Moines crowd of 400 in November.

Rubio: Yes, just days after 2012 election, but has been largely holding off on a new wave of trips to early voting states. That's changing.

Ryan: Yes, was keynote speaker for Iowa GOP's big fundraising dinner in Cedar Rapids in April. Main speaker at governor's annual birthday fundraiser in November 2013, in first visit since 2012 campaign.

Santorum: Yes, recent visit with strategists and media. August 2013 speech to conservative Christians in state where he won the 2012 caucuses. Screened his new Christmas movie in Iowa in November.

Walker: Yes, fundraiser last year.

___

GO TO NEW HAMPSHIRE: Nation's first primary comes after Iowa and is just as important.

Democrats

Biden: Yes, raised money for three Democrats in March visit for job-training event. Quipped: "I'm here about jobs — not mine."

Clinton: No. But Ready for Hillary has sent people there this year.

Cuomo: No.

O'Malley: Yes, spoke at Democratic Party dinner in November. Also spoke at 2012 convention of New Hampshire Democrats.

Republicans

Bush: No.

Christie: Yes, three times in 2012.

Cruz: Yes, three times since August.

Jindal: Yes, keynote speech to local Republican organization in March, headlined state GOP fundraiser in 2013, visited twice in 2012.

Paul: Yes, addressed Freedom Summit in April. Won straw poll at March meeting of Northeast Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua. Several visits last year.

Perry: No.

Rubio: Yes, splashy debut in May, first visit of the 2016 season, headlining fundraisers, meeting local officials, giving interviews. Multiple visits before 2012 election.

Ryan: Yes, headlined Manchester fundraiser in February for former House colleague. Canceled October 2013 visit because of government shutdown.

Santorum: Yes, March speech to Northeast Republican Leadership Conference marked his return to a state where he performed weakly in 2012 campaign.

Walker: Yes, headlined a GOP state convention in October 2013, keynote at state party convention in September 2012.

___

DON'T FORGET SOUTH CAROLINA: First Southern primary and big in its own right.

Democrats

Biden: Yes. In May, gave commencement speech at University of South Carolina and headlined Democratic fundraiser, first visit since he spoke at state party's annual fundraiser a year earlier. Several earlier visits since 2009.

Clinton: No, but things are stirring. At a May meeting in Columbia partly sponsored by Ready for Hillary, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine urged Democratic women to "think about pledging your support right now" to ensure she has "millions of us ready to take the field with her" if she runs.

Cuomo: No.

O'Malley: Yes, 2013 speech to party activists.

Republicans

Bush: Yes, 2012 speech.

Christie: Yes, helped Mitt Romney raise money in 2012.

Cruz: Yes, speech at The Citadel military college in April was third visit in a year, following event with religious conservatives in November and speech to annual state GOP dinner last May.

Jindal: Yes, third visit in a year coming in June, as keynote speaker at state GOP's biggest gathering, the Silver Elephant dinner.

Paul: Yes, foreign policy speech at The Citadel military college and small GOP fundraiser in Charleston in November 2013 visit; headlined several fundraisers earlier in year.

Perry: Yes, two-day visit in December 2013, addressed state GOP. In August, raised money for Gov. Nikki Haley's re-election campaign.

Rubio: Yes, headlined 2012 Silver Elephant dinner.

Ryan: Yes, in 2012 campaign.

Santorum: Yes, April GOP event at The Citadel military college, where two sons are cadets. Campaigned in April 2013 for Curtis Bostic in GOP House runoff race; Bostic lost.

Walker: Yes, attended August fundraiser for Haley, who came to Wisconsin to campaign for him in 2012 recall vote.

___

GO ABROAD: Helps to give neophytes foreign policy cred, and Israel is a touchstone for U.S. politicians.

Democrats

Biden: You bet. Visited Ukrainian capital in April to symbolize U.S. commitment to new government in its struggle against pro-Russian insurgents and threatening signals from Moscow. Brazil coming up in June. Long at forefront of Obama administration's diplomatic maneuvers with Kiev. Sent to Poland and Lithuania in March to reassure NATO allies anxious about Russia's annexation of Crimea. December 2013 visits to China, Japan and South Korea. Countless trips to Iraq and Afghanistan during first term.

Clinton: Another globe-trotter, nearly 1 million miles as secretary of state. Limited overseas travel in 2013: honorary degree at St. Andrews University in Scotland in September; trip to London in October for a diplomacy award and a fundraising concert for the family's foundation. Attended memorial services for Nelson Mandela in South Africa in December. Two recent speeches in Canada.

Cuomo: Not much lately. Israel twice in 2002.

O'Malley: Yes. Israel in 2013 this year for a second time. Also Denmark, Ireland, France, Brazil and El Salvador in 2013. Asia in 2011, Iraq in 2010.

Republicans

Bush: Yes, usually several overseas trips a year. Three times to Israel since 1980s.

Christie: Yes, Israel and Jordan in 2012.

Cruz: Yes, first visit to Israel in December 2012, again in January 2013 as part of Senate Republican delegation that traveled to Afghanistan, too.

Jindal: January 2014 trade and investment mission to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, first time overseas as governor. Canada in August 2013 to speak to oil industry about his support of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Paul: Yes, Israel and Jordan in 2013.

Perry: Yes, has visited Israel numerous times including an October trip that included a photo op with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meeting Cabinet members and a separate stop in London to see British officials and financial leaders.

Rubio: Yes, visited the Philippines, Japan and South Korea in January, foreign policy speech in London in early December and Israel, Jordan, Palestinian Authority, Afghanistan in February 2013. Also went to Israel after 2010 election to Senate.

Ryan: Yes, Middle East during congressional career; visited troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Santorum: Scant foreign travel while in the Senate drew notice in 2012 GOP campaign.

Walker: Yes, China in 2013 trade mission.

___

MEET THE MONEY: To know donors now is to tap them later.

Democrats

Biden: Yes, actively fundraising for Democratic committees and candidates in 2014 midterms. Headlined fundraiser at home of Biden donor in Florida for House candidate Alex Sink in February; Sink lost the special election in March.

Clinton: Yes, can tap deep well of Democratic and activist money. Raises money for Clinton foundation. Bundlers such as Hollywood moguls Jeffrey Katzenberg and Haim Saban have signaled support. Ready for Hillary super PAC raised more than $4 million in 2013 and $1.7 million in first three months of 2014. Worked fundraising circuit to help Terry McAuliffe's campaign for governor in Virginia and Bill de Blasio's mayoral bid in New York City.

Cuomo: Flush coffers for 2014 governor's race.

O'Malley: Yes, in December ended his year as finance chairman for the Democratic Governors Association and is one of the party's top fundraisers.

Republicans

Bush: Yes, longtime connections on Wall Street and beyond. Flew to Las Vegas in March to meet GOP super donor Sheldon Adelson. In February, his short video for GOP fundraiser at Donald Trump's Palm Beach, Florida, estate was a bigger hit than Cruz's keynote speech. Party in summer of 2013 for his immigration book at home of Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets and a leading Republican bundler.

Christie: Yes, became GOP governors chairman in November, giving him regular access to the party's top national donors. In that capacity, has already met donors in Idaho, Vermont, Illinois, Texas, Massachusetts and Utah. Was one of a handful of high-profile Republicans to meet with Adelson in Las Vegas at his resort casino in late March. One of three prospective candidates who attended Mitt Romney's retreat with major party donors in Utah in June 2013.

Cruz: Yes, met in March with top California conservative donors and keynoted Trump fundraiser. Has list of potential donors that's still growing after he collected more than 1.5 million signatures for the online petition "Don'tFundObamaCare," which he began in 2013.

Jindal: Yes, met leading GOP donors in New York City, as most GOP prospects do over time. Among prospective candidates who visited Iowa GOP donor Bruce Rastetter's farm in August 2013 for annual fundraiser for the governor.

Paul: Yes, headlined luncheon in April at Boston-area equity firm led by Romney's former national finance chairman and Romney's oldest son, Tagg, an event that drew together the 2012 presidential candidate's inner circle. Also attended Romney's 2013 Utah retreat. Has met GOP donors in New York City.

Perry: Yes, has proven an effective fundraiser, both from grassroots activists and mainstream Republicans. Has led many job-poaching missions in big states with Democratic governors and met privately during those trips with key donors, especially in New York and California.

Rubio: Yes, aggressive national fundraising outreach, including trips to New York and California to meet potential donors. Raised more money last year than potential rivals Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. Among a handful of possible candidates to attend September 2013 event at home of Woody Johnson, New York Jets' owner and Mitt Romney's national finance chairman.

Ryan: Yes, attracts Wall Street interest, attended Romney's 2013 Utah retreat, has money connections from 2012 campaign.

Santorum: 2012 shoestring campaign was largely fueled by a super political action committee to which Republican donor Foster Friess gave more than $2 million.

Walker: Yes. Addressed Republican Jewish Coalition at a Las Vegas gathering in March where main attraction was Adelson, who's looking where to place his bets in GOP field. Headlined 2013 fundraisers in New York and Connecticut.

___

NETWORK LIKE MAD: Taking their case to ideologues, activists and party heavyweights who hold great sway in nomination race.

Democrats

Biden: And how. Says he plans to campaign in more than 100 races in the 2014 election. Meets regularly with former Senate colleagues and congressional Democrats. Gives keynote speeches at annual state Democratic Party dinners across the country. Making calls for House Democrats' campaign organization, assisting in recruitment of candidates. Campaigned for new Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey. Speaks regularly to special interests.

Clinton: Steady presence now on speaking circuit, delivering paid speeches to industry groups and conferences and appearing before a number of groups with ties to the Democratic coalition.

Cuomo: Sparingly. Rarely leaves New York.

O'Malley: Yes, busy spring, with speeches to California Democratic state convention in March, Wisconsin Democrats in April and Massachusetts Democrats in May. Was Democratic governors' chairman for two years until December 2012.

Republicans

Bush: Doing more this year politically after a long period of "a little self-restraint." Already a GOP establishment favorite. Recent travels to Tennessee, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas. Endorsed GOP establishment favorites in North Carolina Senate and California governor primaries. Skipped Conservative Political Action Conference in March, after giving keynote speech to the influential group a year earlier.

Christie: Yes, vigorous outreach now as the new Republican Governors Association chairman. Also spoke in March to Conservative Political Action Conference, which snubbed him last year. Addressed Republican Jewish Coalition spring meeting in Las Vegas, spending a full day with top donors and GOP operatives.

Cruz: Yes, vigorously. Spoke by video to National Rifle Association's April leadership forum. Addressed Conservative Political Action Conference in March, after landing the group's coveted keynote role in 2013. Has engaged in persistent courting of religious and economic conservatives in Texas and beyond; pitched social conservative principles at Values Voter meeting in October, while also meeting privately beforehand with evangelical leaders. Addressed 2012 Republican National Convention before he was even elected to the Senate.

Jindal: Big time and small time, far and wide. Giving May commencement address at Liberty University in Virginia, a familiar stop for prospective candidates, then South Carolina speech in June. Addressed NRA annual leadership forum in April, Conservative Political Action Conference in March, also in 2013. Made time for fundraiser for local sheriff in Michigan. Altogether, has spent much of his time during six years as governor on the road, talking to GOP and activist groups, supporting Republican candidates and promoting achievements. Has close ties with social conservatives. Created political action committee to help conservative candidates running for Congress, giving him continued opportunities to network nationally.

Paul: Yes, and now roaming freely beyond tea party tent. Had private audience in April with Romney's 2012 campaign advisers, is helping Republicans across political spectrum, including moderate Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, and has pitched in with party leaders to heal divisions from last campaign. In April brought message of unity to state GOP convention in Maine, where a struggle over delegates created raw tensions between GOP establishment and libertarian or tea party supporters of his father in 2012 campaign. Generated buzz and won symbolic straw poll at Conservative Political Action Conference in March.

Perry: Yes, spoke at past two Conservative Political Action Conferences as well as its regional meeting in St. Louis in September. Addressed conservative activists at a RedState Gathering in New Orleans in August, mistakenly saying he was in Florida. Job-pitching tour in various states helps make connections.

Rubio: Yes, conservative and party activists, focused lately on repairing tea party relationships strained over immigration. Well-received speech to Conservative Political Action Conference in March. In Virginia governor's race, campaigned for Republican Ken Cuccinelli, who lost.

Ryan: Yes, prime networker as 2012 vice presidential candidate; now helping fellow House members raise money.

Santorum: Addressed NRA convention in April; speeches to groups around the country, including Conservative Political Action Conference. His Christian-themed film company is his calling card with religious conservatives.

Walker: One of only a few 2016 prospects who spoke to Republican Jewish Coalition. Skipped the big Conservative Political Action Conference in March, appeared there last year. Campaigned for GOP in Virginia governor's race. Spoke to Michigan Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island in September 2013.

___

HOG THE TV: Achieving national recognition by sermonizing on the Sunday news shows, or going for soft questions and easy laughs on late-night TV.

Democrats

Biden: He's back. After being largely absent from the airwaves for more than a year, Biden has resumed frequent interviews, including joint TV appearance with Obama in April. He did a TV blitz the morning after the State of the Union, a CNN interview aboard an Amtrak train and dished on his skin care routine and his wife's oddball pranks during an interview with Rachael Ray. But not a Sunday news show fixture.

Clinton: No. But late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel interviewed her in March. Appeared with Obama on CBS' "60 Minutes" in January to talk about tenure as secretary of state; gave interview to Barbara Walters late in 2013.

Cuomo: No. Prefers radio.

O'Malley: Getting back in the swing. January 2014 Sunday news show appearance on CNN was first in months, followed by CBS in February.

Republicans

Bush: Blanketed the five Sunday shows one day in March 2013 to plug his book on immigration, a few appearances other times.

Christie: Not so much since traffic scandal surfaced. Before that, liked to cut up on late-night TV. Four Sunday news shows after his 2013 re-election.

Cruz: Yes, several Sunday news show appearances already this year, plenty last year. Frequent guest on Fox News and CNN.

Jindal: No, only a couple of Sunday news show appearances since 2012 election.

Paul: Leader of the chattering pack with more than a dozen Sunday talk show appearances since 2012 election, including one in April from New Hampshire. Frequent guest on news networks, especially Fox.

Perry: Raising his profile lately, making several national TV appearances while starring in flood of media spots in California designed to persuade businesses based there to move to Texas. On NBC's "Meet the Press" in May: "I'm going to be across the country talking about red-state versus blue-state policies. Hopefully engaged in a good, thoughtful, winsome conversation about how do we make America more competitive."

Rubio: Staying on par with most rivals in Sunday news show appearances, did one from New Hampshire in May. Blanketed all five Sunday shows one day in April 2013 to talk about immigration, before he dropped the subject. Frequent guest on news networks.

Ryan: Many Sunday news show appearances since 2012 election. Occasional guest on network news.

Santorum: Yes, promoting his new book. Plugged his Christmas movie on "The Colbert Report," Fox News, MSNBC and more. Radio, too. Teamed up with Democrat Howard Dean as sparring partners for debates on the air and with audiences.

Walker: Already on the Sunday news show scoreboard for 2014. Half dozen or so Sunday news show appearances since 2012 election. Also, Piers Morgan, Lou Dobbs, more national TV interviews.

___

ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING: For voters who want to support doers, not just talkers.

Democrats

Biden: Leading Obama's review of federal job-training programs, prime player in U.S. response to Ukrainian crisis. His office co-chaired a White House task force to address sexual assault on campuses. Point man on gun control, which failed. Negotiated fiscal cliff deal.

Clinton: Record as secretary of state, senator and first lady. Recent initiatives to help children's health and education and status of women.

Cuomo: 2014 budget proposal calls for tax cuts for businesses, homeowners and renters. In 2013, pushed through nation's first gun-control law after the Newtown, Connecticut, school massacre. Led New York's effort to legalize same-sex marriage in 2011. Minimum wage boost, on-time budgets, teacher standards.

O'Malley: Toughened gun laws, repealed death penalty, saw voters approve gay marriage after he got behind legislation to approve it, set up a framework to develop offshore wind power, won legislative approval in April of minimum wage increase, a 2014 priority.

Republicans

Bush: As Florida governor, revamped state educational system, cut taxes, managed state through hurricanes.

Christie: Won November 2013 re-election, becoming first Republican to earn more than 50 percent of New Jersey vote in quarter-century. Led state's response to Superstorm Sandy. Agreed to expand state's Medicaid program under the new health law while some other Republican governors have refused to do so. Vetoed a bill that would have sanctioned gay marriage, but declined to appeal a court ruling that legalized it.

Cruz: Leading force in dispute that partly shut the government, 21-hour Senate speech against Obama's health law. Argued before U.S. Supreme Court nine times, with eight of those coming while he was Texas' longest-serving solicitor general, between 2003 and 2008.

Jindal: Privatized much of Louisiana's Medicaid program, shrank public hospital system, signed statewide voucher program that covers private school tuition for certain students. Signed abortion restrictions, fought liberalization of adoption law, making it impossible for gay couples to adopt jointly. Hurricane and Gulf oil spill disaster response.

Paul: One-man, nearly 13-hour Senate filibuster to protest drone policy put him at forefront of civil liberties debate.

Perry: "Texas Miracle" job-creation boom has seen state create a third of the net new jobs nationwide over last decade, although Texas has disproportionately high percentage of hourly workers earning minimum wage or less. Helped muscle through new abortion restrictions.

Rubio: Broker of Senate immigration overhaul, though he's gone quiet on the issue. Early leader of effort to link financing of health care law to government shutdown. Working with anti-abortion groups on Senate version of bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks.

Ryan: Negotiated December 2013 bipartisan budget deal that scaled back across-the-board spending cuts, drawing contrast with potential rivals who opposed it. Budget-hawk record to be judged on. Emerging as influential moderate on immigration.

Santorum: Making Christian-themed, family-friendly movies at the moment; record from Senate days.

Walker: Curbs on public service unions became national flashpoint, but he won the effort — and the recall election that followed.

___

TAKE A NATIONAL STAND: Effective state governance is nice but leaders must build national stature on issues of the day.

Democrats

Biden: Eclectic. Guns, violence against women, gay rights, veterans.

Clinton: Eclectic. 2013 speeches focused on the economy, housing, opportunities for women, voting rights.

Cuomo: Environmentalists nationally and the energy industry are closely watching his pending decision whether to allow fracking in upstate New York counties near the Pennsylvania line.

O'Malley: The liberal checklist: more spending on education, infrastructure, transportation; supports same-sex marriage, immigration reform, repealing death penalty, pushes environmental protections.

Republicans

Bush: Unapologetic proponent of Common Core education standards and immigration changes opposed by many in GOP.

Christie: Moderate on the reach and functions of government; bipartisanship.

Cruz: Anti-Obama's health care law, pushes broader tea party agenda.

Jindal: A record of privatization to show he means government should be trimmed, happy to carry a social conservative banner.

Paul: Tea-party plus, with a libertarian streak that places him to the left of rivals on some issues, to the right on others. Fiscal conservative, criticizes surveillance state. Says GOP should back off on pushing state voter ID laws offensive to blacks. Health law scold. Joining in 2014 with liberal lawmakers and others in effort to roll back some mandatory minimum sentences and give judges more flexibility in fitting punishment to crime.

Perry: Prominent voice on conservative issues since before the birth of the tea party. Wants to ban all abortion in Texas, relax environmental regulations, boost states' rights; opposes gay marriage.

Rubio: 2014 initiative on poverty calls for federal wage supplements for some low-wage workers instead of earned income tax credit. Economy, abortion, tea party fiscal conservatism; immigration liberalization if he decides to get back to it. Another voice against health care law. Has become a leading GOP voice in foreign policy, pressing for stronger U.S. action in geopolitical hot spots. On climate change: "I do not believe that human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it."

Ryan: Cutting spending, taking on entitlements, rolling back Obama's health law. Anti-poverty initiative this year.

Santorum: Social conservative activism goes way back. Focus on blue-collar economic opportunity. Speaking against libertarian streak in GOP, a "strain of conservatism that has no basis in conservatism." Book calls climate change "hyped-up crisis."

Walker: Fiscal stewardship, from a GOP point of view. Tough guy against the unions and liberal defenders of the status quo. Says GOP in Congress is the party of no.

___

BAGGAGE TO CHECK: It's never too early to deal with skeletons in the closet; rivals will be rattling them soon enough.

Democrats

Biden: Flubs, fibs, age. Deflection: "I am who I am." Saddled by Obama's low approval ratings.

Clinton: Benghazi, Libya; polarizing when political, age. GOP wants to pin blame on her for vulnerability of U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya that came under deadly attack in 2012. In long-confidential documents from Bill Clinton's administration, advisers urged her to "be real" and "humanize" herself, revealing concerns about her authenticity as a public figure.

Cuomo: New York economy is dragging, his poll numbers have sunk, went through public and bitter divorce with Kerry Kennedy, daughter of late Sen. Robert Kennedy, in 2005.

O'Malley: State-run health insurance exchange website was an expensive bust, prompting officials to make an embarrassing switch in April to one based on Connecticut's. Contraband- and drug-smuggling scheme at state-run Baltimore City Detention Center that resulted in 44 people being indicted has state lawmakers looking to make reforms. Has record of raising taxes that could be challenged by less liberal Democrats, never mind Republicans.

Republicans

Bush: The Bush factor. Does the country want a Bush dynasty after presidents George H. W. and George W.? Courting trouble with the right with positions on education and remarks in April that people who cross into the U.S. illegally are doing so as an "act of love" for their families.

Christie: If you have to declare "I am not a bully," you've got a problem. Apologized in January 2014 for highway lane closures apparently ordered by his aides as retribution against a mayor who did not endorse him for re-election. Also fired his deputy chief of staff and denied knowledge of the machinations. Episode deepened questions about what Christie, or those around him, will do to win, and contributed to a significant drop in his poll standings. Investigations continue.

Cruz: Reputation as a hotheaded upstart, also part of his appeal. Polarizing within his party. Also comes with birther baggage: Questions have been raised in some quarters about his constitutional standing to become president because of his birth in Canada, to a Cuban father and American mother. Deflection: Promised last summer to renounce Canadian citizenship but hasn't.

Jindal: Ambitious plan to replace state's personal and corporate taxes with higher sales taxes flopped, delivered dud of a speech when given juicy platform of responding to Obama's first presidential address to Congress in 2009. Deflection: Poking fun at himself. Jindal administration's award of a $200 million Medicaid contract is under investigation by state and federal grand juries.

Paul: Dear old dad: Must move beyond Ron Paul's fringe reputation. Bridge-burning in Congress endears him to tea party, could bite him otherwise. Deflection: GOP outreach to minorities. The Washington Times canceled his column after he was found to have used passages from other people in his speeches and writings as if they were his own. Deflection: Promising proper citations and footnotes for his pronouncements "if it will make people leave me the hell alone."

Perry: "Oops!" Memories of his stumbling 2012 campaign, a quick progression from a front-runner to flameout. Deflection: Owns up to his "botched efforts" in last campaign. Also a potential drag: a grand jury investigation in Austin into whether he abused power by cutting off state financing for an office of public corruption prosecutors led by a Democrat who refused to resign after being convicted of drunken driving.

Rubio: Rift with tea party constituency on immigration, "a real trial for me." Deflection: Go aggressive on a matter of common ground, which he did in pledging to take apart the health law. And stop talking about immigration. Response to Obama's 2013 State of the Union speech was remembered only for his clumsy reach for water. Deflection: Made fun of himself.

Ryan: Budget axe cuts both ways — catnip to conservatives but people want their Medicare. Carries stigma of 2012 election loss as running mate. Tea party not happy with his late 2013 budget deal. Comments in March about cultural "tailspin" in inner cities struck some as veiled racism. Deflection: Called his remark "inarticulate."

Santorum: Overshadowed by newer conservative figures. Deflection: Being overshadowed means being an underdog, and he can thrive at that. Feisty 2012 campaign became the biggest threat to Romney's march to the nomination. New book contains provocative passages for future rivals to dredge up.

Walker: Some things that give him huge appeal with GOP conservatives — taking on unions, most notably — would whip up Democratic critics in general election. Wisconsin has lagged in job creation. Release of emails in February shed light on criminal investigation into whether Walker's aides were illegally doing campaign work for the 2010 governor's election while being paid as county employees. Walker, then a county executive, wasn't charged but the episode has proved a distraction.

___

RUN SHADOW CAMPAIGN: One way to run without running is to have a political action committee to promote ideas or other candidates for office, or to hire advisers who can switch to a campaign when the time comes.

Democrats

Biden: Constrained by his current job, but tapped longtime adviser and former lobbyist Steve Ricchetti to be his new chief of staff; maintains close contact with political advisers past and present.

Clinton: Ready for Hillary super PAC set up by supporters is laying groundwork, so are others. Several old Clinton hands are advising the group, including Craig T. Smith and Harold Ickes.

Cuomo: Overshadowed by Clinton's shadow campaign. Considered a likely contender if Clinton ends up not running.

O'Malley: Set up a PAC called O'Say Can You See and hired two people for fundraising and communications.

Republicans

Bush: He's a Bush, so he's got connections. Sally Bradshaw, chief of staff when he was governor, is his go-to political person.

Christie: Republican Governors Association chairmanship allows him to grow his national profile with voters and party officials with regular travel and key appearances. Began building broad coalition of donors through his national fundraising tour in spring 2013. But the shadow of the traffic scandal still hangs over his shadow campaign.

Cruz: Has leadership PAC, Jobs Growth and Economic Freedom. Has been one of the largest beneficiaries of Jim DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund and has gotten millions of dollars and grassroots logistical support from the Club for Growth, FreedomWorks and Ending Spending PAC. Heritage Action PAC helped sponsor Cruz's summer anti-health-law trip around Texas and country.

Jindal: Created Washington-based nonprofit, America Next, in October 2013 to push policy ideas nationally. For executive director, tapped Jill Neunaber, who worked on Romney's presidential campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire. In March created PAC to help conservative candidates.

Paul: Has formidable leadership PAC called Rand PAC, has maintained ties to father's political network in early primary states and benefits from strong tea party support. Is starting to build teams on the ground in most states.

Perry: Created Americans for Economic Freedom PAC in fall 2013 to raise his profile again, help him test the waters and broadcast ads promoting Republican leadership around the country. Group used more than $200,000 left over from the PAC that raised millions for his 2012 campaign.

Rubio: Beginning more aggressive travel to early voting states; has lagged potential rivals on that front. Ramping up in other ways, too: Shuffled his staff and directed political resources of his Reclaim America PAC to three big Senate midterm races this year, one of them the GOP primary in Iowa.

Ryan: His Prosperity Action PAC.

Santorum: Keeps in touch with chief supporters of his winning 2012 Iowa caucus campaign, giving him a leg up on a campaign organization in that state.

Walker: Consults with top Republican governor strategists such as Phil Musser and Nick Ayers.

___

GET WITH IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: A must for spreading ideas, poking competitors, raising money, organizing events and showing a personal side, though often a very canned version.

Democrats

Biden: Launched Instagram account in April. Not active on Facebook, occasional contributor to his office's vigorous Twitter account.

Clinton: More than 1 million followers on Twitter, her preferred social media outlet.

Cuomo: Few if any personal tweets; Facebook also generated primarily by staff.

O'Malley: On Twitter, standard governor's fare but promotes rare appearances by his Celtic rock band, O'Malley's March, for which he sings and plays guitar, banjo and tin whistle. On Facebook, his PAC-generated page is more active than official governor's account.

Republicans

Bush: Tweets and posts many Wall Street Journal stories, education thoughts and some Bush family doings.

Christie: More engaged in Twitter ("It was great to be able to visit with the owners of Rossi's Rent-A-Rama in Ortley today.") than Facebook.

Cruz: Active on Facebook and Twitter, much content is pumped out by staff.

Jindal: Active on Twitter and on Facebook, where he lists among favorite books, "John Henry Newman: A Biography," about recently canonized British cardinal and sage. Also favors James Bond movies.

Paul: Aggressive. Bragged on Twitter in June that he'd attracted more than 1 million likes for his Facebook page, where he lists his own books as his favorites.

Perry: Active. One popular tweet was accidental — from his pocket, he said — and consisted of "I." Followers jumped in to complete his sentence. One offered: "I ... really like Obamacare." (He doesn't.) Facebook appears staff-generated.

Rubio: Aggressive, with large followings, appears to make personal use of Twitter more than staff-generated Facebook. Takes lots of shots at the health law. On Facebook, lists "Pulp Fiction" movie and "The Tudors" historical fiction TV series among favorites.

Ryan: King of Facebook among potential rivals in both parties, with nearly 4.9 million likes. Seeks $10 donations for "Team Ryan" bumper stickers for his PAC and kisses a fish. Posts photo of Obama with his feet up on Oval Office desk. Commanding presence on Twitter, too, via an account associated with his PAC and another as congressman.

Santorum: Active on Twitter and Facebook.

Walker: Posts vigorously on Facebook and on his Twitter accounts. Many exclamation points. "Glad USDA is keeping cranberries on school menus. I drink several bottles of cranberry juice each day!" And, "Green Bay Packers signing Julius Peppers to a 3-year deal is HUGE!" Promotes policy achievements and his TV appearances, reflects on sports, pokes Obama.

___

Associated Press writers Ken Thomas, Josh Lederman and Nancy Benac in Washington; Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland; Tom Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa; Steve Peoples in Boston; Michael Virtanen in Albany, New York; Will Weissert in Austin, Texas; and Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report. Reported by Huffington Post 14 hours ago.

Boehner Press Secretary Hired by Health Insurance Lobby

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Boehner Press Secretary Hired by Health Insurance Lobby America's Health Insurance Plans, the health insurance lobby in Washington, D.C., has hired Speaker Boehner’s press secretary, Brendan Buck, as its new spokesperson and vice president of communications.

Buck was Boehner's press secretary for three years and also served as a press secretary for Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) when Mitt Romney chose Ryan as the Republican nominee for vice president.

In a statement marking Buck’s farewell, Boehner credited him with playing a key role in Republicans' efforts to win back the House of Representatives in 2010.

“I’ve appreciated his advice, his energetic advocacy, and his wit ... Boehnerland will miss him,” Boehner said.

AHIP President and CEO Karen Ignagni praised Buck as an essential resource in the insurance lobby’s communication team.

“Brendan's experience and skill set will allow him to hit the ground running on day one,” she said. “He's an effective communicator who knows how to tackle complex policy issues and skillfully navigate an ever-changing health care and media environment.”

Buck previously attacked Government Accountability Institute President and Breitbart Senior Editor-at-Large Peter Schweizer over revelations about John Boehner's "toll booth" donation extraction scheme, claiming, "This ‘expert’ is utterly clueless about the legislative process and guilty of pathetically sloppy research." Schweizer drew Buck's ire for reporting how "Boehner bagged over $200,000 in donations from executives and companies days prior to holding votes on three bills of critical importance to their industries." Reported by Breitbart 12 hours ago.

Boehner Press Secretary Leaves for Insurance Association Post

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*Brendan Buck*, press secretary for House Speaker *John Boehner* (R-OH), is leaving the Capitol to become the vice president of communications for America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade association representing the American insurance industry. Reported by Mediaite 12 hours ago.

George Will Strikes Out vs. Obamacare

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Right-wing columnist George Will tries to change his image as a pompous snob by being a big baseball fan, just another one of us common folks.

But Spurious George, who has no problem paying for his own healthcare and, at age 73, can always depend on Medicare, doesn't have much sympathy for ordinary people who couldn't afford decent healthcare before Obamacare became law.

Few foes of the Affordable Care Act have damned it more than George. If thousands of children and older people get sick or die because they lack healthcare, that's not George's problem.

His latest anti-Obamacare effort came in his May 2 column, in which he eagerly anticipated that a fatal blow to Obamacare would be signaled last Thursday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The column was headlined "Obamacare's doom."

"If the president wants to witness a refutation of his assertion that the survival of the Affordable Care Act is assured," the pompously self-assured Will wrote, "he should stroll the 13 blocks from his office to the nation's second-most important court," where "he can hear an argument involving yet another constitutional provision that evidently has escaped his notice."

Will's argument is that Obamacare is unconstitutional because the Supreme Court's 5-4 majority opinion by Chief Justice Roberts ruled it a tax, and that a tax is a form of revenue, and that the so-called origination clause of the Constitution says all bills for revenue must originate in the House of Representatives.

Like the lawyers who argued against it in court, Will claims that Obamacare originated in the Senate, not the House. "Two years ago, the Supreme Court saved the ACA [Obamacare] by declaring its penalty to be a tax. It thereby doomed the ACA as an unconstitutional violation of the origination clause," his column concluded.

Too bad that the courts and others, don't agree.

Even before last Thursday's session of the appeals court, Media Matters, a website aimed at refuting right-wing nonsense, pointed out that Will ignored some key facts about the legislative process, as well as a century-old Supreme Court precedent. In fact, says Media Matters, both parties in the Senate have often successfully gotten around the Constitution's origination problem by amending House-passed legislation; and MM quotes Slate's John Dickerson as saying that "both Republicans and Democrats have used the trick while in the majority."

Yale Law Professor Jack Balkin, reached much the same conclusion in a 2012 article in the Atlantic. Balkin noted that challengers to the law who cite the origination clause would have to show that "the Senate can't amend a House bill that raises revenue and substitute a different bill on a different subject. The Supreme Court's cases, however, say that the Senate can do precisely that," wrote Balkin.

The three federal appeals court judges who heard the case last Thursday, all Democratic appointees, seemed to agree with Prof. Balkin and the lower Federal court that turned thumbs down on Wills's argument. USA Today reported that "the judges appeared even more dubious" about that claim than others brought against the healthcare law.
The judges didn't seem impressed. [Judge Judith] Rogers said the House bill [the one amended by the Senate's Obamacare measure] related to corporate taxes and fit the Supreme Court's criteria for a revenue bill. [Judge Robert] Wilkins noted the opponents had no successful legal precedents on which to base their challenge, nor did any House members object at the time.
Of course George can still hope that, despite the appellate judges' lack of enthusiasm for his side's argument, they will, in the end, accept it. Most anything is possible. But how likely is it that a lower court could rule unconstitutional a law already declared constitutional by the Supreme Court? I'm not a lawyer, but I'd say, not very likely.

Even if the Appeals Court rejects the origination argument Wills supports, the Supreme Court's conservative majority could still conceivably take the case, reverse that judgment and throw Obamacare out. But how likely is it that Chief Justice Roberts or any of the four liberal justices who found the new healthcare law to be constitutional as a tax would now turn around and declare it unconstititutional because of the Congressional origin of that tax? Again, not very likely.

There are at least two powerful additional arguments that Will's case against Obamacare is doomed: Would a court really be willing to risk the chaos that would come about if it cancelled a law that has just given eight million people new health insurance policies, especially in view of the chaos surrounding Obamacare's introduction? And would the court throw into doubt the legality of a whole range of other laws passed in the same way that Obamacare was?

I think the answer is clearly NO. Even worse luck next time, George. Reported by Huffington Post 12 hours ago.

Dropping health coverage could have tax, morale implications

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Providing health insurance can be costly for small firms, but there are factors to consider before dropping coverage.  -More-  Reported by SmartBrief 12 hours ago.

Study says nixing employer mandate would have little effect on uninsured

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Eliminating the Affordable Care Act mandate that large employers offer health insurance to employees would have little effect on the number of people with or without health insurance, according to a new study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. That’s because most large employers – those with 50 or more employees – already offer insurance, and firms that don’t offer coverage tend to be small, provide low-wage jobs and aren’t bound by the mandate, the study said. If the mandate were… Reported by bizjournals 12 hours ago.

Turns Out Obamacare Premiums Aren't More Expensive After All

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When the cost of an employer-provided health insurance plan is compared to the cost of an Affordable Care Act plan bought on a state health insurance exchange, the ACA plan will be more affordable on average, a new analysis from PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute finds.

"In 2014, the premiums for health plans offered on new state exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are comparable to — and in some cases lower than — those being offered by employers with similar levels of coverage," the analysts concluded. "The data suggest the new exchanges are competitive with the current insurance market."

The analysis is based on employer-sponsored premiums of 156 million people in 2013. Here's an infographic illustrating those numbers (this is the median annual price for each kind of plan):

Because the cost of an insurance plan varies significantly from person to person, these median prices do not reflect realities for every individual. But overall, the cost of insurance on the exchanges is competitive: about 4% less than employer plans, before taking subsidies into account.

Some of those cost savings come from the exchange plans' narrower networks — that's fewer available doctors and hospitals to choose from.

But what about all those news stories about people whose premiums had shot way up? Those were often people whose pre-ACA insurance did not meet even the most basic standards set forth by the law.

"Some of the sticker shock noted among enrollees in the new exchanges is due to more comprehensive insurance coverage in the exchange plans," the PwC analysis notes, citing research in Health Affairs. "More than half the people in the individual market had coverage below the bronze level of 60%, the lowest level in the exchanges."

That means that the people most likely to see their rates going way up were people whose insurance would not actually have helped them much when they needed it most.

*SEE ALSO: The GOP's Latest Anti-Obamacare Talking Point Just Went Down In Flames*

Join the conversation about this story » Reported by Business Insider 11 hours ago.

11 Things Wedding Planners Can't Say To Your Face

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*By Elizabeth Mitchell for Brides*

Your planner is there to help you bring your dream wedding to life. That said, a wedding planner is not your personal assistant or your family therapist — even if some brides believe that's part of the job description. Of course, planners can't tell their clients they're acting like a bridezilla, but they can tell us! Here, wedding planners reveal the things they don't have the heart to say to your face. Take notes, ladies.
· "We want you to make your own decisions. This is your wedding. Yes, flexible couples are the dream to any planner but indecisive clients can be a nightmare. It makes both of our roles so much more difficult when a client can't make a single decision without us. The perfect combination is a nice collaboration of ideas."— Celebrity Event Designer Brett Galley from Hollywood POP
· "You are not a professional event planner so please stop acting like you know everything about weddings after reading two blog articles and surfing Pinterest."— Event Planner Shimona Mayo, Author of Power Plays for Brides
· "I cannot be your secret-bearer. If you want to lie to your family about wedding costs, do so on your own and leave me out of it!"— Celebrity Wedding Planner Donnie Brown of Donnie Brown Weddings and Events· "Our contract clearly outlines what we have offered to assist you with. We often go above and beyond this, but sometimes you take advantage. We are not your personal assistants."— Mindy Home, Senior Events Manager at AE Events
· "I'm not your friend, I'm your wedding planner. Don't call me to cry about fights with your bridesmaids or the groom. If it's a real problem, email me to schedule a conference call. But share your personal trials and tribulations with your mother and maid of honor. I'm not being paid to hear the details about how badly behaved some of your wedding party and family are prior to arrival unless you think they're going to misbehave at the actual wedding. The only reason to call me after 9 p.m. without a prescheduled call is if the groom is on fire and if you are getting married next week."— Professional Wedding Planner Sandy Malone of Weddings in Vieques
· "We cannot stop time, create more time or get your time back. We'd love it if we could! We give you deadlines for a reason. If they aren't followed, unfortunately you may lose time, lose a vendor or incur rush fees."— Sojourner Auguste, Owner of Erganic Design
· "Don't get hyper focused on certain layout details. Where your cake table goes or what side the favor box is on is not something that you need to stress about. Many times wedding planners make game day decisions on layout and you, and especially your guests, will never know the difference. Let the wedding planner worry about the minutiae."— Robyn Bruns, President of Red Letter Event Planning
· "Do not call, text and email on the same issue within a short timespan. I usually have a rapid fast response time and my clients know this, but they should also know that I can't respond when I am meeting with another client or vendor. Leaving a voicemail and then following up five minutes later with an email to say, 'I left you a voice mail' and then a text that says, 'Please check your voice mail' 10 minutes after that doesn't help you get a response sooner."— Tracie Domino, Founder & Creative Director of Tracie Domino Events
· "Wedding planners and designers don't make as much money as you think. This job is a labor of love. Sometimes when someone asks about the cost of my services their eyes get big and I hear, 'Oh you're rich.' What you have to take into account are how many hours I have to work in order to earn my fee. I pay for my gas, overhead, health insurance, staff. In other words, I am an independent contractor. Most weddings I plan are at least 12 months away. So in order to get a better idea of how much I make, take my fee and divide that by 365 days."— Certified Green Event Designer Veronica Cole
· "A wedding theme is just that, one theme! Not a whole mix match of Pinterest concepts all mashed together. There is such a thing as too much."— Matiana Mitchell of Matiana Mitchell Designs
· "Unless he wants to go, don't drag your fiancé to all of your appointments (and be ok with it!)"— Gabriela Solano, wedding planner at VIDA Floral and florist on BloomNation.com
*More from Brides.com: *· The Most Flattering Wedding Dress for Your Body Type· Kim Kardashian's Wedding Dress! 11 Fantasy Sketches· The Most Creative Wedding Cakes of the Year· Gorgeous Plus Size Wedding Dresses· Expecting (and Engaged!) Celebrities· The Most Beautiful Honeymoon Destinations· 5 Things You Can Carry Down the Aisle That Aren't Flowers
Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter here. Reported by Huffington Post 11 hours ago.

US Women More Likely to Die During Childbirth Today vs. 20 Years Ago

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Women in the United States are more likely to die during childbirth today than they were 20 years ago, according to an updated report on maternal mortality trends the World Health Organization (WHO) released last week.

The study found that while most countries around the world — both developed and developing — have seen a decrease in maternal deaths, the U.S. maternal mortality ratio has increased 136% since 1990. In 2013, 28 women per every 100,000 births died, while 12 women per every 100,000 births died in 1990.

See also: 10 Innovations That Improved the World in 2013

WHO experts told Reuters that this increase could have several reasons, including lack of health insurance, increased number of C-sections, obesity, diabetes, older women giving birth or even improved reporting for maternal deaths. Read more...

More about Social Good, Us World, Us, Family Parenting, and Chart Of The Day Reported by Mashable 11 hours ago.

Obamacare Doctor Shortage Predictions Were Overhyped

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*Provided by Kaiser Health News:*

The headlines were ominous: Good luck finding a doctor under Obamacare. Not enough doctors for newly insured. Obamacare, doctor shortage could crash health system.

Despite these dire predictions, the nation’s primary care system is handling the increased number of insured patients without major problems so far, according to interviews with community health centers, large physician practices and insurers nationwide.

Five months into the biggest expansion of health coverage in 50 years — with about 13 million people enrolled in private insurance and Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act — there are few reports of patients facing major delays getting care, say officials from more than two dozen health centers and multi-group practices, as well as insurers and physician groups in nine big states.

There are some exceptions, particularly in parts of Colorado, Kentucky and Washington state, which had some of the biggest gains in coverage.

HealthPoint, a network of nine community health centers and six dental clinics southeast of Seattle, is turning away about 150 people a week although it had added two new facilities and expanded a third in anticipation of the surge.

The centers have seen nearly 7,000 new patients this year — a 10 percent increase — most of them newly covered by Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for the poor that expanded in Washington and 25 other states.

“It’s been incredibly stressful,” said Lisa Yohalem, the system’s chief strategy and development officer.

But most of the health centers and large physician groups contacted said they were prepared for new patients because they had added space and providers. A few cautioned that the full impact could be bigger because of the late surge of enrollees buying private plans in late March and April, whose coverage would just be taking effect in May, and the large numbers still awaiting Medicaid cards. Besides Colorado, Kentucky and Washington state, other sampled states were California, Connecticut. New York, Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania.

Metro Community Provider Network, a community health center in Denver, has handled 2,000 new patients so far this year, thanks in part to a new walk-in clinic with evening hours that opened in January and was paid for by the Affordable Care Act.

Henry Brown, 55, who signed up for Medicaid at the health center in January, said he’s had no problem getting appointments to treat his high blood pressure and arranging for foot surgery.

“It’s been a blessing for me,” said Brown, an ordained minister.

So what about the predictions about newly insured patients facing delays getting care?

“It was overblown,” said Sherry Glied, dean of New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a former top official in the Health and Human Services Department in the Obama administration.

*Millions Still Waiting For Medicaid Cards*

Several factors are thought to have muted early demand, from the late surge in enrollees — a million people signed up just since March 31 so their policies are just taking effect now—to an unusually cold and snowy winter in the Northeast and Midwest.

But the most significant is that more than 5 million people projected to gain coverage remain uninsured because only half the states expanded Medicaid.

And while Medicaid saw a net growth of 4.8 million people since October, more than a million who signed up are waiting to get the cards that are their admission tickets to free or low-cost doctors’ visits. In California alone, 900,000 people are waiting for their cards because of backlogs.

That may account for why several health centers in California said they had seen no significant increase in new patients, although the state enrolled more than 3 million people in private plans and Medicaid.

Although more people have sought care—as seen in the nearly 10 percent jump in health spending described in an April government report—Glied said there are enough providers in most places to care for them.

“The primary care system is not being stretched to its absolute limits,” she said.

She estimated that about 4 percent of the U.S. population gained insurance this year but many of them are young and “relatively low users of health care.”

Many of the concerns about people experiencing delays grew out the experience in Massachusetts after that state adopted near-universal coverage in 2006. Wait times for a doctor’s appointment rose to an average of 50 days with some as long as 100 days, according to a Massachusetts Medical Society report in 2008.

But Glied notes that Massachusetts’ residents historically had long waits for primary care visits so their experience is not a good indicator.

And unlike the Massachusetts law, the Affordable Care Act gave health providers more than three years to prepare. In that time, the federal government has spent billions expanding community health centers while private practices have added nurse practitioners and physician assistants and adopted electronic health records.

“Despite the widely publicized shortage of primary care physicians, primary care capacity does exist in each state,” said Karin Rhodes, director of the Center for Emergency Care Policy & Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Rhodes was the lead author of a study published last month in JAMA Internal Medicine in which researchers posing as new patients called about 8,000 primary care practices in 10 states. The vast majority quickly secured appointments although those with Medicaid had a tougher time.

Physicians scheduled visits for 85 percent of callers posing as patients with private insurance, and for 58 percent of those posing as patients with Medicaid. Median wait times were just under one week.

Still, Rhodes said that people around the country will face varied experiences because the supply of doctors is uneven and the number of newly insured also varies dramatically.

Molina Healthcare, a large managed care firm that covers mostly Medicaid patients and runs health clinics in six states, said it is managing patient demand without hitches so far.

“We have seen some increased use, but it’s not been a problem,” said J. Mario Molina, chief executive of the Long Beach, Calif.-based company.

Molina, whose Medicaid enrollment grew 11 percent to 2.2 million this year, said he expects his clinics to get busier as state agencies plow through their backlogs and send cards to new enrollees.

*Too Early To See Surge*

Some physician groups still believe there will be delays when the late enrollees and patients still waiting for cards filter into the system.

“We have not felt the full impact of it yet,” said David Fleming, president of the American College of Physicians. “We are going to see a substantial increase in volume and it is going to be a problem because there are not enough primary care doctors.”

That view may be borne out by the experience in states like Kentucky which saw thousands of people gain coverage due to a successful state exchange and Medicaid expansion.

At White House Clinics, a community health center with suburban and rural sites south of Lexington, patients with non-urgent problems are being asked to wait six weeks for an appointment.

But providers in Louisville say they have barely begun to see a difference.

“People are still learning about their new benefit,” said Bill Wagner, executive director of Family Health Centers. “We anticipate greater demand but it won’t be all at once. This will be a long slow buildup.”

Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy research and communication organization not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. Reported by Huffington Post 10 hours ago.

Outside Group Hits Alison Lundergan Grimes On Obama, Coal

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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A new ad from an independent political group is giving voters a peek of the unrelenting barrage of negative ads linking likely Democratic Senate nominee Alison Lundergan Grimes with the as-unpopular-as-ever President Barack Obama.

"Obamacare. The war on coal. That's Obama's agenda. And Alison Grimes supports Obama," a female narrator says in the 30-second ad. "Now (Obama's) lieutenants are financing her campaign because Obama needs another vote in the Senate. And with Alison Grimes, that's what he'll get."

The ad — which cost $552,000 — began running on Friday and will continue through Kentucky's May 20 primaries. It is paid for by the Kentuckians for Strong Leadership, an independent political action committee run by Scott Jennings, a former adviser to President George W. Bush.

Of the $3.3 million the group has raised, just $172,000 has come from Kentucky addresses. Most of that — $125,000 — is from health insurance giant Humana founder David A. Jones Sr.

The Grimes ad comes as another independent group, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is airing a pro-McConnell TV ad statewide. The Chamber formally endorsed McConnell in March and pledged to spend more money on McConnell's race than in any other race in the country.

The out-of-state spending has helped McConnell build a sizeable and consistent advantage over his primary opponent Matt Bevin, a tea party favorite who has failed to catch fire.

Bevin received a letter from the Federal Election Commission on Friday questioning him about a required report that may be incomplete or missing. The FEC gave Bevin's campaign until Thursday to complete a pre-primary financial report.

Bevin's most recent report, covering the campaign through March 31, listed him with $453,000 in the bank. The campaign also owes the candidate $600,000.

McConnell, meanwhile, reported more than $10 million in the bank, mostly for his expected race against Grimes in November.

To help that campaign, outside pro-McConnell groups are already turning toward Grimes.

For instance, the latest Kentuckians for Strong Leadership ad includes video of Grimes telling a man that she supports national Democrats' platform, which includes a goal of generating 80 percent of U.S. energy from clean energy sources by 2035. The Democratic National Committee platform includes an "all-of-the-above approach" to energy, including wind, solar, coal and natural gas.

But in coal-rich Kentucky, any threat to the mining industry or a perceived alliance with Obama are politically toxic charges and ones that Republicans and their allies will seize as November comes closer.

Obama lost Kentucky by double-digit margins in both of his presidential campaigns: 16 percentage points in 2008 and then by 23 points in 2012. And recent polling shows more than 60 percent of Kentuckians disapprove of the Democratic president. That's why McConnell and his allies are trying to get voters to think of Grimes as an Obama ally.

Grimes, meanwhile, has jumped at any chance to disagree with the president. She criticized his decision on new emission standards for coal-fired power plants. She criticized him for not approving the Keystone XL pipeline. And she criticized "the inexplicable decision of the Obama administration's Department of Education" to renew a contract with Sallie Mae to collect student loan payments. Reported by Huffington Post 10 hours ago.

11 Financial Documents Unmarried Couples Should Know About

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11 Financial Documents Unmarried Couples Should Know About Filed under: Family Money, Personal Finance, Wills, Marriage, Financial Education

*Alamy*A will, domestic partner agreement and other documents help protect unmarried couples and their finances.

By Teresa Mears

For 32 years, Stieg Larsson and Eva Gabrielsson shared a life and a home. She says she even helped the celebrated Swedish author research his best-selling trilogy of novels that started with "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."

But because Larsson died in 2004 without a will, none of the profits from the books went to Gabrielsson, nor does she control the literary estate. If you die without a will, Swedish law, like American law, leaves everything to your next of kin. But the law, not you, decides who next of kin is.

This case is a reminder that unmarried couples, regardless of sexual orientation or relationship length, are classified as unrelated individuals in the eyes of the law, leaving both parties vulnerable to the loss of homes they helped pay for, assets they helped accumulate and even children they helped raise.

Estate planning and medical surrogate documents are essential for everyone, but they're particularly important for unmarried couples. The sudden death or disability of one partner could cut the other out of critical decisions and jeopardize ownership of shared property and other belongings.

"The law assumes decisions should be made and inheritances pass to next of kin," says Elizabeth F. Schwartz, a lawyer who practices what she calls "modern family law" in Miami Beach, Fla. "Gay or straight, the last thing you would ever want is for your wishes not to be followed in the case of disability or death."About 6.7 million couples live together without being married, more than 90 percent of whom are heterosexual, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Couples have all kinds of reasons for not getting married, from philosophy to loss of pensions, alimony or government benefits.

"If you choose not to marry or the law prevents you from marrying ... it's of critical importance that you make your intentions known," says Schwartz, one of the lawyers in the case challenging Florida's ban on same-sex marriage. "The consequences for not doing that can be grave."

This type of planning is not just for the rich. When you die, your estate is anything you own, from trinkets to your best-selling novels to your 15-year-old used car. Plus, there are situations short of death when unmarried couples may need documents spelling out their rights. Those include the disability or illness of one partner, requiring someone else to make financial and medical decisions. The equivalent of a prenuptial agreement -- known as a domestic partnership agreement or living together agreement -- can also be useful if a couple joins their financial lives and then splits.

The rights of unmarried couples differ from state to state. Some states recognize common-law marriage and others don't, for example. Married same-sex couples face particular challenges because currently only 17 states and the District of Columbia have embraced marriage equality. That means the rights marriage grants may not apply if these couples move to or even visit states that haven't legalized gay marriage.

While you can download documents online and write up a will on notebook paper -- and those are better than nothing -- Schwartz advises unmarried couples to consult a lawyer who specializes in estate planning and family law.

"I always hammer home how complicated this patchwork of rights are," she says. "I've spent a whole lot of time and unnecessary client money trying to fix these things."

Plus, if your life circumstances change, you need to update your documents.

Here are 11 documents and provisions unmarried couples should consider to protect themselves from financial disaster.

*A will.* This outlines what you would like done with your property after your death, and it designates someone who will be in charge of carrying out those wishes.

*A living trust.* Property held in a trust passes to the heirs without going through probate, which is a court procedure that freezes assets while it is underway. Trusts save money as well as public scrutiny, since wills become public records and trusts don't. A trust can also be used to handle the affairs of someone who isn't competent.

*Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts.* Property in these accounts passes directly to beneficiaries without going through probate. If you haven't updated your beneficiaries since you signed up for your company's 401(k) plan years ago, make sure you still want those beneficiaries to inherit.

*Durable power of attorney.* This gives the other party the right to make decisions and sign documents on your behalf. Not all couples will want this, but you might consider it if you're undergoing major surgery or have a terminal illness.

*Designation of health care surrogate.* This lets medical personnel know whom you would like to make decisions if you're unable to make them yourself. Since the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 went into effect, medical providers have been hesitant to discuss health issues with anyone but the patient, unless the patient grants advance permission.

*Advance directive or living will.* This details what measures you want taken if you are in a vegetative state or unlikely to recover from major injuries.

*Properly titled property.* Most couples, married and unmarried, hold real estate as "joint tenants with right of survivorship," which means that if one party dies, the other inherits the rest of the home without going through probate. But tax issues may complicate the issue for unmarried couples, so it's best to consult with a lawyer about how to handle jointly owned property -- or property owned by one person who wants the other to inherit it.

*Funeral wishes.* Funeral directors may be hesitant to allow unmarried partners to make funeral arrangements, especially if the family disagrees. A directive outlining who should make arrangements and what the deceased would like can avert such problems.

*Life insurance.* If there are no children involved and neither partner depends on the other financially, couples might think life insurance is unnecessary. But the surviving partner may be unable to pay the mortgage, estate taxes or other expenses on his or her own, which is why it's an important consideration.

*A domestic partner agreement.* This is similar to a prenuptial agreement since it outlines how assets and income will be handled during the relationship and what happens to joint assets if the relationship ends.

*Child custody.* Schwartz encourages same-sex couples to do second-parent adoptions in states that allow it. With this method of adoption, the nonbiological parent is granted equal rights. In other families, the biological parent may need a document giving the stepparent the right to authorize medical treatment for the child or even give permission for field trips. Parents also need documents spelling out who should care for their children if they die or become disabled.
 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments Reported by DailyFinance 10 hours ago.

Health Insurers Using Playbook Again To Protect Profits at Expense of Consumers

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As I wrote in my book, Deadly Spin, the health insurance industry and other special interest groups use a tried-and-true set of tactics to push back against threats to their profitability. I referred to those tactics collectively as "The Playbook on How to Influence Lawmakers and Regulators Through the Manipulation of Public Opinion."

Seeing what is playing out in California this year, I should have included voters, along with lawmakers and regulators, as among those subject to influence.

Health care reform advocates in California, led by Consumer Watchdog, are supporting a November ballot initiative to give the state insurance department authority to reject proposed rate increases that are deemed to be excessive.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, about 35 states have given their insurance departments the legal power of prior approval -- or disapproval -- of proposed health insurance rate changes.

California is not among them, and advocates believe the state's residents are paying more for their health insurance coverage than necessary. While the Golden State did establish a rate review process in 2011 requiring public disclosure of proposed rate hikes -- which the California Public Interest Research Group says has saved residents almost $350 million -- lawmakers would not go further and grant the insurance commissioner authority to say "no" to rate hikes. As a result, says CalPIRG, about a million Californians paid higher premiums due to rate hikes state state officials deemed "unreasonable" but couldn't do anything about.

So you can be certain that California residents are making significant contributions to the big national health insurers' profitability. And the insurers are spending millions of dollars -- and making good use of the The Playbook -- to persuade voters that allowing the insurance commissioner to reject unreasonable rate increases would not be in their best interests.

The Los Angeles Times reported last week that health insurers -- led by WellPoint, which owns and operates the state's eight-million member Anthem Blue Cross company -- has so far contributed $25.4 million to an industry campaign aimed at defeating the rate regulation initiative. WellPoint contributed $12.8 million itself, and has been joined by other insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield and Health Net.

Published reports show that they have been spending that money almost exactly as prescribed by The Playbook. Here are the highlights:
· "Hire a big and well-connected PR firm ... "The health insurers have hired at least two firms to craft and disseminate their messaging. Reporters have noted in stories that when they've called the health insurers to ask about their campaign, they've been referred to Robin Swanson, who served as communications director for California State Assembly Speaker John Perez before hanging out her Swanson Communications shingle.

They also apparently have retained Sacramento-based Redwood Pacific Public Affairs, whose clients include WellPoint. The firm is headed by Rick Claussen, who is also a partner in the Washington-based firm of Goddard Claussen Public Affairs. I know their work from my early years in the insurance industry. It was Goddard Claussen that developed the "Harry and Louise" commercials for health insurers, which are largely credited with turning public opinion against the Clinton health care reform proposal in 1994.
· "Set up and operate a coalition or front group...You can launder your money through your PR firm so that no one has to know you have any association with the front group."Health insurers named their front group to fight the ballot initiative "Californians Against Higher Health Care Costs." And sure enough, it's operated out of the office of one of its PR firms. On its website, Californians Against Higher Health Care Costs provides its address at 1215 K Street, Suite 2260, in Sacramento, which just happens to be Redwood Pacific's address.· "Recruit third parties to list as members of your front group."Californians Against Higher Health Costs, despite being funded largely by insurers, claims to be "a coalition of doctors, hospitals, health insurers, and California employers."· "Conduct a bogus survey or slice or dice data with the intent of misleading..."Last week Californians Against Higher Health Care Costs released a study it paid $50,000 to produce that contends the proposed ballot initiative "would disrupt the most comprehensive health reform undertaken since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid, almost a half-century ago." In other words, it might "undercut" Obamacare.

In response, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones told the Los Angeles Times that the report, written by a former insurance company executive who later served as the director of the Massachusetts health insurance exchange during the Romney administration, was flawed and intentionally misleading.

"This consultant's report has been bought by health insurers who are dead set against any public scrutiny that could rein in excessive rate increases," he said.

I'll be keeping an eye on the campaign for and against giving Jones more authority in the weeks and months ahead. Stay tuned. Reported by Huffington Post 10 hours ago.

Top Boehner aide leaving for health care group

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Brendan Buck, press secretary for House Speaker John Boehner, said Monday he’s leaving that job to become vice president of communications at America’s Health Insurance Plans. Reported by Miami Herald 10 hours ago.

Despite fury last year, Colorado health exchange board gives CEO a raise, bonus

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The board of Connect for Health Colorado, the state's online exchange for health insurance, Monday gave CEO Patty Fontneau a $14,000 bonus for last year along with a 2.5 percent “cost-of-living” raise for this year. That means she will earn about $195,300 a year, making Fontneau the third-highest-paid manager of a state health exchange in the country, behind California and Connecticut. The exchange board voted on the increase at a meeting this morning. All board members but Ellen Daehnick supported… Reported by bizjournals 9 hours ago.

Employer health insurance tax breaks: bad for retirees, bad for the deficit

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What would happen if Congress repealed the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored insurance? Because of Social Security, that question has a very complicated answer.  Reported by Christian Science Monitor 9 hours ago.

D.W. VanDyke & Co. Inc. Announces Availability of BenefitAid Program

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Supplement product includes complimentary job loss protection for healthcare insurance premiums

WILTON, CT (PRWEB) May 12, 2014

Today D.W. Van Dyke & Co. Inc. announced the immediate availability of BenefitAid, an innovative benefit discount program that enables consumers and employer groups to purchase a supplemental benefit to healthcare insurance combined with job loss protection to provide its members additional financial peace of mind.

“This is the first benefit discount program ever to include complimentary job loss protection that will pay ongoing health insurance premiums in the event of a job loss,” said Bruce Hill, Business Development Consultant at D.W. Van Dyke & Co. Inc.

Positive Customer Impact
Consumers and employer groups can now have a comprehensive set of benefit discounts for the entire family including: Telehealth, Dental, Vision, Pharmacy, Pet Care Savings, Nurseline™, Doctors Online, Chiropractic Care, discounts on Medical Equipment, Hearing Aids, MRI & CT Scans, Lab Tests, and many others with the completely unique inclusion of a Job Loss Protection benefit.

Since health insurance costs are a substantial portion of most family budgets, there is concern about being able to maintain their health insurance during a period of involuntary unemployment. Teri Cooper, EVP Business Development at Job Loss Protection of America, Inc. stated that “This is a perfect fit for job loss protection to keep health insurance in force during an already stressful time. We’re glad to be a partner.”

BenefitAid primary strategic partner is New Benefits of Dallas, TX. According to Joel Ray, CEO, “ New Benefits is delighted to partner with BenefitAid and Job Loss Protection of America to create leading edge programs designed to save the hard earned dollars of working Americans while at the same time providing protection if they involuntarily lose their job.”

BenefitAid Availability
BenefitAid is the latest innovative example of D.W. Van Dyke & Co. Inc.’s commitment to deliver consumer and employer products that are of significant value. BenefitAid is available now at http://www.benefitaid.com

Founded in 1978, D.W. Van Dyke & Co. Inc. is a Wilton, CT based full service Reinsurance Intermediary firm. DWVD specializes in the Life, Health and Accident lines of business and is now the largest privately owned Reinsurance Intermediary firm in the United States. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed for the healthcare industry.

D.W. Van Dyke & Co. Inc. and BenefitAid are either registered trademarks or trademarks of D.W. Van Dyke & Co. Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Reported by PRWeb 9 hours ago.
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