Tehran Defies Obama | Obamacare Targeting Volunteers | More Bad News For Dems

AF Branco Toon: Iran Was Defying Obama 22 Mo.s Ago

 Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Tehran Defies Obama -  Remember Obama's much-hyped nuclear deal with Iran, announced just before Thanksgiving? It was supposed to delay Iran's nuclear program for six months, allowing time to negotiate a more comprehensive agreement. Predictably, the mullahs are using the time to their advantage.

The Associated Press reports that Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's nuclear agency, announced yesterday that the Islamic Republic is developing "a new generation of centrifuges for uranium enrichment." Under the Geneva deal, Iran agreed to limit the number of centrifuges currently spinning in its enrichment program. But it is still permitted to develop new ones, and that is exactly what the Iranians are doing.

If no deal is reached in six months, it is a sure bet that these new centrifuges will be immediately included in Tehran's nuclear weapons program. Obama's agreement appears to have done little more than given Iran the green light to further advance its nuclear research and development efforts.

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, a bi-partisan coalition of senators (15 Democrats and 19 Republicans) is pushing legislation to tighten sanctions on Iran. It is important to note that members of Obama's own party are leading the charge in opposition to Obama's weak-kneed approach toward Iran.

The sanctions bill is being sponsored by the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez. Liberal New York Senator Chuck Schumer, usually a key Obama ally, said this week, "There are many of us, Democrats and Republicans in this Senate, who believe the best way to avoid war and get Iran to give up nuclear weapons is by ratcheting up sanctions, not by reducing them."

That is how out-of-touch Obama is when it comes appeasing the mullahs in Tehran. Sadly, Obama has vowed to veto the sanctions bill if it passes the Senate, making him, in effect, Tehran's top lobbyist in Washington!

Obamacare Targeting Volunteer Groups - The unintended consequences of the poorly written Obamacare law continue to shock the country. Here are a few recent examples:

• The New York Times reports that many AmeriCorps workers were told just last week that their health plans are not in compliance with Obamacare's mandates and regulations. If they don't buy new policies quickly, they may be forced to pay a penalty tax.
  
  This is somewhat ironic given that AmeriCorps is essentially a government program. One worker told the Times, "It's as if the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. The Affordable Care Act has been on the books since 2010. Why are we hearing only now that our health plan is not compliant?"
• Federally-funded volunteers aren't the only ones feeling Obamacare's ill effects. Fire departments and other emergency service organizations across the country are panicking over whether Obamacare may force them to raise taxes or fire their volunteers.
  
  For example, Clay County, Florida, employs 157 firefighters. But that force is supported by 60 volunteer firefighters. Current Obamacare IRS regulations appear to count the volunteers as employees eligible for healthcare coverage. That means the county must raise taxes in order to dramatically increase its budget for health insurance or to pay a fine for each volunteer it refuses to cover. Or it must fire all the volunteers.
• And here's one more example of just how badly congressional Democrats wrote the Obamacare legislation: The Washington Post writes that because of Obamacare, "…it will be literally impossible for an individual to buy a new policy in the Northern Mariana Islands, and difficult in other [U.S.] territories."

More Bad News For Democrats - Yesterday I reported on a CNN poll that found Republicans had expanded their lead over the Democrats to five points in the generic ballot test for the 2014 congressional elections. Two months ago, Democrats were leading by eight.

But even that huge swing does not tell the whole story. Here's more bad news for Obama, Reid and Pelosi:

• There is a big enthusiasm gap. 36% of Republicans are extremely or very enthusiastic about voting next year. Only 22% of Democrats say the same.
• Obama is a big drag on Democrats. While Republicans are generically ahead of Democrats by five points, voters overwhelmingly prefer candidates who will oppose Obama's agenda. When asked whether they preferred to vote for a candidate who opposed Obama or one who supported Obama, 55% of voters said they were more likely to vote for a congressional candidate who opposes him, while 40% said they were likely to vote for a candidate who supports him.

That last figure highlights a major contradiction in the liberal media's reporting. Big Media's mantra has been that the public overwhelmingly wants Washington to get along and work together. When liberal pundits say that, they generally mean that Republicans need to cave in to Obama's demands.

But here is polling data clearly indicating that voters want more politicians who will fight Obama's radical agenda. Again, don't hold your breath waiting to hear this on the nightly news.
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Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families

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