Parts Of Obamacare Quietly Dumped On Friday

When the government is forced to release less than flattering news, they dump the bad news late on Friday afternoon. The theory? Most news agencies and reporters have already lined up and finished their late Friday news stories. And dumping bad news late on Fridays gives journalists little to no time to go through the accompanying stack of legal paperwork to actually find the real dirt behind the bad news.

Most journalists know when an elected official has a politically damning report or announces their resignation on a Friday to spend "more time with their family", there’s ongoing ethics violations, pending criminal charges or a scorned wife.

That said, U.S. health officials said on Friday that after 19 months of analysis, they could not come up with a model for the so-called CLASS Act (an integral part of Obamacare) that keeps it voluntary and budget-neutral. The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program was designed to give the disabled and elderly cash to receive care at home instead of usually more expensive institutional care.

Under the law, workers would have begun enrolling in the program after October of 2012, after the HHS set the program's benefits. The program was to have been voluntary, with participants required to pay into it for at least five years before qualifying for benefits.

The Congressional Budget Office had estimated the program would reduce the federal deficit by $70 billion in the program's first decade. However, the CBO also said the program would start to lose money after the first decade or two, once benefit payments exceeded income from premiums.

Republicans, many of whom are eager to repeal Obamacare, have criticized the CLASS Act as a way to trump up the cost savings of the Affordable Care Act. Dozens of states have sued to challenge the healthcare law, particularly its requirement that all Americans have health insurance. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the legal challenge sometime before June 2012.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Indianapolis champion Dan Wheldon, who was tragically killed Friday in a wreck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He will be missed.

The News As I See It: A squirrel spent three days inside a CVS. He wasn't hiding, he was just standing there, waiting for them to open a second register.

A hot dog vendor in California was arrested for selling guns at his hot dog stand. Wait, a place you can buy a hot dog and a gun? Isn't that called Wal-Mart?

Rick Perry admitted that he's so tired that he can't sleep. He should listen to one of his own speeches.

Bo the White House dog just turned 3. The difference between Bo and the economy is that Obama fixed the dog

Kanye West joined the wall street protesters. Now, there's an idea - a no talent thug with diamonds in his teeth protesting greed.

They say Obama doesn't have any friends and doesn't sleep well. Maybe he should call Dr. Conrad Murray.

This Date In History: 1777; British General Burgoyne surrendered in Saratoga, N.Y. during the American Revolution. 1931; Mobster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion for which he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. 1933; Albert Einstein arrived in the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany.

1979; Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the poor in Calcutta, India. 1989; An earthquake measuring 7.1 in magnitude killed 67 and injured over 3,000 in San Francisco.

Picture Of The Day: It looks like the republicans finally got Nancy Pelosi. I don't see her broom though. Anyway, there's no rhyme or reason to my madness today, but, then again, when is there?

Printable Things I Never Told You: 1) Chuck E. Cheese will make you never want to have children. Unfortunately, when you finally go there, it's too late. 2) The difference between roast beef and pea soup is that anyone can roast beef. 3) My blonde girlfriend bought a new stick deodorant. The instructions said: Remove cap and push up bottom. She can barely walk but when she farts, the room smells great! 4) I like to reminisce sometimes and I remember the time Brother Kirt and I went on a cruise with our parents. They even got us our own cabin. It took us about a week to learn that Mom and Dad took another ship. 5) I missed church Sunday. I've was busy practicing witchcraft and becoming a lesbian.....and that's five !

Today's Birthday Horoscope: Virgo - October 17th: Remember to take your vitamins today. There's a new vitamin out that's made from chicken soup. It makes you feel cocky, but I digress. Take the vitamins and eat well because you're going to need all your energy for tomorrow. You didn't forget tomorrow, did you? Hint: Dinner date with that very sexy person?

Birthdays: Nathanael West, novelist 1903, Irene Ryan, actor 1903, Arthur Miller, playwright 1915, Rita Hayworth, actress 1918, Montgomery Clift, actor 1920, Evel Knievel, daredevil 1938, Margot Kidder, actress 1948, Mae C. Jemison, physician, atronaut 1956, Ernie Els, golfer 1969.

The AREA 51 Retirement Home Bar And Grill: A fireman came home from work one day and told his wife, "You know, we have a wonderful system at the fire station: Bell 1 rings and we all put on our jackets, Bell 2 rings and we all slide down the pole, Bell 3 rings and we're on the fire truck ready to go. From now on when I say Bell 1, I want you to strip naked. When say Bell 2, I want you to jump in bed. And when I say Bell 3, we are going to make love all night."

The next night he came home from work and yelled, "Bell 1!" The wife promptly took all her clothes off. When he yelled "Bell 2!", the wife jumped into bed. When he yelled "Bell 3!", they began making love. After a few minutes the wife yelled "Bell 4!" The husband asked, "What the hell is Bell 4?" His wife replied, "Roll out more hose, you're nowhere near the fire!"

A woman stopped by unannounced at her recently married son's house. She rang the doorbell and walked in. She was shocked to see her daughter-in-law lying on the couch, totally naked. Soft music was playing and the aroma of perfume filled the room. The mother-in-law asked, "What are you doing?" The daughter-in-law said, "I'm waiting for my husband to come home from work. I am wearing my love dress."

The mother-in-law said, "Love dress? But you're naked!" The daughter-in-law replied, "My husband loves me to wear this dress. It excites him to no end. Every time he sees me in this dress, he instantly becomes romantic and ravages me for hours on end. He can't get enough of me." The mother-in-law left.

When she got home, she undressed, showered, put on her best perfume, dimmed the lights, put on a romantic CD, and lay on the couch waiting for her husband to arrive. Finally, her husband came home. He walked in and saw her lying there so provocatively. Her husband said, "What are you doing?" His wife whispered sensually, "This is my love dress." Her husband replied, "Needs ironing....."

The Hits Just Keep On Coming: A young boy of four was going into the hospital to have his tonsils removed. He told his friend he'd be gone for awhile to have surgery. On the day he was admitted, his mother asked the doctor, "Could you please circumcise him while he is asleep?" The doctor agreed. The boy woke up and was very sore down there for several days.

After about a week he got to see his friend again. The friend informed him that he was also going to have his tonsils removed soon. His friend asked him to tell him about the surgery. The little boy said, "All I can tell you is your tonsils ain't where you think they are!"

A young farm couple, Homer and Darlene, got married and just couldn't seem to get enough loving. In the morning, before Homer left the house for the fields, they made love. When Homer came back from the fields, they made love. And again at bedtime, they made love. The problem was their nooner. It took Homer a half hour to travel home and another half hour to return to the fields and he just wasn't getting enough work done. Finally Homer asked the town doctor what to do.

The doctor said, "Homer, just take your rifle out to the field with you and when you're in the mood, fire off a shot into the air. That will be Darlene's signal to come out to you. Then you won't lose any field time." They tried Doc's advice and it worked well for a while.

Two weeks later, Homer came back to the doctor's office. The doctor asked, "What's wrong? Didn't my idea work?" Homer said, "Oh, it worked real good. Whenever I was in the mood, I fired off a shot like you said and Darlene'd come running. We'd find a secluded place, make love and then she'd go back home again." The doctor said, "Great Homer. So what's the problem?" Homer replied, "I ain't seen her since huntin' season started."

That's it for today my little black sheep. Remember, if at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you! More on Wednesday.

Stay Tuned !