Chelsea Handler Tells Piers Morgan to Shove It on Live TV

Whatever you think about Chelsea Handler, the woman's got giant steel balls. During an appearance on Morgan's lame duck show last night, the comedian told the king of the Twitter tantrum what we all wish we could: that he sucks. It's pretty brilliant.

 After Piersing up the joint by acting like an ass for much of the interview, Handler finally called him on his "nonsense." Morgan responded by calling her book "tawdry." And then...

PIERS: You tweet. Very amusingly.

CHELSEA: I wish you did.

PIERS: [pained laughter]

CHELSEA: I mean in the middle of the commercial break — I want your viewers to know; they must know, because they're probably following you on Twitter. I mean you can't even pay attention for 60 seconds. You're a terrible interviewer.

PIERS: Well you just weren't keeping my attention.

CHELSEA: That's not my problem.

PIERS: That is your problem!

CHELSEA: This is your show. You have to pay attention to the guests that you invited on your show.

PIERS: If they're interesting enough!

CHELSEA: Yeah, listen. It doesn't matter how interesting I am. You signed up for this job.

PIERS: Of course it does!

CHELSEA: Well, maybe that's why your job is coming to an end.

PIERS: Woooow.

CHELSEA: Wow.

Democrat Congresswoman: Constitution is 400 years old

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D., Texas) declared the U.S. Constitution to be 400 years old Wednesday on the House floor, which would mean it was signed in 1614.

“Maybe I should offer a good thanks to the distinguished members of the majority, the Republicans, my chairman and others, for giving us an opportunity to have a deliberative constitutional discussion that reinforces the sanctity of this nation and how well it is that we have lasted some 400 years, operating under a constitution that clearly defines what is constitutional and what is not,” she said.

Planned Parenthood to Host over 500 Events in 18 Cities to Push ObamaCare

(Breitbart) – Last year, President Obama said, “God bless Planned Parenthood,” a statement the abortion industry giant may be hoping to hear again as it ratchets up support for Obama’s signature legislation, ObamaCare, by hosting more than 500 events in 18 cities around the country, assisting the administration in meeting its goal of six million HealthCare.gov sign-ups by March 31.

According to a Monday press release, Planned Parenthood officials will stake out in grocery stores and indoor soccer fields to enroll people in ObamaCare. In addition, 500 canvassers will go door-to-door to sign up Americans in their homes.

The organization is hosting what it is calling “community events” in “key states,” including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio

In fact, Planned Parenthood received over $655,000 in grants from the Department of Health and Human Services to serve as ObamaCare “navigators” to assist Americans in signing up at HealthCare.gov.

“The Affordable Care Act [ObamaCare] is one of the greatest advancements for women’s health in a generation,” said Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards in the press release, adding:

As the leading women’s health care provider and advocate, Planned Parenthood fought hard for the law’s passage, and in the last few weeks of this enrollment period, we’re working double time to make sure our patients and the communities we serve know about their new health care options.

“For millions of women, their trusted provider is Planned Parenthood,” Richards continued. “And for millions more, Planned Parenthood has been the trusted voice that helps guide them to get covered and get access to the full range of health care services they and their families deserve.”

In addition, the press statement reads:

Through this expanded outreach effort, Planned Parenthood also announced that it has already reached out to over one million people, to educate them about the new health care options available under the law. More than half of this work is being done in Spanish, helping to reach the nation’s nearly 1-in-3 non-elderly Latinos that are uninsured.

As Breitbart News reported in December, the relationship between Planned Parenthood and the Obama administration is a co-dependent one.

The abortion provider is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and its recently releasedannual report shows an organization that desperately needs ObamaCare’s promise of “free birth control” for survival, especially when individual states and even the U.S. Congress are either passing or considering legislation to restrict the practice of abortion.

“Millions more people begin getting free access to birth control, breast exams, and other preventive care as the Affordable Care Act goes into effect, with the women’s preventive benefit that Planned Parenthood led the fight to include,” Planned Parenthood’s report states.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Obama administration said Tuesday that 4.2 million people have enrolled in ObamaCare health plans, leaving millions more who must sign up to meet the 6 million mark projected by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a criterion that was previously downgraded from 7 million due to a multitude of “glitches” and rollout concerns, many of which remain unaddressed.

To date, the Obama administration cannot say how many Americans who have obtained coverage through the health law’s exchanges had health insurance coverage previously, as opposed to those signing up for insurance for the first time. The number of people who have paid their first month’s insurance premium is also unknown.

“Until the administration provides details about who was previously uninsured and who has paid, these reports tell us nothing about the success or failure of the president’s health-care law,” said Noelle Clemente, a spokeswoman for GOP lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “The president’s recent media appearances suggest that the administration is panicked.”

Obama appeared on Funny or Die’s left-wing comedy, Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, to pitch ObamaCare to young people.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency responsible for running ObamaCare, gave an optimistic view of the status of sign-ups in late February: “Our outreach efforts are in full force with community partners and local officials participating in hundreds of events each week, and enrollment assisters are helping more and more people enroll in coverage,” CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner wrote. “Consumers are shopping and enrolling in plans on HealthCare.gov every day; system error rates are low, and response times are consistently less than half a second.”

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/03/12/Planned-Parenthood-To-Host-Over-500-Events-To-Pump-Up-ObamaCare

Julie Boonstra responds to her attackers that say she is lying about her healthcare

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with leukemia. The first thing I did was find a health plan that fit my needs — a “Cadillac” plan because that covered 100 percent of my expensive treatments. While the plan was expensive, it allowed me to focus on my health and to see the specialists and doctors that I needed. Most of all, it gave me peace of mind.

Obamacare canceled my plan. Last October, I received a cancellation letter. I was being denied my insurance choice because my plan didn’t comply with Obamacare. I was shocked. Like the rest of the country, I’d heard the president promise, “if you like your health care plan, you can keep it.”

He lied to me — a cancer patient. After I received my cancellation letter, I tried repeatedly to get onto the marketplace; it never worked. I tried to call the marketplace representatives; I never got through.

I was in a state of panic. Without insurance, I can’t afford the medication that keeps my cancer from growing. I simply could not have a gap in insurance coverage. I paced the floor most nights, I couldn’t eat, sleep or focus on anything other than trying to get insurance. I even pulled out my will and updated it.

In December, I finally got through to a representative from the marketplace. I was told I could only do a paper application — but it would take two weeks before I knew anything. I didn’t have two weeks. I had to have coverage now, so that I could get my medication paperwork started.

That’s when I gave up. Instead, I called an insurance broker and enrolled in a plan that came closest to my discontinued plan. I focused on my specialist and my medications. The premiums were cut in half, but much of those savings were offset by an increased out-of-pocket limit.

Now, I am not sure if I’ll be able to afford the month-to-month cost spikes that could accompany plans like this. I now have to plan and think about what every test costs and if I have the money. I need those tests in order to survive. Now I have to worry about that cost as well as the cancer test results.

I recently told my story in Michigan with the help of a group called Americans for Prosperity. Now people are attacking me and calling me a liar. Some believe that I can afford the insurance because the annual premiums will be lower.

Those people choose to ignore the problems inherent with high out-of-pocket limits and prescriptions that aren’t covered for a person like me.

My new plan could mean wildly fluctuating and front-loaded costs in the first few months of the year. I chose my old plan — the one that Obamacare canceled — specifically so I could budget for the same monthly costs with certainty.

I have reached out to Congressman Gary Peters for help since he is running for a Senate seat for Michigan.

He refuses to speak to me.

Instead of trying to help me, Congressman Peters tried to silence me. His Washington attorneys have attempted to intimidate television stations airing my story.

I actually went to his house when I learned of this to ask him to help me navigate the Obamacare law, a law he helped pass. He didn’t answer, so I left him a note asking him to contact me.

Then Sen. Harry Reid said — on the U.S. Senate floor, no less — that my story is a lie.

I never asked for this. Obamacare has turned my life into a nightmare.

That’s why I’m speaking out for the 225,000 Michiganians who also lost their insurance plans thanks to Obamacare. Like them, I want a plan that works for me.

Instead, Obamacare has denied me my choice of coverage, President Barack Obama has betrayed my trust, Harry Reid called me a liar, and Gary Peters has tried to silence me.

— Julie Boonstra, Dexter

New Jersey teen suing her parents returns home

The New Jersey teen who sued her parents for tuition and living expenses last week is now back home.

Eighteen-year-old Rachel Canning's parents welcomed her back Tuesday night.

An attorney made the announcement during a press conference Wednesday.

In court, the teen claimed she was forced out of the family home and she needed money to support herself.

Her parents contend she left because she didn't want to obey the rules.

Last week, a judge denied the teen's request for immediate financial assistance.

There is no word on what prompted the reconciliation

National GOP Chair Reince Prieus: "Marriage is between a man and woman"

In a small impromptu presser at CPAC this past weekend, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus reiterated the Republican Party's official commitment to the value of marriage.

Via LifeSiteNews.com:

Priebus also said that the GOP is “a party that believes marriage ought to be between one man and one woman. That's our party platform, and it's a position I've never backed away from. What I have said, though, is that we need to treat each other with grace, dignity, and respect. And that's not code language. It comes out of the New Testament. And so there should be no confusion about where we stand, and so that's where we are.”

This isn't the first time Chairman Priebus has unabashedly reaffirmed this commitment. 

Principal regrets supporting and introducing common core into her school

Here’s a powerful piece about how an award-winning principal went from being a Common Core supporter to an opponent. This was written by Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School in New York. She was named the 2010 New York State Outstanding Educator by the School 

Administrators Association of New York State. She is one of the co-authors of the principals’ letter against evaluating teachers by student test scores, which has been signed by 1,535 New York principals.

By Carol Burris
When I first read about the Common Core State Standards, I cheered.  I believe that our schools should teach all students (except for those who have severe learning disabilities), the skills, habits and knowledge that they need to be successful in post secondary education. That doesn’t mean that every teenager must be prepared to enter Harvard, but it does mean that every young adult, with few exceptions, should at least be prepared to enter their local community college. That is how we give students a real choice.

I even co-authored a book, “Opening the Common Core,” on how to help schools meet that goal.  It is a book about rich curriculum and equitable teaching practices, not about testing and sanctions. We wrote it because we thought that the Common Core would be a student-centered reform based on principles of equity.

I confess that I was naïve. I should have known in an age in which standardized tests direct teaching and learning, that the standards themselves would quickly become operationalized by tests. Testing, coupled with the evaluation of teachers by scores, is driving its implementation. The promise of the Common Core is dying and teaching and learning are being distorted.  The well that should sustain the Core has been poisoned.
I hear about those distortions every day.  Many of the teachers in my high school are also the parents of young children.  They come into my office with horror stories regarding the incessant pre-testing, testing and test prep that is taking place in their own children’s classrooms.  Last month, a colleague gave me a multiple-choice quiz taken by his seven-year old son during music.  Here is a question:
 Kings and queens COMMISSIONED Mozart to write symphonies for celebrations and ceremonies. What does COMMISSION mean?
 to force someone to do work against his or her will
to divide a piece of music into different movements
to perform a long song accompanied by an orchestra
to pay someone to create artwork or a piece of music

Whether or not learning the word ‘commission’ is appropriate for second graders could be debated—I personally think it is a bit over the top.  What is of deeper concern, however, is that during a time when 7 year olds should be listening to and making music, they are instead taking a vocabulary quiz.

I think that the reason for the quiz is evident to anyone who has been following the reform debate.  The Common Core places an extraordinary emphasis on vocabulary development. Probably, the music teacher believes she must do her part in test prep. More than likely she is being evaluated in part by the English Language Arts test scores of the building. Teachers are engaged in practices like these because they are pressured and afraid, not because they think the assessments are educationally sound. Their principals are pressured and nervous about their own scores and the school’s scores. Guaranteed, every child in the class feels that pressure and trepidation as well.

An English teacher in my building came to me with a ‘reading test’ that her third grader took. Her daughter did poorly on the test.  As both a mother and an English teacher she knew that the difficulty of the passage and the questions were way over grade level.  Her daughter, who is an excellent reader, was crushed.  She and I looked on the side of the copy of the quiz and found the word “Pearson.” The school, responding to pressure from New York State, had purchased test prep materials from the company that makes the exam for the state.

I am troubled that a company that has a multi-million dollar contract to create tests for the state should also be able to profit from producing test prep materials. I am even more deeply troubled that this wonderful little girl, whom I have known since she was born, is being subject to this distortion of what her primary education should be.

There are so many stories that I could tell–the story of my guidance counselor’s sixth-grade, learning disabled child who feels like a failure due to constant testing, a principal of an elementary school who is furious with having to use to use a book he deems inappropriate for third graders because his district bought the State Education Department approved common core curriculum, and the frustration of math teachers due to the ever-changing rules regarding the use of calculators on the tests.  And all of this is mixed with the toxic fear that comes from knowing you will be evaluated by test results and that “your score” will be known to any of your parents who ask.

When state education officials chide, “Don’t drill for the test, it does not work”, teachers laugh. Of course test prep works. Every parent who has ever paid hundreds of dollars for SAT prep knows it works —but no parent is foolish enough to think that the average 56 point ‘coaching’ jump in an SAT score means that their child is more “college ready.”
Test scores are a rough proxy for learning. Tests imperfectly examine selected domains of skills, so that we can infer what students know. Real learning occurs in the mind of the learner when she makes connections with prior learning, makes meaning, and retains that knowledge in order to create additional meaning from new information.  In short, with tests we see traces of learning, not learning itself.

What occurs in a “data driven”, high-stakes learning environment is that the full domain of what should be learned narrows to those items tested.  The Common Core, for example, wants students to grow in five skill areas in English Language Arts — reading, writing, speaking, listening and collaboration. But the Common Core tests will only measure reading and writing.  Parents can expect that the other three will be neglected as teachers frantically try to prepare students for the difficult and high-stakes tests.  What gets measured gets done, and make no mistake: “reformers” understand that full well.  In fact, they count on it. They see data, not children.  For the corporate reformers, test data constitute the bottom-line profits that they watch.

There is no one more knowledgeable about school change and systemic reforms than Michael Fullan.  He is a renowned international authority on school reform, having been actively engaged in both its implementation as well in the analysis of reform results.  I had the pleasure of listening to him this week at the Long Island ASCD spring conference.
Fullan told us that the present reforms are led by the wrong drivers of change — individual accountability of teachers, linked to test scores and punishment, cannot be successful in transforming schools.  He told us that the Common Core standards will fall of their own weight because standards and assessments, rather than curriculum and instruction are driving the Common Core.  He explained that the right driver of school change is capacity building.  Data should be used as a strategy for improvement, not for accountability purposes.  The Common Core is a powerful tool, but it is being implemented using the wrong drivers.

Fullan helped to successfully lead the transformation of schools in Ontario, Canada, and he has tried to influence our national conversation, but his advice has been shunned.  I will close with a final quote from Fullan and let readers draw their own conclusions:
A fool with a tool is still a fool.  A fool with a powerful tool is a dangerous fool.