Obama: For The Rich?
Lest anyone think the Obama administration's policies help the little guy, the Federal Reserve released a survey last week that found the richest 10 percent of the country was the only group of Americans to see their median incomes rise in the years 2010-2013, according to The Washington Times.
In case Democrats have forgotten, those were the years when the president was constantly campaigning against income inequality and painting his 2012 presidential opponent, Mitt Romney, as a tool of Wall Street.
The survey is conducted every three years.
The survey further noted that families in the middle income bracket (40th to 90th percentiles) saw "very little" change in average real incomes and have yet to recover what they lost between 2007 and 2010. Even worse, families at the bottom of the income distribution continued to see "substantial declines" in average real incomes, a trend which continued from the previous two surveys.
Though the complete breakdown of percentiles was not released, median income for the top 10 percent rose 2 percent to $223,000, median income for the middle 20 percent dropped 6 percent to $48,700 and median income for the bottom 20 percent fell 4 percent to $15,200.
Just Deny It
Less than a year ago, President Obama referred to ISIS as the "junior varsity" team of al-Qaida, saying, "The analogy we use around here sometimes, and I think is accurate, is if a JV team puts on Lakers uniforms, that doesn't make them Kobe Bryant."
Since then, things have gotten a little more serious with the terrorist group, what with murdering American hostages and swiping large swaths of Iraq. So how does the administration handle it now when reporters bring up the statement? Just deny it. That's what presidential spokesman Josh Earnest did recently -- just denied Obama ever said it.
Even the liberal Washington Post took issue with the denial, giving the White House a "four Pinocchio" fact-check fail," according to The Washington Times.
Kinder, Gentler
Democratic National Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has caught heat from some women's groups for recently likening Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and tea party members to domestic abusers, according to NewsBusters.
Wasserman Schultz said Walker had "given women the back of his hand" and that "Republican tea party extremists like Scott Walker are ... grabbing us by the hair and pulling us back."
In an attempted apology, she said only she "shouldn't have used the words I used," then proceeded to rip Walker again.
"Wasserman Schultz owes an apology to all victims of abuse," said Concerned Women for America President Penny Nance. "It is degrading and outrageous to make false personal accusations rather than discuss real and complicated issues of economic policy."
Walker, apparently, has been so bad for Wisconsin women that the average female unemployment rate in 2013 was 5.7 percent, two points below the 7.7 percent for males and far lower than in rates for women in neighboring Michigan and Illinois.
Thanks, Michelle!
The second largest school district in Illinois, home of President Barack and first lady Michelle Obama, has dropped the revamped National School Lunch Program menu promoted by the first lady. As such, the district will forfeit nearly $1 million in federal lunch aid that required it to serve what the government wanted and not what the students would eat.
Earlier in this young school year, two New York school districts also dropped the program.
An administrator with District 214 schools said unreasonable restrictions on protein, sodium and fat made preparing meals students would eat practically impossible. A district-inspired menu would be simpler, she said.
To date, according to the CBS report, the new restrictions, intended to combat childhood obesity, have driven more than 1 million students from school lunches and created more than $1 billion in food waste since being introduced in 2012.
Forgoing the federal money also allows schools to keep profitable vending machines and permit school bake sales and birthday cupcakes that otherwise would have violated the government restrictions.