Former Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Dies at Age 85

Former Israel prime minister Ariel Sharon has passed away at the age of 85 after spending many years in a coma. Sharon had suffered a massive stoke in January 2006 that left him in a coma and on life support. Ariel Sharon died at 7 a.m. ET at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer with his family gathered at the hospital to be with him in this final moments.

Israel’s 11th premier passes away eight years after a stroke left him comatose; Sharon was one of Israel’s legendary politicians and military leaders; Sharon’s son Gilad: “He went when he decided to go.”

Former prime minister Ariel Sharon died on Saturday at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, days after his condition deteriorated dramatically.

Sharon would have turned 86 next month. His family gathered at the hospital to be with him in his final moments. His sons Omri and and Gilad had been by his side since his condition deteriorated on January 1.

Gilad Sharon reacted to the death of his father on Saturday, saying that “he went when he decided to go.”

ABC News (VIDEO)

NY Times Obit:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the nation bowed its head to a man he described as “first and foremost a brave soldier and an outstanding military commander” who “had a central role in the battle for Israel’s security from the very beginning.”

In many ways, Mr. Sharon’s story was that of his country. A champion of an iron-fisted, territory-expanding Zionism for most of his life, he stunned Israel and the world in 2005 with a Nixon-to-China reversal and withdrew all Israeli settlers and troops from Gaza. He then abandoned his Likud Party and formed a centrist movement called Kadima focused on further territorial withdrawal and a Palestinian state next door.

Mr. Sharon was incapacitated eight years ago, in January 2006, and in elections that followed, Kadima still won the most votes. His former deputy, Ehud Olmert, became prime minister. But the impact of Mr. Sharon’s political shift went beyond Kadima. The hawkish Likud Party, led by his rival, Mr. Netanyahu, was returned to power in 2009, and Mr. Netanyahu, too, said then that he favored a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Statement from Israeli President Shimon Peres:

 ”My dear friend, Arik Sharon, lost his final battle today. Arik was a brave soldier and a daring leader who loved his nation and his nation loved him. He was one of Israel’s great protectors and most important architects, who knew no fear and certainly never feared vision. He knew how to take difficult decisions and implement them. We all loved him and he will be greatly missed. I send my condolences to the Sharon family, may he rest in peace.”

Statement from Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement today on the passing of Sharon.

“Ariel Sharon gave his life to Israel — to bring it into being, to sustain and preserve it, and at the end of his long service, to create a new political party committed to both a just peace and lasting security,” the Clintons said in a statement. “It was an honor to work with him, argue with him, and watch him always trying to find the right path for his beloved country.”

Youth Misery Index at All-Time High Under Barack Obama … But I am Sure He Will Blame Republicans

Add another accomplishment to Barack Obama … Hardly ‘Hope and Change’ for the Youth.

The Youth Misery Index hits all-time high under Barack Obama. In 2009 when Obama took office, the YMI was at m 83.5; however, has skyrocketed to 98.6 in 2013. This represents an 18.1% increase since Obama took office. But Obama claims he is for the youth of America and the youth continue foolishly vote for him in large numbers.  The index is calculated by adding youth unemployment and average college loan debt figures with each person’s share of the national debt. And before Obama and his minions blame Bush, when President George Bush left office in 2008, the index was 69.3.

Young Americans Foundation

Pic – Young America’s Foundation

A Youth Misery Index that measures young Americans’ woes has skyrocketed under President Barack Obama and hit an all-time high.

The index, released Wednesday, was calculated by adding youth unemployment and average college loan debt figures with each person’s share of the national debt. While it has steadily grown over the decades, under Obama the figure has shot up dramatically, from 83.5 in 2009 to 98.6 in 2013.

The index has increased by 18.1 percent since Obama took office, the highest increase under any president, making Obama the worst president for youth economic opportunity, according to the nonprofit that released the figure.

“Young people are suffering under this economy,” said Ashley Pratte, program officer for Young America’s Foundation, which developed the index and calculates it annually using federal statistics. “They’re still living in their parent’s basements, unable to find full-time jobs that pay them what they need in order to pay back their debt.”

Youth unemployment in 2013 was 16.3 percent, and student loan debt came in at a record-breaking average of $29,400 last year, the foundation points out; what’s more, each person’s share of the roughly $17 trillion dollar national debt stands at its highest level ever: $52,948.

FOX and Friends – Ashley Pratte, YAF’s Public Relations Officer

Pic – screen Grab from Fox & Friends Interview:  Click on Pic for VIDEO

Sorry, but what Obama has done to the youth of America should be considered a crime … Can he be charged with child abuse? How about Generational theft?

UPDATE I: Thanks Teach for the link at the Pirate’s Cove.

Majority of Uninsured Americans Still Lack Knowledge about Obamacare … How is This Possible from the Most Talked About Law Ever?

Clueless in American … Most uninsured Americans lack knowledge about Obamacare.

A recent survey from Enroll America has delivered an almost unbelievable response regarding Obamacare and the lack of knowledge that the uninsured have of the law. According to the survey, 69% of the uninsured still lacked knowledge about tax subsidies and other financial help designed to make Obamacare. How is this possible? Obamacare has been the most talked about, the most marketed government law in history. It is simply uncompromisable to believe that individuals are still claiming to be uninformed regarding Obamacare. It speaks more to the point that maybe they are incapable of understanding it. I guess this is what happens when the uninsured’s find out that Obamacare was not free. Some how I think many will only understand it if some one does it for them.

Most uninsured adult Americans lack basic knowledge about President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law and haven’t visited their online insurance marketplace because they think health insurance is unaffordable, according to a survey released on Thursday.

The survey from Enroll America, a non-profit healthcare enrollment coalition, found that 68 percent of uninsured adults had not yet logged onto their online exchanges.

A similar number, 69 percent of the uninsured, still lacked knowledge about tax subsidies and other financial help designed to make the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, affordable for many, the survey said.

“Large proportions of the uninsured are also still in the dark about deadlines and that brand new plans are available,” Enroll America said in a report about the survey.

“A lack of facts about costs and coverage may be the greatest barriers to enrollment,” it added.

More from Hot Air … Allah Pundit went on to say that “the idea that anyone could be beyond the grasp of a massive presidential education campaign about a splashy new program in the information age is mind-boggling to blog writers and readers, yet here we are.” I could not agree more.

Tax-refund time this year is going to be awfully interesting. Meanwhile, 43 percent of Latinos surveyed said they weren’t aware of Healthcare.gov, which is also partly the White House’s fault and also mind-boggling after three months of relentless media coverage of the site’s problems. The Enroll America topline numbers aren’t wildly different from Gallup’s latest numbers, either. Just a week ago, Gallup reported that only 26 percent of the uninsured had visited an exchange website so far.

Barack Obama’s Job Recovery … US Economy Adds 74K Jobs in December 2013, Unemployment Rate Falls to 6.7%

BARACK OBAMA … EPIC FAILURE!!!

The Obama jobs recovery is a complete disaster. The DOL reported this morning that 74,000 jobs were added in December. the fewest in three years. Economists were expecting about 193,000 jobs. The unemployment rate fell to 6.7%. Barack Obama will spin this as being some type of great news; however, that is not the case at all. Only 62.8% of the adult population is participating in the labor market, meaning they either have a job or are looking for one. That matches the lowest level since 1978. People have simply just given up looking for work.

DOL: Job Participation Rate

U.S. employers added a scant 74,000 jobs in December, the fewest in three years. The disappointing figure ends 2013 on a weak note and raises questions about whether the job market can sustain its recent gains.

The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate fell from 7 percent in November to 6.7 percent, the lowest level since October 2008. But the drop occurred mostly because many Americans stopped looking for jobs. Once people without jobs stop looking for one, the government no longer counts them as unemployed.

Chart – CNBC

Chart of the Day: The real unemployment rate?

No one has anything good to say about Jobs reports:

• The Politico - Jobs report disappoints
• WAPO - Economy added 74,000 jobs in weak December report; jobless rate down to 6.7%
• Even NPR … Jobless Rate Drops To 6.7 Percent; Only 74,000 Jobs Added

Daily Commentary – Friday, January 10, 2014 – Unauthorized Biography of Roger Ailes Elicits Fight

• Fox News spokesman claims many falsehoods in unauthorized biography leaks