Good Morning, Liberals! 

Just kidding, really. If you were a liberal getting up this morning, ready to fight the battle against mean, nasty conservatives, the latest Obamacare headlines would probably have you reaching for the Maalox. For example: 
 

• A new report finds that health insurance premiums in the individual market are up nearly 40% and family policies are up 56% -- just since February 2013. 

  Now let's put this dramatic one-year price spike into perspective: "Between 2005 and 2013, average premiums for individual plans increased 37 percent and average family premiums were upped 31 percent. So they have risen faster [in one year] under Obamacare than in the previous eight years." 

  The bad news for liberals doesn't end there. 
   

• Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testified before Congress that Obamacare premiums would likely go up next year. But Sebelius insisted the increases would be "far less significant than what they were prior to the Affordable Care Act." 

  Health industry officials who know better say Sebelius is way off base. One industry executive who spoke to The Hill said, "It's pretty shortsighted because I think everybody knows that the way the exchange has rolled out … is going to lead to higher costs." 

  The insurance executive added that "his company expects to triple its rates next year on the ObamaCare exchange."  The Hill reports that other officials expect "ObamaCare-related premiums will double in some parts of the country." 

  By the way, it's not just a lack of young people signing up. Obama is forcing folks to pay more. The Hill adds, "…insurance officials are quick to emphasize that any spikes would be a consequence of delays and changes in ObamaCare's rollout. … 'We're exasperated,' said the senior insurance official. 'All of these major delays on very significant portions of the law are going to change what it's going to cost.'" 

  Government regulations are not free. When Big Government meddles with the private sector, consumers pay the price. 
   

• I know insurance companies are about as popular as used car salesmen or members of Congress. Anytime one of them made a mistake or denied someone coverage, the left used the negative headlines to demonize the entire industry. Government was the solution, we were told. But bigger government and more bureaucrats doesn't mean better service. 

  Consider the case of Las Vegas resident Larry Basich. He signed up for Obamacare in November and paid his first premium later that month. Weeks later, Larry suffered a heart attack and underwent triple bypass surgery in early January. But the Obamacare exchange now claims he isn't covered and is sticking him with a $400,000 bill! 

  Larry isn't the only one who has gotten lost in Obamacare's bureaucratic morass. Cancer patients are learning, much to their distress, that many of the nation's best cancer centers are not included in Obamacare policies. 

  Pentagon Suppressing Religious Liberty 

  I want to revisit yesterday's report about the assault on religious liberty at the Air Force Academy. This is not an isolated incident. Reports suggest it is coming from the Pentagon. 

  When news of the incident first broke, attorneys from the Liberty Institute met with top officials at the Academy. They were told that the Air Force interpreted regulations on religious liberty so strictly that it only applies to "religious grooming and apparel matters."

  In other words, the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the Constitution does not, in the view of the Air Force, extend to speech or writing. Academy officers said they adopted this view based on a Pentagon regulation issued in March 2013. Moreover, once the incident began making headlines, the Air Force issued a press release essentially reaffirming this bizarre interpretation. 

  Attorney Mike Berry, who spoke with Air Force Academy officials, said, "This is a stunning development because it is now clear that the Air Force is interpreting federal law and military regulations in an unlawful way. …This is not only morally wrong, it's illegal." 

  By the way, the Air Force Academy also dropped "So help me God" from its oaths. In spite of the growing hostility to expressions of faith, cadets are reportedly posting "In God We Trust" on their whiteboards now. Good for them! 

  If you haven't done so yet, please sign our petition to Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson, Superintendent of the Air Force Academy, urging her to defend the religious liberty of Academy cadets. And be certain to share our petition with like-minded friends and family members. 

  Headlines Of The Day 

  From Rush Limbaugh: "Putin Redraws Russian Borders; Obama Makes Bracket Picks." 

  And there was news of a major resignation from the Obama White House. No it wasn't the CIA Director who lied to Congress. Nor was it Eric Holder who has been held in contempt of Congress. It wasn't Kathleen Sebelius taking the fall for Obamacare. 

  It was Bill Yosses, the White House executive pastry chef. Yosses told the New York Times, "I don't want to demonize cream, butter, sugar and eggs."