As the new Washington Post/ABC News poll of likely voters confirms that the presidential race remains close, it shows President Obama outdoing Mitt Romney on several peculiar questions. Those surveyed were asked which candidate they’d prefer to have as captain on a ship in a storm (Obama by 3 percentage points over Romney), which would make a more loyal friend (Obama by 14 points), which they’d rather take care of them if they were sick (Obama by 13 points), and which they’d rather have over for dinner (Obama by 19 points). In what would seem a defining advantage for Romney, though, only 20 percent of those polled said they are better off financially now than they were four years ago.
The Affordable Care Act, better known by the pejorative “Obamacare,” doesn’t get credit for much in political circles, with Republicans talking nearly unanimously about repeal and Democrats barely talking about it at all. So it’s worth noting that the law is mentioned among the factors behind the recommendation that the rates for the city ‘s employee health insurance plan decrease 5 percent for 2013, after increases of 10.9 and 15.5 percent in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The city, which is self-insured, also went through a “competitive, cost-effective proposal process” to find new companies to manage its health plan – Coventry Health Care of Kansas (for medical benefits) and Catamaran (prescription benefits). The 2013 contracts and rates are on the Tuesday agenda of the Wichita City Council.
