Why the Obamacare Website is flaky

Because Sibelius's HHS bureaucrats decided that they could play system integrator.  System integration is a VERY difficult task, its taking pieces of code from different programmers and getting them to play nicely with each other, and testing the entire system to make sure it  works, doesn't crash, and gives the right answers.  I have done this in my past life.  It's the trickiest part of getting a software product running. 
  Commercial practice is to have the system engineer of the prime contractor to do this.  Until the system passes system acceptance test, the prime contractor doesn't get paid.
   HHS decided to play the prime contractor role themselves.  A job which they are totally unfitted for.  You need programming experience and leadership experience on at least a couple of big software jobs to gain the necessary experience to integrate even a kid's game program, let alone something as as big and tricky as Obamacare. 
   They should have selected a competent contractor (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, someone with a national rep) to serve as prime.  Selection should have been by sealed bid.  Lowest bidder gets the job.  With the government retaining the right to disqualify bidders who clearly don't have the right stuff.  The winning prime contractor gets to select what ever subcontractors he likes.  The prime doesn't get paid until the system passes system acceptance test, so he will be careful to select sub contractors who know what they are doing. 
   HHS bureaucrats probably selected subcontractors from a list of Obama supporters. 

Sibelius Shakedown

Obama's secretary of HHS, Kathleen Sibelius, has been calling CEO's of industries her department regulates asking for money, "voluntary donations", to fund Obamacare.  Congress has refused the funding and so to bypass Congress, HHS is atempting to raise the money "privately".
    Imagine your phone rings.  It's Ms.Kathleen Sibelius, or perhaps its Secretary of HHS Kathleen Sibelius.  You take the call.  She asks you for money.  What do you say?  Knowing that bureaucrats under her command can make your life and your company's life, a living hell. Real voluntary that donation is.
   Someone on NHPR said this was OK as long as Ms Sibelius  didn't use here title over the phone.  As if anyone in the health business wouldn't know who she was. 
   It may be legal, but it sure is tacky.  Most people call it blackmail.