What’s news today?

Looks like Patraeus will be testifying if King has his way, but it will probably take a subpoena.

From TheDailyCaller

“During Saturday’s broadcast of “The Steve Malzberg Show” on ABC Radio’s  Washington, D.C. affiliate WMAL, New York Republican Rep. Peter King,  the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, was adamant  that former CIA Director David Petraeus should testify before Congress despite  his sudden resignation.”

“As far as I’m concerned, the intelligence committee has to interview Gen.  Petraeus. Whether or not he’s head of the CIA is almost irrelevant to him  testifying,” King said. “He’s the only one who would have the facts that we are  looking for, so he’s going to have to testify one way or the other.””

Speaking of needing a subpoena……..

From the WashingtonExaminer

“House investigators asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify next week about the September 11 terrorist attack in Benghazi, but she declined citing a scheduling conflict.

“[Clinton] was asked to appear at House Foreign Affairs next week, and we have written back to the Chairman to say that she’ll be on travel next week,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters yesterday. “She has a commitment with the Secretary of Defense to the AUSMIN Ministerial.” Per AFP, “AUSMIN is the highest level forum for Australia and US consultation on foreign policy, defense and strategic issues.” The United States is reportedly concerned about Australia’s plan to cut their defense spending.

The Blame Game continues, via Politico

“Rush Limbaugh couldn’t have been more right.

Months before the election, the conservative radio host made a prediction: “If Obama wins, the Republican Party is going to try to maneuver things so conservatives get blamed.”

And that’s exactly what’s happening.”

Syrian troops and rebel fighting is spilling over into Israel.

From Reuters

“Israeli forces fired into Syria on Sunday in what the military called a warning, after stray munitions from fighting between Syrian troops and rebels hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The incident, described by Israel Radio as the first direct engagement of the Syrian military on the Golan since the countries’ 1973 war, highlighted international fears that Syria’s civil war could ignite wider regional conflict.”

The rebels are saying if we don’t give them help, they might turn into terrorists.

From TheTelegraph/UK

“In an interview with The Daily Telegraph in his base in rebel-occupied Syria, Gen. Mustafa al-Sheikh unveiled a new leadership of the Higher Military Council of the FSA, which he heads.

Hamas is getting in on the fighting as well.

From Haaretz

“Egypt mediating Israel-Hamas truce as more than 100 rockets hit south”

“Egyptian intelligence officials have been mediating between Israel and Hamas in order to reach a cease-fire agreement that would put an end to the two-day cross-border escalation.

More than 100 rockets have hit southern Israel since violence flared up on the border on Saturday. The IDF has responded with nine separate air strikes, killing five Palestinians.”

I’m not sure about this one. There seem to be many Sandy victims who would disagree.

From NBCNews

“The American Red Cross, which bills itself as “the world’s largest humanitarian network,” is pushing back against critics of its response to superstorm Sandy, with the head of the organization saying its relief effort has been “near flawless” despite criticism from stranded storm victims and elected officials.

Two weeks after the storm slammed the East Coast, leaving millions of residents without power and in need of food, warmth and shelter, the venerable nonprofit has taken a public battering over what many victims and some officials saw as a lackluster and unfocused response.”

“James Molinari, president of the hard-hit Staten Island borough of New York City, on Nov. 1 labeled the organization’s response there “an absolute disgrace” and went so far as to urge its residents not to donate to the largely volunteer agency.”

A huge explosion has rocked Indianapolis.

From CBS

“A huge explosion overnight left a small Indianapolis neighborhood shaken. CBS 2′s Derrick Blakley reports.

Homes were engulfed in flames, as neighbors ran for their lives, and tried to help others. This happened just after 11 p.m. last night in the Richmond Hill neighborhood on Indianapolis’ south side.”

“100 firefighters responded and it took two hours to get the fire under control. Officials found two homes totally destroyed with further damage to dozens more.”

UPDATE

Keep in mind he was just re-elected.

From CBS

“A former U.S. attorney representing embattled Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. is negotiating a plea deal with the federal government, CBS 2 has learned.”

“The plea deal would end Jackson’s 17-year career as a congressman representing Chicago’s South Side and suburbs.”

“The tentative deal includes:

–Jackson resigning for health reasons.

–His pleading guilty to charges involving misuse of campaign funds.

–The congressman’s repayment of any contributions that were converted to personal use, such as home furnishings, improper travel or gifts.

The Petraeus story has  grown. And of course, it’s gotten worse.

From CBS

“CBS News has learned that for the last few months the FBI has been investigating the communications of Petraeus. Law enforcement sources tell CBS News’ Bob Orr that there was concern about emails the CIA director was sending and receiving involving a female journalist. Additional sources tell CBS News the communications involve his biographer, Paula Broadwell.

A Justice Department official tells CBS News that Petraeus’ name surfaced while the FBI was undertaking a separate investigation into whether Petraeus’ computer might have been compromised.”

“A White House official told CBS News’ Nancy Cordes that the White House did not know before the election that Petraeus would resign and that the news comes as a surprise to everyone.”

So the FBI and Justice Dept were investigating him, and I’m to believe the White House was unaware? Oh c’mon. Really?

Such a sad end for such a great soldier’s career. And others seem to agree the timing is just too perfect.

From RealClearPolitics

“LT. COL. RALPH PETERS: The timing is just too perfect for the Obama administration. Just as the administration claimed it was purely coincidence that our Benghazi consulate was attacked on the anniversary of September 11th. Now it’s purely coincidence that this affair — extra-marital affair — surfaces right after the election, not before, but right after, but before the intelligence chiefs go to Capitol Hill to get grilled. As an old intelligence analyst, Neil, the way I read this — I could be totally wrong, this is my interpretation — is that the administration was unhappy with Petraeus not playing ball 100% on their party-line story. I think it’s getting cold feet about testifying under oath on their party-line story. And I suspect that these tough Chicago guys knew about this affair for a while, held it in their back pocket until they needed to play the card.”

The WSJournal has more.

“Multiple officials familiar with the investigation identified the woman as the author of a biography on Mr. Petraeus.

It was the second national-security revelation to come to light in the two days after President Barack Obama won re-election. On Wednesday, the Pentagon acknowledged that Iranian fighter planes had fired on an unmanned reconnaissance drone five days before the election. Some Republicans on Capitol Hill were irked that the administration waited so long to make the incident public, while administration officials said they didn’t talk about the attack because the drone program was secret.”

They have to subpoena him. He’s got things to answer for, as does the CIA, and the Obama Admin.

Regardless of political party, I think everyone can agree this next one is wrong.

From the AsburyParkPress

“We stood and talked in the cool morning air a short distance up the road after security at the front gate threatened to have our cars removed outside the entrance to what Sotelo’s identification tag calls “Camp Freedom,” even though it more closely resembles a prison camp.”

““Sitting there last night you could see your breath,” said Sotelo. “At (Pine Belt) the Red Cross made an announcement that they were sending us to permanent structures up here that had just been redone, that had washing machines and hot showers and steady electric, and they sent us to tent city. We got (expletive).”

“As Sotelo tells it, when it became clear that the residents were less than enamored with their new accommodations Wednesday night and were letting the outside world know about it, officials tried to stop them from taking pictures, turned off the WiFi and said they couldn’t charge their smart phones because there wasn’t enough power.”

Is this really the best FEMA and the Red Cross can do?

In employment news, the fallout from the election continues.

From FreedomWorks, here’s those layoffs you voted for Obama backers.

“Last night’s victory for the President marks the first time since its inception that Obamacare is no longer a what-if; it is the future of health care in America.

It also means a near immediate impact on the economy.  With 20 or so new or higher taxes set to be implemented, ranging from a $123 billion surtax on investment income, through the $20 billion medical device tax, all the way down to the $600 million executive compensation limit, Obamacare will be a nearly unbearable tax burden on the economy.

Who will pay?  The middle-class workforce, of course.”

And TheBlaze has more.

“Do elections have consequences? If you have been paying attention to the financial markets, you might think so. Wall Street has had two horrible days since President Obama won a second term.

However, stock prices are not the only thing taking a hit. It appears that the job market is also suffering. In the last 48 hours, the following major corporations have announced layoffs in America (links take you to news stories about the layoffs – with details from the companies):”

Don’t blame me, I voted for Romney.

Here’s some pretty cool news. We finally have a use for tattoos that I like.

From MyFoxTampaBay

“From the simple to the elaborate, tattoos are as unique as those who proudly wear them. But some are getting tattoos they hope no one can see: medical tattoos that are used to hide scars from surgery.”

“”It’s basically tattooing, but I’m using permanent cosmetic pigment and not tattoo ink. I mix and blend camouflaged colors to match the skin around the area that is not hypopigmented, under pigmented or lost its color,” she says.

There are many uses for medical tattoos: covering scars from surgery, blend areas discolored by vitiligo, and nd replace brows and lashes lost to alopecia.  They also restore parts of the body taken by cancer.”

Is that cool or what?

And this last one………..

Let me be the first to say “NO THANK YOU! Really, I’ll pass, thanks.”

From AP/MyWayNews

“George P. Bush, a nephew of former President George W. Bush and son of one-time Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, has made a campaign filing in Texas that is required of candidates planning to run for state office, an official said Thursday night.

The younger Bush, a Fort Worth resident, filed a campaign treasurer appointment Wednesday, a requirement for someone to become a candidate under campaign finance law, Tim Sorrells, general counsel for the Texas Ethics Commission, told The Associated Press.”

So, what, Bush is the new Kennedy?

Still, No Thank You!

Unless……………….

From TheHill

“Vice President Biden said Friday that his focus was on helping President Obama to improve the economy, not the potential 2016 run he hinted at on the campaign trail earlier this month.

“There’s plenty of time to think about 2016,” Biden told the Wilmington News-Journal. “We’ve got to get this economy working. If three years from now the economy is not working, it’s not going to be worth doing much. This is all about making Barack an incredibly successful second-term president. That’s my focus.”

Biden had alluded to a possible presidential bid as recently as Election Day, when he was asked  after voting if that would be his last time voting for himself.

What’s news today?

Let’s start with some employment news. Bad, of course.

From CBS Las Vegas

“A Las Vegas business owner with 114 employees fired 22 workers today, apparently as a direct result of President Obama’s re-election.

“David” (he asked to remain anonymous for obvious reasons) told Host Kevin Wall on 100.5 KXNT that “elections have consequences” and that “at the end of the day, I need to survive.”

And this we knew was coming. Obama just got them to delay it until after the election.

From CNBC

“Boeing announced a major restructuring of its defense division on Wednesday that will cut 30 percent of management jobs from 2010 levels, close facilities in California and consolidate several business units to cut costs.”

You can read about the Obama admin coercing them here, from TownHall. Boeing is the second largest defense contractor.

“In an effort to make the economy look a little rosier than it is, the Obama administration is basically coercing defense contractors so as to prevent news of layoffs hitting voters before the election. With sequestration about to result in some major cuts to the defense budget, contractors will lose government business — and that means, employees will lose jobs. But to prevent poor numbers ahead of the November election, the Obama administration has made it very, well, fiscally unwise for companies to issue layoff notices too early.

The Labor Department issued guidance in July saying it would be “inappropriate” for contractors to issue notices of potential layoffs tied to sequestration cuts. But a few contractors, most notably Lockheed Martin, said they still were considering whether to issue the notices — which would be sent out just days before the November election.”

Boy that’s convenient huh?

🙄

Now to the storm, and it’s aftermath. Also bad.

From the NYPost

“Looks as if FEMA is just a fair- weather friend.

Yesterday’s nor’easter proved too much for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s aid location in Tottenville, SI — which hung a sign reading “Closed due to weather” as the wintry storm blew into town.”

I need a head shaking, eye rolling, smiley.

More from the NYPost on the gas rationing starting in NY.

“New York City and Long Island will institute gas rationing starting tomorrow, officials announced, to help ease long gas-station lines, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.”

This is just insult to injury.

From CBS New York

“In the wake of superstorm Sandy, reports of lootings across the Tri-State have been widespread.

Areas hit especially hard by Sandy continue to deal with dealing with lawlessness.

Rockaways residents told 1010 WINS reporter Gary Baumgarten that looting and thievery have become such serious threats that taking up arms and fleeing town are the best options for staying safe.”

In election news, Allen West is still alive in his race for re-election.

From TheBlaze

“Rep. Allen West is leading by more than 300 votes in Palm Beach County, Fla., a hopeful sign for the Tea Party favorite fighting for his political life after Tuesday’s election, a source told TheBlaze.

No winner has been declared in the congressional race between the Republican West and his Democratic opponent Patrick Murphy, though Murphy had a 2,456-vote lead in the unofficial vote total.”

Jesse Jackson Jr.’s in talks for a plea deal?

From ABC

“Attorneys for the Justice Department and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. are in talks about a possible deal regarding allegations of campaign finance violations, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Negotiations have been under way for some time.

It is unclear whether the talks will result in a plea agreement, but sources say the talks could come to some conclusion soon.”

And yet he was re-elected. Where else but Chicago?

And where were white voters?

From RealClearPolitics

“Democrats, like Republicans today, were despondent. Aside from having a president they loathed in the White House for four more years, they were terrified by what seemed to be an emerging Republican majority. John Kerry had, after all, hit all of his turnout targets, only to be swamped by the Republican re-election effort. “Values voters” was the catchphrase, and an inordinate number of keystrokes were expended trying to figure out how, as Howard Dean had memorably put it before the election, Democrats could reconnect with “guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks.”

For Republicans, that despair now comes from an electorate that seems to have undergone a sea change. In the 2008 final exit polls (unavailable online), the electorate was 75 percent white, 12.2 percent African-American, 8.4 percent Latino, with 4.5 percent distributed to other ethnicities. We’ll have to wait for this year’s absolute final exit polls to come in to know the exact estimate of the composition this time, but right now it appears to be pegged at about 72 percent white, 13 percent black, 10 percent Latino and 5 percent “other.”

Obviously, this surge in the non-white vote is troubling to Republicans, who are increasingly almost as reliant upon the white vote to win as Democrats are on the non-white vote. With the white vote decreasing as a share of the electorate over time, it becomes harder and harder for Republicans to prevail.”

Here’s some Benghazi news, the cover-up continues.

From ForeignPolicy.com 

“Under pressure from senators, the State Department is allowing some lawmakers to look at cables and other documents related to the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, but only today and tomorrow, when most senators are not in Washington.

Congress is gearing up for a full week of Benghazi-related hearings next week, including a Nov. 13 hearing behind closed doors of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led by Chairman John Kerry (D-MA). Kerry has written two letters to the State Department requesting congressional access to information and documents related to the circumstances leading up to and during the attack that killed AmbassadorChris Stevens. Several sensitive documents have already been leaked to congressional offices and the media, so the State Department has decided to let some senators view Benghazi documents but not take them home.”

“One senior GOP Senate staffer told The Cablethat State is only making the documents available for senators and committee staff to view today and tomorrow, which won’t actually allow the members to prepare for the hearing. Staffers for committee members are also not allowed to see the material.

“Funny since no member is in town,” the aide said. “The timing and limited access clearly demonstrates the administration cares more about playing politics with the tragedy than accepting responsibility.”

And another foreign policy issue squashed for political/election reasons?

From FoxNews

“Iran fired on an unarmed U.S. drone last week as it was hovering in  international airspace, the Pentagon announced Thursday.

Spokesman George Little said the incident, which marks the first time the  Iranians have fired on a U.S. drone, occurred Nov. 1 at 4:50 a.m. ET. He said  the unarmed, unmanned drone was conducting “routine surveillance” over the  Persian Gulf when it was “intercepted” by Iran. He said the MQ1 Predator drone,  which was not hit, was not in Iranian airspace.”

“Little said the U.S. government has protested to the Iranians.”

Oooooooo, that’ll show ’em. Everyone knows the Iranians always cave to strongly worded letters.

🙄

It happened in international airspace according to CNN.

“The incident, reported first by CNN, raised fresh concerns within the Obama administration about Iranian military aggression in crucial Gulf oil shipping lanes.

The drone was on routine maritime surveillance in international airspace east of Kuwait, 16 miles off the coast of Iran, U.S. officials said. The Predator was not hit.”

And from TheWeeklyStandard

“On Twitter, Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin follows up by saying the attack on the American drone by Iran was not revealed until after the election because it was a “classified” mission.”

Sure. I mean it’s not like they’ve ever given us any reason to distrust what they say right?

🙄

I think I need to get my eyes checked. They’re rolling a lot lately.