News/Politics 5-11-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

I guess we start this morning with another example of The Chicago Way. From TheAP

” The Internal Revenue Service apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was “inappropriate” targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status.

IRS agents singled out dozens of organizations for additional reviews because they included the words “tea party” or “patriot” in their exemption applications, said Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt groups. In some cases, groups were asked for lists of donors, which violates IRS policy in most cases, she said.”

They allege it was low-level employees who did this. No order from the top. For some reason I doubt that. I’m sure it had nothing to do with those groups working against Obama’s re-election. 🙄

Mitch McConnell is calling for an investigation. More from WFPLNews

“White House spokesman Jay Carney says an inspector general is looking into the matter.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is calling on the Obama administration to conduct a government-wide probe in the wake of an admission by the Internal Revenue Service that it targeted conservative groups.”

They’re looking into it. Well I feel better already, especially after the fine job they did investigating themselves on Benghazi. 🙄

Issa and Jordan call it “unconscionable”. From  TheHouseOverSightCommittee

A Tea Party leader is calling for an apology. From Buzzfeed

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Next up, a breaking story….. for the MSM at least. 🙄 From TheWashingtonExaminer

“One of the lead House investigators into the Benghazi terrorist attack called for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify before Congress about information provide by State Department whistleblowers, adding that he would support issuing a subpoena if she refuses.

“I would hope that she would step up and help us out,” Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, replied when Charlie Rose asked him if he wants the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to subpoena Clinton. Chaffetz emphasized that the committee is not yet ready to issue such a summons, but noted that “we do have whistleblowers stepping up, [so] I think we’re going to get serious about forcing people legally to [testify].”

Chaffetz — sounding as if he wanted to avoid saying anything that would seem to vindicate critics who dismiss the current Benghazi investigation as a witch-hunt designed to hurt Clinton’s ability to win the presidency in 2016 — said that if Clinton will not voluntarily appear, then “at some point, yeah, I’ll be supportive of [a subpoena].””

Can you say perjury? Yeah, I knew ya’ could. 😉

The Ranking Dem member is calling it a “distortion”.  I’d agree. But I don’t think the ones distorting are who he thinks they are. It’s the White House and State who have distorted info from the start. From Politico

“The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is  accusing Republicans of distorting the remarks of a star witness testifying  before the panel this week on Benghazi.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) sent letter to Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)  on Friday asking that omitted portions of Gregory Hicks’s testimony be added to  the record.”

Meanwhile the White House continues to want the CIA to take a ride under the bus.

Here’s 7 minutes of lies and revisionist history in an attempt to cover their butts.

How bad is it? Well put it this way, even MSNBC used the “I” word. 😯 From TownHall

So what’s an administration to do? Why call the team together for an “Off the Record” press meeting, to get their talking points all on the same page, of course. 🙂  From HotAir

Time for the team to huddle.

The White House held an off-the-record briefing with reporters on Friday afternoon to discuss recent revelations about the Benghazi investigation, sources familiar with the meeting tell POLITICO.

The meeting began around 12:45 p.m. and postponed the daily, on-the-record White House press briefing to 1:45 p.m. White House press secretary Jay Carney did not respond to a request for confirmation of the meeting.

The off-the-record session was announced to reporters in the wake of an ABC News report showing that White House and State Dept. officials were involved in revising the now-discredited CIA talking points about the attack on Benghazi.”

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Next we have a bunch of “In Other News” items.

More murders tied to the Boston bombers?  From BusinessInsider

“Law enforcement officials have told ABC  News that “mounting” forensic  evidence from an unsolved triple homicide ties Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to the crime.

Cell phone records also place the brothers in the area of the murders on the date they were committed.”

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A strange and interesting turn in the Texas fertilizer plant explosion. From FoxNews

“A Texas paramedic who helped evacuate people on the night of the deadly fertilizer plant explosion in West has been arrested and charged with possessing a destructive device.

It’s not clear whether the charges are related to the fire or the explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. last month that killed 14 people.”

“Investigators have largely treated the incident as an industrial accident. But Texas law enforcement officials also launched a criminal investigation Friday.”

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Prince Harry visited Arlington National Cemetery during a visit devoted to the injured and fallen. I appreciate his efforts, as a diplomat and soldier. I’ve actually seen some photos of the Prince with a former church member serving together in Afghanistan. These aren’t just words, but an effort to honor brother’s in arms. He is also in the US to attend the 2013 Warrior Games, where 200 US and British veterans wounded in combat will compete. From TheWashingtonPost

“Britain’s Prince Harry saluted America’s war dead in somber remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, pausing, too, to place flowers on the tombstone of President John F. Kennedy and visit the grave of a British World War II hero buried far from home.”

“Harry, a British Army captain who has served twice in Afghanistan, capped the Washington portion of his trip with a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, seeing the latest prosthetic technology and chatting with wounded warriors.”

“He sat on a bed and chatted with Staff Sgt. Tim Payne, 30, of Montana, injured by an IED in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province. “We talked about how I got injured and that I like swimming,” Payne said after. “I told him I swim 4,000 meters a day and someday will swim the English Channel. Harry said, ‘That’s a crazy idea.’””

Just keep him out of Vegas please. 😦

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The owner of the Washington Redskin’s has finally responded to those wanting a name change for his team, as well as those suing to try and force them to. From USAToday

“Daniel Snyder is owner of the Washington pro football team he grew up adoring. Would he ever consider changing the team name that many American Indians and others believe is a racial slur?

“We will never change the name of the team,” Snyder told USA TODAY Sports this week. “As a lifelong Redskins fan, and I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it’s all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season.””

“What if his football team loses an ongoing federal trademark lawsuit? Would he consider changing it then?

“We’ll never change the name,” he said. “It’s that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.””

Nice to see someone stand up to the PC stupidity for a change. 🙂

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21 thoughts on “News/Politics 5-11-13

  1. I’ve always said that what the Redskins need is a new owner. They haven’t done anything since Snyder book over. I think he interferes too much. But I appreciate him for his stand on this. It’s just something to keep the pot boiling.

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  2. In Illinois, U of I fans are trying to get their mascot back- Chief Illiniwek. The NCAA banned him a few yearsa ago. It seems their is no surviving member of the tribe to approve the use of the headdress. But now they seem to have found descendants in Oklahoma of the Peoria tribe, which came form Illinois. They hope the Peoria will give them the permission they need for NCAA approval.

    I think it’s time for the Nordic descendants in Minnesota to protest the use of their ancestors image on a pro football logo. And let’s not forget the royalists and those teams like the Kings and Royals!

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  3. Obamacare seems to get a lot of bad press here so I give you some good news;

    http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/05/10/1994331/obamacare-forcing-insurers-lower-premiums/

    The IRS story is interesting but a logical explanation is possible. Numerous tea party groups were formed in 08 -10 most legitimate but some were not. When a host of new groups are formed all with similar ideas it make sense to investigate them more closely than more established groups. Of course its not within the realm of possibilities that low level bureaucrats might have done intentionally. As for a white house conspiracy … theres a difference of opinion on the left whether tea party groups help them (by primarying moderate Republicans and scaring off independent voters) or hurt them (by energizing a base). I personally lean to the former as tea party candidates have won primaries against moderates but then lost an entirely winnable general election. Sharon Angle comes to mind

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  4. As for team names, the grammar police continue to disparage my favorite team; the Toronto Maple Leafs. Names will change when it makes sense monetarily .. money talks.

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  5. From Newsmax in an e-mail

    Benghazi whistleblower Greg Hicks has been demoted to a desk job for speaking out on the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks at the U.S. post in Libya that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, his attorney said on Friday.

    “He was offered a choice: no job or a job that doesn’t mean anything,” attorney Victoria Toensing told “The Steve Malzberg Show” on Newsmax TV. “It’s a desk job.”

    Newsmax.com
    http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/benghazi-whistleblower-reassigned/2013/05/10/id/503941?s=al&promo_code=1374E-1#ixzz2T07W3zhI

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  6. Not a good 2nd term start for the administration, especially considering that even some parts of the mainstream media are beginning to take notice that something’s not right with Benghazi.

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  7. Good question Skate. But the “Why” might be a good question. And the “Who” that does the investigating might also. Is IRS or Homeland Security involved in this? Why?

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  8. I see in today’s Times-News that the NC Senate has passed a bill of “Respect for Student Prayer/Religious Activity”. Adopted 48-0.
    That seems a reasonable solution. It allows students to be religious as they please, but authority figures not so much.

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  9. HRW, The article you posted doesn’t address the points made in Murray’s book. His research concluded that the poor were less industrious, more prone to criminality and illegitimacy and less religious than the rich. Your article said the poor are optimistic about their future and don’t believe their morals have declined. Your article shows the poor are delusional.

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  10. hwesseli: No, why? It’s unfair on the face of it. Not that it should matter, but are there data regarding following tax rules comparing newly-formed vs. established non-profits? And it really shouldn’t matter.

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  11. HRW,

    And the fact that these groups were working against Obama’s re-election efforts is what? A coincidence? Really? 🙄

    And the IRS leadership knew about this unfair targeting as early as 2011, yet we don’t find that out until now, well after the elections. Another coincidence?

    These groups complained about it then too, but yet the IRS didn’t fess up then. And the media ignored it for Obama’s benefit. That was by coincidence again right?

    There’s alot of new stuff out on this now, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow, ‘cuz I’m sleepy. 🙂

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