What’s interesting in the news today?
Open thread, with a few to start things off.
1. This should be fun to watch. 🙂
From FoxNews “A conservative activist targeted by the IRS and other agencies claimed Thursday that Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings also tried to intimidate her, filing a formal complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics alleging an “abuse of power.”
Catherine Engelbrecht, founder of True the Vote and the King Street Patriots, aired the allegations during a hearing hosted by the committee on which Cummings sits. An attorney working with her also questioned whether Cummings might have encouraged the IRS and other agencies to target her groups.”
“Congressman Cummings on three separate occasions sent letters on letterhead from this committee, stating that he had concerns and felt it necessary to open an investigation on True the Vote,” Engelbrecht said during the hearing, where she and other witnesses were otherwise testifying on IRS targeting.
She also said that after she applied for tax-exempt status, “an assortment of federal entities including law enforcement agencies, and Congressman Cummings came knocking at my door.”
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2. Here’s why the delayed the employer mandate until after November. Once this hits, they’re toast.
From TheWashingtonExaminer “Adding to a devastating CBO report of how Obamacare could damage the economy, a Duke University survey of top companies found that 44 percent are considering reducing health benefits to current employees due to Obamacare, confirming the fears of millions of American workers.
In its December survey of chief financial officers around the country, Duke also found that nearly half are “reluctant to hire full-time employers because of the Affordable Care Act.”
And 40 percent are considering shifting to part-time workers and others will hire fewer workers of fire some to avoid the costs of the program.
What’s more, they said in the study, “One in five firms indicates they are likely to hire fewer employees, and another one in 10 may lay off current employees in response to the law.”
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3. Trey Gowdy is pointing out the obvious flaws in the White House’s latest talking points regarding the IRS scandal.
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Wandering Views 
I see in today’s Times-News that Indiana has passed a bill allowing the celebration of Christmas in schools. It would allow schools to teach the “history of winter holidays and give holiday greetings, such as “Merry Christmas”.
The ACLU doesn’t like that.
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1 & 3
I was born when America was entering the Great Depression.
At the end of my life, I see America entering the Great Oppression.
I am reading in the Washington Times how the new administration in Virginia politics is punishing their opponents. And rewarding their friend, BTW.
That is what Obama is doing.
If the Republicans take the Senate this fall, it won’t matter to Obama. He knows how to get around it.
I need to recheck my history to confirm this, but someone recently said, “Hitler did not shoot himself into power, he was voted in.” That is, he was elected Chancellor and got control of the agencies.
As long as you control the agencies, you control the country.
The DOJ is investigating this IRS so-called scandal. They will find nothing wrong. Holder has assured us of that.
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We enjoyed watching the opening ceremony from Sochi. Russia was able to put on a nice show with no obscenities or any tributes to Satan or Sodom.
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The subtitle of an article in The Washington Times by Judge Andrew P. Neopolitano is “The president has a lot to answer for”. Then he makes his case.
However, Neopolitano is incorrect. President Obama is not going to answer for anything. He is well protected. And when he is out of office, he will, whether a Democrat or Republican is President, go about making millions giving speeches. Much as Bill Clinton does.
Obama is not going away. I predict that he will go about sowing obstruction and destruction for several decades. If the country lasts that lone.
Hi Ricky. I thought I was talking to myself here.
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Hello, Chas. You are right about Obama.
We had snow and the stock show in Fort Worth this week.
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I didn’t know they still had stock shows in Fort Worth. When I visited there (to show Chuck his birthplace), the stockyards were closed. Now tourist attractions. We did dine at ( I think) “The Cattleman” restaurant because I always wanted to do do when I lived in Ft. Worth, but couldn’t afford it.
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2. Merely a survey of initial reactions, whether it will stick is debatable. For the most part, employers understand FT employees will give better long term results than PT workers. Owner manged firms not worried about quarterly reported share prices will maintain FT employment whereas corporate managed firms will try to survive on PT workers but will find that short term results will be negated by long term decline. Of course by that time CEOs will have collected their multi-million dollar bonus.
Now that I’ve written the above, I can see the real long term problem is not the ACA or any similar problem but a system that rewards short term gain for mangers not entrepreneurial skill and concern for fellow man.
Chas
parents are doing something wrong if their children need to be taught the history of winter celebrations ie Christmas and Christmas greetings. Somethings don’t need to be taught in school. Of course, the same could be said for many subjects and topics and yet I still have to teach it.
Yes, Hitler was elected and there the analogies should end. Leftist say the same about Bush and the Republicans especially concerning voting regulations. Here north of the border, some on the left are making Hitler analogies as the Conservatives have introduced new voting rules that are clearly designed to favor the Conservatives. But such hyperbole only indicates a lack of substantive evidence and argumentation.
All presidents have lots to answer for and hardly any will. Even Nixon was pardoned before there was a conviction. Bush and Cheney weren’t’ investigated for some of their errors and violations. The two party duopoly will continue.
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A good look at the concept of part time America and how the numbers don’t match the assumptions.
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/02/the-spectacular-myth-of-obamas-part-time-america-in-5-graphs/283674/
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