July 20, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-20-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread, so feel free to share. 🙂

First up, from “if I had a son”, to “it coulda been me”. 🙄

From WeaselZippers ” President Barack Obama said Friday that “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago” in his first live comments since the verdict last weekend in the case of Martin’s shooting death last year.”

“While he says the jury has spoken, he then goes on to essentially attack the jury by acting as though the decision was all about race.”

Always classy huh Mr. President? Stop acting like a community organizer, stop feeding the beast, and get back to work.

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And by beast, this is the kinda stuff his remarks, along with Sharpton and company, are feeding. It’s irresponsible. If you’re not gonna be constructive, then just be quiet.

From TheLATimes “Organized “bash mob” crime rampages of roving groups attacking innocent people and businesses have been striking cities around the United States. Law enforcement agencies in Southern California have reported few similar problems — until now.”

“On Monday, a group of unruly young people broke off from hundreds gathered for a Trayvon Martin prayer vigil and rushed into a Wal-Mart on Crenshaw Boulevard, where they tossed merchandise and tried to break into a jewelry display case.

In Hollywood on Tuesday night, a flash mob of thieves rushed down Hollywood Boulevard, stealing phones, knocking over tourists and vandalizing shops, according to police, who said it may have been related to the George Zimmerman verdict. Twelve people — 11 juveniles and one 18-year-old — were arrested on suspicion of robbery. “

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And on a related note, which by the way is completely unrelated, but this is their new meme, soooo….. Never let a crisis go to waste.

From HotAir “Video: The media’s got a fee-vah and the only prescription is complaining about “Stand Your Ground” laws”

“A nifty medley from Andrew Johnson at the Corner of our media collectively deciding what social justice now requires after the Zimmerman verdict. (Dick Durbin announced just this morning that he’ll be holding a Senate hearing on “stand your ground” laws, on the theory, I guess, that state legislatures are somehow incapable of doing so themselves.) Anyway: Is it true, as many supporters of the verdict have claimed, that “Stand Your Ground” had nothing to do with the outcome of the trial? Well, yes. And no. But also yes.”

It’s almost like they’re all working off the same White House/DoJ talking points huh? 🙄

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Meanwhile, a judge rules she doesn’t like Detroit’s bankruptcy plan. She may have some legitimate points, but this ain’t one of ’em.

From DetroitNews “Ruling the governor and Detroit’s emergency manager violated the state constitution, an Ingham County Circuit judge ordered Friday that Detroit’s federal bankruptcy filing be withdrawn.

“It’s absolutely needed,” said Judge Rosemary Aquilina, observing she hopes Gov. Rick Snyder “reads certain sections of the (Michigan) constitution and reconsiders his actions.””

““It’s cheating, sir, and it’s cheating good people who work,” the judge told assistant state Attorney General Brian Devlin. “It’s also not honoring the (United States) president, who took (Detroit’s auto companies) out of bankruptcy.””

Wait, what? Since when is it relevant in bankruptcy court if something is “honoring to the president”?

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And another case that has 1st Amendment implications…..

From TheRawStory “A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the First Amendment right to free speech does not prevent a New York Times journalist from giving testimony in a high-profile government leak case.

“In Friday’s ruling, a three-judge panel ruled on a 2-1 vote that there is no so-called “reporter’s privilege” under the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech, meaning journalists do not receive special treatment.

“The reporter must appear and give testimony just as every other citizen must,” wrote Chief Judge William Traxler. “We are not at liberty to conclude otherwise.””

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July 19, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-19-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, some good news. And a tip of the hat to the great state of Texas. 😉

From TheAP “Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed sweeping new abortion restrictions on Thursday that could shutter most of the state’s clinics that provide the procedure, a final step for the Republican-backed measure after weeks of sometimes raucous protests at the state Capitol.”

And another good news story thanks to the first.

From TheHill “Planned Parenthood on Wednesday informed staff at three of its facilities in Texas that they would be closing, according to people familiar with the decision.

The three clinics are located in Bryan, Huntsville and Lufkin, Texas. They are closing in response to a new package of abortion restrictions signed into law on Thursday and funding cuts to Texas’ Women’s Health Program that were passed by the Texas state legislature in 2011. Out of the three Planned Parenthood clinics that are closing, only the Bryan clinic performs abortions.”

And expect more closings to come.

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The DoJ is going forward with further attempts to find Zimmerman guilty of something.

From CNN “The Department of Justice has asked the Sanford, Florida, police department to hold all evidence related to the George Zimmerman case, Sanford Capt. Jim McAuliffe said Thursday.”

And if you’re suffering from liberal white guilt over this, don’t worry, Chris Matthews has already apologized on your behalf. You’re welcome.

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In Benghazi news, NDA’s for all!

From TheWeeklyStandard “Congressman Frank Wolf, a Republican from Virginia, said today on the House floor that survivors of the Benghazi terror attack have been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements: “On Tuesday I raised the question of why none of the Benghazi survivors, whether State Department, CIA, or private security contract employees have testified publicly before Congress,” said Wolf.

“According to trusted sources that have contacted my office, many if not all of the survivors of the Benghazi attacks along with others at the Department of Defense, the CIA have been asked or directed to sign additional non-disclosure agreements about their involvement in the Benghazi attacks. Some of these new NDAs, as they call them, I have been told were signed as recently as this summer.”

Gee, I wonder why…? 🙄

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And in other terrorism news……

From InvestorsBusinessDaily “If there’s any doubt the FBI’s gone soft on Islamic terror and may be overlooking more Boston-style plots, witness the bureau chief’s recent Hill testimony.

In a testy exchange with Republican lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee, FBI Director Robert Mueller reluctantly acknowledged FBI counterterrorism training materials have been purged of references to “jihad” and “Islam” and that counterterrorism agents have been restricted from doing undercover investigations at mosques.

These outrageous policies likely contributed to the FBI missing signs of radicalization in the Muslim community — including that of the Tsarnaev brothers in Boston. The marathon bombers operated in plain sight of the FBI before killing three and wounding 260.”

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And this is the last one for today. This is one state, NJ. Does anyone doubt that this doesn’t go on in every state?

From NewJersey.com “An investigation by the state comptroller, released Wednesday, found “widespread fraud” in New Jersey’s school lunch program that’s meant to serve needy families.

The investigation found more than 100 people on public payrolls, or their family members, allegedly lied about their income so their kids could eat in school for free. Among those caught cheating were 40 school district employees and six school board members in Pleasantville, Newark and Paterson.”

“”Our investigations division ultimately uncovered false information on applications submitted by school board members, teachers, other school employees as well as state, county and local employees,” state Comptroller Matthew Boxer said. “What we found are people who work for the government, lying to the government about how much the government is paying them — all to benefit from a program that is designed to help those in need.”

More here as well.

Gov. Christie has called for firings in the matter. Some fraud charges are probably in order as well.

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July 18, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-18-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

First up, the Race Card, how original. 🙄

From CNSNews “Addressing the annual NAACP convention in Orlando, Fla., Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that opponents of Obamacare are the same kind of people who opposed civil rights legislation in the 1960s.”

“”The same arguments against change, the same fear and misinformation that opponents used then are the same ones opponents are spreading now. ‘This won’t work,’ ‘Slow down,’ ‘Let’s wait,’ they say.”

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Holder wasn’t gonna be outdone.

Also from CNSNews “The nation’s top cop indicated that police treatment of black men and boys is part of America’s (alleged) racial problem. “And we must confront the underlying attitudes, mistaken beliefs, and unfortunate stereotypes that serve too often as the basis for police action and private judgments,” Holder said.

Just as his own father warned him about the police, so Holder says he has felt it necessary to warn his son:”

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And here’s a story on the NAACP conference Holder and Sebelius attended blackballing conservative black leaders.

From TownHall “According to author and Fox News contributor Deneen Borelli and her husband, Tom Borelli, black conservatives have been blacklisted from the NAACP’s national conferences for years. When the Borellis, who are employees of the conservative group FreedomWorks, attempted to pay for booth space at this year’s 104th National NAACP conference in Florida, they were told there was no room for them despite plenty of exhibit space remaining open.”

Meanwhile Obama tells Telemundo that the reason Republicans are against his amnesty plan is because they fear minorities in the majority. Race baiters, from the top down.

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Jay Carney was shocked to hear about threats made to the Zimmerman family. Again, the first he’d heard there was a problem.

From TheWaPo “A high school intern with the conservative Daily Caller Web site got into a testy exchange with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney Wednesday after asking if the White House would intervene to protect George Zimmerman from death threats in the wake of his acquittal on murder and manslaughter charges.

“Because of the death threats being received by George Zimmerman and his parents, is the president going to take any action for their security or are they on their own?” Gabe Finger asked.

Carney responded that he wasn’t aware of the threats and that Florida authorities would be responsible for handling them, but that Obama opposes “any violence of any kind” in response to the verdict in the Trayvon Martin case.”

Sure Jay.

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Liberals of all colors play along, so yeah, more white guilt. Always with the Race thing.

From Time “If there is one hopeful note amidst all the anguish and recrimination from the acquittal of George Zimmerman, it’s that growing numbers of white people have come to appreciate whiteness for what it is: an unearned set of privileges. And as a result of that dawning awareness, it’s become possible to imagine a day when that structure of privilege is dismantled – by white people.”

Yeah. 🙄

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And a little more background on the Zimmerman prosecutors. Can you say “malicious prosecution”? Yeah, I knew you could.

From NationalReview “And that was moderate. When Corey was appointed to handle the Zimmerman case, Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, a former president of both the American Bar Association and Florida State University, criticized the decision: “I cannot imagine a worse choice for a prosecutor to serve in the Sanford case. There is nothing in Angela Corey’s background that suits her for the task, and she cannot command the respect of people who care about justice.” Corey responded by making a public-records request of the university for all e-mails, text messages, and phone messages in which D’Alemberte had mentioned Fernandez. Like Littlepage, D’Alemberte had earlier criticized Corey’s handling of the Fernandez case.

Not many people are willing to cross Corey. A Florida attorney I spoke with declined to go on record because of “concerns about retaliation” — that attorney has pending cases that will require Corey’s cooperation. The attorney mentioned colleagues who have refused to speak to the media for the same reason. And to think: D’Alemberte crossed Corey twice. He should get a medal.”

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And the CBC is up to their usual.

From TheHill “Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are readying a flurry of bills in response to George Zimmerman’s acquittal on charges in last year’s fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.

The lawmakers are drafting proposals intended to rein in racial profiling; scrap state stand-your-ground laws; and promote better training for the nation’s neighborhood watch volunteers, among other anti-violence measures. CBC members had remained largely silent throughout the trial, but following the verdict, argued forcefully that, decades after the civil rights movement, the nation’s criminal justice system still discriminates against blacks and other minorities.”

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It’s odd that they’d want to scrap “Stand Your Ground”. Especially when you consider the facts.

From TheDailyCaller “African Americans benefit from Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law at a rate far out of proportion to their presence in the state’s population, despite an assertion by Attorney General Eric Holder that repealing “Stand Your Ground” would help African Americans.

Black Floridians have made about a third of the state’s total “Stand Your Ground” claims in homicide cases, a rate nearly double the black percentage of Florida’s population. The majority of those claims have been successful, a success rate that exceeds that for Florida whites.”

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And in non-race news, again, from the top down.

From TheWaPo “The chief counsel’s office for the Internal Revenue Service, headed by a political appointee of President Obama, helped develop the agency’s problematic guidelines for reviewing “tea party” cases, according to a top IRS attorney.”

Like everyone didn’t already know this went back to the White House. 🙄

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And did anyone really believe it ended with phone tapping and e-mail snooping?

From TheACLU “Automatic license plate readers are the most widespread location tracking technology you’ve probably never heard of. Mounted on patrol cars or stationary objects like bridges, they snap photos of every passing car, recording their plate numbers, times, and locations. At first the captured plate data was used just to check against lists of cars law enforcement hoped to locate for various reasons (to act on arrest warrants, find stolen cars, etc.). But increasingly, all of this data is being fed into massive databases that contain the location information of many millions of innocent Americans stretching back for months or even years.”

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More here from FoxNews “Law enforcement officials also point out that the technology is legal in most cases, automating a practice that’s been done for years. The ACLU found that only five states have laws governing license plate readers. New Hampshire, for example, bans the technology except in narrow circumstances, while Maine and Arkansas limit how long plate information can be stored.

“There’s no expectation of privacy” for a vehicle driving on a public road or parked in a public place, said Lt. Bill Hedgpeth, a spokesman for the Mesquite Police Department in Texas, which has records stretching back to 2008, although the city plans next month to begin deleting files older than two years. “It’s just a vehicle. It’s just a license plate.””

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July 17, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-17-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open thread.

Fast and Furious today.

First up, Exit Sandman. 😦

And a classy display by both teams, waiting in the dugouts to give the greatest reliever ever his moment in the spotlight in his final All-Star appearance. He was also awarded the MVP for the game.

The American League defeated the National League 3-0.

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From Trust.org “George Zimmerman’s chief defense lawyer on Monday called Florida prosecutors “a disgrace to my profession” for holding back evidence for months and pledged a new effort to impose sanctions against them.”

A malicious prosecution suit is possibly in the works against the state and the hack/prosecutor Angela Corey as well.

The next bunch are protesters behaving badly.

From ABCLocal “Police in Chester County, Pennsylvania are investigating an act of vandalism with racial overtones, possibly connected to the fallout from the verdict in the George Zimmerman murder trial.”

While the ABC story mentions the “Kill Zimmerman” graffiti, there were threats as well.

Reports of possible racially motivated attacks have come from several cities. An unbiased DoJ would pursue these as obvious hate crimes/civil rights violations. But we don’t have an unbiased DoJ, so don’t hold your breath.

From Wisn.com “”This man was just walking through the park and they just all jumped on him and they were just beating him and, like, ‘This is for Trayvon Martin,'” said Tiffany Biles, who witnessed the attack.”

Similar reports have come from Mississippi, Oakland, and Baltimore as well.

The next one is just sad.

From ChicagoCBSLocal ” A sign posted outside a south suburban church is generating a powerful debate over race in the wake of the George Zimmerman verdict. The marquee outside the First Baptist Church of University Park earlier this week read: “It Is Safe To Kill Black People In Amerikkka.””

Some in the media just continue to not see the obvious. Some just wanna express their white guilt or something.

From Mediaite ““There’s a lot of white shame today,” said MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts on Sunday which his network rebroadcast on Tuesday. The anchor said on MSNBC that his white family and friends, as well as social media contacts, have expressed their shame over their race as it relates to the verdict in the trail of George Zimmerman. “If you’re an other,” Roberts warned, “Be worried.” “I’ve been getting this from family, loved ones, all the people in my life and through social media, and I’ll say it, honestly, there’s a lot of white shame today,” Roberts told MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry. “And while we look at lady justice and she’s supposed to be blind, it’s like, what are we saying about the life of this kid being disposable?”

Some are starting to come around though.

From HotAir “Don’t take this excellent and self-effacing essay from Slate’s William Saletan as an endorsement of George Zimmerman’s actions. Instead, it’s an indictment of the sensationalist media coverage that distorted or outright manufactured narratives in the case, and of the activists on all sides of the ledger who have exploited a tragedy for political gain. Only after informing himself by watching the actual trial, evidence, and closing arguments did Saletan have his epiphany.

The whole piece from Slate is here. “You Are Not Trayvon Martin. His death wasn’t about race, guns, or your pet issue. It was about misjudgment and overreaction—exactly what we’re doing now to the verdict.

The last one on this topic is next.

From TheWashingtonPost “I don’t like what George Zimmerman did, and I hate that Trayvon Martin is dead. But I also can understand why Zimmerman was suspicious and why he thought Martin was wearing a uniform we all recognize. I don’t know whether Zimmerman is a racist. But I’m tired of politicians and others who have donned hoodies in solidarity with Martin and who essentially suggest that, for recognizing the reality of urban crime in the United States, I am a racist. The hoodie blinds them as much as it did Zimmerman.

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Next up, some good news. 🙂

From TownHall “NOVA Women’s Healthcare of Fairfax County was one of the largest and most frequented abortion clinics in the state of Virginia. It performed more abortions than any other provider in the Old Dominion in the last few years, including 3,066 in 2012 alone. But, thanks to new abortion regulations in the state and a denied permit, it has seen its last patient.”

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This next one, well….. People in Glass Houses and all…..

From NBCWashington “Last week, the Council approved a measure that would require Walmart and other large retailers doing business in the District to pay a “living wage” of $12.50 per hour.

But… uh oh. Hypocrisy alert. District government pays less than $12.50 per hour.”

DOH! 🙄

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Next up, Fuzzy Math.

From CNSNews “Thus, over the past 56 days, the net value of U.S. Treasury Securities circulating in the public has increased by $51.586 billion ($629,099,000,000 minus $577,513,000,000). How could the value of extant U.S. Treasury Securities increase by $51.586 billion during a 56-day period when the federal government’s debt subject to the legal limit set by Congress has remained constant at $16,699,396,000,000.00—just $25 million below the legal limit?”

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Problems with ObamaCare? Really? Well this is the first I’ve heard of it. 🙄

From TheHill “White House press secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday dismissed reports that some employers were hiring more part-time employees because of the president’s signature healthcare law.

“The data reflects that there is not support for the proposition that businesses are not hiring full-time employees because of the Affordable Care Act,” Carney told reporters.

According to The Wall Street Journal, employers have added more part-time employees — about 93,000 a month — in 2013 than full-time workers — averaging about 22,000 per month. That’s a reversal from 2012, when employers hired 31,000 part-time workers and 171,000 full-time ones per month.”

DOH! That’s called “Message Fail” kids. 😉

“Small businesses expect the requirement to negatively impact their employees. Twenty-seven percent say they will cut hours to reduce full-time employees, 24 percent will reduce hiring, and 23 percent plan to replace full-time employees with part-time workers to avoid triggering the mandate,” said the Chamber business survey provided to Secrets.”

Summer of Recovery? Anyone? Biden?

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July 16, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-16-13

What’s interesting out there today?

The Zimmerman acquittal continues to lead. It’s playing out much the way you would expect. The baiters gotta bait, the biased media has to show their bias, and the truth isn’t really a concern. The mob rules.

From the head of the NAACP, via TheOrlandoSentinel

“In remarks to reporters after his speech, Jealous, a father of two, said the George Zimmerman acquittal brought him to tears.

“When I heard that….the first thing I did was walk over to my son’s crib and lift him up, and I listened to him breathe,” Jealous recalled.

“And then I began to cry,” he said. “No one can explain to me how, if this young boy [Trayvon Martin] was white, somebody wouldn’t be in prison right now.””

He then goes on to call it a modern day lynching. Somebody’s being lynched, but it’s not who he thinks it is.

Next up, don’t anger the mob. And with a CONTENT WARNING!!! for language. From TheDailyCaller

“Christian Hartsock, a conservative journalist and filmmaker, says he was assaulted and beaten down to the ground by a mob with repeated strikes to the face while reporting at a Trayvon Martin rally in downtown Oakland Sunday night.

“I have interviews and I have footage of [Trayvon protestors] chanting ‘no justice, no peace—%$&# &%$ pigs in your sleep,’” Hartsock told The Daily Caller. “One of them was an elementary schooler chanting with his mom.”

Of course elected officials like Holder and Rangel are getting in on the act. From Mediaite

“Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) told MSNBC’s Martin Bashir on Monday that the outcome of the trial of George Zimmerman would have been different had the defendant been black and not Hispanic. If that were the case, Rangel said, the question would be whether the arresting officers would have “beat him to death” before putting him in handcuffs on the spot.”

Like I said, baiters gotta bait. Here’s more from the head of the CBC. From HuffPo

“Congressional Black Caucus chair Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) issued harsh words over the verdict in the George Zimmerman case, arguing that a “young black boy” was put on trial rather than the man who killed him.

“Mr. Zimmerman was found not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, he was not found innocent. All of the facts I think that I know, that I’m aware of, is that there was a young man walking in his neighborhood, walking to his house unarmed, and someone decided that he looked suspicious,” Fudge said during an appearance on MSNBC.”

Wait, what?

Just a quick check of the definition shows that she’s misinformed.

in·no·cent
(n-snt)

a. Not guilty of a specific crime or offense; legally blameless: was innocent of all charges.

b. Within, allowed by, or sanctioned by the law; lawful.

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Now that we’re done with the drama queens and assorted agenda driven fanatics, let’s try a little truth, which none of the above are even mentioning since it doesn’t fit their agendas. The jury is beginning to speak. From CNN

“One of the jurors who acquitted George Zimmerman of killing Florida teen Trayvon Martin said she believed Martin threw the first punch in their confrontation and that Zimmerman probably feared for his life before shooting Martin. The juror spoke to CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” on Monday.

The juror also said she believed Zimmerman’s “heart was in the right place” the night he killed Martin, but didn’t use “good judgment” in confronting him.”

It was always self-defense. He’s not the monster they’ve made him out to be. Neither was Trayvon, but denying that his actions didn’t contribute to his death is dishonest.

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And in other news……. A trial that should be receiving way more airtime, yet oddly isn’t. Gee, I wonder why?…. 🙄

Nope, no bias here, move along…. From HotAir

“These tweets from Karen Townsend and Elizabeth Scalia reminded me that we have at least one trial in progress in the United States that the media has failed to sensationalize. It has issues of terrorism, betrayal, mass murder, and religious extremism within it, so why do we hear so little about … Nidal Hasan?”

“That prompted me to do a little research into the Fort Hood shooting court-martial to see how much coverage it has received so far. The answer is … not much. The pre-trial voir dire has entered its second week, but the only news outlet interested at this point is the Associated Press. The three updates today I did manage to find all came from the AP:”

Shhhhhhh… It’s a secret……

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Which brings me to this next one. Isn’t it time to stop with the charades and insistence of neutrality and just have them state the obvious and confirm what we already know? From TheGuardian/UK

“Are mainstream journalists dedicated to journalism? This may seem like a strange question, especially since I’m a journalist myself, though independent and not tied to a corporate news organisation.

We are bombarded with details that claim to inform us about the world. From war and peace to politics and global affairs, reporters produce content that is consumed by the vast majority of the population. There are claims of holding power to account, questioning how governments, officials and businesses make decisions that affect us all. In reality, corporate and political interests too often influence what we see and hear.

Of course, profound failures regularly occur – not least during the global financial crisis, when most business reporters were far too close to bankers causing the lying and deceit. Or in the run-up to the 2003 Iraq war, when too few in the media questioned the bogus rationale by the Bush administration and its allies about Saddam Hussein’s supposed WMD threat. More recently, many in the Washington media elite rallied around Barack Obama and his defence of mass surveillance after the explosive revelations of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

But the media has singularly failed in holding itself to account. We, as journalists, should disclose for whom we vote and any other political affiliations that may affect our reporting. It’s the least we can do to restore trust in an industry that regularly receives low marks by its readers. A 2011 study by Edelman Public Relations found only 33% of the Australian public trusted the press, compared to an average of 49% globally. A 2013 study by Transparency International finds Australians rank political parties and the media as the most corrupt institutions in the state.”

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Yes Please! 🙂

From TheWashingtonExaminer

“The New York Times polling analyst Nate Silver believes that Republicans may have a shot at retaking the Senate.

“A race-by-race analysis of the Senate, in fact, suggests that Republicans might now be close to even-money to win control of the chamber after next year’s elections,” Silver writes on his “Five Thirty Eight” blog. “Our best guess, after assigning probabilities of the likelihood of a G.O.P. pickup in each state, is that Republicans will end up with somewhere between 50 and 51 Senate seats after 2014, putting them right on the threshold of a majority.””

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If you’re a Republican, you resign in shame, if you’re a Democrat, sex scandals are resume’ enhancers. From HotAir

“Confession: It used to bug me when conservatives would dump on my hometown. I understood it wasn’t personal — red-state voters will obviously disdain a deep blue city. And there’s no disputing, whatever your feelings about NYC, that Bloomberg’s a cretin and the Yankees are evil. But still, you can’t listen to people dumping on the place where you grew up and not wince. It hits you where you live. Literally.

That’s how I felt. Until I saw this, and now, suddenly, I get it. I can finally watch “Cloverfield” and enjoy it without misgivings.”

“Strong support among black voters propels former Congressman Anthony Weiner to the top of the heap in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor and gives former Gov. Eliot Spitzer a 48 – 33 percent lead over Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer in the Democratic primary race for city comptroller, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today…”

Hey NY, you do realize that even California is laughing at you, right? I need a facepalm smiley.

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July 15, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-15-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

Of course the George Zimmerman acquittal continues to dominate the news.

If you missed the press conference from his attorneys, here it is. Note the 7:40 to 8:10 mark where they discuss the malpractice from the media in this case. It’s worth a watch.

Meanwhile, that behavior from certain media outlets and race-baiters continues.

See, this is the type of coverage you’re getting sued over. From TheWaPo

“Last night’s not-guilty verdict in the George Zimmerman trial will enable the neighborhood-watch volunteer to resume his case against NBC News for the mis-editing of his widely distributed call to police. Back in December, Zimmerman sued NBC Universal Media for defamation over the botched editing, which depicted him as a hardened racial profiler.”

Funny, while I watched MSNBC Saturday night, I don’t recall anyone disclosing the lawsuit against them while they were busy again disparaging Zimmerman. I wonder why? 🙄

The President has also chimed in again with yet another opinion. He wants to use it to push his anti-gun crusade. From CNN

“”I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities.

“We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis,” Obama said.”

“Obama said in closing his statement that Americans asking “ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this” is one way “to honor Trayvon Martin.””

That last part bothers me. Honor him for what exactly? I’m not being harsh, I just don’t see what was honorable about his behavior, which led to his death.

So as you would expect, every Democrat and his brother want a civil rights investigation. They couldn’t get him here, so now they will try even more politicized charges. From BuzzFeed

“Federal prosecutors are pressing forward with their investigation into the killing of Trayvon Martin following the acquittal of the man who shot him, George Zimmerman, on state charges, a spokesperson for the Justice Department said Sunday.

“Experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within our jurisdiction, and whether federal prosecution is appropriate in accordance with the Department’s policy governing successive federal prosecution following a state trial,” Dena W. Iverson, a Justice spokesperson, said in a statement.”

“Civil rights leaders” are too. From TheMiamiHerald

““If the state jury had been persuaded beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman caused bodily harm to Trayvon Martin because of Martin’s race, it would have almost certainly convicted Zimmerman of second-degree murder, which requires proof of ‘ill-will’ or ‘malice,’” said Scott Srebnick, a prominent federal criminal defense attorney in Miami. “So, to bring a federal civil-rights prosecution against Zimmerman, the attorney general would essentially be second-guessing the state jury’s verdict as opposed to vindicating a different or broader federal interest.”

Srebnick added: “I find it doubtful that the attorney general will pursue a prosecution on a civil rights theory simply out of displeasure with the state jury’s verdict.”

But there might be a problem with that, although I doubt it stops them. See, the FBI has already investigated this too, and found that race was not a factor. From McClatchy

“After interviewing nearly three dozen people in the George Zimmerman murder case, the FBI found no evidence that racial bias was a motivating factor in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, records released Thursday show.”

“The Duval County State Attorney released another collection of evidence in the Zimmerman murder case Thursday, including reports from FBI agents who investigated whether any racial bias was involved in Trayvon’s Feb. 26 killing.”

“Federal agents interviewed Zimmerman’s neighbors and co-workers, but none said Zimmerman had expressed racial animus at any time prior to the Feb. 26 shooting of Martin, a black teen, in a confrontation at a Sanford housing complex. As Sanford police investigated the circumstances of Martin’s death, the FBI opened a parallel probe to determine if Martin’s civil rights had been violated.”

The Sanford police also found the same and said race wasn’t a factor. So how exactly is there a civil rights, or hate crime issue?

Meanwhile, the protests and rallies continue. From NBCNews

“Trayvon Martin supporters, many dressed in hoodies, are demonstrating their anger at the acquittal of George Zimmerman through mostly peaceful protests from coast to coast.”

More here on some protesters not being peaceful and orderly. From WeaselZippers

“Trayvon Martin Protesters Shut Down LA Freeway, Throwing Bottles – Update: LAPD Firing Rubber Bullets…”

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And here’s a couple of others you might find interesting. This one, Pravda’s got nothin’ on us. 😉 From TheCable/ForeignPolicy.com

“For decades, a so-called anti-propaganda law prevented the U.S. government’s mammoth broadcasting arm from delivering programming to American audiences. But on July 2, that came silently to an end with the implementation of a new reform passed in January. The result: an unleashing of thousands of hours per week of government-funded radio and TV programs for domestic U.S. consumption in a reform initially criticized as a green light for U.S. domestic propaganda efforts. So what just happened?”

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And always remember, things could be worse. 😯 From TheTelegraphUK

“A Brazilian man died after a cow fell through his roof on top of him as he was in bed.”

“The cow is believed to have escaped from a nearby farm and climbed onto the roof of the couple’s house, which backs onto a steep hill on Wednesday night.

The corrugated roof immediately gave way and the one-and-a-half-ton animal fell eight feet onto Mr de Souza’s side of the bed.”

“His wife, and the cow, both reportedly escaped unharmed.”

😯

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July 13, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-13-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

UPDATE!

Not Guilty

From NBCNews

“Jurors have found George Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

The six-member, all-woman jury deliberated for more than 15 hours over two days before reaching their decision Saturday night.

They had been given the chance to convict Zimmerman of manslaughter but did not do so, despite asking for a clarification of the charge earlier in the evening.

After hearing the verdict, Judge Debra Nelson told Zimmerman he was free to go.”

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Open thread, as always.

First up today, I say good riddance. From TheLATimes

“Janet Napolitano, the U.S. secretary of Homeland Security and former governor of Arizona, is being named as the next president of the University of California system, in an unusual choice that brings a national-level politician to a position usually held by an academic, The Times has learned. Her appointment also means the 10-campus system will be headed by a woman for the first time in its 145-year history.

Napolitano’s nomination by a committee of UC regents came after a secretive process that insiders said focused on her early as a high-profile, although untraditional, candidate who has led large public agencies and shown a strong interest in improving education.”

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It was bad enough finding out the DoJ was involved with helping orchestrate the Trayvon Martin protests. But this is probably worse news. Is this really who they want holding rallies and “maneuvers” around the area should things get bad after the verdict? From TheWashingtonTimes

“New Black Panther Party members are prepping for rallies and gatherings in the wake of the George Zimmerman murder trial, but are coy on whether violence, riots and other chaotic outbursts are potential — or welcome — offshoots of those events.

On the one hand, NBPP members promise on their Twitter site that they will not engage in any sort of unlawful outbursts if the second-degree murder trial in Florida ends in a not-guilty verdict.”

“But on the other hand, the group’s Twitter site is alive and kicking with fresh updates about a planned Sept. 7 rally to show solidarity with 17-year-old shooting victim Trayvon Martin — complete with admissions: “We can’t and WON’T try to control the general dissatisfied population. For sure we are ORGANIZING.””

“And a third: “New Black Panther Party will not give you specific details on anything other than to say we have rallies and street maneuvers planned.””

More gas on the fire.

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The new DoJ leak guidelines are out. And in ironic twist, leaked out of course. 😯 🙂 From Politico

“Attorney General Eric Holder’s new guidelines on criminal leak investigations involving members of the media would prevent the FBI from labeling reporters as co-conspirators, according to details leaked to Reuters and The New York Times by an unnamed Justice Dept. official.

The guidlines would also make it more difficult for prosecutors to obtain a journalist’s telephone records without informing them of the subpoena, according to the Justice Dept. official, who said the guidelines went “as far as the department can go on its own until Congress passes the media shield legislation.”

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Exhibit C in the “Who’s the Real Extremist” abortion fight in Texas. From KETK-NBC

“The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) today received information that individuals planned to use a variety of items or props to disrupt legislative proceedings at the Texas Capitol.”

“During these inspections, DPS officers have thus far discovered one jar suspected to contain urine, 18 jars suspected to contain feces, and three bottles suspected to contain paint. All of these items – as well as significant quantities of feminine hygiene products, glitter and confetti possessed by individuals – were required to be discarded; otherwise those individuals were denied entry into the gallery.”

And yes, it’s the pro-abortion folks who were seeking to disrupt things.

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Lastly today, a Boston police officer has been arrested for possession of military grade explosives. And could someone please explain to me how he’s out on 1,000 dollars bail? From BostonCBSLocal

“A Boston police officer is free on $1,000 bail after police in Plymouth say they found a cache of military grade explosives in a shed at his former home.

Kirk Merricks, 43, of Dorchester, was charged Friday with 11 counts of possession of explosives, along with theft and ammunition charges.

The bomb squad responded to the home on Paddington Way, where explosives experts recovered a briefcase from a shed outside the home that had “a bandolier that contained four military-grade M203 rounds, six detonator cords with attached blasting caps and two rolls of timed fused cord connected to non-electric fixing mechanisms,” District Attorney’s office reported.”

Police say they received a call on Thursday from the homeowner, identified as Merricks’ estranged wife, saying she was cleaning out a bedroom closet and found four ¼ sticks of TNT and assorted ammunition in a metal box marked “highly explosive.”

The explosives were stolen. $1000 dollars? Really? 🙄

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July 12, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-12-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

We start today off with some good news. It’s a good story, let’s hope it happens more often. 🙂

From HotAir

“In a world where the dominant culture divides children into the wanted and undesired for the convenience of others, it’s worth noting when a news story demonstrates the power of hope, love, and life:

A Virginia church says it has received hundreds of calls from people around the world offering to adopt an unborn child with Down syndrome who otherwise would have been aborted.

After the unborn child came to the attention of Rev. Thomas Vander Woude of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville, Va., an urgent plea was posted Monday on the church’s Facebook page. …

An adoption agency has narrowed down the hundreds of families to three, Drennan said, and is working with the birth parents to determine the best home for the child.”

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In other abortion news…. From TheHuffingtonPost

“Most Americans would favor sweeping new national restrictions on abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. But the poll also shows many Americans remain conflicted in their views on abortion.

By a margin of 59 percent to 30 percent, respondents to the new poll said they would favor a federal law banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.”

Don’t worry though, it’s HuffPo, so they still do their best to try to spin it to the pro side.

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The head of Planned Parenthood is having trouble explaining why late-term abortions are different from what Gosnell did. The difficulty is because they aren’t really any different, and she knows it. From TheWeeklyStandard

“Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards held a small rally outside the U.S. Capitol Thursday joined by Minnesota senator Al Franken, Connecticut congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and a crowd of 200 Planned Parenthood activists. Richards warned that new state and federal bills–including measures establishing late-term abortion limits–pose threats to women’s rights.

The new legislation is being debated and voted on in the wake of the trial of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted of murder in May for snipping the necks of babies after they were born. Following the rally, THE WEEKLY STANDARD asked Richards to explain the difference between the Gosnell killings and late-term abortions.

“I mean he was a criminal. And he’s now going to jail,” Richards replied. “It is very rare for a woman to need to terminate a pregnancy after 20 weeks. And quite often it’s stories like ones we heard today where” the fetus is diagnosed with a dire medical condition.

But asked about late-term abortion when there isn’t a medical problem (Texas’s proposed abortion limit has exceptions for the physical health of the mother and severe “fetal abnormalities”), Richards refused to answer. Nor did she reply when asked if she supports any legal limits on abortion.”

Like I said yesterday, it’s easy to spot who the real extremists are.

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In Egypt we have questions being asked about Morsi’s rise to power. From TheNYTimes

“Egypt’s new rulers gave new credence to a court case against the ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, and members of the Muslim Brotherhood on Thursday over their escape from prison during the uprising that toppled his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak.

The case was transferred from an appeals court to the State Security prosecutor for further investigation. No charges have yet been filed. Its acceptance by powerful prosecutors follows the arrest of many Muslim Brotherhood members and is a new blow to the group by the military-backed government.”

“His ouster and the subsequent suppression of the Brotherhood have enraged the group’s members and led to a spate of scapegoating attacks by Muslim extremists against Christians they accuse of supporting his fall, rights activists said.”

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Here’s more on the plight of Christians in Egypt. From WaPo

“With a mob of Muslim extremists on their tail, the Christian businessman and his nephew climbed up on the roof and ran for their lives, jumping from building to building in their southern Egyptian village. Finally they ran out of rooftops.

Forced back onto the street, they were overwhelmed by several dozen men. The attackers hacked them with axes and beat them with clubs and tree limbs, killing Emile Naseem, 41. The nephew survived with wounds to his shoulders and head and recounted the chase to The Associated Press.”

“The mob’s rampage through the village of Nagaa Hassan, burning dozens of Christian houses and stabbing to death three other Christians as well, came two days after the military ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi from power. It was no coincidence the attackers focused on Naseem and his family: He was the village’s most prominent campaigner calling for Morsi’s removal.

Some Christians are paying the price for their activism against Morsi and his Islamist allies in a backlash over his ouster last week.”

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Meanwhile the Obama admin is speaking out about Morsi’s ouster, and threatening to possibly cut off aid. I’m sure it has nothing at all to do with the Brotherhood’s influence in the Obama admin… 🙄

From TimesOfIsrael

“The Obama administration on Thursday sharpened its criticism of the Egyptian military and interim government’s arrests of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, saying the continuing detentions are inconsistent with pledges of inclusivity made by authorities and may affect future US assistance.

While the administration has determined it is not in US national security interests to make any immediate changes to its aid program, officials said the continuing arrests of members of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood and political party are troubling. The criticism is some of the most severe of Egypt’s new leadership since Morsi was toppled last week and came a day after arrest warrants were issued for the Muslim Brotherhood’s spiritual leader and nine other Islamists accused of inciting violence.”

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If Obama had a son……… Sure it sounded good at the time. Sure it fanned the flames. But now that the actual evidence is out…….

From TheDailyCaller

“The White House refused to answer questions regarding President Barack Obama’s stance on the George Zimmerman trial on Thursday in an unexpected move to distance itself from Obama’s previous comments.

“[Obama’s] comments are what they were, but we’re not going to say anything from here,” press secretary Jay Carney said.

When asked by reporters if the Justice Department will be watching the outcome and reporting back to the President, Carney said, “I do not know the answer to that question.””

Sure, now he keeps his comments to himself. 🙄

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July 11, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-11-13

What’s interesting in the news today?

The Boston bomber had an appearance in court yesterday. As expected, he showed himself to be a coward yet again. The bombing of innocent and unarmed men, women, and children was the act of cowards. Yesterday he had the chance to admit his guilt and take his punishment. He pled not guilty instead. If that wasn’t insulting enough to the victims and their families, his supporters added to their pain. It’s pretty sad that people could be so crass. From BostonCBSLocal

“A small group of demonstrators showed up at Moakley Federal Courthouse in South Boston on Wednesday to show support for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Tsarnaev appeared in court for his first public hearing. He has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction in the bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 260.

A group of about a dozen supporters cheered as the motorcade carrying Tsarnaev arrived at the courthouse. The demonstrators yelled “Justice for Jahar,” as Tsarnaev is known. One woman held a sign that said, “Free Jahar.”

Others held signs claiming Tsarnaev’s innocence, while suggesting elaborate conspiracies surrounding the bombing and Tsarnaev’s arrest.”

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The George Zimmerman trial has pretty much finished up. The judge will give jurors their instructions today and then deliberations should begin Friday. Many Sheriff and Police depts. are preparing for the worst, should he be found not guilty. Meanwhile the former Sanford police chief is speaking out about the pressure to charge him even though the police felt he did nothing wrong. It was politicized, from Obama on down. From CNN

“The George Zimmerman investigation was hijacked “in a number of ways” by outside forces, said the former police chief of Sanford, Florida.

Bill Lee, who testified Monday in Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial, told CNN’s George Howell in an exclusive interview that he felt pressure from city officials to arrest Zimmerman to placate the public rather than as a matter of justice.

“It was (relayed) to me that they just wanted an arrest. They didn’t care if it got dismissed later,” he said. “You don’t do that.”

When Sanford police arrived on the scene on February 26, 2012, after Zimmerman fatally shot unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, they conducted a “sound” investigation, and the evidence provided no probable cause to arrest Zimmerman at the scene, he said.”

Despite the evidence, there are plenty of people out there who won’t take a not guilty verdict well. There have been numerous threats of violence from Trayvon Martin supporters. Let’s hope it’s all talk.

More troubling info has also surfaced. Was the DoJ attempting to calm protests, or were they the ones orchestrating the protests? From JudicialWatch

“Judicial Watch, Inc. on April 24, 2012 launched an investigation into the Trayvon Martin case based on reports that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had sent a secret team of “peacekeepers” to Sanflord, Florida, where Martin was shot on February 26, 2012 after wandering in a gated community after dark. George Zimmerman, a resident of the community and its neighborhood watch captain, is currently on trial for Martin’s death though he maintains he acted in self-defense.”

“Records obtained by Judicial Watch in response to local, state and federal public records requests show that the so-called peacekeepers are part of a large and growing division within DOJ called the Community Relations Service (CRS). Though CRS purports to spot and quell racial tensions nationwide before they arise, the documents obtained by Judicial Watch show the group actively worked to foment unrest, spending thousands of taxpayer dollars on travel and hotel rooms to train protestors throughout Florida. The peacekeepers also met with officials of the Republican National Convention, scheduled for several months later in Tampa, to warn them to expect protests in connection with Martin’s death.”

“In response to a Florida Sunshine Law request to the City of Sanford, Judicial Watch also obtained an audio recording of a “community meeting” held at Second Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Sanford on April 19, 2012. The meeting, which opens with a gospel hymn and organ music, is reported to have led to the official ouster of Sanford’s Police Chief Bill Lee. A week earlier, a group calling themselves the “Dream Defenders” had barricaded the entrance to the police department demanding he be fired for failing to file murder charges against Zimmerman. The church meeting produced a nine-point plan, the main demand being the firing of Chief Lee.”

Like I said, troubling. And on a related note, is the judge trying to get a mistrial because she knows the case prosecutors presented is too weak for a conviction? From NationalReview

“Nelson reminded Zimmerman that he has the “absolute right to remain silent” if he so desires and proceeded to ask him whether he was prepared to testify. Defense attorney Don West twice objected to the question, but was overruled by Nelson, who explained, “The court is entitled to inquire if Mr. Zimmerman’s determination [sic] as to whether or not he wants to testify.”

The judge then began asking Zimmerman how much time he requires to determine whether or not he would like to testify. West again objected to the question and asked for more time to speak with his client, prompting Judge Nelson to raise her voice and exclaim, “Your objection is overruled!”

“Kathi Belich, a journalist following the trial for a local news channel, tweeted her surprise at the line of questioning, writing “I have never seen that in more than 30 years of court reporting.””

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The Texas House has passed the nation’s most restrictive abortion restrictions. Good. From TheWashingtonTimes

“After weeks of debate and a parliamentary delay engineered by pro-choice advocates, Texas lawmakers on Wednesday passed a set of abortion limits widely seen as the most restrictive in the nation.

The Texas House cleared the measure — known as House Bill 2 — just after noon Wednesday by a vote of 96 to 49. The legislation now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it’s also expected to pass as early as this week.”

Democrats of course are throwing fits and shrieking about the “war on women” again, just like their scripts tell them too. They’re calling Republicans extremists for passing what the majority of their citizens favor. But here’s some info to set the record straight on just who the extremists really are. From TownHall

“The American left loves Western European democracies for their cultural sensibilities and for their policies on everything from crime to health care. One policy area where you won’t hear American liberals cite the European example, though, is abortion.

The reason is simple: Abortion law is far more restrictive in Europe than in the United States. As the table below shows, 16 of 18 countries on the continent limit abortion to the first trimester of pregnancy (with certain exceptions in various countries). The banning of late-term abortions now being considered in the House of Representatives and some American states would seem only civilized to most Europeans.”

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And lastly today, the latest baseball scandal. So yeah, of course A-rod’s right in the middle of it. What a waste.

Anyway, while I get the whole idea of removing these types of PED’s, and they should don’t get me wrong, I’m still troubled by something. What MLB has done here is questionable in my mind. Isn’t this the same thing as making a deal for immunity with a drug dealer if he snitches on his customers? After all, their snitch is the one who provided the stuff, yet it’s the user and not the dealer who gets burned. Doesn’t seem right. Thoughts?

From FoxSports

“Tuesday evening, a new ESPN report said MLB “is expected to suspend Braun and Rodriguez [emphasis mine], along with as many as 20 players.” The timing of the discipline, according to the report, is “sometime after next week’s All-Star break.”

The more conclusive tone in Tuesday’s story was noteworthy. Apparently, MLB has made progress in the Biogenesis investigation with the cooperation of founder Anthony Bosch. And now executives, managers, players and fans across the majors must brace for the possibility of (a) bombshell suspensions, (b) lengthy appeals, or (c) some combination thereof.

Whatever the outcome, this could be one of the most awkward second halves in baseball history.”

And I know the Yankees still owe A-rod a ton of money, but I’d still like to see him banned for life for repeat offenses.

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July 10, 2013 by the real Aj

News/Politics 7-10-13

What’s interesting out there today?

Open thread, as always.

If sometime today you think things are rough, take heart. It could be worse. Much worse. 😯

From ABCNews

“It was exactly midnight when Caroline Burns eerily opened her eyes and looked at the operating lights above her, shocking doctors who believed she was dead and were about to remove her organs and donate them to patients on the transplant waiting list.

The Syracuse Post-Standard unearthed a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that chronicled the series of errors that led to the near-organ removal on a living patient at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, N.Y., in 2009.”

😯 See? 🙂

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This next one won’t be ending as well as the first story. We’ll call this one “Why am I not shocked?”

From FoxNews

“The cost of subsidies for those seeking government aid through ObamaCare has increased dramatically, critics say – even before a single dollar has been collected.

Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah wrote a letter to the administration asking why the president is already requesting 107 percent more than three years ago to pay for subsidies.

“They low-balled everything, and they knew they were not asking for enough money to actually do this,” John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis said. “And so now they are coming along saying: ‘Oh, we’ve just discovered we don’t have enough money’. They should’ve known that from day one.””

Oh they knew. They just didn’t care. It’s also why they were in such a hurry to pass it before anyone else could figure that out.

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This next one, while I appreciate the principle behind it, ain’t goin’ nowhere. But it may have it’s uses in campaign materials for 2014.

From TheWeeklyStandard

“The House of Representatives will take up a bill that would stop the Department of the Treasury, including the Internal Revenue Services, from implementing and enforcing the provisions of Obamacare. The bill, authored by Georgia Republican Tom Price and co-sponsored by 114 other House members, is just two pages long and claims its purpose is to “prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury from enforcing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.”

Section 3 of the bill simply states that the Treasury Secretary, or any delegate thereof, “shall not implement or enforce any provisions” of the 2010 health care law.”

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Meanwhile, the White House says “FORWARD!” over the cliff.

From TheHill

“White House press secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday angrily dismissed demands from GOP leaders for more information on the decision to delay ObamaCare’s employer mandate, declaring that “implementation is moving forward” on the healthcare law.

Carney said Republicans who argue the Affordable Care Act is unwieldy and unworkable had no realistic alternative to propose, and that support for the president’s legislation would be buoyed once Americans began benefiting from the law.”

You can keep sayin’ that Jay, but it doesn’t make it true. The majority of public opinion is still against it. They already see what you refuse to admit. And the Republican’s offered alternatives, yet Democrats shut them out and didn’t consider other plans. You guys own it buddy. 😉

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And next, the PC Police are at it again. 🙄

From TheWashingtonTimes

“The president of an NAACP branch in Florida has petitioned members of the Lee County Commission to take down a painting of Gen. Robert E. Lee, calling the former Confederate leader a historic symbol of racism.

Lee County was named after the general in 1887 — 22 years after the Civil War wrapped, the Fort Myers News-Press said.

But James Muwakkil, of the Lee County chapter of the NAACP, said the painting, which has hung in the county commission’s meeting room for years, divides the community.

“That painting is a symbol of racism. It’s a symbol of divisiveness, and it doesn’t unify Lee County. It divides Lee County,” Mr. Muwakkil said in a letter, the News-Press reported.”

This northerner says 🙄

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These next 2 are without comment, since I have nothing nice to say.

From CNSNews

” Unborn babies who have reached at least 20 weeks of age in utero are aborted at a rate of about 30 per day in the United States, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The CBO has also concluded that aborting babies at 20 weeks or later in pregnancy saves money for the government-run federal-state Medicaid system.

The CBO made these determinations when doing its official “Cost Estimate” of a federal bill that would prohibit abortions at 20 weeks or later into pregnancy (except in cases of reported rape, incest against a minor or to save the life of the mother).”

And this piece asks several very good questions about this.

From TownHall

“The Congressional Budget Office is tasked with “scoring” pending legislation based on the (sometimes cherry-picked) data they’re provided. I understand that. Nevertheless, producing an analysis of what amounts to an anti-infanticide bill based on the icy calculation of how much infanticide “saves” taxpayers is downright ghoulish. The objective of the law is to end a form of inhumane killing, not to clean up our balance sheets.”

“(1) Are abortion advocates going to fleetingly morph into budget hawks over $17 million per year? After all, hospital births are expensive.

(2) Since they’ve reduced the debate over the protection of innocent life to callous, green-eyeshade facts and figures, will CBO also score the effects of aborting hundreds of thousands of future taxpayers — especially when it comes to annual cash-flow deficits in programs like Social Security?”

“CBO recently determined that granting legal status to illegal immigrants would significantly reduce deficits — but not aborting would-be US citizens would increase them? I think the reason for this apparent disconnect is related to the “scoring windows.” CBO concluded that adult illegal immigrants would be able to work and pay taxes immediately (thus affecting the ten-year window), whereas newborns are more of a long-term investment. Therefore, pre-born infants’ deaths would cost less than their births in the short term. This entire discussion is surreal.”

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