What’s interesting in the news today?

Open Thread, so your choice.

🙂

Here’s a couple to start off with.

Would I find this shocking? No.

In fact, I seem to remember mentioning it before. They don’t deserve the influence they wield with this admin.

From TheInvestigativeProject

“An Egyptian magazine claims that six American Islamist activists who work with the Obama administration are Muslim Brotherhood operatives who enjoy strong influence over U.S. policy.

The Dec. 22 story published in Egypt’s Rose El-Youssef magazine (read an IPT translation here) suggests the six turned the White House “from a position hostile to Islamic groups and organizations in the world to the largest and most important supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

The story is largely unsourced, but its publication is considered significant in raising the issue to Egyptian readers.

The six named people include: Arif Alikhan, assistant secretary of Homeland Security for policy development; Mohammed Elibiary, a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council; Rashad Hussain, the U.S. special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference; Salam al-Marayati, co-founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC); Imam Mohamed Magid, president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA); and Eboo Patel, a member of President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships.”

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Here comes the nonsense. And from where else but the elected officials of the state that’s got the murder capital of the US. “Cuz they’re experts at preventing gun violence.

From FoxNews

“Illinois Senate Democrats advanced legislation late Wednesday to restrict  semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines, pressing forward with new gun  control measures in the waning days of the session over the objections of  firearms groups.

Amid the developments, the Illinois State Rifle Association issued an “urgent  alert” to its members warning them that Democratic legislators were trying to  push through last-minute anti-gun legislation.

“There would be no exemptions and no grandfathering,” the group stated in its  alert. “You would have a very short window to turn in your guns to the state  police and avoid prosecution.””

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OK wait. 1 more. I just have to.

Pay your fair share Al! Don’t be a hypocrite.

From theNYTimes

“Al Jazeera on Wednesday announced a deal to take over Current TV, the low-rated cable channel that was founded by Al Gore, a former vice president, and his business partners seven years ago. Al Jazeera plans to shut Current and start an English-language channel, which will be available in more than 40 million homes, with newscasts emanating from both New York and Doha, Qatar.

For Al Jazeera, which is financed by the government of Qatar, the acquisition is a coming of age moment. A decade ago, Al Jazeera’s flagship Arabic-language channel was reviled by American politicians for showing videotapes from Al Qaeda members and sympathizers. Now the news operation is buying an American channel, having convinced Mr. Gore and the other owners of Current that it has the journalistic muscle and the money to compete head-to-head with CNN and other news channels in the United States.

Al Jazeera did not disclose the purchase price, but people with direct knowledge of the deal pegged it at around $500 million, indicating a $100 million payout for Mr. Gore, who owned 20 percent of Current. Mr. Gore and his partners were eager to complete the deal by Dec. 31, lest it be subject to higher tax rates that took effect on Jan. 1, according to several people who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. But the deal was not signed until Wednesday.”

What’s news today?

There’s lots of interesting stuff today, so let’s get to it.

Boehner’s last day as Speaker? From CNSNews

“I have confirmed with a group of Congressmen that House Speaker John Boehner will not be reelected Speaker tomorrow.

He will either resign or be forced out tomorrow.”

Also, from HotAir

“Ah well. A member of Boehner’s team tells NRO they’re in touch with caucus members and not worried about the vote. Read Joel Pollak’s piece at Breitbart last week to see why. When push comes to shove, there’s no reason to think anyone else would do a better job of uniting moderates and tea partiers or getting Obama to agree to serious deficit reduction except maybe Paul Ryan, and he’s the last person who wants Boehner’s job now.”

“Update: A friend with a Democratic source on the Hill says his source has heard the rumor about Boehner too and hints that Democrats might vote for him as Speaker tomorrow if his election appears to be in jeopardy. The thinking is that if the GOP dumps Boehner, it might remove some of their fingerprints from the fiscal cliff deal that just passed and Democrats don’t want that. Plus, they’d rather deal with the devil they know than the devil they don’t. There are no potential successors who’d be more agreeable than Boehner is. But this is all premised on him going forward with his nomination as Speaker even if he can’t secure a majority of the GOP caucus. Unlikely.”

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More on the Tax Cut That’s Not, aka The Fiscal Cliff Deal.

From Bloomberg

“The budget deal passed by the U.S. Senate today would raise taxes on 77.1 percent of U.S. households, mostly because of the expiration of a payroll tax cut, according to preliminary estimates from the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center in Washington.

More than 80 percent of households with incomes between $50,000 and $200,000 would pay higher taxes. Among the households facing higher taxes, the average increase would be $1,635, the policy center said. A 2 percent payroll tax cut, enacted during the economic slowdown, is being allowed to expire as of yesterday.”

Only in Washington is this considered a success. And in 2 months, this manufactured crisis again rears it’s ugly head, because they didn’t fix anything.

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The Supreme’s will have to decide this one, especially since we have now have conflicting judgements.

From TheHill

“A federal judge has ordered a temporary halt on the Obama administration’s birth-control coverage policy for Tom Monaghan, the Catholic billionaire who founded Domino’s Pizza.

Federal District Court Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff issued the decision Sunday, less than two days before the policy would have taken effect and exposed Monaghan to fines for non-compliance.

“Plaintiff has shown that abiding by the mandate will substantially burden his exercise of religion,” Zatkoff wrote.”

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This one isn’t shocking at all. From Reuters

“The number of FBI background checks required for Americans buying guns set a record in December, indicating that more people may purchase one after the Connecticut school massacre stirred interest in self-defense and prompted renewed talk of limits on firearms, according to FBI data.

The FBI said it recorded 2.78 million background checks during the month, surpassing the mark set in November of 2.01 million checks – about a 39 percent rise.

The latest monthly figure was up 49 percent over December 2011, when the FBI performed a then-record 1.86 million checks.”

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Here’s another interesting read on the subject of gun control.

From PJMedia

“‘Gun Control Fails,’ Say Statistics from … Gun-Control Advocates”

“I personally believed in civilian disarmament until an acquaintance in law enforcement challenged my gun-banner’s assumptions with questions and points I could not rebut. This began a research journey limited only by my decision to exclude any data cited by the NRA. At the time, I was convinced only caring people like the Brady Campaign would present the truth.

Surprisingly (to me, at the time), I found no dataset proving civilian disarmament made anybody safer.”

Do note: all data cited below are from sources supportive of gun control.”

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What’s news today?

This is an open thread, so you tell me.

The joke that is the fiscal cliff deal continues to be the big story I guess.

Only in Congress can they screw up, not do their job in the first place, and then act as if we face a catastrophe of monumental proportions if we don’t act fast. Maybe do your job right the first time, and add a permanent fix, and this rush wouldn’t be necessary. But this is Congress, so I guess that’s asking too much.

Since it’s the end of the year, let’s do an open thread. But with a twist.

What’s been the top stories of the year for you? Which do you think would rate as the “Story of the Year”?

Give me your top 2 or 3.

Since it’s the weekend, let’s do an open news thread today.

What have you got for us?

Here’s a few from me.

Just further proof you should never trust the CBO.

From the AmericanEnterpriseInstitute

“In 2002, CBO predicted 2012 US debt would be 7.4% of GDP. In reality, it was almost 74% of GDP”

I just can’t wait to see how badly they’re off on Obamacare.

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If we’re gonna have a national conversation about guns, then we need to be honest about it.

From Mediaite

“John Kass, columnist for The Chicago Tribune, appeared on CNN on Friday where he discussed the tragic increase of violence and murder that has struck his city in recent years. He said that lawmakers and members of the press have been guilty of “papering over” how bad the situation in Chicago was getting, and of “ghettoizing” the minority children who become the victims of gun violence in the inner city. Kass concluded by challenging President Barack Obama to come to Chicago for the funeral of one of the “hundreds and hundreds” of African-American and Latino children killed every year in gun crimes.”

““We make the Sandy Hook – which was a tragedy – a big deal. Why don’t the politicians come to the funerals of the dead African-American and Latino kids who get killed by the hundreds and hundreds and hundreds,” asked Kass. “The media has ghettoized these children, these homicide victims.”

“I’m not diminishing the others, I’m just saying, President Obama, show up at a funeral here in Chicago once in a while too,” Kass concluded.”

Good Point. And also, we should be honest about how the Democrat solution does not work. Chicago shows this.

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What’s news today?

Sadly, retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf has died.

From Politico

“Retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, who topped an illustrious military career by  commanding the U.S.-led international coalition that drove Saddam Hussein’s  forces out of Kuwait in 1991 but kept a low public profile in controversies over  the second Gulf War against Iraq, died Thursday. He was 78.”

“With the passing of General Norman Schwarzkopf, we’ve lost an American  original. From his decorated service in Vietnam to the historic liberation of  Kuwait and his leadership of United States Central Command, General Schwarzkopf  stood tall for the country and Army he loved. Our prayers are with the  Schwarzkopf family, who tonight can know that his legacy will endure in a nation  that is more secure because of his patriotic service.”

A much-decorated combat soldier in Vietnam, Schwarzkopf was known popularly  as “Stormin’ Norman” for a notoriously explosive temper.”

We’ve lost a man who dedicated his life to serving this country. He was a soldier, a patriot, and a man willing to give his life for those under his command. He exhibited the qualities required of a good military leader. Some may say he was a little rough around the edges, but only when required, and usually to get his men what they needed. Well done Sir.

From Wikipedia

“[I]n Vietnam in March 1970, Schwarzkopf was involved in rescuing men of his battalion from a minefield. He had received word that men under his command had encountered a minefield on the notorious Batangan Peninsula, he rushed to the scene in his helicopter, as was his custom while a battalion commander, in order to make his helicopter available. He found several soldiers still trapped in the minefield. Schwarzkopf urged them to retrace their steps slowly. Still, one man tripped a mine and was severely wounded but remained conscious. As the wounded man flailed in agony, the soldiers around him feared that he would set off another mine. Schwarzkopf, also wounded by the explosion, crawled across the minefield to the wounded man and held him down (using a “pinning” technique from his wrestling days at West Point) so another could splint his shattered leg. One soldier stepped away to break a branch from a nearby tree to make the splint. In doing so, he too hit a mine, which killed him and the two men closest to him, and blew an arm and a leg off Schwarzkopf’s artillery liaison officer. Eventually, Schwarzkopf led his surviving men to safety, by ordering the division engineers to mark the locations of the mines with shaving cream. (Some of the mines were of French manufacture and dated back to the Indochina conflict of the 1950s; others were brought by Japanese forces in World War II). Schwarzkopf says in his autobiography It Doesn’t Take a Hero that this incident firmly cemented his reputation as an officer who would risk his life for the soldiers under his command.

Schwarzkopf told his men that they might not like some of his strict rules, but it was for their own good. He told them “When you get on that plane to go home, if the last thing you think about me is ‘I hate that @#$%’, then that is fine because you’re going home alive.” Lt. General Hal Moore later wrote that it was during his time in Vietnam that Schwarzkopf acquired what later became his infamous temper, while arguing via radio for passing American Hueys to land and pick up his wounded men.”

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In other news……  Here comes the gun grab.

From Sen. Feinsteins office.

“Following is a summary of the 2013 legislation:

• Bans the sale, transfer, importation, or manufacturing of:
  • 120 specifically-named firearms;
  • Certain other semiautomatic rifles, handguns, shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and have one or more military characteristics; and
  • Semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds.
• Strengthens the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and various state bans by:
  • Moving from a 2-characteristic test to a 1-characteristic test;
  • Eliminating the easy-to-remove bayonet mounts and flash suppressors from the characteristics test; and
  • Banning firearms with “thumbhole stocks” and “bullet buttons” to address attempts to “work around” prior bans.
• Bans large-capacity ammunition feeding devices capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.
• Protects legitimate hunters and the rights of existing gun owners by:
  • Grandfathering weapons legally possessed on the date of enactment;
  • Exempting over 900 specifically-named weapons used for hunting or sporting purposes; and
  • Exempting antique, manually-operated, and permanently disabled weapons.
• Requires that grandfathered weapons be registered under the National Firearms Act, to include:
  • Background check of owner and any transferee;
  • Type and serial number of the firearm;
  • Positive identification, including photograph and fingerprint;
  • Certification from local law enforcement of identity and that possession would not violate State or local law; and
  • Dedicated funding for ATF to implement registration.

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Gov. Snyder of Michigan strikes again.

From DetroitNews

“Gov. Rick Snyder signed a new emergency manager bill Thursday, 52 days after  voters repealed a similar version of the law.”

“”These new laws recognize the vital importance of financially stable,  economically vibrant communities to Michigan’s future,” Snyder said in a  statement. “They also respect the needs of citizens and taxpayers by delivering  greater oversight and efficiency. Our reinvention of government is delivering meaningful reforms that will keep  Michigan on the path to prosperity.””

“LaMar Lemmons, president of the Detroit Public School board, called Snyder’s  signature of the new law “a travesty of justice.””

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This one I find troubling because they’re our insurer. But yes, so predictable.

Say it with me now, “If you like your insurance, you can keep it!”

He forgot the “IF you can still afford it” part.

From CNBC

“To provide all Americans with health insurance, premiums will have to rise to pay for it, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini told CNBC’s “Closing Bell” on Wednesday.

“If we’re going to insure all Americans, which is a worthy and appropriate cause, then somebody has to pay for it,” Bertolini said of the expected premium increases under Obamacare.

Bertolini said that insurance premiums could double in some places just on the basis of what types of policies people buy today.

He also said that when Obamacare is fully implemented, it won’t start the way people had hoped and it won’t be cheaper.”

Exactly the opposite of what was advertised when they tried to sell it.

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What do you folks have?

What’s news today?

Let’s start with this. Hillary can’t get out of this forever, so let’s get to it.

From TheWashingtonExaminer

“Republican senators will refuse to confirm Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., as Secretary of State until the nation’s current top diplomat, Hillary Clinton, testifies about her handling of the Benghazi terrorist attack.

“The Senate is expected to take up Kerry’s nomination in early January, but multiple Republican senators have already said they won’t agree to a vote on Kerry’s nomination until Clinton testifies about the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi,” The Cable’s Josh Rogin notes.

Clinton backed out of testifying at a congressional hearing last week after fainting and suffering a concussion. She was the first cabinet-level official to acknowledge that terrorists played a role in the assault on the U.S. mission in Benghazi.”

Check. Your move Barry.

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And while she’s there, ask her about this more recent lie to the American people, also involving the Benghazi coverup courtesy of the Obama State Dept.

From TheNYPost

“The four officials supposedly out of jobs because of their blunders in the run-up to the deadly Benghazi terror attack remain on the State Department payroll — and will all be back to work soon, The Post has learned.

The highest-ranking official caught up in the scandal, Assistant Secretary of State Eric Boswell, has not “resigned” from government service, as officials said last week. He is just switching desks. And the other three are simply on administrative leave and are expected back.

The four were made out to be sacrificial lambs in the wake of a scathing report issued last week that found that the US compound in Benghazi, Libya, was left vulnerable to attack because of “grossly inadequate” security.

State Department leaders “didn’t come clean about Benghazi and now they’re not coming clean about these staff changes,” a source close to the situation told The Post., adding, the “public would be outraged over this.””

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This one ticks me off. The stupidity involved is off the charts. These geniuses just told the criminals where the guns are, and who can defend themselves and their property, and who can’t.

From CNN

“An interactive map showing the names and addresses of all handgun permit holders in New York’s Westchester and Rockland counties has infuriated many readers since it was posted Saturday on a newspaper’s website.”

“”One of our roles is to report publicly available information on timely issues, even when unpopular. We knew publication of the database (as well as the accompanying article providing context) would be controversial, but we felt sharing information about gun permits in our area was important in the aftermath of the Newtown shootings,” she said.

The newspaper also said it had wanted to publish even more information.”

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Well then, I guess they won’t mind that some have returned the favor. It being Public info and all.

From Salon

“A New York newspaper, The Journal News, sparked outrage among conservatives earlier this week when it posted an interactive feature showing the addresses and names of individuals who hold gun permits in New York’s Westchester and Rockland counties (screenshot above). The paper  notes that ”the data does not include owners of long guns — rifles or shotguns — which can be purchased without a permit. Being included in this map does not mean the individual at a specific location owns a weapon, just that they are licensed to do so.””

“One lawyer has responded, however, by turning the tables on 50 journalists at The Journal News. The Daily Dot reported today that lawyer Christopher Fountain has posted information on his blog that includes “the home addresses and phone numbers of visual editor Robert Rodriguez, reporter Dwight Worley, and editor Cynthia Royle.””

I’d be willing to bet the newspaper folks see now why stuff like this is a stupid idea.

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This one will just be fun to watch. Will he now at least be consistent and demand his own prosecution? After all, he’s been using his bully pulpit to press for stricter gun laws, so why not just enforce the existing ones in order to demonstrate that the system works?

From Breitbart

“In a discussion about gun control, host David Gregory brandished a 30-round magazine purportedly for an AR-15 or similar “assault rifle.”  The discussion took place on December 23, during the broadcast of NBC’s Sunday morning political talk show.

Washington D.C.’s gun laws, however, state that even possessing such a device is a violation. Meet the Press is filmed at NBC’s D.C. studios.”

“D.C. Official Code 7-2506.01, and reads (my bold):

(b) No person in the District shall possess, sell, or transfer any large capacity ammunition feeding device regardless of whether the device is attached to a firearm. For the purposes of this subsection, the term large capacity ammunition feeding device means a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The term large capacity ammunition feeding device shall not include an attached tubular device designed to accept, and capable of operating only with, .22 caliber rimfire ammunition.”

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UPDATE

Looks like the reporters in the gun owners story may have broken the law as well.

From openNYSenate.gov

“BILL NUMBER:S2488B

TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to pistol permit privacy

PURPOSE:
To require that when a person, other than law enforcement, requests a search of the pistol or revolver automated listing under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) that it is limited to a search by specific name.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 – Subdivision 5 of Section 400.00 of the Penal Law, as amended by Chapter 332 of the laws of 1994, is amended to make the names of any pistol or revolver permit holders confidential except if a request is made under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) for a specific individual by name. Any requests for the entire list
of licensees or for all the licensees in a geographic area shall be denied except if requested by law enforcement (to include any district attorney office in New York State).

Section 2 – Sets forth an immediate effective date.”

Is it too much to ask that journalists at least know the subject, and laws about it, before opinionating about it all over the press? I guess so. And does this open the paper up to a civil suit from named gun owners for violating their legal right to privacy in the matter? Let’s hope so.

What’s news today folks?

Open thread, you decide.

Here are 3 related pieces for your consideration.

The first, from TheWallSt.Journal

“At the height of the Nazi Holocaust, the wretched human cargo spilling out of cattle cars onto the platforms of Auschwitz was immediately subject to a brutal selektion by the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele, whose flick of a finger to the left meant immediate death in a gas chamber; to the right, slave labor and slow death from starvation or disease.

Fast forward to 2012 Nigeria, where a latter-day incarnation of selektion has been used—this time not against Jews, but against Christians.”

“Today, Islamist extremists’ rage has the power to transform small, local conflicts into infernos that can snuff out lives thousands of miles away. Threatened targets of religious hatred today include Hindus, Sunnis, Shiites, Bahais and Jews, but the most widely menaced are Christians. A Pew Forum study last year found that Christians are persecuted—by independent groups or governments—in 131 of the 193 countries in the world.”

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The second, from TheTelegraph

“The study warns that Christians suffer greater hostility across the world than any other religious group.

What’s news today?

I have to ask because I’ve been to busy to really look. Sometimes that’s pleasant too. No news being good news, and all that.

🙂

So let’s do an open thread. What do you have?

What’s news today?

I’ve got a few, then let’s see what you have.

This one ticks me off. Taxpayers are out $50 Billion on GM, and their workers are getting $5,500 to $7,000 dollar bonuses? Wow.

From 24/7WallSt.

“GM workers can expect bonuses of between $5,500 and $7,000, and Ford’s  employees could receive a payment of more than $8,000 each, according to a  report in The Wall Street Journal. The payments are based on a formula that  gives workers a $1 bonus for every $1 million in North American operating profit  at the two companies.

U.S. auto sales are on track to top 14.5 million units in 2012, up 14% over  last year’s sales total. In the first three quarters of the year, GM has posted  operating profit of $5.55 billion and Ford’s profit totals nearly $6.5 billion.  And the fourth quarter looks good too.”

Looks great. For everybody but taxpayers.

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This one smells fishy. Unrelated. Sure.

From NYCBSLocal

“Federal agents raided an eastern Connecticut gun shop on Thursday, the same gun shop that sold one of the weapons used by the Newtown elementary school shooter.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, assisted by police, moved in on Riverview Sales at 4 Prospect Hill Road in East Windsor at around 5:15 p.m., reported Len Besthoff of CBS 2 sister station WFSB in Hartford.”

“All indications are Thursday’s raid was not directly related to the Newtown massacre investigation, but, as Besthoff reported, it was related to several other crimes committed at the store, including the recent theft of an AR-15 and the attempted theft of a .50-caliber long gun, both by a man with mental illness, Besthoff reported.”

If there was wrongdoing by the owner, by all means, raid him. But why would you raid a store for simply being the victim of attempted thefts?

Like I said, fishy.

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This last one, I’m unsure about, but it wouldn’t exactly break my heart.

From Breitbart

“Several conservative House Republican members are contemplating a plan to unseat Speaker John Boehner from his position on January 3, Breitbart News has exclusively learned. Staffers have compiled a detailed action plan that, if executed, could make this a reality.

The Republicans, both conservatives and more establishment members alike, are emboldened after the failure of Boehner’s fiscal cliff “Plan B” on Thursday evening. Dissatisfaction with Boehner is growing in the House Republican conference, but until now there hasn’t been a clear path forward.

Those members and staffers requested anonymity from Breitbart News at this time to prevent retaliation from Boehner similar to what happened to those four members who were purged from their powerful committee assignments a few weeks ago. Their expressed concern is that if Boehner knew who they were, his adverse reaction toward them would be much more brutal than losing committee assignments, such as a primary challenge in 2014 by a leadership-sponsored candidate.”

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